zen_kick 的个人资料PoetasterSalad - M e l o...照片日志列表更多  |  工具 帮助 |
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6月13日 New Ride...oooh.Part of the plan for moving farther out into the country included selling the old SAAB of joy and buying a new, more reliable motorcycle for commuting purposes. Motorcycles get priority loading on the ferries, can use the carpool lanes and have better gas mileage. Thus for commuting purposes (went from 14mi to nearly 30mi one way) a motorcycle is the way to go - at least in the summer months.
Picked up a 2004 Moto Guzzi V11 Ballabio with 200mi on the clock. Have been driving it for about a month now and like it so much have been considering getting rid of the BMW. Fun bike to ride, stable and not too many tweaks necessary. More upgrades and ride analysis minutia later. For now, here's the pix: 12月12日 New bike wish list.The impending move will double my commute mileage (14m => 28m) and adds a daily ferry trip to the journey. While pursuing the socially and environmentally responsible avenue of joining a vanpool, the option of joining the pack of motorcycles leaving the boat every morning is very enticing. Having been a daily motorcycle commuter for years (3-season post-wedding as I gave up rain riding once I had a wife and family) I am looking at moving forward ~30 years and adding an MG V11 to the stable. I test rode a Ballabio and was pretty impressed with the fuel injection and other modern updates to the standard MG v-twin engine. The model lived for about 5 years for the short period of time that Aprilla owned the MG mark and production. Standard amount of new machine issues plagued the first couple of years but the 2002-2005 models seem to have worked the bugs out. Despite my wife's inappropriate appropration of the names ("The dog ballabioed on the floor again!") I am narrowed to the 2004 Ballabio or the limited edition 2002 Scura. Both are variations on the same machine with slight advantages and can be found reasonably (in my view) priced used. Think this will be pursued post new year and remodel completion after the dust has settled, the bank account stabilizes and the volume of things being moved has been settled on. In the meantime, here is a Scura I have been watching, an older confederate that would be in the stable but for lack of funds, space, time and lack of a good reason and a newer confederate I will never be able to afford (50k-77k).
5月31日 Broken Goose.So it's been nearly a month since the newly tuned LAPD tossed it's shift linkage on the 520 leaving me to double clutch the rest of the way homeward in 4th gear. The smell of roasting clutch plates bummed me out enough to consider unloading all the old, rickety vintage iron in the garage in favor of some new ABS-ized commuter bike. After simmering down however I realized that I kind of like tinkering with these simpler machines. Also you can't beat them size-wise and cost-wise. Now that I am reaching a state of less density in the garage I can put together a bike workbox and have the space to start a project. The baby enjoys putzing around the garage with tools when I am down there and he'll take a screwdriver to the motorbike given half a chance.
The fix shouldn't be bad - just need an extra set of hands to shift back down to neutral and untangle the shift linkage then make sure it's tightend when slipped on the spline. After that it's all detail work - trim for toolbox, attach second box to lightbar, get gasket for original tank cap, swap out a few rusty bolts with stainless.
Of course the guys at the shop told me the next step would be bigger carbs... 2月22日 The goose is home.Moto Guzzi is back in the home garage after wintering at the mechanics. Despite the sexy lines of the fishtail pipes, I got tired of the acceleration lag and potential damage of late combustion (crackling doesn't sound cool - just like your bike is out of tune) so I sprung for a set of lafranconi pipes as replacement. These are quieter but improve performance considerably.
Despite the chill temperature and lack of insurance, I took the LAPD out for a quick spin and I must say the upgrade was worth every penny. No crackling or backfiring. No need to tweak the throttle to keep the bike at idle. Smooth acceleration all the way through the power band. Can't wait for March 1st. 9月27日 Boyoboyoboy. Got to talk the wife into one of these.It's no secret that a Ducati Monster 900 is the next ride on the bike wishlist. I just found out that Ducati has come out with a heritage line - updated rides based upon their classic bikes of the 70's. The Paul smart 1000LE runs a tight race with a Monster900dark for next bike to enter the garage.
9月20日 /6 improvementsAs an end of the summer scooby snack I picked up an S fairing for the /6. This is the small bubble-type fairing that came stock on the R90S with the voltmeter and clock inside. It is an original off a /7 that has been sitting in storage since 1977. The windscreen is cracked so I'll have to replace it. I like the patina of age on the fairing - the paint has some cracking and it's not clean - it matches the raggedy look of the rest of my bike. I have considered doing a frame-up on this bike like I did to the Guzzi but I like having a ride that shows wear. in addition to the fairing I have a couple of minor plans for slight cosmetic upgrades:
In addition there is some mechanical stuff to do:
As I watch Ebay I realize that too much improvment and I would be fiscally better off buying someone elses restoration project. When I start thinking that way however I start thinking safety and reliability and look at the newer R series with ABS and all and before you know it I have talked myself into considering 10k+. It's easy to love the /6 right afterwards. 7月22日 Dead Moto GuzziPicked up the LAPD from the shop this week. Learned that the crackling in the pipes is most likely due to a lack of back pressure. Need some sort of reducer to close down the open fishtails. Should help the idle and stop the late firing - maybe even add horsepower. I'll follow up with the guys at cyclegarden.com as they were selling similar pipes last month and should know all about them.
Embarassingly enough I ran out of gas on the way home from work. Bike started sputtering sitting in 520 traffic so I switched to reserve. Now the BMW has enough on reserve to make it home but I learned on my way up the Phinney hill that this is not the case with my other bike. Approaching cars waiting on the light I felt that tell-tale stutter so I jumped the next left in a bit to make it to the top of the hill. at nearly 700 pounds I did not want to push the bike over the ridge. Made it to Greenwod and turned towards the 7-11 service station 4 blocks away.
Miraculously I ran on fumes the entire way and only had to push the bike into the parking lot by the pumps. Filled up the tank feeling mighty clever and started the bike. Nothing. Had electrics and starter turned over - just nothing caught. Figuring there was an air bubble in the line somewhere from running it down to empty, I jiggled the bike, tapped the carbs and turned the petcocks off and on again.
Bike started but sounded like it was running on one cylinder and wouldn't idle. Once again I figured this was due to air in the fuel lines and I just needed to get the bike running again to clear it out. No luck.
Limped down the hill on the other side, revving like mad to keep the motor running but it died again by the laundromat. A half an hours worth of work got me three blocks farther and gave up and pushed it the rest of the way to my in-laws house.
Came back the next morning and nothing caught. So, is it:
Will tear into the problem this weekend to find the culprit. In the meantime, I must say it's a must to have a backup when relying upon vintage motorcycles for your commute. Happy to have the /6. 6月29日 Long ride.Sunday I took the BMW out for my first long ride of the season. My wife had taken the baby out camping the night before and I rode up to meet them in the mountains. The BMW still bears scars from it's tussle with a Denali in the parking garage last month but I replaced the smashed mirror, straightened the bent instrument bracket and gave the bike a bath. I found more damage in the form of a broken muffler bracket but I lashed it together with bailing wire and the muffler stayed on for the trip.
Weather was nice - cloudy but warm and the trip was supposed to be two hours out. Left at 9am and took the freeway north before turning off on highway 2. The 5 isn't much fun but once off, the 2 is the southern part of the north cascades loop. Lots of bikes making the trip for fun and thus there are plenty of chances to wave at other riders and check out their machinery.
Made the entire trip in about 90 minutes and found the campsite no problem. Traffic was a bit slow just after the speedway but the ride up the hill was pleasant. Ran across one nasty pothole and one stellar individual in a cherokee who decided to race me as I passed him, but I gallantly let the cherokee win and the rest of the ride was uneventful.
After a lovely day of poking about the sleepy town and playing with the baby by the riverside, we headed back home. My wife took off in the car and I made a few final tours through the town and nearby cabin communities (nothing like taking a street bike on a gravel road to sharpen your reaction time and balance) before heading down the mountain. All was well until I neared the first true township and ended up behind a 5 mile line of stopped cars. Sunday traffic returning from Lake Wenatchee piles up behind the lone stop signal and the end result is nearly an hour of inching forward breathing exhaust. Not the ideal motorcycle experience.
Fortunately my lovely wife had had enough of the baby vocally expressing his displeasure at being confined to a carseat in a non-moving car. The two of them were waiting by the roadside for me to creep my way by and we elected to stop for mexican food and wait for traffic to die down. I attempted to disctract the baby by following the car to the restaurant (he is still young enough for the seat to face backwards) and making faces at him. There was some dispute over dinner if this practice is 1) effective & 2) wise from a safety perspective. End result of the discussion is that I will refrain from this activity in the future and my wife will endure the crying.
After dinner we headed out via the 522 and were home in about an hour. My lower back and knees tell me it's been too long since I've undertaken a journey longer than my 14 mile daily commute. Once the Guzzi is back from the shop next week, I'll have to schedule another trip to get back into shape. 5月24日 Find that Denali!Grrr. Last week the /6 was knocked over in the parking garage at work. One of my co-workers kindly came to find me when he saw it and I thought he was having me on by telling me that my motorcycle was on it's side. Alas it was true and the poor beemer had suffered insult at the rear bumper of an illegally parked Denali. It's true that the SUV was taking up most of the Motorcyle parking space but I didn't think the driver would actually put the truck in reverse before leaving and, as there was more room left in the motorcycle parking space behind the interloper than in front...you get the picture. First thing I noticed was a sense of moral outrage and indignation that someone would be so careless. Then a sense of dismay that - even though the /6 is far from cherry - it's now potentially tainted. No vehicle is ever the same after suffering violence and the effects of it's tumble may show up months down the road. Immediately visible damage: Busted mirror, bent instrument panel bracket, scratches on tank, headlamp ring, seat rail, hand hold and valve cover. The bars feel bent but it may just be me trying to correct when looking at the bent instruments. I talked to my mech - Mick Vallantine of Vallantine motor works (VMW) and he wasn't worried about anything too serious but I will feel better after he actually looks at it and drives it a bit. Since no note was left, I was disappointed in the ethical fibre of humanity and set out to find the culprit and bring him to justice. I trolled the garage, left notes on suspicious looking Denalis in the parking garage (turns out more than one of my co-workers drive these behemoths) and queried security about the possiblity of requisitioning survellience tapes and parking infraction records. Security suggested I file a report (duh) and nearly immediately after I did, security contacted me with the name of the person who knocked the bike over. Seems she (counter to my stereotypical assessment) filed her own report with security. I am scheduled to meet with security, give a statement and contact the individual in question to exchange informaiton and negotiate repair cost. The system works! 3月18日 Ouch. Car repair.The Saab of Joy II ended up needing a fuel pump (knew it!), a radiator and new water pump seals. $1500 total. Ouch. When laying out a wad of cash to service an older car (100k+ miles) I start considering cost effectiveness vs. environmental responsibility. Is it better for the planet and my wallet upgrade to a newer used car or to keep an existing car going? Keeping an existing car going doesn't use new resources but seems to get more costly by the month. Adding to the problem is the fact that I like driving the SAAB and this model is no longer manufactured. My inclination is to keep the Saab of Joy II limping along as long as possible - even to the point of dropping the $$ for a full overhaul in another 50k if necessary. I know folks who have had mid-80s 900s fully re-conditioned for about 7k. Given that SAAB isn't making this model anymore and I don't like the newer styles, that seems feasible. Also I don't have to look for a new car - a task I find onerous and would go through alot to avoid doing in the near future. I motorcycle commute in the spring/summer and only use the car in the winter months so mileage is ~10K per year. If I were to get a replacement, ideally I would get an ecomobile - http://www.ecomobile.com/ - but the wallet doesn't agree with the $80K+ price - http://www.peraves.ch/price.htm - and the family doesn't all fit since these are two seaters with a small cargo space. Second in line is the tango electric commuter car - http://www.commutercars.com/ - these are taking pre-orders for the mass production version and only require a $500 deposit with an $18,500 price tag. I am seriously thinking of reserving the production model as I want to support what these guys are doing. Only problem is there is no current delivery schedule for the car beyond the $85k kit. Biodiesel is another alternative - http://www.fuelwerks.com/ - but then I would need to shop for a VW with a TDI motor and be pretty organized to plan filling times and locations - http://www.nbb.org/buyingbiodiesel/retailfuelingsites/showstate.asp?st=WA. Looking at the new hybrids might be another option to reduce both wallet and environment impact. Unfortunately I have vowed to never buy a car newer than three years old due to the high depreciation and my lack of inclination to change cars every year or two. Suggestions are welcome. 3月16日 Saab of SorrowThe Saab of joy II `turned to sorrow yesterday as it appears the fuel pump went out when I stopped at the bank. I should have been tipped off by the false starts in front of the house and at the chiropracter. The Saab always starts first try. Came out of the bank, got spark, starter turned over - just no fuel to catch. Sputtered and died. Called my wife to pick up the vaccum from the back of the car (long story) and AAA for a tow. Frank the tow truck driver was great. New to the job, young kid who was canned from his last job cooking because he wasn't catching on quick enough (as per his account) but was having a great time driving the tow truck. Swung by the house to pick up the BMW and I followed him to the repair shop. I must say there is a great feeling of satisfaction when the backup systems (AAA membership, redundant functioning vehicles) serve to mitigate what could be a seriously inconvienent situation. As it was I was a couple hours late to work but still made it in without impacting Yvonne's PEPS meeting. Very successful morning in my opinion. 3月14日 Riding season has started!
New gauntlet gloves are working most excellently. They are much tighter than my previous set and are keeping me warm enough. Temp will have to rise a couple of degrees before I switch to the short ones. 3月10日 BMW update/6 is at the shop. Didn't get a chance to pick it up this morning because the woozy snoozit was up til the wee hours and guess who was up with him while mom slept? End result was a sluggish morning at the gym and a late start out the door to work. I'll drop by tomorrow morning and settle up with the mech then pick up after I take O the elder to t-town to see his dad. If the weather holds, I'll figure out a way to ride this weekend. New gloves from Switzerland with the gauntlet and knuckle protectors work great by the way. 3月8日 BMW on the way!Dropping off the /6 tomorrow for the beginning of the season tune. Also found the other knee pad for the gas tank and a jar of contact cement in the same day! Seems as if all forces in the universe are conspiring to get me on the road soon - sunny weather, magically appearing parts, new gloves on the shelf. Got no choice but to ride this week... 3月1日 Motorcycle season!Today is the first day of the official riding season! My wife and I made an agreement when we were married - she wouldn't make noises about getting rid of my bikes or stopping riding if I bought better safety gear (good idea) and I didn't ride in the winter months. If you ask her, I am getting soft in my old age and love comfort too much to expose my body to the harsh elements when I have a perfectly fine car to drive. I vehemently disagree. Upshot is that insurance starts again today so I must make haste and get the Beemer (76 R90/6 rat special) and the Goose (74 MG LAPD) to the shop for their season start service so I can hit the road and beat the traffic! Added album of an LAPD look-a-like I found on ebay. It's just like mine! Well except I have a pillion pad and I removed my saddlebags and the lightbar on front is different and I have braided brakelines and a better, vintage tail light, better paint etc, etc, etc... |
am so happy. Weather has been lovely and commuted on both the Moto Guzzi and the BMW in the past week. BMW is freshly tuned and Guzzi was tuned before I put it away last season. My pal Geoff is in town and it would be great to schedule a ride for nostaligia purposes but alas family obligations on both sides seem to conspire against it. Next time he's in town.|
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