What did you do with your bike today?

Today

I squeezed the clutch in a couple of times as a test of my left hand. Tried to show Mrs Snippets I could do it an hour later, and could not.
So, it will be a couple more weeks or so before I can ride.
Had surgery on my wrist. Had the right hand side done in March.

Unkle Crusty

Rode

Rode for the fist time since the beginning of June.
The Suzuki with the hydraulic clutch, is the only one I can squeeze.
Still numb in two fingers.

Unkle Crusty

past week

Rode to Whidbey Island for sail boat races that last one week, then down to Shelton for bike races Saturday and Sunday, then back to BC yesterday.
Whidbey and Shelton are in WA.
Before I left I made a new front window for Bluzu the SV1000 Suzuki.

Unkle Crusty

Bike

Put new fork seals in the XS11 Yamaha. Adjusted the steering head bearings.

Put the Suzuki on the dyno. 150 mph at 10,000 revs, 108 rear wheel horsepower, 65 pounds of torque flat and steady. Had the ECU rearrange its thinking, to get rid of timing retard in first three gears, altered mixture a bit.
Changes got rid of an annoying vibration at 6000 in third.

With a few changes, mostly mufflers, we can get 115 rear wheel hp and 70 to 75 pounds of torque.

Unkle Crusty

Last weekend

Rode the old Yami XS11 to the races at The Ridge near Shelton WA. Just over 400 miles round trip. Mostly up and down I5. The Yami is more comfortable for that than the Suzuki SV1000.

Unkle Crusty

Bike

Been working on my 83 Yamaha 400 Seca.
Got it running much better. It was a main jet issue. Need more jets of different sizes to get right. Took the swing arm out. Will replace the trashed bearings and shaft. The rear wheel bearings too.
And I am trying to paint all the pieces. Could use some warmer weather.
This will be my winter bike. Need it back together by the end of November.

Unkle Crusty

Shims

I have to do this on my Suzuki. They probably will not have shims in stock. But it will be parked from the end of November until it gets warm again.

Let me tell you something about Rolls Royce Bentley.
They keep the specs and dyes and everything required to build any part.
So if you snap an axle on your R Type Bentley, they can build you one if it is not in stock. However as the mechanic friend of mine said. " We assume of course, that sir has another vehicle as a daily driver. All the better if that is also a Royce " Henry Royce gets the credit from the in house guys, as he was the early designer. Charles Rolls was a salesman.
The also keep wood from the same tree that they used in your car.

Unkle Crusty*

Today

Got my 83 XS400 back together after a new part for the swing arm arrived from England. Rode it up Island to swap the insurance from the Suzuki. But they were closed. Forgot about it being Monday. The 400 is running well enough to get me through the winter. It is not perfect, but close enough.
Put the dirt bike style hand guards on. And working on leg guards. Will paint them tomorrow and install on Thursday. The Suzuki is parked, and the big Yami has the side car attached, for when I need supplies.

Unkle Crusty*

Lately

I installed the lag guards on the XS400. Other than some tuning issues he is ready for the winter.
With all the talk about batteries, I decided to actually look at the one in the XS11. Surprise, it is a quality battery made in the US. Registered 12.25 volts so I took it out and connected the charger. The tray was rusty so I took it out for cleaning and painting. Noticed some of the wyre connections are a bit dirty, so I will disconnect and clean them.
Soupy started it.

Unkle Crusty*

Today

Fired up the XS400 to be sure it would run for tomorrow. 25 F. Started a bit reluctantly. Checked on the XS11. Battery had died. I knew this from previous checks. But I turned the key on and used the kick lever. Yami started. Felt good about that. Yesterday the 41 Ford tractor started easy. Have a 12 volt battery, alternator and electronic ignition. Also has good compression.
Used to plug him in at minus 15 C.
Also today rowed out to my boat to check on things. All okay. Did not need to fire the engine. I know Clunky will start. Both batteries at 14 volts. Solar panels working. Bilge pump on auto working.

Unkle Crusty*

Today

Rode the XS400 to the mainland and down to Shirley's place on the way to Muggs, but this side of the border.
A band aid fell of my finger at the counter on the ferry, and the nice lady got me another one, without me asking. I bought two bike magazines.
Here we went by car towards Muggs place, at Blaine WA and picked up two air filters for the 400. Got a huge ice cream at a new dairy store in Blaine for $1.85. Would cost about $4.50 up here.
Just installed the filters.

Unkle Crusty*

Lately

Did a test run on the XS400 last weekend. Much better with the air filters on. Bought some PVC pipe to make velocity stacks. Studied the fuel pet ****. Now know which way to aim the lever. Had it all wrong. Dopey me. Have him loaded for trip back to my Island on Monday. Have a new battery load tester, and a new battery for the XS11.

Unkle Crusty*

Renton

Another WA rider on my way South. Renton used to be familiar to me.
Muggs and Hawk are North of you.
Ducati rider I know in Bellingham, and an XS1100 rider near Olympia.

Unkle Crusty*

North

Bdobb said:

How far North of the border are you? Last time I was in Western BC was in 1973. Went on a fishing trip around the Kamloops area. Beautiful country. Did some riding North of the Okanogan Valley on the Eastern side of BC...great riding there. I grew up in Issaquah, WA, but I'm on Hood Canal now. Cheers.

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2 miles North West of the Blaine border crossing. That is when I am at Shirley's place. Used to be in Kelowna in the OK Valley. Road quite a few tough cross country races in the Kamloops area.
Bellingham is closer than Vancouver from here.
Heading back to my Island tomorrow. Will be on the XS400.

Unkle Crusty*

Sidecar

DianneB said:

I bought an older Velorex sidecar yesterday for my 2002 FXD - it will be here in a couple of weeks.

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I have a sidecar bolted to my XS11 Yamaha.
After a lot of searching for info I found Dave at simplysidecars.co.uk
What he has to say made the most sense to me.
I use my Inder sidecar to fetch supplies, like gas and propane. Stuff that is too big for the bike alone.

Unkle Crusty*

Today

Changed the main jets on the XS400, then a short test ride. Hit the 10000 red line in third. Hope to do that in 4th and 9500 in 5th. Need more road.
Will be on the big freeway on the 30th.

Unkle Crusty*

Today

Test ride with the new velocity stacks and bigger main jets. Not good. Change main jets back to previous size. Test, not good. Have a hissy fit. Remove new stacks and jump on them, change main jets. Test ride. Sweet.
The info I have been getting about diaphragm carbs needing a short air ram / stack, is not working for me.
Will do top speed test next Tuesday on the freeway.

I have to remove the fuel tank, seat and both side panels to get at the carbs.
But once I get it right I can leave it alone and have a beer break.

Unkle Crusty*

Today

Changed the needle height on the XS400. Rode up Island, meet the biker gang, Roy on his Harley.
Fired up the XS11 and ran it for a while.

Earlier. Found a log in my pile. Stripped off the bark, dug a hole and stuck the log in it. Cut down a cedar, peeled of the bark. Placed one end on top of the now 12 foot high pole, the other end attached to the steel frame of my shed.

Later, after the New Year, I will secure the cross piece with chain. Then connect two chain hoists to the cross beam. All this to get back on track to a bike thread. Then I can lift the XS1100 Midnight Special, out of the back of my truck.

Unkle Crusty*

Helmet

Bdobb said:

I'd love to have the vintage early 1970's Bell Star I used for Flat Track racing right now! Never thought they would appreciate in value.

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I have one. All the internal shock resistant material has degraded. The cloth material is okay, but the other stuff is toast. It falls out in clumps and lumps.
I will probably take it all out and fill with foam material. I want to do a test ride with it on, to compare wind noise to the newer helmets.

Unkle Crusty*