YerBlog

photo: seasonal road #1

2007-10-19T23:03:00.000-05:00

spring is here!

2007-02-12T07:20:00.000-05:00

Ok, spring's not really here.

But, I got the KLR out of "storage" yesterday. What with ice storms, being sick, and sub-zero temps, I haven't ridden in about a month. Yeah I know, lame. Rode over to the little lady's house last night for dinner. It was no cross-country trip, just about ten miles. The temperature was about 19 degrees (F), so not too bad for riding.

first snow ride of fall 06

2006-11-02T12:56:00.000-05:00

Came home for lunch, and it's time to bust out the full-face helmet. Snow showers today.

I suppose I'm overdue for some fresh pics here, and on the site. OK, coming this week.

it's official: i suck

2006-09-04T20:41:00.000-05:00

Well, school starts tomorrow. That means that I go back to work. And, although I got a LOT of skating in this summer, I put an embarassing amount of miles on the KLR. Seriously. Between the car trips and the KLR needing work that I was too lazy to do, I didn't ride her much.

I can't feel TOO bad, 'cause I did skate a bunch of new pools this summer, and got to go out and visit Tuck. But, damn, I've got some catching up to do!

Wes came over today and rescued me once again. He helped me switch my tires out. I had the Kenda 270s on there and I hated them. Wes helped my slap some new Pirelli MT21s on. He also helped me with my frozen front brake problem. The dude is a great friend. Everyone should have a friend like Wes. He can rip a pool too!

Anyway, the KLR is pretty much road worthy now, and I start commuting again tomorrow morning. I'm going to try to get some longer trips in before the snow falls. But, with the amount of skating I've been doing, I might be waiting 'til next summer for a longer KLR trip.

hibernation

2006-04-25T04:57:00.000-05:00

The weather has been AWESOME 'round here lately. I've gotten a ton of riding in, and have not been interested in sharing here. I'm thinking that during the summer months most of my updates are going to come in the form of trip reports. I suppose I'll still be posting rants here, but I'm planning on going into a sort of blog hibernation mode here 'til cold weather returns and I'm sitting on my butt with a computer on my lap again.

Get out there and ride!

you, on the harley

2006-04-13T06:30:00.000-05:00

This article is nearly 15 years old now, but I still get a kick out of it every time I read it...

Harley Davidson. It's not a motorcycle company. It is a pagan cult religion for brain dead trend humping fashion lemmings.

b.a. barackus

2006-04-11T20:33:00.000-05:00

Today was the first real 70 degree day 'round here. You can tell because people were riding around on motorcycles. I suppose tomorrow when there's a chance of rain, they'll be putting their trailer queens (as the saying goes) back into storage. I'm starting to feel like I'm distancing my self from the motorcycling community, but it's only because I don't see a community.

What I do see is a bunch of posers who get on motorcycles and play out some bad boy fantasy. I have a few buddies who I consider real riders, but that's more of a family than a community. Most of the people I see on these perfect days are just acting out something they saw on TV, or in a movie somewhere. These guys ride round with their pipes barking above all other sounds, chrome half-helmets gleaming, fringe everything flapping in the wind, creased chaps shining. I don't understand this costumed approach to riding a motorcycle.

I wish I could see past the flash and get to know some of these folks who ride. But, I'm too busy riding. Maybe I'll wave to them next time I'm riding by bike night downtown.

prehisterical

2006-04-10T06:16:00.000-05:00

Got a great ride in yesterday. I headed out on dirt roads Southwest of Ann Arbor. Wound my way through rolling fields, and ended up on US-12 out in the Irish Hills. This area is an old 1950s tourist trap.

Many of the attractions are still there, including my favorite, the Prehistoric Forest. There's another place called the Dinosaur Gardens that I visited a few summers ago up on the East coast of Michigan. Down the road from the Prehistoric Forest is the famed Stagecoach Stop USA. It wasn't open for the season yet, but I did get a pic with Paul Bunyan.

Unfortunately, I had some KLR issues on the way home. Here's an excerpt from my MADS post:

Out for a ride on mostly dirt roads. Stopped after 50 miles or so for
gas. Filled the tank. A couple miles later, took a sharp right-hand
turn on a dirt road and mid turn hit some good potholes. After the
turn, said to myself, "Whew, that was close, almost lost it there!"
Then, the bike died and I coasted to a stop.

Got out tools to do some trouble shooting. Reached up to make sure the
plug wire hadn't come off, checked some other electrical connections,
then took the hoses off the petcock to take the tank off. After I took
the saddlebags and seat off, I noticed that there was a good amount of
gas leaking out of the fuel hose going to the carb. I sorta shook it
out, and cranked the engine a few times, then hooked it back up for
the hell of it. After a few cranks, she started back up and I rode
home with no problems.

If you know what could be the issue, please let me know!

order yours now!

2006-04-02T09:53:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was another beautiful spring day. Rather than do all of the things that need doing around my house, I though I'd do some maintenance on the KLR.

Actually, I really only did one thing to it. Last time I measured the fork oil level, I measured it with the forks extended. You're supposed to measure the fork oil with the forks fully COMPRESSED. So, for the past few weeks I've been riding around on ultra-stiff forks and endangering my fork seals with every pothole hit.

I got set up in my workshop, and set up my ultra high-tech bike stand. Once the bike was up on the stand, I took out the fork springs and used my super-precision fork oil measurer. If you are interested in purchasing either my patented bike stand or fork oil tool, send me an email ;-)

I also messed around with my petcock, to see if it is the cause of my surging problems. Seems the nozzle connecting the fuel hose to the carb is loose, and comes off if you pull the hose just right (like when taking the tank off). So, I went out to Nicholson's to ask for some advice. The guy there agreed that that could be the cause of the surging, and if not, the petcock shouldn't do that anyway, that piece should stay put. So, I ordered a new petcock.

I don't usually like to order from the dealership. I do get things from them from time to time though. They've been helpful with advice, and actually done more than they needed to on occasion. I figure It'd be good to buy parts from them at least when I don't need the part right away, and/or when the part will be the same price from the dealership as from Fred or BikeBandit or whoever.

Next weekend I'll be throwing the new petcock on and see if that solves my surging and rough running issues.

new wave policy

2006-03-29T18:59:00.000-05:00

With temperatures rising here in Michigan, more motorcyclists are braving the roads. And, with every passing of a bike comes The Wave controversy.

In the past, I have mostly been a proponent of waving to all motorcycles. This spring, however, I've had sort of a bad attitude. I think this bad attitude comes from thinking about all these "bikers" riding 'round in their SUVs for the past few months, and only coming out once the weather is perfect.

I think I've come to the realization that just because we're all riding two wheeled vehicles doesn't mean we have anything in common. I mean, how often do you see two mini-van drivers wave to each other just because they're in the same kind of ride? And just like I wouldn't wave to a guy in a truck with a motorcycle sticker on it (or, god forbid, a Ford F150 Harley edition), I don't feel like waving to Joe Dumb*ss out for his weekly three mile ride to the coney island and back.

Maybe I'm just being crabby, but I'm done with waving to every bike that passes. This may offend some, but as I've said before, I'm not out there to be the model motorcyclist. I'm just out there to ride.

bring on the rain

2006-03-29T18:52:00.000-05:00

Well, I guess the T-Mod or something else we did fixed the wet weather issue on the ol' KLR. She ran just fine (well, as well as she's been running lately) in the rain yesterday. I'm stoked.

But, I still need to figure out the surging issue. Wes has his old petcock which seems to be still working. Gonna throw it on and see if it takes care of the surging. Details to come...

the klr who rained

2006-03-28T07:09:00.000-05:00

Over the past couple weeks, I've done some things to try to solve my wet-weather problems. I hung out with Wes one day and installed the T-Mod, and cleaned the air filter, which was brutally caked with dirt, sand, and yes, even a rock sitting in the bottom in there. WTF? I need to be more dutiful about that crap. We also took the tank off and connected an external tank. We did this so we could get all the electrical connections wet. One by one with the engine running, we squirted each and every electrical connection to see if we could find the one making wet-weather riding impossible. Nothing.

A buddy suggested that my wet-weather stalling and not starting might be due to loss of compression. I went out to Chris' a few days ago and slapped a compression gauge on the KLR. Luckily, the compression is within range, so we can rule that out.

One problem I've discovered is that my petcock seems to be messed up. The nozzle that connects the hose leading to the carb actually comes off if you twist and pull just right. Wes and I are thinking that this may be the culprit causing the surging I'm getting while riding. Don't know if this could be my wet-weather problem.

Last night I left the KLR out all night in the rain. Got up early to see if she'd start, and she did. I checked every half-hour (in the rain) for about two hours: no problem. Took her out for a spin, around the block a few times. The rain seemed to not cause a problem. Hm.

So, I'm going to ride to work in the rain today and see what happens. Maybe the T-Mod is what it took.

wake up and smell the coffee

2006-03-08T06:26:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I rode for the first time in about ten days. Not because of the weather, but due to an out of town funeral followed by an out of town wedding. It's nice to be riding again, but...

Woke up this morning and remembered that I didn't have coffee. Crap. Suited up and headed out the door to find freezing drizzle falling. Hopped on the KLR and headed out, using caution. Made it to the store, no problem.

After morning shopping, got back on the bike and sort of forgot about the sketchy road conditions. Took a corner fast and hit an icy patch. The front end slid out and I went into the weavy tank-slappingesque motions that usually proceed a dumping of the bike. I thought I was going down, but pulled it out somehow. Although it woke me up right quick, I think I'd rather stick to waking up with coffee in the future ;-)
Pucker Factor:

wes to the rescue... again

2006-02-21T05:52:00.000-05:00

Last week the mighty KLR was taken down once again by wet weather. This time, no amount of coaxing would bring her back to life. I had ridden her to work, in the rain, with no problems. But, when I tried to start her at the end of the day, no go. Crank crank crank crank BAM! Big backfire with an 8" flame out the tailpipe.

I proceeded to take the seat off to get a better reach to some electrical stuff: coil, plug. Disconnected, connected, sprayed with WD-40. Tried the dry gas, which worked the last time I had this problem. Nothing was going to work though. So, I called tech support/KLR road service.

Wes promptly arrived, and we loaded the KLR into his minivan. He was happy to know that a bike would actually fit in there, and I was too ;-) We drove cross town to my house and unloaded the sick looking beast. She looked like a corpse in the back of a hearse. This was not one of my happiest days.

At home, we took the tank off, looked for corrosion on connectors, tried to find bad electrical connections, then put her back together. Still no go. I decided to call it a day, and told Wes that she WOULD start the next morning, once she dried out. Next morn, she started. Been riding her since without problems, though the weather's been dry.

I posted to the DSN list to try to get an answer to what is up with my bike, but only the usual answers came back: do the T-Mod. Actually, one guy suggested checking the gap on the plug. I don't really go to the DSN list any more, but did this time 'cause I thought I'd throw a question to more people and get more answers. That didn't quite work out. I'll probably stick to old faithful next time, the MADS list. I get less answers at the MADS list, but seem to get higher quality answers.

So, coming up this weekend I'm going to take the old girl apart and jizz every electrical connection with dialectic grease. I'm also going to do the T-mod, for what it's worth. I really don't think this is a fuel issue, but I should do that mod anyway. Hopefully I can trouble shoot this issue and solve it once and for all.

sunday ride

2006-02-12T16:02:00.000-05:00

Rode out to mom's today. Took the back roads 'cause it's so nice out. Temps are near 30 (F), and it's sunny. Once out at mom's place I took a spin around her property. Although I'm ready for the weather to warm up. It was a GREAT ride today.

brush with not-so-greatness

2006-02-11T06:11:00.000-05:00

Been at a conference in Dearborn this week. It's the MEA's Bargaining and PR conference. Good stuff. Haven't been riding the KLR into Dearborn (it's about 40-45 miles), but have been riding to where we meet to carpool. Yesterday it started snowing HARD about a half hour before the ride. I'm glad I hadn't decided to ride all the way to the conference. The roads were covered with about an inch of icy, slick snow. Gnarly, for sure, but it was about 6 am, so there were hardly any cars out.

pucker factor

One cool thing is that we got to see US senator Debbie Stabenau (sp?) speak at lunch, and Michigan's governor Granholm. I'm not much for the politician/celebrity thing, but we jumped in for a handshake and photo op. Never met a governor before. Of course, I've never really wanted to. Here's the crappy pic, taken with a camera phone...

winter storm warning! freak out and die!

2006-02-05T14:35:00.000-05:00

We were supposed to get a big dumping of snow last night, so I busted out the x-country skiis and took them over to Jessica's. We were hoping to get some skiing in for the first time this year. Alas, it only snowed a few inches. Today it was pretty windy (gusts up to 35 mph) and cold, but I got a good ride in anyway. Tooled around from Jessicas on dirt roads for a while, then headed cross town and home. It was a nice ride, and I got some good looks from freaked cagers. Not a bad weekend ride.

enough about the superbowl already

2006-02-05T08:48:00.000-05:00

Warning: Non-KLR related post follows...

Today is Superbowl Sunday, and I can't wait until Monday. The only news we've heard for the last 6 months from Detroit news outlets is about how great it is for the city that the Superbowl is here. Well, that and ANYTHING else that remotely has to do with the Superbowl. All I can say is, "please god, let it end."

Most of the hooplah around this GAME is that it's going to be an opportunity for Detroit to shine in the eyes of the world. I'm reminded of an old saying: You can't polish a turd. I've said it before, and I'll say it again, Detroit is a hole. Patching some potholes and putting up fake facades is not going to make Detoilet a better place. Sure, getting rid of burned-out buildings is great at any time, but don't just do it 'cause of a big GAME.

All the fake "excitement" will end tomorrow, and the focus of the news again will be murder, rape, arson, and corruption. Thank god. At least all of that is real.

groundhog day -OR- blah blah weather blah blah

2006-02-02T12:36:00.000-05:00

On my ride to work this morning, I was thinking to myself, "I wonder how all the folks feel who have stored their bikes for the winter," and, "I will NEVER put my bike in full-on winter storage."

The reasons are obvious. It's been in the 40s (F) and above for about a month now. Granted, this isn't typical midwest weather, but with even the possibility of temperate midwinter riding, I could never consider storage for either of my bikes. I imagine myself peering out the window as children play in the park on a midwinter heatwave day. If I'm going to put my bikes in storage, I might as well consider myself in storage as well... screw that.

Alas, the weather forecast calls for an end to these springlike conditions. The change is coming tonight. So, instead of highs in the 40s, we'll be having highs in the low 30s for at least the next week. It will be harder to be so smug about the storage deal once the cold weather returns, but I'll still be riding.

Only four more weeks of February. Hopefully it will be a short four weeks. Oh, and the groundhog? Who needs him? ;-)

you can't have a january thaw if it wasn't frozen to start with

2006-01-30T06:24:00.000-05:00

The unseasonably warm weather continues.

This past weekend offered spring-like conditions, ideal for bike maintenance. Not only did we get the Bazooki running, but yesterday I got some maintenance done on the KLR: oil/filter change, doohickey adjust, re-rattlecan the tank ;-)

Last night's ride home from Jessica's was nice, though rainy. You can't beat 50 degree weather at the end of January in Michigan. I do have some rough running issues though. I posted the problem on the MADS list if you want to check it out.

it lives!

2006-01-28T17:47:00.000-05:00

Holy smokes! Wes and I (mostly Wes. Thanks, brah.) have been working on getting this old Suzuki GS550 running and not leaking oil and looking better. Well, today we finally got it to the point where we could see if it runs. It started right up! Now all we have to do is wait for the chain and front brake line to come in the mail (any day now) and it'll be rideable. You can check out pix of the process here.

We aslo busted out Wes' Honda that he's been working on. That thing hadn't run for about two years, but we got it out today and it started on the third kick!

The next nice weekend we have, you'll be sure to see the two of us cruisin around on our "new" rides.

As far as the KLR goes, it was near 50 today and just like a spring day. Nothing special, just another beautiful day on the KLR.

life without coffee would be a mistake

2006-01-25T15:58:00.000-05:00

I'm taking a class out at EMU, and last night's ride home (about 10 miles) started out pretty normal. It was raining, and dark, but I'm used to that. The only thing bothering me lately has been my face shield fogging up. Gonna have to deal with that.

During my ride home last night, the rain turned to snow, then heavy snow. At first I thought it was pretty fun. I love "defying" the elements ;-) But, as the wet, heavy snow splattered against my face shield, and I wiped it off every minute or so, my shield began to fog up. So, let's just say that foggy face shields at night, with snow on the ground don't really mix. The snow was about a quarter inch deep on the street, and I started to get a little nervous. I did make it home, but not without a little pucker factor action.

Pucker Factor:

On to product endorsement...

If you're looking for a thermos that REALLY works, go to REI. I have one from there, and yesterday it sat strapped to my bike for about 5 hours in 35 degree (F) weather. When I finally got to class (no, it didn't take me 5 hours to ride 10 miles. It's not THAT snowy out!), the coffee was steaming hot and delicious. So, go to REI and get yourself a nice thermos.

old man winter is a wuss

2006-01-23T21:49:00.000-05:00

Global warming? Maybe. Whatever it is, this is turning out to be a mild winter. December had a good cold snap, but January is turning out to be downright balmy. Shoot, I even saw TWO other bikes out tonight... AFTER DARK EVEN! Cool.

I guess I'll have to wait for snow to play in. I know, we still have February, but it doesn't look good.

january thaw

2006-01-22T20:45:00.000-05:00

Got some good riding in this weekend. Saturday it was in the mid-30s (F). Took a ride out to Zack's for a part I ordered, then out to Chelsea to go to the Muleskinner. Unfortunately, the Muleskinner was closed. I was hot to go buy some cowboy boots, but it'll have to wait.

The ride was great and I put nearly 100 miles in, a lot of it on dirt roads Southwest of Ann Arbor. By the time I got to Chelsea, I started to get a little chill. 'Guess I didn't dress for the weather, figured it was warmer than it really was. Still though, it was great to get out and just ride for the sake of riding.

one can of flat black, please

2006-01-19T10:48:00.000-05:00

Boy, lock de-icer can be rough on paint. Looks like it's time for another $4 paint job :-D

return of winter

2006-01-19T06:45:00.000-05:00

The weather here has been unseasonably warm, but yesterday the Winter Warlock returned. It rained the day before, and overnight got booty-ass cold. After that, a couple inches of snow fell. The roads weren't too bad once I left for work, but there were some icy spots.

Pucker Factor:

The only problem I have with riding in these Michigan winters is the freeze/thaw cycle. It is very common to have a 40 degree (F) rainy day, followed by a 20 degree snowy night. This means that the KLR gets soaked, then freezes. Usually this only means a little lock de-icer in the ignition, but sometimes it means frozen clutch/brake/choke levers. Yesterday, the gas cap got it and it took a while to get it unfrozen. Some day I'll have a heated garage. Well, in my wildest fantasies anyway.

The KLR is also having some rough-running issues. I'm going to try to sort it out this weekend, with the help of Wes, and probably the MADS list too.

On another note... The Suzuki is coming together quite nicely. It's going to be a quick little cafér, come spring.

bitter michigan winter

2006-01-12T18:42:00.000-05:00

Boy these Michigan mid-January commutes can be rough. Today was a typical one: sunny, 50 degrees (F), light breeze. Yeah, it's gonna be a tough winter.

Anyway, stopped by Wes' after work. He's been doin' a bit of work on my GS550. It's gonna be sweet come spring!

the governator is an ass

2006-01-11T07:30:00.000-05:00

"I never played by the rules."
-Arnold Schwarzenegger

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2006-01-09-schwarzenegger-accident_x.htm

I guess things like this can happen when you decide to ride a motorcycle without a license. Arnold should take a riding class, or stay off the fucking road where he's endangering his own life and the lives of others. He gives Harley riders an even worse image than they already have. I don't think he gives motorcyclists a bad name, 'cause he's NOT a motorcyclist.

What would happen to a "regular citizen" if they got in an accident on a bike without an endorsement? Tickets? Jail? Politicians should not be able to wiggle out of situations like this, simply because they are politicians.

Stay off the fucking public roads if you don't want to "play by the rules." Keep it in your damn yard. Your "hog" is not a toy.

finally riding again

2006-01-10T05:43:00.000-05:00

Today it has been two weeks since I've been able to ride the KLR. But, today I ride.

Last night I got the KLR home from Zack's with a fresh valve adjust (it really needed it), and threw the new coil in the bike to see if it would work... SPARKS! Baby fired right up. So I did need that coil after all.

I'm thinking that the ohmmeter that I have (actually a multimeter) isn't accurate enough to give the 0.15-0.21 ohm reading that I was looking for on the new coil. I may look for an ohmmeter that can handle such small readings.

So, the KLOG turns back into a riding log today! I took the KLR out for a quick spin last night and oh my GOD it felt great! I can't wait to ride today, and with temps in the 40s (F) and sun, it's going to be even better.

KLR confessional

2006-01-08T11:16:00.000-05:00

I've had two major self-caused muck-ups in the time I've had the KLR. Coincidentally, they both have a valve adjustment in common. I'm defining muck-up as something that causes me to not be able to ride, not necessarily something that really messes up the bike. Why am I confessing to the blogosphere of my crappiness as a mechanic? More on that later.

The first muck-up occurred when I made an attempt to adjust the valves myself. I made a stupid mistake and, well, let's just say I couldn't ride for about a month after that, and was out about $300.

This latest occurrence of my incompetence comes not because of a valve adjustment, but right at the same time as one. Last week, I posted that my coil had gone bad and that it was taking a long time to get a new one. The coil finally came - on the same day that I took the KLR in for a valve adjustment (I'm STILL too nervous to try a valve adjust myself, after my past experience). Seems the whole vibe for this project is messed up: The mechanic let me know later that he didn't have the right gasket, so he'd have to keep the KLR for the weekend. Unfortunately, this rant is not about that ;-)

Back home, I anxiously opened the box with the new coil. I wanted to see how the new one compared to the old one on the resistance test. After testing and scratching my head (and *ahem* swearing a bit), I noticed that they were giving the same readings. What I found is that it looks like I didn't need a new coil after all. Seems I was testing the old one the right way, but because of my amateur status as a mechanic, was reading the results wrong. My frustration was pretty severe, as my screw up had caused me to not be able to ride for a week, and the bike was in the shop, so I couldn't try any other solutions for a few more days.

After about oh, six hours, my frustration leveled off, and I was able to resume my so-called "normal life".

Now for the big question you may be asking yourself: "Why is this dork confessing to the world his idiocy and incompetence?"

Working on machines is something new to me. I've never been very good at it, probably because I have never really done it. It's something that intimidates and excites me. It's something that I feel like I can do, but I am starting at such a basic level of understanding and ability, that it's not easy in the least. I'm totally in awe of folks who have been working on engines and such since their youth. I love learning from them. Sometimes I feel weird being as old as I am (nearing 40), and learning something completely new to me.

But, learning about, and how to do, new things gives me a rush. I usually have a certain amount of patience when it comes to learning new things. I'm almost always able to say to myself, "ah well, I'm new at this, so I don't need to freak." Some of my mistakes, however, make me feel like an ass, and probably make me look like one too. But, maybe if I am able to say to people, "yeah, I did this, and it really mucked things up," that will either help some newbie not make the same mistake, or make them not feel so bad when they Google the problem and realize that at least one other dope did the same thing!

Oh, and also I should mention that on the rare occasion that I do get something right, it feels awesome to know that I'm capable of doing something new, and not relying on a "professional" to do it for me.

This week I'll be diving back into the electrical system to see what's wrong with it. I'm thinking that it's just a bad connection somewhere, but what do I know? Whatever the case is, I'll be posting here for all to read how it shakes out.

never trust a blog

2006-01-04T14:32:00.000-05:00

The coil for the KLR STILL hasn't come in, so I'm left to rant about something non-motorcycle related...

Listening to the news over the past year, one hears about what the "blogs," or "bloggers" are saying about a range of topics. My question for the talking heads mentioning these blogs is, "who the hell cares what the bloggers are saying?"

A blog is simply an opinion column that ANYONE can publish. All it takes is a connection to the internet. To give any blog credibility as a news source is ridiculous. Who knows who these people are, or what their motivations are? I have a million opinions, but they ARE NOT NEWS, nor are they a credible news source. Yes, my opinion matters, but to have me on a talk show as an expert, just because I have a blog is fucking idiotic.

Sure, there are reporters who have blogs, but still, they are not held to any standard when writing in their blog. It's theirs, and they can write in it what they want. To trust them any further than saying that that's their opinion would be asinine.

bad coil, good juju

2005-12-29T21:30:00.000-05:00

Well, the beast would not start today. I was dumb founded. After checking this and that, Wes offered to come over and help out... Once again. He helped me figure out that the plug was not giving a spark. After throwing a new one in, no spark either. He had to split, so I let him go and decided to try to figure out what the f*ck was up.

I did some electrical testing (with the help of Wes' KLR support via phone, AND Chris' general mechanical tech support), and narrowed the problem down to the coil. Went out to Nicholson's and ordered the part. It's about $80, but I need it. It's gonna take a few days to get here, so I'm bikeless for the time being. This stinks. Better now though than next summer when I'm on a trip, I guess.

I actually learned a lot about the bike with this latest problem. It sort of forced me to get an idea of how the electrical system works, and how to use the tools to trouble shoot electrical problems. Even though I can't ride for a couple days, I'm glad to have people like Wes and Chris around to help me learn how to do this shit. Hopefully some day I'll be able to keep the good juju going and help someone else learn some bike shit.

no huay

2005-12-28T17:22:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I set out to do a bunch of maintenance on the ol' KLR. Amazingly, I got EVERYTHING done that I set out to do... With the help of Wes.

We pulled the bike into Wes' livingroom and adjusted my bent brush guard, fixed the leak in the fork and changed the fork oil, added a manual switch for the radiator fan, and drilled/tapped new bolt holes for the left footpeg. I don't know if I've EVER gotten this much done on the KLR in one day! All I really have left to do is replace my shifter, and the KLR will be set until spring.

The next task at hand is getting the Suzuki up and running. Stay tuned...

fork leak

2005-12-26T15:16:00.000-05:00

Seems I have a leak in my forks. After checking a few things, I realized that the leak was coming from the drain screw on the left fork. Looks like I banged it against someting, either when parking in my packed garage, or when I dumped it a few weeks ago.

I'm glad it wasn't more than that. I wasn't really prepared to replace my fork seals.

how to be seen, and get waves back

2005-12-25T16:02:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I realized how to be seen by everyone, and how to solve the problem of folks not returning "the wave". It all comes down to what you wear. My outfit yesterday brought out the best in people. They saw me, and as a matter of fact called out my name! Some of them even took pictures as I rode by, or as I was stopped at traffic lights. What was this amazing outfit? Click here to find out! Oh, and merry Christmas.

heat wave!

2005-12-22T12:36:00.000-05:00

Supposed to get up to 35 (F) today! Now I can go back to wearing my normal summer attire...

riding safe

2005-12-21T18:30:00.000-05:00

I went to Panera yesterday for lunch. I walked up to the counter and this lady behind there says, "Did you ride today?!" I says, "Yup." She says, "Without chaps? Right on! Ride safe now." I thought that was kinda cool. Then, I go out to my bike and notice something on my handlebars. Someone had shoved a piece of paper in there. I dig it out and it says...

I thought that was pretty nice of someone to do. Makes me want to go out and do something nice for someone. Or, at least ride safe ;-)

On another note, this winter seems to be a bit more brutal than the past couple. The KLR seems to be more salt covered and gnarly than usual. Gonna have to pull the ol' beast in to Jessica's garage and do some serious maintenance within a couple days here.

be aware

2005-12-17T13:38:00.001-05:00

We're nearing the heart of winter here in Michigan. As expected, folks have started giving me surprised looks, followed by sayings like, "Did you ride your motorcycle TODAY?" A discussion about safety and danger usually follows. Ultimately, some of these folks will mention something about how it's dangerous enough in good weather, but in the winter people in cars aren't expecting motorcycles to be out. Apparently, this is one of the reasons that it's more dangerous to ride in the winter time.

I'm calling bullshit on this one.

People in their cars/trucks/suvs don't look for motorcycles... ever. They give a quick glance (if that), and then make their lane-change or what have you. If there is not a huge chunk of metal there, they assume it's safe. After all, the four-wheeled vehicle they're driving keeps them safe and disconnected from the world around them. If they fuck up, it won't affect them, unless they get a ticket for driving like an idiot.

This is not just a motorcycle issue. Every day, joggers, walkers, bicyclists, skateboarders, and other non-four-wheeled travelers (ok, skateboards DO have four wheels) are chased from the roads by (at the very least) inconsiderate drivers. Most of these non-car drivers are just trying to cross a street. For those of us who are legally traveling in the street (motorcyclists, bicyclists), it becomes more than a nuisance, and gets into the life-threatening realm.

Of course, we have made the decision to be out on the street on a vehicle that does not have safety features that most cars have. But, this should not be a reason for people in large, airbag filled vehicles to pass us off as risk takers and not do their part. Everyone on the road has to be responsible for everyone else on the road.

So, the next time a motorcycle, pedestrian or bicyclist "comes out of nowhere", stop for a minute and think of what YOU could have done to be more aware in the situation. Don't just sit back and blame us for being on the road.

december commute

2005-12-16T12:33:00.000-05:00

eppie pow pow to the mow mow

2005-12-16T07:32:00.000-05:00

Yesterday's ride home was fine, as far as the roads were concerned. The sidestreets were well-covered, but not much worse than riding in mud or sand. The main streets were simply slush. No problem, as far as traction is concerned.

Unfortunately, the KLR died on the way home. A victim of my forgetfulness... AGAIN. The wet weather and temperature change made the bike require some dry gas. I always forget that shit. Yeah, I suck. Luckily, the KLR died right in front of Jack's Hardware! I paused for some pix.

The roads near my house were not plowed, nor was my driveway (of course). I don't live too far off the main road though.

mid-day snow report

2005-12-15T12:35:00.000-05:00

i'm crabby and i need to ride

2005-12-15T07:10:00.000-05:00

The weather forecast is calling for 3-6 inches of snow by the end of the day. I probably should drive to work, but screw it. I'm crabby and I NEED to ride today. Hopefully we'll get the snow they're calling for. At least then I'll have an interesting ride home from work. The city is already salting my street here though, and the temps are supposed to be near freezing, so it should be uneventful.

of lexan and aluminum

2005-12-14T07:01:00.000-05:00

Last summer, while in Traverse City, I needed to buy a water bottle to carry and camp with. I came across an article, not unlike this one, that explained how lexan water bottles can leech chemicals that are not cool for human (or animal) consumption. One "solution" to this problem is using aluminum water bottles. I bought one. They're expensive, but look cool, and are light. Actually, many people think it's a fuel bottle.

Anyway, I think I'm going back to Nalgene, as the aluminum bottles don't hold up well in some situations. I left the bottle, with water in it, in the car over night and it froze. Unfortunately, it didn't do as well as a plastic bottle would have, and split down the middle.

So, Next year I'll probably be back to the cheaper, more durable though possibly chemical leeching Nalgene bottles.

deeper is better

2005-12-11T09:34:00.000-05:00

I've figured out that if there's going to be snow on the ground, the more the better.

The other night there was a light snow. Although it was below freezing, the snow would melt on the street, then sit half frozen. In the dark, it's hard to tell the difference between wet road and icy road.

Contrast that with yesterday's ride. It had snowed about 7 inches the day before. The roads that were still covered had deep fluffy snow, or packed powder (as they say on the ski slopes). These conditions make snow riding much more like riding in sand or mud. As long as there's not too much traffic, it can be a blast!

Wes has offered me his living room and an extra hand to get my Suzuki running again. He's a bro for sure. Nothing like a heated (and carpeted) shop to work in in the winter!

like a york peppermint patty

2005-12-06T17:21:00.000-05:00

5 degrees (F) this morning for the commute. I was layered up to the max, and didn't feel the cold one bit. The KLR didn't want to wake up this morning, but eventually did. After work, cranked right up.

19 degrees now, and I'm gittin ready to go for another ride here. Ah, what a man will do for love.

gonna have to drive :-(

2005-12-02T06:52:00.000-05:00

Well, I rode from Jessica's to my house this morning, just in case the roads were too bad to ride all the way into Dearborn. They were. It wasn't that there was a lot of snow, it's that the snow that fell overnight was being blown around by 30 MPH winds. Lots of places are covered with deep, icey snow, and those are the places where the side gusts are highest, freaking me out. So, I'm driving the truck today. Ah well, at least my morning ride woke me up!

Pucker Factor:

longer commute

2005-12-02T05:40:00.000-05:00

This week I'm attending a conference in Dearborn. It's about 40 miles from Ann Arbor, which has made my commute about ten times longer than normal ;-) Yesterday morning, the ride in to Dearborn was uneventful, just cold with lots of Detoilet traffic. On the way home last night, it started snowing. It's kinda hairy being in rush hour traffic on Michigan Ave. during a snowstorm, but it wasn't all that bad. The highlight of the ride was passing a municipal salt truck. I had to chuckle as I rode by those guys.

One problem I do need to take care of is the issue of dirty salt spray on my helmet's visor. After a while, my mitts don't work for wiping the stuff off. I'm considering getting one of these.

Pucker Factor:

ice ice baby, to go

2005-12-01T06:14:00.000-05:00

Yesterday's ride to work was great. A few of the side streets had a pretty good coating of ice due to the freezing rain/flurries, but the main streets were mostly fine. I even saw another rider out there! He (she?) was zipping by on a Beemer of some sort. Good job.

Pucker Factor:

stripped my peg-hole :-O

2005-11-30T05:58:00.000-05:00

I've heard of it happening to other guys, but I never thought it would happen to me. Now get your mind outta the gutter, I'm talking about footpegs here!

The bolts that hold my left side footpeg on came loose yesterday, so I got out the tools and Loctite to take care of the problem. Unfortunately, I found that the bolt hole (I don't know what that hole is called) for the front bolt is completely stripped out :-( When I got the bolt out, I saw the telltale pieces of threads stuck to the bolt. Bummer. I just recently read about this happening to another guy, I think on the MADS list. Like him, I'm gonna have to tap some new threads into that hole. For now, I'll be riding with just the one Loctited bolt holding my footpeg on. I guess I won't be hitting any jumps any time soon!

While I was out working on the KLR, I replaced the headlight. I seem to burn out my high beam a couple times a year. I've heard that if the switch gets just right between high and low beams, you can blow your light. Maybe that's what I've been doing. Whatever it is, it's a pain. At least the whole light doesn't blow when it happens though.

I also had to take a look at the battery, as when I got out of work I hit the starter and got a buzz-click, but no start. I got down and moved the battery a bit, and she started right up. Seems that due to the KLR's thumper mentality, those terminals come loose now and then. I only remember to tighten them when the bike dies. Yeah, I suck.

While I was on the battery, I took off the cord I had put on there. This was the thingy that comes with your charger. It allows you to plug your charger in to the battery without having to dig down to the battery. This cord also allows you to plug in vests and such. I think though that somehow the rings on the battery terminal end of this cord were somehow affecting my connection, so I took it off temporarily. Gotta find a solution to that one.

On a happy note, I saw another motorcyclist on the road yesterday! He was on a cruiser of some sort. I waved and he nodded back. I wonder if his hands were frozen to the grips ;-)

gnar gnar

2005-11-23T14:38:00.000-05:00

Rode home from Jessica's this afternoon. It's about ten miles. It's been snowing all day. After brushing the KLR off, I headed out.

The roads were pretty well slushy, and snow covered in many spots. I took the route that would have less traffic (did I mention today is the year's busiest traffic day?), but those roads were also less cleared of snow. The wind was howling, snow blowing, and I was taking it WAY easy.

Of course the snow, wind, ice and slush wasn't enough. The KLR started stalling, just on stops though. I was left using mostly the rear break when stopping, so I could rev and keep the motor running. A little dry gas is all it needs. This happens every winter.

Got home safely, but it took about twice as long to get there. The main thing is, I got home without dumping, or being run over.

Pucker Factor

going down?

2005-11-22T09:08:00.000-05:00

Saturday night I had show with Chrome Mali. On the way to load the equipment, I rode to the credit union to get some cash. It was dark out already, and half way through my turn into the driveway, I saw that there was "caution" tape across it. Some dipshit had put it up far back from the road, so I couldn't see it 'til I was leaned over in the turn.

Well, I freaked. In that instant I didn't know if it was tape, a rope, cable, or whatever. I put on the brakes hard, and as I did, the front wheel slid right out, and down I went. I slammed to the ground, nailed my elbow and hip, and needless to say, was pissed!

I was pissed for a few reasons. Firstly, I wish I knew who put that tape up, set so far back from the street. Even though it was bright yellow, I couldn't see it 'til I was halfway 'round the corner.
Secondly, I was pissed at my tires. I have these K270s on that I got 'cause they were cheap, and a friend recommended them. Well, they are way too soft and squishy for me. And now, I'm convinced that I need to go back to the MT21s that I was riding previously. I blame most of this fall on the soft, slippery tires I'm running.

Lastly, I'm kinda pissed at myself for freaking so hard upon seeing that tape across the drive. Maybe I need to be more aware, maybe I need to relax a little, maybe I just need to assess more before reacting. I don't know. What I do know is that part of the reason I went down was because of my reaction. Next time I'm gonna try to not freak out so much.

Luckily, I didn't get hurt, just bruised up a bit. The bike, of course, is fine.

____________________

Tomorrow it's supposed to snow pretty good 'round here. I'm looking forward to a good Thanksgiving snow ride.

first official snow ride of 2005

2005-11-17T08:55:00.000-05:00

Pucker Factor:

first snow

2005-11-16T16:45:00.000-05:00

The first snow always make me happy. M'nuts gits a bit chilly, but overall, I'm happy.

wind, cold, snow... YEAH!

2005-11-16T07:26:00.000-05:00

Right now it's 38 degrees (F), the wind is howling at about 40 MPH, and the forecast calls for falling temps throughout the day with a chance of snow flurries. I'm stoked.

Something about riding in the cold, snowy weather just gives me a rush. Maybe it's just being out in the air, maybe it's accepting the challenge and completing it, maybe it's the look on people's faces when they see me, or it could be that I'm just completely insane. Whatever it is, I love it. Makes me feel alive. Anyone can ride when it's 75 and sunny. I'm not gonna let a little cool breeze slow me down.

Now wet leaves, that's another issue all together. Wet leaves will, in fact, slow me down ;-)

Thumbs Down and Harley F150

2005-11-14T06:17:00.000-05:00

Riding every day can sometimes bring out the worst in me. It is not unusual for me to have the urge to give the finger on a daily basis. Folks just don't pay attention. They end up endangering my safety and often times my life. In the past, I have been very liberal in the usage of my middle finger. But, a few weeks ago, after flipping off an ass hole in a pickup who pulled right out in front of me, I realized that perhaps I was sending the wrong message. Or, at least maybe not having my message be percieved how I wish it to.

I don't want the people who almost kill me to get the idea that I'm just a Mean Old Biker who just flips people off at random. I want them to know that what they just did was bad news. So, I've decided that instead of flipping the bird, I'll be giving a "thumbs down" when one of these crazy drivers fucks up. Hopefully, this will keep them from some knee-jerk reaction (like simply flipping ME off, or worse), and make them think to themselves, "hmm, I wonder why that guy gave me a thumbs down?"

I am NOT trying to be a lovable motorcyclist. These fuckers piss me off more than anything. But, I think that stupid people need a gentler message if they're going to be expected to change. They won't, I know. But, I have to at least do SOMETHING to try to make things better.

--

Wes had told me about this, and I couldn't believe it. Well, yesterday I ended up riding right behind one. What the hell is wrong with these people? I don't have a problem with people who don't ride, and I don't have a problem with people who ride Harleys... If they actually RIDE. The problem is that most of the people who have Harley shit do not ride motorcycles. These are the idiots who want to "live the lifestyle," and so drive their SUVs to Wal-Mart to buy some Harley crap.

This Harley Edition F150 is taking this all too far. Fuck you people and your Harley shit. Again, if you ride, fine. But, slapping a sticker on your truck does not make me think you ride, it makes me think you are a simple drone, with the inability to think for yourself.

BTW, the folks in that truck got a BIG thumbs down from me as I passed by. ;-)

Up Yer Nose With a Rubber Hose

2005-11-13T13:21:00.000-05:00

Alrightythen. I just finished all my household chores that I planned to do today. PSYCH!

Ok, so I didn't do anything I had planned to do today, but I did get some KLR maintenance done.

Slapped the new Motion Pro clutch cable on. I ordered it from Fred at Arrowhead. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Arrowhead Motorsports is the place to go for fast, reliable, knowledgeable service. Somehow, he gets orders out faster than anyone else. I've ordered from Fred many times, and have never been dissatisfied.

The other thing I took care of was the Rattle From Hell. Something in my fairing was rattling badly 'round 3100 to 4100 RPM. I narrowed it down to the cover that protects the back of the headlight. Cut up a piece of hose, stuck 'er in there, and the rattle is gone. And not a minute too soon, I was sure that rattle was going to drive me completely crazy.

The New KLog

2005-11-13T09:11:00.000-05:00

I wasn't too happy with xanga, so here I am at Blogger. This is an attempt to get my KLog seen by more folks, and also to more easily find folks with blogs of similar interest.

You can still view posts on the old KLog here.