24 Hours ago...

I’ve NEVER done that.......only once.
I mean not even twice. Lol

yup, it’s scary

 

Sort-of. Let's not go there right now.

 

Or even putting off replacing the old glass fusebox because you've cleaned it and the fuses are fine.
Until the main ignition fuse throws a wobbly when you're overtaking something.

 

I had something like that happen on a 2000 GSXR 600 on an expressway at like 80mph. All of a sudden, all the dials read zero.

I knew the kick stand spring was a little weak so I figured a bump in the road had knocked it off the switch. So while engine braking to a stop (those little 600s don’t engine brake much) I started bouncing on the seat while giving it some gas (carbs) Basically bumped started it at highway speeds. Got me home and I ordered a new spring and shimmed the switch right away.

 

K-Moe, Happy Birthday the other day. Be advised, the first 50 are the easy ones..... we just don't realize it.
John

 

I am well aware. The number of medications prescribed to me have increased 500% in the past year.
I'm not complaining though. There is much living left to do.

 

i saw a clip in the moto gp where the other rider reached over and fliped the switch on someone. he got banned.
quite a few u tube vids on this as well

 

Pulled the front brake didn't he?

 

Yep. And nearly killed the other rider in the process.

 

Holy crap!!!!

 

The offending rider was banned from FIM events for life IIRC.

 

....I didn't have a second motorcycle.
My friend who I fixed up a XV920 for has offered me the machine. She has no time to ride anymore and needs the garage space.
Early this summer I'll have the makings of a custom again, and this time I can start with a road-ready machine.

This will work out really well since my son is sans-motorcycle, so he can have something to ride until I get things sorted out to work on that project again.

 

Great do you have a few photographs?

 

I will once I pick it up. At this point it's essentially a stock '82 XV920 with the factory upper fairing and factory luggage rack. Nothing fancy.
I keep debating (as I always do with these things) about which way to go.
At this point I will probably build it as a standard/ semi-cafe' and make QD mounts for the fairing so it's comfortable in the winter.
Maybe.

I do know that I'll change the bars. I never could get used to the stockers. Slow manouvering is such a chore with them.

 

Is it the regular 920, or the 920r?

 

The regular shaftie. Finding a 920R would be golden. That would just be restored to factory if I found one. No chain maintianace is a beautiful thing, and they both have that feature.

 

Good for you, can't wait to see the bike.

 

Same. My friend suggested a fly-and-ride since it still starts right up, but it really should have a new front tire before it goes on a trip.

 

Why not? As long as you have the time go for it. Have your friend order the tire for you and maybe even put it on. That way you only have to worry about the first 20 miles of the ride and a new slippery tire. I know the 750 have the head gasket issues (mine did) so maybe doing a quick compression check for the journey? Have him send you pics so we can see

 

I'd rather just trailer it. It's been sitting for 3 years and I've had enough roadside adventures to last me a while. Besides it's close enough that flying wouldn't actually save much time once security and all that are accounted for.

 

How many miles back will you have to ride?

 

About 470 if I stick to the interstate, and I hate riding on the interstate. So booooooring.

I will be motorcycling to Kansas and Arkansas too on a seperate trip, so it's not like I won't get some seat time in.

 

The head gasket problem was fixed by the time the 920 came out.
The compression check when I did the work was well within spec, and the last time I rode it she pulled like a freight train (a 65 HP freight train, but still she pulled).

I asked her for pics. If it's not a bother for her I'll post them. It's nothing special at this point. The only real mod is that I cut the windscreen down because it was cracked, and it has an aftermarket top box.

 

Pics, by request.

She's nothing special yet, but can be with some of my time and effort.

 

Now the fun part restoring her. And it's a Yamaha

 

A much as I want to make her a fake-Vincent (Haggerty inspired), I'm also interested in putting a new windscreen on, recovering the seat, replacing the mirror (damaged during their move) and calling it good.

I just can't ever decide when it comes to building a bike until I start the project.

I may do both in series. Time will tell.

I do know that I love the freight-train chug-chug of that twin as much as I love the scream of an inline-4.

 

Only V twin l have tried was the Aprillia 1000 my cousin had. I liked that machine.

 

24 Hours ago my favorite trailer was taking up floor space.
Now it isn't




I had to remove the fender, so it'll take me 5 minutes to have her hooked up to the bike instead of three.

 

Awesome! Is that one of those bicycle lift kits or did you piece together?

 

$19 bicycle lift and some new framing to let me pull the trailer up into the rafters.
I'm about 15 pounds under the rating for the lift.

 

Reassuring to see the timber supports, good place to store it.

 

It gives me enough floorspace for another set of shelves

 

24 hours ago I did not get a compliment about my nearly 40 year-old Yamaha from a rider on a new KTM. But I have now

 

Nice and dusty but not rusty

 

Yep.
Hopefully I'll be able to pick her up next summer. Things didn't work out this year.

 

I also had an '04 Mazda RX-8. It was dark green that could be mistaken for black in low light conditions.

 

A bit more than 24 hours ago I discovered, in the worst possible way, that the low oil light on my beloved Jeep does not work.
She'll likely need an engine, used at today's prices.

In the meantime I need to be able to transport myself. We have the Miata, but she needs tires and a new battery. No money for that right now.
My wife can drive me to and from work, but that's no fun.

So.......
Rapid prototyping in cardboard lead to a MK1 fitup in wood. There will be some changes made, but I have to keep the budget as low as possible (even used engines are expensive). I'm using what materials I have at hand for now. Thankfully there is leftover rubber roof coating from my daughter's house to cover the plywood with.

Ther may be enough dollars in the budget to afford some plexiglass sheet to extend my windscreen to the side. I'm not concerned about the cold so much as the wet, and this has been an unusually wet Winter so-far.

 

Oh; the legshields don't extend far enough into the engine to hurt cooling at all. I should have a nice heat bubble around me in town.

 

Innovative!

 

Nah. I remembered an article about a fella who bought an AJS in the late 30's and rode it until the late 90's. It was the only vehicle he ever owned. Made his own legshields from scrap tin...and since I have no scrap tin I improvised.

 

Someone had an XJ on here with roof guttering down each side where your plywood ones are. Shame about your engine.

 

Mine.



The combo of hand guards, legshields, windscreen extension, and the fairing lower pushed out an inch or so really make a huge winter difference.

 

Our minds sure are in the gutter today......

 

The first shakedown run was today. It's a relatively warm 45ºF, so I decided to wear jeans instead of my cold-weather riding pants.

A short 5 mile ride in town made it very clear that these things work perfectly for my needs. My legs got no colder than they would on a short walk outdoors at the same temps. The legshields push the air up and around, forming a very nice bubble for my lower body. They might become a permanent addition (with a few tweaks along the way to allow for the forces of higher speeds). The mounting screws will be cut shorter now that I know it all works as intended.

It's funny how getting older makes a body not want to put up with as much discomfort as it did when it was young.

I'm debating about making extenders for the windscreen. My commute is not really long enough to justify the expense, but then the expense isn't all that much, and by using what I already had on hand for the legshelds I figure that I saved myself $40 in material costs.

 

Bowling while drunk will do that.

 

24 Hours ago it was 27ºF.
It is now 56ºF, so I took a ride. My redneck legshields are wonderful. I was wearing my summer gear and never got cold at all.
I'm about 15o miles from having the ODO turn over 30K miles. Not bad considering I've spent most of the last five years not riding much (if at all).
That means I've more than doubled the indicted mileage since I bought her nine years ago. I'm doing better than all the previous owners combined

 

I finished one of my project bike (1996 Kaw Vulcan 800) so had to take it down the rd. Well once I got over the ice stretch the sun had cleared the road for a mile. It was nice to do a test ride and get back in the shed. It was around 40 degrees F at the time...felt warm.

 

K-Moe - nice job on leg fairings. I've had my XJ550 since new and have two observations, the first similar to yours:

1) I don't stand the cold as well as I used to.
2) My bike lacks the "giddy-up" it had when I first got it...not because it isn't running well, but because the driver is 80lbs heavier

 

Time for a 750!!