24 Hours ago...

That isn’t enough blow by to be concerned about IMO.

 

I’m painting some light-blocking panels for a project and need the paint to dry in a reasonable amount of time, so I fired up the kiln with its sand-battery accessory. Ambient temperature in the garage is 34 degrees Fahrenheit. The sand temp after 5 minutes of burn time is 100 degrees Fahrenheit . The garage is drafty enough that a glue isn’t necessary yet, but that’s the next summer project. As it is I can run the contraption for 30 minutes before I start to work and it will keep the space comfortable enough for several hours.
Current temp in the un-insulated garage is 45 degrees along the back wall. Well above that near the work.

I checked an hour later and the temp hadn’t changed.

 

Spring is in the air. The pretty lady fired up after hardly any fiddling (might need a new battery). Tomorrow is the first riding day of this year.
https://youtube.com/shorts/r0smuMo_P2c?feature=share

 

I managed around 70 miles today, which is quite a lot considering how much of where I live is urban and that I stopped for lunch. I honestly do miss living in the west where a 4 hour round-trip would take me to far more twisty roads and not to more than a few very small towns (or none if I planned the route). In any case it was a fine day without a single idiot motorist to be found.

 

I was fishing yesterday and heard a bike go by. Over mid 50's temp. I think it was.

 

Word of warning. When coming to a stop at an off-camber hillside make sure that you put the correct foot down. I'm on day three of being quite sore due to misjudging an intersection that I hadn't been to before. Thankfully it's only soft-tissue damage and not a broken ankle (or hip).

 

I will admit to dropping my sportster this weekend. Doing cone drills and I was very tired and stopped only to roll my foot/ankle on a rock I did not see in the parking lot. It did not help that I layed on the front brake too hard which pushed me forward as I put my foot down.
The darn sportster has very tight front brakes. XJ650 is way easier to ride but I was doing the cone drills on the heavier, top heavier less maneuverable bike for the very reason it was harder. Learned my lesson that I need to also practice my stopping more. Good point about the correct foot.

 

Also, make sure you haven't pulled up right next to a pothole.

 

Saturday it was almost 70 F here so I got the XJ700 airhead out at my son's place and he had already gotten his two bikes uncovered and running (750 Vulcan and 750 Magna) and we took a nice ride through the back roads. Thoroughly enjoyed the mild weather (between morning rain and evening rain!) for my birthday.

 

As of day 10 it’s at least a pulled hamstring, and hop Not a torn hamstring. I did go for a short ride this evening and all was fine. Walking is still painful though.

 

I think I found a use for the leftover chain once I finish the clock.
Yes, I'm finishing the clock...right after I finish the faux fireplace for my daughter, refinishing and hanging the shelf for my wife, completing the ukulele I'm building so I can start learning again, and after the school year is over.

Oh, the hamstring is nearly healed.

 

Silly me forgot the link.



I don't have the fancy equipment, but I do have enough of what's needed to make a nice knife. I might have to build a trip hammer first though.

 

Sweet! I'll be cheering for you when you make it to Forged in Fire!!

 

That may be a year or two away. I already have too many projects to catch up on, and things keep breaking for some reason. The latest was the idler pulley for the serpentine belt on the Jeep. The day before it was the sunroof track, and getting the sunroof back in waterproof shape ran the battery down. Somehow the radio was killed during the jump-start process. Ugh. At least the XJ750 hardly ever has problems.

The clock will be the first project on the list for this summer.

 

What clock? LOL. Been a long time, I figured I'd check in on this thread and see the finished project. Tick tock!!!

 

The one that's still sitting on the workbench

 

So...That very handy device that I put on two years ago to reduce the force required for the clutch-pull...
The cable snapped off as I pulled into to the driveway just now. Thankfully. I'll be doing some investigating this week to figure out why the short cable that came with the device failed. I think it was rubbing on the housing for the thing, but it might just be that the cable is a bit too thin for the application.
I'm only a little bummed. I did make it home without needing to push the bike.

 

To balance the prior post:
Earlier today I had to stop in a parking lot to allow the cart-wrangler to clear the aisle so I could park. A man in his mid 40's was walking by and exclamed, "Man! You got that running F*&^'ing good!!!" I haven't stopped smiling since.

 

Well...The cable was not the problem. The clutch lever was too floppy, which caused the cable to rub on the lever. Fortunately they come with a spare short-cable. Unfortunately I have no idea where I put it. Thankfully there's a sale on the unit, so I'll be riding again in two days. That'll give me plenty of time to braze-up the divot that was worn into the lever, and make a bushing to eliminate the slop.

 

Decided to do some compression testing. Last year I got #1: 150 psi #2: 160 psi #3: 110 psi #4: 92 psi
After the valve lapping project I now get #1: 185 psi #2: 185 psi #3: 180 psi #4: 173 psi - all a bit above the max (165 psi) but may be due to the compression tester. I'm thinking this is great, much better.
Leak down test #1: 90/90 #2: 90/72 #3: 90/90 #4: 90/90
Great, not what is wrong with cylinder 2?? The stethoscope seems to indicate leakage to the exhaust. Time to tear into it again and recheck the exhaust shims. I do know that one of the cyl. 2 exhaust shims was at max size (185) in order to be able to get all 20 gaps in spec. Now, after running to the clinic and other places, maybe I need to go smaller. Checking will tell.

 

Also...tried out my color tune mode but it didn't prevent sparking in the plug well. Back to the drawing board.

 

Upon further inspection the problem with the clutch lever is not the bore. It has worn at the lower fork of the perch. I've cleaned it and built it up with epoxy (I can't for the life of me find my AlumaWeld rods, not that putting heat near the controls is a good idea anyway). I've made a shim from a brass washer (always save the hardware when you replace a toilet, it comes in handy for so many other things) to take up what slop remains, and to reduce future wear. the new short-cable will arrive tomorrow, just in time for the chances of thunderstorms to subside.
If this repair fails too soon I'll be forced to fit a hydraulic clutch conversion. The money though...it's 20 tanks of gas, ugh.

 

Have you tried the alumaweld rods? I bought some but haven’t tried them yet.

any chance they could be used to build up a missing cooling fin on a cylinder casting?

 

I have used thin wall bushings to repair levers with hole slop. Search for "plain bushings 8mm 10mm oilless". Drill a 25/64" hole in the lever for a press fit for the 10mm O.D. Get bushings that are longer than you need and grind them back flush after install. Doesn't fix the perch problem, but between that and the toilet washers it might help.

A hydraulic clutch does sound nice though.....

 

I’ve tried them. They work well with practice. The problem is that the lever perch is mounded into the plastic switchgear housing. Heat is no bueno.

 

I found that the slop wasn’t in the bolt hole. The lower perch had worn. I made a shim from a brass washer. No more slop.

 

Sometime in the next three weeks there will be a first-gen XV920 in the garage. I’m finally able to bring the girl home from my friends. She’ll be a father-son project.

 

@k-moe , is it one of those with the enclosed chain drive? I have thought those to be very interesting for a long time. Much more so than the later more radically "styled" shafty models.

 

It's the more common shaftie. The U.S. only got the XJ920R for one (maybe two) year(s). The XV 1000 TR1 is basicaly the same bike, ran from '81- '86, and is eligible for import from Europe via. the 25-year Rule.

The shaft driven bike's styling comes from bolt-on parts. Changing what it looks like is relatively easy (no frame modifications required).

 

Got the X back together and a short test drive. It still runs!

 

Today’s profanity brought to you by: Not counting when removing the old clutch plates.

Yep. I had an extra of each in there.

 

Well…after fiddling with adjusting the clutch cable I have made an unfortunate discovery. The little leverage increasing device can no longer be used (for now). The cable that goes between it and the clutch lever is now too short, and does not provide enough travel. My guess as to why it worked before is that the clutch plates were worn enough to allow a shorter throw to be sufficient.
It f you need such a device, hang on until after I order parts to make a longer cable and see if that makes it possible to use with a new clutch.

 

They can, but if therte is any oil in the casting you either have to bake it out, or give up.

 

I wish I still had the Beetle I owned in the late 70's, and that it looked that good.

 

Same, but it was '75 Celica. Almost no rust. I didn't treat it well enough, and some butthead sideswiped her at an intersection. The most hurtful part is that I bought her for $900 in '88, and one in the same pre-accident condition now goes for nearly $25K. I only mention that because I will probably never be able to afford to buy another.

 

24 Hours ago I was happy, bu not quite this happy. I just returned from my second ride of the day. A nice cool-ish evening ride where everything clicked. Each corner was an exercise in hitting the perfect speed and line. Each straight was unobstructed by idiot cagers. And every stop sign was met with a beautiful 2-second long feet-up stop.
A rare day for a city-dweller.

 

It was not 24 hours ago, but more some changes that have occurred over the last 24 months. I appreciate everyone's grace, as well as the accountability that I've been held to when I've been in the wrong. Part of why I haven't been as active was so I could finish rebuilding myself after having been faced with personal challenges that overwhelmed, and ultimately broke me. I'm right as rain now, and very grateful to every one who has supported my journey to getting back to my authentic self. I'm still going to be scarce as far as posting goes, as I think my role as a moderator is to set back and help keep the community thrive, instead of being an annoying bother.

Again, thank you all. Especially @SnoSheriff for getting this wonderful place rolling.

 

I hope you continue on your positive trail. When life throws some things at us, it seems we are not ready for them. Each person handles those "things" in their own way. I am glad you are doing better and seem to have a positive and realistic goal. Very glad to hear the k-moe .

 

My son stopped over again to work on our (really my) Virago project bike. He finally decided that the original bars and the rectangular headlight are cool (win for me, at least in the money department). He hasn't ever been interested in mechanical work until I brought the bike home, but he's catching on quickly and has started noticing things that I have "missed." We will be rebuilding the brake calipers next week (thankfully the master is fine), and popping the carbs back on. If all goes well he'll have a rider in less than two weeks, and then we can think about cosmetic and ergonomic changes.

As a bonus he's started playing music again. He took two years off after graduating from college. It's good to hear him enjoy his passion again. Hopefully he can end up playing gigs and having a good time.

 

Looks at a 1996 1100 Virago on FB in my area right now. Trying to talk myself out of it...

Glad the work on the project bike is coming along. Also good to hear your son is getting back to some pleasure and self interest in the music. I my self don't have a single musical bone in my body, but love to listen to most types.

 

I've struggled to learn guitar for about 40 years. I'm currently working on ukulele, and making decent progress. I think the trouble really is that my drum kit "disappeared" during a move when I was about 7 years-old, so I never made any real progress with that. I really, really wanted to be Buddy Rich or Gene Krupa. So much that I'd slowly crawl along the kitchen floor from my bedroom to watch the Tonight Show on the little B&W TV whenever one of them was going to be a guest; just far enough from the doorway that my parents couldn't see me.

 

It’s been a week, but this photo was taken 24 hours ago.
https://imgur.com/gallery/HJGAwEt

Brick walkways are dangerous. They should be outlawed, along with gophers.

 

Broken? Looks like it could be. Dropped something from the walkway or stubbed the toe? That will be tender for a while.

 

Not broken, thankfully. Tendons and ligaments were acting like Bass Guitar strings, and muscles were torn. The doc felt no need for x-rays, and at the rate that I'm healing I agree.

I stepped off of the porch, and my shoe caught the edge of a brick. The damned gopher, that I WILL be murdering, tunneled under the walk and caused some of the bricks to settle after a recent heavy rain.

 

Damaged ligaments take ages to fix themselves. I limped every morning for over a year...

 

Yes...the first steps in the morning are horrible.
All in all, feet are stupid. Why have something so far away from the heart; limiting bloodflow and healing?!
The foot is doing well. I'm at about 80%, and can walk at my normal speed for a bit (I'm a fast walker). Unfortunately the Plantar Fasciitis has reared it's ugly head in my other foot. Walking slower isn't so bad though. I figure that I'll be healed before the Spring.

 

I've had a goal since around 1986; to convert a motorcycle to electric. As it stands, buying a ready-made machine isn't on the table. It's not just the cost, but also my need to tinker and that I'd be able to choose a frame that I know is comfortable for me. There's nothing more risky IMO than buying a new machine and finding out that it's not as comfortable as you thought it was on the test ride.

There's also the reality that a converted machine can be powered by whatever battery type that I choose, and changing to a different type later on would be much easier than doing so on a factory-built machine.

So.....

Which motorcycle would you choose for such a project? Keep in mind that the XJ750 fits me perfectly and that I'm willing to make tradeoffs in the driveline department. Maximum range is not one of my goals. This is going to be a city bike.

I'm considering using a first-gen Virago since it's so easy to pull the engine, and the spine frame lends itself to building a self-contained powerpack. On my ride tonight I envisioned that the front could be made quite a bit wider than the stock engine, and provide the same advantages as leg-shields, while also holding batteries.

I'm not married to anything yet, and the project is at least two years away. Hopefully by then there will be a few more battery options.

 

A shaft drive electric would be pretty badass, although it probably does limit the options on connecting the motor. But maybe a motor mounted longitudinal with a small gear unit on the back. If using a three phase motor and inverter, it might need a speed up gear? Like a 2:1 overdrive unit?

Sounds like a cool project however you go.

 

A lot of the newer motors come with internal gearboxes ( like so: https://www.electroandcompany.com/product-page/qs138-70h-v3-3000w-em-150-kit). I'm thinking that I'd use a belt or chain drive between the motor and the driveshaft if needed. That would allow for changing ratios without too much hassle.
There's a lot of planning to do, so I'm looking for as much input as possible now.

 

Just make sure you add fake sound to it like HD folks did with their bike. Makes it a better bike.

That will be a hell of a project. Good on you for trying to take that on. I am still in love with the gas or other fuel bikes. I guess some day they will have a bike that at the end of my 150 mile run, I can fill up or charge it in less then 3 mins.

Until then I am very spoiled with gas and go.