24 Hours ago...

You can always use a baseball card to the spokes for the fake sound.

 

A chain loses half the power a shaft drive does, bear that in mind.
Much as I hate chains, they've got that going for them.

 

Well half of how much though?
And if the motor output shaft is pointing the correct way, it will only lose 1/4 ...
I suspect the easiest way is to buy a kit of parts, from China probably?

 

The first gen Virago would be a good starting point for the exact reason you stated. Seems to me I remember reading up on converting them to chain drive back when I had one but that was 10 years ago so I could be mistaken.

 

All sorts of clever people have tried, and some managed, to convert the 1200vmax to chain. It's a lot of work, but it can be done, if you are desperate for that last bit of power and quite a bit of improved handling..

 

That’s just what I was typing, then saw your post!
alternatively, you can can just use your voice and lips to go “BRRRRRMMMMM BRMMMMM Brooooommm (downshift) WHeeeeEEEEEE, brrrrrrrrr———“

 

Without sound it could be dangerous to pedestrians and rider I suspect, not much road noise with a pair of bike wheels...

 

…I had 8 aperture blades for my cheap Soviet Era 35mm point-and-shoot camera. Somewhere on the floor of my home office is the 8th blade. I’m only annoyed by principle. A new lens is on the way. While inexpensive, it’s costing me as much as the camera did. If it weren’t for the size of the bit of crap in the original lens assembly I wouldn’t be in this position. It’s a cheap camera, but the optics are very good. Darn me and my desire to fix things. https://imgur.com/gallery/lOUXCgn

 

I plan on the bike making enough noise to be noticed by the blind. One of my friends in JR High was blind. He was hit (ironically) by an old man who had lost his driver’s license because he was legally blind. The murderer (because he chose to drive anyway) thought that he had hit a signpost. He didn’t stop until the police pulled him over three miles from the scene.
This happened during his first quarter of college. He planned to be a computer programmer focusing on game development. Until a fire destroyed the machine, he had the high score on Centipede for both the school and the state. He still might, but there’s no proof to show anymore.

 

Yesterday I started up the X, finding one carb must have a stuck float as gas ended up on my driveway. Took a trip up to Lake Ontario, crossed the Irondequoit Bay bridge and headed to Webster Park. Walked out on the pier, water crystal clear, before heading back home. Air temp was 70 degrees and the lake was pretty flat.

 

Picked up a puncture in my rear tire, the Ride-On balancer/sealer had sprayed itself out all over the inside of the rear fender not doing it's job as advertised. Whatever caused the puncture wasn't in the tire but it took a good bit of reaming to get a plug into it so it wasn't all that big. Needless to say I'm in need of a hard to find sized tire on the shelf and am hoping it'll hold up the 125 miles or so over to Daytona where I can get a replacement overnighted to be there Friday.

 

First ride of 2024. I could have ridden sooner, but work is close to taking up all of my free time right now. It's wonderful how easy an XJ is to start in the Spring if you take the time to prepare her for Winter storage.

 

Well done, threatening to drag my maxim out to mot test it. Just so wet here at the moment..

 

Mail call! Yesterday received a new battery. Last weekend I rode to my son's to start the airhead for the first time this year. Took the cover off, unplugged the charger/tender, turned the key on and the neutral light came on. Hit the start button and the light went out, no sign of life. The battery was old and needed replacing. I should get around to it this weekend.

 

Been there enough!!

 

I went for a ride yesterday. Stopped at the store and had to bump start her. Put the batter back on the trickle charger (same as every day) and the batter still wasn't charged the next afternoon. New starter brushes are happening as soon as I can manage.

On a more important note: My wife was diagnosed with cancer a month ago. It's of a type that is very treatable, but it was caught barely in time before it would have become a death-sentence. If you are of the age to need a colonoscopy or the new "shit in a box" screener (as my awesome PCP calls it), do not delay on getting that done. If she had waited another month this battle would have been very different.

 

Best wishes to your wife for a full recovery K-moe.

 

K-moe best wishes to your wife for a full recovery too.

 

@k-moe , "timing is everything." Good thoughts and best wishes to your wife and you.

 

Best wishes for your wife, grateful it was caught early. Great advice on the colonoscopy. I'm 54 this year and have my first one scheduled next month.

 

Colonoscopies are not fun (the prep) but necessary. Also, for us older guys, make sure you get regular blood work so you can track your PSA levels which can indicate possible prostate issues.

 

Best wishes! Glad she caught it early! On a similar note, if you ever have pink pee, don't ignore! That's how I caught bladder cancer early. 7 surgeries later (over 3 years) and lots of chemo, we may have found one that works. 8 months, tumor free so far.

 

Best wishes to your wife and good you are there to support her. The gift of 50 as my GI doc called it, and now I think they are recommending 45.

 

I'm on the 3-year plan. Is that next year already? Damn. Glad your wife's was caught. That stuff killed one of my favorite people far too early.

 

All the best to both of you @k-moe , this fight will take 2 years out of your lives, so stay strong for each other.

 

All the best, @k-moe. Thinking of you and your bride. Really glad it was caught in time.

Anyone else: Do the tests!!!!!!!!!!

 

Irish Mail has been carrying my poop sticks for years, now.
I wonder if I should have bagged them.

 

Thanks everyone. We had a bit of a scare yesterday. Chest pain and nausea. 4 hours in the ER later and it’s apparently of no concern. Understandable given the meds she’s on, but it’s a huge comfort that my leave was approved. I can take the rest of the school year off if needed.

In XJ news: don’t wait too long to replace your starter brushes. I put in my used set last fall to get me by until I had time to get new and put them in. I waited exactly one startup too long. Now I have a starter with a melted commutator trace. A good starter is on the way. I’ll keep the ruined one to be repaired someday. They are getting to be expensive on the used market. Unfortunately I sold my spare before the move from KS. It’s not a concern, because the spares I sold made enough room in the cargo trailer for my lathe.

 

Yesterday I replaced the brake lines on the X with black Galfer lines. I then removed the calipers, cleaned them up and replaced the pads. I finally used some of that cleaner that someone gave me at the last carb clinic. In the future I'll disassemble them for a complete ultrasonic cleaning and rebuild.

 

Yesterday I did an oil change and filter replacement. Warmed oil was 'fully' drained. Measured just slightly under the amount the manual states and refilled. Should have known better from prior experiences. The level is at or above the sight window. Start and ran bike for a minute to circulate into the filter. Oil is still at an unknown level. Today will be a 'remove a bit of oil' day. Getting ready for the Distinguished Gentleman's Ride on Sunday.

 

I've done the DGR a couple times in Rochester. I don't think I'm all that dapper though!

 

I think you are more dapper than me. Or is that dapperer?

 

The Dapperest is Dan.

 

Still working on the pesky front brake bleeding the system. Waiting on a reply to try and do the reverse bleeding a second line.
d time and looking for some new brake lines..

 

It's been more than 24 hours ago, but I've been a bit stressed.
The wife is doing well, but not great. We had a ER Visit a few days ago because of chest pain and nausea. She was in A-Fib in the ambulance and in the ER at first. The cardiologist is concerned, as am I. The last few days have been without incident, other than a few bouts of nausea on her part. I'm doing my best o keep an even keel. One more week until Summer Break. Three more weeks until the Chemo and Radiation are finished pending the follow-up tests.
Life is precious. Hug and love your people.

 

Glad things are going better or seem to be going better. Just hope it all works out for both of you in the best of way. Being a care taker can really take it out of you. Takes a special person to take care of even a loved one. Some people are just not wired for it.

Again, best wishes are going out to you and really hope all works out well.

 

I just put new lines on my X and used this bleeder for the first time on a bike. It worked great on my Jeep when I fixed a break in a line. Best thing I've bought for auto/bike service in forever.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BPC5HSXH?psc=1&ref=product_details
It's also $3 less now than when I bought it.

 

Yesterday's DGR ride was a hoot and success. Here are a couple pictures.

 

This was our mid ride stop.

 

All of the ER visits seem to be over. The professional consensus is that it was just side-effects of the Chemo.
She finished treatment two weeks ago, and is nearly back to normal. The follow-up PET scan is next week.

 

Prayers

 

Hope your wife is well soon k-moe.

 

I believe there are four classes:
4. Dapper
3. Dapperer
2. Dapperest
1. Most Dapperester

 

k-moe, hang in there, what a trying time you are having. I hope that it is all smooth roads after this.

 

Well, this is the new me. At least until I can find a way to un-f my authentication problem.

I found out late last week that I'm being moved to a school where I will be reconnecting with friends that I taught with at the horrible charter school.
It's been a while since I've looked froward to a new school year so much.

The wife is doing well, and getting stronger every day. She's down to one nap per-day now.
It turns out that al of the heart scare was a side-effect of the chemo.

 

One nap a day is good here...
Well done both.

 

Yesterday, after taking the 700 non-X to get inspected, I thought I'd play with my new toy. Here are some pics after returning home.

 

Wow that's pretty cool....err hot? Interesting that all of the rear tire seems warm, but only the tread on the front. What's the IR gadget that you are scanning with?

 

If taken from the front, I think it would show as a bit hotter. I researched the best for the price and specs (256 x 192 resolution) and found this one:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CRYXD7Z2?psc=1&ref=product_details
The same exact product branded for Fluke on Temu was something like $385. Wow.

 

Zero hours ago, took the X for a ride and took a couple of thermal shots afterwards. Those jugs are HOT. The jaggies are because I have a detail enhancement setting turned on, low at 10% here. Without that the image is smooth but the borders are less defined.