Entry for September 29, 2006

 Well, I did it.  I bought the 2001 Kawasaki W650 that was on Ebay.  Pat and I went up to St. Mary's this afternoon to take a look and it looked about as good up close as the pictures.  I rode it a bit and it seemed pretty smooth for not being ridden for two years. 

I just don't understand how someone can have a bike like this (or any kind) and not ride it.  After I got it home I took it out for a little spin up to about 50mph.  Nothing wrong so far.

  To back up just a bit.  I knew, I just knew that the dealer would call today and tell me the REB was ready to pick up.  One day too late to make the rally in MO and honestly had I gotten it earlier I might have held off on the W.  Oh well, one can't have too many motorcycles.  It sounds like the dealer did a lot of messing around and checking stuff, polished the rockers, looked measured, checked, etc. and finally came to the conclusion that the lock nut on the pushrod adjuster was getting loose causing the pushrod to turn out making it too tight.  Sounds reasonable to me but I wish to hell I had just replaced the pushrods when the notion first occurred to me.

  My friend Don was an electrical contractor for many years and now he sells buffalo meat to the government and makes doggie treats for Purina (www.ozmeats.com).  Anyway he doesn't know much about motorcycles but has had some experience with pushrod engines.  He told me three weeks ago that the problem was the adjuster nut getting loose.  I hope that takes care of the problem, I'll ride it for a while to make sure then I'll put in the new pushrods I got while the REB was in the shop.

  I can't believe I have two bikes....... I hope nothing goes wrong with the W cause I don't think it will be as easy to work on as the REB.

 

Entry for September 28, 2006

 

Picture: Kawasaki W650

Another week without the REB and no word from the dealer.  I am now getting hard headed and thinking that he can just keep it in his shop until he gets tired of tripping over it cause I'm NOT calling him again.  Looks like the trip to the Enfield rally in MO is offically a bust unless by some stroke of luck the REB would be ready to pick up today.

  Now that attitude does nothing to get me riding again so tomorrow I am going to look at a 2001 Kawasaki W650 that is on Ebay.  It only has 1700 miles and looks real sharp in pictures.  I would have bought one of these instead of the REB if I could have found the right one.  No, I'm not planning on selling the REB, I love that bike and I have come to realize that everyone needs at least two motorcycles.

REBless Entry for September 22, 2006

Picture:  Playing in the dirt, 238cc Kawasaki, Kami Seya, Japan, 1969

I talked with the dealer that is holding the REB  He still hasn't done anything with it as he is negotiating on my behalf with CMW for a three week extension on the warranty.  I guess he wants to get the warranty thing nailed down before he starts replacing parts.  He thinks the lifters are the problem, general consensious on the Yahoo groups is that it is a valve seat problem.  I would just as soon not have to pay for his education so I'm not getting nasty with him about getting it fixed.  Who knows maybe he is right on, I looked at the lifters and they look fine to me, but what the hell do I know?

  As I am prone to do when REBless I look at old pictures and play with the computer.  The above picture was taken in 1969 when I was stationed at the US Naval Security Group Activity in Kami Seya, Japan.  The bike is a 238cc Kawasaki F21M, one of the first Japanese motocrossers.  I bought it used, I think it was a '67 or '68.  It had Ceriani forks, and I later put on a hotter rotary valve, larger carb and a different pipe.  On tight tracks it was competitive but the Yamahas could out run it on the longer tracks.  I had a novice class racing license and competed in many races while in Japan.  Races were also regularly hosted at Atsugi NAS.  Once in awhile we would hold "All American" meets with just Americans, I was much more successful in those than the ones with the Japanese.

  I shipped the bike to Hawaii when I left Japan and it was stolen from my driveway.  Never got it back, damn that was a fun bike.  Anyway, that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

  P.S.  That "thing" in the background is a Wullenweber Circular Disposed Antenna Array, also know as an elephant cage.

 

Entry for September 15, 2006

Picture:  Me on the V-Strom with Neil making my ears look even bigger. 

Last Wednesday I rode 330 miles on my friend Richard's 650cc Suzuki V-Strom, to have lunch with the ROMEOs in Howard, KS.  You can't really compare the V-S with the REB but I will anyway.

  I guess power is biggest thing, my gawd this thing has power, way more than any same person needs, and it is a small bike compared to what most people ride.  With a 10,500 rpm red line and a six speed transmission it is totally different than the slow revving thump of the REB.  I never had it over 6 grand and just once in 6th and that was about 80mph.  Sorry Richard, just couldn't resist one little burst up to that speed.  The rear suspension on the V-S works as opposed to the REB's which doesn't unless you are carrying a passenger.  The seat on the V-S is more comfortable and my butt and back didn't start hurting bad until the return trip. The V-S sits high enough that I could just get my feet on the ground but the foot rests are so high that I felt a little scrunched up.  Handling is great as is the REB but with the extra power it was easy to get sideways when powering around corners (just a little joke Richard, I wouldn't do that).

  Riding at 65-70 is not nearly as enjoyable as 55, things happen much quicker but I found myself become more comfortable with the speed the longer I rode.  I still don't understand what people get out of riding on the Intestates unless they are in a hurry. 

  Dual disk brakes vs. drum, now that is a now brainer.  The V-S stops as well as it goes.  So does the REB I guess.

  Anyway since the REB is still in the shop I had seriously been thinking about another bike, the V-S is #1 on my list but I'm still thinking.

  Lunch.......it was OK.

Thanks for the ride Richard.

Yesterday, Sept 10, 2006

Picture:  This is what the TS-185 looks like new 

My brother-in-law and personal welder, Bob, bought a used 750 Vulcan a few weeks ago.  It didn't take long for his wife, Kayrene, climb on the back and ride with him.  She isn't the type to stay in the back but she was a little short in the leg for the Vulcan.  She got the idea that Bob and I could get her old 1973 Suzuki TS-185 running and she would have something to putt around on.  One day Bob came home from work to find this beat up dirty hulk of a 2-stroke sitting in his shop where she had put it after digging it out from under a 25 year accumulation of "stuff" in a shed.  See if you can get it going were the orders.

  This machine obviously needs tires, chain, headlight, fork seals, brake light, turn signals and the list goes on.  Since the engine turned over and had compression Bob's first thought was to see if it would make a spark.  No Joy.  A little investigation showed a coil with a big crack so we tracked down a coil on Ebay.  Still no Joy.  Bob calls in an expert (me) with a VOM.  We set to tracking the flow of electrons from the Mag/stator/alternator what ever the hell this thing has.  The 6V battery died years ago but Bob remembered that you didn't need a battery to start it.  It also has an electronic ignition (no points) which is a step up from what I'm used to. 

  He had wisely cleaned up the mag/alternator thing and it was putting out fire when kicked over.  I might add here that the head or barrel have not been removed.  Bob did look at the top of the piston through the exhaust port when he thought he had dropped a little washer into the spark plug hole.  Oh yes, the crank case had some oil added to it and he removed the rag stuffed in the tank and added some 2-stroke juice.

  It didn't take too long to locate the blockage to a corroded connection and we got spark on the plug after which the following conversation took place:

 

Bob:  Let's put the gas tank on and see if we can start it.

Me:    Have you cleaned out the carb?

Bob:  Naw, but look the throttle works just fine, you think it needs it?

Me:    Idunno

Bob:  We'll give it a try (replaces gas tank, puts in gas, breaks 33 year old gas line, puts on new gas line, sees gas dripping out the end, hooks gasoline to carb, installs new spark plug)

Bob:  Think I need to choke it?

Me:    Wouldn't hurt.

Bob:  gruntkick, gruntkick, gruntkick

Bike:  ringadingy, ringading, smoke

Me:    Damn, it's running!!

 

  I couldn't believe it, after 25 years of neglect the thing starts on the 3rd kick.  There is still a long way to go before it is on the road but there is nothing like getting something in that condition fired up again.  I must say it took my mind off the Royal Enfield's troubles for awhile.

 

Back in the Day

Picture:  125cc Honda

   You can tell I don't have a bike to ride, I've been going through old pictures and reminiscing about motorcycling days gone by.  This one was taken in front of the Kanpai Saki bar in Kadena, Okinawa in June 1963.  I don't remember the year of the bike, just that it replaced my 125cc Yamaguci two stroke.  This was a real step in terms of power and reliability. 

  I think maybe this was the night that I became a believer in helmets, don't ask.

Entry for September 04, 2006

Here I sit, bikeless, with some of the best riding weather of the year just passing me by. This is the time of the year in Kansas that makes up for the 100+ heat and 40mph winds. The sun is shinning, 78 degrees, light winds and low humidity. Maybe I'll get the sailboat out, oh yeah I forgot all the boat ramps dried up this summer. Oh crap, might as well mow the &%^$##ing lawn.