The Adventures of FriarJohn on Two (and Sometimes Four) Wheels

FINALLY… All I’m lacking is brake fluid and some clips to hold the crossover line. I tried to use those metal clips from Newspeedmaster but I screwed them up trying to get them installed. Until I find a better solution I’ll just pick up some stock clips (anybody got an extra set?). BTW, this is an Avon Venom 130/70-18. Fender rides a little high. Might have to “adjust” that. This is a stock fender bracket, not the one I modified to clear the 120/90-18 I was using before. Oh, and the bike is still filthy from riding in the rain last week.

Update: Bike is back on the road. Might have to bleed the brakes one more time to get that last tiny bit of air out of the system.

[Update: This will probably be updated frequently. People keep asking me for more pictures. Stuff is going fast. The sissybar is going to Taiwan! Damn, I haven't even STARTED with ebay yet...]

On the heels of my last post about selling the D&Ds, I just listed several items on BonnevilleAmerica.com in the classifieds. Here is the gallery of images, but I don’t have the prices listed in the gallery, only on BA.com.

Current Item list:

1. The aforementioned D&D mufflers–need stripping and coating SOLD
2. Triumph tall sissybar and luggage rack–usually a very popular item SOLD
3. Stock tail light housing–good for blacking out while still saving your original chrome piece
4. Triumph chrome rear brake reservoir cover–chromosexual approved SOLD
5. Stock dash–again, good for color-coordinating with your tank or just blacking it out SOLD
6. Optronics fog lights–cheap, lots of light SOLD
7. Triumph chrome front brake reservoir cover  with British flag sticker–also chromosexual approved SOLD
8. George Foreman Grill (stock sprocket cover)–good for hacking up and customizing
9. Aftermarket horn–meh
10. Triumph chrome control levers–again, chromosexual approved SOLD
11. Phantom Pad–weird, but if that’s your thing, okay–WON’T FIT A TRIUMPH
12. Thunderbird Sport front rim, 17×3.5″, with spokes–good for you fat front tire fans, 1″ shorter than stock, 1″ wider than stock–laces right on to the stock America hub SOLD
13. Triumph tachometer–could be fried, need someone to test it for me and only pay me if it works (which means my bike is still screwed up) SOLD
14. Triumph rear fender luggage rack–still chromosexual approved SOLD
15. Someone’s interested in my effed out Belt Drive kit SOLD

More to come. That’s good enough to get started.

I’ve been thinking a lot about the CF that was 2009. I need to get my thoughts down. I also need fodder for my blog, so here goes.

Health

I tried to take control of my health early in 2009. I ‘m not usually proactive but I went to the doctor for a physical in April. Other than high cholesterol I was in decent shape for a sedentary cubicle drone. One week later an infection kicked my ass and put me in the hospital for 12 days. My leg still isn’t better, my left leg is now “acting up.” The only bright side to that experience was losing 17lbs., but I’m still on the hook for a few grand after my insurance paid 90%. I tried Weight Watchers and had some success but I’ve plateaued and now have to figure out what to do next.

Relationships/Family

I’m still dating Sherri. December 1, 2009 was the second anniversary of our first date. It hasn’t all been wine and roses (what relationship is?), but we seem to be making a go of it.

In August my dad decided to clean out his shed and brought me a truckload of tools, including a rollaway toolchest, an air compressor and a router table. He also brought a nice computer desk.

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With my Experienced Rider Course looming one week hence, it was (past) time to get my bike back on the road. Here’s a few pictures of the process, and a couple of the goodies my pops and uncle brought me from California last weekend, including a compressor, router table, computer desk and rollaway tool chest.

Garage Day 20090822

Odometer: 44512.7

LC Fabrications has a stripped down wiring diagram for Hinkley Triumphs (new generation like mine) that they developed for this custom hardtail standard Bonnie they built.

With all the electrical problems I’ve had this year, it’s tempting to start from scratch. Yeah, yeah, I know. That would be just as big a headache as sorting things out on the stock harness.

EDIT: These are things I’d still like to accomplish this year. There are many more things on the modifications list.

In light of all the problems I’ve been having with my bike, time to start figuring out just what I need to do to it. I don’t have any trips planned for the rest of the year, but I do have the Experienced Rider Course in Great Falls at the end of August. It ran fine on the way home from Nelson, but there is something I absolutely have to address before the class, and that’s the stretchy chain. The Maintenance list is obviously (?) much higher priority than the Modifications list.

Maintenance

• Clean bike stem to stern — always a good place to start
• Check every single connector for corrosion and redo dilectic grease
• Check every single wire for damage (may require unwrapping and rewrapping wiring harness)
• Diagnose Remove tachometer issues
• Diagnose short in Remove driving light sub harness (replace connectors with waterproof versions and solder connectors)
• Drain carb bowls and check for contaminants (unlikely)
• Drop main jets to 140-142 (verify that there are 145s in there now)
• Try stock needles with 2 shims (compare performance to TBS needles)
• New chain and sprockets (also buying tool for rivet-style link)
• Drill and extract sprocket cover bolt
• Inspect fuel filter

Modifications

• Install Kuryakyn voltmeter
• Install Dual disc front wheel, right side caliper, crossover brakeline, bleed brakes, swap out extended fender bracket for stock bracket
• Install Speedmaster handlebars with pullback risers and stepped riser bolts
• Build aluminum rear luggage rack
• Test fit D&D pipes
• Build new battery bracket from stock bracket
• Take gas tank to Jamie
• Rearrange headlight and hand control wiring (connectors in stock headlight) for new 5 3/4″ headlight and install
• Grind fins off stock (extra) sprocket cover, trim, drill speed holes and power coat black

Worst vacation ever, including the trip I took in 1978 with my family from Orange County, CA, to Dallas, TX, when my parents made me listen to Barry Manilow and Neil Diamond the whole way.

• Several electrical problems plagued (and still plague) my bike
• Day One saw rain most of the way to Thompson Falls
• Day Two involved trucking my bike to Spokane from Thompson Falls because it just wouldn’t run
• Day Three was probably the best, picking up the bike in Spokane, riding back to Thompson Falls, loading up and then straight on to Nelson, BC, skipping Jasper and Kamloops.
• Day Four saw more electrical problems, running on one cylinder
• Day Five brought a speeding ticket, 118kph in a 90kph zone. After early payment discount and exchange rate it should be about $100USD.
• Day Six made me watch my good friend total his bike in front of me and nearly total himself
• Day Seven was loooong, going through Spokane to see said friend after he was air lifted there the previous night for surgery

The actual route definitely looks a lot different than the planned route.

View Larger Map

Of course, one and a half of those trips between Thompson Falls and Spokane were in a truck, not on the bike.

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Crappy cell phone picture warning:

Actually it came out pretty good, like I hit it with some funky filters in Photoshop. I really have to start keeping my Canon digital camera with me.

Took a little shakedown run on my bike yesterday. I always like to do a little local riding, mixing up speeds, roads and terrain to make sure everything holds together. I was also fiddling with my Scottoiler. It works pretty good but I think I’ll need to switch to the blue fluid. The red just flows too much.

Finally got everything buttoned up yesterday and took her out for a brief shake-down around the neighborhood. Next up is installing the Scottoiler, then it’s finally time to install the dual disc front wheel (Triumph Thunderbird Sport) and caliper. I also have some basic maintenance to do like an oil and filter change and cleaning the K&N air filters.

P.S. I think my leg is healed enough to ride. It didn’t seem to bother me yesterday.

I’ve been dealing with a serious infection in my right leg since the 9th of April. I was in the hospital for 12 days, starting out with a 104+ temperature. I’ve been out for a week but after seeing my doctor today I’m not exactly out of the woods yet.

So the weekend before that all went down I did manage to remove the belt drive belt and sprockets and reinstall my stock chain (with about 8k miles on it so plenty of life left). I also installed a new “cush drive” in the rear hub, a tighter model from the Triumph Thunderbird Sport. It was very snug but I managed to get it together and get the rear wheel reinstalled. Now I have to go back through and make sure everything is good-and-tight and install my Scottoiler and I’ll be back on the road (oh, and my leg has to finish healing, of course).

As time allows I’ll get the dual disc front wheel and associated parts installed and hopefully make some progress on the bobber conversion. These health issues have really thrown a wrench in my plans.