what did you do to your motorized bicycle today?
- Thread starter Skarrd
- Start date
Watched it get wet in the frog-strangler rain we got today.
Three inches of rain sitting on the phone wires....
Three inches of rain sitting on the phone wires....
I've got another MTB-base on the go.. Over the past few days I've cleaned up and installed the motor, laced a new spoke into the back wheel and trued it followed by the sprocket and trued that as well among a dozen other things since the base itself was a bit of a wreck to start.. crusty, rusting, rotten cables etc. Today I got the CDI set up, tank installed, new brake cables and clutch cable and roller installed.. Chain too... Cleaned and repacked the front wheel bearings (did the back when I replaced the spoke). If all goes as I expect, it should be done tomorrow.
I got caught in the storm between Nashville and Knoxville Wednesday.......even when I-40 is covered with ice, I never before seen traffic slowed to 25mph!!! It was like running under a continuous waterfall!
I've always called those types of rains "turd floaters" ---- however, this one merited an updated name..."septic tank floater".
Started out in Charleston, WV this morning and took the scenic route to Knoxville through Virginia and Kentucky. All told, I did a touch over 1200 miles today without a 'co-pilot'.
Same here... Everytime I get a chance to ride it's raining... hopefully it'll dry up over here today or tomorrow.
Anyway, when it's raining I usually have a list of things to do on the bike so besides getting my pipe built and installed, my engine mounts welded to the frame, new carb installed and tuned as well as checking every nut and bolt etc to be sure nothing's worked it's way loose... I really need to get out and ride tho so I can break in the new engine because I'm running out of work to do on it and other parts on order haven't come in yet, but they'll be here once it's nice and dry outside...
Here's how it looks as of a few days ago...
Anyway, when it's raining I usually have a list of things to do on the bike so besides getting my pipe built and installed, my engine mounts welded to the frame, new carb installed and tuned as well as checking every nut and bolt etc to be sure nothing's worked it's way loose... I really need to get out and ride tho so I can break in the new engine because I'm running out of work to do on it and other parts on order haven't come in yet, but they'll be here once it's nice and dry outside...
Here's how it looks as of a few days ago...
1200 miles is nearly impossible even during the cross country Iron Butt ride. 1200 miles is a 24 hour ride!
I was in my Nissan Altima. Did it in 19 1/2hrs.
The most I've done on a motorcycle in one day is from OKC to almost Pensacola, Fl. I was on my Goldwing and my buddy was on a Kawasaki cruiser. I traded him bikes a couple of times for a few hours because I thought he was gonna die!!
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Well, it didn't start on the first clutch drop, but the second's good enough for me (needed to open the choke).. the latest I'm tinkering with started for the first time. 
Now it just needs some adjustments..
Now it just needs some adjustments..
- can't quite get the clutch to be disengaged with the lever in it's in/rest/'locked' position.
- need to take a look at the clutch lever itself; the 'lock button' popped out and tried to vanish into the garage, with the spring going a different direction. Fortunately I tracked them both (went cross-eyed doing it ) and picked 'em up,
- tighten up the brake lever on the handlebars,
- close up and seal the mag housing and electrical
- put a muffler support strap on
- and on, and on...
xseler, that makes more sense to me now. The way you worded it I thought you rode your MB 1200 miles.
All I could think was "No way Jose"!
Still, that is a crazy long drive. I have done similar retrieving a friends stolen Honda motorcycle from an impound yard in central Arizona where it was recovered. There and back in 1 day but it was only 900 miles or so with a 2 hour wait at the yard.
All I could think was "No way Jose"!
Still, that is a crazy long drive. I have done similar retrieving a friends stolen Honda motorcycle from an impound yard in central Arizona where it was recovered. There and back in 1 day but it was only 900 miles or so with a 2 hour wait at the yard.
Sorry about any confusion!! I honestly don't think I could even do 120 miles in a day on my MB.
I know this isn't actually an intended topic here, but I ride my bike 40-50 miles on a round trip to and from town from time to time and its very enjoyable to me, my dax GenIV lower is very smooth and I have my bike set up for comfort and good cruising speed, tops at 43.? MPH on the flat when there isn't a major head wind which will knock me back to the 39-40 MPH range, I have a wide and soft Cloud9 seat on all my bikes which makes a huge difference and I have mini ape bars so I can sit upright and don't have to hold myself up by my arms, my best bike ain't the coolest looking and not fancy at all but run very good and is a pleasure to ride for even long distances, only problem I have on this bike is fuel capacity, the little 2Liter tank will need to go as soon as I can get either a 1 gallon behind the seat tank built or maybe another 2-3Liter behind the seat tank installed along with the front tank with a T connection in the line so the rear tank will act as a reserve that can come on line if I need the extra for a long ride, I've had an idea for a tank in my head for a while now and I'm hoping to get started building it before to long if time permits.
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The most I've done in one day is 71 miles on a m/b, once I did 80 miles on a dirt bike at Duram Town plantation here in Georgia. That is probably the most grueling thing I have done, I did pretty good keeping up with a couple of twenty year old kids.
thats a lot of miles on a bike seat, I'd have to carry extra fuel to go more than about 50 miles my 2 liter tank is next to empty at that range, a gallon tank would be excellent and maybe a couple pints extra tucked away on the bike somewhere for a little extra insurance along with a pack or two of Opti2 in case I needed to refill at a pump somewhere.
set up this way I could ride all day pretty much, how many miles....?????? I dont know for sure but it would be a bunch!
when I was younger I had an RM80 that had been bored out with a better head and bigger carb, that thing was wicked fast for a little 80cc and I would hit the trails with a bud and ride all day long, no telling how many miles, been saddle sore from that thing many times back in the day.
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I try to stay in shape, the older you get if you don't use it you lose it. That's why I'm still playing softball at 55. The next oldest guy on the team is 43, I'm fifth in batting average out of 13.
yep there is no replacement for staying active, I don't do as much as I should but I'm no couch potato and I'm on the go doing something all the time, I used to dabble in martial arts years ago and that was great exercise, I'm not in to bad of shape now but, stamina would be my biggest hurdle I'd say, I still have an excellent throwing arm and can hang with the young bucks I work with pretty good, they are surprised at my shape for being what they consider to be an old man at 47 this October, I come from a very active family on my Dads side, my Great Grand dad was still out running and playing with the kids when he was in his middle 70's and my Grand dad was still out running a tiller in the garden and doing all his own wood chopping and garden work into his late 80's and until 91 years old when he fell and hit his head real hard and never got over that one, doctors said he had the internal health of many 35 year old people now days... I have good genetics for long life in my family with no heart problems and things like that, but exercise has to be in the mix or the good genetics can only take you so far.
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Back to the subject, I got in a straight plug head from bgf to replace a angle plug head. The angle head doesn't seal good because of the raised small sealing area, if I sand that area off the squish band will be almost gone and compression will probably be too high for pump gas. I'm going to cc both before I start to see the difference. The new head has a nice squishband that after lapping it should be better.
Perhaps the most rewarding mod I've done so far.
Since putting the motor on I've been wary of the extra work asked of the kick stand. It has always been a bit wobbly,with the foot sliding away from the frame, and recently broke from the frame. Fixed with a good weld now.
Anyway, I got about a half inch of clear plastic hose, and jammed it on the foot of the stand so it grips better on the ground and holds it's place so well now. It took two minutes.
In terms of ratio of effort to reward, i now have a personal best.
Since putting the motor on I've been wary of the extra work asked of the kick stand. It has always been a bit wobbly,with the foot sliding away from the frame, and recently broke from the frame. Fixed with a good weld now.
Anyway, I got about a half inch of clear plastic hose, and jammed it on the foot of the stand so it grips better on the ground and holds it's place so well now. It took two minutes.
In terms of ratio of effort to reward, i now have a personal best.