Money well spent?

"Money doesn't grow on trees". Well since the time this phrase was first coined to now, they figured out how to cross breed grapes, apples and other fruits. They've made it so your tomatoes can become the size of large softballs and even "enhanced" the meat that we eat. But still no money tree. Seems like they're taking genetic experiments the wrong way when they should be figuring how we can all grow or stretch the dollar. With one promising interview (Before the end o the day I would get a call thanking me and being told "we went a different direction".) and a little money that I got from selling some stuff in our garage sale plus selling some unique tape to a former co-worker I celebrated by buying the cafe-style "clubman bars" I'd been eyeing. Along with that I purchased some chrome bar-end mirrors. Today was the day that I took to install them. I'm trying to keep my skills honed and gas consumption down with working and riding the GIN. I pulled off the handle bars that the original owner of this bike, my friend Robin had replaced the stock ones with. It was "drag" type bars. I also took the time to mock up the Honda CL 350 donor bikes seat to see what it'll look like. i took some pix but had forgot to install the mirrors till after. This is what she looks like with the bars and seat. No mirrors in this pic.

Noticing this oversight I put them on after I had replaced the OEM seat which is pretty ugly. Slowly, I'll make this thing look like a cafe racer. Of note, I ordered up a replacement key off Ebay. That does me in for money to spend. At the moment it'll take selling a kidney, bartering or using down home ingenuity and elbow grease to fab up or make any further changes/add-ons. I took her for a brief lil spin on the street just to check ergo's and test the handling in a tight turn radius. Passed with flying colors! Don't look to bad either and I can actually see behind me and not stare at my elbow in the left hand mirror.

The key part of game, lost by a sweep.

Thursday, late morning. a day early of an exact week that I lost the key to GIN. If you're following this, you'll recall that last Friday I took the slo-zuki, a.k.a. "GIN" on her first ride on the freeway. 405 South from Canyon Park to Bellevue, exit number 12. This was about a 20 mile ride from my place. GIN shook almost like a true Milwaukee machine than the Japanese heritage that runs through her frame. In that trip the key that operates ignition, helmet lock and opens the gas cap was spit out by vibration. Along with that the nut worked itself off (I'm guessing)the bolt that attaches the front brake lever. Well being the out of work and now... CHEAP man that I am, I made several attempts to find it along the center median of south 405 with no success. I can be a persistent guy, so I looked three times while traveling the #1 lane (some call this the "fast lane") as both a driver and passenger. I also rode the carpool lane with Ali driving while I was on the look out. Then I took the bike out today in the hopes of spot checking several areas that I might have seen something resembling my old key and fob the previous two expeditions.

I found that a blank key could be purchased off e-Bay for less than $20. This included shipping. Not a bad price... if you've disposable income! After shelling out dough to get a new key, then you have to have a locksmith re-key the 3 cylinders to accept it. So some may have a better idea why I was trying so hard in hoping to find it. So where were we? Oh yeah, I was riding the nimble single (she ain't that nimble)trying to re-trace the route and try to better eyeball 3 spots I noted may have had the glint of the lost key. As I rode up on the first spot which is just before there's a break in the jersey barrier before 124th in Kirkland where the troopers hang out, it turned out a negative. Not my key. so I revved on to the next potential, that had appeared rather promising as a key, if not a motorcycle key. As I got close to the spot after zooming under the 124th overpass, hear the center median turns from asphalt to concrete, probably the bridge over 116th, it was evidently clear that a wash-DOT sweeper had been by!!! It would figure! Sure enough, only about a mile and a half down were the flashing beacons of the chase attenuator vehicle and the sweeper some 30ft ahead. That did it, I gave up. I figured I'll chock it up to lesson learned and money out the window. Looking at the bright-side, I recognize that Peter Egan who has the Leanings column in Cycle World magazine, who's style I'm trying to emulate, not only writes about the cool stuff that he does as well as his triumph's. I'm not referring to just the brit-bikes either but his successes. What likely makes his column ring with those of us who don't have 10 motorcycles waiting to be ridden in a heated workshop in the winter, the ability to fly a plane, test and drive some amazing cars and write about that also, a wonderful wife who barely gives him a mild look when he wants to buy a new like a different or even previously owned bike back (I'm sure that "Barb" his wife would contest that with me. In print though she almost let's him have anything he wants it seems)and the ability to get paid for telling us "schmoes" about his adventure in print! Besides that, Peter Egan tells us of his shortcomings. The things he regrets, bike's he sold or have been put out of commission either by himself or by others. He let's us know that he, like the rest of us are just human. I'm sure he's lost a key to an old rattly bike in his life. AND IF NOT! I don't wanna know. I'll keep living my sunny-side up motorcycle, blog, dream-life, that I'm hoping will be interrupted by an offer of full-time work for more that $10-16 bucks an hour. With benefits. Two weeks vacation to start? And a motorcycle to commute with, preferably a Honda! Plus a trip to Disneyland for two. Just kidding. I just need a job to support my family. The extra's like a trip to Disneyland... That's just over the top.

Sunday after dinner

After a day spent over by the coast with family we headed back home this morning. It was of no surprise to me that Ali's family decided to come visit us back, as a somewhat spur of the moment idea. Actually this moment was last evening but I've noticed that the guy that once told me "I hate surprises" don't mind pulling them now. 'm thinking age has softened him some. Close to a couple of decades ago I showed up to see his bright and attractive young daughter without their knowing, may have elicited the response. I thought I was a great catch for a boyfriend at 19 and what dad would want me to date his cherished daughter? Don't ask me today how I would react if a boyfriend of my daughter showed up unannounced at my home today. After spending time with Ali's mom, dad, older sister and my two nieces and finishing dinner they made the 3 hour trek back to their place, my mind quickly went back to my project of making the GN400 a cafe bike. I've come to realize that I've neither the time or finances to go "top-notch" on this project. I know I don't want to cut corners either! It's just I realize how much I have missed riding a motorcycle. I don't want to have this thing sitting any longer than it has to when I could be riding it. ( I still gotta replace that key too! With that said, after the family left I went outside and looked at a Honda CL 360 that was also given to me some time ago. Not much could be done with that bike as I never received a title or bill of sale and some bonehead had run it over with an equipment trailer cracking the triple clamp and bending the forks. Not running at the time and no key meant... Parts Bike. So I pulled off the seat and the tank this evening. I wanted to see if I might be able to make use of these on the Suzook. After pulling them off I recognized I really liked the style of the seat off the Honda. It could even be made to fit the GN with possibly little effort. The tank of the CL, had a noticeable difference in fuel capacity that the GN. Research showed that the GN400 tank could hold 3.4 gallons of gas, while the CL could only top off at 2.9 gallons. This means that the current 78 miles before hitting the reserve would drop and that was unacceptable. As it is now the GN's petcock is having issues so that I can't even use the reserve as the petcock valve is getting hung up on the tank weld at the bottom. I was hoping that changing out the tank would solve that problem, though it's not going to happen with the Honda's gas tank. Seeing that I couldn't really do much there, I removed the bolts that hold the levers to the brake and clutch on the Honda scrambler and used it to replace the one that had come of "GIN". (I'm not one to name any of my vehicles but I think that for this particular project I will tag the 81 Suzuki GN400 with an A.K.A. of "GIN".) Being that I couldn't accomplish much more that securing the front brake lever that had come off Friday for the wild ride home, I scanned the internet for idea's that I might be able to incorporate, fab-up or purchase for GIN at as low a cost as possible. After drooling at all kinds of pictures that come up when you type "Cafe Racer" into google images, I wanted to see if I could use some computer wizardry to see what she might look like as a completed bike. Using Microsoft paint and an hour and a half of time I came up with this concept.

I'm thinking that with using the seat of the Honda CL360, I might be able to have the option of riding two up if I can find or make up a tail section cowl for the rear that would come down on the rear part of the seat. This would rest on the last half of the pillion and bolt on to have the solo cafe look then be able to be removed and retain the look but allow room for two. That's what's jumbling in my head anyway. Can I do that and still stay in the low cost frame of mind? Don't know? But the picture I doodled gives me an idea of what it might look like. Of course it would have a black and white check pattern on the tank and cowl. A polished and clear coated set might also make it stand out as I'm going all black on most everything else including wheels. It seems this will be more cost effective that trying to replace, or spend big bucks to get the rust and oxidation off the thing. Who know's? Well that's where I am for now. Type again later. The Snoman.

Double W-O-W!!! a double post in one day, you gotta know that something has to have happened. As in the case of why this blog even exists. It's all due to being out of work, back then and currently. So this week I made an appointment at 1pm regarding potential employment in Bellevue, the twin city of Seattle on the East shore of Lake Washington. The location is approximately a 20 minute ride without traffic southbound on the 405. I was busy volunteering my time this morning, which ended at about noon this extremely warm, sunny day in the Pacific Northwest. Figuring to save on fuel I would take the now operational GN400. A Suzuki single which was produced from 1980-1982. This particular 1981 model was given to me because it was a non-op bike.

Well lo and behold I have it running and thus have been giving her a run through the gears. Being that riding my local neighbourhood can rarely or legally let me take it to 5th gear, I figured that this was another reason to ride it over to my above mentioned Bellevue appointment. Leaving the house by the seat of my pants time wise, I made a bee line for the freeway. With nerves a little on edge for this maiden freeway voyage, the bike seemed to be running like a dream. The idle didn't start to race while sitting at the lights as seemed to happen often. it even stalled once. Now it sounded great even with the rusted pipe. It actually seemed as if she was anticipating getting out on the "open road". At the last signal that allows a left turn before the freeway, the light turned green, I rolled on the throttle. The "GN" purred. A split second later I rolled through some "liquid" and being that I'd removed the front fender (with the new front tire it no longer fit as before?)this stuff splashed inside my helmet. My sunglasses shielded my eyes but it was a bummer anyway. May have to reconsider going front fenderless? Jumping on the 405 South I cautiously, put firmly twisted the throttle listening for the slightest sound or minimal sensation that would tell me to reconsider this inaugural push to highway speeds. My concerns seemed unfounded as she picked up to 60mph as effortlessly as a single that has been around over thirty should. The trip went smoothly. Though I had left the house at 12:40 I arrived at my appointment right on the hour! Exhilarated, I threw the voice in my head aside the said "If you're not five minutes early... You're late." As I reached to turn off my little jewel, it was then that I saw that the key was no longer in the ignition. The single ran like a champ but she vibrated like a Harley that they've built vibrations in. Unlike the beasts that come out of the factory and are built to overcome the shakes, my hoopty couldn't hold it's own key in the ignition. Where as I had been imagining that I was riding an old Norton, Vincent or Triumph of the 60's and the endearing shakes were just part of the charm, losing that key was a blow to my euphoric high arriving on site. Beside that, the bike was still in the on position and was likely to drain the battery if I didn't kill the switch.

I was able to figure it out and my key is now a paperclip. Gotta love the old bikes and you gotta hate em! After leaving my appointment and getting ready to jump on the North on-ramp at SE 8th in Bellevue as I pulled on the front brake lever slightly in the curve upon entry, i felt a slight odd sensation in the lever. Glancing at the lever I recognized that it had completely come unhinged and was being held in place by my grip on the throttle. That said, I made it home on that piece of junk that someone dumped on me. But I'm not giving up. I'm frustrated, unemployed and their is absolutely no money in the coffers to start the repairs just yet. I will enjoy this motorcycle though come what may. In fact, even with all that has occurred I've had a blast tooling around on the ugly betty. Soon I'll have some additional progress pix as I work (no pun intended)to get the GN running like a dream and looking even nicer. Anyone want to donate to my "ride to work" fund? ;) This is stated in jest unless you're Bill Gates, Jay Leno, Steve Jobs or Mark Zuckerberg who had been cashing in on his Facebook fame prior to this last week. I figure if he wants to see some of his earnings disappear it ought to at least go to a great cause.

Looking for work. Again.

Wow! I can't believe how long it's been since I actually looked at my blog! It's now just after 8am on Friday Aug 17th 2012 I've been out of work for 17 days since my old shop closed down. What have I been up to with regards to motorcycles since that time? In truth not much. I'm also quite proud to say that neither has it been nothing! I've been working on as 1981 Suzuki GN400 that was given to me. FOR F-R-E-E! I'll post pix up soon. From the time I first got it (not the best quality)to now. Not a whole lot has changed in looks. But it now runs, is currently tabbed and has a new from tire. The tire that was on there I believe was the original from 1981! I've got plans to make it a "low-cost" cafe. Hopefully not cheap looking, but this will not be a restoration or high-class rebuild either. I'm going for somewhere in between. More to come.