Been awhile.

So much has happened since the last time I wrote, I'm not sure where to begin. As the weather warmed up I started riding to work on the "Gin". Ran out of gas once. Not more than a mile from home so that was good. Destressed over work goings on. If that's one of the top reasons to ride a motorcycle I'd be sold! There's so much more though. Attended the first "unofficial" Backfire Moto in Ballard on March 17th and rode there!! Last stop before a chilly night. Northlake tavern, another first! Went to the one in April as well! Photo is of Gin alongside someone's late model cafe racer. This was a blast. Three of us were on bikes. Jason was one of those on his Virago. He's in the process of doing some custom work on his as well. Like me, he's mechanically inclined (or at least electrically as he's an electrician)and working on his first project. Preston, another great friend just got back in the game with an 84 Honda Nighthawk S. You can view the model on the following url; http://encarsglobe.com/data_images/gallery/01/honda-cb-700-sc-nighthawk/honda-cb-700-sc-nighthawk-06.jpg Just a over a week ago it was found that the Gin had gas leaking from the tank. Pinhole leak! Drained the gas, as I had of course, just filled her up. And then started the process to prep to seal the inside of the tank with a sealer. Took a whole day to sand it. There was body fill from the previous tank paint job. So the idea of a brushed steel tank with a clearcoat was out. The next day I would perform the process to seal the inside of the tank with POR 15. This would leave it looking pretty ugly. From here I would hit another snag with a know-it-all nieghbour, who granted was wanting to assist but he ended up grinding some of the body fill off when using his wire wheel grinder to scarf down some of the runs from the sealing process. Did spray primer to prevent rust, even though I'll be sanding... again.What you can't make out is the indentation from where the Suzuki badges had been before. They're definitely visible though. Oh well, more work to come.

Backfire Moto Oct 17th

Whoo-hoo! Under the impression that I would be unable to go to the Backfire-Moto "37" in Ballard this evening, I was able to make it along with my pal Jason. This was our first time attending the event for the both of us. I feel that I should have been attending for at least a year since the theme is cafe bikes!!! I didn't think I could make it tonight as it appeared that no one else might go and other priorities had come up. I had even tried getting off work early without success. The info for this monthly Seattle event was found on the web as I was continually looking for ideas for the "GIN" and it seemed like something that might give me inspiration. This would be the 3rd year it was held "rain or shine". So 36 consecutive events missed by me, it was time I made a insignificant showing. Not much new has happened to my "steed" except riding her to work during the wonderful long summer here in the Pacific Northwest. Where else to show off what little I have accomplished this summer than a bike event in our own backyard.

I want to mention there was another Suzuki there that stood out to Jason and I. It was this rotary beast that I can't recall ever coming across at a show or in a "rag" (motorcycle magazine)Though "GIN" was not there she would have fit in nicely with this Suzuki and the rest of the clan. Originally I was prepared to ride her before the weather turned. And I thought others would ride there with me. Yes call me a social rider at night, with this bike. Newer, reliable, all lights and electrics working 100%? I'll go alone easy. An 81' GN 400, that I'm working on and have yet to work out all the bugs... not so much. Jason graciously offered to pick me up in his beemer and I caved. I know what you're thinking, "What a loser!" But even though Jason drives a nice car he's a cool guy and he even owns a motorcycle that he needs to buy and install a new rear tire on. He rides his scoot nearly every where, so he's not that much of a loser. Plus he bought me a beer from Hilliards Brewery in Ballard. So he's pretty cool in my book. In short we had a blast and Jason and I will ride the bikes to next month's event unless it's cancelled, we're sick, it's a meeting night, raining or cold and overcast. Then I'll insist he let me drive him and buy him a beer. Though I will cave when he mentions how nice his BMW is and how he doesn't mind driving. Maybe he'll even let me drive his car... I could even generously offer that to him along with the beer. That would be real nice of me.

Well, got a job... and I got a key!

Good news folks. I'm currently employed. Working as a maintenance supervisor for a luxury apartment complex in the "wine country" of Woodinville. It's paying the bills and leaving little wiggle room for continuing on the GIN. You may be content to know that it did allow for the making and of these bad boys! Count em. That's two keys. one on the key ring and one for contingency.

Rode to work a couple of times and it was great! With the exception of properly operating turn signals, I have been using the old hands to let others know my intentions. I noted that Ballard hosts the "Backfire Moto" which caters to all types of two-wheeled beasties. Cafe racers are the main draw though few in number. The Backfire moto website (http://www.backfiremoto.com/) let's us know that all are invited. It would appear that if you're hard-core, soft-core, wannabe or posuer or possibly even the genuine article you can come and hang. Being more the former and not so much the latter, I'm there. They even have cool apparel on their site. The black hoodies are the bomb. I'm just not in a position to shell out the cash for an extra at this time. You know how it goes. Creditors, taxes, bills and food always seem to take priority in this world. motorcycles come up with the short straw. The therapy they provide though is cents on the dollar, which only the few understand.

The Long and short of it

After installing the clubman bars I had noticed that the OEM cables were too long. I essentially got creative in running the cables so it was somewhat “nice” looking. The throttle cable though on the right side of GIN was somewhat in front of the turn signal. I could monkey with it a little and it dropped it to the lower bottom right of the amber flasher. I wasn't satisfied.

In a previous post I mentioned the Honda CL parts bike I had. Given to me by a well-meaning friend as it was left on a property he’d purchased. It was now pretty useless as it had been drug over by a heavy equipment operator. (Amateur!) So I have been using it as a parts bike if there was anything I could use on the Suzook. First was the seat, which I like for the café look. Except for a hole on one side of the leather it’s in pretty good shape. After a few mods to the steel seat pan it should fit pretty nice. The next items to be used of the CL would now be the shorter stemmed front turn signals. This would get them out of the way of the throttle cable on the right and give me more space on the left with the controls. I had my son help me to work on the turn signals project early this Sunday morning.(which would be the 10th of Sept) He’s also been given a motorcycle by a well intentioned friend of ours. As with the CL, there was no title and it was non-op. And like me, my son couldn't pass up the offer of a free motorcycle. That’s not running. Will take space in my (the wife’s/mom’s) garage. Has a limited budget to get in riding condition again. I’ll stop there, though I could go on. Back to point. I needed the help getting started on the turn signal swap and he needs mechanical experience so I had him start removing the turn signals off of the Honda as I started on the GIN. I paid close attention as I worked to remove the headlamp, losing a part which I had no idea where or what it was after getting the large bulb out. The only way I was aware that something was somewhere on the ground was my hearing it fall there. As soon as it touched the ground I looked for movement so as to try to spot or track its path. It disappeared and that without me ever getting a bead on it or what it was, nut, bolt, fuse? Within seconds of this I immediately stopped and started scanning for whatever it was to locate it. It didn't make the sound as if it went far. It should have dropped on the tire and bounced a short distance on the asphalt which was what I was working on. Slowly moving back away from the front of GIN I crouched and looked for anything that was not flush with the driveway. Nothing stood out! I changed position from front, side, rear to opposing side and could not find it. I figure it must be a nut or bolt in the light grey hue of the faded asphalt it landed on. Frustrated and little time to continue the search, I moved on back to the task at hand. I would mentally remind myself to not forget to look for the mystery item before heading in and getting ready for a one o’clock meeting. My son had pulled off both turn signals from the Honda CL and was pulling them apart to clean em up as best as could for the swap. The first one he opened had water inside as well as quite a bit of rust. He was disappointed to get rust on his sock. He then told me that he was planning to head out and meet some friends. (He spends a good amount of his time in volunteer work, reaching out to the community) So that was the end of my help and his expanding his mechanical skills today.

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.