A Good Old Gal.

365 Group

One of my "girls" turns 40 this year.

"Miss Tilley!"  My 1977 KZ 750 twin, that I bought in original stock condition, 18 years ago from a lady in Oklahoma who's husband didn't like the fact guys whistled at her when she rode around town. They made a compromise and sold both their bikes. I was rather happy he was pissed that I took her old "junker" over his shiny late model V twin.
 This bike, with 97 thousand miles plus/ minus, has literally taken me all over the the Southern United States. Not too shabby for a $700 investment.

"catch ya on the road."
            (f)

6/30/09 Shoe Goo

365 Group (f)

This morning I went out to a beautiful morning and a bald spot on my back tire.

Looking over my tire, it was definitely "showin cord". Not a good thing. I shifted my plans around for transportation to work and started looking for a new tire. Since it was early none of the shops would be open. I emailed a few of the places that I do business with, told them I needed a back tire "really fast, double quick and in a hurry".
Kind of bummed out I jumped in the pickup and headed out to work. One of the best riding days and I was having to drive. Thinking that this might not be so bad I pulled onto the street and was immediately held up letting a herd of bikes go by. Now depression is creeping in. I finally got moving and it seems everyone was riding this morning. Everyone but me. Oh well, I needed some four wheel time. Might forget how if I didn't drive every once in a while.
It was pretty much an uneventful trip in. I took a bunch of ribbing from the guys at work. They had all managed to ride in. I told them it was one of my bonus days that I had built up riding during the winter and went on in to start calling the local shops in the distant hope one of them might have a tire laying around.
By 10:30 I had called all the shops in the area and no one had anything that I could use. A couple said the could have me one by Friday so I ordered a tire while I wondered if I could make it till Friday on four wheels.
Sitting and thinking about my problem I remembered something from a couple of years back. Shoe Goo. This stuff is made to repair shoes and other rubber products. A couple of years ago I had a similar problem with a tire and as a joke had smeared this stuff on the spot. I couldn't remember how long I ran the tire with this Shoe Goo stuff on it but I did remember how when I finally changed the tire out, it was still on there. In fact I couldn't pull it off. Now I had a new mission, at least until my new tire came in, to find some Shoe Goo and "retread" my tire.
A quick call to a friend at the "Evil Empire" located what I needed. Now I'm all set. Who knows? Based on what I remember, this might work.
Since I have the truck, I think I'll just do a mini parts run this afternoon and pick up some things I have been putting off. A frame and a set of forks and some other odds and ends that were too big to carry on the bike. Winter projects actually.
Maybe today wasn't a total loss? One of them "Bikin" days.
Catch ya on the road

Still crazy

yep! I'm a Polar Bear


This morning, March 01, 2009 it's 18 degrees.
Not hardly riding weather. the sun was out but we had about half an inch of snow fall so everything is white and bright. I couldn't resist and went out and started up my bike. People that I talked with earlier this morning said that the roads were clear and dry. I had a quick thought of a "polar Bear" ride down to the convenience store.
At 18 degrees the oil in my bike is at, to say the least, thick and very slow moving. The engine turned over real slow like it was trying to swim in muddy molasses. This should have been a clue that I should wait till better or at least warmer weather. Sometimes I just don't pay attention to sign and clues and end up like today. Cold and very tired.
I managed to find a propane torch and started warming up the oil in hopes of at least getting the old bike started. After about twenty minutes of the torch I managed to get the engine to spin almost like normal and finally it caught and fired up. Chugged a little but I had it running. I set the choke and went inside to get on some real warm clothes.
When I went back out to see how the warming was going I was struck by the silliness of this whole thing and thought that I might just wait. Then, as normally happens, the lack of good common sense took over again. I found myself thinking that it's only two miles that is required for a Polar Bear ride.To the store and back would qualify. Warming my hands on the heads I though that I could just ease down and leave it running get a cup of coffee. Just as soon as the first "Boswell" came in I would ease back to the house.
Walking around the bike to move the cover out of the way I noticed a possible set back to this legend building experience. The fuel filter was one large cake of ice. Apparently there was some water in the fuel and it was frozen. Grabbing the throttle I gave it a twist and turned real stiff and as it revved up it popped and banged a little. Appears that there wasn't enough fuel getting through. What to do, Think think...Hair dryer! yes that should do the trick. Warm up the lines with a hair dryer and get the ice out and have it running like it should. Back into the house to search for a dryer and a cup of coffee. After a few minutes I located the hair dryer and poured a cup of coffee and headed back out. The hair dryer did the trick and I got it running smoothly. I sipped the coffee and used the dryer on everything else that I could see was frozen. Throttle cables, brake and clutch cables, seat. I even knocked a little ice or frost off the gages.
Satisfied that I had everything all loosened up and ready to ride I turned around and headed down my drive. At the street I eased out and it was cold! I kept it to second gear and really just idled along. That mile to the store was longer than I expected. Cooler too. Finally I pulled in at the gas pumps and started to go in and get the cup of coffee I had worked so hard for.
As I hit the door to push it open I almost broke my arm. The door was locked and then I noticed a sign that said closed. Apparently the snow had prompted them into not opening. Man! That cup of coffee would have really hit the spot.
I threw a leg over the bike and started back to the house. Again that was a really long mile and seemed to take for ever to ride it.
Pulling into my parking space I thought that I had made another Polar Bear ride and felt pretty good. Then I remembered that I hadn't seen a single person either coming or going. That meant no "Bozwell"No one would know about my major accomplishment.
As I set here with a warm cup of coffee and look out at my bike. I may be crazy at times, but I know.
Hope to catch ya on the road.
f