Grocery Getter

 Low sleek sporty looking bikes are cool but they just can't get the daily chores done like a bagger can.

 And that right there is the dilemma. I hacked the rack off the back of the sportster and now I can't even haul a pizza on that bike. Light narrow bikes are fun to ride but impractical. Basically all I can do with that bike is "ride around" which is fine but eliminates the ability to multi task. Lets say I need some grub bigger than my bacpac from a tavern 18 miles away. Many times I'll take the fifty mile route just to get a nice ride in.  I suppose I could fold the pizza in half and put it in a bacpac but in my high class world of beer in a can and dinner in a cardboard box, that's really just unacceptable. As you can see I'm sticking to my healthy eating habits of diet beer and a small pizza.
 The subject came up the other day about how much longer the Rat Turd was gonna be sitting in the living room. Well Honey that's an excellent question and I'm glad you brought your concern to my attention. These matters can't be pushed off and must be addressed in a swift timely fashion in a way that best suites all parties involved. I'm gonna give your request my fullest attention, weigh the options and get back to you with an answer just as soon as I have one. Initial thoughts include putting the bike in the garage but I hate to rush into a hasty decision.

Later.

Before and After

 I thought it might be interesting to look at the Sportster before and after. This '89 Sportster was a gift my wife bought me for our anniversary three years ago. She's got me figured out.

 A good starting point for a project. My plans for this bike were to make it reliable enough for daily use and a 3000 mile one week vacation. I also needed to personalize it a bit.

 The original 883 4 speed ran ok I guess but there were tranny issues. It was easy to find a replacement engine on ebay and I bought a '99 883 5 speed with belt drive. I converted it to chain drive and put a 1250 big bore kit in it. Now the bike runs strong.

 Because I wanted some comfort I chose a Mustang solo seat. I also installed new Progressive springs front and rear. I can ride this thing all day pain free.

 This was the first version of the eagle sissy bar. The pics below are the shortened version. I was having problems with the frame cracking so I shortened it.

 This post shouldn't be call before and after because I'm sure the bike will go through some changes again. 

 I also had to add some header wrap to the pipes. I like the way it looks, or the way it covers up some very aged pipes, but the real reason was because they were eating my pants.
 As I sit here in my workshop I just realized the furnace is out. Temps in the teens means I gotta fix that before I head to work.

Later.

Never Forget

 Wednesday I told you about my desire to paint the sporty and enter it in todays bike show. I know its not a show bike but so what. Run what ya brung.
 I was gonna just repaint the bike black but ran into a few issues. In fact I got quite frustrated in my efforts. When asked how the painting project was going, these are the words that came out of my mouth...
 Have you ever walked through the woods in the dark and have your flashlight puke out? A few steps further a tree branch slaps you in the face and then you fall into a deep hole. You struggle but can't get out of the hole. After many attempts you just accept the fact that you will play out your days in this hole. That is how my painting project was going.
 But then I heard a voice. It was my wife and she encouraged me. Of course by then I had already lost my cool and sprayed the entire tank in gold glitter as a protest. So now what? The show is days away and the bike I want to take is painted like a cheap piece of costume jewelry. I said screw it and decided to just free style the paint job. With the eagle sissy bar it was easy to come up with a patriotic theme and just start squirting paint. It's definitely a forty foot paint job. Any closer and it looks like ass but I had fun with it and it gave me some ideas for a paint job I would ultimately like to do on this bike...when I have more time.

 Ya, its more of a 3rd grade art project but its on there and its dry.

 Because I spent so much time dickin around with the tank paint, I didn't get a whole lot else done. The eagle is back on after cutting off the whole lower section of the old rack system. The rear fender was chopped flush and the front fender got a splash of color. I also relocated the plate and wrapped the pipes. I think the wrap looks good but the real reason for doing it can be seen by the holes in my riding pants and two pair of work pants.
 So if you are looking for something to do today, why not come to Green Lake and check out the bike show. I'll be there.

Later.

Sportster Maintenance

 The last time I posted here I reported that the frame was cracked on the sportster. The pics weren't that great but today I can show you a better view of what I meant.

 For the non gear heads reading this I'll point out a few facts that the more mechanically inclined viewers are thinking.
 *Those small holes in the top of the frame that each crack runs through didn't help the situation.
 *The bottom pic is the side that was welded while on vacation last year. That weld held.
 *The way I mounted this heavy sissy bar almost made this break inevitable.
 I knew that when I mounted it but I didn't want the frame to break forward of the shock mount. I could weld this and maybe beef it up some, them remount the sissy bar but I don't think I will. I'm ready for a change even though I'm not yet sure what that change should be.

 Removing the tail lights and plate lights was easy. I kinda planned for this situation and everything was wired with plugs and posilocs so it could come apart in the field. Never mind that rats nest of wires, its all good.

Before removing the bar.

 This is after removing the bar and the rear half of the fender. When I bobbed the rear fender I didn't just cut off the rear section to the length I wanted, oh no. I cut the fender and tucked all the excess under the front section of fender, leaving just a few inches stick out. Now all I have to do is remove that rear section and I still have enough fender left to keep the underside clean.

 This is where I am right now. There's a hundred different ways I could go from here and I have some big decisions to make. When I put this sporty together the plan was for some long distance riding and the ability to haul stuff. I have the Ultra for that now so...anything goes. I'll wire in some tail lights and ride it like this for a while till I decide.

Later.

Sportster 10k Update

  I have about ten thousand miles on the sportster frame up big bore build and really haven't had to do much but change the oil, replace the tires and replace a few worn out toggle switches. I had a few minutes yesterday to mess around with it and wanted to give the bike a once over.
 The first thing I noticed was some engine paint wasn't sticking and flaked off. No big deal, it was a fizz can job anyway. I thought the primary chain case oil was low because there was no longer a spot of oil under the bike in the mornings but I think I just had it over full from the start and it was leaking by the clutch cable.
 The next thing I looked at was the chain. The inside of the link plates is wearing on one side and I'm sure this is an alignment issue. I converted a belt drive engine to mate with the rear chain sprocket and I suppose its just not perfect. Then again maybe its just worn. I put 10k on this chain and it had unknown mileage before I got it.

 So the other day I went over a set of rail road tracks that jammed the bike pretty hard. I heard a "POP" and now every time I hit a bump I hear a squeak. I pretty much knew the frame snapped at the sissy bar mount because this has happened before. What I didn't know was that the frame broke on both sides. These breaks are aft of the rear shock mounts but still could create a disaster.

 Having a broken frame really limits the amount of shenanigans I can get into. Whats the point of having a sportster if yer not gonna ride it like you stole it? I talked about this bike going through some changes and it looks like that will have to happen sooner than later.
 The timing on this break down is a little bad. I just ordered some goodies for the Ultra and their install may have it out of commission for a few days. Not that these parts take that long to install, but because I'll probably do it one or two hours at a time in the evenings after work.
 So what will the sportster morph into? Cafe racer? Chopper? Another rat bike? Maybe a quickie hack just to get it back on the road? I'm not sure but I know I want to reuse the eagle.

 Just because I want to reuse it doesn't mean it has to be on this bike. I've had this thought about giving him a lower beak, boxing in the neck area and creating a tail pipe for the Rat Turd. We'll see.

Zoinks!

 I've been riding the sportster to work lately. Compared to the Ultra, it's light and quick. The weather has been warm and this bike is a pleasure to ride without a windshield. It's just nice to be able to mix things up, full touring hauling capabilities or something I can spank.
 The other day I thought it was gonna rain so I took the bag off the sissy bar when I walked into work that morning.

 I like my job so it didn't take long for the hands on the shop clock to spin around enough times to suggest I should get some groceries down my neck. I fired up the sporty and made tracks down town for some grub.
 Tacos. Not sure why but I had a hankerin for some tacos. I don't usually buy a drink while I'm on a bike but KFC sells these big ass bottles of pop. They are sealed so naturally they are bike friendly.

 Ru Ro Shaggy! When I walked out of the restaurant and approached the bike I realized the Mystery Machine wasn't sporting the bag that normally hangs on the sissy bar. Zoinks! Like, how was I gonna haul my Scooby snacks, man? After a few stupid thoughts that would have never worked, I remembered about the rack I built.

 I had some specific goals when building this rack and one of them was for just this type of situation.

  I wanted something that was always on the bike, ready to serve when needed, but folded up out of the way when not needed. I've used the rack before but this is the first time I used it in an unplanned situation. I dunno, I guess it took a while but it sure feels good when a plan comes together.

Later.

Two Wheeler Tank Sealer

 I'm a little late getting todays post out. I was gonna write it last night but my wife and I went out to dinner and I was introduced for the first time to martinis. Of course in my uncouth ways, I was chasing that with beer. I'm sure that didn't go unnoticed. Anyway, when I got home I was in no mood to write a blog.
 Yesterday was one of those rare warm march days that are becoming less rare around here. I started out by fixing the rattling front brake caliper on the sporty. I bought the part last spring and just got around to the repair. Ya. The second pic shows the bent "anti rattle clip" or whatever HD calls it. Not sure how it got bent but the noise is gone.

 After that I strapped a new rear tire to my sissy bar and rode to the shop to do one last burnout and swap it out. The tire change went fine but trying to seat the bead was a pain. The tire would fill up but one spot of the tire wouldn't push tight to the edge of the rim evenly. I had to deflate and clean/inspect that section of tire a few times and it finally took once I got aggressive on how much pressure I was willing to use to get it to seat.
 A new tire means a test ride and I took advantage of the nice weather. I broke in that tire with a 200 mile tour of area back roads. Some of the lesser roads still have sand on them so I wasn't testing lean angles. I did not balance that tire, just lined the yellow dot on the Dunlop with the valve stem and everything feels fine (for a sportster).

 When I got home I decided another warm weather activity that needed doing was coating the fuel tank on Brookes Rebel. Traditionally I do this with Kreem. The process involves degreasing the tank, using acid to remove the rust, another rinse, a chemical that removes water and then quickly adding the actual coating product. I've had good luck but have heard a lot of people complain that Kreem doesn't work and I suspect that they had issues with one of the steps. Like many tasks, prep work is the most important step.
 This time I wouldn't be using Kreem. Brooke bought a product called Caswell Tank Sealer and this would be my first experience with it. This is a two part epoxy. The main difference on a metal tank is that you don't etch the tank to bare metal. Get the loose rust out and call it good. According to the instructions the most important thing is accurately and completely mixing the two parts if your not using all of it. I had a kit for sealing something much bigger than a two gallon Rebel tank but mixed all of it when I discovered how thick the mixture was. Even after adding a splash of xylene to thin the mix it still moved like cold syrup. The Rebel tank doesn't let me see much at all inside the tank so I had to imagine where the mix was flowing. This is much easier when the mix is thin and flowing evenly.

 After feeling confident everything was coated, I removed the plug on the tank petcock and propped the tank to drain the excess. We went to dinner and when we came back hours later I noticed a lot of epoxy had drained and it was kinda gummy. I was nervous I hadn't done something right and it wasn't going to set up. The martinis insured I would sleep well despite my concerns. This morning when I inspected the tank I was pleased to see a rock hard 1/2" thick layer of epoxy in my catch bucket. I'll bring home an inspection camera tomorrow and see if I lined the entire tank.

 My impressions of the Caswell product are good. It is easier to use than some other products and doesn't smell as bad (if at all). There are no chemicals left over to deal with either. A quick look at their site tells me pricing is comparable too. I think I'd be willing to try it again.

Return Home

 I'm back home. I had an uneventful day of riding. Turns out the most accidents, congestion, stopped traffic and cops were all here in Wisconsin. Whodathunkit. Here are a few random pics from the week.

End.

Packing Issues

 I've got issues. I think this goes toward my bike packing problem. I always think I need an extra (whatever) just in case.

 On the far left is my home furnace. The two furnaces on the right are extras. One complete and one for parts.

 At the time of this pic I owned all three of these Subarus. Hey, they're practical little efficient awd cars that are ideal for Wisconsin wintery travel.
 Our laundry room has two sets of washers and dryers...just in case. I have three laptops. Instead of hauling one around, I have one at work, one in the shop and one next to my recliner. They are all linked to a cloud along with my smart phone.
 Maybe I just like having a back up plan.
 So here is my problem. There's no room for a back up plan with the sportster. I'm gonna be on the road nine days and its certainly gonna rain. I get wet every year I do this trip. Having the right gear has always allowed me to ride all day through any weather. Having storage space has always allowed me to bring warm, cold or wet weather gear.
 Right now I'm thinking about just bringing more bungee cords. My sissy bar is plenty strong and if the sun is shining I'll just lash the jacket and pants to the bar. If its wet I'll be wearing them. The other option is bringing my Frogg Toggs. They are light weight rain gear that can keep you dry although they won't keep you warm. Heavy rain at hiway speed with no windshield and the wrong jacket can be miserable.
 There's a part of me that wants to just throw a leg over and ride. Too bad I have to be back to work on a certain day. It would be nice to be able to just wander around the country without a schedule. I know how my daughter must feel. She is hiking the appalachian trail. A bad muscle pull has ended her chances of completing the trail before she has to be back to work in september. She has now decided to just enjoy the trail and her time off without the pressure of the goal.
 As for my vacation ride, I think I'll make a daily post here. Stay tuned.

UPDATE: Squag will be home Friday! She has decided to cut her time on the trail short. She will be working for a friend that has some medical issues. It will be nice to have her back home for a while until she moves into her apartment. I'll try to get her to write something up about her hike.

 

Tool Bag

 Its been about a week now since I put the sportster up on the lift. Not too much has happened but I did find a spot for the much needed tool bag.

 

 As you can see I bolted the license plate and plate illumination right to the leather tool bag.

 BEEP BEEP, I gotta back up here just a bit. When I was trying to figure out where to put the tool bag and saw this spot, I dismissed it because of the plate. My wife suggested putting the plate on the tool bag. I kindly notified her that putting the plate there was the dumbest thing I had heard in a while. I was probably just jealous that I didn't think of it. I kept on with the idea and made it work. Anyway, thanks for the idea, Honey.
  Now I know what you gear head types are thinking. First, yes, I ran the wires right into the back of the bag to the led lights. Second, those straps look stretched tight and that thing is gonna flop around. BUZZZZ. Wrong. The bag is bolted to the sissy bar and the straps just give it that "throw caution to the wind" look.
 I'm not thrilled with the look of these bags. They're like a man purse for a bike. Next thing you know I'll be hanging a bunch of leather fringe all over. Anyway, I already envision making a sort of hidden tool box in the depth of the sissy bar. It would finish off the front of the eagle into more of a 3d sculpture and extend down to the folding rack. This bag will have to do for now because the way parts are vibrating off this bike its much needed.




End

Long Weekend

  We've been busting ass at work this spring and early summer so when the boss said I could have three days off I was thrilled! Hmmm, now what could I find to do for three days. Oh ya, ride!
 I had originally considered a motorcycle camping trip but realized I still need to get the bike in order for BuRP '14. The shortest route to Maggie Valley, NC is about an 850 mile ride. In the early years I used to do it in a day. Then for a while I was doing it in two days. Later I was meeting up with friends and it became a three day ride down. The ride home has always been a straight shot on the interstate in one or two days depending on weather and how I felt.
 I'm worried about the sportster shaking itself apart on the interstate. Yesterday and friday I got a bunch of "testing" done including a few hundred miles of interstate travel. Al borrowed me a tach that clips to a plug wire so I could get an idea of my engine speed. I also mounted a mini tach I bought mail order. I figured between the two I should get a good idea of my rpm's. Huh, right. The mini tach fluctuates 500 rpm and the clip on gives different numbers at the same mph. I am starting to wonder if I have something crapping out with my ignition system.

 You know, with all the stuff vibrating off this bike, you'd think I was carrying a bunch of tools. I wasn't. Only two screwdrivers my brother threw in the bag a few weeks ago. Yesterday I finally had a premonition of pending disaster and decided to throw a few basic tools in my bag. Sure enough at one rest stop I was looking over the bike and the license plate bracket was cracked all along my weld. I needed the tools and some zip ties to continue on.

 Later on my journey I passed through Green Bay. Of course I had to drive past Lambeau Field, but I also stopped at the new Cabelas. Their stores are like museums and I like checking out the stuffed animals and fish. I picked up a dry bag that I plan to haul on the back of my sissy bar. This years BuRP rally will be the first time I travel on the bike for over a week without saddle bags. I like to have my "stuff" but I'll have to learn to pack a little lighter this year.
 Today I'll bring the sportster into my little workshop and put it up on the lift. It will get a thorough inspection along with a new clutch, some brake work and the remounting of my tool bag.
 Of course after all that work more "testing" will be needed.

Sportster Bling Update

 I couldn't think of anything else to write about today so I'll give you an update on the sissy bar bling.

 I did a little sanding and slapped some white paint on it. This is the way its gonna fly for now.
 Because of the way I welded the feathers on and left some space under them, they vibrate at certain rpm's. When I say vibrate I mean at hiway speed with a helmet on I can hear them rattle. Last night I sprayed foam sealant under a few of them to absorb some of the vibes. I'll find out on the way to work this morning if it helps.

 I'm not sure if I like the look of the headlight. I feel some ideas brewing for a mini fairing/headlight/dash kind of contraption. Not sure. Actually theres enough work that needs to be done before my Maggie Valley trip that I really shouldn't be creating more work.

Sportster Bling

 If you follow this blog you may remember my sportster sissy bar build. The top of that bar has a shape that reminds me of an eagle head. I did a crude paint job on it to get a feel of what it could be.

Ya, I know, and I even rode around like this all spring.
  I've been gearing up to do sort of a sculpture. That means I borrowed some tools including a scroll saw and plasma cutter. Thanks Uncle Tommy. I started by making a wood pattern of feathers.

 If you squint real hard and hold your tongue just right it kinda looks like a feather. I made three different sizes and cut them out with the plasma cutter. That piece of steel used to be the top of my washing machine.

 Once I had my feathers it was just a matter of welding them onto the sissy bar. I was surprised how fast this project moved along.

 It still needs some grinding and sanding but not much. I kind of like the rough interpretive look. I'll get some paint on it with the ultimate goal of finding an air brush artist to give it some spice. I want it to look more like an eagle than a chicken.

 I still might not be done with the welding. I'm thinking about making it a "screaming eagle". I dunno. Maybe thats too cheesy. Anyway, It shouldn't be hard to find my bike in a crowd.

Mail Order Stuff

 My plan for yesterday was to do a little work on the sportster, take some pics and post the results here. That didn't happen. I spent the day with my wife. Our lives get so busy and we barely see each other some times so it was nice to hang out together for the day.
 This morning at 2 a.m. I had to go to work and plow snow. Then because my shovel dude didn't come in I had to cover his route. I got done about 10:30, picked up some chicken BBQ the local fire department was cooking up and headed home. It was delicious.
 I've been ordering some parts and a few have come in.

 I mentioned I was going to order a HID kit for the headlight. I changed my mind and just ordered a 5 3/4" light that accepts a H4 bulb. I chose a 100/80 watt bulb from Hella. This will work pretty good for now. If I decide I want more I'm not out much money.
 One of my goals was to beef up the front end. I'm waiting on a 4 piston caliper that was ordered a couple weeks ago. Not sure why its not here yet. I also purchased braided brake line. This combo is going to give me some decent braking power that this bike really needs. To prevent the bike from nose diving I also ordered Progressive fork springs. Seals and dust covers will also be arriving soon.
 In the electrical department I received my Badlands Auto Signal Shutoff. This will fix my biggest complaint with this bike...push and hold turn signals. The module has its own flasher unit and also has a 4-way flasher feature. I also ordered a voltage regulator because the three wire unit I cobbled on temporarily really isn't giving me the full potential of my stator.
 So for the next few weeks expect to see write-ups about the crap I just mentioned. I also have an idea for a sculpture of sorts on the sissy bar. Stay tuned.

Sportster Rear Fender Redo

 So I had my feet up and was chewing on some ideas for mounting the license plate on the back of my Sportster. Nothing I had previously considered was sounding like a good idea. Check out the last pic in this post. I was also worrying about how short I cut the fender. Rain water off the tire was going to spray my back or soak my luggage.
 So it came to me. I'd just re-attach most of that piece of fender back on without the tail light mount. This would give me a shorter than stock fender, a place for the plate and practical water protection.
 Thats the nice thing about not having a solid plan when doing a project like this. If I feel like changing it then thats fine.
 The first step was to remove the factory tail light mount.

 Then I made a template of the license plate bracket that would cover up the hole.

 I cut it out with my favorite tool, the Milwaukee 18 volt grinder with a cut-off wheel. That piece of steel is a heavy metal shelf I rescued from the dumpster at work.

 Cut, pound, weld, sand and paint. I left that pointy flare on it. I figured it would be easier to make it look halfway decent if I wasn't trying to blend a seam together.

 Its just mocked up for the pic. I have two other parts I want to make yet but I haven't seen the right pieces in the dumpster yet. Also not shown are the LED tag bolts that will illuminate the plate.
 I can live with this. Its not as long as the stock fender but plenty long to keep me and my gear dry. The plate location works with the rack folded down and should keep Johnny Law off my back.