Workshop Wednesday-Potpourri

 There was a rare sighting today at work in the form of a Rat Turd. That's right, for the first time this year that bike was able to complete the 18 mile trek from home to work. Two previous attempts resulted in me having to turn around and grab a different scoot because of mechanical problems.

 I have been riding the Ultra lately and the sportster before that and I had forgotten how much attention this bike draws. I kept getting reports from coworkers about people taking pics or kids checking it out. Cool, but I'm ready to take it to the next level...only I don't know what that means. It'll come to me one day and you'll be the first to know.

 In other news, we had some problems with an antiquated phone system at work but got that all sorted out. "Can you hear me now?"

 Back on the topic of rodents, this poor bastard didn't make it. Its not uncommon to find a carcass or a nest under the cowl of a lawn mower engine. Its also not uncommon for an engine found this way to develop valve or head gasket problems because it over heated.

 And another pic of some animals that will pack away whatever is put in front of them.

Later.

A Matter of Flow

 Yesterday I found an elusive spare hour in my regular schedule of eat, sleep and work, so I used it to mess around with the Rat Turd. Lately I've been thinking a fuel flow problem might be causing the running issues I've had on the hiway. One possibility was the fuel tube that feeds the bank of four carbs. At one point it was leaking so I epoxied it in place and I thought there was a chance I fouled that up. After a little testing I decided that wasn't the case.
 The next place I looked was in the fuel petcock. A lot of people claim that Kreem tank sealer doesn't work well, comes loose and plugs things up. I wondered if I was having an issue with it but nope, I was just having a problem with a small chunk of rubber stuck in the petcock. I still haven't decided where this debris came from.

 While I had everything apart I figured it was a good time to make efforts to not only clean but to improve fuel flow.

 I just didn't think this little hole was enough to feed four hungry carbs at full tilt so I drilled it out. Now at least the input, output and passages in and out of the bowl are all the same size. I also needed to pre-filter the fuel before it got to this point and the mesh that covers the bowl. To do that I used a filter from a sprinkler head.

 I'm not sure how well this plastic filter will hold up in fuel but because I have a whole bag of them and they fit nicely I'm willing to try.
 So that's it for now. Once I get motivated today I'll try the bike to see if I was successful. Confidence level is 4 stars out of 5 so I won't even hook up the trailer before I leave. I hope that doesn't come back to bite me in the ass. If it fails, I don't have a plan B so I'd have to rethink the whole problem.      
 My plan earlier this year was to have the BSA ready for the Watson Street Classic Bike Show on the 17th of September. The chances of that happening are about the same as monkeys flying out of my butt or winning the lottery so this bike needs to run. What's the point in having it if I don't let people laugh at it? Worse case I'll take one of the other bikes just to support the cause.

Later.

Workshop Wednesday-Back To Reality

I saw this sign while on vacation.

 No mowing or spraying? Now that really is a vacation for a guy that's been involved in landscape maintenance most of his life. What I need now is a sign that says "Don't bring me your broken shit till I get caught up from being gone for a week". The pic would be a customer standing there with a chainsaw in his hand, the starter cord hanging all the way out, with a red circle and slash through the pic.
 Everyone at the shop has their own backlog of stuff to fix so I knew it was gonna be like this. And its not just at the shop. When I arrived home on Sunday and rolled into the garage, I only had one narrow strip of clean concrete to park the bike. I had left quite a mess from all the projects I was in a hurry to complete before departing on vacation. I guess what they say is true. Be careful what you wish for.

Later

Vacation Wrap Up

 I had some issues trying to post pics on Blogger while using my phone this past week so today I'll just catch up on those pics.

Day one and I got wet. Little did I know but this was just the beginning.

A pic I manage to capture every time I visit. This is the highest point on the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Chillin at Mt Pisgah while waiting on friends for lunch.

The Tree of Shame at Deals Gap Motorcycle Resort.

Dan and I stopping to "defog" on a wet ride.

The gentleman in the center is the owner of the bike with the gas powered pusher seen in the background. From post-Time Machine

A short hike led me to this wonderful waterfall.

I just had to stop due to limited visibility.

 So thats it. I have some stills and footage from the GoPro that I haven't looked at yet. Maybe there will be something worth posting in that mess.


Later

Ride Home

If it weren't for the terrible flooding down south, the weather channel would have only talked about a storm front moving across the Midwest.  They wouldn't shut up about it so I knew what I was in for today. I could see that I was gonna have to pass right through it at some point so when I left Maggie Valley this morning all the gear went on including my yellow glasses. What a difference these make on a gloomy day. Anyway, I hit a few pockets of rain but nothing bad enough to slow me down. That is until I passed Nashville.  I can remember only one other time when the wall of rain was so heavy that I had to pull over. It happened fast and I couldn't even see the paint on the road and quickly lost track of the outline of the truck ahead of me. I knew I had to get out of traffic quick or something bad was gonna happen. I wandered to the right and felt rumble strips then began rolling off the throttle. Just then I was able to make out the hazy image of an overpass. The timing was perfect so I parked the big Ultra and got my ass away from the road. I was soon joined by two other bikes and their crew and we shot the shit till the bad stuff passed.
As I pulled out from under the bridge I was having some clutch slippage problems as I accelerated past 50 mph. I quickly realized there was nothing wrong with the clutch as the rear end started wagging back and forth. It rained hard and I doubt there was any oil on the road. I guess I'll just have to get used to the extra power I have now that I've tweaked the intake and exhaust.
Today was over 500 miles. The GPS said I could have been home by 1030pm with no stops. Screw that. I've done the iron butt thing. I'm ready for a hot meal, cold beer and good night's sleep.

Later.

A Short Hike

Frank and I went to breakfast this morning where an old Harley rider quizzed him about his BMW. This guy fit the Harley stereotype perfectly and it was interesting hearing his complaints about his hog and the questions he was asking. Who knows, Frank may have converted one. I think that may raise his status in the Beemer community. They probably have a vest pin for that although I doubt he is the kind of guy that would wear it.
After breakfast we went our own ways. Frank to meet his daughter and I went for a ride. It was good to see Frank and the rest of the guys that showed up.  
One of my goals for this week was to actually get off the bike and hike one of the many trails I've seen in the area. Of course I'd have to ride to these trails so win-win.
The only real hiking I've done lately is taking the long route from my recliner to the fridge so I knew better than to try anything aggressive. Riding boots, check. Bottle of water, check. Camera, good to go. I stopped at a few of the popular trail heads on the Blue Ridge Parkway and wandered off. I got to see some waterfalls and enjoy some mountaintop views . Another trail was steep, narrow and rocky and  threatened to twist my ankle with every step. A little time alone in the woods is a good thing and the walk reminded me I should probably get in better shape.
The ride back to Maggie Valley  was a wet one and now 20 minutes later everything is dry again. Weird weather here. Tonight I'll plan a dinner ride for some where ive never been before and then ill be leaving here in the morning.

Later.

Time Machine

This morning started out enjoying a hearty breakfast with Dan and Frank. Afterwards we decided to go to the Wheels Through Time museum and check out the old iron. As many times as I've been there I always find something new that makes the visit special. Ya they have some new pieces and they did some rearranging but that's not what did it for me this time. As we were looking at old Harley powered gardening equipment, a group of people walked up pushing an old bicycle that had an engine powered third wheel attached along side the rear tire.
Big deal, right? Actually what we were witnessing was a man in his 90s along with his son that were donating this bike to the museum. The man wanted us to see how people got around when he was young. He told his story about being a mechanic for Ford and also being a small engine mechanic. It was interesting to hear him talk about the way things were back in his day and it got me thinking about the equipment we run now. I mean, every generation thinks they have it so good with the current technology available. Do you think future generations  will wonder how we ever dealt with pot holes in the road as they hover along on a cushion of air or a magnetic field? Things will change but how fast and how much will I see?
There have already been huge advancements in technology since I was born but I really thought by now I'd be commuting with a hovercraft or jet pack. I actually feel kinda cheated that I'm not and I blame it on those tech magazines I read as a kid for putting the idea in my head. Until then I'll just keep scrubbing rubber on asphalt.

Later.

Highlands for Lunch

Today Bill had to leave us. He made plans to visit his mother in Atlanta. That meant Dan and I would follow him till we were hungry, and our stomachs growled near Highlands. First stop we made was for fuel and when I saw what was obviously a local working man, I asked him where the best place to eat was in town. He offered directions and we later saw him there eating. That place is called The Ugly Dog bar and we did have a good meal there.
Bill left us from the bar and Dan and I headed back north. The roads here are in great condition and obviously twisty as we motored up and down the mountains. When it looked like we might get wet, we stopped and got the gear on. Good thing because it rained all the way back to the motel and some of it was coming down hard.
Some say rain and twisties don't mix. It's doable if you're careful and we were plenty careful. We did have to make a few stops to "de-fog" but for the most part we pushed through. My official HD rain gear and boots did their job. My neck line is damp but that's from the wall of water sprayed up by passing trucks as they splashed through huge puddles standing in the road. I would equate it to a water ride at a theme park. Dan's gear didn't do as well. He looks pretty wet right now.
I think I'll ride up and see if Crazy Bob has anything new in his store.

Later.

Dragon Loop

That's what I called it last year but today's ride was about great weather, minimal traffic on scenic roads and good friends. The Dragon as they call it was just a connecting road between two places we wanted to be. With its claim of 318 curves in 11 miles, the road attracts a lot of hooligans. Not all those riders are necessarily good riders as we saw one wadded up bike being loaded on a flatbed. That rider must have been in the ambulance we passed because I didn't see him in the squad car. Speaking of cops,  when I came through there the other day I saw 5 of them patrolling the area. For me the Dragon is officially dead.
What's not dead is sitting on the porch at Deals Gap motorcycle resort and watching the bikers come and go. We discuss the pros and cons of the different bikes we see and judge the skill level of the various riders. Bench racing I guess. It's a fun way to relax before finishing out our ride back to the motel.
That's all for today. Sorry, no pics. It's not that I didn't take any but the blogger app is giving me grief when I try to load them.
Later.

Dragon Loop

That's what I called it last year but today's ride was about great weather, minimal traffic on scenic roads and good friends. The Dragon as they call it was just a connecting road between two places we wanted to be. With its claim of 318 curves in 11 miles, the road attracts a lot of hooligans. Not all those riders are necessarily good riders as we saw one wadded up bike being loaded on a flatbed. That rider must have been in the ambulance we passed because I didn't see him in the squad car. Speaking of cops,  when I came through there the other day I saw 5 of them patrolling the area. For me the Dragon is officially dead.
What's not dead is sitting on the porch at Deals Gap motorcycle resort and watching the bikers come and go. We discuss the pros and cons of the different bikes we see and judge the skill level of the various riders. Bench racing I guess. It's a fun way to relax before finishing out our ride back to the motel.
That's all for today. Sorry, no pics. It's not that I didn't take any but the blogger app is giving me grief when I try to load them.
Later.

Pisgah

Today's post comes at you a little early. This morning my phone rang and to my surprise it was my buddy Dan. Turns out he and Bill are gonna be rolling south on the Blue Ridge Parkway and want to meet for lunch at Mt Pisgah. Well duh, I'm in.
I had a lot of time to kill so I dinked around in Cherokee, NC for a while, topped off the fuel tank and headed for the Parkway. I played with the Gopro a little and maybe a future post will contain a video.
At first the Parkway was all mine. It's a nice ride just sweeping left and right for miles with nobody in the way. As I neared Pisgah I found myself behind a red vette and the driver was obviously an arrogant jackass.  Besides not being able to keep off the double yellow, the only time he got over 40mph was in the one passing zone we encountered. Most people have the common courtesy to pull into a scenic overlook and let traffic pass. I wasn't being a hooligan, I just wanted to do the speed limit. Rant over.
As I sit here in the sun watching a hawk soar over the mountains I'm not even bothered by the guy mowing the lawn behind me. I can relate. It would be nice if he'd pick up a few sticks first. He just griiiinds em up!

Later

Hot Ride

My day started out at 5am like it usually does even though I didn't have an alarm set. I forced myself to lay there for another hour and try to rest but that time was spent watching the weather channel. What I learned was I needed to continue south or face another wet ride. As it turns out a little rain would have been welcome as Temps were in the 90s. I didn't check the mileage for today but I know I had three gas stops and the shortest one was 160 miles. The Ultra took 4 gallons that time.
I'm writing this as I wait to get into an Italian restraunt and enjoy a meal. My wife has taught me to try finer dining so what the hell.  No fast food this week.
Tomorrow I'll ride around the Smokie Mountains area before heading to Maggie Valley. A day to myself in some of the most scenic riding I know of. Maybe I'll remember to take some pics.
Later.

Wet ride

Today is the first day of my vacation and I spent it on the road with my Harley. I had a to-do list and one of the items I never got to was washing the bike. Good thing because the day started out with wet roads but they quickly dried as the sun got higher in the sky. After a few hundred miles the sun went away and I had  continuous heavy rain for about 180 miles. The last 40 miles were dry and that helped a lot.
This pic is me pissed because I allowed myself to get wet before the rain gear went on. Oh well. A wet bike ride is better than any day at work.
Later.
Edit-I'm having problems with the pic

Taking in Some Clean Air

 From the day I bought the Ultra I always wondered why people were swapping out the stock air filter on their new bikes. I had convinced myself that the original unit was satisfactory...until I saw how small it was. My lawn mower has a bigger air filter. It was also pretty dang dirty and had been replaced once already. I wanted something I could wash.

 I opted for the Billet Extreme Ventilator or something like that. It's a large oval exposed element filter that came with a rain sock. Ya that adds one extra thing to remember to do when the weather is crap but that's all part of this game we play with our bikes. When "gearing up" for the weather becomes a hassle well then I guess I'm done. So far I've been happy with it and I kinda dig the looks too. My original concern was that it would hit my leg when I tried for the rear brake pedal but that's not the case. My other concern was the sucking sound I would hear. Not the rush of air into the engine, rather the sound of money being pulled from my wallet. Ya gots to pay if ya wanna play and Harley is pretty proud of their shiny bits no matter where they were made.
 I'll get plenty of seat time next week to test it and the other mods I've worked on in the past weeks. Saturday I'm heading out for 9 days on the bike. I know where I'm going, same as last year, but have not yet looked at a route. I plan to make a post at the end of each day so if you're curious how a chainsaw mechanic from wisconsin spends his time off then stay tuned. Be warned, don't expect anything spectacular. Just being on the bike is vacation enough for me.

Later.

How Low Can You Go?

 For me I guess the answer is 2".

 As you may know by now, I've added an air ride suspension system to the Ultra. Lovin it. One thing that bothered me was that the mounts I ordered for the compressor and air tank interfere with my filler lights as seen in the above pic.  There's nothing worse than spending an assload of cash for Harley bling that you can't use.

 In this pic you can see the stainless tank bolted to the fender strut. Its mounting bolts protrude into the area where my filler lights belong. I needed to move the tank and I found a nice spot for it under the tour pack. One little piece of angle iron was all that was needed to make the swap.

 The challenge, and I love a motorcycle related challenge, was to relocate the compressor. It only needed to move a half inch but it couldn't use the mounting holes it was designed for. Below is the bracket I came up with.

 I guess it took about an hour of head scratching to decide what I wanted to do and an hour to make it. It looks like a big bracket but it is mostly hidden when installed. I also wanted something that wasn't gonna break loose and jam up in the rear wheel. In the above pic you can "Where's Waldo" the new location of the air tank.
 One other bonus that came with this repair session was the realization that the mufflers didn't need to be smashed with a hammer to clear the lower shock mount. I just added a 1/4" spacer between the muffler mount and the plate that supports it. Sweet.

 And here is the completed install of the compressor. I still need to tidy up the wiring and air lines and I want to create an emergency kit to repair the system on the road. Maybe a few feet of air line, some tools and a way to manually pump up the shocks if needed.

 We've put a few tanks of fuel through the bike with this setup and basically I can set it and forget it. When I get into a situation where I want better footing, like to back up the bike, I just let a little air out. I still have a couple tweaks to make, like regulating the dump speed. The air comes out fine if you're slamming it in a parking lot but comes out way too fast if trying to make an adjustment on the fly. I'll work on that today.

Later.

An Exhausting Day

 The other day my wife pointed out to me that there was only one weekend left to work on my bike before I head out on a 9ish day vacation. This was an eye opener because I still have some changes I want to make to the bike and I had been down playing the departure date so I wouldn't get all worked up about it. The worst part about leaving for vacation are the days prior to departure when your not vacationing. To ease the pain I've been wrenching on the bike after work this week and that will probably continue for quite a few days yet. A most excellent way to pass the time.
 Yesterday was exhaust day.

 I removed the stock head pipe and installed American Customs Power Flex header. My heat shields were reused and I kept the Screaming Eagle Street Cannon slip ons. Because my new air ride suspension has a wider range of travel I will have to relieve the mufflers near the lower shock mount. Ya, I'm gonna whack them with a hammer. They don't need much "adjusting" and will be hidden behind the saddle bags. In the end this setup may add a little power and noise and will definitely run cooler than stock, a welcome relief with the weather we've been having.  I'll let you know how that turns out.

 Next will be to replace the air filter and flash tune the ecm.

Later.