Moto Wisdom

Last week I said that it was predicted to be unseasonably warm on Friday. Predictions were wrong. It was around 70 degrees and rainy. I did not go for a motorcycle ride that evening. As disappointed as I was, I was assured that the weekend was still going to be hot and rain free. My wife and I went for a nice motorcycle ride on Sunday afternoon. It was quite the enjoyable ride, but as I reflected on it later that day I came to a realization...I must be getting old.

 

Normally, when no other motorcycles are with me and I don't have to worry about people keeping up, I tend to ride pretty aggressively. On Sunday I was pretty content taking a leisurely ride without trying to drag my knee on every corner. Maybe I'm just mature, not old.

 

A conversation that I had with my dad earlier in the weekend may have persuaded me to take it easy. He made a passing comment that no matter where, or how fast you are riding it will still be fun. My dad is usually full of wise comments like this, so I'm not surprised that I let this sink in and it influenced me on my ride. I've learned that, as much as I failed to notice in years past, when he gives a bit of wisdom, it is smart to listen.

 

So my wisdom for you is, listen to your dad, or your elders. Wisdom is earned through time and they've been around longer to gain it. More times than I'd like to admit, I could have avoided some inconvenience if I'd just listened to some wise advice.

 

"Don't gain the World and lose your soul, wisdom is better than silver or gold." - Bob Marley

Fall Fun

I'm sure I've mentioned it before, but fall is my favorite time for riding. Don't get me wrong, I love the hot temperatures and sunshine of the summer, but the colors, smells, and overall feel of fall make me want to get out and ride. An unseasonably warm fall day might just be the best.

 

As I look at the forecast, I notice that this Friday, the first day of autumn, is predicted to be 83 degrees. That sounds like the perfect day to go for a nice long motorcycle ride. Unfortunately, a project deadline will keep me from taking the day off. However, my mother-in-law has volunteered to watch my kids that night, so my wife and I may be able to enjoy an evening ride. It would be the perfect start of the weekend.

 

Let's hope that this fall continues to be warm and lasts for a while. I know the length of the season is the same no matter what, but you know what I mean. As far as I'm concerned, winter starts as soon as snow starts accumulating. Hopefully that's not until December.

 

"Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower." - Albert Camus

Generations on Motorcycles

Yesterday evening I had a couple hours alone with my son (he's almost 4 years old). We played baseball in the yard for about twenty minutes and he lost interest. I asked him if he wanted to do anything else and he said he wanted to play a video game. I refused. It was a beautiful day and we won't get many more before winter comes, so I demanded that we stay outside. Then he said he needed to use the bathroom, so I told him I'd have something for us to do outside by the time he was finished.

 

I quickly ran to the garage and got his dirt bike out (in this blog post I described the Honda that I bought for my kids). By the time he came out of the house I had it started, warming up, and waiting right outside the door. He excitedly ran over to me and we began to ride around our property. It's still a little big for him, so I placed him in front of me and he held on to my hands as we rode around.

 

I went extremely slow for the most part, but I had the greatest time. I'm pretty positive my son did too, because he didn't want to stop. We rode around for at least thirty minutes, possibly more (I wasn't really keeping track). At one point my dad actually rode by on his motorcycle. He didn't stop, but he noticed us and had the biggest smile on his face. What an outstanding evening! Three generations enjoying motorcycles!

 

"Our most treasured family heirlooms are our sweet family memories." - Unknown

Fake it Til You Make It

 

A friend of mine recently bought a 1978 Kawasaki KZ 400. It is a bike that's been passed around amongst some of my buddies over the past few years, so I'm fairly familiar with it. My friend asked if I'd be willing to help him out with a few issues the bike was having. I reluctantly agreed. I say reluctantly because I am not a mechanic. Do I have a decent knowledge of motorcycles? Yes. Am I mechanically inclined? At least a little. But, I repeat, I am not a mechanic.

 

First thing was the rear tire needed a new tube. That I could handle! Without issue I removed the rear wheel, pulled out the inner tube and sent my friend to a local motorcycle shop to buy a new one (I couldn't fix the old one as the valve stem was ripped off). He returned with the new tube and we quickly installed it and put the rear wheel back on. Success! I was feeling pretty good about myself, mechanic or not.

 

Next was the big problem. The engine was running erratically at best. This is where I began to show my inexperience in being a mechanic. I decided to adopt the "fake it til you make it" attitude. An engine needs air, fuel, and spark to run. I began inspecting the components to narrow down the problem.

 

Air was easy, the air filters were like new, so I eliminated them. Next was fuel, so I disconnected the carburetors, inspected and cleaned them. The bike still barely ran. This pointed toward a spark problem.

 

After checking the spark plugs, spark plug wires, and ignition coil I moved in to the ignition points. I then pulled the points plate off and discovered that a weight on the timing advancer was broken. I found the problem! I had my friend order a used timing advancer on eBay and we just received it a couple of days ago. If I can install it while keeping the ignition timing relatively close, we should be good to go and my friend will be able to ride. Keep your fingers crossed!

 

"For the things we have to learn before we do them, we learn by doing them." - Aristotle