Self Balancing

Photo from TIME Inc.

 

 

Over the past summer, my mom mentioned multiple times that my dad isn't recovering as well from long rides. She says his back locks up, his legs cramp, and he needs to rest more often. She fears that his ability to hold up his motorcycle at a stop is also starting to fade. We're talking about a guy that spends a huge portion of his life touring the country on his motorcycle. He's ridden through all of the lower 48 states in a single trip (it did take two months). He's ridden to Alaska by himself. He has gone over 1000 miles in a single day multiple times. I think of these things and I fear what he would do if he couldn't ride.

 

I mentioned my mother's comments to my dad. "She's exaggerating," was his reply. He said that it was nowhere near as bad as she said. I imagine the truth of his ailments lies somewhere in between my parents' statements. He probably still has years of enjoyable riding left in him, but not that many.

 

This article that I came across has alleviated some of my anxiety. It is about the self balancing motorcycle that Honda is bringing to the Tokyo Motor Show. It will balance itself at slow speed and stops. The great thing is that this motorcycle exists, it's not just a concept on paper. With any luck, this will be in production by the time my dad gets to the point of not being able to hold up his own motorcycle. He has enthusiastically stated that he will not ride a three wheeled motorcycle (I'm not sure I totally believe him), so this would be a great alternative. Maybe it'll keep him riding into his nineties!

 

"The older the bull, the stiffer the horn." - Marlboro Man from Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man





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

 

 

Preventative Maintenance

If you ride a Harley, there's a pretty good chance that you have a Twin Cam engine. Below is some advice from an experienced technician on an issue that's pretty common with these engines. Hopefully this'll save you from some headaches in the future.

Harley Davidson Twin Cam engines up to 2006 had some potential cam chain tensioner issues. The cam chain tensioners could wear very quickly and end up breaking apart, allowing chunks of plastic to run through the engine. This could cause some oiling issues along with lots of noise. Once this happens, it can be fairly expensive to fix. Your best option is to have them checked and hopefully catch the problem before it happens.

All that has to be done is to remove the cam cover and inspect the tensioners. It's recommended that they be checked when the motorcycle reaches 30,000 miles. If they are wearing out, then they can be replaced before they break. The specs can be found in your service manual.

There is also conversion kits to replace the stock tensioner with a hydraulic one. Harley Davidson actually switched to these on their Twin Cam engines after 2006. Check prices to see if this might be a viable solution for you. If you own a Twin Cam from these years, you need to be cognizant of this potential issue so that you can stay riding and save money.

Turbo Summer

 

A common thing that I've been hearing in the past few weeks is the question, "Where did the summer go?" Initially I felt the same. It's near the end of August and it seems that June and July passed by in a blink. The thing that was really driving me crazy was the fact that I didn't get enough riding in. I didn't even come close to the number of miles that I've ridden in years past. I was actually getting down on myself for not riding enough, when I came to the realization that there was no reason for it.

 

First, riding season is not over. Even if you live in a place like me, where it's possible to see snow in late October, it is rare. We conceivably have three months of riding before the snow flies. Late summer and fall riding is actually my favorite, so there is still a lot to enjoy.

 

Second, life happens. This summer has been a crazy busy one. I've been swamped at my job, had multiple home projects, and even had a bit of a crisis happen, all within a couple of months. Motorcycles have been put on he back burner for now. It's not that I haven't ridden at all, but it's not a priority.

 

Finally, I just have to step back and realize that motorcycling is a hobby. I know I've said in the past that it's important to prioritize your hobbies so that you actually get to do them. There are, however, things that will always carry higher priority. Family, work, and other responsibilities must come first. Honestly, after attending to these, I've had very little extra time.

 

The time will come when I'll have some more free time. Then I will prioritize motorcycles. Now, I can just focus on getting the most out of the riding that I'm doing. Also, the summer didn't fly by, we've just been too busy to notice it.

 

"August, the summer's last messenger of misery, is a hollow actor." - Henry Rollins