What’s New?

August 13, 2015

Been doing a few upgrades to the FJ-09.  Among the few things that needed improvement were the windshield and the seat.  A new CalSci medium windshield replaced the inadequate stocker and new seat foam and covers from Seat Concepts replaced the plank that came with the bike from the factory.  Jury’s still out on the seat because I haven’t taken any long rides, but I’ll find out in October when I do my annual ride to Ohio.

I’ve also added racks and side cases as well as a new top box, all from Shad.  I really like the top case, but not so sure about the side cases.  They seem a little on the small side.  They’ll get a thorough testing on the Ohio trip.

I guess the most significant upgrade I have performed is the addition of electronic cruise control to the FJ.  That I know of, no one has done this on this particular motorcycle to date.  I am the first.  This addition will be very much appreciated on those long rides.

Here’s a little video of the first road test of the system after the installation.

If you’re interested in what it takes to do this installation, follow this link to look at my installation thread on FJ-09.org:  Cruise Control installation

March 27, 2015

Well, apparently it’s been a year since I updated this thing!  Lots going on.  Unfortunately, very little of it having to do with motorcycles.

The main consumers of my time have been domestic issues.  Bought a new house, moved, and situated my elderly in-laws in my old house.  Within a few months, my father-in-law passed away, so we were dealing with his death and subsequently relocating my mother-in-law to our new house with us.  Of course, with the old house empty and not wanting to keep it as a rental property, we prepared it to put it on the market.  It sold yesterday.  Yay!  Maybe I’ll have some time now.

I’ve been out trail riding on the KTM a few times in the past year.  Such a fine machine.  I was initially concerned that the 500 might be a little too much bike for me, both in size and power, but after having the suspension lowered 2″ (I’m 5’8″) I found it to be a great fit with superior handling and loads of power that is easily modulated.  Hope to get out on it again soon.

Did my annual ride to Ohio and back in October, with the customary layover in Asheville, NC for some mountain riding.  All was well until I was 40 miles from home on the return trip and dropped the BMW in the parking lot of a gas station.  Ouch!  Scraped up the left pannier, crash bar, part of the upper fairing and mirror.  My insurance company was very accommodating, however, and paid to replace all of the damaged parts with new, factory BMW pieces.  She’s as good as new now.

Somehow, I did find time to start lusting after a new bike in the last couple of months and picked up a new Yamaha FJ-09 a couple of weeks ago.

This is a great bike and an awesome value for the money.  Lightweight (compared to the BMW) and very well equipped, with ABS, traction control and 3 driving modes.  Precise handling and a willing & smooth 3-cylinder engine complete the package.  This bike is billed as a Sport-Tourer, so you can bet that it will see some long rides.  In fact, the Beemer may be unnecessary once the FJ is properly farkled.

 

March 28, 2014

Good lord!  Where has the time gone?  Seems my motorcycling related time has diminished a bit and there have been a few changes since last update.

Gone is the WR250X.  I’ve been having so much fun off-roading with my friends that I decided to upgrade to a Big Boy Toy: a new 2014 KTM 500 EXC.  Between my lack of skill off-road and not having the right tool for the job, I found myself picking the WR up a lot after failing to negotiate a turn or other obstacle, and then having to catch up with the better riders.  I’ll still have two of those issues, I’m sure, but catching up won’t be so much of a problem on the 500.  🙂

So, in order to finance the purchase of the new KTM, I have reduced my inventory of bikes by two.  Both the WR and the KLR have gone to new owners.  I don’t think I’ll miss the WR much, but the KLR was a favorite of mine and I’ll probably have some regret about letting it go.

January 29, 2014

Happy new year!

While I have been working on the new (to me) boat quite a bit, with the urging of a friend I did find time to slap a proper set of dirt wheels and tires on the WR, figuring that if I had trail riding capability with that bike I might ride it more.

The friend, Rich, took me out for some trail riding last weekend, and all I can say is Wow!  It turns out that this bike has been languishing in my garage in supermoto trim for the past 3 years just waiting for its true purpose to be revealed.  One day on the trails with proper wheels and rubber has renewed and amplified my affection for this bike.  Double track, single track, deep sugar sand, fallen trees, whoops, you name it, we went over it.  It was a blast.

The WR felt very good for my skill level offroad, but I know there are better tools for the job.  If I am still enamored of the activity in a year or so, I may step it up to a more serious trail bike.  The KTMs are very nice.

December 27, 2013

Hey!  I’m still here!  Just been busy with other things.  Not much riding or tinkering with the bikes to speak of, although I did do what is becoming an annual ride to Ohio and back in October on the GT.  As on previous trips, I stopped in Asheville for a few days of mountain riding on the way up.

Something new has recently entered my life and I suspect that it will impact my motorcycling time even more.  Damn.  I wish I had two of me!

Looks like I’m goin’ fishin’! 🙂

June 16, 2013

Damn, half way through June already and I’m still not done with the house rehab.  Have to admit that I’m getting a little wary of the process.  It seems that there is always something unexpected that hinders progress.

Right now, it doesn’t look like I’ll have time for motorcycles until late summer/early fall.  Got to get at least one trip in this year.  There’s also the valve adjustment on the KLR that is overdue and the new big bore kit for the WR that is still in the box.  Ugh.

My only consolation is that the house is looking fantastic.  I’m doing a lot of griping now, but it will be well worth the time and effort I am investing in it in the end.

January 17, 2013

Another overdue update…

As far as motorcycling goes, there is absolutely no new activity to report, except for having a cylinder sleeved and bored for the WR.  Not installed yet.  There were many problems with the Athena big bore kit, so I bit the bullet and had Thumper Racing work their magic on a spare cylinder that I got from eBay.  We’ll see when I have a free weekend to do the installation.

Otherwise, I have a new mission:  Finally finish all of the rehab on my house so that I may consider selling this year or the next.  Literally every spare moment since the beginning of November has been spent tearing things apart, rebuilding and refinishing some section of the house.  I’m nearing the finish line though, having completely rehabbed every room except the master suite.  That is next.

Hope to have something more interesting to report next update!

November 10, 2012

It’s been a while since I updated.  I haven’t done much with the bikes since last update.  Work and life in general have monopolized my time.  I did manage to squeeze in a trip on the K1600 a little over a month ago, however.

My company has an annual banquet in Ohio every October.  My attendance is mandatory, so what better excuse do I need to take a few days extra and ride to Ohio with a layover in Asheville for some mountain riding fun?  Absolutely none. 🙂

I took of from my home base in FL on October 2nd and rode the 600 or so miles to Asheville, NC.  Took the interstate because I wanted to get in at a reasonable hour, so you can imagine that the trip up was unremarkable, which it was except for the flat that I experienced just north of Jacksonville.

Among the bevy of electronic goodies packaged with the new GT is a tire pressure monitor, with a very noticeable alert when tire pressure reaches a critical low.  I just happened to look down at the display at the right time and saw an alert for the tires that I hadn’t seen before, which was indicating that my rear tire was loosing pressure fast.  Down to 25 psi from a normal 42.

What the hell?  Pull over, dismount and look at the rear.  It didn’t take much investigation to spot the screw that had pierced the tire, it was right there in plain view.

Now, there is a second dilemma.  A few K1600 owners from a forum that I visit have reported finding their bikes on their sides after parking them on their side stands, not knowing that the rear tire was loosing pressure due to a puncture.  Tire goes flat, the bike becomes more upright and finally passes the tipping point, falling over on its right side.

Being aware of this looming disaster, I had to find a place to park where I would have maximum lean against the side stand.  Hard to do on the side of I-95, but I managed.  Center stand was not an option as the ground was too soft and uneven.

Situated, I broke out my tire plugging kit, pulled out the screw and shoved a plug in.  My tire repair kit has a couple of Co2 cartridges and a tire inflater that attaches to them.  I was able to get the pressure up to about 30 psi, which was good enough to get me to the next exit where I could dump quarters into gas station inflater and top off the pressure.

I arrived in Asheville at about 4:30 pm and waited for my riding buddy, Alan, to arrive from Ohio on his K1200GT.

The next couple of days were the best that I have had riding in that area.  The weather was perfect.  Mid 70’s temps and clear skies.  Leaves just beginning to turn.  On previous excursions to the area, the higher elevations had been obscured by clouds and fog.  This time, it was gloriously clear, even at the peak of Mount Mitchell.  Wonderful.

I took a little video with my GoPro. Enjoy!

After a couple of days of great riding north and east of Asheville, we headed to Ohio.  Alan needed to break off to head to Columbus about 2/3rds of the way up and I continued to Salt Fork State Park.

The weather was changing as I arrived.  Clouds were moving in and the forecast included falling temps and precipitation.  The morning that I left, it was 46 degrees and rain was threatening.  So it was for the trip back to Florida.  Rain and very cool temps.  At one point, I witnessed an accident on I-26.  Traffic was backed up for about a mile, and when I finally reach the scene, it was a one-vehicle accident – a motorcycle – a BMW – and he was not moving when I passed.  Lots of people attending to the scene, but neither highway patrol nor EMTs had arrived yet.  I didn’t stop as there were plenty of folks in attendance, but I hope the guy made out alright.  There was heavy rain at the time and I suspect that he was riding in excess of conditions.

Made it to Statesville, NC that evening, where I replenished my cigar supply at JR Cigar and found a hotel for the night.

The next day, I super-slabbed it back home.  Weather was crappy – rain, wind, but I made it and I’m always happy to get back home after a trip like this.

September 16, 2012

It’s mid-September in hot, humid Florida and we’re starting to see a break in the stifling heat.  A cold front actually passed through last week, which is unusual this early in the year.  Doesn’t usually happen until mid to late October.  No complaints.  The humidity has lessened somewhat and temps are in the high 80’s instead of the mid 90’s.  I’ll take it.

Because of the heat, my riding has been limited to early Saturday mornings.  Out by 7:00, and back by 10:00.

The KLR received a brake upgrade yesterday.  Stopping power with the stock binders is woefully inadequate, especially when loaded up for touring, so I sprung for a larger EBC 320mm  rotor and caliper relocation bracket from Eagle Manufacturing.  Stops much better now.

The next semi-grand adventure will occur early next month when I ride the K1600GT to Ohio and back, with a stopover in Asheville to enjoy some mountain riding and fall colors.  Our company has an annual awards banquet in October in OH.  What better excuse to get some saddle time?

August 12, 2012

Took the GT for a spin Saturday morning to see if my BMW dealer had a plug that would fit the one on the bike that connects to the BMW top case for brake lights and interior lighting of the top case.  Picked it up ($25) and brought it home only to find that it’s not the right one.  Apparently the correct plug isn’t available for sale individually, you have to buy the whole BMW top case to get it.  Not gonna happen, so it looks like I’ll hack into the wiring harness to provide power to the brake light on my Shad case.

I ordered crash bars for the GT about a week ago.  Worrying about dropping the bike and replacing expensive parts as a result is enough to keep you awake at night, so I decided to install some protection against that eventual oops moment in a parking lot.

The bars are beefy, but not too obtrusive.  It looks like they will be a good place to mount some auxiliary lighting in the future.  The manufacturer says that they will have a highway peg retrofit kit for the bars by the end of the year, which will make long days in the saddle so much easier to bear.  The KLR that I have came with them from the previous owner and now I’m a believer.

July 28, 2012

The trip to Asheville was very nice, as it always is.  Of course, there is the abundance of thrilling routes and destinations, but Asheville itself has a lot to offer as well, with a great downtown area hosting some choice dining experiences and cultural events.  I like it there.  Makes a prime base for motorcycle exploitation of the surrounding areas.

The new GT is awesome.  I was a bit aprehensive about its nimbleness on the way up.  Interstate highways aren’t a good indicator of a bike’s handling, but once I got into the twisties, it was evident.  Although 100 pounds heavier, there is no doubt that the new GT is head and shoulders above the previous version in every measure.  I did not make a mistake by buying this bike.

It’s late July in Florida.  Not friendly to motorcycle riding this time of year.  Too hot, but my comrades up north have been suffering this year as well as the temperatures have been setting records all summer.  So, as usual, not much riding has occurred, except for the early Saturday morning jaunts that I take to blow out the cobwebs and keep the batteries charged.  Come on October!

I did do a little motorcycle upgrade today.  The new GT was sadly in need of an aftermarket provision for a top case.  No way I was spending $1,500 for the BMW item, so I sourced a luggage rack that would accept the base plate and top case that I had on my previous K1200GT.

Don’t bother looking for one for the current version.  They don’t exist, but the rack and grab handles appeared to be the same as another model BMW, the R1200RT, so I purchased an aftermarket rack for that model and it fit just fine.

It required some disassembly of the rear of the bike, but it went on and was a perfect fit.  Now, to satisfy myself, I just have to have the top case painted to match the bike and I’ll be good.  I’ll post up pics of that when it is finished.

 

 

June 20, 2012

With only the purist of intentions, I took the F800GS to the BMW dealer in order to have it serviced prior to a trip that I am taking this week.  While waiting for service to be completed, I took some time to wander around the showroom and look at all of the exotic machinery.  This dealer sells new BMWs, as well as Triumph, Ducati and Husqvarna, so there was plenty to drool over.

I managed to keep myself in check until I saw the new K1600GT.  Before I knew it, I was haggling over price and ended up riding the thing home, having left the GS as partial trade.  As I don’t ride the RC8R much any more, I traded it as well.  Guess I have finally grown out of my sport bike phase.

The new Beemer is quite a magnificent work.  Super smooth and powerful 6-cylinder engine, excellent ergonomics and handling (for a big bike), and more gizmos than I have ever experienced on a motorcycle.

I’ll be riding it up to Asheville tomorrow, and have already made an appointment at a local BMW dealer there for its first service.

May 26, 2012

I got the WR back together today. The BIG disappointment was that the Thumper Racing piston turned out to be too small. At the urging of HighFive over on ADVrider, I checked the TR piston vs the Athena and the TR was clearly at least 2mm smaller in diameter than the Athena. The Athena kit has an 83mm piston and the TR item measured out to 81mm. Scratch that idea. I put the Athena piston back in.

Fortunately, the TR piston was free to me, so I’m not out any $$$, but I’m disappointed that they couldn’t get it right. The first time they sent me a piston, it was for a YZF! (five valves) This one was definitely for the WR, but obviously not big enough for the bore. Oh well…

Another thing I discovered is that there is a glitch in the shop manual, which contributed to my leaky head gasket and base gasket. There are 4 head bolts. One is longer than the others. The manual has you installing the longer bolt in the wrong hole and it bottoms out before bringing the head to the proper tightness. For those attempting a top-end job, the longer bolt goes in the left side rear location rather than the left side front location, which is what is indicated in the manual.

The bike had a chronic off-idle hesitation before this rebuild. No matter how I adjusted the PC5 & Autotune, I couldn’t diminish the problem. With this rebuild, I discovered that I may have used the wrong timing marks on the rotor to set the timing. There are 3 marks, they are very close together, and only one is correct. I think I used the correct one this time as off-idle hesitation is now all but eliminated.

“What about the ported head?”, you ask. Well the jury’s out on that one, but time with the Autotune will reveal any advantages gained by that. My couple of short test rides today suggest that there is more “umph”, and maybe even more to be had with proper tuning.

Anyhoo, it’s been a long 6 months without the WR and I’m glad that it’s back in the fight.

May 24, 2012

The WR is finally under the knife!  I can’t believe that it has been mothballed for for the better part of 6 months, but I finally assembled enough time, and the parts, to get it back on the road.

Part of the delay is contributable to deciding what I wanted to do if I was going to tear it down again.  I’d already done the Athena Big Bore kit, full Graves exhaust and the Dynojet PC5 with Autotune.  Not wanting to split the cases, I decided against a stroker kit, which was available to me for free.  Instead, I decided to go with a more robust, lighter, 3-ring piston (compared to the Athena 2-ringer) for longevity and reduced vibration.  There’s also a fully ported head.

I got the top end torn down last weekend.  On checking the valve clearance on the reworked head, I found that the stock valve shims were no longer appropriate (due to the valve job) and had to source new shims.  As luck would have it, out of 4 Yamaha dealers in my area, none had all of the shims that I needed, so I had to order two, which came in today.

The WR has been occupying the spot in my garage that my car would normally be parked in, in it’s disassembled state, waiting for the shims and another weekend to arrive.  Feeling good that WR will be reanimated this Memorial Day weekend.  Anxious to experience the results of the new mods.

May 10, 2012

Still haven’t had enough time to work on the WR.  Seems that when you own a house, you actually have to spend some time taking care of it!  Oh well, the WR will eventually be resurrected.

I did have a little time for some extra curricular activities last weekend, however.

Quite some time ago (20+ years), I was an avid cyclist.  You know, the kind of person who rides a vehicle with two wheels but no motor.  I did a lot of training, long distance rides and a few triathlons before my “man” parts began to object to the activity, and I quit riding on the advice of my doctor.

Well, bicycle ergonomics have come a long way in 20 years, and I never lost my attraction for the sport, so I decided to get back in the game and purchased a new Trek Madone 4.5 full-carbon bike.  Initial impressions are that I will be able to do this, but my conditioning has a long way to go.  Fortunately, this Trek is a bike that I won’t soon want to replace for a more advanced model.  It is nearly state of the art.

April 25, 2012

Guess what came in the mail today?  That’s right, my fully ported head for the WR250X!  It looks really sweet.  Can’t wait to install it along with my new Thumper Racing 83mm piston.  I’m estimating a sizable increase in power as a result of these mods and the others that I have done.  Kind of exciting to have all of the pieces now in order to get it back on the road.  The poor WR has been languishing in the garage for the last 4 months.  Time to get out and make some mischief!

April 16, 2012

Finally got the KLR back together this past weekend.  In addition to the big-bore installation, I also tweaked the carb with a KLX needle, 140 main jet, drilled the slide and adjusted the pilot screw.  After it was all buttoned up, I went out for a 100-mile break-in run.

With only a 35cc increase in displacement, it’s hard to say that it is a huge improvement in power, but it is noticeable.  The biggest performance difference is in the smoothness of the engine and big reduction in mechanical noise.  Of course, the main reason for the 685 kit was to reduce the KLR’s appetite for oil, something this particular year model is known for.  The jury’s still out on that one.  Time and miles will tell.

April 8, 2012

As it turned out, my friend, Roland, had conflicting plans today, so I was on my own with the KLR.  I managed to tear the top end down the rest of the way, and after an hour or so of cursing at the wrist pins clips that retain the piston assembly on the connecting rod, I was able to get the new piston, cylinder and head back on the motor.

I ran into a snag trying to torque down the cam caps because my torque wrench is too big to access the limited clearance in that area.  I’ll be off to Harbor Freight tomorrow to obtain the correct tools.

April 7, 2012

The KLR is under the knife.  Oil consumption had been a concern after my trip to Ohio last October, so I order the 685 big bore kit that reportedly solves the problem so that I could install it after I returned the bike home.

I only used 8oz of oil during the return trip (compared to 16oz on the way up), which made me think about how severe the problem really was, but in the end I decided that I would do the installation anyway because bigger displacement is better, right?  The answer is “yes, it is”.

So, today I spent the day prepping the bike for the new piston and cylinder.  There’s a lot of crap to remove in order to reach the crucial parts, so I stripped it down to the point where I had to stop because I didn’t have the right tool to remove the cam chain guard in the head.  I was admittedly moving at a cautious pace, but it took me the better part of 8 hours to get to the point where I had the cams exposed.

Tomorrow, my experienced buddy, Roland, who has done this before, will show up to guide me through the rest of the process.

March 30, 2012

Well, a lot has happened in my motorcycle universe since my last update.  The K1200GT is now with a new owner, and in it’s place is a 2009 BMW F 800 GS.  I was cruising the Craigslist ads a few weeks ago and came across a very brief, one sentence ad for the GS.  I’ve been interested in the 800 GS for a couple of years, so I emailed the seller and asked why he was selling.  He response was that his wife (who rides) had been in a skiing accident and that she wouldn’t be up to riding her motorcycle for quite some time.  Therefore, he was looking for a 2-up touring bike that would carry both of them in relative comfort.

I had been considering trading or selling the GT for some time, so I mentioned that I had a GT, sent a picture, and asked if he would be interested in a trade.

The response was immediate.  Yes!  We met that weekend, worked out the details (his bike +cash for my GT), and we both rode away happy.  More details on the GS on the “Motorcycles” page.

More recently, I finally retrieved the venerable KLR from its winter detention in Ohio.  I flew up last weekend, performed some pre-flight maintenance, and headed east.

Yes, east, not south, toward the northern end of the Blue Ridge Parkway.  It was COLD the day we left for Virginia!  Because the winter had been unusually warm up to that point, I was afraid that I had wasted big bucks on heated gear for the return trip, but mother nature realized that I needed to justify my purchases and dished up high 20’s temps on the day we left.

My riding partner, Alan, wanted to travel the entire length of the BRP on the way to Florida.  We’d both done the NC part of it, but not Virginia, so it was decreed that we go to Waynesboro, VA to enter the BRP from the north.

Long story short, after about 100 or so miles on the BRP, we figured out that it would take too long to complete for our schedules and jumped off in order to make it to Asheville that evening.

In all, we took 4 days to ride about 1,400 miles.  The KLR performed flawlessly, as did Alan’s K1200GT.  It’s good to have the KLR back as I have big plans for it, and it will be going under the knife very soon.  More on that later.

March 6, 2012

I just returned from a weekend trip to Ohio where, among other things, I was able to devote a little time to the KLR.  I brought a battery tender with me and hooked it up to charge overnight.  Even with a full 12-hours charge, the battery wasn’t up to the task of firing up the beast, so I was off to Walmart to purchase a new one.  With the new battery charged and installed, the mighty KLR roared to life as if I had just ridden it the day before, where in reality it hadn’t been started in 5 months.  Yay for the KLR!

With the battery issue resolved and my fears of a gummed-up carburetor allayed, I turned my attention to installing some of the goodies I have purchased over the last few months in order to make my eventual return trip to Florida a little easier to bare.

First up was the new Sargent low seat.  Pretty straight-forward installation.  I am counting on this to be a significant improvement over the Seat Concepts torture device that I endured for the 900+ mile trip from Florida to Ohio.

Next, I wired up a multi-function display that will allow me to monitor the time, air temperature, and most important, the condition of the charging system.  My return trip will most likely be a chilly one and the heated grips and heated vest will get a workout.  The voltage monitor will alert me if I am drawing too much power from the KLR’s system and help me to avoid draining the battery in my efforts to stay reasonably warm.

Last was the Madstad windshield with its exclusive RoboBrackets mounting system.  This is a robust kit that provides nearly infinite adjust-ability and superior wind protection.  The kit replaces the KLR windshield with a smaller metal plate that duplicates the stock windshield shape.  The RoboBrackets attach to the plate, and the large Madstad windshield attaches to the brackets.  It was a bit fiddly to adjust and secure the system, but I am anticipating that it will be worth the effort.

February 24, 2012

Well, it’s been nearly two months since my last update.  There really hasn’t been much cooking on the motorcycle front.  My free time has been spent doing other things.  That will change next month, however, when I fly to Ohio to retrieve the KLR from its winter detention.

Although the winter has been unusually warm this year, as my luck will have it, I am preparing for a very chilly ride from Ohio to Florida.  The KLR already has heated grips that I installed last September, but I will need more than that to battle the elements, so I have made a few more purchases.

Under my Darien jacket from Aerostitch, I will be well-layered with a Kanetsu heated vest as one of the inner layers.  I have extreme cold weather gloves and thermal socks to keep the digits toasty.

The KLR will receive a new Madstad windshield, which should do a good job of redirecting the arctic blast around me.  And, although not weather related, I purchased a new Sargent low seat to replace the Seat Concepts saddle that punished me all of the way to Ohio.

It will be nice to have the KLR back.  Didn’t think I would miss it, but I did.

The WR250X status hasn’t changed.  I haven’t started the engine since discovering the leaky top end two months ago.  The stroker kit from Thumper Racing still hasn’t arrived, and not being all that enthusiastic about splitting the cases to install it, I arranged to swap the crank for a high performance piston instead, which should arrive soon.  I also ordered a special top end gasket set from Athena, which has to come from Italy.  It will be a while, but that’s okay because I’m not that anxious to tear down the motor anyway.

I’ve been giving the K1200GT and the RC8R maintenance attention.  That means that I try to ride each of them at least once every couple of weeks.  There have been so many other things vying for my attention lately.  I need two of me!

December 30, 2011

WR250X Update.

Concerned about the oil leaking from the top end, I checked the oil again yesterday.  Surely it must be low.  But upon inspection, the oil sight glass was completely covered.  When I checked it a couple of days before, it was at the top line in the inspection window.  Hmmm.

Decide to drain the oil.  Definitely more coming out than I put in when I recently changed the oil.  I give the drained oil the old sniff test and detect the unmistakable odor of 93 octane (with 10% ethanol) fuel in the oil.

So, the head gasket, in addition to allowing oil to weep down the exterior of the cylinder, is introducing raw fuel into the lubrication system.

Obviously, the head bolts have lost their torque.  I’ll re-torque them, but I’m afraid that the damage has already been done.  All of those hot gases passing across the head gasket surely have compromised the integrity of the gasket material.  I’ll give it a shot anyway.

The upshot is that the new (free!) Thumper Racing 310 Big Bore/Stroker kit will arrive in January.  I don’t want to have to go into the motor again until then.

December 26, 2011

Ah, the Holidays are in full swing with Christmas now behind and New Years just ahead. My son flew in from CA last week to spend some time at home and has been using the WR250X as his main mode of transportation (yes, he’s a motorcycle guy too). By the time he leaves, he will have put more miles on it than I have since buying it a year ago.

My son’s thoroughly more enthusiastic usage of the bike has revealed some of the weaknesses of the Big Bore installation that I did earlier this year. There now appears to be a minor oil leak at the bottom of the cylinder where it meets the main case. We’ll keep an eye on it. I don’t want to go into the engine again until the 310 Thumper Racing kit arrives in January.

I’m missing the KLR, which I regretfully left in Ohio in October. Those bikes have a way of growing on you. The urge to rescue it from its icy detention has been suppressed once or twice so far, but I’m not sure that I have the will power to resist until the Spring thaw. On the positive side, I haven’t purchased any new “farkles” for it, so my finances have benefited from the separation.

The Beemer and RC8R are getting “maintenance attention”, as it seems that I only have enough time to ride them as a function of keeping the batteries charged and not letting the fuel go bad. Oh well, they look good in the garage.

Looking forward to one or two minor trips this winter. Most likely, the Beemer will take me to Marco Island before the heat arrives again. Then, in the summer, a trip to Yellowstone appears to be in the mix. We’ll see.

October 30, 2011

I sincerely hope that the artist, whose work follows this text, doesn’t mind that I have displayed an image of one of his pieces here. John Woolley is an amazing artist and is only 11 years old as of this date. His works are of everyday objects and scenes, made special by his whimsical interpretation of what he sees.

The piece below, titled “Saddlebags”, was immediately identifiable to me as a pre-2008 KLR 650, obviously straining beneath the burden of all of the gear attached to it. Check out John’s website to see more of his works and learn more about this amazing young talent:

http://www.backyardjournals.com/

October 28, 2011

With the weather finally taking a turn for the better and signaling the end of the brutally hot and humid Florida summer, I decided to wake the BMW from its hibernation and ride it to a town, 60 miles from my home base, where I am working on a new project for my company.

I noticed that the Beemer’s starter wasn’t cranking with its normal zest that morning, but the temps were cool and I figured that it would be OK after a few miles. Rode to the office first. My, those heated grips sure are a nice touch when the mercury dips! After a couple of hours at the office it was time to head out, but I needed fuel, so that would be the first stop.

Did I mention how nice it is to have heated grips on cool mornings?

Arrive at the gas station, fill up, press the starter button, and listen as the starter doesn’t even have enough power to turn past one compression cycle.

Crap.

Call for help. Get a jump. Ride home.

There is a silver lining though, I got to ride the RC8R instead!

Although I knew the battery was weak, I think the drain from the heated grips is what did it in.

Anyhoo, I had to find a new battery for the GT, and as I discovered, you can’t just mosey on down to Walmart for a replacement. No, the GT has a very special battery! After seeking some advice on where and what kind of battery to purchase, I ordered one over a week ago and I am still waiting for it to arrive. 🙁

October 15, 2011

Left Asheville yesterday after a couple of great days of riding in the mountains. Although it was raining the night before we left, the front passed through by morning, leaving mostly sunny skies, cool temps and very windy conditions.

From Asheville, Route 23 is a straight shot to Columbus, Ohio, our destination. It winds through the heart of Coal Country on its way through 4 states and about 400 miles. Leaving at about 8:00 am, we made it to Columbus at about 6:00 pm, where I will leave the KLR to winter in Ohio. I will return in the Spring to ride it back to Florida.

It’s been a nice few days of riding. The weather could have been better, but any time I have an opportunity to do an extended ride the conditions are a secondary concern. I just enjoy seeing the countryside from the cockpit of a motorcycle.

October 13, 2011

It was a great day for riding yesterday. The low pressure system that drenched me the day before has moved on leaving 24 hours of decent weather before the next front arrives later today.

We had to do the “Dragon”, so we set out for Rt 129, which was about 2 hours away. Made a couple of runs on the legendary 11 mile strip of asphalt.

Fall colors are almost at their peak and the temps were perfect. All in all, a very nice day.

October 12, 2011

Well, after hitting the road an hour and a half later than I had planned, I was finally on my way. I charted a route to Asheville that would mostly avoid highways and I learned that I need to be a little more specific with my GPS software in the future. “Avoid Highways” included going through just about every small town between my home and the hotel, and it also included a toll road. I just love having to stop prior to the toll booth to remove my gloves, dig around for the proper toll, pay the toll and then repeat the process in reverse after paying the toll.

The trip included 550 miles of GA, SC & NC back roads, which would have been very nice except for cool temps and nearly constant rain. Thankfully, I have the right gear for the conditions, and the heated grips helped to prevent my hands form going numb. Still, the conditions prevented me from making good time and it took me 12 hours to make the trip, which included minimal stops for fuel and lunch.

The bike performed very well and I was quite pleased and surprised by the lack of problems. I had to add a little bit of oil at my first fuel stop, but that was it. The KLR just kept chugging along.

The weather is still cool, but it looks like there is a temporary break in the rain, so the ride today will be mostly dry. Will be doing parts of the Blue Ridge Parkway and the obligatory visit to Deals Gap. There may be some pictures to post later.

October 8, 2011

So, next Tuesday I am setting off on my maiden voyage on the KLR 650. Heading up to Columbus, OH with a layover in Asheville for a few days of Blue Ridge fun and maybe some Fall colors. Be out for about 10 days and 2,000 miles.

I’ve “farkled” up the KLR pretty good for long-distance touring, so we’ll see how it is. Will post up a few pictures and updates as time allows.