I need to vent

[Geezer]

I've been working like crazy all season keeping other peoples bikes on the road and when I finally get a chance to take some time off to take a trip, my bike goes to hell in a hand basket.

It started with the front end feeling a bit squirrelly so I dug into it. I figured I'd install the fork brace, adjust the steering head bearings and be on my way by noon.

First off the the right caliper was rusted up. So I dug into my stash boxes and found enough parts to rebuild both calipers. Got that done about 3:00p working in the hot sun.

About 4:00 the fork brace was on and I was tightening up the axle pinch bolts and then one of them pulls out of the leg. It seems the PO had it worked on somewhere and some idiot must have used an air wrench on it...

I may have lucked out on the breaks but I have to order parts to fix this and it looks like the monsoon season is here in NW Oregon. I'm PO'ed to say the least.

Geezer

[TADracer]

Tony, I hope you feel alot better now, after venting. But look on the bright side....at least Mt. Rainier didnt go super nova on y'all up there.

[Geezer]

I'm taking consolation in the fact that I didn't take off for the 30th anniversary run without digging into it first.

Like I said before it only felt like the steering bearings were a tiny bit loose but there was a whole lot more wrong...

I went and bought a new air wrench and some extra long allen sockets and new tools always makes me feel better....

Geezer

[GNEPIG]

Hey Tony, will you be trying a time-sert on that fork lower or will you be needing another fork lower? (I have a couple of spares around here)

[tarzan]

A heli-coil or a tri-sert would work and be better than original.I have installed thousands of both(I am a machinist).Where I work we make aluminum ingot and billet casting machines and any threaded holes in aluminum that get disassembled periodically all get one or the other.And they are easy to install.They work great.IMHO

[Geezer]

It looks like it's been loose for awhile and the hole is a bit egg shaped or I would be buying an 8mm Helicoil kit.

I have a rather rusty set of spare forks holding up my parts bike. If I can get the seal out , I'm going to use the left lower from that set. If not, I'm going to buy a used pair of forks.

Anyway I look at it, I'm over a week away from having the old girl back on the road. I can't find the seals I already bought, the dealer doesn't have any on hand and the ones I've ordered from Parts'N-More won't be here for at least a week.

Anybody know if the caliper pistons from Mike's XS will fit the XS11? they're 6 bucks cheaper per than the ones from Parts'N-More and Mike's has other stuff I want.

Geezer

[LoserShoes]

"Anybody know if the caliper pistons from Mike's XS will fit the XS11? they're 6 bucks cheaper per than the ones from Parts'N-More and Mike's has other stuff I want."



Yep, put one in my 80G this summer.

Steve

[tarzan]

Hey Geezer,
Egg shaped should be no problem.The heli tap should be bigger.I dont have a chart for them here at home but,Your hole will be round again after you run the tap through.It would have to be pretty bad not to work.A tri-sert tap is even bigger.So you may want to check with a local machine shop and see if they can do it.It should only take a few minutes and cost less than $20.Assuming you have the fork apart so they can get right to it.

[Geezer]

There's not room for a trsert but a Helicoil would probably fix it.

The seal on that leg was starting to go and I would have gone on the ride and dealt with it when I got home but now there's no reason not to fix it at the same time.

What really get me is I know that I put the seals I had in a safe place when we moved but for the life of me I can't find them. I've found all my spare ignition and break parts as well as all the other parts stash I have.

Anyway I hope Parts'N-More promptly ships my stuff. I'd be surprised if there's more that a week of good riding weather in a row left in the year here in the PNW.

[tarzan]

Well after your new parts arrive you'll find the ones you stashed,at least thats my luck.
I can relate about the weather going south soon too.Here in Spokane its supposed to rain tonight.But what the heck I've been fortunate enough to be able to put over 3500 miles on my Special this year.
Well good luck gettin your bike goin soon.

[Geezer]

That's my luck too. I told my wife that now that I've bought a new set the others will turn up 2 days after the new ones are here.

I've only ridden about 200 miles this summer. I was late getting it going then I was too busy to go anywhere.

Geezer

[mro]

Just a little rubbing

I've only ridden about 200 miles this summer

Bummer
On the Merrium I've put 11,500 miles so far this year.
About the ONLY good thing left in CA CA land is the weather and roads.


mro

[Geezer]

I road even less last year. Early in the season last year I sold the Mongrel shortly after buying back a 79 standard that I had sold 5 years before.

This bike has been road hard and put away wet and I'm finding little problems at every turn. I've rebuilt the carbs, switches, bakes and now the front end. If it didn't run great, I might junk it.

I need a bike trip so bad it hurts...

Geezer

[3Phase]

Earlier this year I almost missed a stretched front axle pinch stud myself so it's a good thing you're a thorough mechanic... man, you don't deserve that kind of aggravation after fixing every elses' bikes all season.


Regards,

Scott

[Geezer]

As the old saying goes it's the mechanic's bike that needs work the worst...

I've been building regulators and rectifiers at a furious pace and I've hardly touched my bikes. Hopefully my winter projects will allow me to fix my bikes up for next year...

Geezer