More my usual tonight.

The first batch of Yamaha parts arrived today. Not the big stuff, more control and cosmetics - as well as some engine bits.

I got the new handlebars, bar end mirrors, hand grips (made in Colorado!!!!), and the new headlight ears.

Then there are the new carb boots, an oil filter, oil filter bolt, carb balancers (vacuum gauges), the chain and sprocket, and a couple other bits, some 20' spools of wire.

I have this idea for the carbs where instead of using the old worn Mikuni vacuum slide carbs I would like to use this pair of JRC flat slide carbs I bought for the 73 Triumph. The thing is, they don't quite fit the boots. The boots on the inside have a step, the inner more narrow step is closer to the cylinder, then the inside diameter opens up to fit around the Mikuni Carb, which is larger than my new carbs. BUT my new carbs DO fit inside the deeper part.

SO the theory is to FIRST make sure these new boots really do fit the bike, as there were two different XS400 engines used in 1982 (bastards *shakes fist*) then once I know they fit, I will see how they work with the current carbs, and inspect the condition of the current carbs. IF I decide to go with the JRC carbs then my theory is that if I trim the outer rim of the boots then it will allow more clearance to slide my carbs into the spot that works, then I can place the clamp farther forward.

The trick with the JRC carbs is that I will need to use an AMAL style throttle (which I have) as well as a 2:1 cable connector (which I also have).


The JRC carb


The Mikuni Carb


As you can see the JRC carb is much more simple. It has a chrome slide that works directly off the cable tensioned by a spring.. The choke is simple, it has about 5 points of adjustment (needle, jets, cable, throttle, and one other) where as the Mikuni has about a dozen adjustments - very good for sport motorcycles - pretty useless for a 45HP mule.

Besides the complexity of setting up the Mikuni correctly and balancing it, the parts for failure are more expensive, the rubber diaphram for the vacuum slide is about $60 to replace. The JRC has the chrome flat slide which can only wear out after maybe 70,000 miles. Since the JRC is made in china the parts are incredibly cheap. SO I would much rather use them if I can.

Not to mention my JRC carbs are brand spanking new, and the Mikunis have been on the bike for 28 years.


With the Flat bars, I plan to move the controls in as far as I physically can without smacking the tank, and then cutting off the excess steel to create more narrow handlebars.


I sold the 1982 Suzuki GS550 tonight to a dude named Andy. NICE guy, a bit younger than me, but a man after my own heart. His intention is to cafe the Suzuki and ride it year round. He's a welder by trade, which is slick - because he'll be able to do things that I can't - and he's going to put the 4:1 exhaust back together. I'll probably see him on the road. It was nice talking to someone who knew what I meant by a Manx tank. It was nice to sell the bike to a guy who knew what the hell he's doing and can appreciate the machine for what its worth, as opposed to what it looks like. He also took the spare frame, gastank, rear wheel, and a half dozen other little bits and pieces which pleased me as a way to clear up more space.

I have to remember to snag an envelope later and put half the cash in it to mail to my buddy Liam.

Not the best picture of him, but a great picture all the same. Its one of those pictures where you can kind of tell what kind of a guy he is. He's changed a bit since then, this was before he had some college under his belt, and that by the way is another style of carb in his had (also better than the Mikunis on the bike) a round slide cable operated carb - but I only have that one.

Liam's the fellow who gave me the XS400, and I promised him as a result half of what I made on the GS. He'll have the money for that record player he wants, and I'll have some money for working on my car - and if I'm lucky a tire changing machine (manual) for the garage... for the shop.



I can see the guys who rode 30 years ago saying "Bah! All you need is a bench and some tire irons!" But guys, have you ever tried to break the seal on a tubeless tire? I've found a hacksaw to be the best way to remove a worn out tubeless tire. Its insane.

The Yam will need new tires soon, so will a couple friend's bikes, the Ducati eventually, the Norton... God knows what else. I think you can also change car tires with it.

So ya.

Anyways.... PEACE! *ducks out the back door*

Well...

Well I am slowly writing out my past, I'm at 16 pages of single spaced, and I have a ways more to go. Its the younger years, 13-16 were incredibly complicated. Its massively depressing work, but I have been claiming for years that I am going to write a book about it all, and you know, I think its about time I did it. So I'm writing a book about all of that, some details on what happened to a few of them, how its effected me. I'll probably cover some of my current situation and how I deal with it all. I have to change some details, names, leave out locations and dates. I'm not going to publish it as non fiction because I dont want people digging, I may be putting my story out there, but I still have a right to privacy as do the survivors.

I can deal with friends knowing the truth, but the idea of family members reading it bothers me. But on the other hand I went through a shit load of SHIT and I am still here. If that can benefit one rape victim, or one kid who has been abused, if it can get through to one pedo about how sick it is... then I have done something, then everything I went through is no longer simply something that I have to carry until I am dead. I hope that it can be read by some suburbanites who think that because they left the big bad city their children are safe - that this uglyness only happens to poor kids, that it doesn't happen to kids with good homes, nice clothes, and decent families.

anyways, its close to 4am. I'm gonna watch a movie, smoke my pipe, and pass out.

Singles Awareness Day

Hahaha figured that was a good, or appropriate title.

Not much to write. Brent and Julia were just here, they hung out for a little while then we went out to my car to see what was up with the brakes. It seems I've blown a brake line, and well the Master Cylinder is alive, but I wouldn't call it well. So I'm going to replace that too. It'll be next weekend as I'll have to get the car to Brent's house - he's got a lift in his garage so we can work on it with ease.

We're debating the idea of pinching off the line so I can drive it out there, or if I should just catch a tow. Our friend Jon has a tow truck, but he's in Korea until April I think, so that is out. Mind you Jon has a tow truck and a few plow trucks but is that what Jon does for a living? No. Jon is a Nuclear Design Engineer who enjoys plowing snow and working on trucks. He's not like one of those actors *cough*Paul Newman*cough* who enjoyed racing cars so he's show up at B-races with a pit crew. Jon is just as much at home working with his hands as any other guy, if you didn't see him working on a power plant you'd think he built houses for a living. He's more like Steve McQueen. A man who raced bikes and cars and was also an amazing actor - but he was REAL. (no disrespect to Newman, have a lot of respect for him too).

Wow that was a ramble - thats how my mind works. I'll start on one thought and just descend into something else. You can say "Cat" and I'll start talking about Sherlock Holmes - because in my head I will think Cat... Dog... Scooby Doo.. Detectives, Hardy Boys.... HOLMES!!!!!!

I've started slicking my hair back again, but in a more serious way than before - now its more like it was in Phoenix. I've also grown out my sideburns pretty seriously.


Instead of using the Gillette Wax I had before, I have moved back to the actual hair pomade. The trick is to use a little Gillette wax to get it into place, then with your hair wet, you run the pomade under the tap of hot water for a few seconds to soften up the stuff which is a much more serious wax than Gillette's but it is essentially wax, I mean its essentially what I waterproof my Belstaff Jacket with (Waxed Cotton). Once it's hot, you come it through your wet hair, and when the hair dries the wax does too and basically hardens holding your hair in the form you put it in.

So for example I did the above fairly late last night and fell asleep, woke up and my hair was still in close to the same position it's in in the picture. Just had to run the come through it to make it fairly neat again.


The general idea... well its not being a "Greaser" so much as a "Rocker" but the difference is, well you say Greaser and people know what you mean. You say Rocker and anyone under the age of about 50 thinks of a musician - which is not the case here. Rockers were like cafe racers, but not always and not quite. A leading famous example of the Rockers is the 59 Club, which was a club of essentially hooligan boys and girls in England back in the 50s and 60s that was lead by a Priest - Father Graham.

Father Graham was a motorcyclist who saw the boys and girls who were tearing up the streets as his flock, and organized the 59 Club to basically keep them out of trouble, and to give them a real community. THIS is Father Graham


Incidentally the bike he's getting on is a Norton Dominator - or actually either an Atlas or a 650SS - either way its very much the same bike my father rode. Its the bike that is in a basket case in the other room. This priest is one of my heroes.

So here are some pictures of the 59 Club




I so wish my leather jacket was that style, but the one I picked out isn't - but it vents easier, the company that made mine (now in Fall River MA, makes the jackets on site) is Vanson and they make that older style, but I got something more modern which is shocking. I'll never replace it though, dad got it for me - it is one of my prized possessions.

So anyways I have the older bikes - though now I have an 82 Yamaha - but it WILL appear older eventually. I have the leather jacket, I have the open face helmet and will have goggles again eventually. I have the hair.

Its not some misguided attempt at fashion or style. Its not about looking cool or trying to be something that I'm not. This IS who I am. If I was my age now in the 50s or 60s I'd be on an old English bike with the leather jacket and my hair slicked back probably carrying the Same watch, listening to the same music - by the same method, using the same cameras, and telling the same jokes, smoking the same pipes and the same tobaccos. Thats the trick. I Really should have been born in the 40s, it just worked out This way.


Anyways I'm done.

There are a couple of guys I'm thinking about right now. One more than another. So I'll leave you with the Bee Gees live in 1974, singing what I'm feeling right now, sitting here alone on Valentines Day.

Motorcycles & Music

3 VERY different songs.

Brad Sucks - Making Me Nervous


Lisa Gerrard - Aria (Layer Cake soundtrack with a Quote that I love)


Limp Bizkit - My Way



Anyways I finally got my orders through to get the bikes going. One order was for my friend Jon, new fork tubes for his 98 Sportster, which were pay back for a part he ordered for me a while back.

Then some simple parts for the XS400. Nothing for the "Cafe" so much as just the initial batch of bits and pieces I will need to make the damned thing both legal and safe. So in no specific order:

2 bar end mirrors
Flat bars
New grips
3 quarts of oil
headlight ears
fram oil filter
new oil filter bolt
carb boots (I noticed the currents are cracked)
a chain and split link
a front sprocket with the drilled/tapped holes
the sprocket holder tab as well as the two bolts that lock it in place
new brake shoes for the rear wheel
some assorted nuts and bolts for the rear brake
new springs for the brake shoes
front brake pads
carb wires
vacuum gauges for the carbs
the bolts for the sprocket cover
the studs and nuts for the exhaust headers
new exhaust gaskets
a Mac Exhaust system


Seems like a lot, but most of it was little simple stuff, cheap. The key parts will get her together.

I am also interested to see if the JRC carbs I had for the 73 Triumph will fit the new boots. If so then I can replace the carbs and be ahead of the game. I have asked Paul if he can make me a 2 into 1 manifold so I can just use one carb on the bike. It would be easier to keep in tune, although I don't think that is really necessary now that I have the proper gauges to adjust the carburetors.

The main thing is that I will now have all the little bits I need to put the bike on the road safely. I mean she was running before, but there is a difference between a bike you can ride around the corner and a bike you could ride up to Maine. It also seems that under some of the rules of disability I am only allowed to have one vehicle on the road at a time. This means that once the snow melts the Olds will be coming OFF the road and the XS400 will be going on.


Not much else to say.

Humbug

Well the Olds lost her brakes. I was backing down the driveway at the time, so this wasn't as much a disaster as it could have been. If you look:

What you can't really see is that I live on a hill. The street is a hill, and the driveway is a hill. So backing down the driveway is fun with no brakes. Had they given out on my street, I'd have driven into the main street which is one of the more busy streets in my city. That would have ended badly for me and my car, since my car is an 86 Oldsmobile which has already suffered one front end collision and the doors are nice and strong - but wouldn't hold up to say a SUV going at 45mph.

Since my friend Jon who got me the car says he put in all new brake lines 2 years ago, and last summer the calipers were replaced - the theory is that the MasterCylinder gave out. Rock Auto has a selection of these for sale, ranging from $30-140, since we have $10 calipers installed, I'm willing to get a nice $30 master cylinder. We have to diagnose that as the problem, I have some checking to do, its going to be 34 degrees tomorrow - perfect for crawling around under a car.

The bastardly part is that I'd hoped to go to the bank yesterday and deposit my Disability money. That was going to pay off a couple bills, get some parts for the Yamaha, and so on.

We continue to look around at houses for sale, here is one thats in our old neighborhood that mom and I like. We'll go see it once we change realtors. One of the realtors we're interested in is also selling this house.

Thats a Nun Singing, hahaha Sister Gertrude Morgan. Its heavy religion, but I like the song. Even if its very repetitive. I've always liked music to do with religion. So lets look at another? Josh Ritter's Thin Blue Flame - which is the best political song I've heard since Desolation Row - By Dylan, but also has to do with religion.



My favorite line from the song is "We need faith for the same reason its so hard to find"

But this section here:
I became a thin blue stream
The smoke between asleep and dreams
And in that clear blue undertow
I saw Royal City far below
Borders soft with refugees
Streets a¹swimming with amputees
It¹s a Bible or a bullet they put over your heart
It¹s getting harder and harder to tell them apart
Days are nights and the nights are long
Beating hearts blossom into walking bombs
And those still looking in the clear blue sky for a sign
Get missiles from so high they might as well be divine
Now the wolves are howling at our door
Singing bout vengeance like it¹s the joy of the Lord
Bringing justice to the enemies not the other way round
They¹re guilty when killed and they¹re killed where they¹re found
If what¹s loosed on earth will be loosed up on high
It¹s a Hell of a Heaven we must go to when we die
Where even Laurel begs Hardy for vengeance please
The fat man is crying on his hands and his knees
Back in the peacetime he caught roses on the stage
Now he twists indecision takes bourbon for rage
Lead pellets peppering aluminum
Halcyon, laudanum and Opium
Sings kiss thee hardy this poisoned cup
His winding sheet is busy winding up In darkness he looks for the light that has died
But you need faith for the same reasons that it¹s so hard to find
And this whole thing is headed for a terrible wreck
And like good tragedy that¹s what we expect

Carl Orff: Carmina Burana

Always loved this, but its even more impressive to watch someone doing it live - even if live means 3 years ago.