Update on Old Venerable

Well I had written this long entry in txt format which I'd planned to post, but a ton changed as I worked on the bike today, so most of that post is now out dated.

I need to get 2 new throttle cables, air filters, and some Jets. The bike is SO close now... oh and I also need to get ummmm valve stems for the tires today.

I painted the swing arm, the gas tank (which I have no picture of right now), mounted the tail light, changed the handlebars, and partially made a new sidecover for the left side of the bike using cardboard and gorilla tape.... It will work, its the best bet for now. Might do something better soon, but that requires money and a trip to Home Depot. This is just an idea of what could be.

Ignore the rear wheel in the following pictures, its the front wheel off a bike I no longer own, its just there so I can roll the bike around.

I just had a thought... brb....

I said brb 4 hours ago. First I checked to see if the Norton front wheel would fit in between the front forks of the GS550 I have in the basement (they do), then I took a bath. I'd intended to soak for 20-30 minutes and get out. I just woke up. God I'm still tired!

House Jazz

I am listening to a clip of music I call "House Jazz" it gets that because it reminds me of a Jazzy Blues, and it was stolen off a House MD episode, to be specific towards the end of Season 6, Episode 10 - The Down Low. A GREAT episode, and incidentally one of the leads is played by an actor who was in "Empire Records" as well as "White Squall" among other things, I had quite an interest in him when I was younger, hahaha

I've been working on the motorcycle a LOT. I'm just trying to get it on the road as soon as physically possible, but safely. I need to get the new jets from as it turns out "Brittech" in Southbridge might have them. I need to get valve stems before I can put the tires on. I have to make a strut before I can put the tire on. I have to have new flanges made for the Carbs to fit the head - THAT is the big one. I could probably bullshit something up, but I'd prefer to have it done 'right' which requires the help of Paul or Chris. I also have to finish wiring the bike, and take the side stand off.

It sounds like a lot, but it's really not so bad.

The MAIN thing today is to get the new valve stems, and to finish making that strut. I cut out the spacers LATE last night. So today's task is quite simply drilling 2 holes and making 1 hole bigger. Once that's done I can re-attach the swing arm, and then if I go and get the valve stem.... forget it - they are closed today and tomorrow. HOWEVER I think I might just have a wheel that can go in there until we have the correct rear wheel done up right hahaha. Sweet. Good thinking Jack! I'll use the spare front wheel I had from the Suzuki GS550. That SHOULD work.


Alright.. sooo.... This is as much for Brent as anyone - since he can't remember what the bike's tail looked like before...

THIS is what it looked like when I got it (more or less):



And this is what it will look like when I'm done (envision a license plate below the light as well as turnsignals somewhere, and that brick of a tail light on the plastic:





Now one of my earlier points to Brent (in person) was that when they designed this motorcycle they tried to make it look like it had a Rigid frame, seen here:



They did everything they could short of putting a V-twin in the bike to make it look more American, but this is like the rough sketch of the Jap American knock offs you see today (many of which are better motorcycles than Harley builds). What I mean by rough sketch is that they got SO much of it wrong. Thank god too, I'd probably have hated it if they got it all right.

But because they did a mono shock, I can't afford to replace it, and because they made the swing arm look like a rigid, I see no issue with making it a hard tail to save money. I'll just paint it black, and I bet you $10 some idiots (on bikes) will think its some custom addition to the frame. hahahaha, well if they do, so be it, its not my fault.

Anyways, I'm done for now. Gonna take a nap and wake up around 3, there's not much I can do now that I can't do in 6-8 hours.

Yamaha Springer?

Though NOT at all my usual sense of style...

The Yamaha is more than likely going to become more of an old school Bar Hopper than an old School Cafe Racer. AND NOT because I like the looks, but more because its the most affordable way to get the damned thing on the road right.

I have fit the JRC carbs to her, I'll need to re-jet of course, but its a small price to pay for carbs in new condition (literally small price)



If you remember (and here's a pic if you don't) what the tail looked like, it was... interesting:


Well not anymore, I fit the Suzuki GS550 rear fender, and have cut the stock tail light plastic out of the old fender cover so that I could fit the stock tail light here:





Now... here's where the springer side of things come in - and this is what I mean:


A cheap shock for this bike is over $100 - oh the joys of the Mono-shock suspension *fuckers* I could BS it with a pair of cheap Emgo duel shocks, then just use one, but then it'd have the suspension of a pogo stick.

The cheapest solution to the warn out suspension is to just remove it. Buy 13ish inches of gas pipe, drill 2 holes in it, put it where the rear shock currently is, and get a spring seat for it. I found one (shown in the picture) with a gel pad and steel pan for $70 - which is from the same company thats going to sell me my new jets and air filters.

I need this style of spring seat because the frame is flat. Thats right... I have a sloped back bone for a useless tank, and a flat frame where the seat should go. Those FUCKERS. BUT the frame Does slope at the back, which is why I can't just use the Norton seat. I'd have to cut tabs off the Yam frame AND the Norton seat just to see if it fit - which I'm not doing. I actually plan to use those tabs to mount my rear turn signals.

Also the seat to handlebar height won't be quite as bad as it looks, I am only lowering the seat height about 3" and by putting flat bars on it I lowered the handlebar height about 3" so ironically I've gained nothing.

That's unfair. The bike is going to be pretty sweet, and should be done pretty soon.

Actually I might have steel pipe that would work.... *goes off to look*

Goodbye Norton

I just posted the Following on Craigslist.

I have for sale, best cash offer come and pick it up, motorcycle parts. Royal Enfield Parts: New high compression alloy 500cc Piston, Distributor, Mikarb, Alloy barrel, new crank cases for kick start, cam gears, head with 3000 miles, crank shaft with 3000 miles, push rods, timing cover, 2002 Enfield frame with forward engine plates and swing arm, also a rough primer coated enfield gastank - no dents. There is also a straight 1967 Norton Slimline featherbed frame that was set up for as a Triton frame with a 750 unit engine, bare frame with swingarm, there are two Atlas gastanks one is original cherry red paint with tank badges the other is rattle can red with Triton stickers - the original tank is clean inside, the rattle can red needs bead blasting but is solid. There is also a 67 Norton crank shaft, oil pump, barrel, head, crank cases, AMC 4 speed gearbox. There are also 67 Norton road holder forks with fender - front wheel NOT for sale, rear fender NOT for sale. There is a brand new Atlas seat for sale, Atlas oil tank is also for sale. There are 150cc Honda Dream front forks, a 70s or 80s Husqvarna frame in rough condition but straight (no swing arm), and a set pair of rough 82 Suzuki GS550 front forks with brake caliper.

Everything listed is for sale. If you want a picture of something tell me, its best offer, cash in hand. Someone will do good on the Enfield parts, I Do know what some of the Norton parts are worth, the bike had been in the family since 1967.

Let me know.

It is harsh to think about, I mean the Norton was Dad's Norton,


But god knows how many times I have gone through the "Restoration" figures and its just crazy money that I don't have, and the parts take up space that I won't have. I am doing this so that there will be room to keep the Ducati


So yeah, I'm working out the idea to be smarter, and also quite frankly the only way I'll ever not sink STUPID money that I don't have into the Norton is to part with its bones. Just saying that brings tears to my eyes, but its the right play. I love dad, I cherish his memories, but I have been clinging to this absurd notion that if I hold onto the bones of the Norton I still have Dad, and well, I already have him.

Anyways, thats it.

Yamaha XS400 & XS500

Alright so first of all the tire changer came today, which was pretty sweet:


I also got the two front turn signals mounted to the Yamaha, I have to sort out the rears:


I do have the wiring diagram for the lights:



==========

So I was at a local bike shop today and I stopped in to say hello to the owner, and to ask him if he knew if I needed a side stand to pass inspection. We got to talking old Ducati, Triumph, and Norton. We also talked about Dad a little whom he remembered. So I told him I thought about gathering the bits to put an Enfield back on the road despite their being horrible little motorcycles, but I say "I like 500cc singles" and he says "I have one of those" and we worked our way around to him offering it to me. Doesn't run, but I was all excited. Then he came to mention the name, and its not a single, its a parallel twin.

I actually had one before, and gave it away. So this bike is from the 70s its a XS500. Not sure of the year, but he says its been sitting in a crate for a long time, a bit rough, may be missing this or that... but really, a free bike, a bike I know and love. We exchanged information and he's going to dig it out for me to pick up in the next few days. So yeah, here's the basic plan:



Now thats a bike I can attach a sidecar to - because of the cradle frame. So I'm all excited, because I now have a "winter rig" in process.

The Great Escape?

The above is the scene when Steve McQueen (actually was Bud Ekins) jumps the fence on a Triumph towards the end of The Great Escape. I have various pictures of this dotting the wall across from me.

This one shows a few of the guys fooling around, I do love the bike.


These are somewhat dated pictures of my room, as I was just getting it together down here. Less of a mess now. But you can get a sense for what I like to do with pictures that interest me. Keeps the mind occupied.



Anyways, that scene from The Great Escape, that is one of the reasons I have less of a numb following of "modern" dirtbikes. Everyone has this feeling that you NEED a new bike to have some fun in the fields. Now while that Triumph used to jump the fence was pretty tuned, it was basically stock, minus some great shocks and springs. But you'll note the low pipes. The low chassis. I have no doubt that with some basic work I could run my XS on some fields, not with the tires I just bought, but you know that with the tire tools I am in the process of getting, that when winter rolls around I can get some duel sport tires.

At any rate, I'll be back later.

Life, Friends, Motorcycles

Well, Forrest just came by for about 30 minutes, it was GOOD to see him again. I hope to go hang out at his house sometime this week, see his old MG that he restored himself, listen to some tunes and just talk about life. He and I now share the "heavily medicated" status and the "bodies fucking out on us in college" status. He's younger, 20. I remember my dad telling me I needed to make "College" friends because when I was in my early 20s most of my friends were either from high school or in high school. So I befriended this guy (Forrest) in my English class, and then a month later found out he was 16 and it was one of those "FUCK!" moments hahahaha but hey, I tried!

Life is alright, I'm listening to a lot of music, and watching a lot of TV online. Smoking my fair share of tobacco - and then some. My room is clean, which is nice, though Matt complained it wasn't clean enough hahaha bastard =p

Various motorcycle parts are do to arrive today, namely the turn signals

Which I am pretty excited about because I downloaded (finally) the full 1982 Yamaha XS400 factory manual so I NOW have a wiring diagram to go by.

The wiring in the headlight and towards the tail is pretty chewed up. Melted connectors and weird splices. Thats what you get from an early 80s small engined Jap bike. But now that I have the proper specs, I'll know where to tie in what. I couldn't have easily re-wired the headlight bucket without the diagram. I won't be going crazy with nice new connectors, they'll be bullet and butt connectors, but they'll be mine - so I'll know what's going on.

See I had wanted to get old school Lucas signals:


But the ones I got which are designed for a Honda will work great, fit the stems so they'll bolt into current mounts, and well they have the LOOK of the classic Lucas signals. So that pleases me.

You know... its the simple things.

Also the new tires are on their way, the new tire mounting tool should be here soon - which will be great. Once I have the new tires on and balanced I can then install the chain. Between that and getting the engine all set to go, I'm pretty much golden. Then I just have to register the bike. I have some minor paint work to do, which I am going to use a can and a brush to do.


The idea is to clean up the places where there is surface rust, or where the bike is awkward looking. Like the swing arm is both awkward and a bit rusty. So if I paint it shiny black then in theory it should vanish into it's own.. It won't stand out like it does now with the black seat and tank.