Two of my favorite pictures. The first several years ago on Dad's Norton (I think we covered this earlier) and the second which is the profile picture for this blog is myself with my dad's Ducati which he replaced the Norton with in 1978. Some things have changed, but the boots didn't. Those boots have been to 2 countries and pretty much every state in the Union.
I got a comment on my Bisexuality video on Youtube from a Transgender teen who had apparently been afraid to subscribe to me prior to that video because he saw a pipe smoking motorcycle wrench and thought I'd reject him. He's actually a she, but you would be hard pressed (cept the voice) to know it by watching his videos. I thought it was a pretty great comment.
Compliments of Ian I found a new place to watch TV shows online and in the last few days have watched 3 full seasons of 30Rock, 1 full season of 24, the very first episode of CSI: Miami, and I'm just getting going.
There's a fella coming to look at the house today with our Realtor to estimate the cost of work. I'd kill to be able to get out of bed, but I just can't do it.
Last night was almost unbearable pain wise. On nights like those I swear to god if I had a gun... which is of course why I don't have a gun.
I got some minor parts for the Yamaha in the mail yesterday, but not the ones I needed. I got 1 pair of exhaust bronze gasket inserts (I can salvage 2 working ones out of the current 4), I got 2 new compression gaskets for the exhaust, and 4 new studs with 4 new bolts. That covers it. Waiting on the more important pieces.
Alright, I just had to go give the worker guy a tour of the basement and that deleted what reserves I had left and my chest is swelling. I hate this picture, but I can say over and over what kind of pain it is, and how it feels, this picture was taken by a friend in Phoenix as the pain was escalating from a 9 to a 10 (I pass out at a 10). That was how much pain I was in for HOURS last night. I'm not trying for sympathy here, I just wish people to understand. I'm at a 7 right now and it's climbing, so I'm out with the picture:
Haha, I'm depressed as fuck. I'm also in a Lot of pain, to the point where I had to bail out of TC because I just couldn't hide it and people were starting to look concerned - despite having seen me like this before. I also thought I might pass out. I'm almost out of energy, if another one hits, I'm fucked.
So there are these pictures. One of Dad in his mid 20s with his Norton Atlas, and one of me in my early 20s with the same motorcycle - two of my favorite pictures. The one of me was taken on one of those perfect days. I'd cleaned the garage, and dad was out grilling, and my brother was there, and we were all talking about motorcycles, and I was on the Atlas and Al snapped the picture. Its hands down the best picture ever taken of me - as an adult.
So here is pop, and here am I:
I have been thinking about many things. There is a sidecar I want to build, Jon is figuring out plans, and Craig Vetter unwittingly is helping, though he offered me his designs with this picture 3 years ago:
See I don't want your conventional sidecar with the big chair on the side. This isn't for a person, this is so I can ride year round. This is stability and such. So that open design is perfect, and inexpensive.
You see the classic sidecar frame, and I could get one of these minus the fender for $500 from this guy in Conn looks like this:
But Vetter's design, which I have the full Patent info on, as well as his permission (from 3 years ago) to build one looks like this:
^^^^ That is something that is totally doable and matches my needs. It is something you could do anything with, he even designed a fuel tank that fits into it. I mean its just a wicked idea. The perfect 3rd Wheel.
I also have the final plan for the XS400 figured out, and since I can't rebuild Dad's Atlas I am going to go one way different.
Remember I'd talked about turning her into a Cafe racer? Well I am going to build a replica of this bike that Dad used to race, I'll even paint up the fairing the same. The sidecar looks enough like a vintage race-sidecar platform that it won't be totally out of place. This is a cafe Racer I can build for about $1200, and the tank, seat, and fairing would be able to be put on what ever bike I get next, as well as the headlight (off Dad's Atlas), the handlebars, the mirrors, what ever tail light I install.
See? Thats the thing, these cosmetics are universal to old Jap and English bikes. So yes I plan to over time put $1200 into a free motorcycle, but when/if it wears out I'll be able to put all of it plus the sidecar onto the next free bike.
Anyways, thats the dream and the goal.
This is what keeps me sane. OH! and the new bridge for the Violin I don't have yet came today. Its made in france and has adjustable feet so it will fit any violin. I read up on the violin I bought and they said the bridge was shit and broke easily, so I got a good one instantly. Here, let me show you:
Hahaha I say sane, and then I post a picture of me looking like that. Thats what my hair looks like when its not slicked back. I need a shave. But I really dig the new bridge. You can just make out the circles in the wood where the feet are - so they conform to the shape of the violin.
The great humor is I paid $50 (including S&H) for a Violin, Bow, & case. Then I paid $12 for a how to play book, $12 for a new bridge, and $20 for a shoulder rest. There is a method to the madness - you just have to find it.
Monday, February 22, 2010
Tonight I am bingeing on old Peter Gabriel, the last song was Secret World, this current song is Come Talk to Me.
I have been some what in a remiss - if that is the right word, not much for posting right now. I'm going to make a youtube video, where I will ramble because my hands hurt too much to type.
I am listening to one of my favorite songs (I say that a lot), the video is likewise a favorite, the bike you see in it is a 60's Triumph, an honest to god scrambler, and the logo on the badge (which you can't make out) is the same as the logo tattooeed to my chest. THIS is a machine I respect and love.
Incidentally for any rowers out there, or for those of us who don't row - but have had a LONG love/hate relationship with Ergometers - this song is PERFECT for blasting into your headphones as you push your body to it's limits pulling on that bar.
For the first time since I was 21 I am working my way through a case of Coca-Cola. I switched to Pepsi at the New England Culinary Institute - my short stint there, Pepsi was free with meals, but you had to pay for Coke.
You know how they say hindsight is 20/20? Well it is of course true. I can look back and see a lot of regrets. I have to keep telling myself that even if I had done everything right, my body still would have failed - its a way to dull down regrets.
Take NECI for example, my very short stint at Culinary school. I could have handled that better. I should have been sleeping more at night. I should have attempted to be more social with my classmates - make friends. I should have worked out more. I should have eaten better. But I was 21. 21 is fucking young. Hell 26 is young (no matter how old and mature I FEEL). So I drank Pepsi and stayed up late listening to music - and wore my body down even faster than would have happened anyways.
I can tell myself that I have a reason I don't sleep much (I write this at 5AM), and I have a reason that my body fails, I have a few of them.
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Tell me something, explain something to me please. WHY is it that so many people tell me I'm a special guy, I'm an inspiration. They say "I don't know how you do it" and shit like that. Well you know, I really have no choice with the whole staying sane in the basement kind of thing. There are a dozen motorcycle parts on the bed that remain uninstalled and it drives me nuts. I also often feel like a fuck up. I mean I really am. Yes I'm still alive. But I fucked up high school, I fucked up college over and over, I've fucked up friendships. I am alone. I am disabled. HOW can that be inspirational to anybody? I don't get it.
0000000
Hahahha enough of that self pity bullshit. There's no point to it. Its like worrying about some situation you may be in, you can't focus and worry about tomorrow - because you JUST don't know what's going to happen.
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I'm at a sort of a loss right now. I'm trying to find meaning. I wanted to be a Chef, I wanted to be a school teacher, I wanted to be a motorcycle mechanic, I wanted to be a techie in the theater. I wanted to be Great. I could have been Great. So what now? What can I do? What can I do with my life? I am trapped here, most of the time. There is so much... and yet...
What can I do? What is my purpose? Is it to come here and write? To write in my notebooks? To get that book written and published? Is it to listen to music and to learn the Violin? Is it to expand my mind reading every book I can get my hands on - when my hands don't hurt so bad I can't read...
They say every man needs a purpose. They say do what you love. I need to find something new. I need to get my hands on something I love that I can do down here. Maybe I can rebuild carbs and cylinder heads while in bed?
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You say I'm going to buy this place and Burn it Down I'm going to put it six feet underground You say I'm going to buy this place and watch it fall Stand here beside me baby in the crumbling walls Oh I'm going to buy this place and start a fire..... ^ Coldplay - A Rush of Blood to the Head
Feeling Uninspired Think I'll Start a fire Everybody Run... Bobby's got a gun Thin you're kinda NEAT THEN SHE TELLS ME I'M A CREEP ^ Stone Temple Pilots - Creep
I don't need no arms around me I don't need no drugs to calm me I have seen the writing on the wall Don't think I need anything at all ^ Pink Floyd - Another Brick in the Wall
Turn a Blind Eye Why Do I deny Medicate me So I die Happy ^ The Exies - Ugly
You can run on for a long time Run on for a long time Run on for a long time Run on long time Sooner or later God's gonna cut you down Sooner or later God's gonna cut you down ^ Johnny Cash - God's Gonna Cut You Down
Oh The rules have changed today I have no place to stay Thinking about the subway And the Love has flown away My tears have come and gone Oh my lord I have to roam I have no home I have no home ^ The Chambers Brothers - Time Has Come Today
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I guess you could say I am in a funky mood tonight. I have been thinking a great deal about Cody, Steve, and Wingnut. I have been thinking about Liam. I look across the room and I can see his picture on my door. Maybe in another life.
I smoke too much tobacco, and I drink too much soda. I talk to much, and I write too much. These are addictions I can't seem to feed enough of. Why can I express myself better in words than I can out loud? I have 6 subscribers here, I have never met... 6 of them. Brent - my best friend - will work his way through this, probably not the whole damned post, but he'll read some of it.
I'm going to see him in about 8 hours. Going to have my car towed to his house, then join him at the Fire Station till he gets out of work. After that, we'll be working on the car in his garage. The car has no brakes. Its been 2 weeks. Its like anything I guess. You can always rely on Brent, he's one of those rock solid friends. Fuck it, he's a brother. The only thing that separates us as being brothers is we don't share the same blood. Thats really it.
At any rate, I am going to shut up now, this has gone on FAR too long.
--------------------------------- A setback for the sidecar plan hit me today. I told Paul, who I had discussed my idea with the other day, and he had to admit he'd not thought of it either. A sidecar has 4 mounting points along a frame. Here (took me a few minutes to find this diagram even though I've seen it a 1000 times) you can see how it is usually done:
I hit a serious issue in that I don't have a cradle frame as seen in the above. My bike looks like this: The engine hangs from the frame. This doesn't stop people, the way around this is making a "sub frame" a crude example can be seen here:
As you can see what the subframe really is, well it turns a non cradle frame into a cradle frame.
So the subframe will have to be designed and built before I can really think about building the sidecar, because what's the point if I can't find a way to attach it?
So that's to be my new fiddle, or violin, or what ever you want to call it. I like the term fiddle, it suits me. I wanted a black one, but they weren't going to have any in for a couple of weeks. Between the available choices, I decided white was good. I could have gotten a classic stained one but I figured that for the price of the fiddle, including rosin, bow, and hard case... the stain would be utter shit, where as with white at LEAST it would be well laid on.
Liam is learning the guitar. He'll probably pick that up quicker than I pick up the fiddle, BUT we figure that we can bring them on camping trips and have some music. Camping via motorcycles. Thats the way to do it. Thats the only way to do it.
Tomorrow (today) is going to be a solid day. The Harley fork tubes arrive, as well as the new Master Cylinder for my car. That project will be either tonight or tomorrow. I'll get a tow out to Brent's and then after he gets out of work at the Fire Department at 5pm we'll go get brake fluid and what ever else... brake line I suppose, put the car on the lift and have at it. There is also a belt that needs tensioned, and I think just maybe we'll have to do wheel bearings soon.
I also had an idea for the sidecar.
Oh right, you haven't heard about the sidecar yet. I want a sidecar. Not really the body so much as the frame. I want a motorcycle that I can ride 4 seasons if I was so inclined. Now the bike is a small engine, so I don't Really need this big heavy chair. What I need is a frame, ballast, and that third wheel with a mud flap and turn signals and such.
I figure I can make the frame out of Gas pipe. I'll need Walter's help (Walter is a friend of the family and a restoration plumber) I might need threaded gas pipe at a rather random set of lengths.
Ok so let me see if I can describe this for you in a good way. The basic frame is a rectangle that is just slightly longer than a square. So for that you need 4 lengths of gas pipe and 4 elbows. Now if you're looking down on that, say you were to sketch the rectangle on a sheet of paper.
Now choose one of the two longer sides of the rectangle and count that off limits - THAT is where it bolts up to the motorcycle. Now what you want to do is look at the other side, the long pipe running parallel to the pipe that hooks to the bike. THAT is where the wheel goes.
So now it gets sort of complicated. So the view you should have drawn is what would be called a "Gulls eye view" which is an old Navy expression.
Now draw a single line the same length as the longer portion of the rectangle some place.
THAT line is the side view of the rectangle. That line is that outer pipe that will hold the wheel. Now wee need a suspension - so that pipe is actually going to be made up of 3 pipes. The two that thread into elbows, then a center one that will be bent inwards (into the rectangle) slightly (if you're looking at a clock then the amount of a curve say from the 2 to 4). These 3 sections will on the inside thread into two T with the lower portion of the T aiming upwards.
Now there will be Another rectangle jutting up from that side view closer to the rear of the bike, which we're going to say you're looking at the right side of the bike. So the new rectangle will be closer to the left end of the side view which you drew as a single line. This will be a slim rectangle Imagine (I am assuming you are totally not tech savvy) a Pringles can. Thats about the same size as a motorcycle shock. So there has to be a few inches clearance on either side of the shock which is centered in the new rectangle. The shock is about 13" high. So the new rectangle scaled down from say 13" high by 7" wide.
So That essentially is my frame - shouldn't be hard to draw that 3D.
It is slightly more complicated than that. Off that outer frame rail (with the bent in bar) I need a swing arm that will hold the wheel. It has to jut out from the front end of the frame on a spindle inside bushings - The bar that holds the wheel is shaped like a T and is called a swing arm. The bottom part of the T is where the wheel goes, and the bar across the top of the T is the spindle which has to some how connect with my frame. That lower portion of the T is my arm. At the end imaging a fist that holds the wheel.
The Fist has to not only hold the axle that the wheel is on, but it also has to grab that shock that is hanging down from that second rectangle we drew - that you drew ( I am doing all of this in my head ) - and that is why that rail needs to be bent - otherwise the fist would SMACK the sidecar frame as it absorbs the bumps with the help of the shock.
If I want to get even more complicated I would be running a couple of cross rails through the inside of the frame to give it added strength. That would of course require more T unions and cutting the original rails into shorter units.
Once the whole thing is together and I have it so that it will take a wheel - I will bring the sidecar down to Worcester City Welding (or to WPI) and have someone who knows how to weld cast iron, weld all my unions and elbows so that nothing EVER comes unscrewed. Then we primer the whole thing and give it about 8 coats of Rustolium shiny black, until it stops looking like the gas pipe that it is to the untrained eye - which I suspect would hinder inspection.
I need ballast which could be in the form of a steal plate, a thick steal plate. Thats another reason I would like to have those cross members inside - something to rest the plate on. I can then clamp it to those, and maybe have it welded in place.
I want to drill holes in it for "Eye Bolts" so that I can ratchet things to the plate - such as maybe a Christmas Tree one year, or lumbar, tool chests, etc.
Another consideration that I hadn't mentioned is the wheel I use (I have one in mind, already have it) has to be the same size as the rear wheel for the bike, so that the frame isn't too much higher or lower than the motorcycle frame. Stemming off of that consideration is another. That second rectangle (the one that holds the shock) has to be just over half the hight of the Wheel that I am using - and with a tire included on the wheel the entire sidecar frame isn't more than a foot longer TOTAL than the wheel.
I plan to buy an old Triumph or such rear fender for it off Ebay and run a second brake light to it with my right hand blinkers on the sidecar fender front and back. This also will be painted Shiny black.
If I ever wanted to make the bike into a "True" cafe racer (except with a sidecar) then I could use the sidecar to my advantage. You see with the old school kick start cafe racers you didn't need a battery compliments of either a Magneto or a serious capacitor in the wiring. I have no kick starter - so I NEED my battery.
I could mount a Craftsman tool box on the sidecar (painted black) and inside it I could mount my Battery as well as all my electrics - fuses, Rectifier, Regulator, etc) so that I could have the true "cafe" look which essentially means the only thing behind the engine are the carbs, air filters - then open space to the fender.
ANYWAYS... its almost 6AM and I have a doctor's apt at 10:15AM.
So I'm going to smoke and catch a few hours of sleep.
I realize the above was boring to 95% of the people who might read it, and only 6 people that I know of do read this - and I don't think any other than Sean get motorcycles hahaha. But this is how my mind works, and this is my blog. This is where I come when I can't sleep, and when no one I know is awake.
If you ignore the gigantic stack of records (all of which get played rather religiously) you will see a bit of everything I suppose. Old stacks of CDs and Cassettes collect dust. There is the Mac Amp with a blown left channel next to the Crown Amp with its own blown left channel (still using the Crown). The Advent Tuner Pre-Amp which has worn out set of cables that require constant fiddling to get the record player's sound through to the care worn Bozak speakers. The Advent sits on top of a neglected modern tuner made by Yamaha. Over on another bench is an ignored 5 disc CD player that only works with the Mac because the Advent's Aux is out of commission.
Over up against the far wall is a Pawn Shop special guitar that Paul tunes every time he visits and I never bothered to learn how to play. There used to be a joyless neglected Banjo, but I sold it. I have three Blues Harps, one C note and two G note. Two are chromatic, one was my grand fathers, the other two are mine. I can actually play the harmonica alright except I never much cared for it once I figured out how. I find it too shrill, and there's no peace, can't play a soft and sad melody (I realize that goes in the face of "Blues" but I'll defend it).
The only one I was ever actually good at and Truly loved was the violin. I took lessons down at Doherty High School when I was 11/12. I always promised that I'd go back to it someday. (I can see Brent with his head in his hands with what's coming) So I bought a Violin today. *shuddup Brent* I got a cheap as fuck one, case/bow/violin all for $50 including S&H. They have good reviews in the sense of "You get what you pay for" and "sounds better with new strings" That plus a $10 do it yourself book which had 70 positive reviews on Amazon... I don't have to be good, I just need something to do in the basement that I can do sitting down, besides this damned laptop.
I have all the time in the world. The Violin is the only instiment I ever practiced religiously. I feel sort of silly because for $50 I had the options of violet, pink, baby blue, and white... Yes sir, this is a Cheap Violin. I went with white. It is wood tho, I mean it is a real violin, 4/4 size, 23" long.
In other news I brought in the form to get my handicap plate today - I'm going to get the placard because it can be moved from vehicle to vehicle. My one Doc is working through the records to make it easier for me to be square for the childhood disability act.
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.
Cry Havoc and Let Slip the Dogs of War!
But no, really, I'm a student to be a motorcycle mechanic, I'm 25, I write a lot, I eat less than I should, I sleep less than I should, but I like to get out and live. I don't drink, but I smoke a pipe. My sense of style is at Least 40 years out of date, I am who I am, and That's who I am.
