Spring Service

Been a while since I posted anything.Winter is down time for me.This is the main reason I want to move to Arizona.But, now it's spring and I'm getting my 850 -T into shape to travel with.Last week I did the front brakes,Not just the usual pad replacement but a rebuild of the Master Cylinder,and two new Calipers & Pads. It should have been an easy straight forward job but the factory didn't lube the caliper seals and jammed the pistons all the way in so I couldn't get the system to bleed.I fucked with it thinking the master was the problem that was causing no lever pressure but after re doing that realized it wasn't the problem.I put the old calipers back on in desperation and I had pressure ! So,this told me there was a problem with the new calipers.I could have sent them back but really wanted to move forward with this and ride the fucking thing so I took them apart.It took over 100 psi of air to pop the pistons out!. I had plenty of special lube left from the master rebuild kit that was genuine Brembo so I used it on the seals and pistons.Put everything back together and now I have new brakes.It's never easy,always a battle but somehow I always manage to win that battle.Now it's on to the charging system.Two years ago on my way home from Canada the charging system took a shit.I was able to ride home on the battery because I was close when this happened fortunately. I was only coming home for a one night lay over then heading south to the Vintage Japanese Motorcycle Show at White Rose MC in PA so I pulled the alt and diode board off the little BMW R60/5 I have waiting for me to restore in my shed.An hour later I was back in business and the next day I headed out .It worked so good I just left it there.Last summer I bought all new stuff to replace it but never got to it. So,here we are now getting the bike ready to head down to Virginia to a Moto Guzzi rally in southern Virginia and do some riding on the Blue Ridge Parkway.This weekend I attack the charging system,it's time.The bike is running real good,I put on modern handle bar switches and tightened up the wiring some.Gonna drop the oil pan and check to make sure the screen is clean,clean the K&N's and oil them,set the valves & timing,and give the bike a new set of tires .It's going to be a good summer of riding !

I'm also into this 1988 BMW K100 up to my eyeballs.I've got the tank off all the stuff inside like the fuel pump ,filter, gas gauge sender,and what not removed.I cleaned out the tank really well,I bought all new parts from the fuel pump right down to the injectors and a new battery so it should be a runner at some point this summer.This bike is pretty cool,my friend gave it to me and it only has 12,000 miles on it. This is going to be my desert cruiser for those long hot rides across the desert. Water cooled,fuel injected 4 cylinder . Good bike for this kind of use.

So that's the deal ,I'm back to wrenching and riding .Gonna also head up to my camp in the Adirondacks to continue working on the place so I can get it sold.That is my ticket out of here to a new situation out west in Arizona.It's that time in my life now.I need to be able to ride year round and be warm.I turned 67 years old last month and time is getting short and more valuable to me now.Don't want to waste it here in this cesspool called New York dealing with traffic jams , tolls,crappy roads full of pot holes, and shit weather.