My R5

Been thinking about fixing up my 1971 Yamaha R5  for a few weeks now.It's been a long time since I did any service on this bike and I'd like to take it up to my camp in a few weeks .Gonna take the swing arm off and have a look at the bushings and pull the front end apart and check & lube the head bearings. I have some decent tires that I have been saving that I want to put on as well  and she needs a good tune up.The plan is to head up to my camp around the 20th of September in my truck with the R5 and my kayak in the back for three weeks and get some things done around the place.I also want to bring my paints and start painting again.Yesterday I found this beautiful ,very expensive,easel on the side of the road in a garbage pile ! It is in incredible condition , what a score.This is the second one I have found this year  so I'm going to leave one up there with some canvas and oils so I can paint on days when it's raining out like I used to do .I miss painting ,been over a year since I did any work. Just the other day I put a painting in an art show at the library in Greenlawn ,NY. Things are starting to happen again,I'm working on bikes,wanting to paint,traveling,and still working towards getting outta here and into a house out in Arizona. So,tonight the fun begins as I rearrange the garage and get the R5 out into the center where I can work on her.Had the 1966 Yamaha YM1 out the other night , think I'll get the 1969 DS6C out for a ride next but my main focus over the next week will be getting the R5 all sorted and ready for three weeks up in Northern NY. I love riding up there and the R5 is the perfect bike for that.She goes fast enough to go anywhere I want and also does real good on dirt roads so exploring is an easy and enjoyable activity. The Moto Guzzi did ok up there last month but the R5 is better in this environment . Well,it's going to be another very hot day here in Long Island.It's been above 90 F  for the past few days.It's high tide in the afternoon so I guess I'll be out in my kayak again for a third day paddling around and enjoying the  breeze out on the water.Saw a young eagle testing out it's wings yesterday just soaring and riding thermals as all these terns were dive bombing these schools of bait fish having lunch.It's summer and things are good.

The First Trip For The 1988 K 100 RS

Well,here I am in my tent hole up waiting for the rain to pass . Rode up here to the mountains of Northern PA to escape the weather only to have it follow me.Looks like I’ll be stuck here for the next two days until it clears and I can make my get away heading east towards home.It.s Tuesday and I want to be home by mid day Friday so what I’m going to do is head out Thursday when the weather breaks and do a 300+ mile ride across New York State to Rhinebeck NY where I can camp and be two hours away from the ferry to Long Island from Bridgeport CT. This is life on the road.Left home last Thursday and rode 325 miles to the Vintage Japanese Motorcycle Show at White Rose MC in southern PA. It was sunny and hot with temps in the 90’s . The bike passed the first test!  Yes ,this trip is a test of my new old  1988 BMW K100 RS . It did just fine in the heat and did ok in the drizzle we had on & off at the event.Rode in on & off drizzle Sunday 250 miles north to a state park in the mountains of north central PA and today got to try her out in heavy rain as I tried to escape that crap only to ride into worse. So, the bike passed all my tests with flying colors and after going out in pouring rain to shop for food here I am warm and dry in my tent .The story begins here. White Rose was fun.I spent the weekend with old friends and old motorcycles riding between the bouts of rain when the sun would come out and bake us.On the ride down I had no use of my rear view mirrors because of my pack.This was a problem and I spent hours thinking about how I could overcome this.Now I’m at a Japanese bike show right . Well Friday morning I’m walking thru the swap meet and out of the corner of my eye I spot this BMW stuff that looks to be K100 ! I look closer and it’s a tail section from a K75 which is exactly the same and then I see two mint stock mirrors.The 75 uses the same bar controls so these will fit and also solve the whole problem just by putting them on and tightening two small nuts ! What a score for 50 bucks I now am safe and I have a rear tail section with a rack that I can paint to match my bike and have a better solution to packing my gear.That made my weekend! Sold some dirt bike crap I had and got a hundred dollars so I’m ahead now.My friends all liked my new ride and it was good hanging out .Changes are coming to White Rose ,new guys are running the place and doing a crappy job .Robin, the guy who runs this meet, is looking into another venue so this might be the end of a 27 year run at this place. Well, next year with any luck I’ll be out west and not in attendance . Time to shut this down and make some lunch while the rain has let up some.

Later on

Now it’s evening .The rain is fucking endless and being stuck in a tent in wet damp conditions isn’t fun but , this is motorcycling . Got out to get some food before .Got wet before I could get the rain gear on  but all went well and now I’m set until I leave for home on Thursday when the weather clears.Gonna do a long day Thursday on the interstate then back road it thru the Catskill Mountains to this park south of Rhinebeck .Keeping my fingers crossed for good weather but even if it rains I’m outta here Thursday. Time to end this trip and get back to work  getting the down payment money together for that house in Arizona .Getting dark now.The wind is picking up, it’s cold and wet here in Northern PA . It’s gonna be an early night tonight but my iPod is all charged up and I have lots to listen to so it’s all good.

Home Now

Hit the road early Thursday. Got on the interstate up in Western NY and pointed the bike east.Rode all day hard and fast.I decided to just do the trip in one day and head straight for the ferry at Bridgeport skipping the stop at Rhinebeck. The bike ran great.I made it to Danbury and hit a wall of traffic.Was aiming for the 5:15 boat and as I was going thru the town of Danbury the bike quit.It was like I just turned the key off.I rolled into the parking lot of this ice cream store where there was shade thinking I was just out of gas.Asked the woman behind the counter if there was a gas station near by and she told me one was down the street about one block so I started walking.Bought a small can and a gallon of gas . Back at the bike I put it in and still no luck.Called up my friend Craig who lives in CT.He was busy with work and told me he’d call back in a few minutes.After talking with him the first time my mind started to work right again and I started figuring out what it could be.Pulled off all my gear and turned on the key with my ear on the tank.No fuel pump noise ! Pulled off the side cover and found a blown fuse.Swapped it with the tail light fuse and the bike started! Called Craig back and he found an auto parts store near by for me on his computer.This was a big help. As I was heading to the parts store I saw a muffler shop so I stopped there.He had the fuse and gave it to me free with an extra just in case . He wouldn’t take any money. I thanked him, fixed my tail light fuse and made the 6:15 boat back to Long Island and home .