Today I Ride

 Heading out to the east on the Moto Guzzi today.Need it bad and it's a beautiful day. I was supposed to get in my little truck and head into Queens to buy these Crager rims for my wagon but the guy can't meet today so lucky me gets to head east into the Pine Barens for a day of fun . Still at it across the street working away my life on this basement kitchen but not today. This job is coming to an end now and that's it for me and construction jobs.I'm looking forward to some travel later on this summer and I need to get into shape to do that.I also need to get the bike in shape so I will be busy for the next couple months fixing up my 850-T .The new seat I ordered is on back order so who knows when that will arrive but that's ok 'cause I have other shit to do like rebuilding the front forks ,a new clutch,all new brakes, and tires so there are no issues to deal with out on the road.I sure hope I get to go on this trip. My leg is so fucked up that sometimes I have a hard time walking around from the pain but I'm not going to let that stop me. The way I see it is that this is possibly my last chance at a good long motorcycle trip and I better take it before I can't.So,today I ride a hundred miles and as time marches forward I increase the mileage and number of rides to get in shape.Got out on my R5 last week for a few rides, of course it didn't look like this .I took this photo back in the days when I used to travel on this little two stroke screamer . You know, the days before the Moto Guzzi. This was my ride for almost a quarter century ! Bought in 1985 and still in service today ! I used to get on interstate 80 with this thing packed just like this and hold the speed at 70 all day long covering 500+ miles a day ! I wonder if I could do that today? I doubt it but thinking about it is sure fun.

 

I also got out on the 1966 Yamaha 305cc YM1 for a couple hundred miles last week. Ain't she sweet !

Bought this in 1988 as a project that needed a ground up resto. Well she got one and is a fine machine today.I think I may sell her.I have two of this model and the other one is on the agenda to get finished as soon as I'm fully retired so one must go. It's nice having these bikes to keep my mind and my time occupied .It's difficult shifting gears from working in people's houses to working on projects in my garage. I really like working in the garage but it gets lonely .Wish I had someone who I could pass on my skills to.Well , it is what it is.Time to ride this bike and point my attention towards the future. I still can't wrap my mind around the fact that I am 75 years old now !

Now it's evening. I had a great day out riding my 1975 Moto Guzzi 850-T . Took the highway out east to some good roads in Manorville LI ,NY and she performed great. Held a nice smooth 70mph at a shade over 4000rpm and was making 14.1 volts  .The clutch even feels good so I may take her up to the Adirondacks as a test next month before I spend money on a new clutch. Sure felt good to ride !

Still Working

 So, my 75th birthday came and went and here I am still working. Been building this small kitchen / wet bar in a neighbors basement and yesterday I finally got the cabinets installed so I can begin building the counter top. The walls in this place are so out of whack that I couldn't just use a pre-fab home depot counter.The corner is so out of square that I need to build a custom counter to conform to this mess.So ,that's what I'm doing today. Yesterday after screwing the base cabinets to the wall I measured for it and went out and bought what I need.Got some nice formica that works well with the cabinets so over the next two days I will get this built and hopefully installed . I've decided that this is the last construction job I'm ever going to do other than something for myself or a very good friend. Everything takes too much time out of my life and time is something that's way more important to me than money. Money, really, it's just paper with pictures of 300 year old dead rich guys on it and the way the government just keeps printing more makes it even more worthless. I'd rather be riding or painting making art but here I am doing this .

From that back corner out to the end of the cabinet is about 65 inches and with a straight edge touching the wall at the corner it is around 3/4th of an inch out at the end of the cabinet. The guy who built this space was a real hack but I'll make it all look right.Time to get to it. Ordered a new seat for my Moto Guzzi yesterday as a birthday present to myself, next is the new clutch . Can't wait to get my life back so I can hit the road and travel again. So, with any luck I'll be finished with this project by the end of May and be free to roam . First ride will probably be up to my camp. Can't wait!