Moto Guzzi Work

 Been doing stuff on my T each day as I get her ready to get inspected and in condition to travel again.She would pass an inspection as is but I want to do all this work first just because.You know, that's just how I am.So after getting the carbs all squared away and running a couple tanks of gas through them I got the power washer out yesterday and blaster her off. Now that she's all clean it's time to adjust the valves and drop the oil pan. So this is today's work. Yesterday the new tool I bought to pull the valve stem on the tube into the wheel rim arrived so now I'm also able to fit the new rear tire on the bike. This will probably happen on Monday. I always wanted one of these tools but just never got around to getting one. For 8 bucks I can now do the job of installing the tube in the tire and getting the air fill stem through the hole in the rim without getting my hands all bruised and cut.You know, these new tires have really stiff sidewalls unlike the old stuff we used to run. In other news I dodged a bullet by not heading south because of the bridge washout up at my camp last month.This hurricane really messed up the area where I was headed. My brother in law lives in Ashville NC and had a tree smash through his roof and crash into his bedroom while sleeping and could have been killed! So you see, everything happens for a reason and the reason in terms of my life is that I'm not in a tent under 20 inches of rain water and trees falling. So like my brother in law I'm also a lucky guy. I can't even begin to imagine what I would do if something like this hurricane hit and I was in a tent traveling on my bike like this.

I was supposed to be in this motorcycle campground at this place called Meadows Of Dan  in southwest Virginia on the border with North Carolina yesterday when this thing hit. What a mess , well this is climate change. No wait, that's fake news right?

Progress

 Yesterday I worked on the Moto Guzzi sorting out the leaks in the carbs. After fooling around with them for what seemed like forever I discovered the problem was in the new fuel lines I ran not the carbs as I thought. So, I drained the gas tank thru both petcocks into a can through a funnel with white cloth in it to check for dirt or rust. It came out clean. Then I put the old fuel lines back on and had no leaks. I finally got it running mid day and took it up the street. It felt good so I decided to shut it off and test ride it around town after dinner when the traffic is all gone. The test ride went well and today I'm going to ride her and see how it all works after riding for an hour or so. If that is good then she's fixed and I can move on to the valve adjustment and oil change. Gonna order a new rear tire today and some other bits for both the MG and the BMW to get both bikes ready for inspection. Yesterday was a good day. It sucks that all my travel plans have been ruined for this year but sometimes these things happen for a good reason so I'm going to make the best of it and not let it jam me up. While looking through some files I came across a photo of me on my 1969 Yamaha DS6C. I've owned this bike since Oct of 1972! I think I'm going to take her out for a ride tomorrow and give all this work a rest while I reconnect with my old friend.

As I get older I realize that I have to sell some of these bikes off.It is a burden having to work on them all the time. This DS6C is a keeper. So is the 1971 Yamaha R5, the 1975 Moto Guzzi , and one of the 3 older  YDS series Yamaha motorcycles I have.  Four is manageable, right now I have six on the road and god knows how many projects. The 75 Yamaha RD350 will be the first to go, in fact I think I'm going to put it on Craigslist tonight and I may even list my 1966 Plymouth Valiant convertible. Been taking it to car shows with a 4 sale sign and now it's time to advertise it as well. It's time for me to get back to the things that matter to me  like my core collection of motorcycles, my wagon, and either my camp or getting another place up there to replace the camp. Time is moving fast for me now. Soon I'll be gone

The  Herd

The 66 Valiant 

Working On The Moto Guzzi

 So now I'm up to my eyeballs in work on the Moto Guzzi.After doing a rebuild on both carbs I installed them only to have a leak.Didn't take long to see where it was and now the fix is happening.It was these two bolts that hold on the filter housing on the side of each carb.The fiber washers were worn out and not sealing. Luckily I remembered I had the two carbs from the parts bike I bought a few years back so I dug them out.They had the housings and the bolts.I took them apart carefully and the washers are still in decent shape .So, I cleaned up the bolts and left the washers in place then soaked them overnight. Now it's time to put this thing back together. Sure hope this fixes it.

My garage is total chaos ever since Covid. I just let it all go to shit.Well,that is about to change. After this job on the MG is finished I'm going to start getting organized so I can work this winter.I need to get rid of the 1975 RD350 and then begin the clean up.Well, back to the job at hand

With a bit of good luck the Moto Guzzi should be up and running today so I cam test ride it and then set the valves & change the oil.Have to order a new rear tire too.Had to use the one I bought for it back in the spring on the front of the BMW K100.They are the same size. So,when this bike is fitted with new tires and brakes, all tuned properly, and both are inspected I'll have both my over the road bikes set.At that point I can turn my attention to the four two strokes I have registered and once they are finished I'll be all set for next year. The two strokes are easy,just a cleaning and adjustments really. Time to go to work now.

Forward Motion Again

Well it seems like I'm starting to come back to life after that awful trip up to my camp. It's been over a week now since I went up and saw that mess.Went to the ocean  and relaxed, went riding lots on my BMW too. Sunday while out on the BMW K100 the clutch cable broke. Fortunately I had a spare with me and a 3 foot long piece of bailing wire coiled up in the tail section storage compartment. You see,back when I was learning about working on this bike I found this online forum where I read about how to use a piece of wire to pull a replacement cable up under the gas tank to the control lever. 

https://www.k100-forum.com/forum 

By doing it with the wire connected to the bottom of the old broken cable you now have a way to pull up the new cable in the same exact position as the cable you just removed without taking half the fucking motorcycle apart like this. 

 

Well, I remembered this trick and kept what I needed with me and used it on Sunday on the side of the road. It took me about 45 minutes to do the job and all was good again and I was on my way. This was the turning point! Something went right, the next day I rode the Moto Guzzi. Didn't want to ride the BMW until a new spare clutch cable is ordered and delivered so I have a spare onboard again. After riding the Moto Guzzi I decided it's time to do a major service on it so Monday night I started. I'm going thru the bike right now.  I'm almost finished with cleaning and rebuilding the carbs, the K&N air filters have been washed and oiled , fixed the rear brake light switch, took the throttle assembly all apart and cleaned out all the old stiff grease & lubed the two cables. Today I finish the carbs get them installed and turn my attention to a valve adjustment. When that is finished I road test it and get it good and warm before dropping the oil and pulling off the oil pan to have a look. Dropping the pan is something that should be done on a regular basis and I've been putting it off so it's a must do thing at this point. When the motor work is finished it's time for new tires and front wheel bearings, then I'll do the front end. I love doing this shit! I really want to get my favorite ride back into good shape so that next year I can use it to travel on. 

 

This years travel plans have been canceled due to the mess up at my camp but I'm not going to let that stop me from getting my bikes back into really good running order. Still searching for a riding partner too but not letting not having one stop me from riding. So, there is forward motion again and I have the 1971 Yamaha R5 to ride. Life is still good even though it threw me a curve ball.

This bike has bailed me out more times than I can count. Old Reliable comes to the rescue again! You know, I bought this bike when my DS6C was down in 1985 as a back up. I paid $ 185. for it and have probably put on well over 140,000 miles on her over the years. So basic and so easy to work on and ride.She took me out to Mid Ohio fully loaded with gear 600 miles on interstate 80 THIRTEEN times !

What Now

 Well after heading north last Monday everything changed. I headed out at 4AM and drove up to my camp 360 or so miles away in the Adirondacks .It was a nice drive with good weather and no traffic .I arrived about 11:30AM to find that my bridge and most of my driveway on the street side of the bridge was gone! That's right, gone,washed away.

I climbed through the ruins and checked on my buildings , everything there was fine . Walked around in disbelief taking photos of downstream at the neighbors place and saw the same . He actually got hurt worse seeing as he just had his bridge completely rebuilt by a contractor just this past year. My bridge was built by the old farmer who is long gone now about 60 or 70 years ago.He was a real nice man. I bought the property next to mine from him back in the early 1980's.

After about 45 minutes I got in my truck and headed back home. I drove roughly 720 miles this day. Now here I am trying to figure a path forward. This mess is the result of Tropical Storm Debbie back in August . It cause damage like this everywhere it visited. So, now it's Saturday and here I am thinking about how to proceed .I'm on my own up there with no one to help me so it will be a huge undertaking but being the fighter I am I will prevail!

Time To Head North

 Yesterday I started getting my little Chevy S10 pick up ready for a trip up to my camp. Did the front brakes and today it's the rears. The plan is to leave here on Monday morning real early like around 4AM so I get there in the early afternoon.

 I have no idea what the place looks like because I haven't been there since last October so it will probably be a work trip. I want to get some fire wood cut and get some supplies in the place so I can ride up on the BMW K100 in late September when the leaves are changing  for a couple weeks.I need it bad.I have no idea what is going on with the place next door but it is what it is.The place is changing .When I bought it in 1977 it was totally undeveloped now there are houses here and there and now one right next to me.It may be time for me to move on or not, only time will tell this story. I'm going to stay positive and hope for the best. I had a good 48 year run here and I'd like it to continue. Change is always somewhat scary but in the end it's usually good so we'll see. Got the BMW running good and all set to travel with new brakes and tires. When I return from upstate I'll get it inspected and she'll be good to go. Wish I had a riding partner to travel with . I miss those days with Juan when we'd ride up into the Catskills and camp but his changes brought him to Mexico and raising a family there  and I'm happy for him. Changes are hard but necessary to keep forward motion in life and without that forward motion life doesn't really have a point.

Sometimes I think I should look into having a proper house built here on the other lot I own next to this.Then I'd have the two buildings on this acre to use as shop space. Even though I'm 75 years old I still need forward motion and a plan .I may live to be old and if that's the case I don't want to be idle just sitting around. I could build a nice bike shop in the steel building and use the barn as a parts storage area. Maybe on my next trip up when out riding I'll visit the mill where the Amish guy that cut my siding  is and see if he does building and if so what kind of money it will take. Plans plans and more plans. This is how I light the fire to move me forward. Right now I feel like a fly stuck on fly paper ! I gotta get outta of this place.