Going to The Surgeon

By -

The bike that is...
       As many of you already know the motorcycle is going through yet another transformation.  Last years travels across the United States took it's toll on it in more ways than one.  Not only did the appearance of it change from shiny raw steel to a rather disturbing shade of brown, thanks to the seemingly endless miles along the coast and camping on the beach, but the motor also took a beating.  As the summer went on, the miles racked up.  And, with the increasing average MPH, especially on the interstates, the motor was feeling about as responsive as a Vespa.  It was slowing down noticeably in fact.  I found myself downshifting at times where I wouldn't have before and holding the throttle wide open at times I shouldn't have needed to.   None of this was surprising though as the motor now has 132,000 miles on it, 90,000 since the last rebuild.  
     This new version of the bike will be dramatically different then anything I've had before.  Though no serious modifications are being made to the frame the front end is getting replaced. I learned over this last summer that running an 18" over telescoping fork on a bike with a 60 degree rake is rather pointless.  Because of the extreme angle the suspension is rendered virtually useless.  Any suspension you get simply comes from the flex in the fork tubes.  In light of this, the current front end is being replaced with a 27" over rigid fork.  Thats right, rigid. The front end was fabricated using  nothing more then steel tubing.  The idea being that the increased length will offer more suspension due to increased flex without the issues of constantly blowing fork seals.  I'm excited to try it and report back on the results.  
     The only modifications made to the frame itself was the addition of a custom luggage rack and tie down points to ease the securing of a bag.  The new arrangement will give me the ability to safely and efficiently secure a waterproof duffel bag without the use of bungee chords.  This sounds like a small thing but over the course of a couple months on the road its the details that make a difference.    
     The motor and transmission is where the majority of improvements are being made.  A complete top to bottom rebuild is taking place as I type this.  The motor is being bored out to a 95", up from 88".  Virtually every component of the motor is being replaced and upgraded including S & S flywheels, gear drive cams, pistons, lifters, etc.  Complimenting the new motor will be a shiny new Baker 6spd transmission complete with an overdrive to keep my RPM's down when cruising the interstate at 90mph.  This work is being done courtesy of Frontline Cycles in Longmont, CO. 
   Finally, All this will be coming together with a fancy new paint job.  This will be the first time I have had a bike with paint on it in nearly 8 years.  Estimated completion of this project is two weeks from today, so keep your fingers and toes crossed and check back soon for more updates!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Paris to Portugal to Italy to Germany

By -
Image
        As the clouds open up to nourish the green rolling hills of southern Germany I sit and wright. Reflecting back on the last two weeks I am overwhelmed by the beauty of the European coutryside and the kindness and generosity of the locals we have met along the way.  To date, this trip has been everything we hoped for.  After leaving Paris we navigated our way south to Macon, France to meet up with our friend Olivier.  Though our conversation was labored due to a substantial language barrier, we felt more then welcome in his home for a night and very much enjoyed each others company.  Upon his recommedation, we twisted and turned our way down the backroads of southern France towards Millau. Through rolling hills of patchwork vineyards, along picturesque mountain streams and through ancient villages it was like riding through a postcard, as most of this trip has been.  From Millau, we set the relatively unknown country of Andorra on our radar.  From what I can tell, the area where
Read more

Southbound and Down

By -
Image
Early March in Colorado is not typically considered a great time to embark on a multi day motorcycle adventure.  In fact, it’s a risky time for most parts of the country which is the main reason why I’ve never bothered with the Daytona Rally in Florida...or should I call it the Greater Daytona Area Motorcycle Get Together? I’ll get back to that later.   The likelihood of bitter cold temperatures, spring rains and even snow are well beyond possible, its almost guaranteed, and this trip would prove that multiple times over.  My departure from home was about as expected, better even, with temperatures in the mid 40’s and a gale force westerly wind I was thankful that the thermometer had clipped north of 32 and the roads were dry, but this would all change on me soon enough.   East bound on I-70. I chose to blaze across Kansas as quickly as humanely possible, I’ve learned from previous experience that back-roading Kansas doesn’t gain a person much but added hours of wheat
Read more

Where in the world are we?

By -
Image
           If anybody had any doubts about whether or not heaven exists, I can tell you with complete confidence that it does.  Turns out it is down here in Portugal along route N-2, north out of the coastal town of Faro. Its manicured roads dip and weave through rich corridors of wild flowers, broad leafed trees and rich soils in way that only a fine composer would lead a royal orchestra.  Oh wait, or was riding over Pas de la Casa in Andorra with its 9,000 foot snow lined, alpine roads? With bluebird skys, views for miles (from what felt like the top of the world) and crisp thin air it seemed a bit otherwordly.  I don't know, maybe it was riding through patchwork vineyards in southern France.  You get the point.  Finding an incredible stretch of road out here in the old world has certainly not been an issue.  I'm probably getting ahead of myself though.  Maybe I should back track a bit from where I left off in my last post here.            After exiting the ship and spending
Read more