Motorcycling: Callaway, Virginia - My Yamaha XZ550 Vision

Sinking Floats

2007-11-16T10:20:00.000-05:00

Let me start by saying that Blogger has been messed up for a long while and now that I have gotten some response on how to fix it, I find that the problem was on my end all this time... Sorry.

I have been having a problem with fuel leaking out of the overflow tubes on the carburetors for some time now. I figured that it was simply some dirt in the float needle and it would eventually work it's self out. Unfortunately it didn't and it was getting worse. I tried the simple, quick fix where you spray carburetor cleaner in the drain screw hole and tap on the outside of the float bowl in an attempt to dislodge the dirt from the float needle path. Well, that didn't work either.

The Float Bowls on the Mikuni Carburetors on the 1982 Yamaha XZ550 Vision are accessible while the carburetors are still mounted on the bike. The tops of the carburetors come off with the floats attached to the top of the carburetor. When I disassembled the carburetors, I found that the rubber O-ring on the jet above the float needle had shrunk considerably. Fuel was simply bypassing the jet, float, needle all together and over filling the float bowl.

It's good to have spare parts! I took apart another set of carburetors I had and found brand new jets in my spare carburetor! It appears that someone tried to rebuild this set of carburetors and quit. A quick check to see that the jets are all the same size... A quick swap and everything was put back together. Fired the bike up and blammo, no fuel leaking anymore. Problem solved and I didn't even have to re-synchronize the carburetors.

Next Fix: Shift Shaft Seal Leak (I've done it before, don't want to take the side cover off again to do it. Procrastinating...)

Riding Naked - 11,759.2 Miles

2007-10-12T18:52:00.002-04:00

I picked up a winter project a few days ago, a naked, black 1982 Yamaha XZ550 Vision. This new to me bike will be a companion to my red fully fared 1982 Yamaha Vision. The two bikes look very good together, however... anyone who own a Vision knows that when two Yamaha Visions get together, the dreaded gremlins procreate and have nasty little offspring. The bike came from Rider's of Vision Forum Member Blue Bass (Phillip). I helped him a year or two ago in getting this very bike running. I went to his house and in about an hour or so, we got the bike to idle. Phillip then went off to college and took the bike with him. Now he is enlisting in the U.S. Army and already has another bike (2007 Yamaha V-Star). Whoops one too many bikes... The Vision had to go somewhere. It's now at my house!

The new Vision has some problems that will need to be taken care of before she is road worthy. She will need a new charging system, both Regulator and Stator. She will need the carburetor sorted out. Her gas tank has a small amount of rust in her. Tires need to be replaced.

And that's just the beginning....

Let's not forget the tapered head bearings, progressive fork springs, '83 rear shock, volt meter, oil pressure gauge, braided steel brake lines... Oh, the list goes on. Luckily, I have many, many parts in the shop. I do have a Stator from a Virago (I think) that only has 1,000 miles on it, that will also fit the Vision. As I have several Stators lying around, I will be selling the newer Stator to start to fund this new project of mine. Anyone want to make an offer?

Lotto Bikes

2007-08-09T09:53:00.000-04:00

Alright, I guess it's been a while since I posted, so I better get caught up.

I participated in this years Ride To Work Day and all went well. It just so happened that on this year's Ride To Work Day (It's in July every year) I actually had to work. Other than seeing a couple of deer on the way into work, it was an uneventful day.

I left for vacation, in a cage, to New York to visit family for the last week in July. We had a good time other than it being very HOT! I couldn't wait to get back so that I could get back on the bike. Before heading off for vacation, I put a new battery in the bike. A Wal-Mart Deluxe Battery. When I got home from New York, the bike started up on the 1st tap of the starter button. With the old battery, I would have to keep the bike hooked up to the battery charger and then, after just a couple of days without riding, the bike would take a couple of tries before she would start. While in NY, even in the City and Staten Island, I saw many bikes. These guys from NYC are nuts on a bike. I've never lane split before, so watching these crazy riders do it gave me chills up the back of my neck. However, it appeared they do it a lot, they made it look easy. Still 30mph (with the bikes doing 40mph - 50mph) in stop & go traffic on the Belt Parkway was something to see.

Since returning to the big city of Callaway, Virginia, I am back to the routine of commuting to work. Haven't taken the "family truckster" to work since getting back from the "States of Northern Aggression". I did take the Yamaha Vision to a Doctor's appointment in Roanoke yesterday. When I got to Roanoke, the thermometer on the bike showed 102F Degrees. I an very happy that the new fuse for the radiator fan is working flawlessly. I haven't had to use the emergency fan bypass switch yet, so that's a good thing. On the way back from Roanoke, I decided to take the Blue Ridge Parkway from Rt220 to Franklin Pike in Floyd County to get home. On the Parkway, I saw a lot of motorcycles, especially for a Wednesday. Sport Bikes, Cruisers, Tourers, a bit of everything. I also saw an ambulance with it's lights on heading North toward Roanoke. I was hoping it wasn't a bike accident. Unfortunately, a few miles down the road I found the Park Rangers with a Harley Davidson in a ditch. I stopped to see if the Victim's riding buddy needed a trailer or a place to store the bike for a while. The victim was from the other side of Winchester and there were already plans set in motion to have the bike towed to Harley Davidson of Roanoke temporarily. After seeing the bike in the ditch, I figured it was time to head home. I stopped at an overlook and had a cold drink then straight to the house.

Side Note: Last tank of gas, 44mpg.

Pissed Off Gremlins

2007-07-07T16:57:00.000-04:00

I will tell you that the Yamaha Vision Gremlins are a lot more vindictive than anything associated with Progressive Insurance. It was just one day last month that I went cheap on the bike and added one tank full of Regular 87 Octane Gasoline and that really pissed off those nasty gremlins. During just that one tank of gas, my bike over heated due to the thermo switch to the radiator fan fuse blowing and the engine not cooling properly (I've previously written about it) AND the front cylinder on the V-Twin stopped working.

Those gremlins were working over time! The front cylinder simply stopped working while riding down the road. I wasn't riding hard or stressing the bike in any way. I just didn't realize that there was a gremlin on the bike with me riding 2-up.

The rear cylinder of the bike got excessively hot as the coolant in the radiator was not circulating with the front cylinder staying cold. What a mess! I limped the bike home and found the wire from the rev limiter and just snipped it. Cutting the rev limiter is a common and easy fix to the front cylinder cutting out on the Vision. Easy as pie.

Now back to your regularly scheduled daily commute.

Ride To Work Day 2007

2007-06-19T06:43:00.000-04:00

Press Release: For Immediate Release
Date: 6/19/07
Subject: Ride To Work Day 2007

Motorcycle and Scooter Ride to Work Day is Wednesday, July 18, 2007
This year's sixteenth annual motorcycle and scooter commuting demonstration will increase the number of riders on the road, according to Ride to Work, a non-profit advocacy organization. "Riding to work on this day shows the positive value of motorcycles and scooters for transportation. For many people, riding is an economical, efficient and socially responsible form of mobility that saves energy, helps the environment and provides a broad range of other public benefits," states Andy Goldfine, the event organizer. Motorcycle and scooter enthusiasts and rider organizations worldwide encourage their members to ride to work on this day.

According to the United States Census Bureau and the Department of Transportation, over eighty million cars and light trucks are used for daily commuting on American roads, and about 200,000 motorcycles and scooters are a regular part of this mix. On Ride to Work Day, the practical side of riding becomes more visible as a larger number of America's 8,000,000 cycles are ridden to work.

Ride to Work Day helps demonstrate how these vehicles make parking easier and help traffic flow better. Studies have shown that across equal distances commuting motorcyclists reach their destinations in less time than those using automobiles, that motorcycles and scooters consume less resources per mile than automobiles, and that they take up less space on roads. Motorcycle and scooter riders seek improved employer recognition and support for this form of transportation, and more public and government awareness of the positive value of riding.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ride to Work Day, a 501 c4 nonprofit organization, can be reached at:
POB 1072, Proctor, Minnesota, 55810 USA
http://www.ridetowork.org
218 722 9806
Christine Holt cholt@ridetowork.org
Andy Goldfine agoldfine@ridetowork.org
Ride to Work Day Mission Statement:
To advocate and support the use of motorcycles for transportation, and to provide information about transportation riding to the public.
Affiliated Ride to Work Day Countries:
Germany, Philippines, England, Germany, Israel, Turkey, Ecuador, United States, and many others.
Newsletter:
Sample issues of 'The Daily Rider' newsletter are available for download at:
http://www.ridetowork.org/daily-rider
History:
A brief history of Ride to Work Day is available for viewing at:
http://www.ridetowork.org/ride-to-work-day-history
Fact Sheet:
A transportation motorcycling fact sheet is available at:
http://www.ridetowork.org/transportation-fact-sheet
RTW Day Photos and Artwork:
Motorcycle commuting photos, ads, posters, banners, photos, illustrations and other artwork is available for view and download at:
http://www.ridetowork.org/signs-posters-cards-propaganda-art

Hot, Hot, Hot.

2007-06-14T12:55:00.000-04:00

Alright, I had a little problem with the Yamaha XZ550 Vision the other day. I went to the Cardinal Criminal Justice Academy Basic Law Enforcement Graduation last Thursday. While riding the bike in the Salem "High School is being let out" traffic, the bike over heated. Spewed antifreeze all over the exhaust and roadway.

I made it back home with the bike running very hot. Outside temperature was a mere 94 Degrees Fahrenheit. I pulled the bike apart yesterday and found the fuse for the radiator fan was bad. Of course, the fuse for the fan is behind the headlight bucket, so the entire front end of the bike had to come apart to get to the fuse.

I found the fuse that was in there was a 5 AMP fuse and should have been a 10 AMP fuse. I replaced the fuse with the correct one and then went a step further... I wired in a secondary, parallel switched, fused circuit for the fan motor. The secondary circuit will bypass the thermoswitch and the fuse for the fan motor. This way if I ever encounter another incident like last Thursday, all I need to do is flip the auxiliary emergency switch on the dashboard and BLAM, the fan will come on and stay on!

Another Vision problem averted.

Thanx Dear

2007-06-13T14:23:00.000-04:00

My Wife Heather tagged me for a Meme. You don't have to know what that is, but the thing is, I had to post 8 random facts about myself on one of my blogs, that you probably don't care to read, then I tag someone else to do the same thing. I've tagged YOU! You HAVE to do it or else I'll haunt you the rest of your life. WHEN you do post your 8 random facts, leave a comment on my post here with the URL of YOUR blog post. Oh yeah, and you have to tag 8 more people. Have fun!

Here's mine...
1. I really really hate these things.
2. My motorcycle is a part of my family, but my immediate family refuses to recognize that fact.
3. I typically don’t like people.
4. I am extremely proud of my Wife and her career, my Daughter and her education and my Son and his sports ability.
5. I do most of my reading in the bathroom.
6. I think it’s fun to try and get people to thank me after I take them to jail. My success rate is running somewhere around 90%.
7. I am addicted to COPS, Scariest Police Chases, Forensic Files, CourtTV RED, and anything similar to these shows.
8. I will travel around the country on a motorcycle some day, hopefully, my wife will accompany me on this trip, but if she doesn’t I will someday do it by myself.

Okay, now it's your turn: DaveTN, PS2 and Mamba (Sorry only know 3).
Check out the links to the other lucky people I tagged...there's some great stuff out there. You'll be entertained, I promise. (And when you tag your 8, try to do the same and link them up.) Don'tchaloveme?

New Videos - Franklin County

2007-05-24T12:33:00.000-04:00

Is it raining today? If you can't get on your Yamaha Vision and ride today, sit back and enjoy these video rides:

One Less '83 Vision Rear Shock

2007-05-17T12:28:00.000-04:00

Well, quite a while ago, I bought a 1983 Rear Shock for the Vision from eBay. I was planning to eventually upgrade my 1982 Rear Shock to the '83 Shock. Today would have been that day, however...

After several months, I finally pulled the shock out from it's hiding spot under the work bench. Yes, it was indeed a rear shock from a 1983 Yamaha Vision. This is the shock that every Vision owner claims a a great improvement over the rear shock from the previous year. Both rebound and damping adjustments. Outstanding! Before I get started, let me check where the adjustments are on the newer shock.

Gee, it appears that the damping adjustment control has a bit of rust on the threading. I sprayed some "PB Blaster" on the threading and gave it some whacks with a hammer to send some vibration through the control. I still couldn't get it to budge. Spayed it with more "PB Blaster", put the shock in the vise and still couldn't get it to move with a pair of Vise Grips. More "PB Blaster" let it sit for a while, more vibration and repeat. Still Nothing.

I then put a flat head screwdriver against one of the teeth in the control knob with a couple of quick whacks. Still nothing. I was then starting to think that I was glad I didn't install the shock and then try and change the settings. Two more good whacks with the hammer and screwdriver and the damping control knob split in half. One less usable 1983 Yamaha Vision Rear Shock in existence.

It's That Season Again!

2007-05-12T15:58:00.000-04:00

The weather is warmer, the oil in the motorcycle has been changed, the tires are in good condition, the carburetors have been freshly synchronized and every damn road in Franklin County is getting a fresh new coating of GRAVEL! Just a few weeks ago, I complimented Franklin County for being pro-motorcycle in their tourism propaganda and now it's Spring Gravel Season. Why would the county promote motorcycling in the area and then promptly coat every road in existence with tar and gravel??? It doesn't make any sense! Lure the motorcyclists into Franklin County and then laugh at them once they get here because they are slipping and sliding and falling all over the place on our wonderfully maintained back roads. Franklin County & VDOT, you both suck!

Links Updated

2007-04-30T13:27:00.000-04:00

I've been riding back and forth to work quite a bit lately. The Auxiliary lights wired through the headlight switch works great! I took the left side cover off again and attempted to fix the small oil leak that I had. The surgery might have been a success, the oil leak has greatly diminished and may have stopped all together. Another couple hundred miles and I will see if it starts leaking again. This coming week looks like it will be excellent riding weather with a couple of days in the upper 80's. I have also updated the links section to the right, deleted a couple of broken links and added a few. One of the links I added is from a friend of mine in Knoxville, Tennessee. His Screen name is DaveTn, AKA "The Burger Meister". Check out his blog... Ride safe!

More On Auxiliary Lights

2007-04-04T21:39:00.000-04:00

Is seems that the place where I mounted the switch for the auxiliary lights on the Yamaha Vision was in such a place that I could not turn them off fast enough when faced with oncoming traffic, especially with gloved hands.

I went and rewired the auxiliary lights through the High Beam switch and eliminated the separate switch all together. I studied the electrical schematic for the Yamaha Vision and found that the yellow wire running from the high beam switch on the left handle bar runs from the switch to the headlight and then back to the high beam indicator light under the speedometer. Unfortunately, the indicator light has a low voltage draw to illuminate the blue indicator lamp. I devised a simple solution...

Throw a relay into the mix and things should work great (and the relay costs less than $3.00). The four prong relay was exceptionally easy to install. One of the prongs goes to ground, one gets spliced to the yellow wire between the headlight and the blue indicator light, one prong get attached to the positive side of the battery and the last prong goes to the "hot" side of the auxiliary lighting circuit. The negative side of the auxiliary lighting circuit is already attached to a ground from the initial installation.

Let's see... Turn the ignition on, check. Start the bike, check. Switch the headlight from low beam to high beam, headlight goes to high beam and.... the auxiliary lights come on, perfectly! Total time to rewire the auxiliary lights through the headlight switch, 15 minutes. Time to go for a ride!

Build Your Weekend

2007-04-03T18:25:00.000-04:00

Kudos to the Franklin County Tourism Office, The Franklin County Chamber of Commerce and The Smith Mountain Lake Chamber of Commerce for promoting motorcycling on their summer Visitor's Guide and Vacation Planner, "Build Your Weekend".

In the "Build Your Weekend" brochure from Franklin County, they write: "Outdoor Adventure at its best, is what you will find in Franklin County. You can enjoy everything from the scenic view of the Blue Ridge Parkway to the adrenaline rush of surging down rapids on the Blackwater River. Take in a relaxing afternoon on Smith Mountain Lake, or get your heart pumping on the back of a motorcycle heading down a mountainous road." Elsewhere in the brochure they continue with: "The varying terrain allows for all types of activities including, hiking, biking, camping, fishing, hunting, golfing, horseback riding, and motorcycling. The rolling foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Franklin County are an ideal setting for cyclists and motorcyclists seeking country backroads with scenic views."

Congrats for positively promiting the image of motorcycling.

Dark

2007-03-31T14:06:00.000-04:00

I have been riding my Vision back and forth to work quite a bit since the weather has turned warmer. With my new job, I work 12 hour shifts, so I am either going to or coming from work in the dark. The auxillary lights I installed last year work great, except when I have to turn the lights off for oncoming traffic. The switch is hard to locate quickly in the dark. As I would rather ride the bike than work on something that already works, I need to take some time and rewire the auxillary light switch to work with the high beam headlight switch. If only there were more hours in a day. Sometime in the near future I will be working on the rewiring. Until then, ride safe.

3rd Annual Memorial Bike Ride For CPL.Jonathan W. Bowling * USMC *

2007-02-24T06:19:00.000-05:00

3rd Annual
Memorial Bike Ride For
CPL.Jonathan W. Bowling
*** USMC ***

Jonathan Bowling was a Corporal in the USMC
Who paid the ultimate price fighting for freedom
in Iraq.He was also a fellow Firefighter with the
Fairystone Vol.Fire Dept. and a Police Officer for
the City Of Martinsville, as well as a fellow bike rider.
Please show your support
By Remembering Jonathan
In This Ride
Date:April 21st - Rain Date:April 22nd
Location:Patrick County High School,Stuart Va.
Registration starts at 10:00am-Departure at 1:00pm
Cost $10.00 per bike - Vehicles same price
Proceeds will go to the CPL.Jonathan W.Bowling
Memorial Scholarship Fund
Contributions can be made to the
CPL.Jonathan W. Bowling
Memorial Scholarship Fund
c/o Patrick County Education Foundation
PO.Box497
105 Stonewall Court,Stuart Va. 24171
We will be stopping by the gravesite for a
moment of silence
Also day of event
Blue Ridge Mountains Car Show will be there
There will be a Trophy given to farthest traveled bike
Red Knights MC Chapter 11
Patrick Springs,Va.
For more Information contact following
Miranda Nelson (276)629-6188
Corky Hall (276)673-1827
Tim Dodson (276)629-1201
Kim Bowling (336)978-2796

A Little Winter Boredom

2007-02-12T17:29:00.000-05:00

This is the result of my "Biker Quiz":

" You are 100% biker !"

You truly love the open road & live to ride !

Live 2 Ride Ride 2 LiveLive 2 Ride Ride 2 LiveLive 2 Ride Ride 2 LiveLive 2 Ride Ride 2 LiveLive 2 Ride Ride 2 LiveLive 2 Ride Ride 2 LiveLive 2 Ride Ride 2 LiveLive 2 Ride Ride 2 LiveLive 2 Ride Ride 2 LiveLive 2 Ride Ride 2 LiveLive 2 Ride Ride 2 LiveLive 2 Ride Ride 2 LiveLive 2 Ride Ride 2 LiveLive 2 Ride Ride 2 Live

R U a real biker ?
Quizzes for MySpace

ARRGGGH!

2007-02-05T10:12:00.000-05:00

Okay, it's been over a month now since I have taken the Vision out of
the basement. It seems like forever now that the temperature has stayed
below freezing. I don't have a problem riding the bike in the cold, in
fact, I think it adds character. However, when the temperature drops
below freezing, I get a little paranoid. Due to the geography in my
little part of the planet, to go anywhere you will have to travel over
bridges. Mostly just small two lane bridges over creeks and streams. It
is over these little streams that the bridge will collect moisture.
Moisture and air temperature below 32^oF don't
mix very well when you are on only two wheels. the coldest weather I
have ever ridden the bike in, if I recall correctly, was
21^oF. This was before I had the heated grips and
heated vest... Wow was that COLD.

A long time ago, when I
used to live in Vermont, I had owned a 1984 Suzuki GS650E. I was
working as a Police Officer in Waterbury and lived in Proctor, Vermont.
That was one heck of a commute, an hour and a half to two hours one
way. In any event, I had to attend a training in Montpelier in February.
On that bright, crisp morning at my apartment in Proctor, it was
40^oF. A beautiful day for a ride on the Suzuki
to Montpelier.

The ride started out uneventful as I rode through Rutland toward Killington
Mountain. Vermont DOT does an excellent job of keeping the roads very
clear, so snow covered roads were not problem. I stopped somewhere on
the East side of the Killington Ski Resort and found a place to get a cup of coffee (as I could not feel my feet). I guess somewhere between Proctor and Killington, the temperature dropped about 15 degrees. I overheard an older gentleman in the convenience store say "And here I thought all the fools were dead".

I
continued on and arrived in Montpelier to find a parking lot completely
covered with snow. I made my way through the snow and found a place to
set the bike and went into the training room. I sat for the entire
first half of the day sitting on the steam heat radiator as I could not
stop shivering. I found it rather ironic that the training I attended
was called Defensive Driving for
the Emergency Vehicle Operator.

The ride back
home was just as eventful as the morning trip. As the sun was setting
on the afternoon trip, I made several pit stops along the side of the
road just to be able to stand in the fewer and fewer spots of sunshine
to warm up slightly. I made it back home just as snow flurries started
to fall in Proctor. The best thing I can say about my Vermont winter
adventure is that this fool is not dead. Cold is
just a state of mind.

Three Thousand One Hundred Sixty Four

2007-01-05T16:22:00.000-05:00

I ended the year with 23,880 miles on the Yamaha Vision’s odometer. That put me right at 3,164 miles ridden for the year 2006. Unfortunately that’s about a thousand miles less than I did in 2005. There were a lot of repairs and upgrades for 2006, so I attribute fewer miles to a better Yamaha Vision.

My annual New Year’s Day motorcycle ride was a day late. On Tuesday, January 2, 2007, I took my annual trek for about 120 miles. The ride on the scooter was one of those rides where the destination changed at every intersection. Without any place in particular, I found myself in Bedford.

I met with my friend Steve, who works at the Police Department. Steve was kind enough to make time for me even though he had no idea that I was going to pop in and visit with him. We walked outside as he wanted to see the Yamaha Vision. I showed him some of the things I have done to the bike to make it better, including the new heated vest I made. He looked at me funny when I told him I made the heating element myself. Steve also expressed concern for me and hoped that it didn’t start raining, thinking I would short myself out.

The new heated vest I made is so much better than the previous heated vest I made. My new vest has a convenient plug mounted on the bike with an on/off switch mounted next to my right leg. The vest made for a very cozy ride in the 45^o temperature.

After meeting with Steve, I ate the peanut butter sandwich I had packed for lunch and went and visited the D-Day Memorial. I just visited the parking lot as I was just looking for a photo opportunity to show I was in Bedford.

The ride home was just as good therapy as the ride to Bedford. Another new year to look forward to and another great ride to kick off the New Year!

Add Yourself to My Map

2006-12-28T16:07:00.000-05:00

If your a regular (or just an occasional) visitor to my Yamaha XZ550 Vision Blog, let me know where your accessing the internet from. I'm curious who (and from where) my readers are. Click JOIN on the map and add your map pin!

I Love My Weatherman!

2006-12-17T14:57:00.000-05:00

This is what my local weather forecast is (and has been for the last week)! ... In December!

Weather Underground Email Service for Callaway, VA

NWS Forecast as of 1030 am EST sun Dec 17 2006
=================================================================

This Afternoon Sunny. Highs around 70. Southwest winds around 10 mph.

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Tonight Mostly clear. Lows around 40. Light and variable winds.

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Monday Sunny. Highs around 70. West winds around 10 mph.

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Monday Night Partly cloudy. Lows in the mid 40s. Northwest winds around 10 mph.

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I have started riding the Vision back and forth to work again since starting the new job. It's great being able to park the bike in a heated garage while I am working. Makes for an easy bike warm up and I don't have to scrape ice off the seat in the morning before the ride home.

Tuggle's Gap Closed

2006-11-26T13:18:00.000-05:00

After getting the starter back in the bike and filling the bike with oil, I decided that I should meet up with the Twin Valley Riders at Tuggle's Gap for breakfast. Well, it appears that I need a new battery. While trying to start the bike last night, I was having a hell of a time trying to get it started. With the new starter, it seemed like it was turning over fine, but just would not fire. Added some SeaFoam, let the bike prime and still would not fire. I hooked the battery up to the minivan and it still would not start. I scared the bejesus out of my wife. You see at the same time I was trying to start the bike, my 10 year old Son was learning how to clean his bolt action .22 rifle that he had recently received for his birthday. A Yamaha Vision, with a low charge on the battery, will back-fire when trying to start it. My wife (& my Son for that matter) thought the gun had discharged. Scared the piss out of everyone. I finally had to resort to drastic measures to get the bike started... I started the engine to the minivan and tried to start the bike. It started right up. However, it only ran for a few moments as I was letting it warm up. It appears that it was also out of gas.

Sunday morning, time to ride and meet up for breakfast. Once again, a bear to start the bike, but it did eventually fire up. Off to the A&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;A Market in Callaway to get fuel. Nope, the A&A Market doesn't open until Noon on Sundays. I head off to Ferrum to get fuel and hope that the reserve will last the 8 miles it is to the Ferrum Minute Market. I made it with no problems. I took Rt.40 to Rt.8 in Woolwine. Rt.8 to Tuggle's Gap. Arrived slightly late and found everyone still outside. Turned out that Tuggle's gap had been bought out and the new owners have not opened the restaurant for business yet.

A group decision was made to ride down the Parkway to The Meadows of Dan for breakfast. This turned out to be a great decision as the service was good and the coffee hot. I had a bacon sandwich and some toast with coffee. Total for breakfast $3.74. After breakfast most of the TVR'ers took off in various directions. Bill Lewis, his boss "Steve" and I decided to head North on the Parkway back toward our respective homes. The three of us, a Private Investigator, an Attorney and a Cop (I know there is a joke somewhere in there) had a leisurely ride up the parkway with very limited traffic. I broke off on Five Mile Mountain Road and headed back to Callaway. It was very good to be able to take the bike out after a 2 Month hiatus. A total of 80 miles on a pleasant Sunday morning.

Shift Shaft Problems - Oil Leak?

2006-11-24T20:18:00.000-05:00

Alright, so I think I found where my oil leak is coming from. It appears that it is coming from my shift shaft seal. But why? Upon closer inspection, I found that the entire shift shaft will move in and out about one centimeter. This is more than enough to release the washer and circlip from the oil seal, thus allowing the oil seal to leak. Now, I need to find out why the shift shaft is able to move and find out how to fix this. If you have any ideas, please let me know... (Leave a Comment here, or visit the Riders of Vision Forum and let me know there.

No Riding Lately

2006-10-08T17:23:00.000-04:00

The Yamaha Vision has been out of service for the last couple of weeks. She developed a pretty annoying leak from the Left side cover and the shift shaft seal. The starter has crapped out and needs to be rebuilt. I have been looking on eBay for one, but think I am going to have this one rebuilt by a generator shop. The battery doesn't want to hold a charge any longer, even though the charging system seems to be working fine. So, it's time again for a new battery. There are only a couple of more good riding days before winter riding begins. My heated vest I built seems to want to blow fuses, so I will need to up the amps on the current fuse a little and see where that puts me. If the fuse rating gets too high, I will have to look at other options for the heating element. I guess it's shop time again....

New Bike?

2006-08-26T19:35:00.000-04:00

I spent some time today playing with the carburetors. I tried syncing them and found that I could only get it close as the idle was running very rough. After getting it close, I played with the mixture screws on each carburetor. The front carb was easy and set at five (5) turns out. The rear carb was a bitch to get a screw driver on the mixture screw. I basically had to set it by ear as I couldn't keep the screw driver on the screw to be able to count the turns. In any event, I got it done and then changed the oil. I went back to Castrol 20W50 Semi Synthetic. The full synthetic just didn't feel right. The semi Synthetic feels a little smoother shifting. I took the bike for a test ride and found that she will do 70 mph in 4th gear. 5th gear is now just a bonus to get up to the tom mark.

(All vehicle test riding was conducted on a closed track by a professional driver)

No Good Deed...

2006-08-02T10:49:00.000-04:00

No Good Deed Goes Unpunished.

I hear this saying a lot lately, but only recently found it to be true. I found that there was a new Vision owner in the area who was having trouble getting his bike to run. I made contact with him and went to see him with a spare set of carburetors and some other miscellaneous parts. I left my house with the parts and a small toolbox strapped to the back of my Vision and took the most direct route to get there... Straight up Route 220.

When I got to Phil's house, I motored into the driveway and as my bike was idling, before I hit the engine shut off switch, I could hear a ticking sound coming from the left side of the engine. "CRAP!" was about all I could think to say. It was only about 3,000 to 4,000 miles ago that I fixed the dreaded Starter Clutch. When I did fix the Starter Clutch, I had to replace the Rotor and Starter Clutch with the ones from my spare engine. When I did this, It appeared that the well known "Starter Clutch Repair" had already been done to the new parts. So, I put it all back together and it all worked great. It wasn't until later on that I realized, what I thought was longer bolts through the Starter Clutch, were actually just stock bolts. Now, I believe that those wonderful stock bolts have backed themselves out again and I am going to have to do the entire Starter Clutch repair all over again.

On to Phil's bike, we took the used carburetors and bolted them on without much problem. His battery was dead, so we had to jump his bike off his Dad's 4Wheeler. Several turns of the engine and it just would not start. Checked that the spark plugs and caps are all connected, check fuel and vacuum lines, all looked good. One last hit of the starter button and it started up and sounded good. This was the first time Phil has heard his bike run. I know it had to be is good feeling for him. A new battery for Phil and the bike charges good. Phil has been working with the carburetor, setting the air/fuel mixture screws and adjusting the sync between carburetors and it sounds like Phil has a pretty decent bike.

Finally Some Ride Time

2006-07-17T18:29:00.000-04:00

So, the rains have stopped and I have been able to get in a couple of days ride time, even if it is just back and forth to work. I did use some of the rainy down time to make some improvements on the 'ol Vision.

The latest improvement was adding a Distribution Block to the electrical system for all the electronic gadgets/extras I have for the bike. I found the instructions on the Canyon Chasers website. They have some excellent DIY articles listed on their site. The one for the distribution Block is very well written and very easy to do.

I realized I needed to do this upgrade after looking at my battery and seeing very large "Wire Spiders" living on top of the terminals. Now the only things hooked to my battery are the Ground & Power Lead, the pigtail for the Trickle Charger and the Distribution Block leads. I also doubled the pigtail for the trickle charger to power the Lap Timer, Voltmeter and Ice Alert Thermometer. Everything seems to work well with the voltmeter reading what I consider to be more accurate readings.

I've also added pictures of my Bike Brain <-Click There

2006 Ride To Work

2006-07-14T17:14:00.000-04:00

Tires, Forks, Seals and My Brain

2006-07-03T17:22:00.000-04:00

It has been a very busy time with my Yamaha Vision. Let's see, for Father's Day, I received a VeloTrend Bike Brain, which is a really cool little gadget. Now, before I continue, I need to say that I think the company is going or has gone out of business. You might still be able to get some remaining "Brains" from Aerostich at a hefty discount. Before I could install my Brain on the bike, I wanted to replace the fork seals in the spare set of forks I had and put new rubber on the bike.

Swapping out the tires for new rubber was pretty easy as I also have a spare set of wheels for the bike. I bought Bridgestone BT45 Battlax tires from Southwest Moto Tires (one of the best internet suppliers of tires that I know of). Current mileage on the bike is 22,880.

The forks took a little more time to replace the fork seals that I got from Dennis Kirk. A little bit of a messy job and the project of making a tool to disassemble the forks from the inside. A couple of hours later and some new 15 weight fork oil and the forks had been rebuilt. A few more hours and the rebuilt forks and new shoes where on the bike and ready to go.

Time to install the "Bike Brain"... The Bike Brain is actually a super bicycle speedometer that does so much more than just show how fast you are going. The gadget loads into a Palm Pilot and the software in conjuction with the wheel speed sensor gives you LOTS of information. Older Palm Pilots, like the PalmV that I have can be found for just a few dollars on eBay. First, as the Brain is designed for a bicycle and not a motorcycle, I had to extend the sensor wire to reach from the front wheel to the mounting bracket on the handle bars. A little bit of extension wire and a soldier did the trick. The magnet that triggers the sensor, is actually designed for a bicycles spoked wheels, so I had to sit and ponder how to mount this for a while. I found that I can drill the plastic cover on the Left side of the front wheel and glue the magnet in the drilled hole. The plastic cover simply covers unused threaded holes that the 1982 Vision doesn't use. The 1983 Vision has a second brake rotor on the Left side that uses these holes. I guess I found one better use for the '82 over the '83.

Now that everything is installed and glue dried, off for a 15 minute ride to work to see how this all works together. The Bike Brain will even let you design Routes that you can then follow, much like a GPS Receiver. You simply search for a Route with just about any internet mapping website and then use the Bike Brain Desktop Utility and type in the Route. HotSync the Palm Pilot and blam!, You can ride following a pre-planned Route based on mileage. The Brain will also track your Max Speed, Average Speed, Tripometer, Date/Time of your Trip, etc.... You can choose to have any of this information displayed on a graph and/or in digital format. This also inclused a 2" tall digital speedometer. And then to top everything off, you can download all of this information to the Desktop Utility and print it all out. Nice and handy for the next rally or club breakfast you attend and want to brag about your last high speed trip somewhere. This is a printed graph of my virgin Bike Brain trip to work: Virgin Ride You can almost see where the curves are in the road on Ferrum Mountain Road. The deep dip in speed just before the 9th mile is where I stopped and put fuel in the bike. The graph can also be changed and displayed any way you desire, by Speed/Distance, Speed/Minutes, Speed/Time of Day. Everything is user friendly.

Thank you Heather, Megan & Eric for my Father's Day gift.

2006-06-27T18:17:00.000-04:00

Sorry I haven't posted in a little while. The wife and kids bought me a Bike Brain for Father's Day. I want to put new tires on and swap out the forks for the forks that I just rebuilt before I install this neat gadget. I had to lengthen the sensor wire a little to make it fit. So, at work the other night, I soldiered in an extension and I think it will work pretty good.

Repaired Heated Vest

2006-06-07T22:18:00.000-04:00

I had a member of the Twin Valley Riders give me a Aerostich Kanetsu Electric Vest. The vest had the wires messed up inside and I thought it would be a fun project to try and get it to work again. When I got the vest, someone had already removed the stitching along the bottom of the vest. I started by probing the wires in the vest with the multimeter to see if I can find the break in the wire. I found 2 breaks and one place where the wires had already been repaired. Still, there was another break somewhere. Locating these breaks were quite time consuming. I figured the wiring was too degraded to try and repair, so I measured how much wire Areostich used in the vest. I found 2 circuits each having exactly 15 feet of wire.

I ordered some 30 gauge Teflon insulated silver coated copper wire on eBay for under $5. At about this same time, I ordered a SAE Battery Fuse Cord from Areostich as I knew I was going to have to attach the vest to the motorcycle somehow and this seemed like the easiest way. When the wire came from eBay, I used one of my wife's sewing needles and threaded the thin 30 gauge wire through the eye of the needle. The vest has three layers, The outer fleece, the inner nylon and the center layer between the two, made out of cotton and there the heating wire is sandwiched. I then proceeded to sew the wire into the center cotton layer, following the wire that was already present. I sewed a total of 30 feet of wire. I cut the original wire from the crimp connectors and soldered the new wires to the existing crimp connectors. I wrapped the connectors in electrical tape, connected the vest to the bike battery and what do you know, it worked. I used an indoor/outdoor thermometer to see how much heat it was generating. Now, with the bike off, the vest heated up to about 90 degrees in about 3 minutes. I figure with the bike running, it should get a little warmer, but if you factor in the cold wind chill, it's hard to tell how warm it will keep me. I didn't have the bike running as I was in the basement with the bike. I finished by breaking out the wife's sewing machine and using pretty green thread, sewed up the bottom of the vest. Wrapped up the whole project and tucked it in one of the saddlebags, waiting for cooler weather.

Almost Squashed by a FedEx Truck

2006-06-05T16:58:00.000-04:00

Well, I was almost squished by a FedEx Ground truck the other day. I was on Ferrum Mountain Road, at the intersection with Franklin Street, waiting to make a Left turn, with the Vision stopped and both feet on the ground. I looked both ways and saw a FedEx Ground truck coming down Franklin Street from my Right. As the truck approached the intersection, the driver suddenly turned Left, cutting the corner short across my lane. As he was making the turn, my bike must have been in the blind spot, behind the post between the windshield and the driver's side window. The truck was heading straight for me and I couldn't go anywhere! I was positioned right in the middle of the front grill on his truck. When he finally saw me, the truck was about 3 feet from me. When he saw me, he stopped the truck short and lifted his arm as if to apologize. He then had to back up his truck and cut the wheel to the right to get around me. The really scary part is that I used to work as a subcontractor for FedEx and I am still $40,000 in debt due to that evil company. Getting squished by one of their trucks would have been like having the knife twisted once it was plunged into my back.

Running Errands on the Bike

2006-05-30T15:45:00.000-04:00

Alright, so this morning I found myself reading forum post after forum post about motorcycles when I realized it was 80 degrees outside and not a cloud in the sky. Why was I sitting there in front of the computer when I could be out riding a real motorcycle instead of reading about riding a motorcycle. I decided to ride into town and look for some replacement wire to try and fix the Aerostich heated vest I acquired. Of course VDOT has graveled every road around me, I had to head Northwest in order to avoid gravel to get East to Rocky Mount. My first stop was Radio Shack and even though they tried, they couldn't come up with the Nichrome Resistance Wire I needed. I then went to Lowes to try and find some Snake repellent. This morning as I was warming up the Vision, I saw a snake skin on the roof. It appears that someone was going to make a home in the soffet of my log cabin. The only snake repellent that Lowes had advised not to use the poison in an area where the snake was already confined. This would cause the snake to live deeper within the confined space. "Deeper within" translates inside my house. So, strike two... Off to Shively Electric to see what they say about my Nichrome wire. Shively had some additional recommendations, but couldn't send me out the door with what I needed.

So back home I was headed. I took off on Franklin Street (Route 40) West into and through Ferrum. I followed Rt. 40 to Shooting Creek Road North. It seems that Shooting Creek has gotten very bumpy since the last time I was on it. Shooting Creek to The Blue Ridge Parkway to Five Mile Mountain Road. Of course Five Mile Mountain Road is covered with Gravel. No leaned over switchbacks here! All in all, a very good 70 Miles of fun, despite not getting anything I needed while running errands in the bike.

Another Switch on the Dash

2006-05-21T16:38:00.000-04:00

I tend to ride a lot at night, usually coming home from work on back country roads and I hate deer. I recently found an article on line describing how to make your own, cheap, auxiliary lights for your motorcycle. When I went to Wal-Mart, I couldn't find any of the items to try making my own, so I went over to the automotive section to see what I could see. I found a Wally World Special... $14.00 Off Road Driving Lights on sale for $9.00. I figured for $9.00, even if it doesn't work at all, it's worth a try.

I made some brackets out of an old CB Radio Mounting Bracket I had lying around. I used the fabricated brackets and mounted them between the fairing and the stalks for the front turn signals. All I had to do was cut the mounting bracket in thirds and drill a hole larger to fit the threaded end of the turn signal.

With the lights mounted to the new brackets, it was off to the wiring. I cut a new hole in the plastic dash, which was the only modification made to any Vision parts, and installed the illuminated switch that was included with the Wally World lights. These lights are designed to be installed on the front bumper of a car/truck, so the wiring was all the wrong lengths. For example, the "hot" wire to the battery positive was about 6 inches too short, I had to lengthen that wire. The wire from the switch to the driving lights was about 4 feet too long, I wound up wrapping that in a big ball of electrical tape and securing it to the frame, under the fairing. There are three ground wires for this set up, one for each light and one more for the switch. The ground wire for the switch is only 4 inches long. I grounded the switch to the mounting screw for the dash (It's actually a bolt that was swiped from Mutt's Vision in exchange for the screw he needed to resecure his ignition switch at Deal's Gap). One light was grounded to the ignition coil bolt on the left side and the other light grounded to the ignition coil bolt on the right side.

With the bike all put back together, it was time for a test ride. The Vision continues to charge without any problems. The lights are Halogens and are advertised on the box as "Bright White/HID Like Lights". The lights are a lot brighter than my stock high beam light on the bike. As these are only $9.00 lights, I am interested in seeing how long they are going to last, which is one of the reasons why I didn't cut any holes in the fairing to mount the lights. If the lights do fail to work in the future, I can easily remove them and put the bike back to stock (or upgrade the lights to some PIAA model at a cost of upwards of $250.00 or so). I just figured I would try the $241.00 cheaper route first.

DirtSurfing

2006-05-21T13:15:00.000-04:00

This post is not about motorcycles or motorcycle riding, but it still only involves two wheels. Heather, my wife, and I were introduced to Dirt Surfing. Heather might be working on an editing job for a new publication all about Dirt Surfing. So we went to find out more about this new sport. We met with the CEO of Dirtsurfer USA, Brian Duvall. Brian gave both Heather and I some quick lessons on how to ride the Dirt Surfing board. The board consists of a platform between two bicycle like tires. The front of the board has a swing arm that will turn the board when you lean to one side. The back has a calf operated brake. Heather and I started out slow, using one of Brian's boards, on a small hill in Waid Recreation Park. Even with just the small hill, this thing is fun. Watching Heather roll down the hill with a huge smile on her face was just fun to watch. I only wish we had brought the camera with us. One of the coolest things about dirtsurfing (is it one word or two... I dunno), is that they can be run on the street or off road just like a mountain bike. Summertime ski resorts would be great for these boards.

Gas Mileage

2006-05-19T16:49:00.000-04:00

I finally went through my gas receipts from my trip down to Deal's Gap. The final tally from my gas mileage calculations are as follows:

Average Gas Mileage for the entire trip was 40.6 MPG

High Gas Mileage was 47.6 MPG

Low Gas Mileage was 33.5 MPG

Some of the calculated gas mileage was estimated as I found some of the gas receipts did not list gallons on the receipt.

A Shot and a Beer

2006-05-04T18:04:00.000-04:00

Thursday, April 27th

I left the house on the Vision with all my camping gear, tools and extra parts, stopped at the A&A Market in Callaway and filled the bike with Gas. Then it was off to Deal’s Gap via the Blue Ridge Parkway. I was to meet Bill (AKA Mutt) in Deep Gap, NC at 12:30 PM.

The entire ride to Deep Gap was wet. Although I didn’t hit any actual rain, the roadway was very wet and the sky was quite dark. I saw a lot of turkey on the parkway. At one point, I could see blue sky to the West, but it didn’t last long.

I arrived at Greene’s Grill (Now known as The Blue Ridge Diner) right at 12:30 PM. I thought to myself that it looked like I beat Bill to the rendezvous point. I waited for an hour or so and he still wasn’t there. I know from weather reports that he was going to be riding his Vision through a lot of rough weather, so I wasn’t too concerned. After the second hour went by, I called my house to see if there were any messages from Bill and there were none. Somewhere near the third hour, I called Bill’s house and talked with his Mother-in-Law who hadn’t heard from him. I went into the Diner and had a BLT and some Fries, trying to pass the time. I went back outside and waited some more and then somewhere near 4:00 PM, Bill rolled in on his Vision.

Apparently, he had to wait out some thunder storms and had one heck of a ride across North Carolina. Bill grabbed a bite to eat and we were on the road South before 5:00 PM. The weather had completely cleared by this time.

We continued on the Parkway until about Little Switzerland where we ran into some detour signs advising that the parkway was closed until Ashville. We ran into a guy who advised that he drives the parkway a lot and he gave us some better directions than where the detour was sending us. So, we decided to follow his directions and head East on Rt. 226. Well, I immediately made a wrong turn and ended up on Rt. 226A. It may have been a wrong turn, but wow was this Rt. 226A an incredible motorcycle road. Perfectly paved with tight twisty curves. We eventually made it back to Rt. 226 and then South on Rt. 70 and West on I40, back to the parkway.

Now, we are on the parkway, heading south from Ashville and it’s starting to get dark. We put a couple of miles behind us and after the sun went down, it got quite cold. We decided to take a break at one of the overlooks and try and figure out where we were. It turned out that we were at one of the highest points on the parkway and the temperature was a very cold and windy 39^oF. I have heated grips on my bike, plus I had on my winter coat over my mesh riding jacket and I was cold… Bill was considerably colder than I was. Bill tried to get warm, but it wasn’t working, plus it was getting very late. We got off the parkway to get gas at the next exit. After getting gas, we decided not to get back on the parkway and look for an alternate route to Stecoah and The Kickstand Lodge.

We made a quick run down Rt. 441, to Rt. 19 and then to Rt. 28 and finally arrived at the Kickstand Lodge at 12:30 AM. When we arrived, we found a note on the door to the store that read "Fred & Mo are out back". Bill and I walked around Back and couldn’t find anyone. While we were walking back to our bikes, Mo walked up behind us and introduced herself. She invited us into the store and asked if there was anything we needed. Bill, joking around, said "A shot and a beer would be nice". Mo then walked us into a second room, where Bill and I thought she was going to check us into the campground and assign a campsite. But instead, she pointed to a refrigerator and advised that the beer was in there and then pointed to a shelf outside the back door and said that there was some Crown Royal and other liquors there and to help ourselves. I guess we found the right place.

Bill and I then proceeded to set up our tent in the dark and then went over to the campfire and met some of the Yamaha Warrior Riders. We had some good talk and some fun jokes and then finally went to bed, sometime before 4:00 AM.

Friday, April 28th

Bill and I woke up from our little tent at about 9:30 AM and found that when we had set up the tent in the dark, we set it up on an incline. We also found out that we were sleeping facing down hill, with our feet higher than our heads. This turned out to be quite uncomfortable. We wandered over to the store at about 10:00 AM to hunt down some coffee and found that Fred had cooked everyone breakfast and we missed it. I guess you snooze, you lose.

The Warrior Guys had rented a drag strip for 5 hours today. The drag strip was somewhere in Marysville, so Bill and I were going to head over to the Dragon and then head to Marysville and try and find the Drag Strip. Apparently, Yamaha was going to do a photo shoot of the Warrior bikes at the drag strip. We thought this was cool and wanted to watch.

We got to the Deal’s Gap Motorcycle Resort, where we stayed last year and putzed around the gift shop for a while and watched some of the stupid people (For example, a stretched ‘Busa on the Dragon has got to be just about worthless). We then took a spin across the Dragon and stopped at the overlook. While at the overlook, we saw a guy eying our bikes pretty hard. In talking with him, we found that he had just given away an ’83 Yamaha Vision to his neighbor. Turns out, his neighbor wants to sell it as he doesn’t want it either. We told him about the Riders of Vision website (That he didn’t know about) and he asked what we thought our bikes were worth. He lives somewhere in Pennsylvania, I don’t remember where.

Off to try and find the drag strip in Marysville. We asked several people if they knew where it was and nobody knew. That is until we met a postal employee who knew exactly where it was… "Right down this road, about a mile on the Left, Big sign, Can’t miss it". Well, it turned out, that postal employee was a liar. He had no idea and wanted to have some fun with us… Asshole. Bill and I decided to go back to the Dragon and run that again.

We ended up back at the campground at about 5:00 PM and found that Fred and Mo had cooked a huge feast for all the campers. We had BBQ Chicken, Ziti with Sausage, Salad, Garlic Bread, Potato Salad… Oh man did we eat! All Fred and Mo asked for in return was a donation in the tip jar. One of the campers had his birthday on this day and Fred and Mo provided a huge birthday cake with a motorcycle on top. This Kickstand Lodge is incredible! Then off to the campfire for some more motorcycle chat and some far fetched stories.

Saturday, April 29th

On Saturday, we woke up early enough to take a shower; clean ourselves up a bit and still make it to one of Fred’s great breakfasts. After breakfast, Bill made the mistake of joking around with his Vision and said to her "come on baby, please start for me". He then put the key in the ignition and pressed the starter button and got nothing but a click. Yup, that’s right, Bill’s starter filled with oil or the brushes had gotten worn down beyond use. In trying to remedy the situation, Bill grabbed a rock and started tapping on the starter, Vroom, the bike started. Bill now had the official "Starter Rock".

Bill and I then went geocaching in search of the Sacred Visions of the Cherokee geocache. We found the caves and the geocache and appeased the "Little People". We then started Bill’s bike with a rock that we borrowed from the Little People and then took the long way to the Dragon.

Back at the campground, Bill was complaining of a slight head shake on his Vision. We removed the gas tank and started looking at the head stock when we found that his ignition switch had come loose. We swapped some bolts from my bike and securred his ignition switch. We then put a couple of ¼ turns on his head lock nuts. After a test ride, Bill advised that his head shake is a lot better.

Saturday night, most of the Warrior Riders had left to go home. Apparently, they are allergic to rain and they heard a rumor that it was going to rain on Sunday. With a smaller group in the campground, there was no massive meal prepared by Fred, so Bill and I rode into Robbinsville and found a place called Lynn’s Diner. The food at Lynn’s Diner was pretty damn good. I had the Teriyaki Chicken and it was exceptional.

Back to the campground and early to bed after a short visit to the campfire.

Sunday, April 30th

We woke up early enough, again, to have a nice hot shower and another great breakfast from Fred. We worked on Bill’s bike again and got rid of the head shake completely. We spent some time around the campground this morning and then wandered up to the Motorcycle Resort to do some people watching for a while.

We decided to head to Marysville to grab some lunch. To get to Marysville, we had to run through the Dragon. This was one of the slowest runs we had. We got stuck behind an RV towing a trailer. We spent the time rolling through the Dragon, sight seeing… Did you know there is a waterfall somewhere along that road? All the times I have been through there, I never noticed. It’s actually a pretty place when you go through slowly.

We had lunch at a place called "Backyard Burgers"; this is a good place to eat. Fast food that doesn’t taste like fast food. We realized it was getting later and we were on our way to Dave’s house (DaveTN). We got to Dave’s house at about 4:30 PM (or so). I stopped to take one last look at the directions, when Bill spotted the bright yellow Vision in the driveway two houses away. Dave made some… I mean Dave’s wife made some pretty damn good burgers. Wow, another great meal! We sure did eat good on this trip. Bill, Dave and I talked Visions for a couple of hours. Lucky, from the ROV Forum, called while we were there. We all talked for quite some time. We talked in the kitchen, the computer room and the garage, it was great.

Bill and I decided we had better head back to the campground as it was starting to rain. So about 10:00 PM, we left Dave’s house and ended up running the Dragon at night in the rain. This was not fun! It was the type of rain where you couldn’t see the lines in the road, man that sucked. We took it real slow and got back to the camp at about midnight.

Monday, May 1st

Monday was the day to head home. Again we got up early enough to get our last taste of Fred’s breakfast. We hung around drinking coffee and shootin’ the shit with Fred for a while. Then we packed up our camp site and loaded our bikes. We gave Fred the one beer that we had left and he said he would put it to good use. Bill and I stopped at the closest gas station and filled our tanks, then said our good byes. Bill then headed east toward Raleigh and I went north looking for the Interstate.

I slayed the Dragon one last time and then hit I40 East to I81 North. About 6.5 hours later at 70 -75 MPH and I was home. Watched my Son play a scrimmage little league game and thought life is pretty good. My little Yamaha Vision ran flawlessly and carried me everywhere I wanted to go.

Taking a Break from The Dragon

2006-04-30T19:17:00.000-04:00

Just thought we would post a teaser picture from the area of Deal's Gap.... Mutt and I are currently at DaveTN's house in Knoxville and the Visions are currently out in the driveway plotting against us. Tomorrow morning Mutt and I will be heading home and leaving the Dragon behind us until next year.

PS: Mutt will have to tell you about the "Starter Rock"

Riders of Vision (.net) Forum

2006-04-23T19:52:00.000-04:00

Alright, enough is enough! Apparently the Vision Forum has gone down. I now know what it feels like for my wife when the news breaks in with a "Special Bulletin" during "All My Children".

Will Lucky start moving to Tennessee? Will PS2 make it to the Dragon again this year? Did GAWolf really sell his Visions? Will they mysteriously reappear sometime in the future? How about HFarley's promiscuous Visions, and their love/hate relationship? Who is the new person and why are they asking about a rattling noise coming from the engine? Should they buy it? I know somebody in the show is gonna have a Vision that didn't start this morning, who is it going to be?
Oh the suspense is just too much... When will it come back up in my browser?

Painful New Exhaust Gaskets

2006-04-23T13:01:00.000-04:00

Well, I ordered new Fork Seals, New Grips and Exhaust Gaskets from Dennis Kirk. Unfortunately, the Fork Seals have been back ordered and the Grips are the cheapest you can buy. My current fork seals don't leak, but I wanted to replace the seals on my spare set of forks. The grips split down the seam when I installed them. Two strikes, lets try the exhaust gaskets.

All the bolts on the exhaust system came off easily enough and I immediately thought, this is going too easy, something is going to go wrong. Well, after all the bolts were removed, I could not get the system off the bike. I double and triple checked that all the sections had their respective bolts removed. It seems that the copper couplings holding the sections together do their job very very well. I wound up taking a dead blow hammer and beating the snot out of the different sections of the exhaust. Finally, after injuring my hand, and having lots of blood around, the mufflers (or Silencers as Yamaha calls them) dropped off. Replacing the seals was quite easy compared to putting the system back on the bike.

The rear cylinder exhaust flanges were the worst. This section of the exhaust system is in three separate sections held together with 3 types of connectors, all contained in an area too small to get any type of tool in to tighten things. After fighting and trying to thread tools in from any opening, no matter how small, I got everything as tight as I could and had the "Y" Pipe, Flanges and Copper "O" Rings installed. Next came trying to fit the rest of the system back into their respective copper collars. I had to use some emory cloth and sand the inside of each ring to a pretty shiny finish. Then I had to do the same to the outside end of each exhaust pipe. With some time and persistence, I got it all back together with everything tightened up.

After wiping all the blood off the chrome and cleaning out my wound, I brought the bike outside and started it up. Immediately, I heard that the bike is slightly quieter. The bike still has a quiet growl to it, but seems smoother. While redoing the exhaust system, I looked at the spare parts I had lying around and used the better of the parts when I had two of any item. I wound up using the spare down pipes from the front cylinder, the spare "Y" Pipe for the rear cylinder and 2 steel collars for the top of the "Y" Pipe. Looking at the "Y" Pipe that came off the bike, I can see where there was a small exhaust leak. That fixed, back on the road again...

Experienced Rider Course (ERC)

2006-04-03T16:34:00.000-04:00

This past weekend, I took the Experienced Rider Course at The Danville Community College. Four of us met at the 619 Minute Market in Rocky Mount (Bill, Bill, Hank and I) and rode down Sontag Road and over Turkey Cock Mountain and eventually ended up in Danville.

I was the only Yamaha Vision (No Surprise There) among 2 KLRs, 4 Harleys and the rest were Goldwings. The course was all riding. The only time we were in the class room was at the very beginning and the very end of the course. The ERC started out with some slow speed cornering exercises and then some weaving exercises, designed to avoid road debris. We then moved on to some sweeping curve courses, including emergency stopping in a curve. We broke for lunch and ate at Short Sugar's BBQ (I highly recommend this place when you're in Danville). After lunch, we picked up the pace a little (15-20 mph) and did some decreasing radius turns and unpredictable stopping and some more weaving. The very last exercise was a mini EVOC of sorts. Oh, the EVOC was all kinds of fun. The First Harley rider went around the course scrapping his floorboards all the way around. Three riders worked the course at a time. I was the lead rider in my group and quickly came up behind the last rider. Unfortunately, we were not allowed to pass. My 1st lap was lots o' fun, the next three laps, I tried slowing way down to let the rider in front gain some distance, but it wasn't enough. I did however, get to lean the Vision over far enough to create some wear right to the edge of the rear tire (Too bad it was at a max speed of about 20-25 mph).

As for the Vision... She performed quite well. No problems with handling, except maybe an ever so slight slack in the throttle cable when "rolling on" on the apex of the curve. I was more concerned about the engine temperature and the charging system. On more than one occasion, the temperature needle was up, just under, the red. Several times, I would park the bike between courses and the fan would kick on. The voltage while running the course was also up in the area of 15.7 volts. This of course made me very nervous. Every now and again, the volts would come back down to about 14.7 volts (so, I knew the Regulator/Rectifier was working), but still high for my normal 13.9 volts. We did have one Goldwing crap out their charging system. He had to buy a new battery to finish the course.

The ride home brought all my gauges back to where they should be, which was a big relief. On the way home, Bill, Hank and I took Rt.41 out of Danville to Sago Road to Snow Creek Road to Sontag Road back to Rocky Mount. All in all a very good day with a total of about 155 miles, including the ERC Course.

Master Cylinder Sight Glass

2006-03-28T14:41:00.000-05:00

For a total of $10.00, I replaced the sight glass on my master cylinder. The original sight glass was orange and completely solid, no possible way to see through it. Replacing the sight glass sounded real easy. I tried setting the new glass in the sealant about a dozen times before I got it the way I wanted it. Each time, it was either too much or not enough RTV sealant. When I finally got it the way I wanted it, I found it leaked after it was dry. Well, the new sight glass is... Glass. Removing the new sight glass was not easy. The pressure from the screwdriver shattered the glass. Good thing two replacement glass pieces were shipped. The second time around, I was left with no choice, but to use more sealant rather than less. As you can see, this is my final result. Not as clean as I had hoped, but at least it's not leaking. Now, back to your regularly scheduled program.

The Daily Commute 2 Work

2006-03-15T16:51:00.000-05:00

I thought I would share my commuting ride to work. I fabricated a camera mount to the side of the fairing on my Vision. Attached to the mount is a Wal-Mart Special point-n-shoot digital camera. Below is my entire commute on Ferrum mountain Road from Callaway to Ferrum. Get the popcorn and enjoy the show.

Daytona Fork Brace

2006-03-14T15:16:00.000-05:00

I know several people are going to laugh at my machine drawing skills when they see this picture (I know you're laughing Lucky). However, all I had to work with was Microsoft Paint and just be glad you're getting what you got. These are the measurements from my Daytona Fork Brace that is installed on my 1982 Yamaha XZ550 Vision. I hope it makes sense. Unfortunately, my 20 year old dial caliper is only in inches and not millimeters, sorry if that makes things difficult. Click on the image to see it larger.

Weird New Math

2006-03-10T14:02:00.000-05:00

60^oF+ before 9:00am this morning and I have to go into town to get some Black RTV Sealant for the new Master Cylinder Sight Glass I have to replace the old one. I fired up the 1982 Yamaha ZX550 Vision for a short 10 mile trip into Rocky Mount. While in town, I had to stop at the bank and get gas. 10 miles into town and 10 miles back home... How did 105 new miles get on the odometer? It has to be some sort of new mathematical formula.

I guess it might have a little to do with where I went after getting gas. It appears that I went North on Rt.122 to Burnt Chimney. I had forgotten how nice Rt.122 is to ride a motorcycle on. If you can just get rid of some of the traffic, it wouldn't be a bad road. When I got to Burnt Chimney, I turned onto Rt.116 to Boones Mill Road. Now, Boones Mill Road is a great road for a ride. Usually, Boones Mill Road has very little traffic and some nice sweeping curves all the way from Rt.116 to Rt.220. The curves continue onto Bethlehem Road to Callaway Road. Only problem I had on Bethlehem Road was that I got stuck behind a cement mixer... Ugh!

I took Callaway Road back toward the house, once I got to the house, I didn't want to stop. The bike was running really good and I was just shaking the winter riding habits. I took Five Mile Mountain Road to The Blue Ridge Parkway down to Tuggle's Gap. Five Mile Mountain Road was a bit rough, as they patch graveled it late last fall. Now, you can't really see where there is gravel in the road or if it's just the patch. The Parkway was great, so great in fact that I had to keep checking my speed. It's so easy to just haul ass down the parkway, but with a speed limit of only 45mph, you really gotta watch your speed.

Rt.8 passed Tuggle's Gap Restaurant, two bikes in the parking lot, and on to Woolwine. Rt.8 was in great condition, no gravel and high speed curves. Rt.40 from Woolwine to Ferrum was another story. Rt.40 is one of my favorite roads to ride and found lots of gravel in the corners. It seemed like there was just enough gravel to be only in the curves and just enough for you to cross over the pucker factor line once you realized it was there. The closer I got to Ferrum, the slower I found myself in the curves. Oh well. Short trip from Ferrum back to Callaway and I was once again home.

The Motorcycle Playground

2006-02-20T14:29:00.000-05:00

The Motorcycle Playground is an excellent web site showing some of the areas best kept secret motorcycle roads: http://www.motorcycleplayground.com

Winter Frustration

2006-02-15T18:17:00.000-05:00

Okay, this is not me, but I can certainly understand what he is feeling by not being able to ride. Luckily, I was able to ride to work tonight. Lots of gravel on the roads and lots of go very slow places, but at least I rode...

2nd Annual Memorial Bike Ride For Cpl. Jonathan W. Bowling

2006-02-09T14:01:00.000-05:00

Jonathan Bowling was a Corporal in the USMC who paid the ultimate price fighting for freedom in Iraq. He was also a Firefighter with the
Fairystone Vol. Fire Dept. and a Fellow Police Officer for the City Of Martinsville, as well as a fellow bike rider.

Please show your support By Remembering Jonathan in This Ride:
Date:April 15th - Rain Date:April 22nd

Location: Patrick County High School, Stuart Va.

Registration starts at 9am - Departure at 1pm

Cost $10.00 per bike - Vehicles same price

Proceeds will go to the Cpl. Jonathan W. Bowling
Memorial Scholarship Fund

We will be stopping by the gravesite for a moment of
silence.
Also day of event Blue Ridge Mountains Car show will
be there, will be no admission to the car show. There will be a plaque given to the farthest traveled bike.

Red Knights MC Chapter 11 Patrick Springs,Va.

For more information contact the following

Miranda Nelson (276)629-6188

William Martin (276)957-1635

Kim Bowling (336)978-2796

2Wheel Traveling GeoCache

2006-01-30T15:10:00.000-05:00

I went for an 80 mile ride today. I had to get the Vision inspected and I had to hide the 2Wheel Traveling GeoCache. Once again, I went to Reed's Garage near where the Blue Ridge Parkway meets with Rt. 221 at Bent Mountain. Once again, they refused to charge me for my inpsection on my motorcycle. After Reed's, I went on my quest to locate a good place to hide the Cache. I started on the Blue Ridge Parkway, but couldn't find any place decent. I then wandered down Five Mile Mountain Road in Callaway, still no good places. I wound up near Woolwine after riding Rt. 40 (Wow, what a ride). From where the cache is hidden, A ride East on Rt.40 to Ferrum or a Ride Northwest on Rt.8 to Floyd, would make for a great day.

Roanoke Times: Virginia Motorcycle Council

2006-01-28T11:23:00.000-05:00

Here is a great article from The Roanoke Times about Virginia being a great motorcycle destination and how the Governor has set up a Virginia Motorcycle Council. Click on the heading, above, to read the article.

Head Shake ~ GONE!

2006-01-20T11:25:00.000-05:00

The other day I decided to see if I can tighten the steering stem nuts any more. I took the spanner wrench that I bought from Lowes and filed down the ends to about half of what they were. I took off the Vision's gas tank and loosened the handle bar pinch bolts and steering stem bolt. I lifted the top triple tree plate and cranked down on the steering stem nuts with everything I had. I used the left side bar as leverage and gave it everything I had. The nuts did tighten up some more ~ about 2 full turns. Then, the handle on the spanner wrench snapped. Moved the steering from lock to lock, still not binding. Can't tighten the nuts any more without a wrench.

Rode the bike to work last night.... The head shake I had is completely gone. I am a happy camper! No more shakin' ~ The bike feels really good. In addition, I had to swap the forks out again and go back to my old forks. The newer forks had really bad leaky seals. They leaked so bad that after a short ride, the radiator was wet with fork oil... Not good. So I will run the old forks until I can rebuild the seals and dust covers in the new forks. I also found that my old forks have Progressive Springs in them and the new forks just have stock springs. Head shake gone and I have progressive springs. It was a good day.

Starter Clutch Hell !!

2006-01-16T13:32:00.000-05:00

Alright, where do I start? What started out as a simple Shift Shaft Seal replacement turned into major surgery. I took off the Left side cover to gain access to the shift shaft seal. After I pulled the cover, I checked the Balancer Nut and that was good and tight. Then I looked for the starter clutch bolts inside the rotor. As I looked, I didn't see anything. I looked closer, with a flashlight. What I found was that all three of the starter clutch bolts had backed out and removed themselves from the rotor.

Pulling the rotor is not an easy task on a Yamaha Vision. First, you need to have a Harmonic Balancer/Flywheel Puller, which I didn't have, so I had to go buy one... $26.99 at Fisher Auto Parts. Then I had to get the rotor off. Yeah, Right! Lots of banging and twisting and banging some more, then get the deadblow hammer and whack the side of the rotor. Bang it some more and twist and whack... for several hours this went on. Finally, off it came. The back of the starter clutch was destroyed along with the bolt holes on the back of the rotor. This is odd. The normal tell tale sign that the bolts had backed out is a distinctive rattle noise from the engine that goes away after about 2500 RPM. I hadn't noticed a distinctive noise. There was a time or two that I did hear something, but didn't think much of it. One time a buddy of mine advised that he thought he heard a slight noise from the crankcase. Never was it very loud to cause any alarm.

Okay, now what? Pull the starter clutch and rotor from the spare engine.... Here we go again. Several hours later, I have a starter clutch and rotor in great condition. In fact, it appears as though the starter clutch bolt fix had already been done to the spare engine. Before I realized this, I pulled one of the bolts as I was going to match it up with a longer bolt. While looking at the bolt, I realized the end was mashed as if it had been peened over. Looking at the other bolts, they look like they had been peened also. Although the bolts could be a bit longer, these look really good. I did notice that when I took off the Flywheel puller, the center shaft forced it's way into the crankshaft and destroyed the bolt threads inside. Now, if I ever need to use the spare engine, I will have to replace the crankshaft.

I put the new rotor and starter clutch on the bike and torqued it down. On to the shift shaft seal. The drywall screw trick to removing the old seal didn't work. All it did was shred the old seal. I tried some dental tools I had lying around without success. What did finally work was an old paint can cover opener, you know, the kind you get free from the paint store when you buy a gallon of paint. With the old seal out and the new one in, all was looking good. A little Threebond 1104 and a new side cover gasket and it was all back together. 24 hours later, fresh synthetic oil and a trun of the key, it all started up nicely and charges as it is supposed to. The engine does sound a whole lot smoother, more like a happy sewing machine.

Now with all that done, I can't remember if I torqued and locktited the starter clutch bolt I took out. Well, if I didn't, it should hold together for another 20,000 miles when I will have to do it all over again. With a test ride, I found that I still have the front end wobble on deceleration. I am starting to think I will never get rid of that wobble. The next time I have a chance to work on the bike, I am going to crank down some more on the head bearings. I will also need to swap the forks back to my original forks as the replacement forks have a very bad leak in the seals. So bad that it is blowing fork oil onto the radiator. My old forks had good seals and the wobble apparently is not associated with the forks, so the old will work nicely.

Starter Rebuild Today

2006-01-13T21:39:00.000-05:00

The DPO (Dumb Previous Owner) and the SCO (Stupid Current Owner) both did something stupid with the Vision Starter. I started out by pulling the starter out of the spare engine. I opened the starter and found it to be in perfect condition, however the seal was the original OEM seal. So, I wanted to upgrade it to the seal with the spring lip. Everything went very well and smooth, until it was time to put the armature back through the bearing. The socket I used to drive the armature through the bearing was tapered inside and I didn't realize it. The taper made the inside diameter too big and using it damaged the bearing. In removing the bearing, I read the instructions wrong. I interpreted "drive the bearing out from the sealed side." as "drive the bearing out from the seal side.". One simple word, "Seal" and "Sealed". I tried to drive the bearing out the wrong way. I cracked a perfect "O" ring off the top of the nose of the starter.

Start over, remove the starter from the engine on the bike. Open that starter and find that, yes, the seal failed and filled the starter with oil. The DPO, apparently tried to fix a dry rotted rubber "O" ring with some sort of silicone. The DPO didn't even try and remove the starter from the bike to hack this fix. I had to remove the silicone from the starter with a razor blade. The back side of the starter had nothing, no silicone, no seal, no nothing. I then took the good body from the starter I broke and put it with nose of the oil filled starter. I cleaned up and repaired the seal and then used the correct socket to drive the armature through the bearing. Between the two starters, I believe I ended up with one good one. I greased the gears in the starter and oiled the seals and reinstalled it back into the bike. Can't test it yet as I have to take the Left side cover off the bike to replace the Shift Shaft Seal while the bike is still empty of oil.

70 Degrees Today...But.

2006-01-09T20:18:00.000-05:00

It started out being a great day...

Woke up this morning and the temperature was already up to 50 Degrees. My thinking, what a great day for a ride... Nope, The spousal unit had stuff that needed to be done that required the minivan. Okay, get all that stuff done and I decide, let me pull the front wheel and change the front axel and see what I get with the front end wobble.

1st I pull the front wheel. I then pull the bearing seals and clean up all the excessive grease in there and repack the wheel bearings. I notice on the exploded view of the front wheel in the Haynes Manual, they show 3 wheel bearings. Well, I have had this wheel off enough times to know that's not right. Maybe there is some type of bearing in the Speedometer gearing. So I pop the speedo gear apart. Nope no 3rd bearing in there. Clean up all the extra grease in there and notice a couple of places where there is rust in the splines. Decrease the entire thing, break out the emory cloth and clean up the rust. Re-grease everything and pop it back together.

Okay, wheel bearings regreased, speedometer gear cleaned and regreased... Lets put the wheel back on and hopefully still have time to atleast ride the bike to work. Still don't know why the Haynes Manual shows an extra wheel bearing in their exploded view of the front wheel.

Put it all back together, with the replacement axel, spin the front wheel.... Wow. This thing glides beautifully. The wheel spun easily before without any problems. Now, it's almost like it floats. Spin the wheel and I got tired of waiting for it to stop, had to use my hand as a brake and stop the wheel from spinning... Beautiful!

Clean everything up, put everything away, get changed for work... Push the bike out into the yard, fire it up. Fires up on the 1st push of the starter. Go back in as the bike warms up and get all my gear on. Outside now, swing a leg over the bike, drop it in 1st gear and it stalls. No big deal, just hit the starter again... Click, click click from the starter solenoid.

Crap!

Reach under the seat rail and hit the starter while I am feeling the solenoid, yup it's the starter solenoid clicking, wait what was that... The starter tried to turn. Humph, the battery is fully charged. That was a weird sound the starter made.... Click, glub, glub,, click, click, click.

Roll the bike back in the basement, strip out of my gear and go to work in the minivan. Next day off, pull the starter and swap it with the one from the spare engine. It really did start out as a beautiful day.

2005 End of Year Mileage: 20716

2006-01-01T18:34:00.000-05:00

I went for my annual New Years Day ride this morning after work. I met 15 or so other riders at the Plateau Plaza BoJangles for some hot coffee and strong conversation. The temperature was in the mid to upper 40s and overcast. I put about 50+ miles on the Vision this morning before finally returning home to go to sleep. The Vision ran very well and sounded great. Unfortunately, that damned head shake is still present. I almost feel like it's silently laughing at me. Next step, work on the swing arm bearings... (4,142 Miles in 2005)

Replaced Oil Pressure Gauge

2005-12-30T05:35:00.000-05:00

I replaced the FAZE Oil Pressure Gauge with a waterproof FARIA Oil Pressure gauge. My FAZE gauge had the backlight illumination fry out in a heavy rain storm. I do credit FAZE (AutoMeter) with great customer service. I contacted their customer service by email and explained the problem with the FAZE gauge and they sent me a new Power Supply without me even asking. Unfortunately, it was the gauge it's self that was the problem and not the power supply. The Faria gauge is for marine use and thus slightly better at being water resistant. We shall see how long this one lasts.

Ice Be Gone, I Have New Forks!

2005-12-15T15:46:00.000-05:00

Okay, so not only are we in a current massive ice storm, but the snow and ice from a week ago still hasn't gone away (Usually, in these here parts, snow falls and then it is gone in a day or two). Time to work on the XZ550 Vision. I ordered another pair of forks from eBay not too long ago, time to swap 'em out. The process went without any problems and took maybe 1.5 hours, 2.5 hours after I changed the fork oil on the new forks. While changing the fork oil, I found that the new forks have some sort of spacer at the top of the springs. Did my old forks have these spacers?... Open the old forks, NO SPACERS. What is this? Flip a bunch of pages in the Haynes Manual/Look in the index of the Shop Manual... SPACERS! The exploded view of the forks in both books show spacers. I had changed the fork oil in the old forks twice since I owned the bike, I never realized that the spacers were missing. Could this be the problem I have been looking for creating the head shake in this bike? Oh, why is there ice out there, I need to take this bike for a test ride, I need to know if that front end wobble is still there. In any event, the forks have been swapped out and I patiently await a test ride. I will however, need new Tax and Inspection Stickers. Until they get replaced, I guess I will ride around with a picture of the old forks in my wallet.

It Started Snowing...

2005-12-08T19:29:00.000-05:00

My wonderful wife bought me this model of a Yamaha Vision last Christmas. I figured that it started snowing for the winter and I better get started doing something.

The turn signal lenses were just clear plastic, so I painted them orange to match my life size XZ550 Vision (Actually, this model is an XZ400, but who can tell). The model was white plastic, I painted it to match the color of my Vision.

You can click on any one of these pictures and you will be able to see better detail.

For example, look at the "Yamaha" badge on the gas tank. I painted that gold.

The mirrors are also painted with reflective silver paint. The model came with a teeny tiny set of gauges (Speedo & Tach), but when the decal was applied on the black gauge cluster, you could not see it. So, when it fell off, I didn't bother trying to put the decal back on.

Now all I need to do is figure out how to shrink down to 1/15th scale so I can ride this little bugger around the kitchen table.

3:18am 13.7v 26.4f

2005-11-27T13:03:00.000-05:00

That was the reading on the inside of the fairing on the Vision when I left work this morning. The seat was encrusted with ice, the black ice alert was beeping and I was heading over Ferrum Mountain Road. Other than my face shield fogging up, it was refreshing. I have been itching to ride over the last week or so and this was an opportunity. I just ordered a set of used forks and I am waiting for them to arrive. Hopefully, that will take care of my front end shake... If not, it will be the task of swapping out the swingarm bearings.

New Yamaha Vision Igniter Box

2005-11-19T14:28:00.000-05:00

For Immediate Release:
Oct 24th 2005
ElectroSport HELPS Puts VISION into YAMAHA
Harley tuning legend Babe DeMay had a vision to put a Yamaha Vision 550 onto the racetrack. The result is the Memphis Shades Yamaha Vision. Yes, you heard correct, that’s a Yamaha Vision! ElectroSport jumped at the chance to work with DeMay on this project, as the stock CDI would flatten out at just under 8000 rpm. The Stock CDI was certainly good for cruising around town, but not close for the requirements of competition. And, for ElectroSport this was much more that just removing the CDI rev limit, but to develop and fine-tuned the CDI with a curve for maximum horsepower with superior torque output for the requirements and demands of AMA Pro Flat Track Racing. ElectroSport’s knowledge of CDI performance curves and how the power is put to the ground resulted in a winning combination for DeMay and the Vision. ElectroSport produced a CDI with reliability and serious performance gains. How good? The new CDI developed by ElectroSport adds and additional 5000 rpm which should make the Vision more than competitive. Of course, Babe Demay provided many other modifications to the Vision engine and in combination with ElectroSport’s CDI engineering, should help put the Vision into the winner’s circle in 2006

For Immediate Release:
Oct 24th 2005
ElectroSport teams Up with Pastrana to Deput New RM-Z 450 Stator, Flywheel and HID Lighting at 24 hours of Glen Helen
ElectroSport Industries joined in with Travis Pastrana, Brian Deegan, Jason Lawrence and Greg Godfrey on a factory backed Suzuki RM-Z450, for the latest addition to the world famous “24 Hours of Glen Helen”. Starting from scratch, the engineering and design team at ElectroSport worked quickly to develop a high output stator and flywheel to power the RM-Z450. Tests confirmed over 125 watts of lighting were available for the premier hard-core endurance race. ElectroSport was also tasked with designing a lightweight racing HID lighting kit for Pastrana’s team. The end result was a true factory finish, which worked flawless over the demanding Glen Helen course. Pastrana unfortunately took himself out after a high speed get-off, but the team soldered on through the night and finished a respectable 5th place overall. Truly a great endorsement for the innovative team at ElectroSport.

Cycle World - December 2005

2005-11-05T18:16:00.000-05:00

I'm Famous! I had a Letter to the Editor published in Cycle World Magazine. On page 20 of the December/05 issue of Cycle World, there I am, published, from Callaway, Virginia. Oh, this is exciting! Ain't that a pretty picture? Hurry up and get out to those news stands, this issue of Cycle World is going to be a collector's item.

Polypropelyne Cold Weather Gear

2005-10-31T15:37:00.000-05:00

At work the other night, Jeff and I were talking about "Under Armour" Cold Weather Gear that we could wear under our police uniforms. We both can't stand wearing a coat or jacket while working. He mentioned that he had bought some military cold gear made with Polypropelyne from eBay. When he got it, he realized that it might be to thick to wear under his uniform. He said it might work pretty good for my motorcycle (He thinks I am crazy for riding the bike, as cold as it has been). Last night, he brought it to work, both a long sleeve shirt and pants.

After my shift at work, I tried the shirt & pants on to see if they fit. I immediately felt my body heat staying with my body. To say the least, this stuff is warm! I decided to keep my new duds on and test it on my ride home. At 3:00 AM, the temperature was 36 Degrees (F) with the black ice alarm going off. I put on the gear that I rode into work with, a JoeRocket Mesh Jacket with armor, my waste length heavy coat and my leather boots and winter riding gloves. I already had on 2 pairs of socks, the Polypropelyne suit and my t-shirt. The heated grips were turned on. Off I went on the bike for the 8 mile ride home. This stuff kept me pretty damn warm. The only place that I felt cold were my cheeks and eye balls and that's only because I had to crack the face shield due to it fogging up on me.

Now, if I can only find some sort of protection from the deer I saw on my way home. In just 8 miles, I saw, at least a dozen deer. Not a good feeling when you're only on 2 wheels.

Living with it

2005-10-15T12:23:00.000-04:00

Well, I have put about 50 miles on the bike since changing the head bearings. The head shake is still there. I have tightened the bearings up a bit, but with no difference. This annoying head shake has been with this bike since I've owned it. The head bearings are good, the forks are straight, the wheel bearings are good, the tire is balanced. Someone mentioned changing the swingarm bearings. Right now, I am going to live with what I got. I may tighten the head bearings again after a couple hundred miles. When the snow starts to fly, I will consider changing out the swingarm bearings. The cure for the head shake is out there. However, right now, the fight against the shake will be scaled back temporarily. I am going to get as many riding days in as I can, until the tires lose traction in the snow.

No More Balls

2005-10-09T18:38:00.000-04:00

Well, it was time to replace the head bearings on the Vision with tapered head bearings from All Balls Bearings. It was rather unnerving having to dismantle the bike as far as I did, especially by someone who has no mechanical training. Mechanically inclined, yes... Professional mechanic, not by a long shot. Seeing my bike in this state really was scary, not knowing if I would be able to put it all back together again. Now that is it done, I feel a lot better. Things that still need to be done this winter: Starter Clutch Bolt Fix, Shift Shaft Seal Replaced, Balancer Nut, Front Wheel Bearings, oh the list just keeps on going.....

Headless

2005-10-09T18:32:00.000-04:00

Removing everything on the bike to get to the head bearings was easier than I thought. I started with removing the front wheel and the forks, Removing the handle bars and instrument cluster, removing the ignition and idiot lights. I did find that there are a lot more wires hidden behind the headlight than I ever thought possible. I was able to use a pair of vise grips instead of a spanner wrench on the lock nuts over the head bearings. Everything seemed to come off willingly.

Pitted Races

2005-10-09T18:22:00.000-04:00

When I finally pulled the bike apart to the point where the races are, I found the races were pitted pretty good. The top lower and the bottom lower races were the worst. In the picture, you can see where the bearings were laying. I guess I now know why I could feel a dead spot nearly dead center in the steering.

Cold Metal

2005-10-09T18:06:00.000-04:00

To help seat the races and the bearings where they belong, I placed the races and the steering stem in the freezer over night. Freezing the races helped a lot, they nearly dropped right into place. Getting the lower bearings onto the steering stem was another story. Freezing the steering stem didn't seem to help at all. I tried several different ways to tap the bearings onto the stem, the first was using a piece of PVC Pipe and a Plumbing Wrench. The PVC was too soft and didn't have enough UMPH to get the bearings on down the steering stem. I tried using a Socket Wrench extension to try tapping around the top of the bearings and that didn't seem to be making progress evenly. I found a spare Buddy Foot Peg Bracket from the Parts Vision. On that bracket is a hole that is the perfect size to slip down over the steering stem and fit the top of the bearings. I then used a hammer and tapped the bracket on top of the bearings to seat the bearings to the bottom of the steering stem. That worked.

Seating the bearing races

2005-10-09T18:00:00.000-04:00

Seating the roller bearing races was a lot easier that seating the lower roller bearing. The use of a rubber dead blow hammer was all it took to seat the upper race. The lower race was a little more difficult, only because the race sits up inside the head tube. You can't easily swing a hammer to seat the race, you need a punch being very careful not to damage the inside of the race.

Tapered Roller Bearings Installed

2005-10-09T17:48:00.000-04:00

After completing the entire process, I am guessing that it is a good thing that the only left over parts that I had were the old races and ball bearings. No extra parts is not a bad thing. However, when I took the bike for a test ride, I noticed I still had the slight head shake. The shake is better than it was before and a lot better that right after I dropped the bike. I guess I am making progress but not quite there yet. The entire front end of the bike feels much more secure on the road, so I am happy with the upgrade. While putting it all back together, I am glad I checked to see if my lights were still working. Apparently, my headlight was not. A loose and corroded connector in the rubber pouch behind the headlight was the culprit. I am glad I fixed it when I did and didn't have to pull it all apart again. I also coated the inside of the tachometer with dry graphite lubricant and that helped make my tach a little more responsive.

ROV Withdrawals

2005-10-07T15:29:00.000-04:00

Someone, anyone, please help!! It's been two days now and there is something wrong with the Riders of Vision website. I think someone hacked into it. Now it just shows the ROV Logo. If the site stays down much longer, I am going to have to check myself into a psychiatric center. I just did major surgery on my Yamaha Vision and can't check the ROV site after putting her all back together. Someone help me, I feel my mind slipping away. I NEED ACCESS TO ROV. Oh, sorry Doctor, I will keep my voice down. (SSHHhhh, I don't wanna wear the straight jacket again).

Yamaha XZ550 Audio File

2005-09-29T02:33:00.000-04:00

Okay, so my new head bearings should be delivered by UPS tomorrow. Today, I sit here and listen to the sound of my bike over and over again on my MP3 Player. It might be a little pathetic but I really miss riding. I can close my eyes and pretend I am riding when I listen to this: XZ550 Engine Running

Poop Happens

2005-09-21T10:28:00.000-04:00

Okay, so I dropped my scooter. As I was coming home and bringing the bike up to the basement door on the wet grass, blam! Before I knew it, the bike was laying on the ground and I was standing next to it. The good news, very minimal cosmetic damage... Just gotta replace a turn signal. The bad news, I damaged the head bearings, so now I have to replace/upgrade then to the tapered Roller Bearings. The bike is unridable at the moment due to the bearings. I have a friend in TN who is sending me a turn signal. I guess in the near future, I will be documenting how to change out your head bearings on a Yamaha Vision... Stay Tuned.

Flying

2005-09-10T07:17:00.000-04:00

Ever since I started riding a motorcycle, I have always said that I don't need anything, but me, the bike and the road. That is all I ever needed to unwind, relieve stress, or just enjoy a great day riding. Well, I recently acquired an MP3 Player, an iRiver to be more specific. It's a whole new experience riding with quality music playing in your helmet. It's more like.... Flying. I can really lose myself in the ride and float on down the road.

Now, I need a good collection of riding songs. Please, if anyone has any recommendations for downloadable MP3s for the road, post here and let me know. I have an account with www.allofmp3.com and at 10 Cents a song, I am ready to build my collection for the road.

Changes Are Happening

2005-09-05T18:17:00.000-04:00

I am finding that I am riding my bike more often than I drive my car. I guess with the gas prices, this is a good thing. However, The last two commutes to work, I found it was more comfortable to ride with the heated grips turned on. I also officially switched the fairing vents from "Cool" to "Warm". I guess fall is getting closer. I am going to try and resist the temptation to change over from riding more often to driving more often. I also noticed that when I started the bike at work, it was leaking fuel out from the carburetor overflow tubes again. I flogged the bike home and it seems to have cured it's self. I will have to keep an eye on the situation. If it continues, I will have to clean out the float bowls again. I guess somethings never change.

1-800-HELP-NOW

2005-09-01T14:47:00.000-04:00

Please help remember the thousands of people left homeless by Huricane Katrina. They need cash now. Please click on the link above and donate what you can to the Red Cross. If you were spared by the storm, think about opening your home to a family and helping them get back on their feet. Anything will help...

R&D on a Stator Cover

2005-08-24T15:01:00.000-04:00

Okay, this picture is what I started with. Not very pretty, huh? This cover started with some scratches, oxidation and yellowing clear coat. It appeared that someone had stripped some of the clear coat off, so half the cover was covered with yellow clear coat and the other half with stained aluminum. In this write up, you can click any of the pictures to see a larger picture with better detail. I started by removing anything that wasn't metal/aluminum. This included removing the oil level window and the plastic plug near the top of the stator cover. I also removed the crank end cover with the rubber o-ring seal underneath. When I jumped in to start this, I did not know what I was going to end with, so I did this experiment on a spare stator cover that I acquired. My spare cover was in worse condition than the one on my bike, so with the results, I am happy.

Clear Coat No More

2005-08-24T14:33:00.000-04:00

I used a metal stripper I found in Lowe's to strip the clear coat off of the Stator Cover. The metal stripper I used was "Klean-Strip Metal Stripper". This is some powerful stuff. Make sure you wear safety glasses and chemical resistant gloves. If this stuff gets on your skin, it burns and burns a lot. Don't ask me how I know, just trust me. I can't imagine what would happen if you got this stuff in your eyes. I painted the stripper on with a disposable paint brush (trust me you will not be able to use the brush again for anything else). Applied it all in one direction as the instructions indicate. I left it on the cover for about 15-20 minutes and wiped everything off with an old, clean rag. If you leave the stripper on for too long, it will dry onto the metal and then you need to strip the clear coat and the old metal stripper. 20 minutes is just about the right amount of time. Make sure you clean up all the stripping agent, get it all off of there.

Green and Cream

2005-08-24T14:14:00.000-04:00

The next step was to scrub the entire piece with a ScotchBrite Green scrubby Pad. The scrubby pad really helped get rid of a lot of the staining that was on the cover. You will really need to scrub with some muscle. Use a soft cloth to clean up any residue from the scrubby when you're finished. After the scrubby pad, I used a cone shaped brass wire brush in my electric drill. I used brass because it is softer than the aluminum. I worked the brass brush in very small circles over the entire surface of the stator cover. In this step, you can actually see the reflection of the drill in the cover surface as you work up a good shine. After the entire surface is brite and shiny, finish the job with some NevrDull Metal Polish, buffing to a brite finish.

Footpeg Mounts

2005-08-24T14:02:00.000-04:00

I tried this same prodecure on one of the spare footpeg mounting brackets that I have and it turned out okay, I guess, but not as well as the Stator Cover. When I started, both of these rear footpeg mounts looked pretty much the same.

Local Favorite

2005-08-23T17:36:00.000-04:00

I had to attend a meeting this afternoon at work. The meeting was scheduled from 1:30 PM to 4:00 PM at Ferrum College. Well, we were released from the meeting at 3:30 PM and Route 40 & Route 8 were calling to me. I took off on Rt. 40 heading West from Ferrum. The road was in excellent condition, the weather was about 80 Degrees. The road to Rt. 8 was clear of all traffic, except one pickup truck towing a trailer. The driver of that vehicle waived me past as soon as he saw I was behind him (He must ride).

Just as I got to Woolwine and just before the junction with Rt.8, I got stuck behind a mulch truck. Luckily, it was only for about a quarter mile, then the truck turned Left on Rt.8 and I went Right. Rt.8 was beautiful until I passed an orange sign that said "Road Under Construction". Oh no, what were they doing to my road??? Straightening it??? No, it appears that they are just widening it in one or two spots. I did however, sit waiting to the "Pilot Car" for about 15 minutes... It seemed like forever. Then after the polit car arrived I was stuck behind a line of cars through the construction zone, which was one lane. I was stuck behind all these cars and work vans until Tuggle's Gap.

At Tuggle's Gap, I jumped on the Blue Ridge Parkway and zipped along at about 10 mph over the 45 mph speed limit. Only got stuck behind one other vehicle and that was just before an easy "Motorcycle Only Passing Zone". While on the BRP, my bike passed the 20,000 mile mark on the odometer. I then hit Five Mile Mountain Road and zipped on back home. I was home by 4:30, quarter to five. This is about the time I would have gotten home if the meeting lasted until 4:00 like it was supposed to.

If you have never riden Rt. 40 to Rt.8 to Tuggle's Gap/Blue Ridge Parkway you really need to do it soon. The roads have long sweeping curves and tight switchbacks and especially during the week, very minimal traffic. I would however, wait until the construction is completed.

2005-08-14T00:59:00.000-04:00

Hey, This is a pretty neat page with a pair of Visions highlighted. Matt knows a good bike when he sees one. He even took the Vision to a California Superbike School. Good quick reading.

Deal's Gap Videos

2005-08-04T03:35:00.000-04:00

All in all, my trip to meet the dragon was 912 miles. Not as many as James but still quite a few miles for a 23+ year old motorcycle. The following two videos are of the four Visions running through the gap behind a slow Miata. The videos show the Miata, a Vision, a Honda ST1100, two more Visions and then I am shooting the video from the fairing of my Vision.

Four Visions and an ST1100: Video 1 Video 2

These next two videos are of James (PS2) running the Dragon heading toward the Deal's Gap Motorcycle Resort again, with me following and shooting the video from the fairing of my Vision.

James Slaying the Dragon: Video 3 Video 4

Killboy Pictures

2005-08-04T02:15:00.000-04:00

The pictures that Darryl Cannon and his crew from www.killboy.com shot have been posted to his web site. I looked and looked until I could just barely see anymore and I found about 50 photographs of Vision Riders from the EROV Meet. If you click on the above title, it will bring you to the Vision Photo Album, then use "visions" as the password and it should open to a slide show of the 50+ pictures.

Off to Meet the Dragon

2005-08-03T05:05:00.000-04:00

I left my house in Callaway, Virginia at about 11:00 AM on Friday. It rained a little as I was leaving the house, but soon stopped. I rode the interstate most all the way. I81 then to I40 to Knoxville. I81 was closed in Tennessee for a major accident involving hazmat trucks and fire. In Knoxville I hit a lot of traffic, but I was soon pulling closer to the rural area of Route 129. I had to ride the tail of the dragon to get to the motorcycle resort and on my 1st trip through, I had my picture taken by the infamous "Killboy". That was cool. As soon as I arrived at about 5:30 PM, James (PS2) was there waiting on me. About an hour later, Bill (Mutt) pulled in with his Vision in the back of his truck. All was looking very well. We ate diner and talked about Visions. Then we ran the Dragon a time or two just to get it done. There is nothing like that 1st ride through this stretch of road.

So this is the Dragon

2005-08-03T04:59:00.000-04:00

The Dragon at Deal's Gap. Bill (Mutt) on the left came over to the gap from the Raleigh area and trucked his Vision in. I (MotorPlow), center, rode my bike from Callaway, VA and James (Right) rode his bike all the way from Michigan. This is where the East Rider's of Vision Meet begins.

East Riders of Vision Meet at the Dragon

The Sun is up Let's Ride

2005-08-03T04:47:00.000-04:00

It was early on Saturday morning Bill, James and I were just starting to wake up and each of us was itching to ride. We ate a good breakfast and then off we went to slay that beast.

Off to the Overlook and then back again, each time we stopped at the overlook to talk with other riders (mainly to answer questions of "What is that bike?"). Of course Bill and I had to keep James from picking up rocks to chase the Miata drivers away.

Look at them, sitting there just begging to be ridden...

4 Great Bikes

2005-08-03T04:38:00.000-04:00

All in all, we had four Visions show at the Gap. In order from front to back, they are (by Screen Name) PS2, Mutt, MotorPlow and Schanland.

Another shot of the same bikes in the same order.

This is a picture of Schanland's black '82 Vision. He just rode in for the day. We found him at the Deal's Gap Motorcycle Resort, just before he left.

Our Beer Run

2005-08-03T04:31:00.000-04:00

One of our trips away from the dragon was on the Foothills Parkway. It was a nice enough ride, but heck, we were hungry and needed beer. After eating a nice lunch ar Shoney's in Maryville, we went grocery shopping.

If you notice the sign above where we parked, you will find that we had to get James pregnant to justify the parking space. If James carries to full term, we are going to name the little one Lucky Jr.

The Tree of Shame

2005-08-03T04:23:00.000-04:00

The Tree of Shame... We did not have to pay tribute to the tree of shame during our stay at the Dragon, however many before us have. One of the 19/20 year olds staying in the room next to us did. He and his buddy came in late Saturday Night. 1st thing in the AM on Sunday off they went to slay the dragon on their superbikes. Less than 2 miles into the dragon on their 1st run, one of them got bit by the big lizard. We helped him fix the bike back to, at least, ridable condition.

We did pay a little tribute to the tree for our fellow Vision riders. For all of us who have burned stators in the past, this is for you.

Taking a Break

2005-08-03T04:08:00.000-04:00

In between riding the Dragon really hard we would take the occasional break. Here we are at the Overlook posing with our beer guts hanging out. Well, all of us except James. James had to keep his jacket on to look half the size of the rest of us.

We took a break at the dam a little ways North of the Dragon on Rt.129. James decided to get a closer look at the water. I took this picture and then couldn't look any more, especially after some of the crash & burn stories James had told.

Here is just a quick picture from the dam looking North.

And of course my bike with the beer strapped to the back. This was coming back from the Grocery Store.

Missy had a Mishap

2005-08-03T04:00:00.000-04:00

The people in the room next to us were from Florida. There was Ritchie, Missy and another guy who I can't remember his name. Ritchie is a registered nurse and this group of three were some of the nicest people you could meet. Unfortunately, while Missy was passing a pickup truck (Did you know there is no Chinese word for pickup truck?), the truck crossed the double yellow line. Missy had to choose between the truck or the side of the road. She chose the softer of the two. Other than bumps and bruises, she wasn't hurt. The bike on the other hand was.

And Then It Rained

2005-08-03T03:49:00.000-04:00

At about 7:00 PM on Saturday evening the sky opened up and it rained and rained hard. The rain came down and just would not quit. Men and women and bikes all scrambled for cover.

Our beautiful Visions stayed out in the rain. We sat on the porch and told stories and laughed at everyone trying to cover their bikes. As the rain wasn't going to stop, we found the beer had chilled nicely and it was time to start drinking... So we did.

James seized the opportunity to use the rain and clean his bike. Why waste the water he said and started scrubbing away. Of course I noticed he only washed what he could reach from the cover of the porch.

Saturday Night Races

2005-08-03T03:38:00.000-04:00

Once the rain stopped at about 10:00 PM people started gathering in the parking lot. From somewhere about 4 Honda 50s where getting ready to race. A make shift track was set up from the gas pumps to a chair with a glow stick. Grown men (and women) dressed in full leathers and helmets went for a fight to the death race on the little 50s. One of the little hondas even sported a basket and tasles on the handle bars. Darryl Cannon from www.killboy.com was out taking pictures. It was great fun for all.

After the races, all four Honda 50s went and ran the Dragon. With make shift headlights and glow sticks and a sportbike escort, off they went. Unfortunately, one of the little bikes came back with bent forks after hitting a rock off the side of the road. Ah, it was fun while it lasted.

Heading Home from Rt. 129

2005-08-03T03:13:00.000-04:00

After Bill loaded his Vision into his truck and left heading South, James and I took off on our bikes, through the gap headed North. James was having trouble with his bike and had to pull over during the run. After checking fuel lines and fuel filters and this and that, we tried a new igniter box. The new TCI worked. It appears that someone opened his TCI and then tried to seal it with a piece of a cardboard box from some Carmel Corn. With all the rain we had, the carmel corn box didn't hold up.

With James on his way, I took off into the Smokey Mountain National Park where it started raining and where I promptly got lost. I finally found the Southern end of the Blue Ridge Parkway after 2 hours of trying to get out of the Smokey Mountain National Park. The rain continued most all the way home. This made it interesting riding on the parkway. At 6,000 feet it got down to 54 degrees and I had to turn on the heated grips. The only relief from the pouring rain was the numerous tunnels between the Smokey Mountains and Asheville, NC. In Ashville, I got off the parkway and hopped on I40 East to Statesville. In Statesville I met a BMW rider who happened to be sporting a Route 129 pin on his Aerostich. He was Southbound from Washington, DC and with his help, I decided to take I77 to Hillsville and then Route 221 back to Callaway. In Mount Airy, I stopped and got a hotel room as it was dark and I no longer had a head light. Monday Morning, the sun was shining and I had a great run up Route 221 and I was home by 10:00 AM.

Harvest Time

2005-07-27T07:03:00.000-04:00

It's that time of year again when the Marijuana plant starts to come into bloom and it's just about time to start thinking about harvesting the crop. Well, don't take too long to think when will be the best time to make that harvest, because local Law Enforcement just might do it for you.

New Rubber @ 18870 Miles

2005-07-24T15:16:00.000-04:00

It was time to replace my rear shoe on the Vision. I replaced the temporary used Dunlop with a Bridgestone Battlax BT45 (110/90-18). I found when I was swaping the tires that the Dunlop was wider than the new Bridgestone. This would explain why the bike handled poorly with the Dunlop. The Yamaha Vision really likes the stock tire size. Many have tried larger tires only to find that the bike isn't as nimble with the larger tires or the larger tires just would not fit. I now have experienced this first hand. The Avon Super Venom tires where just plain worn out. I only got about 2000 miles from the Avon Super Venoms and the regular Avon Venoms do not come in a size that the Vision can use. So from this point on, we will try the Battlax from Bridgestone and see where that will take us.

My Ride2Work Three Days

2005-07-21T00:54:00.000-04:00

The 20th of July was the 14th Annual Ride To Work Day. As I work nights, my ride to work day started on the evening of the 19th. As I rode to work in the dark on Ferrum Mountain Road, I nearly hit a family of skunks and had an insect of some sort make it through the 1/8" opening I had in my visor and hit me square in my eye. It blinded me to the point where I had to stop the bike and work the bug out from under my eyelid.

At 8:00 AM on the 20th, I got off work and rode straight to Firearms Training in Rocky Mount. My two qualifying rounds scored a 94% and 98.6%. I felt like I was off a little bit, but I will take those scores. I made it home about Noon and went to bed.

At about 9:15 PM and the fact that it was still the 20th of July, I was off again on the bike headed to work. The ride to work was uneventful (and so was work for that matter). Off work by 8:00 AM and then over to First Aid & Automatic External Defribulator (AED) Training. Scored a cool 100% on the written test and then home by 11:30 AM. This is where I had to jump in the car and take the spare rear wheel to the bike to Roanoke and have AllSport Cycles put a new Bridgestone Battlax BT45 on.

2005-07-12T09:33:00.000-04:00

The 14th Annual Ride To Work Day is coming up pretty soon - July 20th, 2005. Enjoy the commute.

2005-07-08T17:31:00.000-04:00

I almost "Low Sided" my bike this morning. I put this Dunlop "Touring Elite" tire on the rear of the Vision, basically to see what a touring tire feels like on the bike. Well, I think my riding style is not quite "touring". Three or four times this morning in tight corners, I felt the rear of the bike slide out from under me. Now, it might have been that the road was a little wet or maybe some gravel from the heavy rains last night or maybe that it's a used tire. The tire was firm and sturdy and long as I wasn't flogging the bike real hard in the twisties, but that's what I like to do. The Avon Super Venoms I had on the bike were too soft and wore out too quickly. The Avons were definately a Sport Bike tire. This is definately a touring tire. I have a "Sport Touring" tire on order. Hopefully, that will have the best qualities of both the Sport and the Touring tires. Hopefully, that's why they call it a "Sport Touring" tire.

2005-07-08T17:22:00.000-04:00

Here is a picture of the tread pattern on the Dunlop "Touring Elite". This tire came to me used with a lot of other spare parts. I wanted to feel what a touring tire felt like on the Vision. It appears to be a great tire, if you're traveling in a straight line. The problem with the twisties, might be that it is a used tire and has been mainly worn in the center. So, it might be that it is some what "squared off". I have a Bridgestone Sport Touring tire on order, hopefully that will feel better.

2005-07-05T14:58:00.000-04:00

I recently went on vacation to visit family in New York, Maryland and Vermont. While in Newburg, NY visiting my Sister, I visited the Orange County Choppers Shop. Well, we went on a Sunday, so the shop was closed. My Sister lives literally a mile from the shop where the show has been filmed. Their new shop is still within 3 miles of where she lives. The picture here is taken at their new shop with their custom OCC hanging sign.