The unfortunate thing about having a vintage bike is not being able to ride when it needs repairs. At least it's simpler than a car, making it easier to fix.
Though the battery charged properly when Georgia was in the shop to get inspected, about a month later, the battery started dying. Turns out, the rectifier's connections were corroded, and the wire leading to the relay and battery had broken off completely.
The last time the battery died a couple weeks ago, I parked close to my workshop where Jason and I keep a trickle charger. That was when Georgia was knocked over by an SUV. The front left blinker casing got a small puncture, which I decided to just fill with some translucent epoxy rather than order an unbroken one.
I had bought a new rectifier from Radio Shack to replace the corroded one, but in order to disconnect the old one, I had to remove the gas tank to reach the connector. (I didn't want to buy another connector, so I used the original wires with the connector attached and cut off the old rectifier.)
After spilling some gasoline and storing the rest in a jug, I removed the gas lines from the petcock. But in the process, one of the brass nipples came off! Ugh. So, we ordered a replacement petcock. (I spilled gasoline when removing the gasoline tube that wraps around the bike frame connecting the right side of the tank to the left. That was a sight.)
When the tank was off, I saw that the underside of the tank was rusted. I decided to take off the rust and prime it since it was going to take a few days for the petcock to arrive.
After soldering the wires that were cut from the old rectifier to the new rectifier, I connected the rectifier and rearranged the wires so they would hide underneath the tank. I didn't put the tank back on right away but decided to paint its underside so that it would be less likely to collect dirt than primer alone.
In Brooklyn, like everywhere else in New York City, there are parking signs that tell you when you aren't allowed to park. Georgia was in a spot where there was no parking on Fridays. So when Friday came, I had to move her to another location where parking was legal for that day. Since she was out of commission I had to push her. I went to the nearest spot.
The next day Georgia had to be moved again. I had to work late, so Jason went to move her for me. But when he took her cover off, he found that the front brake lever was busted. Someone hit Georgia! (Someone was nice enough to stand her up.) When I went to survey the damage, I saw on the pavement that Georgia was not only knocked over, she was also dragged about a foot, scraping up her side, breaking the lever off completely, and scuffing the front tire. I think livid is the best descriptor of how I felt. I was glad, though, that the gas tank was not on the bike or it would have been dented and its gasoline spilled. The dragging also put several holes in the cover.
So, now I had to wait for a brake lever to arrive. Had she been a newer bike, I could have gone to the local motorcycle shop and picked up parts. But since Georgia is vintage, parts are not always easy to get.
Two weeks after removing the gas tank, I finally got to put Georgia back together again.
Not so fast!
With the newly painted tank in hand, I went to the bike. But when I removed the cover, I discovered that she was hit yet again. This time the rear right blinker was completely crushed. It was irreparable, so we got online once again and ordered parts.
At least we could get her running again, so we thought. I put the tank on, replaced the gasoline hoses, attached the "new" petcock and the new brake lever and poured in some gasoline. But then the petcock started spilling out gasoline at the switch. Ack! I had already brought my tools back inside, so I had to run to get them to remove the hoses from the carburetors to direct the gasoline into the jug. When I took the petcock apart, I saw that the spring was in the wrong way.
When she was finally back together again, except for the blinker covers which were just ordered, we gave her a start. But she wouldn't ignite. In addition, the clutch was not disengaging all the way.
Poor Georgia must have had a really hard fall. Whoever hit the bike must have backed into it at speed. I wonder if the car was damaged at all.
The clutch not working properly and the engine not starting has to be because of that hit that dragged the bike on the pavement. My guess for it not starting is a problem with ignition. The impact probably broke one or both of the spark plugs. We put the battery back on the trickle charger to make sure there was enough juice, but haven't had the chance to check the spark plugs yet.
I can't wait to ride again.
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Never park behind an SUV (or a truck)
Jason told me never to park behind an SUV. But I forgot.
:(
I suck.
It was so quick. After going into the spot, I even moved the bike farther away from the SUV. I also looked in front of the car. There was a lot of space there. I should have parked there. Instead I parked on the other side, because it was in front of my friend's garage, and I thought it would be safe there. I went into the deli across the street, ordered a sandwich, and when I came out, Georgia was on her side.
Eyewitnesses said the person came to his vehicle from the front, never seeing the bike on the other side. In spite of all the space in front of it, the SUV backed up, right into Georgia. A neighbor ran to the driver banging on his window, but I think that scared the guy and he drove off, probably never realizing what happened.
I looked at it as an opportunity to see if I could pick her back up again. I tried the way most people would probably try to lift a bike. Then a guy came over who said he used to have a CB350 and he helped me put Georgia back up.
Thank God there was very little damage. The front left blinker had a small chunk broken out. The exhaust was bent up slightly, but it had been missing a bolt at the top of the frame, so it can be bent back down.
Later, Jason showed me how to lift a motorcycle:
Legs, especially for women, have some of the largest muscles in the body. We probably all know from experience to never lift with the back. Instead, use the leg muscles, as if doing squats. Put your back against the bike and you will avoid using it. That will give your legs room to bend. (Like my art? Illustrator rocks.)
I learned my lesson. *sigh*
:(
I suck.
It was so quick. After going into the spot, I even moved the bike farther away from the SUV. I also looked in front of the car. There was a lot of space there. I should have parked there. Instead I parked on the other side, because it was in front of my friend's garage, and I thought it would be safe there. I went into the deli across the street, ordered a sandwich, and when I came out, Georgia was on her side.
Eyewitnesses said the person came to his vehicle from the front, never seeing the bike on the other side. In spite of all the space in front of it, the SUV backed up, right into Georgia. A neighbor ran to the driver banging on his window, but I think that scared the guy and he drove off, probably never realizing what happened.
I looked at it as an opportunity to see if I could pick her back up again. I tried the way most people would probably try to lift a bike. Then a guy came over who said he used to have a CB350 and he helped me put Georgia back up.
Thank God there was very little damage. The front left blinker had a small chunk broken out. The exhaust was bent up slightly, but it had been missing a bolt at the top of the frame, so it can be bent back down.
Later, Jason showed me how to lift a motorcycle:
Legs, especially for women, have some of the largest muscles in the body. We probably all know from experience to never lift with the back. Instead, use the leg muscles, as if doing squats. Put your back against the bike and you will avoid using it. That will give your legs room to bend. (Like my art? Illustrator rocks.)
I learned my lesson. *sigh*
Monday, October 26, 2009
Slow riding
I practiced slow riding for a while before getting on the busy NYC streets. The reason is, the better you are at riding slow, the more control you have over your bike. This is basically what I did and a suggestion on how to practice riding slow...
First, your bike must have a wet clutch. You will want to be in the friction zone while practicing slow. (That's the zone where you can "ride the clutch," which you can't do in a car. Oil makes the clutch "wet" and makes it possible to keep gears moving while the entire bike goes slow, like less than 10 mph.)
On a paved, flat surface, work on starting slow in the friction zone, hand always on the clutch, and get to about 5-8mph. Then come to a complete stop before putting your feet down. Practice stopping completely before putting a foot down. The more comfortable you are with this, the easier it will be to make slow turns.
Once you feel comfortable with having your feet off the ground as long as humanly possible, go back in motion and practice making U-turns by counterbalancing. Start with a road width of about 20-25 feet. At a steady, slow pace, look at the spot where you want to end your turn, turn your wheel, keeping in motion. Avoid using the brakes, pressing the clutch halfway, engaging the gears carefully. Move your shoulders in the opposite direction of your turn to counterbalance. The slower the turn, the more counterbalance you will need. If you have to, put weight on your foot pegs and move your entire torso opposite the turn.
If you feel you are going too fast, squeeze in the clutch to slow down. Try not to use your front brakes. You may use your rear brake to help keep a steady pace if your clutch is sensitive.
As you get better at making the U-turn (turning left and right), decrease the radius of your turn.
Hint: as long as your bike is in motion at slow speeds, you can counterbalance it. You should only need to put your foot down at complete rest.
First, your bike must have a wet clutch. You will want to be in the friction zone while practicing slow. (That's the zone where you can "ride the clutch," which you can't do in a car. Oil makes the clutch "wet" and makes it possible to keep gears moving while the entire bike goes slow, like less than 10 mph.)
On a paved, flat surface, work on starting slow in the friction zone, hand always on the clutch, and get to about 5-8mph. Then come to a complete stop before putting your feet down. Practice stopping completely before putting a foot down. The more comfortable you are with this, the easier it will be to make slow turns.
Once you feel comfortable with having your feet off the ground as long as humanly possible, go back in motion and practice making U-turns by counterbalancing. Start with a road width of about 20-25 feet. At a steady, slow pace, look at the spot where you want to end your turn, turn your wheel, keeping in motion. Avoid using the brakes, pressing the clutch halfway, engaging the gears carefully. Move your shoulders in the opposite direction of your turn to counterbalance. The slower the turn, the more counterbalance you will need. If you have to, put weight on your foot pegs and move your entire torso opposite the turn.
If you feel you are going too fast, squeeze in the clutch to slow down. Try not to use your front brakes. You may use your rear brake to help keep a steady pace if your clutch is sensitive.
As you get better at making the U-turn (turning left and right), decrease the radius of your turn.
Hint: as long as your bike is in motion at slow speeds, you can counterbalance it. You should only need to put your foot down at complete rest.
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