| Author | Message | ||
     Court |
Not actually "handling" it....just have several tractor trailers sitting here for some work on a cable and I want to sit for the Cryogenic Certification as long as I am doing this. Hey, you'd ought to be here....the 13-' tall "harps" are arriving by barge and being hauled with the darnedest tractor trailer rig I've ever seen. There's more welding to be done that I've ever dreamt of to rig these things together. Just getting the thing from horizontial to vertical, in the frame it's shipped from Amsterdam on, is a ballet of huge cranes. Then the 130' piece has to be lifted high enough to allow it to be dropped in to it's new 140' tall home.... Got the cryo book...thanks to you guys! Cool dude....I like that R-T ! | ||
| Court |
MEDIC ALERT STICKERS The next wave of Medic Alert Helmet Stickers will go out on Monday. Envelopes are addressed but I left stickers at the power plant. A couple notes: 1) This is the largest reponse to anything I've ever offered to send folks. That's a good thing. 2) Mr. Cimaszewski, thank you for what you have done to my .doc spellcheck. It first tried to correct your name. I then insisted in what amounted to a cyber vs. human intellectual 2:00 AM Smackdown Match that YOU probably knew how to spell your own name. The IBM laptop, now knowing the human had won, retaliated by "learning" your name. I just sent a letter to my boss and every word beginning with "Ci" is now Cimaszewski. I love technology. 3) While talking about intellectual challenges, to those who sent me e-mails that said..."I'd like one of those stickers. Please send it to me". Well, the post office just returned all the envelopes marked "Buell Rider - Address Unknown". They are being sticklers about wanting minutia like your address, the street you live on, the town, state and stuff. Those of you who know me, know that details don't bother me, but apparently the USPS is bothered and.....well, the guy was armed. Send me your address with the request!  Court | ||
| Road_thing |
We're going to the woodshed over your profile, Court ol' buddy.  It's full of lies and evasions... First, it's common knowledge among the readers here that you have received your official AARP card and are therefore no longer "49". Face reality, man, you're on the downhill slide with Bomber and me. Second, no e-mail address! Normally, that wouldn't be a bad thing, but you've invited all the gentle readers to e-mail their requests for the med-alert thingies, and you don't show them where to e-mail! See item #3 in your post above... Sorry, it needed to be said!  r-t ps I'll take a couple... | ||
| Court |
Wait....an old oil prospector in a sombrero is telling ME how to act? I'll set about getting that profile fixilated! You are the best, Court@Canfield.net | ||
| Court |
I am, in response to a request, posting something from "the old days". Some of the reasons for this, based on recent events, are obvious, some private concerns of some of our friends here who could use our friendship and prayers. Take from it what you will. It's offered as a gift to provoke thought and perhaps lend comfort; nothing more, nothing less. Court Copyright - 1995 Back around 1970 the legendary Eric Clapton sang a song that left subliminal memories lingering with a generation as he held the last word six counts and the line "had to cry today" slowly faded. We were immortal then, we could not have understood. I wonder if Michael ever heard that song? A year later, 3 shots from a 12-gauge shotgun gave me a glimpse, as I lay in a hospital bed, of how briefly we stir dust on the mother ship. Some learn the lesson, some think they do and some pass without ever knowing. It may have been some strange cognitive symbiosis, an unlikely and random association of events triggered by experiences, but for whatever reason as the years passed by faster and faster I learned an important lesson. The halcyon days of peace, fulfillment and tranquility were always just "around the next bend". I recalled, while in pre-school, how I longed to be a kindergarten student. I wanted that nap time and snack. I hadn't taken many of those wonderful 15 minute naps in Miss Ray's class before I longed for first grade, with it's full day and two recess periods. By something like the 4th recess period of 1st grade, I was hearing rumors of the kids in 2nd grade using "real" pencils, not these 5/8" diameter "kid" things. The cycle continued. I recall so many of those moments, 7th grade with it locker and changing classes, being a Senior, off the college, independence, my own place off campus, getting married, the first apartment, the boys, the first "starter" home, the first "new" home.........you know the drill. It was as I sat alone, early one Sunday morning, at Point Loma. I made a weekly ritual of going there during a tough time alone. I thought and reflected. As I reflected, one day the above scenario began to play over and over in my head. I could literally "roll the tape ahead". I got scared, real scared. I was scared that someday the end of my life would come and I would be just approaching that bend, that blind corner, around which lie fulfillment of everything my life meant or was intended to mean. I would have raised my children, seen their children, retired, spent my mornings drinking too much coffee, sitting on the porch, overlooking the beach and writing, but I would still be predicating today's happiness on the outcome or occurrence of a future event. I decided to adopt a way of living, replete with its concomitant shortfalls, that would allow me to make today the day I needed to be happy. I could dream and you've read my stories on dreaming. I love to dream. I'd have aspirations, goals and a place I was headed. But today's happiness would allow me to look in a mirror, at any day in my life, and say that if today was my last, I could honestly say to myself...."Now THAT was a life worth living". I'd have known love, fear, anger, fame, humility, and friends. I'd have laughed at things I shouldn't and cried as many times as I choked tears back. Even if there were more to do, yesterday will have been it's own benchmark. I hope Mike knew this lesson. Two incidents in my life brought me to grips with the concept that big boys cry. The first was the death of my Grandfather, a prince of a fellow to whom I had grown very attached, partly due to my fascination with the way he'd lived his life after being a key player in an upstart automobile company known as Cadillac. Henry loved life. The second was after a long night of waiting for my first son to be born. I was shuttling back and forth between an unconscious new mother in recovery, and the NICU where a small boy recovered from the trauma of a long night. As I stood there looking at him turning pinker with every breath, the sun shone brightly through the spires of the high school's famed tower modeled after a 120' high English castle. The sun hit the son. I cried. He had so much to learn and he'd do it so well. He's gone looking at college living facilities today. I didn't want to learn to cry and I don't like it but I'm glad I learned. There are times I rely on faith, times on music, times on friends and there are those times that only crying will do. That is as it should be. I didn't want to cry today and I'm mad about it because I shouldn't have to. I didn't even know Michael. He worked in the office next to mine. He'd speak from time to time after he and a co-worker bought new motorcycles. He bought a new FZR1000, his co-worker a used one. He'd speak to me, having seen the "Buell Wall" in my office complete with posters and mementos of 8 years of riding the bikes spewed forth from a kid in Wisconsin who shares my views of life. One day someone told me he was the son of a guy who used to work on my trucks. His Dad was a neat guy. I saw his lovely fiancée' arrive in his 300ZX, son in tow, from time to time, to visit or leave things. I didn't know them, but I'd bet they were neat folks. I'd lectured some of the folks in the office next door about how it scared me to see the fellows come and go without ever wearing a helmet and seldom any eye protection. Today there was a helmet strapped to the used FZR that stood alone in the parking spot next to mine. The helmet was unusual enough that I noticed. I got home late tonight, the family had already eaten and Linda was hurrying to an appointment. One of the boys was off with a pal after guitar strings, the other on the phone with a girl. Hobbes and I sat down to finish off the last of the now cold pork chops and I picked up the morning paper. I didn't notice at first, I just saw the photo. I'd heard about an motorcycle accident near my office and never put the pieces together. There on the front page was the picture of the laid down 1996 FZR1000. The bike showed no discernible damage. I didn't need to read anymore than the headlines. Michael was dead. From what I can tell the accident was one most would have walked away from. We, many of us, laugh at the insipidity of our misfortune. Joe, Steve, just last week, Nicola and Larry. We're not immortal; I know that. The years have taught me. But, we do have a place to be next week and given the slightest chance we can affect that, we will. We will do everything, reasonably in our power, to protect ourselves against the inevitability of motorcycling. I'm not up to writing much longer tonight; so let me say only one thing. You are a grown up. You have responsibilities to so many people other than yourself. There are people who love you. Please, if you are gonna ride a motorcycle, wear a helmet. Now I know what Clapton meant................" I had to cry today ". Court | ||
| Hans |
Well Court, You kept us all silent for a couple of hours. It can`t be more significant: We are touched. Thanks. Hans | ||
| Court |
Hans: Didn't mean to alarm anyone. After the reflection of the last week and some of the things that have happened, I was stunned to learn today that one of our own members suffered a family tragedy. I'd received an e-mail last week from one of the "old timers" asking if I still had a copy of this story and I agreed to post it. I'm celebrating a ton of riding going on in CA and different places this weekend, while keeping others among our numbers in my thoughts. Court | ||
| Hongkongfuey |
Once again I dicked around and lost out on a rear shock for my 2001 x1! So again if anyone has a rearshock for my bike PLEASE contact me at cboggs14@comcast.net thanks again | ||
| Dave |
The Engine Mechanical portion of the KV seems to be locked so a question here.... Comin' back from the Torque Fest my throttle shaft broke at the screw thread on the butterfly and one screw has vanished. I pulled the throttle body and still no sigh of the lil bugger. I used pressurized air and a shop vac through the intake and spark plug but still no sign of the screw. The dealership allegedly run a compression test and was 170/175.   Am I missing anything before I tear into it deeper? DAve | ||
| Tropicana69 |
Dave, YIKES! If it is any consolation this kind of thing happened in shop class in 1973 on a brand new engine we had put in as students in Austin Texas. It is a very interesting and humbling place to be. I won't say you are screwed but, we had to take the manifold off and was able to use a magnet attached to a rod to get the screw. It is is amazing to get screwed by a screw and can screw your engine up by seizing it up. IF that happens you know you have been SCREWED! Hopefully you will be able to find it. Try a magnet if it did not go into the shop vac. God bless you at least it ain't a Chevy 396 SS. | ||
| Ferris |
Court, a dozen bikes launched from the 'Dome this morning -- a little behind schedule due to a lot of the folks, invited to offer words of wisdom, love, responsibility, passion, brotherhood, sisterhood, whatever you wanna call it -- speaking from their heart about how to have a good time on a motorcycle tour. we spoke of Daryl. well, THEY did. i couldn't, due to misty eyes and an emotion-choked voice. anyway, a dozen Hooligans launched this morning, and a dozen Hooligans just rolled back into my driveway, hoopin', hollerin', considerably buzzed from having just logged 200 miles of some of the most unforgettable riding a person would ever wanna do. i can hear them outside my office window as i type this, and it's plainly obvious that life is good. REAL good. more folks are en route, spening the night so they can be a part of TOMORROW'S ride, the tunes are going, the beer (our first of this day) is cold, and i'll be popping off the BBQ in about 20 minutes. i'm rambling, i know, but i know you understand to steal one of YOUR lines: "Gads, I love this sport!" Ferris | ||
| Iamike |
Dave- I had that happen to me on a Chevy straight 6 back in about '78. It went clear thru the engine without a problem, many more aren't so lucky. I think Craig at HD/Buell lost his motor due to the same. Here's a link that some of you may want to visit Iowa to see.http://www.ticz.com/homes/users/bob/On-A-Rock/On-A-Rock.htm | ||
| Bluzm2 |
Court, Thanks for the repost of the 1995 note. It helps... I still bothered by the events of last Sunday. Bothered most by the simple fact that I know nothing more about the incident than I did last Sunday. I hope he made it. Brad BTW, Neither driver or passenger wore a helmet. One walked away , one didn't | ||
| Phillyblast |
Court, thank you. I'm stunned. I read your post this AM, then went off to a wedding. A bit of an intersting juxtapostion. Attended with TinyTot, my lovely bride-to-be. A beautiful soul that I'm positive I don't deserve. But she's stuck with me, her mistake not mine I had one of those unexpected twists in the road recently, nothing life-threatening, and well, you know the particulars so I won't bore with a repeat, but it seems rather insignificant in light of this week's events. I cried in my beer(s) and now I'm full steam ahead towards the next adventure. What sticks in my head is the old saw "life is a journey, not a destination". Life will always be better around the bend . . . yeah, but the road I'm on right now is pretty sweet too. I can't wait to see where it leads. . . | ||
| Bigdaddy |
Court, Wow! Just Wow and my English skills preclude me from doing such a fine job of putting emotion in the written form. I've been crying since sometime Thursday and other than my wife of 22 years and three of God's greatest gifts, my children, your words have moved me. As many of you know I've been gone for the past year or so. During that time away I was in constant contact with the my ridding buddy of 20 years. He was my friend, my cousin, my road tripping buddy. We started planning our annual Biloxi MS road trip back in February -- just as soon as I got back to North Carolina we were headed to Biloxi Mississippi for a week of debauchery and all around fun. This has been a long standing family tradition and something to give me wonderful thoughts while I trapisy my not so intelligent ass around the world chasing the almighty dollar. We lost Rob this past week in an act of senseless violence and it hurts so very bad. I can now only pray that somewhere out there,the next great step, that Rob's already on a fire breathing V-twin annoying someone with his always too loud pipes. I miss Rob, I'll always miss him and riding will never be the same -- right now The Parkway and the Gap are two places I don't want to be. If you believe in prayer, and practice the same, please keep me,and my family, in mind. Your Humble Site Visitor and sometime participant, Greg | ||
| Blublak |
 Hey Gang.. I was looking around for information on 6 speeds tranny's.. kind of hoping to find one that my work in the 'Bolt when I came across this little missive. I was kind of hoping one of the 'Annons' or other 'engineering' types could help me with this.. My basic comprehension of what is being said here is that 6 speeds are bad? So don't use them? Could someone help clear this up for me, since I always thought a 6sp in the Buell would make for a mighty fine road machine.. Thanks.. (yep, the quote now follows)}} In 1997 two six-speed transmissions for Harley-Davidson Big Twins appeared in the market place. The Revtec unit sold by Custom Chrome is an engineering abomination and unworthy of consideration. The unit designed by Baker has proven to be strong and shifts well. The problem with the Baker and Baker by Jim’s transmission is not in the execution, but in the basic concept. Motorcycle transmissions are of two basic types; main-shaft, counter-shaft and main-shaft, lay shaft. The main-shaft, countershaft configuration is used on all Japanese and European motorcycles. With this arrangement one set of gears transferred power from a main-shaft to a counter-shaft. The input shaft (main-shaft) and the output shaft (counter-shaft) turn in opposite directions. Once common on English motorcycles, Harley-Davidson is now the only manufacturer utilizing the main-shaft, lay-shaft configuration. Here power is transmitted from a main-shaft to a concentric output-shaft. Both shafts turn in the same direction. One of the speeds will be direct drive. This is achieved by locking the input and output shafts together and since no gears are meshing power delivery is very efferent. In the indirect gears power delivery is even less efficient than in a main shaft / counter shaft transmission because two pairs of gears are required to transfer power. One pair of gears transfers power from the main shaft to a lay shaft, another pair of gears transfers the power from the lay shaft to the output shaft. On five speed transmissions high gear is direct drive. This is desirable because most riding is done in high gear. On six speed transmissions fifth gear is direct. A chassis dyno will demonstrate that a bike equipped with a six speed transmission will produce five to seven percent less power in sixth gear than in fifth gear. Continuous running in sixth gear will increase fuel consumption and reduce engine and transmission life. For most applications the gear ratios of the six-speed transmission are not as rational as those of the five-speeds. | ||
| Rex |
My six speed baker works fine.....rex smooth, lower rpms in six gear, etc.... | ||
| Court |
Team Elves has had excellent service from Baker 6-speed transmissions. I spent the day giving a tour and was going to e-mail these to Fireman Jim Higgins, who's group contributed in a big way to the Ground Zero effort. I thought the general population here might enjoy them.    Court | ||
| X1glider |
Phillyblast? What? Didn't you learn the first time around? Well, I hope she's better than the first.  | ||
| Ftd |
Some more 6 speed info taken from another site: We are not supposed to bad mouth products on this board so I won't say anything about the RevTech 6-speed.<br><br>Jims and Baker 6-speeds are strong enough and shift OK. That is not the problem. The basic concept is wrong.<br><br>The ratio splits on a 6-speed 2.94/1 first and .86/1 sixth is about the same as stock H-D with 3.24/1 first and 1/1 fifth. So if they are both geared to turn the same rpm/mph in high they are both turning about the same rpm/mph in first.<br><br>With the 5-speed high gear is direct drive (1/1). All of the gears are costing and the only bearing that is carrying any load is the big ball bearing the supports the bottle gear (mainshaft fifth)so that power transmission is very efficient and wear is minimised. <br><br>The problem with the 6-speed is that high gear is indirect. Power flows through the mainshaft to turn sixth gear. Sixth gear on the countershaft is the most heavily loaded gear in the transmission. The countershaft is turning more than twice as fast as the main shaft. ((For example if the engine is turning 5000rpm the mainshaft is turning (25/37)3378rpm, the countershaft will be turning almost 7000rpm!)) The main drive gear(fifth counter) transfers the power to the bottle gear. So two sets of gears are loaded as well as the ball bearings in the door and the little 25mm needle bearing that suports the output end of the countershaft. The two needle bearings in the bottle gear that support the mainshaft are also loaded. These bearings are severly overstressed in a six speed because they were not designed for continuous loading. Because the bottle gear is turning at high rpm in sixth it tends to throw off oil do to centrifical force, so the bearings run dry. the outer bearing is masked by the inner bearing and does not recieve any direct feed. This is the most likely failure point on the Baker/Jims unit. This failure is not usually catastrphic.<br><br>In the RevTeck the most likely falures are that the mainshaft splits in the middle where the cross section is reduced and countershaft sixth breaks. These failures tend to be catastrophic. <br><br>In sixth gear because two gear sets and six bearings are loaded efficency is greatly reduced. This can be demonstrated on a chassis dyno; a bike with a six speed will typically show 5 to 7 more hp in fifth than sixth.<br><br>Lastly the six speeds are expensive and spare parts avalibility in the future is problematic.< | ||
| Ftd |
Blublak, if you are interested in Bert Baker's rebuttal to the six speed trans criticism go to: http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/harleydavidsonperformance and read messages 1353-1356. It is interesting reading. Frank | ||
| Ccryder |
After 10 days in Mexico I came home and got my 2-wheeled fix (it was rough to be off an M/C for soo long)! Since I haven't been able to get employment at Buell or Barber Mtr Sports I'll take a job as these guys:  Hey the bennies are great! Later Neil | ||
| Iamike |
We have a guy near us that makes his own countershaft that has a 16% higher gear. He uses helical gears instead of straight and also replaces the bearings with stronger ones. His website is www.twistgear.netand also has an email info@twistgear.net He claims that it is a much better idea than a six speed. My only problem is that there is a big step from 4-5 and I wouldn't be able to use 5th much since at 70mph mine is running at an ideal 3,200rpm. | ||
| Henrik |
What a fucked up couple of weeks this has been ... Yet another friend was killed in a motorcycle accident yesterday. Wiped out in a hairpin turn, slid across the double-yellow and was hit by an oncoming car. Despite full protective gear he was killed instantly. He leaves behind his wife and children. Please, please, please be careful out there! Dial it back a couple of notches and make it home alive. Godspeed Charlie. Henrik edited by Henrik on October 13, 2003 | ||
| Dave |
No sign of the ingested screw or damage to the engine.... http://www.badweatherbikers.com/cgibin/discus/show.cgi?tpc=37&post=199815#POST19 9815 What's the preferred method of removing deposits from the heads and pistons or is it best to leave it alone? With over 37k miles...is it prudent to have the heads cleaned up professionally and massaged by one of our sponsors? Thoughts? The Engine Mechanical portion of the KV seems to be locked. DAve | ||
| Josh_ |
>What's the preferred method of removing deposits from the heads and pistons or is it best to leave it alone? That's easy - nallingracing.com does a great job of removing deposits and any excess material they deem prudent. Or get XB heads! | ||
| Turnagain |
in RRW, Buell Announces Slay The Dragon Sweepstakes Winners Higbee to Try Car Racing | ||
| Scrap |
Hey Henrik, you're telling me, I took a spill on the bolt Saturday, a broken collar bone and right thumb later.......... Bolt is trashed. Aaron would call that a "let me down" | ||
| Loki |
On the note of XB heads..... anyone got the part numbers for them? the cyls? pistons? inquiring minds wish to know | ||
| Blake |
Scrap, Sorry to hear about your mishap. But looking on the bright side... do you now have the perfect track bike project to campaign in the CMRA next year? |
