Scaramouch is the word for the day. I came across it in Moby Dick describing a new character introduced mid way through the book. Archaic and fascinating, my search has lead me through lyrics in Queen's music and put me on to a better understanding of other words. I have often found in the years gone by that I suffered great misperceptions of the meanings in songs. I sometimes marvel at my ignorance.
I adjusted the tappets on GoodGuy. I have found that the owner of the shop where I bought the Himalayan had his son servicing the bikes. He did not get the adjustments right on mine. I started it up today and it is the first time it started and ran without me holding the throttle for a minute to keep it from dieing. He also cross threaded the plug in the head at the 300 mile service. I think I've sorted out the problems he caused. Snuck in a half hour ride today and found it very enjoyable
The pictures will be coming on this luckiness! I try hard to be a friendly neighbor. If they need something or desire something, I will try an facilitate it's transpiring. I call it being neighborly. It still catches me by surprise when it happens for me. I don't think anyone owes me anything in this life. My neighbor across the street got a new set of tool boxes this winter and asked me if I could use a tool box. I said yes but didn't understand he was giving me his old tool boxes that rolled around. He delivered a couple yesterday and is bringing the nicest one home tonight. Tracey has already got dibs on the nice one. I need to make room for it in the garage. When I get it all sorted out, I'll post pics. My word for today is marvelous. I have not conveyed how excited she was at the prospect of her own tool box and in the color blue. I know they aren't matcos or snapons. I would never have bought high end boxes myself, but had pondered building hardwood ones. That may still happen in the future. As for now I am blessed with more than I need and enjoying it. Tomorrow my youngest son is stopping by for supper on his way to Alaska for a date. Oh, to be young again.
Every once in a while I find some bizarre thing in my house. Today's was a closet. Sliding doors have a lot of adjustment. Enough to hide that the track at the top was 1" higher on one end. I was replacing the doors with some high-end bi-folds picked up cheap on market-place. I had to get creative in leveling the top of the opening. It will require a bit of trim.
I cut a board to trim the ugly. Used a router on the edges. Then sanded the surface. A little stain to darken it and it is good enough for who it's for. Not like it is in a church.
Well, it's time to organize the garage a little. I went a little over kill with the trailer stands:
I've meant to get the bikes off the floor for a while:
GoodGuy still has the same place to sleep. Tracey now has a tool box for her stained glass tools. Next will be storage shelves on the freezer for glass panes. She has a little collection:
I did stop by our local RE dealership yesterday... mentioned that I would ask you to stop by for them to observe and look at this mobile madness. Topside road, Alcoa. After that, do stop by the house for some refreshments and good grub. Let me know of your itinerary... Vern would likely also be in attendance.
I have fixed 4 broken fence posts in the past couple of days. I got lucky a while back and there was a guy that wanted to sell 8 treated 4x4 posts 10' in length, a 12' 2x4 unused, a 10' 2x6 reclaimed, and the 9' 2x6 reclaimed. He let me have the lot for $85. Another guy gave me 2 sheets of 1/2" plywood that was used for a backdrop at a birthday party. The plywood will give me 64 more square feet of storage in my attic. I've already got them sitting up there. I need to set and screw them down.
The Chinesiun switches gave up the ghost after one rain storm. I made these brackets and installed better switches for the auxilary lights and amber strobe:
Worked with some dyneema last night to make loops. I needed them for the tie down system on my trailer to tie down a bag that will be sitting on top of the camp chair. The net supplies the spring action. The aluminum pieces allow for quick connection and release of the luggage. This bag contains my bed and clothes for a week:
I pulled the rear wheel off the trailer tonight and changed out the old bearings. I had 6 new sets of bearings for it. Decided that new would be better than running the 50 year old set that was in there. Just couldn't bring myself to trust that old grease any more. I went to balance the wheel and it took zero weights. Took the opportunity to make sure I had the right size tools for the bolts on the trailer and put them in the tool kit in the trailer. Installed the wheel and attached the war wagon to chirpy for a few loaded test runs this week or next. I stuck a sticker on the trailer that Crusty sent me:
That's good to know. I had one on my '78 Superglide; but it was only on there for 4 years and 60,000 miles. I'm glad I sold the bike before something bad happened!
If it does, I will cut the bundle of leaf sheaths out of it, slice it, and fry them in butter with a little salt and pepper. The leek should go well with my bacon and Monster in the morning.
Watched and listened to that video... sounds like 4th to 5th gear is nicely tall, nicely spaced, and well suited for that motor. As usual, very nice lines rolling through the curves.
I'll be test riding one of those soon. Between you and another buddy down in Colombia who rides Royal Enfield, I am quite curious. Both of you are brilliant mechanics. I do follow your lead in that aspect. Hope to see you soon, RD.