Adventure riding short rides and BS thread

[elemetal]

Great pics John, good to see you can now change the ratchet to the "on" position!

BTW your little pooch is so darn cute it's hard to believe. How does it look so chill yet ready to tackle any adventure (if given the right carrier). Love me some little dogs...

 

[SFMCjohn]

yes, he's been a cool pup ... was absolutely horrified when my wife said she was adopting a dog from Muttville, imagining something that would yap the rest of my life. turns out Schnitty basically does not bark. He'll break my heart someday ...

here to post this about the best ADV bike, evar:

[YOUTUBE]eIj_tEPzycs[/YOUTUBE]

get myself motivated to get back into the garage this weekend ... vague plans to try to get to DV in March. need a running bike for that plan.

 

[N4teTheGreat]

Mmmmm Death Valley in the spring. Having been only once now, the hook took a set and I'm excited to get back for more time in the desert, get that bike running and have fun!

 

[SFMCjohn]

Mmmmm Death Valley in the spring. Having been only once now, the hook took a set and I'm excited to get back for more time in the desert, get that bike running and have fun!

DV is awesome, always trying to get back there, myself!

meanwhile, the struggle continues:

the Schnitz Racing piston kit circlips are famously super-stout, and almost won the battle, but with some patience (and blood) they finally submitted to their duty, and we got the new piston properly hung on the connecting rod.

and, the piston installed in the refurbished cylinder, finally, after another test of patience. hopefully I didn’t overlap the ends of the oil ring spacer ...

plan for tomorrow is to try to get the head on and the engine all buttoned up.

we’re supposed to head to DV this next Saturday. plan B—riding down on my ‘88 K75s along with Cary’s ‘15 FJ-09—begins to look ascendant.

 

[Eric B]

Good progress John.

 

[elemetal]

Almost there, looks good. Try to get some ride hours on before going on the "big" one, just to make sure you got it all right and don't get left stranded in the Dez....

 

[1962siia]

Good work John! I think adding a little blood helps the piston rings seal up nicely and ensures long life.

 

[SFMCjohn]

Good progress John.

Almost there, looks good. Try to get some ride hours on before going on the "big" one, just to make sure you got it all right and don't get left stranded in the Dez....

Good work John! I think adding a little blood helps the piston rings seal up nicely and ensures long life.

thanks for posting guys, I need the moral support.

agree about blood and engine life, and about getting some hours on the engine before heading off on a big trip, assuming I ever finish it.

progress made today:

1mm-over valves ... stock is 38/33 and these are 39/34. Schnitz Racing says the valve relief cut outs in the top of their 685cc piston are for good for 40/36. pic is right out of the packaging, the gasket surface cleaned up nicely after the pic.

Kalle happened by the garage at exactly the right moment to help make getting the refurbished head set back in place a five minute process, instead of the struggle it is to do when I have to do it by myself.

anyway—as we can see—stopped for the day before getting the engine buttoned up.

decided getting the cams properly reinstalled, or, more to the point, not messing up the cam timing, was a job better tackled by me when fresh.

 

[SFMCjohn]

in other news:

Coco is moving, interested if any ADvrider is heading down to report on the new place or helped out.

Coco says he is moving 6 kms. north.
His place is currently 7 kms. south from the highway from Km. 179.

https://www.facebook.com/844634512/videos/pcb.10158931584434...

http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=95684&page=2#pid1207370

the new Coco's Corner access road is supposed to be about 1 mile south of the Las Arrastras bridge (the one you can see the Las Arrastras mill ruins from, Km. 180).

 

[elemetal]

Schnitz Racing says the valve relief cut outs in the top of their 685cc piston are for good for 40/3

I knew there was a reason that little dog looked so chill. He knows the rebuild drill....and it a machinist! Too cool. : )

 

[WoodsChick]

in other news:

What?? Coco's Corner is no longer going to be Coco's? Man, that's too bad. I hope his new place suits him better. Been a long time since I've been there...2009, I think...

This is George Erl with Coco. George is a Husky legend, runs Uptite Racing. We were down there on a Husky ride. Coco used to babysit George's kids decades ago...

 

[SFMCjohn]

What?? Coco's Corner is no longer going to be Coco's? Man, that's too bad. I hope his new place suits him better. Been a long time since I've been there...2009, I think...

wonderful pic, think my friend Scott (NorCalslowpoke) from Sacramento was on that Husky ride ...

Coco is moving just a few miles, to be nearer the new highway for better beverage sales, maybe ... they’ve paved all the way from Puertocitos to Hwy 1 at Lake Chalapa since ‘09, I guess.

back to the struggle in the garage (I know you guys worry about me ):

today’s issue was having neglected to install the studs in the head that reach down through the cylinder for acorn nuts.

rule of thumb for me is everything takes 2/3 longer than it should. tried to find two nuts to try to install the studs in the head with it in place on the cylinder, but that was fruitless, so finally just took the head back off and did it right.

after a couple hours of that nonsense was back where I started. time to torque the head bolts.

two passes 20 ft/lbs (pic) and 48 ft/lbs.

set the cams in place and called it a day ...

I knew there was a reason that little dog looked so chill. He knows the rebuild drill....and it a machinist! Too cool. : )

he’ll be in charge in the garage, tomorrow. Schnitzel and Cary were a huge help today (getting the head off the cylinder is 100% easier—for me—with two sets of hands). the wife is off on a street bike ride, tomorrow, so I’ll be on pup-dog duty. arty

 

[1962siia]

Probably a good move for Coco. Hope it helps keep him going.

Nice to see more progress John! You're almost there!

I got a nice 70 mile loop in today on the Moto Guzzi. Rode out through Sebastopol, Forestville, Guerneville, Monte Rio to the coast and then south and back in on Roblar Rd. The bike cruises great, seemed to make great power and is fun to ride. Got over 40mpg today too. I may play with the jetting some more but its getting there and I'm enjoying it!

 

[SFMCjohn]

I’ll bet if you lean it out a bit you’ll see closer to 50 mpg. my big OHV pushrod engine gets that ...

sounds like the Eldorado might be a good bike for Sierra County in September ...

 

[SFMCjohn]

more progress:

cam timing set, camshaft caps torqued, cam chain tensioner installed ...
engine spins freely.

engine cover installed. yay.

see if I can try to start it next weekend and plan is to ride it to work every day until 4/14 and maybe head off a day early to StonyBARF.

also start digging out the bolt dropped down the timing tunnel in the other KLR and try to have a back up KLR. always good to have a plan B bike when one’s approach to wrenching on one’s adventure bike is slap-it-together-and-hope-for-the-best ...

 

[Cabrito]

Nice work John!

 

[SFMCjohn]

Nice work John!

Thanks, Cabrito ... proud of myself for not dropping any bolts into this particular engine this time.

came across this today:

New 1st edition arrives in early May 2021!

Benchmark Maps has been driving and mapping the American West, publishing award-winning recreation maps and atlases. The first edition Baja California Road & Recreation Atlas showcases the diverse recreation opportunities found along the full length of the Baja California Peninsula.

see if I can get one ordered ...

over on ADV.com Butler Maps is threatening a Baja Backcountry Discovery Route, coming "soon" ...

 

[Cabrito]

Yeah, I've been waiting for the official arrival on their site. I'll be buying it.

 

[SFMCjohn]

Yeah, I've been waiting for the official arrival on their site. I'll be buying it.

me, too ...

meanwhile, today’s progress:

forgot to install one of the rubber cam-chain guides, so after three hours of backtracking and removing the exhaust cam to properly install the overlooked cam chain guide I was back to where I thought I was. at least I didn’t have to pull the head again.

and, voila:

started right up, idled well, and felt pretty peppy riding it around the block.

will ride it back and forth to work for a couple of weeks and then get ready for StonyBARF by changing the oil, maybe re-torquing what’s easy to reach, adding the anti-freeze I didn’t have to the distilled water I did have.

mostly see if I can break it, or reveal any huge assembly fails. piston ring installation or cam timing screw ups. forgotten parts, etc.

maybe break it in carefully. I’m generally from the old club-racer school of thought, where we’d just do a few pulls through each gear to red line, and call it good. kind of anti-social to try to do that in Lower Haight.

anyway. there’s progress for me ...

 

[Eric B]

Great stuff John! See you at Stonybarf.

 

[Cabrito]

Little/Big Bike ADV short overnight to Carrizo

Eric B and I had a Little/Big Bike ADV ride for a quick overnight to Carrizo Plain.

Eric has the nose for routes and got us all the way from San Jose to Carrizo on secondary roads that were awesome. Because of the miles we had to do we didn't take a lot of pics, but we got some.

My Spotwalla for the trip -




It's the Little-Big bike ride because I was on my 1090 and Eric was on his KLX250 as seen in front of "old 67" after a killer run down 25 and Coalinga/Los Gatos Rd.



We were the Wolfman Luggage Pinup krew

Eric's KLX is sweet.


We snagged one of the last sites at Selby CG

Photo Credit - Eric B he calls it "1090 at sunrise"



Out on Soda Lake Rd, and look closely to see the remnants of a tumble weed Eric hit.


The brown Carrizo




After running Soda Lake Rd to Maricopa for gas we hit Elkhorn Rd for the way back.

Eric is a great tour guide and knows a lot about the area, stopping frequently to point out interesting things along the way.



The massiveness of Carrizo


The top of Parkfield Grade. Eric coasted down the paved section for six miles.



Two days, 696 miles, 14hrs saddle time, with the big KTM averaging 47mpg

 

[1962siia]

F yeah! Looks like an epic ride. I've never been there before. Definitely on my bike bike list of places to go. Any wild flowers or has it been too dry?

 

[Cabrito]

F yeah! Looks like an epic ride. I've never been there before. Definitely on my bike bike list of places to go. Any wild flowers or has it been too dry?

There were very few flowers. They were there but you had to look closely. I want to go back and trailer the XR4 and camp/ride for a few days. Endless exploring options there.

 

[Eric B]

Great pics Mike. That was fun. Old #67 has to be the mot photographed oil rig in CA.
The maintenance notes scribbled on the belt housing said 11.5 RPM for the drive unit.

Here are a few more pictures -
Cholame road


Davis road

 

[Eric B]

Sunrise is always nice there -