If you are just starting out reading this series, you can get caught up starting at "My Old Friend - Part 1: The Rebirth of an XT"

Well it has been awhile since I've written in this blog for this series of updates on my XT.

Truth be told, it was a series of events that caused me to stop working on this bike.

But to bring everyone up to speed...

For the most part, all the parts are in for the bike. In fact, I have had everything...

While sitting in Ike's last Friday for dinner with the wife, I noticed what looked like a piece of chewing gum stuck to the rear tire of my scoot. After we finished, I walked out to see what it was. Yeah, not gum... cords. The tire was worn out. You know, the one I just put on in February; just eight short months and barely 11,000 miles ago. Man, that was quick.

I've ordered another one from Cycle Barn in Smokey Point and will keep track of the miles on this tire. If it wears out...

A few weeks ago I had to tow the bike home when it refused to start.. then the starter circuit failed, that took the ignition too so I couldn't kick it..

Finally this weekend I got the carbs cleaned, starter and ignition fixed.. It was running great!
Took it to work this morning.. I'm half way across the 240 from Kennewick to Richland when suddenly the the back of the bike drops.. The she starts to wiggle.. aww crap!! rear tire is flat!!!!
Pull in clutch, ease it down...

Do you suffer from missing and stumbling? When you roll on the throttle, does it feel like one of your cylinders has gone out to lunch? Well, my friends, read on. I may have a solution for you.

Yesterday, in preparation for the big XJ Bikes meet up in Tumwater, Washington, I decided to show my wife's bike some love by giving the engine a good cleaning with some foaming engine degreaser. After reading the instructions on the can, I proceeded to make the engine ready for the grime-cutting...

An eternity ago, I sanded down and repainted my wife's gas tank and side covers. Part of the project was to change the stock Yamaha badges from gold to chrome to better match her new paint color. After several attempts, I finally found a chrome sticky-back tape that worked well for adhering to the badges.

Well, today, I finally finished the last badge and get 'em all put back on the bike. I took a step back and admired the new look it gave her bike. The chrome really looks much better...

A few weekends ago, my wife and I were readying for our trip down to Portland. Wanting to make sure both bikes were prepped for the several-hundred mile round-trip ride, I decided to download and print off—from the Motorcycle Safety Foundation's web site—their T-CLOCS inspection checklist (.pdf) for each bike. I then grabbed a pen and clipboard and headed outside to give each bike a thorough safety inspection.

Now, for those of you that are not aware, T-CLOCS is an acronym that stands...

This is going to be a real quick how-to on rebuilding a master cylinder. The cylinder we'll be working on comes off an 1982 XJ650. Cylinders found on other earlier to mid '80s Yamaha XJ Maxims, XV Viragos, and XS Specials should be the about same. Yours may be different so adjust the directions as necessary.

About two weeks ago, I was getting ready to go for a rather long ride. While doing my pre-ride inspection (you do those, right?) I noticed my brake fluid level was a bit low in...

...Well, not really. But sometimes I do deserve a swift kick in the arse!

No, this is a post dedicated to showing my beloved riding boots some long-overdue love. Way back when, I purchased my first pair of riding boots. I had no idea what to buy as I was a n00b to the whole riding scene. All I knew was that I wanted a leather boot that was comfortable and had good ankle support and a low heel.

While shopping at Cycle Barn, I came across a pair of Sidi boots that fit...

A couple of weeks ago, a number of members here got together at a rock quarry way up north for some target practice. Having never been to the quarry, I decided to take a ride up the day before to familiarize myself with the area. I snapped a few photos along the way and wanted to share two of them with you.

The first was at the quarry. When you initially pull into the quarry, you're sitting on top of a bluff which pretty much overlooks the entire site. This, I thought, made a pretty...

Here a little while ago I wrote about taking a bit of a spill after I slipped on some gravel on the side of Highway 9 in Bryant. During that minor mishap, I managed to snap off the right-hand highway peg off my poor bike. Ever since I've been riding around with just the left-hand highway peg and the nub from the broken one. It served both as a reminder to keep an eye out for sand and gravel and for me to buy a new set....