PNW Riders - Blogs - Mic http://pnwriders.com/blogs/mic/ Motorcycle rides and riders in Washington Oregon Idaho British Columbia en Sat, 21 Nov 2009 11:38:39 GMT vBulletin 60 http://pnwriders.com/images_pnw/misc/rss.jpg PNW Riders - Blogs - Mic http://pnwriders.com/blogs/mic/ Routing to the Unknown http://pnwriders.com/blogs/mic/637-routing-unknown.html Tue, 17 Nov 2009 20:20:59 GMT As I continue to do my route planning, and research of exactly where and what I want to see, I continue to discover points of interest that jump out at me. My route has evolved from what seemed like simple jaunts between major points of interest, usually little towns along the way, to even more little points of interest of natural and man made wonders. I sat down one night, and first tried to define what I wanted out of this trip, and where I wanted to go. I do not have the time to do... As I continue to do my route planning, and research of exactly where and what I want to see, I continue to discover points of interest that jump out at me.

My route has evolved from what seemed like simple jaunts between major points of interest, usually little towns along the way, to even more little points of interest of natural and man made wonders.

I sat down one night, and first tried to define what I wanted out of this trip, and where I wanted to go. I do not have the time to do both Inuvik and Prudhoe Bay without giving up some down time to actually enjoy the sites and locations we are passing through, and so a decision had to be made.

Continue reading at: Life's a Breeze ]]> Mic http://pnwriders.com/blogs/mic/637-routing-unknown.html Ingenuity in the Pacific Northwest http://pnwriders.com/blogs/mic/633-ingenuity-pacific-northwest.html Thu, 12 Nov 2009 15:23:23 GMT The Pacific Northwest is in my opinion, one of the greatest area’s of land mass in the world. Very few area’s in the world compare to the beauty of the Pacific Northwest, nor do they offer the diversity, nor environments that the Pacific Northwest does. No matter where you live here, no matter where you go. There is always something magical near by. Whether it be the Olympic Rain Forest of Western Washington, the Crater Lake of South Central Oregon, or the massive Hell’s Canyon in Idaho,... The Pacific Northwest is in my opinion, one of the greatest area’s of land mass in the world. Very few area’s in the world compare to the beauty of the Pacific Northwest, nor do they offer the diversity, nor environments that the Pacific Northwest does.

No matter where you live here, no matter where you go. There is always something magical near by.

Whether it be the Olympic Rain Forest of Western Washington, the Crater Lake of South Central Oregon, or the massive Hell’s Canyon in Idaho, there is something near, and something in between any destination that is sure to surprise you.

And just as well with our diverse geology, we have just as diverse of weather.

Continue Reading at: Life's a Breeze ]]> Mic http://pnwriders.com/blogs/mic/633-ingenuity-pacific-northwest.html Dried Fruit, Jerky and Tasty Table Scraps http://pnwriders.com/blogs/mic/630-dried-fruit-jerky-tasty-table-scraps.html Mon, 09 Nov 2009 02:44:10 GMT The dehydrator (http://mic.phrozen-phaze.com/?p=708) came in yesterday, which makes me very happy. I wanted to start making stuff right away with it, so what better foods to start off with than fruit and jerky? Simple enough, so my roommate and I headed to the grocery store for a roast. We first hit up Fred Meyer. No cheap roasts. Damn So we head to Safeway. Again, no luck. They had a couple bottom rounds, but at nearly 4 bucks a pound, I wasn’t going to even think of making Jerky... The dehydrator came in yesterday, which makes me very happy. I wanted to start making stuff right away with it, so what better foods to start off with than fruit and jerky?

Simple enough, so my roommate and I headed to the grocery store for a roast. We first hit up Fred Meyer.

No cheap roasts. Damn

So we head to Safeway.

Again, no luck. They had a couple bottom rounds, but at nearly 4 bucks a pound, I wasn’t going to even think of making Jerky with that. Not when knowing I can get a large roast from the Cash and Carry of much better quality for less.

Continue Reading at Life's a Breeze ]]> Mic http://pnwriders.com/blogs/mic/630-dried-fruit-jerky-tasty-table-scraps.html Research Overload - Tents http://pnwriders.com/blogs/mic/629-research-overload-tents.html Sat, 07 Nov 2009 20:08:20 GMT In my continuing research for my trip planning I have focused on shelter. Now, I am by no means even slightly educated when it comes to tents. Anything camping really. So my research, criteria, and decisions were based on talking with more knowledgeable friends, taking note of their criteria, then picking out the most important features that appealed to me. Shelter, along with food and water, is an important aspect of survival, so I figured I better spend some time researching tents. I... In my continuing research for my trip planning I have focused on shelter. Now, I am by no means even slightly educated when it comes to tents. Anything camping really. So my research, criteria, and decisions were based on talking with more knowledgeable friends, taking note of their criteria, then picking out the most important features that appealed to me.

Shelter, along with food and water, is an important aspect of survival, so I figured I better spend some time researching tents.

I actually started researching tents awhile back, and come across a couple I thought fit the bill. Over the last week, I have continued to read sites, reviews, and peoples personal experiences.

Continue Reading at Life's A Breeze ]]> Mic http://pnwriders.com/blogs/mic/629-research-overload-tents.html Research Overload - Food http://pnwriders.com/blogs/mic/628-research-overload-food.html Sat, 07 Nov 2009 15:58:51 GMT There are so many thing that one needs to do a successful trip on 2 wheels. The most needed among those things, is well, the 2 wheels that will carry you, then everything else can be debated. I’ve been spending a large amount of my free time with research. Research of pretty much everything one will need for an extended trip. Being that this is my first true “Adventure” ride that I will take part in, I need a lot of supplies. And with needing supplies comes the age old question “Which... There are so many thing that one needs to do a successful trip on 2 wheels. The most needed among those things, is well, the 2 wheels that will carry you, then everything else can be debated.

I’ve been spending a large amount of my free time with research. Research of pretty much everything one will need for an extended trip.

Being that this is my first true “Adventure” ride that I will take part in, I need a lot of supplies. And with needing supplies comes the age old question “Which one?”.

I have been researching everything from sleeping bags, tents, to even clothes and bags.

My latest bit of research got me looking into food supplies. Food and Water are two very important things one must need to survive!

Continue Reading at Life's a Breeze ]]> Mic http://pnwriders.com/blogs/mic/628-research-overload-food.html My Old Friend: Part 9 - The Rebirth of an XT http://pnwriders.com/blogs/mic/625-my-old-friend-part-9-rebirth-xt.html Mon, 02 Nov 2009 13:43:07 GMT Decisions Decisions Decisions. It has all come down to Decisions. The bike is up on its own wheels, carb is in place, exhaust is in place, and the wire harness is somewhat in place. All the pieces needed to start her up, and I just let it set. More time spent thinking, planning, measuring than actual work took place in this update, so it is short, simple, full of babble and a couple pictures to compliment it.

"Any man who believes he controls the machine is in a state of denial that can only be accompanied by his obsession of power over things he can not yet understand. The heart of the machine has the power to take control of our mortal self, with our adrenaline infused hearts pumping in complete rhythm to the stroke of the motor, our minds linked at the wheel sensing every inch of the ground below us, and our souls melded into a single entity that cries into the open night sky, begging for it to never end. Any man, who believes he controls the motorcycle, tossing aside all respect for the mechanical being in which sits before him, will most likely die for his mistake."

Read More at: Life's A Breeze - The Adventures and Projects of Mic ]]> Mic http://pnwriders.com/blogs/mic/625-my-old-friend-part-9-rebirth-xt.html My Old Friend: Part 8 - The Rebirth of an XT http://pnwriders.com/blogs/mic/620-my-old-friend-part-8-rebirth-xt.html Mon, 26 Oct 2009 13:59:02 GMT Part 8: Published 10-26-09

Finally seeing the bike take shape, and getting caught up, we see what stood as a skeleton of bare metal, start to take form of a motorcycle, but not without a hiccup here and there.

"Boy! What a weekend!

I was originally going to name this issue of MOF “The exploady burny” issue, but decided against that… And more on that later. Right now, lets jump right into things!"

Continue Reading at Life's a Breeze: The Adventures and Projects of Mic ]]> Mic http://pnwriders.com/blogs/mic/620-my-old-friend-part-8-rebirth-xt.html Back to Basics - The Rain of Insanity http://pnwriders.com/blogs/mic/619-back-basics-rain-insanity.html Thu, 22 Oct 2009 15:26:14 GMT I see them. The gentle leaves falling to the ground, blotting out the once green neighborhoods in tones of yellow, orange and red.

Our sky's give in to the clouds. Slowly removing the blue from our sights, and replacing it with the dreary gray that has moved in, bringing with it, the pat pat pattering of rain gently striking the ground in rapid succession.

It's autumn in the Pacific Northwest. And while the people pack up their motorcycles, along with their lawn furniture and volley ball nets, I dust off my own, and prepare for the winter ahead.

I'm not certain why, but this time of year brings something out in me. Something that drives me to want to ride. I am the opposite of the fair weather rider. I am the adverse weather rider. A sick dieing breed of individuals, who some believe are crazy, and require the help of a psychologist to study the pure insanity that courses through the veins of our bodies.

What drives us to wake up each morning, only to stare outside at the precipitation, as if calculating in our minds, each inch to be traveled in the days commute? Then grinning, as you take one last drink from your coffee, dawn your gear, and ride off into the morning traffic.

I'm not certain. Maybe it is our souls begging to feel apart of the natural environment around us. Isn't that why we originally got our bikes to begin with? To feel apart of the environment, to feel the wind against your body, the sun radiating down all around you, encompassing your body in a warm glow. Isn't that what we consider the freedom that we enjoy so much, and others just cannot understand?

I believe it is the same nature. Some of us feel the freedom in the sun, while others of us, feel it in whatever nature throws at us.

I am not much of a summer rider. In fact, I enjoy it only if I can go somewhere worthwhile. I don't enjoy sitting in traffic in the summer. Oddly enough, I don't mind the traffic in the fall and winter. I get some sick thrill of sitting in it, while the rain falls around me.

It is odd, for the 3rd fall in a row, on my R6, I have done just that. Yes, I ride in the summer, but I enjoy the commute more in the later months. I spend more time on my bike during these months, than I do throughout the rest of the year. Why is this? Why do I enjoy what seems to be against the norm?

I believe it comes from my upbringing, a trait that was instilled in me by nurture, rather than nature. Much like how I enjoy waking up early mornings before most people even show up to work in New York. I was raised on a farm, and my clock was that of my father, waking us up for work. It was the need to always be ready.

Twelve years later after leaving the farm, and my body still reacts the same. It is programmed to sleep lightly, wake early, and eat quickly.

Summer meant work on the farm. Lots of work. The bikes were used for work. Fall and Winter was down time. It means time to have fun on the bikes. Was this fun I experienced the root of this feeling, this need?

I realize even more now, that getting back to my roots is more important than ever. Much of my childhood was spent exploring the neighboring White Bluffs Nature Reserve, which was formally thousands upon thousands of acres of land in the Central Region of Eastern Washington that once formally belonged to the Atomic Energy, or what has now become known as just the Handford Reservation.

I explored these deserts from a young childhood, until I was an adult. Hours upon hours were spent in this expanse of sagebrush, cacti, and sand. Landmarks found, once forgotten, I would ride blindly in any direction, just to find the next piece of history.

Years passed and the miles passed by, and eventually I would end up with a riding partner. Another avid young adventurer who much like myself, grew up on bikes starting from a young age. Hell, I remember when he broke his leg at 8 years old from hitting a circle track wrong. He later would have this same experience later in his life, about 10 years later. We never learned from our prior mistakes, and continued to ride wherever, and however we wanted to. If any part of my childhood could be considered the best of, this is the period of time in my life that would be considered the best years of them.

Owen and I would put down the miles almost every day for several years. Enough, that my XT that I obtained in the Fall of 92, would eventually brake the fifty-thousand mile marker. A bike that was never licensed for public road use, took the beating of the Eastern Washington terrain for several years.

I believe this, is the root of what others consider my insanity. I was born and raised in this fashion, raised to adventure, and did so. Even if only limited to one region, I explored almost every square inch of what I was given in my 10 years or so of riding back there.

And I believe that is why I find excitement in the rain. It gives me back a piece of my childhood, as if my body, my brain is telling me I need to return. To get back to the basics, the beginning, where it all started.

With that, I look at myself, and my choice of ride. A 2007 Yamaha R6. A great fun bike, one that I do not regret purchasing, but it really was to scratch an itch. I've owned mainly dirt bikes and dual sports over the years, and a cruiser. But now it was time for a sport bike, and with that thought, I bought it.

It opened my world up to the track, the the race, to the adrenaline of bombing down the front straight at over 150mph. To put my skills once again, against others. It created friendships with some of the greatest people I've met. So I cannot say I regret what that R6 brought me. But it is time to move on, to find a better suited bike for my day to day travels, for my day to day adventures. It just does not work for what I enjoy doing, and it took all these years to realize just exactly what it was, that I was missing.

So what will my next bike be? Well, there is the old XT, which I have been restoring, and modifying over the last year. It is the heart of my childhood, so it is time to make it apart of my adulthood. Then there is what is next? Maybe a KLR? DR? GS?

I am not 100% certain at this moment what my choice will be to carry me on my adventures and for once I don't care. I am more excited to see where the breeze eventually takes me. ]]> Mic http://pnwriders.com/blogs/mic/619-back-basics-rain-insanity.html My Old Friend: Part 7 - The Rebirth of an XT http://pnwriders.com/blogs/mic/616-my-old-friend-part-7-rebirth-xt.html Mon, 19 Oct 2009 14:32:22 GMT As mentioned in Part 6, this blog has officially moved over to my own personal blog site in order to not have to post it and format it for multiple sites.


A wet weekend of more time spent driving than working proves that even a little progress is good progress.

“ Quote:
"What I set out to do this weekend, was finish what I was unable to do last weekend. Which was put the engine in the frame, swing-arm attached, wheel bearings put in, steering stem with front suspension put on, and wheels so it will stand on its own.

What I did get this weekend, was a lot of sit down, rethink planning, a lot of back and forth driving all over the place, and then just a lot of bull shitting."
Continue reading over at my Blog

Part 7: Published 10-19-09 ]]> Mic http://pnwriders.com/blogs/mic/616-my-old-friend-part-7-rebirth-xt.html My Old Friend: Part 6 - The Rebirth of an XT http://pnwriders.com/blogs/mic/612-my-old-friend-part-6-rebirth-xt.html Mon, 12 Oct 2009 14:15:39 GMT Do to the limitations of the blog software, I have moved my articles over to my own personal project site, where I will continue to update full articles. This decision was made due to the increasing popularity of this project on multiple sites, and I wanted a single place to post to, and where linking was made easy. Because different forums have different mark up tags, this allows me to make 1 master copy, and then one stub to cut and paste to multiple forums without needing to change but... Do to the limitations of the blog software, I have moved my articles over to my own personal project site, where I will continue to update full articles.

This decision was made due to the increasing popularity of this project on multiple sites, and I wanted a single place to post to, and where linking was made easy. Because different forums have different mark up tags, this allows me to make 1 master copy, and then one stub to cut and paste to multiple forums without needing to change but usually the URL tag.

So blah done, here we go!

My Old Friend: Part 6 – The Rebirth of an XT @ Life's A Breeze: The Adventures and Projects of Mic
“ Quote:
First off, I received a few items this week! The Wheel Bearings came super quick, the air filter came in along with my rear tail light cover, the front fork boots made their way to Oregon, and last but not least, my frame was finished!
]]> Mic http://pnwriders.com/blogs/mic/612-my-old-friend-part-6-rebirth-xt.html My Old Friend - Part 5.5 The Rebirth of an XT http://pnwriders.com/blogs/mic/608-my-old-friend-part-5-5-rebirth-xt.html Sat, 03 Oct 2009 16:35:39 GMT 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 this is another point five update, which means it is mostly just things that have moved forward, but have not really made any progress.

Some major things that have moved forward.

First off, the Fuel Tank

Getting back into working on this, I started to spend more time again, researching what people have done, what to do, the tricks of the trade and so forth.

To my surprise, Clarke Manufacturing had recently (within the last few months) started to manufacture the worlds first, aftermarket fuel tank for the XT225. Over 17 years after the introduction of the XT225, and 2 years after its retirement from production, a company has finally decided to take notice at the world wide popularity of this little dual sport.

After taking the time researching through posts about the quality and feedback on advrider.com, thumpertalk.com, and my favorite XT225 resource, xt225.com, I made my decision I wanted to get this tank. It increases the fuel capacity from 2.3 gallons, to 4.1 gallons. This is a significant increase in capacity, and mileage. With its real-world known fuel sipping 70+ mpg freeway speed economy, this extends the overall range of the XT225 to nearly 300 miles.

So my decision had been made, it was going to get ordered.

With originally discussed earlier in this series, I had decided to do a Desert Theme on the bike. I had finally decided on a Satin Black Frame, with Desert Khaki plastics. The seat of the bike, would be done in a sage gray color, with the same gray used as vinyl stickers, and hard accessories.

The design looks great in my head, and I wish I had the skill that others have to be able to photoshop exactly what it is, but that is not something I am able to do. I will just have to trust my mind (which does scare me), and go with it.

Because Clarke Manufacturing is a MOD (Manufacture on Demand) company, I went to them about doing a custom color.

They offer the tank in your standard colors you see every day. Yamaha Blue, Black, White, Natural, Yellow and Orange. What I wanted though, was a desert khaki color.

I sent off an email and was happy to receive a quick reply within 30 minutes from Chris at Clarke Manufacturing, that it was absolutely possible to do it, and there was no added cost on a custom color.

Excellent!

So I hopped on over to Eastside Motosports in Bellevue to speak to them about ordering this tank. I like to give my business to Eastside. They have continued to treat me fair, and so I try and give them my business whenever I can. Like most shops, they are willing to work with you, and come to a fair deal.

Anyways, back to the ordering. Eastside was not a Clarke Dealer, however they were eager to become one. So Patrick took care of the dealership application, and my tank got ordered on Tuesday of this week, and was already looking forward to seeing my new tank in a week or two.

What surprised me came Thursday.

Thursday I get the call "Your tank is in!".

Talk about a huge surprise! A 3 day turn around for a custom made tank!

Although Clarke is located in Molalla Oregon, I still was not expecting such a fast turn around.

As far as the tank? It is perfect. Absolutely the color I wanted. Not to light, not to dark, a perfect Desert Khaki.

Here is a picture:



I am really impressed with the tank. Not only does it seem sturdy, they include all of the hardware and bolts to get it put on the bike, as well as relocation brackets for thinks like the horn. This tank really has increased my motivation to complete this project. The team at Clarke can't wait to see finished pictures.

Thursday, also was a good day for another reason. I had just got off the phone with Production Plating in Mukilteo, setting up a time to drop off my frame and swing-arm later that day.

So after picking up my tank, I headed up north to drop off my frame and swing-arm. I picked out a 20% gloss, UV Stabilized Satin Black coating.

I was informed they shoot this color every other day, so the turn around should be very quick. Lets hope!

Yesterday (Friday) I finished up some other odds and ends purchases.

I woke up in the morning deciding, even though the bearings and bushings seemed fine when I pulled the swing-arm and wheels, I decided to order new sets.

After reading many positive experiences with replacing the non-sealed OEM bearings on the wheels with RBI premium Sealed Bearings, I decided to go that route. It is also much cheaper.

OEM Non-Sealed Cost: 18.95 per bearing
RBI Premium Sealed Cost on Ebay: 4.45 per bearing, free shipping.

So, although the wheel hubs take a total of 5 between the front and the back, I went ahead and ordered 10, just to have the spares.

I also purchased a Swing-arm bearing and bushing kit from another Ebay Store. The cost was much lower than anywhere else I could find, and the store had great feedback. This item also had free shipping!

Next up on the list, I called up ProCycle out of Springfield, Or.

They had 2 items for my Carburetor that I really need for it.

First item, is a carb side choke.

The XT225 has a dash mounted chock pull, that has a cable that goes down to the carb.

To me, this is really an unneeded cable, and just one extra thing that causes problems. Especially on my bike, being so old, the actual pull stop is worn down, so you need to hold the choke open by hand. This will clean up the dash, and make my life easier.

The other item I ordered from them, was a Jet Kit, that has all of the popular main and pilot jet sizes for the XT.

My next stop, was actually back at Eastside Motosports to order a UNI Air Filter for it.

Last night, while still reading posts on different forums, I remembered I had forgot to order 1 other item.

The XT225, the year I got mine, had Yellow Shock Boots. These are extremely old now, and just ugly. Yellow wouldn't go with the bike anyways.

So again, I hopped on to my favorite resources, checked to see what people are buying. Come to find out, everyone gets theirs from Ebay from a certain online store.

OEM Cost = 78 bucks... A PIECE. What a absolutely ripoff.

Cost on Ebay Store for Aftermarket... 12 dollars a pair!

So I ordered up a set of black. I was going to order 2 sets, and realized that if I really needed another set down the road, I could order it any time. I'll probably end up ordering a spare set before that time though. Who knows!

Now that I had time to sit down, go over what I needed to order, make sure I had everything, I now had time to start visualizing the project again.

This project, will come with its share of fabrication.

Because I am replacing the front headlight assembly, I loose the framework for the dash and signals as well.

After some thought, and running some ideas in my head, I decided on a couple things.

First off, I decided to ditch the stock Dash, and instead, I'm going to get myself a TrailTech Vapor digital dash. My main reason is not that it is an updated piece of technology, but I really like the thought of having Oil Temp. This will end up being my next purchase.

After deciding what I was doing with that, I then moved on to designing the front brackets to hold the new headlight assembly, blinkers and dash.

After some quick sketches, I came to the conclusion that I really was going to need to get myself a Rotary Table to make things easier on the Milling Machine.

So, off to Harbor Freights Website I went, looked up their largest Rotary Table (8") and clicked "Purchase".

I'm having that shipped directly down to Oregon, since that is where the Milling Machine is anyway.

Back to design of the brackets, I came up with a couple simple designs for the front. After some thought last night when I went to bed, laying there looking at the dark ceiling, I decide that I am going to make some revisions to my design.

Originally I had designed it to be solid for the blinker mounts. I am using the Modern Generic Yamaha Front and Rear Blinkers, and I figured maybe I should build folding mounts. That way they can be brought in, when on the trail. So I've started to sketch out that design as well.

My next piece I started to design, was the rear rack.

I've come up with a design, that has removable support racks for saddle bags and an elevated rear rack, so that a flat 2 gallon spare fuel tank can be placed under it.

I still need to put some thought into this. Right now, 2 gallons may be to much, maybe if I do a 1 gallon container. We'll see.

The last thing I thought about, and how to proceed with fabricating, is a new skid plate and engine guards. This is something I will have to spend a lot of time just getting creative with, as the design of the XT is unique, as in the skid plate is actually what connects the upper frame, to the lower back frame. There is no lower hoop frame support on the XT like what is found commonly on other off-road bikes.

Other than that, that is my "minor" updates.

Hopefully I'll get this sketches put into digital, and then can share them.

Until Next Time! ]]> Mic http://pnwriders.com/blogs/mic/608-my-old-friend-part-5-5-rebirth-xt.html My Old Friend - Part 5: The Rebirth of an XT http://pnwriders.com/blogs/mic/605-my-old-friend-part-5-rebirth-xt.html Wed, 30 Sep 2009 16:11:35 GMT 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 to make it "Run" since I stopped working on it. I had been needing to still do all of the cosmetic stuff, such as powder coat the frame, sand, prime and paint the plastics, and have the seat re-skinned.

The current list of "need to do's" is as follows.

Carburetor rebuild kit: I had one on order, back in October of 2008. It was on back-order and was told it would take about 2 months. 2 months went by, and they told me that it would be another month. I had forgot about this until about March of this year, when they called me up, and told me that they were going to cancel the order, as the international company they were dealing with, flaked out.

So I am still in need of a Carb Rebuild kit. I had purchased a low mileage carburetor from a fellow "Raceman" on the XT225 forums. Sent him the money, and never received the carb. It is the first time I've ever been burned on an internet transaction (And I built a complete motorcycle off of ebay).

Spoke/Lace rear wheel: The wheel is actually fine, the hub is fine, the spokes are fine. Just the jackass who I had re-spoke it about 12 or so years ago laced it backwards. Short Spokes on Left Side instead of right, causing the whole wheel to align to the left.

With this, I also still need new tires. After a lot of research, it seems a good chunk of thumper people are using Kenda's with 4 mil tubes. Cheap Tires, get good mileage on tarmac riding, and have good trail grip in

Frame/Swingarm Powder Coat: Hopefully this will be happening in the next week. I have brought the frame and swingarm up from Oregon with me to drop off. "yay"

Bracket Fabrication: I have several brackets I need to spend a weekend making on the milling machine. I need to build a couple brackets to hold the new Headlight Assembly (Acerbis Cyclops), The Dash, and 4 brackets to hold the turn signals.

The new turn signals are actually R6 Turn Signals, or more generically, the Current Generation Turn Signals that Yamaha is putting on pretty much everything.

These are extremely easy to find (I had 2 fronts and 2 rears lying around already), cheap (seems nobody likes these blinkers but me!), already built on a rubber post, and they are quick to remove/change out.

Powder Coat Small Parts: I have a powder coat gun, but can only do small parts, so I am going to do those myself.

Those include the peg brackets, lower and upper steering stem brackets, grab bars, and a couple other misc items.

And I'm sure a few other things I am missing!

So a run down of the progress so far since the beggining of this project.

The bike was disasembled
Parts cleaned up
Wire harness was rebuilt (cleaned up, some wires replaced, new ones added for electronics to be added later)
Parts purchased, etc. The bike will be getting a new front fender (Acerbis SuperMoto), Front Headlight (Acerbis Cyclops), New Bars W/1 inch Risers, Guards (Acerbis), Chain/Sprockets, bearings for steering stem and swingarm. I am now thinking I should probably replace the wheel bearings while I am at it.

Yesterday ordered a new custom tank from Clarke Manufacturing. It is a 4.1 Gallon tank, in a custom Khaki Color.

Front Forks are going to be rebuilt. I already spoke to Barry about them, to see if he wanted to take on the job, and he is up for it, so he'll be getting them. (I'll do this once I have the damn bike running)

Rear shock should probably be resprung as well. Not sure what my options are on that!

Other than that, yah, I'm sure I'll have a few things to take care of that I have forgotten. Like always, once things get back to me, and I start assembling and building again, I will update with lots of photo's.

I noticed while browsing through my older blog pages, that all of the links are busted. Mainly because that site is gone, and I need to re-upload the files and change the links.

Until Next Time!

Continue on to Part 5.5 ]]> Mic http://pnwriders.com/blogs/mic/605-my-old-friend-part-5-rebirth-xt.html 2 years ago, a memory still in the front of my mind. http://pnwriders.com/blogs/mic/568-2-years-ago-memory-still-front-my-mind.html Tue, 04 Aug 2009 15:58:00 GMT It's not often I post up, write about, or even talk about the importance of gear. It would, for most parts, make me a hypocrite, as I enjoy a good sunny day ride around town with nothing but a helmet on for protection.

This may stem from my younger years, growing up on a farm, and riding bikes from such an early age. Most of the time, I went without any protection at all. Summers were just my work boots, pants, a sleeveless shirt, and sunglasses to keep the sun out of my eyes.

I took spills, and falls, but luckily I never managed to seriously injure myself.

My Profile picture, is a good example of my childhood, and how it was spent. The photo, taken back around the early 90's. Somewhere between 92 and 95. I cannot be certain, nor do I really remember the details of that day, as it was just "Another Day", it just so happened to be captured by photo by my friends sister.

But today marks 2 years, where I witnessed first hand, the events on why gear is so important when riding for pleasure on some twisty road in the mountains.

The Day started off like most others. Met up with a buddy of mine (Brian), we met up with a couple more people (Steve and a friend of his new to riding).

We took off up to Mt. Baker, uneventful like most days, just enjoying the scenery, taking in the beauty, and just overall, having a fun ride. For the most part, we were just killing time before heading out that night for Jerome's 21st Birthday.

Coming down the Mountain though, would not be like those other times we had went up to Baker.

Rounding a corner near Mile Marker 40, Brian target fixated on a road sign that was midway through the corner.

He went off the road, got it back under control, came back on, but the back tire gave way from being dirty, than regained traction.

The bike bucked, he went flying, and so did the bike.

Head first Brian hit the pavement, body goes rag doll, and then the bike came down, nose first into his leg, flips over him, than slides down the road.

Stopping, running over to Brian, unconscious, not knowing how severe his condition may be, the first thing I do is check for oncoming traffic.

I run down to the bike to make sure it is visible from the oncoming direction.

Back to Brian I go. His visor was gone, he was on his back, and I could see he was Breathing. What seemed like an eternity (which really was about a minute) he came too, first words "What happend".

I checked him over, careful not to move him. Leg was in a direction it shouldn't be. The other leg, which appeared fine (and was), I squeezed his boot, to make sure he could feel, he could.

Not long after that, would take place a random set of events, that to this day, I am still amazed.

The first car to stop, a couple from Canada. The husband was a an Orthopedic Surgeon.

Not long after them, a second car stopped, and the gentleman was EMS for Lynnwood Fire Department.

They both assured me Brian would be ok, but to go down to the ranger station and get help on the way, and so I did (no cell signal).

When I returned, another car had arrived, and the wife of that gentleman was a nurse. Brian, ended up being in good hands. It took about an hour for the ambulance to arrive, and they took him off to Bellingham.

Brian got away lucky. Busted Femur (Where the bike hit him), busted Ulna, lots of bruising and a concussion.

Everything happened so fast that day, that it took me awhile to really remember the events as they happened. To this day, I look back and realize just how bad it could have been. That day, I could have lost a friend, but instead, he's still with us today, alive, kicken, and just as bull headed as ever.

But to really appreciate the events, I just need to look at this one picture, one picture that brings back every single memory, like a video playing back in my head.

]]> Mic http://pnwriders.com/blogs/mic/568-2-years-ago-memory-still-front-my-mind.html My Old Friend - Part 4.5: The Rebirth of an XT http://pnwriders.com/blogs/mic/399-my-old-friend-part-4-5-rebirth-xt.html Fri, 31 Oct 2008 14:27:16 GMT 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 today's post isn't a whole lot to mention, so I'm giving it a .5 status. Not really a huge "leap" forward in the build project, but just a few things I've done here and there, and what I have found.

As mentioned in my last article, the Steering Stem bearings were shot. I have new ones on order, but now, I am having troubles tracking down the bottom seal. Once I get the bearings in, I'll take measurements of everything, and call up Columbia Bearing or someplace and see if I can't track down a seal.

I started with cleaning up the frame and swing arm. After I was down cleaning the frame, and had gotten rid of all the caked on dirt around the fender mount, I noticed that it was cracked in 2 places. Not a huge issue. I am heading over to a buddy of mines on Sunday to use his MIG welder, and weld up the cracks in the mounting bracket. Shouldn't take more then a couple minutes. Prior to doing this though, I am going to take a wire wheel to every weld on the frame and inspect them over again just to double check.

I also, am very happy on my latest ebay purchase. One problem with the Pre 2001 XT/TTR Motors, is that the Stator only puts out 140 Peak Watts. Now, this would be fine if I was keeping everything 100% stock, however, I am moving it over to a dual headlight setup, as well as Heated Grips and Auxiliary lights (Which will not be on all the time, nor be on at the same time).

This posed a rather large problem. With the headlight, on Low beam,and the tail and running lights and everything else, the draw was going to be about 112watts from the system. That only left 28 watts of energy left.

The 2001+ models of the XT/TTR had an upgraded Stator/Rotor that produced 170watts Peak. That would give me 58 Free Watts of energy, and it is a simple swap.

After checking around ebay, and internet sites, the lowest I could find the Stator for was 175 bucks, not including the rotor.

Well, I decided to shift my thoughts on the whole thing, and started looking for complete engines.

I found a 2001 TTR Engine on Ebay. I bid, and got the damn thing for 96 bucks.

Before I take the thing apart, I'm going to do a Compression test, and Leak Down test on it. If it tests out all right, I'm going to just pull the damned thing apart, part it out, and hopefully make my money back on it. We'll see! Regardless, if the Stator/Rotor are good, I got a damned good deal no matter how I look at it.

I also have the front headlight, and hand guards on order.

The question was asked of me the other day why I am putting so much time and effort into, what the individual thought to be, a "Piece of Shit". I'm sure some people have the same thoughts.

To me, it's not a piece of shit. It's been an excellent bike over the years. It has, treated me well for over a decade and a half. I cannot complain.

I always like to have little projects. I could have easily, done a quick once over on the bike, made a few changes here and there, and had the thing running to abuse again. However, abuse is not what I'm looking for on this bike anymore. Sure, it is going to go on adventures still, but not be carelessly thrashed around, and destroyed like it once was.

I want to give it a new life, and overall, I want to do it. It is a fun project to do for me right now, and it is something I promised I would eventually get around to doing.

It won't much look like a XT when I'm done. In fact, I'm still trying to figure out what it may look like. If it comes out anything like it is in my head? Well, then I am going to be happy.

If it doesn't? Well I will still be happy. So I can't actually say I have any reason not to be happy doing this project.

Ok, I've rattled on long enough. Until Next time!

Continue on to Part 5 ]]> Mic http://pnwriders.com/blogs/mic/399-my-old-friend-part-4-5-rebirth-xt.html My Old Friend - Part 4: The Rebirth of an XT http://pnwriders.com/blogs/mic/396-my-old-friend-part-4-rebirth-xt.html Tue, 28 Oct 2008 02:12:07 GMT 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"

This weekend was a good weekend for the old XT.

It started off Saturday, I stopped by Harbor and picked up a new Compression tester. It's much easier to just buy a new one, instead of bugging your friend that you borrowed the other one from that he forgot to give you the right adapter. Oh well, I really needed to get myself one anyways.

So while at Harbor, I picked up that, and a few other needed items. Some may say they are not needed items, and that I only pick up stuff there on a whim. It is a terrible store for me to go into. Cheap crap that will eventually break if it has any moving parts what so ever, but it works well enough for the few times a year you might actually use it.

On to the Compression test. It was the first thing I did when I got to the shop. I popped it on, and fired it up, and bam, 181lbs of compression. I can't argue with that! So now that the biggest worry was done, I decided it was time to start pulling her down to the nuts and bolts.

Before moving on to that, I went ahead and did another quick coat of tank liner in the gas tank. It now has 4 coats in it, and that is enough. I even went ahead and let a little bit gather in the area that the holes were and just let it sit upright so that it had a thicker layer in that area. I'm more than confident that the tank will hold fuel long after the engine is worn out.

After I had finished messing with the tank, I went ahead and started to pull a few pieces off here and there. A buddy of mine showed up, and BS'ed for a bit, than went to lunch. Got back and decided to go to Eastside Moto, get a battery, and order some more parts. I just needed a clutch perch, and something else I ordered that escapes my mind at the moment. I guess I'll remember when I go pick up the parts when they come in.

I decided, before doing any major deconstruction, that I'd call it a day. I had to be a friends Birthday Party at 7, so I went home, took a shower and got ready.

Sunday, I knew that it would not take me to long to pull the bike apart, so I didn't get down to the shop until about 4. I spent the day enjoying the sun, and rather warm weather to get a little bit of riding in, just to keep my R6 loose.

After my ride, I headed to the shop and started the task of pulling her apart. After a hour or so, I had her in pieces. There really isn't much holding these things apart. 4 bolts for the engine, a bolt for the steering stem, and a couple bolts for the swingarm and rear shock and she was apart.

Now she sits in pieces in the shop, ready to be cleaned up and taken to get powder coated.

Here are some pictures of her all in pieces.







Here's a photo of the steering stem. Of all of the bearings on the bike, these will need to be replaced no questions asked. It's the only set of bearings I ever neglected to keep lubed up often. They were dry, and very worn. New races and bearings, and it will be all good.



Such a small rear shock!


It looks so much worse then it really is. You can tell I kept the swingarm lubed well.


And the Put Put power


Frame looked good, I was expecting to see a crack or 2 but I didn't run across anything. Maybe after it is blasted they will notice a crack. Which I can then weld up.

After more thoughts into the bike, here are a list of the things that I have planned to happen.

Frame is going to be powder coated a khaki color.

Swingarm will be powder coated black, along with the wheels, and other misc hard parts.

Tank, and plastics will be painted khaki with gray accents.

Going to have custom vinyl XT225 stickers made up. I have an idea in my head for them. If I can design them, they will be nice on the bike.

Headlight Assembly of course, is being replaced with the Acerbis Cyclops

Front Fender is being replaced with the Acerbis SuperMoto front fender.

Acerbis Rally Pro hand gaurds.

New bars (Not sure on who's yet)

High Output Stator Conversion

Heated Grips

Auxiliary Lights

Rear Rack and a couple Tool Tubes.

New Exhaust (Or fix and core the current one)

High Flow Air Filter.

TTR/XT Kickstarter kit (Eventually, not a priority)

15F/50R Sprockets

And for the tires? I've not decided. I am open to suggestions. Looking for a 80/20 or a 70/30.


Welp, that's really kind of it for today. Next updates should mostly be stripping, cleaning, coating, and reassembly!

Continue on to Part 4.5 ]]> Mic http://pnwriders.com/blogs/mic/396-my-old-friend-part-4-rebirth-xt.html