CHAPTER 3
The engine is running well. I synchronized the 4 carburetors with a new 100.00 dollar tool. I bought one several years, but over time and moving it seems the mercury in the four pressure columns is gone. Lord, I wonder where it went. So far, no one who's been in my garage has come down with "Mad Hatters" disease so maybe it's OK. The US has since banned the use of mercury in these tune-up tools.
The carb sync smoothed out the vibration, it idles much better. I took it for another ride yesterday and found another problem. Of course. The clutch slips when I get up to 60 mph and open the throttle all the way. The engine revs, and normally it would feel like what happens to astronauts when Houston Command says, "Go with throttle up!" Not my bike. It just makes a lot of noise and doesn't go anywhere.
This is sad because a lot of these bikes don't need new clutch plates until 70,000 miles. Not my bike, oh no... the clutch is slipping at 15,000 miles. It couldn't have anything to do with the many times I have taken it from 0 to 130 accessing freeway on-ramps. Or dropped it down three gears to pass a car on the freeway. Yeah, I know I don't have to go around a car or truck going 60 mph and take the bike up to 100 or 110 to pass. I just like to. I can't seem to help it either... my IQ goes way down when I'm on the thing... one more reason I need to sell it.
Like the time I had to make the off ramp before a dump truck hauling loose debris got there first. I didn't want to follow him around the clover leaf. I down shifted and went around him at 110 when I heard a siren behind me. Yep. A Utah Highway Patrol motorcycle cop had been following me for about a mile. Problem was, I couldn't make out from my rear view mirror that it was a UHP bike and not just another Harley. I pulled over immediately, turned the bike off and started to take my helmet off.
The Trooper yells, "What the hell are you doing? Didn't you see me in your rear view mirrors?" Hmmm, should I tell him that I DID see him, I just didn't see that he was a cop? Better not say that. "Sorry, yes, I saw you." I always try to go with the more stupid answer. "Well then what the hell? Just slow down! SLOW DOWN!" And off he went. No ticket, not even a written warning.
I was so unnerved by the situation that I couldn't remember the kickstand has to be up before the bike will start. "What the FLIP... now WHAT?" sez me to no one there, traffic whizzing by, and worst of all, the dump truck made the off ramp long before I did. I was sure he was at the land-fill by now telling folks about some old dude on a bullet bike that got pulled over trying to pass him.
The bike finally started when I put the kickstand up. I crawled off the freeway licking my wounded pride. And wondering if I could have out run the cop. My IQ began going down again. All was well.
Yeah, I need to replace the clutch so I can have confidence that I can always pass a slow moving car at 130 mph if I need to--of course I would now check the rear view before making such a move.
And yes, I plan on doing the clutch myself.
The engine is running well. I synchronized the 4 carburetors with a new 100.00 dollar tool. I bought one several years, but over time and moving it seems the mercury in the four pressure columns is gone. Lord, I wonder where it went. So far, no one who's been in my garage has come down with "Mad Hatters" disease so maybe it's OK. The US has since banned the use of mercury in these tune-up tools.
The carb sync smoothed out the vibration, it idles much better. I took it for another ride yesterday and found another problem. Of course. The clutch slips when I get up to 60 mph and open the throttle all the way. The engine revs, and normally it would feel like what happens to astronauts when Houston Command says, "Go with throttle up!" Not my bike. It just makes a lot of noise and doesn't go anywhere.
This is sad because a lot of these bikes don't need new clutch plates until 70,000 miles. Not my bike, oh no... the clutch is slipping at 15,000 miles. It couldn't have anything to do with the many times I have taken it from 0 to 130 accessing freeway on-ramps. Or dropped it down three gears to pass a car on the freeway. Yeah, I know I don't have to go around a car or truck going 60 mph and take the bike up to 100 or 110 to pass. I just like to. I can't seem to help it either... my IQ goes way down when I'm on the thing... one more reason I need to sell it.
Like the time I had to make the off ramp before a dump truck hauling loose debris got there first. I didn't want to follow him around the clover leaf. I down shifted and went around him at 110 when I heard a siren behind me. Yep. A Utah Highway Patrol motorcycle cop had been following me for about a mile. Problem was, I couldn't make out from my rear view mirror that it was a UHP bike and not just another Harley. I pulled over immediately, turned the bike off and started to take my helmet off.
The Trooper yells, "What the hell are you doing? Didn't you see me in your rear view mirrors?" Hmmm, should I tell him that I DID see him, I just didn't see that he was a cop? Better not say that. "Sorry, yes, I saw you." I always try to go with the more stupid answer. "Well then what the hell? Just slow down! SLOW DOWN!" And off he went. No ticket, not even a written warning.
I was so unnerved by the situation that I couldn't remember the kickstand has to be up before the bike will start. "What the FLIP... now WHAT?" sez me to no one there, traffic whizzing by, and worst of all, the dump truck made the off ramp long before I did. I was sure he was at the land-fill by now telling folks about some old dude on a bullet bike that got pulled over trying to pass him.
The bike finally started when I put the kickstand up. I crawled off the freeway licking my wounded pride. And wondering if I could have out run the cop. My IQ began going down again. All was well.
Yeah, I need to replace the clutch so I can have confidence that I can always pass a slow moving car at 130 mph if I need to--of course I would now check the rear view before making such a move.
And yes, I plan on doing the clutch myself.
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