Philosophy and Motorcycles

Philosophy and motorcycles are two of my favorite things in life. This blog will be bits of wisdom gleaned from a misspent youth and an adventurous dotage. People who like/love wisdom or motorcycles, classic or modern versions of either, are welcome to visit and comment.

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Location: Wisconsin, United States

I have been married to the same lovely woman for decades. We have one son, two cats, and live in rural Wisconsin, USA. I ride and rebuild motorcycles, and I am semi-retired. Favorite bikes are Yamaha XS650, FJ1200 and Ducati 900SS. My wife is a home care nurse. I am a Myers-Briggs INTP. She is ESFJ. Our son works at the Apple store in downtown SF and is teaching English as a second language in San Francisco, no grandchildren.

Friday, August 17, 2007

Repairing to the garage

The RC51 got crashed and is now rebuilt with better parts, Ohlins shock and fork, other goodies. I am anxious to take it for a test ride. More power is always good. Better handling is always good. Better sound is always good. All three are thrilling. Luckily the owner walked away from the crash with little more than torn leather and bruised ego.
LN

Turning Leaves

Much has happened since my last post. Following the death of my mother there was a lot to do. I didn't take time to write here. I had time but did other things. One of them was to just take some time to myself and ponder the direction my life is going. Do I want to continue as I was or do I want to make changes? If changes then what direction?
One good thing happened lately. My wife and I went to Winnipeg, Canada for a four day trip. We went with a group. It was my first trip with a group and all went well. I might do it again. We visited six pavilions of the Folklarama. Each different country had food, cultural exhibits, and dance. All in all it was fun. I was also surprised to learn that in Canada they close the casino at night. Quaint eh?

I have been working on a Suzuki GS850 as a driver for my side car rig. I am currently using a Yamaha XS650 and it isn't enough engine to pull the car with ease. For putting around I like it but I can't actually take it on the road for any distance. The car enhances the vibrations and it runs out of power up hills. The GS will be much more powerful and smoother. The GS850 I found has only 11k miles but I am having trouble sorting the carbs. I'll get it but I am tired of removing and replacing the air box and carbs. I can only work on carbs one day and then need to stay away from it for a day or two. The gas fumes bother me too much if I work with carbs more than one day at a time. Other than the carbs the GS is a great bike. The factory buckhorn handle bar is now in the trash. That made a huge difference. Next will be to take the seat to a friend who does upholstery and get the step removed. I like straight seats. The lower part is too far forward for my tall frame. I had almost forgotten what wonderful cycles the old GS series are. I sold my GS1100E, chain drive, and still miss it. For the rig I wanted a shaft drive. I'll post pictures when it is done.

Life goes on. I will make an effort to post more often. My son is coming home from Japan in a couple weeks. I should have some news. Meanwhile keep the vintage motorcycles going and, if you have a thought, sent it to me.
LN