Aerik

There, I found the problem. Incidentally, all of my computers use Avast! antivirus and Comodo firewall (when I actually use Windows at all), and I've found they work fairly well. Really, though, it's probably a keyboard problem (but I'll blame Vista anyway because this thread needs more Linux nerdiness).

There's a reason I'm not a cop-- I'd have had to let that guy go for sheer awesomeness. Hell, with wheel skills like that, the cops oughtta hire him to chase down street racers or some such.

Cool stuff, man, just lemme know. No rush, I'm not whining over a delay on free stuff. Yeah, I signed up on Katriders, since Hobie hates computers. Lots of good stuff on that site, plus pics of awesome streetfighters. I'm just annoyed because now I'm gonna have to get a nasty old nekkid crotchrocket of some sort just so I can keep up with my friends. My old pseudo-billet-barge is just not that damned fast. Oh well.

Hobie says the FI stuff sounds like fun; if you're offering, we're taking. We're always down for projects.

Appreciated, Cheech, but the model went thru some drastic changes around 1997. Some things are the same, but an awful lot got changed just enough to be incompatible.

I still don't have the pics from Raincheck, but I'll go ahead and summarize the week's festivities since you're interested. Armed with a parts list written in Sharpie on a piece of cardboard, we set off to hunt down everything we needed. Our first stop was Cycle Search, all the way up in Dela'Where?'. Unfortunately, they didn't have a lot of compatible parts on hand, so we grabbed a rotor and a throttle cable and head back to Columbus. Reluctantly, we headed to the Rice Paddy. To our surprise, they actually had what we needed, albeit with the usual problems that earn them their sterling reputation. They had one tank for the bike, which they were asking $250 for. After pointing out some sizeable dents and a fair amount of rust inside, they magnanimously dropped the price to $200. In the interest of getting the thing together fast, we took it. We got a front master cylinder for $75, although yesterday I found I had won one on ebay for $16. Oops. The Paddy also had a set of carbs. Instead of the usual $150 most places charge for a full set, they wanted $200 plus a $25 core. This, they claimed, was because these carbs would be fully together and ready to use. "Fine," we said, "whatever, we'll take 'em." Of course, we had to come back and get them the next day, because they weren't assembled yet. Ugh. So anyway, Hobie and I go back the next day and pick up the carbs, then stop at MPS (a small shop that always has good service) and picked up a tank cream kit and some odds and ends. An Autozone battery, and we were on our way. Well, we had to go back and exchange the battery, but whatever. We installed the carbs, and hung a gas-bladder- it fired, but ran strangely and flooded out. A few more tries, and then Hobie decides to double-check the carbs. Upon opening the bowls, we discovered that the wonderful people at the Paddy had apparently just started the main jets into their holes. Two of them were floating in the bowls, apparently having rattled out. The others were only barely in the threads at all. Fucking wonderful. Assholes. So, after going through and fixing all the terrible half-assed assembly, we put the rack back on and fired it up. It sounded mean as all hell. Awesome. Getting excited, we cleaned up the tank (the quick way, fuck a 24-hour acid soak). Using a handful of nails, sockets, and rusty razorblades, we took turns shaking that noisy bastard for like half an hour. After dumping it out, we tub-washed it with the leftover gas we had used to try and clean the original tank. Because we didn't ahve all the tank rubbers, we used hose clamps for spacers. Using the original cap assembly (which I had rebuilt, because it was seized when we got it), and the original petcock (which I had tried to rebuild, more on that later), we put it all together and fired it up. No joy. After diddling everything we could find, installing/ removing the tank a few more times, and cursing a lot, we decided that it was not getting fuel. Thinking that the petcock was just totally fuckered, I took it back off and began tearing it apart, primarily just to have something to do while we were thinking. On the part of the petcock, where the knob attaches, was an o-ring with a turning valve thing behind it. During the initial rebuild (during which I got carb cleaner sprayed in my eye and we actually had to use Astroglide to get the stretched-out o-ring assembly back in-- yes, Lloyd got pics of that), I hadn't realized that the valve part was removable. Upon tearing it out, we found that the openings where gas comes down from the tank were completely occluded, gunked up with the same nasty shit that was in everything else. More than hour of carb cleaner and pipe cleaners later, it was open again. Another reassembly, and crossed fingers time: GREAT SUCCESS!!! After giving it some time to make sure it was actually giong to stay running, we threw the seat on and let Hobie take his victory lap. This, naturally, was followed by a victory burnout at like 4:30 am (/facepalm). After riding it myself, though, I understand: that thing is fuggin fun! In the course of all the diss/ reassambly, we found that this thing looks fucking awesome all street-fightered out. So, even though we spent a couple hours taking the vynils off, we're leaving the plastics off for now. I think he's planning to flat-black the tank, and flat-red the fenders, and call it a day. Like I said, pics will be forthcoming. Lloyd took them on two different cameras, so we have to wait for him to get them all gathered up and either sent to me or posted here himself.

We have the bike running now. I'll post a real write-up after Raincheck sends me the last bunch of pics. It's been an interesting week.

Happy Birthday.

7.62x54R, if the R makes a difference. I dunno-- it goes boom, throws a big hunk of metal in a reasonably straight line. Works for me!

I got mine at Buckeye Outdoor, somewhere < $100. It's a great way to punch a fist-sized hole in a man and set his clothes on fire at 100 yds, but good luck finding ammo that an indoor range will let you use. If you have patience to drive to one of the outdoor ranges, or have some land where you can shoot, you'll have a lot of fun with it. But get the number of a good chiropractor first- it'll hurt like hell until you get used to it. I got the rubber buttplate from tickbitesupply.com, I think. Like $15. I keep the metal one in my desk drawer so I can re-weaponize it at need. With a bayonet and a metal plate, those things make nasty polearms even if you don't have ammo.

Yeah, I'm poor folks- I'm not in a position to hire someone like that. I'm talking about streetfighter flat black in a can. Duct-Tape Customs! For all your broke-ass DIY ratbike needs! Anyway, I mainly just want the shiny to go away. It's kind of embarrassing- makes me feel like some billet-barge Harley. I don't like flashy stuff.

Cool, that sounds do-able. Thanks, man. Maybe I'll go ahead and see if I can get that photoshopping done and get started.

When I was on the road, I noticed lots of birds orbiting the lot in truckstops picking bugs out of truck grills. I'm too lazy to research seagulls right now, but it could be something similar to that.

Oops, I forgot if I edited a post you'd already read, it wouldn't do anything to let you know I'd changed it- I'd just asked if taking the paint down to bare metal would eliminate the problem- the silicone doesn't actually get into the metal, right?

Ah, I see. It probably doesn't help that I put a crazy thick coat of turtle wax on every year or so. Actually, I was starting to think of painting the bike, but I wanna get someone to photoshop flat black onto a pic of it first before I go and ruin the nice (ten-year-old) factory paintjob. Now, if I were to strip it back to the bare metal, that stuff wouldn't be a factor, right? The damage is only paint-deep?

I'm not sure I understand what you mean-- does it actually harm the paint? Or just make it difficult to repaint? I've been using the stuff for years without trouble, now I'm curious.

Two words, my friend: Honda Cleaner I have no idea what's in it, but you can get it at any honda dealership. It's a black spray bottle with a diagonal bar of white and purple on it. Spray on and wipe till it disappears. It's like the best thing ever. Since I just about never wash my bike, one can of this stuff has lasted me nearly 5 years.

Thanks all for the help-- I've passed the info on to the neighbor. I don't really know him that well (apartment neighbors), so I most likely won't find out which service he ends up using.

I don't think so-- Lloyd isn't allowed on the freeway or after dark, and that would be a pain.

Ah, gotcha. I forgot what day it was. Need more coffee...

What's going on? People meeting up somewhere?

I am an Atheist. I tolerate life because it's where I am, so I may as well try to do something useful with it.

Cool, I'll give him the number. Rep for the rapid-response awesomeness.

Today my neighbor asked me if I knew of a way or shop to repair a bent wheel on his CBR. I told him that I doubt it, but I figured I'd ask here for him. Alternatively, anyone with stock CBR wheels to get rid of, lemme know and I'll relay the info to him. As always, thanks any and all for info/ advice.

I understand what he's saying: if you're unable to do the things that make life tolerable, why keep on tolerating it? More pragmatically, having seen what a long, slow, painful deterioration and death looks like, I'd just as soon make an exit while I retain enough presence of mind to make my own decision. And to not be remembered as some vastly diminished, diaper-wearing, babbling, drooling, spoon-fed invalid. Even though I was an adult when my grandfather died, it takes a serious effort to remember how he was before the last couple of years.