Aerik

Those 80's Hondas are a blast once you get them fixed up- they hadn't figured out things like brakes or handling yet (but not as bad as the KZ's from the same time period). I learned how to ride on an '82 V45 Magna- Damn I loved that bike. But they can definitely be a headache to work on.

Cool, I'll check it out. Thanks

SSSSSHHHHH!!!!! Don't tell Hobie that! Although, once we get that one fixed and Lloyd's had some more time to learn, they'll probably find out eventually on their own.

It occurs to me that, if Obama were actually able to speak even basic Spanish, someone on the right would be claiming he's part of an ongoing plot to annex this country into Mexico and/ or colonize it with illegal immigrants. If he could magically make slow-roasted pulled pork free and available to everyone, someone would complain that it's infringing on their right to make it the old-fashioned way. Hell, if he turned water into wine they'd call him a dirty elitist because real 'real patriots' only drink Budweiser. Quite simply, no matter what he does, there are people who will hate it or him. They'll do it when he does something right, and they'll do it when he does something wrong. Hi, welcome to politics.

Yeah, this thing wasn't the most popular model, but we're lucky that they did make a fair number of them.

Yup, I think he's planning to hit up the rice paddy on payday. Ebay's a bit dry on these specific carbs at the moment, but we'll keep checking it regularly. Grrr, damned old bikes and their vanishing parts!

Yup. Hobie's dad has been building and restoring bikes for 30-some years, so he's picked up a lot. I started late, but I've learned a fair amount over the years as well. Lloyd's the newest to this kind of stuff, but he's a fast learner too. And you're right, it's a lot of fun. Beats playing video games or sitting in some bar full of people I don't know. And the drinks are cheaper.

That's cool of ya, man. I'll get you a beer or something, instead, if ya want.

Justin, don't waste your time. It's probably copypasta from freerepublic or stormfront- no point arguing with it. I get the same things forwarded from my right-wing friends all the time.

Sure, if you're not using it, we definitely could. How much?

Good call on the murder-paint: That was already the plan. We actually have a little bit of flat black around already, and Lloyd's going to get some for Kermit as well. We're also going to use this high-heat black paint we found somewhere on the pipes. I tried to convince Hobie to leave it pink and put curb feelers on it, but he just accused me of trying to turn everything into a '70s Cadillac. Oh well. EDIT: Yeah, Glock, those pipes, tires, and the K&N filter are probably worth about $400 by themselves. I think he got a decent deal. We're projecting that we can get it riding for under a grand altogether.

Apparently, my friends have to buy sportbikes when they sign up for OR. Oh well. Anyway, on Sunday Hobie went and bought this gawdawful hideous pink '92 Katana GSX 600F for $400. Incidentally, it came with V & H pipes, good tires, and (as we'd later discover) a K & N air filter, all in perfectly serviceable condition. Seller claimed that it needed 'some carb work' and that the front brake master cylinder was fuckered. No big deal. ^^Meet Miss Piggy (since Lloyd already has Kermit-- apparently the muppet theme has taken hold). Here we are acting like poseurs, a couple of minutes before bodily wrestling this thing into the back of my truck. Anyway, the previous owner (hereafter referred to as "that fucking moron who deserves to be sodomized with pinecones in hell") claimed that it had been running about 8 months ago, but died mysteriously. He then had it towed to Hinds in Delaware for carb work, twice, before giving up on it. So, he put a tarp over it and left it on his porch. Oh yeah, and he added Sta-bil to it. An entire bottle. And he left the petcock open. But he hadn't told us that part. He claimed that the gas cap's key lock was just a bit seized. So, after getting it back to the lab, we decided to open the tank first, since being unable to open a tank seems like a generally bad strategy for lifelong success. After, unscrewing, spraying, and eventually prying with screwdrivers, we removed the cap assembly to be assaulted by a putrescence that these words cannot convey. Inside the tank was a viscous, blood-red, ghastly-smelling sludge, with about a half-inch of solid shit caked on the bottom. Turns out that the keyhole wasn't seized-- somehow it got infiltrated by this vile stuff. I ended up pulling the entire assembly down to its smallest parts and rebuilding it. Since the moron was kind enough to allow the petcock to seize open with this terrible awful nastiness in its veins, the shit ran down into the carbs. Here, we still didn't know what the carbs would look like: Seriously, nothing moved. Oh goddamn, I can not tell you just how solid these carbs were. The consternation on Hobie's face doesn't do justice to the fucked-uppedness we were encountering. Yes. And the stench. The fucking stench. Lloyd (Raincheck) even dug out some mask things we had bought for bondo work. Of course, three guys who chainsmoke can't really keep a mask on for long. And they didn't help much anyway. So, as we sit right now, Hobie's going to hunt for a tank, a rack o' carbs (or 4 carb rebuild kits), a battery, and a master cylinder. The wonderful service people at Hinds were nice enough to strip the ever-loving shit out of one of the pilot jets, so barring a miracle with some kind of bolt extractor, we're going to have to replace at least one of the bodies. The Sta-bil had somehow begun to eat the carb needles, leaving them with a hard, bubbled, crusty finish that 24 hours soaking in PB Blaster couldn't touch. On the bright side, by borrowing my Shadow's battery and spraying starter fluid into the holes (where the carbs connect-- I'm not a mechanic, my terminology is what it is), we discovered that it actually fires right the fuck up, sounding pretty nice and making good compression. Fun shit. We'll see how it goes as we chase down parts. Anyone with a lead on any dead Katanas we can cannibalize, let me or Hobie know.

I'll be there, as usual.

Hob13 and Raincheck have both been like my ugly brothers for more than 10 years. Pretty much every musical project I've been in since high school has involved one or both of those guys, and I actually learned how to ride by chasing Hob13's Triumph T-bird with my '82 V45 Magna. I'm not actually starting an MC, just getting my friends to join up with this cool board I found. Raincheck's a fairly new rider, but Hob13 was abandoned by wolves and raised by Triumph enthusiasts (hence the Frankenbike growing/ mutating in my garage). My buddy Mike will probably join up soon, too. He was at the meet n greet, but he's a procrastinator. And if I can scrape up the cash to get my old lady a bike, she'll be joining up too. ...wait-- maybe I am accidentally starting a biker gang. Oooh! Do we get patches and stuff? Heh, maybe I shouldn't reply till I've finished at least one cup of coffee .

LOL, true. I'm still finding little tricks to make it easier to navigate.

I'm uselessly saying welcome because he's currently sitting in the same room typing another reply to this thread. Welcome.

Lmao, hey, I put a smiley after it. I have an extremely dry, straight-faced sense of humor. People commonly misunderstand or don't realize I'm joking. And, I tend to look annoyed even when I'm in a good mood. Oh well.

I don't know anything about Kahrs, but if it's an external safety type of thing he could have just not fully engaged the lever or some other goofy shit. Sounds like that guy needs to carry a revolver with one empty chamber. Or a big pair of those plastic scissors they give kindergarteners. That might be more effective when he's tied to a tree with a helmet on.