Author Topic: 500/550/650's that followed me home (Read 111407 times)

rb550four · « **Reply #525 on:** January 19, 2016, 02:51:28 PM »

Yeah, we have a little bit of snow blowin around. Been heavy winds here the past few days....think it's the same snow just blowing around and around and Brrr ,cold too.
Have the snowbike torn down , haven't been in the shop since before Dec. My 100+ year old barn has been in need of jacking , rebuild,and a roof for years...you know that I do that stuff for a living...could never make the time to do my own. On Dec 7th I decided to do something about it , jacked it up and reset the laid up stone foundation,removed a failing bank of windows on the 2nd floor and framed in, cut the roof and sapling rafter system out of it and got it pretty straight again. Then put up some rough sawn rafters. Boy was that crap heavy, there may have been birds living in that lumber the day before, when it was still in TREE form. Doing it alone as the crew is off doing other things this winter. Had some nice, nice weather until the holidays and made slow but steady progress.

We have some arctic stuff going on now, so I'll wait a bit before I put the metal roof on it. The old barn second floor will handle all of the wife's storage (28x37 feet) needs that is currently piled in my shop. She'll get a 1st floor potting shed in it later on, and I get more cycle storage that I didn't have before. Sounded like a good idea in December, but it'll be getting done as soon as temps go up a shade.
StevO The snowbike stuff on you tube

Restoration Fan · « **Reply #526 on:** January 19, 2016, 05:44:06 PM »

rb,
You know I've got PLENTY of room in my basement if you need a place to store some of those 550's for a period. I promise to keep them nice and exercised for you, too. Once it warms up that is...I just winterized Stella this weekend because I don't like to ride when it's down around/below freezing.

Ron

rb550four · « **Reply #527 on:** January 19, 2016, 08:15:21 PM »

Can't say I'd blame you for winterizing Stella. I find riding in the cold to be especially not enjoyable. So much so that last year I sold my snowmobile to the local snowmobile shop for peanuts...and I trailered it there just to make sure they wouldn't back out of the deal.
Just a few more months and we can get bikes ready for next season.

RAFster122s · « **Reply #528 on:** January 20, 2016, 01:36:36 PM »

Biggest issue in riding in the cold is having a layer on the outside that is roomy enough to layer properly to keep warm that is water and wind proof. Then you have to use fabrics against your skin that will absorb and move the moisture away from your body. Cotton is one of the worst fabric to use especially on inner layers. Wool or polypropelene keep you warmer and drier. Wool not as much drier but, it doesn't loose heating effectiveness when damp or wet. Underarmor is expensive but worth the money in the long run for keeping you dry and warm. It or a pair of polypropelene or silk against your skin will keep you warm without being too hot when indoors, Not as many layers have to be shed.
I THINK it is Aerostitch that makes excellent one piece riding coveralls that are very $$ but, if you ride in cold weather they are great to use if you can afford them. Just be sure your bike insurance covers gear replacement. I can't afford a $1k riding suit very often...like years... Cortech makes some great cold weathee gloves and heated grips and wind blockers for the grips and a large windshield can make cold weather riding possible without as much discomfort.

I wonder if coated nylon like they use on better tents as a water resistent tent fabric would keep you dry if you used seam sealer over the seams and finished the seams to be covered in an overlap or welt to the rear of your direction of travel.
If it would you could make some weathrr resistent coveralls fairly easily using a large pair of coveralls to size it generously.

SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan · « **Reply #529 on:** January 20, 2016, 02:23:13 PM »

I recently took a ride from Long Beach to Morro Bay. The ride was exceptionally chilly, even with heated grips (I borrowed my friend's BMW R Nine T). I was wearing a Freeze-out gillet-jacket and balaclava under my jacket and helmet, and thermals under my armored jeans. I thought I was properly geared up, and I was plenty comfortable in the morning and day.

All was well until the sun went down, and we had 40 degree temperatures combined with the wind chill of riding. The heated grips helped keep my hands and blood in my arms warm, but each time we stopped to refuel, the colder blood in my lower body would send me in to chills. One of the guys riding had proper BMW GS touring gear, including an under-jacket and gloves with electric heating. What I would have given for that gear in the cold!!

rb550four · « **Reply #530 on:** January 20, 2016, 06:04:16 PM »

Prepare as we may but , few things in this life can compare with riding on an 80 degree day in the sun.

RAFster122s · « **Reply #531 on:** January 20, 2016, 07:06:05 PM »

Amen to that one RB...
But at the extreme...nothing like riding in a 100 degree day or 110 to 120F in Phoenix area or 120+ in Yuma... I prefer Tucson's cooler typical max of 110...
anything over 100 is just too dang hot...
But, I do love the dry heat...muscle aches evaporate in that weather as it is like having a heat pack on your back as opposed to the dull ache and typical sharp pains and attention getting pain winter brings...
Compression related neuropathy kicks into high gear... I wish I were back in Southern AZ...year round.

calj737 · « **Reply #532 on:** January 21, 2016, 03:40:29 AM »

Quote from: CB750 Cafe Racer Fan on January 20, 2016, 02:23:13 PM

All was well until the sun went down, and we had 40 degree temperatures combined with the wind chill of riding.

Ha! Be glad you didn't get stuck in a driving rain storm in addition- Ask me why I say that...

And no, I didn't have my rain suit that trip. What was a normal, long, hard day of riding between Chicago and DC became the Death Ride from Bataan (so to speak).

SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan · « **Reply #533 on:** January 21, 2016, 06:25:54 AM »

Quote from: calj737 on January 21, 2016, 03:40:29 AM

Quote from: CB750 Cafe Racer Fan on January 20, 2016, 02:23:13 PM
All was well until the sun went down, and we had 40 degree temperatures combined with the wind chill of riding.
Ha! Be glad you didn't get stuck in a driving rain storm in addition- Ask me why I say that... And no, I didn't have my rain suit that trip. What was a normal, long, hard day of riding between Chicago and DC became the Death Ride from Bataan (so to speak).

No kidding! I've ridden through thundershowers but not in cold weather at night. That sounds awful!

calj737 · « **Reply #534 on:** January 21, 2016, 08:15:30 AM »

You have no idea. 700 Miles through a driving, cold rain, with leathers only. I now own 2 rain suits that will never be left behind EVER again.

rb550four · « **Reply #535 on:** January 21, 2016, 01:18:33 PM »

When I got back from the Army I didn't have a plan. I had no car,couldn't find a job and had a Honda cl 350 as my only source of transportation.....for an entire year. I took a dishwashing job 20 miles away out of necessity , in the winter. Outfitted the 350 with MotoX tires , and off to work I went. New York winter weather every day ,one night I pulled a second shift and hit the road just before mid-night, It was below zero and half the master link flew off in the parking lot. I wired what was left of it together with some wire that I found at work and took an extra 20 mile route on my way home because I thought if the chain blew off at least I would be in my old neighborhood and I'd find a place to spend the night....
the wired chain held together and took me the entire, now 40 mile trip, back home. It took an eternity to get there, and vision surely suffered by all the teeth chattering and visor frost. When I reached the house I was so cold that I couldn't drop the kickstand and opted to lay in a nearby snowbank until I could get up and walk to the house.... Not the same as a 700 mile ride in cold rain I know, but it was also one of those rides that were not just uncomfortable but survived. Those kind of rides will stay fresh in your mind no matter how old we get. And you can bet we it won't happen the same way to us again.

Restoration Fan · « **Reply #536 on:** January 21, 2016, 02:00:22 PM »

Quote from: rb550four on January 20, 2016, 06:04:16 PM

Prepare as we may but , few things in this life can compare with riding on an 80 degree day in the sun.

So very very true!

RAFster122s · « **Reply #537 on:** January 24, 2016, 05:57:22 AM »

In southern AZ there are some washes and dips in the landscape that the air currents coming down off of Mt Lemmon (9000 ft peak) and in the fall and winter and even spring the temps are dramatically different on top of Mt. Lemmon than down in Tucson around 3000-3300 ft. You ride through one of those washes and it is like you just road into walk in freezer, but much bigger. Makes your boys suck up tight to your body and a chill hits you that will really wake you up...
You may be dressed fine for around town where you are going 30 to 45 depending on what road it happens to be, but you hit one of those and you are suddenly way underdressed. It is like someone has sucked all the warmth you were getting off the motor from time to time and replaced it with a block of ice betw...uh, below your tank.

It is nothing like RB or Cal have experienced...or any of the other stories shared...

Ride Safe and stay warm...

David

RAFster122s · « **Reply #538 on:** February 04, 2016, 12:51:14 PM »

Had an email from AeroStich who had a relevant topic recently brought up here...ok, it was a segue off topic and I contributed heavily to it...Was I to blame for it? Probably...
More fuel for the roasting...

Naturally they had things for sale after every dash list item..

You can see all their solutions and things they highlighted that they carry by viewing the email sent to everyone on their mailing list here:
http://us1.campaign-archive2.com/?u=ee4b1c8a3cb628702757dff67&id=dd62b90846&e=903666defd

I copied the list items and pasted them below...

LESSONS FROM 33 MN WINTERS

- As long as the ambient temperatures are above freezing, commuting and urban distances between 2 and 15 miles is easy. Though you won’t see many other riders.
- Commuting and errand riding through the forties is not much different from summer riding except adding a sweater and slightly warmer gloves.
- Commuting and daily riding down to freezing (32ºf) is easy on an unfaired bike with heated grips and combinations of Aerostich gear (jackets, jerseys, microfleece...)
- Comfortable all-day-long highway rides...six to eight hours between freezing and 45ºF temps...requires planning, and some extra time dressing in the morning. Long underwear, electric grips, winter gloves, and electric gear.
- Commuting and daily riding below freezing and down into the twenties is doable with the right base layers, and if the streets are dry. Many bikes do not start as easily if left outside all day or overnight cold-soaking. And tires have less traction because they never really warm up.
- Longer distance all-day highway-speed rides in these lower temps is possible but never super comfortable, even with a lot of layers, electric gear, etc.
- If the streets have ice and snow in places, studding your bikes tires is important. Using only low profile ‘street’ studs…riding on the tips of longer off-road studs is dangerous and doesn’t work. Some tire rubber must be available to be in direct contact the pavement on the dry sections of the road.
- On days when it may snow, if you get caught at work and the roads become snowy or icy, and your bike does not have studded tires, get a ride home in someone's car, or take the bus. Leave the bike for later. Find a decent place for it until conditions improve.
- The use of salt, sand, urea, and other ice melters by municipalities will corrode your bike terribly, make maintenance and adjustments more difficult, and leave your boots and riding gear filthy. From your helmet down.
- Anti-fog solutions, pinlock visors, baclavas and scarves are all important winter rider’s tools.
- Frostbite is a real danger at below-freezing temps, and hurts like hell. And once you have frostbitten a cheek or nose, it’s more vulnerable to frostbite for years into the future.
- Many car drivers are insulted that you are out riding in winter conditions and will let you know with rude gestures. They are not expecting to see you, and can find your surprising presence offensive. Ride doubly defensively.
- It can take a long, long time to warm up if you’ve become even a little hypothermic. This can ruin your day. Dress carefully.

Copyright © 2016 Aero Design and Mfg. Co. Inc., All rights reserved.

rb550four · « **Reply #539 on:** February 06, 2016, 04:13:40 PM »

My, that stuff looks toasty alright, and I would like to say that I'd be in the market for it. Just old enough now to not enjoy anything that may be chilly. The biggest problem I have with winter riding is the amount of salt and sand. That sh1t is slippery. In NY they dump it on the road a few times a day when it snows ....Then spend all summer trying to clean out the ditches that are now full of sand. It isn't safe to ride around here until the roads have been swept in late April or May. I take comfort in a Ford truck with a decent heater until then.

RAFster122s · « **Reply #540 on:** February 07, 2016, 01:21:56 AM »

RB, I don't blame you one bit.
A friend who used to ride a lot with his wife as passenger and they had Goldwings, early Naked versions with a clear shield to keep the bugs out of their teeth...

They lived on the NW side of Tucson and went to church with me on the SE side of Tucson and they had a 25 mile ride one way. I asked him one summer morning where's the bike today...? He replied, he had a carry a car full of cold air today so they left it at home. It was about 9:30 and the temps had already passed 90F that morning and was going to be 105 or so that day.

I've bicycled in 105F weather and it is like riding in an oven, the hot blast you get when you open the oven door to check something visually without the glass & interior lamp making it not really bright enough to see the progress of your baked item to see if were browning or cheese melted in the center (pizza). Well, that is what riding a bicycle in 105F weather feels like. I would pour a bottle of water (24 oz) over my shirt and soak it through and through and it would be dry completely in about 3 miles. I had a 7.5 mile ride and I had a 100oz Camelback and I would stop after 3 miles to refill it with ice water having drank it all by the time I would finish. The shop owners with ice and water wouldn't charge me anything to refill the camelback from their soda machine's ice and using tap water. I had a couple bottles on the bike and they were not to drink as it would be warm in no time. They were to get the evaporative cooling going.
So, I've experienced the opposite extreme on a bicycle. You survived the desert heat by being up early and staying out of the heat in the middle of the day. After the sun set it would cool off 10-15 degrees and then be comfortable and you would do your walking near sundown as by 7PM it was often 95-98 on the hot days and the sun was up at 5AM and it never was cooler than 75F all night. You knew it was going to be hot when you had the nighttime temps never going below 75F.

Riding with sand and salt on the road is just silly...as Aerostich said, way too corrosive on the bike.
I found keeping un-clear'd chrome center caps or even lugnuts from starting to rust required a lot of upkeep in central Ohio when I lived there 19 years. We were south of the snow belt and they still salted the roads massively. An hour north of us in Centerville would see much more snow as it was in the snow belt but far enough south to not have lake effect snow. Cleveland, Akron, etc. would have lake effect snow and depending on the direction of the wind and storm, Toledo might have lake effect snow, but it was not coming off Lake Erie usually.

It was common for people in Michigan and the Buffalo area to have a winter beater car to drive in the winter when the snow and ice were around... They would start driving it just before the first snowfall and stop driving it after the last snow and the roads had been cleaned well by the rains to not expose the good car to that corrosion. Their good car was parked in a garage or a storage unit and it didn't get pulled out at all. Their insurance would switch over to the beater and the good car would drop to protect it if something were to happen in storage.

The beaters had snow tires and chains in the trunk if it got bad enough to warrant them and was legal enough to drive safely. They ran well but cosmetics weren't a consideration normally.

RevZilla just sent me an email about prepping the bike for electric gear...
I think you would want one of the stator upgrades that a fellow SOHC4 member has for the 750...wouldn't want to waste a nice 500/550/650 being a winter bike...

Here's the link to RevZilla's article/video... (they are usually entertaining and fun to listen to. They do great gear review...granted we aren't squids but, some of their stuff is applicable to us vintage bike owners.)

http://www.revzilla.com/common-tread/how-to-add-heated-gear-to-your-motorcycle?utm_source=bronto&utm_medium=email&utm_term=Image+-+How+To+Add+Heated+Gear+To+Your+Motorcycle&utm_content=2/6+-+CT+Digest+110&utm_campaign=02/06/2016

SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan · « **Reply #541 on:** February 07, 2016, 07:02:56 AM »

I wonder if my stock 550 charging system is robust enough for heated gear.

Stev-o · « **Reply #542 on:** February 07, 2016, 07:05:31 AM »

Quote from: CB750 Cafe Racer Fan on February 07, 2016, 07:02:56 AM

I wonder if my stock 550 charging system is robust enough for heated gear.

As long as you keep the R's above 5K!

rb550four · « **Reply #543 on:** February 10, 2016, 12:50:45 PM »

Last week I got my new galvanized metal roofing up on that nasty barn. I got 3/4 s of it done when a guy that used to work for me stopped and asked me how I was doing it all alone, told me I'm nuts ( like I didn't know that) ,climbed out of his truck and finished it up with me. He wouldn't take any money for his time either. I did his Sportster last year, guess he's still happy about it, asked if I wanted some Harley work my way. I said no and please don't tell anyone that I've worked on a non Japanese bike. Good guy.
Since then I have been restocking the upper section of barn with my wife's and kids's collection of excess stuff that covered the entire shop floor to the ceiling. Made 28 feet of storage racks 5 feet high so far. I can see most of the shop floor showing now. My wife has been cleaning out the closets in the house boxing up even more stuff and filling up those shelves too. I think it's almost time to build another 28 feet. I'm gonna step out on a limb here , I suspect my wife may be a hoarder.... too bad it isn't about Honda stuff... I could really help her with that.
I'll remove everything from my old wood shop next and fill it with the bikes that are patiently waiting for me at the theater. I want to keep them on this higher ground in case of flooding this spring . That way there is no mad dash, bike moving going on or worse yet , bike losses. It'll be nice to have the mistress' home again.

RAFster122s · « **Reply #544 on:** February 17, 2016, 12:43:39 AM »

RB, I hope the flooding won't hit you...but, I pause to think...I hope he isn't in an area that would have enough of a current to cause the barn to be washed off its foundation...that could get really ugly and the house would be in jeopardy as well.
So much for that nasty thought.

I understand the comment about stuff and too much. It is easy to accumulate too much junk in our lives... Never hurts to have to move every 10 years or so to thin out some of that stuff to have room for the important stuff...

David

rb550four · « **Reply #545 on:** February 17, 2016, 08:24:53 AM »

David, I think the barn is a good place for the machines to rest, flood wise anyways, that and the house is about 300 foot higher than the flood zone.
My garage is attached to the barn making it real easy for rolling one next door to upgrade parts without the hassle of trailering it from the theater downtown to the garage.
I've been cleaning allot of stuff out of the barn and going to the dump with those items that I haven't touched in a while. I gave 2 pallets of shingles to a guy that could really use them. It seems I've been stock piling building supplies for a while. Of course , I'm sure I'll be repurchasing some of it when the need arises , but it's nice to be getting to the bottom of all this.
I had rolls of 12/2 , boxes and assorted electrical supplies....couldn't throw that out , so I tore out the old electric and rewired the barn while I was at it ( plenty left for the daughter's house this summer).
It's slowly getting there, can hardly wait for it to be done , haven't turned a wrench since I don't know when. There's a Wing that needs some going over in the corner and I was hoping to concentrate on repaints this year. Most of the earlier machines got shot with any color auto paint that was on the shelf....it's okayyy... this time I want to really choose the color combinations and some different lines ,and techniques like this
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/449234131560861325/
or
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/449234131555378906/
maybe
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/449234131555226253/
something like that for a change, not too far over the edge... neat,clean, without looking like a freakshow or an acid trip.
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/449234131555226364/
kinda like this.
Do you think any of these three may be too much?

RAFster122s · « **Reply #546 on:** February 17, 2016, 04:54:49 PM »

RB, good deal on the work. That was very nice of you to help a friend/neighbor out. We have that attitude here in TN and it was also prevalent in AZ but, I didn't see it in Ohio. Exception was a family we were friends with who was Morman and they had 5 kids. We would help each other out. They were good friends despite being of different religions...they of Joesph Smith's twist and we being Christian, worshiping and having a relationshipwith Jesus Christ. They ended up moving to Salt Lake City and then ended up divorcing. That was odd.

I am glad you wereable to help out your neighbors. Relationships with others is a very important part of life.

Itis cool you are going to help build your daughters house/ or build it. That will be a huge gift. Building a housecan bevery stressful on a marriage they say.

This Nook isn't the best for responding or reading stuff on the internet, so forgive thetypos and lack of spacesbetween words. I thought i had hit the space bar everytime, but as you see...it didn't take...

Those are some wild tank designs and the carved metal art is pretty cool...you have to have someskills to do that stuff. I would imaging a jeweler who designs rings and does ornate designs in metal would be good at it if they wereinterested in doing so. Lots of time with carbide or diamond bits...unless they do the design in sculpting clay and then take a mold or the design on the tank and then form a mold to casr the design in molten metal that is applied and finished once adhered to the tank.

Have you ever looked up the water dipped finish technique? It is acool effect if you get the pattern the way you want before dipping. It is a little bit of reverse of what you see as the layerson the bottom are on the object dipped. Definitely a one of a kind finish.
Gun stocks and other items like that are often using that technique.
Little trivia...at night and all black uniform like SWAT wear is more visible than a dark green and black pattern that the German military elite squads or counterparts in police special units wear.

rb550four · « **Reply #547 on:** February 17, 2016, 07:05:36 PM »

I help when I can, what comes around goes around. It's all good. I live in a tight community and we all do what we can do, there is no rat race or keeping up with the Jones' here . Like Red Green would say We're all in this together.
Oh no, I would never cast a tank.. I was looking at the larger pictures at the top of the page of the Pinterest addresses . Although with both daughters being silversmith/ jewelers, a design similar to those could be possible with airbrushed paints to mimic relief work, however, my shadow techniques aren't up to those of a professional airbrush artist by any stretch. I enjoy color , stripes, and little surprises with shadows or an unexpected line of gold leaf maybe... or an unusual Sizzle strip (for lack of a better description). I'd like to "play" a little but not go too loud or over the edge, it's just not me.
Although after discovering the Steampunk style, at one point I was considering the idea of a copper plating a tank and other things...even that would have been too loud for me . Any loud changes always seems to require explanation of the changes, which in my mind, detracts from the overall enjoyment of a machine for what it is.
In the late 70's , before camo was desert tan colors or today's camo there was the European theater forest camo: Forest green , light green, sand, and flat black ( like my camo bike) which were also good in the dark... the real trick (for the painter) was to use curved lines in forest and light green over any sheetmetal lines to alter how we see the shape. the sand and the black acted as false highlights and shadows , that reversed the usual shadow areas of known shapes such as vehicles, to fuzzy unrecognizable shapes mimicking forest shadows. Especially effective with painted tires. Far more effective than the olive drab of WWII and Korea was. and seems to work on everything. I have to park the camobike in front of brick or light single color walls so I can find it ....just kidding.

RAFster122s · « **Reply #548 on:** February 17, 2016, 09:03:18 PM »

My daughter a clever one had a green camo tshirt that she had the words, "haha, you can't see me!"

I hope you have a good spring that comes comes without too much more snow. Last year we got nailed with4 heavy snowfalls with heavy wet and slick snow ( a few were drier and super slippery) and tgey started in early March as my mom had knee replacement and clearing the driveway and sidewalk was very painful... literally and physically. I have deteriorating lower spineand my hips and sacrum get misaligned and it became so bad I could hardly walk and getting up in the morning I was literally crawling up the steps from my bedroom to the main level to get a hot shower and muscle relaxers.
So, anyway...lets hope we don't have a repeat?
David

Restoration Fan · « **Reply #549 on:** February 17, 2016, 11:58:49 PM »

rb,
If you get the technique down for doing these two, then I might have to ride the 550 up for you to do some painting when it becomes a rideable bike. Those two are gorgeous, IMO.

or

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Author Topic: 500/550/650's that followed me home (Read 111407 times)