My 54 is on its way, (updated 10.24)

[Mike]

Al -

Well sure...isn't that one reason people buy Sport Bikes..? Now admittedly, I do see a lot of Sport Bikes with 2.0" wide "chicken" strips..! To that I say...shame, shame... But yea, tires, brake pads and chains are high wear items on these bikes.
Here's a laugh for yea...I'm guessing your racer (or even street bikes) doesn't use 520 series chains. All a weight/mass reduction thing.

On the wagon front.
I finally got some fluid into the brake system. Not full pressure , but getting there. It's a pain to fill a "new" brake system with just pumping the pedal. And I had to change the sealing washers on one rear caliper, and retighten two other fittings. But as of quitting time (I gave up at 103F outside temperature...), I do have a little pedal.
Next to finish the hydraulic bleeding, then get the "emergency" brake part of the system done.

Mike

[Mike]

I didn’t "finish" the brakes on the wagon yet.
Found another leaking fitting…fixed. I did work on the emergency brakes. The LoKar cables were NOT a bolt on…by any means. Had to come up with a way to get the cables attached to the caliper arm. Done. I bought a LoKar hand brake. As we all know, the stock handle mechanism sticks thru the firewall about 4”+ inches into the engine compartment and there’s no way to shorten it and still have it work… The LoKar handle is very simple (a good thing). I figured a place for it (between the door and seat..!), cut a hole in the floor, drilled fasteners holes and put four junk fasteners just to hold it in place for now. I tried a few different ways of running the cable.
It's done to the point of actually connecting the cable to the handle...ran out of daylight..!

Mike

[Mike]

Making SLOW...headway.
Too tuff to work in and over 100 degree heat... Yea, call me a wimp...

I have finally gotten the large center hole (where the S and V were bolted) in the hood welded closed. I actually did get the scoop better centered too. For some reason, the raduis seemed to be off center after I welded the scoop in place. Not the whole scoop, just the radius of the opening was lopsided. I tried a few things to recenter the radius, but nothing worked. I tried something this past weekend and it worked. So now the scoop radius is centered on the car.

Having a little trouble getting the brakes to work properly, but slowly getting there.

I've changed a few things over the last coupla weeks also. One was the carburetor. I bought a new Avenger series Edelbrock, 500cfm carburetor. While messing around on the Summit Racing website, I noticed a Holley 570cfm with a coupla things I like to see, adjustment wise. I figured with the heavilly ported heads and the big intake manifold, a slightly larger carburetor was in order also. So...I bought the new Holley, which will also include having to redo the fuel lines..! The carb. is in place, waiting for fuel line fittings to show up.

Started looking at the rear portion of my double transmission tunnel (to hide the electrical wiring). I did the front a few months back, never did the rear section, from the shifter box to the back panel. I have a piece of metal formed and ready for trimming. THAT'LL be a task..!

Looks like under the hood is pretty much done finally also.

More to come.

Mike

[Mike]

Just a note to say work on my wagon will be very sparse for the next few weeks.

Got a broken clavicle (collar bone) from crashing my bike in the rain last week..! I normally have no problem in the rain...not so last week. Long story maybe for another time.

Mike

[BRIZ]

Ouch!
Heal up and keep in touch.

[Mike]

Thanks.
Still checken in to see if anyone else has posted anything...

This is a VERY slow, annoying process. It seems most any movement screws with the healing. And saying that, most of the new bone growth happens at night when I'm asleep, not moving, then I have to try not to screw it up during the day.
I did mess up a weeks worth of new growth last week by thinking I could go without the sling. I WILL NOT make that mistake again...

Mike

[Half Fast One]

Hey Buddy, Was this a rainy day, motorcycle, should have known better type of accident???????
Remember the more luck you use up as you grow older the worse the damage generally is.
Take heed from us older guys, If even the tiniest thought you hear in your mind says REALLY?? THEN DON'T DO IT.

Get better, take time to heal, you know you know better. We all miss your up dates.

Roger...

[Mike]

Hey Roger -

Yea...thanks.
Like I mentioned, the rain normally isn't much of a bother. I will still drive the bike if it's not pouring down, in that case I do drive the Lark. Sprinkling or light rain, I have the gear and have done fine in a lot...of years of being on a bike.
This particular trip, I did...do a maneuver that I "normally" wouldn't do. Mostly because there was a Highway Patrol car within easy sight of me. So...it was really my fault, I know NOT...to drive on painted stripes, especially in the wet AND...in a first rain in a LONG time...! Going "across" a painted stripe is one thing, traveling in line with the strip is like doing the same thing on a rail road track...you don't do that on a motorcycle.

I was very lucky that the car that I was passing, didn't run over me when I hit the ground..! Also, while the bike was sliding down the 605, it didn't seem to have hit anything, nor did any cars hit it.

While I understand your "luck" comment, I also am not giving into this, especially since it was my fault, I knew better, but didn't really think about what I was doing in that respect. I like to think I have some say in how my "luck" works out.

Healing wise...it's really slow. With a cast on your arm/leg, the bone halves don't move much. With this bone, most everything your upper body parts do, both collar bones move. From a sneeze, to brushing your teeth, to getting stuff out of the refrigerator, to getting up out of bed...everything moves.
This is "really..." annoying".
I may head out to the garage this weekend, see if I can do...something..!

Thanks again
Mike

P.s. - How's your wife doing ? Good hopefully.

[Half Fast One]

Mike, This place we bought in Hemet was a display home for the sales staff. This means that it had a lot of the options built in including a HEATED ? garage which means it is insulated and also has AC. Yea for the car guy who has the money to pay the electric bill. Not us!
Esther is still fighting A.L.L Leukemia. She should have died within 3 weeks after developing it since there is no record of any Multiple Myeloma patient ever surviving after coming down with A.L.L. Leukemia As a secondary Cancer. She is still in remission from both BUT after the event in February, March and April when she was unable to speak or move for 6 weeks and extensive P.T. for 2 weeks, she was released from the Hospital to go home and recover. Unfortunetly she had severe damage to her Kidneys and Liver which has taken A Bone Marrow Transplant off the table... She will be finishing her final round of Chemo that was scheduled for having a Transplant, BUT can not be done until Kidney and Liver functions return to what they where before the Misterious Event in March.
Since this is a first, the Medical World has no idea as to how long she will survive or what will happen after this last round of Chemo. They plan on a Maintentance program with hope that she will improve and/or survive for at least 2 years, could it be 5,or 8 or more ? No one has any idea! They had found 4 exact (10 point out of 10) matches for the Transplant which was unheard of but now one has dropped out but she still has three that have said they will still donate if and when she is able.
This has been hard on both of us and no family within two thousand miles and no chance of moving back to Cincinnati, Ohio where she is from. We just keep on going and hope we stay above water money wise. We are down to living off our Socially Security. Just hope nothing happens to me. The last two things that hit us hard were repairing the AC in the 10 year old car with 142,O00 miles on it and then during the heat wave having to replace the AC in the house. A must for Esther. Found out the Electric Co. would replace it since it was 28 years old and Esther health. But since we had to have it replaced ASAP and couldn't wait, the Electric Co. does not and will not reimburse us any of that $5,400.00. They will install a evaporator unit to help cut our electric bill.
Were looking into that to see if it will help or just add more cost. Both toys, her Mercury and the Conestoga are on hold since I don't have time, parts or money to get either up and running. Ain't life fun as a senior citizen when you lose almost or everything? Hey, we are not complaining, we see people in a lot worse shape every day.
So, that's the short story, ha!
Later...
Roger...
.

[Mike]

A few new pictures (last five).

http://public.fotki.com/-Mike-/54-conestoga-ii/

Still nursing my damn shoulder. I did a dumb thing this morning, been hurtin all day.

Mike