Miles

Hey family members, I am searching high and low, that means from Alaska to Florida, for a 1974 Norton 850 Commando, Roadster model, preferably in Black or Red. If any of you hear of one, see one, find one, please PM me, as I want to buy one. That was my first BIG bike, and I would like to get one, preferably a rolling chassis, a bike that runs good, and do some of the final restoration items myself. Yes, I have already seen what Baxters in Iowa has. Please let me know what you find. Thanks,

Barry, I would guess that my personal opinion would be that if a tire on a bike is 7 years old, per the DOT date code, then I would change it out. It is an odd situation for me, as I wear them out faster than Bongobobny wears out an inflatible doll. I do have some bikes that have tires older than that on them, but those are my stored/museum bikes, that I have no intention of riding again. If I were to sell one of them to someone that wanted to ride it, I would suggest new tires, simply due to age. So, if a tire on your bike looks good, still has decent tread on it, but is 7 or more year old, I would change it out. Now...Oh Barry...an overheated garage can also be a problem. If the bike is stored in a garage in Florida, and the garage gets to be over 90+ degrees for long periods of time, I would suggest a small fan installed in the garage, just to circulate the air, and keep air moving around the bike(s), at a slow speed. Hot...still...air in a, closed garage in Florida can cook the tires, almost as bad as freezing the tires in Minnesota. Someone now owes me 2 pieces of Pi. 2 x 3.14159 = 6.28319 pies.

Auxilliary Fuel Cell...and my wife rides her own bikes !

Warranty ! WARRANTY !!! WARRANTY !!!!!

YO...Kevin, please read my LONG answer to Barrys' question. Sometimes looking for a short answer is not the best solution. Case in point...my response to Barry.

Barry, yes there are things to do that can prolong the life of a tire. First, let's step back a couple posts and address the DOT date codes. PB&J says that after the inspection he found that the tires he had put on the previous year were in fact 8 years old. This is important !!!!! Whether you buy your tires at the local dealership, or you order them online, before you have those tires mounted, you should inspect the DOT date code on the sidewall of the tire, to tell you how old that tire is. Example, I recently ordered a tire online, got it in, and the very first thing I did was to make certain that it was in fact the tire that I wanted...the manufacturer, the make, the model, and the correct size. The second thing I did was to check the DOT date code, and I found that the tire was about 6 months old. Okay, I can live with that. Given that I go through tires the way that BigTom goes through ice cream cones, having a 6 month old tire is okay for me. If the tire was more than 1 year old, I would NOT have accepted it, and I would have contacted the supplier, and asked for another...newer tire. I can only guess as to WHY riders are not checking the DOT date codes on their tires, most probably because they were never taught to, or learned how important it is. I would like to believe that PB&J will now be checking that date code more closely in the future. If a motorcycle tire is MORE than 1 year old, I would suggest sending it back or buying a newer one. Given that most of you folks do not change your tires every year, or 5 to 10 times a year like I do, then having an already old tire mounted on your bike, and then leaving it sit over the winter in your cold garage, only adds to the stress on the sidewalls of the tires. Back to Barry, now... Here are two tips for storing your bike during the off riding months, especially if it is during the Winter. Tip # 1...put the motorcycle on it's centerstand, to take most of the weight off the tires. If you do not have a centerstand, then jack the bike up on one of the available bike lifts, under the frame, and secure the bike lift so that it does not bleed down during the storage time. Many of these hydraulic lifts can/will bleed down over time. Once you get the bike balanced, jacked up, and in place, then place a 2x4 or a 2x2, or even a 1x1 under the scissor part of the lift, so that "if" the hydraulic jack bleeds down over 3 to 6 months of storage, it will bleed down only to the point of engaging that wooden block you put in palce, and the lift will not lower any more than that. When it is time to take the bike off the lift, simply jack the bike back up, remove the wooden block, and then lower the lift. Having the bike on the centerstand, or on a bike lift, also helps keep all the bikes fluids, i.e., engine oil, coolant, etc, centered in the engine, rather than having a lot of oil leaning onto the valve stems on one side of the engine...and then when you go to start the bike up, you blow gray or blue smoke out of one side of the exhaust. How many old BMW boxers have we seen that leave their bikes on the sidestand, and then when they go to start the bike, with more oil in that left head than there should be, the engine smokes. I have seen the same thing on Goldwings, by owners too lazy to use the centerstand. So...use either the centerstand, or a bike lift, to relieve weight from the tires. Tip # 2...store the bike in a heated garage. Since heat rises, place a small electrical heater on the floor, pointed in the direction of the bike(s), and allow the garage to we (warmed) up, so that it is not freezing. I would rather pay a little extra each month on my electric bill, than to have my bikes frozen for a few months. There is more than the tires at stake. There are many rubber items on the bike, fluids that can freeze, oils that can sludge up, etc, etc, etc. By adding a little warmth to your garage, you avoid having the rubber tires on your bike contract as much as they would with no heat, and thus avoiding as much sidewall cracking, or tire aging, as they would. Storing the bike INDOORS...in a slightly heated garage...on the centerstand or lift, will prolong the life of your tires. Check that DOT date code, ask for newer tires, and...if you really want to go to the extremes... Tip #3...(extreme ideas)...when you store the bike...in a slightly heated garage...on the centerstand or lift...let about 10 psi out of each tire, so that it is not fully inflated during storage months. By relieving a small amount of pressure from the tire, (only during storage months), you relieve pressure from the sidewalls, and further avoid cracks from forming. Just remember...as you should already know...that when that bikes comes out of storage, you need to go over the entire bike, stem to stern, and put everything back to road ready conditions, including tire pressures. Okay, somebody now owes me a slice of Pi. 1x 3.14159 = 3.14159 pies

Well, think about it. Break down on day one...take some pictures. Another bike breaks down on day two, take some more pictures. The third bike breaks down on day three, take more pictures. If they take pictures on each day that a bike breaks down, then they have LOTS of pictures, some for every day of the ride. They also had a network for Ford pickup drivers waiting for them at prearranged locations, so that when the bikes break down, the Ford pickups were within 100 feet of the break down locations. Now, if that is how a group of 3 riders want to tour Alaska, so they can take pictures along the way, then so be it. (all the above was said in jest) But... a very few of us, i.e., Me, do not ride like that. My goal is not to stop and smell oily spots on the road left by broken down HD's. My goal is not to taste the finer micro brew beers from each pub or saloon along the way. My goal, is to get from point A to point B in a timely fashion, meaning...while I "know" it is not an endurance rally competition, I still ride as many miles each day as my bike, my body, and the clock will alow me to ride. I don't stop to take pictures, for the sake of taking pictures. My bikes do NOT break down, because I am that prepared for the ride, and I chose my bikes carefully. There is a very good reason that I would not ride a belt drive bike up to Alaska. I still have boxes and boxes of OLD pictures...film pictures, taken 30 + years ago, that I have not put into albums, or on the walls. I have 1000's of pictures from the old days. After learning that "I" do not have a need to look at, or review, my pictures from a road trip, I am much less likely to take pictures on trips now. I certainly do not stop in the middle of the day, to watch a rainbow, and take 10 pictures of it. Given that almost all of my bikes have aux. fuel cells on them, that means I have to stop all that much less, so I keep riding, going from point A to point B to Point C, etc. That is what makes my day for "me". We all know that motorcycle riding is, for the most part, and individual thing, wherein we each give and receive our own version of what makes us happy on the bike. Each one of us enjoys our bikes in a slightly different fashion. For some of us, that fashion of enjoyment is way off the wall compared to others. That is one thing that is unique to the IBA riders, in that most other motorcycle riders cannot understand WHY we ride the miles and hours that we do. We are the 0.001% of the motorcycling world, and most other riders just don't get us. For me, that is hard to change. I have been doing this for...now...43 years, and have been a member of the IBA for 29 years. My brain wants to go 1000 miles a day, every day. It is very rare for me to take one of my bikes out for a casual ride locally, as it is not worth it to me to go riding for 50 or 100 miles. So, taking pictures today is something I do, for others. Not for myself. Sometimes Michael Kneebone (prez. of the IBA) wants a picture showing I was in a particular location. Once in awhile I find an odd sight at the end of my riding day, and I take a shot of it, for the halibut. (that Alaskan for hell of it). I would ask you to understand that each motorcycle rider mounts their bikes for different reasons. Call me the oddball of the group, but I know that there are other IBA riders on this forum, that can understand why we do what we do. If pictures are taken, they are for the enjoyment of others, or to prove you were at a specific bonus location. Other than that, we have our own memories of what we have seen, and where we have been. (stepping down from my soapbox)

JohnnyB, since things have a way of going against you, I would not worry about it too much, as, per your post, this incident happens next month...in the future, so plan accordingly, avoid going to the Honda House with the trike, and just go straight to the other shop. It is always nice when we can see into the future. Maybe you were having a vision of things to come. I have to believe that this was not because you simply typed in the wrong month, because...things do seem to go your way, eh? (for our canadian friends) Yeah, I know...picky, picky, picky. Leave the guy alone, right?

Well, my two most favorite kinds of pies are Pumpkin, and Mile High Apple. That is one where the apples in the pie are stacked to about 8 inches high. I also like Pinto Bean pie, which is an Oklahoma version of the Pecan Pie. Almost all pie is good, and that that isn't good, is made good by the addition of ice cream.

Barry, that number...93.14...is always my go to number, as it is 90 + Pi. 90 + Pi = 90 + 3.14 (as a rounded off # for Pi), which = 93.14. I could take it our several places to: 3.1415926535897932384626433832795028841971693993751058209749445923078164062862089986280348253421170679 8214808651328230664709384460955058223172535940812848111745028410270193852110555964462294895493038196 4428810975665933446128475648233786783165271201909145648566923460348610454326648213393607260249141273 724587006606315588174881520920962829254091715364367892590360011330530548820466521384146951941511609... It is meant to be funny, not taken too seriously. Given my background in the sciences, it is fun to live a life in Pi.

Dale, okay...then you are not planning on doing the ride this year, is that correct? If so, then we have lots of time to educate, and plan for the trip. An Ultra Classic is a good bike for this trip, but again you will want to find a way to keep the gravel from getting into your belt drive pulley on the rear. The front pulley is not a problem. Your cousin lives on WHICH island? There are a 1000 islands in Alaska. On a road trip like this, if you can handle doing 500 mile days, you will have NO problem finding a motel room. Travel to Alaska, for 93.14 % of the motorcycle riders, is limited to the summer months, and then you have to deal with all the RV's on the roads at the same time. Lots of construction on the roads then, as that is the only time they can do the work. When stopped behind a long line of RV's and cars for construction, just shift into first gear, and slowly putt up to the front of the line. The construction workers are used it it. You may get a couple car drivers to honk at you, but &*^& them, as you do not want to eat the dust of 37 RV's when the line starts going. Understand that there is a LOT of hours of sunlight during the summer. Be prepared for sunlight up to 1:00 am, and maybe as late as 2:00 am. The sun only sets for maybe 3 to 4 hours during the summer, so...if you are like me, and you are not...then you can ride for 20 hours a day, and make 1000 + mile days. WHERE in Alaska are you wanting to go? The usual places, or someplace off the beaten path?

Dale, there is a lot to take into consideration. A lot depends on how many miles you "think" you will be riding each day. I have to "assume" that you will be riding your HD. But I would like to know specifics, such as year, model, miles on it, accessories, etc. All these things make a difference. How many miles are you used to riding in a normal day...on a long trip? Can you do 500 + miles a day, with your wife on the back? Yes, you will run into many long stretches where the paved road ends, and you are now on very hard packed gravel roads. You most likely will not run into "dirt" roads, unless you go over the Top of the World highway, into Chicken, Alaska. If you stick to the mainly traveled roads, where 93.14 % of the cars, trucks, and bikes go, then you will find hard packed gravel, or asphalt. Are you experienced riding on gravel roads? Are you comfortable doing that? The gravel is not deep...in most places. My only concern with the bike you are riding is the belt drive. Getting a few pieces of gravel up in the rear belt pulley area, and you can shread a belt very quickly. There are people that have made belt covers just for this. As far as motels availability, there are motels along the way, so it is just a matter of how many miles do you want to go each day, and will that fit into the logistics of motel locations. I would say...offer me as MUCH info about your bike and yourself, and it will help me piece together the best advice for this trip. The biggest obstacle on this trip to Alaska, is the fear of the unknown...of riding to...Alaska. Get over that fear, that concern, that...unknown, and you will most likely be fine. Other than long stretches of unpaved roads, and vast wilderness...bears, moose, wolves, and the ubiquitous mosquitos, you should be fine. # 1 word of caution, do NOT underestimate the number of mosquitos in Alaska. The call it the state bird for a reason. Actually, there was not a single mosquito in all of Alaska...as they were all married, and had very large families

Dale....I am waiting. Questions ???? I have answers !!!

Okay, Dale...here I am. Yes, I have been on motorcycle trips to Alaska several times, including one two months ago in December, on studded tire sidecar rigs. So, either PM me once you join as a member, or...just ask away. BTW, the cost of membership here, all of $ 12.00, is the best money spent now-a-days. Ask away...

My wife rides too. She has three bikes, but the one I would recommend that you look at for your wife is...wait for it...a V-4 Honda Magna 750. My wife is on her second one, and she loves it. As we all know how great the V-4 engine is, Honda did the job just as well with their V-4 bikes. They stopped making the 750 Honda Magna in 2003, that was the last year. My wife has had both a 2001, and now a 2002. The 2001 and 2002 are BLACK bikes, and the 2003 was a Blue bike. I have tons of experience setting these up for touring, and longer distance riding. I install a Scottoiler on them, so that the chain gets lubed all the time. Seriously look at a 1999 to 2003 Honda Magna 750.

Paul, count me in too. I would be honored to lend a hand, anytime. Donation to the cause being sent. This is the best darn family I have had in a long time. Stay strong Brother. Miles

Perry, I believe you will LOVE this upgrade. As moast all have said...it is the best performance upgrade for the money. I am not into adding chrome to my bikes, but I do want them to go faster, handle better, last longer, and provide me with many miles of riding enjoyment. BTW, are you having John Ferber swap out your rear diff for another one, or are you having them re-gear YOUR rear diff ? I chose to have them re-gear MY rear diff, as I knew the history of my rear diff, and it still looked new on the outside. The cost is the same, whether you swap it out, or have them re-gear yours. Once you install this, tell Mollie to hold on.

We generally name our bikes by way of a personalized license plate we put on each. So, with that in mind, the current bikes we are riding are labeled: Wifes' 2005 Honda Helix: GL-250 (as in mini-wing) Wifes' 2002 Honda Magna 750: MAGNUT My 2006 RSMTD: WRAITH My 2004 Burgman 650: ST-650 My 2012 Yam Super Tenere': S-10 (sold and picked up yesterday)

Oh No, Jeff....being anal is taking a pad of steel wool, and slowly working down an existing valve shim to a different size. Not that is being anal...er...picky.

Okay, I will allow that I am possibly wrong here...BUT...I have done some pretty careful checking, and I believe that the speed sensor that is fastened into the rear diff reads off the pinion gear...NOT the ring gear. Again...I "may" be wrong, and I would ask that Joh Ferber from RMSportMax that does these gear changes for most of us confirm or deny this, but I have just gone out and looked at my bike very closely, and...I did a very close examination of the extended service manual, and...I very much remember that I counted the number of pinion gear teeth, before the gear change and after the gear change, by looking through the hole where the speed sensor mounts. It would be improbable that the speed sensor could reach "past" the pinion gear, or go around the pinion gear, to receive a pick-up from the ring gear. The ring gear faces toward the left side of the bike. The pinion gear engages with the ring gear on the left side of the bike. That means that when you look through the hole where the speed sensor mounts to the rear diff, what you see is the pinion gear, and behind that is the ring gear. Yes, the ring gear is still a 33 toothed gear after the gear change, and yes the pinion gear has been changed from a 10 toothed gear to a 9 toothed gear, so..."if" I am correct that the speed sensor reads off the pinion gear, then changing the pinion gear from a 10 tooth to a 9 tooth would in fact change the speedo and odo readings. I will again..."politely"...say that I am a good enough tech that I seriously considered replacing these gears myself, as I have all the tools in my shop to do the job properly. My only hesitation was that John Ferber is much more experienced than I am at this specific rear diff as far as setting us the shim thicknesses, and...the cost to have him do it was so cheap, that I felt it was money well spent. In the past, I have torn down and rebuilt many rear drive units on classic cars, and never had a problem. I would ask that you please give a second look at where the speed sensor is reading the pick-up from, and then decide if this affects speedo/odo readings. And, PMELAH says that we are not riding enough, but I contend that my 15,182 miles last month...already this year, is enough that I can attempt to make my point on this gearing issue. (smile)

Okay...you can count me in too. Have owned 6 Wings in total over the years, and currently have two 1800's in my stable of retired bikes.

Wade, I will meet you at Freebirds' MD, as I will be riding out from the Seattle area. Given that you live on Ohio...you better be there, or we will come hunt you down and drag you over to Dons'.

Dan, southern Mexico is not too bad. Stick to the coastal towns, and they are very interested in tourist dollars, so the local policia do a much better job of containing the undesireable elements around the tourist areas. Going inland it gets worse, but...getting up to the northern Mexico area, it gets really bad. It was interesting that we had no problems at all in all the Central American towns we stopped in, and no problems at all in Columbia, South America. It may have been that the Dakar Rally brought such a heavy attenmdance of policia from all around, that the banditos were hiding. There are many beautiful people, places, and foods in the far south, such as Bolivia and Chile'. Easch day we had some of the best fresh fruits and veggies to eat. The people were colorful, friendly, and welcoming. Yes, they wanted our tourist dollars, but isn't that true anywhere that thrives on making money from tourism?

Thanks MikeWa, let's get together in the next month or so, and talk about doing some riding this year. I plan to ride out to Freebirds' MD in Ohio, and to the International Rally in Galena, IL. If you want to ride along, you are more than welcome. PM me, and we will arrange to hobble over to each other.

Earl, I want to THANK YOU for the use of the loaner Valve Shim Kit and Tools. That is a very kind service you provide, and it worked perfectly for me. Buying the valve cover gaskets from you is a good deal, as I get the "correct" product from someone that knows what we want. Once I got the package from you, or...once I got home from the trip and found the package from you was already here, I opened it, found the valve cover gaskets, opened those plastic bags, and laid the rubber valve cover gaskets out on a flat surface inside the house, so that they could regain their composure, relax from the cold ride they took from Pennsylvania to Washington, all curled up in little plastic bags. I wanted the rubber gaskets to relax, and lay flat again, so that they would be easier to install. As I said to you in a private e-mail, the box is all on its' way back to you now, and you should receive it by Monday or Tuesday. Open the box and check it out, I hope you will be pleased. Again, Thank You Earl.