[Fred]

"I had a VERY difficult job getting the shorter of the Phillips head screws loose,"

Please remember that there are no Phillips head screws on a TW. They are JIS screws and really need a JIS bit to fit correctly. If you don't want to buy a JIS screwdriver set then use the screwdriver in your tool kit.

I use dremel tool with thin cut off wheel to modify Japanese Industrial Standard screw on carb drain screw to accept old fashioned blade or number 2 phillips screwdriver . Inelegant but effective. Cross-cut head of JIS head about 2 or 3 mm and do not over-tighten.

 

[Fred]

I usually end up dremeling them after I have buggered them up so bad I have to cut them to accept a flat head to get them off. I like your idea better.

Well, inelegant as I said because I too buggered up screw after first attempt to remove. Carb sure is easy to drain now with almost any screwdriver that my greasy mits can find. I also dremel cut to accept blade screwdriver 4 screws securing lower carb assembly. Didn't like 4 oem screws so had replaced w/ hex heads with dremeled cross cut. Couldn't find socket head cap screws at time, a better solution as allen wrench gets a good grip. But now I can at least use a 7mm socket or stubby blade screwdriver.

No dremel tool? Secure screw in vise and use narrow kerf hacksaw. I still can barely remember how to use a hand tool when can't find power tool. Wife had me do curtain rod install this weekend w/o trusty Makita and felt like a babe in woods.

Today I shall finish re-do of soft sided tailbag/cooler mount to my subframe extension/grab bar(Cyclerack seemed too wide and overkill for me)Then start fork oil change and sag setting. Rain encourages maintainance.

Correction: Rain ended and sun came out, cancelled fork tune-up and took begging dogs to practice qwerty's wheelies on way to granite ridge above house via 2 mile singletrack . Pics from trail heading home,do not really show true steepness. Width of my Duro atv tire track still amazes me, I'm like a kid with new toy thanks to Trailscouts generosity. :grommit::grommit:

 

[Fred]

Fork oil change plus new fork boots following Lizrdbrth's recipe.10w at 130mm . Stock spacer, sag ok. Need missing fender bolt, then test time.

 

[Fred]

Istalled DMO offset footpegs after alot of re-bending and re-shaping of the brackets they go into due to a decade of rock hammering. Hammer, grind, curse, bend, trial fit, curse more, bend more....Boy I have "kissed" alot of granite over the years. Left frame tab still has unique geometry but all mounted up now. Time for a test ride

 

[Fred]

[QUOTWhatever you are grilling looks good! I have had some Texas sized steaks but that looks enormous.E=Herc'sHepster;106870]Couple more pics of the ride today. View attachment 4372 View attachment 4373 View attachment 4374 View attachment 4375 View attachment 4376 [/QUOTE]

 

[Fred]

Changed left footpeg bracket.
My old bent up one is getting mailed to Joemama and being replaced by a straight one Evan gave me. Joe will use mine in his custom footpeg/ bottle opener conversions.
Helpfull forum members are thick as fleas here, a very nice discovery.

 

[Fred]

Sorry to hear about the damage, I was surprised since your rack looked lightly loaded. I made and lost my similar seat bolts first time out, my finger-tight was not tight enough I guess.

 

[Fred]

Bought a flux wire welder to repair broken weld on an old cyclerack. Now time to relearn long forgotten welding skills. What was A- skills in high school metal shop have decayed into a C- sputtering mess today. More practice is needed before attepting repair.

 

[Fred]

Painted rack after repair welding

 

[Fred]

I mounted up my new rack then took the defender dogs to my favorite picnic spot on aptly named Dog Creek

I took dogs home then went to Verde peak fire look out tower

Very nice views in three hundred and sixty degrees but some vandals had broken all the windows. This I cannot understand. Chipmunks were hungry so I threw out some seeds and trail mix

Heading down the mountain I got attacked by some sort of zombie proto chicken. I am used to grouse in the North West being easy survival food one can kill with a rock so when this one flew into my chest I stopped to give avian CPR and take a Walt Disney moment photo. The bird was unphased and seemed to come after me wanting drivers license registration and insurance

Grouse was unimpressed with my Sierra Club backpack and good intentions and proceeded to Peck at me with Alfred Hitchcock zeal. Thinking I was near its nest of eggs or it wanted to have sex with me I decided to retreat. I would go 50 yards or so and stop but the bird kept persuing me.

This was repeated several times until I was a good 200 yards away. I kick him away several times and tossed him once with my hands with no success. He kept perusing me and the bike.

Happy Trails

 

[Fred]

So after getting beat up by a bird I went down to inspect the dehydrated Lakes

Lots of wild flowers and a couple of coyotes on the way to the lake where I should have been under 20 feet of water normally. The final oddity happened on a short section of asphalt where flat out going around a corner leaned over I discovered a big lizard on my intended line. Unsure of the coefficient of friction of lizard guts against my tire I briefly stood the bike up to miss him. Now I have really over cooked this corner and briefly wondered what sort of embarrassing epitaph will go on my tombstone. Fortunately there was a safe run out on a grassy shoulder so I g proceeded to a break in an aspen grove to lower heart rate.

Lesson learned? Watch out for zombies grouse and lazy lizards

Happy Trails

 

[Fred]

It was a funny and unusual day. I did take a little literary license in describing the zombie grouse but it really was odd to spend so much time with a wild animal un intimidated by me

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/05/24/hu7unuby.jpg[/IMG
The decommissioned fire lookout tower vandalism was disappointing. Senseless destruction is so unfortunate since the intact tower was a beautiful destination. Two other fire lookout towers have been converted to rentals. These are great places for sunsets full moons meteor showers and the lunar eclipses.[IMG]http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/05/24/tezehe7a.jpg
I do like my day glow pumpkin paint with blue accents. Thank you for your support of my bold experiment. Perhaps I was inspired by flowers in my garden

Gotta go feed some of my dependents now, can I deduct them on income taxes?

 

[Fred]

Oil filter hides behind cover plate on right side of engine, refer to manual or threads here for "How Too" on changing filter, correct filter, and confirming proper oil flow to valve train after filter installation.

 

[Fred]

Bananachunks, hope your new Clarke Tank fits without having to install four letter words. I kinda wonder if Clark tank dimensional variations occur somehow as they are stripped and cooled from mold.

 

[Fred]

Great news, Noahnsteph, being able to take the trail bike with you will add a lot of enjoyment to your camping trips. Send us some pictures from camp or a ride sometime, please.

 

[Fred]

Test loaded new valise cases above and below cyclerack. Under rack valise holds fleece sweater and nylon pant shell. Upper valise just tools and dog accessories now. I' ll get more stackable valises and test camping gear.

So for now it just looks like I am flying Business Class

 

[Fred]

After 7800 miles and probably 7800 rocks impacts my oem cat food tin skidplate is beat. Before Ricochet purchase I will test bang a few rocks with this aluminum scrap bolted to another oem plate. Plus here is a better pic of valise that fits under cyclerack. It has held foul weather gear for last 98 mile ride with out any problems.

 

[Fred]

You are right SkiPro, anything would be improvement over stock tail light. I made my own but many superior led kits available now.

Happy Trails

 

[Fred]

Gosh paladin, your bike is really coming along nicely. I have read of only one instance where the cast iron Chinese peg shattered after a severe blow, so you might end up keeping your set w/o issues.
But can the Chinese ones open a beer bottle like Joemama's custom pegs? I had the distinct and liquid pleasure of seeing Joe, the man himself, demonstrate opening a long neck for me with one of his footpegs. Truly a valuable post ride accessory.

 

[Fred]

Padilen if you have adjusted brake pedal for maximum height and it is still requires too much ankle bending to operate you might consider adding a 10mm or so bolt and nut through brake pedal to test added.height. required.

And this adjuster not.can be removed.for.greater.pedal.height