[Mistervelocity]

Got my cases clean enough. The oily stuff wasn't the issue, it was the concrete like mud that was stuck to the outside. Hot water, dish soap, scrub brush, repeat.

I started the reassembly process. All the bearings were decent so I knocked the old ones out of my cracked case just to have some spares.

I had a brief awww sheeeit moment when the pins fell out of my shift drum. One is long and there's a vacant hole. I shot a pic to Oldworld and he set me straight. All good now.

I dry fit everything together and tested the shifter. 1-6 + N all present and accounted for. It's set aside now as I have lock washers on order.

 

[vwbobby]

Ordered a parking brake lock / switch,

and a front rotor. Most venders want $126.00 plus shipping and tax. https://www.genialmotor.it/en/search?s=df467w has them on sale for $92.36 shipped.

 

[Mistervelocity]

Quick head swap this afternoon.

I robbed the TTR head for my upcoming build. Since it was off, I honed the Chynuh cylinder and tossed a new set of rings at it. It's used a bit of oil since I built it. Found that the top ring gaps were almost perfectly aligned. Not sure how I managed to pull that off, but I did.

Once I got it bolted down, I primed it without a sparkplug for about a minute until both rockers flooded. I put the rest of it together and it fired right up. Once I was sure there were no leaks I pushed it out the door and let it fast-idle for about a half hour, then rolled it back in and dropped the oil. While it drained, I sealed the case halves for the TTR that's going into the blue bike and left it to warm cure overnight.

Once I got fresh oil back in the white bike, I putted around in the yard. There's just enough snow on the ground to be slippery so I can't really say how it behaves yet. This current combination is XT bottom end with Chyknees YFM cylinder, piston, head, and cam.

 

[Black Hills TDub]

Ok - I have to ask - what is with the Stihl laying there like a gutted fish? Stihl is the best and deserves better.

 

[Mistervelocity]

036 suffered a pulmonary embolism and had to get a fresh top end 2 weeks ago. It normally lives on the back of my 4wheeler but got moved from the bench to the floor so TTR stuff could happen. Its all back together and running good. Just hasn't been put away yet.

 

[DubBub]

Boy I'm jealous of your expertise with mechanics. If my stuff screws up I shake my head then scratch it. My buddy helped me tear down and rebuild my 1964 Lotus Elan when I was a young man. I didn't have a clue what was going on but enjoyed it. My chainsaws make me crazy they are so moody, lol.

 

[Fred]

Got picky with Nibbler picking opendrains through the ice so meltwater does not simply re-freeze at night trapped on roadbed.

Then climbed a bit of undisturbed snow which is now ridable in warming weather. So much better now with an ATV tire, should re-name bike Mister Churnswell.

Brief yard work & play as back in garage Betty Boop is getting torn down for her long travel suspension upgrade.
Should give another 1 to 2 inches of ground clearance like Nibbler here.

 

[Fred]

Another day, another couple 100 yards up one of my backroads getting to where sun melts things out. Paused at a gatepost that is more of a signpost for local wildlife. Bears rub, reach up and claw the top of the rail road tie for their social media virtue signaling. Mostly black bear and mule deer hair stuck here and there today.

Big ol' claw marks are fairly old but ground at base is, as usual, freshly disturbed in a circle. A popular place.

Meanwhile back at the ranch making slow progress on Betty Boop's suspension transplant.
Here are the replacement forks, shock and spring. I'll lose about 2" of ground clearance at the forks but gain about 2" plus of suspension travel and ground clearance at the foot pegs. A fair trade since a plusher ride and fewer footage scrapes are my goal. Similar parts on the above ex-MrGizmo, now Nibbler bike I think make a BIG difference in how the TW behaves off-road.
Un-needed 33mm TW forks and mystery shocks on left. 36mm TTR forks and mated Raptor/Banshee pair on right for comparison with axles approximately aligned.

Besides I like treating Betty to occasional exotic stuff from the Amazon basin. Complements her Manaus made, American modified TTR motor.

Brake disc, rotor, caliper, pads, master cylinder all seem interchangeable within XT, TTR, and TW family tree so I will mix and match with only a longer XT brake line.

 

[Mistervelocity]

Another day, another couple 100 yards up one of my backroads getting to where sun melts things out. Paused at a gatepost that is more of a signpost for local wildlife. Bears rub, reach up and claw the top of the rail road tie for their social media virtue signaling. Mostly black bear and mule deer hair stuck here and there today.

View attachment 232972
View attachment 232977


Big ol' claw marks are fairly old but ground at base is, as usual, freshly disturbed in a circle. A popular place.
View attachment 232974

According to my mom's old lady local gossip network, there's 3 mountain lions currently working the area. They've been seen stalking horses and some small pets have gone missing so the locals will likely eliminate the threat shortly. Brown dog, while ever vigilant, is unimpressed with all the drama.

 

[Ken]

It warmed up a little today. I rode my Buell to my Mom's. I tried out my riding pants, nice and warm. After I got back home I took the TW for a spin. Since the big freeze none of my bikes were ridden. They started up fine and everything was running well.

 

[Fred]

Wish I had fewer mountain lion visitors lately. Exciting at first but worry about them stalking me, dogs, wife, cats, etc.

Starting to miss Ol' Leonard The Mountain Lion Poacher. He kept the puma population down.

I never complained or questioned his word when he would hike out with a head, cape & pelt, or just his dogs show up alone always from the side of border where cougars are protected. I accepted the excuse that his dogs cut trail on legal side of border and maybe he sort of lost track of just where border was.

I helped elderly Leonard out one New Years snowshoeing into back country following a stationary telemetry signal for a dog gone missing a Christmas on eve of 6 ft snowfall. Expecting to just retrieve the collar instead we found dog alive with foot caught in poacher's jaw trap at bottom of 6 ft hole melted in snow. Carrying a dog while snowshoeing deep powder is not something I think I could do again. At the time you just have to dig deep and do what it takes.

I'm rambling now but same untended illegal trapline had caught my foot and footpeg in a wire snare set along one of my game/TW trails earlier that fall. Heavy boots and a low speed saved me from injury. That plus some abandoned beaver sets pulled from my local creek really firmed up my dislike of trapping anywhere near communities. Sorry, but traps, poisons , nets and snares are the gifts that keep on giving.
Rant over.

 

[vwbobby]

Installed a parking brake lock / switch.

 

[Ken]

Installed a parking brake lock / switch.

I can see a use for that a lot more than the one for the clutch lever. Extra braking insurance parked on a hill for sure.

 

[vwbobby]

I can see a use for that a lot more than the one for the clutch lever. Extra braking insurance parked on a hill for sure.

I've been playing with it the last couple days and find it comes in handy.

 

[Ski Pro 3]

I can see a use for that a lot more than the one for the clutch lever. Extra braking insurance parked on a hill for sure.

I agree, but how's it any better than just putting the bike into gear and letting that hold the hill?

 

[vwbobby]

I agree, but how's it any better than just putting the bike into gear and letting that hold the hill?

Don't need to kill the motor if you don't want too, or an added safety measure with both.

 

[Ken]

I agree, but how's it any better than just putting the bike into gear and letting that hold the hill?

If you want to leave it running in neutral for a minute while you open a gate, forgot something, you need to hop off the bike without killing it but don't want it moving or vibrating over. In neutral, bike running with no brake, depending on terrain could be an extra pick up on the bike you didn't want to do.

 

[Ski Pro 3]

For those short periods, I use the red kill switch to shut off, the just hit the e-button to relight it. That's probably faster than messing with that brake lock thingy.
My opinion and nothing more. Please don't anyone take my opinion as a personal afront and get hurt feelings.

 

[vwbobby]

Installed a new rotor. It looks better in person. The inside of the cut-outs are highlighted in black.

 

[admiral]

Work started in earnest. Replaced this gouged worn disc rotor.

New brake pads will be put on tomorrow.

Replaced worn out Shinko 241 with a gently used Mitas Trials type tire which looks like a Shinko 241 I got from ejfranz. ...and new disc.

1 down 1 to go on servicing the front forks. Drained, flushed, and refilled.

Next up will be valve inspection/adjustment, air filter cleaning, chain maintenance, and then a cosmetic touch-up with the paint. Wilbur will be ready and looking good for Quartzsite in no time!