Title Update!

Well with all the options I have come up with to title the bike the most legal one is to go with International Title Service. I send them a power of attorney and a notarized bill of sale, selling them the motorcycle and they go to a state like Maine where they don't title vehicles older than 15 years. And they get a registration, license plates and a letter of title. The letter of title basically explains the states policy of not titling vehs over 15 yrs old and that the registration is proof of ownership. Then they sell it back to me and I go to the DMV with my registration and letter of title and trade them in for a Florida title.
Their end of the deal costs $175 and take a few weeks. Then I just have the regular Florida registration expenses I would have anyway. The only draw back is my bike will be titled as a 1994 but the engine is, so it correct anyway.

Bikers Creed

Amen, if only I could write like this.

Here a dirty bastard there a dirty bastard eveywhere a dirty bastard!

As many of you know I am in the process of trying to get a title for the bike. Well, it's going about as well as I had imagined it would. The biggest snag, and by that I mean the insurmountable obstacle, is the great state of Florida wants the 17 digit vin number of the frame my engine came from. I do not have that. Those of you that remember the story of my engine will recall that the seller said he took the engine out of his bike to put in a 110 in. stroker. Well after enough messages to let the guy know I wasn't going away he called me back with a new story. The new story is he bought the engine a front end and some sheet metal 4 years ago for his own project and when it came time to register his project SURPRISE!!!!! They wanted the 17 digit vin off the frame too. The message he left contained this little jewel "sounds like you are in the same boat I was, that's why I sold it." dirty dirty bastard. I will put the whole message he left on my machine as soon as I figure out how.

Success!

Yeah! Just got back from the first completely successful shake down ride! Everything worked, nothing didn’t . Marie and I putted all around Largo sticking mostly to the back neighborhoods. We did venture out onto Indian Rocks and West Bay a few times to work up a little speed. Yeah!

Rectum? Damn near killed him!

Well the bike shop called today. I won't mention the name of the shop all you that are close to the project already know it anyway. Any way, they called today and my bike is "done". By done I mean in the last 20 days they managed to put in a new battery, turned down my transmission sprocket to straighten my chain(someone remind me to have my laser, you know that unbend able beam of light, straightened) put on a new chain, fixed a couple wiring "issues" and spent a couple hours trying to fix the carb but they couldn't figure it out and put on a used one. However, on the test ride my shift lever fell off, don't ask me how. The cover holding the rear brake lever on fell off, once again don't ask me. And my rear brake doesn't work any longer it developed a spontaneous leak. Must have been a hell of a test ride!
All this joy for a grand total of $983. Let this be a lesson to all you out there. They don't call them stealerships for nothing!!!! Anyone here that echo? Its my rectum.

I miss my baby!

I am heading up to the shop tomorrow to take a look at the progress of the work on the scooter. I miss not having it around. After 13 months in the living room and then a few weeks in the garage I am having a hard time adjusting to it not being around! I am so used to spending almost every spare minute tinkering on it, I find myself wandering around the house looking for something to do:)

No Mas! No Mas!

I finally have thrown in the towel. After another wasted five days and a new problem everyday. From a carb that leaks fuel out the overflow when parked at night magically quits some time in the garage to a start button that only works on odd days of the month. To turn signals that become marker lights as you ride.
So I have swallowed my pride and it's sitting at Manor Cycles as we speak getting a old school rewire and possibly a new carb. After 13 long months I just want to ride!

Debugging and more debugging

I am actually off the next 5 days, time to knock out some serious bugs in the machine. The headlight will be rewired, I have a new spring seat I am going to try and install but if I don't like it a new seat will be made. Also hopefully the carb rebuild kit will arrive and I can do that as well. I also need to break down and get a more powerful battery so I can start this thing up right.
Also I have some new front turn signals en route to be sure I pass the inspection and on payday I will order up the speedo which will be the last thing I need, besides the cash, to go ahead and get my inspection done.
So maybe the first week of September I will get the inspection done and can finally get out and ride; unless some new problems develop.

And the winner is…

After giving in and pulling the carb off and apart the winner is a badly worn and cracked accelerator diaphragm. This is the cause of both the fuel leak and the stalling out while on the throttle. I would twist the throtttle but the diaphragm wouldn’t lift so the arm to the high speed jet wouldn’t activate. Also the split allowed fuel to where it shouldn’t causing the leak. A $15 rebuild kit and an hour or so should solve the stalling problems!

Sorry the pics are blurry but the split is obvious and in the other pic it should be solid black rubber no light shinning through and its 80 percent exposed.

Off again!

WooHoo! Off again tomorrow! Time for another shake down run. I have to admit to being a little scared. Everytime I shake it down more stuff falls out of the tree. I haven't seen the headlight in the last 3 ride but the short indicator on the wiring harness is no longer lit. So I guess that solves that problem, time to run a new set of wires to the headlight and my own hi low switch.
However, the last 2 ride have left me stuck a couple blocks from the house. It starts to sputter and then stalls like it is out of gas but its not. Either the plugs are fouling out which is a possibility from all the wd-40 I sprayed into the cylinders while the engine sat or I may have a carb problem. Last week I had gas dripping from the bottom of the carb so I thought the float had sunk and gas was continually flowing into the bowl. But, that would not cause is to act like it is out of gas that would cause it to flood and when it stalls I am hard on the throttle so to much gas couldnt be it. So maybe I have it backward and my float is stuck up and isnt letting in enough fuel. Or there could be problem in my fuel line.
I noticed when I ran the fuel line the inlet on the carb faced up at the 2 o'clock position. So I ran the fuel line down from the tank then up ovet the carb mount then down to the fuel inlet so that could be it too. I am hoping for the easiest most obvious problem of fouled plugs. I need to get this reliable so I can get to the inspection and get my tag.
But anyway I am off tomorrow so......



"We don't do fear. Over the last 105 years in the saddle, we've seen wars, conflicts, depression, recession, resistance and revolutions. We've watched a thousand hand-wringing pundits disappear in our rear-view mirror. But every time, this country has come out stronger than before. Because chrome and asphalt put distance between you and whatever the world can throw at you. Freedom and wind outlast hard times. And the rumble of an engine drowns out all the spin on the evening news. If 105 years have proved one thing, it's that fear sucks and it doesn't last long. So screw it, let's ride."

And I know its just an ad campaign but Harley sure knows how to hit the demographic. I read this and I want to run outside jump on the scoot and take off at 100mph with my hair on fire. I'm weak, so sue me.