Tiny Garage Rod Shop is moving!

So the Tiny Garage Rod shop is getting some new digs. The Co-op has Shed's on sale 'til the 4th and it's time to move the shop outta my wife's ceramics studio and claim a little man land. Ultimately, ceramic dust and engine repair mix about as well as metal shavings and glaze recipes. I've picked out a little 8X12 unit that is actually the same amount of space I've been granted in the studio so it should work out fine. Lookin' forward to hangin' some snap-on girls calendars and spitting on the floor. I'll miss workin' with you darling, but we're just too different. Love ya.

class with brass

so finished my seat finally. and check out my carb V stacks! yep there brass... and yes they are from Value village and hell yes there used to be goblets!

Light of Day

Got the garage door open today for the first time in three months. It was nice to get some daylight on Dale, but this electrical shit is gonna kill me.

(yes, all those fuses are now blown...it took all five to find the problem)

Mule throws a shoe

Heading out to Martensville last Monday, to help Hambone with his wiring, the Antiquated Mule threw a shoe. Engine shook (more) noisy and unbalanced. One cylinder not firing I think. Plugs had spark, wires were good... Time for the guru. Headed over to the Great Daryl P's for a proper diagnosis. Pulled a burnt rotor from the dist. and replaced it with one D had from V8 super stock. Nope. Still no cylinder #1. Compression test showed 0. Damn. Finger in the hole revealed sucking but no blow. Hmm. Pulled the valve cover to discover an intake valve had thrown a nut. Loose as a...well you know her. Tightened a new nut in place and Bobs yer uncle. Runs smother than I ever remember. What'll I do with all that extra power? Thanks Daryl!

Real Girsl and Guns #1

Honda Wiring Diagram

These are the diagrams I'm blending into a bike. Got everything labeled last night. Still got a fair ways to go though.

Maddness

Can you believe I'm still putting cable on this friggin bike? Maybe tomorrow.

New Rubber!

picked up a set of new tires and tubes. They look sick! The back tire is so close to the battery box, but still about 1/2" away from it. i got the chain on and it is going to be just right. just need to locate and chian riveter.

Mike Giant

Dude's a Giant.
Chicks that look like my high school notebooks are awesome.

Your thoughts please

Hello Mules,

I've got a good friend looking at an 81 XS650. He is probably coming down from La Ronge this weekend to check it out and I'm going to tag along since he hasn't riden all that much. Since my experience buying used vehicles has involved an engine rebuild shortly after the purchase about 43.5% of the time I thought I'd see if you guys had any advice on what we should be checking out and such when we go to look at it and also some opinions on the price as I think it may be a bit high though it does have some new paint on it. Anyhow here is the add let me know what you think. Oh yea and he wants me to ride it up to La Ronge for him..... sweet I hope it works out.

http://saskatoon.kijiji.ca/c-cars-vehicles-motorcycles-other-1981-Yamaha-XS-650-W0QQAdIdZ148614984

Wiring... would you like to sort this mess out?

what a line-up

makes sense to me

Wiring

Seems everyone's thinking about wiring lately. I've got some different yammy chopper diagrams for simple setups if anyone's interested. Mostly points, but some electronic ignition variants too.

Weeping Dager

so got the pipes done and the front end! looks so sweet! now the wiring

Things never change...

4 weeks to CycleMania

Well boys, only 4 weeks to go. How's that bike lookin'? I was really hoping to have my mule complete and running for the show, but that 20% is bigger than you think. We'll see...

Not feeling so good.

I came home to the lovely fragrance of gasoline in the garage today.......shit.

WHat's THe hUbBub Bubb?

I dunno what the big deal is. Building bikes really only takes like a minute and 41 seconds.

Back, Hoe

When she learns to run the backhoe.

Custom CB 550

Not the final tank colour, but you get the idea. And most of that open space will remain open. Pod filters, electrics up under the seat, very small battery etc. Also, front fender on the rear wheel. Finally, it looks like a motorbike!

Scrubbing My Bits

Been puttin the spit shine on all the 650's bits. This week we assemble the Whole thing, then wiring, fresh fluids, and d-day.

2010's first RANDOM RADNESS!

I'm not really into fashion. I like to look current, but i fukkin hate to shop and I know enough about the subject to know I don't wanna look hip hop. Greased hair or most often little black toque with a shapely beard are intentional. As are, I suppose, the misc. visible body mods. Otherwise I'm a black t-shirt (pref. with a skull or motorcycle something) and jeans kinda guy. An image effortlessly cultivated. K, boring but a relevant preface to which i'm sure we can all relate.

I was out over the weekend with the mrs. and a small handful of offspring. We went downtown to the river to enjoy the unseasonable warm sunshine, and beautiful day stuff. Must mention i saw quite a few motorcycles. My ever classy DW was in need of a starbux, so I took my 4yr old girl ("I needa hava WHIZZ!") and ducked into a upscale hotel on the riverbank for a coffee and to use the facilities. On our way out of the john this yuppie woman was on her way in. There was a brief pause as we negotiated personal space and the cleaning guy's cart. As this woman looked at me she got the weirdest look. I've never seen anyone "smile" and look that disgusted before. It was priceless. I'm a smaller dude, 5'10"(almost) and no shoulders at all. A little punk lookin maybe, and both bearded and unshaven (check), but far from imposing. And there I was, in her hotel. That she paid money to stay in so she wouldn't have to deal with riff raff. How dare I. And with a little brown, girl in the men's can. We were just sucking the class right out of the hotel and her day. It was awesome. I beamed all the way back to my Mrs. and immediately related the anecdote. I felt somehow, like I was doing my job. And of course the best kind of job, is the kind you don't even have to work at.

Self indulgent ramble, eh? Harararar!

Beautiful day for paint

Feeling good now!

So this was the cause of the whole gas leaking and stupidness though it was not the only factor that caused me the pain in the ass!
One of the floats didn't float so well and I had a bad idea, thought I would repair this float

This is about hour 2

I thought I had it here at hour 4 and after the 16th hour I finally broke down and bought the $12 part since the more solder I put on the heavier the float got and the more irritated I got when the float would still leak. You may have already seen the amount of cleaning I did on the carbs from my last real post which was a long time ago so I won't get into that. I replaced the float and the float valves, gaskets, choke plungers, and various springs and bits. With both carbs cleaned and put back together I thought foolishly that the choke would now work with out binding and that I could finally install that shiny new choke lever that I bought in 07. This is when I started stealing bits from Jordan it must've been a month ago or more and it seemed that I would get the choke working just about as good as I thought then I couldn't let it go at just about. After changing all the choke plunger collars, plunger lifters swaping them all around I got it to work close to the way it was supposed to. My OCD on this issue has finally paid off because today I found the problem "Can you see the difference"

I have no Idea which one came on the the '77 originally but the one on the right is the bitch that works properly in both the

OFF and

ON positions


After finally getting the stupid choke to work I slapped everything back together and of course my battery was dead so i boosted it just to see if it would run after all my mucking around inside and out of the carbs. It runs and seems to idle real nice!!!! I tested the choke out too and the rpms leveled of around 3000 with it on so yea it's working yee haa. Also I've had the gas turned on since this afternoon and my garage still doesn't reek of gasoline so initial testing is showing promise for a fixed set of carbs:) Now my only question for you is if I hadn't told you all about it previously would you be able to tell which part has had some work done to it recently?

Now I'm going to slap those spare carbs back together with all the bits that I took!

pipes!!!

got the bends in today. started putting the puzzle together. just need to go monday to a muffler shop and get some stright pipe.

AMF Hog

Do you like puzzles?

building a bike is just like putting together puzzle... except you have to make all the parts your self and from your head.

Tip me over...

...and she pours right out.

Despite the warnings...

I just had to ride today. I mean com'on. It was beautiful. Sorry
Billy. I'm not sure what a riding season that starts in early March is
gonna do to this obsession I have, but I can't see it helping.

you Dig?

got my frame back from powder coating today! looks real good. I also made some new 7/8 bars today, they are slightly narrower about 2" Now all thats left is everything.

easy does it. or keep your skin on.

So the streets are becoming temptingly clear, and the tempratures even in the am. are nicer now than when we quit riding in november. or december. Sure would be nice to get out there even for just to work and back or something. But an old guy (can't remember which one) told me this is the most dangerous time of year. Another old guy, (friend of uncle Rick) said the city puts down something like 20,000 tones of sand over winter. He always waits until they clean it up. Probably a wise choice. That shit under your tire at the wrong time and you may as well be trying to steer a bike over marbles on glass. I hope to extend my riding season by not being on to big of a hurry to get it started. Statisicaly motorcycles are the safest vehicles on the road, until the time of impact. I wish to not become a conributing member of that statistic. The stakes are just so high. Pavement and steel just don't give a bit. Soft and pink always comes out on the bottom. I have trouble remembering that i've gone down acoupla times, but I never forget to be just a little bit scared whenever I ride around town. I'm really looking forward to this next riding season. Not that I believe that I'll have any more time than last year, but WTF dreamin's free. Hopefully we can all have a few good, safe times. Followed by getting shitfaced.

Beer me.

So, who here is not just the teensiest bit of a boozehound. What's that i hear? The sound of no one raising their hand? Right. so i will take for granted that i have your attention willingly. First: Good beer. Really there is no other kind except those infused with fruit and a extra chromosome.

Pictured below is a ukranian beauty that ironically will may you its slave. Couldn't tell you what its called, 'cause we don't actually have all those letters in out alphabet. Available in the blue can variety atcher local LBS. Too bad we dont get those neat ass rip top ring pull bottles here. Don't remember to much about it other than it was fukkin super enough that i kept a can in my closet for months so i wouldn't ferget to pass on the info. Shut the fuck up and try it. There, now i can throw out that can.

Then: Cheap beer!

The next best thing to free beer. and only a close second to good beer. The bad news: totally american beer. Yankee as budweiser. The good news: now brewed by molson and... oh shit. Hey Cheep! goes to the top of the pile of cheep beer that is not high test. Actually i never tried the light, but cant find a pick of the red can that i uh, cant put down. anyways, mofo comes in a 15 pack. Enjoy! and then pour your lucky lager down the toilet or let your kids take it in their lunches.

Kenny Roberts Style

Some time around '75 a guy named Kenny Roberts was winning #1 plates for Yamaha in the AMA Flat Tracks on a modified XS650. Me and Keno were talkin' about how sweet it'd be to show up at the ice track with a studded Flat Tracker XS. So here's some pics of Kenny for Keno.

There's a good Kenny Roberts Replica article on 650motorcycles.com from a '93 Cycle World publication Here too.