It looks like Spring is around the corner even around here. The snow pile is starting it melt and the grass along the road is just starting to show through. The walkways are still mostly covered with snow, ice and gravel but temperatures are warming up to almost freezing. The sun is just starting to show itself above the horizon when I head in to work and it is still light at 9:00 at night. I've been able to get out and about on my bicycle a few times. The studded tires really work well and have kept me upright more than a few times. I think it may be time to start working on the motorcycle again. Last week, I saw a few scooters out on the main roads which were pretty clear of snow but there are still ice patches in the shadows.
Bike Maintenance Tasks:
- Replace front master cylinder and front & rear brake fluid
- Replace rubber fork boots and fork oil and maybe fork seals
- Engine oil & filter, trans oil, final drive oil
- Grease final drive splines
- Grease wheel bearings
- Install digital voltmeter
- Install new horn
- Remove/install exhaust nuts
- Adjust valves
- Grease swingarm bushings
- Check timing chain
- Check alternator brushes
This should keep me busy for a while.
Richard:
ReplyDeleteyou have such a soothing effect on those of us who live closer to the 49th parallel, or further south. It's made us realize that our weather isn't all that bad after all in spite of the rain and the odd day near freezing. In Alaskan terms, we are living in a heat wave.
It's good that your Spring is coming. That means some of it will spill over to us.
bob
Riding the Wet Coast
Glad to help. Temperatures are still well below zero (°C) in the morning but there is enough sun to warm things up in the afternoon.
Delete"....ice and gravel but temperatures are warming up to almost freezing"
ReplyDeleteHoly crap.....still to cold for me, let me know whens it hits the mid teens....Celsius!
Mid teens! That won't be for a while.
DeleteHoly Moly that is quite the damn list! Get to it! And look into sidecars for next winter. ;)
ReplyDeleteJust been lazy and it's been a cold winter. Plus I've been slowly accumulating parts over the last couple of months.
DeletePlus, no incentive....
Dear Richard:
ReplyDeleteYour idea of spring is a lot like my vision of my second divorce.
I am delighted that your maintenance priorities on your "R" bike will only run the better part of an hour. There were butterflies on the bushes out front today. And the hot blond across the street came out in shorts for the first time. I think the idea is that summer starts next week if she sees her shadow.
Fondest regards,
Jack/reep
Twisted Roads
I'm slow so maybe more than an hour. But you're right, most of these tasks are pretty simple. Simple task for a simple bike.
DeleteThat sure is quite the list Richard! You'd think you could have knocked some of the those items off the list while trapped by snow and ice....oh wait, unheated garage right? Never mind.
ReplyDeleteSee, now if you had a sidecar for that Beemer.....or perhaps a nice new Ural.....
dom
Redleg's Rides
Colorado Motorcycle Travel Examiner
The garage is heated but just enough to keep it above freezing. Since I don't have a bike lift, you end up working on the floor. Too cold during the winter. Last winter, I just pulled the heads and sent them off. This year, no major repairs. Yesterday evening, at an Airhead get together, I talked to a longtime BMW mechanic about greasing the wheel bearings. He gave me some great tips for the bearings and the forks.
DeleteUnfortunately, no sidecar this year.
Well, riding your beemer might have to wait a little while but at least you have your light back.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with your chores. It makes me think about mine... checking tire pressure and renewing insurance ;-)
Thank you! I forgot about tire pressures. Fortunately, insurance is reasonable enough to just leave it active for the whole year. And the list should keep me busy until the ice is gone...
DeleteJust a couple of days ago Kelsie was saying Ugh, I wish it would just stay nice. We got acclimated to 50s+ pretty darned quick. I don't know how you survived the 46? days of darkness, I don't know how you survive the whole year.
ReplyDeleteGermany is too conservative to notice the beginning of spring with Yoga pants and cleaving toes (you're welcome Bob.) But the perfectly sculpted yards are being maintained with extreme diligence.
Brady
Behind Bars - Motorcycles and Life
Unlike north of the Arctic Circle, we see the sun at least part of the day all year long. And even further north, they may not see the sun but it still gets light out. Once it ventured above 0°F, students were out in front of the dorm in t-shirts and shorts. It feels warm after weeks of negative temperatures and the sun is finally getting high enough to provide some warmth. In the middle of winter, the daily high temperature doesn't have anything to do with the sun.
DeleteThat's what your looking forward to doing in Kansas, having a perfectly sculptured yard.
Glad the sun is bringing you some warmth. It gives you hope that all of that snow will melt and the temperatures will stay above freezing.
ReplyDeleteHopefully the warmer weather will bring you the motivation to work on the bike too.
Above freezing is fleeting as it was only 5°F this morning. I don't know about motivation as most of the tasks are fairly simple and not doing any of them right now would prevent me from riding. The most time consuming one would be disassembling the front forks but replacing the fork boots is more cosmetic. I don't ride that much in the mud....
DeleteOh you know it, Richard. I can't get enough of manicured lawns.
ReplyDeleteActually, I'm kind of against them in principle - you know runoff water use, etc, but I do actually like them. I grew up in MN where the lawn reigns king.
When the ice was melting up there, that's when flipflop season started, so I know what you mean about the shorts.
Brady
Behind Bars - Motorcycles and Life
One man's spring ... another woman's winter...
ReplyDeleteMy idea of spring motorcycle tune up - A GREAT MECHANIC!
It's starting to feel pretty warm now. It was almost up to freezing this morning!
DeleteAfter always fixing my own vehicles, I am always reluctant to turn them over to anyone else. I figure, if they can do it, I probably can too. Then again, I have an old bike. Nothing fancy about it...
And I thought it was cold and a long time for Spring to appear here in Maine. Ah, but at least you have Sun all the time.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your writing. May I invite you to visit my blog?
http://scooterthefun.blogspot.com/
I hope you find it interesting. And, if your wandering takes you out this way, please let me know, and we can plan some rides.
Ciao.