Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

I can't remember if I read Robert M. Pirsigs book before I got a motorcycle or not, but I believe it was before. I have read the book about three times now and am going to read it again.
The first time I read it, I skipped most of it, only reading the parts about the motorcycle trip from Minnesota to Montana. I didn't read the underlying story as it seemed to be too deep and complicated for my liking.
Within a few pages of reading the book he sums up what I feel like when I am riding my motorcycle.

You see things vacationing on a motorcycle in a way that is completely different from any other. In a car you're always in a compartment, and because you're used to it you don't realize that through that car window everything you see is just more T.V. You're a passive observer and it is all moving by you boringly in a frame.
On a cycle the frame is gone. You're completely in contact with it all. You're in the scene, not just watching it anymore, and the sense of presence is overwhelming.

I am in the scene, I am out in the open, the sights the smells are all there touching me, it makes a guy feel alive, in control. Most times when I climb on the bike for a ride, wether it is a short jaunt or a tour of some kind, I can't help but smile to myself, the feeling of freedom and horse power washes all the cares of the day away. Even on a tour last fall where we encountered rain and snow showers I was laughing, so happy to be in that moment. The road was slick, visibilty was poor but the heat and sound rising from the engine, and the impossibility of it all, made for a great ride.
While surfing the net I came upon a site that contains original photos of Pirsigs now famous ride.
He is an unassuming looking fellow but the photos tied all the loose ends together and re-established my link to the book. I found my paperback copy, the pages are yellowed and dusty but in surprisingly good shape and ready for another read.
If you are interest and want to dwell on it further , here is the link to the site;
http://ww2.usca.edu/ResearchProjects/ProfessorGurr/

The Little Wing

1981 Honda GL500 Silverwing interstate

I was looking for another motorcycle after being out of biking for about 12 years when I bought this Interstate.

I was looking for a used Goldwing, about an 82 or 83, and most of the ones I had seen were high mileage models. I had almost purchased an 82 Goldwing in Red Deer and had talked the dealer down in price but did not have a chance to take a good look at the bike or test ride it, when I returned the following Saturday to inspect the bike better, the salesman told me the bike had been sold. OH well I thought, thats what I get for being lackadaisical about the purchase.

I returned to the dealer a couple of weeks later and the same bike was back on the sales floor with a higher price tag on it. I guess they had considered my offer and thought it to be too low and took the bike off the floor, only to return it with a higher price. I had checked periodically and the same bike is still sitting on the sales floor one year later.

I had seen this Silverwing in Camrose earlier and liked it, lower mileage, good price and in excellent shape. Since I was pissed at the Red Deer dealer anyway, I dropped in one day at the Camrose dealer while I was on a trip to Edmonton with a friend and purchased the little wing. $1,500. dollars of Canadian cash and I was a biker again, felt good. A few days later with my old beater of a helmet I had the same friend drop me off in Camrose to pick up the bike.

Being nervous after those many years of non-riding I felt a little apprehensive about riding and headed straight into the residential area to practice up a bit. Five minutes of riding, starting and stopping did the trick and I felt confident enough to hit the main roads and tangle with traffic.I rode the bike home, about 100 miles, on a hot sunny day. I did the speed limit still trying to sharpen my biking skills riding without incident, only having a couple of road hogs close in fast from behind and pass too close for my liking. It's been over a year since I bought the bike but I can still fell the heat of the sun, road and engine as I road that day. The Silverwing has a V-twin engine but is mounted so the heads stick out the sides next to the riders knees, a small pain in hot weather riding but a pleasure in the cold.

It was in September that I purchased the bike and so I had a limited amount of riding before the snows of winter came, but I managed a few small trips to familiarize myself with the bike. The previous owner had mounted forward footpegs, extra driving lights and added a cycle sound radio mount complete with radio and speakers. The tires were wore out, with the back one being completely void of any tread and the front one was cupped badly. The paint was good on the fairing trunk and bags showing only little wear and tear, but the seat had some minor tears, and the fairing mounted mirrors were replaced with handle bar mounted vibrating useless cheapoos.

In the spring I replaced the tires with a set of matching Bridgestones, had the seat recovered, threw away the cheapoo mirrors and bought some expensive replacements from the Honda dealer. And the first thing that I usually have to install is a cigarette lighter, for me smoking and riding go together. Am I worried about getting cancer? Hell NO, I ride a bike, smoking is a minor matter in the grand scheme of things.I also bought some Harley floor boards, manufactured some mounts and threw away the pegs. Much more comfortable riding with floorboard rather than the stock pegs as you have more range for foot positioning.

The replacement mirrors were another matter entirely. Although the replacements which were identical to stock mirrors looked a lot better mounted on the fairing rather than the handle bars, the mirror surface had a flat surface and a tint to them which I did not like. I did manage to find a set of OEM mirrors at a swap meet. In swapping out the glass I managed to break one and now have an original clear convex mirrror on one side and an ugly, flat, tinted on the other side. Oh well more swap meet hunting should resolve the matter.

The next project was to make and install a tow hitch to the bike. I had a Gold wing before and towed a small cargo trailer and wanted the same setup although lighter to match the bike. With the help of some non biking friends with access to a welder, cutting torch and some ingenuity we managed to come up with a decent looking hitch.

One draw back that I thought the bike lacked was protection for the lower legs and feet. Although the fairing, which is identical except for the lowers is the same used on the Goldwings of that era, provide good upper body protection the bottom is quite open and breezy. I fashioned a couple of curved alluminum pieces and attached them to the existing lower fairing. I tested them in some rainy and snowy weather and they proved to be good and give the feet more protection from the elements. It could be another matter when the warm weather rolls around but they are only secured by two bolts apiece and take only seconds to remove.

The bike is an off shoot of the Honda CX 500, and was only manufactured for two years as a full dresser 500cc model and in 83, they bumped it to a 650cc. It has about 45hp and is a high revving son of a gun. At highway speed 100kph [60mph] it revs at about 5700 rpm. This can be a little disconcerting to some but after you get used to it, it becomes quite natural and the little bike will go all day at hiway speed plus with out a problem. The higher revving engine delivers a lot of torque and the bike is quite responsive. I had alway liked the look of the bike and had a CX500 previously that I had added a fairing to and tried to make a touring bike out of it. The bike had ample power and I managed to cross the USA and Canada twice before on the old CX500. People who say you need a big bike to go touring on are filling you with BS, after all many others have toured with much smaller and made out quite fine.

If you are in the market and see one of these bikes for sale and wonder how good it is, buy it, you won't be disapointed. They are reasonably priced, nimble to handle, have loads of power and the engine is all but bullet proof. And there are a lot of resources on the internet which include a lot of happy owners.

Homemade Cargo Trailer

I always liked the thought of pulling a little trailer behind the bike, so handy when going camping, you can load it to the nuts with all your gear. I have used it a couple of times and it works great, easy to pull, lots of room, held all my camping gear plus a full set of golf clubs.
I had the trailer frame and just chopped it down narrower, sand blasted the frame and rims, wired it and painted it. The top box is an RV roof top carrier and the luggage rack on top is from a couple of old station wagons.
Seeing as I had most of the items on hand it was an inexpensive project, the most being the RV pod which cost me $100 bucks. I am still on the lookout for an older metal cooler to attach permanently to the tonque and since the stator is not that great on bike, some L.E.D. lights.
It tracks good behind the bike and on the flats does not slow me down, but on the hills I have to down shift now.

My Motorcyle History

Looking back at all the bikes I have owned there appears to be a common theme.
They have all been Honda's of early 80's vintage. And after owning nothing but Honda's I am a firm believer in Honda technology. The early bikes had crude engineering but in the early 80's they improved their technology to the point that many of these bikes are still on the road and running strong.

1975 Honda CB500T
First bike which I paid about $700 dollars for and it did not run very well as it strained to achieve a high speed of 60 MPH.

1981 Honda CB400T
Second bike I owned more up-to-date technology and a snappy little runner, more reliable, that banana seat was a butt buster.

1981 Honda CX500 Custom
I took a bare bones bike and made a small tourer out of it, adding fairing, radio, trunk and floorboards.

1980 Honda GL1100 Goldwing
The best of the bunch, added over $2,000. worth of chrome and extras and even pulled a small cargo trailer behind.

1982 Honda CB 900 Custom
What I bought after thinking the Goldwing was too big just to ride around town on.

1981 Honda GL500 Silverwing
My current ride after being out of biking for 12 years.

Not a very impressive list of bikes to be sure but all except the first were good reliable transportation. I put the most miles on the CX500 taking it cross country a couple of times without any major problems.
When I decided to get back into motorcycling a few years ago I was dismayed to find that I could not replace any of the old bikes for the same price I had disposed of them. They all had appreciated in value.
I may not be on the latest marvel of technology but at least I am out there on the road enjoying everything about the lifestyle of motorcycling.

Can-Am Spyder-Roadster

The old joke goes that if Harley Davidson built a airplane, would you fly in it, well how about if Bombardier, who builds airplanes, built a bike would you ride it?

Bombardier under their Can-Am name is getting set to unleash their version of a street legal motorcycle which does not look like anything that is on the road at the moment.My first impression of the hybrid motorcycle/trike/ATV is that it looked like a snowmobile on wheels, a backward trike, or some kind of fancy garden tractor, but it is quite striking in appearance and upon closer examination it does contain some high tech engineering

Rotax 990 V-Twin Liquid-Cooled with Double Overhead Cams. Providing life under the hood is a Rotax 998cc, V-twin liquid cooled engine. It delivers a strong push and responsive acceleration throughout the power band, with 106 peak horsepower and a peak torque of 77 foot-pounds. Advanced features include double overhead cams and a state-of-the-art electronic fuel management system which provides precise throttle response, crisp acceleration, and reliable engine starting while complying with stringent environmental regulations Technology

The MSRP will start at $ US 14,999 in the United States and $CA 18,499 in Canada. European prices will be communicated at a later date.

Motorcycle Camping - Life Outdoors

Next to my love of motorcycling is my love of camping.
There is nothing like being out on the open road miles from home and living and sleeping out of a tent. Sometimes it is not easy as the weather will drench you to the bone or send deep shivers of cold as the temperatures dips even further as your road speed increases.
But once you get that fresh air feeling from being out in the elements all day, it is a natural extension to stay in the great outdoors.

One of the drawbacks of motorcycling camping is the amount of gear you have to lug around with you and packing the bike is an art all unto itself. I crossed the continent twice on this 1980 Honda CX500 loaded to the nuts and had everything I needed for a comfortable camping experience.

One of the first things you learn is that all of your gear has to be small but functional, you can't take the big old family tent, rather you must find an adequate pup tent. I made the mistake of buying a too small tent and took it along un-tried and found to my discomfort that my air mattress, sleeping bag, me and my clothes bag did not fit. The secret is not to find the smallest tent but the one that will fold up into a small bundle. A single air mattress fills the bill as it will keep you off the ground and if a rain storm develops through the night and floods your campground and your tent floor you will be high and dry and keep your sleeping bag from soaking up the rain water.

Everyone who bikes and camps does it differently, some eat all there meals in restaurants going to the campground late and just sleeping at their campsite. I like to stop early before all the campgrounds are filled, set up camp at a leisurely pace and cook my own evening meal. After a full day in the saddle this is a pleasure to do and as most bikers will tell you, you will get lots of interruptions as other campers in motorhomes, trailers and cages always like to come over and admire the bikes and chat you up about how envious they are of you for being adventurous enough to hit the open road on a motorcycle.

I also like to have a cup of coffee in the morning as I usually arise early and scan the campground for activity from the luxury campers. There is nothing like being the only one up and awake at that hour of the morning enjoying a cup of brew and a smoke with the sun shining brightly as the early morning haze lifts. Small cooking and eating utensils are easily available and a one burner stove is easy to pack along with a small coffee pot, pot and fry pan. I never feel the need to eat hute-cuisine on the road as time on the road is more important than adding on the calories.

The one thing that I really missed on my camping-biking trips is a chair to sit in when arriving at camp. The only two options available were sitting on the picnic table provided at the site, sitting on the ground, the bike or a stump if firewood is available. After a long hard day in the saddle a chair would be appreciated and I have solved that by finally finding a small camp chair that folds up neatly and is easy to pack on the bike. Sometimes when camping, fire wood is available and of course the fire at night provides all the light and heat one needs to recant the days ride. Getting the wood chopped is no small feat with a hatchet but neighbors are usually more than willing to help you out.

Once in awhile a well equipped campground like a KOA is a must stop to freshen up with a shower, do a little laundry and maybe even use the pool. Such was the case while traversing through Missouri and getting caught in a torrential thunderstorm where we were soaked to the skin in a matter of minutes as we did not get off the interstate in time. So we pulled into a KOA early in the afternoon spread all our gear out in the sun to dry and washed up our laundry.

The season that you ride will determine if you can camp or have to motel it. Late in the season when the days are warm but the nights are cold it makes more sense to motel it while travelling but during the heat of the spring and summer months camping is thoroughly enjoyable.

When you are on the bike and riding the roads through small towns and villages it is as if you have escaped the bounds of reality only choosing to drop in when you need to stop for gas or lodging and then with a twist of the throttle you are out of their reality and back into your own. Even camping is an alternate reality that is not compatible with the residents of the nearby town and by camping you remain on your route with the highway not far from your tent.

Hotels and motels always remain an option on a motorcycle camping trip if the weather turns but if you want the full experience there is nothing like living your whole motorcycle experience out in the bare elements

Goldwing Chrome

And so it begins.
One of the great things about having a Goldwing is the numerous add-ons that are available for that bike. When I acquired my Goldwing it had some extra chrome but by no means was it loaded. At first I was a little hesitant to order on-line but now after taking the plunge I find it to be a safe and fast way to find items for these older wings.

Trunk Rack- The wing needed a trunk rack to stow some extra cargo on those longer camping trips. this item was purchased from Sabre Cycle in Missouri, good service and prices for Wings of all ages. I also managed to find a left side snap-on-pocket for the fairing, the only place on the net that I know of that had this item.

Saddle Bag Liners- Needed some bag liners for extra ease of taking things off the bike as the hard bags are permanently fixed and these are cool. These and the other items below have been ordered from JC Whitney, they have a few Wing items but there selection is limited. I also have a set of chromed levers coming.

Saddlebag Rails- My saddle bags lids are starting to show some wear and tear mostly from sun damage and these little bits of bling will distract the eye from the wear spots and prevent further damage to the lids, besides you can't have too much chrome on a Goldwing.

Wind deflectors-These are handy when the weather gets hot and you want to direct a breeze towards your self.

Lights-How could you not add extra lights to the back of a wing, safety first and besides these will replace a couple crusty ones already on the bike. The temperature got up to zero yesterday and today so naturally my thoughts turned to biking and what I would need for the upcoming riding season. I have been buying these items on line and find that even with the difference in the dollar and the shipping cost it is easier and cheaper to buy out of the United States.I have also ordered items from BikeBandit.com and found them to be a good reliable source of stock motorcycle parts and accessories. Next up I need to order a trailer hitch, tank rack and a stock looking antenna