sparky
Active Member
So... I wake up, check the new posts here at MBc, and then I decide to ride!! I'm riding all around town with nowhere in particular to go... nothing but friendly smiles & thumbs up, and one lil' girl asked me where I got my bike from.
I remembered this beautiful nature trail I haven't been to since Hurricane Katrina, so I changed direction. The sad part is that as soon as I go over this small wooden bridge (one of the many entrances to the trail), my bike starts making this metal on metal noise. I got off to inspect & found that the chain was rubbing against this metal plate that really has no purpose. So, I cut the engine & started pedaling like I should have been doing in the first place, since it's a nature trail.
Once I get home, I start doing a few lil' tune-ups... throttle adjustment, lubing the chains, cleaning & lubing my dirty front shocks, removing that troublesome metal plate, and one or two other things. My friend hops on, starts riding, then comes back and tells me the engine's chain came loose. I looked at the motor & noticed it was tilted at an odd angle -- two of the four bolts were missing!!
So, I tighten what I can and ride to the local nut & bolt specialty store. Half way there, my freshly oiled chain falls off into the nastiest pile of dirt. I had to stop, but at least it was the only time my chain fell off on the ride there. Once I get there, this young guy tells me to take my bike around back. He got two bolts, tried to put 'em in, & then realized the engine's threads are stripped, so he starts telling me i need to tap it, use a helicoil, something. Finally, he says "Lemme try one more"... and it worked! The threads were just didn't start until deep inside the block. Whew! Another guy comes up, shocked that he never got to have a motored bike when he was younger, & we started talking about the basics - price, speed, mpg, etc. I ask him how much he wants for about 6 tiny bolts, & the guy says, "Don't worry about it!" I have gone their several times before for bolts for my car, & they never gave me that response before. Motored bikes are cooler than cars... that's just all there is to it.
Anyway, I start riding back & then decide to get some loctite & permatex 1a gasket sealer from the auto parts store. I start riding again, & as soon as I'm less than a 1/4 mile from my house, I hear this super loud high-pitched noise from underneath me. I thought the guys passing me in a pickup threw a firecracker at me, but I had to check my tube to be sure. Sure enough, I got the tiniest piece of metal in my tire, popping the tube like I've never heard a tube pop before. Luckily my rim wasn't scratched at all, so I had a fairly pleasant walk home.
I already bought some thorn-resistant tubes, so I'm about to go put those on right now and then get back to riding!!
What a day... it's helping me get this baby in tip top shape, but I could have gone without the flat tire 'til my new tires & tire liners get here next week.
I remembered this beautiful nature trail I haven't been to since Hurricane Katrina, so I changed direction. The sad part is that as soon as I go over this small wooden bridge (one of the many entrances to the trail), my bike starts making this metal on metal noise. I got off to inspect & found that the chain was rubbing against this metal plate that really has no purpose. So, I cut the engine & started pedaling like I should have been doing in the first place, since it's a nature trail.
Once I get home, I start doing a few lil' tune-ups... throttle adjustment, lubing the chains, cleaning & lubing my dirty front shocks, removing that troublesome metal plate, and one or two other things. My friend hops on, starts riding, then comes back and tells me the engine's chain came loose. I looked at the motor & noticed it was tilted at an odd angle -- two of the four bolts were missing!!
So, I tighten what I can and ride to the local nut & bolt specialty store. Half way there, my freshly oiled chain falls off into the nastiest pile of dirt. I had to stop, but at least it was the only time my chain fell off on the ride there. Once I get there, this young guy tells me to take my bike around back. He got two bolts, tried to put 'em in, & then realized the engine's threads are stripped, so he starts telling me i need to tap it, use a helicoil, something. Finally, he says "Lemme try one more"... and it worked! The threads were just didn't start until deep inside the block. Whew! Another guy comes up, shocked that he never got to have a motored bike when he was younger, & we started talking about the basics - price, speed, mpg, etc. I ask him how much he wants for about 6 tiny bolts, & the guy says, "Don't worry about it!" I have gone their several times before for bolts for my car, & they never gave me that response before. Motored bikes are cooler than cars... that's just all there is to it.
Anyway, I start riding back & then decide to get some loctite & permatex 1a gasket sealer from the auto parts store. I start riding again, & as soon as I'm less than a 1/4 mile from my house, I hear this super loud high-pitched noise from underneath me. I thought the guys passing me in a pickup threw a firecracker at me, but I had to check my tube to be sure. Sure enough, I got the tiniest piece of metal in my tire, popping the tube like I've never heard a tube pop before. Luckily my rim wasn't scratched at all, so I had a fairly pleasant walk home.
I already bought some thorn-resistant tubes, so I'm about to go put those on right now and then get back to riding!!
What a day... it's helping me get this baby in tip top shape, but I could have gone without the flat tire 'til my new tires & tire liners get here next week.