Sargent Carter Paints His Bike

Ol’ Sgt. Carter learned how to paint last week. Other than a rattle can, he had not laid a single coat of paint with a paint gun. Little did he know, this was all about to change. His side covers came off without a hitch, no problems from primer to finish clears. The fuel tank was another matter altogether. Other than fixing the few dents, there was a substance on the left front of the tank that kept wrinkling the paint. I took it down to the metal and carefully cleaned and repainted the area three times and whatever it was kept bleeding through. It covered an area about the size of a quarter and did not seem to want to go away. I suspected a small pin hole in the tank, but we pressure tested it and it held air overnight. So the Sgt. decided to media blast it back to bare metal and start all over again.

Well in the time we got it stripped and primed, I went and had myself a myocardial infarction. Clearly he would not be getting any painting out of me for a while. Luckily for me, it was a mild one and my hospital stay was just three days. Last week the weather was cooperating and I was moving around pretty good so we decided to get the tank finished. I really was not keen to be in such a chemically rich environment so soon after my episode, so I asked the old Sgt. how he felt about trying his hand at painting. He really wanted to get his bike back on the road so he agreed with my proposal.

As students go, the Sgt. is a quick study, he took to painting like a Labrador Retriever to a duck pond. As teachers go, I am less than an ideal one. But I guess I must have made the right noises and pointed at the right things because the paint job turned out like he had been painting for years. The Sgt. added another skill to his well stocked inventory and I got the satisfaction of watching a new painter blossom right before my eyes. His bike is back together and he is out riding it as I write this. By the By, his ride is a 1982 XS650 Heritage Special.

Till Next Time................

That Should Be Good For at Least an Extra 20 MPH

While waiting for a snot rag of an XS to appear, I decided to throw a new set of bars and bar end mirrors on the '77. From what I hear, they add about twenty miles per hour to the top end. I'll leave you with the before and after.

While it may not go any faster, I kinda think she looks a bit more sporty.

Till Next Time..................

Oil on my driveway what to do

Those stubborn oil stains, you try scrubbing, rubbing and they are still there on your driveway or garage floor. Just a little reminder that you weren't as careful as you could have been when changing your oil. A little Dawn dish washing soap will change all that.

Just put a bit of dawn on the offending spot, let it sit for a few minutes and scrub with a stiff brush or your trusty old garage broom. Don't add water just yet, this will be the last step. After letting the dawn do it's thing for a few more minutes, it's time to get the garden hose involved. Turn the hose on it and watch the stain disappear. You may have to do this procedure twice for those really stubborn stains, but I have yet to find a product that removes oil stains like dawn.

It also does a great job of getting oil and grease off your hands after you are finished working on your bike. Just put some strait Dawn on your hands and work it in. Like the driveway procedure, you want to wait until last to get any water involved. After you done scrubbing simply rinse your hands and your ready to go.

Till Next Time................

The Old Isotoners

I’m not what you would call an all the gear all the time rider. But I am a some of the gear most of the time sort. I have a pair of Tour Rider brand gloves that I bought in 1989. I wear these gloves most every time I ride. They are also almost indestructible, but they are getting a little long in the tooth. They are twenty one years old after all, so I picked up a pair of new gloves recently. River Road Swindlers to be exact. I like my gloves on the lite side, I’m not big on the gauntlet style. So Curly is always calling my gloves Isotoners. I don't mind as long as I am comfortable and these gloves fit that bill. These Swindlers are perforated to keep you hands comfortable on those hot summer rides. The palms have a good amount of padding to lessen fatigue on those long rides. Like any new leather glove, they will need a good break in period before they will be able to replace the old Isotoners. Will they last twenty one years, only time and my riding skills will tell that tale. They are put together well, so I expect to be using them for years to come at any rate. I picked them up at Rider's Discount for less then twenty five bucks, so they are easy on the old wallet as well.


Till Next Time........................