De-gloom the board

[zore]

After seeing the heart breaking posts of knocking, no starting, no turning over etc etc, I decided I should go out today and try to fire up my fleet of iron horses.? ?When I got to the vision, I expected the worst.? Dead battery, no starting, something.? I'm happy to report it started right up.

[Tiger]

 :) Oh ye of little faith  ;D Always expect the unexpected  8)

[h2olawyer]

Hey - great minds must think along the same lines.  Decided to go out to the garage this afternoon and see how mine was surviving.  Turned to Prime, waited about 15 seconds, unplugged the battery tender, set choke to full, turned the key & she fired up within 5 seconds.  Waited until she hit operating temp & shut her down.  Sounded good & idled great.  May have to go for a ride tomorrow!

H2O

[kiawrench]

i agree,, we need to de-gloom,, but then , such is the lot of a vision rider,,, all we have to look forward to with our bikes is the next repair ,and the great rides we know they have in them .
  just to illustrate this point, i had to fix my front brakes, just time for a new set of pads, then i couldn't get them to seat right,, and to finish the day, i took  long ride around the tourist hotspots, just to end up gettinfg a bike wash and polish for free at a pre season bikini car wash. nothing says spring is coming like a dozen bikini clad college girls washing cars and bikes. i was happy to see my bike clean and shiny, so i did leave $20.00 tip, for use as they saw fit.   glad temps were over 60,, hate to see the college trying to raise money when they cant get people to stop .
   i say we cancel winter weather and just add a longer spring and summer

[Mutt]

I may have to come down there and get my bike washed? :P. Six hour round trip might be worth it huh? ;) ? I mean anything to help out a college  ::).

Mutt

[Superfly]

:) Oh ye of little faith? ;D Always expect the unexpected? 8)

I second that!

When I was going thru my divorce, the ex got the car, and I had my Vision.? I was commuting 70 miles each way, each day to work....? and my only means of transportation was the Vision.... man was I scared.? I knew for sure the bike would not be able to handle it.? I would ride to work and back, get home around 7, take the fairing off while the bike was cooling down, and fix any little problem that would rise up that day.? After a while, the repairs started getting further and further apart, untill I went 1 whole month without fixing the Vision, and she was running great.? Long story short, the Vision made it, and I was abe to save some $$$ and move back into the city.? Was I suprised that a 23 year old motorcycle could do over 900 miles a week for over 7 months?  Hell yeah, I was suprised.  I would not believe it if I did not do it myself...

[ShaneSpring]

Got to the carpark at work at 3am this morning to find her covered in dew..... fired right up first crank and got me home :D

[wolf]

...the snow...the snow isMELTING ! YES! Even up here, the forecast is GOOOOD! Friday, up to 16C--that's 61F to those of gentler climes.Time to put in the new plugs and fire the Revision up!Lord be praised, it's the start of a new riding season!...where now is gloom, brothers and sisters? ;D ;D ;D

[MotorPlow]

I pronounce Saturday, March 11th the Official Visionary De-Gloom Day. Even if you don't go for a Ride on the 11th, get to those dark corners of the garage or lift the cover of the tarp in the parking lot and fire that beautiful Vision up. Get those spark plugs sparking and listen to that sound. By Sunday, the 12th, there will be a lot of joy in peoples hearts.....

[Lucky]

ain't happening, there's still snow on the ground so mines staying mothballed 'tillprobably the end of April or so.. sorry...

[Kenny]

    Come-on Lucky I'm sure if you cast a glance in  the direction of the  "V" your lips will curl up at the sides just a pinch!! This seasons next ride will do it for me!
  I had a full Blown  ;D on last night even though my Yellow bikes not sounding as healthy as it should.
                    Smile... Ken S   

[Glyn]

Man am I de gloomed now my Vision stalling (it wasn't locking up) is sorted. I just can't think of another bike I'd like to own. In a moment of weakness (and desperation)
however I've bought a 50cc moped to commute on. Not any old Honda of course a "Hero Gizmo", go a search, and be shocked. I'm glad I got that out of my system!

[XZv2]

No gloom here! There is still snow in Holland this week, but, oh boy, in my workshop a happy marriage seems to happen: I am adapting a beautiful Marzocchi shock absorber with a separate demper chamber (spent the first part of its life in a Ducati Paso) to my XZ with sidecar. It is a joy to see how this gold-coloured part shines behind the XZ airbox.
The opposite of gloom here. As soon as this is ready and all the adjustments have been tried on ice-free roads, I'll inform you all, with pictures.
Big smiles here up to now!
XZv2

[hfarley]

I second the March 11th De-gloom day! I just heard that it will be up to almost 60 degrees by this weekend and I am going out. (Vision willingly of course. LOL!) I did go out about two weeks ago but that was only after trying to start her up on a reaaly nice day with no luck. I waited a few days and tried again and this time with a little coaxing she started. If I didn't know any better I would say that "she" was pissed for not being taken out more in the wintertime and was being a b@#ch. LOL! I swear these bikes have a mind of their own.
-Heather

[h2olawyer]

Supposed to be cold & wet around here on the 11th.  Glad I got my ride in yesterday!.  Today, everything that isn't firmly anchored down is likely to end up in Nebraska - it's WINDY!

Hope y'all can get out and have as much fun as I had yesterday!

H2O

[wolf]

OK, at 7c/45f it was cold... and at 25 miles it was short...but after 5 months of stator stricken dry-dock---it was a GREATTT ride!...the Revision is purrrring again, happy with its new electrosport heart---riding season 2006 begins... ;D...wolf.

[MotorPlow]

I de-Gloomed a day early. I couldn't wait. 105 Miles and wanting to do more...

[Lucky]

I? limped home in the van with a locked up caliper.. guess what i'm doing Saturday? >:(

if i have time to de-mummify the bike, charge the battery, degunk the tank & carb & seal my fork balance tube i might get a ride in...

[zore]

I've been riding ot work the last few days but am giong to take the XZ550RR Special Edition out today. 

[Lucky]

Ok, I de-gloomed!
I had to get the van done, that's business, & it comes first. i pulled the locked up caliper & swapped it out, & guess what? no bleed, not even a drip.. back to Car Parts to replace the collapsed brake hose. i bought both sides. rule of thumb is if one side is bad, the other isn't far behind.  well As i expected the line nut on the steel part of the hose was frosen to the line, so i carefully unteisted the rubber hose & swapped it out, bled the caliper 7 went to the other side. 

I wasn't so lucky with that side, the nut wouldn't even seperate from the hose end, & i didn't feel like doing steel line surgery today, so i left that hose alone & just replaced the calipers.  i'll probably end up having to replace that hose at some point, but not today.

that done, i cleaned up thopse tools, un mummified the bike, rolled it out front, added a couple of gallons of gas & a bottle of seafoam & hit the key. nada. battery was stone cold dead.  jumped it to the van & had it cranking well, but i could tell it wasn't getting gas.  pulled the filter  clogged up..

replaced it & it fired up.  it was reluctant for a while but eventually ran well.  i let it run for about 45min & it died.  again no gas,  petcock must be clogged up. (i have to POR this tank) i could also hear the gas cap hissing, so there is another project on the list.

I wouldn't think of taking it out today in the shape it's in, & i know more bad weather is on the way, but it was nice to hear it run anyway..

--Lucky