The last ride of the season

Yes, the 2012 season is coming to a close for me and my beloved Dash.  I figure for this season ending ride it would be wise to test out   CA-1 to Monterey.  Then when I get set for the ride of 2013 (which by my calculations will be roughly 3,000 miles (round trip) up the coast to British Columbia>Dash wants to ride a ferry> now that’s a tour!)

The Monterey ride will be a simple jog of about 500 miles round trip.  Now I’m off to fix Dash (I am still working on the dwell but I ran the battery down so will have to finish up this weekend) give him a quick ride about the town and then we will be off.

Stay tuned I plan on leaving for the Veterans Day weekend 11/10/12…

Dash made American Motorcyclist…well

almost.  Not a picture of my handsome fellow but a nod to his majestic status in an interview (November 2012 publication).  Here is what was said:

Check out the circled area

Yes, that 1970’s-era CB550 is my very own bike…

Here I am in the crowd

I’m the tiny little head below the arrow

SLO rally

Well poor sweet Dash hobbled his way to the SLO rally on the twisties.  Guess my timing was way off and Dash only ran well in the lower gears of 2nd (and I mean lower) and the higher RPM’s of 5th.  Everything in between was mush!  So the freeway to and from went without a hitch, once we turned onto Hwy 166 not so bad there either, but don’t even get me started about 33.  That was pure torture.  I had to coast through the curves and Rick and Laura were so far ahead it was crazy (though they were so patient they waited until I caught up to zoom ahead after I came up beside them). And on it went until I landed back home.  Here are some pictures of the epic lope toward the finish line ( I have since made amends to Dash and now the timing truly IS accurate):

The route to and from the rally

 

Laura and I at the rally

 

Rick posing next to his beloved bike

 

 

 

 

 

 

Laura takes 3rd in both the piston throw AND the tire roll…what an athlete

 

Lisa takes FIRST PLACE in the 9 and under class…now that’s tire rolling at its finest!

As good as it gets

What a day.  Trying to get a screw out of the points plate so that I could set my timing for 2-3 (1-4 was perfect) I ended up getting the screw out but the plate got bent (don’t ask and NEVER use an impact driver on a points plate…they look sturdy but not so much).  So I took the points and condensers off of the new-now hopelessly bent plate- and put the new points and condensers onto the old back plate.  Got it gaped and static timed to perfection. Fire it up.  It runs but will not idle.  Mess around some more.  Still no idle.  Take of the plate and check the advancer.  re-gap, static time, fire it up no idle.  Send a help message out to the SOHC forum.  Get answers back within moments (love that forum).  Decide it just doesn’t want to idle.  Mess with idle screw.  Now Dash won’t start.  Find a nice guy named Ed who comes over (he works on bikes and cars) and he messes with my throttle cable adjustment.  Dash won’t start.  I mess with the idle screw.  Together we get the bike idling (member on the forum says that this may be the problem due to the new timing–he was correct).  I don’t know the RPM’s but it seems nice and low.  Riding home Dash pulled great through the gears.  Tomorrow I will double check the timing, take Dash for a ride around town and hope that all is well for this weekend.

Time to buy a dwell meter with RPM measurements on it.  Two benefits: setting dwell is more accurate for point gap and knowing the RPM’s is always a benefit.  Now I am one of very few 50 year old women who can switch point plates and set gap and timing all as the sun sets with tools found on my bike.  So if anyone ever needs their points adjusted I’m your gal.

The gremlins won…

but let it be known only because the part did not arrive in time.  It seems the issue is with the ignition switch.  After repairing the female spades and testing that out the male spades were still a wreck so time to order the ignition switch and then check through the rest of the bike.  Unfortunately this means that I am too squeamish to ride it 1000+ miles hoping that the repair is correct.

Instead I will be installing the new switch on Friday and preparing for my trip to SLO on 10/13/12 for the 3rd annual bike rally.  Taking this ride with Rickina and Laura (two friends I met on the Carson City ride) so will be documenting that ride and will just have to plan a longer ride for November.