Pine Sol Carb Cleaning!

Take a look at these photos, then read the thread here (thread from ADVrider.com) .


Start with some regular old carbs:

Then put them in a bucket with some Pine Sol and hot water:

Let them soak for a day or so and take them out:

Not too bad, huh?

Some random thoughts...

On my drive home (can't ride yet, fixing it Saturday!) I start thinking. That's not good....

So:

1. Why is it a law to wear a seat belt in a car and not a law to wear a helmet?

2. Why is it necessary to buy a 400 pound bike for $8000 that comes stock with 120 hp, and save 10 pounds and gain 4 hp by spending $800 on a new exhaust?

3. If loud pipes do save lives, why doesn't every bike come with really loud pipes?

Well, seems my oil pan is stripped....

which is a common problem on lots of motorcycles. Who knew that a steel bolt in an aluminum pan is not a good idea? Anyway, checking with various forums and experts, there are a million fixes. Buying a new pan, buying a used pan, helicoil, timesert, jb weld, rubber plug with wing nut, self tapping drain plug, self tapping drain plug with piggy back drain, etc etc etc.

What's really confusing is every answer to the question is also soundly rejected as a viable fix on the various web sites I found discussing a stripped oil pan.

So I decided to go to a local shop that I have heard nothing but good things about. I went in and explained my problem and was instantly given the answer of a stripped pan. The guy then told me the best fix was to replace the pan and he had a used one. I had already checked Ebay and knew that pans could be bought for around $30 shipped to my door. I had also checked my Haynes manual and knew that you'd have to remove the exhaust to get to the pan and a replacement pan gasket would be $15 or so. You have to remove 8 bolts to take off the exhaust so it can't take too long, especially for someone used to working on bikes so I was thinking maybe $200 total.

$400.

Wow.

I then asked how much he would sell just the pan for, I was told $200. Then he added that they had to remove the exhaust to get to the pan and that's why the total was so high.

Wow.

Needless to say, I won't be going to that local shop. I can understand paying more at a local shop and am quite willing to but 8 times more? Nah that's ok.

So, I had wanted to learn how to do my own maintenance on the Bandit. Seeing as how I haven't won the lottery, looks like now is a good time to start.

I now have Wednesdays off along with weekends and work 10 hour days. So far, it is great. Today my plan was to find the self tapping plug and get it on the bike.  It didn't quite work that way but I did get all the stuff I'll need except the self tapping plug. The NAPA I went to didn't have it but was going to bring it from the store on the other side of town. I'll have to pick it up tomorrow.

So, looks like this weekend, I'll be working on the bike. And saving $395.

Today's Tom Sawyer....

Ok, I'm not a huge Rush fan but I do like a lot of their songs and 'Tom Sawyer' was played nonstop by my (older and way cool) brothers back then and of course, you still hear it today.

I had read somewhere that Neal Peart, Rush drummer (and one of the best in the world, according to the best in the world experts...) also rode motorcycles and had written some motorcycle touring books. Having enjoyed 'The Long Way Round', I asked for the book for Christmas. And my family got it for me.

So, right before Christmas, I started a new job. It's great and has really made a huge difference in our home. And there is a nice break room so it made it a low easier to take my lunch and a book to work and have an hour to read. 'Ghost Rider' became that book the first day back at work after Christmas.

It's a good book but not as motorcycle focused as I had hoped. But, Peart has done a pretty neat job of describing the locations he visited, both physical and mental. Very good book. What's really strange is that as I read it, I realized my Mom, of all people, would get more out the book than I did. She's had a tough time the last few years, losing her brother and sister only a couple of years apart.

Weird that I'd want her to read a book about some rock star on a bike, huh? Anyway, take a look at the book, if you're into 'bike books'.

The problem is lately I've had the song 'Tom Sawyer' in my head for about the past month. Not the whole song, just the part where Alex Lifeson has his guitar solo, then Peart absolutely destroys his drum kit.... You know the part, right?

Anyway, I guess I could have a worse song running through my head but after five weeks of that song, I need a new song!