Meet Bruce

Susan's Christmas gift came early, and I didn't have a chance to wrap it.  Hopefully she will forgive me.  His name is Bruce, and he is a 2011 Dodge Avenger Heat, with 20,000 miles.  We'll see if 283hp is enough for her.

Corn beef Tuesday

What's better than smelling a house full of crockpot corn beef odors all day? Devouring it all.

Pale ale 4 recipe

Just about ready to bottle pale ale 34. I cold crashed it for a few days after transferring to secondary.

Big Stu

My new work truck, Big Stu. 2008 Dodge Dakota.

Just testing my new phone

New Kicks Are In!

Sweet new New Balances.

More Pale Ale

I love repitching yeast from a previous batch, as it takes off like gangbusters after only an hour. Simple pale ale with crystal 20, two row, and a liitle aromatic malt. Magnum for bittering, with cascade and citra for aroma/flavor. I'll dry hop with citra.

Suzuki K10P - Front Fender

I got the front fender fit on the K10 today.  What should have been a 30 minute job, turned into a couple hours, as I mistakenly fit a 2.75x17 front tire.  This bike actually takes a 2.5x17 up front.  The wider 2.75 just wasn't going to fit inside the fender without rubbing.  Luckily, I had fit 2.5x17 Michelin Gazelle tires all around on the Miyata, so I grabbed the rear tire off the Miyata, put it on the front wheel for the Suzuki, and put the 2.75 tire on the back of the Miyata, which will actually help to gear it up a tad.

So long story short, the front fender is on and the tire doesn't rub.  Just the faint whisper of the rather long tire nubbies brushing against the inside of the fender, but those will wear off quickly.

I love the look of this front fender, nice and snug over the tire

Booze and meat, yummy!

Nothing like some meat sticks and oktoberfest while watching a movie.

Suzuki K10P - Wheels and More Assembly

I received my packaged of new chrome wheel spokes and nipples from Thailand, so I got busy assembling both wheels.  A bit time consuming, but I had a pot of french press and some great tv on the History channel to keep me entertained.

New chrome spokes and nipples getting installed

I then mounted up new rim strips, tubes, and 2.75x17 Michelin Gazelle tires.  This is the second time I've used these Michelins, and I really like them.  They are way easier to mount up than the similar size IRC and Chang Shin tires I've used.  Not sure why, but the Michelins just spoon on real easy.

After that, I mounted the wheel assemblies on the bike, making it a roller for the first time.  That also let me mount the rear brake lever, rear hub stay, and chain cover (not pictured.)  Overall a very productive day.

The chain cover was installed right after I snapped the pics

Suzuki K10P - More Assembly

I spent a couple hours out in the garage this morning doing some more assembly work.  This is when it gets fun, as all the work cleaning and painting starts to come together into something resembling a bike.  In this case, I got the engine mounted, which let me mount up the exhaust, footpegs, rear brake lever and return spring, brake light switch, and several other small items.

This is the first time I've done this much assembly without having the wheels/tires mounted on the bike.  I actually like doing it this way better, as it is easier to get at stuff in and around the frame.

Just a set of wheels away from looking complete

Suzuki K10P - Intake Manifold and Carb Fitting

I've decided that the tiny little carb that was mounted on the bike wasn't stock.  Neither was the intake manifold, which consisted of a bunch of rubber grommets shoved between the carb and the head.  So I made up a little manifold that transitions from the round carb opening to the almost square opening on the head.  I also made the carb flange to mount to a 20mm Keihin carb I had brand new in the box.  I still need to clean up the manifold and make flanges, but I'm thinking this will work.

Carb and manifold mounted, just fits

My new shelf proving invaluable

Suzuki K10P - Assembly Starts

Nothing better than a rainy day at home, watching some movies and TV, and assembling a bike:

frame, tank, seat, swingarm, front forks, headlight, and wiring

Suzuki K10P - Top End Assembly

I did a bunch of top end assembly work this afternoon on the Suzuki engine.  New piston, piston pin, clips, rings, base gasket, cylinder head gasket etc.

New standard size piston with pin, clips and rings

Top end all together, with great compression just turning it over by hand

Suzuki K10P - Parts Arrive

Six packages arrived today, each with parts for the Suzuki.  Time to get busy.

Work Shelf

Anytime I clean the garage, I realize how little working surface area I have.  And two weeks after cleaning, any surface tends to get cluttered.  So Mr A had a great idea; to make a shelf that pulled out from my main work bench that I could use for little jobs, and immediately put away so it doesn't get cluttered.

As it happens, I had a couple scrap pieces of some C-channel shaped steel, and two 18"x18" pieces of 1" thick wood.  So about 15 minutes later, I had a nice little sturdy shelf that pulls out when I want to use it, and stores away when I don't want it.  I have enough material to make a second shelf should I need it.

Pull out work shelf, done

Suzuki K10P - Brakes and Polishing

Thanks to some help from Mr A during their visit this weekend, I managed to disassemble both wheels, and get everything cleaned up.  Mr A was in charge of the brakes, and essentially did a full brake job on them.  Pulled off the shoes and springs, took and cleaned up the pivot mechanism, and reassembled with fresh lube.  We even gave the shoes a quick scuff for better grabbing power.

Today I also got some polishing done on engine cases, triple clamp, handlebar clamp, and some other misc items.  I don't like to go crazy and do a mirror type polish, since these bikes never came that way new. Instead, I use a 3M scuff pad to clean them up, then some 00 stainless wool and a bit of hand cleaner to polish up aluminum.  Gives a nice smooth finish that cleans up easy.

Freshly cleaned brakes and hub assemblies.  The original wheel rims polished up nicely.

Engine side cases, triple clamps, and gas tank side covers all cleaned up

Suzuki K10P - Seat

In preparation of receiving my new seat cover, I tore apart the old seat to get it cleaned up and ready.  This seat is different compared to all the other little bikes I have.  Instead of a carved and sculpted chunk of foam glued to a seat pan, this sucker uses a series of horizontal expansion springs, and two large coil springs for cushioning.  The entire thing gets capped by a thin rubber pad, and a foam topper, about 1/2" to 1"thick.  Then the entire thing is wrapped in vinyl and held on with a  dozen fat clips.

The old seat, just a bit dusty and crusty with a few rips

Instead of a hunk of foam, this seat uses long springs and two coil springs

Seat frame, foam top pad, tore up cover

Suzuki K10P - Teardown

It only took about an hour to get the K10 torn down to the frame.  Unlike the Miyata or Bridgestone BS7 (my last projects) this little Suzuki was much more simple, with several different items sharing a common bolt/nut.  For example, the lower engine mount not only mounts the engine to the frame, but it secures the footpegs and side stand.  The swingarm bolt also acts as an exhaust mount.  My little nut/bolt box has about half the nuts and bolts in it compared to even a Honda Cub.

Pressed steel frame weighs in at a whopping 15.8 pounds 

Rear fender is actually bolted on to main frame

Suzuki K10P - Engine

I snatched the engine out of the K10, and threw it on my little bench mount.  Overall condition looks excellent, with just a bit of corrosion around the piston.  Cylinder head and combustion chamber were very clean, and the ignition side of the engine looked very tidy too.

A crazy little carb.  "Huay" brand, with a tiny little throttle barrel

Cylinder head came off easy, and piston/jug are free to wiggle a little

Clutch cable is on "driver" side, pushing the little rod just above gear shift shaft 

Suzuki K10P - Intro

While I'm enjoying my new found early retirement (for those that don't know, I was "laid off" a few weeks ago) I thought I would turn my attention to the last project bike in my stable, a Suzuki K10P.  I purchased this bike from a gentleman in San Jose many years ago, and my cousin Lori actually housed it for me for a full year before I got down to pick it up.

Here are some pics of the beast:

Just under 5,000 miles.  Looks like it has never been apart

Very original condition, with excellent chrome

Yep, it's a K10P.  I think it is a 1966 based on Suzuki research

80cc 2-stroke, with conventional port timing/intake.

Always good to get photos of details

As mentioned, excellent chrome, including the exhaust

I grabbed the front fender for Salty.  I may take it back.

Anchor Brewing Breckle's Brown

Rogue Pumpkin Patch

First drinks in Vegas!

El Guapo Rides

My first trip around the block with the handsome one.

The Collection

While I was cleaning/organizing the garage, I took a moment to snap a pic of all the current runners:

Clean Garage

During:

After

Garage disaster

In preparation of three days of stay at home vacation, while the Mrs. is down in SoCal visiting her Sister, I'm doing some garage work.  I've already managed to wrestle the non-running FV engine out of the car, and on the stand.  Next up is a total vacate of the premises, following by some sorting of boxes and boxes of parts.  Then some washing bikes, riding bikes, and a re-org of the general layout.

There will be some beer drinking too.

El Guapo - Oil Leak Found?

As it happens, I still had an oil leak on El Guapo, after changing a gasket on the top end of the engine.  For some reason, it was very obvious where the leak was coming from this time, as I could see the oil pumping out with each kick of the kickstarter.  Any guesses based on this photo?

Not quite made for this engine..  I have since sealed the part with gasgacinch

Sam Adams Seasonal Sample

Just thought i would give these a try. Edited with comments below:

Octoberfest:  Good solid meh.  Ok enough, just not a great version
Pumpkin Ale: Decent.  Pretty light on the pumpkin flavor, which is ok.
Hazel Brown: Probably the best of the bunch.  Nice nutty brown.
Dunkelweizen: This is actually very good.  Not my favorite style, but really good flavor.

I'll likely try the others tonight.

El Guapo - Almost Done

I've spent some time the past few days lettering and striping the fuel tank, with "El Guapo."  I also fit a new chain, and a larger diameter rear sprocket.  The original sprocket wasn't in a great shape, and I had this great aluminum 64 tooth sprocket.  That should help it run at a slow walking pace in first gear.

I still need to fiddle with the front forks, and of course get it running.  I had it running a couple evenings ago, but discovered an oil leak.  So I spent a couple hours taking the top end off and cutting a new base gasket out of thicker, much better gasket material.  The gaskets I got in a gasket kit were just too damn thin.  I don't know if that will cure the leak, as I'm letting the gasgacinch set up before putting oil back in it.  We'll see what happens tomorrow morning.

Outlining with black

The front is riding low, as I don't have any fluid in the forks yet

The exhaust sounds great, nice low rumble

64 tooth rear aluminum sprocket mounted up.

Hard to see, but I mounted up a simple chain tensioner under the chain