CLAC (Can't Leave it Alone Club)

[Gordon Dewald]

Originally Posted by Harley1994

Gordon, Yamaha, messed up on a couple of things with those V Stars, one being the oil filter location, did you buy the relocating kit? And there is not enough gearing it needs one more gear to be comfortable, other than that they are reliable & comfortable.

Yes bought the kit. I only ride the bike to warm it up for oil changes so have not really become comfortable on it. Feels like I do not fit it well. Lots of go though.

Janet was going to sell it when she triked the Wing but I convinced her that she would be back on two wheels again so cost almost nothing to keep it. I change the fuel and stabilizer every year and it has a fresh fill of oil when we put it away. It sits in an enclosed trailer in the shed so is out of any detrimental conditions. Depending upon the hip results it may take its place in the stacker next fall.

If I were to buy a trike I would seriously consider a Spyder. Demoed the 1000 a couple years ago and was most impressed with the ride and accessories. Now that they have the 1300 it would be a great performer.

[Mr_D]

Originally Posted by Gordon Dewald

If I were to buy a trike I would seriously consider a Spyder. Demoed the 1000 a couple years ago and was most impressed with the ride and accessories. Now that they have the 1300 it would be a great performer.

I like they Spyders but Consumer Reports (this months issue) say they are the most troublesome "motorcycle" out there with 46% (going from memory) needing warranty repairs.

I followed one one day, I'm betting he had just gotten it as he was riding it like a two wheeler, front tire over the center line, leaning in to the corners etc.

[ronspradley]

My motto is "If it ain't broke, fix it till it is". That ought to qualify me in the tinkerer club. As a kid I always wrenched on my stuff because I could not afford to have someone else fix it. With all the computer stuff nowadays I am pretty lost when something does not work. But I can take things apart with the best of them. It is the putting things back together that gets me in trouble. I now mostly work with wood. Half of a two car garage, everything on wheels. Working on my old MH now, getting it ready to paint. The worst part so far is getting the darn decal/stripe off. Got one of the eraser wheels on order and will see if that helps. My skillset is not in the same league as some of you guys, but I am still out there tinkering.

ronspradley

.

[Old Car Nut]

Welcome Ron. You'll fit in.

[Mr_D]

Originally Posted by ronspradley

My motto is "If it ain't broke, fix it till it is". That ought to qualify me in the tinkerer club. As a kid I always wrenched on my stuff because I could not afford to have someone else fix it. With all the computer stuff nowadays I am pretty lost when something does not work. But I can take things apart with the best of them. It is the putting things back together that gets me in trouble. I now mostly work with wood. Half of a two car garage, everything on wheels. Working on my old MH now, getting it ready to paint. The worst part so far is getting the darn decal/stripe off. Got one of the eraser wheels on order and will see if that helps. My skillset is not in the same league as some of you guys, but I am still out there tinkering.

ronspradley

.

Yep, that qualifies you! Years ago (when I was about 7) I took my mothers perfume atomizer apart, I think I was able to put it back together when I was about 10 or so.

[Gordon Dewald]

Welcome Ron and Mr D.

Jay started a thread that will make us all think and do things we never thought we had the skills for.

[Curtis in TX]

Oh man could I bore you guys with Motorcycle builds!

But I'll save most of them for later.

Since we are talking CLAC I thought I'd post up a shot of my Motorcoach back when I did the conversion.

Here I am right after I pulled the EFI460 Ford motor.

The 2nd photo is the old engine as seen from the drivers seat.

And 3rdly Out with the old, in with the New!

Oh and this was all done by myself (alone) outside, in the Summer, before I built my Shop.

[Old Car Nut]

Gordon I've always believed that to know ones limits one must push the envelope. Over the years I've learned that what I don't yet know how to do I can learn. Always had a knack for being able to figure out a way to make something work. The older I get, the better I am even if some of my body parts disagree. Still, no challenge is too large. Been wrenchin, sawin, poundin on one thing or another since I was 8 years old.

I have also found that I have (as many tinkerers do) the ability to see things in an exploded view in my mind. First I see the finished product, then peel out each layer one at a time to see all the pieces make it all come together. I can look at a device or machine, watch it function and get a pretty good idea of what is going on inside before I even take it apart. But be careful, there is always some darn little part you didn't think of that will go flying never to be seen again.

[Franka548]

Grew up on a farm, and dad was a mechanic, so we fixed everything, no taking anything to the shop. Lived in a 100 year old farm house and we jacked the house up to put new walls in, it had the old clay tile blocks and it was only about 5' tall, we used an elevator(like you used to put hay into the loft) to take the block out of the basement so we didn't have to throw it up. Then worked in the maintenance shop in a strip steel mill were you didn't always have new parts to keep the machinery running. What I am trying to say, is I learned from some of the best old timers around about how to tear things apart and fix things without any prints or manuals, just seat of the pants.
Frank

[TQ60]

Originally Posted by Curtis in TX

Manuals are for back up when you can't get it right by guessing at it.

Especially when your buddy doesn't have a clue how to fix it either.

It is against the rules to read the manual...

[rvpopeye]

Cool pics Curtis !
I'd love to replace the 350 in my class C (6mpg) with a diesel like that,,not much extra room in the doghouse though. (It took me 8 hrs just to change the plugs and wires!! ) Note to self, no more vans.

I learned all my wrenching from an old friend who was a fleet bus mechanic , then in the motorpool at the Navy airbase. He had two sons but neither cared about fixing anything so he dumped his experience on me !
(THX Mr D !)
I think the most important lesson was to not be afraid to DIG IN ! The job will sort itself out in the end.

[Falcon190]

I could tear a TV apart and fix it when I was ten (back when TV's had a big knob to change channels). New TV's are so cheap ya just throw them away and get a new one.

I owned an antique restoration business years ago and that's a hobby now.

I have a Class B that needed "a little fix'n". I ended up gutting the interior for a fairly total rebuild.

Now I also have a Class A. Ya know those fabric valances that look like a 1950s granny designed them? Tore it all out. New wooden valances and new curtains. And it didn't really need fix'n but I did it anyway. And there's a lot more that doesn't need fix'n that I'm gonna be fix'n.

If I'd wait for something to need fix'n I wouldn't have anything to fix. Does that qualify me as a Can't Leave it Alone kinda guy?

[Gordon Dewald]

Originally Posted by TQ60

It is against the rules to read the manual...

Need a talking book manual with the movie.

[Bubba1]

Uh Oh, there's rules? Now you tell me.









Mike H