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bbolesaz

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Posts posted by bbolesaz

    August 5th, 2021; Valentino Rossi announces he his retiring at the end of this MotoGP season!

    in Special place for banter and conversation

    Posted

    Wow, someone else old enough to have been to AWHQ.  Marquez looked solid on Sunday until the rains came and messed up what was a really good race.  But I hate Marquez, so I really don't want to see him back in form.

    I'm really hoping that Texas doesn't manage to F'up Covid so bad that Dorna pulls the race or COTA bans fans.  I'll be making the run from Mesa, AZ to Austin if it's a go.  I'll finally be able to use my 2020 tickets I bought a year and a half ago.

    BTW, other Italian marques are welcome on Ducati Island, if you don't mind the "fees".

    • Sad 1

    Riding under the scorching heat in the USA; Cooling vests anybody? out of the box advice?

    in 24/7 V11

    Posted

    From a guy who moved from Houston to Phoenix . . .

    Evaporative cooling vest work OK, IF the humidity is low.  Pretty much rules them out in Houston. In Zonie land, a wet vest lasts an hour or less. So, you ride with 2.  One on your body and the other in a ziploc bag filled with water in the tank bag. (You are carrying water with you as you ride in Arizona).  Pull over about every hour and swap.  This is the only good solution on long trips.

    Another lesser known option is phase change gel cooling vests.  I get mine here -    https://glaciertek.com/

    These don't last as long in Zonie heat, maybe 1/2 an hour.  BUT, there's no water involved. You put the gel packs in the fridge or freezer before the ride. The gel magically maintains a constant temperature as you wear it.  I used these when commuting to work.  Plenty of cooling for a shorter trip and you don't have a wet shirt when you arrive at work.  Evap vests will water stain your clothes. 

    I have both kinds and use them based on the ride.  Or just run in the heat, staying hydrated.  I have been in Zonie land for 30 years now.

    • Like 1
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    Found a 1976? BMW R90/6 around the corner where I live... owner open to offers; opinions? yay/nay?

    in Special place for banter and conversation

    Posted

    Having restored several Airheads myself and also being a V11 owner, I can make the following comments.

    1. The bike pictured is a POS, most worrysome is the obvious rusting and Alu rust on the engine cases.  Odds that the internals are in good working shape are low.

    2. On the + side, BMW is VERY GOOD about parts availability for old bikes.  That is why I switched over to BMW from Honda.  When I needed to restore my Honda GL1200A, being more than 10 years old, Honda basically told me to pound sand for parts.  Ebay helps, but there is only so far it will go.  I have never ordered an old BMW part yet and been told NLA.

    3. The V11 will literally run circles around an Airhead, mostly because the Airhead spends so many more miles wobbling as is goes down the road.

    4. A well sorted Airhead is STONE reliable.  Absolutely unbreakable.  Easy to fix if you manage to break something.   My Airhead R100GS is simply an awesome bike for touring and exploring in Mexico, it will never let you down.

    If the motor turns and the gearbox shifts, maybe spend $250 on it.  Expect to spend 3-4K and many sweat hours to restore.  When done, it will be worth about the 3-4K you put into it.

    Recommendation, many Airhead owners are past their riding days or dead.  Look for a nicely maintained one being sold by a spouse who hasn't checked the KBB valuation.

    • Like 3
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    Yet another mystery oil leak

    in Technical Topics

    Posted

    17 hours ago, gstallons said:

    They will fail if you keep the bike PARKED 

    Or, if the breather return hose completely fails while on the freeway, the oil covers the back of the motor and drips onto the exhaust.  The resulting cloud of smoke alerted a police officer 2 miles away. He pulled me over, but let me continue to an Auto Zone nearby.  Fortunately, the oil will drip onto the side of the rear tire, but not on the tread center.

    • Like 1
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    Fork Seal Clip Removal... HOW?

    in How to...

    Posted

    To get a wire ring out, use a flat blade screwdriver to push the end DOWN out of the groove 1st.  Pushing down is much easier than trying to pry up.  Once down, slip a flat feeler gauge under the tip of the wire, then slide the end up using a hook or flat blade.  Be ready when it pops out.

     

    • Like 2
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