Day 7 – Stratton, VT to Copake, NY

Holy hell it was a cold night. I was not prepared for the cold that came in during the early hours of the morning. It was 40 or below. I had to put everything on that I had. Brain got creative for warmth. See pic. Once the sun came up, the warmth came back to us. We were able to decently warm up and dry out before heading out of the mountains. The closest town was Readsboro. They had a general store for supplies and a really cute restaurant called Emma’s Cafe (I think?) slinging a very tasty breakfast. This was the first time some of the guys have been in a restaurant since COVID. It was kinda surreal to be eating inside. The skies were blue and we all had the gut feeling that we would not see rain for the rest of the trip. It did not take long to come into Western Massachusetts but before we crossed the border, Vermont gave us one short technical section just to say goodbye. Vermont was too good. Looking forward to a return trip someday. At first, Mass was all winding paved roads. We assumed that this was going to be the case for the entire state. Boy, were we wrong. Mass did not disappoint at all. We got to some 2 track that was loose but you could ride it pretty fast. Not too scary to rip it hard. We ended up in the woods on rocky downhill stuff and passed another dirt biker coming up. Good to see these trails are used. We took a break at the Farnham Reservoir. This was followed by some more downhill. At the bottom, we got great loose gravel that wound all-around some bodies of water. It was loose so you could break away your rear without losing control. Plus there were some natural jumps to hit. We rode it fast. Again probably faster than we should have but fuck it was fun. We came into the town of Lee for a break. Jake had cracked his clutch cover in that last rocky section and did a roadside JB Weld repair. I honestly forget when we noticed, but an honorable mention goes to Brian’s license plate which he lost at some point. We assumed it was after his crash. It was pretty warm so I scoped out another set of falls along the track that we could hit. It was more great gravel and dirt roads all the way to Umpachene Falls. These falls were very scenic but the pools were not that deep. However, they were deep enough for Will to grab a bath. Not too much time was spent at these falls and we quickly crossed into Connecticut. It was a good mix of dirt and paved here in CT.

We stopped in the town of Cannan, CT for dinner and had drinks at the New Falls Brewing Company. Life was good. We left to find a camping spot. Unfortunately, the place Will had in mind didn’t have any safe areas to camp and the spots that looked good were all marked private property. We rode up and down the road searching with zero luck. The decision was made to cross into Mass or NY state to see what we can find. As we were riding out of the road and out of CT, two pickups came towards us. The one in the rear tried to cut Will off but we rode around them. As I got by the old codger in the lead truck screamed “STAY OFF OUR TRAILS!” at me. In a bit of shock, we rode on back into Mass. Same results here. Nothing but private property. Guess what New York state gave us? Yup. More private property and boy do they love to make sure you know it. Signs galore. Gone are the wide-open swaths of forestry land that Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont had for us. We rode to the Taconic State Park but they refused walk-ins. Thanks, COVID. We tried some of the other campgrounds but they were not answering their phones. It was too late in the day. We had no choice but to try a motel. The first one we rode too would not let us share a room or throw up tents in their grass. I tried but the manager claims they can’t have tents on their property due to insurance. Sure. She did point us to another motel called JoHanna’s that would allow us to stay in one room. The sun was setting fast and we needed to find something ASAP so we went to JoHannas. The proprietor was a sweet old lady who got us all hooked up. At first, she did suggest a pull-off or, what NY calls a ‘parking area’ up the road. The google street view of it seemed like it was a bit sketch. We would be too exposed and don’t want any late-night visit from any locals looking to stir shit. We settled into the room and got hot showers. Jake ran and got us a six-pack. I sure wish we were camping but I wasn’t mad at the situation, either. Well, maybe the smell in the room could have been better.

Day 8 – Copake, NY to Shandaken, NY

We got up and got on it earlier than usual cause we had nothing to pack. We had a huge breakfast at the Copake Diner then took off into the Hudson Valley. The roads here were good but they were no Vermont. Ha! We crossed the Hudson River via the Rip Van Winkle Bridge into Catskill, NY. I really enjoyed the vibe on main street Catskill. It reminded me a lot of Colorado towns (Durango comes to mind) with the mountains off in the distance. The Catskills came upon us quicker than I expected. We climbed alongside the Katerskill Creek. I knew that the Katerskill falls were very close and I want to check them out but it will have to wait for another trip. We reached the apex and were officially in Catskill park. The first portion of the ride was the main road that runs through Tannersville and Hunter Mountain. We stopped in Hunter and expressed hope for some more exciting riding. Thankfully, not far out of town we turned north and finally got what we hoped for. Will was very excited about the track here. There was some great 2 track through the woods as well as powerline roads. We passed some guys heading north on large BMW’s. This is really the first time this whole trip we passed anyone doing the NEBDR. We came out of the northern loop and headed back down towards Catskill park proper. After taking a break in Grand Gorge, we got to the most technical portion of the day. It started out as a loose rock hill. Right away Brian’s chain popped and got all bunched up in his front sprocket. I stayed to help him get his bike right while Jake and Will headed uphill to wait. I noticed that I kept hearing Jake’s bike going and going, fading out then going some more. Huh? “Must be a long way to the top” I commented to Brian. He got his chain resolved and we took off up the hill. Holy Fuck! Little did we know that this would be the longest rockiest hill climb I have ever done. Like this was a legit hill climb and it seemed to go on forever. Jake and Will had turned around to come find us so we had to cross each other on the way up. I thought this hill would never end. Thankfully I just kept the throttle open in first gear and leaned forward. The WR did the rest. What a champ!  When the four of us were finally at the top we took a break and marveled at how long that climb was. What goes up must come down though. The downhill portion was not as steep but it was just as rocky. I took my time and made the guys wait for me at the bottom. I am like a turtle. A turtle who doesn’t wanna spend weeks recovering from a stupid injury. It was all backroads from here on.

We headed to make camp. It was Friday and this is the Catskill’s. First come, first serve is the name of the game at the campground and there would be plenty of New Yorkers competing against us. The Allaben campground was almost full but we claimed our spot. We threw some tents up to hold the spot then I led us to another swimming hole. It was a great paved ride up and over a mountain to the Peekamoose Bluehole. A ton of other people had the same idea but being on bikes made parking a breeze. We got to the bluehole and marveled at how clear the water was. When I dove in, I just about went into shock. I think it was the coldest water I have ever willingly got in. I’m no polar bear. It was so cold that as soon as you got in, your instinct was panic to get out. Totally worth it though. Jake, Will and I all did a couple of dives then found a spot in the sun to warm up. Brain got in and soaked his injury in the frigid water. We dried off enough to get back on the bikes and head into Phoenicia for dinner. The Diner was just closing but they recommended going into town. We found a spot called Sportsmans and pigged out. We finished it off with some ice cream next door. The sun was well behind the mountains but we had enough light to get back to camp and get a fire going. The four of us sat around another campfire taking it all in. Good times.

Day 9 – Shandaken, NY to Philadelphia, PA

A very comfortable night was had. Actually, it was the temps I was expecting for the whole trip. We packed with the knowledge that we would be leaving our last camping spot of this trip. Beyond bittersweet. I was excited to get back to my lady but selfishly didn’t want this trip to end. No bummer endless summer, am I right? Maybe the BDR will extend the MidAtlantic BDR all the way to the Georgia Mountains and adjust it to meet the NEBDR in the Appalachians and call it the AT BDR. I would most definitely do that ride. You would need to have a serious bike maintenance spot though. This trip tore through our chains and tires in just one week. After packing, we headed into Fleischmanns. Yesterday we rolled through this town and realized it was a vacation spot for Hasicidic’s. We were all craving some bagels and saw a spot yesterday that would satisfy these cravings. As we rolled into town Jake realized that being Saturday it was Shabbat. Everything would be closed. Well almost everything. Sam’s country store was open and Sam was hawking breakfast sandwiches and coffee. Perfect. We ate then hit the road getting out of the Catskills via dirt. Here we passed more adventure bikes than any day on our trip.

A lot of people just starting the route going south to north, I guess? The dust today was getting to me. It was so thick and the morning sun was refracting off it that my visibility was gone. I almost missed a hard left and went off the road. At that moment, I was not having a good time. Part of me thinks I was just cranky and sad that it was all almost over. There really wasn’t anything technical which I was kind of relieved about. We just kept winding in and out of smaller ridges. The need for fuel arose and we came into Andes, NY. We rode through town and could only find a long dead pump. Outside of town we stopped on the side of the road to check our phones for a nearby gas station. Next thing we know some old codger is creaming at us from his house. “WOULD YOU MIND MOVING THE FUCK ON? YOU’RE DRIVING MY DOG CRAZY” he yelled. We had no clue where it was coming from at first. I replied “We’re looking for gas”. He just kept yelling at us “THIS IS’NT A FUCKING GAS TOWN AND THERE IS NO FUCKING CELL PHONE SERVICE! NOW GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE. GO FIND A PARKING LOT ELSEWHERE!” Well it seems the locals in Andes are not the welcoming type. We obliged and rode on, but you know what? If you’re reading this you old coot… get fucked. We figured we had enough gas to get to the next town and left Andes, NY. Good riddance. We did hit some technical stuff. Nothing too hard. We passed an Irish guy on a Super Tenere that was just starting out the ride. He had dropped his gigantic bike and showed Jake the whole wench rig he had to pick it up on his own. One reason I love being on a 250. Easy pickups. The track became dirt road again and wound around a reservoir that feeds the East Branch Delaware River.

This road led us to Downsville. Ahh Downsville. A town where old men drive their lawn mowers on the street due to, most likely, having a suspended license from too many DUI’s. That’s a classic small town PA move. Glad to see it’s a thing with our northern neighbors. We got snacks and sat in a great park by the town’s covered bridge. I knew that after we left we would get on NY route 30. The guys were going to split off north while I would continue on 30.  I had a prior camping engagement in NEPA to attend. Jake tried his best to talk Brian into finding a powersports place to get a new rear tire for the Husky. It was fucking toast. Brian was determined to get home on it. We posed for our last pics as a foursome at the covered bridge then headed for 30. As was planned the guys split north and I rode 30 to 17 and back into PA. They filled me in later that they did more of the track, went swimming in the Delaware, spotted a Bald Eagle and got some Dairy Queen. Once the track headed south they made for Philly. I made it to my prior engagement and had one more night of camping. I woke the next morning with the fly rolled up and the sunrise in my view and reflected on the last 9 days. I’ve done plenty of MC trips and they all have something unique of their own but there is something beyond words about this one. The roads, the trails, the sights, the company, the camping, & the challenges all coming together to make an incredible adventure. All told we put over 2000 miles on our bikes. All the bikes performed awesomely with no major issues. Brian wins the Tough Guy award for sure. He made over half the trip with that gnarly hip injury, no license plate (kinda crazy we had zero problems with the law), an over-stretched chain (requiring loose change to add extended tension) , and a tire that was long done days before returning home. I’m sure they all will agree; every inch and every second ruled. The NEBDR-20 is one bug we will never regret catching.

Part 1

Part 2

PUT A GUESS IN TO WIN A T-SHIRT… read the post

So I’ve been searching for a Z1/KZ900/1000. However, I’m realizing why it hasn’t been an option previously… they’re crazy expensive. I’m really hoping to find one in stock condition that hasn’t been messed with but I don’t think I can afford it. Ideally, I’d love to get a Z1 but I just can’t compete with the eBay market on these bikes.

From what I’ve been seeing on eBay:
Z1’s are selling for 5k to 15k
KZ900/1000’s are selling for 5k+

Local Craigslist prices are significantly less than eBay.

I’m very curious to see how much this Z1 sells for that’s local in Lebanon, PA just West of Philadelphia. What’s everyone’s guess as to how much it goes for and where in the world it gets shipped to? Best guess wins a C&S t-shirt. Put your guess in the comments.

eBay Link: http://www.ebay.com/itm/122508956614

Saturday 10/8/16

• Originally planned to leave Fort Stockton and head straight to Roswell but the storm front sat right above everywhere we were headed.
• Decided to go to Carlsbad caverns and wait out the storm
• The road there was again long and straight but with all the oil pumps, fracking burnoff towers, the sand, and solitude; the whole scene felt post apocalyptic. Mad Max like. Riding a KZ helps with image.
• Saw a dead coyote on the road then shortly there after a road runner. I guess real life does imitate art.
• Gassed up at an unattended trucker gas station In the middle of nowhere and then the rain came.
• Got to Carlsbad caverns and explored the cave to dry off.
• Holy shit the cave is huge. 800 ft down there are even restrooms, gift shop, and a cafeteria. You can even get out of the via an elevator. America!
• Rode into Carlsbad and sat by an oddly green river then decided to head out to Roswell anyways.
• 10 miles outside of Carlsbad the sun came out and things got rad.
• Wide stretches of desert and lonely back roads.
• Set up camp at Bottomless Lake State Park.
• Some raccoons came to visit. Aggressive fuckers.

• Thunderstorms rolled in overnight and soaked everything.
• Did not get abducted.
• Moved our gear to a nearby pavilion to wait out the storm.
• When the rain moved on, we went into Roswell for food.
• Roswell was not impressive.
• Headed north on 285 and shot a straight line for 90 miles with no exits or side roads.
• Got a tip from a friend to hit up hot springs north or Las Vegas, NM.
• After stopping for gas we headed northeast and rode into the worst storm either of us have ever ridden in. Sheets of water fell as lightening struck the desert all around us. It makes the Memorial Day run this year seem like a drizzle.
• Radke’s bike stared shorting out with all the water falling from the sky. To keep it running he had to keep it rev’ed as high as possible which meant 80mph through the storm. Luckily the road was straight and there were no cars.
• Finally we beat the front as we came into the mountains.
• Found the hot springs but they were literally 3 small bathtubs and full of people so we choose to shoot for Santa Fe.
• Rolling into Santa Fe we hit another front dropping walls of water in the distance. We decided after such a rough day to hole up in another motel instead of the campground we had planned to go to.
• As we got into our room the skies opened yet again.
• I find it ironic that we headed to the desert to stay dry and warm but the entire time we’ve been in the desert we have been cold and wet.

• When we awoke we saw that the rain is finally gone and nothing but blue skies for awhile. All thanks to the 2 wheeled gods for smiling upon us. However it’s freezing here in Santa Fe.
• Rode in town to check out Santa Fe and had breakfast tacos.
• Once out of Santa Fe we hit NM 96 and were blown away. Mountain roads with the gnarliest scenery. Could stay here forever riding around.
• Rode to Four Corners Monument and saw the Rockies poking their heads up in the distance.
• The route to Four Corners was insane. It’s hard to put the scenery into words. Everything is epic.
• Stood in four states at once.
• Finally got to eat Navajo Tacos. Been on my culinary to try list forever.
• We headed towards Cortez, Colorado. I was antsy to get there for special reasons.
• We got supplies and took a tip from a local to head up into BLM land in the local mountains to camp.
• Found a killer campsite on public lands and made camp. Surrounded by pines and aspens.
• As night rolled in, a strange howling came from the woods. We assumed it was coyotes and hoped it was not wolves. Either way it scared the shit out of us. Bed was soon to come.

• Chilly but great night. First time in this trip that we awoke to everything being dry.
• Colorado is an amazing state. I will always come back.
• Headed out early and was in Moab by noon.
• The scenery coming into Moab is unreal. The mesas, cliffs, canyons, and towers all reaching high in crazy reds.
• Shot up 128 (you must ride this road) to get a camp spot along the Colorado river but found all sites full. I was pissed b/c it’s a Tuesday. WTF??? Thanks to being angry and impatient to find a camp spot, I ended up losing my footing in the gravel in a lot and dropped the KZ. Nothing scratched or damaged but goes to prove that there’s no need to lose your cool because mistakes are made then.
• We finally found a spot at Moonflower Canyon. While it’s not on the river it is fucking epic. Red sand canyon full of trees. Plus there are old petroglyphs here too. Magic.
• Set up camp and got food then checked out dirt bike rental prices. Not cheap. Shy of $300 for 5 hours per bike. This includes tax/gear/insurance/gas. Can’t ride w/o the proper gear and insurance. We decided it wasn’t worth the cost. Plenty of other stuff to do here.
• Rode up to Canyonlands National Park. 313 takes you there to the top of a huge mesa. 313 is a sick road.
• Got into the park for free and hit the Mesa Arch.
• Wanted to do the Grand Overlook but a rain cloud scared us off the mesa.
• No wolves or coyotes to scare the shit out of us tonight. Just the red walls of the canyon and stars.

• Great view of stars to wake up in the middle of the night too.
• After eating we rode back out 128 to Castle Valley. A local named Linda tipped us off to some dinosaur tracks and the 8 year olds in us got hype.
• The ride up to the tracks was a rough twisty road and the tracks were on top of these crazy high cliffs. Found the tracks and stood on the cliffs edge.
• We left and did the La Sal mountain loop. What a fucking road! Very challenging to say the least. Had to dodge potholes, gravel, cow shit, and other vehicles on an unmarked failing road full or sweepers and switchbacks. The view as you gain altitude was unreal. The ride took around an hour and a half.
• After we were exhausted and knew a swim was in order.
• Our campground neighbor tipped us off to a swimming hole in Mill Creek Canyon.
• It was a interesting hike back the canyon. A half hour later through Slick rock, green oasis’s, desert landscape, and 3 river crossings we made it to the hole. Awesome waterfall in a decent sized hole.
• The water was coldest water we have been in yet.
• After feeling refreshed we hiked out and got burgers and shakes at a local drive in called Milts stop-n-eat.
• Back at camp Radke did the chimney climb.
• We walked to the end of the canyon to check out the pond and watched a bat feed.
• Made a fire and passed out. Solid day.

   

• Said goodbye to Moab. Not an easy thing to do.
• Blasted to Salt Lake. The first half was just a barren straight shot on rte 6 then it went into the mountains and got wicked. Not too many pics of the ride as we were focused on getting to Salt Lake.
• I-15 from Provo to SLC was awful except for the HOV lanes that motorcycles could ride in. The entire 50 miles is one large strip mall. All we see are strip malls here.
• Got to the cemetery and I paid respects to my brother. The main goal and half way point is now reached.
• Rode to Antelope Island out on the Great Salt Lake to camp and checked out the roaming bison. Saw Antelope too. Tons of bugs here. Our visors became slaughter houses.
• The camp sight we were assigned sucked donkey dick. They put us w/ RV’s and on top of the bathrooms so we found another one (called Ladyfinger btw) and set up right next to the shore of the lake.
• It’s very eerie here. The water is dead still and everything feels like another planet.

• Very mild night. Woke up a few times to listen to the songs the coyotes were singing. The morning was 60 degrees. We’re feeling good b/c we hit a warm window in SLC.
• Took off like bats outta hell as we are not fans of the SLC area. South of Provo we headed back into the mountains via rte 89
• It got crazy cold for an hour then warmed up.
• 89 is a great road that winds through mountains and farmland valleys that took us the whole way to Zion.
• We decided to camp outside Zion as the parks campgrounds were full. The girl at the reception told us of some spots we shouldn’t take the bikes too as there is deep sand. We should have listened to her. As we went that direction not even half a second after I saw radke get loose I was down and a leg pinned under my bike. That’s 3 times I have dropped the KZ. I am averaging one a week. Still no damage.
• Set up camp and had the saddest dinner ever.
• Soaked up some wifi time at the camp trading post and then returned to disconnection at our site for a fire.

 

• Cold morning outside Zion. We waited till the sun was fully up to move.
• Got into Zion for free. Otherwise it costs $25 for MC’s. While Zion is an awesome ride it’s not long at all. There’s a really cool tunnel and a bunch of switchbacks but if you’re just riding through than $25 is a bit much.
• Rode I-15 towards Vegas. The Arizona stretch was some of the funnest interstate stretches I have ever done. Winding through mountains at 80mph is what 2 wheels is all about. 
• The Nevada stretch was the complete opposite. Flat, dry, boring desert with crosswinds the strongest we have faced on the trip.
• Got into Vegas but it took forever to get to our hotel b/c I-15 got shutdown so all highway traffic diverted through the city. To make matters worse my idle was at 2.5K and would not come any lower so I shut the bike off at every red-light.
• Finally made it to the hotel and had issues checking in. Stress levels through the fucking roof. We had to carry all of our gear way to far. Both of us were on edge.
• I split to see our buddy Ryan and to get a jump start on all the shit I gotta do to the KZ. Tore off the carbs and cleaned them then reinstalled. Put speedo cable on. Everything seems ok now.
• Met Radke back at the strip and we just wandered around there and Fremont st.

We’ll be in Vegas till Tuesday morning then onto Death Valley.

Under 300cc: Get a title with a Vermont Registration.
Over 300cc: How to get a Motorcycle Title

These are the steps to getting a Vermont plate and registration for a motorcycle over 300cc. I’m sharing this info with the hope that it’ll help keep another old motorcycle on the road.

A photo posted by Cast & Salvage (@castandsalvage) on Feb 29, 2016 at 1:31pm PST

DOCUMENTS:
1. Bill of Sale
2. Vermont Registration Form VD119
3. VIN Verification

STEPS:
1. Make a Bill of Sale to show proof of sale. This can be between any parties and does not need to be notarized.

2. Fill out VT Form VD119. I originally submitted my form without the VIN Verification and it was mailed back to me with the red markups.

– Motorcycle fee is $48.
– Tax is 6% of the NADA good value.
– Write check for total amount payable to: Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles

3. Bring the motorcycle to an Auto Tag shop and have them complete a VIN Verification form. If you’re in PA you can use the PA MV-41 form or the VT form VT010.

5. Mail everything to:

Vermont DMV
120 State ST
Montpelier VT 05603

Turn around is 2-3 weeks and what you get back are VT plates and registration. You can then use that registration paperwork to apply for a PA title and registration.

I recently came across this crew out of Canada that is ruling on old XT’s. If you’re looking for something fun to follow on instagram to interrupt you hot girl feed, check these guys out.

https://www.instagram.com/filthmodemc/

The first pair are the Held Warm N Dry. Held has a stellar reputation for making quality gear, especially when it comes to their gloves. Just about every pair of gloves they make are super comfortable as well as functional. Though these puppies are quite expensive at $199, they come with a GORE-TEX and “Thermoplush Fleece” liner to keep you hands dry and warm or Warm N Dry (you see what I did there). Held also seems to have a focus on providing really good tactile feedback when it comes to their gloves, which is the reason I think they earn their keep at the $199 price point. Tactile feel is something that is usually lost with winter gloves. As you add layers between your hands and the controls you loose that intimacy you normally get when you grip up your handlebars and the vibrations of the motor slowly turn your extremities into useless skin tubes.

Held also takes protection pretty seriously. These gloves have hard knuckle protection that is skinned in leather (so you don’t look like a sport bike douche) as well as Super Fabric on the base of the palm. Super Fabric is sort of a new addition to the higher end moto gear brands and is the next greatest thing in abrasion resistance. In the picture below you can see a pad on the bottom left of the palm that has little dots all over it. Those dots are made of some magical material (ceramic) that is 14 times more resistant to abrasion than Kevlar. So, in short, you can slide further on these without burning through the glove.

So if your looking for a top of the line winter glove that will be worth every penny of $199 I would definitely check these things out. I would never spend that much money on gloves, but if you would, buy these.

Held Warm N Dry

Held Warm N Dry

Next up  are two less expensive gloves from REV’IT!. REV’IT! gloves also have a excellent reputation for being very comfortable. The fit of most of their gloves is a little bit wider in the palm than some of the other Euro brands like Held, Alpinestars and Dainese, which makes them feel less restrictive when gripping your controls.

The two gloves I chose are the Zoom H2O and the Element 2 H2O. Both make use of REV’IT!’s proprietary waterproof breathable GORE-TEX knock off liner called Hydratex (Note: Any proprietary waterproof/breathable liner that is NOT made by GORE-TEX will be, on average, 20% less breathable). The Hydratex lining works fairly well at keeping you hands dry in wet weather as well as allowing perspiration to evaporate out through the glove, and is much less expensive than using GORE-TEX. Both of these gloves are constructed of cowhide with goatskin palms and are insulated with a Fiberfill tri-fleece liner.

Personally I really like both of these gloves. I am a big fan of REV’IT! gear in general because they have a very respectable policy of not plastering their logo all over everything like most other moto brands. They also have discrete armor/padding in the knuckles, fingers, and palm to keep you protected without looking like Robocop. Bottom line on these is that they are great gloves that will be comfortable, waterproof and wont completely rob you of all your money. Check them out.

REV’IT! Element 2 H20

REV’IT! Element 2 H20

REV’IT! Zoom H2O

REV’IT! Zoom H2O

Coming from Finland we have a pair of gloves made by the masters of keeping cold weather at bay. The Rukka Pluto is one of the more affordable and understated gloves in Rukka’s arsenal, and come with both GORE-TEX and Outlast liners. The Outlast membrane is a pretty unique material. It reacts to temperature and humidity in a way that regulates your body temperature. The molecules making up the membrane will expand and contract based on the temperature, so if your booking along on the highway and the windchill is 30 degrees the molecules will shrink and tighten up to keep your body heat in. If you are walking around and start to build up some body heat, the molecules will expand and release that heat. It works very similarly to GORE-TEX, but is for insulation instead of waterproofing. Coming in at $169 they are neither super expensive nor super cheap, but come with a lot of useful features for the price. Also they look pretty normal for a winter glove, so if you decide to wear them off the bike you won’t look like an asshole.

Rukka Pluto Gloves

Rukka Pluto Gloves

Breaking into the more affordable options we have the Icon Patrol Waterproof Gloves. I really like these gloves. They are under $100, comfortable, waterproof and warm. They do have some flashier knuckle protection and do not come equipped with a some of the same features that the REV’IT!, Rukka and Held gloves do, but they fit well and do their job. The gauntlet on these is a little longer than most gloves too which is nice for keeping cold and wet weather out of your jacket. Bottom line….affordable and functional. Not much else to say about these.

Icon Patrol Waterproof Gloves

Icon Patrol Waterproof Gloves

Last but not least, if you have a problem with sticking your fingers where they don’t belong or find yourself turkey gobbling and making lewd hand gestures in public settings and you just can’t seem to stop, you may want to invest in a pair of the Rukka Lobsters. I’m looking at you ED.

-Quinn

It annoys me when I see cycles on eBay that say “Fresh rebuilt engine. 10 miles on it since rebuild. Runs great.” etc… Fucking stupid. I would never buy a bike like that unless the owner has put like 1000 miles on the rebuilt engine to confirm shit is good.

Anyway… someone asked me if my bike is running good since the rebuild. Figured I’d do a 6 month re-cap of the good and the bad.

If you don’t know about this engine rebuild I did… read about it here. 500t engine in a 450.

8 months ago when I initially thought of doing this high-compression engine build… I couldn’t find comparable info out there for a cb450/500t. I didn’t know if it’d blow itself up after a month, or how it’d hold up as a street bike. So… I hope this post helps somebody in the future.

• Piston Kit –
  Its a 500t engine… not a 450. I’m estimating my compression ratio is somewhere between 10.5 and 11 with the Todd Henning race piston kit and decked cylinders… which is pretty damn high for this bike. I run 93 octane gas and haven’t had any issues. No detonating / pinging. Seems totally fine. *Read the last bullet point for info about the overbore from 70mm to 74mm and if it’s right for your bike.
  Analysis – I recommend that piston kit… even for a street bike
• Head Gasket –
  I had to re-do my head gasket due to it letting a little oil by. let me clarify… I have the copper head gasket that comes with the henning piston kit. Fuck copper gaskets. Pain in the ass to get to seal. I redid it once 2 months ago using the Permatek Copper paste in a tube, and it’s been holding now. It’s a 74mm bore, so I can’t run a oem head gasket. I actually just found that Mark from M3 Racing sells an oversized composite head gasket. I just bought that and am going to pull the head again, and convert to the paper/composite gasket and use indian head gasket sealer… and torque 10lbs over what the bolt spec is.
  Analysis – I do NOT recommend a copper head gasket. Use a paper/composite with indian head gasket sealer and over torque bolts a bit
• Air Fuel Settings –
  I opened my stock exhausts a bit by punching the baffles out. And I run Uni pod filters. I have stock jetting. 38 slow and 145 main. This ended up being the best. I initially increased the main jet to a 150 which totally rips high rpm, but the main jet feeds the slow jet with these carbs… and that wasn’t good. It bogged a bit down low.
  Analysis – with oem constant velocity carbs… I recommend stock jetting is the overall best
• Timing –
  I run the Pamco electronic ignition. The more I advance it the better the bike seems to run and the more it rips high rpm. I don’t think I would ever suggest running points with the set-up I have.
  Analysis – I recommend the Pamco electronic ignition advanced a decent amount – use your judgement.
• Is it faster? –
  Hellz yea it’s faster. For a little 500 twin… The bike rips now. Especially high rpm. I have brand new clutch plates and springs and still lets loose high rpm sometimes. Don’t expect the bike to outrun a cb550 four. It might be a tie. But that’s pretty fast compared to a normal oem stock cb450 or 500t. It def rips up to 100mph pretty fast now, where before it seemed to take longer.
  Analysis – If you want to go faster… bigger higher compression pistons will do it.
• Is it reliable? –
  Umm… it seems decently reliable. When I pulled the head the first time to reseal the head gasket… all the parts looked great. Not overheated at all. No scoring. Nothing fucked up. Other than dealing with a shitty copper head gasket, everything is great. Def install a brand new cam chain!!! Once I convert to the paper/composite head gasket, it should be even more solid. I’ll say this… I rode this bike across the country 4 years ago when it was all stock oem condition. I wouldn’t do that now with the higher compression. Maybe it’d be fine… but I’d rather not.
  Analysis – As a city ripper, yes it seems totally reliable. As a long traveling distance cycle… probably not anymore.
• Would I build it like this again or change stuff? –
  If this was my only bike, I would not bore it out 50cc over from 70mm to 74mm. Apparently this makes the cylinder walls kinda thin which is another reason i’m not sure of the long term reliability. If this was my only bike, I would’ve found a piston kit that keeps the bore the stock 70mm… M3 racing makes a kit and so does Charlie Place. Since I have 3 other bikes, I won’t cry if it blows up in 2 years. I’ll just rebuild it again. I love the way it runs now. Rips through the gears faster and it’s just overall kinda cool to have a cb450 with a 500t rebuilt into a 550cc high compression ripper. Don’t come across them very often eh… people look confused when I tell them what it is, and that’s cool.
  Analysis – If this is your only bike… probably do a stock basic rebuild with pistons that keep the bore 70mm.

I’ll be the first to admit I know jack shit about Harley’s and bobbers…
Kevin Ludwig did a good job explaining what’s what… and showed me some real rare cool bikes including a couple knuckleheads and a xr1000.

If I ever get a harley it’ll definitely be something like that… super old, rigid frame, small as shit, can’t do anything but go straight… leaking oil everywhere, modified out the ass… ratty as shit…

Stainless steel headlight mount.

Round bar shift lever.

Battery box with key mount.

Rear hoop/handle lugged into the frame.

SL125 tank with new mounts.

Fender chopped, flared, and mounted with some dual sport tires that fit the look perfectly.

Getting some feedback from friends stopping by…

Round bar fender mounts with lugs mocked up.

Brazing them together.

Done.

We’ll have it reassembled and running next week so check back for more photos or come see it at the Trenton Arts Festival.

check out that exhaust.

pics and story here

This week I helped Rob as he experimented with building his first ever cafe seat.  After deciding the shape, we made a cardboard pattern and mocked it up on a frame to make sure the proportions were right.  Then we traced the pattern pieces onto a sheet of steel.

After cutting out the pieces, we smoothed out any rough edges on the wire wheel and hammered flat any bends.  Then the piece was rolled through the slip roller to give shape.

We decided a slightly concave end piece would give the seat some character, so we hammered the steel with a nylon mallet.  To get a really tight bend, we then hammed it over a steel hammer head.

The pieces fit pretty good.  Next Rob tacked the pieces in place with a few TIG welds.

The steel used was a little rusty, so before a full weld happens, the pieces will have to be cleaned up to ensure a strong weld.  It’d be cool to stamp some numbers on that back end plate eventually.  We’ll see what happens.

1. Double Pole Double Throw (DPDT) switch. I bought mine from McMaster-Carr. The switch has 6 poles and 3 switch positions (ON-OFF-ON).  For comparison, the wired switch, pictured below,  is a Single Pole Double Throw (SPDT) which has 3 poles and can only switch 1 circuit.

2. The DPDT switch has the functionality to switch 2 circiuts which is what I needed.

Circuit #1: low beam – OFF – high beam.

Circuit #2: tail/gauge lights – OFF – tail/gauge lights.

Here is the switch wired up. The black wire (1 to 2 wire) is hot when the ignition is on and feeds both poles. So to explain, the first ON position turns on the low beam and tail/gauge lights and the second ON position turns on the high beam and tail/gauge lights.

3.  Switch mounted in my gauge bracket. The wires are heat wrapped and run into the headlight bucket.

4. My slimmed down wiring diagram so you can see how the switches connect into the rest of the wiring. (color version)