Sticky Traction http://www.norcalbarneys.com Bikes, bro. Tue, 24 Aug 2010 17:46:02 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 AMA Museum – Honda off-road http://www.norcalbarneys.com/ama-museum-honda-off-road/ http://www.norcalbarneys.com/ama-museum-honda-off-road/#comments Tue, 24 Aug 2010 17:35:03 +0000 norcalbarney http://www.norcalbarneys.com/?p=72 Continue reading →]]> Pickerington, Ohio 08232010482 08232010459 08232010461 08232010499 08232010468 08232010469 08232010462

I took about 100 pictures at the AMA Museum in Pickerington, Ohio this weekend.  Here’s a few with Honda XLish bikes for MrLarner.  I’ll post the rest in sections, Enduro, Trackers, Racing, Vintage, etc. over the next couple days.

]]> http://www.norcalbarneys.com/ama-museum-honda-off-road/feed/ 0 Yamaha Seca nosecone http://www.norcalbarneys.com/08212010-3/ http://www.norcalbarneys.com/08212010-3/#comments Sun, 22 Aug 2010 02:57:28 +0000 norcalbarney http://www.norcalbarneys.com/08212010-3/ 08212010410 08212010409 08212010408 08212010407 ]]> http://www.norcalbarneys.com/08212010-3/feed/ 0 FTR223 http://www.norcalbarneys.com/08182010-2/ http://www.norcalbarneys.com/08182010-2/#comments Thu, 19 Aug 2010 06:20:05 +0000 norcalbarney http://www.norcalbarneys.com/08182010-2/

Imported in parts to fool customs.

]]> http://www.norcalbarneys.com/08182010-2/feed/ 0 Sick chopper on Battery St. http://www.norcalbarneys.com/08182010/ http://www.norcalbarneys.com/08182010/#comments Thu, 19 Aug 2010 04:31:38 +0000 norcalbarney http://www.norcalbarneys.com/08182010/

08/18/2010

Don’t mind that Multistrada behind it.

]]> http://www.norcalbarneys.com/08182010/feed/ 0 GS500 top end rebuild http://www.norcalbarneys.com/08092010/ http://www.norcalbarneys.com/08092010/#comments Mon, 09 Aug 2010 17:23:26 +0000 norcalbarney http://www.norcalbarneys.com/08092010/ Continue reading →]]>

08/09/2010

08/09/2010

08/09/2010

I don’t really know what I’m doing, but I’m replacing a few gaskets in the top end of my 1995 GS 500.  It was leaking oil from the cylinder head gasket.  I got a complete engine Genuine Suzuki gasket kit on Ebay for $110 shipped.

I wrenched on this sucker all weekend.  I had a stuck header bolt, which took about 4 hours to get off.  The block is made of aluminium, and the bolts were steel.  So steal expands and bonds with the aluminium.  I replaced the header bolts with stainless steel threaded rod and nuts.

On top of all that, the piston crowns are quite fowled with carbon, and I left them that way.  I coulda scrubbed it off, but I didn’t want the crap to fall down into the engine, and I didn’t want to pull the pistons.  The valves were also really carbony, and I likely shoulda spec’d everything out while I had it opened.  But I figure, it ran ok before I took it apart, I’m cleaning some of the crap out, so it should run better, right?  We’ll see.

After I got ‘er all back together at 10:30pm Sunday night, I turned it over with the starter a could times to circulate the oil into the top end.  Everything sounded ok, and I could hear the compression opening and closing the valves.

Then I put the carbs on it and started it for real.  It’s got an exhaust leak where the headers hit the engine.  I tried to chisel out the old gaskets, which must’ve damaged it and caused the leak.  It’s wicked loud now.  There’s also some clicking under the valve cover.  I’m hoping it’s just the cam chain tensioner, which is the easiest fix.  If I hafta take this bitch all the way apart again, I’m gonna be pissed.

Wrenching on bikes is only fun when it works.

]]> http://www.norcalbarneys.com/08092010/feed/ 2 Rode to Big Sur on Monday http://www.norcalbarneys.com/07202010/ http://www.norcalbarneys.com/07202010/#comments Tue, 20 Jul 2010 20:42:11 +0000 norcalbarney http://www.norcalbarneys.com/07202010/
I took a quick ride to Big Sur on Monday.  300 mile round trip.  I’m a little sore.  I guess that means I should ride more.
]]> http://www.norcalbarneys.com/07202010/feed/ 0 07/06/2010 http://www.norcalbarneys.com/07062010-2/ http://www.norcalbarneys.com/07062010-2/#comments Wed, 07 Jul 2010 01:28:04 +0000 norcalbarney http://www.norcalbarneys.com/07062010-2/
]]> http://www.norcalbarneys.com/07062010-2/feed/ 1 07/06/2010 http://www.norcalbarneys.com/07062010/ http://www.norcalbarneys.com/07062010/#comments Tue, 06 Jul 2010 18:31:02 +0000 norcalbarney http://www.norcalbarneys.com/07062010/
]]> http://www.norcalbarneys.com/07062010/feed/ 0 Ione Ride 05/29/10 http://www.norcalbarneys.com/ione-ride-052910/ http://www.norcalbarneys.com/ione-ride-052910/#comments Thu, 03 Jun 2010 17:27:04 +0000 norcalbarney http://www.norcalbarneys.com/?p=14 Continue reading →]]> I rode The Lion about 300 miles towards the foothills of Tahoe last Saturday.  My goal was to ride the “12 Loop”, which starts with highway 12 right over the Bay Bridge in the Eastern Bay.  From there, I was aiming to head east towards Tahoe, Amador County, and generally get lost in the fast twisties of Northern California.

I wound up checking out the national Railway Museum, and a wind farm before stopping in Rio Vista at Shelby’s for a little breakie.  I found Shelby’s to be pretty decent, but the reviewers on Yelp don’t think so.

Back on the road, I saw two nuclear cooling towers, rode along some long river/resevour kinda deal with lots of grated draw bridges, but nowhere to stop for photos.

On the smaller highways of Northern California, the junctions typically happen in the middle of a small town, and the junctions aren’t always wall marked.  I wound up missing a connection somewhere, and wound up riding through Sacramento on Hwy 80 back east until Davis, then I peeled off towards the coast.

In Sonoma, I saw some grave vines, headed to San Rafael, cruised down 101, and finally the Golden Gate bridge.

I know what you’re thinking – So where’s the map?  I’ve got a Google Earth KML file for this ride, which actually only tracked half of this ride because I forgot to hit Start in Sports Tracker.  Anyone know how to upload a file that’s not a picture or video in WordPress 3.0 Beta?  I don’t!  Ione Ride 05/29/10

]]> http://www.norcalbarneys.com/ione-ride-052910/feed/ 0 Hello world! http://www.norcalbarneys.com/hello-world/ http://www.norcalbarneys.com/hello-world/#comments Thu, 06 May 2010 22:09:53 +0000 norcalbarney http://www.norcalbarneys.com/?p=1 Continue reading →]]> So…. Yet another blog.  From Matthew Bennett.  But why?
Well, I’m into mobile phones, motorcycles, data logging, traveling, and connecting with like-minded people through blogging.  This site is intended to log my motorcycle trips with mobile devices.  I’m certain I’ll run into all sort of problems along the way, and when I do, I’ll post how I did these things, and why you want to.

]]> http://www.norcalbarneys.com/hello-world/feed/ 3