Friday Night 9/9/2011

In preparation for the Flatlanders ride over to the Iowa border on saturday, I spent the night in the shop doing some RM I'd meant to do all week. First order of business was setting the valves. So I cracked a can and sat down with the feelers, a flat head and a number 10.

(pickled eggs in Jalepeno juice...a staple in the S.G.)

Once I'd set the valves I decided I'd move on to installing the EI that'd I'd been meaning to swap back to from the points that we'd installed back at the Riders Roost in June. After removing the points cover and pulling out the Martek 440 I had stashed on the shelf, I cracked another can and thought it over....been running these points since June and if something happened on the road I'd most likely be able to get myself going again. But this Martek I'd bought used and didn't know the history of it other than "it came off a running bike". After a few minutes and a few second opinions, I decided to just stick with the points for the time being.

The next and final order of business was the drive chain. I'd felt like I'd been pushing my luck with it all summer...it had gotten to the point where it'd stretch on every ride and I'd been running it for about 2 seasons now. I usually change the chain at the beginning of each season but didn't this year. Once I popped the master clip I noticed that my sprocket was fucked also. Nice sharp shiny points all the way around and the nice u-shaped dips were worn to more of a loose v. Well hells bells!

(patiently waiting)

I started searching around the shop for a runable sprocket. Most every one I found was not much better than the one I needed to replace and I didn't wanna run another shitty sprocket with a brand new chain. Ah hah! I'll yank that one off the Gent's wheel until I can get a new one! So I pull the sprocket off Duane's wheel before realizing its a 630...well shit! Its getting late and this is the last order of business before calling it a night. I start pacing a bit and racking my brain....the cafe!

(bad one on the right, 630 on the left)

(sprocket donor)

I went into the other room with my rachet and lift the back end of the cafe project up onto the jack stands. Then I remove the rear wheel and inspect the sprocket. Sure as shit, its not new, but definately runable so I yank it off the 18" and return to the shop to put onto the 16".

After tightening everything up on the rear end and giving the old gal a final once over, I kicked Keith Stone out and invited the Captain over to hang for bit before calling it a night. We were scheduled to leave at 8 am and I knew the morning was gonna come too quickly.