Today I will take my first solo ride on a highway. I suppose at this point I might be a better mechanic than rider given the amount of time I’ve spent working on the two vintage bikes I’ve ever ridden. To prepare for today’s trip out of the city and into the beautiful wooded upstate … Continue readingFirst highway ride
In February, Jason got me a 1981 Honda CX500 Custom. I named her Molly and rode her instead of Georgia, which was too small to pass big trucks on the highway. Molly had some electrical issues, but I fixed them. It also seemed that one of her forks might have been bent, and she veered … Continue readingFirst ride in the rain
Just about every motorcycle mechanic I talk to has one thing he prefers not to deal with: electrical systems. It’s not necessarily because of the occasional shock or burn from being the ground receiver of an open circuit. (12 volts is nothing compared to the 240 coming out of a laundry machine outlet.) The bad … Continue readingElectrical problems
Here are pictures of all the things done to Molly to get her to work well. When we brought the bike home, the first thing we did was change the handlebars. CX500 Customs have hangar handlebars like cruisers. The hand position is really uncomfortable and can cause tendinitis. Besides, I have a fractured forefinger (hairline … Continue readingFixing Molly, a 1981 Honda CX500c
She works! Two nights ago, after getting home from the shop, I looked at the Honda manual’s electrical diagram thinking about why the front brake, headlight, and running lights work, but not the rear brake, turn signals, oil and clutch lights. The problem with figuring it out was that the harness did not match the … Continue reading1981 Honda CX500c wiring
So, I have to replace some wires on old Molly. She’s a 1981 Honda CX500c. It looks like someone replaced the entire wire harness, because on her model, the flasher relay should be located in the headlamp fixture, but the gray wire to connect it runs to the back like in newer Hondas. Some bloke … Continue readingWire gauge
It’s been a while since blogging about Georgia. Well, that’s because she’s been in the shop. Jason and I decided we’d fix her ourselves. We changed the chain and the rear sprocket, which was bent when hit by a car. The tire has been balanced, and Jason took her for a spin. I haven’t ridden … Continue readingBike upgrade!
The unfortunate thing about having a vintage bike is not being able to ride when it needs repairs. At least it’s simpler than a car, making it easier to fix. Though the battery charged properly when Georgia was in the shop to get inspected, about a month later, the battery started dying. Turns out, the … Continue readingFixing old Georgia and disasters
Jason told me never to park behind an SUV. But I forgot.đI suck. It was so quick. After going into the spot, I even moved the bike farther away from the SUV. I also looked in front of the car. There was a lot of space there. I should have parked there. Instead I parked … Continue readingNever park behind an SUV (or a truck)