Saturday, April 24, 2010

Flaming Vee update

The plastic guard screw loosens, allowing the the guard to rotate into the pipe.
Here's where it should be - holding the brake line AWAY from the pipe.

A cooked brake line.

... and a dumped bike.

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

On fire.... again @#$%^!!!

Last fall, "moto weekend" (a planned trip to Skyline Drive thru Virginia) survived a last minute riding partner bail-out and dark skies and light rain. I lost the back brake an hour from home near Reading, PA. Still undaunted, I called work and had Steph google me the closest Suzuki dealerships and entered them in my GPS. Limping in to a dealer near Hamburg, PA, I finally conceded defeat and headed home. They didn't have parts in stock anyway.

Today while riding around Boyertown/ Pottstown, I was trying to find a big dealership (can't remember the name, but I know I'd been there). Sure enough, there in my GPS are two Suzuki moto dealers, so I plotted a course and headed for the first one. When I hit rt222, I knew I plotted the wrong one, but I was only a few miles from Hamburg, so I pushed on. Back brakes died pulling into the first one, which was "closed for business." Onward to the second dealer - I limped into that same dealership from last fall with no back brake at all. Curious as to where the leak was, I pushed the pedal, heard a squirt, and caught the bike on fire.

Apparently the back brake line is perilously close to the rear pipe, and the leak directed fluid right onto it, which somehow caught a plastic guide on fire.
Hurried into the dealership to ask for a bucket of water because my bike was on fire out front. After what seemed like FAR too long given the circumstance, the dealer guy reappeared with a bucket, which did the job.

Needless to say, they don't stock the part.

I disconnected the pedal to avoid more squirting and zip-tied the burst line to the frame away from the hot rear cylinder exhaust pipe. With a strange sense of deja vu, I rode home from the Suzuki dealer in Hamburg with no back brakes and screwed up riding plans.

Stainless steel Galfer lines on order from Blackman's.

Saturday, April 10, 2010

Saturday, April 03, 2010

Fitzer's Reading Ride video

The last hurray for the Dunlop D607. Still some snow on the ground.

3/9/10. I think the scratchy dialogue at the beginning is:

Steve: "you suck."
Fitzer: "uhhnnn."

Don't take pics with your throttle hand

The Vee scoots down 22W thru the LV.

Cliff in the rear view.

Cliff on the C50 - I think this is between Airport Rd and Fullerton Ave exits.

I'm guessing that's the new stuff on the south side of 22 right at the Airport Rd exit - can't make out the sign.

Cliff waiting to turn onto 512S.

I think it's the same spot as the last pic.