Installing an ActionPacker

Acquired ActionPacker from Walmart - $18.48

For the other hardware, I chose 5/16"-18 t-nuts to go on the underside of the rack (the kind with the prongs, so they dig in to the underside of the rack and stay there).  I also used fender washers and lock nuts, and the bolts are 5/16"-18 x 3/4 inch.  I intended to use thumb screws so they would be "quick release", but Lowe's only had them in 1 inch length, which was too long for reasons to be revealed soon.

Removed rear rack.  Here is where it could have been done slightly differently perhaps.  We removed the metal backing on the rack and drilled the holes where we thought best.

Then, of course, drilled the holes in the ActionPacker.

Next, the t-nuts went into the holes in the rack.  Once they were partially in, I used the bolts and washers to crank them down so they are set in there good.  Here is how it looks - the four silver looking holes are the new holes with the t-nuts.

For some reason I thought it was a good idea to remove the metal plate on the underside of the rack before drilling the holes.  If the holes had been drilled a little more to the inside, they would have cleared the metal piece allowing for a longer bolt.  Not a big deal.  See the silver piece of t-nut from the underside after installation.

Another shot of the underside of the rack.

Hundreds of pennies were spent on the mounting hardware.

I may still go with the thumb screw option - these bolts are 3/4" long - attach or unattach with a 13mm socket in about a minute.

And now I am ready for Action.  I just need two matching padlocks for the handles.

farkleicious

next up... side luggage rack from Pack Rat.  Pelican 1550 cases from Caribou.  Crash bars and a center stand from Twisted Throttle.  Oh, and yesterday I got my top case.  $18.48 from Wally World.  It is, and always will be, the ActionPacker.

Wolfman

Wolfman is having a 19% off everything sale for another day.  Just ordered an Explorer Lite tank bag and rain cover.

http://www.wolfmanluggage.com/SpecialSale/10anniversary_sale.html

Mission: See a Honda XL700V Transalp

Mission accomplished. I set out to see The Honda that is not available in the US during my short stay in Brussels, Belgium. While I was at it, I figured that I'd try to see some of the crazy 125s that are available in the EU. Done.

It's not the most desirable motorcycle in the world. Its problems are well known. Too little power. Too much weight. Small fuel tank. No 6th gear. After seeing it in person, and throwing rationality aside, I say it is one of the coolest bikes on the plant. Mainly, it's due to exclusivity. They're made in Spain for the Europe market only.

Even the predecessor model Honda Transalp looks great. Of course, people go to marketing school for years in order to learn how to make a used motorcycle looked rugged in the showroom. The show bark and lumber really does the bike justice. It looks amazing.

Equally amazing, and equally done-up with bark and lumber, is the Honda Veradero 125. In Belgium, it's legal to ride a 125cc motorcycle with a car driver's license; no special motorcycle endorsement is necessary. Plus, the cost of gas today in Brussels is approximately $7.80US per gallon. Efficiency is key. Anyway, the little Veradero is amazing due to its big-bike build quality and tiny v-twin engine.

The Honda CBF125 is another top seller due to licensing requirements and cost of fuel. The lower selling price must be popular too because the tax rate in Belgium is a whopping 21% -- not as bad as Norway, but, wow, it is sky high!

I could not resist getting a couple of snap shots of the Honda Ruckus wearing Repsol colors and the European color black-and-white CBR1000RR. Both badass.

Odo-Day!

Happy Odo-Day to the KLR!

The lil' guy turned 17K on the way to work this morning. I can still remember when we rolled off the lot with less than 10 miles on the odometer. We've gone a long way in the past four years...

17K miles, I guess I should replace the stock doohickey and check the valves. --That is a good Odo-Day gift, right?

Come to think of it, I should replace the wheel bearings, rebuild the forks (with progressive springs), and get a new rear shock. Maybe that is what it gets when it turns 20K.

Fun at Tahuya

I'm thinking Pulitzer Prize here:

http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/kitsap/pat/news/107596218.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+kitsapnews+%28News+-+Kitsap+County%29

Pelican demo

Wilder, here is how you can open the Pelican case without stuff falling out. You can see the two straps on the inside, and a plastic hook that connects them in the middle.

Waiting at the door.

I spent the morning rescheduling jury duty and the rest of a long day at work.

Today was a good day. The package arrived.

I found the refinished cylinder block, new pistons, rings, pins and clips waiting for me on the doorstep when I got home.

The parts look great. A few more pieces of the puzzle are here. I can't wait to start putting the beast back together. I have to get the quote on the valve work and get that started. I know it will take the shop some time to get to the job once I approve a quote and tell them to start the project.

There is still a lot of clean up to do on the engine before I can start bolting parts back together. Like the squirrels, I am hoping to start tightening nuts in January. (I guess squirrels don't really tighten nuts, they just eat them.)

I need to start diving into the rest of the bike. I haven't done much with the rolling frame yet. I know I need a few major parts like the stock oil tank, left side cover, front fender and stays, tachometer, cables, seat, electronic ignition, and a new wiring harness to start the list.

It would be nice to come home every day and find a box of parts waiting for me.

Moto Show

Purchased a Moto Show ticket today.

Block Head and the Piston Rings

I ordered a cylinder block, pistons, rings, pins and clips Monday.

I had been waiting on a quote from a local machine shop to repair a small ding in the old cylinder block. The cost to repair a nick at the top of one of the cylinder sleeves, hone both holes, resurface the top of the block, purchase new pistons, rings, pins and clips was +/- $5 the cost of the pistons/rings/pins/clips and refinished block on eBay.

The new pistons are the same brand (Emgo) that the local shop was sourcing for me. The pistons are 0.040 over.

-As Dietrich says, "There is no replacement for displacement!"

I'm looking forward to the arrival of the new parts. I can try to sell the old cylinder block, or bring it to the office and use it as a pencil holder.

The transmission camplate arrived a couple weeks ago. The transmission is ready to go back in. It seems to shift through the gears with ease. I'm hoping that it still does once i get it back into the engine! The cylinder and pistons should arrive Monday. I'm still having the local shop seat the valves. I'm hoping I will be able to pick the head up by the end of the month.

Next parts to order is a stock oil tank and left side cover. I can sell the aluminum Webco oil tank on CraigsList to ease the blow to the pocket book. Returning this thing to (mostly) stock will be worth it in the end. -at least that is what I keep telling myself.

It is starting to come together, but the list of parts still needed seems to grow every time I look at it.