The Bonnie Logs, 2014 | |
November 13, 2014 ThursdayACliff/Boynton/FBay/Gville35 mi. 2C Sunny breaks 2:30-3:30 Wash Me! |
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After blasting yesterday's debris off the Bonnie in Ayers Cliff I took the Boynton Road and Amy over to Fitch Bay, and then Route 208 to Georgeville, where I looped back around using the increasingly familiar East Road. |
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November 12, 2014 WednesdayGeorgeville24 mi. 10C Overcast 47 minutes Ahead of Showers |
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Weather Network said "showers", CBC said "rain". There was light in the east when I got up and still no precipitation. After starting a fire in the cook stove and making a quick breakfast I decided that it would be better to have a ride sooner than later. Left the Castle at the stroke of eight. The Gravel was moist but ok so I went down the Under Bunker to Fitch Bay the Bay, through Fitch Bay the Witch, and over to Georgeville. Dark clouds were squeezing the light out of the sky by the time I got to G'ville and without stopping I continued on to the East road and looped homeward. When I reached Fitch Bay it was beginning to look as though night was falling and the clouds were spitting on us all the way home. Arrived back at 8:47. Now at 9:30 it's been "showering" steadily for the past half-hour; light steady rain, not straight down, blowing from the southwest. But even while it rains, the skies are getting brighter. Pretty sure I'll have a chance to pull up the carrots and beets as planned. Cold room's around 42-44F. |
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November 12, 2014 WednesdayMagog11 mi. Double Feature! |
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The sun came out at 2:30 and I pulled the carrots out of the garden and cleaned and bagged them. By 4:30 Bonnie and I were pushing off for a ride. Down to Under Bunker we discovered that the road grader had gone by during the(rainy) day. Mud wrestling anyone? Very tricky night time return approach to the Castle added much grass, leaves, and mud to the gray road splat. |
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November 11, 2014 TuesdayBurke Mountain123 mi. 12+ Sunny/Hazy 12-6 Reached the Peak |
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Delayed start, left at noon. Didn't look at thermometer before I left, but it had to be 10C. It was nearly 8 when I returned at six. One hour and 37 minutes from home to East Burke, nonstop except for border crossing. Took 91 to Orleans, Maple Hill to Barton, and Route 5 out of Barton as far as Underpass Road. Underpass Road runs parallel to Route 5, but instead of following the river along the valley bottom as Route 5 does, it climbs all the way to the top of the east face of the valley as it heads south. It's asphalt is narrow, somewhat bumpy, and very wet in fall and spring. It straight-lines to Sutton and on the way transforms from forest corridor to panoramic views. Heading south, just before Sutton, Underpass intersects King George Road which forks into it. King George is a major entry into the network of scenic gravel roads that cover the hilly slopes above Calendar Brook. The Brooke flows through the north-south valley nearly dead center between Interstate 91 on the west and Route 5 on the east: a yam-shaped area about six by twelve miles at its widest and longest points. On this day I left Underpass on gravel (sand, really) to intersect King George and follow it back to Underpass and into Sutton. God I just love this town's downtown intersection! More spokes than a saloon fight, and every one with a beckoning siren. I'd followed Calendar Brook before along its lovely namesake road with more curves than a 22-inning baseball game. So, "eeny, meeny, miny, moe"... Burke Road it was. Then, with Burke Mountain now almost always in view, I turned south on Gaskel Hill Road, enjoying the blue skies, warm sun, and fabulous southern and western mountain views. The bottom of Gaskel Hill teed into Route 5 and I turned left (north) and then following my unfailing sense of direction (cue hysterical laughter) I turned right on Bugbee Crossing Road, just a few hundred yards up Route 5. Off Bugbee Crossing, I couldn't resist a right onto Bumps Road (Closed in Winter) which I converted after a mile or two into a loop back to Bugbee Crossing with a right on West Darling Hill. Continuing on Bugbee Crossing was taking me further north so I veered around to the south by taking Burke Hollow and that took me all the way down to East Burke and the Mountain. A serendipitous serpentine scenic route. Gassed up at the East Burke Sunoco station at 1:37pm. Across the street I had a bowel, make that bowl, of chili at the general store and learned that the Toll Road indeed did have snow and ice at the top and was probably closed. But the store guy, who also works on the mountain, said that if it was open I could probably get as far as "the pavilion". The first toll road gate was open, but the second one was closed and locked. I cut the motor in front of the toll collector's cabin and sat waiting for someone to come out. No one did, so I kicked over the Bonnie and we went around the gate. I made it one switchback past the pavilion before snow and ice made their first appearance. I turned the Bonnie around (carefully - god but that road's steep), parked her on the side, and continued on foot. Funny how mountains are. You know that if you keep walking up the mountain you must inevitably reach the top. But it's always being much further than you imagined and eventually doubts begin to creep in... could this be one of them Escher-esque mountains? Well, no. I did make it to the top, but only after the old radiator boiled over and forced me to remove numerous layers of clothing. It was surprisingly pleasant at the peak. Although the skies were becoming increasingly hazy, there were only scattered clouds and even at it's low level on the horizon the sun felt intense and warm. The wind was constant, but somewhat variable in intensity. I was fine for some time taking pictures at the peak among the trees without jacket and shirt, but as I climbed the observation tower the wind intensified and as I reached the half-way point it had become a continuous hard blast of cold air. Holding on to pack, camera, and tower frame for dear life I took a few pictures and then climbed back down, totally chilled! Meanwhile, back on earth...When I finally returned to earth I was surprised to discover that it seemed even warmer than when I left. Global warming probably accelerated during my absence. I'd planned on taking 5A north to Willoughby and then over to Barton on Willoughby Lake Road (Route 16), but I missed 5A and wound up taking 5 all the way back to Barton. From Barton I went up 91 to Newport and took Hinneman Settler Road into Derby Center. It was already dark when I stopped at Derby Village Store to pick up some vittles. Topped up the tank in Derby Line, crossed the border, and made a beeline for home on the autoroute. The Hermitage was completely dark and there was only starlight to guide me from the Castle to the Newhouse. Under the clear starry sky it was still ten degrees centigrade. The house was still warm from this morning's fire. Great ending for a great day. |
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November 10, 2014 MondaySeymour Lake56 mi. 4C Solid cloud cover 9:50-11:30 Snow Drifts |
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From Derby Line the Valley Road through Holland down to Vt 111 and Seymour Lake. West on 111. There was a fair bit of snow laying about on the high ground around Holland. Hoping to see Jeff of Cycles Unlimited I stopped at the shop but it was closed. Too bad, at that point I was thinking of buying a skidoo suit if he any my size. Went up the east side of Lake Derby and got on the incomparable Nelson Hill Road (more terns than a Long Island landfill) back to Derby Line via Herrick Hill. Just as I pulled over on the most scenic stretch of Nelson Hill Road, clouds to the south opened enough to send dozens of shafts of soft sunlight down upon the mountains along the south and west horizons. When I looked above Herrick Hill behind me to the North, the sky was nearly black. There actually were snow drifts along the road below the steep hill that pastures the work horses from the family farm down in the hollow below. Up to the top of Herrick Hill from which I coasted back down to Derby Line before crossing into Rock Island. Passed up the quick autoroute trip for the scenic Hackett and McShane out of Stanstead, past Tomifobia, around Fitch Bay the bay, and up the Under Bunker. Was a bit chilly on the ride, but not at all terribly uncomfortable. I didn't realize how chilled I was until I got back to the house. Fortunately LA had the Dutchwest rolling and after a hot lunch I'm ready to go outside and work. Fifty-six miles with stops only for border crossings and a quick mail check in Derby Line.
Tomorrow is supposed to be partly sunny, partly cloudy and 12C. My plan is to go back roads to Burke Mountain through Orleans, Barton, and West Burke. Then, unless it's snow- covered, take the toll road up to the top of the mountain. Possibly returning by way of Newark and Long Ponds, then Job's Pond and Island Pond and Seymour Lake. |
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November 9, 2014 SundayAround the Block15 mi. 4C Balmy |
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November 6, 2014 ThursdayEverywhere!45 mi. 9C/6C 2 - 3:30 Bathtime for Bonnie |
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Took the Bonnie down to Ayers Cliff for a good cleaning at Crooks' carwash. Hadn't cleaned her since end of August so the layers of oil and grease and mud from fall riding were getting pretty thick. After drying off the Bonnie with a dish towel I decided she could use a little blow dry. Turned into an hour-and-a-half blow job: forty-five miles from Ayer's Cliff to Burrough's Falls, Ways Mills, Stanstead (almost), back to Ways Mills, Kingscroft, Hatley, Massawippi, and finally back to Ayer's Cliff and home. Hadn't bothered to put on my longjohns just to go down to Ayer's Cliff so I was pretty chilled by the time I got back. I hadn't lit a fire all day at home, but the house felt really warm when I came through the front door. This entire ride is a riot of turns, curves, hills, corners, dips and rises, and scenic views in all directions. The views south and west from Langlois are especially wonderful. Like some of the views from chemin Province that I was on yesterday down around Mansonville, these are "conveyor belt views", i.e. when the foreground scenery is sliding by the distant views.
Ankle's still bothering me. Hurts to shift so whenever I could I bent down and shifted with my hand. |
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November 5, 2014 WednesdayAround Lake Memphremagog86 mi. 7C 2:30-5:30 Evrone knows its Windy |
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Around the Lake on another windy and balmy afternoon. Windy as in "wild and windy". There were showers in the forecast, but none fell on me and the sun was blasting through clearings in the clouds and shining its magic lantern across the landscape. Took chemin Girl's Camp along the Lake and stopped over at the abandoned cottage long enough to climb down to lake level and take some photos. After going over Owl's Head I followed the scenic route along chemins Province Hill and Bellevue and then Airport Road over to 243 and the North Troy/Highwater border crossing. I passed up the chance to drop by Big Falls, and Paddy's Snack Bar was closed. Turned up Vance Hill Road in Newport Center and watched the sun setting behind the mountains from the top before taking Lake Road into Newport. Around the other side of the Lake and down Darling Hill Road before popping up in Derby Line for gas and then heading home. |
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November 4, 2014 TuesdayBoynton/Tomofobia/F Bay20 mi. 7C Heavy overcast Balmy! |
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From Ayers Cliff I took the Boynton road all the way to Ticehurst Corners and then Amy all the way to Under Bunker. Stopped by JP's for a visit. Very balmy evening - very comfy in light gloves. There were many deer out in the fields in spite of pickup trucks (hunters) parked everywhere. An easy landing tonight as I raked and mowed the runway yesterday and today. The hill up to the orchard finally dried out - just in time for rain tonight and tomorrow morning. When I kicked the Bonnie over the first time yesterday she kicked back and slapped my foot pretty hard. All day today it felt like I had shin splints, but lower, just above the ankle. The ankle is swollen and it hurts to pivot my foot up and down - as in using the shift lever. |
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November 3, 2014 MondayMagog/Magoon Point/Fitch Bay37 mi. 2C Skies clearing 4:30-6:00 (DST) Millionare Row |
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Filled the Bonnie in Magog (PetroCan 94) before heading towards Georgeville as the setting sun blazed across the Lake. Took it slow to watch the show - no traffic - and took ch Magoon out of the village. Pulled over to watch the sunset at the top of millionaire row before taking chemins Camber, Jones, Merrill, and Narrows back up to Fitch Bay and Under Bunker. Quite toasty with long johns under my jeans and warm mitts. |
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November 2, 2014 SundayKatevale15 mi. -2C Very strong North wind |
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November 1, 2014 SaturdayRain & Snow Showers |
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October 31, 2014 FridayFitch Bay/Georgeville/Magog30 mi. Chemin Noel |
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Down the Under Bunker to Fitch Bay where I took chemin Noel from the east side next to the cemetary. I had hoped to stop at the gigantic rock formations I discovered the last time but there was a car parked right in front of them - hunter I figured, so I pressed on to P.Snow. I gave a friendly wave to the gentleman on the P.Snow porch and he waved back. I cut my engine just after and coasted to a stop part way down the hill where stopped for ten minutes to gaze at Fitch Bay, Lake Memphremagog, and their intersection. Afterwards I continued on to Georgeville for a stop at the wharf before heading north on 247 and hanging a right on the East Road back towards Fitch Bay. |
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October 30, 2014 ThursdayFitch Bay/Georgeville/Magog26 mi. |
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October 29, 2014 WednesdayMagog/Georgeville/Fitch Bay26 mi. 5-6:10 Magenta Tsunami |
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As the sun was setting I left Magog on 247 for Georgeville. The entire way was a front row seat to a veritable tsunami of magenta breaking over the western skyline of Lake Memphremagog. Clouds all around the horizon were lit up with reflections of the intense reds in the west. I returned to the Castle at 6:10 after a dark ride up the Under Bunker. |
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October 28, 2014 TuesdayHatley/Compton/Martinville44 mi. 5-6:30 Honey Wagons Everywher |
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Showers yielded to clearing skies around 4 pm and I convinced myself to take a Bonnie ride. I finally shoved off at five. Thought I'd ride out to Bob's, say "hi", and turn around for home, but the sun was already setting by the time I got to Martinville and I chickened out and turned around. All the farms were spreading manure and the air was heavy with it. The flashing yellow lights of tractors were everywhere and the stretches of road from barns to fields were covered with a slick of cow shit. The ride back was fabulous - a glorious red sunset overlooked by a first quarter moon. And an eerie, low-hanging fog filled the hollows and crept across the fields. Considerable fish-tailing on the final approach to the Bonnie Castle as the muddy grassy landing strip is covered in leaves and very wet. Depart: 5; Return: 6:30; Distance: 44 mi. |
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October 27, 2014 MondayKatevale/MagogRiding in the Rain |
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It was after five when I pushed the Bonnie out of the Castle under a heavy, dark-gray sky. I gassed up in Ayer's Cliff before going up to Katevale via Chemin de la Montagne. Great sunset - I stopped to watch from Chemin de la Summet. If I'd have turned around for home in Katevale I'd have been ok, but instead I headed for Magog. Rain drops soon became more frequent and as they turned to rain I jumped on the Autoroute for a quick return home and into the Castle. Got wetted down pretty good, but short of being soaked. |
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October 26, 2014 SundayKatevaleSt Cat de Hat |
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Up to Katevale on ch de la Montagne and then over to Chemin Brule. What a nice road ch Brule is! Found it more interesting going east than going west as I do usually. Rain started on the way back, but not heavy enough to make road-splash. |
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October 15, 2014 WednesdayMagog-Georgeville-Fitch Bay 25C, shirt-sleeves |
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October 14, 2014 TuesdayAround Lake Memphremagog Sunset skies, windy |
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October 13, 2014 MondayKatevale |
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September 28, 2014 SundayNorton-I Pond-Willoughby-BrowningtonThree Ponds |
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Bob and I met up in Compton and headed down to Island Pond via Norton. Took a break in Island Pond before heading up to Job's Pond. Job's was the only pond in the vicinity between Island Pond and Lake Willoughby that I hadn't visited before. I consider it to be perhaps the most beautiful of all, nestled below impressive hills and dramatic cliffs. For us, on this day, the whole scene was simply vibrating with the intensity of peak foliage. After blowing our minds on the extraordinary colors along three ponds (Job's, Bald Hill, and Long ponds), we rode down the hill to Lake Willoughby where we jumped on the smooth scenic asphalt over to Crystal Lake and Barton. More smooth surface between Barton and Orleans on the twisty up and down Maple Hill Road. From Orleans to Brownington we improvised on the standard Tar Box/Frog Pond roads taking instead Churchill off of 58. That turned into Hinneman Settler Road and we stopped in Brownington to go up in the observation tower before continuing on to Derby and the border. Absolute Top Dead PeakThere's that one moment of one day each fall when the foliage reaches a moment of absolute peak perfection. This year, 2014, that moment (in Brownington at least) occurred exactly during the time that Bob and I were looking out from the observation tower. See if you don't agree after looking at the photos of this trip. |
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August 19, 2014 TuesdayTrouble-shooting blackoutsPull 1x if answr req'd |
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Have spent several days tracing and diagramming the wiring and "cleaning up" suspect connections. Experienced "blackouts" several times in the shop. Finally, it all comes down to there being two ways to restore the power when it blacks out. 1) Playing around with the wires on the switch, as I did on the road on 14 August (below), and also one other time, either in the shop or on the road. 2) Grasping the harness where it comes out from the gas tank and crosses the neck and gently tugging forward and upward. The latter corrected the electrical fault twice. The obvious conclusion is that there's an intermittent connection (possibly in the headlamp shell) that gets connected when the wiring is pulled. I no longer think that the ignition switch could be the problem. I've already looked at looms. They are still about the same price as when I replaced Bonnie's ten years ago - about $160. But I think my best bet would be to make my own loom since the layout of the components in Bonnie's electrical system does not match any Triumph factory model (i.e. position of ignition switch and zenner diode). Something for next winter. Meanwhile I will ride with a complement of tools and materials which will allow me to overcome any recurrence of these electrical blackouts. |
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August 15, 2014 FridayBonnie dies again!Lucas! |
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Spent a few hours trouble-shooting and creating a wiring diagram for the Bonnie. Eventually realized that the problem is NOT the ignition switch, it's the LIGHTING switch - the one I just replaced. Pretty sure of this because yesterday eveing I thought I'd take a short ride. The Bonnie started right up, but died as I flipped on the high beam. In the shop I measured 12.6v on the supply side of the ignition switch and 12.6v on the switched side - until I turned on the key and then voltage fell to zero. Pulled leads off switched side and then I had voltage there with key on. Replaced switched side leads and then began disconnecting wires until voltage re-appeared at the switched terminals. Hit a bingo when I pulled off the brown/white lead to terminal 4 on the headlight switch. Terminal 4 is the feed to the switch and was the LAST lead I pulled off the switch. Looks to me as though the switch itself is grounding out. |
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August 14, 2014 ThursdayBonnie dies againIgnition Switch? |
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On a short ride around Derby the Bonnie dies on Nelson Hill. No electrics. Got back on the road in less than three minutes by moving ignition leads on switch over to the double terminal connecting the battery to the ignition switch. Anyone familiar with the Triumph ignition switch could hotwire one of these things blindfolded. My conclusion is that the ignition switch is intermittent. It wouldn't be the first time. Back home I order a new switch from MAPCycle. |
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August 12, 2014 TuesdayBreakdown at CBERather do it myself! |
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On our way home Bob and I stop at Classic Bike Experience in Essex. After an hour or so there Bonnie won't start - electrics dead. Dave the mechanic checks ignition timing and fiddles around for nearly two and a half hours before hotwiring the Pazon through a handlebar switch. Also leaves the zenner diode ungrounded and smears grease over the entire bike. Bob and I both make it home before the rain, which ultimately doesn't arrive until early Tuesday morning. |
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June 30, 2014 MondayBig DiscoveryPlugs never fail? |
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Installed new coils and the bike is still running erratically on one cylinder. I got the idea to swap spark plugs and the problem followed one of the plugs. It seems like the ignition problems I've been experiencing for weeks may have all been due to a bad spark plug. I luck out and find two sets of plugs at Canadian Tire. When I come home and put in new plugs the Bonnie roars to life and all the anomalies dissappear. |
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June 25, 2014 WednesdaySix Volt Coils |
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Went to Lennoxville and picked up Bob's six-volt coils. They look kinda pinched but they're suppossed to be good. After cleaning and installing the coils the bike started quite easily and then began missing after about 10 or 15 seconds. After another 4 or 5 seconds it quit altogether. Did this twice. Classic symptoms of shorted coil windings. Came back to the house and ordered 2 six-volt coils from MAPCycle. Had to spring for the $69 apiece "high output" models because they were out of the $23 Emgo units. Also ordered new HT leads. |
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June 24, 2014 TuesdayPazon Installed |
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Bob rode down from Lennoxville yesterday with his spare Pazon unit for me to try. This morning I pulled off the AAU, points, and condensers and installed the Pazon. Initial Results
I took a test run down Vallieres and I thought I was going to pull a wheelie when I hit second. Back at the shop I checked over the carbs and noticed that the lock nuts on the cable slack adjusters were loose. Began re-adjusting and re-syncing the carbs and that's when I discovered that the bike would run on the left cylinder alone, but not on the right cylinder alone. I decided to order 6-volt coils from MAPCycle but Bob said he had an old pair that were ok so I'm going to pick them up tomorrow in Lennoxville. |
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June 7, 2014 SaturdayAround Lake Memphremagog100 mi. Wrench 'n Ride |
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Spent entire morning in shop dealing with issues:
Around the LakeLeft around 2pm for a ride around Lake Memphremagog taking every gravel road known to man as far as North Troy. I missed ch Aeroport from Bellevue so ended up taking a really nice loop along ch de Province Hill back to ch Leadville and then back to Bellevue and Aeroport. Stopped at Paddie's for supper and then took a walk-around at Big Falls before heading on to Newport and the border. 52.6 mpg |
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June 6, 2014 FridaySAAQ RegistrationNew Adjusters Tops! |
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Before leaving for Magog SAAQ I readjusted valve clearances. The new allen head adjusters are so much easier than the original square locking screws. The allen wrench makes it easy guage adjustments while loosening or tightening the lock nuts with a Whitworth boxend wrench. Got my new registration at the SAAQ at the same cost as last year - $469. That's with the discount of later registration. Returning to the Bonnie Castle, I felt inspired to finally fix the broken brakelight wire. Lots of fun fishing around and removing the wire cover on the inside of the rear fender. Good to have working tailight and brakelights though. |
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June 6, 2014 FridayEvening ride BBPlain/Derby/Charleston/Morgan/Holland 65 MilesThe Bad & The Good |
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The Bad
The Good
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June 5, 2014 ThursdayInitial run-inGasket Compression |
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Even though I set the valve clearances wider than spec, the valves were getting tight after several minutes of running. I checked torque on headbolts. Will let the engine cool off until this afternoon and readjust the valves. |
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June 5, 2014 ThursdayFirst ride FitchBay/Georgeville/Magog/Ste Cat 42 MilesValve Adjustments |
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Re-set valve clearances, about a thou over spec for intake and exhaust. Will readjust tomorrow if necessary for .002 and .004". |
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June 4, 2014 WednesdayWinter Maintenance CompleteWork Executed |
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Work done/components replaced
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June 3, 2014 TuesdayCables/Gas tank |
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May 31, 2014 SaturdayRear wheel/brakesIssues |
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After installing rear wheel, the speedo gearbox wanted to turn with the wheel. Eventually I removed the wheel and really tightened the axle nuts while using a 20" length of steel pipe to actuate the brake shoes. Afterward, the gearbox stayed put, but there was so much friction it made the rear wheel difficult to rotate. After 3 miles on the road the wheel rotated perfectly except for a slight binding half way around. After 10 miles, the wheel rotated very freely with no binding whatsoever. Center those shoes!And the rear brake works great - gone is the "pulsing" effect when braking. |
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May 27, 2014 TuesdayAssembly continuesMetal Bits |
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Draining the crankcase oil I found the metal bits missing from the two intake tappets I replaced. I gave the crankcase and oil reservoir screen filters a careful cleaning, installed a new oil filter, and topped up the oil. Before refilling the oil I replaced the inside oil line - it was chaffed from rubbing on the frame (center stand I think) and I had one already measured and cut from the last time. Replacement was 3/16 short of ideal length, but should be ok. Also refilled fork oil and drained and replaced gear box oil. ChopsticksHave finally discovered a quick, easy, and pretty greaseless way to thread the chain back onto the top of the rear sprocket: use a chopstick! Pass the chopstick through the spokes and insert the tapered end into the empty hole at the end of the chain. Makes chain on a stick, and easy to manipulate into place without ever touching it. |
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May 18, 2014 SundayAssembled steering head/front forks |
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May 17, 2014 SaturdayAssembled front/back axles |
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May 8, 2014 ThursdayDisassembled cylinder block |
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April 26, 2014 Saturday1:30 Disassembled front axle |
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April 25, 2014 FridayParts Order |
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Placed a third order with MAPCycle. Washed up triple tree and brake back plate to make them more presentable when I take them for powder coating in Magog. |
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April 25, 2014 Friday1:30 Disassembled front forks |
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April 24, 2014 Thursday3 hoursRocker Boxes |
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Stripped, cleaned, and polished the rocker boxes. Interesting DiscoveryPulling out the rocker spindles I discovered that I didn't even fit the intake spindle with an o'ring the last time I put it together. Back to Triumph Mechanic School for me! (As if I ever left). I even kinda remember being so pleased about how easily one of the spindles went in at the time. Moles are cool people, but I should really get some glasses. But here's something else interesting. The intake spindle with no o'ring didn't leak oil. The exhaust spindle (with o'ring) was the leaking one! |
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April 23, 2014 Wednesday4:00hrsBrakes |
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Took apart rear brake and cleaned all the grease and oil off the backing plate. There was plenty. I'm hoping that this will be less of an issue in the future as I recently began curbing my excess exuberance in applying chain saw bar oil to the rear chain. Also pulled apart front brake for inspection - linings are almost down to the rivets. Going to replace linings front and back. Cleaned, wire-brushed, and polished many parts and continued cleaning and polishing engine and frame in general. Measured the lengths of all the control cables and recorded them in my database program. Ordered K70 and Tsubaki chain from BikeBandit. Ran down parts listings in preparation of next MAPCycle order. |
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April 22, 2014 Tuesday4:00hrsShop Time |
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Cleaning and polishing parts and sorting out re-assembly order and orientations for rear axle parts. Got old speedo cable off the knackered gear box using a torch to heat up the screw-on fixture. Cleaned brake drum bolts and reinstalled on hub using Loctite Blue. |
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April 20, 2014 Sunday2:00hrsStraightening Up |
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Put away tools that were scattered all about and cleaned up work areas and parts. Pulled parts from inventory and organized them along with new parts to be ready for installing them. |
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April 17, 2014 ThursdayWrenching 6:00hrsDisassembly |
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Removed front fender, tire, forks, and triple-tree. Removed all parts from rear wheel, including brake drum, sprocket, bearings, spacers, etc. etc. Cleaning and polishing. |
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April 11, 2014 FridayMAP Parts Order #2 |
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Ordered wheel bearings (4), fork oil seals, speedo gearbox, and rocker spindle o'rings. |
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April 9, 2014 Wednesday2:00hrsTear-Down Begins |
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I'd previously removed gas tank, carbs, and seat. Today I removed the back wheel and chain guard, exhaust system, coils, and rocker boxes. Speedo gear box is trash - broken metal where cable threads on and I can't remove the old cable because male threaded portion just turns in the body of the sending unit. Gasket release on the rocker box gaskets was a good idea - for the first time ever those gaskets didn't break up and leave pieces stuck to the head. |