4-27-07

Phoenix (rising from the ashes) The Black Dog rides again.

I finally got around to dealing with the Black Dog that crashed last year. I got out my ( farmer style) motorcycle hoist and started to work stripping it down. I knew I needed to replace the frame and front end as they were bent beyond repair.

The Fat dog and the Yellow dog didn’t want to watch the gory dismemberment. 

The bent stuff.

This is the old parts R90 bike I picked up in Goldfield, Nevada this winter. 

I had a hell of a time getting every thing tied down and ready to roll over to Bob’s shop. I had asked Bob if I could come over to his shop and work on my bike project and maybe help him out on any of his projects that might need heavy lifting or strength. Bob has been recovering from surgery and had just recently returned to very light duty in his shop.

Since I was going to be in the area I loaded up the Honda 450 that I had given to Sam. I planned on taking it on over to him so he wouldn’t have to come all the way over to my camp to get it. It was quite a strange looking load I had on that little trailer.

The train ready to leave camp

Bob had just finished the restoration of this little R26 bike. It is sure a sweetie and it is displayed on the new motorcycle hoist that a friend gave him. It is really a nice little hoist and Bob let me use it for my bike project. Harbor freight is selling then for three hundred bucks

The first stage was to strip the old parts bike of everything except the front end and frame.

The next step is to take out the old motor and install the one from the crashed bike.

Bob comes by and said that I could probably just wrap some old garbage bags around these gators and duct tape them in place. He thought it would be good enough for any bike of mine……

There were a lot of wires to strip off the old bent frame and get the motor ready to transfer. These motors are heavier than they look and as it happened Saturday was a nice day and a couple of guys showed up on bikes.

I got Mark and Doctor Bob to help me swap engines and it went smoothly. It sure is nice to have help. Bob watched and gave advice…..

Bob noticed that the rear main seal and maybe the oil pump were leaking so I had him replace those seals.

While we were at it I had him replace the clutch with one we took out of the other motor which appeared to be new.

Bob is placing a thin layer of white crease on the clutch diaphragm that lets it move more easily.

On Sunday I took a trip into Red Lodge for groceries and on the way back I stopped in Joliet and talked with a guy that restores old Airstream trailers.

I was saying that I had a bubble and he said that he had one too over on the other side of the building. ‘Oh yeah’ well why don’t we go see. He actually had two trailers over there. One is a Bubble like the one in front and the other is a Bambi that he is working on for his own personal trailer. He said that he would sell the Bubble. I just took a quick look and it is a little rough in spots but as he said “good enough for a cowboy”.

Back in the shop on Monday morning I started installing the wiring harness and then adjusting the valves.

I had Bob do his magic with the carburetors and he is installing them here. 

It sure surprised me how long it takes to put one of these motorcycles back together again. I had Bob go over the front forks and we found that they needed to be taken totally apart and bottoming bumpers installed. All the wheel bearings were serviced as well as the fork bearings which needed a new bottom bearing and race.

The bike is finally off the stand and getting its final fluid levels checked and topped off.

This sure was a handy little stand.

The finished product that evening we took it outside and started it up. I forgot to take a picture of it smoking on the right side from the oil that must have leaked into the muffler when it lay on its side after the accident.

Now here you can view a 'dare devil' about to take a motorcycle, I put together, for a test ride. He is a VERY brave man……

While I waited for him to return I grabbed the little camera and snapped this view from the front of the shop. The fields are just starting to green up and it looks like good snow pack on the mountains for irrigation this summer. Bob and Anne have forty acres that they lease out to the local farmer for hay production. Last year the farmer replanted half the field and this year he broke up the other half.

As you can see he made it back safely and went in and got out his favorite motorcycle a R100S that he has ridden over 150,000 miles.

It was a wonderful day and we went for a little ride so I could check out the bike. After riding the R80GS bikes for so long it was very different to be back on that Black dog and it will take me a while to get comfortable riding it again. It handles SO different than the Fat dog and the Bloodhound.

This is Bob’s sidecar rig.

I offered a couple of stickers for it. I wonder how many people will think it is a BMW…

Loaded up and ready to go back to camp. I had a great time as usual when I am over at the shop with Bob. Anne had me down for supper several nights and it is always a treat to sit at her table. She is a gourmet cook and sets a beautiful table.

A small pack of dogs.   Black, Fat, Yellow, and the Old dog.  When I get the other two bikes (Bloodhound and R75/6) back from Bob’s it should make a nice size pack.