New Page: Bikes I've Ridden - With Brief Impressions!

Hi all,

I've created a page to share my impressions of every bike I've ever ridden. This started as a simple list on my own computer when I realized how many bikes I've had the privilege of riding. This is basically so I don't forget which bikes I've tried and what I thought of them. Y'all might find it interesting.

Without further ado: Bikes I've Ridden - With Brief Impressions!

A100 Restoration: DiscountBikeSpares Haul

Hello all,

Short update today to share this photo of the haul of parts I just received from DiscountBikeSpares.co.uk (which is becoming one of my favorite site for A100 parts!)

Here is the packing list:

• SHOES, BRAKE, A100, A50, AP50 (x2)
• BAND, OIL TANK GT250, T350. BATTERY, A100, AP50, GT185, GS850/750, GP1
• CARBURETTOR REPAIR KIT, A100
• HOSE, CARBURETTOR AIR OUTLET, A100
• FILTER, AIR, A100
• WASHER, LOCK, REAR SPROCKET BOLTS, AP50, A100, A50, TS250(x2)
• GASKET, HEAD LAMP LENS, A100, A50, AP50, GP125, GP100, GT125
• GRIP, THROTTLE, A100, A50, AP50
• GRIP, LEFT HAND, AP50, A100, A501
• RUBBER, FRONT FOOTREST, T500, A100, A50(x2)
• GASKET, TANK CAP, GT750/185, GS, TS, RE5, AP, GP

Shipping : £8.99
Total£111.28

Which translates to about a bazillion Canadian dollars (Actually 224.66CAD). So glad Suzuki reused so many parts for multiple bikes. Really makes it easier to find stuff!

Calgary To San Francisco Motorcycle Trip

Video summary from my trip to San Francisco from Calgary. All helmet cam footage taken from the Garmin VIRB.

Ride Report: Adventure Without Limits Charity Ride

This is so old now but thought I should post it. This happened back on July 18, 2015. It was a charity ride for the Cerebral Palsy Association in Alberta. 

This group ride was also the first leg of Alan Connor's solo ride to the Arctic Circle. Shot on my Garmin VIRB helmet cam.

Check out Alan's site: http://www.adventurewithoutlimits.com/

A100 Restoration: Sprockets, Chains, and Stuff

Some progress has been made on the A100 out of province inspection mission. Keep in mind - my goal is to do the absolute minimum to get this bike to pass the inspection so I can register it. Once it is registered, I plan to tear it all apart and restore it properly.

Here is a list of things I've done recently:

• Checked brake wear
• Changed oil (both the CCI and Transmission oil)
• Adjusted clutch 
• Added reflectors (more on that later)
• Changed both sprockets and the chain
• Fixed high/low beam switch which had rattled loose and required a wee bit of soldering

Here are a couple images from changing the sprockets:

Old vs. New

The pump for the 2-stroke oil injection
(note all the dirt, he wasn't lying when he said it was a farm bike)

I also was forced to add some RIDICULOUS reflectors for the inspection because Alberta law requires amber reflectors on the front of the bike and reds on the rear. Of course, the first thing anyone does when they get a new bike here is remove these eyesores. I made a trip to Princess Auto to re-eyesore this bike. Yuck.

Here is a shot of the brake shoes if anyone is interested.

The little cam on the right rotates when brake is applied which pushes shoes against drum

Also here is a shot of the stock regulator which is giving me all this trouble:

Stupid.

And here is a photo of the inside of the headlight/signal switch casing. Luckily, the loose wire was immediately identified and I repaired it with little difficulty. I'm always nervous taking apart little fiddly bits like this in case I can't get them back together, Top tip: take photos!!!

Until next time.

A100 Restoration: Regulators and Regulation Issues

Regulator

Good news: my diode arrived in the mail! This is the zener diode which I was going to use as a regulator. Bad news: is that the headlight is just as dim with the new one. I believe that I might actually need a bidirectional zener diode to use as the regulator - this would give me the full regulated wave rather than just the half which I had with my first attempt. New zeners have been ordered which I will use to try to construct the second iteration by putting 2 regular 50W zeners in series as shown below:

This circuit should produce an AC signal clamped between (Vz + Vf) and -(Vz + Vf) where Vz is the zener voltage and Vf is the forward voltage of the zener. Hopefully it looks something like this:

Left: From engine, Right: After Regulator

In any case, I will give it a try.

Regulation

My other problem: for some reason Nordic Insurance requires that I register my bike within a certain time period of insuring the bike. This is different from my previous dealing with Intact Insurance. I am now unable to get my inspection done in time so the insurance policy will have to lapse. Unfortunately this means I will lose a bit of money. I thought I was being clever and proactive by getting my insurance sorted out so quickly, It is very annoying indeed. 

Anyway, more parts and stuff has been arriving lately in the mail. Will update on all that soon.

Motorcycle Observations YYC - Episode 1

Little break from the A100 content (mode coming soon though!) to show a quick helmet camera shot of this guy generally being an ass. Just caught a glimpse of this clown in my mirror before he decided to pass me in the same lane.