Detroit Mural Hunting

Wasn't sure if I would get out or not today; managed a few hour jaunt this afternoon into the somewhat apocalyptic inner city - had the urge lately for some mural hunting.

Inner city murals really speak to me.

 Glad to see it taking off like it is, all over the U.S. - especially the blight ridden cities trying to make a rebound.

Still lots of devastated area all over the city !!!


Whole blocks of inner city that look like they are out in the country due to all the houses being completely gone; it's really weird and eerie.

Then an occasional burned down house in the midst of a clearing.

 Hard to believe, but as I stopped in front of this house, the most beautiful, large, Ring Neck Pheasant ran out from under the porch and trotted off through the grass - talk about bizarre and out of place - thought I was seeing things. You could be in a lush woods all day and never see such a wonderful looking bird, but a ride through the ghetto .... and there he is.

The world really is upside down.









But, if you keep looking hard enough, eventually you come across some positive strength - and at least a glimpse of hope ........



....... and then some earth shattering and compassionate beauty - Sew that heart up baby !!!

Evolution Road King

Garage time with the old Harley.




 Amongst other things, the carburetor has been dissected.

  Replacing it with the ever popular Mikuni was considered, but after a lot of reading, the realization that the stock unit performs exceptional under a variety of conditions has materialized.

The Mikuni does have an edge, especially if you build a radical engine, but considering the price and my plans of a relaxed riding style with this bike it is not necessary at this time.

First thing was to note the current state of tune of this Keihin CV (Constant Velocity) Carburetor and compare it to the sound recommendations that have been gathered and decide if any course of action needs to be taken.

 A lot of Harleys on the road are over jetted and running excessively rich, gaining no more power than a properly jetted bike and compromising fuel economy and range.

 This is what I found -

#42 Pilot Jet is stock.

#180 Main is stock

Needle has been replaced with an adjustable unit and the clip has been placed in the 3rd groove from the top with a thin washer shim under that.

Slide hole has been enlarged to 9/64th".

Air/fuel mixture screw has been uncapped (factory tamper proof cap removed) and turned out 3 turns.

Well, the bike was running and starting exceptional, and these findings are pretty much in line with what the guru's have suggested, so they are going to remain intact.



 The #42 Pilot jet is a tad on the lean side, but the mixture screw backed out to 3 turns, which is max, makes up for it. Those two things control the idle circuit.

The main jet is fine. The consensus is that stock Harley main jets are if anything, too rich.

But the most important mod is to replace the needle with one possessing a more efficient taper and a richer condition off idle to eliminate any stumble or flat spot; Better drive ability.

 Wide open, which is primarily the main jet, is fine. EPA doesn't test at WOT, so the factory can install a rich main jet.

The enlarged hole in the slide is controversial, arguments from both camps are mixed - to drill or not to drill.

 The intent of the enlarged hole is to receive a stronger vacuum signal on the slide, thereby obtaining a quicker throttle response.

 Some swear by the results while others say it creates unwanted oscillation in the slide , less fuel economy and negligible, if any, benefits.

 Supposedly lighter bikes benefit more greatly.

The slide is already drilled so it will stay, but if starting from scratch, I would probably opt not to.



While removing the fuel line from the carburetor, the notorious two piece metal and plastic elbow broke. That is fine, as it needs to be upgraded to the newest iteration anyway.

When ordering, the new factory part is all metal.

But, the remaining metal stub must be removed from the inlet. The best method to achieve this is to run a 1/4-20 tap into it creating threads within the ID and then assembling a makeshift puller with a 1/4-20 bolt, washer and socket.

Once removed though, the carburetor must be cleaned thoroughly and blown out with compressed air to ensure no debris remains.

No problem, as I perform these actions as part of the carb service regardless. Then after slightly starting the new fitting by lightly tapping it and ensuring it is square, a large vise presses it home efficiently. You must ensure the 90 degree fitting is oriented properly to accept the fuel line routing before pressing. You only have one shot at this.

Max Patch - North Carolina

Max Patch-North Carolina - A gem of the Appalachian Trail !!!

Max Patch is a treeless, grassy mountain dome with a spectacular 360 degree view, much like the "Sound of Music".

This location has been on my bucket list for a few years now, along with Hot Springs.

 Hot Springs is in close proximity and the perfect jumping off point to run the twisty mountain roads up to the Max Patch summit, so after packing up and departing Hot Springs, it was time to go find Max Patch.

 Besides the curvy mountain roads, it is necessary to traverse about 6-8 miles of gravel forest roads, up to the parking area in the Pisgah National Forest. Rain and Thunderstorms were threatening this afternoon, so I needed to get up there and back down the road before it let loose. You sure don't want to be up there with total exposure during a lightning storm.



Almost ran right by this little sign indicating the direction.



Finally made it up all the bumpy gravel forest roads. Had to take it a little slower on the ST with it's sportier suspension.



Note the rectangular white blaze on the post; those are indicative of the Appalachian Trail and are marked along the 2,100 mile trail's entirety, often on trees.

 Max Patch Mountain gives you a fabulous panaramic view of the surrounding mountains in North Carolina and Tennessee. On a clear day you can see from Mount Mitchell on the east to the Great Smoky Mountains on the south.

 Two easy loop trails lead you to, and around, the 4,629 foot summit. The 1.4 mile short loop crosses the summit. The 2.4 mile loop circles the mountain for outstanding views from all sides.



These views are possible because Max Patch was cleared and used as a pasture for cattle and sheep since the 1800's. The summit was even a landing strip for small plane rides in the 1920's.

 If the field was left unmanaged, natural forest succession would take place; shrubs and trees would grow in and, in time, the view would be obstructed or gone.

 To maintain this open setting, the Forest Service uses mowing and prescribed fire.



This 2,100 mile footpath - frequently called the AT - crosses the summit of Max Patch on its way between Georgia and Maine.

 The open vistas here make Max Patch one of the highlights for long distance hikers.

GAS GAS 321

 

Sometime around 2011 is when I purchased my used 2001 Gas Gas 321 TXT Trials bike. 

It was purchased from the original owner and was in as close to new condition as you will find.

ST1300

The day I purchased and rode home my well used, but new to me, ST-1300.

 

 

 

Picked it up in Parma, Ohio (Cleveland) and hammered down the Ohio Turnpike back to Detroit Metro on this chilly March day.

The Mighty ST-1300

After considering this model of bike for over 10 years I came across one in Parma, Ohio (Cleveland suburb) that I did not want to pass up.

So after work on Friday, 21 March 2014, my friend Ken Koren drove me out there and I rode it home to Detroit.

The ride went well and even though the temperatures dipped down to 34 degrees, warmth was maintained with my heated jacket liner.

The bike is amazing and will be my - long distance machine - in the future.

LAKE MICHIGAN 1000 - IRON BUTT ASSOCIATION

Lake Michigan loop  1000                                          

      Archives- 8 June 2007        

       1, 005 miles   About 20 hours

         Shortly after realizing that Capital Harley Davidson in Lansing, MI was organizing an Iron Butt Association sanctioned ride I visited and registered for it.

          My friend and co-worker Ken Koren came along and signed up to attempt his first Saddlesore 1,000.

          Ken would ride his 2003 100th Anniversary Gold Key Package Electra Glide Classic and I would be riding my 2003 100th Anniversary Ultra Classic Shriner with 34,131 miles on it.
 

KEN KOREN

GAS GUY

Basically, we would be riding clockwise around Lake Michigan starting and ending in Lansing.

         
The ride leader and organizer was Herm Bushnell. He was 74 years old on this ride and was riding a 1984 Evo Tourglide with 250,000 miles on it.

          Ward Blanchard was also on this ride and he was 84 years old!

          There were approximatly 50 riders participating.

          Glenn Pancoast of Lansing was also on this ride. He is a big time long distance rider having rode and finished in multiple 11 day 11,000 mile Iron Butt Rallys, and a pile of Certificate rides.

          Kenny and I rode the 85 miles from my house to the dealership and signed in for the 8:00 pm start. These late starts are tough though, as I would rather start early in the morning.

          Shortly after pulling out of the dealership we were hustling down I-69 South towards Fort Wayne, Indiana.

          We stopped in Fort Wayne for a mandatory Fuel receipt at about 120 miles into the ride.

          From Fort Wayne we hammered across US-30 to Frankfort, Illinios for our second mandatory fuel receipt. At this point it was 11:33 pm central time and 265 miles into the ride.

          During this section on US-30 we were trying to stay with Glenn Pancoast on his BMW 1200 GSA, and did so for awhile but he could pull away at will on that bike. We saw him at the gas station in Frankfort, Ill, but that would be the last time on the ride. (A few months later while Glenn was participating in the 2007 Iron Butt Rally(11,000 miles, 11 days) his final drive blew up and knocked him out of the rally.)

          I also had a close call with a car pulling out in front of me on US-30.

          I momentarily had to lock up the rear brakes to avoid him. The Harleys front brakes were always weak so I usually ended up locking up the rear to Scrub Speed.

          Now we turned North and rode through the West side of Chicago.

          At one of the lights in Chicago, Herm Bushnell and a couple of other riders pulled up alongside of us.

          Herm looked over at us and said, "There's no Butt like an Iron Butt."

          Just over the Wisconsin State line we stopped at a gas station in Bristol at 2:11 AM Central time to have some coffee and put on some cold weather gear as the temps were dropping.

          As we sipped our coffee and chatted we could hear the occasional Harley roar by and knew it was some of the riders from our group.

          It made the ride interesting as you kept leap frogging each other and meeting up at different times throughout the ride.
 

          Back on the road and just before entering Milwaukee we came across one of our riders on a 1984 Honda Goldwing 1200 on the side of the road. His transmission had gone out and he was out of the ride. He had already made a call so with help on the way we rolled on Northward.

          Milwaukee passed quickly as there was virtually no traffic in the middle of the night but shortly after Milwaukee my headlights went out and I cautiously pulled over to the shoulder as we were in a completely  dark stretch of road with no lights.

          Ken held the flashlight as I pulled my Sidecover and replaced the fuse for the headlight circuit and we were back in business. I had a high power headlight bulb in the bike (like an 80/60 H4 bulb) and the flipping back and forth from high to low beam along with the passing lamps burning must have spiked the system and popped the fuse.

          Somewhere in the vicinity of Green Bay we witnessed the spectacular sunrise to our right over Lake Michigan.

          This was pretty much the half way point at around 500 miles and 10.5 hours.

          The rising sun gave us motivation as we ground along up into the Upper Penninsula of Michigan with stunning views of Lake Michigan and before we knew it we were rolling into Escananba.

          As we continued along the North Shore of Lake Michigan on US-2 I was battling the sleepiness I always encounter a while after the sun has risen and I've been up all night.

          Even though I had quit smoking years ago, occasionally I would have one and was craving one right now, so the next stop I bought a pack and burned a few during this stretch of road.

          Along US-2 we stopped at some nice sandy pull offs along the lake and watched the choppy water crash upon the shore as we had a southerly wind pushing the water and the cold air from it towards us.
 

          It was also along US-2 that I remember a rider purring by us on his GL1800 Goldwing and thinking to myself thats the bike to be on.

          I also had to lock up the brakes because I was following Ken too close while gawking at the lake at the same time he was stopping to enter a pull off, but I avoided him.

          Eventually the mighty Mackinac Bridge loomed in the distance.

          We payed our $2.50,saving the mandatory Bridge receipt with the date and time along with our written odometer reading and started off across the bridge to the Lower Penninsula. It was 12:30 Eastern time in the afternoon and we had knocked down 750 miles at this point.
 

          We hustled down I-75 to US-127 and the final blast into Lansing and the finish at Capital Harley Davidson with approximately 4 hours to spare.

          After turning in our paperwork we still had a 85 mile ride home. So counting to and from the start it was an 1,175 mile day.
 

          Ride Statistics

          1,005 miles

          20 hours

          27 gallons of fuel consumed

          $3.40 gallon (premium)

          $93.97 fuel cost

          37. 2 mpg average

          32.8 mpg Low

          43.5 mpg High

KEN KOREN - Worn out but victorious !!!

 

GAS GUY - Ready for bed !!!