What did you do to your Yamaha today?

Today I started prepping the brake system I pulled off an XJ750 for my XJ650! It's 20-30 years of gross in the reservoir, and maybe 3-4 teaspoons of liquid out of the rest. Have to clean it up like Crazy. May end up buying new pistons too.

 

Well the brake pads look good lots of life in them .
The reservoir yeah that's gonna need some work and more then likely new pistons. The are actually really cheap also since your already half way there might as well.

 

Just scared the living daylights out of myself.
Topped off the oil went to start up the bike and oil started running out of the filter housing.
Reached for the off switch grabbed the oil drain pan,
socket and extension started to tighten up the filter housing and the next thing I here is POP!
First thoughts are how much is this gonna cost to fix- thinking that I just stripped out the oil bolt.
Next thought I wonder if I will be able to switch over to a spin on adapter kit if the damage is not to bad?
Upon investigation I realized that the POP was the top tang of the filter housing. I must of not had it properly aligned between the two fins on the engine housing.
Relief that was all it was.
Next thought Wonder how much oil I just lost-about a 1/8 of a quart. No biggie-
Amazing the thought process and how quickly you run the from worst to best case scenarios in a matter of millisecond's.
The adventures of being your own Technician- Good Times

 

Looked at her as I walked by to attach the wood trailer to the Subaru. Firewood is needed for the Winter, Alas priorities.

 

Responsible adulting? Gross!

 

Sometimes you just have to....

Cutting and splitting has been on my list all summer.... I better get started.

 

Winter is coming.
Better ride today.

Lucky Matti- heat comes to me through a metal tube. Costly, but easy!

 

Rode around the city, took a picture, then rode through it on the way home. (ET. 1.5 hours)

 

Oh boy! I don't know that I miss winters in Toronto... but at least I didn't have to split wood!

Now, I'm somewhere that i have to try not to sweat all over the poor bike while workin'.

Speaking of which, today the calipers are broken down and waiting for the rebuild kit to arrive. Then, brakes are completely done!

 

Not a fan of our Calgary winters but at least the dinosaur gas my furnace eats is far cheaper than wood; warmness just comes out of the vents, effort free!

Today, hoping to get into my Maxim 's engine, but the wife is demanding I do the adulting thing too and build shelving for the basement first.

 

Rode to work this morning and after the debacle of changing the oil all is good no leaks from oil canister !

 

The girlfriend and I put a nice 80 miles on the maxims today. Little on the muggy side but still a nice ride.

 

Helped my buddy work on his 82 Maxim 1100... he just got it... nice bike but po put kawaskai kehin zx1200 carbs on with pods... we both hate pods.. po for some reason the left petcock had a plug on it and the fuel line over it!!!! The engine was surging before got it running smoother . He is looking to put stock airbox and carbs on at some point. Felt good that I was able to help out.

 

Finally fixed the X that was broke on my bike with a new X.
All complete now.

 

Thought about rechecking my wet set since I finally polished my float needles and seats... and then get those carbs back on the bike.

Instead:
Tended to the bees, cultivated the upper plot, rotated the garlic on the drying racks, ran into town and then thought about splitting wood.
We have propane also, but last winter was our first year with a really nice wood stove - there is something about the heat from it that seems 'warmer'.

 

Drove my XJ750 Maxim over to test drive a Honda VTX1800F1........what a powerful bike.....pure muscle bike.....I can't not believe how it pulled in 5th gear.....in all gears.....is bike was Honda's answer to Harley's V-Rod....

My XJ750 had a very sad look to it when I got back......just kidding...I will keep it for right now....

https://sandiego.craigslist.org/csd/mcy/d/2005-honda-vtx-1800/6270180911.html

Yes...salvaged title.......but rode awesome......

 

My neighbor Vern is 88 he cuts and splits his wood in the spring
He has a 4 bay garage that he uses for wood. seasons his wood for 4 years.
every spring he replaces the wood he burned that winter
drives his John Deer every place he goes

 

Harder and harder to find a man like that in today's world.

 

My dad does that. He enjoys it, so all the power to him, but my natural gas costs me $40 a month through the -40C winter, and that's both heat and hot water. I couldn't get wood that cheaply if I wanted to... And can't imagine wanting to spend all the time dragging wood around, cutting and chopping... I've enough nightmarish memories of doing that as a young lad.

 

Just opened up the valve cover on my Maxim to get to those valves measured. The front left inside valve cover bolt didn't... Feel right. Was curious why, left it be and continued around. The valve cover came off pretty easily, revealing this example of prime PO repair work:

This prompted some excessively foul language, and now taking a break to have some coffee and contemplate how much I hate people who are way worse hacks than me. I mean, really. Getting replacement caps there isn't hard, there's lots of XJ motors parted out all over the place. I mean, it looks like he tried to... weld a helicoil in there? I don't even.