Fruits of our Labor

[desert_max]

I have a shop full of motorcycles. I consider myself very fortunate to be able to choose between a number of decent vintage machines for a day’s ride. I suppose if you put them all together, I could have something new and modern that’s semi-interesting, but I don’t see any fun in that. Seriously.

But lately, there’s only been one choice. I had the day off work today and as soon as the wife was gone, I gobbled down some breakfast and hit the road. Yes, on the 86 Vmax. Weather was beautiful. Spring time in Arizona. I just got back after hitting almost 300 miles. I headed south of the Metropolitan Phoenix area and into the desert hills, through the Gila River Indian reservation, across the Gillespie bridge and back into town. I took a couple of side roads and just got lost in the butterflies and mesquites by the river. Got gas three times. Getting about 30 to 32MPG.

This beast is running extraordinarily well. A pleasure to ride. Not one hitch… I’m not counting the weeping brake master cylinder that I just rebuilt. I think I might’ve overfilled it and it was coming out of the vent hole.

But why am I posting this? Because with regard to vintage machines, we don’t just get on, turn the key and ride. We have to put a little sweat equity into them. I paid my dues on this thing. It might have been one owner, but it needed some serious love. Today it paid me back.

 

[Marauder03]

Great post! Beautiful bike, 300 miles is impressive. Thanks.

 

[Fire-medic]

Yep, when they're running right, they have few equals in the motorcycling world.

Which gives me a way to post this story:

A father walks into a restaurant with his young son. He gives the boy 3 nickels to play with to keep him occupied. Suddenly the boy starts choking, going blue in the face.

The father starts slapping him on the back. The boy coughs up 2 of the nickels, but keeps choking. The father is panicking, shouting for help.

A well dressed, serious looking woman is reading a newspaper and sipping a cup of coffee. At the sound of the commotion, she looks up, puts her coffee down, neatly folds the newspaper, gets up from her seat and makes her way, unhurried, across the restaurant.

Reaching the boy, she carefully drops his pants, takes hold of his testicles and starts to squeeze and twist. After a few seconds the boy convulses violently and coughs up the last nickel, which the woman deftly catches in her free hand. Releasing the boy's testicles, she hands the nickel to the father and walks back to her seat without saying a word.

As soon as he is sure that his son has suffered no ill effects, the father rushes over to the woman and starts thanking her saying, "I've never seen anybody do anything like that before, it was fantastic. Are you a doctor?"

"No," the woman replied...."Divorce Attorney."

I hope no one here lost their ride to a divorce, though I'm sure it's happened. We need more fine spring days, like you had.

On-duty, as a first-responder, I once gave the Heimlich Maneuver to an adult male who was purple in the face, and about to collapse onto the floor. When I gave him the diaphragm squeeze, a piece of steak about 4" long shot-across the table, and onto the floor. "Take smaller bites," I advised him. His cure would be referred-to as, "projectile oral expulsion."

 

[Radioguylogs]

We have to be grateful for what we have.

I appreciate someone sharing it.

 

[user 16790]

I'd like to be able to just ride like that, great day out and great words about older bikes, I have had new bikes and while they feel good to begin with they soon become boring, older bikes keep you involved in a way modern bikes can't,
I do have a recently acquired KTM390 DUKE as my 'go to work' bike though, the Vmax is a bike that I enjoy looking at as much as I enjoy riding it and I also enjoy just riding around slowly on it too, just occasionaly feeling the boost, it makes me smile regardless

 

[02GF74]

great looking bike, super location …. maybe I should look to relocate.

 

[Garydalton]

Yes a beautiful ride. I'm particular to the lake run along b line, s.r 87.
Great riding weather in phoenix.
STAY SAFE /HEALTHY

 

[[email protected]]

You got the 'ol '86 looking pretty good.
Glad its treating you well.
Thanks for sharing the pics.
I don't get out on mine much at all these days. Its buried in the garage, sleeping under a fuzzy blanket waiting to be awakened.

 

[Wyatearp71]

Great looking bike desert_max and thank you for sharing that! Have been feeling the same way recently on how blessed we are in this area with the weather we have. I ride year round here in the valley and thankful for the opportunity it allow us!

 

[Devl Max]

I have a shop full of motorcycles. I consider myself very fortunate to be able to choose between a number of decent vintage machines for a day’s ride. I suppose if you put them all together, I could have something new and modern that’s semi-interesting, but I don’t see any fun in that. Seriously.

But lately, there’s only been one choice. I had the day off work today and as soon as the wife was gone, I gobbled down some breakfast and hit the road. Yes, on the 86 Vmax. Weather was beautiful. Spring time in Arizona. I just got back after hitting almost 300 miles. I headed south of the Metropolitan Phoenix area and into the desert hills, through the Gila River Indian reservation, across the Gillespie bridge and back into town. I took a couple of side roads and just got lost in the butterflies and mesquites by the river. Got gas three times. Getting about 30 to 32MPG.

This beast is running extraordinarily well. A pleasure to ride. Not one hitch… I’m not counting the weeping brake master cylinder that I just rebuilt. I think I might’ve overfilled it and it was coming out of the vent hole.

But why am I posting this? Because with regard to vintage machines, we don’t just get on, turn the key and ride. We have to put a little sweat equity into them. I paid my dues on this thing. It might have been one owner, but it needed some serious love. Today it paid me back.

View attachment 71310 View attachment 71311

I recently moved back to Florida from Tucson, and this time of year there is hard to beat. Breathtakingly beautiful weather, scenery, and roads. It always amazed me how few motorcyclists were there.

 

[desert_max]

Funny. I left Florida to come to Arizona - 22 years ago.

 

[tbird71]

No Traffic here in FL been ridin the 04 VRSCB VRod. I too am blessed to have a stable
to ride and the rest of my life to do it. Couldn;t ask for more

 

[Fire-medic]

No Traffic here in FL been ridin the 04 VRSCB VRod. I too am blessed to have a stable
to ride and the rest of my life to do it. Couldn;t ask for more

And you're close-to Sebring and Daytona for 4 wheels racing. I've been to the Kenilworth Lodge for two-wheels, non-engine touring, I did a metric century in August and probably had heat exhaustion when I was done. Still, a beautiful ride in the countryside, oranges on the trees providing a wonderful scent as I fixated upon getting back to the Kenilworth. I've attended the Sebring 12 Hours, too. I really-liked the vintage racers, before the 12-Hours of Sebring.

 

[desert_max]

In my intro to this topic above, I talked about my go to bike lately being the Vmax. Well, in the two and a half months since I posted that, it is STILL my go to bike. I absolutely love the Vmax. That’s probably why it’s my 3rd first generation! There is simply nothing else like it. The 2nd GEN did a marvelous job capturing the essence of what Vmax is - but to me, having been part of the scene when the original was introduced ... that raw, edgy nature of the first generation machine cannot be equaled.

Crap! Got all giddy and off track of what I intended to say here…

Also in the intro above, I talked about the need for keeping your hands close to the moving parts on these machines… (not while riding) ... but with regard to maintenance and the constant love that they need and should get.

I currently have my 86 back on the operating table with the clutch pack out waiting for new bits from Sean. Due tomorrow, I’ll hopefully have it together for a Saturday morning shake down back out to Tortilla Flat.

Guess I’ve been a little hard on the ole girl...

 

[Fire-medic]

When these bikes sit, the carburetors get filled with crap and develop obstructions, the brakes and clutch develop issues. Best thing you can do is to keep riding them.

 

[desert_max]

Tomorrow.

 

[desert_max]

Tomorrow what, you ask?

Well, I finally had some time uninterrupted in the shop today. I have the week off, the wife is still working, and I got the carburetors back on to the 86. (I have to specify which Max now because I have two of them!!).

I didn’t finish up yet, but got close enough to take her down the street without her clothes on. Got to sync one more time, and I have a bit of an issue with the throttle not returning to zero crisply as it should. Linkage binding I believe.

But! Tomorrow I have a date with a motorcycle. And I’m gonna put some miles on it. Stay tuned.

 

[tinman22]

sigh.

 

[Bruiser1198]

I don"t even own a bike right now but Glad to hear you have a stable full , Enjoy the ride and Life !! Take Care

 

[desert_max]

sigh.View attachment 74446