Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Still here....

Yes, it's been a while since I posted anything.  Just spent last week as primary oncall network engineer for work, now working my way through a week of backup oncall network engineer.  Happy Happy Joy Joy.

It means I can't stray too far from Internet access in case there's network issues at work.  Sure, I was issued a wireless data card but coverage is a bit spotty in the mountains and I can't miss a call.  So I stayed near the house during the weekend.

Still, some stuff got done:

Kept working on tuning the carburetors on Natasha, my Ural sidecar rig.  They've been giving me some trouble in terms of the idle going slowly down at stops until the engine quits.  So I cleaned them out, replaced the pilot jets with new ones and she seems better now.

Adjusted the clutch cable to truly engage the clutch when at stops, it was hanging a bit before; a contributory issue to the "dying at idle" situation.

Added a cargo rack that mounts to the spare tire on the sidecar, bought it and a sidecar tarp from Ebay for a fraction of the dealer cost.

example picture of the new rack, from uberchaos.net, he's an Alaska-based Uralista

Re-routed the crankcase vent hose to go elsewhere rather than venting excess oil from the front of the engine and into the air filter box.

Adjusted the front drum brakes to truly help stop the motorcycle when needed.

Took receipt of a Kenda 335 tire for the Ural, it'll replace the present DURO tire that's working as the pusher tire on the rig.

Kenda 335, image source sovietsteeds.com

Can't wait for this coming weekend to get her, I'll be off of oncall, and can ride to see how much snow has collected in the mountains.



3 comments:

Gary France said...

Wow, you were busy at the weekend! I like the luggage rack - with the space in the back of the sidecar, you can now pack a serious amount of gear and go almost anywhere. It amazes me the amount of work you do yourself on your bike. I wish I had your skills and enthusiasm to do the same on mine!

Oz said...

I am envious of your mechanical prowess. Good job on the Ural. You should be ready to hit the road. We are ready for some photos and a report.

redlegsrides said...

Gary and Motoroz

my wrenching skills are not as great as you think, it's just that I have simple to work on motorcycles......

dom