Finding the time

 Well, what can I say? I'm here again after an extended hiatus and a massive block. Things have changed drastically since the last post. Where to start? 

1. New baby, which was a huge shock to the wife and myself. 

2. New Job, moved to a new company and have had resounding success with a full time remote position. 

3. Moved to CO, the new job paved the way to get the F out of OK and out to Colorado where we found a beautiful home nestled in the mountains. 

My collection has expanded drastically since the last post. I had an 83 Silverwing, 2007 Speed Triple, a 1979 CB750L,1984 YTM200E, and a 2020 V-Strom 650.I've now added a plethora of machines to the garage for fun out in the wilds of the Rockies. 

1. 2005 Honda Metro 

2. 1994 Honda XR200

3. 1974 Honda XL100

4. 1985 YTM200ERN Shaft

5. 2005 Suzuki Quadsport LT50 

6. 1967 Honda Trail 90 

7. 1981 Honda XL500S

8. 1980 Honda XL500S

and a handful of bikes that I inherited from my brother. Needless to say my projects have my time spoken for, but I always seem to find more to slip into the garage. 

The Honda XL500S's are for the Vintage 1000 coming up in June 2023 in Salt Lake City UT. You have to bring pre 81' bikes with any upgrades no newer than 80' and they have to be street legal, tagged, and insured. 

I'm excited at the challenge and can't wait to get there. I'm currently going through the 81 and verifying items work before I start the rebuild/restore process. I've gotten the wiring down pat, with the exception of a blinker relay. I've moved front to back, tracing all wiring and as far as I can tell through my testing, everything works as expected. I've been testing carb configurations on the 80 as it's staying complete while I restore the 81, and so I'm making progress in the right direction in that respect as well. 

I've not stayed as laser focused on my other projects, but I believe I have a good game plan for these bikes. I have a laundry list, but am sticking to checking the items off one at a time before moving to the next (as best as I can). 

After I have the electronics working as expected, I'm going to clean them up and re-wrap all the wiring to have a clean slate moving forward. After some 40 odd years, they are quite the mess. From there I'll work on cleaning up the frame and the engine and then replacing the top-end gaskets on the engine due to some nasty leaks at the head and valve covers (expected leaks due to gasketless designs). After that comes the fork and strut rebuilds, which would be another brand new, but eagerly anticipated task. From there it's cleaning any surface rust off the chrome pieces, cleaning the exhaust and reassembly. I'll have all new shiny pieces to add to the bike once it's ready, tires, handlebars, grips, guards, etc.

I have a good plan for the bike over-all and will keep at it throughout the winter. I've got a solid lift, sorted tools, and the desire to make it the sweetest ride the SpeedDeluxe crew has ever seen. The 81' XL500Savage Edition will be a site to behold. 

As for the other projects, I do work on them when I get time, I am stalled out on the XR200 due to stuck oil pump cover screws that have stripped, and eaten an extractor bit as well. The 74 XL100 has to be rejetted, new tires, wraps, tubes, and valves adjusted, and the two YTM's need work on their own, so I will have my time spoken for. 

I've also had the itch to get into Enduro/Hare Scrambles, and have been fervently researching bike costs, fitness regimes, and practice techniques as well as the trails around me (of which there are plenty). I'm trying to hard to enjoy my time, and will continue to do so with the time I've been given outside of a manic work schedule. 

My end goal for this winter is to have both 500S's complete and ready for trails by spring so my son and I can break them in, get used to riding around, and hopefully finding some more dirt bikes to keep the adrenaline pumping. 

From there, who knows what else will come my way, but I know I'll never run out of projects fighting for my time.