Roof done, now too quiet.

Picture is new to me BMW K1200LT.

Took only 4 days, instead of 5 last time, but there was a big crew here Wed. It's a 30 year Owens Corning Oakridge roof. Roofing company also gave us 10 year guarantee on labor for leaks. But it was twice as expensive as in 1991.

Real tired today, did not sleep good, & I'm sore from going up and down the ladder 30 times yesterday. The 20 year old cooler gave me fits for 3 days. I should not bitch they usually only last 10.

House is real cool today. Cooler working very good

Finished the Kawasaki 440 I was rebuilding today, Should make about $300. Ran good up and down the street.

Waiting on the parts for the BMW. Should be here next Wed. I have not driven it in the 3 weeks since we bought it.

Linda's gone to Madison, and no pounding on the roof.

Benny bought Sam a 1992 Yamaha 1100 cruiser, only needs a few adjustments and little service. Good deal and has lots of chrome. Only 7800 miles too.

2 days into the roof replacement and we are tired of the nail pounding already. 3 days to go. Yesterday they took the A/C off all day, but with our 18" insulation in the attic it only got up to 81 in here. They put it back on for us the use in the evening, but wired it wrong. I spent 2 very frustrating hours trying to figure out what they did. The idiots that originally wired it in used 2 white wires. Yesterday they had them reversed so it would not run.

The rust is so bad when they pick up the cooler it falls apart in their hands.

The shingles are not as white as I would have hoped but they are the best mfger'd, Owens Corning, 30 year warranty. I'm having a ridge vent (continuous opening) put in along the peak to let out more heat in the summer, but I don't know about in the winter if I'm going to lose more heat too.

Changed out a tire on one friend's bike and oil change on another.

Sam came by with his new bike. It is a 1992 Yamaha 1100 cruiser with only 7800 miles and lots of chrome, Paid only $2000 great low price.

Mom leaves me today, boo.

Too Much Fun

WORK, THIS IS WHY I DON'T DO IT. So I don't waste time at work, playing on bikes is a lot more fun.

After 42 years riding and the same working on bikes I can almost say "I've almost have had enough biking for now". Rode 15,000 miles this year. And I'm helping maintain about 20 bikes. 2 Suzuki 1100's I sold I'm doing it all, then people come by asking for restorations and servicing. My 4 bikes of course get the best servicing. It shows because the oldest one has 93,000 miles and runs like it's almost new.

Thank God for a good car, the Honda so far hasn't gone in once for service.

The roofers are working on our house. Will take all week. The house was getting hot mid day so I thought they had done something. Later when I went up they hadn't touched it and there was no water to soak the pads. But I had water in the house. Really wierd the float stopped up today when they were here.

I thought once Linda retires the car would get a rest, BOY was I wrong!

Linda's leaving me again, someone please help me!!!!!

Working on bikes as usual

Well after 1 1/2 weeks I'm finally getting some of the routine maintenance that should have been done for the last 7 years on my new bike. Bleeding brakes, fixing the CD player, putting in switches for the battery and headlights, changing the transmission and rear end fluids, working on the ABS anti lock brakes that still do not work, buying filters, changing coolant, trying to figure out how things work and where parts are. Everything is in a different place, since it's German and under layers of plastic covers. I have to buy a 2nd service manual (in paper) to find stuff and get a trouble shooting guide. I've got a hundred screws out now that need to go back somewhere!

While I was working on it in the garage I got 3 other projects. Benny's nephew bought 5 mini-choppers from China. They are 10-12" of the ground, are a lawsuit waiting to happen, and not street legal. They were expensive at $2000 but are really cheaply constructed. Screws in bad locations, cheap hardware, bent brackets, and worst of all a Radio Control (very small) 12v. battery that is suppose to start it. (HA). I couldn't even start it with the kick starter. It hurt my foot. No I'm not going to build the other 4.

Then a guy installing solar lights wants me to help him put his 1972 Ducati back together with special parts at his work place. Never worked on a Italian bike before.

Next door at the Anderson's they've got a crew there enclosing the garage for the older brother who got Polio and now is an invalid. The owner came over and wants me to get his Truimph running he forgot he had. Turns out it is a 2 cyl. Kawasaki. Gee, I could have worked an a British bike if he got it right.

Picture above is Jim's new T-bird, the black one (newer 02). The 57, white one, he worked on. He likes his better.

Very Busy

Second 700 mile trip on the bikes have me travel weary. 4700 miles in the last month. Takes 2 or more days to recoup after riding so far.
Any ways I have the new bike home and it's the nicest I've ever owned. It's a BMW K1200LT. 1200cc. 4 cylinder. LT=Luxury Tourer. 100 hp and 85# torque. Gray with a hit of blue. Paid $7500 for a $8-10,000 bike. The previous owner said and I hear this 90% of the time is that he don't have time to ride it. An other excuse. But their lose is my gain. Was over $17,000 new in 2000. It has AM/FM digital radio, cassette, 6 disc CD, cruise control, power windshield (adjusts about 10" up and down), 4 way flashers, auto shut off turn signals, ABS, large trunk, large saddlebags, adjustable rear suspension, intercom, passenger audio controls, 3 power outlets, heated grips, digital gear indicator, clock, temp., mpg, miles to empty, avg. speed, idiot lights for everything, it's fuel injected and gets over 50mpg!
It has room for Linda and I. The seats are semi-soft and wide enough. It is heavy especially getting started, but after 10-15 mph does not feel like the 837#'s. Today I was able to do a U-turn in the street without putting my feet down.
I only have to get the ABS working. The CD was not working but was a blown fuse only. I got 6 good CD's from the previous owner because he could not get them out.
Too bad I'm too tired to drive it now.

Tori House projects

She & I were very busy the first two days, Sat. and Sun. I also went back and spent another day Thur. on my return trip. We cut all the low branches and bushes all the way around the house, put in a new garage door opener, fixed the faucet in the spare bathroom tub, fixed the hole in this tubs wall, fixed leaks in both toilets, new batteries in the smoke detectors, chalked around the tub, finished the floor in the kitchen, cleaned under the refrigerator and coils, new filters on the air conditioner inside, I cleaned the outside A/C coils that were 75% plugged up, covered up her new sewer line the lawn mower person broke, sweped the back porch and driveway, fixed her glasses, put the molding up in her kitchen by the 4 x 8 paneling, fixed her drawer for her silverware so it rolled in instead of dropped down, adjusted several kitchen cabinet doors, changed out an outlet in the spare bedroom, put cover plates over exposed switches, cleaned the front gutters, patched the roof where the tree branches rubbed against the shingles, put
screening around the outside A/C coils to keep them cleaner, I caulked a long crack in the bricks, cleaned front windows, adjusted the garage door springs so the door weight was balanced so the new garage door opener would work. We painted the spare bathroom cabinet and walls where they were patched. The aluminum siding was rubbing on the garage door so I nailed it back on.
I did leave her projects to clean the screening on the A/C coils, change out the A/C filters with spares we bought yearly, caulk more bricks, showed her how to adjust the garage door opener.
Also she needs to buy lawn seeding that grows in the shade in the back yard. Also suggested she paint the neighbors fence posts a darker color. We bought paint the cover the kitchen counter tops. We still need to get rid of the old garage door opener and clean up the garage. We need to add an attic fan to reduce her A/C bill more.
She has 12-16" of insulation in the attic to reduce her heating and A/C bill now.
She needs tools for Christmas: open/box end wrenches, hack saw, better tree trimming saw, air compressor, channel locks, pliers, better screwdivers, prybars, more...

Gone 2 weeks

After 2500 miles I'm in Garland at Tori's house. Went thru all of Texas Arkansas Part of Missouri and too much IL farm country going to Dorothy's. She and I went on 2 rides but after riding 1450 moles to get there another ride was not as much fun as I expected. Dorothy is a very good passenger. I got poured on going there but so far only sprinkels getting back here.
Every lake and river is full.
Got over 25 projects done on Tori's house. Finishing 3 more today.
Looking forward to getting home and to be with Linda and her retirement.
I should be over 3200 miles before I get back to El Paso. Bike is running fine and getting 47 mpg, but it still will be over $200 in gas. Trying to hold my speed down to 70 mph. This bike's windshield is not as good as on my oldest bike, too much wind.
Highest gas was $3.35 in Kermit TX but IL and MO went up to $3.15 No real problems but a few stupid drivers not wanting to respect motorcycles.
WES and KIM thanks for coming to Dorothy's. Dorothy and Craig thank you for your hospitality. Tori took me to Papadauix's for dinner last night, Cajun food.
Sorry no picture is posting