Modern Vespa

A California Quail visited our backyard today. Actually I think I recall it scampering across the driveway yesterday. I think it entered through the slightly open side gate and got stuck in the yard.

All day today I saw it busily making its way around the yard, constantly checking on me through the glass doors as if to say hello. Mostly it was just saying 'peep' as quails do not speak a human language that I am familiar with.

Towards then latter part of the afternoon I began to think that it was not checking in on me, but in fact, having trouble finding its way out of the yard.

I decided to open both yard gates to help it along. It continued to pace back and forth peeping at me. Finally I slowly approached it while it was along the side of the house with only the gate as an exit. It scurried out and made its way across the neighbors' yards.

I hope I didn't rush it along. I was a bit sad to see it go. But if you love something send it away. If the quail returns, it was yours to begin with.

This visit sounds like a very special occurrence and probably means something.

Well, BMX is dead.

And that's cheering you up?

Well, and my Pirelli Angels GT's arrived today.

Came downstairs to make coffee this morning and…

A nice bit of personal news for me: I'm almost 4 months post spinal surgery. The checkup with X-ray yesterday went so well, the operating surgeon told me he is going to skip the six month check up. So my next visit will be at the one year mark. I just have to keep up with my PT and daily walks. With any luck I'll be able to start riding again by next summer. Happy days.

I made the President's List.




Along with 22k other students.

Good man, Mono!

w00t! Excellent news!

Nice! Congrats!

Fantastic! I'm super happy to read this. Keep up the hard work (PT). We all want to see you back on a PTW.

Thank you for all the replies. I put an additional reply on the NSM side:

** I mainly wanted to post this to encourage anyone with a somewhat similar situation - be it back, knees, shoulder problems, whatever - to get it looked at and resolved. I put it off too long (at least a year) and went from walking slowly, to having to use a walker, then a wheelchair for the last few weeks. That was just plain stupid and I only did more damage. One of the few things I did right was to set up the surgery date so the worst part of recovery would be in the cool/cold months when I would not have been as active anyway. The only other piece of advice would be that the better your health going in, will make it that much easier in recovery. For me that meant losing 30 pounds - definitely helped not having to deal with the extra weight.

Submitting tax return for 3 years today. Since I have been paying tax for the last two while not earning an income, my refund will be tasty

Might be ordering that malossi cylinder + camshaft + forcemaster real soon

Not cheering as such:

Today my rear tire reached 69C on the internal tpms and 73C with an infrared thermometer on the outside.

No wonder they don't last long.

A ride in 3 Degees Celsius.

Someone in a Hyundai tried to race me.

Kind of unnecessary.

Got the Motone fuel cap for the Bonnie. slowly reducing the amount of shiny chromey stuff on it.

My Cerakote also came in; when it's time for MX later this spring I'll have the lower covers off, as well as the throttle covers and handlebar. Some will get black, some will get a burnt bronze. Plenty to look forward to there.

Will you promise to give us a before and after pic of said diminishing shiny bits?

Yep, I've got photos from the first couple days I had it (plus the selling dealer's photos) wherein fully stock format is observed.

I'm not going full George Sully levels but there will be a substantial darkening of the overall appearance. I also think Motone's Blackadder seat will end up being installed eventually as well. Love that diamond stitch pattern, and I found some tank pads to go with it (though shipping to the US from the italian-based seller doubles the price, so I'm probably going to order it a day or three before we fly out that way and just have them shipped to my hotel )

I had posted a week or so ago about the 1947 Harley-Davidson 4-speed transmission I'm building for a fellow enthusiast. I put the final mechanical touches on it on Saturday morning. Sunday I got to work on my woodworking skills. My woodworking game is weak, so I need the practice.

The shipping crate is probably overkill, but due to it going from Nevada to Bavaria and the high value of the transmission, I figured better safe than sorry. I hope the crate isn't seen as a challenge to the freight handlers. 😂

Approaching the end of his project cheers me up!

Caschnd1 - overkill is under rated. Good man.

So the HD transmission is nearly 80 years old

I predict your shipping crate may be around still in the 22nd century!

I live by the adage, never throw out a good box!

Even if I'd got nothing to put in it initally, it would make a great step up for cleaning the windows

Nice work!

Is the transmission bolted down inside the crate? Does it get packed around with styrofoam etc? In other words, I'm curious how it is secured inside if the crate tips over

Not positive but from looking at the other pictures of it on a work stand. I believe there are bolt holes in the bottom holding it to the 3/4 inch plywood shelf under it.

Yes, there is a plywood mount in the bottom of the case. It mimics the transmission mount plate in the actual motorcycle. The transmission is bolted to the plywood mount. I'll fill around with packing material. But it's not really needed. Even upside down with the lid off, the transmission won't come out of the box.

Approved.

Using duct tape to hold up my droopy tomato plants.

do you use it to hold up any other droopy things?

I smiled at the sight of bikers sitting on a Jawa motorcycles disinged for the Swedish army in1959, with side skis for driving in the Snow. The temperature is -2 degrees, frost on the road. I hope they reached their destination happily.

good set of nobblys on them!

caschnd1,

You continue to amaze me. Not only do you new gear and old transmission you build a most excellent box for shipping. I think I enjoy the most the great photo sequence you provide with your events.

Bob Copeland
Minnesota

High temps early next week will be flirting with the low 50's (F), so if the roads are dry, I'll be getting a few bikes out for a twenty mile ride on one of my rural loops each.

Looks OK for a ride. Lucky for you.

This winter we have or cold and misty weather, around freezing point, or rain and around 5 - 10°C.
I did not ride the scooter since 24th of December, a rare day this winter with clear and dry weather although only a little above freezing point. Before that it was also 3 weeks of non scooter weather.
For scooter riding this winter is the worst since I have the BV, that was in 2019.

A sunny ski day always cheers me up!

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DFMtG7yxRFl/?igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

That guy's got stones the size of Rhode Island!

He WALKED it!

So disappointing.
Could had balls the size of Connecticut.

bigger than mine (as I sit here editing last weekends footage of riding through a few tiny creeks - tiny compared to last summer).

Done

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DFPeBqqRP7I/?igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==