Joe Namath Biker Exploitation Movie "C.C. and Company" Opening Scene Still My #1 YouTube Clip

The classis scene from C.C. and Company where Joe Namath parks his chopper outside a grocery store, makes himself a sandwich, puts everything back and buys a pack of gum, is still my number one YouTube clip.  If you have never seen it, here's the link

Enjoy if you can't be out riding!

Wings of Eagles CMA Meeting, Chapter Ride, and Connie Updates

Yesterday was our last monthly CMA chapter meeting for the year, as we meet on the fourth Saturday of the month.  December meeting is always very close to Christmas Day, if not on Christmas, so we only have 11 meetings each year.  We had officer elections besides the normal business, and I will serve as Chapter VP and Road Captain for 2018 again.  No problem with that, as our President is returning and he does a great job.  Plus I'm getting used to Road Captain even if I'm not the most "let's go riding just for fun" member due to commuting on the bike and also many other interests and projects always going on!

Yesterday's ride was up and around some lakes in northeast San Diego County and I planned to lead us up Palomar Mountain.  Borrowing a trick I learned from track day and racing riders, I put tape on the inner fairing and tank with the directions as I hadn't ridden this route in awhile! Sure I could have dug the tank bag out and slid directions in the map pocket.  But this was easier as I haven't used the tank bag in probably two years, plus the bottom of the map pocket is too far back to keep my head up while riding!

We had a good ride-traffic was no where as bad as I thought it would be and the few cars in front of us were at least doing close to the speed limit.  I don't ride particularly hard especially leading a group, although the three riders with me could easily have kept up 5-10 MPH faster!  Two were some of the best riders in our chapter and the third was a guest with 65 years (yes, 65 YEARS!) of riding experience.  Due to concern we might have lots of "lookie-loos" on Palomar Mountain and the usual sportbike riders going much faster, we decided not to do that small detour-why you see some lined out directions.  Will take the tape off today-I left it on just for the pictures and hopefully it won't pull the CMA Bike Blessing stickers off at the same time.

We stopped in Santa Ysabel at the Julian Pie Company for pie/ice cream as always.  Like Rosa's Cafe and Tortilla Factory in Temecula, if our bikes are near there they turn in nearly automatically.  Maybe we should sell them to Tesla for autopilot tech!  While we were hanging out and enjoying our pie and ice cream, three C14 Concours pulled in, and it was the Concours Owners Group (COG) regional and area reps out riding!  I went over and introduced myself, we chatted for a few minutes, and I got their cards.  I'll likely rejoin COG and become active on the forum again.

When I got home I moved the 86 Connie, aka Miss Swail, off the lift and rolled the 96 up there.  Between watching/pausing the Auburn-Bama game (WAR EAGLE! Beat both #1 teams this year, now to beat Georgia again!) I did an oil change as I know I've ridden the bike 3,000 miles and who knows when it was done before that.  Pretty straightforward as always although messy-going to get a SPOOFAK, maybe for my birthday as the internal filter makes a mess.  The front drain bolt also is right by a line that will probably always get oil on it too.  Still better than where the filter is on most Harleys! 

Long update but it was a full day of CMA meeting and ride, meeting some COG officers and bike maintenance.  All good, and have a great riding day!

Great Weekend Riding and Upcoming Projects

Quick report on my busy weekend, about 350 miles of riding, and some projects I have coming up on the  bikes.

Saturday I was at the Long Beach International Motorcycle Show (IMS) almost all day.  After meeting my CMA chapter for breakfast, four of us rode up there on our bikes while a few others "caged" there.  Only one wrong turn as the "trying to get fired Road Captain" and we made it in plenty of time to get the Helmet and Gear check going.  Only problem was we had less space than last year and no where near enough.  We had to shut the check down for about half an hour in the mid-afternoon, re-organize the helmets and consolidate a rack or three of jackets and then re-open.  Bummer, but the other option would have been to have gear tags out of order-a true recipe for disaster!

Sunday I participated in the El Cajon Harley Owners Group (HOG) Toys for Tots run.  Great event, great guys running it with lots of volunteers and a great cause.  Fun part for me was it was a "controlled ride" meaning we stayed as a group and had police escort.  However there were more intersections than Road Captains from HOG, so I started helping out.  Fun to do that every now and then as we "quickly" rode from intersection to intersection alongside the nearly 200 bike group.  Ride ended at Del Mar Racetrack where we rode in (quietly to not spook the non-iron horses) and had our own area.  Best part?  Nearly 2300 toys for Toys for Tots, and over $8000 that will also go for toys and gifts! 

After my annual pre-Thanksgiving Dinner ride before joining family at the in-laws, I have a number of projects on the two Connies.  The restoration bike (94, aka Belle) needs an oil change and general check-up, plus I may test fit the sanded and repaired bodywork. Belle's tank was going to go on the old 86 (Miss Swail) but the petcock leaks and trying to get it off one of the mounting nuts came loose from inside the tank.  UGH.  So I'm going to see what can be done with the old parts bike tank I've had sitting around.  It's nasty but if it holds gas it may have to do to get the bike sold and I'll let the new owner decide to use some gas tank sealant on it or buy a replacement on eBay.

Could you help me out and click this link for some metric T-handle wrenches?  Testing out the Amazon Affiliate program and would like to see how a sale or two works.  Thank you!

It's time for IMS and renewed my Amazon Associates Account (test)

The Long Beach International Motorcycle Show (IMS) kicked off tonight, and members of Southern California Christian Motorcyclists Association (CMA) are already up there running a complimentary helmet and jacket check.  I head up there with my chapter very early tomorrow morning as we share the Saturday AM shift.  It will be crazy as the weather is great and they are expecting huge crowds.  I'll report back tomorrow night.

Also, I just re-registered these blogs as part of the Amazon Associates program.  I guess I get a small "commission" on any purchases made through links, so will begin testing that out and periodically posting links without spamming my own blog!  here's a test one for Amazon gift cards-if you are so inclined to click through and buy one, I'd love to see how it works even if I only make a few pennies.  Thank you in advance!

Amazon Gift Card Link

Long Beach International Motorcycle Show (IMS) is in one week-and discount code!

Good morning yet again, handful of readers and bots!


The Long Beach IMS is less than ten days away-it's next weekend! Starting Friday night 17 November and running until Sunday evening, the show has steadily bounced back from the depths of the Great Recession and features all the manufacturers, vendors, motorcycling celebrities and more!

Cycle Gear is offering four dollar off ticket codes for the show-can't beat that, and no purchase is necessary.

Go to the IMS site and enter CG18 for $4 off admission, and when you get there, say "hello" to the CMA'ers working the helmet and gear check.  I'll be there Saturday morning with my chapter from San Diego.  Hope to meet you then!

Anyone else frustrated by California PNO rules?

Gotta DMV at the crack of early tomorrow to personally register the 1986 Connie (AKA Miss Swail) before selling her this weekend.  Since putting it on a Planned Non-Operational (PNO) when the registration expired in April, I've saved half a year's insurance but will likely "lose" that much in comparable vacation hours turned into pay for the time at the DMV.

Lesson learned with this second stint of having a PNO'd motorcycle take at least one trip, therefor one wait in line for an hour plus, to the DMV to register, I'm gong to think twice about putting a vehicle on a PNO, at least here in California!

Please share your thoughts and experience with PNO in the comments.

My three blogs and an idea for a new YouTube channel

I'm slowly starting to post again, and will be updating all three of my blogs with more content and new info over the next few weeks.  The goal is to finish strong in 2017 and roll right into 2018 with active blogs that actually get traffic.

here's the three blogs and topics:

http://burcma.blogspot.com Mainly motorcycling related but may sometimes also talk about cars

http://creationfitness.blogspot.com Work outs (both mine and sometimes hints from others), diet and nutrition and other related topics. 

http://bursthursdaythoughts.blogspot.com Short devotionals.  Normally but not exclusively published on Thursdays when new ones are posted

I'm also planning and starting to shoot short videos with quick tidbits for success I've come across reading and listening to speakers from co-workers to Earl Nightingale.  I should have the introduction video posted this weekend and maybe the first success pointer.  I'll post links to the channel when it's up and running.

Have you owned two of the same bike before?

Switched over from my 1986 Kawasaki Concours to a 1994 that I'm in the process of restoring.

While the 94 has some minor improvements, very little changed on these bikes for a 20 year run-amazing for Japanese makes in those days.  That's more a Harley-esque trait, doing very little to a model year after year after year.  For nearly 12 years, the only change was colors, and before that the only major change was a front end upgrade in the early 90s-better forks, brake calipers with dual pistons instead of only one, and a better looking fender.

But my point is I rode the 1986 over 30,000 miles, so when after a few month break I got on the '94, it was like not changing anything.  I was planning on taking it easy for a tank or two, but found I was riding along naturally and smoothly.

I'd appreciate your comments-have you owned two models of the same bike, or very similar, and was riding both of them this familiar?

In the wind or in the air,
Bur

Sold the Honda CB750F Project Bike Parts

Three years ago I traded a 12-string guitar and a custom cigar box guitar I made to a friend for his project CB750 parts.  I was going to make a rigid bobber or streamlined, Exile Cycles style trike but life and other projects plus restarting my financial services business resulted in zero work on it.

Well, I decided since I wasn't going to be able to build a bike for at least another year, I should sell these parts and maybe later build a bike with other "donor-cycles".  Craigslist ad got  a few responses, and I sold the bike for what I was asking plus delivery money to someone fairly close by.

Hope he enjoys it and gets his CB750 back in the wind soon!

Cycle Gear offers a discount on one-day International Motorcycle Show (IMS) tickets

Good morning, handful of readers and bots!


Just got an e-mail from Cycle Gear.  As one of the sponsors of the IMS, they are offering four dollar off ticket codes for the Long Beach International Motorcycle Show 17-19 November.


Go to the IMS site and enter CG18 for $4 off admission, and when you get there, say "hello" to the CMA'ers working the helmet and gear check.  I'll be there Saturday morning with my chapter from San Diego.  Hope to meet you then!

The Long Beach Progressive International Motorcycle Show is one month away!

Wow, is this year flying by!

I just realized "our" shift at the free gear check at the Progressive International Motorcycle Show (or IMS) is one month away.  The IMS is a great event, and you can learn much more about it here. Long Beach is one of the sites where the Christian Motorcyclists Association (CMA) does free gear check.  The pictures on the website are from the Long Beach IMS Gear Check with one of our awesome Lady CMA's featured.

Huge show, lots to do including test rides, and in beautiful SOCAL.

I'll be at the gear check booth Saturday AM, look for But!

A Couple of Quick Updates

Working on the bikes, prepping the 1986 Connie for sale plus checking what might be my options with the 1974 Honda CB750.  Odds are I'm going to sell it too-while I'd love to build a bobber or trike with it, the time and funds to do that right aren't going to be available for atleast 6 months and maybe more like two years.

Riding the 1994 Connie prior to a massive service on it (all fluids, test mount bodywork and prep for paint) and the Harley, so I'm still in the wind.

May have sold the 1986 Kawasaki Concours

Yesterday I began exchanging texts with a gentleman interested in my 1986 Connie.

After a few questions and some explanation from him on why he might wait but is interested, we reached a good price and a timeline to likely sell the bike the first week of November.

And while I listed it for more, he is giving me the same amount I paid for the replacement 1994!

True tankful mileage check on the 1994 Kawasaki Concours

Ran a tankful of gas through the resto-project Kawasaki Concours, and got an indicated 200 miles on just over 5 gallons of gas.  Speedometer/odometer are "over" as my distance traveled is greater than measures on two other bikes and my car.  But even factoring that in, to be getting high 30s while cruising at California highway speeds with some stop and go mixed in on a bike that has mostly sat in it's 23 year life, and has received very little mechanical attention as I brought it back to near daily use is quite reassuring that this will likely be my next 100K bike-from 14K when I bought it 20 years old!

Started Commuting on the 1994 Kawasaki Concours

Quick post to get October off to a "post a day" start on one of the three blogs.

I finally got the registration renewal for the 1994 so I've started commuting on it.  Sure, I've only ridden this Connie just over 1000 miles (from before I put it on PTO and now), but since I have nearly 50K on Connie's and Ninja 900s, it was likely riding a bike.

Going to burn through one more tank of gas before stripping it down, painting the body work, doing some overdo preventative maintenance, and then really riding it!

The 1994 Kawasaki Concours, aka Connie, is almost ready to ride again

Just a quick update since I haven't posted in forever and was checking to see if I could still log-in.

Retired the 1984 Connie when it's registration lapsed and moved parts over to the 1994, did a minor amount of work to it and have been going through the DMV drill getting it off PNO and registered.  One more step to go, and it will be legal and rideable again.

I've enjoyed riding the Harley, but will be good to have a Connie too.  I think I have something like $800 in the bike!

Interesting thing happened while riding in the fog

For the last two nights, it's been really foggy out here in San Diego, which is pretty rare.  Down on the coast there is sometimes a marine layer that drops very low, but Wednesday and Thursday nights it extended well inland.  All the way to our home nearly 10 miles from the coast.  Epic "horror movie/scary video game fog" as one of our kids said.

I was riding both days, not unusual because I normally commute on the bikes.  What was interesting was I realized the visibility was out to the edge of my headlight.  I was on a route I ride way too often-one of the only roads from the freeway to our "town" (we're incorporated so not part of San Diego!).  So I was rolling along at my normal speed despite the low-viz conditions.  I started mentally picturing the next building, cross street and light, even though they couldn't be seen.  Sure enough, as I got closer they would come into view through the fog!  Even approaching stop lights I couldn't see was actually safer at speed, as I "saw" them even before the light came into view.  Since traffic was light but a few cars were ahead of me, I could tell when they tapped their brakes.

I felt and was likely safer going my normal speed and NOT slowing down.  Any MSF coaches or safety experts reading this, please comment.  Was that the correct assessment, as I sure felt so!

Hope you have some good rides this weekend, in clear dry weather!

Quick Update on the 1994 Kawasaki Concours Restoration Project

I'm going to keep this short, but have to admit to owning the 1994 Connie for three years now!  I'm nowhere near as far along on the restoration as I thought I would be.  Fortunately my 86 had kept running well, so my plan to retire it at 100k was able to be pushed back.  Now my plan is to get at least 100K more miles on it than the 94 has before the registration expires at the end of April.

By then I should have all the bodywork on the 94 ready to be repainted, and take it off it's PNO as soon as DMV sends me the paperwork, but effective in July when it's due to minimize fees.  Since I also have a Harley, I will have a legal bike to ride while "swapping" Connie parts and awaiting the new registration for the 1994.

I tried starting it this weekend, but what little gas it has is stale.  It fired on starting fluid but didn't run.  I'll probably get a gallon of fuel and see what I can do to get it running, but I sure don't want to pull the carbs any earlier than I have to!  What a PITA it is getting Connie carbs in and out!

Adventures in Bike Commuting-Foggy Ride Home

Today is my usual yoga class after work day, which means riding home after dark this time of year.

So I walk out of the gym to find it's completely socked in with fog-you can only see a few hundred yards at best.  But I have to get home.  I dry what parts of the bike I need to-seat, grips, mirrors, helmet visor and set out.

Fortunately traffic was already thinning out and visibility wasn't too bad.  Everyone was driving sanely, which is surprising for San Diego!  After about ten miles as I worked my way north and inland a bit, it cleared up and we were back up to normal SOCAL freeway speeds.  But the ride was a good reminder to be prepared for weather changes, even in San Diego! 

Does the bike make the rider? Musings while riding

Like many motorcyclists, I've owned a number of bikes, and bikes from a variety of styles for road riding.  From the Honda XL250 Enduro I got most my first miles on, to probably 6 or 7 cruisers, one or two standards, a vintage sportbike (Ninja 900, aka "the Top Gun bike"), 2 Kawasaki Concours sport tourers, and among the cruisers a Harley Sportster and a Street Glide.

Currently I have a ride one of the Concours and the Street Glide.  Before that it was one of the Connies and a Sportster.  So I had a fairly big sport-tourer and a Harley as my bikes for most the past decade.

What I noticed, especially if riding them back-to-back, or the next day, is I actually rode differently depending on which bike I was on.  Not only did they handle differently (side note-the Sportster handled more like a sport-tourer than any other cruiser I've owned, and with good power-to-weight, it was one of the quicker bikes I've owned), I rode differently-often more aggressively on the Harleys.  More attitude, more "this is my lane/space".  That's not to say at times I have fully used the Connie's impressive roll-on speed, even as a 30 year old bike!  But there is just something about being on the Harleys, at least to me.

Do you find yourself riding differently on different bikes if you own more than one?  How about if you've switched styles?  I'd love to read your comments about this!

Rain, rain go away

Yeah, I know, SOCAL has been in a drought, but this is ridiculous.  We are getting five days of rain, and we've already had so much it's just running off.  It was raining pretty hard this morning so I didn't ride in, then was nice mid-day, and pouring again on the way home.

I did see a few bikes-guys must be "TWO" or harder than me!  I hope to get some riding in tomorrow, but then probably won't ride again until next Wednesday.  Haven't even put the 100 mile scrub in on the new rear tire yet.  Blegh.

Two Bike Projects Done, a somber ride, and the car saga ends (hopefully)

This morning right when it got over 50 degrees I started painting the mufflers off my 1986 Kawasaki Concours.  I applied five coats over nearly two hours with only one run-which for me is pretty good with rattle cans. I used Rust-O-Leum Engine Enamel, which covered well and is good up to 500 degrees, hopefully enough for exhaust "cans".  If not, I'll clean up any blisters when I have them off in two or three months to move the rear wheel and new tire over to the restoration project 1994.  My goal is to get "Miss Swail" 100,000 miles over "Belle" while finishing the restoration and then retire Miss Swail at 116,000 plus miles.  Maybe a new owner will keep her on the road instead of parting her out, but there are lots of seals and rubber parts that are showing their age.

I also rode Gospel Flyer, the Harley Street Glide I inherited from my "big brother" Glen to Miramar National Cemetary for a funeral.  A Marine Sergeant was laid to rest today, and there had been a slightly "hoaxy" post about him not having much family.  Well, this got refuted, but it also energized the veteran community and there was a huge turnout.  Lots of bikes besides a large group of family and friends.  I also paid respect to Glen, another Navy buddy and a fellow EOD tech who was KIA on Oct 20, 2016.  All are in the same general area of the cemetary-Glen and my co-worker are five columns apart in their columbarium.  It was a tough time but a good use of part of my day.

The car is finally out of the shop.  Radiator replaced, lots of hoses for multiple fluids replaced, and the motor mount installed.  Definitely can feel it respond better with a solid front engine mount and fresh, full transmission fluid.  All work that needed to be done, some of which should have been done a while ago.  Even for a "rainy or too cold day" car!

New Rear Tire For the Kawasaki Concours

The rear wheel and tire I put on the 86 Connie from the 94 had gotten smooth on the middle like most of my tires, so it was time for a new rear tire.  This will be the last one before this bike gets to be 100k more miles than the 94 and retired.

So Friday night I put the bike up on its centerstand, but this time I decided to pull the mufflers just to see how much easier that makes this process.  It's a big difference, and more on the second project that started .

I haven't used a 27mm socket for this project, which is the right one for the crown nut.  I got everything apart and dropped the wheel and new tire off at Poway Motorcycles, my usual shop for remounting tires.  They did their usual quick and effective work.  I picked up the wheel but I also ran by Harbor Freight and picked up a 27mm socket.  What's the point of doing a project if you don't get to buy a new tool?

Everything lined back up pretty well-easier than usual to get the axle back through.  Having the socket instead of improvising a way to hold the crown nut and tighten the axle was much easier, and getting the nut tightened up and a cotter pin through the axle.

With the muffler "cans" off I decided to sand them down and try repainting them.  Even though I plan on selling the 86 as a parts bike/first Connie for someone else, the cans will look better and I'll get the experience with high heat paint.  So last night I sanded them to prep for paint.  Today is a bit cool and overcast, so I'll paint them tomorrow. 

Quick post-upcoming maintenance and first rain ride for 2017

I'm sure my one or two readers are wondering why two almost completely unrelated items make up the title.

Well, tonight the rain came early, so I was caught about 5 miles from home in steadily worsening rain.  Fortunately, we've had a bunch of rain lately, so it wasn't very slick.  Fortunate-because my rear tire is worn down along the center from all the commuting and freeway miles I do.  So this weekend I am pulling the rear wheel and having the rear tire that showed up today (and got rained on, how ironic!) put on.  Last rear tire change for Miss Swail, too.

30-year old Kawasaki emblem "goo" finally met it's match

My everyday ride is a 1986 Kawasaki Concours, one of three I have owned.  One was a parts bike, and one is the 1994 Concours I'm slowly restoring.  Well, both the other Connies have bad gas tanks-the parts bike tank was an internally, faded paint mess, and the 94s has rusted through from sitting too long.  It's been repaired, but also isn't in as good a shape as the 86 tank.

So I'm going to re-use the 86s tank for the restoration but need to repaint it.  I popped the Kawasaki emblems off a few weeks ago, but big black blobs of adhesive were left behind.  Nothing that should have worked got this stuff off.  Even after thirty years no solvent I dared use dented the blobs.

I asked my Father-in-Law if he had a heat gun, but he didn't.  So what did they get me for Christmas among other things?  Yep, a heat gun!  (side note:  You know you're getting old when a heat gun excites you more than possibly getting a Red Rider BB Gun.)  So tonight after dinner I went out to the garage, grabbed a plastic putty knife and fired up the heat gun.  Once softened a little the adhesive "goo" came off.  I slightly melted the putty knife, but no big loss-it was one I found laying around and not sure when we got it.

I've already got another project or two in mind for the heat gun, so it will likely be put to good use.  Time to prep a few more pieces of old bodywork and pick a color for the Connie-bouncing between a dark blue, a deeper red than stock, or white and black. 

First Ride of 2017 and a non-motorcycle post

So far, so good-one day into 2017 and I've ridden.  My best friend and his wife have always hosted a "Greens and Peas New Year's Celebration."  He passed away six months ago, so his widow and some friends put it on again this year.

Since they gave me his Harley, I rode it up there today, had a nice visit with lots of friends, and also ate my fill of greens and black-eyed peas.  Here's to 2017 and my dollars and cents!

And on to the non-motorcycle part of this post.  Yesterday I attended the San Diego International Auto Show for the first time.  I've lived in San Diego off and on for nearly 30 years and have never been.  Used to the International Motorcycle Show (IMS) in Long Beach, and seeing the crowds around the convention center for Comic-Con, I've always stayed away worried it will be super crowded.

Boy, was I wrong!  Yes, we've had what could be considered bad weather for San Diego lately, but I was surprised at how modest the crowd was.  I got to see and sit in most the vehicles I planned on and even got to take more test drives than expected.  I test drove a Ford Fusion (I am considering a hybrid or Energi for my next car), and the new Fiat 124 Spider and Mazda Miata.  Both share some components, as the very knowledgeable Mazda test drive hostess and a product specialist pointed out.  I also didn't know that Mazda is now sourcing their parts internally-their partnership with Ford ends when a few more engines are used up-and they now rent/sell technology to other makes.  That is why the Fiat Spider had similar parts.

I hope to post more frequently in 2017-thanks for sticking with this very infrequent blogger!