Jul 02 - Day 00 2015 Tour - Bandon, OR

Summertime at Bearhead Mt Lane - Hot & Dry 

After days of procrastination I've finally decided which beastie to ride on my 2015 summer tour. The Bumble Bee gets the nod mainly because I can haul a ton of stuff with me. Weather variations across the country can tap your imagination and preparing for any and all events is impossible. At least it's impossible if you're riding a scooter that is. With a sidecar you really can haul the kitchen sink including all manner of garb, rain gear, cold temperature gear, perforated jackets for hot days, the list is endless.

Surely this critter has a load limit?

So it's now the eve of departure, the hack's packed to the gills and I can't think of anything else to take along. Jerry Smith once said to me "There's nothing you can't find on the open road, all you need to do is rub a Visa card up against a Walmart and they're everywhere."

Yes I'm a sucker for stickers. More like a fetish even....

I liberated this map case from another ride - it's a handy item to have around

Beginning mileage for the tour

Riley's hanging out keeping an eye on everything I do. He knows I'm up to something.

That's about it for today, I'll be heading out early in the morning for coffee with another bud, Gene Fitch at Bandon Coffee. Got a dozen cookies waiting to take with me for a 4th of July get together in Portland. Some of my dearest friends are hosting what is going to be the last big gathering of our aging group, many of whom I haven't seen in several years. I'll stay with them for two nights, then continue on with my tour. Wuzzat? Where am I going you ask? Frankly I don't know at this point, I guess I'll just let the hack decide when we get back on the road.

I'll keep you posted.

LL

You're leaving me home again, aren't you? 

Sorry Riley, you'll just have to stay home and keep Mom & Toby company.

Apr 08 - Bumblebee - The hack finally gets a turn signal

Slick dog turn signal found on EBay

Awhile back I picked up a turn signal on EBay that more or less matches the ones on the beemer. Today I got around to installing it and it doesn't look too bad. I pulled the feed wire off the bike's RH signal so it doesn't work, taped it up so if and when the hack's removed all that's needed to make it work again is plug it in. Simple deal. I like the idea of having more separation between the two signals. 

Now I suppose I should rewire the hack's tail light so it includes a brake light. But wait, that would mean two brake lights so maybe the LED unit currently on the bike will suffice?

I think I'm good with this setup the way it is for now, it's definitely better than what I had before and that's good enough for me. 

While I was shopping for a suitable light I ran across this one too. It's pretty classy and I really thought it would look good on the hack's fender but mounting it was not going to be easy and it was a far cry from the Bumblebee's light design. Now it's resting in my junk box...anyone interested?

Anyway there ya go, another exciting day spent fiddling around with the Bumblebee. Hey, what else is there?

Ride safe...

LL

Mar 07 - Yamaha XS-1 - Thinning the herd

Way, way back in late 1970 I decided it was time to give up dirt riding and take to the tarmac. The little Honda SL350 Enduro I owned kept trying to tell me something; namely that my off-road riding skills weren't adequate to keep me from serious injuries. After a final Saturday morning tumble down the mountain I limped home with the realization it was time to get real and get off the dirt.

Sorry, this will have to do, no pics could be found of my own SL-350

With that in mind I set about finding a suitable replacement that would make a decent road bike. I had in mind one of Honda's CB450s as the likely choice, big enough to haul me anywhere I'd care to go and reliable as can be.

I'd still love to ride one of these

My search through the local dealer network proved fruitless until I spoke with a salesman at Ray Garner Yamaha in east Portland. When I asked if they happened to have a used CB450 he replied with "Wouldn't you rather have a new Yamaha XS-1 650 instead?"

Wouldn't I! Sweet! And a shaker to boot!

Turns out they had one left-over model they wanted to move out to make way for the new incoming '71s. They offered it to me at a price I couldn't refuse plus gave me a generous trade-in allowance for my SL350.

Photo taken by George Olsen on the occasion of the Yamaha's 25th birthday

For the next 44-odd years I baby-sat the green beastie riding it south to California's bay area and north to Vancouver Island in BC. In between times I rode mostly around the Portland area, favoring rides up Mt Hood and along the Columbia River Gorge.

During this period I also owned a number of other bikes, ones that were more comfortable with better handling characteristics and so help me God, electric starters! I rode them back and forth across the US and Canada, north to Alaska, south to Mexico, it was crazy. Meanwhile the Yamaha languished under its cover, secluded in the garage or barn and only ridden occasionally.

The years continued to roll by until the spring of this year, 2015 when I decided it was time to let it go. What was the point after all of owning a beautiful and now vintage bike and never riding it? I started mentioning this to my riding buds and one of them, Jerry Smith, posted a small inquiry on the Adventure Rider's forum regarding this model and also commented that I'd been thinking about selling. Within hours a collector from Olympia, WA contacted him and Jerry forwarded my name & contact info to him.

Wotta sweetheart...and the bike ain't bad either! Eww...

kick start? Hell yes, I can still do it. Just stand back.

Woof! Wacha doin Dad? Your face is kinda red...

Never you mind, that popping sound was just my knee

The rest was history, he got in touch with me and we agreed on a price and scheduled a time he could call for it. The drive from his home east of Olympia was a long one, nearly 7 hours but he made it without incident and loaded the bike onto the back of his truck.

Me on the left, smiling new owner Vincent on the right

Young guys, lotsa muscle...whew!

Tying it down nice & snug

Moment of wistfulness...45 years is a long time

Time to head 'em up, move 'em out!

Bye bye baby...gonna miss you

Hey, ya still got me Dad, right?  -  Good point Riley, I still have you.

So that's that, the beastie's gone to a new home to live in style with a really nice couple. No worries about going under the saw and becoming a hack-job for a cafe racer wannabe, it's a new life of careful stewardship and the occasional show. For an old bike that's about as good as it gets.

LL

Nov 07 - Bumble Bee - Long Overdue Maintenance

After returning from the run down to Tombstone it was time to pay serious attention to some very loud mechanical noises emanating from the BB's engine. I called my bud Jerry Smith to listen and he correctly identified that it was time to adjust the valve clearances, something I'd never done but he was willing to oversee*. 

*Jerry's idea of overseeing is kind of laughable as he apparently can't stand to watch rank amateurs like myself screwing things up and always steps in to do whatever needs doing before the said amateur causes irreversible harm.

Removing the left side valve cover we discovered an ominous accumulation of loose needle bearings lying in a cavity below the rocker arm; not exactly where they're supposed to be. That called for an immediate halt to the valve adjustment job until we could outsource whatever parts we'd need to repair the damage. After surfing the issue on line it was obvious there would likely be more issues to deal with, way more in fact than what either of us wanted to tackle within the limited resources of my shop.

Dark times have fallen upon us.....

The next obvious step was to arrange a trip to Hansen's BMW dealership in Medford located a few hours south of Bandon. Their dealership has been around for years and after initial telephone discussions it was decided I would trailer the bike to their shop sans the sidecar and panniers.

They handle all my favorite toys!

Removing the panniers was dead simple, just unlock and set them aside. The sidecar was a bit trickier but not a big deal and with the use of a couple of jacks I was able to handle it alone.

The Ural hack would remain perched on two jacks while the BB was being repaired

This was the first time I'd seen the BB without a sidecar. Cute. Sexy red spring.

I love my trailer. Luvit luvit luvit! Needs a bit of paint though.

When Hansen's was ready an appointment was made, we loaded the Bumble Bee onto the bike trailer and I set off. The trip down was uneventful; the Garmin lady guided me to their repair shop where I left the bike in their care.

A couple of days later they called with their initial estimate and I gave them the go-ahead. It would take two or three weeks to complete the work and as such things normally go they discovered a couple of other hidden issues that needed attention. Nothing was critical but my wishes were simple: Fix whatever needs fixing so that the bike would be reliable and ready for long distance touring wherever I decide to go next. Roadside repairs are not my deal ever never.

Sooner than I expected I got the call the BB was ready so off I went, this time accompanied by Riley. He's really good company although the truck now smells like a kennel.

Sssst! Hey! Lemme outta here!

Craig gave me a detailed explanation of everything that was done and what I could expect in the future. Dragging a sidecar around puts a lot of extra strain on the bike - any bike - so they made sure all the affected components were inspected and if they were close to needing replacement they were done.

Craig Hansen

Craig's happy parts guy. Shoot, I forgot his name. Sorry

Loaded up, ready to head home

Hansen's was an easy shop to deal with, I never got the feeling of being rushed, always felt like I had the attention of whoever I was dealing with. Craig Hansen - the owner - was particularly attentive and I could tell he really cares about his customers. I'll be back.

The day after returning I called Jerry to ask for help unloading the bike and re-installing the sidecar. He generously agreed and after meeting for coffee in Bandon we headed out to my place for the big event. 

Upon arrival Jerry was greeted by Toby, our Aussie Shepard who doesn't seem to trust anyone that doesn't live here. Jerry's been here dozens of times and Toby takes forever to warm up to him. Who knows why, maybe someone in his past resembling Jerry mistreated him but beings he's an adopted dog we'll never find out. Good thing Jerry's a patient guy who loves dogs. At least Riley is friendly. 

Grrr....grrrr...grrrr...

So we tackled hooking the hack back up to the Bumble Bee which was a fairly straight forward job. It required a bit of coaxing and fumbling around to get everything lined up but once done all was well again. We made a couple of short passes up and down the driveway and declared it fixed.

Welcome home BB, you're looking good and sounding a lot better!

And lest I forget, Craig laid an armful of swag on me including a great T-shirt designed by his son plus hefty bottles of brew, each bearing his name from his bud's brewery in Corvallis. Thanks Craig! And thanks to all the crew at Hansen's BMW in Medford, OR!

Later today I'll try to get out for a ride and see how everything works, then report back. Of course it looks like rain at the moment...this is after all Oregon, eh?

LL

Nov 10 - Post Repairs Ride Update

We finally got a break in the weather and I was able to take the beastie out for a ride. It wasn't far, just a bit under a hundred miles but all seems well. Riding a sidecar is always a hoot, especially one as cool as a vintage BMW airhead like this one. After an initial re-familiarization period of twenty miles or so the BB and I settled down into a comfortable routine of mixed familiarity. It was good to be back, can't wait to head out on another journey with this rig.

Oct 21 - Vespa 250 - Sequel to The Fall Sunshine Ride

Remember when I passed through the mystery burg a few days back? Today I decided I'd have another run through the area to see if I could find out its name.

The day began with a photo shoot of my newly installed KAOKO cruise control plus Jerry needed pics of a new jacket he's reviewing for a bikers publication. We met for lunch at our usual haunt, the Coquille Broiler, then headed to the nearby local county park.

Jerry's cool new riding jacket

Shooting a closeup of the new KAOKO cruise control for Vespas

After the photo shoot was over Jerry headed home to do the work thing while I rode out towards the small mystery burg I'd passed through the other day. This time I took a slightly different approach from the west side, bypassing the ten miles of gravel road. The recent rain had no doubt made it into a slimy mess and I'd as soon not fall on my butt.

Sumner - the only sign I could find

Arriving at the small community of Sumner - no longer a mystery, I rode all the way through it, did a U-turn and rode back to the intersection I'd paused at before.

Looking back on Sumner...What the heck is that large building?

Now that the name of the community has been resolved a new mystery has risen; namely that large white building perched above the settlement. Too big to be a school for such a small town, maybe it's a secret government lab or maybe a commune for Zombies... I see another ride will be required soon.

My most favorite stunt is to see how far I can ride with my keys stuck in the trunk lock...duh

Last time through I'd taken the Old Wagon Road to Coos Bay; today I'd follow the Catching Slough Road along the waterway north.

The salmon are running and I saw several fishermen working the slough

Rain water has caused high water nearly everywhere

A nice convenient rest stop awaits the occasional traveler

Cool habitat for the local feathered denizens 

Bovines...I love 'em

It's beginning to look nasty up there....rain's probably on its way soon

Almost at the end of the road, the bridge to Coos Bay looms ahead

One more mystery for my next trip - what is that thing anyway, a dry dock perhaps?

Once over the bridge I ride through East Side into the south end of Coos Bay where I gas up for the ride home. It's quiet out, not much traffic and the remainder of the ride without rain is pleasant. I'll return soon, really need to solve the two new mysteries.

Take care, keep the rubber side down.

LL