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October 12, 2005
A Window Opens, A Door Closes
It seems that whenever one problem is solved on a vintage motorcycle, another creeps up or is suddenly noticeable. Witness the recent tail-light trouble on the Maicoletta: No sooner was the tail-light fixed than did the brake light cease to work. I traced the problem to (first) a dirty brake light switch and (second) to a faulty wire or connection. Suspect again was the twin-slide connector joining the tub-side and frame side of the wiring.
No sooner was that problem fixed than did the battery lose its juice. I do not wonder that it is tired; it spent the better part of the day testing the brake light circuit. With my Lambretta, I eventually arrived at the point where I had turned every single nut and bolt on it at one point or another. Only then was it a reliable ride, and boy was that nice.
Posted by Underblog at 6:05 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
October 10, 2005
An Easy Fix
Some fixes are easy. Some are not. For instance, the Letta 250 has had a shifting problem that I have been unable to solve through adjustment and rebuilding. It has plagued me for years. However, the wiring problem was not one of these. A quick post to and response from the Maicoletta Yahoo! Group, and I got a suggestion: tighten down the body tub, since this is how the brake light and taillight are grounded. Fortunately, on the Letta this is but one bolt. Once tightened, all was well.
In other news, I lowered the needle to let in more air at throttle. This leans the fuel-air mixture to compensate for the relative lack of oxygen at high altitude. Smaller main jets are on their way to me from Bing America. The scooter feels faster too, though this may be psycho-somatic, as when a driver perceives better running after an oil change.
Posted by Underblog at 7:54 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
October 9, 2005
The Irony of It All
After awaking at 3:45 in the morning, trying and failing to get the taillight functioning properly, spending the day recovering from the trauma, I received the following email.
Due to the weather forecast for tomorrow, we will not be doing the ride tomorrow. The forecast is rain all morning until 10am, I don't think any balloons are going up in that!
So not only was the waking wholly unnecessary, so was the time spent repairing the scooter.
I returned to the Letta in the afternoon. I could not get the set screw out of the post, so I soldered a new run of wire directly to it. At the other end, I attached the new wire to the post on the ignition switch to which the old wire (or at least a wire of the same color-indication as the old wire) was formerly attached.
Now the light shines perfectly when the engine is not running, but flickers as the engine is revved. Electrics was never my strong suit, though I have learned over the years how to use a soldering iron and a multimeter, and I confess to an irrational affection for solderless bullet and slide connectors. I may try tying the bypass wire into the instrument lights. The only change would be that the taillight would not turn on with the parking lights. Who the heck uses parking lights on a motorcycle anyway?
Posted by Underblog at 9:48 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
October 8, 2005
Underblog Rides Again . . . Not!
I had every intention of going on the sunrise Balloon Fiesta Ride, which commenced at 5:00am this morning. I awoke on time (actually at 2:30 then tossed and turned for an hour and fifteen minutes). I made coffee, drank a cup, poured the rest—mixed with two cups of instant hot chocolate—in our large Aladdin Thermos, packed water and a camera.
The Letta starts fine, and I ride to the gate. As I dismount the idling Letta to try to get the gate to close, I notice that the taillight is not working. I try the brake pedal. Nada. Did you notice that it is moonless now? I start up the Letta and drive back up the driveway to the garage. I find the trouble with the brake light first: It appears as though a cable connector box was a tad corroded. As my mechanic-mentor Walter Alter says "It don't take much." Although the switch is out of adjustment (it comes on as one presses the brake pedal but goes off again as it is depressed fully), I reckon it will pass muster if the taillight is on. The taillight trouble eludes me, however. I remove the clock to get access to the switch. A quick perusal of the manual gives me guidance I need to get the ignition switch off so I can access the terminals. I loosen and retighten each of them. Still no taillight.
I check the bulb—duh! It is fine. Then, I notice that the post to which the taillight wire—and importantly not the brake light post—is completely corroded over. I try in vain to get the tiny set-screw that clamps down on the wire out of the post to no avail. I (and the scooter) appear to be stuck. While replacing the clock I short out the switch, causing the 8 amp fuse to blow. The trip is aborted.
Posted by Underblog at 8:02 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
October 7, 2005
Coordination
I used to think that working on motorcycles and working on home demolition were incompatible activities. No more. I worked on demolition today for three hours. How do I know? I started the timer built into our recent model kitchen stove to let me know when the Letta's battery was done charging. Then I did some shuffling around of stuff, notably (a) moving the pie safe off the front porch and into the workshed and (b) moving Mario Larrinaga's old work table out of the driveway and into the garage. Then I ripped a shelf off the garage wall and threw it in DB3.
Still in my coveralls, I took on the shelves in the adobe shed, picking them apart stick by stick and tossing them in DB3. The timing was just about right: I was removing the final shelf supports as Roomie dutifully gave me the five minute signal.
For some reason not entirely known to me, I am going on a scooter ride which meets at five in the morning. Should be interesting if not especially well-attended.
Posted by Underblog at 10:24 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack