"A Little Weekend Maintenance"

[Crazy Uncle Larry]

Finally received the replacement kickstand for my "81 XT500. Thought I'd put it on. I'm tired of falling over when I go to kick it and lose my balance! Besides...a kickstand makes it easier to get off the bike during those "epic trips" and take photos, adjust the load, go to the bathroom, and put gas in the machine!!! You can see the new stand and the old, broke-down stand on the floor. Ole Betsy is about to undergo transplant surgery. Notice the springs? Keep them in mind for a while.



Here's my current all-around most favorite bike stand for the time being, my '96 4Runner!!! I'm also sure it has a scrape or two on it from the brake lever. Oh well! Igor, hand me the socket wrench and the old bolt (since the new stand didn't come with a new bolt). What is this!!! The bolt won't fit into the new hole!!! Aaarrggghhhh! I've been had again by the old saying, "This part should fit all series years of the bike." Seems the bolt is different on the new stand. I will need to either get a Grade 8 bolt, lock washer and nut or I will need to get a drill bit the same size as the old hole and enlarge the hole on the new stand. Time to dig out the bench-top drill press! In the meantime, improvise, adapt, and overcome. I found a suitable substitute so the stand would at least work in the interim.



Here she is, fresh from surgery. It'll do for the time being until I sort out the bolt issue.



Remember the spring? Once you get the stand on the frame then you must stretch the spring until it hooks the knob on the stand thereby placing the stand under the appropriate amount of tension. Remember the needle-nose pliers from an earlier photo? Well, you grab ahold of the spring with the needle-nose pliers and pull downward with some force. Remember those leather gloves you should of had on your hands?! Yeah, right. They would have come in handy when the pliers slipped off the spring. Then the pliers would have closed around the glove instead of your index finger! That is a whopper of a blood blister!!!



I know some of you are asking yourself...Why does he have an approach-style shoe on his left foot and his Moose Racing M-1 boot on his right foot??? Those of you savy in the ways of coldstarting a big single are just nodding your heads at my sense of precaution. No need to take a chance while kickstarting Ole Betsy! She hadn't been started since the Laramie Lap ride back on 7 Feb 2009. I've definitely got to enrich her carb just a little. She was set for the Denver altitude and she pops and cracks when you first get her going here. We came to a meeting of the minds and she was soon idling like she was supposed to, thump..thump...thump...thump!



Slowly and surely. A part at a time. That's the mantra I'm using to upgrade the ole XT. Hope to have a newer seat, wheel bearings in, re-do the springarm, get those bark busters on there, and other little odds and ends done by June. One step at a time. I did have to ride her up and down the street just a couple of times before putting her away for the night. She done good! Now, if I can just get her to the car wash next for a little bath. She slung chain lube all over the place and picked up about a 5-gal bucket of grime from the trailer ride back to Rapid City after the Laramie trip. No high pressure wash! Just a gentle spray, soap, brush, and rinse would be fine! I'll be back when I get more parts to put on, until then...ride safe if you get the chance and show us the photos on the forum!

[fringefan]

I am curious what you do for a living because I love readin your post.

[Crazy Uncle Larry]

My job exposes me to the daily underbelly of society. For the past 12+ years I have witnessed people filled with hopelessness, a high sense of failure, severely depressed, with little hope for their future (their belief, not mine!). I have taken on this challenge and waded straight into the fray! I seek to show them alternatives to the poor choices they've made in the past, to show them hope where none was before, to show them that I will not give up on them even when they believe I should. I seek to show them opportunities, not tell them what to do! You ask what I do...I work in juvenile corrections for the state of South Dakota. Have I had any luck in my efforts? There have been an occasional "save" or two and that's what stokes my fire to continue the quest of showing these youth there can be another way for them to reach success, that they are worth something and that they aren't the "lost boys and girls" that society may think they are. I have been a senior drill instructor at the Patrick Henry Brady Academy for boys in Custer. I have been a juvenile corrections agent in the community. I am currently the west river foster care specialist and work matching youth with foster families when there is absolutely no other options for them. In fact, tonight I will travel to Custer and Hot Springs to visit youth and families to see how they are doing and to encourage them on to greater heights of success. I have three youth who will graduate high school this spring and believe me, that in and of itself is a success story!

So...sometimes I need to do something which takes my mind entirely off of my work. So, there's been riding, mountain biking, rock climbing, mountain climbing, skiing, kayaking, working with horses, acting (yes, in movie and music video), writing historical fiction (old west and present western settings, ongoing projects), and camping, so on and so on. Heck, I've even made necklaces, made knives (both with steel blades and stone blades) and done other type of crafts and use this to show our youth there are other possibilities for their free-time instead of filling it with negative behaviors. I have been accused of knowing a little bit about everything and I may. But you kind of need to when working with our youth. Besides, it surprises the heck out of them when you are conversant in some topic they think you are too much of a dinosaur to know anything about! Oh well...time to head off to the salt mine and get back to the grind. Another opportunity for success awaits!