Showing posts with label repairs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label repairs. Show all posts

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

Pegs, Pigs & More Pegs

I think we both have to say that getting the dirt bike/motorcycle has been one of the best things we could have possibly done for our lives as vandwellers. We can jump on at any time and hop over to the grocery store, get out of camp for a bit, experience a change of scenery, whatever we want and we don't have to move the van...its been great for the mind, body, soul & our gas budget!


Jamie has always had bikes, he grew up on them and as he has gotten older has kept his love for motorcycles alive. Before our journey began, back in 2012, we sold our 2003 Harley Davidson V-rod to help along with the funds for the beginnings of our new life....and oh what a beautiful bike.....




[caption id="attachment_5345" align="aligncenter" width="358"]Sooo many great memories! Sooo many great memories![/caption]

We sold the V-rod knowing it wouldn't be the most practical bike in our new lives and we also knew that another bike would be in our future. We've been looking at dirt bikes for a few years and while we were in San Carlos this Summer, we found one...or maybe it found us! One of Jamie's longtime friends had this bike, it was in great condition, & had barely been ridden, so J' worked, paid it off, and then worked on it to make it street legal as well as a few personal touches.


Our new bike is a Honda XR-400




[caption id="attachment_5347" align="aligncenter" width="384"]Honda XR 400 Honda XR 400[/caption]

Along with the street legal kit; hi/lo beam headlight, brake light, license plate light, turn signals, horn, rear view mirror, Jamie switched the 2.5 gallon gas tank for a 4 gallon gas tank (cost $23.50 on ebay) and put passenger (foot) pegs on for me. We started with these foot pegs (cost: $10 amazon)




[caption id="attachment_5349" align="aligncenter" width="280"]Save your money Save your money[/caption]

We knew when we opened the box that we would need better ones soon, but these were something to get us by, so I could come along for the ride. Once we were back on the road, I rode along about two times before one of the pegs fell off, so we ordered Rescue Pegs (cost: $68), they attach onto the existing foot pegs...like an extension.




[caption id="attachment_5357" align="aligncenter" width="280"]Rescue Pegs for me Rescue Pegs for me[/caption]

 I really like the Rescue Pegs. I am 5'7 with pretty long legs, and with these pegs my feet/legs are able to rest lower & be more at ease, plus it's nice to sit comfortably on the back of the bike. The more we rode the bike together, the more Jamie figured out they were in his way at times; starting the bike, at stoplights, etc. And if ya'll know him, you know he's always keeping his research fresh, so the passenger pegs he wanted for the long haul were already on his wish list!


One day last week we went to town to run errands, our first stop was the laundromat. As we were turning into the plaza, the police officer behind us turned his lights on and stopped us in the parking lot. What was the reason he had pulled us over? We were waiting to hear what it was too, because we know we are current & legal on everything, 'cause that's how we roll. First, he asked us about our foot peg situation and after we told him all about it he said, "Hmm, I'll have to check if that's legal." #2- He said we did not have a rear view mirror but we do, he just couldn't see it. So that was a no-go. #3- He said we didn't have a license plate light...but we do it's just harder to see in the daylight.
No-go. #4- He didn't like where our license plate was attached and told us we needed to get a bracket and put it on the side or on the back where it can hang down...he thought that was his "go"...but it wasn't! We stood by the bike while he ran both of our I.D.'s along with the bike and even checked into the foot peg statute. When he came back over to us he said he wasn't going to give us a ticket but he was going to give us a repair order to get safer passenger pegs for me...and for Jamie.


We were given 5 days to get the "right" passenger pegs plus have them installed, before a citation would be issued... so either way he gave us a ticket!!




[caption id="attachment_5360" align="aligncenter" width="203"]Looks like a ticket to me NOT a ticket![/caption]

 Later that day when we got back to the van, Jamie got online and ordered his wish list foot pegs, costing us $137.76, almost $40 bucks of that went to shipping because we had to overnight them.


http://www.bajadesigns.com/ProductDetail?ItemNumber=210045


They arrived the next day, earlier than we expected, so we went and picked them up and then headed over to a local welding shop, http://www.thepropellercompany.com/ where Presley welded on our new passenger pegs. (cost $50) We thought that was a little steep but it seems to be a good price around here.




[caption id="attachment_5362" align="aligncenter" width="218"]Welding Presley Welding Presley[/caption]

[gallery columns="2" ids="5373,5374"]

After that hit to the wallet, we had to go to the police station to have an officer sign off on the "fix-it ticket". Funny enough the same officer that gave us the ticket was the one to come out to sign us off...it was comical and made the whole experience complete! All in all, in the end, everyone was happy, he was happy we got it done so quickly and we were happy that we got the pegs we truly wanted...could have done with different timing for the bill, but now it's done and we won't have to worry about getting pulled over for something so silly.




[caption id="attachment_5372" align="aligncenter" width="350"]Good Citizens Good Citizens[/caption]

 Now that we've had them on the bike for a week, Jamie loves them & I'm still getting used to them. As you can see in the pictures they sit much higher than the Rescue Pegs, so the first couple of days I felt like my knees were hanging out by my ears...but I'm slowly getting used to the feel of them and in the long run it will be safer for both of us.


I guess the next best thing will be getting my own bike.......right!?


PEACE

Monday, June 6, 2011

Workin' Hard & Hardly Workin'

Another day working on the van, well J' is working on the van. I go up to the plateau with him to be of assistance when needed. Yesterday, both calipers were replaced on each side and the tires were rotated.




[caption id="attachment_1506" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Daddy's lazy helpers[/caption]

The van is still pulling to the left when you brake (even after the repairs), so we went and got brake hoses to fix that problem. A little bit into that repair J' had to go back to town, 3 stores later he ended up ordering a part that we'll get tomorrow. We had to re-order the hitch from U-haul because they didn't have the right one - so that should be here in a few days. While we were testing the brakes yesterday we accidentally ran over a base block (before even leaving the plateau) and it ended up breaking off the ground effects on the driver side - haha, so instead of taking those off later, they got taken off today!




[caption id="attachment_1503" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Ooops[/caption]

The middle seats are out, the seat belts in back are coming out right now. Savannah is definitely enjoying the van, she's been in it every single second we've been out here at it. She's tried out every single square inch of the carpet and every seat and her hair proves it.





[caption id="attachment_1504" align="aligncenter" width="300"] The bed tester[/caption]


As for me, I did some maintenance on my tootsies. They needed some TLC. I painted them and put some cute polka dots on them, then a little bit later I laid down with Nanna in the van and totally messed them up so I had to start all over - so I got my nails done today!


      Sydney and Dad popped over last night, it was a nice surprise visit. Syd brought me some sprouts - so I'm excited about that, I guess they only take three days and I'll have full-on alfalfa sprouts. My garden is doing pretty amazing. I learned today: I must water every day and not be lazy because my plants are water whores!! One day without water and they start sulking (wilting). So, WATER, WATER, WATER!!! Something else I've learned: Don't bring full packets of seeds outside unless you plan on planting them THAT DAY! Oh, and don't forget to bring the packs of seeds back inside... you never know when rain will bless you with its presence!!! Needless, to say, I brought about 10 packets (all the seeds we had) of different seeds outside, I was going to plant a couple of them. I had a longer day in the garden then planned and got lazy and didn't bring my garden bucket inside. The bucket got rained on and all of the seeds came out of the bottom of the packets & were all over the bottom of the bucket so I dumped it out in the woods. Thirty dollars of seeds - gone! I threw a couple of pumpkin and watermelon seeds in some holes we have and today I saw actual plants coming from them. It's just funny. Hopefully, I'll get a lil' bit of something for my big mistake. Buck gave me some zucchini- they are doing good. My maters are coming along nicely, actually everything is coming along so great!


I'm surprised at myself that I've done this good of a job, it's really hard-long work...so I'm proud of me!





[caption id="attachment_1505" align="aligncenter" width="300"] My Garden[/caption]


So for today, it's been another productive day. It's time to feed the pups and go rinse the sprouts.


PEACE