Royal Enfield News

I saw an article where Royal Enfield is discontinuing the 500 cc Bullet. The article gives a nice short history of Enfield and the 350 and 500 cc bikes. It also mentions that there's a new 350 in the works. At the price point the Enfields are selling at, the 350 might be a good addition to the small bike market. Honda used to sell 350s by the truckload. Great size for both beginners and experienced riders who don't need or want to wrestle a big bike around or pay for the privilege of having a bike that'll go 150 miles an hour but don't have access to any road that has a has a speed limit higher than 55. Good mileage as well. Something to keep in mind for the future. The low gas prices aren't going to last forever.

The article also had a photo of a 350 trials bike that's a real beaut. Something like that is what I'm shooting for with the Rickati project when or if I ever get back on that one. I did get myself some tank decals for it recently. Not exactly much movement towards the finish line but it keeps me thinking about it. That and the fact that it's only about two feet from the welding bench, so I'm circling around it all the time.

I've been out on my Himalayan a bit lately. I was planning on doing some riding and a camping trip or two this summer but that's out for now. I have put a little over 100 miles on it since it was serviced, though. I'll just keep using it for errands and hopefully things will clear up enough I'll be able to do a little trip to the state park that's not too far off before the snow flies.

Nose Job

I cut out some more pieces for work yesterday and then cut out the strips to close in the top and bottom of the nose for the jitney project. I still need to work on my plasma cutting technique, as it's hard for me to follow my layout line while trying to cut quickly. The cuts on the pieces for the car came out OK but I made sure I stayed proud of the line. I figured it would be better to grind a bit more rather than creating a gap that I'd have to fill in. I was looking for a corner to corner fit so I'll have a nice rounded edge after I get done welding and grinding it. That way it will look pretty close to what the corners of the side rail tubing looks like. On the original plan the rails were made from car frame rails that were in the shape of a channel and were bent to the rounded profile.

The top and bottom strips have holes drilled and countersunk so I can plug weld the strips to the braces/spacers I welded into the frame. All the material is 1/8" so I want to make sure everything will stay together when the car's finished. Never can tell, this thing might make a run on the salt flats some day. I'm planning on welding it up today and then maybe take a look at the chainless bicycle.

The guy with the bike said he was in no hurry but that's a dangerous thing to say to me. Actually, I'm kind of curious about how this thing works and I'd like to get it out of here - I don't need anything else with wheels around here now or maybe ever unless I send something else down the road. He said the rear brake was dragging and he thought that's why the bike shop he took it to said it couldn't be fixed. I think they were just blowing him off. However, I fixed the rear brake already so that eliminates that issue. I looked at the manual and it shows how to install the cable and the procedure for getting it adjusted. If there's nothing mechanically wrong with the hub, it looks pretty straight forward. I'll find out soon enough.

Parts is Parts

I finished the parts for work and delivered them the other evening when I went in to resume the welding lessons. I should cut out another batch while I've got the plasma cutter out.

We didn't get much welding done with our first lesson but that's OK. We worked on the MIG machine a bit and got it running properly again and got caught up on what the boys have been doing over the summer. The boss wants me to show them how to use the blade sharpener for the mower blades so that'll be next time.

I went to the funeral home Wednesday evening. The deceased was the father of one of my son's good friends. Nice guy - retired machinist who made it to 80 and died in his sleep. There were several of my son's friends in attendance. I've known these guys since they were in high school or younger. They've all turned out really well - mid to late forties now, good jobs, families, "stand up" guys all of them. Not like those that are pulling down statues, defacing public monuments, etc, and it's obviously not about anything with race when Abe Lincoln and the 54th Massachusetts are hit. I'm afraid the end times are here for the good old USA.

However, on a happier note, flat track racing will resume and Royal Enfield will be fielding a bike in the production class.

That in itself is cool and if you play your cards right, you can give it a try. That's real cool.

The guy who used to cut my hair before I moved to the country is retiring at the end of the week after almost 60 years of running his barber shop. He's eighty years old, so I guess it's time. It just so happens he's also my old boxing coach. If I remember correctly he had over 100 amateur bouts and two Golden Gloves titles plus club fights and exhibitions. In fact, I watched one of the exhibitions he put on at the high school when I was attending and that's what got me started. He helped a lot of us young guys make the transition to young men. He talked me into running a 10.5 mile race back in '76 the town was hosting as part of the bicentennial celebration. I asked him why I should run a 10.5 mile run and the answer was because I'm your coach and I said you should. So run I did.

Enjoy your retirement Johnny & thanks for everything.

Vacation Day

Pretty enjoyable day yesterday, cooties precautions not withstanding. I took the Missus to get a blood draw prior to her seeing the oncologist next week. A mask was required at the medical facility, so she suited up and I stayed in the car - beautiful day for it actually. The temperature was 75 degrees with a beautiful blue sky above. The bicycle shop is just down the street from there so we stopped and got a couple of things for the chainless bike. This time I put on the mask and she waited in the car. We stopped after that at Walgreens so the Missus could get her passport photo, picked up some dinner and headed home. After dinner I cut the front yard. When I came in from mowing, the Missus wanted some ice cream so we headed off to the Dairy Queen.

Normally this would have just been a regular day in the life. Getting the Missus out of the house safely has become a big deal in the "new normal". I'm doing OK with all of this crap other than the boredom of every day being just like the previous day. Of course our crazy weather here in the mid-west definitely keeps you on your toes. I did get a text from my boss about another job I was getting ready to start on when I took my leave. He was wondering if I could make a prototype at home and then if it works out OK he can have one of the other guys start producing them. I'll probably talk it over with him later today. Making this thing wouldn't be much of an issue for me as long as I don't have to chase parts. I don't want to get too complacent. I do like being the "fixer". Make something that solves a problem and then move on to something else. I don't really care to do much in the way of repetitive work. I do still like getting a paycheck, however.

Be good - to yourself and those around you.

Be A Builder

Photo From Here

As a tradesman and shop teacher, building is the only way. I realize this statement applies on another level as well but builders of things are not destroyers of businesses and statues regardless of their politics.

I finished getting all the plants in the ground yesterday morning. It was much cooler than the previous two days and overcast. While it was looking like rain might be in the works, I watered all the new stuff anyway. And then we got a gully washer about 3:00 o'clock. It was definitely needed. Our soil is pretty sandy so it dries out quickly. The corn was looking a little peaked and the yard had turned mostly brown. We're supposed to get some more rain this week, so that'll be good.

I plasma cut some pieces for work yesterday. I'll clean them up and finish that job today or tomorrow. While I've got the plasma cutter out I want to cut out a couple of pieces for the jitney project. I don't know how well that plasma will hold up in the long run but it sure works well on the thin gauge stuff. I need to pick up the pace a bit on the projects. I've still got some more work to do around the shack along with all the normal chores but I'd like to see the finish line on a couple of things. Might be time to pick one and pursue it diligently.

Planting Time

I ordered some plants and seeds quite a while ago and they finally showed up - half the order on Thursday, the other half on Friday. Most of the plants are perennials that won't require much care - hostas and day lilies. I also got a couple of blueberry bushes and some cantaloupe seeds. It's a little late to be planting the cantaloupe but apparently, everyone was ordering plants and seeds this spring so orders were delayed. I got all the day lilies planted yesterday, the hostas are all bare root so I put them in a bucket of water to revive them and I'll plant them and most of the rest of the things today.

 It was pretty damn hot out yesterday for working out in the sun. My little thermometer had 94 degrees in the shade and I wasn't in the shade. I worked up a pretty good sweat and then came in the house to cool down a bit. Old cardiac patients need to watch the heat, but by the same token, the only way to get acclimated is to get out in it. It usually takes me about two weeks until I'm comfortable with it. I've always been that way but it's more important that I take extra care now. Just like shoveling snow in the winter.

Surly came down and gave me a hand putting the air conditioner in the window. First time I've seen him in too long of a while. I hope this crap goes away one of these days soon. Lots of us grandparents are missing having contact with our families. It's not healthy.

Better days are coming, or so they say. I sure as hell hope so.

The Revolution Will Not Be Televised

However, the prelims apparently will be. 2020 is definitely going to be one for the books. Other than securing the perimeter with concertina wire, I'm about as ready as I'm going to be for whatever the second half of the year throws at me - tend my garden, take care of the Missus and play with the toys.

 I am going to resume the welding lessons but not working the day shift at the side gig. It's close quarters in there. If one person gets the cooties, everyone will get it. The boss did show me a job he wants me to tackle on a Saturday. I'm thinking it'll be at least a two day job at first glance but I need to take a good hard look at it. Measure things up and come up with a plan. He bought a big double tub commercial stainless sink unit. Roughly 3' wide x 6' long. I need to cut out the old sink and blend in the backsplash to match up with the new sink, make provisions for another faucet and blend one side of the new unit into the existing work area. Any welding that would need to be done would have to be done by yours truly using my own welder. I can TIG stainless but it's not my strong suit, plus any material I would need I'd have to have on hand ahead of time since I'd be working on a weekend. Something else to think about.

I received a notice about a virtual 5K coming up in about a month. My running buddy and I did the first annual one last year. It looks like you've got a 3-4 day window to do your thing and they have an app that you can use to run the same course as last year that will automatically post your results. I don't have a smart phone so that's out for me but the park where we do our Sunday walks would be good enough for me. Each lap is a mile, so three times around plus a little would do it. My running buddy has a deal that will record the mileage accurately so we could do that. I checked my resting pulse yesterday morning and I'm still under 60 bpm but I could use some cardio work. The local bike race has been cancelled so that's out. There was going to be a 50 mile ride in August but no word on that one that I've seen. I'll check with my running buddy and see if she wants to do the virtual 5K. Might be the best chance we have this year to get another tee shirt.

From Running 'Cause I Can't Fly:

"We never know when our last day on earth will be. So, love with full sincerity, believe with true faith, and hope with all of your might. Better to have lived in truth and discovered life, than to have lived half heartedly and died long before you ever ceased breathing."

- Cristina Marrero