Another group of people who need a beating...

[RANT]
I'm not sure why this ticks me off so much... but I can't stand people who don't take care of their vehicles... namely their light bulbs, and even more specifically - the tail lights.

Does ANYONE ever check their lights to make sure they even work? I'm convinced that 2% of the population does.

Sure enough I was stuck behind a turd who had 5 of the 6 bulbs burned out. The only one that worked was one of the two bulbs on the high mounted stop lamp in the back window. Then I noticed that the side bulbs actually did work because it flashed with the turn signal... this actually means that their multi-function switch* wasn't working.

*Multi-function switch - your turn signal lever/stalk that is tied into the brake light circuit on cars that don't have separate lamps for turn signals.
After a few miles of bumper to bumper traffic, I actually turned and went out of my way just so I didn't have to be behind this a-hole anymore.

The worst driver out there has got to be someone who both has bulbs burned out AND they drive a Saturn.. but that's a different rant for a different time. Saturn owners are in their own little group that should be exterminated. See if I'm lying.... if you're stuck behind a Saturn owner, odds are they drive like complete retards.

So if you see a person giving you the finger in your rear view mirror - you might have a bulb burned out... so go spend 3 lousy goddamn dollars and FIX IT!!!
[/RANT]

How about another vid?

Hey this blogging stuff is easy - post up a video from another site... niiice.

The bike is still disassembled, waiting for parts....

Here's a clip of Lewis Black from the Daily Show, his comedy is great.

When in Rome......

I guess the cool thing to do on your blog is to post up a video clip. Well here's one for ya... I'll laugh everytime I watch it. I sure do miss Chris Farley........

BTW - if you don't think this funny, check your pulse.

Every garage should have this...

If you're like me, you'll appreciate a great device to make your life easier when working in the garage. This hose reel I purchased from Harbor Freight is the bee's knees. It holds 100ft of air hose and mounts just about anywhere. The mounting plate is rather small, so I mounted it to a section of plywood, and then fastened that to the studs in the wall. This sucker isn't going anywhere.

Most hose reels at the hardware stores only hold 50 feet of air hose - plus they were around $50 or more. This hose reel was about $30 including shipping. Why 100ft? Keep in mind my garage is two cars deep and the 50 ft length just doesn't cut it if I want to use air tools on the driveway.

Motorcycle update: New part has been ordered so hopefully it'll show up soon so I can put it back together.

Cleanin' carbs, jammin to some Weezer

Ok ok - so I haven't posted in a while. Been busy at work and tired when I got home. It's been raining for the past week or so and it's really been a bummer except for the fact my lawn looks pretty good.

Rain is still in the forecast for the next few days and since the Bandit hasn't been idling right I figure it'd be a perfect time to clean out the carbs. It doesn't take much to clog up a pilot jet with an opening smaller than that of a sewing needle.

Disassembly:
-Removed tank cover, fuel switch handle, and disconnected fuel and vacuum lines.

-Removed seat, unbolted gas tank, and removed K&N air filters from carbs

-I pulled off the plastic side panels from the side of the tank and the FRICKIN part I had glued up came apart. **MUTHA FU$#&ER!!! Well crap - I guess I'm all in now!

-Disconnected the throttle & choke cables and after loosening 4 clamps - the carbs are free.

Hmm.. fuel is still in these. Usually I just dump this outside in the dirt, but with all the flowers the wife has been planting that didn't sound like such a good idea. I was able to empty most of the gas right into the lawn mower...nice.

Flipped the carbs over and pulled off the first float bowl. Hmm - surprisingly clean inside.. always a good thing.



I removed the first main jet and I could see it had a little build up.. but it came right out by just knocking it against the bench. First pilot jet was a little gunked up, but nothing a little carb cleaner and an air compressor can't handle. The opening is so small it's tough to tell if it's clogged at all - usually either you can see a little pinhole of light or you see nothing (which isn't good).

Got to the second carb and sure enough that pilot jet was completely closed up. Yup - that'll definitely cause an idling issue.

Moved onto the other carbs and had slight build up mostly in the pilot jets but all are now perfect. The bike should run much smoother and idle great without having to mess with the idle adjustment.

Before I button it back up I want to lube the throttle and choke cables, which I've never done. This is something that'd be more of an issue if the bike sat outside and routinely was exposed to moisture and then dried. Being stored in a garage helps tremendously.

** so now the damn plastic panel is broken again. Two points are broken and it has some scuffs from removing the tank in the past in a rush. I can't believe I actually got the thumbs-up from the wife to order a new part! She's like, "well, the part is broken and you tried to fix it - it's fine to get a new one."

"hey you know the rims on my Lexus are broken too, can I get new rims too??"

"Nice try... but no."

Oh well - it was worth a shot.

I guess pimpin out the LS will have to wait...

Today is Hot Fudge Sundae Day

Here's to you, dad.

Today is my dad's birthday - he would have been 58. It's kinda weird to think of my dad as an older man. No matter how old I get I will always think of him as being the same mid-40s dad.

It was always a treat when I was younger to have a hot fudge sundae. He always made a big deal of it and made sure my sister and I had ours just the way we wanted it. So in rememberance of him we now always make sure to have a perfect hot fudge sundae on his birthday.