Early September I made a trip to Wisconsin to be there for my Uncles wedding. A beautiful wedding it was and an amazing visit with my Uncle whom I hadn't seen in too long of a time. Got a chance to meet his Bride and her family and everything about the visit was super wonderful. She's a great person and so is all the friends and family that I got the pleasure to meet.
The visit was great but for money saving reasons I was flying out of Oakland (about 6.5 hour drive from here) and decided that I would ride to Napa. Napa is the home of some of my extended family and I planned on driving, actually riding, to visit them in the process. Plan: Park Bike at W & R's house, get ride to Oakland airport, fly to WI, come back and visit multiple people that I know in and around that area.
During preparations to head out I just had one more stop to make aboard "Silver Monkey" and sitting at a traffic light, I hear a relatively loud pop that seemed to come from my bike. Check it out real quick and everything appeared to be fully functional and nothing leaking etc.... And since I am in somewhat of a hurry to get going, I decide to get a move on and not look into it any further. That is nearly always the wrong answer.
Approximately 30- 35 miles into my trip I get caught up in road construction which kills about 25 minutes of time and still concerned about what that noise was, I got off the bike and looked around it still not finding anything. The gentleman ahead of me gets out of his vehicle to stretch his legs and we end up in a conversation and it was nice. Other direction traffic is starting to come by so he returns to his vehicle and I begin putting my gear back on. When I press the start button for the bike it seems oddly unfamiliar in character but she starts up. Not 5 miles past the construction area, she starts acting like she's out of gas and then dies out altogether.
Now I'm on the side of the road a bit upset and trying to add up the information I have to figure out what happened. My display is now showing an error code (46 on a 2004 Yamaha R1) meaning that the fuel injection system is not working properly which makes sense on the "running out of fuel" feeling I got just before. And it's seeming to me that there is a charging system issue which I'm guessing is stator or reg/rec.
Well, I start making calls because as of now I'm going to end up very short on time and will now have to travel through the night to get to the airport in Oakland on time. Thanks to the great friends I have, S picks up my motorcycle and takes it to his house, E picks me up and takes me to W's place where W proceeds to let me take his motorcycle to complete my trip.
Get back after about 2 weeks of a much needed vacation and start to work on "Silver Monkey" to find out for sure what needs to be fixed and so first thing I do is take the cover off for the stator and find that the stator is find but Yamaha used a very cool but "special" system and that the magnets are affixed to the Rotor not the stator, well at least they are suppose to be. Mine have not been able to hang on any longer and the loud pop I heard was the breakage of the setup that has them there. The battery was able to keep me running long enough to get out of town and stranded but no more than that.
The other bad news to that is just how much the new Rotor Assembly is because of how "special" it is. Retail price of $540. Goodness gracious. So, I track a used one down and manage to get a great deal on it (in fact I purchased the part I needed and the stator, stator cover and bolts, and starter clutch all together. I now have an extra stator just in case. I found a couple minor little tidbits that were not mentioned in the service manual that if not properly completed could cause additional problems. But tested everything, put it all together and my baby was once again running and I couldn't wait to go for a ride.
This Sunday, I will be going on a very nice ride to truly break her in and I'm very excited for it. If anyone out there has a 2004-2008 Yamaha R1 and gets the error code 46 and finds they have the same problem as myself. Contact me for more information and also I may be able to help find a great deal for you on the parts and I will also give you all information to assist a smooth and successful operation.
Have a great day and keep riding. And stays safe too.
James
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Aaaaay!!! ~ The Fonz
Below is my original post in regards to the TR5 Triumph going up for auction and the reason I am re-awakening the post is because I just got word that the very same bike is going up for auction....again? Does anyone know what happened? Did it not fetch what they wanted, did it sell and the new owner has decided to see if he can turn it around for a little extra by adding the information that it was previously owned by Bud Ekins who was Steve McQueens good friend? I'm at a loss and will now be researching to see if I can find out. If you have any information, I would greatly appreciate it if you helped me out. :)
Thanks, James
The Fonz from "Happy Days" was one of those iconic figures that sometimes makes me wonder how? lol He was just simple and "cool" and of course it helps that he was a biker ;)
Well apparently they are going to be auctioning off the motorcycle he rode on the show next month. It doesn't run but it's a very famous 1949 Triumph Trophy TR5 ridden by Henry Winkler as Fonzie in the sitcom show "Happy Days".
The bike on topic has not been ridden since 1984 and has been collecting dust for the last 15 years with a broken speedometer. Poor thing. Hope it will find a great home where someone will take care of it, fix it up and make it all pretty again :)
Thanks, James
The Fonz from "Happy Days" was one of those iconic figures that sometimes makes me wonder how? lol He was just simple and "cool" and of course it helps that he was a biker ;)
Well apparently they are going to be auctioning off the motorcycle he rode on the show next month. It doesn't run but it's a very famous 1949 Triumph Trophy TR5 ridden by Henry Winkler as Fonzie in the sitcom show "Happy Days".
Thursday, October 6, 2011
MV Augusta F4R, I want :)
This is my third blog entry of the day. I need to stop roaming the internet and get some actual work done. But I couldn't help but put this up. This thing looks great and I am one of those guys that believes Harley Davidson made a mistake when they cut-off Buell motorcycles and also sold the MV division.
Buell
First, they decide to just simply cut Buell and now Erik Buell is back at it and is looking great. I am anxious to see what his 2012 bike is going to look like and also the data on it. Super Excited.
MV Augusta
And then they sell of the MV Augusta line right back to the guys that they bought it from in order to focus on their tradition. MV has always had some great looking bikes and now I see this one and drool.
I will make the rest of this post simple: Click here to read all about it!
James
Buell
First, they decide to just simply cut Buell and now Erik Buell is back at it and is looking great. I am anxious to see what his 2012 bike is going to look like and also the data on it. Super Excited.
MV Augusta
And then they sell of the MV Augusta line right back to the guys that they bought it from in order to focus on their tradition. MV has always had some great looking bikes and now I see this one and drool.
I will make the rest of this post simple: Click here to read all about it!
James
Steve Jobs Is a Biker
Steve Jobs, Co-Founder of Apple/Computer Genius, has left this world for another as of yesterday, October 5th, 2011. He left this world after a great deal of success and some amazing products. Someone to live like as an example. Immediately, many people were posting up quotes from this Silicon Valley success story and the main theme was about living life outside the realm of what people say is possible but rather following your heart and mind to achieve everything that you can. Great words from a man who proved it to be true.
The thing that I stumbled upon that struck my interest enough to add a post to my blog about Steve was the fact that "Steve Jobs Is a Biker". I understand that I put is when it really should be was but to me when you are a biker (someone who has found his place amongst the "dreamality" of 2wheels), you never stop being a biker. All information about Jobs' riding has him riding sans helmet and even sans socks in his ADIDAS shoes and jeans and Plaid shirt. Riding appears to be his preferred means of transportation during the early periods of his success.
Here is the section out of a National Geographic Article that pertains to Steve Jobs:
Steve Jobs is pleased with the falling prices. He hopes that his computer will become the Volkswagen of the industry, the computer every family can own. The 27-year-old co-founder of Apple Computer, whose typewriter-size instrument is pioneering the incorporation of the computer into daily life, bristles a little, too, as he reminds, “We’d rather call the Apple a personal than a home computer.” Although 1981 and 1982 have been the “years of the personal computer,” with giants like IBM jumping into the market and about two million now in use in the United States, predictions that computers would be the nerve centers of our homes by the early 1980s have proved premature.
“It’s no more difficult than learning to cook, but people are afraid they can’t handle it,” says Jobs’s Silicon Valley neighbor Dan Fylstra, whose VisiCorp software packages are simple enough for use in the home. The machines are just not yet “user friendly” enough. Though research labs all over the valley are struggling to solve the elusive problem of speech recognition, we are a long way from marketing a computer that can respond to ordinary conversation—the ultimate friendliness.
So Jobs and his growing host of competitors have directed their sales efforts to office uses. But the Apple has inspired a dedicated cult of hard-core enthusiasts who trade new uses for the computer in the columns of Apple magazines; one engineer has programmed his Apple to activate a small motor that rocks the crib when his colicky baby cries or wriggles. And Jobs has become a potent role model for a new breed of bright kids who are writing and selling software programs and, with their arcane computer skills, gaining the prestige formerly tasted only by the high-school football team.
Over herb tea in a vegetarian restaurant, Jobs explained to me, “For us, computers have always been around. That’s what separates us guys from you guys. You were born B.C.—Before Computers. And it’s because of this place. I was born here. When I was 14,1 was asking famous computer engineers here questions. Apple came out of the microprocessor, created in this valley just five miles from here.”
Jobs’s passion has paid off handsomely. With Steve Wozniak he built his first Apple in 1976 in his parents’ Los Altos garage because they couldn’t afford to buy a computer; now he owns Apple Computer stock worth 100 million dollars. While the chip companies suffered this spring, Apple’s revenues soared 81 percent over last year’s. Apple now occupies 22 buildings in Silicon Valley and plants in Texas, Singapore, and Ireland, which is bidding to become Europe’s Silicon Valley.
Although Jobs drives the requisite Mercedes, success seems not to have spoiled the first folk hero of the computer age. In plaid shirt and jeans, he still prefers, as a friend said, “to drive his motorcycle to my place, sit around and drink wine, and talk about what we’re going to do when we grow up.”
I think that's very cool. Also, I'd like to say that, not being a fan of Apple, that the first part of this section in the article says that Jobs wanted his Apple to be the "Volkswagen of the industry, the computer that every family can own." For me Apple was always too expensive, therefore, it was more of the "BMW" of computers and that's not a bad thing. Great Job Steve, I will definitely have to ride with you on the "Great Road in the Sky" one day. Till then I will strive to follow your quotes to attempt similar success.
James
The thing that I stumbled upon that struck my interest enough to add a post to my blog about Steve was the fact that "Steve Jobs Is a Biker". I understand that I put is when it really should be was but to me when you are a biker (someone who has found his place amongst the "dreamality" of 2wheels), you never stop being a biker. All information about Jobs' riding has him riding sans helmet and even sans socks in his ADIDAS shoes and jeans and Plaid shirt. Riding appears to be his preferred means of transportation during the early periods of his success.
Here is the section out of a National Geographic Article that pertains to Steve Jobs:
Steve Jobs is pleased with the falling prices. He hopes that his computer will become the Volkswagen of the industry, the computer every family can own. The 27-year-old co-founder of Apple Computer, whose typewriter-size instrument is pioneering the incorporation of the computer into daily life, bristles a little, too, as he reminds, “We’d rather call the Apple a personal than a home computer.” Although 1981 and 1982 have been the “years of the personal computer,” with giants like IBM jumping into the market and about two million now in use in the United States, predictions that computers would be the nerve centers of our homes by the early 1980s have proved premature.
“It’s no more difficult than learning to cook, but people are afraid they can’t handle it,” says Jobs’s Silicon Valley neighbor Dan Fylstra, whose VisiCorp software packages are simple enough for use in the home. The machines are just not yet “user friendly” enough. Though research labs all over the valley are struggling to solve the elusive problem of speech recognition, we are a long way from marketing a computer that can respond to ordinary conversation—the ultimate friendliness.
So Jobs and his growing host of competitors have directed their sales efforts to office uses. But the Apple has inspired a dedicated cult of hard-core enthusiasts who trade new uses for the computer in the columns of Apple magazines; one engineer has programmed his Apple to activate a small motor that rocks the crib when his colicky baby cries or wriggles. And Jobs has become a potent role model for a new breed of bright kids who are writing and selling software programs and, with their arcane computer skills, gaining the prestige formerly tasted only by the high-school football team.
Over herb tea in a vegetarian restaurant, Jobs explained to me, “For us, computers have always been around. That’s what separates us guys from you guys. You were born B.C.—Before Computers. And it’s because of this place. I was born here. When I was 14,1 was asking famous computer engineers here questions. Apple came out of the microprocessor, created in this valley just five miles from here.”
Jobs’s passion has paid off handsomely. With Steve Wozniak he built his first Apple in 1976 in his parents’ Los Altos garage because they couldn’t afford to buy a computer; now he owns Apple Computer stock worth 100 million dollars. While the chip companies suffered this spring, Apple’s revenues soared 81 percent over last year’s. Apple now occupies 22 buildings in Silicon Valley and plants in Texas, Singapore, and Ireland, which is bidding to become Europe’s Silicon Valley.
Although Jobs drives the requisite Mercedes, success seems not to have spoiled the first folk hero of the computer age. In plaid shirt and jeans, he still prefers, as a friend said, “to drive his motorcycle to my place, sit around and drink wine, and talk about what we’re going to do when we grow up.”
I think that's very cool. Also, I'd like to say that, not being a fan of Apple, that the first part of this section in the article says that Jobs wanted his Apple to be the "Volkswagen of the industry, the computer that every family can own." For me Apple was always too expensive, therefore, it was more of the "BMW" of computers and that's not a bad thing. Great Job Steve, I will definitely have to ride with you on the "Great Road in the Sky" one day. Till then I will strive to follow your quotes to attempt similar success.
James
New World SuperBike image
After 25 years of being the world class leader in production-bike road racing, FIM is redesigning their look and feel reflecting the extreme sport and increasing awareness around the world. InFront Sports & Media is the media company that will be taking the Superbike World Championship to a new level.
Paolo Flammini, CEO of Infront Motor Sports, commented: “Passion, competition and accessibility are three key values that we continuously endeavour to communicate to our audience. People perceive and recognize them appropriate for SBK. The road is our origin: SBK comes from the roads, our bikes are production-derived bikes, our races are competitive and exciting and enable fans to identify themselves with the riders. This is why we have chosen to further develop the chevron, a familiar icon from the roads worldwide, as a key visual element for the new SBK brand family and bring it to life wherever we can.”
This is such a great thing for the success of motorcycles on the road accross the world. Many countries have definitely found motorcycles to be a more-than-viable means of transportation, from scooters to rockets on two wheels but here in the states and many other countries I feel there is still a very large space to fill in this area. Popularity is the means to that. Between fuel prices, the effect on the roads physically, the congestion aspects, and just simple fun and enjoyment, motorcycles are the place to sit your butt. Whether in cars or any other vehicle, some people are going to be excessive and cause "trouble" so the argument of safety is silly to me. For those concerned about trying your hand at "Riding", "Don't knock it till you've tried it".
James
Read more about the new look at: InFront Sports & Media, RoadRacingWorld, and/or TwoWheels Blog
Paolo Flammini, CEO of Infront Motor Sports, commented: “Passion, competition and accessibility are three key values that we continuously endeavour to communicate to our audience. People perceive and recognize them appropriate for SBK. The road is our origin: SBK comes from the roads, our bikes are production-derived bikes, our races are competitive and exciting and enable fans to identify themselves with the riders. This is why we have chosen to further develop the chevron, a familiar icon from the roads worldwide, as a key visual element for the new SBK brand family and bring it to life wherever we can.”
This is such a great thing for the success of motorcycles on the road accross the world. Many countries have definitely found motorcycles to be a more-than-viable means of transportation, from scooters to rockets on two wheels but here in the states and many other countries I feel there is still a very large space to fill in this area. Popularity is the means to that. Between fuel prices, the effect on the roads physically, the congestion aspects, and just simple fun and enjoyment, motorcycles are the place to sit your butt. Whether in cars or any other vehicle, some people are going to be excessive and cause "trouble" so the argument of safety is silly to me. For those concerned about trying your hand at "Riding", "Don't knock it till you've tried it".
James
Read more about the new look at: InFront Sports & Media, RoadRacingWorld, and/or TwoWheels Blog
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Another Step Towards Success
The accessory that I am currently developing for motorcycles has been consuming my time and thoughts much of the day and if I previously made it seem like something that was going to be simple and not take much time, I didn't mean to. Today was another step towards completion after a "problem" was causing my brain to overheat. However, today that problem currently has a solution that I hope will a successful one. It's one that has got me very excited for the design process (since I have to design a part to be built to accomplish the "fix"). The design will be finished tomorrow.
The great part about this project is just how much my excitement increases the more I think about it. It really feels like this is going to be something that you all will appreciate and desire to have. It will make riding more enjoyable and comfortable for you, and me as well for that matter. And the fact that it could be a great start to my success in this "dream business" of mine makes it that much more exciting.
Along with the "problem fix" today, an additional benefit to this products arose and it's pretty cool. Not as great of a benefit as the main aspect of the product but cool none-the-less. I really hope that with the next few months I can get to the point where I will have the idea "protected" and I can begin to share with you the details so that you can be as excited as I am.
Thank you soooo much for following my blog and listening to all my jibbering. I never did well in English class because I'm not much of a writer, so the idea of a blog really didn't feel like something I could do. Now, it is a great project for me because I know that I have people "listening" to me which feels really good. So, THANKS. I will keep you up to date on this new product and also the normal things that I discuss on here.
James
PS Click to Follow and when the product is available, if you are interested in it, I will give you "Best Pricing".
The great part about this project is just how much my excitement increases the more I think about it. It really feels like this is going to be something that you all will appreciate and desire to have. It will make riding more enjoyable and comfortable for you, and me as well for that matter. And the fact that it could be a great start to my success in this "dream business" of mine makes it that much more exciting.
Along with the "problem fix" today, an additional benefit to this products arose and it's pretty cool. Not as great of a benefit as the main aspect of the product but cool none-the-less. I really hope that with the next few months I can get to the point where I will have the idea "protected" and I can begin to share with you the details so that you can be as excited as I am.
Thank you soooo much for following my blog and listening to all my jibbering. I never did well in English class because I'm not much of a writer, so the idea of a blog really didn't feel like something I could do. Now, it is a great project for me because I know that I have people "listening" to me which feels really good. So, THANKS. I will keep you up to date on this new product and also the normal things that I discuss on here.
James
PS Click to Follow and when the product is available, if you are interested in it, I will give you "Best Pricing".
Laundry Day
Saturday I had to suck it up and get laundry done or go without clean clothes. So, I just sat around and did nothing............ LOL Just kidding. My son, Anthony, had his friends birthday party to go to and Elizabeth and Hailey came to hang out with me. So, we all went and did laundry together, every kids dream. Of course we went and played around in Fred Meyers, got some food and drinks and made it fun. Here are a couple pictures of the fun we had:
On the way back, walking to the shop (Uncaged), Hailey nearly ran the whole way. Anytime we walk anywhere she is insisting on running. She tries to get everyone running and of course I make sure to let her win the running races and get the kids to do the same except on occassion they get to win too. :)
Before the trip to do laundry, Hailey wasn't feeling good and had thrown up so Elizabeth and I let her sleep while we played some games. I sure hope they both enjoyed themselves. A lot of the times that they spend with me, I'm at the shop and doing stuff "fun" isn't easy. I'll have to do some more activity stuff with them.
James
Monday, October 3, 2011
The "Drama" MotoGP Race
This has been a tough year for a lot of great riders in MotoGP and has made for some interesting races but none so filled with drama as the Motegi race that occurred less than 9 hours ago. Casey Stoner has been doing an amazing job this season on board the Honda machine that is a thorn in all other machines out there on the track. I for one am a huge Yamaha fan and so this season has been a little painful watching Jorge Lorenzo ride absolutely brilliantly just to fall short of the current leader. Also, being American, Ben Spies is my #1 racer to watch and he has been doing an amazing job as well but just shy of where I and I'm sure his entire team would like to see him. Rossi on the Ducati is currently not working as well as they expected by this time in the season and appear to be more focused on next season which I believe is a good idea.
That all said, the Motegi race was a thrill ride of Drama led by "Dovi" who had the chance to lead the race after Casey Stoner managed to avoid crashing but ran off track. I would have been thrilled and would have cheered him the whole way through if it weren't for the "false start" ride through. Definitely feel for him for the way this whole season has gone for him. Then add to his false start, Simoncelli and Crutchlow also had false start penalties to deal with. That alone makes for a drama filled start. Add to that the drama in Turn 2 where Rossi and Lorenzo come together and causes Valentino Rossi, who had a great pre race practice sessions, to crash out. Rossi has had a very difficult season and after the practice sessions, this race seemed to be his best chance to do some real good racing. Along with Rossi going out he brought along with him Ben Spies off track with him but Ben Spies managed to stay upright and rejoin the race in 17th position. Barbera has a bad crash where he fracture his right collar bone. Dovi has a beautiful run through the first few laps before he has to complete a ride through penalty which he follows with some great riding before crashing out later in the race.
Simoncelli manages to get back into 4th place, Dovi into 5th place and Spies into 6th place. All making a great performance, after the horrible start, to finish in these positions. Stoner gets up to 3rd place after his run off and Pedrosa manages the race beautifully to finish off the race as the winner with Lorenzo behind him not able to compete with his Honda.
If you haven't watched it yet, you should. If you want, I will re watch the race with you here at Uncaged Motorsports.
Have a Great day, James
That all said, the Motegi race was a thrill ride of Drama led by "Dovi" who had the chance to lead the race after Casey Stoner managed to avoid crashing but ran off track. I would have been thrilled and would have cheered him the whole way through if it weren't for the "false start" ride through. Definitely feel for him for the way this whole season has gone for him. Then add to his false start, Simoncelli and Crutchlow also had false start penalties to deal with. That alone makes for a drama filled start. Add to that the drama in Turn 2 where Rossi and Lorenzo come together and causes Valentino Rossi, who had a great pre race practice sessions, to crash out. Rossi has had a very difficult season and after the practice sessions, this race seemed to be his best chance to do some real good racing. Along with Rossi going out he brought along with him Ben Spies off track with him but Ben Spies managed to stay upright and rejoin the race in 17th position. Barbera has a bad crash where he fracture his right collar bone. Dovi has a beautiful run through the first few laps before he has to complete a ride through penalty which he follows with some great riding before crashing out later in the race.
Simoncelli manages to get back into 4th place, Dovi into 5th place and Spies into 6th place. All making a great performance, after the horrible start, to finish in these positions. Stoner gets up to 3rd place after his run off and Pedrosa manages the race beautifully to finish off the race as the winner with Lorenzo behind him not able to compete with his Honda.
If you haven't watched it yet, you should. If you want, I will re watch the race with you here at Uncaged Motorsports.
Have a Great day, James
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
A new Motorcycle Accessory
In the design phase currently, I (and a great friend) are working on designing and testing and inevitably marketing a new accessory that I have thought of many times but only recently made it a goal to accomplish. Currently, we may be able to make a prototype as early as this winter and if all goes well I will be able to begin marketing and testing the waters for interest. And of course be able to tell you more information on what this great new modification will be.
What I can tell you right now is that we are very excited because we honestly feel that you will all love it and want one. It will make you wonder why it has not already been done. There have been other products that had similar ideas and concepts in mind but were not as convenient and capable as what we will be offering.
Excited? Me too.
More information to come, so stay tuned.
What I can tell you right now is that we are very excited because we honestly feel that you will all love it and want one. It will make you wonder why it has not already been done. There have been other products that had similar ideas and concepts in mind but were not as convenient and capable as what we will be offering.
Excited? Me too.
More information to come, so stay tuned.
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Track Day Withdrawal
Money is a necessary evil in this life and I for one am not real focused on it. I find it more important to enjoy life and be respectful, kind, and generous to others. However, that causes me to be a bit on the lacking side of the financial world. And that causes me great distress when I desperately want to get my bike out on the track. There is a Track Day coming up real soon that some friends are going to and I would love to go too but I would first need to get a chain and sprocket set. With that and the fees for the Track Day itself, it looks like I just have to sit here wishing I could go. Until I can go again, I will just dream of the next one and look back on the times I've going in the past.
In fact, here are some of my pictures from past Track days taken by
In fact, here are some of my pictures from past Track days taken by
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