Alaska 2013

[Zwartie]

I was at a tradeshow in Myrtle Beach, SC this week, just on my way back to snowy Ontario now, sigh. Anyway, while at the show I was feeling a bit peckish and fancied a cold treat so I headed off to the hotel gift shop and grabbed one of these out of the freezer. It must be a sign!!!


Not sure if any of you have a name for your bike, I've always just called it "The Bike" or "The FJ", just the usual stuff. My buddy has a black ST1300 and calls it Black Beauty II, where his previous bike was a black ST1100 and he called it Black Beauty. I think that's a bit much for an ST but then that's my personal opinion. I've always wanted to come up with a good name for my FJ but couldn't think of anything that would stick...until now. From now own it shall be known as Blue Bunny!
Zwartie

[JMR]

I have always referred to my bikes as "The FJ", "The RC" or "The 51", the "Busa" , "The Honda" (1975 CB750) etc etc

[The General]

I was at a tradeshow in Myrtle Beach, SC this week, just on my way back to snowy Ontario now, sigh. Anyway, while at the show I was feeling a bit peckish and fancied a cold treat so I headed off to the hotel gift shop and grabbed one of these out of the freezer. It must be a sign!!!


Not sure if any of you have a name for your bike, I've always just called it "The Bike" or "The FJ", just the usual stuff. My buddy has a black ST1300 and calls it Black Beauty II, where his previous bike was a black ST1100 and he called it Black Beauty. I think that's a bit much for an ST but then that's my personal opinion. I've always wanted to come up with a good name for my FJ but couldn't think of anything that would stick...until now. From now own it shall be known as Blue Bunny!
Zwartie

I really Luv & appreciate cultural differences...But....Blue Bunny?...Beloo Bunnieee.. Nope, no matter which way I say it, I don`t get it...without feeling a little..nahh, don`t even go there. . Blue Stealth, Blue Flash, Blue Balls, Blue Blip...But Blue Bunny?...I do agree it`s a sign... 

[Zwartie]

I know it's not the most masculine name but then that's the point - I was making an attempt at humour. A guy that I knew many, many years ago had a car that he had named Lenore (the whore) and another friend had a green car that they nicknamed the snot rocket. I thought that Blue Bunny would be a good name. Don't worry, I'm not about to get a tattoo, personal licence plate or custom paint job.

I was at a tradeshow in Myrtle Beach, SC this week, just on my way back to snowy Ontario now, sigh. Anyway, while at the show I was feeling a bit peckish and fancied a cold treat so I headed off to the hotel gift shop and grabbed one of these out of the freezer. It must be a sign!!!


Not sure if any of you have a name for your bike, I've always just called it "The Bike" or "The FJ", just the usual stuff. My buddy has a black ST1300 and calls it Black Beauty II, where his previous bike was a black ST1100 and he called it Black Beauty. I think that's a bit much for an ST but then that's my personal opinion. I've always wanted to come up with a good name for my FJ but couldn't think of anything that would stick...until now. From now own it shall be known as Blue Bunny!
Zwartie

I really Luv & appreciate cultural differences...But....Blue Bunny?...Beloo Bunnieee.. Nope, no matter which way I say it, I don`t get it...without feeling a little..nahh, don`t even go there. . Blue Stealth, Blue Flash, Blue Balls, Blue Blip...But Blue Bunny?...I do agree it`s a sign... 

[dogtired]

Not sure if any of you have a name for your bike, I've always just called it "The Bike" or "The FJ", just the usual stuff.
Zwartie

I name a lot of inanimate objects, had a series of old beat up cars in my younger days, I had Fred the Falcon (1970 XA Falcon sedan), Harry the Holden (1969 HT Holden piece of crap, that car hated me with a passion), and even a Victor the Valiant, the unkillable 1966 VC Valiant.

My bikes, the 1971 Triumph Bonneville I call "The Pig", simply because it is. Once you get over 150km/h you stop riding it and become a passenger. My 2012 Bonneville I call Rosie, after the AC/DC song Whole Lotta Rosie. for a couple of reasons, she was 90 pounds heavier than my last bike (a fat little pig) and while I had her ten-tenths round a big sweeper, she started bucking the rear end around, and all of a sudden my hips were doing a familiar movement... hence the song reference, and the name stuck. Took me a while to come up with a name for the freight train (the FJ) but Tokyo Rose seems to have stuck.

Had a cricket bat called Kevin for a while too.

[Zwartie]

Got the rear end back together this evening:

Rear wheel, swingarm, shock and linkage back in place!


Front view (from where the engine will soon be) of the shock and linkage


Side view of the shock and linkage


Close-up of shock and linkage


This is the cleanest the shock and linkage will be for a while. I may have to disassemble and clean it all after Alaska. Tomorrow night we put the engine back in. Can't wait to fire it up!!!

Zwartie

[Capn Ron]

I love that you pulled the engine, but didn't bother to remove the Givi hard case!  

I did a long trip last summer from Los Angeles to the East Coast and came back through Canada.  When I got to BC, I was very tempted to head North and explore Alaska.  I had been away from home for long enough that I decided against it.  It's still on my list!

My route:



Best of luck...I miss getting up each morning not knowing where I'll end up that night!

Cap'n Ron. .  .

[Zwartie]

Cap'n Ron,

I left the hard case on because it is pretty much hard-wired to the bike so it's a pain to remove. I ride with it on all the time and put the side cases on only when I need them. I have the brake light wired to the top case as well as a 12V outlet on the inside which is great for charging the camera battery or Scala units while on a trip.

That's quite the epic ride you had through North America! How long did that take and how many miles (or kms)? I'll have to post a picture of our proposed route sometime.

Should have the engine back in tonight!

Zwartie

[Zwartie]

Getting closer...Engine installed tonight. Thanks for your help Rob!

[SlowOldGuy]

Ben,
What swingarm is that?

DavidR.

[Zwartie]

FZR1000 - I believe it is circa 1991 or 1992. The swingarm mod was done by the original owner. I've had this FJ since 2005 and am the third owner. I had an '86 (ambulance red/white) from '94 to '05.

Ben,
What swingarm is that?

DavidR.

[Capn Ron]

Cap'n Ron,

I left the hard case on because it is pretty much hard-wired to the bike so it's a pain to remove. I ride with it on all the time and put the side cases on only when I need them. I have the brake light wired to the top case as well as a 12V outlet on the inside which is great for charging the camera battery or Scala units while on a trip.

That's quite the epic ride you had through North America! How long did that take and how many miles (or kms)? I'll have to post a picture of our proposed route sometime.

Should have the engine back in tonight!

Zwartie

I rode with three Givi hard cases, a medium tank bag and a Redvers tent strapped to the seat behind me.  Really worked out well.  I wired the tank bag to keep my laptop and electric razor charged up...and wired my iPhone on a Ram Mount off the clutch master.  That took care of the navigation and weather maps requirement.  I have the Givi factory brake light kit for that top case.  Just didn't get around to hooking it up before the trip.

The trip was a total of 17,289 miles...or 27,824 kilometers for all my new Canadian friends!    I was away from home exactly three months...half of that time was riding, the other half was staying with family or friends for some rest and maintenance.  I went through two sets of tires, five oil changes, one old chain, both old sprockets, one ignitor, three headlight bulbs, a carb rebuild in a hotel in Arizona and two fuel filters.  Turns out, it's way cheaper to drive a car, but no where NEAR as fun!

I'd love to see your planned route!  My planned route started at a total of 8,000 miles!  

Cap'n Ron. . .

[Capn Ron]

Getting closer...Engine installed tonight. Thanks for your help Rob!

That's a good night when you get the engine back in...very encouraging!  My other "good night" was when it started up for the first time after a nearly three-year complete rebuild.  All those, "I must have forgotten something" thoughts dissapeared! 

Cap'n Ron

[FJmonkey]

Very good dude.... Very good....

[Zwartie]

Got some more work done today...

My buddy Randy came over and helped with the reassembly. Here he is putting the carbs and heat shield in place under my brother in-law's watchful eye:


It was sunny and 10C today so we took the project outside.


Almost there...


Took a break this afternoon - went with my wife and the boys to watch a movie. Got back to my brother in-law's place and finished the job:


From the other side:


In my driveway:


Ready to go!


Got it done just in time to ride to Fanshawe College tomorrow to start the first motorcycle course of the year. It was either that or I would have had to ask my lovely wife to take me there - the joys of a 1 SUV, 1 motorcycle family...

A big thanks to my brother in-law Mike for letting me do the work at his place, to Mike Law at Raceworks for his meticulous engine work, and my good friends Rob and Randy for helping with the reassembly. You guys are the best!

Zwartie