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***WARNING DICTIONARY READERS NEED NOT GO ANY FURTHER THAN HERE***
My preparation for the August Nav ride has been and adventure in itself, so I’ll start documenting it now… :woohoo:
I bought my bike just two weeks out from the last (June) Lithgow 2 day. TB invited me along but I was unfamiliar with the bike and it would really have been my first real ride on the bike. Work also played a part and it would have been more trouble than it was worth to swap shifts and go. As it was I got to meet the King on his way home and he certainly convinced me that the NAV rides were something I really wanted to do.
TB got me sorted with which GPS I should have, scored one on Gumtree from WA for $220 in as new condition… I was impressed as the 60CSX was selling FROM $300 in the US&A. Then the countdown began.
And I began buying bits and bobs, including a (claimed) 50L dry bag for the luggage rack. Worked really well in my shake down ride. Shown here mounted up…
$20 down from $50 on Torpedo 7… if it’s not on special a few weeks and it soon will be. That’s how Bucky picked one up.
I had a few complaints from viewers of a few email updates complaining about how dirty my bike was… one of them was a poncy road bike rider, who now rides a Tenere! He claims to have polished his bike after he got it, but before he rode it. And the other bloke no longer has a bike, but when he had it, it hardly went, but gees it WAS clean and shiny. Like new in fact… I won’t show you his face because he might be embarrassed. But here’s a photo of his former bike:
The dirty bike (look around the fork area)
So I took it out into the back yard and sprayed some water on it. Gave it a bath. Now it was all shiny and sparkly…
I even threw in a new low beam globe and a couple of fresh front parking lights…
Everyone has white, and orange is the ONLY other lawful colour… so it’s orange. Bucky reckons it looks evil.
TB said to get a new tyre… he’s the expert. So I bought a new tyre after I removed the old one from the rim. Bought the last 606 they had in the shop. Thought I’d also replace the standard tube with a 3mm mefo HD one.
While the rear was off and I was on the ground wiping off any spec of dirt, just like any self respecting VOR owner would, I noticed that the gear lever was a little loose on the spline. Bugger it I’ll tighten that up. No way in hell could I get an allen key anywhere near being seated in the 5mm bolt head. Had a squiz and it was either take the bash plate off or the side stand. Stand was only two bolts. How hard could it be? ONE of the 8mm bolts that needed to be removed…
Along with the 8mm allen key this is what I used to get the two bolts out…
And that’s my kind of tool! Doesn’t extend my technical knowledge at all… Mr YAMAHA really doesn’t want his Tenere side stands to fall off. The thread of both bolts was actually blue from Mr YAMAHA bathing the bolts in Loctite or another no name brand that does the same thing. Eventually got the gear lever tightened up, but that was tight as buggery too…Back to the tyre change…
Got the rim and tube in before I realised I’d forgotten to pull the valve through before I tried the last side. So reversed back, valve through and put the rim back on the first side. But could only get to here…
I swore like a KTM owner, but be buggered if I could get it on. Spat the dummy and took it to Mr Shop to put on. I don’t care, I’m over tyres. Truth be told I probably need someone who knows what they are doing to show me how. But just four sleeps out from departure day, I’m not ready to learn and I’m working every day until Friday when I leave in the AM.
One of the tyre changing guru’s should feel free to post up their tyre change including tips… if I was at the A4DE I more than houred out!
When I get the wheel back and mounted I’m ready to ride!
After being told by TB we’d need to take lunch for Saturday… went with the wife to Woolies and trawled the aisles. I was thinking just a can of baked beans… good carbs, easy to carry, easy to eat… blokes sharing my room that night might not be overly happy about my choice of food. In wandering the aisles I was gob smacked at how much stuff is pre packed and perfect for this new Adventure Riding I find myself liking so much.
In the end, with some input by the wife I ended up with this lot…
Couple of lunch kits, light and tasty. Not too heavy in the guts but will keep me going for the rest of the day. I grabbed a bag of the good old lolly snakes and the wife threw in one for good luck. I used to use the “powerbar” energy gels on my 100kay pushy rides. Found they helped towards the end. These days you can only buy them as a box of four… two a day should be far more than I need. But as TB says, it’s an adventure ride so there are no shops. Might throw in a couple of banana’s as well. The wife decided I needed the trail mix, it will probably be in my gear bag but I’m undecided on taking it.
After all that, as Big Kev used to say…
Working again today, another 12hr shift. So wife went to bike shop and picked up rear wheel with 606 mounted…
Just to remind you I needed this put on on side one and the whole of side two helped on. Tube was already in… a whole three minute job on a tyre changing machine. Mrs shop lady even joked that they would cheat and use the tyre machine to finish what I started.
How much did this arse raping cost me?
$25! :ohmy: I know I took it there, I know I should be able to do it, but PUUUUUUUULEASE!!!! That’s a better hourly rate than a rocket surgeon! I’ll wear it, but I’ll never spend a cent in your shop again. I don’t mind paying for a service, last time I went to the bike shop next town over and they only charged me $15, which included having the tyre taken off the rim, new tube fitted and tyre put back on. I ACCEPT FULL FAULT FOR NOT BEING ABLE TO FIT IT MYSELF, but I don’t have to be happy about being reamed for it.
For those coming along and reading this as part of your research into the secret art of Chuck’s NAV ride survival these TYRE CHANGING VIDEO’S FOR GUMBIES are compulsory watching.
[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nURD6MquiE[/video]
[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_ZfaltNsVA[/video]
As it turns out the valve stem is slightly off centre and I had it spot on. Not overly happy with the end product anyway. BUT at least they didn’t put 45PSI in it like tha last mob. Was only 32 so let four out.
Hanging for this ride! The days at work are going pretty quickly. Hopefully tomorrow is only 10 hours at work and I can throw the rear on and pack some gear. Friday I’ll throw the trailer on fuel up the truck and bike and head north… :woohoo:
Bucky wrote:Think we’re going to have to bite the bullet & have more of a go at doing this stuff ourselves.
:blink:Cheers,
Both these jobs are not overly difficult, there is plenty of Bulls willing to help and show you how you just gotta sing out
You really need to be able to change a tube yourself in the bush, its more getting the technique down pat then you are sweet.
I am sure at some stage a working bee / how to day with the bikes could be organized somewhere along the line if there was enough interest.
Few beers, set of levers, electrical tape …….. all good :laugh:
No worries JTB.
I live in the Penrith area, we can tee something up over the weekendyz80h-thebeginning wrote:Nice read now am more annoyed I am missing it :angry:
will have to catch up for a ride down here in the future, enjoy the ride!Thanks YZ, I am sure there will be plenty of pics and ride reports to keep you going till the next one
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