Thunder Can

What looks like an exhaust system is only a mock-up


Started this morning with my latest project. Or it all started when I talked with a guy sometime in August and promised to buy one of his bikes. Well time is something who consumes a lot of energy.. so I didn't pick it up until last week. He had bought it together with some spare parts for other motorcycles and since it is an odd model that only odd people care about (this will be my third :-)) he had just stuffed it into a corner and newer even tried to start it up. I took it home on my trailer and of course was kind a curious if it would run at all.

So this morning I started with changing the flat front tyre, changing front brakes that where obsolete, a new battery, spark plugs, oil and filter since it had been drained for some suspicious reason.. and then on the starting button but responses where slow so I used the old Dr Frankenstein method that really can waken up the dead, Ether gas.. And it bursted into life, left cylinder first as they always do and then it woke up with a gigantic rawl!! What an enormous sound, there wasn't just some minor leak from the exhaust, there seemed to be no silencer at all. The sound was this typical V-engine sound almost like a Dragster although this has only two and not eight cylinders.

Of course I had to take it out on a short trial on some of my unpaved roads. Really had a tremendous sound and I thought about that I'm lucky that there is no neighbours complaining out here in the woods. Big smile on my face, it really had that "lock-in-your-daughters" sound..

Now this evening I have changed the exhaust systems, the one who followed with the bike looked like a strainer with holes from rust everywhere. The bike must have been standing outside in rain for a long time...

With a much more civilized approach I put on helmet and leather suit for a test to see if it would run on high speed, this is the Achilles heel on many old bikes of this odd type. Ahh.. yes it had that sound and feel and it had.. that unfortunate fault that makes it unable to rev above 3000 and so restrict the speed to 90...

That's probably why it had been sleeping for ten? years. The problem is not expensive to fix, just change a coil that brings electricity to the ignition, problem is that you have to pick out the engine and tear it apart because that coil is placed behind the flywheel. Those engineers who did this is probably in some Japanese old-peoples-home now and use to laugh about the thought of that job and if there are any fools who still runs what they designed for over thirty years ago.

I bet they are kinda oddballs..

Luleå revisited

Icebreaker Ymer waits for her wintertime work.

Went up with youngest daughter last weekeend to do some work and also visit mother on her birthday. Met my two brothers, we only occasionally meet all three together at the same time. Got some interesting talk about sailingboats and motorcycles and I will do one more crazy trading with one of them involving some old cars and perhaps one or two bikes.

Looked at some familiar sights and had to feel that special feeling I sense when moving around in this area. It was windy and cold like it usually is in winter. Town is built on a peninsula with cold winter wind running up and down the streets. Sort of makes up for the right feeling, a bit harsh.

I got a serious offer for a job up her and the opportunity of moving back. It is not so easy to decide how to do. No hurry, the job is tailor-made for me and perhaps can wait until next summer. Problem is I do not know how to do. In some way I long for this coast and that special soul you find in people and nature. In other ways I rather move a thousand kilometers south instead, that would be next to the Mediterranean... Living by the ocean is important for me, I'm bored by all these inland lakes. So how should I do, not so easy decision..