242: What Your Mom Tried to Teach You is True

WR-250XX nearing completion.
Basically, all I still need to do before the first ride of the season is to bleed both brakes and install my new black plastics, graphics, and black seat cover.
But, in order to do that, I first need the plastics in my hands, and I'm still waiting on the goofball I ordered them from to come through with them.
I'll allow until this Friday before I become a squeaky wheel.
Hopefully, they'll be here before then.

When some guys get on a motorcycle, the asshole in them always comes through loud and clear.
These are the guys that love installing ridiculously loud exhaust pipes and sitting at stop lights revving their engines, making sure the world looks at them being so manly and handsome and smart.

Wrong, Bucky Beaver.
You're not smart, good-looking, or desirable in any way to me.
You're basically an asshole that craves attention, have gotten a very large head just because you learned to ride a motorcycle, and I'd hate to have to live next door to you, let alone in the same house as you.
I'd probably be convicted of murder in short order.
Or, maybe I'd be given a plaque, instead. ;)

Doing strange modifications to bikes is also something that can happen by certain guys.
See those red, white, and blue paint stripes on my front tire in the pic?
To me, that looks a little bit too silly for my tastes.
I thought about rubbing them off, but, since I plan on keeping these tires (and I do believe these are the original equipment tires) up until April or May, I'll not bother.
I probably will have to explain to a few people what they're doing on my tires.
Answer?
I'm not the original owner. :)

I actually co-won the AMA Supercross pool we had going at jerk.
I say co-won because myself and somebody else "tied on points".
Neither of us picked the exact finishing order of the top three finishers, but, we came the closest.
We're rich! ;)

Off to jerk,
-John

Fork It, Dude

My, what a bright bucket you have.
All the better to clash with the carpeting, my dear. ;)

Got some work done to the WR-250XX today, and then I watched the replay of the 1st Supercross race of the year.
I got a few things done on the bike that I'd planned on doing, and it's coming along quite nicely.
In fact, there's not a whole lot left to be done, actually.
The next big thing is gonna' be putting the new graphics I just had made onto the black plastics I just bought - just waitin' for that to arrive.

This weekend, I installed the FMF Q4 muffler, installed the FMF Power Programmer, greased the steering head bearings, changed the fork oil, lubricated the control cables, lubricated the throttle tube where it meets the handlebar and throttle housing, lubricated the front brake caliper slide pins, installed a different clutch lever (I like the shape of this one better), and installed one of my new hand guards (very handy for blocking the wind when it's still cold outside).
How's that for a run-on sentence?
It may be longer than the one Charles Manson was given. :)

The Supercross race from Anaheim No. 1 was a good one to watch, although the podium positions weren't filled as I'd predicted in a pool we have at work.
I got the riders correct, but the finishing order was reversed.
Oh, well.
It's only $5.
Hope this doesn't start a gambling habit that soaks-up all of my money and drives me out of house and home, putting me on Skid Row.
Where is Skid Row?

-John

240: Git That Shit Off of There

WR-250XX.
That ridiculous, plugged-up stock muffler has been replaced with the FMF Q4 muffler.
This one has no silly horseshit like enough baffling to stump an elephant or catalytic converters to rob precious power.
I hope Al Gore and any other environmental mental case who believes him is very pissed-off at reading that. :)

I had to put up some stairs that lead up onto my porch today.
The old ones were all rotten and rickety to the point that I was worried about somebody going ass over tea kettle if they fell off of them.
Even though I hate any kind of carpentry bullshit, they came out pretty nicely.
Tomorrow, I'll finish-up playing Mr. Home Improvement and slap some weatherproofing stain on them and pronounce it done.
Thank God.

Tonight marks the first AMA Supercross race of the 2011 season.
I've been following this series since 1982, when legends of the sport like Bob Hannah, Mark Barnett, David Bailey, Jeff Ward, Johnny O'Mara, Broc Glover, Rick Johnson, Kent Howerton, and Donnie Hansen were riding.

Even though tonight's race is being televised live from Anaheim, CA., I'll skip staying up until 1:00 am to watch the main event.
Instead, I'll watch the repeat tomorrow afternoon.

-John

Dirtbike Dimwits

Here's a pic of Julio and Jose-Billy-Bob takin' a gander at a real nice dirt bike before they stole it out of the back of that truck.
I think they were attracted to those silly things stuck to it that lots of riders these days take for stylish graphics. :)

I did some more amusing reading on message boards this morning.
There was a question posted that asked that time-honored thing everyone wants to know:
Are 4-stroke dirt bikes really that prone to blowing-up as everyone seems to say they are?

My two cents went basically like this (but not put in such blatant words):
If you're a goddamn dirt bike dimwit who couldn't maintain a pet rock, you can count on having problems with your dirt bike.

Folks, it's as simple as that.
Ever since I got into dirt bikes and started learning about them, I also came into contact with other people doing the same thing.
I was then, and still am to this very day, amazed at the high percentage of dirt bike dimwits out there buying dirt bikes and taking such poor care of them, a brand-new one will be a rolling wreck in one year of weekend-only use.
In other words, the guys buying these bikes will have no intention of learning what you have to do in order to make the bike last a long time since that stuff is too time-consuming for them.
You certainly can't be servicing your air filter when the package store is closing in 10 minutes, can you?
So, you see, priorities have their important places. :)

Off to jerk,
-John

238 Empty Cans to Return

Earlier today, a mouse took the bait and got caught in my mouse trap, a move that severely changed his squeaky little life forever.

Actually, I can't remember the last time I returned a bottle or can for the nickel deposit back.
Must have been when I was in grammar school, shortly after they started doing that 5 cent deposit gig.
These days, because I'm now a millionaire, I really don't need to do that. :)

Had an average day at jerk.
The UPS and FedEx deliveries were average for this time of year, and I was able to finish about a half-hour early.
Not too bad, considering I had a few sagas to wade through.

A couple days ago, I bought some black-colored plastics for my WR-250XX.
I saw them on a message board, agreed on a price with the guy selling them, and I'm now awaiting their arrival.
I'm glad I decided to do this, as I like the black WR-250X better than the blue ones, which aren't half bad, themselves.
I'm also having some custom graphics made for my black plastic radiator shrouds.
Nothing too juvenile and gaudy-looking as a lot of graphics made for dirt bikes these days look to me, but something conservative and tasteful, and just enough to keep the black shrouds from looking plain and blank.
When I get my plastics and graphics all done-up, I'll post a pic.

-John

Back to Your Regularly Scheduled Programming

The WR-250XX, in da house and in progress.
That big, black, bulbous muffler - plugged-up with silly things like a catalytic converter - is soon to be replaced with a much nicer FMF Q4.

I haven't done any work to the WR-250FY since repacking the muffler about 10 days ago, but, that's OK because not much needs to be done to that bike seeing how I basically keep everything about it in top shape all year long.
Plus, I still have until mid-March before I'll start riding that one in the Pachaug rock pile.
So, I've got time, and right now, the WR-250XX needs the attention.
I remember that last year, mid-March had some mighty fine weather around 70 degrees and it didn't take long at all for the ground to thaw out to the point that trail-riding conditions were good.

I'm glad that we're through the holidays.
Now, we can get on with passing through this crummy cold period called winter and head toward March.
I always feel better when March rolls around.
Sure, on the first day of March you (usually) don't get balmy temperatures in the 70s, but, it does herald the month that spring starts, and that's good enough for me.
Plus, I typically start riding my motorcycle back and forth to jerk on or about March 1st.
In 2009, I started doing that on February 28th.
Ooooh, a whole day early.



Today at jerk wasn't too hectic because the UPS and FedEx deliveries were on the small side.
So, I was able to avoid rushing like a crazed fool, get everything done, and still leave well before 7:00pm.
Once March rolls around that stuff sure doesn't happen, so, I'd better enjoy it now.

I'm gonna' heat up some big pretzels.

-John

236: Happy New Year Tricks

WR-250XX up in da house, homies.
Commence with the wrenching, Holmes.



Newly-installed 49-tooth rear sprocket and 112-link chain.
The sprocket is a steel Sunstar, and the chain is a DID 520V.
The V means their standard O-ring chain - good stuff.
Master link?
Rivet type, thank you very much. @_@

Weather is fine and dandy for the 3rd day in a row, which is something I have little problem coping with.
According to weather.com, it be a comfy (compared to freezing) 51 degrees outside.
That's my kind of winter weather, people.

Not much else to blab about, so, I'm a'gonna go back to twirling wrenches. :)

-John