Update from December 18 2009
Ok. Yes, it's been quite a while since an update. Mostly because I got her in a working condition, took her out, and enjoyed myself too much to worry about build-logging. So, let's see what happened.
The following was done on or by mid-July.
First, after smoothing things out and getting to take a couple real rides, I found I didn't like the feel of the old rubber so I went ahead with the Avons - I'm aready a fan for they change they made in the Concours. Then I had to change her name from Frankenhawk to "Frankie" because she dances the streets too well to be named after a stumbling monster.
During the tire change process I put on the highway pegs. Actually, I put them on to use as jack points. You know, put on the highway peg brackets and use them as lift-points for a bottle jack on each side. I know most people would put it up on the floor jack, but I don't have one. So I make do with what I have.
When I was done with the front wheel I thought it too much trouble to take them off so...slip on the pegs and leave it. I've never used them on any bike but hey...
Getting a sensor on the front wheel for the Acewell just wasn't happening. The gap is just too small. So I made a small "Z" bracket that I slipped under one of the sprocket bolts. To reach that far back, I had to also extend the sensor lead by about 3 feet. It's not as tough as the original lead but it'll do.
The only place to set the sensor itself back there is on the swingarm just above the axle. Any place else slips around and won't stay still....and that seems to be really important for this thing.
Of course, even with it as solid as I can get it—which isn't much with zip-ties—the speedometer only works up to about 40 MPH. So it'll work around town but not between. I've got an old Magellan GPS unit I'll zip to the handlebars somewhere. That'll have to do for the open road.
At some undetermined time in the future, I'll look into counter-sinking the mount bolt for clearance and getting another standard sensor lead. It'll be easier to get a solid mount so maybe I can use it to more than 40MPH.
I got a little Maier cafe racer-like quarter-fairing but I'll talk about that below.
The following was done before mid-August.
Sometime around the beginning or middle of July I decided she was ready enough for a good ride. Maybe Fort Worth (200 miles) or Galveston (220 miles) or Corpus Cristi (250 miles). All good destinations except I don't have a lot of reason to go there. My brothers in Fort Worth and Houston are never there and I don't know anyone at Corpus now.
Internet to the rescue.
Before I got this bike, I was reading posts on ADVrider for inspiration. I was following the adventures of "Vermin" and his faithful steed "Cack"; a thoroughly ratted neon-yellow and traffic-cone-orange PC800. Interesting characters both.
With Cack sitting in Alaska, and Vermin recently dis-employed, things looked bad for the little bike that did. But several people on the forum got together and rode it back down, in several handoffs, to reunite Cack and Vermin. His inaugural act was to line up a ride from his home in Michagan to Batopilas, Mexico reasoning that if it had a bumper-sticker saying it had been there, he was going to make sure it was right. And he was meeting up with someone in Presidio, Texas to ride some of that with him.
Hmm....that's interesting....
I have always liked Big Bend, and I've wanted to ride FM170 for years. And an extra-hot West Texas ride is the best way to shake out the bugs. Right?
Just days away from launch, one of the guys from the Nighthawk forum gave me a little black quarter-fairing similar to the Maier cafe racer. Just pay shipping. You don't see that too often these days.
It shows up the day before I'm supposed to leave and I stayed up late getting it on. Not a great mounting job, but good enough. Which of course comes back to bite me when it gets dark on the road going back into the park and my headlight will only come down about 20° off level. 40MPH with only a vague idea of what's out there. Well, that and a good look at the bottom-side of those park trees.
It was a good ride that you can read about here on ADVrider. Username is rhodyne.
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Here we see the elusive "Dorkus Malorkus" sporting very rare and extensive facial fur. Keep your distance—his hygene is questionable and he can bore a rabid cat to sleep at 20 paces. This was taken before the fairing was mounted. This ride was also what made me change her from Frankenhawk to Frankie. She'll probably stay "rat" but she is well behaved. |
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| When you don't have saddlebags, you improvise. There's a tent, sleeping bag, cloths, food, tools, gas can, and my favorite lawn chair, held on with about 30 feet of bungies. This worked fine for most of the Big Bend trip. But all that weight up high made her twitchy...and bungies shift. After I got back I got the idea to loop the handles of two duffles through each other and drap the result across the seat—do-it-yourself saddlebags. |
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This was after I got back from Big Bend and shows how she's dressed normally. Before anyone asks, no it wasn't really 111°, that was a board mis-read. It was only 106°. |
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From here on, you'll find my adventures on Frankie at either the ADVriders or the Two Wheeled Texans forums—already done a few pie runs. I also use some technical forums like the Nighthawk and Concours forums—just not real active there. And starting shortly I'll be back on the Virago tech forum for help with the XV920 or maybe the VFR World forum if I ever get to working on the VF500F.
Last update—January 2011.
This bike got me off my duff and rekindled my interest in bikes. My '94 Concours is back on the road and I use it quite often. More than "Frankie" but I still do ride her at least once a month. I keep her on a float charger and always have Seafoam in the tank/carbs.
But I think my days with her are about over. I have too many bikes—most in parts at the moment—and cannot really keep the interest for Frankie going.
Regardless of where things go from here, I will be keeping this work log for the history and will always fondly remember this bike as bringing me back into the fold.