Join Me at RivetheadRider.com

Well,... it was time for a change... I registered rivetheadrider.com and am migrating my blog to a hosted WordPress site. I just found it easier to author posts there. This is sort of an experiment, so we'll see how it goes! I may be back! Until then... find me at my new home!

SLOW GOING ON THE CX500 FIX-UPS

We've had our CX500s for about two months now, but getting them operational has been more than a challenge. Mostly because we're,... well... we're clueless. OK, so we do have repair manuals, but we lack the experience in what is what and how things are supposed to come apart, go together, feel, smell, taste, etc...

But I will say this... Our bikes are getting REALLY shiny!

(Ok, not as shiny as my buddy, Graham's, but he's got the proper tools and know-how.)

That's right, one thing we can do is wipe dust off them bikes! As we wait for the day our motorcycle-wise friends can help us figure out what we really need to do to get our bikes up and running, we continue to spit-shine our CX500s!

I don't have many "before" pictures, but here are some "after" ones:

Here's what my '81 CX500 is lookin' like now...

And from another angle. Look at that tank SHINE!

Here's Bethany's '80...


Bethany getting crud off the wheel...

Me on my bike... It's a LOT bigger than my current ride, WAY heavier!

Speakin' of my current ride, here's my Yamaha Virago 250, sittin' in the corner... all sad, knowing it's about to be replaced.


Don't worry, Virago. I won't let you go... I have other plans for you! Muahahahaaaa!! =P

Wrights Station and Ghost Town Ride Video - Part 1

FINALLY! I've put together the first part of my three or four part video series of our ride last month!

Again, there were about 2 hours of video that I wanted to condense into 10 minutes. NOT GONNA HAPPEN! Instead, I will edit each leg of our ride into 10 minute segments.

Here's the first video!

We left downtown Santa Cruz, hopped onto Highway 1 and took Soquel San Jose Rd. to the Los Gatos Hills where we arrived at our first destination... Wrights Station!

Enjoy!

Two CX500s are MINE!! (almost)

Not an interesting post, but I'm compelled to let you all know that the two CX500s I paid for last week are almost officially MINE! Why almost?? I was able to get the title and register the '80, but the '81 was out of the system, and, therefore, needs to be brought in for the official transfer and registration.

BUT, non-op registration on BOTH bikes are paid for!

The gentleman that sold me the pair came with me to the DMV this morning in case there were any problems getting everything into my name. What a guy! He's even going to let me borrow his trailer to get the bikes to my place. :) That'll happen sometime in the next couple of weeks.

THEN, I gotta get the '81 running so I can ride it over to the DMV and get it registered! Can't wait!!

Bought TWO CX500s Today!

I'M NOW THE PROUD OWNER OF TWO (non-operational) HONDA CX500 DELUXES! Actually, one is for my girlfriend, but they're both paid for!

Ok, the transaction wasn't entirely problem-free and they're still not "technically" mine, though the guy has my money... He only had one of the pink slips, but he's cool enough to come to the DMV with me to get that squared away.

UPDATE: The guy found the other pinkslip!

My good friend, Graham, found a guy selling a bunch of CXs and bought a parts bike from him to pimp out into a sweet cafe racer. BTW, to see his cafe racer as it's being built, check out Graham's blog at http://grahamsgarage.blogspot.com.

I visited the guy and he had TWO (more or less) COMPLETE CXs! They're not running and need work, but they looked good overall. One is a 1980, the other, a 1981. The ONLY reason I'm able to get both of them is because they guy needs to get rid of them 'cause his house is going up for sale. He was selling them for $400 each, but cut me a deal: $700 for both! (He's also no longer able to ride, as he was in a horrible accident... :( I'll save this story for another time...)

Anyway, all other motorcycles I considered were around $2000! So, for about a third of the price of ONE, I get TWO! Albeit, non-operational... BUT, I get to LEARN how to work on them, and that's PRICELESS!!

Here's video I got while checking them out:

Now, I know next to nothing about the mechanics of motorcycles... =/ It wasn't until another friend, Edric, said he could help me with working on it, that I realized, "this could actually work!" Apparently, Honda CXs are easy and fun to work on... So my girlfriend and I are both STOKED to start working on these!

Selling a Pair of Warm, Winter Riding Gloves

I bought these nice Olympia winter gloves at Santa Clara Cycle Accessories... in the middle of summer... 'cause they were on über sale. I actually sorta needed them to ride over Highway 17 at night, because it does get cold in California, even during the summer.

Problem is, they're too big, as you can see in the photos below... =/ They were out of mediums and in the heat of summer, they weren't planning on getting them... Just trying to get rid of what they already have.

I've only worn them a few times, so I consider them pretty freakin' new. They're great gloves. In fact, I already got myself a pair of mediums.

Make me an offer! They could be yours today! If you live within a 15-mile radius, I'll personally deliver them to you!

 

Ride Number 5 - Old De La Veaga Zoo

Here's a short but fun ride we did a few days ago in the Soquel-Santa Cruz area. It's our FIRST ride with VIDEO!

Here's a map of the route.

View Larger Map