Happy Summer

It has been a few weeks since my last post so I guess it is time for an update. Summer has finally arrived per the calendar and the Maine weather is starting to look more like summer. We have a few very nice warm days followed by a rainy one and then back to a few more sunny days. That pattern generally changes as summer progresses to the point where we have several nice days in a row with thunderstorms threatening almost every afternoon/evening and usually we get a gully-washer at least once per week. Coastal Maine businesses love these rainy days since it drives all the tourists inside their stores for the day.

I have continued to tinker with my new Honda restoration project a little here and a little there. I got the engine running a few days after getting the bike home and it seems to run very well considering its age and how long it sat without being run. With the engine running and a new battery installed I was able to check out all the electrical stuff. With a tweak here and there I was able to confirm that all the electrical functions seem to work. The lights light, the horn horns, the starter starts, and the generator generates. So far so good. 

Next I moved on to the brakes. After all - what good is a motorcycle that doesn't stop! First step - check out the front disc brake. Hmmm that one appears to be stuck! I managed to free up the stuck disc brake piston, then the corroded caliper arm pivot, and replaced the missing caliper adjusting bolt and spring -- and viola! -- now we have a front brake. On to the back brake ... it seemed to work but it was very hard to operate - something wrong here! But before I can troubleshoot that problem I need to get the bike up on its center stand. Unfortunately someone removed the center stand on this bike - probably when they installed the aftermarket exhaust pipes. So once again - Ebay came to my rescue and I was able to procure/install a used center stand and then remove the rear tire/brake unit. The stiffness was easy to correct once I freed up the brake shoe operating shaft in its bushing. These machines really don't like sitting still in the salt air climate of the Maine coast - corrosion takes over everywhere! When I removed the brake unit from the wheel hub I found my next problem. The brake linings had become un-bonded from the brake shoes! Who knows what caused that?! Fortunately the local Honda dealership still carried the necessary replacement shoes!

So after a few days of fixing the brakes, cleaning both wheels, cleaning and lubricating the rusty chain, and re-greasing all the wheel bearings - the Honda engine would run, the bike would roll, and the brakes worked -- what more would be needed before a short test run down the street? A vehicle registration? - Nah.  Some insurance? - Nah (don't tell Stacy!).  I only made it around the block but it was far enough to confirm that all systems seemed to work. In fact it worked so well that I insured it (thanks Stacy for taking care of that on your day off!) and registered it last Friday. I drove it a few miles yesterday but I didn't want to go very far as I'm still not too confident of its reliability -- but it seemed to run well, shifts good, and the suspension seems solid. 

Looks like Restoration Step 2 is mostly complete -- now on to a little beautification.

Actually - the Honda project is sorta on hold for awhile. My mom's heath has been slowly declining over the past several months and has reached the point where she has entered Hospice care. Nobody on this planet really knows how long any of us has left to live our lives - but Nan is in the final stages of hers. With that in mind - we have decided that it would be a smart move to get Winne ready for a trip. I had intended to perform some maintenance on Winne this summer in preparation for a short trip into downeast Maine in August - so all we have done at this point is to move up the maintenance schedule. We may need/want to make a longer trip out west on short notice - so this way Winne will be ready to roll when and if we decide it's time. So ... Winne is home and the maintenance has begun.

Happy Summer Everybody!

Little Honda

The weather has continued to be pretty nice this past week although we have received a bit of rain every few days. Pretty typical of June in Maine actually. 

Yesterday we attended Miss Sophie's 2nd birthday party over at her house in Auburn. We had a great time visiting and watching Sophie and her cousins having a fun time. Sophie seems to be in a Winne the Pooh phase so that seemed to be the theme for this year.

Today looks to be another beautiful spring/summer day. The highs are getting into the 80s almost every day now and it won't be long before our new tower fan and ceiling fans will have to be joined by the window A/C unit to keep the humidity in check ... at least in Mikee's opinion. I'm getting better at surviving the heat as I age -- but not much better!

Well I went and did it again. I have plenty to keep me busy and no room for any more projects but I just couldn't resist ... so I am now the proud owner of a 1974 Honda CB350F.

Honda shocked the transportation world back in 1969 when it came out with the 750cc four cylinder motorcycle. A "big" motorcycle back in those days with lots of power, a smooth running engine, and that great Honda engineering that produced a relatively complicated power plant that didn't leak oil and started easily. Honda followed the "750" with a smaller "500" Four in 1971 and then an even smaller "350" Four in 1972. Honda also made versions in 550cc, 400cc, and even 650cc ... but I digress.

My new project bike is an example from the final year of production of the 350cc version of the Honda Four. Honda had been making a 350cc twin cylinder bike for many years prior to 1972 - and it was their most popular seller ... many folks even back then wondered why Honda thought it would be a good idea to produce the four cylinder 350cc version. The four cylinder 350 was heavier by about 45 pounds, produced 2 less horsepower than the 350 twin, and was more expensive to purchase! But those four cylinders were really cool and made silky smooth power ... that's why!

I owned a 1971 Honda 750 back in my Navy days. I bought it from a Navy buddy of mine ... actually I traded a 1968 Yamaha 350 and a small amount of cash for it -- and the cash came from the sale of yet another Yamaha 350 I just happen to have at the time. We lived in Hawaii back then and Peggy wasn't too happy when I came back from sea duty and told her I had purchased another motorcycle - but she calmed down when I explained that we were going down from 2 bikes to 1.

That 750 made the trip with us to New York in 1977 and even made it to Maine in 1980 before I sold it around 1982. I really liked that bike. I had "modified" it quite a bit ... big hog tire in the back, lowered the rear, extended forks out front, custom fenders, custom paint ... a real 70s version "chopper."

But I guess I digressed again!

The "new" 350 needs a lot of work to get back to being roadworthy and even more work to look good on the road ... but then that's why I bought it!

Just like the Yamaha before it - Step 1 is to get it running, Step 2 is to get it safely drive-able, and then Step 3 will be to improve its looks.

I guess Peggy will know where to find me.

The Beach Boys said it all ...

"Little Honda"

"First Gear, it's all right (Honda, Honda, go faster, faster)
Second Gear, I'll lean right (Honda, Honda, go faster, faster)
Third Gear, hang on tight (Honda, Honda, go faster, faster)
Faster, it's all right."

Tough Times In Maine

Well here I sit … I have some time before I have to get ready and head to young Bailey Johansen’s High School Graduation Ceremony and I note that I am woefully delinquent in keeping my Blog up-to-date.

Spring 2015 has been pretty nice here in Maine. The weather in May was generally wonderful, June is starting off a bit cool but it’s early in the month so there is plenty of time for improvement as we look forward to summer.

We have been enjoying the decent weather, have had a few visits with Miss Sophie, Miss Taylor and their families – 

as well as a short but good visit with Brian and Emily up from New Jersey last weekend for a quick visit as Brian joined his brother for a “fun” run in the rain and mud at the Annual Dynamic Dirt Challenge Fund Raiser last Sunday. We were able to get the whole gang over at our house for a cookout and gabfest on Saturday – always a fun time!

Mikee has kept busy on his never ending project list. “Improve” a few things on the Yamaha, repair/upgrade a few things on the Chevelle, keep the yard mowed --- standard stuff that retired guys do to keep out of trouble! And Miss Peggy has managed to stay out of trouble herself – but just barely.

Well here I sit … one day later on Sunday. We attended Bailey’s graduation ceremony yesterday along with the Maine Johansen family and a whole lot of other Johansens from out west. It was a very nice ceremony at a small high school in rural Maine. 

Bailey’s class was even smaller than mine at around 30 kids where my class was a whopping 38. Regardless of the size of the class, the Richmond High Class of 2015 looked like a pretty sharp group of kids finishing up their High School days and getting prepared for whatever comes next. They have a tough job ahead of them! Remembering back – I thought we had it pretty tough in 1968. The war in Vietnam was at its peak, the Cold War was very chilly, and race riots were happening in the major cities. These kids have to try and fix a Mideast in total freefall, a resurgence of the Cold War, and perhaps worst of all - an America in social freefall. But even with all that negativity around them, I have hope and even a bit of confidence that they can turn it around and chart a safer and sounder course for humanity.

Since we were “dressed up” for the graduation, and since it was a beautiful spring afternoon, Peggy and I decided to have an early Dinner after the graduation ceremony. We thought about several different potential eating spots and then settled on The Dolphin Marina overlooking Potts Harbor in Harpswell. The Dolphin Marina Restaurant has been around for a long time but their new building out on the point is only a few years old and has a beautiful view of the Harbor – very Maine picturesque. 

After starting with some yummy mussels in wine/butter/garlic broth, Peggy opted for the garden salad with lobster meat while Mikee went for a bowl of fish chowder. Peggy’s salad looked pretty darn good and had about one lobster worth of lobster meat in it – but my chowder was OUTSTANDING! I gotta tell you Darrell, this was perhaps a tie with George Patterson’s Fish Chowder! I can’t say the meal was inexpensive – but it was very high on the value meter!

Today looks like another lovely spring day and it is Party Day in Richmond. Time to help the new Graduate celebrate.

Yessiree – it is going to be a tough summer season here in Maine this year!