I actually just wanted an excuse to post this picture of Gonzo as Hunter S. Thompson and Animal as his attorney. It’s been hot as hell lately which makes it tough to take a ride to the beach except for in the mornings and evenings. Each stop light is like an oven.

Yesterday was the summer solstice which means for the next six months the days will gradually get shorter and shorter. This also means summer is just about halfway over which may be bad news for some of you. For me, I’m always welcoming winter in South Florida. There’s nothing like a good surf season.

So…good morning. Have a great Hump Day everyone.

Yeah, you guessed it, when I don’t write it usually means I have nothing worth writing about. Right now I’m just tired. Tired of being broke, tired of my shit Land Rover, tired of worrying about taxes, money, long distance relationships, work, bills… just plain tired.

You ever have one of those days where you’re just plain tired of being you? It’s pretty much been that way for a few weeks for so I apologize for the lack of postings. Not much around here to report.

We had surf yesterday but I was only able to get in the water for about an hour as I was promptly kicked out of the water by the local landlords (sharks) after catching a nice ride.

The motorcycle’s running well but it too needs some work. The rear brakes are just about gone. I can’t tell if it just needs new pads or the line needs to be bled out. The front headlight bulb needs to be replace but it’s working on high beams so I do still have a headlight for now. The new chain and clutch push pin seem to be holding up so far so I guess I learned something in taking it apart half a dozen times.

Times like these I guess, well, shit could be worse. Taxes are going to take a bite out of the monthly budget and the deadline for sending in the check is quickly coming around. That’s got me up nights but again…shit could be worse.

After over a month of issues, possible transmission failures, waiting for clutch push pins and eventually discovering the motorcycle needed a new chain I’m finally back on it. Actually kind of proud of myself for getting everything fixed, and what a learning experience it has been.

Not only did I have to buy a new chain but I had to buy the tools to replace it including a chain breaker. The guys over at CycleGear are usually saviors but this time I wanted to wring their fucking necks.

I bought a new 525 chain ($165) and a chain breaker ($35) to get the final repairs done on the bike only to find the instructions on the chain box didn’t pertain to the chain I bought. Some chains are master link + safety clip installed and some are rivet. The box clearly had instructions for clip installation yet the box didn’t come with the clip. So I went back to Cycle Gear and spent $3 on another master link including a safety clip. But… master link was too small and I ruined the original getting it off of the chain. So back to the shop… told them the new master link was too short and I needed one for a 525 with the safety clip… they didn’t sell and then proceeded to tell me the chain THEY SOLD ME wasn’t a clip type. It required an $89 tool set! Yet they kept selling me crap that was useless.

Finally I said screw it, went to Broward Motorsports and got the right part for $9 and screwed with removing another master link, adjusting the alignment, etc. all over again.

Now that it’s back on the road I’m about to clean it up and get it ready for sale. Hopefully I can get at least $4,500 out of it. I love the bike and it’s going to be tough to let go but it fits into the overall scheme of the next few months so it’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make.

No luck. So now it’s time to (unfortunately) buy a new chain which is probably going to run $200…and since I don’t have a chain breaker I either have to buy one of those too or take it to a shop and pay $70 for them to change it for me. Of course getting it to the shop will be a nerve wracking ride as I really don’t want the chain to come off again and snap the clutch push pin once again.

At least I ran into a guy in the garage while putting it back together who asked if I was interested in selling it. Um… yes. Even though I love it and love riding it, it’s coming to the end of it’s usefulness for me (for more than one reason).

After getting the tools together and pulling the sprocket cover off of the bike I came to find out exactly what happened. No issue with the transmission, it seems to click through the gears just fine. So that was a huge relief.

Here’s a photo I found online of what it should look like.

Also after doing some online research I found a group of individuals that did exactly the same thing as me. Popped the clutch and the chain pops off snapping the clutch push rod.

Because of the amount of chain wax build up inside the sprocket cover, the broken pin was just sitting there, stuck in the wax. Well, two pieces anyway…

I got online and ordered the push rod pin and seal for $30. All due to arrive on the 31st of January.

I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to get the remaining broken section of the pin out of the hole but once I got a tricky retainer plate off (one bolt was in an iffy location, almost impossible to get off) I popped off the rubber seal and grabbed the remaining piece of the push rod with a pair of needle-nose pliers and bam… golden.

So, once the new clutch push rod and push rod seal arrive I just need to put it all back together and I’m back on the motorcycle!

This time I’m definitely making sure the chain is adjusted tight so it won’t slip off the sprocket. Lesson learned.

Lack of writing and overall interest to share usually means I either have nothing to say or lots but can’t say it here without something coming back to bite me in the ass. Lately it’s been a bit of both to be honest. Weekends have been fairly boring and I’ve been slacking off in my workout schedule, simply working my ass to a car so I can get my ass back in the water and surf again. Don’t you remember the days when all I’d write about was “yesterday’s surf”? Yeah, I miss those days too.

I’ve been looking into getting a 2001-2002 Land Rover Discovery. The price seems right, size is perfect for surf boards and to be honest I’ve always wanted one. Whether or not I can find one without electrical issues is another thing but there are several locally….locally as in Ft. Lauderdale and Miami I guess. So hopefully this weekend I’ll make the trip down and check a couple out and with any luck I’ll have a new ride by next week.

Other than that, not much is going on. I learned my lesson not to have drunk people on the bike…ever, this weekend. Worst…ride…ever. Like having a narcoleptic retard on my back.

Well, it’s officially been a year (actually a little more) since my lease was up on the Pathfinder which means it’s been a year since I’ve had a car. Just the Motorcycle and though I’ve had my ups and downs with it I think I’ll try and hang onto it or at least a motorcycle of some sort for a long time to come.


Right now I’m just trying to keep my eye out for another Jeep. I really miss my old one and wish I never got rid of it. Though I loved the Pathfinder the Jeep was practically paid off. Chalk it up to hindsight I guess which is why I’m hanging onto the bike.

Late last week I decided to head up to PGA to pick up some tequila for the weekend when I was pulled over by a friendly neighborhood police officer. I was doing 38 in a 30, not too tough to do. He really just wanted to pull me over and make sure I had my motorcycle license. While he was running my tags and giving a warning I noticed something a bit funny with my front tire on the bike. I could see the fabric in about eight places round the sidewall of the rubber…not good. I probably only had a few more miles before the damn thing would have failed on my and my luck, it would have been on I-95.

So, today I headed over to my favorite motorcycle shop for a replacement front tire and installation. The guys over there, rock. Tire was only $110 and installation was only $40 so I was stoked all together it was under $200. When I blew my back tire I spent way more considering I had to buy the tools to get it done as well as the tire.

So, needless to say…I’m glad I took care of that one. The first few miles on the new tire felt weird though but I’m sure I’ll get used to riding on a good tire instead of a time-bomb.

Friday I took off around 12:30 for the motorcycle ride down to Key West. Of course I was a bit nervous about such a ride but to be hones I just needed to get out of here for a while and I haven’t seen my old surf buddy Dan in quite some time. The first leg was obviously the fastest; Florida Turnpike down to Miami then on to the 45 mile per hour section of the trip.

85 on a motorcycle for an hour or so can be a fun ride though and the only real pain in the ass was the tolls. Every few miles it was stop, take off a glove, dig for a dollar then hit it again. By the time I got to the keys my right hand was numb and so was my ass but it was all good. I bought a little piece of plastic which allows me to just rest my hand on the throttle instead of gripping it the entire time which helped immensely. Like an $11 cruise control.

Once in the keys it took about three hours to get to Key West. I had to stop for a beer about halfway down to give my butt a rest but other than that it was a beautiful ride and I’d recommend it to anyone with a bike. Gorgeous.

Dan and Mary were kind enough to house me for a couple days which was really cool of them. I finally got to hang out with ole’ Danny boy and catch up. So good to see him. Since he’s got a little one in the house it was tough to really go out and enjoy the scenery but how much is there really to see that I haven’t already on my last trip. We went out on Friday night for a few drinks which was pretty cool.

The ride back was just as beautiful. I wore full gear all the way back since I felt like I was covered in bugs on the way down. Luckily the weather was perfect, not too hot and not chilly at all. I thought about taking 95 back but then finally decided to just hammer out the last leg of the trip on the Turnpike.

I did finally find the little tiki bar I stopped at last time on the way back. So peaceful, live acoustic guitar and an ocean view while having a cheeseburger. So relaxing, just what I needed. It’s located right next to Hog Heaven on the south end of Islamorada.

Once back it really felt good to be home. Sometimes vacations really make you thankful for what you have.

Thanks again to Dan and Mary for their enormous hospitality. It was a nice trip guys.