Charlie's M-72
My greasy affair with a 53 year old Russian
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Getting to Work .
Page 1: February - May 2006 | Page 2:August 2006 - June 2007 | Page 3: September 2007- current
August 2006....
Results for the Summer:
Well, I haven't been focusing on the bike as much as I have been on getting myself legal.
When I moved to Germany I lost my motorcycle "A" endorsement, and trying to get one here in Bulgaria is a grueling prospect. So after 3 months of listening to everyone's opinions and waiting for several people who promised to "take care of it" for me with no results (more of the "utre factor") We found a Motorcycle Safety Course, I got signed up and started classes. Now, this is a road test taken in a parking lot course and fortunately there's no written exam. I say "fortunately" because my Bulgarian isn't great. But I sign up for the class, drop 200 leva and proceed to the course. They hand me the keys to an old MZ 150 and tell me to relax and just have fun. So far, this is great. I haven't been on two wheels in several years so I run her around the lot, getting the feel of the bike and having a fine time. Now they show me the course I have to take.
This is a 10 point test, you're allowed only 1 mistake. Your feet can never leave the pegs except for the 3 full stops.
1) right or left turn (instructors choice) in about a 1 meter radius
2) 6 meter straight away about 1 meter wide
3) 2 sand pits
4) Up most of 30 degree ramp, complete stop, keep bike running,over ramp
5) Over a concrete ramp about 6 meters long and 30 cm wide
6) tight figure 8 in 1 meter track
7) tight left hand 360 circle with no clutch in 1 meter track w/pylons (left arm has to be completely extended and only 1 hand on the bars )
8) accelerate, shift to second, dodge poles and fast brake with front tire centered on about 40cm block
9) in second, S around 10 pylons uphill
10) back to start point and brake with front tire exactly on line.
This is nuts and I figure that I'll be ready for a circus act by the time I'm done, but.... now I just have to wait another 20 days for them to process my basic BG license and I can take the final exam.
New Project: The Frankenbike
About a year ago my buddy Gingernut (John) bought this 1961 Ural M61 650cc at a somewhat silly price. It's never run correctly, but my goal now is to get it back on the road.
We call these "Frankenbikes" because commonly things here are cobbled off any spare that can be found.
This has a M61 engine modified to 12v with an as-yet unidentified batch of parts. The crash bars have been welded on, we don't know what the front end is off of, the seat is Japanese something and the exhaust has been modified to fit the crash bars. Oil pan is leaking about a quart every few days. The side stand is homemade and almost puts the bike on its side.
Still, for a 35 year old rebuilt Ural chopper it ain't too bad. I hope. Right now I'm trying to find the elusive spark. This bike won't be a restoration project as it's been too heavily modified
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IN MEMORIUM:
Walter "Wally" Nicholl, 17 December 1948 - 30 September 2006.
Stay in the wind Brother.
September 2006....
Well, I aced the road test and now just have to wait another 30 days for my "A" endorsement. Now I just have to sort out how to fit skis on the damn thing...
Took it up to Zvesditsa a couple of weeks ago and had some serious problems, she kept dying under load. Replaced a throttle cable and checked the carbs, still couldn't find the problem... after three days of tinkering and head scratching found that the block inside the headlamp housing that connects the line to the ignition coil had lost a screw. The wire was sitting loose in the contact and was touching the walls enough to start the bike, but every time I hit a bump it bounced out and I lost spark. Always check the simple stuff first...
Have been tracing the wires on Frankie, spent a half day unwrapping a kilometer or so of rotten electric tape. So far one plug is dead, plug wires are bad, ignition switch needs replacing and I'm suspecting the ignition coil is shot but testing it today. I hate electrical problems.
May 2007
Well, time flies and I haven't updated this site for awhile, simply because there hasn't been much going on. I've got a workshop going now (pic below) and using the other garage as a paintshop. I recently bought an airbrush and am anxious to start doing graphics on something besides a computer.
where I live these days...
Frankie is running finally, but still not legal. Plus the battery isn't charging so the electrical system still needs to be sorted.
June 2007
Some pics from the local bike rally...unfortunatly I didn't get much since these guys sleep all day and only party at night. The bands didn't even start until after 10:00 pm and by then this old fart already has his daily 6 pack put away and is looking for bed. Almost all the bikes were generic crotch rockets, but here there were a few interesting pieces of iron. That's my Russian pal Niki getting some ink.
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