[Black Lab]

After work today, I rode down to Southwest Harbor where my post office box is located. I hadn't checked on my mail since last Wednesday. I sorted through the bills, and flyers, (I recycled the flyers), and mailed a package to a good friend of mine.

I left the post office, stuffed my mail into my topbox, slipped my helmet on over my head, and slid my leg over the seat and down to the right footpeg. Before I started the engine, I looked in my mirrors. A few parking spaces away, behind me, was a blue DL-650 V-Strom. I had not seen this machine on the Mount Desert Island before!

I removed my helmet, and dismounted my bike. As I did so, a "motorcyclist", clad in riding gear, strolled out of the post office and made their way over to the blue Strom. I did too.

When we both arrived at the blue bike a the same time. I asked the fellow how he liked his V-Strom. He responded with the typical positive remarks about the bike; and no negatives. We chatted for a little bit, and then I invited the rider to take a look at my version of a V-Strom.

After we exchanged names, Corey told me that when he first pulled into the post office parking lot, he thought my bike was a BMW, or possibly a KTM. One thing that Corey picked up on about my bike that he liked was my kickstand foot. Last year, I had welded a countersprocket to the base of my kickstand. It is practical, recycles, and works great!

Corey and his wife recently moved to Mount Desert Island from the Northwest part of the U.S.. He doesn't know the state of Maine that well, nor has he spent much time here on this forum. As a "Welcome To Maine" gesture, I asked Corey if he would like a countersprocket welded to his kickstand. He told me he did.

Corey and I rode back to my house where I went to work on his bike.

Here is Corey checking out some more details of the "beast".

Stepping back to take all of that "beauty"(?) in......

I grabbed an old countersprocket off of my workbench, (I changed both sprockets and chain this past Sunday on my bike), and gave it a quick grinding to clean it up.

I also ground the paint off of the edges of his kickstand base.

I welded the sprocket to the kickstand.

While we waited for the modified kickstand to cool down before painting, I invited Corey to take a look at a DeLorme Gazetteer and a couple of maps I have of Québec. "Corey, this is what your new backyard looks like. And, it is fun as heck to play in too!" He was excited to learn a little more about what was around him, (He has only been here for two weeks.).

When the stand was cool enough, I gave it a quick squirt of black paint.

Another happy customer!

---------------------------------------------------

I mentioned above that I had changed my sprockets and chain this past Sunday. I noticed that the right, swingarm axle adjusting bolt had loosened up, and that the chain was a little more slack then what I wanted. I also wanted to check the countersprocket nut and retorque it. I have ridden about 550 miles since the swap and I wanted to check things out.

As I was reinstalling the "clutch thingy" after tightening the countersprocket nut, the lower bolt sheared its head off.

I know that the hole for the bolt is threaded all the way through the "ear" of the generator cover. I decided to bet on a drill bit fetching up on a burr and have it spin the bolt out.

I chucked up a small drill bit, and began twisting away at the center of the broken bolt.

Sure enough, the bit caught on the bolt and spun it clear out of the threaded hole!

I rummaged through my "bag of tricks" and found another 10mm bolt and buttoned everything back up.

All is good with the world again!

B.L.

 

[coral_snake]

I like it. In my younger days as a line mechanic at the local Honda dealer we used left hand drill bits for that very thing, worked great as long as the bolt wasn't cross threaded.

 

[redbike72]

I rummaged through my "bag of tricks" and found another 10mm bolt and buttoned everything back up.

All is good with the world again!

B.L.

Good clean living comes through again....Good work!!

 

[seuadr]

I like it. In my younger days as a line mechanic at the local Honda dealer we used left hand drill bits for that very thing, worked great as long as the bolt wasn't cross threaded.

which it almost always is! :fineprint:

BL, you got to stop posting these threads.. you make me want to move to Maine! :green_lol:

 

[notacop]

Good on both efforts, the Foot and the drill through.
On the foot, I used a piece of 'lunimum diamond plate and stainless screws to hold it to the stand bottom plate. More lighter.
Doncha just love when a disaster becomes a non problem? Drilling out the screw musta made you breath easier.
Your posts make us all aware it's all possible.

 

[dancer]

Gotta admire a person frugal enough to have a useful "bag of tricks"! If you keep 10mm bolts in your bag of tricks though, what do you keep in your "bucket of bolts"?

I was sorting some of mine, on the way to cleaning and re-storing them, when the sun got too hot to touch them. They can wait for sundown, or whatever. It's so hot that I spend as much time as almost anything else wetting down spots in the shade for the dogs to dig into and cool off!

 

[ShadowNWPA]

BL - It's good to see you clean your metal before you weld (or braze). I've been working on my Dad for a few years to get him to do so, he's finally coming around to the idea. Paint, rust, and especially grease are terrible things to weld over if you want a full strength weld.

 

[seuadr]

BL - It's good to see you clean your metal before you weld (or braze). I've been working on my Dad for a few years to get him to do so, he's finally coming around to the idea. Paint, rust, and especially grease are terrible things to weld over if you want a full strength weld.

really rather bad for the 'ole lungs, too, when you burn them!

 

[sakebato]

+1 on the fusion welding. Dont see that much these days.

 

[NewSuz]

Don't mean to be anal, but...

I'm pretty sure its not a 10 mm. bolt, rather a 6 mm. bolt with 10 mm. head.

 

[fredellarby]

WTF is that parked beside the blue Strom???????????