I'm not a big thread poster but thought it might be fun or instructional, or maybe my ego needed a stroke.
So to cut to the chase. A few months ago I took the Phat Trakka to the drag strip and set a record. So I start thinking that maybe the "STOCK" class definition could be stretched a little. I was thinking that maybe it might be possible to replace some of the stock frame tubes with thin wall chrome moly tubing and save a few pounds.
Working on the basis that if those tubes are hidden under a tank or side cover, are they really chrome moly or are they just tubes with black paint and therefore "stock". So I called a buddy of mine who I know had a few spare frames that I could practice on. He had a better idea. If I were to buy all his project bikes, he'd GIVE me all the parts he had collected.
By now, you would think that I'd be a little more cautious. FREE bikes are the most expensive things on the planet. They are invariably pooched and all the parts that are missing are either non obtainable or ridiculously costly. So the three rollers weren't free but the price was still low and tempting and that portends to an impending event of foul financial play.
The truck had a slight misfire that was obviously water in the crappy ethanol laced pig swill that is sold as Gasoline today. Throw in a can of seafoam and a bottle of rubbing alcohol to absorb the moisture and all will be well. No worries mate. About 30 miles out and the misfire is getting worse, so I pull off the highway and eventually get turned around to head home.
It's just a misfire. Can't get much worse. I can nurse it home without too much drama.
OK. So that was just plain wrong. The miss got worse and worse and I eventually had the opportunity to work on my tan and chat to various state troupers, IDOT drivers and eventually a tow truck driver that dragged our sorry wreck back to our local hot shot auto shop.
Sitting at the side of the highway I noticed that I had stopped next to what they call Mile markers and this one was more like something out a Harry Potter story.
The next morning the shop called to say it was the distributor that was dying when it got hot and because it contained the coil (really!) and some other electronic module, they could get me one for just under 3oo bucks and fitted it would be around 60-700 bucks. WTF. So I drove it home and ordered one on ebay and fitted in an a couple of hours and all for less than $100. The dizzy arrived on Thursday and on Friday it was back on the road for a 600 mile round trip to pick up this pile of stuff.
And so my journey into poverty and dirty fingernails began again...............
So to cut to the chase. A few months ago I took the Phat Trakka to the drag strip and set a record. So I start thinking that maybe the "STOCK" class definition could be stretched a little. I was thinking that maybe it might be possible to replace some of the stock frame tubes with thin wall chrome moly tubing and save a few pounds.
Working on the basis that if those tubes are hidden under a tank or side cover, are they really chrome moly or are they just tubes with black paint and therefore "stock". So I called a buddy of mine who I know had a few spare frames that I could practice on. He had a better idea. If I were to buy all his project bikes, he'd GIVE me all the parts he had collected.
By now, you would think that I'd be a little more cautious. FREE bikes are the most expensive things on the planet. They are invariably pooched and all the parts that are missing are either non obtainable or ridiculously costly. So the three rollers weren't free but the price was still low and tempting and that portends to an impending event of foul financial play.
The truck had a slight misfire that was obviously water in the crappy ethanol laced pig swill that is sold as Gasoline today. Throw in a can of seafoam and a bottle of rubbing alcohol to absorb the moisture and all will be well. No worries mate. About 30 miles out and the misfire is getting worse, so I pull off the highway and eventually get turned around to head home.
It's just a misfire. Can't get much worse. I can nurse it home without too much drama.
OK. So that was just plain wrong. The miss got worse and worse and I eventually had the opportunity to work on my tan and chat to various state troupers, IDOT drivers and eventually a tow truck driver that dragged our sorry wreck back to our local hot shot auto shop.
Sitting at the side of the highway I noticed that I had stopped next to what they call Mile markers and this one was more like something out a Harry Potter story.
The next morning the shop called to say it was the distributor that was dying when it got hot and because it contained the coil (really!) and some other electronic module, they could get me one for just under 3oo bucks and fitted it would be around 60-700 bucks. WTF. So I drove it home and ordered one on ebay and fitted in an a couple of hours and all for less than $100. The dizzy arrived on Thursday and on Friday it was back on the road for a 600 mile round trip to pick up this pile of stuff.
And so my journey into poverty and dirty fingernails began again...............