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2022-02-12 135 miles on the R60/2, Uncle Dutch

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published by dcarver on Sun, 02/13/2022 - 14:23
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dCarver's rides

135 miles of local roads on the 59 year old /2 yesterday.

 
Met Barries Boyz at Cider Creek Bakery in Paso, decided to NOT ride with the herd… as they would be riding outside of /2 performance envelope. Instead, had wonderful conversation with a ‘retired’ Barrie Boy. He no longer rides due to health issues.
 
All that yakking made me hungry, so off to Paradise Cafe in Paso via backroads. Backroads are where the /2 is happiest. She can run at 65-70, but 45 - 60 is sooo much more of a happy zone. For a little twin with a heavy flywheel, the RPM band is up there, if one uses the speedometer ’shift’ points. I don’t like it spinning that tight so typically ’short’ shift from factory recommendations but not lugging it either. The happy zone is the place to be!
 
Noticed that intermittently, the clutch lever had a ‘hitch in the get-along’. Rather than being smooth and linear, it was like something was ‘going over center’ and ‘popping’ through the stroke.
 
Most disconcerting.
 
Then, when pulling the 46 West hill, under acceleration, I hear the rpms climb but not the speedo? WTF, clutch is slipping? Only did it once, briefly, so most likely no real damage and I quickly adjusted cable slack at the bar while underway.
 
What could all this be? Popping at the lever and clutch slipping too?
 
My mind feebly recalled the last time I adjusted clutch throw out at the trans. Did I get the little bearing installed correctly? Could the cable be failing, no, it shouldn’t, it’s only 6 months or so old. 
 
What else could it be?
 
Pop! Damn, it did it again! At least the clutch isn’t slipping now under load.
 
Here’s where my incredible MotoBike techie skilz come to the forefront. I look at the lever, the pivot bolt is g-o-n-e, the lever is held in place only by cable.
 
Nursed Uncle Dutch to Miners hardware in Morro Bay, found an M6 1.25 and bought a small crescent to install.
 
Then it dawned on me. The slipping clutch most likely due to the lever not fully retracting in the perch. Ahh, that makes sense.
 
After that, uneventful. Once in awhile a quick sniff of 90 wt burning off the exhaust cross over pipe.. so apparently a new trans seal is needed. I replaced it once already, it’s a PITA to get to..
 
All in all a fun ride from Creston to Paso to Morro Bay to San Luis Obispo, Cal Poly, Pozo, then CA 229 back to Creston.
 
I’ve ridden pretty much all paved roads in the county.. yet those familiar roads seem new when riding an older bike at slower pace, planning for earlier brake points, carefully matching RPM to gear changes, timing the shift just right…
 
Fun day!
 
 
 
 

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