Slimey Crud run May 6th 2018 (Madison WI area)

Stands up in a couple of minutes .
1525609805546-1812264233.jpg
 
Those are some nice old bikes, I even like that old Studebaker pickup!

Your story later.........uh oh I sense a tale of sorrow is coming. :unsure:
 
Ha! I saw the gray 16 Ducati yesterday on my way out of town among many other rides, it was great to see all the bikes. The day for riding looked perfect....from my car....on my way to a few lacrosse games.....can't and won't complain about watching the kids play their sports, that doesn't last too long. I would have liked to be on 2 wheels, but I wouldn't change it.
 
Geez now I think I over hyped this!!!
Left here at 9AM upper fifties and sun, great morning to be out, took the back roads to Pine Bluff, bike was running great, an occasional mid range burble, but fine. Arrived at the crud at 10, fairly early. Noticed the tail light lens was MIA, kinda think I forgot to tighten a screw, oh well more lenses at home. Walked around, shot pictures and breeze with friends old and new. Old pal on a bagger said lets ride to Leland together, sounded good, so off we went.
The crud has two locations about 30 miles apart you can go to one or both, no schedule, no route, just leave one end and go to the other via lots of different back roads. His bike, a 16 ultra classic he says I got GPS, follow me. OK! we are taking the really long way, but fine by me! When we go through Pine Bluff the second time I'm starting to doubt his GPS. but hey great weather and riding. He thought the Harley would walk away from my little 650. He was SO wrong, grin! He'd gain a bit on a roll on, but as my revs swept past 4K I reeled him in easily, LOTS of fun! Could see him look in the mirror and be :yikes: cause I was filling it.:p
Headed for Leland I had 100 miles on my tank and I should have stopped for gas.:redface: I'm used to standard tanks not the smaller specials and the 750 with lots of throttle used, is a bit thirsty. The "burble" is getting a bit more noticable now. I'm thinking I'm going to want to put the needle clip back up a notch or two. Arrive at Leland more photos and chatting, and I hit the button, fire up and head home. 120 some miles now, that burble is getting quite noticeable .. but I haven't switched to reserve and am not that far from a gas station ahead, I now notice my turn signals and voltage indicator LED have gone MIA. Then the dreaded stumble and mmwwaawww, game over motor died, pull off in a driveway and see I have no head light. I brought some tools and bits of wire etc. Fuses look OK, kinda think it's iggy switch issue rear lights are working. Lots of fellow riders stop ask if they can help. I wave em on. (Oh; no starter either but hooked to battery headlight is still decent bright. Well I get an iggy jumper made and in, kick it a few times and it starts! so put everything back together gear up and try to start it. It's sunny and seventies now. Woosh that 750 takes some commitment to kick, I'm getting rather warm in all my gear! Couple more stop, one guy says that gas lever looks like it's wrong I say no it's on prime best place. Well they push me a bit and it tries to start, but not quite, then a few more kicks and she roars to life.
I move out right now, get on the highway make about 1/4 mile and it dies again. Well this time I know it's out of gas and sure enough tank's bone dry. The gas station is only a 1/4 mile so I walk it to the station and gas up. During the walk my phone rings, I ignore it. Rings again when I'm gassed up and a buddy's road star just lost the magic smoke and he's asking for a van ride home to Appleton, 100 miles away. I say it'll be about an hour and hang up. I got no headlight, tail light or any other lights. But it kicks to life pretty easily and off I go. Well it was sputtering and not running great, but made the 15 miles home. Whew! so MY bike made it home under it's own power. Then I went and rescued my bud and got him home.
That fuel tank was fresh off a shed rafter, I had rebuilt the petcock. Um did you know it's POSSIBLE to put the plastic standpipes in backward on late petcocks effectively making on act as reserve, and vice versa?? 123 miles to BONE dry. Turns out the electrics issue was a short and blown blade fuse that "looked" OK, still tracking down the short the wiring was not a bad job but no map of how he did it so a bit of fun to troubleshoot. so that was the "Crud adventure"
DSCN9042.JPG

Safely back home. Local cops claimed 5-6000 visited Leland but I suspect they "trumped up" that figure a bit
 
Last edited:
Back
Top