We did it! Mountain Madness 2009 is done and dusted, with Garage Night “satellite squad” the Mushman Candidates placing FIRST in the under-650cc class and 2nd outright on points.
Trent and Pete again teamed up with KTM rider and navigator extraordinaire James to produce an outstanding result - though scoring second overall for the second year running left them even more determined for outright victory next year.
Our not-so-hotly-competitive “official” entry Team Garage Night - myself (Waz), Richard and Etienne - placed 8th out of 14 in the over-650cc class.
Richard and I hadn’t ridden on dirt for years, and for the three of us it was our first outing as a team. Not making excuses - but it took us a while to find our offroad legs. Continue reading ‘Ep 13: Mountain Madness 2009′
Watch Waz and Trent dismantle the wheel in Ep 3: Sand, heat and nipples and Episode 4: Wires, shocks and smoke.
A spoke wheel is a thing of beauty. Here at Garage Night, you can’t tell us otherwise. Cast wheels might be acceptable if you ride a road toad, but if you’ve got spokes, you’ve got class.
Just think, each thin metal spine is fragile on its own, but strong enough when laced together with a bunch of buddies to bear several times the weight of your bike when you’re full on the brakes, or keep your wheel from crumpling when you smash through a wash-out. And no matter how you try, for elegance of both form and function a cast or billet wheel can’t come close.
An old, neglected spoke wheel is NOT a thing of beauty, though - as I found when I bought a complete secondhand USD fork front end for my bike and discovered the seller had been less than honest about its condition. The Garage Night guys were never going to let me put it together in that state. So the wheel had to come apart. Continue reading ‘Ep 9: New spokes on an old wheel’
Missed part 1 of Chain and Sprockets? Click here
With the old chain taken off and consigned to the trash, Trent and Pete remove and examine the old sprockets, install the new ones and rivet the fresh chain in place on Pete’s KTM 950 Adventure.
Along the way, Trent discusses correct chain tension, the different ways a front sprocket may be attached to the countershaft, and why you should NEVER use a worn sprocket with a new chain - at least not if you want the chain to last.
Pete talks about how changing the sprocket ratio - in his case, the number of teeth on the front sprocket - has improved his bike’s driveability. There’s an interesting aside, too, on the possible negative consequences of going for a smaller front sprocket. Continue reading ‘Ep 8: Chain and sprockets part 2′
Ep 14, Dremel on a lathe: Rear suspension overhaul part 1
Ep 12: KTM forks on a BMW part 2
Ep 11: KTM forks on a BMW F650
Ep 10: Replacing rear wheel bearings
Ep 9: New spokes on an old wheel
Ep 8: Chain and sprockets part 2
Ep 7: Changing a chain and sprockets
Ep 6: Mountain Madness
Ep 5: Replacing steering head bearings
Ep 4: Wires, shocks and smoke
Ep 3: Sand, heat and nipples
Ep 2: Beads and bearings
Ep 1: Bikes, Blokes and Beer
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