SoCal Motography Adventures...

This is unscientific but I looked at my previous posts with the Monkey and found that my max speed was 57 mph on the speedometer while riding on CA-76. That was completely stock and unloaded while I was doing my break-in miles. The test run I did yesterday included the rear rack, camping gear with a one liter MSR bottle, YSS rear shocks, and a tank bag with misc items... I could definitely feel the lower grunt while taking off from a dead start and still managed to get 62 mph on a flat section. I just wanted to see where it would top out. The Monkey to date has about 500 miles on it, still breaking in but I did change the oil at 300 miles and will do so again at 600 miles... I'm not much concerned about the top speed. The Monkey won't go over 50/55 mph on the state highways and routes since the crankcase only holds one quart of oil. The service manual states replacing the oil every 4K but I'll probably do it early at 3K...

It must have higher revs at the same speed though, right?

I don't have tac on the instrument panel to verify this but all I can go by is the sound/feel of the rpms revving up faster in the first three gears and I can even squeeze a little more power in fourth gear as compared to it previously dropping some power when going up a slight and I mean slight incline...

Cheers Rudy! Got a couple short rides last couple days which was nice. Saw this at a store and thought of you. Stay safe Brother! ERIC

nice find Eric...

stay safe up there since WA state is getting hit hard...

~ 22 Mar 2020

Dreading this day...

I've been dreading this very day... I haven't touched Sumi (XT-250 a.k.a. Atsumi) since she's completed the CABDR. With Christmas vacation and the trip to help with my Mom's knee surgery; she's sat in the back neglected for over 3 months...

Sumi has been waiting patiently in the back of the queue and today I rotated her up front for some TLC...


I took the seat off expecting the rear shock to be blown and nada, zip... it was good to go... "WTF; where did the oil leak come from?"

Then I recalled reading an Alaska ride report from 2016 "Meandering to the Top - Tulsa to Alaska" where inmate -Chris- experienced a failure with his countershaft seal in Post #110 on his way back home... So I started taking the left engine cover off so I can get access to the front sprocket...



Once I pulled the front sprocket off, the countershaft seal was already halfway out getting ready to pop out...

Luckily I already have replacement seals, o rings, gaskets, a carburetor rebuild kit, and other misc parts on hand waiting for such a moment... I'm just glad I didn't have to pry out the old seal, I hear they are a b!tch to get out. I just used a screwdriver to wiggle the seal the rest of the way out. The old seal was no longer pliable and felt like a piece of hard plastic from being almost four decades old. With the new seal installed, I wiped off all the crud/gunk and put her back together again... I also checked the crankcase breather hose to make sure it wasn't clogged along with cleaning the airbox and filter...

I spent the rest of the afternoon giving Sumi a good wipe down to get her cleaned up a bit...

the countershaft seal is about ready to wiggle out...


Once I got her put back together, it took five kicks and she was purring again...

Now I just have to get her out for a test ride to see if the leak persists in the cylinder gasket and the countershaft seal. Time to get Sumi back on the road and more importantly out to Borrego from some fun in the sand... "wooo hooo..."

Ok once you get that all done let’s get some primer and paint on those walls to brighten things up in there. Don’t worry we will keep you busy while the social distancing thing is going on.

Yeah, would be nice but I have other priorities... i.e. a new cargo van or truck to haul a bike for multi-day/week adventures. That would be some serious glamping opportunities...

I had that bike when new, great bike for its time, I would not mind having one now!
Pumper carb stock! Louder and lighter then new bikes...and nice looking, with a good seat even!

I love that bike! So easy to ride off-road and wrench on afterwards...

Currently serves as my project bike that keeps me busy while retired... ride, wrench, ride, and repeat...

Stay safe out there in Jersey Brett... New York is leading right now accounting for half of the infections for the US...

I know a lot of people look down at hauling a bike instead of riding it but it does open a lot of opportunities, especially if you have a small bike like a Monkey Bike. The thing is you can knock a lot of boring highway miles quickly and get to a nice riding area with all the gear and supplies you need for a long period of time. I have been able to do some really great riding by trucking my bikes that would not have been possible otherwise. Good luck finding something that will work for you.

I don't know of anyone personally but have read tons of opinions about hauling the bike around for rides... but the only opinion that counts in the end is mine and as long as I am happy with the outcome I'm fine with that.

Exactly... I can load the bike in a cargo van along with a cooler of IPAs, steaks, bundles of firewood, full size chair, cooking gear, larger tent... etc and I can make any campsite into a FOB to launch day rides. Then after a full day of riding I can come back and enjoy some glamping with steaks, a few IPAs, whilst enjoying a fire...

Ain’t nothing wrong with that. Sign me up.

You're partly to blame Kelly for igniting my off-road riding and glamping with that trip out to Agua Caliente... ahhhhh that ukulele serenade by Steve-O... Good Times...

Was this the song?...

Great updates Rudy! I enjoy the wrenching posts as much as the touring posts. IPA??? Now a dark brown lager!

Close but it was this one by request...

I lose all sense of time once I'm in the zone wrenching on the bikes with some tunes and a cold IPA...

Mrs. B8 comes in there once in a while to check up on me or tell me it's time for lunch or diner...

Woah Rudy!! Good stuff there but going that mellow? Pheeeew! Gotta breath now cause I need to get to work shortly. Cheers!!