So I got back from the mechanic today with a new set of tires and a fixedchain. It's a whole different bike without that fat-a$$ back tire. Deroll, my new friend and mechanic, pointed out where it definately rubbed andbroke the chain, and was rubbingthe paint offthe swingarm - hmm... hard to push, squeaky noise, never oncethoughtitmight be that tire . Man is this thing feels so much more stable andeasier to turn now.

Though apparently it's also been lowered. Front,he says, has too much of [something] sticking upthru the handlebars; and the suspension linkage in back, he described as 'de casa', though he assured me that it looked very well made and not to be concerned about it.So I haven't decided its fate yet, itdoes sit at a comfortableheight for me.

The loud pop I heard when the chain broke a while ago was the plastic sprocket cover and the metal flange where it attatches cracking off what I guess is the transmission housing. Weldable, and can wait tilnext week he says. Chain's a little stretched, suggests changing it and thesprocketsby end of spring. He tells me the charging system's good but toreplace the battery soon, engine seems strong and clean, and besides a few otherminor things, bike's still in really good shape... Cool.



Got to ride it for the first time since the chain broke in Dec., and forthethird time eversince I bought it. Cruised by la playa on my way home, eyed a few honeys lookinover from the sand...


Today's been a good day.

And tomorrow's my day off...

Thanksguys for helping me getthis far with my new F2. This is gonna be fun...

- rey

 

Congrats on your new best friend...referrring to the bike lol.

 

The forks are stickin up through the clamps, that's how you lower the front, easy to bring it back down.

No idea what "de casa" means, the house? probably just lowering links?

You're lucky that when your chain snapped it didn't take everything out with it... Usually when a chain breaks you are hooped! But if it's still rideable, good stuff.

I'd replace that chain though, it's probably ready to break again, I'd bet that more than just one link is weakened, especially after takinga broken ride around the front sprocket and down onto the street?

 

Well, my day off didn't go exactly as planned...

Battery died, luckily at a bike shop. Owner of the shop got it started from a spare battery, but it died again. Since he doesn't sell batteries, had to walk a couple miles to Pepboys to get a new one. Put it in, and it fired right up. Still haven't managed to go anywhere funon it, but the fact that all of these little problems are happening close to my house is better than being stuck in the mountains (where I wanted to go today).

I think my mechanic was referring tosomething lowering the rear as being homemade, or that a machine shop made the part, not an aftermarket. The part of the chain that broke was the connecting link, which has been replaced with a new one. New chain and sprockets are probably next on my list of things to replace. Though now I see that my headlight has a mind of it's own. Think I mightbe on the market for a wholenew wiring harness - this one seems to have a lot of electrical tape bandages.

Having fun riding it though, it is indeed my new friend.

Now where do you put a surfboard?

 

that sucks man..well, once everything is perfect you wll only have to worry about some douchebag in a tinted BMW or maybe it was a MBZ...almost hits you becuse of his tinted windows..wasnt the first time.
Hope you can get it to work perfectly soon man..i know the feeling of wanting to go somewhere and not able to...soon it will be back to normal right.

 

I've been hit on my bicycle 4 times in the last two months by a few douchebags, no BMW's or I mighta been 'hurt'. Got me wondering if I should really stick with two wheels -on my new F2 anyway, I can tell already it was the right move. My new friend's just doing me a favor,making me work out the little problems close to home so they don't happen far away. I'm cool with that.

If it was onethe cars I used to own, I'dbe stuck in those mountains now.