More Gaggles Part 2 & a Nimbus

At the Motorcycle Swap Meet last Sunday I noticed a bike that I had never seen before

So naturally I have to snap a few more photos to show you

at first glance I thought that it was a home made machine, with a frame made of flat bar and not tubular

but it looked old with exposed pushrods so it was an old engine design

here's a closer view

then I notice the transfer case and the shaft drive

a closer view of the shaft drive and manufacturers plate

and the owner's matching helmet and goggles.   There seemed to be more vintage bikes here this year

there was a row of Nortons

and all of them looked better than new

I seem to gravitate to more unusual bikes, here is an old Ducati

and a Yamaha Hack.   I usually snap photos of Hacks for Dom whenever I see one

I can't remember what this was

I've started to appreciate the design of older Airheads

and their timeless design.

another BMW Hack.   I have seen this one before.  It is here every year

Here is a tiny MotoGuzzi parked beside a huge Indian

and who wouldn't notice a nice Vincent

and if you were into pedal power and didn't feel like pedaling anymore, then this may be for you

and it's for sale .   If you are interested in Old bikes, new bikes, vintage bikes, collector bikes or anything on two or three wheels then this is Motorcycle Swap meet is for you.   Too bad you have to wait until next year.   It's usually held on the last Sunday in April , Tsawwassen, BC   (info HERE)

A Gaggle of Bikes, or are they a Flock ?

It wasn't as early as I wanted but today we headed South towards Tsawwassen, BC for the Annual Antique Motorcycle Swap meet.  This is an annual affair which sort of "kickstarts" our riding season (info here)    You could hear the sounds of Thunder coming from all directions

You don't need to know the directions as all bikers are heading towards the same place

There are gaggles of bikes of all descriptions parked everywhere.  When the asphalt is full, no problem, just ride onto the grass

Flocks of Harleys dominate this part of the Parking lot

If you are looking to either sell or buy a bike,  look around and you will probably find it here.  A bike with your name on it is yours to discover

Even the Police were here enjoying a few hours of oooing and aaaahing . . .

There were dozens of antique iron being shown off by their owners.   I immediate thought of   xxxx  who may have enjoyed spending some time here if he wasn't so far away in frozen WI

I thought this was a good shot using the chromed reflection of the bike to the left

Back around 1978,  I used to be in sales and I was friendly with a buyer at one of the pulp mills in Quesnel, BC who had a Honda that he wanted to sell.  At that time I was bikeless but I trusted his description and I agreed to buy his bike and he arranged to have it delivered to my workplace here in Vancouver.  One day it arrived on a flatdeck where we had a crane and sling to unload it.    This is not the exact bike, but it is the same model and colour.   I still have the ignition key for it.

What are the odds of seeing a 1973 CL350 twin ?  (or is it a CB350, can't be sure)

Here is a view of the cockpit.   I don't remember much about the bike and I still technically own it.  I loaned it to a friend around 1981 and he never returned it, nor did he ever pay me for it.   If I ever see him again I am going to ask for it back, and I hope it is in the same condition as it was when I gave it to him

I took many more photos but I will end with a few reflections, and save them for another post

and a sort of self portrait

It's a  BMW  R1200c . . .  (info here)      I can't help myself,  I am drawn to Big Jugs . . .

Dusk in Vancouver, Saturday 27 April 2013

It's Spring on the West Coast

    Dusk on Granville Street, Entertainment District, Vancouver, BC

After a quick dinner at a Pho Restaurant on Fraser Street, we took a quick cruise downtown to see what was happening.   We took the grand entrance by taking the Granville Street Bridge

and ended up in English Bay just as the sun was setting

    Laughing Monks, English Bay Denman Street, Vancouver, BC

We were so lucky to snag a parking spot without a meter.  Here in Vancouver meters are in effect every day of the week 24/7 until 10pm at night, and don't think that there are no parking enforcement officers around

    Angry Skies, Sunset on English Bay, Denman/Davie Streets, Vancouver, BC

It was nice the the rain stopped.   It wasn't warm but not too cool either.  Not many people about tonight

I try to grab a few different angles, sometimes it makes a bit of a difference.  Heavy overcast tonight.  Less cloud cover would have been better as to catch a better afterglow when the sun sets

It is my intention to show you more sights around Vancouver as I travel about to different areas.   If you have any requests then just ask away.    It is not easy to find parking in Vancouver as there are many restricted areas which are reserved for residents only and you have to have a Resident's Sticker on your windshield.

It must be Spring, the flowers told me so . . .

Accessories, Maintenance & Chores

I received a package today from Promach located in Montana

I purchased my Nu2Me BMW R1200R last September and I wanted to do some maintenance and get it ready for summer touring.   Then I decided to carry some specialized tools just in case I end up somewhere and they are needed

I mean, you can't even change spark plugs without a special spark plug boot remover tool.  It seems that the plug which attaches to your spark plug is not "just a plug".  It also contains a coil and if you don't have the special BMW removal tool, then you could break the coil and you would be in deep doo doo

I recently found this out by reading the maintenance threads on the R1200R Beemer forum, and then I noticed a Vendor on ADVrider.com who offered some adapters for sale  (Link Here)

Here are the contents of the brown envelope

That red front wheel removal tool fits inside of the spark plug cap tool.   Since I was in a spending mood I also bought the tamper proof oil cap.   All of these three items are nicely machined from Aluminum alloy

and a close up view of the tamper resistant oil cap, which attaches to the left jug

They don't take up much room and hardly weigh anything.

I bought my car new over 6 years ago and it was finally time to replace the front brake & rotors and of course LOF: Lube, oil & filter at the same time.   I have been going to my mechanic for years.  They know what they are doing, they have their own race team and know Hondas inside out.  When I was there they noticed that my headlight cover was badly fogged.   Probably UV damage so I got a bottle of Plastic renewal and tried to "buff" out the lens.  It is like a creamy solution with fine abrasives

I carefully applied it in a circular motion and then wiped it off with microfibre cloth.   I did it many times and it  did help a bit but there is still some cloudiness.   I guess I'll have to keep doing it for a few more times and see if I can make it clearer

This weekend was also grass cutting day.    This was the new sod that was installed during March.  We were told to keep it well watered and then with the mixed sun, rain and sun, the grass sprouted like a weed.  When it gets too long my lawn mower cannot handle it.   The wet grass kept clogging up which forced the motor to stall and I had to start it many times.   My lawn mower had not been used since last Spring so my job last week was to get it started.   It took many, many pulls of the cord before I heard the engine cough to life, and it nearly killed my arm.   I let it idle for a while and then filled the tank with new gas, and poured the old gas into our Subaru.

The Road is Closed

Saturday breakfast with the guys again.  We have started to rotate our cafe locations to make it more convenient and fair for those who have to drive from far away.   Today we headed out to Surrey and it is a  45 minute ride for me using surface streets for there is no quick route, or freeways

This is one of those older established places that have been around for years.   After breakfast I head east to Langley and then south through rural farmlands

where I am stopped to wait for the endless line of railcars to pass

Life is not easy if you are one of those who have to "work the land"

This area is prone to flooding and I notice that many of the small independant farms are either closed down or for sale

There is not much traffic down here and not much to see, just acres and acres of saturated fields

I am taking the roads less traveled and eventually come upon some road construction and my first
Road Closed for the day

They are building a new overpass over Hwy 99.   Here we are less than 2 miles from the Canadian/USA border crossing at Peach Arch.  I turn around and find my way down King George Highway.  They call it a highway but it is just an arterial road with many stop lights

I passed "Holy Smoke" so turned around to show you this drive through coffee vendor

There is a driveway behind the TeePee where you can order your coffee from the comfort of your car and continue your commute .   I thought that I would take scenic River Road back to town, but the road was being upgraded.   They are building a new Perimeter Road from Surrey to Roberts Bank for the heavy truck traffic

This was my second Road Closed for the day

I stopped at our local dealer to buy more Differential Oil and another accessory . . . which I thought I would need for my trip later in the Summer

We had planned to have dinner with some friends in Steveston, so I ended up at home early and dusted off my BMW R1200R .   I was just at the dealer and I had my VIN number checked for recalls.  Someone told me that some R's were recalled for the antenna ignition interlock security system.  My VIN number was not in the affected series but they did come up with a hard brake line recall so they are ordering in the parts and call me when to bring my bike in.

Too bad that I didn't know this earlier as I had already paid to have my brake fluid flushed.   I decided to turn the key and see if my bike would start

It started easily, just like I had parked it yesterday even though I had not used it since last October.   It felt nice to see the instrument panel light up and the engine running at a fast idle.   I would have ridden it up and down our lane, had it been insured

A certain someone was sceptical on my last post about it being Spring because I was not wearing my usual Spring attire.   Less is more as the temperatures rise

It actually felt warm in the sunshine.   Hard to believe that it can be so cold in other parts of the country

We headed down to Steveston for dinner with our friends and after we strolled on the boardwalk just as the sun was setting

It wasn't warm, but it wasn't too cold either, sort of perfect as long as you had your fleece jacket on

sort of peaceful as we were looking at all the docked boats in the harbour