Nice monster! I don't know if I'd call it happiness but I do enjoy working on my car and my DRZ for the sense of accomplishment when I get the job done. Plenty of swearing every time I have to pull the carb off the DRZ though, which reminds me, I need to clean that carb. I'm hesitant to work on my Ducati Hypermotard for fear of voiding the warranty, though, I'm most like going to do the chain and sprockets myself.
Mine had LT250 (quad racer) top end and carb. Had to carry extra spark plug all the time.
One rainy evening, on the way back home, I stalled in the intersection.
Normally I'd put the bike on the stand to kick start it, 'cause the seat is too high.
But, I tried to kick without propping out the side stand.
It was raining.
Kick starter had no rubber, just a bare metal.
Foot peg had no rubber, but had aggressive serration.
I was wearing converse chuck taylor, and the sole slipped off the kick starter pedal.
My shin hit the foot peg with full force and tooth on the foot peg scraped off some of the flesh
off my leg.
This bike (RH) did bite me every time when I did wrong thing.
Gone are the day of teenage, two-stroke sound and white smoke...
The feeling of " the bike having soul" is very difficult to explain.
Those who think motorcycles same as their snowboarding / windsurfing equipment, they would never understand.
Those who are stuck with their smartphone 24/7, they would never understand.
Those who have 20W50 running in their vein may understand.
I turned wrenches professionally for 40 years. Now it feels like asking a mailman to go for a walk.
I still work on my own stuff, but I don't have to like doing it.
Growing up my family was destitute. What I wanted most was to have something just for me, something that wouldn't be taken away each time we moved. I launched at seventeen because the lack of resources at home told me it couldn't be worse out in the real world.
Fast forward fifty years.
Despite my home being paid for, having money in the bank, the car that impresses the neighbors, the step-kids graduating college without debt, a woman who loves me dearly, long term friends I can rely upon. . . what gives me the most happiness is:
Midnight in my garage, wrenching on my beater bike while listening to music.
I think it is my lack of shop space that has killed my wrenching therapy sessions.
I don't even have a shade tree here in Morro Bay, let alone music, light, and weather protection.
I have to plan on full repair in the day allotted, no lingering projects.
Most rv parks won't let you wrench on big short term stuff past changing a car tire.
vlcsnap-2020-02-07-02h12m44s207 by T K, on Flickr
vlcsnap-2020-02-07-02h11m51s871 by T K, on Flickr
vlcsnap-2020-02-07-02h17m08s393 by T K, on Flickr
vlcsnap-2020-02-07-02h26m43s794 by T K, on Flickr
vlcsnap-2020-02-07-02h27m36s435 by T K, on Flickr
