HISTORY: I BOUGHT THE RIG IN 2001 WHEN IT HAD ABOUT 9,800 MILES ON IT AND HAVE PUT ABOUT 37,000 MILES ON IT SINCE.  THE CURRENT ODOMETER READING IS 47,003. BOTH BIKE AND HACK ARE 1983 MODELS, THE BIKE AN 83 YAMAHA VIRAGO 920 AND THE HACK AN 83 CALIFORNIA FRIENDSHIP 1 WHICH WERE PROFESSIONALLY MATED WHEN NEW. THE BIKE HAS PROVEN ITSELF BOTH RELIABLE AND COMFORTABLE FOR ME AT 6’0’’ RANGING IN WEIGHT FROM A HIGH OF 268 TO A CURRENT 224, (APPLAUSE WELCOMED!). OUR TRAVELS HAVE BEEN AS FAR AS NOVA SCOTIA AND AROUND LAKE SUPERIOR AS WELL AS HITHER, THITHER AND YON WITH NO ON THE ROAD PROBLEMS. SEE HERE FOR SOME PICTURES   

http://home.thirdage.com/Adventure/gj3/  

 

AND

 

 http://tinyurl.com/tornp  

 

THIS IS NOT TO SAY THAT THERE WERE NOT A COUPLE OF INITIAL BIKE PROBLEMS, BOTH OF WHICH ARE WELL KNOWN TO VIRAGOITES.

 

FIRST THE BIKE WOULD NOT START AND RUN RELIABLY AFTER SITTING IN A BARN FOR 15 YEARS. FUEL WAS SYSTEM DISMANTLED AND CLEANED, CARBS CLEANED AND ADJUSTED, BUT STILL NO JOY. REPLACED TCI (TRANSISTOR CONTROLLED IGNITION) WHICH IS A KNOWN WEAKNESS OF THE 920’S WITH A MODERN TCI AND THE BIKE HAS RUN SWEETLY, DOWN TO MY LIMIT OF -5°F, SINCE.      

 

HOWEVER ONCE RELIABLY RUNNING, THE SECOND WELL KNOWN VIRAGO ENGINEERING/DESIGN FLAW REARED ITS UGLY HEAD AND THE STARTER CLUTCH FAILED AS A RESULT OF STRESSES OF FREQUENTLY STARTING IT BELOW 15°F.  THIS WAS REBUILT WITH THE TRADITIONAL AFTER MARKET “FIXIT KIT” AND I HAD THE FLY WHEEL TEETH REGROUND AS A FURTHER PRECAUTION. IT HAS STARTED NICELY ABOVE 25°F SINCE. IT STILL SOUNDS LIKE A CEMENT MIXER WHEN STARTING, WHICH IS NORMAL FOR SUCH A DESIGN, BUT IT DOES WORK WELL AND THE INITIAL REASONS FOR FAILURE HAVE BEEN FIXED. FOR ADDITIONAL DESCRIPTIONS/DISCUSSIONS OF THE ABOVE FIXES AND 920S IN GENERAL, PLEASE CONSULT ANY INTERNET VIRAGO SITE SUCH AS

 

http://tinyurl.com/ynoc8x

 

THERE WERE ALSO DESIRABLE, BUT NOT NECESSARY, BIKE AND HACK MODIFICATIONS TO BE MADE. 

 

THE HACK HAD POOR (TORSION BAR) SUSPENSION, WEAK MOUNTING LINKS AND NO BRAKE, ALL OF WHICH WERE CORRECTED BY INSTALLING A “DAUNTLESS UPGRADE”, WHICH INCLUDED HEAVIER MOUNTS, HEAVIER FRAME, INDEPENDENT HACK DISK BRAKE AND PROGRESSIVE SUSPENSION.

 

I  WANTED TO TURN THE OUTFIT INTO AN EVEN SAFER AND EASILY HANDLING RIG. I POSSESS A SEVERE ALLERGY TO PAIN AND INTENSELY DISLIKE THE SIGHT OF (MY OWN) BLOOD, THUS MODIFIED THE RIG TO HAVE A VARIETY OF SAFETY FEATURES AND HAVE KEPT THE BIKE WELL MAINTAINED AND IN  GOOD  CONDITION.

 

THE VIRAGO FORKS WERE INTERCHANGED WITH MAXIM FORKS AND PROGRESSIVE FORK SPRINGS WERE ADDED (THANKS AGAIN TO MATT OF  VIRAGOTECH.COM ). AS A RESULT I WAS ABLE TO REPLACE THE SINGLE VIRAGO FRONT DISK BRAKE, WITH A DUAL ROTOR SYSTEM AND TO FURTHER INCREASE STOPPING ABILITY, STAINLESS BRAKE LINES WERE ADDED. THE PROGRESSIVES INCREASED STABILITY AND REDUCED NOSE DIVE UNDER HEAVY BRAKING.

 

THE FORK CHANGE, WITH 1.5” SHORTER FORK TUBES, REDUCED THE TRAIL BY ABOUT ¾ OF AN INCH. THIS, PLUS REPLACING THE VIRAGO HANDLEBARS WITH DAYTONA BARS SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED STEERING EFFORT SO GYM EXERCISE AND POPEYE ARMS ARE NOT NECESSARY TO STEER THE RIG.

 

WITH THE DIFFERENT BARS, THE MIRRORS WERE NOW OUT OF KILTER SO MASTER CYLINDER AND RIGHT MIRROR MOUNT WERE REPLACED WITH ONES WITH VERTICAL MIRROR HOLES, AND MIRRORS THEMSELVES WERE REPLACED FOR GREATER REAR VISIBILITY.  (WILL IT NEVER END???)

 

OK, THAT TIS THE BASICS. THE RIG (TUG AND TUB) HAVE BEEN UPGRADED AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, ARE AS SAFE AS POSSIBLE AND AS WELL MECHANICALLY MAINTAINED AS POSSIBLE. 

 

ARE YOU STILL HERE??? NOT BORED YET???? WELL MORE TO COME.

 

NEXT: COMFORT WHILE TRAVELING IN ALL SORTS OF WEATHER TIS IMPORTANT. A FAIRING, WITH 2 LOCKING COMPARTMENTS AND LOWERS, WAS ADDED AND A COUPLE OF HOMEMADE WINDSHIELDS WERE MADE FOR IT. ONE OF THE CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY PATROL VARIETY (TOP EVEN WITH YOUR MUSTACHE, BE YE MALE OR FEMALE) AND A TALLER ONE FOR COLD WEATHER DRIVING. TO AVOID FREQUENT FUEL STOPS THE ORIGINAL TANK WAS REPLACED WITH A 5.5 GALLON EURO TANK. IN CASE YOU ARE WONDERING THE RIG HAS GOT AS HIGH AS 39MPG AND AS LOW AS 27.  DRIVING BETWEEN 55 AND 65, IT GETS 30/32 MPG.

 

A SELF MADE RED OAK LUGGAGE RACK WITH A LED BRAKE LIGHT BAR WAS ADDED TO THE HINDER OF THE TUB AND A RED OAK SLATTED BOX WAS ATTACHED TO AN ADJUSTABLE LUGGAGE RACK/BACK REST WHICH WAS ALSO ADDED TO THE TUG: I AM BETTER AT MAKING SAWDUST THAN METAL SHAVINGS. BOTH HEAVILY POLY-ED FOR WEATHER PROTECTION. THERE ARE SADDLE BAG BRACKETS, BUT NO SADDLEBAGS.

 

THE TUB COMES WITH ITS ORIGINAL LARGE WINDSHIELD AND A LOWER STREAMLINED TYPE I MADE. FREIGHTLINER TRUCK CAB ROOF LIGHTS WERE ADDED FOR USE AS RUNNING LIGHTS AND TURN SIGNALS TO MATCH THE STREAMLINING OF THE TUB. ALSO WITH THE TUB IS A CONVERTIBLE TOP AND CLEAR VINYL WINDOWS. THIS TOP ONLY FITS WHEN THE ORIGINAL WINDSHIELD IS INSTALLED. (SEE PICTURES) WHEN THE SMALLER WINDSHIELD IS ON, THERE IS A TONNEAU COVER THAT IS WATERPROOF AND FIREPROOF, AT LEAST FIREPROOF WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE THREAD WITH WHICH IT WAS SEWN.  (DON’T ASK!!)

 

INSIDE THE HACK TIS A RATHER DECREPIT INDOOR/OUTDOOR CARPET, A CAR BATTERY WHICH HAS REPLACED THE BIKE BATTERY AND BOTH THE ORIGINAL PASSENGER SEAT AND A HOMEMADE CARGO PLATFORM WITH A FOLD DOWN PLANK SEAT FOR MORE CAMPING GEAR CAPACITY.

 

FRONT BIKE TIRE IS ABOUT 50%, REAR 30% AND HACK TIRES NEVER WEAR OUT, THEY DIE OF OLD AGE.

 

THE RIG WAS PROFESSIONALY PAINTED (KILN DRIED) A BRIGHT CHEERY YELLOW, THE COLOR OF SUNSHINE, OF THE  MELTED BUTTER POOLING ON YOUR PANCAKES, OF THE HAIR OF THE BLOND THIRD GRADER YOU HAD A CRUSH ON, OH, SO MANY YEARS AGO, OF WISCONSIN CHEESE AND YELLOW COWS

 

TO ALL OF THE ABOVE HAS BEEN ADDED AN OOOGAH HORN, DECALS OF PLACES BEEN, A SKUNK http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/SKUNKtails/

 

 A FLYING PIG (MOTORCYCLES WILL HAVE 3 WHEELS WHEN PIGS FLY) AND A WIND UP KEY. I TELL THE KIDS THAT IF I WIND IT UP IN THE MORNING I DON’T HAVE TO START THE ENGINE UNTIL NOON. OH AND EYES FOR BOTH THE TUB AND TUG. 

 

SOMEHOW THE OUTFIT CAUSES SMILES  ;-)  WHEREVER IT GOES.

 

FINALLY, INCLUDED WITH THE RIG IS A SPARE REAR WHEEL WITH A KNOBBY TIRE WHICH I HAVE USED AS A WINTER SNOW TIRE, A TOOL BOX AND COVER TO BE INSTALLED ON THE BIKE WHERE THE ORIGINAL ONE IS MISSING, SPARE MUFFLER AND HEADER OFF A PARTS (READ CRASHED) BIKE THAT HAVE SCRATCHES/DENTS AND A LOT OF 920 AND HACK WRITTEN MATERIALS.

 

REASON FOR SELLING INVOLVES DIFFERENT MOTORCYCLE INTERESTS WHICH MAY BE FOUND AT GRUBYGUST.COM

 

TRUTH IN ADVERTISING!!! WHILE IT IS AS MECHANICALLY SAFE AND SOUND AS I CAN MAKE IT AND IT IS A NIMBLE AND ZIPPY RIG IT IS, AFTER ALL, OF 1983 VINTAGE. THEREFORE IT COMES COMPLETE WITH SCRATCHES, CHIPS AND A LITTLE RUST ON THE HACK FRAME.  THE ORIGINAL HACK WINDSHIELD HAS A SMALL CRACK BEHIND THE PIG, THERE TIS A CRACK IN THE LOW WINDSHIELD I MADE FOR THE HACK AND THERE IS A CRACK IN THE PLASTIC HEADLIGHT COVER. YOU HAVE TO DECIDE IF THESE CRACKS, CHIPS AND SCRATCHES ARE LARGE OR SMALL, I DON’T WISH TO MAKE THAT JUDGMENT FOR YOU SO THERE ARE PICTURES OF ALL KNOWN BLEMISHES. THERE TIS A DRIBBLE OF POLY FROM WHERE I “TOUCHED UP” THE LUGGAGE RACK, THE MUFFLERS WERE PAINTED BLACK BUT THE PAINT IS WEARING SO CHROME IS SHOWING, THE TOOL BOX AND COVER IS NOT INSTALLED AND SOME CHROME HAS SUFFERED FROM WINTER DRIVING. THERE IS A SMALL TEAR IN THE BACK OF THE ORIGINAL HACK SEAT. FINALLY, THE RIG IS NOISY, IT TENDS TO CLUNK AND CLANK ON ROUGH ROADS.

 

ACTUALLY, READING THE ABOVE, PERHAPS I OUGHT TO GIVE UP ON SELLING IT AND JUST PAY SOMEONE $75 OR SO TO HAUL IT AWAY.  ;-)  BUT HOPE SPRINGS ETERNAL SO PLEASE LOOK AND READ CAREFULLY, ASK QUESTIONS IF YOU WANT MORE PICTURES FEEL FREE TO ASK FOR THEM. THERE ARE TOO MANY PICTURES TO FULLY DESCRIBE EACH ONE HERE, IF YOU CAN’T FIGURE OUT WHAT TIS BEING SHOWN, PLEASE ASK.

 

PLEASE BE SURE THIS IS WHAT YOU WANT BEFORE BIDDING!!!!!!! 

 

THE SUCCESSFUL BIDDER WILL NEED TO HELP ME WITH SPRING GARAGE CLEANING BY PICKING UP THE BIKE OR ARRANGING SHIPPING WITHIN 7 DAYS OF THE CLOSE OF THE AUCTION.

 

HAVE A GOOD SPRING TIME AND RIDING SEASON.