The nervous system of a 33 year old bike.

I was very lucky to have a friend come over and give me a second opinion on the area that I believed to be giving me the problem. Though I thought the bike was grounding out my friend instead pointed out that there was an area of the wiring harness that had melted. Of course this is something that I had never ran into before and I'm grateful for an extra pair of eyes. So, a new wiring harness it is. I tracked down a new harness through Mike's XS and hope that I can buy it soon. I'm going to be so happy to have the bike up and running again, but I'm okay with taking my time and doing it the right way. Fingers crossed that I have a few weeks of riding in before this year is over.

In other news...

Many of you know that I am one for getting in the car and just going. Well, I did that and ended up in Austin.  I didn't think about the F1 race that had filled all the hotel rooms within 50 miles of Austin, but I digress. What I did end up doing was seeing the infamous Jimmie Vaughan (Stevie Ray Vaughan's brother) at the equally infamous Continental Club.

Jimmie Vaughan

   

                                 
Situated roughly in the smaller gallery room with 20 people and there he stood. Being a music nut, especially for  Rockabilly & Blues, I almost had to pinch myself. This is a man that is known across the world for his art and I was standing mere feet away from him. I wanted to tell him how much I appreciated his musical style and that I have been listening to him since I was a little girl, but sometimes a smile and a round of applause is all a artist needs to understand that they are loved by their fans. A night that could have turned into a disaster turned out to be one of the best I had in a long time. I enjoyed a relaxing drive, great music at a venue I've always wanted to check out, and had excellent company that evening (Thanks, Slim!).

Rockabettie

A Weekend of Inspiration

This weekend I had the pleasure to dedicate it  to friends and things that go fast with wheels. From Rockabilly bands to car shows to motorcycle meet ups, I was a happy girl. I am beyond pleased that I am not alone in the United Counties of Texas when it comes to vintage motos though I am quickly finding out that the community is much larger in Austin for both Rockabilly and cafe racers.

I started off Friday night seeing a few rockabilly bands and even a band that well, you can't put a label on. It was nice to go out and wear my usual get up without stares from the Dallas elite. I will certainly check out this band again.

  

Saturday I headed off to work and promptly made my way to Denton for a vintage car/motorcycle show. I have never been to Denton and I was pleasantly surprised by the laid back feel it had. I suppose it reminded me of Texas's version of Fort Collins, CO. I made my way through the acres of cars admiring the cars and very few motorcycles. After a few hours in the sun and taking in the sights I made my way back to Dallas where I hit up Moto Liberty's Grand Opening Party. It was nice to chat to Peter about the Rocker/Cafe Racing community and I think that I will be buying a cool helmet to add some brightness to my typical black moto wardrobe.

Saturday night ended with friends from back home in Colorado that are unfortunately moving back... Common guys I just got here. ;0) After what seemed like a few hours of sleep I was back at it with taking myself to brunch at a awesome restaurant called Smoke and then off to the Travel & Adventure Show at the Dallas Convention Center. I wanted to go to the International Motorcycle Show, but $18 seemed liked a lot of money for what it had to offer. I finally ended up going to the Dubliner where I found a nice crew of two wheeled enthusiasts. I had a great time talking to everyone and I finally feel like I'm beginning to have a social network.

Now back to figuring out my electrical issues...

Rockabettie

Back to the drawing board

Today my  motorcycle guru came over to help me finish up the carbs and hopefully get her started. Well, that didn't happen. There seems to be a wire rubbing somewhere and the electrical is not cooperating when we close the seat. Luckily he has all of the fun diagnostic gadgets that I lack and will be coming back over on Wednesday to see if it the day that my Frankenstein of a bike will come alive. In the mean time, the brake fluid was changed and I was given more lessons about the mechanics of my bike. I'm never surprised how much I learn about this bike when we get to working on it. I'm so grateful to have a knowledgeable and patient teacher.

Someone asked me how I came up with the name "Bessie", so I figured I would explain. At the time I got her, my ex-boyfriend had several other XS650s in our garage ranging from '77-'81. Of course all of the bikes had been converted over to cafe racers and well here was this big black cow of a bike sitting next to these sleek cafes. I said, "Holy cow, Bessie. You're huge!"

She weighs 450 (unlike the picture above which probably weighs the same as a Fiat) and the rest of the fleet was somewhere between 275-350. She also had a good 4-5 inches on the rest of the bikes. So, Bessie my stubborn cow of a bike it is. If you grew up around  cows you would certainly know how a cow works. They move when they want to and struggle when you want them to. Well, the fight is over and she needs to get on moving. Fingers crossed Bessie will finally find the strength to start running on Wednesday.

Rockabettie

A Simple Face Lift

This past week I have been focusing on the little things to get Bessie up and running again. Somewhere between Denver and Dallas her carb choke lever fell off... kinda hard to start a kickstart bike without it. I searched high and low looking for it, tried to modify one that was meant for a chopper, but ended up having to buy one for $18 off Mike's XS.

This little piece of metal has been the vain of my existence lately

However Bessie finally has her carbs in a happy place, now. 

I also took time to clean up the rear end. The motorcycle had an ugly luggage rack on the back with rust on the spacers that just looked horrible. Her right rear blinker broke when I had a friend try to help me kickstart her... that will happen to 33 year old lights and I didn't like them anyway. So, I dismantled the luggage rack (which put up a good fight and didn't want to come off) and I installed my new short stalk replica lights. Yippie! It took a little creativity to get the lights on, but I think they will work just fine. 

Before

After

You have to admit that just this simple change cleaned her up nicely... however those reflectors may have to go. I also need to figure out something with the front end. I don't know if I want to put short stalk blinkers or mid-stalk. Also, I need to ditch the Colorado enduro tires which will help me lower it a little as well as give it a sleeker look. All of this paired with new handle bars will be a good start to the look I'm going for. 

Go short or stay long? Those handlebars need to go, too.

I'll be the first to admit that I am knowledgeable on how to work on a lot of my bike, but carbs are something that is still a work in progress. I have a really cool veteran rider that is helping me learn more about setting my points accurately and getting the whole system dialed in tighter. I'm glad that I have a teacher that is willing to take his time and show me how to do this instead of just doing it for me. The greatest thing about the motorcycle community is everyone is willing to help especially veteran riders. I'm sure that there is some pride in teaching someone a skill, much like teaching your kid how to change the oil in their car.  A lot of working on motorcycles comes to down to patience, research, and the willingness to know what your limitations are. I know mine and when I started working on this bike I knew what it was going to take for it to come together the right way. A motorcycle isn't a complicated machine, but if you try to get into a rush it will certainly frazzle your nerves. 

Rockabettie

The Motorcycle

So in the late Spring of 2012 I had the opportunity to purchase a 1979 Yamaha XS650 Special from a gentleman near Steamboat Springs, CO. The bike ran, but needed lots of love especially since she had been covered in about a inch of barn dust. With various things happening in my life and a move to Texas I have finally been able to give her the love she needs.

Bessie was in pretty much stock condition 33 years after she was "born".

She needed a few "spa days" to get the inch of barn off her

Bessie even had 33 year old air filters in her.. no bueno.

So what is a Yamaha XS650 Special? 

•  The "Special" cruiser model was introduced in 1978 and produced through 1985.
• A 653 Twin
• When the Yamaha XS 650 was launched in 1968 it had one of the most advanced engines in its class of large parallel twin motorcycles. 
• Has point ignition in the pre-80's bikes and is turned over with a kick start.
• In 1980, electronic ignition was installed on XS650s.
• Is a popular bike with the cafe racing community, but are also popular as bobbers, choppers, street & flat trackers, and just old school restoration.
• Weighs about 450 wet (with gas/oil). 

Rockabettie

Hello

Since I have moved to Texas I have found that the life here is a little different then that of the one I lived in Colorado. Colorado offered me the music I love and the lifestyle I live. My lifestyle is not that of a strict Rockabilly fashionista. However, I live simply with music that shows appreciation of being a musician .. an art. I wear clothes that reflect a personality of slightly modest with a bit of sex appeal. On the flip side, 90% of the products I use are organic and paraben free. I shop at the health food stores and try to eat gluten free products as much as I can. I don't own a TV and I love camping. I ride my cruiser bicycle in every situation that I can put myself in. I'm what you would call a minimalist. I donated most of my possessions to move with opting to leave even more to accommodate my vintage motorcycle. 

In Texas, I feel like a Rockabilly girl on a island of fashionistas who would rather not eat for a week in order to buy Dior. I go to find parts for my motorcycle and I am confronted with baby talk as to what I am looking for. (Trust me, dude. I know what I'm looking for and probably know more about motorcycles then you do. So go pop some wheelies on your bike and impress some underage girls with your roadrash). People look at me like I'm crazy when they see me ride my bicycle. The kids that go to "dive" bars would probably pee their pants if they went to a real DIVE bar. And finally, no I'm not trying to look like Katy Perry. 

It may seem that everything has gone wrong since I have move to Texas however I did finally find a parts store that smells like dust and they know exactly what bike I own and what I can substitute with if need be. I found a little slice of heaven called the Heritage Classic European & Vintage Motorcycle Rally in Luckenbach, TX. I have made a few friends and even seen some of my Texan friends (that lived in Colorado at one point). It hasn't been all that bad, but it hasn't been all that great. So... I'm starting this blog to not only highlight my 1979 Yamaha XS650 Special, but allow people to see the world through someone else's eyes. 
                                                                                                                      

Rockabettie