John Ridley (he/him)
@johnridley.bsky.social
Cat servant, general lay-about. Ally. He/him
East garden is being bold.
March 19, 2025 at 11:10 PM
East garden is being bold.
OK I'm pretty much done with the basic "back to roadworthiness" journey of the Goldwing. I got the rear put back together with new suspension parts, took it out and it feels good now. The plan now is to put a few hundred miles on it and determine what is next.
March 11, 2025 at 10:19 PM
OK I'm pretty much done with the basic "back to roadworthiness" journey of the Goldwing. I got the rear put back together with new suspension parts, took it out and it feels good now. The plan now is to put a few hundred miles on it and determine what is next.
I went to LED convert the handlebar controls on the Goldwing without doing any research first. Turns out they use TINY incandescents so I need 3mm blue LEDs. I have pretty much every color and size comb EXCEPT that. Amazon 1 day to the rescue.
March 9, 2025 at 10:10 PM
I went to LED convert the handlebar controls on the Goldwing without doing any research first. Turns out they use TINY incandescents so I need 3mm blue LEDs. I have pretty much every color and size comb EXCEPT that. Amazon 1 day to the rescue.
Almost no sub-freezing weather on the 10 day forecast. Tomorrow the 1980 small bike comes out of mothballs and I'll shake it out a bit.
March 8, 2025 at 8:32 PM
Almost no sub-freezing weather on the 10 day forecast. Tomorrow the 1980 small bike comes out of mothballs and I'll shake it out a bit.
What would we do without this kind of stuff from China?
March 7, 2025 at 1:51 AM
What would we do without this kind of stuff from China?
Goldwing status: Got torn down to the swingarm bearings. They're fine. I was gonna tear it out to check the driveline but the reverse module is in there and looks to be an utter PITA to remove so I'm going to skip it for now.
I think the problem is the shock bushings, they're worn. New ones ordered.
I think the problem is the shock bushings, they're worn. New ones ordered.
March 5, 2025 at 6:04 PM
Goldwing status: Got torn down to the swingarm bearings. They're fine. I was gonna tear it out to check the driveline but the reverse module is in there and looks to be an utter PITA to remove so I'm going to skip it for now.
I think the problem is the shock bushings, they're worn. New ones ordered.
I think the problem is the shock bushings, they're worn. New ones ordered.
The "drawing from mains at night" gap is closing as nights get shorter and days brighter... Soon the red bit will be gone.
February 22, 2025 at 7:10 PM
The "drawing from mains at night" gap is closing as nights get shorter and days brighter... Soon the red bit will be gone.
Goldwing progress: Tail dropped back down. New (/used) mufflers installed. Brake pedal dropped two notches. Plastic patch for shattered front upper cowl test fitted, adjusted, reprinted and glued in place. Right front fully reassembled. Waiting for epoxy to set on the printed piece.
February 21, 2025 at 1:30 AM
Goldwing progress: Tail dropped back down. New (/used) mufflers installed. Brake pedal dropped two notches. Plastic patch for shattered front upper cowl test fitted, adjusted, reprinted and glued in place. Right front fully reassembled. Waiting for epoxy to set on the printed piece.
Continue to resist. We're not alone.
February 18, 2025 at 1:49 PM
Continue to resist. We're not alone.
Goldwing progress: Dug into the top end,found a disconnected vacuum hose.That was probably the cause of the surging at idle. Installed the auto petcock that I bought off eBay and rebuilt. Replaced fuel filter. Found the speedo sender was VERY stiff, put a spacer under the cable to ease the pressure.
February 16, 2025 at 12:04 AM
Goldwing progress: Dug into the top end,found a disconnected vacuum hose.That was probably the cause of the surging at idle. Installed the auto petcock that I bought off eBay and rebuilt. Replaced fuel filter. Found the speedo sender was VERY stiff, put a spacer under the cable to ease the pressure.
Well the diesel shop heater gunked up again. Kind of a pain. I wonder if I might as well burn some used motor oil in the mix with diesel fuel if it gunks up either way.
February 15, 2025 at 7:00 PM
Well the diesel shop heater gunked up again. Kind of a pain. I wonder if I might as well burn some used motor oil in the mix with diesel fuel if it gunks up either way.
My workout for today
February 13, 2025 at 4:27 PM
My workout for today
New rubber for the front as well.
February 12, 2025 at 7:04 PM
New rubber for the front as well.
I'm pleased that I realized that the horrible weathered woodgrain on the Goldwing was just a sticker, and underneath was probably the printed text that the base model used. An hour with a heat gun, a fingernail and some goo gone and it looks 100x better. Before and after photos:
February 12, 2025 at 2:33 AM
I'm pleased that I realized that the horrible weathered woodgrain on the Goldwing was just a sticker, and underneath was probably the printed text that the base model used. An hour with a heat gun, a fingernail and some goo gone and it looks 100x better. Before and after photos:
Brigands and Breadknives is available for preorder, ships in November!
February 11, 2025 at 8:22 PM
Brigands and Breadknives is available for preorder, ships in November!
View from hotel, Capricon 45, Feb 2025
February 7, 2025 at 8:17 PM
View from hotel, Capricon 45, Feb 2025
Goldwing progress: Crankcase Seafoam treatment, 30 minutes of running, changed oil and filter. Machined a new piece to replace the hack job on the front right seat screw boss, welded that on and painted it (wrapped the entire area with a fire blanket before welding). 100% just waiting on fork seals.
February 3, 2025 at 1:14 AM
Goldwing progress: Crankcase Seafoam treatment, 30 minutes of running, changed oil and filter. Machined a new piece to replace the hack job on the front right seat screw boss, welded that on and painted it (wrapped the entire area with a fire blanket before welding). 100% just waiting on fork seals.
Legends and Lattes is $2.99 in eBook today (Kindle and probably the other sources). If you haven't read this you are missing out.
February 1, 2025 at 2:59 PM
Legends and Lattes is $2.99 in eBook today (Kindle and probably the other sources). If you haven't read this you are missing out.
Goldwing progress: Drove to CycleGear Novi to have a new tire installed. Replaced cush drive bushings. Put rear tire back on, reinstalled both mufflers. Dropped tail subframe and secured all that. Installed all the side and bottom panels. Got the broken seat bolt out. Installed SAE cable. Soon...
February 1, 2025 at 2:07 AM
Goldwing progress: Drove to CycleGear Novi to have a new tire installed. Replaced cush drive bushings. Put rear tire back on, reinstalled both mufflers. Dropped tail subframe and secured all that. Installed all the side and bottom panels. Got the broken seat bolt out. Installed SAE cable. Soon...
No Goldwing progress today. Waiting on parts (did get the new keys, which do fit).
Instead, I put an outdoor light on the garage to light the other side of the driveway, and linked the two lights via Zigbee and Home Assistant, and set it to turn the lights on if the garage door goes up after dark.
Instead, I put an outdoor light on the garage to light the other side of the driveway, and linked the two lights via Zigbee and Home Assistant, and set it to turn the lights on if the garage door goes up after dark.
January 30, 2025 at 10:02 PM
No Goldwing progress today. Waiting on parts (did get the new keys, which do fit).
Instead, I put an outdoor light on the garage to light the other side of the driveway, and linked the two lights via Zigbee and Home Assistant, and set it to turn the lights on if the garage door goes up after dark.
Instead, I put an outdoor light on the garage to light the other side of the driveway, and linked the two lights via Zigbee and Home Assistant, and set it to turn the lights on if the garage door goes up after dark.
I decided to change the crossover box without removing the right header. The rear wheel blocked it. Need to get that off to get a new tire and replace the cush drive bushing anyway, so here we are.
January 29, 2025 at 12:43 AM
I decided to change the crossover box without removing the right header. The rear wheel blocked it. Need to get that off to get a new tire and replace the cush drive bushing anyway, so here we are.
Used exhaust crossover box came in, cleaned up and painted, to replace the one that broke as I was disassembling the system (on the Goldwing 1500, you must remove the mufflers to do some services including changing the rear tire).
January 28, 2025 at 7:00 PM
Used exhaust crossover box came in, cleaned up and painted, to replace the one that broke as I was disassembling the system (on the Goldwing 1500, you must remove the mufflers to do some services including changing the rear tire).
Really decent compression numbers for an engine that's only run for about 10 minutes over a week ago, all winter.
January 28, 2025 at 5:14 PM
Really decent compression numbers for an engine that's only run for about 10 minutes over a week ago, all winter.