The motor is hung & I have a new tool/toy.

[John Schmidt]

Since I got the Wing motor a couple years back it's been sitting on my hydraulic work table. That made it very convenient for working on it since I could actually sit down while working on converting it to Valk application. To unload it from my SUV at the time, I had to borrow an engine hoist/cherry picker. Was a huge thing, multiple ton capacity and was free to use but took up a lot of room. Recently when I removed the Valk motor from the trike, I used my bike jack. Once out, I noticed one important thing...the hydraulic table didn't go as low as the jack, the difference in height was roughly 7 inches. That turned out to be an important factor when it came time to install the Wing unit.

By sheer coincidence, Harbor Freight was having a sale of 10% off any one item and me being an Inside Track member with them gave me an additional 10%. Looking through my email, I noted their small 1 ton capacity hoist(which I'll never use) was $269.99; i.e., $270. Aha...20% off looked like a $54 discount which is what it turned out to be. Next item was something called a load leveler, the 3/4 ton unit was $44. I had to drive about 22 miles south to get the hoist since the local stores didn't have one. So, off to the southern shop for the first big item and found they wouldn't give me the 20% on the leveler as part of the sale so I said to ring it up separately. The cashier hesitated, said he couldn't do that so I waited. Went outside to load the hoist then went back in and bought the leveler for just 10% off. Total cost with tax was $268. Why did I get a hoist? First, I've always wanted one, second...I needed it to swap the location of the motors by putting the Wing unit on the bike jack since it went much lower. Could I have moved them manually? Yes...with much effort and frankly a dangerous move on my part. Secondly...I would probably be wheeling the jewels around in a wheelbarrow for the next week. Neither scenario appealed to me. So...in comes the engine hoist which allowed me to make the switch in about 10 minutes. When folded up the hoist is about 27" wide and 24" deep so doesn't take up a lot of garage space. And it's nowhere near as heavy and cumbersome as the big one I borrowed a couple years ago. So, by days end the Wing motor is in place so now comes all the thousand little things that need attaching to the motor. One big problem remains...my left hip. The right was replaced in 2016 and the surgeon told me then I'd be lucky if the left side lasted more than another 6-7 years. Well, it turns out he was right and I'm not lucky so long days getting up/down on my shop stools are limited. Actually should have been done two years ago but I refused, now I'm paying for delaying. I'll finish the swap a little at a time but at my speed and comfort. 

A word of advice when assembling the hoist, lube all the casters. The bearings are all dry as a bone, as are the casters themselves. The unit moves much easier once lubed, albeit a bit top heavy when folded but easily managed.

[Valkorado]

Freakin' incredible John!  Glad it worked out.  I'm sure in the long run your GoldValk trike will be much better at carting your jewels around than a wheelbarrow!

[Jess from VA]

You never cease to amaze John.   

All I got is a wheel barrow.   

[Pluggy]

To the Elevated Potentate of Valkyrie (aka J. Schmidt):

Thanks for sharing the good news about your project. Before you start the next step.... Remember the little sharp edges around that engine?  Keep a few Band Aids close by.

[HayHauler]

You never cease to amaze John.   

All I got is a wheel barrow.   

Great work John!!!

Jess, you have a wheelbarrow???

Hay
Jimmyt

[Serk]

[HayHauler]

????????????



Hay 
Jimmyt

[old2soon]

     John ease on down South here a ways!  And load up yer tools and such like before ya head thisaway!  I'd Still be on Phatt Ghurl EXCEPT fer the left hip! Not near bad nuff fer replacement I've been told!  And I are gittin used to the trike. And the Important part of all this is we SILL IN DA WIND!  RIDE SAFE.

[Jess from VA]

Remember the little sharp edges around that engine?  Keep a few Band Aids close by.

You know Pluggy, in my advancing years, the skin is thinner, cuts and bruises easier, and bleeds more often.  Besides wearing long sleeves and hats in any weather or heat (and greasing up the face and neck with sunblock) to protect from sun damage,  I also wear a sort of semi disposable gloves out of packages.  Like these, and my old hands appreciate it.  Unless I really need full leather ones.

[Pluggy]

Jess, I have those gloves but rarely use them.  I recognize the need after applying the Band Aid. 

Now if you want a little sun and wind protection, try one of these "breeze thru" jackets.  Much nicer than the price suggests.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08C26XVZ5?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title&th=1

[Serk]

????????????



Hay 
Jimmyt

I would probably be wheeling the jewels around in a wheelbarrow for the next week.

[Jess from VA]

Jess, I have those gloves but rarely use them.  I recognize the need after applying the Band Aid.  

Now if you want a little sun and wind protection, try one of these "breeze thru" jackets.  Much nicer than the price suggests.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08C26XVZ5?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title&th=1

That looks like a nice warm weather jacket.  I have a textile that with the liner out and all the vents it has opened is tolerable in warm weather.  But I've never been an 'all the gear all the time' guy in summer heat.  I'll just wear a denim shirt.  I've never been sorry, but I could have been.

[John Schmidt]

One of those worthless points of interest...some years back it was discovered the wheelbarrow had never been patented. I'm assuming that's what prompted various versions to be developed such as those with upward curved handles.

Pushing a wheelbarrow reminds me of my dad before his death in '99 at age 93. He had been bitten multiple times by a Brown Recluse spider and since he was diabetic it caused major damage to his right leg. After many reconstructive surgeries he was able to walk with help so the doctors orders were to "always have the walker in front of him." One Spring day my sister looked out the window and saw him walking along the driveway, pushing the wheelbarrow. She yelled at him that he's supposed to only be walking with the walker in front of him at all times. He stepped back and pointed at the wheelbarrow and there it was, laying across the handles. He reminded her, "the dr. said it must be in front of him at all times, and so it is."  That big ole barrel chested German still had a mind of his own.

His mind was still sharp till the very end. The last time I saw him alive was the summer of !999 when we stopped to see him in Arkansas on our way back from a bike trip to New Mexico with two other couples, one who had a cabin in the mouintains east of Taos. On that visit he told me he had memorized a complete chapter in the Book of Psalms. I got out my camcorder and put it on tape as he recited it...word for word. For safe keeping I need to transfer it to a CD or some other storage means, I've not watched it in years so don't recall which chapter it was but will never forget him doing it, was just shy of his 93rd birthday.

[John Schmidt]

I have literally spent hours trying to get that blasted radiator mounting bolt to go in...the small one at the very top. I've removed/replaced that bolt many times and never a problem but this evening it's the impossible dream. To make bad matters more difficult, you can't see what you're doing. I'm at a loss so if anyone has a trick they use I'm ready to listen, I had to move on to other items needing to be reattached. One thing I found rather frustrating was reattching the subframes mounted to the bottom of the motor on each side and then to the frame with two large allen bolts just below the swingarm. When swapping one motor for another, even though the frames and motors are the same there always seems to be fractional differences...enough to make life difficult when something is off center by a millimeter or less.

[Jess from VA]

On that radiator bolt, I've only got my poor mechanic ideas John.

First, I'll slide or crawl up as close to the work as I can, and I'll have one or two small led flashlights I may try to stick up in there somewhere (and not hold in my mouth) pointing at the work mount.

If I can't get the proper bolt to thread, I'll look for a bit smaller, sharp pointed, course threaded machine screw that will do more angling around fishing to find the mount threads, and if I can get it started I'll carefully see if I can get it snugged up (hopefully without screwing up those mount threads) good enough to hold the radiator in place and call it good.

Or, if it's possible the mount treads are gummed up or clogged with some kind of debris, I'll resort to my firearm cleaning stuff, thread a small .22 brass or stiff-bristle-nylon brush on a short pistol rod, spray the bush with a bit of solvent or carburetor cleaner and try to fish it into the mount threads, spinning it around for clean-out.  I've done this often enough, I keep a pistol rod and an assortment of brushes out in my bike shed tool chest.

I always have trouble with my glasses for close work.  Having just spent a small fortune on multiple new ones, I won't dare even leave the house with them on my face (unless driving or riding somewhere) because sure as hell if I forget and do any work at all, I'll drag a big scratch across them.  Instead, I keep a collection of older beat up, already scratched up, legs held on with zip ties pairs (distance only and trifocals) I keep at my backdoor for all outdoor work.  My eyes have only ever changed a click or two on the optometrists diopters over time, so the scripts may not be perfect, but good enough for government work.  

And of course, no day of close (or any other) work is complete until I cut or gouge a bleeding hole in my old bald head.  I've done that so many times, I've about decided I need to buy one of those little foam bicycle helmets and wear it around like an idiot all day to protect myself from myself.

I took the right OE saddlebag off the interstate I took a small spill on 2 years ago this spring to make changing the rear end dope easier.  It came right off no problem, but man it took me all afternoon to get it back on.  i wondered what was wrong with me until I remembered the spill, and that all or some of the mounts were probably sprung or tweaked a bit.  I ended up backing out any screws I did get mounted to barely threaded so it left more wiggle room to push, pull or lift the bag to get others started.  Removing the bag doesn't really help changing the rear end dope at all, and I decided I'm never taking that bag off again.  

[John Schmidt]

Jess, I have at least 3 of those headlights that make you look like a one-eyed Cyclops. They're held on via an elastic band and really help cuz it leaves both hands free...if the lamps are all charged up. As they run down I then hang them on the drill press arm in plain view as an easy reminder they need recharging. That system really works, this morning I have all 3 on the kitchen counter being recharged cuz they've probably been down close to a week. 

But at least I remembered to zip up my jeans this morning...uh, yep. As for bumps and bruises, my blood thinner is working quite well. After a day in the garage I look like I was in a bar fight, bruises all over my arms and hands but nowhere else...which I don't understand. As for the trike, I'm making slow progress, sure didn't seem to take this long the last time I swapped out a motor...about 15 yrs. ago. I must be doing something wrong!    Think I'll hit the gym this afternoon, I need less exercise and more inspiration which there's plenty of in various shapes and sizes.  

[Jess from VA]

John, I also have 3 of those headband leds, and a really nifty ballcap that has a row of them built across the front.  But I'm not a ball cap guy, the stiff bill gets in the way (and stops me from gouging my head), so it's part of the emergency gear I carry in the big van.

Beside my O'dark-thirty morning breakfast of coffee and cigarettes (my only vices), I do my hour on the treadmill every morning (2.5 mile walk).  After 2 years of it, and 30lb wt loss, I credit it with almost everything good in my life (except the neuropathy in both feet it seems to have brought on, which is an irritating tingling bubble-wrap feeling, but not really pain unless I work in wet footwear).  All other chronic ankle, Achilles tendon and low back issues I had for years have simply disappeared.  Better heath, better attitude and concentration, endurance, and BMs. I spend that hour planning what I will do that day.  I was never a gym guy.  My upper body has never needed work.  But some kind of daily exercise seems to be the smartest thing an older fellow can do (besides laying off fast women and liquor   ).

It's actually NOT raining outside today, maybe there's something I can find to do out there (but not in the mud).

Except for the heavy parts, I envy you this project of yours.  But lacking anything like your mechanical skills, I would probably just be angry all day, and I try hard to avoid that.  

[John Schmidt]

Jess, I'm with you...I laid off liquor also many years ago but for the other one...I married Nancy. Only time I've ever moved as fast as that woman is when I was on the track team. After church or visiting a store, she's halfway to the car out in the parking lot about the time I hit the automatic door leaving the store. Once she fussed at me for taking too long cuz it was raining and she was standing by the car waiting for me to unlock it. I just smiled as I strolled up...with my umbrella, reminding her she handed it to me when we first got out of the car. I like quiet drives in the rain. 

[Jess from VA]

John you're a lucky man to get a late in life do-over in love.

After my first wife missed her family more than me and left with no acrimony or money early, and the 2d wife left (after 20+ great years) but with terrible acrimony, downright war and a pile of money, I decided I had better just ride solo the rest of my life.  I love and adore women, but I just can't have another one.

At least the house is quiet.  

[Serk]

John,

Just saw this on FB, not sure if it's anything that might be of interest to you or if ya' just need someone to pick their brain but...

https://www.facebook.com/commerce/listing/580513618017568?media_id=0

"1998 Honda Valkyrie · Driven 40,000 miles

1998 Valkyrie engine with the Reverse from a 1500 Gold Wing installed. 40,000 miles, desmoged with kit from Red Eye. Gold Wing starter, some O rings, extra . gaskets.anything that was apart got new gaskets and O rings. Includes the clutch slave cylinder. "

$1000 in South Falls SD...