Been there, done that.
Well, more correctly, I'm right there, doing that.
Wyfe is, shall we say, "high maintenance", time-wise. Three-year-old daughter needs daddy's attention several times a day, she's getting to be a big girl (had her first tank-slapper / high-side get-off on her Pink 2-wheeler the other day); the other kids are grown and gone.
My helper / yard guy hasn't been back since Christmas, so I have an acre that likes to look like brush country if I leave it alone for 4 days in a row.
My collection of 50+ bikes would be happier if I did regular maintenance, but who has time for that when there's bills to pay? The old Woody ('60 Resorter 16' runabout) has the new tranny in it, but 100 hours of work to get it to looking like something other than preparation for a Viking funeral.
March means the start of rally season, so 5 major events between now and the end of May where I'm part of the CMA hospitality crew that sets up a tent with refreshments and conduct Sunday services. Typically, I'll haul a half-dozen bikes to the two events that have bike shows, BESIDES the hospitality stuff. Of course, those half-dozen bikes need to be serviced, prepped and detailed or what's the point?
Then, I host or co-host at least a half dozen on-line bike discussion forums, and am a regular contributor on another half-dozen. One of these days I need to finish writing the chapter on racing old bikes for the first revision and re-printing of my sold-out book.
My projects include:
-Final adjustment to needles on the ZRX1200 to clean up a rough patch over 5,000 RPM
-New rear tire, chain & sprockets, cleanup on the '00 Triumph Legend 900 triple
-New battery and thorough carb clean on the '75 Norton MarkIII in preparation for rally season (that's my regular ride to vintage shows)
-Title and registration on the '72 Combat Commando (it wants to be out and about legally)
-Fine-tuning on CV carbs on the '83 Triumph TSS 8-valve Bonnie
-Amal Monobloc carb sleeving on the '66 Bonnie
-Installation of lights on the '69 Bonnie race bike to get it on the street
-Whatever progress I can see on the Dreer 880 Norton build without spending money (yeah, right)
I won't even talk about the half-dozen or so bikes that could be back up to snuff if I'd spend 2 or 3 evenings on carb cleaning, battery charging and tire fixing.
Oh, then there's "work"...
'53 Triumph 6T chopper restoration should be firing off by this weekend now that the new Hunt mag is installed, just waiting on the painter for the gas tank. A few details and the basic wiring and it'll be done.
'75 Norton 850 custom cafe bike is now running, waiting on the new alloy tank to get back from the polisher, then to get a racing stripe painted on it. A few more details and it'll be done as well.
'68 Triumph T100 restored rolling chassis is awaiting the machinist finishing critical timing side plain bearing fitment, then the engine will start going together. All the electrical and cycle parts awaiting thier turn on the bench/lift.
'66 RE 750 engine sitting in the corner awaiting parts to build the bottom end; client's budget was changed so that'll be it, no total overhaul.
'76 Triumph Bonnie just got the top end pulled off yesterday to clean up oil leaks and generally spiff up the bike, should have a master parts list complete this evening and parts ordered by tomorrow.
ZRX1100 needs a new rear tire so it can be sold
'70 Norton that already sold needs prepping for the buyer's fly-in / ride-back to California (priority work)
'70 Norton project on the shelves needs to start being built (I don't want to sell it in baskets)
Let's see, where's page TWO in this mess on my desk?....
