Same Difference

Bought a bunch of motocross equipment yesterday. Motorcycling can be an expensive way to live, but it's a small price to pay when considering the rewards. I purchased matching Thor "Rage"-style pants and jersey, a clear Thor chest protector, some cool white and brown gloves, and new cush-drive rubbers for Ricky's bike. The decision to purchase the chest protector wasn't made until Saturday, when I was finally able to take Dad's 400 out for a quick run in the field by my house, and even though it was by far the most expensive piece, I've no regrets.

The 400 wasn't as loud as I remembered it, but it is still louder than anything else you hear these days. I'd wager it's even louder than most straight-piped Harley-Davidsons. I started her up in front of the house, just to ensure that she'd start before walking her over to the field, and after that, ripped it up until I ran out of gas.

The other thing I'd forgotten was how out-of-control that bike really is. Riding it now, after the sweet-handling Bonneville for eight years, was a startling revelation. When I was 14, riding that thing down the gravel roads of Saskatchewan, I had no quality barometer. The 400 was the only thing I rode, so to me it was normal. That first run down the mud-clotted field reminded me why it assumed the name "Widowmaker."

My knuckles were white with the vise-like grip required just to keep myself from flying off at every little bump. The grips are just thin rubber tubes that do nothing to quell the engine vibrations, and if the revolutions drop below what I'm guessing to be around 3,000 RPM, it stalls, so to turn around, or even slow down, you have to keep the engine revved while pulling the clutch, which is murder on the hands.
On the second run I got into my groove and was able to handle the bike much better. That's what it takes sometimes. Every motorcycle has its own idiosyncrasies and personality. The 400 is like a wild stallion that can only be tamed through certain modifications. Some like to replace the CDI with one from a TS400, or the fly-wheel with a heavier one, or even the entire frame for a Cheney version. I suggested a few of these mods to my dad, and he refused, saying that he wanted me to ride it the way it was. I understood his reasoning then just as well as I understand it now: he wants me to get a feel for what it was like when he was racing. Besides, there are myriad well-handling and tame dirt-bikes available these days for anyone willing to pony up the dough, so any attempts to tame the TM 400 is to destroy a piece of motorcycling experience that cannot be gained through any other means.

On that note I managed to find an aluminum swing-arm for Ricky's bike. Since I'm planning to actually race this one against modern machines, I need all the help I can get. It is from a DR 500 and in rather nice shape. I haven't fitted it yet, but it looks like there should be no problems, except for the brake-drum mount. On the TM, the bracket, which looks like a smaller version of a one-sided swing-arm connects to the swing-arm itself. On the DR 500 it connects to the frame. So I'm in a bit of a bind. Do I weld a piece on the new swing-arm or on the frame? If I do the former, then I should be able to utilize the original bracket; the latter will require the fabrication of a new one. The Hare Scramble is less than three weeks away, and I'm planning to head to Moosomin this weekend for a test run, so I must decide soon.


I also managed to mount my new Metzler Tourances onto my Bonneville. Thankfully my dad had just bought a tire changer, which helped to break the beads, but it is meant for car and truck tires, so it isn't set up to mount tires onto bikes. A bit of dish-soap and some crowbars did the trick, and backing out of the garage I immediately felt the difference, mostly in the front end. The original Bridgestone lasted a good 23,000 kilometers, and in that time must have squared-off some. Riding today felt better though and it still feels different, yet is still the same old bike.