The Tao of Walking Ridge

Nearly every MP3 player on the market interfaces with the computer through a proprietary software interface. An IPOD I used to own worked great. Great until I had to replace the hard drive on my machine. Suddenly I as not authorized to play “muse” music, as it belonged to “muse”, and “muse” cannot share. Yes, you cannot make error messages like that up. Though the name was the same, the digital signature changed. I was not in the mood to reload all of my songs, so I gave it away.

So when I finally decided to replace the MP3 player, I looked for a Linux compatible one.  I already have folders and folders of MP3s, so I wanted to just be able to drag and drop my MP3 files into the MP3 player.  I didn’t need, and did not want a “media manager”.  While I wasn’t quite sure exactly what the interface of the Sansa Fuze would be, the price was right and I took a chance on it.

What a pleasant surprise.  Plug in the USB to charge it, and a file manager window opens in my Ubuntu.  Just like plugging in a thumbdrive.  I grabbed my entire MP3 folder, with subfolders, and expected the device to choke.  It did not.  In a couple of minutes all my music was loaded.

More surprises.  The screen is spectacular for its size.  Very clear, and with great resolution.  I dragged and dropped some photos into the device.  Always handy to have some pics along.  The player is small, but not too small.  It includes an FM radio if you get bored with your own music.  And the whole thing easily pops into the ear but case that my Bose ear buds are stored in, making a very handy package.

I really like the ability to use the device without installing another application onto my computer.  The only thing that didn’t work was the video function.  The screen is so nice, that videos would be cool, but installing videos is not as easy.  There is a need to convert them with a converter downloaded from Sansa’s website.  It is a .exe, so before I tried Wine I just went over to the dark side to try it out.  While it would see and play videos, I wasn’t able to install them after conversion.

If you get the device for videos, you may be dissapointed.  But if you get it for MP3s and photos, you will be happy with the 8 GB of memory, easy to use menus, and non-proprietary compatibility.  It even has a record feature I haven’t tried out yet.

Time to check out the new shift linkage.  All went well, except the camera suffered a bit more vibration than I was hoping it would mounted on the back of the sidecar.  Shifting was much better, with much lighter efforts.  The angle of the pedal was perfect, allowing for all toe shifting - no need to use the heel.  Since I never had a bike with a heel shifter before, this was the most comfortable.  Though I am still getting use to the Guzzi shift pattern of 1 up 3 down.

Space was a bit tight, but replacing the shift linkage went remarkably smoothly. All the fasteners came loose and all the pinch bolt connections loosened and allowed the pedal and lever to slide off their splines. The photo shows the original clevis arrangement. The angle of the lever shows about the angle as it was installed on the transmission. The result was high forces and poor shift feel.

On Greg Benders’s Website I read about replacing the clevis arrangement with heim joints. I was able to get them at a machine shop a couple of miles from me, and it let me repair it faster. But another benefit is reduced lash compared to the clevis arrangement, which has lash between each arm and pin and each clevis and pin. Just 2 mm of lash in this linkage translates into 10 or 12 mm of lash at the pedal.

The ball joints were called “type 1″ and had internal threads.  If I have any issues with the strength of this setup, I may replace it with a “type 2″ with has external threads.  The connector would then be a tube with tapped threads that would be able to handle higher compression loads.  However, it shifts so much more easily and predictably I don’t expect to generate the high forces and bending that broke the original linkage.

I highly recommend this mod for your loop frame Guzzi.  If firms up the shift pedal, increases feel and feedback, and results in a gear shift that snicks properly into the gears with much better feel.  It greatly enhances the riding experience.  It is also a great feeling to fix your bike with a trip to a machine shop and a hardware store (for the threaded rod).

After a few hours to get the Continental sidecar well connected to the 1973 Moto Guzzi Eldorado, I strapped down the battery, fitted some after market air cleaners to keep the dust out the carbs, fabricated a seat bracket for the solo seat, and was ready for the first trial run.

A half mile shakedown had some oscillations.  I noted the tire pressure was just a bit low, so I raised it to 21 psi front 25 psi rear.  This handled much better.

After a mile or so, I got the hang of the rig. The firmer tire pressure was a great help.  A spongy feeling combined with the car tugging can be really spooky.  But with the firmer pressure, response to the handlebar input was predictable, and the only thing that got tired was my throttle handle hand fighting the return spring.  After three or four miles down the back roads at 30 mph, I decided to see how it handled on paved roads.  At 50 and 55 mph it was pretty comfortable.  I did not have to do any panic stops at that speed, but there was nothing spooky that happened cruising along.

I stopped at a local Starbucks for some morning espresso.  After my espresso, the bike fired right back up.  I took a residential road back and found a person backing his car up with the hatch open.  After a couple of weaving maneuvers, I decided to downshift to first and give him space.  Then I lost all drive, stuck in neutral.  Fortunately I could coast to a little parking spot near a walking trail.  I discovered my shift linkage was broken.  But if I could just get it into gear (after starting it, which requires neutral) I could get it home.

However, it was now that I discovered I’d FORGOTTEN A TOOL BAG.  Geeez.  How forgetful.  I was actually trying to think of something to put in the sidecar for a bit of weight.  TOOLS WOULD HAVE BEEN A GOOD IDEA!  I walked a couple blocks to a drug store and got some duct tape, but I wasn’t quite able to get 1 shift out of the bits left.  A Harley Davidson rider named Joe stopped by.  He rode home and came back with tools.  Eventually, we figured out a really big screw driver could be used to pry on the linkage of the transmission and snick it into 1st gear.  We got it started.  Joe kept it running while I held the clutch and pried it into 1st.  Then I hopped on and rode it 10 miles home at around 18 mph.  Fortunately, I knew back roads for the entire trip.

While Joe and I were working on it, a gentleman walked up from the local paper.  He “is always on the lookout for a good story”.  Call it the “sidecar effect”.  He thought it looked interesting and wondered what I was up to with the rig.

So, first ride, made it home.  A little bit of sidecar wobble in first gear, less than 20 mph.  But not enough to bother with a dampener.  (UPDATE:  The wobble was greatly reduced by raising tire pressures and improving the sidecar alignment at a later date.)  With both hands firmly on the bars, you can prevent or stop it.  I was able to relax and look around on the way home.  I saw turtles crossing the road, and watched the countryside go by.  The solo seat looks cool, and is fine for 20 minutes.  But not what I’d want for an hour long cruise.  But I got the rig for crawling back roads anyway and for that, so far so good.

Yeah, it isn’t running right now.  But the broken bit is basically a small turnbuckle.  It is very possible I can get one at the hardware store and be back out this weekend. Perhaps more importantly, I think I know why it broke. The lever on the transmission was not at 90 degrees, more like a 45 degree angle. So the lever on the foot shaft was at a similar angle. Great for high loads. Not so good for travel, which is what the tranny is looking for. I found it pretty hard to shift, and now I think I know why. To do it right will require taking the arm off the trans and rotating it on the splines. Ditto for the foot levers, which will require at least loosening the exhaust. It won’t be a 10 minute job, but when it is done it should shift much better and be fixed for good. Just part of sorting out a vintage bike.

Since I was 12, I dreamt of riding a motorcycle with a sidecar.  More than 40 years later, the pieces fell into place.  I found a Moto Guzzi Eldorado with a Continental sidecar that needed some work, but ran.  I drove well into the night (there was even a full moon), got a room and slept for a few hours, then pressed on into West Virginia.  The scenery was magnificent, adding to the coolness of the adventure.

Finally I arrived and discovered a great classic looking sidecar rig. The sidecar is made in India, and is often attached to the Royal Enfields that are still being made there. The power was supplied by an 850 cc Moto Guzzi Eldorado. Imported in the early ’70s to compete with Harley Davidsons, the Eldorado was ridden by some Police, and developed a reputation of reliability for its era.

We had to disconnect the sidecar to package the pair, but my full size GMC Sierra was able to take both units with the tailgate up and room to spare. It was really nice not having to haul a trailer through the mountains, and the 5.3 L engine had no trouble keeping up with traffic.  The only disappointment was the box being about three inches too narrow to drive the whole rig straight in!

This particular bike is not all factory original, which actually makes it more fun to restore.  It opens up the creative possibilities.  It is a 1973, but has been retrofitted with later front forks and disk brakes.  Plans are for a solo seat and a new paint job in addition to the expected mechanical work.  The new paint job will be a great opportunity to try some pinstriping.