Scud

Not sure whether Roy is using US dollars or Canadian "dollarettes"... but $8,000 US is too much. I've seen the Ohlins-equipped models sell for far less than that. The 2002 LeMans was available in a Red/Grey and a Champagne that could look sort of sandy or silver depending on the lighting.

The sheer scale of the Sierra Nevada Range is mind-blowing to people who haven't seen it before. When you come visit, keep your helmet on so your brains don't splatter all over the place... To me, dirt-biking is about going places and exploring. Where does that road go? Don't know. Let's find out. A while back, I posted a picture of where I got stopped by a snow drift. It was at about 10,000 feet in the mountains that are obscured by clouds in the right of this picture. I turned around after that and rode into the small mountains to the East (the Benton Range, at "only" 8,000 feet), where I found this old Ford. It "ran when parked" and is almost complete, except for the hood emblem, which is currently in my garage. I keep thinking about going back there with my 4WD truck to salvage one of the shot-up doors or the tailgate as "art" for my office.

That's what I'm trying for the first time now on my Scura. Angel GT rear and Angel ST front. I'm hoping that gives me extra grip up front and both tires will wear out at about the same time.

I took this picture of a riding buddy... somewhere in the Eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains of California.

Good choice for a first dual-sport bike. A license plate opens up a lot of terrain that is not open to Green-Sticker vehicles in CA. You can ride that old DR on the street to the trails, then escape into the woods. A great way to start discovering trails is to go on some organized rides - for example, the Stewards of The Sierra National Forest put on some epic rides between Bass Lake and Yosemite. It'll cost you a registration fee, but they give you GPS tracks and a large group of riders go out at the same time - so there is camaraderie, and the AMA sponsored events have "sweepers" with tool kits and first-aid training. You can download US Forest Service Motor Vehicle Use Maps for many regions in CA and other states. Those show everywhere you can legally ride. I carry them whenever possible in addition to my GPS. Funny story on a ride from Flagstaff to Sedona: a ranger stopped me and said I was on a closed trail. I pulled out my current USFS map - said "are we here?" and he said: "Oh I guess it's open for motorcycles" and let me proceed. That particular trail was marked on the map for motorcycles only (not even 4WD allowed) - those are always the best trails. There are many, shall-we-say, "informal" areas or trails that are commonly used, but not on the maps. I know of one near my home that is referred to as "The Hiding Place." As you might imagine, there is not a website for it, - somebody will take you after you learn the secret dirt-biker handshake.

Is that "The Kid's Spot"? I think the Spine-Frame is soooo cool. It's a brilliant design; perfectly suited for the transverse V-twin engine. Stripping them down like that develops an appreciation for the way everything works - and how important the "porkchops" are to whole assembly. Degreasing time ahead for me... not my favorite part, but it's nice to start reassembly with a clean frame and wire harness - and too hard to clean it well when it's all together. @Chuck - I enjoyed seeing how you guided Joe through his portion of the project. I briefly flirted with the idea of parting it out. But it's just too good of a bike to do that to. I hope you and Joe will like what's about to happen.

I run the regular Angel GT, not the A-Spec. I love new tires...

Here's how I solved the support puzzle - just a pair of sawhorses. It doesn't weigh much at this point. I also re-found, and re-read Joe's project thread over at Wild Guzzi. He did a fabulous job documenting his project, and re-reading it just now has been a big help. Chuck - you've been pretty busy on this bike yourself. Anyway, the bike's been sitting since 2014, and she needs to get done... and The Bachelor was on tonight... which means I got a few hours of uninterrupted wrenching. The powdercoat box is getting pretty heavy...

Hmmm, there is that . . . Simple to delete and see what changes in ride-ability. Otherwise, I would think that is a pretty "free-flowing" intake-exhaust set-up. Chuck's Scura has voodoo. Non-comparable...

Thanks guys, I've been on a "vision-quest" to make her darker... to get rid of all the visual clutter and focus on the big, powerful shapes in the original design, which I love. Today was just one of those special, perfect Sundays - right in between rains. Lots of motorcyclists out today. And yeah, sorry about those of you stuck in the snow. I was raised in it upstate NY, so I get it. My mom still lives there in a rural area - sometimes has to wear snowshoes to get her mail. I checked, and the fuel sender unit was connected. Still puzzled... and I swore I would get gas and breakfast today in Borrego Springs - but I was having so much fun I forgot to stop. Buzzed right through town, drawn by the allure of the big open grade up Montezuma Highway... started heading home, then hit 140 miles on the tripmeter and still no low fuel light... then I thought "Aw shit, I'm gonna run out of gas 2 days in a row... but this time it's gonna be difficult." Switched to high-gear, low RPM fuel-saver mode. Barely made it to the next station, just when it was starting to miss. It took 5.3 gallons at about 150 miles... talk about running on empty. I think I was not being very easy on the throttle (30MPG). I didn't realize how much I rely on that light. Anyway... long answer to your short question. I think the connector was not pushed all the way in. I just pulled it apart and reconnected it. It seemed to go in further and I heard the reassuring "click." One more tank to tell for sure... and one more bolt tightness inspection. I found two loose bolts after my first shakedown.

I released her into her natural habitat today. Mountain and desert passes... 200 miles of

That's funny. I'm not far from doing something like that. By the time I pull the porkchops, the subframe will fall out. Then it's only one more bolt to take out the transmission. So I'll probably just prop her up on a couple sawhorses - or maybe just set her down on a rubber mat (tress). I'm in "detective mode." Wheel and swingarm bearings feel new (as are the tires) - so that all makes sense. The shock doesn't have a speck of dirt on it, which leads me to believe it was recently serviced... so it's inching ever closer to the Red LeMans. Final drive was obviously repainted, but the needle bearing doesn't feel good. I've left a few stubborn bolts to soak in WD-40. Started a box of stuff to get powder-coated...

Oh yeah - I have some hooks in a beam in the garage - that's the ticket. I'll get it figured out. I did a shock swap on 2 BMWs recently. That was a breeze because they both had centerstands.

Took the Scura out for a little pre-breakfast loop today. Still plenty of sand run-off and debris on the roads - that and new tires can make a guy think a lot about traction... And about a mile from home I ran out of gas. Perhaps I failed to connect the fuel level sender???? Well, that's what shakedown rides are for... and mobile phones... and understanding spouses who are willing to deliver gas.

That is a good setup - but I also note the cheater-use of a centerstand on that bike. I'm thinking about how I can get the back-end off the champagne LeMans, and still have enough lifting devices to swap a shock on the red LeMans at the same time.

That's pretty. But shouldn't we be attributing some sort of supernatural explanation to it - like crop circles?

No games - and I didn't need a hammer. I don't think there is one in this picture. However, my daughter brought me hot chocolate and I confess to turning the mug so you could see Curious George's face.

No need to thank me.. it's what I do. As soon as I showed up in SoCal there were two major storms, and snow pack in the higher elevations, not to mention the almost every day light rain. In three weeks, I rode in the canyons twice, and there were enough rocks and mud on the roads to make it entirely not fun.. Remember when you, Rox and I rode? Cool and damp. That was a good day.. I'll see about coming out in the Summer, when you *really* need it. You mean the "Scura Rally" where only one of us (you) could muster up a Scura? Yeah that was a great day. I was in Santa Monica yesterday for work, but went in a car. I had high hopes of taking the bike up there and have a rip around - but we DO need the rain here, thank-you.

Raining tonight. So let the games begin....... I'm selling the aftermarket bits and getting ready to return her to stock. I'm gonna get the front end in order first. Needs grease in the steering bearings, brake pads, stock bars back on, general cleanup, etc... That yellow spring just doesn't look right on this bike. I think it would look better on a red LeMans. My daughters all agree that the porkchops, valve covers, and alternator cover should be powdercoated candy-apple red - which is very close to the original, sexy red on the 2002 porkchops. If you look closely, you can see a candy-apple red washer taped to the porkchop. Five candy-apple red bits under a champagne fairing...

It's a swap and go. The clutch kit has everything you need except for the schnorr washers (for the flywheel bolts) and medium loctite. However, I would not use your new HF lift. I highly recommend a platform jack and a front wheel chock. The front wheel chock will lift the front end a few inches, and the platform jack will support the engine. You can slide the platform jack on the floor with the engine on it, but you will have a very hard time doing that over the lip of the HF lift. Once the engine is out, swapping the clutch is even easier than the twin plate. Yank the old one out, put 6 bolts into the new flywheel and torque them - it's cool that the RAM clutch is assembled and just bolts in as one piece. I think the only special tool you will need is the starter ring gear lock - to stop the engine from turning when you remove/install the flywheel. I'd be happy to talk you through it on the phone.

Yes, and on this occasion I was especially nervous, because I had never taken a transmission apart before, nor had I installed a timing chain. So I was worried that I'd end up with a long trouble-shooting period. The perfect first-start and quick ride was truly a great feeling - that doesn't happen every time. More rain today...

that is fantastic! can't wait for the reviews Isn't it about time for you to start a "winter project" and put yours in? Want to borrow some tools?

Just looked back at the date of the first post - I got the clutch 6 months ago. But today I finally rode my Scura with the new RAM clutch installed. I was a little anxious at first, because when I reassembled it, the clutch effort at the lever was so slight that I thought I had done something wrong. Here are observations from a very short shakedown ride: The clutch effort is positively lady-like. It's almost laughably easy to pull. It's quieter than the original single-plate. I sort of liked the rattle of the old clutch, but I can dig quiet too. Engagement is quick and precise. Shifting is perfect. I have to wait at least a few days for a proper ride.

SHE'S ALIVE!!!!! Came home from work today to find a new Odyssey battery on my door step (along with a fresh set of knobbies for my Husky). Popped it in and (after the requisite purging of air from the new fuel lines and filter) she fired right up and ran perfectly. Cool new noise from the timing chain (but not as "blower-like" as the unreasonable expectations I had fabricated). Clutch and all six gears working flawlessly. No signs of leaks or smells of fuel. Even the speedometer works again. Just went around the block a couple times and sat in the garage and smelled that sweet scent of curing paint and Simichrome polish residue burning off the exhaust. She needs a few more shakedowns of gradually increasing intensity to heat cycle the paint and keep checking for leaks and looseness. Then we're gonna find some steep twisties and make up for lost time. I missed her so much... Thanks again for the advice, encouragement, and provocation along the way - and a special "thanks-again" to Andy for loaning the transmission tools after my discovery of the particularly discouraging transmission leak. I don't know if I would have made it through without all you guys. New projects await...