Beware the Armadillo

I'm finished with this E50 for a Metra65. It turned out pretty good, but I didn't get the cases as clean as usual, this one was particularly dirty. It did however have perhaps the weirdest thing I've ever seen inside a puch motor. There was a stamping of what looks like an Armadillo and it says Fredric on the clutch stamping, and on the push plate it shows the Armadillo without the words. Everett had never seen something like that in his 40 years of Mopeddling.
Any other Ped-o-philes have any idea what this could be?

Something to write about

Dane and myself spent a few hours today working on peds. His HS50 got its lower forks installed, and the pedal assembly is back on. The front brake assembly was cleaned, cross hatched and re-installed. It's looking pretty good. I pulled all the bearings off an E50 crank and I'm going back to the shop tomorrow morning to put the new ones on, throw it in the 65metra matched case, add a little Yamahbond (the best!) and call it a rebuilt lower end. I might even do two depending on how quickly it goes.

In contemplation of a move to Seattle, (which seems to be quite popular these days) I am looking at Queen Anne or Georgetown as possibilities for affordable. I hope for a garage!

Lets Swing

It was on the plus side of 50 deg today, so I brought the swinger out to play. The clutch springs need a little tweaking, and the idle jet feels too fat, but it runs and looks good, at least to me! Photos should let you decide.

The Duldrums

I've not been able to wrench on a ped since last Friday. I put on some new tires, which I'm finally getting efficient and quick at, and trouble shot a taillight.

I feel like my 40t isn't going to be finished any time soon, the mags I had powder coated for them came out flawed, so they are getting re-shot, and I can't really do anything with it in the mean time. I need to figure out seating for it at any rate. I have 3 motors to build, and I haven't had a chance to build them. I've done all the case work, but I just haven't had a chance to put the new bearings on and slap it all back together. Sorry Jake, I'll have it done soon! Soon as I'm done with those engines, I'm going to put together the Green Maxi. I hope I can hang on to it. I had my personal moped collection take a hit due to unemployment, and I am down to 5, but I think I can afford to keep this green one. The Swinger1 is all together let me tell you it is the Gorilla's banana! I do need to tighten up my Paz springs just a smidgen more, but that Homoet6p is a monster pipe! Again, waiting for nice weather to dial in the jetting and ride it. I hope to have the Green Maxi together before I get my ZA50 back from Motion Left Mopeds, so I don't get to distracted. I'd like to ride the Magnum to Louisville in April for the rally, and perhaps to Elkhart, not sure if my van needs taken to either rally, it depends on how many Ponies are going.

I'm going to be in Seattle interviewing for grad school march 28th. I'll be out there for a few days, and I'm going to be interviewing and looking for an apartment or a small house in the Ballard area. Does anyone know of a good place that will be open in the spring /summer? What are the chances of a loaner ped for a few days? Just something to run around town with. I have a cousin out there who rides a scoot, I suppose I could borrow that, but what kind of impression would the Mosquitos' have of me if they saw me riding around on a scooter?

The End and the Beginning

I got back from Elkhart on Tuesday with a new frame in hand, and my new red forks. I installed them onto the bike formerly known as Superman around here, and sprinkle in a dash of new tires, and she was sold as quick as I could deliver it to Indianapolis. So farewell, my nicest bike so far, and hello sexy green. The green is more pastel than the picture would have you believe, and the fender is more of a cream which matches the seat quite nicely. I am looking forward to putting this bike back together. This green bike is TimR's old gold frame from back in December.

I also dropped of my ZA50 from my MKII with Devin from Motion Left and it is being rebuilt with all the good stuff, including a roller crank being pressed in and being matched up to my 50cc Parma Cylinder, which was dropped off at the machinist to be ported and beveled and treated like a little 50cc queen. I'm going to cut and weld my old Estoril for the Magnum, and I do believe with just a 15mm bing that I ought to have plenty of scoot, but if not I can always go bigger. I would like to try a 17mm PHBG some time, they aren't readily available from my usual sources though.

I need to finish up building 3 E50's, I've got two I'm building for people and one for myself! It's supposed to be in the upper 40's tomorrow! Perhaps I'll take Swinger1 out for a blast!