The part came. Lousy packaging, but it looks all right. It’s now a year since my parents told me that we had bike money coming in.

This post is part of a series. The index is here. Here’s the right-hand case half, front to right, upside-down. Bearings are (left-to-right): middle drive shaft, drive axle, main shaft, and crankshaft. The oil level sensor is in the top-right of the picture. (There is no oil pressure sensor.) About 5 o’clock from the oil [...]

This post is part of a series. The index is here. We’ve already removed the heads, cylinders, pistons, and the left-hand side cover. The engine is significantly lighter without heads or cylinders. The right-hand sidecover is now facing us. We’ve removed and placed the old oil filter in a disposable cup. We’ve loosened all the [...]

This post is part of a series. The index is here. Let’s remove the heads and cylinders. The left side cover has been removed, exposing the flywheel, alternator rotor, and the left-side crankshaft nut. The starter gears tend to fall out when the side cover is removed; they’re on the shop rag, below the oil [...]

This post is part of a series. The index is here. Today’s vict^H^H^Hpatient is on the right. This documents what we did to remedy a jerking first gear on a 1984 Virago 1000. It’s probably not what you should do – or want to do. You get to watch a motorcycle engine that isn’t yours [...]

Still waiting for the part. At least it isn’t stuck in the threatened postal strike and should be stateside by now. Don has an interview next week. He thinks he is going to take Arnie to work. He thinks wrong. That’s how I lost my bike and all my confidence the first time.

Got back from a stressful camping trip less relaxed than when I left. Raven’s Roads would have finished today, so I can start feeling like I came home. We bumped into a couple of Harley Riders near the Crystal Springs dam. They seemed impressed that I had an engine on my kitchen table. Apparently now [...]

I won an auction in Ebay. After learning how to use schematics, I learnt that the transmission in a 1982 Virago 920 is the same as that in a 1984 Virago 1000 and a 1985 Virago 700. How about that? Hey, 13th again. How about that. After making the poor guy go to the post [...]

Not much going on, really. I’m truly struggling with bikelessness. I wrote down the symptoms of said syndrome for the local Women on Wheels chapter. I’m following the journey and adventure on Bluepoof’s site. I’m envious as hell but glad that she is having a good time. I can now squeeze the hand tool completely [...]