HWY 221 ZRXOA Fall Rally Eureka Springs (09/24/10)

Following Neal back to Eureka Springs from Brushy's Corner after Roland's off.

Push Mountain Rd. ZRXOA Fall Rally Eureka Springs (09/23/10)

Push Mountain Rod. from HWY14 heading north, running it to just over the crest of the hill.

Bulldogged Akra

Well, I have to say this was a mod that went exceptionally well considering how little info I had on what was involved. I knew I wanted approximately 4 inches taken out of the can but that was about it. The process was fairly straight-forward with disassembly requiring no more than drilling the rivets out. Cutting the carbon fiber was so much easier than I thought it was going to be and was accomplished with a hacksaw with a new blade. While I had the can off, I hit the pipe with my buffing wheel and voila, I solved my pipe color issue as well! I took the rear pegs off and used a ZRX MikiMoto pipe hanger and it worked out just right. The aftermarket pipe hangers for the Fizzy come perpendicular off of the frame and don't really look good where the MikiMoto has a nice rear sweep that works well with the lines of the bike. The only minor drawbacks to the entire mod are the strap marks on the carbon fiber wrap from the stock mounting location. Hopefully the sun will take care of that over time. Thanks to Deek for pitching in and helping!

Bling is in the air - part2...

I hope you don't mind Joe but these need to be shared with all as the bike looks fantastic. Looks like we are going to make quite a splash in ES come the Spring Rally with yours and Dick's new additions.

A New Year and Things to Come...

First off, a HUGE "thank you" to Douglas for putting together the "2009 Hooliecrew Year in Review" video. It's so very nice to have a quick 10 minute clip to bring back all the memories and to whet the appetite for all the rides to come. I know how much work went into putting the video together and it makes it that much more special to me. I must have watched it a dozen times already and my ass-crack gets bigger every time! If only we had something similar for every year we have been riding together.

On another note, I suppose it is official, the Hooliecrew will be visiting the great state of Tennessee the 2nd full week of May and I for one can't wait! It will be nice to trailer up and to have access to some fun toys to play with so everyone better brush up on their xBox360 MotoGP 2009 as I am going to give you all an ass-whoopin'! Plenty of good roads and all the time in the world to explore them. Now if I could only find a vehicle that got more than 10mpg, I'd be all set.

Work is going well, meaning we have plenty of it, and for that I am grateful. We are picking smaller remodel projets across all client groups which is messier and less profitable work, but it is enough to keep everyone busy and to stave off any lay-offs for the immediate future. The 10th of January was my 10 year anniversary at Scott&Goble and it is so hard to believe it has been that long... until I look in the mirror that is! LOL. 011000 - 011010 (SGA's Digital Man)

Finally, Cindy bought be a ContourHD sportcam for Christmas and the weather cleared up enough for me to get it mounted and take some video today at lunch. See link to video below and let me know what you think. I have it mounted to the right radiator guard and the angle looks about right. Kind of neat to see the suspension working and will be cool to see how much the forks compress in some of the downhill hairpins. The video was still uploading to YouTube at the time I posted this blog so quality will not be maximized for a few hours as Google does its magic. I am also posting the 2009 Hoolicrew video for any visitors to the blog to enjoy. Look forward to seeing you guys and would love to get some e-mail banter started about the trip. Where to stay, what to see, etc.

New Shoes for the ZRX

In order to attend the Fall Rally on the ZRX, I would need new tires for the ZRX. Cash is tight so I decided to give ocelot's Track Day take-offs a shot. Tires shipped 09/02/09 and arrived yesterday at 09/09/09. I didn't actually know they had been dropped on the porch until this morning when I tracked them through UPS. In any case, the tires have beat my expectations on all levels. It honestly looks like my tires have about 20 laps on the track and I got the guy who didn't even take them to the edge. I know where I will be buying my tires in the near future and would recommend them to all of you as well! Time to get the Harbor Freight tire changer figured out!

MotoCam Mount Trois

Here are a couple of quick pics of my latest camera amount on the ZRX. Tried a helmet cam and it worked really well from an anti-vibration standpoint but the constant head movement was nauseating. One can never say I don't look both ways... at least 4 times before crossing traffic! In any case, this was a quick mock-up using 16g tin, final version would be in aluminum plating on the order of 3/32" or 1/8". Let me know what you think, maybe some drawbacks I haven't thought of. Also, the helmet cam video I reference above is still on my FTP if you care to watch. Use a puke-bag and don't say I didn't warn you!

Front 3/4 shot. Using mounting points on the radiator.



Rear 3/4 shot...



Detail shot of mount...



View from cockpit. Quick glance will now show if camera is in record mode so there are no more "I'm sorry, I thought it was on" moments...




Front view. Mounting points are confirmed vertical but camera plate is missing lower velcro mount making camera appear off-axis. I have confidence final install will be vertical...



Front view detail showing missing velcro...



Detail from above. I'll make final version slightly longer to capture more of the mounting plate...

Man Day at the Dynos - ZRX Edition

I won't bother repeating the Dyno Day setup as it is all in the previous Fizzy dyno post. Needless to say, I had no preconceived notions as to what I expected out of the Fizzy for horsepower and the 150hp pull was a nice surprise. As for the ZRX, well that is a whole different story. You guys have listened to me complain about my ZRX over the last year and given that I pulled the numbers I did on the ZRX, I feel the majority of my issues probably revolved around the coil wire that was working during the same time frame. Although I had fixed the coil wire issue on the ZRX and confirmed it ran, I only took it around the block and never ran it hard before getting the Fizzy and putting the ZRX into hibernation. I can't help but think my ZRX was not running as it should have been for months prior to me finding/fixing the coil wire issue and that reinforced some of the negative feelings I had for the bike based on the pitted Muzzy cams and my "imaginary" pinging issues. In any case, you can see from my post documenting my return to the ZRX World, the bike is running stronger than ever and I am extremely pleased with it!

Back on topic, the first pull on the ZRX showed 142hp with an A/F above 15. Bike was so lean it was shooting flames out the exhaust which you can see in the video and really popping on decel. Driveability on the street was good but I was definitely running too lean. As dyno runs were only $20, Dick and Brett suggested we rejet the bike to see what kind of difference we could make going from 135 to 138 mains. Brett ran me to the house in his truck, we picked up all the tools needed and rejetted in the parking lot. I paid for another run and the dyno operator was confused as to why I wanted to run it again. I explained we had rejetted the bike and wanted to see where A/F was at. He seemed duly impressed! Second pull netted a solid 147hp with A/F still being well above 14. At Dick's suggestion, I will come out on the air screw 1/4 turn next time I have the carbs off but I think going up any more on the mains will kill my driveability and mileage. Also, a little lean in Tulsa would only fatten up as I gained altitude in Arkansas so all in all, I think I'd prefer to be a little on the lean side. I'd love to hear anyone's thoughts on the subject.

Maybe it was just my imagination but the bike seemed peppier on the way home and I am looking forward to getting it out where I can really "wick it up"! Looking at the power curve of the second dyno run, I think it explains pretty clearly why we all love the ZRX so much. Overlay that power curve over the Fizzy power curve and there isn't even a question as to which bike would be more "fun" to ride. All in all we had a great time and I feel I got my money's worth for the $60 I spent. It was nice to spend the day with my friends and a bunch of motorcycle guys standing around watching dyno runs like they were a burlesque show. There were some pretty sick bikes out there with one guy trailering his drag bikes from Fayetteville to take advantage of the dyno. Enjoy the videos and pics!














Fizzy on the dyno...


ZRX on the dyno...


How to rejet a ZRX in 7 mins...


Always willing to help...


Contrary to popular belief, I am capable of doing
some things on my own...


Lots of friendly folks around...


Sonny Crockett stopped by...

I'm Back!!

As I e-mailed Douglas Wednesday morning last week before heading into the office, I had gotten my ZRX fired up Tuesday night with it taking a little more effort than I thought it would. I don’t know why I thought she would fire right up as the fuel tank was almost empty when I parked her 4 months ago and with all the coil issues and misfiring I was going through just prior to putting her on the rear stand, I think a couple of the plugs had been wet-fouled and were marginal at best. In any case, after draining the battery trying to get her started, I put her on the charger and finally got her cranked up. After a few minutes of idling, she smoothed right out and although I wanted to take her out for a spin, it was late so I just put her on the trickle charger and closed the door to the garage with the sweet sound of the Kerker still ringing in my ears.

Waking up Wednesday morning, I had not intended to ride the ZRX to work as she was pretty dusty and I wanted to get her cleaned up, along with an oil and filter change, before taking her out on the streets but as I walked out into the garage to saddle up the Fizzy, she just seemed to beckon to me. Having a total lack of self-control, I asked myself “why not?”, dropped her off the rear stand, rolled her out onto the driveway and at the first push of the starter, she cranked right up. After gearing up and getting on the bike, I could immediately feel the difference in weight between the ZRX and the Fizzy as I rolled the bike around in the driveway. The ZRX is definitely more of a handful to maneuver around at rest but I managed to get her out into the street with no issues, got her pointed in the right direction, snicked her into first gear and off we went.

I have been off of the ZRX and riding the Fizzy for enough time that I had forgotten all the subtleties of my ZRX. First thing I notice is that my clutch setup with HD springs all the way around is a little absurd to pull. That combined with my shorty Pazzo clutch lever and it feels like I am setting a grizzly trap every time I grab for some clutch! Although I had been commenting on the smooth shifting on the Fizzy, the Armz’s shifter rod I have on the ZRX provides very accurate feel and minimal gearshift slop, much more precise than the Fizzy shifter. I now feel the shifting issues I have complained about on my ZRX are due to improper lever adjustment which I will address by dropping the lever a spline or two on the shaft. Also, I had the clutch set up on the ZRX to begin engaging almost instantly upon release whereas the Fizzy releases much later in the throw. A quick flip of the adjusters on the Pazzos and a nice compromise was found to bring the two clutch releases to a similar point. Another difference immediately noticed was the seating position between the ZRX and the Fizzy. Although subtle, when sitting astride the Fizzy, one feels encapsulated within the bike due to the lower seating position along with the wrap around fairing and gauge package. Sitting astride the ZRX is more like sitting on my dirt bike, you are sitting “on” the bike, not “in” the bike. Other than that, the ergonomics are comparable and I find both bikes equally comfortable.

Off and running and the first thing I notice is the sound! This thing sounds like a motorcycle should sound and the Kerker is everything the Akra on the Fizzy is not. It is crude, unrefined and screams "look this way NOW"! The second thing I notice is how it keeps wanting to fall over in every neighborhood corner I go around. Yikes! I had forgotten how much attention this bike requires at slow speed! Where the Fizzy has very light steering and almost seems on remote control at times, the ZRX has to be steered through the neighborhoods and needs constant attention. The third thing I notice is how bad the suspension on my Fizzy is in comparison to my ZRX suspension. The ZRX handling is taught but still soaks of the small road variations with ease whereas the Fizzy is like, to quote Douglas, “riding a go-kart”. It is that stiff and any decision of mine to keep the Fizzy would need to include addressing the suspension issues. In all fairness, I have not spent the time adjusting the Fizzy suspension to suit my weight but I am fairly certain it would never get to the level of the ZRX suspension.

Out of the neighborhood, I chortle my way along surface streets and take the long way to get to an entrance ramp I know I can hammer it on. I let the ramp clear, get the bike straightened up and hammer the throttle in first gear as I typically do on the same ramp on the Fizzy. It didn’t take me long to remember how bad an idea this is on the ZRX as the bike proceeded to launch itself straight up in the air. WOW!! The Fizzy is geared so much taller in first whereas it seems the ZRX is geared to pull stumps out of the ground. The rest of the ride to work was uneventful with the most significant difference on the freeway being the absolute butter smoothness of the Keihin CVK carbs, especially at very small throttle adjustments.

Trust me, I am aware of all the mystique the ZRX brings to the table when talking about torque but it is incredible how different the power delivery is on the ZRX versus the Fizzy. I realize I am overstating the obvious and preaching to the crowd but it was still stunning and I was grinning ear-to-ear all day at work! I had gotten a little taste of the ZRX torque riding Dick’s bike back from Mountain View but it was nice to be back in the saddle of my own ZRX again! When purchasing the Fizzy, I knew I needed to give myself enough time on the Fizzy to let the “new” wear off before I ever thought about making a decision that would separate me from my ZRX. I know now that I could never get rid of her, end of story, as the ZRX has too much character and too much of my blood, sweat and tears in her. This bike has a special place in my heart and will be with me until the end!