09 Jan, 2010

I said the last post would be the last. I lied.

I learned that a really cool video was done during the Sturgis in Asia trip and wanted to share.

I leave Korea today and, really, this is the last post

06 Jan, 2011

So we have come to the end of my tour. It is a bitter cold morning here, and the movers came and packed up my stuff. the bike has been crated and hauled away. Thus ends this Blog.

If you ever have the opportunity to come ride in Korea, do so. It has been a wonderful experience that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. To all the friends I have made here, thank you for having me as a guest in your country. One day I hope to return and see you all again

Bones Out

12 Dec 2010

Damn it is cold.

I kept repeating this yesterday as I was riding up to Seoul to got to a friends farewell party. it was 35F (2C), clear skies and dry roads. I bundled up, but my hands still got cold. It was typical stop-and-go insanity. I do know that I am ruined for riding in the States. It took me a good bit to thaw out, but was worth the ride up.

It was good to see the Royal Enfield Clubs guys again, they are always a hoot. it was also good to see off Jonas before he flies home to Denmark. the Party was a blast, lots of good food (both Danish and Korean), LOTS of Beer and a night of great conversation.

Getting up this morning and after a hearty breakfast supplied by my good friend Wilton, I knew it was going to be a cold one coming back. And what I later found was that I was absolutely right. it was bitter cold.

The bike ran like a champ after sitting for the better part of a month. she did not want to start and it took a good 15 minutes to get the oil warmed and pressure to stabilize, but she ran down the road happy as a lark.

I am getting near the end of my tour here. I am not averse to riding in the cold, wet and nasty, but it will some get to a point where it is just dangerous. I leave here in about a month and can honestly say this has been some of the best motorcycling I have had in years. I will keep this blog open until the Bike is packed up and loaded, just in case I get a good day to go ride between now and new years.

12 Oct, 2010

After the last trip it has taken some time to get things repaired. I had to wait on parts from both the U.S. and the U.K.

So today I took a short ride south on Little Hwy 1 to Cheonan with my Friends Bob and Ryan. We had lunch at a little Vietnamese Noodle place.

While we were walking around I saw a sign for Terrarosa Coffee, that alone is a reason to go back.

like I said it was a short ride. the clutch felt fine. the Jetting and timing seem to be a little off. but the riding season is winding down. the weather was foggy and overcast with temps in the 60's

18 Sept, 2010 Part III

getting near the end of the day we start going up these really well maintained mountain roads. canyon carving and switchbacks like I have only seen in SoCal on the Hansen Dam rides. I am like a kid in a candy store. The Triumph is just loving this and I am loving it even more. I have been babying the bike up to today and she is begging me to cut her loose. I did learn that even with the lower geared sprockets I am running she will hit the ton+. The RE's try to keep up, but it ain't happening unless I let it.

that is at least up until my clutch disintegrated. Coming up the last mountain, I started to notice some slip in the clutch. at the summit, the was nothing left. upon disassembly I found that all The screws holding the backside of the cush hub backed themselves out and it chewed the hell out of the clutch basket. it is salvageable, but my riding day was done. Had to pay a farmer to haul me 80 miles back to the house.

This is a good enough time to talk about the brotherhood of the motorcyclist. As much as I will never understand the cultural nuances of the people here in Korea, I can honestly say that the Royal Enfield Club of Korea are some of the most stand up folks that I have had the pleasure of riding with. When I broke, they went out of their way to help me fix it, even riding 30Km to the next town to try to find 15/16ths socket. When they could not source a tool, they got me a truck and driver and made sure that he did not rob me blind. And they stay with me on top of a mountain after dark even as it started to get cold. As much as I have read about RUB's and Posers that have flooded the roads with their stupidity, guys like this reaffirm my belief in humanity.

18 Sept, 2010 Part II

On the way to the Beach we stopped at a roadside attraction a cave. the Northeast part of the country is littered with limestone cave systems. this one was in the middle of town. it was cool as it was a creative means of getting out of the heat. I am grateful that I was issued a helmet because at 6'1", I bashed my noggin at every opportunity

We arrive at Mangsang Beach, near Donghae. Beautiful white sand beach on the Sea of Japan. One of the group, strips his clothes off and runs into the ocean wearing nothing but his skivvy shorts and a smile. there are families present, kids, grandparents and no one seems to care that a grown man is running around the beach in his underwear. Good times.

Our next stop was the Terarosa Coffee Company in Gangneung for a cup and a snack before hitting the twisties on the way back to Seoul. I am a bit picky when it comes to coffee and these folks did not disappoint. A cup, a Baguette Sandwich and I am ready take on the world

18 Sept, 2010 Part I

This is going to be a minimum 3 part blog because so much happened today and I got a lot of pictures and even if I did have to ride back to the house in a truck it was still a fabulous day.

I learned last week that the event was cancelled, but that the RE Club was still going to tour the countryside as they had already booked and paid for a cabin. they had planned on riding a bunch of roads in the Northeast side of the country. I had to work late on the day that they were leaving Seoul, so my plan was to blast the 130 miles across the peninsula as soon as I got cut loose.

I set out a 2:30 am with the clothes on my back, a leather jacket and a camera figuring that I would sleep when I got there. I Also figured the quicker I got there, the quicker I could get some sleep. I averaged about 60 MPH and got there 2 and a half hours later. This seems slow, but given that the speed limit on most non-toll highways in Korea is 80 KPH (49 MPH), i made pretty good time. Upon arrival, I was able to grab a spot of the floor and catch a couple hours much needed sleep.

Once the sun came up the cabin became a buzz of activity. The Sturgis Folks screwed up big time. the weather could not be better. Clear blue skies and sunshine, what more could anyone ask for.

We headed out to grab some breakfast. a tradition breakfast in Korea is nothing like you'd expect. Bimbop is a steamed vegetables on rice with some fried egg and a spicy paste that will peel paint if you let it sit long enough. Choke this down, gas up ($25 for a tank of gas) and hit the road. Next stop, the beach.

I really am not one to ride with a big group. I have always just kind have done my own thing. I also speak very little Hongul (Korean). So it stands to reason that I would have no clue what all these hand and arm signals mean. it was like they were having a conversation or something. I got the basics, go right go left, stop etc, but that was about it.. it took me a little while to settle into their groove.

If you are wondering why they are wearing masks, the speed cameras that are everywhere only capture the front. since bikes do not have plates on the front, the only way to identify the rider is to cross-reference the face picture with the DMV License photo. No Face, No Ticket.

12 Sept, 2010

Highway 34 Revisited.

if has been nothing but rain, storms, typhoons and generally crappy weather. So a Sunny Sunday afternoon is greatly welcome.

Everyone else with a bike obviously thought the same thing because there were a lot of riders out.

Not much to report other then it was nice to get out on the road for a bit. the riding season will be drawing to a close soon, So I have to get rides in when I can.

7 Sept, 2010

I took a short ride out to the Chinook Cafe. it is hard to express just how big this thing is. it is about four times larger than a real aircraft. and it is all hand built by the owner.

it is an a interesting roadside attraction.

4 Sept, 2010

So I decided to take a trip to the beach today. My Neighbor had told me that one of the local MCs was having a beach bash about an hours ride SW of where I live. Near Malipo Beach. After a valve adjustment and a head retorque, I kit up and take off about 9:30am.

I made good time as the bike was humming right along. I did take one quick pitstop along the way. A gas station/rest area, where I saw a number of guys on bikes that were going the same way. we talked a bit and they headed out. I had some water and took off as well.

I got to the appointed location and found that this MC had rented a whole hotel. it wasn't a big hotel, maybe 10 rooms. but the point is that they rented a whole hotel for Labor Day weekend. pretty cool.

This area just got hit hard by a typhoon this last week. there were broken trees, holes in buildings, broken windows everywhere. even the honeybucket on the beach was laying on it's side.

I hung around for a bit, kicked some tires and chatted some. after a couple hours someone mentioned a short ride. hell yeah.

Helmet and jacket on, kicked over ready to go. pull out and follow the mob.

not two miles out and I see something that I really did not want to see. A guy on a really big Road King, who obviously does not really know what he is doing, kick his leg out flat track style and slide the front tire right into a drainage culvert. He leaps of the bike, does a combat roll and the bike ends up on its side. Taco'd the rim, bent the highway bar, and bruise his ego something fierce. the rider was fine otherwise, and the bike was fucked with less then 500 miles on it.

he pulled the the brake caliper and was able to limp it back to the hotel.

It was a good time to head for the house. so I headed back. one thing I noticed was that it was hot on the ride back. my Jetting was not right as I started out, but it had cooled off before I got back to Anjung-ri. So your Jetting in the morning may not be your jetting at midday. But it will become your jetting again in the evening.

30 Aug, 2010

This weather sucks. First it was sauna hot and now dangerously heavy rain.

I had a long weekend and want to get a ride up to a monastery in the mountains east of Yongin, but it does not look like I will be able to get out of the parking garage.

I am keeping my fingers crossed though, I need to shake a couple things loose before I attempt to ride across the peninsula for the sturgis in asia thing.

BOLLOCKS!!!!

22 August, 2010

Damn it is hot.

I mean it is seriously hot. it is in the 90s with 85 - 90% humidity.

That is just miserable.

Riding in that is like sitting in from of a giant hair dryer.

But anyway, you do not read this to see me bitch about the weather. Todays ride was a short little blast around Pyeongtaek, to shake loose any bugs from the numerous little repairs and adjustments I have made since I got back.

Proper Jetting, new clutch cable, and a 19 tooth drive sprocket (I was running a 20 tooth previously)

Basically this thing screams. It will also pull the front wheel in first through third gear.

the floats on the the right hand carb are still sticking though. hmm

14 Aug, 2010

I am back in the ROK and trying to get everything sorted.

I've received numerous packages in the mail with various parts to sort out some minor issues. so my bike will be back on the road in no time.

stay tuned, I have learned that there is a big rally come up

http://www.sturgisasia.com/kor/index.asp

the Blog Fodder will be EPIC.

14 July, 2010

Just a heads up all, I am off for vacation back in the states. so I will not be posting until next month.

Keep the paint up and the rubber down

05 July, 2010

I source a cable in Seoul at the Royal Enfield Dealer (thanks Bong). it was similar, but different and would need to be modified. the Mechanic did not quite get this concept.

basically I had to file off the metric threads on the gearbox side of the cable so it would slip into the hole as opposed to threading into it. this required using a drill as a lathe and a hand file.

the cable itself is about a foot too long, but with some creative placement it is workable.

what I found when I got it all installed is that the outer sheath is about 5mm too long and I would have no adjustment at the lever. all adjustment would have to come off the primary. I really do not feel good about running out the adjuster any more, it is only in by a couple threads and that worries me. I think I have room for an addition set of clutch plates. that will give me the room to make any necessary adjustments.

it only has to work for a week, as I'll be going on vacation for a month and will have new cables from the states when I come back.

03 July, 2010

so what started out as a crappy miserable day only got worse.

the last week or so has been 85 - 90 degrees and foggy. that means the Humidity has just been miserable. walking around sucks, riding in it is just miserable.

I went out to lunch in Pyeongtaek and decided to go up to Osan as I have been looking for a fanny pack and a new kneeboard for work.

No sooner than I get to Osan (Songtan) my clutch cable breaks at the lever. good grief. I take it off and go looking for someone to repair it. here is the thing, nobody fixes anything anymore. they just replace parts. and all the replacements they have are metric.

at some point I have had enough and hitch a ride back to camp Humphreys and get my Bongo Truck, drive back and load it up to haul back to the house.

so no more riding this weekend as I need to order a clutch cable from the states.

26 June, 2010

Today it was a short ride to the resting place of Admiral Yi Sun-sin. located in Asan it is a short ride from the camp.

Wikipedia says the following about Adm Yi: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yi_Sun-sin

Admiral Yi is considered one of Korea's greatest heroes of all time. Koreans look upon Yi as a man of courage, perseverance, strength, self-sacrifice, intellect, and loyalty to his country.

The Memorial is a large fenced in compound that contains his house, a museum, archery ranges, Koi ponds and many period buildings.

There are statues of the man all over the country and he is considered a national hero. and reading of him he is regarded on levels reserved for those above Napoleon and Horatio Nelson as he kept the Japanese from invading for seven years until he was killed by a stray bullet.

Well worth the trip and I can cross this one off in the tourist guide.

19 Jun, 2010

One of my Co-workers had to take his Harley to the dealership in Suwon for a service today and I went along to keep him company. his wife followed us in their Honda Pilot.

the route was Highway 38 to 45 to 42 and it took about an hour to get to the dealership. the ride up was easy highway riding, freeway speed and not very complicated. the weather start out as rain and ended up just being overcast and hazy.

We arrived at the Harley Dealership without issue and turn in the bike for it's service. we all browsed the store for a bit and marveled at all the HD goodies. this HD store is like any HD Megaplex in the states. lots of chrome, lots of widgets and outrageous prices. but it is a good slice of Americana.

Noticing a small leak under my bike I tightened up the hose fittings on the return line.

Leaving the bikes at the store we took the car to lunch as the service was going to take around 3 hours to complete. we found a steak place called VIP's Steak and Salad in the Suwon Train Station. the Food Courts in the Train Stations in Korea are first rate. a little pricey, but the food is good and you don't leave hungry. this place was no different. Excellent food and really good service.

We returned around the time the service was supposed to be completed, had a cup of coffee and got ready to go. we came back the same route in reverse. Heading out the traffic was easy and light for the middle of the day.

I had a sneaky suspicion that the return oil line was going to give me an issue on the way back. I always keep an eye on the Oil Pressure Guage and figured as long as there is pressure there is oil, so keep going until it becomes a problem. around halfway back My friend started Honking and pointing. figured I'd better get over to the side of the road and see what was up. Look at the pressure, still good. Looked for an off ramp, found one. Looked at the pressure again, zero. Oh Shit. Pull the clutch, killswitch, turn the key off and coast.

Coasted to a stop an the bottom of the offramp and into a parking lot. got stopped and notice oil all over the back tire. and then noticed the Oil Return line had come off the tube on the bottom of the engine. so all the oil had been pumped out of the bike. While I was thinking how I was going to fix this, My friend said, "hey, lets just load it into the Pilot." OK this is going to be interesting. Lets stuff a 300 pound motorcycle into the back of a Honda Pilot.

Wouldn't you know it, the bike actually fit as you can see in the pics above. we got back to the base without further incident, unloaded the bike and went our seperate ways. I want to thanks the Kemps for their help and company today, all things considered, the was a good day.

13 June, 2010

Todays ride was little more than aimlessly wandering the local area. I had no real destination in mind and figured I'd shoot from the hip and see what transpired.

I headed out toward Dangjin and meandered through the countryside then road out to the Seawall in Asan. Coming back north along the coast I stayed on the country access roads and make my way towards Pyeongtaek. Traffic was light and it was worth it just to get out and ride, even if the weather was not as nice as it could have been.

10 June, 2010

A group of rider that I work with went out for a short lunchtime ride today. 6 Bikes; 2 Harleys, a Suzuki Boulevard, a Yamaha 450 Enduro, a 125cc Daelim Naked Road bike and My Trump. A new route going out Hwy 34, over a mountain on country road 57, onto Hwy 21 then returning along Hwy 45.

Going out 34 is that same as I have written about previously, although we turned prior to going up the mountain that I had enjoyed previously.

Country Road 57 if a sweet little gem of winding switchbacks up the side up the side of a mountain. little more than one lane road, it is far too technical to do at any speed. However the corners are well balanced and the lines are challenging yet possible. at the top of the mountain the road opens up to two lanes and follows a small scenic river down the opposite side. though not as twisty as the way up, it was a pleasure to ride.

Feeding onto Hwy 21 east of Cheonan, we rode until was saw a small Beef and Leaf Korean BBQ place that we stopped at for lunch. Fresh cooked bulgogi, rice, lots of sides and plenty to chat about as we all ate our fill.

The decision was made to head toward Hwy 45, which is a major Highway, in order to make time getting back. This would have been true, but a Daelim 125cc 2 stroke has never held a speed record and is certainly not going to set the world on fire. so we hung with him and cruised back to the base. Not a bad way to spend lunch.