There's No Place Like Home

I going to run the Team Strange Grand Tour this year.

So of course I put up a web page about it.

I’m going to run out to the local post office and bag my first city later today. Whee.

Went out and got it. It’s on the page above.

On Wednesday I started working on the Kawasaki GPz305. It’s a cute little bike, but it’s been abused a bit.

I needed to replace the headlight, the battery and change the oil. I also decided that I would add a headlight relay to try and get some more light out of it.

So I spent two hours wiring up the relay only to discover that I had made a fundimental error. To properly relay the headlight, you need two relays. I had wired it with one relay and the low beam was on even when the bike was off. 🙁

Luckily I had two relays available and on Thursday I fixed it up the right way. It works great. The old headlight, which was a weird 40/55W bulb was like holding a candle out in front of the bike. I stuck in a standard 55/60W bulb and with the new 12ga wires straight to the battery it is BRIGHT!

I changed the oil, stuck in the new battery and took it for a spin. What a silly little bike.

I rode it to work this morning. Man that thing is tiny. But it’s got plenty of get up and go.

It still needs some work. It’s got a turn signal that doesn’t work and the carbs are still a little wonkey. I’m going to run a can of Sea Foam through it and see if that makes it better.

I just read this on the Village Idiots mailing list regarding hand signals in California:

CVC 22110 was amended eff. 1-1-2000 to read as follows:

22110. (a) The signals required by this chapter shall be given by signal lamp, unless a vehicle is not required to be and is not equipped with turn signals. Drivers of vehicles not required to be and not equipped with turn signals shall give a hand and arm signal when required by this chapter.

b) In the event the signal lamps become inoperable while driving, hand and arm signals shall be used in the manner required in this chapter.

So I wondered if that was the case in Minnesota, as I use hand signals on my motorcycle about 30% of the time.

Here are all the Minnesota Statutes. And here is the relevant page.

Subd. 7. Signaling methods. The signals herein required shall be given either by means of the hand and arm or by a signal lamp or signal device of a type approved by the commissioner of public safety, but when a vehicle is so constructed or loaded that a hand and arm signal would not be visible in normal sunlight, and at night both to the front and rear of such vehicle, then the signals must be given by such a lamp or device.

So at least in Minnesota it’s still legal to use hand signals even when you have signal lights.