From: jlevine@rd.hydro.on.ca (Jody Levine)
Subject: Rusty aluminum wheel
Organization: Ontario Hydro - Research Division
Date: Wed, 7 Oct 92 14:10:02 GMT

If you're realy bored, read this. If you're short on time, proceed to
the section entitled MEAT OF THIS POST.

Hmm. Where is all this rust coming from. This wheel is aluminum, but
there's rust all around the hub on one side. It's not coming from the brake
rotor, it almost looks like it's coming from inside the hub. Oh well.
I've been out in the rain a lot.

Yesterday, I walked out of the parking lot, Chevy Cavalier keys in hand
(at least it has the V6), when I saw a colleague on his GSXR 750. "Where's
your bike?" he asked?
"I'm going to Waterloo. I'd freeze coming back tonight."
"Tell me about it. Just coming in in the morning has been brutal."

Hmm. It *is* pretty warm now, probably over 20, it's certainly no worse than
it was when I did it two weeks ago, I'll go home & get the RZ. I've got some
extra time.

Hwy 401 - Cambridge. 10 minutes left in my hour-long ride. I hit a bump 
before a repaved section. Hmm. This new pavement is making my rear wheel 
wander a lot. Really, this doesn't seem right. Something's loose back there.
It doesn't seem to be getting any worse. I'll finish riding into town.
Stop at a gas station, hop off the bike. SHIT (not hmm)! That wheel bearing 
is completely shot!!! The wheel's just flopping around! It doesn't look like
the wheel's about to fall off, and I should be able to make it to Zdeno
Cycle without eating through the axle too much.

Zdeno Cycle. Nice lady comes out to get something out of Zdeno's pickup truck.
"Hows it going?"
"Not so good. Look." (shake rear wheel)
"Ew. Bad bearings. You going back to Toronto tonight?"
"Yeah."
"We'll see if we can fix you up."

**** MEAT OF THIS POST *****

My RZ, and apparently a lot of other bikes, from the ease they had in
finding a used one off another wheel, has sealed wheel bearings, at least
in the back. There are two, one on each side. Something must have gotten
into one of them, corrupting the seal and causing the bearing to rust.
There is nothing I could to prevent this, short of replacing it before it
completely broke on the highway. Inspect your wheels for rust at the hub
so that you don't wind up with a nasty breakdown over a $15 (new) part.

**** MORE DRIVEL ON RIDING IN THE COLD *****

It *was* cold coming back at around ten o'clock. It's amazing how many
instant and sympathetic friends one can make at gas stations on nights
like that. "I used to have one of those. Cold night to be riding, eh?
Tucked in behind the screen trying to keep you armpits warm..." I was
about halfway back, my fingers were frozen and I was following a spieces
of Radar bait known as a Honda Civic CRX. I remembered someone on the
net saying that exercizing on the bike will keep one's heat production up.
Hmm. Let's see. Flap my elbows, wiggle my butt, do pushups, hey this is
working! I must look like a real idiot! I have to sing now. "John, Jacob,
Jingelheimer (sp?) Schmidt..." After a few rounds of anything that came to 
mind including some David Bowie, JP Sousa (easy, no words), a couple of 
obscure G&S tunes, and a few exceptional (even though I can't remember them) 
compositions of my own, I was all warmed up, completely awake, getting off 
the highway and flipping up my visor to cool off.

**** PRE-GRATITUDE *****

My thanks go to rec.motorcycles, especially Rob Dixon, who informs me
that his electric vest and socks are on their way. When they get here I'll
stop my exciting performances of the Bird Dance on the 401.

I've        bike                      like       | Jody Levine  DoD #275 kV
     got a       you can        if you      -PF  | Jody.P.Levine@hydro.on.ca
                         ride it                 | Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Newsgroups: rec.motorcycles