Conducted a little paint test over the weekend. Hung up the parts, on a makeshift suspension system and shot some paint.
One panel, much like the gas tank, is still giving me some trouble. There are pits from the plastic welding that just do not want to fill. I have a new filling/sanding primer I’ll try out on the next round.
Here is a little closer shot of the panel that did work out really nicely. The welding is not visible with the final paint color.
I know I can achieve the desired result with the other panel, I just need to keep working on it. So far I’m very happy with the paint color choice. But I can tell it will take a lot of work to get a good polished result with this paint.
Somehow the conversation at work devolved into us finding this little gem:
Hemp for Victory. 1943 Film by the US Government. It’s 10 min. long, and seems to have been sped up a bit during digitizing. According to the websie where I found this, the film was VERY difficult to locate, and a usable copy was not located until 1976!.
Here it is, hosted on YouTube… at least until someone in the US Government puts a stop to it:
So.. looks like I have some reading to do. I have a basic understand of WHY one would use a TOR network. Now I need to educate myself on how it all works. 20 years away from CIS classes makes one a little rusty.
A method for anonymous communications over a wide area network such as the Internet. It hides the names of the parties that are communicating as well as the data by encrypting the payload in layers, with a different encryption layer for each hop in the route. Using cooperating proxy routers throughout the network, the initiating onion router, called a “….
step 1 — How Tor Works
An “onion router” is an Internet site that takes requests for web-pages and passes them onto other onion routers, and on to other onion routers, until one of them finally decides to fetch the page and pass it back through the layers of the onion until it reaches you. The t….
Tor is a network of virtual tunnels that allows people and groups to improve their privacy and security on the Internet. It also enables software developers to create new communication tools with built-in privacy features. Tor provides the foundation for a range of applications that allow organ…
Despite a wild week at work, I did get a little work done on the KZ.
I have enough general paint supplies to start doing some color / idea testing on the bike. After much deliberation, the first color I am going to try is a very dark green, with light metalic flake. I’m hoping the flake is subtle enough that the bike, does not look like some sort of carnival ride attarction (or worse yet, a Bass Boat).
basic paint supplies
Test installation of the bars and grips complete, I’m very pleased with both the look and ergonomics!
It is also time to set down another guide coat, which will be sanded off to find any low spots in the fillers or outstanding dents in the tank. With the coat applied, it provides an excellent preview of what bike’s final look will be, with the dark paint I have selected. Some additional graphics will be added to the tank, but the overall look will be the same.
Bike was fully serviced at 8600 miles by Cliff’s Cycle Center (KTM authorized dealer). That service included:
– new battery
– valve adjustments
– carburetor cleaning and syncing
– recall check and service
– oil and filters
Also done at the same time. New tires front and rear. Also included in purchase are 3 sets of spare tubes. These were originally very difficult to source, but supplies have become more available in the last couple of years. I’ve never had to replace them due to flats. Tubes were replaced with the tires by Cycle Gear, Tacoma.
SPECIFICATIONS:
General information
Model:
KTM 950 Adventure S
Year:
2005
Engine and transmission
Displacement:
942 cc
Engine type:
V2
Stroke:
4
Power:
96.55 HP @ 8000 RPM
Torque:
70.1 ft.lbs @ 6000 RPM
Compression:
11.5:1
Bore x stroke:
100.0 x 60.0 mm
Fuel system:
Carburettor. Mikuni BST 40
Gearbox:
6-speed
Transmission type
final drive:
Chain
Physical measures
Dry weight:
436.5 lbs.
Seat height:
33.9 inches
Note: Factory KTM lowering and confort seat installed (factory orange seat will be included in sale)
Overall height:
37.4 inches
Ground clearance:
10.3 inches
Wheelbase:
61.8 inches
Chassis and dimensions
Frame type:
Tubular chromoly space frame, power-coated
Rake (fork angle):
26.6°
Trail:
4.7 inches
Front suspension:
WP-USD 48 mm
Rear suspension:
WP-PDS suspension strut with hydr. spring preload
Rear suspension travel:
13.2 inches
Speed and acceleration
Power/weight ratio:
0.4876 HP/kg
Other specifications
Fuel capacity:
5.81 gallons
Color options:
Blue/orange
ADDITIONAL FEATURES:
Additional Features
Luggage:
Gobi hard sidebags (KTM branding)
GPS:
Garmin GPSmap 76 – hard wired to accessory circuit
Heating:
Gerbing digital heat controller for clothing
Hi/Lo/Off selectable heated grips
Other:
High fender conversion kit
PHOTOS
Heating controller and selectable accessory circuit switch
Factory hard bag mounting system (bags included but not pictured)Brembo rear brakes - new rear tireBrembo front brakes, new front tireFactory non-skid controls and pegsDash - 8600 original milesGarmin GPSmap 76 - powered by bike accessory circuitHigh front fender kit
UPDATE:
The KTM was sold on Aug 28, 2009 in Vancouver WA. I’ll miss you big girl, that’s for certain.
It all started at 5:00AM this morning when the mail server at work died. One of our few single-power supply systems still in use (we have a nice 4 SAS dual-power RAID 10 system to replace it scheduled for deployment Aug 21). At any rate, the CRAPPY Ablecom SP302-1S power supply gave up (2nd one in 6 months, and it looks like a 3rd one just started to show signs of dying an hour ago) and one of our most critical systems was down!
After getting one of my engineers in route, I knew I’d have some time to look at the ripped up car in my garage. With time on my hands, I flipped through some axillary tools sets, locating a pair of flat radio removal tools (designed for Alpine head units). Pondering the possibilities of possibly manufacturing my old keys, I set about cutting up the metal. At least it was something to keep me busy.
Home made radio keys
It took a few attempts to find the right angles, but I did finally managed to get he head unit (aka Command Unit) removed!!
Deck removed!
And, as I suspected, there it was yet ANOTHER fuse. I’d recalled this morning from projects past, that most of the head units in MBZ had a fuse on the back of them. And so does this one:
The 4th fuse (10 AMP)
I always have an ample supply of fuses (from careers past). With hope alive in my heart, and my cell phone by my side waiting to hear from my team, what the prognosis was for our mail server.. I re-attached the mass of plugs (3 analog, one fiber optic CAN, and the antenna);
The many wires of a German radio
slipped it into the dash and:
Radio asking for the secret access code
CODE! I have the code prompt. Expensive disaster averted! Being the fastidious keeper of information that I am, I had the code at hand, and within a few seconds…. was rewarded with the sounds of my favorite local FM station.
TUNZ!
At least the day did not start out as a TOTAL loss!
My guys called me back shortly after this, and let me know that the server was dead, totally dead, no power. I instructed them to pull the system from our rack and bring it home for recovery. I hastely re-assembled my car, got dressed, stopped by Krispy-Kreme to buy them coffee and doughnuts, then rocketed into the office to direct the recovery effort (which is still underway).
At least I could listen to the music for a little while. 🙂
After a couple hours of net searching, it’s off to the dealer to buy the special tools for removing the stock head unit. $8.00 for a thin piece of metal. Porsche is the only manufacture ahead of Mercedes for the requirement of ‘special tools’ to do anything of measure on these cars. I’ll be sure to post photos of these amazing tools once I get them. Assuming they have them in stock, the local MBZ dealer in Fife is a real loser.
UPDATED: As I suspected, the dealer did not have tools in stock. I’ll be waiting a week for them to arrive. I don’t know why they don’t have them. These tools are not very big (small stamped steel keys) they are not very expensive ($9.65 with tax). They are also used for many model years audio units. I should have driven to Seattle where they likely gave them away on the counter as nicknacks!
Arg. Instead of plowing into the tail-end of the jerk that cut me off yesterday, I am rewarded with the stereo system in my car, dying.
Why and what happened? I’m still trying to sort that out. But I do know that whatever DID happen to my car’s audio system, it happened when I had to get deep into the brakes to avoid a rather ‘rude’ driver. Right then the radio cut. I thought maybe a bad commercial break or something. Looked down at the radio a few seconds later and… NOBODY HOME.
I finished my errands yesterday, with only the sound of the 24 valve 4.3L V8 to serenade me. Now.. there is nothing wrong with the nice sound of a powerful V8 engine (OK.. 285 HP powerful… not too bad for a motor that 262 CID motor that idles like glass at 400 RPM, try that with your S***block Chevy! hahaha) . At any rate.. BOSE dead.
I parked it in the garage this morning and took the ML to work. It needed some gas (it ALWAYS needs some gas, powered by the same V8 engine, but pushing AWD and a brick of a body, it’s pretty harsh on the Premium fuel), but I didn’t want to spend the 1 hour commute to work listening to hushed sounds of wind and the expansion joints of the highway.
Upon returning home, I enlisted the assistance of my helper (aka son) and we took the rear end of the car’s interior apart. The majority of the audio system is located back there so it seemed a good place to start.
Removing all interior trunk interior panels.
Sadly, after checking both fuse blocks, and the fuse on the main audio amp (all good), I’m out of ideas for the quick-fix on the system. Looks like I’ll have to get the special tools to remove the factory head unit and see if maybe the plug on the back of that came loose during braking. I hope so… sad if it happend, happy for me if I can fix it without spending $2500 for all new audio. These factory systems are all CAN-BUS fiber optic networked. Can’t just ‘toss in’ a new head unit.
Stripped bare. Amp on left, CD changer at the top, LASER interface on the right.
Yesterday while test fitting parts, I discovered that the powder coated Clubman bars are too thick and interfere with operation of the trottle.
At first, I tried to sand it all off. I sanded and sanded. All that provided was a scratched up, equally thick version of what I started with.
Then the lightbulb went off! I probably still had the paint stripper I used to removed the powder coating on the wheels of my VFR (that project came out looking sweet!!!). I did not use much of the stripper, and I seldom disposed of chemicals that are pefectly good, so off into the depths of my ‘chemical warehouse’ to locate the stripper.
A few minutes later I wheeled the bike out to the garage door (proper ventelation you know), donned some gloves and started working on the bars. After the 2nd application it still looked like this! I have to hand it to the manufacture of these bars, they REALLY used some tough paint!
In the end, I had to use a file to finish off removal of the paint. BUT, remove it I did, and viola.. I was able to install the throttle and grip (sorry, no photo yet) and it worked like a charm!
A major hurdle out of the way. Next post.. picking some paint to trail….. I have…. an *angle*… 🙂
Arg… just a matter of time before my XBOX died, it would seem. While I was out having a fun vacation, the XBOX 360 was left on by the kids. At some point it overheated and started to display the Red Ring of Death:
I tried most of the common external efforts to reset a faulted piece of hardware. Power cycled, removed power, performed a series of power cycles, left it unplugged for days, everything I could think of that would help with a typical computer failure.
DID NOT WORK.
Interwebs to the rescue! After a short Google for articles on the problem, I found a number of YouTube videos showing various ways to fix this annoying problem. Watching them, they seem to fall into three categories:
Following reviews of various methods above (and I’m sure there are others) I decided I would first try a variation of the ‘Penny method‘ mentioned above.
Others have already documented this process, so I’m not going do it here. What I will say is that my hybrid penny fix worked, at least for now. The only change I made to the described Penny Process was that I used 2-penny stacks instead of three. Another video I watched showed a successful fix with only 2-pennys, and that also allowed easy re-assembly of the C-clamp screws with the shorter penny stack.
There was a trick that I had to watch 4 videos to find. That is how the proper sequence for removing the outter plastic shell. I made the mistake of starting on the front (after removing the front panel, which you need to do first, BTW). After removal of the little grey side panels (snap-crackly-pop, they will come out with careful prying) I tried to go for the ‘easy’ snaps on the front of the enclosure.
It tuns out you should unsnap the REAR of the enclosure first. The little ‘slots’ across the back are access to a series of snapping clasts across the rear. Use a small flat-blade screwdriver that will fit IN the slots to push in on them, until you hear a good snap. Sounds like something breaking, but.. nothing did. It’s just the way it work. Once the 8 or so snaps are released, pull the rear apart. It’s sort of tight, but it does come apart. Once the rear is seperated, the front is of course very easy to unclasp. Watch the little DVD/CD drive door button, you’ll need to futz with that a bit.
Once 1/2 of the plastic over is removed, you’ll next need to remove the long silver (6 of those) T-10 (that’s torx size 10, very small, for those playing at home). Once those six are out the other side of the cover comes off, and you have something that looks like this:
Now, one last photo. I can’t say this with any certainty, but it was posted by others that the main issue is those crappy ‘band-aid’ heat transfer spounges on tops of the RAM chips. There are 4 of those things. The various penny fixes involved shoving tape wrapped pennies between the metal case and the chips to provide a more conductive material interface. I used stacks of 2 pennys on each chip, tape wrapped then, reusing the bandades by peeling off the other side of the double-stick ‘band-aids’ fastened the penny stacks to the chips, re-assembled the case and tested.
Following the ‘post-fix-overheat-to-reset-and-re-melt-heat-transfer-grease’ method, I fired up the box with the fans unplugged until I saw the TWO flashing red ring segments. This indicates a full-overheating of the chips. I let the machine cool down, plugged back in the fans, re-installed the fan duct (not seen in any of my photos) and…. VOILA:
XBOX 360 LIVES!
Sure beats having to sign up for Windoze Live to start an ‘authorized’ repair request. Microsoft can just ………………. (you fill in the blank).
So, for litteraly 9 cents (8 pennys and less than 1 cent of electrical tape) I was able to fix the machine. Of course they could have just put a proper heat sink on those chips for.. hm.. I’m sure less than 8 cents, but no.. just like Microsoft software, they only do an 85% job, and end-user repairs are generally required.
