Preparations Begin!

Yesterday I rode into Vicious Cycle and after looking around for a bit, asked to see the owner. I've been looking for a good motorcycle repair shop. Having decided through the Vanagon experience that it is worth the risk to try and repair many mechanical issues yourself, when you come up against something that you are sure is outside your skill set and tool set, it's good to be friends with an expert.

So I shook hands with Joe (owner of Vicious Cycle, pictured above), told him about my prospective trip, asked what it might cost for the shop to go through the bike from front to back, and to notify me of any trip-defying issues. Joe did not seem too excited about the prospect of anyone riding across the country on a 40-year-old motorcycle, and suggested that I should consider something newer. BUT, being unwilling to refuse my enthusiasm, he agreed to tune up the bike at the standard shop charge and produce a laundry list of mechanical problems if there are problems to be found.

Joe struck me as thoughtful, opinionated, and a bit nitpicky, and I guess that's what I'm looking for in a motorcycle-repair friend. I don't want to get 700 miles into a trip only to find that the "good" condition of the machine I'm riding has been inflated. I want to know what all of the potential problems may be so that when the bike breaks down, I have an idea of where to start looking.

As we headed into the back of the shop to make the appointment, I noticed Joe had a very nice looking early 70's CB750 sitting in a short line of motorcycles. It's good to know that they have some experience working on my particular machine.

I am starting with a minor list of my own to attend to: cable replacement/routing, clutch handle adjustment, rear shock replacement, new chain, choke/carburetor adjustment, charging issue(?), and a persistent oil leak. It will be interesting to see what Joe will add to the list.

The Calendar

Choose October 2008 from the month menu to see the PUMP Trek schedule.

The Cause

In 2000, a group of young people were called by God to plant PUMP church in the inner-city of Portland, Oregon. Through dynamic worship experiences, community service, and relational ministry, the heart of PUMP's mission is to nurture a generation of urban Christians. As a church, it is our passion to share the love of God with the children of the city, and the purpose of PUMPtrek is to promote awareness and raise support for the faith and the future of the children of Northeast Portland, Oregon.

The Road

The plan is to ride straight from Portland, Oregon to Nashville, Tennessee in order to attend Lipscomb University's Conference on Preaching. From there, I plan to ride the southern states, stopping briefly at other Christian Universities to recruit interns, and to see friends. The total distance of the trip should be around 5,500 miles. I am hoping to both twitter and post while on the road in order to keep family and friends informed.

The Progress

The goal of this road trip across the U.S. and back is to raise $35,000 for PUMP. At a grand total of 5,446 miles, that's a mere $6.43 per mile!

PUMP church has been blessed to receive a compound match for this fundraiser. This means that every dollar contributed in conjunction with PUMPtrek will be tripled by other generous donors! You read that right: $1 from you equals $4 to PUMP (up to $35,000 for a total of $140,000). So please don't waste any time! Have another look at that monthly budget, dig under those couch cushions, check the pockets on your old jacket, and spare PUMP what you can. One-time gifts, monthly or per-mile pledges, just let us know what you prefer, and as always we are so thankful for your financial support!

The Bike - A 1971 Honda CB750

[From Wikipedia.com]

Honda of Japan introduced the CB750 motorcycle to the US and European markets in 1969 after experiencing success with their smaller motorcycles. The bike was targeted directly at the US market after Honda officials (including Soichiro Honda), repeatedly met with US dealers and understood the opportunity for a larger bike.

Under development for one year, when finally introduced to the market, The CB750 offered two unprecedented features: its disc brake and its inline four cylinder engine -- neither of which were previously available on mainstream, affordable, production bikes. These two features, along with the bike's introductory price of $1495.00 (US), gave the CB750 considerable advantage over its competition, particularly its British rivals.

Cycle Magazine called the CB750 "the most sophisticated production bike ever" upon its introduction. Cycle World called the motorcycle a masterpiece, highlighting Honda's painstaking durability testing, the bike's 120mph top speed, the fade-free performance of the braking, the comfortable ride, and excellent instrumentation.

As the first modern four cylinder machine from a mainstream manufacturer, the term Superbike was coined to describe the CB750. The bike offered other important features, both great and small that added to its compelling value: electric starter, kill switch, dual mirrors, flashing turn signals, screw on oil filter, easily maintained valves and overall smoothness and freedom from vibration both underway and at a standstill. Later models (91 on) included maintenance free hydraulic valves. On the other hand, the bike was difficult to get on its centerstand and tended to throw chain oil on its muffler.

Unable to accurately gauge demand for the new bike, Honda limited its initial investment in the production dies for the CB750 by originally using a technique called permanent mold casting (often erroneously referred to as sandcasting) rather than diecasting for the engines -- unsure of the bike's reception. The bike remained in the Honda lineup for ten years, sales totaling over 400,000 copies in its life span.

The Rider

Ike Graul has been a minister at PUMP church since its beginning in 2000. He is Kaelea's husband, and Isaiah, Malachi, and Michal's dad. Also a student of music, Ike has enjoyed leading worship, preaching, and teaching in many places inside and outside the U.S. More than anything, he desires to be known as a disciple of Christ: immersed in loving covenant with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and learning to obey everything that Jesus commands.