Fixed the Virago among other things

I got all of the parts needed for about $100. You can't even tell that it's been in a wreck now. While hunting around for parts I found some nice backrests and luggage racks. I'm seriously thinking about getting something like that so that I can use the bike for some serious touring/weekend camping trips. I've already got saddle bags for it and I bought some luggage a while back that mounts to a sissy bar thinking that I'd be able to attach it to the little grab rail that's there now. No dice. Oh well. One nice thing about the whole experience is that I've come to realize just how easy this bike is to work on, how cheap replacement parts can be had for it and how durable it is.

I've also been cutting expenses. I got my cable bill reduced by $50 a month when I called them and threatened to cancel my TV service. That will last 6 months. If I can't get a similar deal in 6 months then I'll probably just shut it off. I also canceled my home phone service which saved me another $50 and I refinanced my car which saved me about $100. Now I just need to refinance the house. I'm pretty sure that I'll get that payment down by at least $200-$300. I've also been selling some extra crap here and there. Craigslist is a beautiful thing.

I want to learn to weld and do some metal machining. A few months ago Rawles had a guy post about a home made multi machine. I've been following that yahoo group ever since. If you can weld and work with metal then you can make damn near anything.

I just saw this on Google. A couple from Beverly Hills got hit by the hard times and moved to a farm in Oregon where they now live in an old trailer. Here's the story. This is the last ditch option that everyone should keep on the table. I'm not looking forward to living like that but one of my short term goals is to insure that if worse comes to worse it will be a viable option for me.

Comments

Cygnus MacLlyr said…
And I long to get there...
February 28, 2009 at 10:52 PM
Anonymous said…
Just a few note's on the machine shop stuff. As far as making your own,unless you already have access to machine's,it might be more trouble than it's worth. Making lead screw's,finding the right gear's and such may be tough. As far as the 3 in 1 machine's,I'd avoid them. I have a shoptask that's really not up to a lot of work.It is handy,I use it almost daily,but it take's a lot of time and constant adjustment. For the cost of that machine,I could have bought a "real" machine,with less headache's. I currently have that,a cnc mill and lathe,and a hardinge chucker,all off of ebay.Those 3 machine's cost a total of 6000,and even used are better than a 3 in 1.
Dean in Az
March 1, 2009 at 8:56 AM
The Urban Survivalist said…
Thanks for the tip. The multimachine concept definitely looks cool but I kinda noticed that it seems like a lot more work than it's worth. Obviously, having stuff around the shop like screws, bolts and gears are a necessity.
March 1, 2009 at 9:03 AM
Anonymous said…
The biggest headache of a 3 in 1,beside's being cheap and sloppy, is that if you need a lathe and a mill for a job,you have to tear it apart and set it up again. I was pretty confined for space when I bought it,but if I had my choice,I'd buy a separate lathe and mill. Save's time and hassle. I do short run production on mine,and to swap over take's almost an hour.
Dean in Az
March 1, 2009 at 10:16 AM
Anonymous said…
for everyone's info i sell satellite tv and have had countless experiences dealing with cable companies and the cancellation thereof.

Threatening to cancel your service should be a regular tactic. 90% of the time they'll give you half off for a while, and i've had numerous instances where someone did it indefinitely.

Squeaky wheel gets the grease baby! Also works to a lesser degree with cell phone companies.
March 17, 2009 at 1:13 PM
Anonymous said…
FOR THE GUY THAT WENT DOWN ON THE BIKE... i noticed it looks like it was leaking some oil, same happened to me, fill it with J-B WELD, works great
June 26, 2009 at 12:51 AM
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