Holidays are here!

Happy Holiday everyone. This is the time of the year when one can look back at years past and count our good fortune. It is a good time to reflect and appreciate our family, special friends, good friends and our aquaintences. In America we are so fortunate in this times, sure we have difficulties, but when you compare them with less fortunate areas we do certainly come out way ahead.



It is a good time to reflect and offer a hand to those who have less and suffer from poor government and have massive health issues. Your support of the Rotary initiative to irradicate Polio is much appreciated.



As we move into the next year, my planning efforts will continue for the RFAR ride in 2012. I am in search of a RFAR buddy and RFAR Mobil support to go with me on this great adventure.

I'm thinking of a Rotary Blue Chevy Pickup that would be just right with a pal that I have know and loved for almost 30 years. We could even call it the RFAR Medical Support team.

I am working on it.



So, Gertie the RFAR back up bike is in Denver, resting and ready to go.. The RFAR-1 is in Ketchikan and being ridden on every sunny day. (been averaging once a week).



Attached is a photo of the RFAR-1

Here is the link to pictures!

Sometimes, I just keep trying..

Here is the slide show.

http://picasaweb.google.com/usa584/RotaryRFARPresentation#

I don't now why, I am not able to post to top page.

This will work.

Jim

Slide Show and Update November 3, 2010

Still on the trail to success. Here is an update.

1. I've added a slide show on the rebuild of the Gertie and her first road trip. Check it out at the link.

2. I took the Gertie (R75/7) to Bellingham on the Alaska Ferry and rode to Denver in 3 days. Uneventful, sunny, hot and beautiful new country for me.. went through eastern Washington, Tri-Cities, eastern Oregon and central Idaho and into Utah, then on to Wyoming and Colorado.
It was a jaunt. (1450mi) I dropped off the Gertie with my son and picked up the RFAR 1 beemer.

3. Rode the 2004 R1100S (RFAR 1) back over Independence Pass and to Vail and on to St. George, UT. I hit one hour of rain on my way, otherwise, just a little shower in Mohave, CA on my way to Porterville, CA. I continued to Santa Cruz and came up Highway 1 to Newport, OR, then cut over to I-5 and got back to Bellingham to catch my ferry on Friday. I did this ride over 15 days. Only a small amount of rain...it must be my mission.

It was a good time for reflection and a test of what the RFAR Project will be like.

4. So now the RFAR 1 is here in Ketchikan and ready for the ride to Homer, Alaska next spring. I am attending the Rotary District Conference to drum up some support for the ride by way of pledges for miles covered or Rotary Clubs visited. I am looking at 10,000 miles and visiting 100 clubs. My goal is 100 pledges for 10,0000 miles or one pledge per club.

I just want to do one big good thing for the Rotary Foundation in my life. We need to STOP Polio! The Foundation needs the support of Rotarians.

Your support is appreciated.
Jim

RFAR Bike is a success!

We took our first distance test ride by going to Prince Rupert by ferry then riding to Terrace BC then., Kitimat, back and then to Hyder, Alaska via Stewart BC. This is one of the most beautiful highways in North America. We proceeded to Smithers, BC and rode every piece of asphalt we could find. In the 10 days we clocked about 1500 miles and had perfect weather. Lots of wild life and the unit ran well. I am so pleased with the rebuild result.
Check out my pictures.

http://picasaweb.google.com/usa584/MCTrips#

So, now the RFAR Cycle is back in Ketchikan, resting for the winter. I made my presentation to the 1st City Rotary on my project plans and the presentation was well recieved.
I have developed a banner and logo for the cycles.

Here we go. RFAR!

RFAR's First Tour

I named the bike "Gertie" and it is one of the RFAR bikes. I do not anticipate that I will ever do this ride alone. Another Ketchikan Rotarian has pledged to join me on the "RFAR" adventure. He will get his ride together as we plan this adventure.

Also, "RFAR 1" is a 2004 BMW R1100S and is currently waiting in Denver.

The Gertie bike is ready. (BMW R75/7) We don't have the RFAR markings yet, but this is the test ride to make sure the original RFAR bike is ready. The fairing is repaired, painted and installed. Installation and fit was a bit of a struggle, but it all came together. I also installed a new switch and did some other electrical upgrades, so now all the electric functions work! Horn was the last to get fixed.

Our test ride will be from Ketchikan 6/30 on the ferry to Prince Rupert then on to Hyder Alaska and then back to Smithers BC on highway 17. We will spend a few days exploring around Hyder and Smithers then expect to return by ferry to Ketchikan by mid July.

One of my long time friends from Thorne Bay, Alaska will join me with his new Harley Sportser 883. This is his first experience with a long ride.

Let the adventure begin...

Gertie is RFAR Cycle

Here is the completed mechanical resto..

The RFAR Cycle

Nice Gipes, huh?? The Beemer guys were not impressed. The RFAR Cycle will end up mostly WHITE. It is for the purity of the cause, and safety of course.. I still have to prepare the fairing in WHITE , of course. My next project is to get the fine tuning done and the initial road tests done... to make sure all is functional and well. Then, I will start on the Krauser VK 1 and the saddle bags... in white.

Stand by.

RFARdahl

RFAR Cycle - Gertie is Alive!

From the frame painted to the implant of the engine and the rebuilt tranny.... then the drive train and the wiring harness, electronics, new carburators, new front end, forks, stem bearings, wheels, brakes, controls connected, new oil and checked and double checked.
On went the tank, seat and battery.
Switched on "Major Tom" count down one, two, three, and the engine came to life... a little rattled but alive.
Gertie has life once more.. so been fine tuning and been working on smoooooth operation.

I have checked and fixed, cleaned, replaced every and I mean every part that looked or acted funny or was worn... Gertie at the heart is like a new machine.

So sweet it is, a labor of love to send some 250 hours of time checking, adjusting and installing components.

Our test ride will be a trip to the BMWMOA (BMW Motor Owners Association) National Rally to be held in Redmond, OR on July 15. We are planning to ferry from Ketchikan to Bellingham,WA then ride to OR and participate in the Rally, then travel on to Santa Cruz, CA and ride Highway 1 to Astoria and then proceed on to BC and home in Alaska via 97 and Prince George to Prince Rupert.

This is the check ride. I will post the latest picture.

RFARdahl

So, Let the Adventure Begin! RFAR and Gertie

Ok,you have to start somewhere. This is the skeleton of "Gertie". The will be my trusty steed, a Classic BMW 750/7 Twin Roadster. "Simple by Design" and "Humanity in Motion" are my motto's.
I am rebuilding and reworking all the major components of this fine motorcycle. It was new in 1977 has a touring fairing and saddle bags. The bike is easy to manage and has a 300 mile range and have proven to be on of the most reliable of all motorcycles. Some of these bikes have been clocked to over 350,000 miles.
I have checked all the major subsystems and have replaced or repaired any item that is in question. I am currently repainting the frame, subframe and drive assemblies. I will begin to reassemble the bike this month and am goaling myself to have it ready for a spring road test in April.

I make my initial proposal for support to the 1st City Rotary Club Board of Directors tomarrow evening.

Follow on....RFARdahl

RFAR is Here!

Hello all,

At the change of the year, somehow I became inspired. My two sons and favorite nephew love motorcycles the associated activity. For me, it is just one of those things in my blood. It truly is flying on the ground. For years, I have had a fascination with quality and finesse. My ride of choice is the BMW. I had recently restored a garage find that was not running. I cleaned it up and repainted it and did a partial, mostly cosmetic restoration.. it came out beautiful. My youngest son took up an interest and bought a Buell Blast then announced that he wanted to get with me and do a tour. He said take the R-50 that I named 'Hanz". My response was I cannot do that to old Hanz. He is retired and deserves to look good. So, I was on a search. While visiting with son, the younger in Denver we went looking for parts for the Hanz and I ended up buying an salvage bike. It was dead, faded, flat tired, but it had potential.. no it was no BMW, but has that "special" feel. I could not resist. The younger said " I'll have it going in a week"
He did.. Well goes to find out this is sort of a cult bike. It is a Yamaha. (good engineering)
It is sort of a works experiment.. it turned out to be a model that was only produced for 82 and 83. The market killed the model. This is a very tweeky bike. A "V" twin, water cooled, 550cc, mono shock, shaft drive, factory fairing and goes like a bat out of hell. It is called a Vision, XZ550.
It is a technical maze of electronics and carburation, and therefore very tweeky. I like the bike and I rode it a couple of thousand miles last fall, but I still lusted for a simpler by design machine.
I wanted a Beemer. In 1976 I bought a new R90S, the bike of the year in the Cycle World. I rode it many a mile and toured the west coast from San Francisco to Alaska on it. At the time I was living in Seattle hated the rat race. I took up employment in at Ketchikan, Alaska in 1979.
Ketchikan is on an island, so I sold the R90, and have been trying to forget it for over 30 years.
Every time I see the classic models, I remember the great attributes of these well designed machines.

So, one day, I asked my Honey.. can I buy another rare motorcycle?? She looked at me and commented.. you already have two rare bikes, another??? I said, yes... to ride.
I can't ride Hanz it is an antique, only sunny days and short island rides, the "AKVISION" is too tweeky and likes to stay near a garage. I got the nod.
I found a 1977 R75/7 one of the last 600 BMW 750's to be imported to the USA. BMW never produced a 750 again. It is considered the height of refinement for the 750 engine. It comes with the new series frame and old simple electronics. These bikes have been known to log 100's of thousands of miles and are eminently re-buildable. A very bullet proof survivor, collectible bike.

I bought this bike in Denver and did a few little checks and tune up items and I rode it to Bellingham and brought it home to Ketchikan. I put it in the basement and started a total check out. That means engine out of the frame, front forks rebuild, transmission rebuild,full check out of electronics and mechanicals and replace or rebuild as necessary. So, at the present it is in pieces.

Now, that you have the back round, in January while sitting around with son #1 and favorite nephew and reviewing the great skiing in the middle of Canada, my mind wondered to my bike in pieces... I thought gosh, am 64 and want to do one great ride. My listeners perked right up.
How about from Alaska to South America... now that is an adventure. However as I thought about it ... there is no road from the Panama to Columbia.. there is Darian's gap. A swamp, snakes, spiders, and big bad things in the night. And what about the Drug Lords and Jungle Rebels. I changed my mind. So, I thought maybe Alaska to the Panama. Ok...

Now, why am I doing this??? Is there some high purpose??? Maybe it would help if I created one. So, I thought, How can I do good and do this ride? I was looking for a good purpose or a need to fill.
Well, I have been a Rotarian for over 25 years. Rotary has a Foundation. I have supported the Foundation by work at the Club, District and International level. So why not try to do something that will support and help the Rotary Foundation and all of its good works. So, reach out to Rotarian's and make them aware of the Foundations good works. It was a natural, ride and educate, fellowship and share.. that is one of the baselines of Rotary.

1. The development of acquaintance as and opportunity for service.
2. Opportunity to serve
3. Application of the ideal of service
4. Advancing International understanding and good will united in service.

The Rotary Foundation does so many good things in the world, I want to jump on a motorcycle and visit clubs and districts and beat the drum of knowledge and raise awareness amongst Rotarian's in Alaska, Canada, Mexico, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Costa Rica, and Panama.

1. The eradication of Polio via Polio Plus
2. Peace and Conflict Resolution Programs via Peace Fellowships
3. Ambassadorial Education Programs, Ambassadorial Scholarship Programs
4. Country to Country Group Study Exchanges
5. Water, Hunger, Literacy Grants and Help Programs

These are the main programs that the Foundation supports with funds and people.

So, RFAR is born.. Rotary Foundation Awareness Ride.