Sorry I didn't update last weekend. I got a little caught up in some projects around the house so this post will be a big one.
Lets start where I left off. I was finishing up Course 2 (Suspension, Wheels, Tires) and we were getting ready for our final exam. I finished all my projects with perfect scores except for one. I had to remove a rear wheel, remove the tire from the rim and put it back, put the wheel back on the bike and adjust the belt. I screwed up and didn't pump the brake pressure back up when I was done. I didn't even think to do it while the bike was on the lift as I ALWAYS check the brakes when I get on a bike before I even start it and I just thought I would do it before what would have been the test ride but I should have done it while it was on the lift. The rules of project were to make the bike ready to hand off to the customer...I just got excited that it was the last project and I was heading towards a 100% for the entire course. Live and learn. I got a 100% on the final exam and finished out the course with a 99%. I gave it my best really and I'm happy with it. While I don't consider myself an expert on anything we covered yet, I do feel I have a good grasp of the basics and I'm ready to hit these topics again in the later courses where we'll cover them in more detail.
We started into Course 3 (Machine Shop & Precision Measuring) and have finished the first week. This instructor really has us on cruise control and doesn't seem to have any desire to let us get into high gear. It's a good thing too because boring and honing cylinders is a skill that takes much patience as I found out Friday night when I got a little jumpy and cut too much out on my first practice run. That's why they call it practice and that's why we are using junk cylinders that we can't hurt too bad. The measuring exercise was just a repeat of stuff we did in Course 1 to help nail the skills in a little harder. I didn't have a problem at all with that. I haven't been able to get into honing the cylinder quite yet as the equipment available for everyone to use is extremely limited for some odd reason in this course and we have to share quite a bit. It makes it hard to get a lot of time working on these projects but we seem to be making it work so far.
I find myself more and more hating Friday's just because it means I have two days of no learning on the weekends. I'm looking into buying a salvage motorcycle from one of the auction places around here so I can just tear it up on the weekends and play around with it. I don't have any illusions of fixing it up to ride though. I just want some more practice and I figure a wrecked bike is the way to go since I can't hurt it.
Oh..........and in case you were wondering, I got a 100 on the first exam in Course 3.
I'll try to update again around Wednesday. I'm also still running with 100% attendance too! Not one minute missed to date.
