I then rode back south on the Dragon and stopped at Deals Gap to get a drink and take off a bit of clothing.  Unfortunately - the rain started and looking south you could see a lot of dark clouds and rain.  The rain lasted about an hour and I started to pack and get ready to go home as there was no foreseeable end to the rain.  The rain let up a bit - but the pavement was soaked and it would not dry for hours.

I got all packed up and headed north on the Dragon, and within a couple miles the pavement was dry and there was no rain!  If I had ridden north I could have gotten out of the rain and onto dry roads!  By the time I got to Lake Fontana it was sunny, dry and 75 degrees.....it was 81 when I got to Maryville!

Here is a shot of the Tree of Shame just after the rain started.  If you look to the bottom right you can see I stuck my bike in the work area to keep it dry......I didn't want to pack a wet bike into the enclosed trailer for the trip home.

The trip was definitely the right thing to do and get the last trip of 2020! The weather was in the high 50's overnight and in the 60's-70's for the day rides........it is 46 degrees and damp here today.  The forecast for the next week is cloudy and rainy and 40-60 degrees.....there likely won't be any riding here for a week!  

Glad you had a fun ride Dave.

It was a good time.....maybe someday this Covid thing will let loose and we can have fun again (KY just closed all restaurant dining and univesuties are not allowed to have anyone on campus).

Thanks Springman

I sure enjoyed my Arkansas ride too , Marcia also.

Next year we'll have one of the bikes in the truck and making several trips.

I wonder who they blamed the pandimic on in the early 1900's ?    Untill nature takes it course we're sorta helpless .   I wear my mask at walmart and carry santizer anyway.  

It seems the protective hand of the Lord has been lifted off of us.   So untill we repair our (as a nation) relationship upstairs anything we do will be in vain.   Even if we do get some tempory relief with a vacine ... there will be something else come along.    I don't see the Nation coming to a revival anytime soom.  
 
Didn't we have a record storm season in 2020 ?   Deuteronomy 4:42 tell us that in the last days , we will  be in tribulation and we will return to the Lord.  Its just a matter of time ... kind of like Jonah telling the Lord he's not going to Nivina .  

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Dang !   I'm having left-over Chili ...  

Ive had leftovers today, not from Arkansas, but they are still leftovers.  
Oh, and then Paula made tacos for lunch.  
Mmmmmmmmmm 😎

MMRanch,
When I made a new longer pushrod, the old one measured .236'', or 6mm in dia. You will need to make it longer than stock if you have a extra steel plate.
The ends need to be rounded and as hard as you can get them. My first try mushroomed on the inside end and got shorter quick!
My rule for working hard steel without taking the temper out is, Never get it too hot to hold in your bare hand.

badwolf

That sound like some fine advice !
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Carl , the old push rod was make out of a broken hay-rake tooth .   They are  1/4" dia. and tempered spring steel.   I might have got it too hot while cutting it.   It was mushroomed on one end when I took it out , so I knew I needed better stuff to make the next one out of.
I suspect the rod getting shorter (mushroomed) might have contributed to the rocker having to work out of its prime area leading to braking .

So

OldFeller , that idea of a bearing in the mix leaves me wondering ???
Where the ball and the pushrod meet there might need to be a dimple to keep the ball in the middle to fight the "Double-stacking" tendency .    

That might be what happened to the Guzzi ?  If the ball and the rod were trying to double stack that might explain the behavior :
The ADJUSTMENT kept getting to much slack .
The FORCE to pull kept getting greater.
Even if it was only mushrooming and getting shorter a problem with increased dia. of the rod could make the clutch harder to pull. ??
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So OldFeller ,

you got any ideas about keeping to ball/rod junction in good shape ?

I'll start looking for some ball bearings , I'll need one for the Savage and another for the Guzzi.
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I took machine shop in trade school after the Army.   It was a 18 month class and so I've been a "Journey-man machinist ever since.   I only worked in the field long enough to find out what a dirty job it really is , but all knowledge is good to have.
So its easy to introduce some extra Carbon to steel and easy to case harden it too.   I didn't know the pushrod was going to take such a beating or I would have treated it differently.