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Message started by cheapnewb24 on 07/01/16 at 13:13:39

Title: I'm Baaack! Did ya miss me!?!?
Post by cheapnewb24 on 07/01/16 at 13:13:39

Well... The short of it is this: I felt like taking a break from forum posting. Then I lowsided. Then I used that as an excuse to park the bike to pull maintenance. Cam tensioner, oil change, blah, blah, blah.... Big mistake! Since I got lazy and never pulled maintenance, I ended up missing at least 6 weeks of good riding weather. Then I tightened up my drive belt to eliminate a slippage problem and took it for a test drive to buy gas. Afterwards, I discovered that my belt was torn half in two, but I drove it to work anyway (no more full throttle, though).

Wa da ya think? Another belt... or shall I say hello to the chain conversion? Remember that I run dirt every day.

Title: Re: I'm Baaack! Did ya miss me!?!?
Post by LANCER on 07/01/16 at 14:29:57

Dirt every day ? ?  

BELT

Title: Re: I'm Baaack! Did ya miss me!?!?
Post by cheapnewb24 on 07/01/16 at 14:43:28

Why do dirt bikes use chains? :-? I read in other threads that dirt roads were hard on belt drives.

Title: Re: I'm Baaack! Did ya miss me!?!?
Post by cheapnewb24 on 07/01/16 at 14:55:30

Here's a funny story...

While I wasn't riding I built a beehive... and then blew out my knee fleeing from angry bees.   ;D ::)

Title: Re: I'm Baaack! Did ya miss me!?!?
Post by cheapnewb24 on 07/01/16 at 15:01:34

FYI, I broke my clutch adjuster and left-hand mirror in the latest crash. I can manage without them for the moment, but if anyone has a clutch lever or mirror to sell, I might be interested.

Title: Re: I'm Baaack! Did ya miss me!?!?
Post by KennyG on 07/01/16 at 18:17:02

FWIW

I cannot recall any saying that you were missed. :-/

Title: Re: I'm Baaack! Did ya miss me!?!?
Post by cheapnewb24 on 07/01/16 at 18:52:43

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyxkODGdp1E
[/media]
Now I just need to get some orange juice...

Title: Re: I'm Baaack! Did ya miss me!?!?
Post by oldNslow on 07/01/16 at 19:00:55


6F64696D7C62697B6E3E380C0 wrote:
Why do dirt bikes use chains? :-? I read in other threads that dirt roads were hard on belt drives.


Dirt roads, and dirt race tracks, are pretty hard on chains too. Ask a motocross or enduro racer how long his chains and sprockets last.

Chains are used on dirt bikes for reasons that aren't really related to their longevity.

Sprockets are smaller and lighter than pulleys. That's especially important at the rear wheel where the less unsprung weight the better. A sprocket instead of a pulley on the output shaft contributes to designing a skinnier engine, which is a plus on an off road bike.

Dirt bikes have a lot of suspension travel. A chain can be run looser than a belt to accommodate that travel.

Chain and sprocket final drive makes gearing changes simple. That's mostly important to racers, but it comes in handy for tinkerers too.

If you happen to break a chain on a long off road ride or enduro type  race it's pretty easy to repair it with stuff that doesn't take up much room - couple of master links, a three or four inch section of chain, a chain breaker will fit in a jacket pocket. The only way to fix a broken belt is to replace it. A new belt isn't as easy to carry.

Chains and sprockets are considered to be normal maintenance items on any motorcycle that is ridden hard or for long distances in the dirt. I've got no idea how a belt would stand up to that kind of riding. Iv'e never seen one on a real dirt bike.




.

Title: Re: I'm Baaack! Did ya miss me!?!?
Post by pg on 07/01/16 at 19:35:54

I agree with everything Oldnslow said and the only thing I will add is it doesn't feel good when a little rock get stucks in between the belt & sprocket.  

With 30 years of riding this is the first I've seen of this, it is new from Yamaha this year and it is made from the Bolt platform.

https://www.yamahamotorsports.com/sport-heritage/models/scr950

http://https://cloud.yamahamotorsports.com/library/img.jpg?id=574f0e8f2a0ab664cc2b5554&w=840

Best regards,

Title: Re: I'm Baaack! Did ya miss me!?!?
Post by old_rider on 07/01/16 at 20:01:56

Just buy a virago and put dirt tires on it....

It is a shaft drive.... :)

Title: Re: I'm Baaack! Did ya miss me!?!?
Post by oldNslow on 07/01/16 at 20:27:07


Quote:
With 30 years of riding this is the first I've seen of this, it is new from Yamaha this year and it is made from the Bolt platform.


I like the Bolts, and that's by far the best looking one of the bunch. But at 547 pounds and with 2,8 " of rear suspension travel I don't think I'd be doin' much dirt riding on it. That baby is 170 pounds heavier than my STREET bike.

Title: Re: I'm Baaack! Did ya miss me!?!?
Post by justin_o_guy2 on 07/02/16 at 00:01:49

Im liking the Ducati Scrambler quite a bit.


Belts require that stuff be taken apart, chains can be routed through...

Title: Re: I'm Baaack! Did ya miss me!?!?
Post by gizzo on 07/02/16 at 00:29:49

OP: not really. I did wonder whether something had happened to you. Did you get banned from the beekeeping forum?
JoG I like the scrambler a lot too. I'd like one. 2 belts in that bad boy (on the inside).

Title: Re: I'm Baaack! Did ya miss me!?!?
Post by thumperclone on 07/02/16 at 01:43:08

are three any dirt bikes with belts??

Title: Re: I'm Baaack! Did ya miss me!?!?
Post by Oldfeller on 07/02/16 at 05:26:30


557B705D6C7F6D761E0 wrote:
FWIW

I cannot recall any saying that you were missed. :-/



::)    No, they did not, now did they?

Title: Re: I'm Baaack! Did ya miss me!?!?
Post by justin_o_guy2 on 07/02/16 at 05:47:59


5D474341407E4F5C5A5C474A494B2E0 wrote:
OP: not really. I did wonder whether something had happened to you. Did you get banned from the beekeeping forum?
JoG I like the scrambler a lot too. I'd like one. 2 belts in that bad boy (on the inside).



Belts inside the Ducati?

Went looking,, yep, timing belts,,and the stock setup is way lean and the Fix is reprogramming the ECU..

Title: Re: I'm Baaack! Did ya miss me!?!?
Post by cheapnewb24 on 07/02/16 at 12:17:28

Did I get banned from the beekeeping forum???

Nope... I haven't joined one... yet.  [smiley=evil.gif] [smiley=grin.gif]

Why would you ask? Is it just because I'm annoying? Or do you think I'm a terrible beekeeper?

Title: Re: I'm Baaack! Did ya miss me!?!?
Post by justin_o_guy2 on 07/02/16 at 14:21:19

Is it just because I'm annoying?

Hey, WE didn't chase you away.






Or do you think I'm a terrible beekeeper?


Well, I've read about bee keeping. Nowhere did they say anything about it being good to get chased.

And you didn't say anything about what happened when the knee gave up. The Story Is
I was being chased. I blew up a knee.

Did you get away? Did the knee give up, you fall down and Theeeen?

Were you Dressed Properly for handling BEES?
Wait, let me Guess...

You just had enough money for the hive, the bees and a smoker. You're Planning on getting the suit/helmet/gloves set up soon.  


I'm just a beginner, I can't justify buying
The Best Tools...

But the Beginner is the one who Needs the best stuff, if he's going to get through the whole
I really don't know everything yet
part.

Watching the guys who have decades of experience let bees just cover their faces makes my skin crawl..


One day I want some bees,, good for you, going and doing it.

How is that knee?

Title: Re: I'm Baaack! Did ya miss me!?!?
Post by cheapnewb24 on 07/02/16 at 16:57:14

Actually, I've had bees for many years. I just haven't done much with them lately. I used 8 frame medium Langstroth style (the type you normally see) hives. I built a Kenyan top bar hive. Thought maybe it would suit me better. It's supposed to encourage the bees to not get so upset, but I guess I haven't gotten the proper technique settled yet. I did have a full bee suit on, but a few got in my veil, and they were very upset at me. I was too lazy to give them some smoke, and I assume their breeding is not very gentle at the moment. One good thing is that they seem pretty good at taking care of themselves. That means a lot these days.

I had a swarm, and I had to do something with it or risk having them fly away. Bees are expensive these days. I had wanted to try the new hive design for awhile, but hadn't gotten to it. I put them in some of the stuff that I had, and I ended up tearing the conventional frames apart and transferring the new combs they had built along with with the attached top bars to the new hive. Worked nicely except that they made a mess out of some of it, so it didn't all work quite so nicely. There's a lot to talk about concerning my whole project. Here's a link to get you started. http://www.motherearthnews.com/homesteading-and-livestock/langstroth-top-bar-or-warre-zbcz1310.aspx

My knee is worse than after the bike accident. I heard a pop or crunch. I hope that was the sound of the cartilage jumping around and not ligaments tearing.  :-/ Took a minute before I wanted to walk again. I retained nearly my full range of motion until after awhile of having an Ace wrap on it, after which it swelled up. I made it to my cousin's wedding the next day. I could limp around. I sometimes used a cane. There is still a little swelling as I don't have my full range of motion yet. There is a little tenderness around the inside of the joint.
I used a little ice on it, but not much. I can't say there's any miracle cure... Just use it, strengthen it, and don't hurt it again. I didn't go to the doctor. What's the best he could do? Charge me $90 to see him, charge more for an MRI, only to tell me that I need surgery costing tens of thousands of dollars?

I need to start lifting weights again. Being out of shape may be contributing to my injuries. Properly and carefully done squats should help tighten  that knee up, amongst other exercises.

Title: Re: I'm Baaack! Did ya miss me!?!?
Post by cheapnewb24 on 07/02/16 at 17:05:55

As far as running away... I did it a time or two before I blew it. I was running downhill in those awkward white coveralls and veil wearing logger boots. The boots didn't help my rickety knee. I guess my foot didn't hit the ground right or something was out of alignment, so my knee buckled or tried to jump out of socket or something. And no... I didn't fall down. I just limped to the rest of the way. I might have limped down the driveway some or maybe I just went to the back of my car. I remember resting at the back of my car. Running from the bees was no longer my top priority.

I need to work on them again to keep their combs in proper order, amongst other things, but I haven't gotten to it yet. I guess it was exactly a week ago that it happened.

Title: Re: I'm Baaack! Did ya miss me!?!?
Post by cheapnewb24 on 07/02/16 at 17:38:18

JOG,

You don't necessarily need a lot of expensive equipment, especially with the Top Bar HIve. With the tbh, I've been using a butter-knife to get by, if that tells you how easy it can be. Combs get attached, and bees glue things together, so you need some tools to cut and pry with, but there doesn't seem to be quite as much heavy prying in a TBH. Of course, I don't have the experience to really tell yet.

You should have a smoker. Essentially how it works is this... You have a canister with a cone to point the smoke. Then you have a bellows and a hole in the bottom of the canister for the air to be blown in from the bottom. The burning media (ideally cotton or other non-toxic-smoke-producing stuff) is raised off the bottom by a little bit by a holey plate thingy. once I get the fire going good, I cool it off by putting some green grass on top of the burning stuff. Smoke tends to be produced naturally by not pushing the bellows so much. You could possibly build a smoker yourself from scratch if you feel like it. Mine is stainless steel. I think I bought mine from Brushy Mountain Bee Farm many years ago. I think they are still around. Look up their website. Their phone number was 1-800-beeswax. Mann Lake is another good supplier.

The important thing is the delivery of cool smoke to calm the bees and make them gorge on honey instead of getting angry and stinging. I have noticed that when they get upset, it is hard not to squish them as they start boiling out of the hive and constantly get in the way.

If you want, you can get gentle bees. Carniolan bees are really gentle. I remember inspecting my Carnies many years ago without any protection during good conditions. I was stung once in the finger, but only because I squished one. :) Note that carnies are known for one major aggravating trait... They SWARM.... alot! No it doesn't mean scary bee attack... It means reproduction. Think of a large fraction of your nice bustling hive-- young bees with your old queen that you might have even paid big bucks for-- flying away to a new home--of their choosing-- not yours!

You should also have a suit as a beginner, especially if you don't have sweet-tempered bees but some experienced beekeepers out there don't really wear one. I remember one on Youtube that mentioned using only a cheap mosquito veil or something over a baseball cap.

I'll tell you one thing... Those thick gloves ruin your dexterity and will squish bees and make them rather unhappy.  :( The tradeoff is that you don't get stung...unless you make them so mad they find a hole in your suit and sting the snot out of you.  :( I got one sting I think through my suit the last time I worked them. I got more than one inside my veil. Now that will make you nervous. Especially when the bees are attacking you hot and heavy. I suggest buying a purpose-made suit-- a good one. Mine is pretty crappy. Got 'em from Drapers Super Bee Apiaries many years ago. They are essentially generic white coveralls with a zipper sewed on for the veil. >:( All the crevices I have to tape up! >:( Elastic around the ankles and wrists is a good thing to look for. We got a much better suit from Brushy Mountain, but I don't think it's suitable for my veil. Don't go overboard though.. Unless you're badly allergic to stings, there's no sense in paying big bucks for something made for Africanized "killer" bees. If you are allergic, you should probably carry around and Epi-Pen or Benadryl anyway.


Title: Re: I'm Baaack! Did ya miss me!?!?
Post by cheapnewb24 on 07/02/16 at 18:23:53

A tip on building the hive... I built a modified version of Wyatt Mangum's design. I'd advise making the upper width of the hive no more than 19 inches on the outside so that conventional langstroth top bars can be used if needed. (And I needed it ;)). The sides slope inward in order to discourage comb attachments and strengthen the comb. The combs have no frames, so this is a major issue. Newly built comb heavy with honey is vulnerable to break, especially in the hot sun. They have to be held a certain way so as not to break them. The hive must be level, and the beekeeper needs to be skilled with the way he manages the hive in order to keep the bees building clean, neat combs. If one comb gets made crooked, they'll keep making them crooked. You may not understand what I'm talking about here, but if you've ever dealt with it, you'd know that when the bees make messy combs that are stuck together in a maze or built in the wrong direction, the beekeeper can't access the combs and he may end up destroying the combs just to get into the hive  to work it. In the case of honey, it's a mess that can drown bees. In the case of brood, that's baby bees' lives at risk. It's actually illegal in many places to have hives without movable combs because you can't get in there to inspect for diseases.

The critical thing is that when the bees are given a very specific amount of space, they are likely (not certain)  to build neat, movable combs. Lorenzo Lorraine Langstroth, a minister back in the 1800's, is credited with inventing the modern conventional beehive and discovering something known as bee space. Bees like to keep between 1/4 and 3/8 inch distance between their combs. Spaces tighter get glued up with propolis. Bigger spaces are vulnerable to be bridged over with brace comb and stuff (mess). I think worker brood combs are about 7/8 inch wide. Honey combs can be made much wider. It is popular to space combs anywhere between 1-1/4 inches (popular for brood) to 1-1/2 inches (popular for honey) apart. The accepted standard is 1-3/8 inches. Now you can go play with a table saw and cut your fingers off  ;D or you can do this easy fix. Go to Lowes and buy some 1x2 inch untreated furring strips. They are exactly 1.5 inches wide. Cut them into fourths and you're done. Yay! Except for one thing... If you've put the bees into an empty box, they won't know how to build their combs. You need to give them an edge... (Pun alert!) Literally give them an edge (called a comb guide) down the center of several top bars. There are several ways to do this. Some even involve melted beeswax or foundation strips. What I did was buy some triangular chamfer molding from Lowes (kinda expensive) amd cut it into 16 inch pieces and nailed it to the underside center of the bars. They don't all need this though. If you simply put a new blank bar (no guide, nothing) in between two straight proper sized combs, they'll often build the new comb center of the new bar.  :)

For my hive body I went with one between four and five feet long using regular twelve inch boards all around. You want straight boards that aren't warped much. I used mostly hand tools, if that explains how simple it is. The top was 19 inches wide, a little wider than Wyatt Mangum's design, and the bottom is over 9 inches wide. Tried to make it 9.25 to fit a 10 inch board, but had technical problems. I put in a bunch of 3/8 inch entrance holes in the front end, some in the top, some in the bottom. I put a handle on each end 2 feet long. I nailed the sides and bottom directly into the ends using framing nails (I guess 3 inch???) I drilled pilot holes to prevent splitting. I meant to make a landing board but never got to it. I put 1/4 x 3/4 inch moulding strips on the ends to give something for the frames to but up against. Those moulding strips make good spacers and fill in's to stuff in cracks and in between certain types of top bars for special uses. Instead of paint, I used lime and salt whitewash. The top bars form the inner cover, but to keep the heat of the sun off to prevent comb breakage and to and provide additional protection, I took a piece of plywood house siding and nailed 2x2's on it for an air gap and threw that on top with a concrete block.

Title: Re: I'm Baaack! Did ya miss me!?!?
Post by justin_o_guy2 on 07/02/16 at 19:12:51

but a few got in my veil, and they were very upset at me..

Well, since it has Most of the bees Outside the veil, I guess it's best to keep it on, so the next step is punch yourself in the face, huhh?

Lousy day, and running downhill is Very hard on the knees.

Title: Re: I'm Baaack! Did ya miss me!?!?
Post by cheapnewb24 on 07/02/16 at 19:30:24

;D  Sometimes when they get into your veil you can squish them if they get into the right place.

Title: Re: I'm Baaack! Did ya miss me!?!?
Post by Boofer on 07/03/16 at 19:33:13

Me either. And remember, you asked.

Title: Re: I'm Baaack! Did ya miss me!?!?
Post by Ruttly on 07/03/16 at 20:52:36

Now we know what's wrong with you an overload of bee venom in your brain !
Welcome Back newbee

Title: Re: I'm Baaack! Did ya miss me!?!?
Post by cheapnewb24 on 07/03/16 at 21:21:49

;D   Thanks Ruttly.

Title: Re: I'm Baaack! Did ya miss me!?!?
Post by Ruttly on 07/04/16 at 09:37:57

Generally critters like bees & rattlesnakes are best left alone. With more respect for bees , rattlesnakes don't attack in swarms !

Title: Re: I'm Baaack! Did ya miss me!?!?
Post by old_rider on 07/04/16 at 11:58:39

I remember my dad had six hives and for the first two years I helped. But after the second year, I did the comb change out on one, and they swarmed me... I had not used the smoke either (I got lazy).
We really had the hives too close anyway (small property)...

Long story short, I had a bunch of stings and after that episode, I somehow became allergic to the stings and started swelling up really bad.

The reason we got them was for mom..... she wanted fresh honey.... so dad did a crash course on bee keeping. Dad got kinda lazy with them, and since me and my brother had to do the 'chores' (they had way too many animals) we had to take over the bee's.

When I swelled so bad my elbow would not bend.... we got rid of them, Dad was not going to keep them after that.

Bee's are supposed to teach you to keep calm, because if you don't, supposedly they can sense it or something.... kinda like dogs and cats can.

I was looking at starting a hive here in Florida, now that I am older and would do it correctly.... guys from Australia have the right idea :)

http://www.honeyflow.com/

Title: Re: I'm Baaack! Did ya miss me!?!?
Post by gizzo on 07/04/16 at 14:01:04

A mate of mine has a flow hive. He says it's great and works perfectly. He doesn't needany protective gear. It cost a lot of money but I have no idea what the trad style hives cost anyway.

Title: Re: I'm Baaack! Did ya miss me!?!?
Post by old_rider on 07/05/16 at 06:11:22

I have a flowering bush or two here in my yard every spring it loads up with bees.
Two years ago there was a swarm (cluster) on my neighbors property, a fella from middle Alabama came down and got it.
The neighbor just did a search for beekeepers and picked the first guy he came across.
Thing is, there are two guys in Navarre that raise bee's and sell the honey from the back of their truck or at the flea market nearby.
Guy from Alabama was estatic... "new blood" he says :) Guess bee's have genetics too, who knew :)
I remember the day we went to get a swarm for one of our boxes, it was out in the woods on a dirt road, a friend of dad's said a farmer had called him.
We drove the backroads home, I was in a suit in the back of a pickup with a camper shell holding a big ass limb set with the swarm on it.
LOL... those were the days.

Title: Re: I'm Baaack! Did ya miss me!?!?
Post by Kris01 on 07/05/16 at 17:37:34

There's probably laws against that nowadays!  ;D

Title: Re: I'm Baaack! Did ya miss me!?!?
Post by Ruttly on 07/05/16 at 18:53:02

Keep the mustard handy. Once you've been stung,remove the stinger(s) and then put a blob of yellow mustard on the sting, has a natural numbing affect. Always take it camping !

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