Rides and Tales

The Hot Granny’s Honda VF-750-C Magna needed a new chain and this was wrench day.

The old master link was removed by grinding off the rivets using a Dremel tool and a large cut-off wheel. We used it to link the new chain with the old and, with the rear wheel in the air and the transmission in neutral, pulled the old chain off while the new one took its place on the sprockets.

Our friends at Dynamo Cycle made sure the chain we ordered came with both clip and rivet master link. The service manual warns against using the clip type, of course.
This is where the fun began. I expected that the new link would have holes in the ends of the rivets and could be crimped using a small chisel. After a trip to the closest hardware store for throw-away quality Chinese vise grips and chisel, I find that the rivets can only be crimped with a chain tool. Back at Dynamo, I’m told that the “economy “ version runs about one hundred US bucks.

While talking things over with Dynamo’s excellent staff member, the light goes on and he comes up with a self-crimping master link. I’d heard of them but didn’t think to ask if they sold them. I’m told that the brochure rates this link for “up to 1000 cc”, which in sportbiker reckoning is in the neighborhood of 160 hp.

O-rings are installed on the rivets, as per usual, but the rivets stick way out and are threaded on the end.

Nuts are threaded on and pulled down with a wrench, crimping the rivets in the process.

The nuts are then removed and the threaded parts are broken off with pliers. Smaller o-rings fit in a groove as a back-up safety measure.

Comes complete with instructions and goes on as advertised.
We’ll see how things look in 1000 miles.

The sky was overcast, the temperature in the mid 60’s, the wind was blowing and some mist was trying its best to be rain. It was the kind of day that cried out to be ridden in.

This day, the luckiest girl in Flour Bluff, and I, did something we hardly ever do. We rode south.

Actually, there’s a park 50 miles away in Kingsville, TX, she likes to bird watch in, Dick Kleberg Co. Park.
King, Kleberg and Kenedy are all important names in this area, connected with history, philanthropy and the King Ranch, once largest in the world.

The park is not manicured to sterility, it’s even a little down at the heels, maybe. I like it.

The creek that runs through it is named “Escondido (ess-cone-THEE-tho) Creek. In English, “hidden” creek, and I suspect is was, in times past. There’s something of a dam across it to make a pond for the park. We walked across the dam to the undeveloped side of the creek where my companion proved, still again, that she cannot stay on the path (its part of her charm).

The old pier has certainly seen better days, but is a good vantage point for the dedicated birder.

The Sexy Granny was delighted that we ran up on a flock of beautifully colored, noisy, scolding Green Jays. They are Deep South Texas birds that hardly ever fly north of our town and a species she was hoping to see.

Personally, I could give a flip, I just like watching her walk around.

A group called “Two Wheeled Texans” sing the old Hank Snow song, “I’ve Been Everywhere”, replacing the names of the towns with those of towns located in Texas. My Valkyrie owners club has decided to take photographs in all those towns, Bayside being one of them.

Bayside, TX sits aside SH 136, our favorite route to use when leaving Corpus Christi. I say, “aside” because its one of those small communities that never really crossed the road; almost all of it is on the Copano Bay side of the highway. I’ve driven past Bayside countless times, but today we pulled off the slab and checked her out.

First, we rode to the bay, itself, and found a very nice beach park and pier.

Part of my personal mission was to find the hotel where an erstwhile companion took refuge, years back.

A local told us that this great old mansion was, at least at one time, a sportsman’s hotel. The historical marker tells us that it’s the real deal, not a re-model.

The water tower, unlike the post office, has the town’s name on it, as does town hall.

As we were leaving Bayside we pulled over on the shoulder to take a photo of one of the best little sandwich shops in this part of the state. The lot is packed on weekends, and, of course, after Memorial Day.

When in Bayside, eat at Crofutt’s Sandwich Shop and Bakery.