Atomic Shovel update: Yesterday was a really tough day in the world of Atomic Shovels. After all the diagnostics, KA Miller concluded, and I have to agree (as much because the evidence proves it out, as because I’m not smart enough to disagree and offer another scenario!!), that now the issue is fuel. Yes, the carb is gunked up, and that could be attributed to the new gasoline blends, but my other Shovel ISN’T having this same issue. So the glaring difference is that some previous owner of the Atomic Shovel thought it would be a fabulous idea to line the gas tanks. (Gee, thanks for that, dude…)
So there I was in a total panic. How am I gonna get my tanks cleaned and back on the bike in time for this ride coming up?
And then I thought, OK. I got this. Order new tanks and petcock, yank the old ones off and set them aside for later IF they can be salvaged, clean the carb, replace all the fuel lines. THAT is doable in the time I have left.
Fortunately, Atomic is black. I can probably manage a rattle can paint job on them so the bike will, from a galloping horse, look reasonably acceptable.
Once I found a solution that I can implement in the time remaining, my panic and mental paralysis vanished. Now I’m all about forward motion.
That said, my pal and all around cool guy Chris Tribbey sold me a set of quick release hardware for my tourpack, and it showed up today – dang, that’s SERVICE! He also gave me some guidance on which tanks to get today, and I have those on order, along with a petcock.
Tonight I drained the gas from the old nasty tanks, and while that was happening, I pulled the tourpack and mounted the new hardware. Woo-hoo! Operation Yank the Tanks is being deployed!
Feeling much more like my positive, let’s-get-it-done self today.
The Atomic Shovel 