Blackbird down!

Keys · Post by **Keys** » Tue Jul 14, 2009 3:07 am

Blew up the engine in my Blackbird Saturday. Did about a hundred miles in over 100 degree weather. I think it was too much. I either blew a cylinder gasket or holed a piston....no compression. It's at the dealer's now...

--Keys

laxer · Post by **laxer** » Tue Jul 14, 2009 3:37 am

Awww Dammit! Well, let us know what it is and how it turns out, that really sucks!

bigbropgo · Post by **bigbropgo** » Tue Jul 14, 2009 3:52 am

crap! hope its the gasket. keep us posted.

Syd · Post by **Syd** » Tue Jul 14, 2009 4:15 am

Bummer, Keys. Does Scooter and Auto Source have a shop?

Keys · Post by **Keys** » Tue Jul 14, 2009 4:26 am

Yeah, they do...in Prescott. I took it to them Saturday evening and they took it over to the shop that night.

Good news is they gave me a loaner. Bad news is it's a Diamo. Not the worst Chinese scooter...in fact it has good power and handles well...I just hate the handlebar positioning.

Also hate that it's not my Blackbird. I miss it already!

--Keys

bigbropgo · Post by **bigbropgo** » Tue Jul 14, 2009 4:33 am

do you think it was just the heat? 100 miles in 100 degrees is rough but thought maybe it could handle it. 100 miles on hills and 100 miles at 45 mph might be different also. still, sorry it happened. hope its a quick, inexpensive fix.

Syd · Post by **Syd** » Tue Jul 14, 2009 5:19 am

Well, best of luck, Keys. Ride that loaner like, well, a loaner!

Wheelz · Post by **Wheelz** » Tue Jul 14, 2009 7:22 am

Major bummer about yer Bird, Keys. I was gonna do 100+ 2 morrow, now I'll haveta watch the heat...
Well, I hope yer up again soon, and don't go joining Modern Diamo, on us

Keys · Post by **Keys** » Tue Jul 14, 2009 7:36 am

bigbropgo wrote:100 miles in 100 degrees is rough but thought maybe it could handle it. 100 miles on hills and 100 miles at 45 mph might be different also.

Well, I left Cottonwood and went out the twisties through Cornville (who comes up with these names, anyway???) to Beaverhead Flats Road. Nice long sweepers for 6 miles to Hwy 179 north to Sedona. Uphill through some good tight corners through the Village of Oak Creek, into the actual town of Sedona. Hooked a right and chased Hwy 89A up Oak Creek Canyon to Flagstaff. Now, this road is a FABULOUS ride...through overhead Cottonwood trees and rocky canyon walls. However, it climbs from about 3500 ft. elevation to over 7000 ft. in about 5 miles. Serious climbing. And I was full throttle all the way.

Then, back down through Sedona (about 20-some miles between Flagstaff and Sedona) where I stopped at my dealer who offered me a part-time job which I accepted. Then back down towards Cottonwood on 89A, which is a 65 mph highway. Again, full throttle for about 15 miles to Page Springs Road. 8 miles of fabulous corners under some Cottonwood tree shade along the Verde River. This took me back into Cornville, where I hooked a right towards Cottonwood. About 3 miles from Cottonwood I heard about a second of rattling in the engine area, then it quit. And that's were it stayed.

So, although the scooter quit, I had a marvelous ride that day. Wish you all could have been there to enjoy it with me.

--Keys

nissanman · Post by **nissanman** » Tue Jul 14, 2009 12:40 pm

Blackbird shall rise from the ashes (gasket ashes that is) like a Phoenix!

MacJac · Post by **MacJac** » Tue Jul 14, 2009 2:08 pm

Sorry to hear Keys. I've been to Sedona 5 times by car, and can only imagine the view and ride you had.

B02S4 · Post by **B02S4** » Tue Jul 14, 2009 2:34 pm

At least you didn't crash, which is what I thought happened when I read the subject line...

Keys · Post by **Keys** » Wed Jul 15, 2009 1:33 am

It has been discovered that I had a small leak at the oil injection port, meaning that it was NOT getting a full shot of oil each time the throttle was opened. The upshot was that I ended up with burned rings and a scored cylinder...50 p.s.i. compression.

Parts are on order.

--Keys

Syd · Post by **Syd** » Wed Jul 15, 2009 1:56 am

Keys wrote:Well, I left Cottonwood and went out the twisties through Cornville (who comes up with these names, anyway???) to Beaverhead Flats Road. Nice long sweepers for 6 miles to Hwy 179 north to Sedona. Uphill through some good tight corners through the Village of Oak Creek, into the actual town of Sedona. Hooked a right and chased Hwy 89A up Oak Creek Canyon to Flagstaff. Now, this road is a FABULOUS ride...through overhead Cottonwood trees and rocky canyon walls. However, it climbs from about 3500 ft. elevation to over 7000 ft. in about 5 miles. Serious climbing. And I was full throttle all the way.

Then, back down through Sedona (about 20-some miles between Flagstaff and Sedona) where I stopped at my dealer who offered me a part-time job which I accepted. Then back down towards Cottonwood on 89A, which is a 65 mph highway. Again, full throttle for about 15 miles to Page Springs Road. 8 miles of fabulous corners under some Cottonwood tree shade along the Verde River. This took me back into Cornville, where I hooked a right towards Cottonwood.

I was up in the Village the weekend of the 4th and was going to ride up the switchbacks on the Fiddle, but when I hit the light in Uptown Sedona, it was bumper to bumper southbound traffic as far as the eye could see, all at a dead stop, so I just turned around and went back 179. I was disappointed, to say the least.

Keys · Post by **Keys** » Wed Jul 15, 2009 6:46 am

It was bumper to bumper that day as well, from Slide Rock about 2 miles north on the southbound side. I got tired of waiting and rode the gutter past all the cars.

--Keys

Syd · Post by **Syd** » Wed Jul 15, 2009 7:10 am

The advantage of 2 wheels!

Keys · Post by **Keys** » Tue Jul 28, 2009 2:39 pm

Got the Blackbird back yesterday...runs GREAT!!! It's amazing what a few pounds of compression can do!

--Keys

nissanman · Post by **nissanman** » Wed Jul 29, 2009 2:18 am

That's what I always say

B02S4 · Post by **B02S4** » Wed Jul 29, 2009 2:58 am

Especially in the right direction