Motorcycle Maintenance Foibles

Update:  Well, Foible #3 isn't true.  While sitting in a different chair in my garage/man cave this morning on a conference call I saw where I had stashed the lay-down license plate bracket.  Whew.  Hopefully tonight I will have some time to mask off the fender and get ready to paint.

Yes, foibles, because the other "f-word" wouldn't do as a post title.  But if you are wondering, it's not "follies" (although that would work) and normally ends in "-up".

Felt like listing a few motorcycle maintenace foibles for you, my one or two readers, so I don't start coming across like I've got this all figured out and am some kind of top-knotch mechanic.  I'm probably not much better than a low average mechanic-I usually have to read the shop manual twice, google or youtube videos, ask friends and still mess stuff up.  Here's three recent examples:

1)  As chronicled in this blog post, while working on a friend's bike I was prepared to wrestle loose his brake rotor bolts.  So I inserted allen driver, started applying pressure, and immediately stripped the bolt.  Quite how it happened we couldn't figure out, but it looked like some road grit was in the bottom of the bolt hole and caused the "key" not to seat fully.  Should have checked them all.

2) While trying to remove the radiator cover and oil cooler cover on my Connie to clean them up and re-paint them black, I try all kinds of phillips screw drivers working around the fairing and forks.  Instead of finding the right one to both fit the size of the screw head and reach in, I angle a screwdriver that sort of fits the pattern.  Yep, another stripped fastener since it's likely been on there since 1986.  So an easy maintenace action will now take over an hour when I get to it.  On a better note, oil cooler cover came off and is now freshly painted black!

3) As my prep work on the Sportster fenders continues (update 2 here) I added two more parts I have taken off the rear fender to the bag of parts.  Looking at the parts I notice the lay-down license plate mount isn't in the main bag.  So I look for the bag it is in.  I recently repositioned my work bench about 18 inches and didn't completely unload it before moving, but did move some items.  Of course, guess which parts may have been lost?  Replacement is $29.99 at the Harley dealership, gonna check Bike Bandit but also request some of my Chrome Cash just in case....

Yep, my bikes would be fine except for the nut that works on them in the garage!

Update 2: Sportster rattle can paint job: Prep Day Two

Spent another hour or so last night spot sanding and feathering the rear fender with 325 grit sandpaper and occasionally coarser grit sandpaper to get some specific spots sanded out and then feathered.

I finished up by wet sanding with more 325 grit paper and then checking everything out.  I think it's time to mask off the few trim pieces and fasteners I didn't remove and spray a primer check coat.  Then lightly sand anything that shows me, and lightly sand the front fender and spray a check coat on it.  The front fender is in better shape.  While I know that doesn't make sense at first, I've run this bike around without the front fender (more custom motorcycle look) most spring/summers, which out here in San Diego is most the year!

Hope to have the check coat on at least the rear fender by tonight and will update as the custom rattle can paint job progresses.

Ride report: Cycle Gear San Marcos Bike Night and light show on the long way home

I'll get back to motorcycle maintenance posts this weekend but wanted to post a ride report about the bike night I went to, parts on sale and then the good ride home afterwards.

The fourth Thursday of each month the San Marcos Cycle Gear hosts a bike night and our local Christian Motorcyclists Association (CMA) chapter and I either set-up our booth or at least show up and shop, look at the "ride-in bike show" and generally hang-out.  Last night we had 5 CMA'ers and 1 family member show up, as well as a smattering of independent riders and a few sportbike clubs.  There was an interesting assortment of bikes-one classic Kawasaki Concours (hmm, wonder who's bike that was?  hee hee), some Harley's, some custom motorcycles and even two dirt bikes for sale that made the trip in the back of a pick-up!  One of the customs was a chopped Honda UJM that was clean, and another was a stretched Hayabusa with more chrome than all the bikes I've owned put together.  Sweet bike, but man I bet it's a hassle keeping it looking that good!

As usual Cycle Gear had door prizes up to a $50 gift card, but I didn't win any.  Oh well, can't win every month.  They also had the normal large amount of their products on 50% off sale, and one part I really needed-a 12 volt (aka cigarette lighter) outlet with wiring!  The replacement left inner fairing for my Connie had one in it, but no wiring, so for a whopping $9.95 I got a new plug, mounting accessories, and a wiring harness.  Will make that project much quicker when done sanding and painting the Sportster parts.

Near the end of the Bike Night we saw a cool looking cloud forming out to the east.  As the sun set, heat lighting started jumping across the cloud, and as I headed through Escondido to Ramona, the light show got better and better.  I could watch it pretty well, as I never cleared enough traffic to push my speed, and also I haven't ridden CA 78 after dark before.  I'm still slow in the twisties, so between traffic and nightfall I opted to go easily and enjoy the rare Southern California lightening.  Once I got to Ramona, a quick (well for a Connie gas tank, added 5.5 gallons!) stop for gas and then down 67 to Poway and the Poway Grade.

More riding this weekend, and probably sanding the Sportster fenders too.