Time to start blogging again!

Don't know who will see this, as this blog has zero official followers, but it's time to start blogging again.  After a short work caused break (if 5 months is short) I'm back and back riding.  It's great, especially living in Southern California where we can ride year round.

Mainly been just riding around, but I did go to a Cycle Gear bike night last night.  Pretty good crowd, and I recognized some faces.  There was some pretty neat heated gear now available at Cycle Gear, but I want to check other vendors like LeatherUp and especially Bike Bandit.  Shameless plug time:  There should be Bike Bandit ads on the page-I recommend them highly, and find their customer service and shipping fast and reliable.  I'll need a new motorcycle tire soon-and since I didn't win the Cycle Gear gift card last night, it will be time to comparison shop soon.

That's it for tonight, but promise to be more frequent in updating the blog.

Big sales at BikeBandit AND support Wounded EOD Warrior Foundation

Wow!  Both blogs had comments today, so I answered them and need to add a post.  BikeBandit is having some big sales right now on Galfer brake parts and other gear.  Click on the BikeBandit link on this page, and check out their website!  For those in SoCAL, their shipping from San Diego is lightning fast-in some cases next day for standard shipping rate!

Also, I'm fundraising again, and will be using some of the profits from any sales to support the Wounded EOD Warrior foundation.  I haven't chosen what percentage yet-how about this deal: you make a purchase, you comment with the amount you want me to donate to WEODWF?  Only 100% or less, I'm donating some on my own!

2 bike nights tonight in San Diego

Tonight Cycle Gear San Diego is having a bike night from 6-9 at their store off of 163.  Starting a little later is the usual Thursday night Mira Mesa Bike Night.  Now that it's summer time, I bet there will be a lot of bikes out there at both events, or riding between them.

Post up comments if you make it to either one.

CMA National Rally going on!

The Christian Motorcyclists Association is having their U.S. National Rally soon, and live video will be streamed at www.cmausa.org.  and LiveStream.  The Rally starts today, and for those of us who can't make it, the technology to check in via the web is awesome.

Who would have thought a father's desire to spend more time with his son so he bought two matching Honda motorcycles would be blessed and become CMA International!

Have a great riding summer!

Are you riding this weekend?

Depending on where you live, the first weekend of June is either great riding, or the beginning of the hot summer riding days.  Out here in San Diego, it's the time of June gloom-where a thick marine layer keeps the coastal area overcast.  In the eastern parts of the county (inland-which is funny simce some areas can see the ocean!) it sometimes is cool, but often can reach 90 degrees as well.

This makes for a variety of conditions, but good riding.  Layering is important, as is drinking water, after the required coffee, of course.  Lots of good rides-whether you go out solo, with one or two friends, or with a club, ride group or association.  I had a good ride last night-some back roads near the house that I normally ride, but since it was after dark, had a different feel. Good time though.

I'd love to hear how your rides went, or if you'd like to post meet-up type links, feel free.

Independent shop: Classic Iron Motorcycles Fredericksburg VA

Last week I visited Classic Iron in F'burg VA.  While the shop has been around for 25 years, they have been on Route 1 for about 1 year.  The shop is located in an old autu auction building, and one of the lanes is still in place, which is a neat extra when visiting Classic Iron. They specialize in used bikes, service and accessories.  When i visited all the salesmen had stepped out briefly, but I was met by the sevce manager and a young tech, both of whom were friendly and helpful.  The variety of mtorcycles on the floor was amazing.  Both metric cruisers and Harley-Davidsons were plentiful, but the younger tech said it was even more packed before the riding season!  Everything from small commuter cruisers to a handful of Honda 1300 VTXs, Sportsters to baggers and three FLHP police bikes and one lonely V-Rod were available.  Prices seem pretty good, but I don't know exactly what this market is like.

My impression based on my conversations with the service manager is he won't try to talk you into unnecessary work and he's a straight shooter.  He gave me some insights into Sportster suspension mods knowing he won't see any profit from my bike.

Over-all I enjoyed my trip to Classic Iron Motorcycles and look forward to visiting them my next trip to Fredericksburg.

How many miles to you ride, and how many bikes?

I have kept a log on mileage and maintenance for each of my bikes since beginning to ride regularly almost ten years ago.  My mileage total goes up in fits-some years I've ridden over 10,000 miles both commuting and riding around, but other years have been low due to work travel and deployments.  I also reached an interesting milestone yesterday!

My main bike for many years, if not my only bike, was my first dependable one: a Yamaha V-Star Classic 650.  It was a great starter bike for a then cruiser-only guy:  classic styling, comfortable position, shaft drive, simple layout and features.  I rode that bike, customized that bike, sold it, bought it back, rode it some more, then finally sold it for good.  I ended up totaling 24,616 miles on the V-Star.

Since 2006, my main bike has been a Harley-Davidson Sporster, although I have always owned at least one other running bike the whole time I've had it.  There have been periods where I rode every day, and one long deployment in 2008 when the mileage ridden dropped to zero.  Well, last night when I parked the Sporster, I had ridden it exactly 24,616 miles!  Until I leave in a few minutes, I will have TWO top mileage bikes with exactly the same number of miles ridden on each one-how odd is that?

Ride safe and far my friends-

Giving credit where credit is due: Cycle Gear San Marcos CA

Thursday night I had the face shield on my Bilt 3/4 helmet come unattached on the right side.  Fun ride home after bailing out on Mira Mesa Bike Night (MMBN).  What I didn't know was the face shield and all it's hardware is held on by tiny allen bolts.  One of mine is somewhere loose out there, all alone and unafraid.  No wonder the shield moved around too easily-it was never properly installed.

Yesterday I went back to the San Marcos Cycle Gear where I had bought the helmet a while ago, and Lauren, one of their long-time associates helped me out.  She offered to swap the helmet one for one, despite the fact I have used this helmet quite a bit, my dog ate the slider on the bag, and had no paperwork.  She even went and got a second replacement helmet when the first one had some glue and a small scrape on it!  She's always friendly and helpful as are the whole staff at this Cycle Gear.

Off to break in the new helmet!

Replacing a Harley-Davidson Sportster oil tank (pre-2004)

The Sportster has been leaking oil from the oil tank for a while now, and after just putting up with it I decided to finally fix it.  I got a take off tank from eBay and sanded and painted it.  Yesterday I had some time to replace it so gathered everything up and went to work.

Bike with improvised sidebag

Hey, that's an empty garage!  "Millie's Garage" is full of all the stuff that used to be in this garage so I moved back over to the house we are about to sell instead of using my future bike shop that is one big storage unit right now.  But I didn't bring over either lift as getting them out would have taken longer than this project.



Battery and accessories removed

 I started by pulling the battery, which I've done a few times and gotten pretty good at.  This time I knew I was completely removing it, so I labeled the repositioned coil wires and pulled the chrome cover, coil and battery all as one piece.  Much easier than wedging it back together.  I also had to pull the repositioned ignition switch before removing the battery box.

There was oil everywhere, as expected since the leak was coming out of the top battery box-oil tank mount.

Sportster battery box and oil tank removed

 Here's what everything looked like once I got the battery box and the oil tank out.  See the wiring loom?  Lots of oil on it, and didn't feel like completely pulling the wiring harness off and cleaning it for hours.  Frame was coated in oil and grit, so that got cleaned up too.  And yes, there are more wires, switches and relays than I think are needed for a fairly basic bike.  Thanks DOT, EPA, and CARB!

Notice the rear mounting tab for the oil tank?  It's for a nylon nut that has less clearance to the rear fender than most tools will fit, and no way to turn an open end wrench more than a quarter turn.  I think this is the same for all the Evolution Sportster oil tanks through 2003, but I may be wrong as they changed oil tanks once or twice during the run.  A claw foot wrench might work, but I finally wedged a 7/16th socket in there with an extension and made it work.  Have fun when you do this project!

 Back together and home before the rain started.  Short ride but no big leaks (have blown an oil line right after an oil change before!) and a longer ride today with no leaks either.

Let's see if there is a puddle anymore.  Not yet.  Sweet.

All in all, a pretty straightforward project well within my confidence and skill level as an average mechanic.  Cleaning the bike took about 1/3 the time, so if I had caught this earlier it might have been quick, but still only  took about 3.5 hours.  Probably could do it in 2 to 2.5 hours next time.


I didn't post the pic, but the bottom mount had already been brazed on the oil tank at least once already.  Seems like leaking Sportster oil tanks are a common occurance, especially when fasteners have vibrated off.  As one shop advised me, might as well replace it and braze the old Sportster oil tank as a friend or I will need to do this again if we keep riding any real mileage on these bikes.

EDIT/UPDATE:  This is my most searched and viewed post!  If you find it helpful working on your oil tank, please comment and share any tips you learned.  Thank you-

Improvised sidebags

While recently reading “The Horse” magazine (one of my favorites) I came across an ad for sidebags.  This got my attention, because I don’t really like the way saddlebags look on Sportsters and have gotten tired of running a sissy bar bag almost all the time on my custom sissy bar.  So off I went to the website of the advertiser.  While the bags seem well made, come highly reviewed and recommended and would likely look good on my bike, the price made me pause just a little.

The next step was to google search other options, and besides a few competing manufacturers (including Harley, but mainly for soft-tails) I found a few websites, blogs and forum threads where people improvised sidebags out of military surplus bags.  Score!  I know a few things about military pouches and bags, having grown up in a nearly paramilitary Scout troop and serving 22 years in the Navy expeditionary forces.  To top it off, before I found time to get to the local Army-Navy surplus store, our move gave me the opportunity to rummage through all my old kit.  How happily surprised I was to find some old kit bags from operations long ago that were still serviceable.  The most beat-up one was quickly modified and attached to the bike as a prototype!  I simply cut the shoulder strap, removed the seat and tied the bag to the frame rails.  First few test rides have gone without a hitch, although the cardboard used to stiffen the bag didn’t fare well in some recent light rain.  Maybe some thin plywood or veneer?

Pic attached, and I’d recommend going this route if a leather bag is either too pricy or not your style but you want a sidebag.

And, yes, that is the Cycle Gear Trackside Wheel Chock in use.

Bike Bandit DIY sell this weekend

Hey folks, click on the bikebandit ad to the side, and grab the supplies you need for DIY projects at a good price!  Even those of you that clean your bikes can find a sale for you-S100 refill kits are included this weekend.

Remember, 50% of all proceeds between now and May 5th go to CMA's Run for the Son, so help me out while getting the tools and supplies you need!

Tool Review: Harbor Freight Chicago Tools 6 amp Reciprocating Saw (Sawzall)

A few months ago I bought a Chicago Tools 6 amp reciprocating saw (aka Sawzall) at Harbor Freight.  Like most their tools, the price is the main attraction-on sale I paid $19.99 for an electric saw with a 4.5 inch "throw", angle adjustable cutting head, and a few blades.  The first weekend I did some light cutting, and realized what other reviews said was true-the saw itself is good, but the blade it comes with is junk.

Fast forward to yesterday, when I bought some better blades and went to cut some fairly large beams we need to get rid of.  We're talking the main structural beams of a house here-big, heavy and aged wood.  I'm happy to report the saw performed well, and I got the cutting done.  The saw does vibrate like crazy, especially if you push the blade too quickly through the cut, but that may be operator error and common for all sawzall's.

I haven't cut metal with it, but I can imagine with a good blade this saw should cut anything on a bike you needed cut while doing custom motorcycle work.  For infrequent use with good blades, or to use frequently then get another one and use it up I think this is a pretty good saw.  Please comment if you have experience with this or another sawzall-thanks.

Update:  Saw is still used occasionally for projects around the garage and house but I still haven't cut metal with it.  My Father-in-Law has with his and reports good success.  For the price I really can't think of a negative for this tool.

Replacement Sportster Oil Tank roughed and primed

Had a little spare time last night and today so I roughed the factory paint on the replacement Sportster oil tank and found some primer.  I also found my old tack rag, so I quickly wiped it down and shot two coats of primer.  The primer was old and nearing the end of the can, so the spray wasn't too even.  It didn't end up real smooth, and I didn't have enough to ensure even coats or do the small cover on the other side of the bike.

I won't be able to do any more to the tank or the cover til next weekend, but my goal is to get both painted, and between coats drain the oil and strip the bike down so I can replace the oil tank.  Shouldn't be too bad (famous last words!)

Replacing Sportster Oil Tank

Got the new to me Sportster oil tank via FEDEX today from eBay.  Tank looks good, whoever did tear down of the other bike was conscientious with fasteners threaded onto bolts, and some hose section left on-while I have to remove it before installation, it keeps the small pipes protected from damage and grit.

Started sanding it tonight to shoot it rattle can matte black to match main tins.  Forgot not to change direction (up down or side to side) so I made a little more work for myself.

I may shoot primer tomorrow but wont have time this weekend to install it anyway.

Getting the Connie running

My Connie has sat for way too long not running for a variety of reasons.  Recently I ordered a battery and oil filter from Bikebandit.com and some rubber bits from Murphkits.com which have all come in.  Tonight I did the disassembly to get ready to figure out why "Miss Swail" leaked radiator fluid, change out the air box to carb boots, and change the radiator fluid and oil.

As always, wrestling out the carbs was fun.  I pretty much braced my knees against the engine and rear subframe and pulled, wiggled and pulled and out they came.  Here's hoping the new boots help make that a bit easier.  The to do list:
Charge new battery starting tomorrow AM
Fill radiator/resevoir with distilled water and find/fix leak
Change oil and oil filter
Clear out old fuel in tank, replace with some good fuel
Clean carbs

Re-install all of the above and fire bike.

Thanks to BikeBandit.com and Murphskits.com for the quick delivery of parts.

Gear review: Harley-Davidson Windshielder Gauntlet Gloves

Since the winter riding season is over out here in San Diego (well, June Gloom is coming...) it is time to review the Harley Windshielder gauntlet gloves I used this winter.  After 7 seasons, my Joe Rocket gloves were beat-damaged, dirty and most the insulation collapses to about the thickness of two sheets of paper.  So using some gift certificates, I picked up a pair of the Windshielder gloves at one of the local Harley shops.  Here's a pic, courtesy of the H-D webpage:

First, about the quality of the gloves. Well made, soft leather so there really isn't much break-in time.  See the bike flap on the gauntler of the bottom glove?  The other side is all velcro-a huge patch that holds really well.  They fit true to size on my fairly average sized hands.  After fairly consistent use, all seams are holding with no "Irish pendants" or loose threads.  The knuckles aren't armored, and all four fingers are independent, not 3rd and 4th fingers sewed together like on road racing gloves.

The gloves are not too thick, which is ok for a San Diego winter, but had some drawbacks.  It rarely gets below 30F in SD, but I took a couple of rides into the high desert (Barstow/FT Irwin, 29 Palms/Desert Center, others) and got chilled.  This happened with my other gloves too-mostly because my hands are completely exposed, and to be honest, I'm a wimp when it comes to the cold on the bike.  If you live somewhere truly cold and wet, I'd only recommend these gloves for 3 season use, or behind a fairing.  I will likely run liners inside these gloves next winter going over Cajon Pass or other colder rides.

My only other complaint/issue is my previous Joe Rocket gloves had a little "squegee" on the back of the left thumb.  Sure, they lose "cool points" but did it ever come in handy.  And the incorporated squegee looks cooler than the ones you can wrap around your thumb I've seen on the aftermarket.

My verdict?  Good glove if you either have to have them say "Harley-Davidson", need a supple 3 season/mild winter glove, or have a gift card/chrome cash. 

Murph's Kits

I'm trying to get the Connie back on the road, and got my order from bikebandit.com, so soon I'll be trickle charging the battery and prepping to change fluids in the bike.  While bikebandit is a great shop and has a huge selection, the Connie is a niche bike, and some parts just aren't in stock.  Of course one company shouldn't be expected to have every part for every bike model ever made, right?  While that would be really cool, it's just a bit unrealistic.

So what to do?  Well, for owners of certain Kawasaki's, let me recommend Murph's Kits.  I first found out about Murph's from the Concours forums, and when you are looking for parts for either generation Connie's, KLRs and a few other bikes, he's a good place to start.  Not only does he have OEM and maintenance parts, there are some after market "engineers" that have come up with solutions to long-standing problems that market their gear through Murph.  All said, got some new carb boots and o-rings on the way.  Hoping they get here soon, time to get "Miss Swail" back on the road!

Update (3/31):  Order has already been shipped!  Can I get the bike running by next weekend?  I HOPE SO!

Mira Mesa Bike Night (MMBN)/Bike bogging down?

Yes, it's Thursday, and yes, once again San Diego is having it's worst weather of the week.  But I've already ridden some today (more on that later) and I'm planning on heading out to MiraMesa Bike Night tonight.  I expect to see you there!  Some CMA'ers will be on hand, and we'll have flyers for the upcoming Rubio's Fundraiser on April 19th (an upcoming MMBN) to support our Run for the Son.  If I can figure out how to do it, I'll also attach the flyer to this blog before the 19th.

Ok, on to riding today.  At a few stoplights, I felt the bike bogging down, and wondering if I had some bad gas, water in the gas or some other problem.  Well, the real issue was I HAD NO GAS!  Gerbils in the brain get the wheels moving and I realize that when I checked the odometer I had gone far enough on this tank to need to flip on reserve.  So like a moron, there I am in the far left lane sputtering to a stop trying to flip my petcock to "reserve".  All I succeeded in doing at first was getting my glove stuck as bike slowed!  Crud, that's what I get for not practicing in the heavier gloves.  Finally it flips up, glove pops free, quickly to the clutch lever, downshift, rev to get fuel in carb bowls and off I go.

Despite that adventure, you still won't get me on a fuel injected bike!  Ride often and far, my friends-

"Harleys never change"-yeah right!

When I started riding cruisers, one truism was that the "metric" makes kept changing their models, sometimes too rapidly, while Harleys would make the same model for years and years.  This was one reason given for how many more after-market parts there are for Harleys compared to the "Hardly-Davidson" clones.  That makes sense.  How can you market a customized, chromed doo-hickey if every 3 years the manufacturer changes how the bike goes together?

Well, fast forward ten years, and my now leaking Sporster oil tank saga.  Doing a little research and replacement part shopping, I have found four slightly different oil tanks for a bike that has changed twice in 20 years!  What is Harley doing?  Well, the Ironhead Sportster oil tank is slightly different than the one on the early Evo Sportsters.  A few years into the Evo run, around 1996, the design of the inlet and outlet pipes and the attachments to the frame and battery box changed.  Then in 2004 the Sportster engine stayed the same, but the frame and accessories changed when the engine got a front rubber mount.  While not too frantic a pace, those are fairly quick changes for Harley-Davidson!

So what's the "so what"?  I will probably be getting my oil tank braized to fix the leak, since the only take-off oil tank I have found is the early EVO model and fitting it to my bike may be harder than just fixing mine.  And I'm still riding-if you don't ride a Harley that's leaking oil, you don't ride a Harley!

Today's BikeBandit.com deals

Good morning, blogosphere and dear reader or two.  A quick check of my e-mails, and another great set of deals from BikeBandit.com.  Of note are two deals I'd like to point out.  First, they are selling tires at up to 55% off.  The brands start at high end tires like Metzler and Pirelli, and extent to tires for the more budget conscious like Kenda and Shenko.  I can vouch for Kenda tires-I run them on the Sportster and while not high performance tires, I get mileage I appreciate and all the handling I need.  The last rear tire I put on the Sportster came from BikeBandit, and was delivered quickly and in great shape.  Of course, I'm local to them, so bragging it showed up next day needs to be taken with a grain of salt.

The second good deal is their Podium Membership.  If you don't live a few miles from their warehouse, the free shipping alone may make the membership worth it for you, plus you get a free subscription to "Cycle World" magazine, all for $29.95 (in best Bill Murray Bass-o-Matic voice!).

If you could, click on the link to the right of this post with the picture of Bandit-I'm now an affiliate marketer for BikeBandit, and would appreciate the click through.

Mira Mesa Bike Night tonight-and the weather is great!

Wow, what a few days make weather wise, especially here in SoCAL!  It's pretty warm out, and I've been riding in just a long sleeve t-shirt and my vest (well, with proper protective equipment).  As those from San Diego know, it will cool off when the sun sets, but starting from nearly 80 degrees, it's going to be a great night to ride.  So come on out to the Mira Mesa Bike Night (MMBN) at the corner of Mira Mesa Blvd and Westview in Mira Mesa.  Should be a better showing tonight, as the days get longer the crowds get bigger.

Update:  Just got home, a little larger than the last couple, and good to see some folks I recognize and some new faces both independents and some clubs.  Some regulars not there as well, so if they show it should be a big crowd soon.  Pics coming up tomorrow.

Motorcycle maintenance update

Lots going on in "Millie's Garage" even if it's not going to be set-up like I want it to for a long while.

First, I sold the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R last week as I realized there was no way I was going to have time to get it back together.  Took a small loss on the bike, but enjoyed cataloging parts and what could have been.

The Sportster has sprung a fairly consistent and new leak, or at least "marking it's territory" from a new spot.  Going to have to chase that down, but it isn't coming from the engine block or heads, so it may be a failing oil line.  I've had that happen on another Harley-fortunately right after an oil change on the test run in Millie's Garage, so while messy was able to immediately shut the bike down.

And for the big shocker:  While listing the parts needed to service and hopefully get the Connie running again, I put the old battery on the charger.  Went online to Murph's Kits to look for parts and got the battery checked today since it wasn't taking a charge.  Battery is completely dead, and first estimate for a replacement is $90.  Here we go!  BikeBandit.com is running a maintenance sale, so I'll check them too.

Well, that's enough for today-hope some of ya'll are enjoying the ride today!

Victory Test Rides at NCY Motorsports Rescheduled

The Victory test rides that were going to be held this weekend at North County Yamaha (NCY) Motorsports has been rescheduled due to all the rain we've gotten in San Diego County this weekend.

The new dates for the test rides are April 6-7, 2012.  NCY Motorcycles is located just off the 78 Freeway near Nordahl RD.  I'm betting they'll be burning burgers on Saturday, and it should be a good opportunity to ride a Victory for the first time.  Now to decide which one of the two models they are using for the test ride!  Whether its the Hardball or the Judge, I'll hopefully get a ride and will post a review afterwards.

Time to get the Connie running, if I have time

Ok, the big red obstruction in the garage needs to turn back into a running motorcycle.  After getting the house remodeled/rebuilt and most the stuff moved out of the other house, I can probably spare a few hours to try to resurrect "Miss Swail".  About 18 months ago the Concours developed a coolant leak during some unrelated maintenance and then life got in the way of making timely repairs.  I am guessing a good once over, an oil change, find and fix the coolant leak, a charge or new battery and fresh gas and hopefully the bike will start.  Then a tune-up, and maybe riding?  I really like the bike, so having it sit much longer won't be good.

Any tips appreciated-I already have a shopping list for Murph's Kits-mainly maintenance parts, although he has some great "farkles" I've always eyed.

Free Cycle Gear Gift card

Today's e-mail offer came to me from Cycle Gear.  Until March 18th, if you spend $150 or more online and use the code "GearGift" you can get a free gift card.

Spend $150 and get a $20 gear card
Spend $300 and get a $40 gear card

I don't need any accessories, tires or maintenance parts right now (need some repair ones...) but this is a pretty good offer-basically 10% or more "rebate" on top of the usually good prices and discounts at Cycle Gear.  Here's a link to the website: Cycle Gear and the offer applies to online purchase only.

If you try this and it works for you, please post a comment to let us know!

It's Mira Mesa Bike Night time again!

Yep, it's Thursday, so out here in San Diego that means it's time for another Mira Mesa Bike Night.  Despite rumors I only go for the Starbucks, I enjoy looking at all the different bikes, meeting riders from local clubs and independents, and just hanging out.
Official (O-Fish-ul for some) start time is 7 PM (1900 for some) but it really doesn't get going until later.  With the time change, it will be light out up until the start time probably, and we are expecting yet another rainy weekend in San Diego, so ride tonight to Mira Mesa and enjoy MMBN

I hope to see you there, and will likely try to get a few pictures.

BikeBandit.com e-mail for today

I know I don't post these every day, but here are some pretty good offers from BikeBandit.com, a local San Diego online parts place.  I like them-usually a pretty good selection, fast service, and fair pricing to allow us to get parts but also for them to stay in business.

Matter of fact, one time I used the online chat and called them, as I needed a part quickly and knew they were in San Diego.  Despite riding by their location on my daily commute back then, they said they can't sell to "walk-ups" but not to worry.  Sure enough, the part arrived the next day at the standard shipping and handling rate.  Top customer service in my book.

Better stop, or they might think I am buttering them up for when I apply to be an affiliate marketing site!  :-P

	BEAT THESE GAS PRICES! GEAR UP, AND GET OUT AND RIDE! Save Up To 67% Off These Great Products! Shop Now (view e-mail online)
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Ride to eat, eat to ride!

Last night I met up with some friends from the local CMA chapters for one of the chapter's monthly dinner ride.  With the time change, we had plenty of daylight to meet and ride to a Hometown Buffet for supper.  It was the Wings of Eagles Chapter dinner ride, and we were joined by not only some San Diego Gospel Riders members, but two guests from a CMA chapter in British Columbia, Canada!  They are touring the South-West for a few months and met one of our members at church.  The bikes were the traditional mix-mainly Harley-Davidsons with a couple of Gold Wings and metrics.  Maybe the restaurant of choice was too old-fashioned for our sport bike riding members? :-)

8 bikes were the initial group, with 3 passengers for a total of eleven in the pack.  One member had to take a phone call, and he and a few others met us at the restaurant.  It was a good time-all told we filled up two full tables and overflowed to a nearby booth.  Pretty good chow with a decent variety, plenty of desserts and a TWO soft serve ice cream machines.  The ride home wasn't bad either-although it was after 9 PM by the time we left, the night wasn't too cold.

To top it off, in less than two weeks we have the other chapter's dinner ride! We have joked that CMA really stands for "constantly munching anything" because we do seem to ride to eat, and eat to ride while we are out ministering and fellowshipping on our motorcycles.

It's going to be a beautiful weekend

I hope the weather is as nice where you are as it is going to be for us here in Southern California.  It is almost 80 degrees outside but a little on the windy side.  Both tomorrow and Sunday are supposed to be good days for riding-a little bit cooler, but also sunny.  While I have lots of "honey-do's" related to our recent move, I plan on getting some riding in.  I also know about CMA chapter rides, racing, folks headed to the desert.  I also have to get some maintenance done, and will likely partially disassemble the Connie to start bringing her back to life.

What kind of riding plans do you have?  Anyone having their first ride of the season this weekend?

Victory demo rides at North County Yamaha March 17-18

How about a free chance to ride a brand new motorcycle?  Sounds pretty good, huh?  I've enjoyed the few demo rides I've gotten, but have never ridden a Victory.  Well, in two weeks, I may just get a chance!  One of the local shops, North County Yamaha, is having demo days March 17 and 18.  There will be two Victory models available-the Hardball and the Judge.  I'm kind of partial to hard saddlebags, so I may try to ride the Hardball.  Any Victory owners feel like chiming in?

Info on Cycle Gear San Diego Bike Night (BN#1) for tonight

Here's the flyer I was emailed for tonight's Cycle Gear event, and you could win a set of Dunlop motorycle tires!  I saw a time at last: 6-9 PM, so it does start earlier than Mira Mesa Bike Night.  Now if the rain will go away like Kim King, Chrissy Russo, Abrams and Bettes on The Weather Channel and everyone else keeps saying it will.....

EDIT 3/2/12:  Didn't make it, was under the weather (figuritively-it finally cleared up weather wise).  Anyone go and care to comment?

Updated 4/26: 2 Bike Nights this Thursday in San Diego

This Thursday, March 1, 2012, there are two bike nights in San Diego.  The first one is the periodic Cycle Gear bike night at their San Diego store.  Here's a link to the map.  These usually start fairly early, maybe at 5:30 or 6, and at past ones they have had pizza, sodas, door prizes and manager's specials.  I've found Cycle Gear accessories to be good value for the price.  Their name brand gear is as good as any other source.  Their house brands are priced fairly for the quality you get at each price point.  See an earlier post for a review of their Trackside Front Wheel Chock.

After the Cycle Gear bike night, we'll be riding over to the Mira Mesa Bike Night (Facebook page) just off the I-15.  It gets started late, so going to both won't be an issue.  If you have to turn in early, be advised that the MMBN doesn't really get going until 7:30 or 8.  With how much rain we're having this week, it may be a little small.  C'mon San Diego-lots of the country would be riding almost every day this week if they could in this light stuff!

Hope to see you there!

Update:  2 Bike Nights tonight 4/26/2012 as well.  Headed out to Cycle Gear after a quick bite to eat, then over to MMBN.

Riding a motorcycle in the rain/white frothy roads

Good evening my fellow motorcyclists!  It has been raining all afternoon and evening here in San Diego.  On my way home I noticed the first signs of oil and other fluids being lifted off the road and churned up by passing cars.  Do you know what to look for?  Yep, the oil mixes with water and forms white bubbles or froth.  This is one of the most dangerous situation if you are riding in the rain.  Seeing white froth in the run-off instead of just water means the accumulated oil, fluid and gunk hasn't washed away.  This is one of the time the roads are their slickest.  The other time is road paint once it gets wet or oily.

Got experience with either of these dangers, or other tips to share?  Feel free to comment, and ride safe.

May be selling the Connie

We are having a lot of work done on the house, and while one crew was at the house they had to move their equipment through "Millie's Garage".  They noticed the bikes, and one took an interest in "Miss Swail", my 1986 Kawasaki Concours.  Since my wife could only answer basic questions, he asked for my cell number since I was on the road.  He is interested in buying the bike, maybe "as is", and I may not have time to fix it up anyway before having another use for the money.

Mixed feelings, as I like that motorcycle, and was planning on getting it running and trying to have it be my first 100,000 mile mototcycle.

CMA SOCAL Seasons of Refreshing

Had a great day at Seasons of Refreshing.  Good if boring ride up there (making time on the freeway).  Great time catching up and preparing for the meeting, then got to lead the new members' class.  Seeing the CMA Ministry Training DVDs reminded me of how solid the basic training we have as a motorcycle ministry is.  I'd encourage all "old" members review the DVDs, VHS or audio cassettes they have or can borrow.  Hey, we've been around a while, but I don't think there are 8-track team training tapes, but I may be wrong!

On the way home, decided to take the Ortega Highway over to the 15 instead of just retracing I-5 to 78 to the 15 yet again.  Good ride as I managed to get across before dark.  Caught up with a long string of cars coming down into Lake Elsinore, but slowing down was ok, as the wind was pretty gusty and the bike wanted to stand back up if I didn't lean it into the curves forcefully.  That's never fun-do that when the gust lets up, and you may be into the other lane, or worse the mountain, or even worse, off the road on the "downhill" side.  After a quick stop to take off sunglasses and put on sweatshirt, rolled home in time for supper.

Overall a good and blessed day!

Mira Mesa (CA) Bike Night tonight and the rain should be gone!

It's another Thursday, and the weather is getting better here in San Diego.  After about a week of off and on rain it should be clear by tonight.  Mira Mesa Bike Night is on, starts at 7PM/1900 but really gets going at 8 or so.  Here's a link to the FB page: MM Bike Night page with more info, posts and pictures.  The address is 10720 Westview Parkway, but it's easiest just to look for the Mimi's Restaurant on the corner where Westview and Mira Mesa intersect near the I-15 (on the southwest side).

All clubs, all bikes, all riders welcome.  Some of the local restaurants offer discounts, there is a Cold Stone, and, of course, a Starbucks!  Hope to see you there.

Anybody getting any riding in?

Wow, we have had enough yucky days in a row here in San Diego to make me think I'm just going to have to risk riding in the rain to get some miles in before this weekend!  We've had about a week and a half of the closest thing to winter we get out here.

Any body getting some warm and dry weather, or riding in the cold and wet?  I'm going to tomorrow probably.

Hello (hello, hello) is there anybody out there?

Amazingly, I am approaching 100 visits without any comments since restarting this blog.  Is it all auto-scanners and bots?  Don't know much about how blogs and search engine scanners work, and I'm using this blog to both post info and learn about blogs.

Trip to Norfolk VA without stopping by Diva's Customs

A couple of years ago while in Norfolk/Little Creek VA for work, I was driving along and saw one of my favorite sites: an independent bike shop!  Quick check of my available time, an even quicker check of traffic, a probably less than perfectly legal u-turn, and I was soon walking in to Diva's Customs. (link here).

I saw three or four cool custom bikes and looked around.  Who I believe was Jason was working on a bike, so after a short greeting, he went back to work.  Soon, Tami, aka Diva, showed up and we had a nice chat.  I bought a few things and was given a couple of stickers, and was on my way.

Fast forward two years, and a few months ago I was back in Norfolk and realized I was pretty near Diva's Customs, so decided to stop back in.  Sure enough, I walk in, recognize Tami, but this time her bike was on the floor (plus a sweet Shovel I wish I could afford and have ridden back to San Diego) so we talked Sportsters for a little while.  Note: her's is likely faster than mine, and has lots more chrome.  NICE BIKE!  As we talked, she mentioned that she was shutting Diva Custom's down, and moving to Charleston SC where Jason will likely re-open Jason's Garage but she doesn't know if she'll sell accessories on-line, or a small amount through his shop.  I bought a few things at her clearance prices, and got new stickers for my garage.  One t-shirt was a cool "Support your local Independent Shop" with Jason's small logo on the back.

Since they are in the middle of moving, I didn't stop by this week, and will miss catching up on future visits to Norfolk with Tami/Diva and Jason.  As they likely heard often in Norfolk: "Fair Winds and Following Seas" and keep the shiny side up!

Anyone shop at BikeBandit.com? Interested in their e-mail offers?

Bike Bandit is a local-to-me parts company.  Their business model is completely online and mail order, so although they are located in San Diego CA, I have never physically been to their "shop" but have bought a few things from them online.  So far my experiences have been good to great, and with them so close, shipping is practically overnight.  I have gotten parts as fast through the mail as I could have stopped by any storefront in San Diego, which I appreciate.

I have signed up for their e-mail alerts, and today received the attached offer: bikebandit.com e-mail promotion.  While I have plenty of jackets and vests, these are pretty good offers.  They have a wide variety of parts (both OEM and aftermarket), accesories and apparel.  I'll probably make one order to a specific Connie parts house for some hard to find parts, and a big order to BikeBandit when I get the Connie and the ZX-6R running again.

Favorite Biker Movies

Just a quick post tonight as all the "Joe Namath" stories around Super Bowl weekend got me thinking once again about "CC and Company", his biker exploitation flick made near the end of his playing days.  I must have watched it with my Dad as a kid as the opening scene where he rides up to a grocery store, parks his chopper, takes off his cut (!?!), walks in and starts shopping.  As he casually walks through the aisles, he makes and eats a sandwich, puts everything back, and buys some gum.  He coolly pays for his gum, and even asks for his stamps while flirting with some local girls.

I have to admit riding one of my motorcycles to the grocery store many times, and walking in thinking, "Man, I need to be Broadway Joe/CC cool and make a sandwich"!

Great movie, and it's available on Netflix if you haven't seen it or want to watch it again.

Review: Cycle Gear Trackside Wheel Chock

Last night I put together the Trackside Wheel Chock I received (well, bought for myself) for Christmas.  Here's a link to the Cycle Gear page for it: Trackside Wheel Chock but it is normally on sale for much less than list price.  It goes together easily, with four bolts holding on the front stop.  One felt like it was going to strip, so I tightened the other three and left the sketchy one alone as soon as I felt it "bite".  Maybe chasing the threads would have helped?

Here's a review from a Harley-Davidson enthusiast forum:  Trackside Wheel Chock Review.  I'm not a member of that forum and that's not my post, but agree with the review.  It holds my Sporster upright securely but did slide forward slightly during some of the test runs as I rolled the bike onto the chock.  I haven't tried it with the Connie yet-don't know if a heavier bike would make the problem better or worse-I'm guessing worse.

Long term plan is to mount it to the Harbor Freight table lift-it seems very good for that use.  I've read other reviews where it was used in a similiar manner or on a trailer to move bikes.

To stay on the legal side, picture is copied from the Cycle Gear website-if there is a problem, please let me know and I'll take a pic of mine.  But hey, I'm giving them a free endorsement!

UPDATE on 2/26/2012:  Just got a new Cycle Gear catalog.  The wheel chock is on sale again for about $69.99 until April 3, 2012.  I've used mine now a couple of times and still recommend highly.

How many miles have you ridden?

Finally updated my mileage at the "Motorcycle Mileage Database", a website I came across a few years ago that you can register on, add your bikes and how many miles you've ridden each one, and it totals it and keeps a running tab.  Here's the link:  Motorcycle Mileage Database and before you even look, don't expect my name to be anywhere near the top!  There are some folks with insanely high mileage totals and daily mileage.  Mike Noonkester is the total mileage leader, with over 1,100,000 miles on a succession of Harleys and Hondas since 1946.  I just went over 65,000 this week, and while I may never reach 1M miles, I'm about 2/3s the way to my first 100,000.  Unless I pick up the riding per day, it will still take a while though.

Jim Brown, the webmaster of the site, also has a blog right here on Blogger.  Especially if you like to travel on a motorcycle, you should find it interesting.  I've actually e-mailed Jim a couple of times, and he is a stand-up guy.  Safe travels, Sir.

Upcoming Bike Night: Mira Mesa CA USA

It's been a long non-riding season out here in Southern California!  We've suffered through a terrible January where the average temp was probably 65 or more, so once again we've had no off-season.  Well, we sort of had a small break after all the Toy Runs and charity events leading up to Christmas, so it's time for the "first of the year" events.

The first Mira Mesa Bike Night is this Thursday at the Albertson's/Starbucks/Rubio's parking lot a long block off the I-15.  I would say it starts at 7 PM, but most folks don't show that early, and there is no real "official" starter from what I can tell the few times I've been in the past.  They have a facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/MMBikeNight and may be in meet-up, but I'm not familiar with that yet.

Hope to see some friends there, make some new ones, and see some cool bikes.  All bikes are welcome-I've seen everything from classic BMWs to some trick 'Busas and other sportbikes.

UPDATE:  Good time tonight at the MMBN.  Lots of diverse bikes, from mostly stock cruisers and sportbikes to some highly customized bikes, and a tricked out XR650 with 17 inch sportbike wheels and tires, a custom made tail rack, and a steering damper!  Got to see some guys I haven't in a while, plus meet some club members from different clubs and some independent riders too.  Hope to make it to more bike nights this year than last.

Thoughtful driver made my day!

I took a slightly different route home today.  It's one of my favorite "short cuts" that gets me off the freeway a few miles early and follows a ridge through part of San Diego to Poway.  It's really not any shorter, and depending on lights, only adds five minutes or so, but is much better than rolling up I-15 yet again.

Well, today I'm rolling along ("Officer, I didn't know how fast I was going-every bike speedometer is inaccurate...) and I see the modern day station wagon in a left turn lane up ahead.  I'm not really flying, and judging from the distance, I think she can turn out (yes, it was a Mom and kiddos) and easily clear the lane I'm in.  She wouldn't have been "turning left in front of me" like you hear in too many accident reports, as it was an uncontrolled turn, and she could have safely turned before I got there.  However, she sat in the turn lane patiently and waited for me to pass!  Wow, quite the opposite of most cagers out here in California.  I had to give her a wave and head nod as I zipped past.

This made my day, as it has been a brutal winter for wrecks.  The last update I got from the local CMA chapter chaplain had 5 different motorcyclists he and others had visited in hospital in the last month and a half or so who had all been hit.  And that's not counting a number of fatal or near-fatal accidents since the early fall, plus another friend/CMA chapter president who got hit recently.  That one is almost funny, as he was sitting at a stop sign, and got hit by someone turning right.  Yes, a right turning car overshot, and hit the front end and fairing of his Gold Wing!

So I am thankful for, and publicly thankful, for the safe SUV driver who saw me today and waited patiently and safely!

The Sportster List-a good site for XL Owners

For owners of Harley-Davidson Sportsters, one of the best resources out there is The Sportster List.  Fairly easy to remember website: http://www.sportster.org/xl-list.  That is the actual list, but the main site has photo galleries, tech tips and other useful stuff.  There are a few regular posters who are out and out Sportster geniuses (genie's?) and a group who heads to Bonneville every so often to try their hand at land speed records.

There are also some thoughtful posters that also have wicked senses of humor, which keeps the list interesting.

Not bike related-jumping car batteries

Until last weekend, I can't remember the last time I had to jump a car.  Saturday night I helped a friend jump his, mainly because of how cold it had been in Reno NV.  Then tonight while erranding I was asked if I could help jump off a mini-van.  As I don't carry jumper cables, I hope this isn't one of those things that happens in threes!

Do you ride in the rain?

Many years ago while I was in college, I saw a friend riding his bike to class and it had been raining.  He did a short rear wheel skid at a stop sign, but was a good enough rider to keep it upright.  I wasn't riding at the time, but have remembered that ever since.

Today I moved my Sportster from our old house to the garage at the new house, and it was drizzling after raining most of last night.  Here in Southern California, we get rain so infrequently that the white foamy oil and rain mix stays on the road a long time, and I consciously avoid road paint as much as possible as well.  I've actually ridden more in the rain here than when I learned to ride in Mississippi-mainly because I avoided riding in the rain my first year or two, and here I have actually been caught unexpectedly.  One time we purposefully went on a very rainy ride to visit a friend in the hospital-since he didn't even own a four wheeled vehicle!

Any one out there with other tips and tricks for riding in the rain?  How about a favorite rainsuit recommendation from those who live where it really rains?

Any human followers out there?

As I am new to blogging, I wonder if there are any human readers, or if all the page views are coming from web crawlers/bots or whatever they are?  Time to figure out how blogs work and how to spread the word about this blog.  It is pretty interesting tracking how many hits from Russia and former Eastern Bloc countries though!

Winter Project Number Two: 1997 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R

A little while ago I picked up this 1997 Ninja ZX-6R off of Craigslist as a basket case pretty cheap.  It hasn't run in a while after being laid down on the track about five years ago.  Much of the bike is in baskets in my storage shed but I am missing a few parts.  Once I get the Connie running, I plan on chasing down the few parts I need, putting this bike on my lift and getting it re-assembled.  Then I'll have to decide if I want to keep it as a street bike, sell it to a racing or trackday riding friend, or even become a "Racing Team Owner" and have one of them campaign it for me either in WERA or Chuckwalla motorcycle racing.

Thoughts or suggestions on getting it running again welcome!

Winter project number one-Kawasaki Concours

Here's my second bike-a 1986 Kawasaki Concours.  If you aren't familiar with the "Connie", they debuted in 1986 when Kawasaki took their new Ninja 1000, converted it to shaft drive and added a larger fairing and sport touring trim.  This was one of the first sport tourers, and immediately found a loyal following.  Kawasaki produced the Concours 1000 (aka C10 model) for 20 years with only minor changes and upgrades, the main one being an improved front end and standard wheel sizes in the 90s.  In 2006, the last C10s were made, and after a short hiatus, Kawasaki introduced the Concours 1400, now based on the Ninja 14.  This bike has also found a niche as a "super" sport tourer.

My bike has been sitting for a little over a year as we have remodeled a house and I've ridden my Sportster.  Now that we are moving into the house the garage will be available to get this bike running again.  I'll post the repairs and upgrades as I go-likely will pull the carbs, rebuild them, completely flush and fill all fluids and check the valves.  This particular year of Connie has a valve issue called "tuliping" but many folks have advised me that my bike wouldn't have made it 84K+ if there was an issue.  Considering I only have about $1200 into the bike, the parts are worth almost as much as the running bike, but I'd like to take it over 100,000 miles.  I've never had a bike make it that far yet.

Have a good weekend riding!

Balance!

Just got an e-mail from a friend who has been having wobble problems on his Harley, and tried a variety of things.  Well, some helped, some didn't but the wobble wouldn't completely go away.  One result was a badly worn front tire, which he replaced a couple of months ago, thinking the wear/cupping might be part of the problem.

Turns out, the front tire/rim were never properly balanced, and when he took it off and had a local independent shop check the balance, they found it needed some weights.  So far so good-and supported one of our favorite indy shops in Poway CA.  The good thing is, since we can ride year round in SoCAL, he's back in the wind for a CMA meeting and a fundraiser ride this weekend.

Now if I can get some miles on my bike before he wears out that front and has me help him replace it!

Sportser and testing adding pictures

The pic is of my 99 XLH883 Sportster when I was about 2/3rds the way done with my customizing.  Since this pick was taken I have added mini-apes and a removable National City Cycles windscreen I bought from Jireh Cycles (http://www.jirehcycles.com/)   Overall I like how the bike is set-up, and am not in a big hurry to pull the engine apart and bump it up with a 1200 kit.  I am leaning toward the Wiseco reverse dome pistons, but any recommendations would be welcome.

I'm also pretty happy with Jireh Cycles as one of the places I go for new parts, tires and things like that.  Not my only source, but the only one bad experience was a back ordered tire with no estimate, and I needed to get the bike back on the road.  Otherwise happy with their mix of price, selection and speed of service over the years.

Now that I've figured out how to upload pics, I'll start adding some of my other bikes, and stock photos of other bikes I've owned with brief reviews.

Updates coming soon!

Took a few days off, but will update the blog over the next few days with pictures of the Sportster and the project Ninja X-6R.  Will also get that list of previously owned bikes and maybe short reviews of them.

I'll also start adding some links, both to other blogs and newsgroups and a few vendors I have had good experiences buying parts and accesories from over the years.

May have another bike to fix to help someone

While I thought my next post was going to be about some of the motorcycles I have owned over the years, yesterday I had one of those weird events that I've got to talk about.

I got back into town and was using the Super Shuttle to get home from the airport.  After dropping off the last passenger besides me, my driver started a conversation.  She actually brought up motorcycles before I did (rare enough) and mentioned her bike wasn't running.  So I asked her what kind is was, and she said a 2000 XL 883.  Similiar enough to my 99, right?  I asked her what her husband and she had done to try to get it running, and it sounds like an electrical problem.  I offered what help I could, and mentioned that some of my CMA buddies and I work together on maintenance and repairs, both to save money and hang out together.

Long story short, I handed her my CMA ride card and offered our help if her husband and she wanted it.  She had mentioned that a Harley technician would be too expensive right now but they wanted to get the bike running again so she could commute to where she picks up her van on it, and ride for fun.  I can imagine the difference in driving a Super Shuttle van most days, and getting on a bike!  When I told one of my CMA buddies who is on our "Mechanical" ministry team, he offered his help, so we'd have two guys for accountability and security.

Hope I hear from them, and signing off to go ride my Sportster.  I hope you are all enjoying your bikes this weekend.

Motorcycles I own

I currently own three bikes.  Unfortunately only one is running, so one theme of this blog will be repairs and refurbishing of the other two.   My bikes are an eclectic mix, so here's the list and status.

1999 Harley-Davidson Sportster XLH 883-running.  Customized with a friend, and has a one-offConcour sissy bar bent and welded by another friend.

1986 Kawasaki Concours-not running.  Parked a year ago and needs news radiator hoses and maybe a manifold to run, then a good tune-up.  Hope to get it running this Spring, and make it to 100k on that bike.

1997 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R-not running basket case.  Set-up as a track bike, hope to assemble and sell.

Next post I'll try to remember the previous bikes and list them.

Local biker magazines as a source for events and shops

When I am traveling, one thing I try to do is pick up the local biker magazines .  Usually I can find these at independent shops or a Harley-Davidson shop.  Here's a couple I always try to get:

Quick Throttle magazine (also at www.quickthrottle.com)
Thunder Press (www.thunderpress.net)

both have an events section.

Are there others? Likely, and if you have a favorite, please recommend in the comments.

Good visit to Pike's Peak H-D and Frontier Cycles yesterday

Got out and played tourist yesterday. Found two indy shops on the same street, so GPS in hand (well on dash) of I went.

Frontier Cycles was the first one visited. A small shop in the old school, bikes parked everywhere/catalogs and parts on the counter style, the owner and a mechanic were hard at work on a bike in the back as I entered. Good friendly guys from the few minutes I got to spend there. The other shop was closed so couldn't visit, but the old custom panhead hanging from their sign was pretty cool to look at.

After a quick lunch and a trip most the way up Pike's Peak, a friend and I stopped by Pike's Peak Harley-Davidson. The lot was full, as they were having the drawing for a Sportster and other prizes. There was even a bike or two, despite the approaching snow. We got there just as the last chili was given out, but everyone was friendly. Big shop in the new Harley style, plus they also are a BMW dealership. We enjoyed looking around and I used some Chrome Cash for a t-shirt and a shifter peg I needed. The buzz from the crowd'and the service makes me think the HOG chapter and riders here would be good to hang with.

Four years already?

Realized I hadn't blogged since Easter Sunday in Iraq in 2008, so I checked to see if this blog was still alive. Amazingly it is (well, not really, as nothing truly goes away on the interwebs). Messing around with it, I found out I could change it's name, and still post.

So, I have decided to change the focus from my Iraq IA four years ago (Feb-Oct 2008) to motorcycles, motorcycle shops, and other biker/rider related info as I ride, wrench and travel the good ole U.S. of A!

On tap for today? Heading over to Pike's Peak (in a cage) and maybe a couple of bike shops here in Colorado Springs before the snow starts.