| Author | Message | ||
     Crusty |
T-shirts For many years, I wore black T-shirts. They were mainly Harley shirts from various dealerships and they almost always had pockets, but they were black. Occasionally, I’d wear a T shirt of a different color, but that was the exception, not the rule. Last summer, when the Roadster self destructed, the members of Badweb got together and organized a relay to get me and the bike back to Massachusetts. As a token of appreciation, I had some T-shirts printed up for the people who were involved. I was getting tired of black shirts, so the Relay shirts were charcoal grey with High-Viz yellow/green printing. Now, it seems like everybody is getting away from black. The West Virginia Buell Rally shirts are going to be grey and the Buells In The Alps shirts are also going to be grey. I wonder if others are also burning out on black T-shirts? I’ve taken to buying my T-shirts online. I prefer Pocket Ts, and I buy Hanes Beefy Ts directly from Hanes. They cost a lot less; something like $7.50 each. If I spend over $50.00, shipping is free, so I buy enough to get free shipping. None of the shirts that I’ve bought in the past year have been black. Maroon, green, blue, grey, or red; but no black. I’ve also decided that I’d rather wear plain shirts rather than be a walking sandwich board for a product. It just bothers me that I’m running around paying for the privilege of giving some product or business free advertising. Maybe I’m just being a cheap buzzard, but a plain maroon T-shirt that costs $7.50 looks every bit as good as a black T-shirt that says Rockefeller’s H-D Emporium and Fashion Bazaar for $30.00. Actually, to me it looks better. Don’t get me wrong, if some business that I endorse is willing to give me a shirt with their advertising on it, I’ll wear it; but I see no reason to pay extra to do it. That’s just me and the way I’m looking at things at 4:00 AM this morning. Now, I think I’ll go back to sleep. | ||
| Court |
Interesting read at 6am . . . .  | ||
| Mr_grumpy |
Funny, I seem to be going the other way, I've been wearing all sorts of t-shirts for many years but have just bought a load of black ones from Costco. They're nice and long so they don't pull up out of my belt and they have a high collar so the seat belt doesn't rub my neck. If they'd have had charcoal I would have gone 50/50 with the black ones, but the only other alternative was white and they don't stay white for long with me. I still have my Buellers invade the Rock shirts and my Loud Fans shirt. | ||
| Crusty |
Long Days; Clutch Problems I was just looking at Intellicast and we have the longest days of the year happening now. Here in Massachusetts, the sun comes up at roughly 5:08 AM and it doesn’t set until 8:26 PM. In Cincinnati, which is both farther west and south, the sun comes up at 6:08 AM but it doesn’t set until 9:06 PM. The times don’t vary more than a minute or two over the next ten days. It’s my favorite time of year. I’m hoping that next year at this time, I’ll have been experiencing Midnight Sun for a couple of weeks. I still want to ride to the Beaufort Sea, and I want to attend the Dust To Dawson event (Don’t call it a Rally!) and I want to ride in Alaska. maybe I’ll be able to make it to Australia again the following winter (summer, there), buy a used Sportster and ride across the Nullarbor to Perth. We’ll see. The Roadster has developed a clutch problem. The clutch doesn’t want to disengage completely. It happened pretty suddenly; everything was working as usual, then suddenly, it didn’t want to shift. The cable looks OK and moves freely, and the ball & ram mechanism seems fine as is the adjustment on the clutch. Tomorrow, I’ll call the shop and see if they have room for me to work on it. I don’t need a lift, but I do need a place to do the work. Plus, once I find the problem, they’ll probably have everything I need to fix it. Laconia was last week, so I’m hoping that things are a little less crazy than they were before the rally (it always gets stupid crazy just before Laconia) and that there’ll be space for me to sort my bike out. I hope. This week is going to be crazy enough without bike troubles, so I hope that it all gets sorted out pretty quickly and doesn’t mess up my moving plans too much. Other than that, I’m just doing what packing I can. I’ve packed up all my winter stuff and my extra riding gear. I’m keeping out enough clothes for a week, and pretty much everything else is in boxes. There are a lot of things I’m going to miss about Massachusetts, but there are a lot of things I’m looking forward to in Ohio. My own house. That’s a powerful attraction. Well; that’s it for now. | ||
| Hughlysses |
Are Sportster primaries susceptible to breaking like some XB's have been? The lip inside the clutch cover opening that the ball/ramp assembly pushes against to disengage the clutch breaks off, resulting in sudden loss of clutch disengagement. If it's this, it should be easy to spot. Someone here made a kit to repair the cover (Odie of Special Ops exhaust fame I believe) or you can replace the primary cover. | ||
| Crusty |
A New Bike? I have a Migraine. My Migraines are not like they were when I was younger. They’ve changed considerably. The one I’m currently in the middle of is a two parter. I had the visuals (Aura, bright jagged blinding light) a while ago, but the pain hasn’t really started. I’t’s building; I can feel it in the back of my skull and in my left eye, but it isn’t bad yet. Maybe it won’t be too bad. I hope not. Anyhow; I need to call the shop in an hour and a half and see if I can bring the Roadster over and work on the clutch. I’m not thinking nice thoughts about Harley Davidson engineering right now. I get that way whenever something goes wrong with one of my bikes. It doesn’t matter what brand it is; I swear at the Engineering Department and the Bean Counters who push for a design that’s cheaper to manufacture. I’m probably being silly, but I think that a motorcycle should be as dependable as a car. (Right about now, some jackass is wanting to tell me I should get a Gold Wing. Gold wings break, too.) Anyway, I started thinking about getting a new bike. The new Roadster has a bit of appeal. I like the upside down forks and longer shocks. It will go around corners better than my current bike, and the fuel injected engine will run better than the carbureted version on mine. However, I hate that bobbed rear fender, and I’d have to change out the gas tank for the 4 1/2 gallon Custom tank. I ride in all weather, and I really don’t want a skunk stripe down my back every time it rains. If Harley only built a Superlow with the suspension and brakes of the Roadster, I’d be very interested, and might even bite the bullet and get one. Then, all I’d have to do is make a few changes to personalize it. Oh well; I don’t really want to get into easy monthly payments right now, anyhow. The visuals came back. Usually, when that happens, the headache is a real bitch. The pain is increasing. Perfect. Now I can ride over to the shop and sort out the clutch with a head that feels like a rotten pumpkin. That’s assuming that they have room for me to work on the bike. I think I’ll be on a new bike when I ride up to Tuk next year. I’m not sure if it’ll be a Sportster variant or an EBR. It will be one or the other. Nothing else seems to appeal. Well; maybe the XG 750 Street Rod; I’m drawn to that bike, for some unfathomable reason. Since the XGs aren’t selling so well, I could get a deal on one. We’ll see. | ||
| Damnut |
Crusty, my garage is ALWAYS open if you need it. I have plenty of tools and I just bought another motorcycle lift if you need it. Plus there are a slew of bikes in the garage with the keys in them if you need to go for a ride to grab something. | ||
| Cyclonedon |
Crusty, I test rode a new Roadster last summer and liked it but then afterwards I rode a Dyna Low Rider and felt for the little difference in price that it was worth the extra. But the I test rode a Triumph T120 and that is the motorcycle I would buy if I was getting a new bike! Go take a test ride and see for yourself | ||
| Crusty |
Real quick. I went to the shop and they gave me a lift. It was the spring plate. The broken rivets chewed up the friction plates, but did no damage to either the clutch hub or basket. I pulled out the clutch plates from the bad engine and put them in the bike. The clutch works beautifully now. The Migraine lasted nearly all day making the job a real trial of endurance. However, the headache is now on the wane and the Roadster is working right again. Life is good. | ||
| 1313 |
However, the headache is now on the wane and the Roadster is working right again. Life is good. Crusty FTW (For The Win, NOT the other one - at least in this instance...)   | ||
| Ourdee |
2 headaches down. | ||
| Crusty |
Hit The Road, Jack The truck is loaded and I’m heading out early in the morning. I hope to be home in Cheviot tomorrow evening. This move has been a stressful one for me. A lot of things did not go the way I was hoping they would. I didn’t get the bedroom set that Tammy offered me. All the people who had said they would help me bailed out; then Tammy couldn’t work from home on that day. So I regretfully had to give it a pass. I was fortunate in that someone who didn’t volunteer showed up while I was loading the truck by myself, and he was a big help. When the two of us couldn’t get the ’78 Sportster up the ramp, he went and co-opted a friend of his who helped us with it and a couple of other heavy items. I got everything from Fitchburg loaded by early afternoon, then drove to Hudson and loaded up the stuff here. As soon as I finish this Snippet, I’m going to take a shower and sack out. In the morning, I’ll get up and hit the road without having coffee here. I’ll get a cup from the gas station and drink it as I roll. I really hope that everything goes smoothly and all the drama is behind me. At least as far as the move is concerned. I’m feeling a lot of mixed feelings. I’m happy that I have a house and that it’s in a nice neighborhood. The people in Cincinnati are pretty friendly, and that’s good, too. But I’m really going to miss my friends in New England, and I’m going to miss the roads and all the familiar places. A friend asked me if I was feeling anxiety or anticipation about the move. The answer is both. In spite of the fact that I’ve done considerable traveling, and I’ve moved many times over the years, I still feel a little apprehensive, yet I’m really looking forward at the same time. Once I’m settled in, I’ll start feeling more comfortable. Well; it’s been building up to this for a while now, and it’s what I’ve been wanting, so now I just have to put one foot in front of the other and do the Next Right Thing. And the Next Right Thing is to get up early and leave Hudson in the rear view mirror. It’s time to go Home! | ||
| Natexlh1000 |
Out is harder than in. You will be fine. Assignment/road game = take a picture every half hour on the trip. That would make a great slide show. | ||
| 86129squids |
 My chef and several of my coworkers are in the process of buying a new home, or have just moved in. I'm about 15ish years where I'm at, polishing a turd, hoping to get a diamond someday... actually I'm content with my place, really liking the out, working on the inside, little by little. Adequate and sufficient. My main agenda is to get a re-fi done, and try to beat back my debt. Yeesh. Good luck John, and safe travels. DO take pics, and have fun! | ||
| Buellish |
They say home is where the heart is,you'll make a place for yours in Cincinnati.Were all rooting for you John! | ||
| Tootal |
I thought home is where you hang your hat, or in your case, where you set your sweaty helmet to dry out! Hope your trip is uneventful and looking forward to visiting when you're ready! | ||
| Ourdee |
 | ||
| Buellish |
Yea,home at last!! That's a smile for the ages! | ||
| 1313 |
A man and his mailbox!  | ||
| Tootal |
Just wait till you look in the phone book and find yourself! I'm somebody now!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOTDn2A7hcY | ||
| Natexlh1000 |
HE HATES THESE CANS! | ||
| Natexlh1000 |
Also, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBfXTyzaUfQ | ||
| Oldfartnbuell |
Looks like a happy man (bueller) at last! | ||
| Newfie_buell |
Hey Crusty, Long time since I posted here. Safe Travels. | ||
| Two_seasons |
Congrats Crusty  | ||
| Crusty |
Hello, Ma; Hello Pa… “… I stood like this; but not for long.” - Curley, in Punch Drunks I’m home in Cheviot. I want to say that this has been the most difficult and exhausting move I’ve experienced in my life. I’ve moved many times over the years, and I’ve lived on the road a number of times, but I’ve never encountered so much stress; physically, mentally and emotionally. Physically, loading the truck by myself in Fitchburg when most of my help abandoned me was tough; especially since the temperature was close to 90º F with 90% humidity. I was on the verge of passing out when I stopped for a break and drank a liter of cold water and sat in a cool room for an hour or so. Dave, who wasn’t one of the volunteers, came by and was a life saver. He helped with the heavy items, and when we needed a third hand, he went and conscripted a friend of his who helped us get the ’78 Sportster and the compressor loaded. I had more help after the break, but it was people just throwing stuff in the truck. I had to reorganize things when I got to Hudson, so that the load was packed better and hopefully wouldn’t shift and damage things. Then, the drive from Hudson to Cincinnati was tough. I should have changed my departure time and gotten a couple of hours of additional sleep, but I wanted to go. I wound up having to stop in the middle of Pennsylvania for an hour in the afternoon to take a power nap as I was so exhausted. I had to stop again that night in Ohio and do the same thing for another hour. I didn’t get to the house until 1:30 AM. On Sunday, Ourdee (from Badweb) drove down to Cheviot from Indianapolis and the two of us unloaded the truck. We got everything unloaded (which surprised me) but I don’t think I had the strength left to carry one more box into the house when we finished. Still, the two of us were able to get the entire truck unloaded and then we unloaded his Jeep which had five tables, an Entertainment Center, a living room stuffed chair and about a ton of other stuff. I was amazed at how much we were able to accomplish. However, as soon as Ourdee left, I was asleep in that chair for about an hour and a half. I’m not going to get into the mental and emotional stress causes, other than to say that they were definitely there and were at red line levels. It’s taken until today for me to feel like I’m starting to get over the strain. I’ve been working steadily on getting everything sorted out and organized, but you’d never know it by looking at the house. I’ve still got stuff in bins and boxes all over and it’s a cluttered mess. I still have to clean the oven in the stove so I can maybe broil a steak. Tonight, I’m going to fry a burger for dinner, but I want everything to be right so I can cook what I want when I want. Right now, I’m at my brother David’s house doing some laundry and using his internet access. I don’t have Internet at the house yet. Hopefully, I’ll get it soon. There’s still so many things that I have to do that it all looks overwhelming. I have to hit the BMV and change my license and registration from Massachusetts to Ohio, I have to contact the Hospital and get a Primary Care Physician, Urologist and Cardiologist and make appointments with all of them, I have to learn my way around this area. I have to meet people and make some new friends; which is something I’ve never been good at. There’s so much I need to do, I can’t think of it all, but that’s OK; I’ll get it all done eventually. Right now, I just need to relax and just do the Next Right Thing. And, since the dryer has stopped, the next right thing is to take my clothes out of it and fold them. | ||
| Damnut |
I hope I wasn't one of the guys that volunteered to help but didn't show up. | ||
| Ourdee |
I went to the Indiana BMV yesterday and picked up a copy of their Driver's Manual and Motorcycle Operator Manual. I am OCD and missing an answer is not an option for me. I have had a headache ever since. I'll get them read. Then start the process. I have to get my papers in order for the ID side of it. Check to see what records and ID they want you to bring to the Ohio BMV ahead of time. Unlike Illinois, Indiana complies with Fed. guide lines for ID. You may have the house sorted by Christmas. One trick is to put items that go on another floor near the stairs and never go up or down with empty hands till the pile is gone. Thank you very much for the excellent dinner! | ||
| 86129squids |
That's definitely in the top 5 for your Snippets! Congrats for getting all the junk in, and you've gained a brother or three in the process. Rest well, recharge for a day, don't try to do too much, and just think and stuff. I hate moving, but two things happen- chaos then order, hopefully simplicity. +1000 and then some on starting on the kitchen, working outward. If you can bust your aiss long enough to get hungry, be sure to fix it. Somehow I think I'm just telling you what you know already... "Shark" fittings if the plumbing gives you crap. Let me know when the housewarming will be. | ||
| Crusty |
At Dinner In Cheviot I’m eating my first home cooked meal in my new house. It’s not a complex meal; a 5 ounce burger with sharp cheddar cheese on an onion roll with B&M Baked Beans, but it’s a significant meal for me. I finally got enough of my stuff unpacked that I was able to cook it. Finding the can opener was the critical thing. I’ve been unpacking stuff all week long and trying to put things away and getting things organized, but it just looked and felt like I was running around in circles. Now, however, the clutter is becoming less and it’s all starting to look like someplace I want to live in. Even with the cherubs and pink paint and wallpaper. Hmmm; I wonder if I should make my housewarming party a painting party… maybe the dining room would look good with Sunset Orange walls and Volcano Gray trim? I don’t have internet yet. I went by Cincinnati Bell today, and they want $48.00/ month. If I supply my own modem, they’ll knock that down to $39.99/month. That’s without anything else; no cable TV or phone. Of course, if I went for their Internet/ TV bundle, I could get it for $80.00/Mo. However, the cable wouldn’t include NBC Sports or BeIn, so I wouldn’t be able to see any motorcycle races. I didn’t make any decision; I want to weigh all the possibilities before I commit to doing anything. While it looks like I’m not getting a whole lot accomplished, when I go back over my day, I’ve actually been pretty busy and productive. I was talking to Dondi about it, and she suggested that I take a photo each morning so I could see the progress. However, the way I take pictures, I doubt that’ll happen. I should have most of the upstairs clutter sorted by the end of the weekend. Of course, there’s all the stuff in the basement; that’ll take a long while to get sorted out. One thing I need to do is call Christ Hospital and get things rolling as far as getting a Primary Care Doctor, a Cardiologist and a Urologist. I don’t want to wait too long. I’ll try to do that tomorrow (Friday). I also need to get to the laundromat and wash the mothball smell out of all the hand, dish and bath towels. David said that the Laundromat he directed me to has WiFi; if so, I’ll send this out then. It still doesn’t feel like I’ve really moved. It’s real, but it just doesn’t feel like it. I wonder how long it’s going to take until this house feels like home? It’ll happen; I just have to keep putting one foot in front of the other. Then again, when I sit on the front porch in the early morning drinking my coffee, things look pretty nice and I feel fairly contented. I’ll just have to give it time, I guess. |
