| Author | Message | ||
     Etennuly |
John, if that front fender comes in blue you are set!  | ||
| Crusty |
Soul Red I’ve had a couple of people question my choice in color for my next Roadster. they think that the color of the tank I bought is nice enough that I should just run it as it is. This is my reply to that. There is a reason that Harley offers so many different colors. That reason is that different people like different colors. Over the years I've had motorcycles painted red, green, blue, black, silver and even pale yellow. The paint on the tank looks good in the pictures, but it doesn't look so good in reality. There are several scuffs on it and a couple of chips, as well. Also, the rear fender that's coming is white. I have no idea what color the front fender will be when I buy one. However; even if the paint was good and all three pieces matched, I'd want it painted Soul Red. That's the color that has grabbed me. In 1995, I bought a 1979 XLCH. When it came into the shop, the carb was detached from the engine and it looked like a real piece of junk. The paint color could only be described as regurgitated Port Wine. The gas tank was one of those silly small tanks that was mounted on top of the frame, and both fenders were pretty bent up. If you looked at the bike from behind, the rear fender was angled about 15 degrees off to the left. I started buying parts for it. New front and rear fenders, new oil tank and side cover and a Superglide gas tank; all the paintable body work. (I did a lot more to the bike, but this is about paint) The next Spring, I had Derek, a local painter do the paint on it. He brought me a couple of books of colors and I finally chose Banzai Blue, a Dodge color. Derek did an amazing paint job, and when I got everything back it looked so good, that I left the parts in my living room for two weeks, just so I could stare at them. They looked so good, in fact that I didn’t put any kind of decal on the gas tank. I didn’t want to detract from the beauty. And even after being left outside at the beach for years in Australia, the paint still looked good. When I look at David's car, the paint calls to me the same way that blue did. The current red of the gas tank is closer to a maroon; and while it isn't a bad color, it doesn't grab me at all. This Roadster is going to be the epitome of my idea of what a Sport-Tourer should be, I want to do it right. It has to function the way I think it should and it also has to look good. I want this bike to be one that I’ll go down to the garage, just to look at. I’ve had several bikes that are in that category. My present Roadster is one. My new bike is going to be very similar to my present bike, but with a few improvements. The color will be one of those improvements. Soul Red is the Right color for my bike. If you think it’s wrong, that’s fine. When you build your next bike, have it painted the way you think is right. This bike is going to be my vision in metal. It will carry me to far away places in style. It's going to be MY bike. | ||
| Crusty |
Today, I got a package that had a pound of Big Island Blend coffee in it. There was no note, so I just want to say Thank You to whoever it is. I hope you have a Wonderful Christmas! You made mine a bit brighter. | ||
| Crusty |
The fender arrived today. It's funny; the gas tank looks better in pictures than in real life, but the fender does the opposite. It looks better in real life.  | ||
| Crusty |
Fear, Doubt and Insecurity Tomorrow, I’m going to call the Loan Department at the Credit Union and discuss the various types of loans with a Loan Officer. When I bought the house, I had some heavy expenses in getting it habitable and moving my belongings from Massachusetts to Cincinnati. I used my credit card to pay for everything with the idea that I would get it paid down ASAP. However, there have been additional expenses and these, along with Loan Shark interest rates have made progress very slow. I sat down and figured out that if I take out an equity loan on the house, I can pay off the Plastic and also buy that Roadster, and I’ll have that paid off in the same amount of time as just throwing the same amount at the card. It will almost be like getting the bike for free. There are a couple of things that can derail this plan. First, my credit is only fair. Even though everything on my Credit Report says Pays On Time – Never Late, my score is only 685 or so. The other thing is my attitude. I have trouble dealing with money people. Bankers and loan officers and I just don’t usually click. I get easily intimidated by them and I have trouble making my case. Though that’s not always the case. I talked my way into getting a secured loan back when I was recovering from my heart surgery. (I also paid that loan off early). This time however, I have a couple of points I can make that might work in my favor. I have a fixed, but steady income that’s direct deposited into my checking account, and I could have the payments automatically withdrawn, and my house is worth about six times the amount I’m looking to borrow. Since I own it free and clear, I would think that it’s pretty good collateral. I once read a book titled, The Richest Man in Babylon. It was a series of short stories that were written during the depression to help people learn how to handle their money. There were several good principles that I remember from it, but the one that is jumping out at me right now is, The Goddess of Good Luck favors men of action. I have a bike lined up at a very reasonable price, I have the gas tank and rear fender waiting and I can see many positives in going for it now. As I said, I’m easily intimidated by Bankers and Loan Personnel. Courage is not the absence of fear. Courage is being scared sh*tless, but going forward anyhow. I just have to screw up my courage and do the Next Right Thing. | ||
| Tootal |
First off, Merry Christmas John! Next is the fact you own your home "free and clear"! That's great, I was unaware of that, good for you! I think you're being wise to go for a lower interest equity loan to pay off the credit cards and as long as they don't throw a bunch of up front fees and allow you to pay it off early without any charges that would be awesome. I remember a car dealer trying to get me into a loan and when I asked if I could pay it off early the answer was no! I rejected that loan and they set me up with a different one that I could pay off early and it had a lower interest rate!! They can be snakes so write down all your questions before you go so you don't get intimidated. I was fortunate that my mom used to work in Finance and Insurance at a car dealer so she knew their little tricks. | ||
| 86129squids |
“I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.” Frank Herbert, Dune I've read the Dune series twice in it's entirety... need to get back to that habit. | ||
| Crusty |
Started the loan process. The woman who handles Equity Loans was out today. Hopefully, I'll have good news to report tomorrow. (After posting about it here, I had to start the process. My pride pushed me on when I started to get cold feet. I have a good feeling about this...) | ||
| Ourdee |
Worst thing possible, they give you money. | ||
| Griffmeister |
The worst part of my last equity loan was that there was a minimum amount of money that I could request. No demons were present though and no payment penalties were attached. The loan officer even helped to compute the additional principal payments needed to end the loan in the time frame that I wanted. Last payment was this past June, now I can retire in peace. | ||
| Adrenaline_junkie |
I was at my local Harley Shop yesterday ordering different turn signal stems for my rear turn signals so I can add a rear rack to my Roadster. I noticed that they have two leftover Roadsters on the floor. In an effort to move them they have added ape hangers and a 3 foot tall sissy bar to one of them. I forgot to check for forward controls, but odds are good. I should have taken a picture for Crusty. The guy who runs the place has told me more than once that he would like to do the Cafe Racer thing to one of them, but I guess he has to do what he thinks he can sell. | ||
| Crusty |
Well, kids; it ain't looking too positive right now... I think I'll make that Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin for dinner tonight. | ||
| Ourdee |
Mmmm, bacon. I have a craving for chicken fried steak. It is raining out here today. | ||
| Crusty |
I fixed that bacon wrapped pork tenderloin for dinner tonight. I have to tell you all that the recipe is off when it comes to cooking time. I pre-heated the oven to 400 F, but I baked it for 45 minutes; then I turned it over and baked it for an additional 15 minutes. I used a 2 pound tenderloin and about ¾ of a pound of thick sliced bacon, and I basted the outside of the bacon with BBQ sauce. It was wonderful. There was enough for six meals. I ate one tonight and bagged and froze the other five portions. Try it; you’ll like it. | ||
| 86129squids |
+1. Chef Crusticle, do you have/use a vacuum sealer? You seem to be in the habit of batch cooking, a good one of these gadgets helps greatly to reduce the chance of freezer burn. Plus, you can learn to do things sous vide.  | ||
| Crusty |
A Bitter Pill Well; it looks like I’ll be riding the Roadster for a while longer. While I had hoped to take out an equity loan on my house, the interest rate would be prohibitive. It’s going to take another couple of years before my credit improves enough to even consider it. I actually believed the free credit score sites (Credit Karma & Credit Wise), but that doesn’t matter. Having a Bankruptcy on my report trumps everything else. It doesn’t matter that all my loans and debts are “Paid on Time – Never Late”. So, I just have to keep putting one foot in front of the other for the next couple of years. Then, supposedly, the Public Record will drop off and my score will rise. So my plan is to just keep going. Pay down the credit card debt and hope that the engine in the Roadster holds up for another 50k or more. Something good is going to come from this. Every time there’s been a major problem in my life, I’ve been able to look back and see something really good that happened as a direct result. I have no idea what it’ll be, but it will happen. In the meantime, today, the temperature is supposed to get into the upper 50s and the rain is supposed to stop by mid-morning. I think it would be fun to take the Anderson Ferry across the River and ride to Rabbit Hash and then check out Big Bone Lick State Park. I’ve been laughing at the name of the State Park for a while; I think it’s time to ride over and see what’s there. Maybe tomorrow, I’ll put the LED taillight on the bike. Today, I think a ride would do me more good. | ||
| Pwnzor |
The bike you were planning to buy must not have been The One. That's my conclusion. If the Roadster breaks, we're there to help you pick up the pieces. When The Time comes, The Bike will appear, and The Funding will be in place. So let it be written, so let it be done. | ||
| Tootal |
Today, I think a ride would do me more good. Doesn't it always!! I always loved the MEME that stated, "you never see a motorcycle in front of a psychiatrist office." I remember my father, when he was angry about something, would go take a ride and come back calm! | ||
| Ourdee |
If the Roadster breaks, we're there to help you pick up the pieces. What is the total length of the Roadster?(front of front tire to rear of rear tire) | ||
| 86129squids |
"Time and Perseverance are the Greatest Warriors." Tolstoy My $.02: Although you desire the new bike, with EFI and a few other things, what you have in the Roadster is already there, built over time to your specs/needs. I've felt all along that your nagging fear of the 2nd motor failing is unfounded, and even if it blew, I garontee there are plenty of folks available through BW to help you build a SUPER-sweet custom mill. Trust and cherish that Roadster. Remember, "new" only lasts until you sign all the papers and roll off the lot.  | ||
| Adrenaline_junkie |
I fall prey to the "new" wayyyy to often myself. | ||
| 86129squids |
I've never been much for "new" stuff, I enjoy bargain hunting waaay too much. It's amazing what one can find at thrift stores. Bought a nice full-suspension mountain bike last week at Knoxville Area Rescue Ministries, $29.99. Dropped it off at the bike shop yesterday for a rear wheel truing and once-over, that'll be $20. New, that bike goes for at least $150. (Yeah, nothing fancy, a Wallyworld special, but it's all I need for the greenway.) My best score so far is my Beemer. Traded my bike at the time for it, a '79 Goldwing, had a whole $1600 in that bike. Turns out the guy didn't want the BMW because it "put his nuts to sleep." We traded even... Fine with me! | ||
| Crusty |
The Bee, Roast Beef and the Roadster In August of 1983, I was working on a remodeling job at Harvard Business School. There was no Tunnel work at the time, so the Business Agent farmed me out to the Cambridge Laborers’ local. I was working seven days a week, as we were on a tight schedule and had to be finished before the start of the next semester. One Sunday, I was sitting outside at lunch time eating a roast beef sandwich. I didn’t notice it, but a bee landed on my sandwich and when I took my next bite, it stung me on my tongue. It hurt like hell. The interesting part of this story is that I lost my taste for roast beef sandwiches. Before it happened, roast beef was my favorite lunch meat, but I couldn’t enjoy it for a long time after. Intellectually, I knew that the roast beef had nothing to do with the incident, but my subconscious mind wouldn’t listen to logic or facts. It took over a year before I could eat and enjoy a roast beef sandwich again and I’ve never quite reached the level of enjoyment that I used to have. I had a friend on Badweb tell me that, “I’ve felt all along that your nagging fear of the 2nd motor failing is unfounded.” I don’t believe that. I’ve heard of a few people who had crankshaft issues with Sportsters built in ’04 and ’05. Plus, the rep from S&S that I talked to acknowledged that there were a few bikes built in that time period that had the same problem. When I replaced the engine, the motor I got from the boneyard was an ’05. Now, I don’t think all ‘05s had short life bottom ends, but I also don’t know how long the fuse is on my engine. Maybe my current engine will last for a quarter million miles; but maybe it will only last 57,000, like the original. And, as much as I like Sportsters, I still have that lingering doubt. I haven’t recovered my taste for roast beef yet. Now that my chance of getting a new Roadster has been postponed, I’m thinking about possible alternatives. I could do a pre-emptive rebuild. Get a new crank and freshen up the top end. That would be a major expense; I could buy a newer used Sportster for the same money. And maybe I should just buy a newer used bike. The newer cranks are supposed to be as reliable as the older (pre ’04) cranks were, so I wouldn’t have that little bit of doubt that never quite goes away. I could keep an eye on fleaBay for shocks and maybe a male slider front end and also get better brake calipers. That would also be a possibility, and I could make improvements as I could afford them. Or maybe I should just continue to ride the Roadster in spite of that lingering doubt and save up toward my next Roadster. I have a gas tank and a rear fender; I could continue to accumulate parts toward the day the new bike arrives. In the meantime, I have the Roadster. It looks good and is running well enough. There’s no great urgency to replace it. I’ll keep riding it and listening for funny sounds for now. | ||
| Akbuell |
Peace of mind vs expense - always a conflict. One thought about that would be investigating oil analysis programs. Often used by airlines and other vehicle fleet companies, some direct questions could reveal whether they would work for you. After establishing a baseline, regular checks will show abnormal trace elements in the sample, giving notice of pending failure, perhaps long before noises start. May be worth investigating, if only for the information gained. And no, I have never used one and don't know what they cost. | ||
| Adrenaline_junkie |
I'm not sure that a failing crankshaft would produce trace elements in the oil. A babbitt style bearing wearing prematurely will certainly create these trace elements. Having said that, I wish I had put XR1200 or New Roadster suspension on my old Roadster. I'm not thrilled with the fuel injection. Before riding season arrives again I'm going to have to swap my $400 tuner for a $900 tuner. It's my fault for switching exhaust and air filter, but on the old bike the tuning would have consisted of a jet kit for less than a hundred bucks. | ||
| Ourdee |
I've been following this thread for a long time. It is an easy way to keep tabs on a friend without getting in the way. I do need to know how long the Roadster is. I question the reason for buying a used bike from the dealer. There is good money to be gained by not feeding the beast. I also think there are ultra low mileage machines to be had out there for small coin in comparison. I was experiencing a poor battery and loose wiring since putting the (new?) battery in last year after the old battery gave up the ghost in Cincy. I still road it to GA. like that. I had to jump it to get out of Kingsport on the way. My thought was that when it wouldn't start any more, I would fix it. I wasn't going to stop having fun and adventure because everything wasn't perfect. I carried a jump pack and had a blast. I am still gathering spares for my little cargo trailer. Knowledge of the length of the Roadster will tell me if I can mount the wheel chock in the center front or if it needs some other tweaking. I need to still come up with two more spare tires and a spare set of wheel bearings. I haven't made up my mind on trailer jacks yet. I'm still thinking about welding wind down scissor jacks to the frame. | ||
| Hughlysses |
I'm not sure that a failing crankshaft would produce trace elements in the oil. A babbitt style bearing wearing prematurely will certainly create these trace elements A failing crank like my Uly incurred would definitely have shown up in a UOA. In this case, the rod needle bearings and/or the crankpin surface was failing. By the time it became an impossible-to-ignore knock, the oil looked like metallic brown paint. I’d guess that when Sportster-type cranks do fail, that’s typical. | ||
| Adrenaline_junkie |
Thanks Hugh. I never imagined that failure mode for a roller bearing in an oily environment. I'll tuck that away in the memory bank. | ||
| Hughlysses |
I'll tuck that away in the memory bank. Yea, especially if you’re ever tempted to buy a 2007 Uly! | ||
| Adrenaline_junkie |
I'm too short to ever consider a Uly. Someday, when finances are right, an X1 will be my extra bike. |
