| Author | Message | ||
     Crusty |
Today’s Ride When I had my Dresser, I would ride it regularly through the winter, but it was always short rides. Then, once the weather had broken, I’d take a nice long ride. I had it down to a formula. I would get on the Mass Turnpike and ride to New York State. Once over the border, I’d head north up to the Taconic Trail and the Mohawk Trail and take those roads east. My reasoning was that the steady speed of the Turnpike would help the engine to get thoroughly warmed up with just enough load to help everything to expand and all the moving parts could get happy with each other. Crystallization patterns that were forming in the various metals could randomize again and I think it worked. The bike always seemed to run better after the trip. The second part of the route was to get myself loosened up and used to riding a bit better. All the short, cautious rides keeping mostly vertical had dulled my cornering a bit. Riding both Trails (passes to those who haven’t been to New England) would loosen me up and I got a bit sharper and my braking got sharper, too. The ride was a bit of a 350 mile tune up for both me and the bike. Today, the forecast was for temperatures to hit 60 F (15.5 C). I needed a bit of a ride and I’ve gotten a bit tired of the same short run to Rabbit Hash. I wanted a ride that would be similar to that ride to New York. I finally decided to head for Rudy’s Smokehouse in Springfield, OH. I went north on I-75 up through Dayton, then turned east on I 70. I had no trouble finding Rudy’s and went in and ate way too much. I really wanted ribs. Lately, I prefer ribs when I go out for BBQ. I used to prefer Brisket or Pulled Pork, but that’s shifted to ribs. I think it’s because I got spoiled by Jim’s Smokin’ Que and Woot’s; but whatever the reason, it’s my preference at present. The only problem was that a half rack was the smallest portion on the menu. So, I figured, what the hell, and ordered it. For sides, I picked baked beans and something called Scalloped Corn. The girl who was taking my order recommended it, so I picked it for my second side. Now, a BBQ judge would have given the ribs a downcheck. The meat fell right off the bones. However, the flavor was so good, I’d have to say they were Blue Ribbon contenders. It was so good, in fact that I didn’t even put any sauce on them until I was on my third rib. I loved them. I wish I could say the same for their beans. They weren’t bad, but the highest rating I can give them is mediocre. My two favorite places for beans are Redbones in Somerville, Mass. and the Dinosaur BBQ in that order. (Redbones is also my favorite BBQ joint for brisket) The scalloped corn, on the other hand was really good. It’s a weird concoction that’s a cross between cornbread, pudding, and has kernels of corn mixed in. But it tasted wonderful. I ate all I could and wound up unable to finish the whole meal. They had three sauces on the table; Sweet, Hot and Carolina style. The Hot wasn’t too hot and it was good, but I preferred the Sweet. I wasn’t in the mood for vinegary, so I didn’t even try the Carolina. Once I finished practicing my Gluttony, I got back on the Roadster and headed south on secondary roads. Unfortunately, there were no Passes, Trails or Notches; just beautiful farmland. At one point, I stopped and gassed up even though I wasn’t on Reserve yet. The price for Regular was $1.94. Right now, gas is selling for $2.24 here in Cincinnati, and my inner cheapskate jumped to the fore when I saw the price. Super is usually $.60 more, but it was at a supermarket that I have discount points with, so I only paid $2.34/gallon. After a while I recognized the WLW radio tower (it’s really hard to miss) and I decided to just jump on the Interstate and push for home. I headed for the car wash to clean the salt off the bike, bit there must have been close to 50 cars waiting for their shot at a bay, so I’ll just head over in the morning. Right now, the Patriots are leading the Toilet Bowl 3 – 0. I hope they win, even if I’m not watching it. Those ribs will be the only meal I’ve had today, but even so, I ate too much, but I don’t regret it one bit. Today was just the day I needed. | ||
| Ourdee |
13/3 Pats (Message edited by ourdee on February 03, 2019) | ||
| Griffmeister |
Oh boy, $1 coffee at DD tomorrow. Nice going, John, now I want BBQ. | ||
| Tootal |
Crusty, what was the name of the BBQ joint that supports one of the racers? I was getting in the mood for some ribs too and thought I'd check them out. | ||
| Crusty |
Greg; it's Carver's BBQ in Godfrey, IL. Jeffrey Carver (the son of the owner) won the Springfield Mile last May. One of these days, I want to go check it out. If you go, please give us a report on it. Here's their website: http://m.riverbender.com/directory/details.cfm?id= 1364 | ||
| Crusty |
Greg; it's Carver's BBQ in Godfrey, IL. Jeffrey Carver (the son of the owner) won the Springfield Mile last May. One of these days, I want to go check it out. If you go, please give us a report on it. Here's their website: http://m.riverbender.com/directory/details.cfm?id= 1364 | ||
| Tootal |
I looked them up on Google Maps and they are just a few blocks from where my Grandmother used to live. So I know right where they are! They're not all that far from the Harley shop either! I will let you know. | ||
| Crusty |
I started to write a Snippet about this, but then I realized that most of it would be redundant. So here's the abbreviated version. I got the fender and air cleaner cover home on Wednesday and put the mounting brackets on the fender.  I decided that I didn't want to use the rivets, so I got some Ultra Low Profile Socket Head Screws. They cost almost four bucks apiece, but the head is only 5/64" tall. I tried to take a picture of them, but my point&shoot camera won't focus well enough. For nuts, I got some locknuts with black plastic inserts. The camera did focus for them.  I'm letting the paint cure a little bit before I put them on the bike. When I do put the fender on, I plan to pull the fork legs and put the gaiters on as well. They should protect the fork kegs a little better from flying stones and other stuff. Joe did a magnificent job on them, and I really feel indebted to him. I think the fender looks good with the hardware I used . | ||
| Tootal |
Those nuts look just like the ones the factory uses on the Tour Pack mounting kit. All 1/4"-20 thread. Looks good! Were the screws Button head? | ||
| Crusty |
The screws were round flat head socket screws. The heads were 5/64" (.078) tall and 1/2" in diameter. A 1/4 -20 button head was .117 tall. The button heads probably would have worked just fine, but I wanted to have as much room between the head and the tire as possible. I love McMaster-Carr! (Message edited by Crusty on February 08, 2019) | ||
| Crusty |
OK; I just tried again and I got one photo of the head of the screw.  | ||
| Zac4mac |
If you can countersink the bracket, you should be able to get flatheads flush. That's the whole reason they exist. Gotta be precise on your countersink. Z Looks very clean John, one of your trademarks. <edit> From the last time I fitted one of those fenders, you're gonna be fine where you're at. (Message edited by zac4mac on February 08, 2019) | ||
| Crusty |
Zach; they're not flat head screws, they're Ultra Low Profile Socket Head Screws. Go here and you'll see: https://www.mcmaster.com/standard-socket-head-scre ws I went with the 316 stainless 1/4-20 3/8 and 1/2 inch long. | ||
| Tootal |
Ok, gotcha. Perfect for your application. McMaster Carr is great. Just got some bakelite from them to make a brake shoe for the milling machine. Quick and easy! | ||
| Crusty |
While Waiting I’ve got a little less than an hour before David comes by to give me a ride to the hospital for a Cystourethroscopy. It used to be called just a cystoscopy, but if they make the name longer, they can charge more for the procedure. Or somethin’. It’s a very “uncomfortable” procedure, and I have to have one done annually, but I don’t have to like it; and I don’t. But, there are more pleasant things to write about. I put the new front fender, fork gaiters and air filter cover on the Roadster yesterday. The job went a lot smoother than I anticipated. I actually did all the right things to ensure success. I set the radio in the garage to a Classical music station and took my time. I didn’t try to rush the job at all. I had planned the entire day to accomplish it and it only took me a couple of hours. Then I took the bike out for a ride. I’d been stuck in the house since Saturday afternoon and I was getting a real case of cabin fever. So the Roadster got to get wet and dirty and the new parts got baptized. I’m probably the only person who’ll notice the changes, but the bike is looking better all the time and the new fender cuts down on the road spray a lot. Because of the rain, I didn’t take any pictures. If I’m feeling up to it this afternoon, I’ll try then. It’s only a little over a month until the first Rally of the year happens. March/Glitch Badness at Two Wheels of Suches is on March 29 – 31. I love that place. I’ve camped in some magnificent campgrounds, but no place is as ideal as TWoS for me. The prices are fair, the staff is great and the location is heavenly if you enjoy riding motorcycles. And they have some superb BBQ nearby. Plus, the rally is attended by some of the best people I’ve had the chance to get to know. It started out as a Buell rally and there are still several that are there, but they welcome all kinds of bikes. Over the past few years, I’ve seen attendees on Harleys, Kawasakis, BMWs, Victorys (Victories?), Triumps, Yamahas and Indians as well as Buells and EBRs; and I’m sure that I’m forgetting something. Oh; a little detail that I almost forgot; ethanol free gasoline is available at both the gas station in Suches and at the little place on the way to Jim’s Smokin’ Que. Good People, a great campground, Fire Pit Jenga, Good BBQ, sweet twisty roads and real gasoline. It’s a formula for a great weekend. Well; David will be here soon; I’d better get dressed and ready to head out. | ||
| Tootal |
Sorry to hear you're dealing with your yearly torture! That sucks!! I made it to Carver's yesterday. They have his 1st Place trophy in front of the counter as you walk in. I ordered ribs dry and they were moist and done well but the rub was pretty bland IMO. I ate a couple dry and then went to the spicy sauce and that was pretty good. So I'd rate them a 7 if Jim's Smokin Que is a 10. I'd go back though, nice place with racing memorabilia all over. The waitress said he was on his way to Daytona for his next race. | ||
| Ourdee |
The Executive Chef Jim makes other BBQers look like dish washers. Don't spell out BBQ with the "ers" on it. LOL | ||
| Crusty |
I took the Roadster to the quarter car wash this morning and took a couple of photos after I washed all the road phlegm off.   I think she's looking better with each small improvement. | ||
| Ourdee |
Very nice. | ||
| Buellish |
That fender brings back Superglide memories.I like it John,looks good! | ||
| Tootal |
Love the Gaiters! A proper traveling machine!  | ||
| Crusty |
I think she's looking pretty good for showing 99,924 miles on the odometer. | ||
| Adrenaline_junkie |
By golly I think you've got it. The "Gentleman's Express". Now you just need a gentleman to ride it. The last time I saw it there was some crusty old tramp bundled up like an Eskimo setting on it.  Seriously though, she looks perfect! | ||
| Pwnzor |
Very nice accents with the new fender and black cover. The fork gaiters take my imagination down bumpy dirt roads to some remote BLM campground where the cacti grown and tortoises roam. Looking forward to seeing you again soon. I'd be honored to cover your camping fees again, if you'll allow it. | ||
| Crusty |
Errands I had to go out a while ago. I went over to David’s shop to pick up his pruning shears. (I’m going to take down a little more if the jungle). Since I was out and about, I rode over to the Harley dealership after that. Now, yesterday’s high temp was 40 F (4.4 C) and the last I heard was that today was supposed to match that. It didn’t. I think it made it all the way up to 35 F (1.6 C), but I wouldn’t bet on that. Still, for February 16, 35 is warm. Anyhow, I’m also watching my odometer whenever I go out. It’s getting close to turning 100,000 miles and I’m hoping to get a photo of both 99,999 and 100,000. The Roadster will be the second bike I’ve ever kept for over that milestone. The first was my ’88 FLHS; it turned over to all zeros as I rode through Newtown, CT on my way back from the Hagerstown Half Mile in 1995. The Roadster’s odometer has the extra digit, so it won’t turn over to all zeros until it registers a million miles. Anyhow, I pulled up at the Harley shop and there were a few bikes parked there. A few younger guys were standing there talking and one of them asked me what kind of bike was I riding. I told him it was a Harley, but a bit modified. He was really taken by the bike and said so. I suspect that he was the one riding the Victory that I was parked near. It was the Victory version of the Indian Scout. I’ve forgotten the model name, ( I just looked it up; it was the Octane) but I think it looked a little better, but that’s just my opinion. Polaris did to Victory what Harley did to Buell; that’s a shame. There was a dealership employee cooking burgers on a gas grill, and they smelled wonderful. The dealership was having some sort of Promo day and they were offering free burgers and tube steaks and free sodas. I grabbed a burger and put some Heinz Ketchup on it and enjoyed the free lunch. They also had a DJ playing loud music inside. I had to get the little sintered metal gaskets that go between the mufflers and the balance tube. The new old mufflers I got from fleabay are nice and quiet, but the gaskets don’t seal like they’re supposed to and I can hear a loud exhaust leak. While I was there, eating my burger, I wandered around the showroom looking at bikes. One of the Sportsters had a black air filter cover and the nameplate just said 1200 in silver letters on a black background. It really looked good, so I ordered an air cleaner nameplate from a 2017 Roadster. It just says ROADSTER on it and I think it will look really good on the bike. I probably should have waited until after I get my next Social Security deposit, but I think everything will be OK. I have a bit of Laundry money built up and I can tap into it if it becomes necessary. Hell, it was only $18.86; I’ll be able to get by for a week on the ten bucks that’s still in my wallet. The ride home was uneventful and the mileage is now at 99,953. I’m going to have to start carrying the camera around with me. I really want to catch the two mileages, and it should be possible. If I do, I’ll share the photos. Tomorrow’s the Daytona 500. I’m planning to watch it, even though I’ve lost track of who the fast drivers are and what rule changes have happened. 30 years ago, I really enjoyed watching the races, but I kind of drifted away. Now, the Daytona 500 might be the only Cup race I’ll watch all year. However; there aren’t too many Flat Track motorcycle races I’ll miss. I haven’t burned out on them. | ||
| Crusty |
Roadster Rambling After I posted the latest pictures of the Roadster, I had someone asking why I would want another bike, since the Roadster looked so good. I replied that I don’t really trust Sportster engines that were built in ’04 and ’05. That led to people replying that they had a brazillion miles on their bikes of that vintage without problems. Now, the engine that’s presently in the Roadster is also an ’05. It has given me no indication that it might suffer an early demise. But the original engine also didn’t give me any warning before it took a dump, either. While I believe the Sportster engine is one of the most underrated engines in motorcycling, I also know that the bean counters at the MoFoCo have a strong influence on engineering. I was told by one of Harley’s engineers that the trap door for the transmission was eliminated because it saved $5.00 in manufacturing costs. I also heard a lot about cam bearing failures in the Twin Cam models. I think that when the rubber mount came out with its new engine, they might have cut the manufacturing costs a little too fine. There are quite a few people who never had any engine problems with their early rubber mounts, but then again, there are a bunch of folks who never experienced a cam bearing failure in their Big Twins, either. My engine might be solid as the Rock of Gibraltar, but after being stranded in a Weigh Station just west of Bloomington, Illinois with a dead motorcycle I can’t shake the worry from my mind. All that doesn’t matter, at present. I’m going to be riding the Roadster for a while yet. And yes; I think she’s beautiful. I’ve thought about buying another engine; one that’s been gone through by NRHS or Hammer and built with reliability as its primary focus. Add to that a set of front brakes from an XR1200 and some higher end suspension components. That might be a better way to go, but I’m not sure. I’d still have my carbureted bike and I really like fuel injection. The one saving grace is that I could do the improvements piecemeal. I don’t think it would be any cheaper in the end, but I’d really Know my bike. You know; the four piston brake calipers and master cylinder for the XR cost the same as the two piston calipers that are stock on the Roadster. I find that interesting and it makes me think about a braking upgrade. In other news; it was light at 7:30 this morning. I remember noticing when it was light at 6:30 AM on my way to work when I lived in Massachusetts. It was a noticeable sign that the days were getting longer. Since I’m now living on the western edge of the time zone, light at 7:30 has the same effect on me. Spring is coming! Glitch Badness, The Springfield Mile, The Red Mile, the XL Forum Meet&Greet and the West Virginia Buell Rally all lie ahead. I’m really looking forward to this coming summer. Now, I think I should go outside with the loppers and cut down a little bit of the jungle. | ||
| Johnnylunchbox |
I've joined the ranks of the Roadster pilots. So far I've got longer Ohlins shocks on the back, a oil cooler, and i'm about to take to forks in for some racetech elective surgery. My only complaint so far is the 3.3 gallon capacity. I've been thinking about how to fab up a peanut tank to work as an auxiliary tank/cafe style seat back.  | ||
| Pwnzor |
That's a good looking bike... love those wheels on it. | ||
| Ourdee |
If you come up with a larger main tank, it is the simplest cure. | ||
| Johnnylunchbox |
I don’t want to change the bars, which you’d have to do to put on the Custom tank like Crusty has. |
