rode to durham last night to help teach another motorcycle class... friday nights are just classroom. - motorcycle familiarization, riding gear, controls, basic motorcycle operation. basically preparation for the next two days on the range.
ride out was nice - wasn't as far as i expected. had to travel through some rougher parts of town. getting there didn't concern me as much as the ride home. i knew it would be late, after 2100, possibly after 2200. it's not so much that i'm worried about being targeted as much as being hit by a stray bullet. yeah, i know, probably very unlikely, but it would be my luck.
being friday night, the class is only a couple hours long... like any class i've been involved with so far, this one wasn't without its own drama. classes generally have twelve students. tonight's class started with ten. in walks a college age dood about twenty minutes late. he apologizes for being late but hasn't really missed much, so dave lets him stay. well, every break, and sometimes not even on break, he's heading outside to make a phone call. i'm thinking he's scamming on some chick - whatever, he's young, that's probably all he's got on his mind.
class goes well. again dave got me involved and i get to "teach" a couple of the sections. i think i did pretty good and the experience is invaluable. it's about 2115 and we're wrapping up for the night when college-dood's buddy walks into class!! makes an attempt to be funny with some comment about being late and wondering if it's too late to participate in class. dave tells him yes. he asks if he should he should leave - dave says yes and waits for him to leave before we continue class.
we wrap up class, reminding students to bring the proper gear for the next day. everyone leaves and we're gathering our stuff when who should appear?? college-dood and his buddy no-show... they're scheming to get no-show back into the class - striking deals. if no-show can answer every question in the book correctly before ten o'clock, can he participate in the class. dave says no - participation is a key part of the class, in addition there are liability issues... they insisted until dave turns his attention to college-dood and said he was lucky he was in the class for showing up twenty minutes late. it was about then they decided to walk off...
until we got into the parking lot!!! college-dood came over asking for dave's name and phone number - saying he wasn't trying to cause any problems. yeah right... when you're in that situation and asking for names and numbers, it's usually not to invite people over for dinner!!! he walks over to his car then comes back - handing dave a cell phone saying it's his mom. dave starts talking on the phone and walks off. when he came back about ten minutes later he was not very happy. handed the phone back to college-dood and said something to the effect of i don't need this shit... that was pretty much it for the night...
rode my bike home in the evening. ride home was nice once i got through the no-so-nice parts of town... i made a wrong turn - actually turned too early and went through some side streets i didn't want to be on. fortunately i was able to navigate to where i needed to be without having to back-track. the ride home was cooler, which made it nice. kind of invigorating to ride home after dealing with jerks like we did...
overall, the experience was worthwhile. now i've helped out all three days of the course - not all consecutive, but i did help. i've even got some classes lined up to teach. i'm looking forward to those... would like to do more, but maybe i should get my feet wet and see what i'm getting into...
ride on...
Aug 26, 2006
Aug 24, 2006
picked up the bike today...
although i picked up the bike today, it started yesterday with a phone call saying they replaced the wheel!!! excellent - the wheel was replaced. but... there was a fiddy dollar extended warranty charge. what?!?!?!
confession time... when i bought the bike, i got the preferred customer plan - some sort of extended warranty. the deal is it would cover everything with the bike for x number of years, including the regular service. they said if a bulb blew, they would replace it free. figuring this was my first bike, i wasn't real familiar with servicing it myself, this might be the way to go. yeah, yeah, i know, sucker born every minute!!! since i've had the bike, i haven't paid for a regular service - and i've been getting them every twenty-five hundred miles. they even replaced the back tire free of charge when i needed it replaced. so, it seems like it's been a good deal for me so far.
so, when the service-dood left the message saying the wheel was replaced and it would be fiddy bucks, i was very surprised. i called them to find out the scoop. service-dood says that he was under the same impression when he bought the preferred customer plan too and didn't find out until after he started working there and had his bike serviced. seems whoever was telling the story - selling the plan - was leaving some details out. now i can appreciate someone trying to sell the plan and highlight the positives. now i can't exactly remember what i was told - hell, i have problems remembering what i had to breakfast yesterday - but i'm pretty sure i understood the plan to cover everything one hundred percent. turns out that if an item is out of warranty, then check it under extended warranty. if it's not covered there, then they cover it under the preferred customer plan. my wheel isn't covered under warranty anymore, but it is covered under extended warranty, which carries a fiddy dollar charge. news to me!!! i say that's not right because i was told (under the impression) that everything would be covered one hundred percent. service-dood says i can talk to a manager type to straighten it out.
i don't know if i mentioned i just went through this with the rental bike. the dood that sold me the plan said, if available, i could get a rental bike when i brought my bike in. apparently it only covers service, not repair. i was on the phone with another service-dood when i discovered this little gem. when i told service-dood who lead me to that impression, he said screw it and put me through to the rental department to arrange a rental. see, sales-dood-who-leaves-out-details move from being sales manager to general manager. i'm thinking this was a way for service-dood to stick it to sales-dood-who-leaves-out-details. bottom line, i learned to schedule my repairs around when i can get a rental bike. as long as they have one available, i can get it. when it comes to service - they are more obligated to get me a rental...
okay - back to the story at hand... i get patched through to manager-dood, but he's not in, have to wait until today to talk to him... today comes and i give him a call. i explain my situation. he apologizes for my misunderstanding and without breaking stride, says they'll pick up the tab. wow, what customer service - although i don't think i'm the first one to come to them with this story. i tell you, i don't think the dood could have bend over backwards any further.
later in the afternoon i took the vrod back and picked up my bike. i asked what was wrong with the old wheel, but never found out. the service-dood was too busy trying to take care of too many things at one time; including verifying manager-dood was picking up the tab for the new wheel.
ride home was awesome - what a great feeling to be back on my bike again. and an even better feeling not to have it wobbling when i ride. it feels good again...
peace...
confession time... when i bought the bike, i got the preferred customer plan - some sort of extended warranty. the deal is it would cover everything with the bike for x number of years, including the regular service. they said if a bulb blew, they would replace it free. figuring this was my first bike, i wasn't real familiar with servicing it myself, this might be the way to go. yeah, yeah, i know, sucker born every minute!!! since i've had the bike, i haven't paid for a regular service - and i've been getting them every twenty-five hundred miles. they even replaced the back tire free of charge when i needed it replaced. so, it seems like it's been a good deal for me so far.
so, when the service-dood left the message saying the wheel was replaced and it would be fiddy bucks, i was very surprised. i called them to find out the scoop. service-dood says that he was under the same impression when he bought the preferred customer plan too and didn't find out until after he started working there and had his bike serviced. seems whoever was telling the story - selling the plan - was leaving some details out. now i can appreciate someone trying to sell the plan and highlight the positives. now i can't exactly remember what i was told - hell, i have problems remembering what i had to breakfast yesterday - but i'm pretty sure i understood the plan to cover everything one hundred percent. turns out that if an item is out of warranty, then check it under extended warranty. if it's not covered there, then they cover it under the preferred customer plan. my wheel isn't covered under warranty anymore, but it is covered under extended warranty, which carries a fiddy dollar charge. news to me!!! i say that's not right because i was told (under the impression) that everything would be covered one hundred percent. service-dood says i can talk to a manager type to straighten it out.
i don't know if i mentioned i just went through this with the rental bike. the dood that sold me the plan said, if available, i could get a rental bike when i brought my bike in. apparently it only covers service, not repair. i was on the phone with another service-dood when i discovered this little gem. when i told service-dood who lead me to that impression, he said screw it and put me through to the rental department to arrange a rental. see, sales-dood-who-leaves-out-details move from being sales manager to general manager. i'm thinking this was a way for service-dood to stick it to sales-dood-who-leaves-out-details. bottom line, i learned to schedule my repairs around when i can get a rental bike. as long as they have one available, i can get it. when it comes to service - they are more obligated to get me a rental...
okay - back to the story at hand... i get patched through to manager-dood, but he's not in, have to wait until today to talk to him... today comes and i give him a call. i explain my situation. he apologizes for my misunderstanding and without breaking stride, says they'll pick up the tab. wow, what customer service - although i don't think i'm the first one to come to them with this story. i tell you, i don't think the dood could have bend over backwards any further.
later in the afternoon i took the vrod back and picked up my bike. i asked what was wrong with the old wheel, but never found out. the service-dood was too busy trying to take care of too many things at one time; including verifying manager-dood was picking up the tab for the new wheel.
ride home was awesome - what a great feeling to be back on my bike again. and an even better feeling not to have it wobbling when i ride. it feels good again...
peace...
Aug 22, 2006
bike in for repair...
took the bike in to have the wobble repaired today... that was an experience...
the ride in was okay... of course i had to contend with the wobble that i was getting repaired. i didn't think i would have to deal with traffic because i had decided to take the bike in after lunch, instead of first thing in the morning, like i normally do. i was right in that i didn't have to face morning rush hour traffic. i did, however, have to deal with heavy traffic. i don't know what was going on, accident, road work, whatever, it sure was making traffic heavy and slowing things down. which might have been, in some sort of cosmic way, to keep the speed of the bike down and help prevent the wobble.
it was so nice to get to the dealership. no problems getting there - thankfully. first order of business, get the rental. i wasn't dropping off the bike without a rental - not that i was really contemplating riding my bike back home. no problem picking up the rental. they didn't really have much to choose from - so i'm glad i called ahead and made reservations. i was hoping to get a touring model, at least something with bags... all they had was a wide glide, a buell blast and a vrod. pretty much no brainer - give me the vrod. i've been wanting to ride of one these. can't say that i'd want to own one of these, but definitely wanted to take one for a spin... so i fill out all the paper work and finish up and head over to the service department.
i tell the service-dood that i'm dropping off the bike to have the wheel replaced. of course, me being the customer and him being the service-dood, my diagnosis of needing a new wheel couldn't be right. he replies with a comment about needing a new tire. i clarified that i needed a new wheel and not a new tire. he asks how i know - i tell him that the spokes are loose and i can move the wheel back and forth, causing a wobble when i ride. he agrees that something is wrong, but again, my diagnosis of the spokes being loose isn't correct. he tells me it's probably the hub or bearings. no, i tell him, it's the spokes. i've had the bike up on the lift, i can move the wheel back and forth and watch the spokes move. i offer to get the bike up on the lift and i'll show him. he declines my offer. i tell him it will take less than thirty seconds if we can get the bike up on the lift. again, he declines saying they'll take a look at it. i told him i was expecting a new wheel since i didn't know what damage to the spokes or rim might have happened as a result of the loose spokes. he didn't say much - but i figured i'd wait until they gave me the diagnosis before pressing the issue of replacing the whole wheel. i get checked out (or is it checked in??) and service-dood tells me he'll give me a call tomorrow afternoon about the bike... good with me...
i head over to the awaiting vrod. rental-dood checks me out on the bike. reinforces that this will be different than my road king - something about a little more power and speed. stresses being careful - not getting too aggressive until the tires have warmed up. excellent!!
so i head home on the vrod. i'm not really sure i like the position of the foot controls. not sure if it's because i'm used to my bike or if they are just awkward on this bike. it does have a lot of power - although i can't really push it since i'm in traffic on crowded roads. once i get closer to home, out of all the traffic, i start pushing the bike a little. while i just want to open it up and see what it will do, i don't want a traffic ticket even more - so i keep myself in check.
the ride home was fun. nice bike, but i don't know that i'd really want one. by the time i got home, my ass was sore - and it's only a twenty-five mile ride. a new seat would be the first investment for the bike. foot controls never really did start feeling right. fun to ride - but i'll let someone else purchase it...
btw, i would definitely remove the bag and the sissy bar - if you can call it that!!!
the ride in was okay... of course i had to contend with the wobble that i was getting repaired. i didn't think i would have to deal with traffic because i had decided to take the bike in after lunch, instead of first thing in the morning, like i normally do. i was right in that i didn't have to face morning rush hour traffic. i did, however, have to deal with heavy traffic. i don't know what was going on, accident, road work, whatever, it sure was making traffic heavy and slowing things down. which might have been, in some sort of cosmic way, to keep the speed of the bike down and help prevent the wobble.
it was so nice to get to the dealership. no problems getting there - thankfully. first order of business, get the rental. i wasn't dropping off the bike without a rental - not that i was really contemplating riding my bike back home. no problem picking up the rental. they didn't really have much to choose from - so i'm glad i called ahead and made reservations. i was hoping to get a touring model, at least something with bags... all they had was a wide glide, a buell blast and a vrod. pretty much no brainer - give me the vrod. i've been wanting to ride of one these. can't say that i'd want to own one of these, but definitely wanted to take one for a spin... so i fill out all the paper work and finish up and head over to the service department.
i tell the service-dood that i'm dropping off the bike to have the wheel replaced. of course, me being the customer and him being the service-dood, my diagnosis of needing a new wheel couldn't be right. he replies with a comment about needing a new tire. i clarified that i needed a new wheel and not a new tire. he asks how i know - i tell him that the spokes are loose and i can move the wheel back and forth, causing a wobble when i ride. he agrees that something is wrong, but again, my diagnosis of the spokes being loose isn't correct. he tells me it's probably the hub or bearings. no, i tell him, it's the spokes. i've had the bike up on the lift, i can move the wheel back and forth and watch the spokes move. i offer to get the bike up on the lift and i'll show him. he declines my offer. i tell him it will take less than thirty seconds if we can get the bike up on the lift. again, he declines saying they'll take a look at it. i told him i was expecting a new wheel since i didn't know what damage to the spokes or rim might have happened as a result of the loose spokes. he didn't say much - but i figured i'd wait until they gave me the diagnosis before pressing the issue of replacing the whole wheel. i get checked out (or is it checked in??) and service-dood tells me he'll give me a call tomorrow afternoon about the bike... good with me...
i head over to the awaiting vrod. rental-dood checks me out on the bike. reinforces that this will be different than my road king - something about a little more power and speed. stresses being careful - not getting too aggressive until the tires have warmed up. excellent!!
so i head home on the vrod. i'm not really sure i like the position of the foot controls. not sure if it's because i'm used to my bike or if they are just awkward on this bike. it does have a lot of power - although i can't really push it since i'm in traffic on crowded roads. once i get closer to home, out of all the traffic, i start pushing the bike a little. while i just want to open it up and see what it will do, i don't want a traffic ticket even more - so i keep myself in check.
the ride home was fun. nice bike, but i don't know that i'd really want one. by the time i got home, my ass was sore - and it's only a twenty-five mile ride. a new seat would be the first investment for the bike. foot controls never really did start feeling right. fun to ride - but i'll let someone else purchase it...
btw, i would definitely remove the bag and the sissy bar - if you can call it that!!!
Aug 20, 2006
helping out...
helped out with a basic rider course today at alamance community college. was a looooonnggg day, but well worth it...
the class usually starts at 0800. today, it started at 0700 because the instructors wanted to get a jump on the heat. and i showed up a before that so i could help get the bikes ready and set up the range.
i got a lot more involved in this class than i did in the last one i helped out with... i actually got to provide some coaching to the students, ride some demos and perform the skills evaluation. overall, the class was a good one, but not without its moments...
the heat was grueling... i don't know how hot it got and i don't want to know - it'll make me realize how crazy (or maybe stupid) i am for being out there in the heat. anyway, i did survive with plenty of fluids. some of the students weren't fairing as well, so we were giving them more and more breaks - which attributed to the longer day. apparently yesterday they had an older guy drop the class because the heat was giving him leg cramps - probably a good decision.
today we had one "problem" student - she was having trouble figuring out clutch control and the friction zone. she would ease the clutch out until it hit the friction zone, the bike would start getting underway then she would pop the clutch out - the majority of the time stalling the bike. towards the end of the day, it looked like she was power-walking the bike to enough speed she could pop the clutch out without stalling the bike. no matter how stressed eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeasing the clutch out, she just couldn't grasp the concept. during the exercises, this was passable, but it would be her downfall during the evaluation.
when it came to the quick stop evaluation, she would get about ten feet and stall the bike. ten feet, stall the bike. about half way up, after stalling, i think she realized she was doomed. she broke down and started crying. of course she was blaming the bike. i do have to say that she was on a new bike during the evaluation - something we try not to do. but she was having problems shifting the previous bike she was on. as students do, they want to blame the bikes for their problems. i will admit these aren't necessarily the best bikes around - but they are adequate for the class. the majority of time the students the one with the problem. but we'll swap out bikes to placate them... there was no way she was going to get the shifting down - heck, she couldn't even get the bike under power. so, it was easier to swap bikes...
now she's sitting here, crying, and holding up the rest of the class. i think she pretty much knew she was going to fail... the other instructor told her that if she can get back to the starting point and run the evaluation without stalling, she could continue. she agreed. we started walking back to our evaluation position when we heard the bike stall. all i said to the other instructor was i know that wasn't the bike just stalling. once we got to our positions, we turned around - she hadn't moved very far. at that point, she realized she couldn't complete the evaluation. she got off the bike, removed her helmet and walked away... that was pretty much the last we saw of her - other than to come back and get the keys to the classroom so she could get her stuff.
after the range, we got to go into the classroom. an extremely welcome break considering the heat!! we covered a couple more topics before the students took the written evaluation. everyone passed - well, everyone that was still there!! after completing the written exams, i got to talk to the students about how they did on the skills evaluation. it was cool talking to people and gaining insight into their experience. one of the best feelings for me is transforming someone who's never been on a bike before into someone who's enthusiastic about riding and looks forward to continuing learning. we do stress that this is only a beginner course and that in order to become better - they must continue to practice and learn.
after the class, i stayed and talked to dave for a bit. he was happy to have me out there - especially since having an extra person on the range with the heat was helpful. he liked the way i interacted with the students today and thinks i'll make a good instructor. time will tell. i think he's going to try to help me get some more classes - that would be most excellent.
overall, it was a great day. i learned a lot - i think i'm really going to enjoy teaching... what i learned most, though, was it's time to stop doing these classes for free!! while the experience has been invaluable, and i wouldn't not do it, i'm going to have to carefully weigh my decision to keep doing it for "free".
the class usually starts at 0800. today, it started at 0700 because the instructors wanted to get a jump on the heat. and i showed up a before that so i could help get the bikes ready and set up the range.
i got a lot more involved in this class than i did in the last one i helped out with... i actually got to provide some coaching to the students, ride some demos and perform the skills evaluation. overall, the class was a good one, but not without its moments...
the heat was grueling... i don't know how hot it got and i don't want to know - it'll make me realize how crazy (or maybe stupid) i am for being out there in the heat. anyway, i did survive with plenty of fluids. some of the students weren't fairing as well, so we were giving them more and more breaks - which attributed to the longer day. apparently yesterday they had an older guy drop the class because the heat was giving him leg cramps - probably a good decision.
today we had one "problem" student - she was having trouble figuring out clutch control and the friction zone. she would ease the clutch out until it hit the friction zone, the bike would start getting underway then she would pop the clutch out - the majority of the time stalling the bike. towards the end of the day, it looked like she was power-walking the bike to enough speed she could pop the clutch out without stalling the bike. no matter how stressed eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeasing the clutch out, she just couldn't grasp the concept. during the exercises, this was passable, but it would be her downfall during the evaluation.
when it came to the quick stop evaluation, she would get about ten feet and stall the bike. ten feet, stall the bike. about half way up, after stalling, i think she realized she was doomed. she broke down and started crying. of course she was blaming the bike. i do have to say that she was on a new bike during the evaluation - something we try not to do. but she was having problems shifting the previous bike she was on. as students do, they want to blame the bikes for their problems. i will admit these aren't necessarily the best bikes around - but they are adequate for the class. the majority of time the students the one with the problem. but we'll swap out bikes to placate them... there was no way she was going to get the shifting down - heck, she couldn't even get the bike under power. so, it was easier to swap bikes...
now she's sitting here, crying, and holding up the rest of the class. i think she pretty much knew she was going to fail... the other instructor told her that if she can get back to the starting point and run the evaluation without stalling, she could continue. she agreed. we started walking back to our evaluation position when we heard the bike stall. all i said to the other instructor was i know that wasn't the bike just stalling. once we got to our positions, we turned around - she hadn't moved very far. at that point, she realized she couldn't complete the evaluation. she got off the bike, removed her helmet and walked away... that was pretty much the last we saw of her - other than to come back and get the keys to the classroom so she could get her stuff.
after the range, we got to go into the classroom. an extremely welcome break considering the heat!! we covered a couple more topics before the students took the written evaluation. everyone passed - well, everyone that was still there!! after completing the written exams, i got to talk to the students about how they did on the skills evaluation. it was cool talking to people and gaining insight into their experience. one of the best feelings for me is transforming someone who's never been on a bike before into someone who's enthusiastic about riding and looks forward to continuing learning. we do stress that this is only a beginner course and that in order to become better - they must continue to practice and learn.
after the class, i stayed and talked to dave for a bit. he was happy to have me out there - especially since having an extra person on the range with the heat was helpful. he liked the way i interacted with the students today and thinks i'll make a good instructor. time will tell. i think he's going to try to help me get some more classes - that would be most excellent.
overall, it was a great day. i learned a lot - i think i'm really going to enjoy teaching... what i learned most, though, was it's time to stop doing these classes for free!! while the experience has been invaluable, and i wouldn't not do it, i'm going to have to carefully weigh my decision to keep doing it for "free".
Aug 19, 2006
harley wobble...
well, it's been a while since i posted, but that doesn't mean i haven't been riding... most of my riding lately, though, has been short trips around town - nothing big, no all day or overnight trips... just been too busy recently to take a longer trip...
over the last several weeks, i've noticed my bike is tending to wobble as i ride it. although i first noticed it many weeks ago, i wasn't too concerned as it wasn't that bad. however, as i've ridden, the wobble is getting worse and worse - to the point i'm becoming concerned for my safety. while i won't rule anything out, i don't think this is related to the famed harley wobble, which can be read more about here too. i will say, however, that as i was experiencing the wobble, the thought/fear of the harley wobble as at the forefront of my thoughts.
the first time i experienced the wobble, i was in a turn not far from my house. i felt it wobble, which was unusual and got my attention. it wasn't a bad wobble, but enough to get my attention. the road was newly paved, which i didn't think would/could be a factor as it was smoother that before. but you never know...
over the weeks, as i'm riding, i notice it more often and getting worse. worse in the sense that the wobble is lasting longer and longer and getting more noticeable. violent is the word that comes to mind, although that seems a bit dramatic. the other day it got to the point where i'm questioning my safety on the bike. i do realize that i'm not the most experienced on a bike, but i do consider myself a fairly competent rider. i believe the skills i've developed over the past several years have made me a very safe rider. i ride like i'm invisible and everyone is out to hit me. so when i begin to feel unsafe on a bike, something serious is going on.
last week i gave the bike a quick once over - checking the tire pressure, the steering neck, the air pressure in the rear shocks, etc. everything seemed to check out. not feeling confident i didn't over look anything, i called the service department at the local dealership. i explained what was going on and what i had checked. service department dood said outside of tire pressure he couldn't think of anything that would cause the wobble. and, he said, it sounded like i had the appropriate pressure in the tires... curses...
today i finally took the time to get the bike up on the lift. and i had my father-in-law (fil) here to help. we started with the front tire, everything seemed to be okay. my fil like to check things out from front to back, so he starts with the front tire and checks all the components as he moves towards the back of the bike. i like to check groups of components on a bike, tires, shocks, etc. so after checking the front tire, he starts moving to the middle of the bike and i move to the back tire. i grab the rear tire and move it from side to side. uh oh, i think i found the problem. i call fil over and tell him to take a look. facing the rear of the bike, i move the tire left and right about half an inch. uhhhh, houston, we have a problem - it shouldn't be doing that. as i move the tire, i watch the rim and the spokes. the spokes are definitely loose. not much to do now but call the dealership to make an appointment to get this fixed.
i call the dealership to schedule an appointment. i explain what's going on and that i'm a preferred customer. basically a preferred customer means i paid a lot of money to have someone else do something for me that i could probably do on my own for much less money if i would just learn how. but there are some perks, like a free loaner bike when i have to leave it at the shop. or priority seating when the service department is slammed. priority seating pays off this time. the first open slot they have is august 30. but, being a preferred customer, i can bring it in any time, drop it off and they'll get it fixed within three days - assuming they don't have to order out for parts. the dood tells me to bring it in at my convenience and they'll get to it. of course they'll need it for a couple days... no problem, i said, we just have to be sure a rental is available. oops, problem... seems the rental is only good for service, not warrantee or repair work. the work is covered because i'm a preferred customer, but not the rental. i explain it was my understanding the rental was good any time i had to bring my bike in for work. service dood says he wishes he knew who was telling people that because a lot of people are under that impression and he has to be the dood that breaks the bad news to people... and i don't blame him there - he is put in a bad spot. i inform service dood that i can tell him exactly who told me i get a rental whenever i bring my bike in. the false-advertising dood was the sales manager when i bought my bike and was promoted to general manager. one thing about false-advertising dood is he personifies a used car salesman. close your eyes and imagine a used car salesman. now you're picturing this dood. and, believe it or not, he really was a used car salesman in a former life.
i'm more than happy to spill the beans and offer false-advertising dood's name up. and when i do, service dood makes a deal. since that's what he told me, and he's the general manager, he's going to get me the rental!!! service department dood says that if i can work out a convenient time to pick up a rental, they'll be more than happy to get my bike in... excellent. i get my bike in and i get the rental i'm not supposed to have.
i'm mixed about what i discovered today. i'm extremely happy that i found the problem while the bike was still sitting in my garage instead of while i was tooling down the road. i'm happy that i'll get the bike in this coming week and that i get a rental while they're working on my bike. i'm disappointed because i'll miss riding until i can get the bike in and get the rental. and tomorrow i'll be observing a basic rider course and i was looking forward to riding the bike. but when i weigh the pros and the cons, it's a no-brainer that not riding an unsafe bike for a few days will be well worth the comfort and confidence of riding a safe bike. (did that make sense??)
one other thought - this probably all started when i had my tire replaced in may.
peace and ride safe...
over the last several weeks, i've noticed my bike is tending to wobble as i ride it. although i first noticed it many weeks ago, i wasn't too concerned as it wasn't that bad. however, as i've ridden, the wobble is getting worse and worse - to the point i'm becoming concerned for my safety. while i won't rule anything out, i don't think this is related to the famed harley wobble, which can be read more about here too. i will say, however, that as i was experiencing the wobble, the thought/fear of the harley wobble as at the forefront of my thoughts.
the first time i experienced the wobble, i was in a turn not far from my house. i felt it wobble, which was unusual and got my attention. it wasn't a bad wobble, but enough to get my attention. the road was newly paved, which i didn't think would/could be a factor as it was smoother that before. but you never know...
over the weeks, as i'm riding, i notice it more often and getting worse. worse in the sense that the wobble is lasting longer and longer and getting more noticeable. violent is the word that comes to mind, although that seems a bit dramatic. the other day it got to the point where i'm questioning my safety on the bike. i do realize that i'm not the most experienced on a bike, but i do consider myself a fairly competent rider. i believe the skills i've developed over the past several years have made me a very safe rider. i ride like i'm invisible and everyone is out to hit me. so when i begin to feel unsafe on a bike, something serious is going on.
last week i gave the bike a quick once over - checking the tire pressure, the steering neck, the air pressure in the rear shocks, etc. everything seemed to check out. not feeling confident i didn't over look anything, i called the service department at the local dealership. i explained what was going on and what i had checked. service department dood said outside of tire pressure he couldn't think of anything that would cause the wobble. and, he said, it sounded like i had the appropriate pressure in the tires... curses...
today i finally took the time to get the bike up on the lift. and i had my father-in-law (fil) here to help. we started with the front tire, everything seemed to be okay. my fil like to check things out from front to back, so he starts with the front tire and checks all the components as he moves towards the back of the bike. i like to check groups of components on a bike, tires, shocks, etc. so after checking the front tire, he starts moving to the middle of the bike and i move to the back tire. i grab the rear tire and move it from side to side. uh oh, i think i found the problem. i call fil over and tell him to take a look. facing the rear of the bike, i move the tire left and right about half an inch. uhhhh, houston, we have a problem - it shouldn't be doing that. as i move the tire, i watch the rim and the spokes. the spokes are definitely loose. not much to do now but call the dealership to make an appointment to get this fixed.
i call the dealership to schedule an appointment. i explain what's going on and that i'm a preferred customer. basically a preferred customer means i paid a lot of money to have someone else do something for me that i could probably do on my own for much less money if i would just learn how. but there are some perks, like a free loaner bike when i have to leave it at the shop. or priority seating when the service department is slammed. priority seating pays off this time. the first open slot they have is august 30. but, being a preferred customer, i can bring it in any time, drop it off and they'll get it fixed within three days - assuming they don't have to order out for parts. the dood tells me to bring it in at my convenience and they'll get to it. of course they'll need it for a couple days... no problem, i said, we just have to be sure a rental is available. oops, problem... seems the rental is only good for service, not warrantee or repair work. the work is covered because i'm a preferred customer, but not the rental. i explain it was my understanding the rental was good any time i had to bring my bike in for work. service dood says he wishes he knew who was telling people that because a lot of people are under that impression and he has to be the dood that breaks the bad news to people... and i don't blame him there - he is put in a bad spot. i inform service dood that i can tell him exactly who told me i get a rental whenever i bring my bike in. the false-advertising dood was the sales manager when i bought my bike and was promoted to general manager. one thing about false-advertising dood is he personifies a used car salesman. close your eyes and imagine a used car salesman. now you're picturing this dood. and, believe it or not, he really was a used car salesman in a former life.
i'm more than happy to spill the beans and offer false-advertising dood's name up. and when i do, service dood makes a deal. since that's what he told me, and he's the general manager, he's going to get me the rental!!! service department dood says that if i can work out a convenient time to pick up a rental, they'll be more than happy to get my bike in... excellent. i get my bike in and i get the rental i'm not supposed to have.
i'm mixed about what i discovered today. i'm extremely happy that i found the problem while the bike was still sitting in my garage instead of while i was tooling down the road. i'm happy that i'll get the bike in this coming week and that i get a rental while they're working on my bike. i'm disappointed because i'll miss riding until i can get the bike in and get the rental. and tomorrow i'll be observing a basic rider course and i was looking forward to riding the bike. but when i weigh the pros and the cons, it's a no-brainer that not riding an unsafe bike for a few days will be well worth the comfort and confidence of riding a safe bike. (did that make sense??)
one other thought - this probably all started when i had my tire replaced in may.
peace and ride safe...
Aug 4, 2006
on their way...
talked to my bro earlier today... they're on their way to sturgis - the trip i was supposed to be on... they were at their first refueling stop and already sounded like they were having a good time... damn, i really wish i was on the trip with them...
another trip, another time...
another trip, another time...
feasting on asphalt...
i just started watching alton brown's new show, feasting on asphalt. i wasn't sure what to expect from the show. when my wife first told me about the show, i figured it would just be another lame show trying to exploit the popularity of motorcycles.
for the most part, i like cooking shows. what i really like about cooking shows is learning new recipes or tricks i can use... i don't like cooking shows where the recipes are so far out, you wouldn't normally be cooking them in your kitchen. i really like to watch a show and think, hey, i can do that in my kitchen. or on my grill as appropriate. because of that, i like alton brown. what i also like about alton is that he gets into the science of cooking - like how different flours or sugars will affect recipes differently. i remember an episode he did cooking chocolate chip cookies - by using different amounts of sugar, he could make the cookie chewy-oowey-gooie or thin and crisp. one of the first shows i ever watch of his, he smoked salmon - i think it was salmon - in a cardboard box!! he took ordinary stuff you would have laying around the house and smoked salmon. that's pretty impressive.
soooo, i find out that alton was hosting feasting on asphalt. still not quite convinced, though... then i catch a commercial for it - and alton describes a little more about the show. the premise is alton and crew are traveling across the states on motorcycles. the goal is to stay off the interstate and travel smaller roads - thus running into more mom-and-pop type places. much like traveling before the interstate system was created. in addition, the trip will provide them the opportunity to showcase regional foods. pretty cool - it'd be nice to be on a trip like that!!! i decide i'm going to give the show a chance.
last night i watched the first episode feasting on asphalt. i must say, i was pretty impressed - which just goes to show it doesn't take much to impress me. first, i like the idea that they're traveling on motorcycles. they talk a little about their travels, but the show is more about the mom-and-pop shops and the regional food they find. in this episode they started in mt. pleasant, south carolina and traveled to savannah, georgia. alton gave some insight to what he feels makes a good roadside restaurant. not only does he describe the atmosphere, but also talks about the food - of course. overall, it's a very good mix of the travels, the places and the food.
i'd say the show is worth checking out. i've tivo'ed the rest of the episodes, just to ensure i don't miss them. here's the episode guide if you're interested...
ride on...
for the most part, i like cooking shows. what i really like about cooking shows is learning new recipes or tricks i can use... i don't like cooking shows where the recipes are so far out, you wouldn't normally be cooking them in your kitchen. i really like to watch a show and think, hey, i can do that in my kitchen. or on my grill as appropriate. because of that, i like alton brown. what i also like about alton is that he gets into the science of cooking - like how different flours or sugars will affect recipes differently. i remember an episode he did cooking chocolate chip cookies - by using different amounts of sugar, he could make the cookie chewy-oowey-gooie or thin and crisp. one of the first shows i ever watch of his, he smoked salmon - i think it was salmon - in a cardboard box!! he took ordinary stuff you would have laying around the house and smoked salmon. that's pretty impressive.
soooo, i find out that alton was hosting feasting on asphalt. still not quite convinced, though... then i catch a commercial for it - and alton describes a little more about the show. the premise is alton and crew are traveling across the states on motorcycles. the goal is to stay off the interstate and travel smaller roads - thus running into more mom-and-pop type places. much like traveling before the interstate system was created. in addition, the trip will provide them the opportunity to showcase regional foods. pretty cool - it'd be nice to be on a trip like that!!! i decide i'm going to give the show a chance.
last night i watched the first episode feasting on asphalt. i must say, i was pretty impressed - which just goes to show it doesn't take much to impress me. first, i like the idea that they're traveling on motorcycles. they talk a little about their travels, but the show is more about the mom-and-pop shops and the regional food they find. in this episode they started in mt. pleasant, south carolina and traveled to savannah, georgia. alton gave some insight to what he feels makes a good roadside restaurant. not only does he describe the atmosphere, but also talks about the food - of course. overall, it's a very good mix of the travels, the places and the food.
i'd say the show is worth checking out. i've tivo'ed the rest of the episodes, just to ensure i don't miss them. here's the episode guide if you're interested...
ride on...
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