how difficult can it be??

had a couple extra minutes today so i decided to put the registration sticker on the bike.

being the lazy efficient person i am i decided i would just wipe the old sticker with a towel and apply the new sticker. a short-lived idea due to the reflective license plate mounting bolts covering the sticker.

reaching between the license plate and the the tour-pac i quickly realized i wouldn’t be able to remove the mounting bolt without removing the tour-pac.

i get the key for the tour-pac and attempt to unlock the lock. as i turned the key i heard a pop. not the familiar pop of the mechanism unlocking. and the key is turning freely. i remove the key and see the lock hasn’t unlocked. nope. it broke.

the design of the tour-pac latch prevents me from unbolting the latch– which is actually a good thing. i have to remove the docking point in order to remove the tour-pac. once that’s off i’ll be able to remove the latch, freeing the docking point – which i can then put back on the bike.

i finally remove the docking point and get the tour-pac off. on to the latch… i remove the bolt and slide the latch off. not quite. the way the latch is mounted, along with the docking point still being locked in place, prevents the latch from being removed.

the only way to remove the latch is to break it. which i do. finally the docking point is free. it gets put back on the bike. i return from the attic with the old latch and put that on the tour-pac.

i finally get around to putting the sticker on the bike – completing a two minute job in about thirty minutes…

ss1000…

completed another ss1000 saturday…

took off about five thirty in the morning. a little later than i had originally planned – was too busy sleeping. but i’d rather get a little more sleep, wake up refreshed and start late than start out tired.

first stop was sheetz in youngsviile to document my start location and time. then it was off to richmond. the ride up there was chilly in spite of the extra layers and having the panels in my coat. i knew the morning was cooler but i didn’t expect that cool. good thing i started with my winter gloves.

after richmond it was on to staunton. the temps were rising along with the sun but it was still cool… i was wondering if i was going to need to throw on my other shirt and put the lining in my coat. i decided to keep pushing through. i’d add them at the next stop if needed.

from staunton it was on to hagerstown then to morgantown. the traffic between hagerstown and morgantown was horrible. i was finally in the 4th of july traffic i was fearing. until we got to the i-68 split near hancock. thankfully most of it was heading north and the roads opened up again.

nothing too exciting from morgantown through charleston on to statesville. the temps were definitely getting warmer. hot in fact. funny how a few hours ago i couldn’t wait to get out of the cold weather. now i was missing it.

about the six hundred fifty mile mark i was feeling a little tired. the fireballs were helping but not quite doing the trick. i was planning on taking a short nap in the shade at my next stop. however, when i got there i must have gotten my second wind. after fueling up i was ready to keep going. i never felt sleepy after that.

a lot of the trip between charleston and statesville was familiar from our milwaukee trip in may. it was nice to be in familiar sights, knowing i was closing in on being home.

the final leg between statesville and youngsville brought back memories of traveling the road a few years back, when i was first starting to take longer trips. i remember the feeling of accomplishment of riding for several hours, covering a couple hundred miles. now i was knocking off a thousand miles. and enjoying it!!! where will i be in a few more years?? maybe an iba rally?? who know… all i know is i was really enjoying the ride and looking forward to getting home and spending the rest of the holiday weekend with my wife.

a little after ten in the evening i pulled back into the sheetz station to document the end of my ride, finally making it home about ten-thirty. it was an awesome ride and it was great to be home.

now i’ve got to document my ride and get it off to the iba… you can check out the 2010 ride map – this one in blue…

great service…

was heading back from the smoke out last weekend when the shift lever shaft stripped. luckily i was close to home and could temporarily fix it by tightening the screw on the backside of the shaft.

i took the bike to ray price tuesday to have the shaft replaced. i asked them to also check the front brakes and do an inspection. when the bike’s dropped off the tech looks over the bike. he noticed that i could also use new tires.

overall i’ve been very pleased with the service i’ve gotten from ray price. i have to give them props for this last experience. it’s nice to know they go above and beyond instead of just settling for getting the job done. it’s always good to have another set of eyes looking over the bike.

and it’s especially nice to have new tires on the bike before i head out for another saddle sore 1000 tomorrow. look for an update next week on how i made out. as well as updates on the smoke out and rolling thunder – on which i’m woefully behind…