new bars...

i decided to put new bars on the bike. the stock ones were okay, but i felt i was reaching a little too far forward. i wanted something that pulled back a bit more, something that put more bend in my elbow.

for the longest time, i couldn't decided what i wanted. wide beach bars, mini-apes, there are just too many to choose from. i knew i didn't want to purchase and try a bunch of bars just figuring out which one was right.

some harley dealerships are putting in rigs where you can try before you buy. the rigs basically hold a seat, handlebars and have three peg positions. the idea is you put on the seat, bars, pegs, grips, whatever on the rigs, sit on it and get a feel for whatever you're looking to buy. i tried it out one time, but i just don't get the feeling it would be the same on the bike...

along the way, i ran into a guy - figuratively, not literally - who had the reduced reach handlebars for a road king... they were comfortable and seemed to give me the reach i was looking for. i checked out the reduced reach handlebars more and it appeared they were fairly straight-forward to install - using the stock cables and only needing a wiring extension. i decided those were the ones...

i got the bars and the wiring extension. next up was to enlist the help of my father-in-law and plan a day (or two or three) to get the job done. we started on a friday - i figured that gave us a solid three days without me having to worry about work getting in the way.

a view of the bars before we got started. this way, if we screwed up, at least i would know what it used to look like...



we removed the seat, disconnected the battery and covered the bike. i knew if i didn't cover the bike, i would drop some sharp, heavy something on the bike and screw up the paint/metal. i didn't need a repeat of last year...



we removed the headlight assembly...


a close up of the wiring in the nacelle...


we removed the nacelle - starting with the decorative strip...



we removed the fork lock cover - which is done by simply prying up on the lock cover...


a view with the nacelle removed, the turn signal/running light assembly carefully placed on the front fender...


we marked each of the wiring connections before disconnecting them - nothing like hooking them up backwards or something...


we removed the switch housing and wiring from the handlebars...


before removing the switch housings, we blocked the front brake lever to keep pressure on the calipers - hoping to reduce the possibility of having to bleed the brakes...


a final view of the naked handlebars before being removed...


ready for the new bars...


we removed the wiring connectors from the wires and fed the wires through the new handlebars...


left switch housing in place. after messing with this for a while, we decided to run the gps wire through the extra hole instead of trying to stuff it in with all the other switch wires...


we mounted the new bars...


a view of the wires coming out of the bars with the new wiring extensions in place...


it was a close fit, but there was just enough length on the stock wirings to allow the new extensions to be put on...


we connected the turn signal/running light harnesses to the new wiring extensions...


new bars coming together nicely...


testing out the positioning of the new bars...


new bars in place and ready to ride...




first test ride with the new bars was great. not only was the reach in a much better position, i felt as if i have a lot more control over the bike. and i like that for the slow, tight turns...

it turned out this job was a lot easier than i anticipated. of course i'd rather prepare for a tough job and find it easy than the other way around. we took our time with the job. and even taking our time, we easily finished in about half a day. it's certainly a job i would do again without hesitation... of course i have to send many thanks to father-in-law for the confidence and the help...

open house...

...not ours though - ray price's...

spent a couple hours at the open house... was pretty good - lot's of people, lots of bikes and a few vendors. we wandered around inside and outside for a bit, navigating our way around the confusion. then our little one was getting tired, so we decided to leave.

right before we left, there was a music review/fashion show. since they were honoring our military and supporting the uso, the theme of the show was on of those overseas uso shows for the military. the guy 'hosting' the show, playing bob hope, was absolutely terrible. he was too loud and, i thought, much too crude for an audience with kids. luckily he didn't go on too long. the show also had problems with their microphones which was apparent when someone would try to sign and you could barely hear them. but that's okay, it didn't effect the ones that were lip-syncing. thankfully there were a couple signers that were actually good - which made up for all the other short-comings.

i managed to snap a couple pictures. the first couple from the musical review and the last from the bike show...




we really only checked out the custom bikes in the bikes show - so i didn't get too many pictures...







this was my favorite bike in the show

more free stuff...

in an earlier post, i had a note to self to check the free neck gaiter link after april fifteenth because that's when the offer expired and i was curious what they might do about the link... or really the site, since the whole site was dedicated to the neck gaiter.

i can't honestly say what made me think of checking it... must have been after tax day and i needed something to cheer me up... i head over to the site and surprise, surprise, they're now giving away a hydration pack.

in order to get the hydration pack, you have to demo ride a buell. can it get any better?? i call up the dealership and schedule an demo ride. which happened to be yesterday...

the hardest part about this whole deal was choosing which bike to ride. i had to choose between the lightning, the 1125 and the ulysses. since i had ridden the ulysses before, that was out. it didn't take too long to choose the 1125, especially after all the stuff i've been reading about the redesign.

we gear up and after a few words of advise over the rev range and the touchy brakes, we head off. although the ride was short and i didn't really get a chance to wind it out, it sure was a lot of fun. very responsive, twist the throttle and it takes off. it's too bad we were behind slower traffic and i couldn't wind it through the turns. although, in hindsight it was probably a good thing - no tickets.

while i wouldn't want this bike for any longer trips, i could definitely see cruising around town and the back roads on it. it's definitely on my list if and when i can afford another bike. (i know, i know, dear, you get the next vehicle. how 'bout that screaming eagle over at shelton's??)

after the ride, i pick up my hydration pack and head home. on the ride home, i'm thinking this is great - not only does buell want to give me a ride on one of their bikes, they want to give me more free stuff. to top it off, the hydration pack is pretty nice. pretty good marketing, though, because i'm more interested than before...

i can't want to see what they give away after june...

peace...

i don't need no stinkin' map...

...or do i??

i've always had a fondness for paper maps. there was some sort of instant bond the first time i opened one up - even if i couldn't get it folded again. opening a map was like expanding the world, new areas to explore, new places to go.

over the years, i became adept at reading maps, quickly figuring out where i was and picking out routes to get me where i wanted to go. did i ever get lost?? sure, but that was part of the adventure.

fast forward many years... i get a gps for my bike... did i need it?? of course, not, especially since i'm an expert map reader. it's fun toy, a complement to my paper maps, certainly not a replacement.

over time, i used the gps more and more... learning how to use it, exploring the capabilities, the ease of use. it's not perfect, it did get me on the wrong road a time or two, but it could correct itself and ultimately get me where i wanted to go. but i got lost using paper maps too, so i guess i can't fault the gps too much.

the more i used the gps, the more i liked it. the more i could use it to my advantage and avoid it's disadvantages. and the more i used it, the less i used paper maps. heck, i can't even remember the last time i looked at a paper map. unless you count the pirate maps my son and i plan our adventures with...

even though i still carry paper maps on my rides, i'm thinking they're more conversational pieces, bits of history. that was until my wife, always looking for a good deal, found an offer for a free motorcycle map!! a double-whammy. not only a motorcycle map, but a free one!!!

i jump online, head over to america rides maps, and order me up a map. the hardest part was decided which one to get. the maps mostly cover western north carolina, an area i'd like to spend a couple extras riding around. and heck, with a new map, i'd have a reason to take a couple extra days.

after i ordered the map, reality started to set in. what the heck am i really going to do with this map?? after all, i have a gps. and my paper maps are just along for the ride - they don't play an active role in my riding anymore... at worst, this map would give me some ideas of roads to ride...

a couple days later, the map arrived... i tell you, i'm pretty impressed with it. first thing i noticed was the paper it's printed on. looks very durable and waterproof - an important feature when you're taking a trip on a bike for a few days. the size of the folded map is perfect - it can easily fit into a windshield bag or even a jacket pocket.

unfolding the map was like entering new worlds again, discovering roads and areas i never knew existed. i was also discovering how much was packed into this map. on one side is the maps itself. with 'featured' roads, marked in red, and easy to follow. the addition of gas stations marked on the map takes the concern out of riding and wondering when, or even if, you're going to make it to the next gas stop.

route descriptions are on the other side of the map. they contain everything you need to plan the route - mileage, turn-by-turn instructions, road types, traffic patterns and other useful information to make the trip enjoyable. there are also suggested rides, which helps take the guesswork out of creating your own perfect trip from scratch.

the next time i travel to western carolina, some things will be different... the trip will be a couple days longer and i'll be bringing this map along. not only that, i'll actually be using it to plan a couple rides around the area, taking roads i would have never found or taken with just my gps.

the america rides maps have brought the paper map back on par with the gps - more of a companion again... check them out - for five bucks you can't go wrong. hell, throw in the extra three bucks and get the waterproof.

happy ridin'...

saturday at shelton's...

we weren't doing much... contemplating how we were going to spend the day when my wife suggested a ride on the bike. now what's not to like about that?? spend some time on the bike. and, more importantly, with my favorite person.

we decided to head out to shelton's. the local hog club was having their annual chili cook-off and bike show. we called up our neighbor's to see if they wanted to ride out as well.

our neighbor lead us on back roads out to durham. when we got to shelton's, the place was getting packed. they had closed the road to cars (although some knuckleheads were still driving through), and were parking bikes along the side of the road.

we parked, hopped off the bikes and started walking towards the dealership, admiring the bikes along the way. i really wish i would have brought my camera. (sure would have made this post more interesting!!!)

after making our way in, we head for the chili. they were soliciting a dollar for the tasting. unfortunately my wife and i didn't have any cash. yeah, only two bucks and we don't have it. the pitfalls of living in an electronic world. i didn't see any card swiper device near the chili table, so we passed on the chili tasting. although i don't think we missed much since there were only two pots. looked like there had been more. i don't know if people just backed out or ran out of chili quickly.

it reminded me of the time we went to ray price for their chili cook-off. we got there about ten minutes after the event started and they were already out of chili. i don't know, seems you should have enough chili to last at least an hour...

after getting dissed on the chili, we headed over to the hot dog tent. free dogs and soda. i'm there... after choking down two dogs and a water, we decided to check out the bike show.

of course they had the whole range of bikes. some really nice bikes, some average bikes, and some bikes you wonder why people even put them in the show. maybe they're hoping to win because no one else put a bike in that category. now is when i really wish i would have brought my camera.

while making my way through the bikes, i ran into hank from widow maker custom design and repair. i think he's becoming my local favorite builder. not that i've really had a favorite, but i really like his builds. i spoke to him for a bit and need to follow up with him about getting one of his work shirts.

after visiting all the bikes and casting votes in each category... well, every category except one. i can't remember which category it was, but it only had one bike and it wasn't worth using the graphite from the pencil to make the mark on the paper. i cast my vote for eMVee as best in show.

since it was getting cloudy, our neighbors decided to head home and try to beat the rain. since we had our rain suits in the saddlebags, my wife and i decided to go into the dealership so i could pick up another free neck gaiter. which i've been using more as a beanie - makes a heck of a hat.

i was a little concerned with our decision because i know my wife hates to ride in the rain and really, really hates to get cold. but we decided to head in and check out the dealership. after walking around and watching more and more people stream inside because of the threat of rain, we decided it might be time for us to make tracks home.

when we get to the bike, we start hem-hawing about whether we need our rain gear. it's only sprinkling, very lightly. and it looks like it might pass over. what the hell?? let's ride. if it gets bad enough, we'll pull over and gear up...

the light sprinkle never really let up on the ride home. it didn't get worse either. the question became whether we would be able to make it home before the rain soaked through our clothes. i kept telling my wife to let me know if she wanted to pull over and gear up. if we waited too late and our clothes got too wet, there wouldn't be much use putting the gear on. the other problem was there really wasn't a good place to pull over... so we rode...

it turned out to be a really nice ride. sure it was raining, but this riding in the rain really isn't too bad. best of all, my wife really seemed to enjoy it. or at least she didn't mind it!! i'm sure that given the choice between riding in the sun and riding in the rain, she'd choose riding in the sun. but i don't think she'd choose not riding over riding in the rain.

the best part of the day was being able to share time with my wife - which doesn't seem to happen too much when you have kids to run all over the place... i'm looking forward to spending more time with her. and maybe one day we can even get away for a trip on the bike...

new shoes and a hat...

took the bike in for new shoes yesterday... had planned on getting both the front and rear replaced. rear needed replaced - it was in the red zone on the depth gauge. front was getting close - still in the green, but barely.

but more important than the gauge was my comfort factor... i just didn't have the confidence riding through corners. i realize i probably still had more traction going through corners that i would use, but i wasn't confident. and since motorcycling is mostly mental, i was putting myself at a disadvantage...

checking in at the dealer, their suggestion was to only replace the rear since the front still had a little left. i suggested since i had the bike in and it was close enough, i would prefer to have both replaced, even though the front probably still had some miles left in it. check-in dood says we'll let the service-dood decide. fair enough.

the bike heads towards service and i head into the dealership to pick up my free neck gaiter from buell. (note to self: check the neck gaiter link to see if it's still valid after the offer expires.) unfortunately the weather hasn't been cold enough for me to use it riding. although i did get to use it once as a beanie - worked nicely...

i decided to check out grips for the handlebar replacement i'll be doing soon. my goal was mostly to narrow down my choices. a quick scan ruled a lot out quickly. and it didn't take long to get it down to one. guess picking them out is going to be easier than i thought.

with not much else to do in the dealership, i head back to service to read a couple motorcycle rags until the bike is ready. while i'm waiting, service-dood comes out and asks about replacing the front. i could tell he's a little hesitant to replace it. he says there are a few miles left in it. when i tell him i've already got over twenty grand on it, he strongly suggests i should wait. and since i only have two thousand before my next service - i decide to go with that. when i take it in for the next service, it will definitely be replaced. while i was mostly concerned about the rear, i'll definitely feel a lot better when both are finally replace.

after a new tire and clutch adjustment, the bike comes out and is ready to ride. it feels good. i certainly have more confidence in the bike again.

ridin' in the rain...

been doing some riding these past few days. pretty much purpose riding - to and from my destination. not really out joy riding, although it seems any time i'm on the bike, it's enjoyable.

weather was still a bit cool, 30s and 40s, but with the 'lectric gloves and elephant ears, i stayed toasty. some sunday, i decide to forgo the heated gloves - hell, it's almost been warm riding these past couple days. of course sunday turned out to be a bit cooler than previously, so i was a lot colder. at least i didn't have far to go.

coming home sunday night, it was raining. i wasn't overly thrilled with the thought of riding in the rain, but i needed to get home. i threw on the rain gear, jumped on the bike and headed out. it actually didn't feel to bad - certainly felt a lot warmer than the ride in.

as i put more miles on, i was starting to enjoy riding in the rain - it felt liberating. most people were probably seeking shelter from the cold rain. here i was, out riding in it - actually having fun.

northeast mc expo...

went to the northeast motorcycle expo in fredericksburg, va... instead of babbling through this whole post, it's going to more pictures, less talk - a couple comments interspersed...

around the expo...

my wife checkin' if she can see over the handlebars of a chopper she really liked

me with some pretty women - although i didn't get my picture taken with the prettiest women...

the copenhagen girl didn't really seem like she wanted to have her picture taken. just took my wife askin' the right person...

michelle smith from american thunder...

some from the the bike show...











after the expo, we decided to grab some beers and wings to hooters...

smithfield, nc...

took a nice ride down to smithfield today. headed out in the morning when things were a bit cooler. was on the fast track to get down there, so it was pretty much highways and main roads. by the time i got there, the temps had risen and i was getting pretty warm. i knew i wouldn't be needing to wear my coat and chaps on the way home.

ride home was awesome. it was warm enough to ride with long sleeves - didn't need the coat. as i was heading out, i was really wishing i had packed my lighter gloves. who would have guessed that in february, it'd be this warm?? well, this is the carolinas, so it shouldn't be too surprising.

i decided to take the back roads home. hadn't been on them in a little while, so it would be nice to stretch the bike and myself out a little. was even nicer because i hit a detour and took some roads i'd never been on before. sure is a lot of beautiful country around us.

had to make a stop on the way home to pick a couple things up. this was probably the worse part of the trip. mostly because i didn't have room in my saddlebags for everything - which meant putting on the coat for the last part of the ride. but i'm not complaining. it could have been a lot worse. i could have needed the coat and not had it.

anyway - turned out to be a great day riding...

you can check out the 2008 ride map to see the route - this one in red...