Saturday, December 29, 2012
Goodye To 2012
Saturday, December 22, 2012
Unwilling Participants
Fire & Ice
Friday, December 21, 2012
Winter Solstice - Mayan Foolsday
So the (alleged) prophesied Mayan end of the world didn’t happen. I feel badly for the Mayans – they didn’t ask for any of this doomsday nonsense, they probably just ran out of space on the stone tablet they were using for their calendar. Maybe the archeologists who found these supposed doomsday discs should have looked turned them over and looked on the other side? Maybe there was another 12,000 years noted there…
Anyway, moving along. The one thing that did happen on time, and as foretold, was the Winter Solstice. As of 6:12am EST this morning, the days will cease getting shorter and once again begin lengthening in duration. This, of course, means we'll be seeing more and more of the Sun! Yay, Sun! With it's warmth and light...and warmth! Sadly, it’s a very slow process, though, which means we have at least several months ahead of us before the temps begin climbing again. Oh well, we’ve learned to be patient at this point.
Hey, we survived the end of the world, right? What’s a few months of cold...and snow…and ice…and…no riding…wait, no riding? It is the end of the world!!!
RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!!!! STOCK UP ON SUPPLIES!!!! MAKE A BREAK FOR IT!!!! BATTEN DOWN THE DOORS AND WINDOWS!!!! HEAD FOR THE HILLS!!!! WRAP YOURSELF IN A MATTRESS AND HIDE IN YOUR BASEMENT!!!! RUN SCREAMING TOWARD THE HORIZON!!!!
Or just crack a beer and hope that summer gets here soon...
Anyway, moving along. The one thing that did happen on time, and as foretold, was the Winter Solstice. As of 6:12am EST this morning, the days will cease getting shorter and once again begin lengthening in duration. This, of course, means we'll be seeing more and more of the Sun! Yay, Sun! With it's warmth and light...and warmth! Sadly, it’s a very slow process, though, which means we have at least several months ahead of us before the temps begin climbing again. Oh well, we’ve learned to be patient at this point.
Hey, we survived the end of the world, right? What’s a few months of cold...and snow…and ice…and…no riding…wait, no riding? It is the end of the world!!!
RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!!!! STOCK UP ON SUPPLIES!!!! MAKE A BREAK FOR IT!!!! BATTEN DOWN THE DOORS AND WINDOWS!!!! HEAD FOR THE HILLS!!!! WRAP YOURSELF IN A MATTRESS AND HIDE IN YOUR BASEMENT!!!! RUN SCREAMING TOWARD THE HORIZON!!!!
Or just crack a beer and hope that summer gets here soon...
Thursday, December 20, 2012
The Wave
I’ve recently discovered a new, powerful tool for reconciling egregious actions, performed upon others by oneself.
Further; I had no idea just how prevalent this powerful tool has become. It’s pervasiveness has been thrust upon me with greater and greater frequency of late, and I am now fully aware of this godsend.
What is this amazing and powerful thing of which I speak? Why, it’s the hand wave!
That’s right, with a simple wave of your hand, you can right a wrong, no matter how blatantly moronic it was on your part, or overwhelmingly dangerous it was to someone on a bike.
Realized at the last second that you were in the wrong lane, so you swerve directly into mine, causing me to slam on my brakes and fishtail right up to your bumper?
No problem! A quick wave in the rear-view mirror makes everything ok.
Too busy yakking on the phone with your BFF about your weekend and didn’t realize there was a motorcycle beside you when you attempted to move over?
I was about to get upset, but your dismissive wave fixed everything.
Had your nose tucked into your smart phone and drifted into my lane (from directly beside me), almost forcing me over into oncoming traffic?
No worries! A sheepish smile and wave, and all is forgiven.
Cut a left turn directly into my path of travel, almost causing me to become a hood ornament?
It’s ok, really. A shrug and a wave, and we’re all good.
As you can see, The Wave is truly a valuable tool of reconciliation! Where would we be without it??
Ride Hard, Take Chances
Further; I had no idea just how prevalent this powerful tool has become. It’s pervasiveness has been thrust upon me with greater and greater frequency of late, and I am now fully aware of this godsend.
What is this amazing and powerful thing of which I speak? Why, it’s the hand wave!
That’s right, with a simple wave of your hand, you can right a wrong, no matter how blatantly moronic it was on your part, or overwhelmingly dangerous it was to someone on a bike.
Realized at the last second that you were in the wrong lane, so you swerve directly into mine, causing me to slam on my brakes and fishtail right up to your bumper?
No problem! A quick wave in the rear-view mirror makes everything ok.
Too busy yakking on the phone with your BFF about your weekend and didn’t realize there was a motorcycle beside you when you attempted to move over?
I was about to get upset, but your dismissive wave fixed everything.
Had your nose tucked into your smart phone and drifted into my lane (from directly beside me), almost forcing me over into oncoming traffic?
No worries! A sheepish smile and wave, and all is forgiven.
Cut a left turn directly into my path of travel, almost causing me to become a hood ornament?
It’s ok, really. A shrug and a wave, and we’re all good.
As you can see, The Wave is truly a valuable tool of reconciliation! Where would we be without it??
Ride Hard, Take Chances
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
RIP Dana
I'm sure you and Russell are ripping up the roadways and causing mischief wherever you can. Rest easy, and thank you again for your part in creating what has become the Olean/Maine/Massachusetts madness. It continues to reap more rewards than any of us could have imagined.
Monday, December 17, 2012
December Ridin'
The seven day forecast looked to be nothing but major crap for the coming week; snow mixed with rain. Not very conducive to riding. Saturday, though, was chilly, but with clear skies and a good December sun overhead. It would be a good day to ride!
Donning the gear, I mulled over a number of destinations. Where should I go on a fine day like this? How about the Cape! I haven’t ridden out there in a while, and it would involve a mix of some highway hammering, combined with a healthy dose of scenic side streets. It sounded like a good plan to me, and I off I went.
The highway traffic was pleasantly sparse, and I made good time – all except for one spot where traffic suddenly jammed up hard. Looking ahead at the front of the growing stacks of cars, I could see vehicles maneuvering to the far left (off the highway) and to the far right (into the breakdown lane), to avoid something, and then returning to highway speeds. Good, it’s not an accident, just some kind of obstacle we have to get around. What could it be? A couch? Barrel? I figured whatever it was, I might even have a chance to pull off, grab it and drag it off of the highway to open things up. Why not do a bit of civic duty on this fine day, right?
But, when enough cars had cleared from in front of me so that I could see what was the problem was, it was obvious there wasn’t a thing I could do. The thing in the road was going to take much more than anything I had available to correct. Looking up ahead, I saw a pulled-over pickup truck in the breakdown lane, with a bunch of household items in the back, and the occupants were milling about, trying to figure out what to do about the recent turn of events that was their doing. Because apparently they had been in possession of what I can only surmise was once a large entertainment center of some sort which had fallen out of their truck’s bed and was now a pile of shattered wood and glass, stretching across three lanes of travel.
Easing carefully around the mess, I was soon back up to (above) highway speeds and making good time once again. Before long, I found myself approaching the Bourne bridge, so I pulled over and snapped a pic.
Crossing over, I looped almost all the way around the rotary and picked up Rte 6 and paralleled along the Canal for a bit. Catching movement through the trees on my right, I saw a wall of steel slowly fading past me. Well this is odd – whatever that thing is, I’m not passing it as fast as everything else that’s going by…the perspective is off…what gives? (There were too many trees in the way to get a good look.) Soon, however, the trees thinned and I could tell it was a massive tanker! Cool – it’s not often you see a mammoth ship taking the shortcut through the canal, so I shot up to a pull-out spot and lined up to snap some pics as this behemoth slowly slid on by.
From there, I continued on a bit, pausing to snap a pic of the Sagamore bridge, before continuing on. (Ok, so the pics may not be terribly fascinating, but it was a nice day and I was enjoying myself.)
I then meandered my way up and down whatever scenic streets presented themselves to me. I got lost several times, but the area is small enough, and has enough marked routes, that even when I got lost, it wasn’t long before I crossed back over something that was familiar.
One thing I do enjoy checking out when I’m on one of these ride-abouts, is old cemeteries. I spotted one up on a hill as I was rounding a corner, so I u-turned, parked, and snapped some pics.
The moss covered granite stairs looked amazing in the sunlight. It was like discovering a long-lost place (even though a busy side road intersection was at the base of the hill).
I haven't seen anything like this before - these granite slabs were supported in all four corners, as well as in the middle. They were like giant gravestones, complete with name, dates, and brief bios. The supports were also on granite slabs that lay flush in the ground, but I don't know if the people mentioned on the top slabs were buried underneath, or not.
I thought this made for a good pic. You'll have to click on it to expand it to see it, but I liked the old gate in the foreground, with my bike in the background.
Just as I was about to leave, I happened to notice an old penny, resting on top of the left granite post. It was even heads up - a good omen. However, someone had deliberately placed it here, and I didn't feel it would be right of me to take it. (It was a 1961 penny, and certainly looked every day of that age, but who knows when it had been left here.)
Further along in my travels, I saw this sign and had to snap a pic. After I’d gotten closer, I could see it was for an ophthalmologist’s office, but from a distance (as I was approaching), it looked like a very unimpressed sign. Bored, even.It seemed funny at the time.
I decided around this time to begin my return, and slowly worked my way back through more scenic roadways, eventually finding myself back in familiar territory and approaching the rotary again.
The fingers had a bit of chill at this point, and the stomach was grumbling that I hadn't been paying any attention to it for a while, and as luck would have it; there was an I-Hop restaurant right on the rotary. I pulled in, shut down, and made my way in. The girl at the front desk took one look at me and got kind of wide-eyed, and asked me if I was some kind of astronaut. Uhm...what? It took me a split-second to realize what she was referring to - I was still geared up with all the warm and protective clothing. I laughed and explained that no, I was merely out enjoying the roads on the motorcycle. She seemed impressed with this, and asked where I was from (relax, this is a PG blog, and she was much too young, anyway). I told her I was from Walpole and asked if she knew where that was - she said "Yeah, don't they have a prison up there?" Ahh yes, some things you just can't leave behind you.
A warm cup of hot chocolate and a hearty breakfast (in the late afternoon? Hell yeah!) later, and I was soon back out in the lot, getting ready to saddle up. The sun had long been making it's slow descent from the skies, and it was draggin the temps with it, so it seemed a good idea to just hammer home. I hopped back out into traffic, shot back over the bridge, and then it was nothing but a little over 50 miles between me and my driveway. A brief side-stop to gas up again, once I'd arrived in Walpole (gotta keep the tank full - not sure when I'll be able to get out again), and then it was time to regretfully roll her back into the garage.
I've got my fingers crossed that that won't be the last ride of the year. Not to jinx anything, but so far, we've dodged a lot of bullets with the whole snow thing. If things keep up this way, then Zig and I should have no problem for our annual New Year's ride - and that's only two weeks away.
Where does the time go?
Ride Hard, Take Chances
Donning the gear, I mulled over a number of destinations. Where should I go on a fine day like this? How about the Cape! I haven’t ridden out there in a while, and it would involve a mix of some highway hammering, combined with a healthy dose of scenic side streets. It sounded like a good plan to me, and I off I went.
The highway traffic was pleasantly sparse, and I made good time – all except for one spot where traffic suddenly jammed up hard. Looking ahead at the front of the growing stacks of cars, I could see vehicles maneuvering to the far left (off the highway) and to the far right (into the breakdown lane), to avoid something, and then returning to highway speeds. Good, it’s not an accident, just some kind of obstacle we have to get around. What could it be? A couch? Barrel? I figured whatever it was, I might even have a chance to pull off, grab it and drag it off of the highway to open things up. Why not do a bit of civic duty on this fine day, right?
But, when enough cars had cleared from in front of me so that I could see what was the problem was, it was obvious there wasn’t a thing I could do. The thing in the road was going to take much more than anything I had available to correct. Looking up ahead, I saw a pulled-over pickup truck in the breakdown lane, with a bunch of household items in the back, and the occupants were milling about, trying to figure out what to do about the recent turn of events that was their doing. Because apparently they had been in possession of what I can only surmise was once a large entertainment center of some sort which had fallen out of their truck’s bed and was now a pile of shattered wood and glass, stretching across three lanes of travel.
Easing carefully around the mess, I was soon back up to (above) highway speeds and making good time once again. Before long, I found myself approaching the Bourne bridge, so I pulled over and snapped a pic.
Crossing over, I looped almost all the way around the rotary and picked up Rte 6 and paralleled along the Canal for a bit. Catching movement through the trees on my right, I saw a wall of steel slowly fading past me. Well this is odd – whatever that thing is, I’m not passing it as fast as everything else that’s going by…the perspective is off…what gives? (There were too many trees in the way to get a good look.) Soon, however, the trees thinned and I could tell it was a massive tanker! Cool – it’s not often you see a mammoth ship taking the shortcut through the canal, so I shot up to a pull-out spot and lined up to snap some pics as this behemoth slowly slid on by.
From there, I continued on a bit, pausing to snap a pic of the Sagamore bridge, before continuing on. (Ok, so the pics may not be terribly fascinating, but it was a nice day and I was enjoying myself.)
I then meandered my way up and down whatever scenic streets presented themselves to me. I got lost several times, but the area is small enough, and has enough marked routes, that even when I got lost, it wasn’t long before I crossed back over something that was familiar.
One thing I do enjoy checking out when I’m on one of these ride-abouts, is old cemeteries. I spotted one up on a hill as I was rounding a corner, so I u-turned, parked, and snapped some pics.
The moss covered granite stairs looked amazing in the sunlight. It was like discovering a long-lost place (even though a busy side road intersection was at the base of the hill).
I haven't seen anything like this before - these granite slabs were supported in all four corners, as well as in the middle. They were like giant gravestones, complete with name, dates, and brief bios. The supports were also on granite slabs that lay flush in the ground, but I don't know if the people mentioned on the top slabs were buried underneath, or not.
I thought this made for a good pic. You'll have to click on it to expand it to see it, but I liked the old gate in the foreground, with my bike in the background.
Just as I was about to leave, I happened to notice an old penny, resting on top of the left granite post. It was even heads up - a good omen. However, someone had deliberately placed it here, and I didn't feel it would be right of me to take it. (It was a 1961 penny, and certainly looked every day of that age, but who knows when it had been left here.)
Further along in my travels, I saw this sign and had to snap a pic. After I’d gotten closer, I could see it was for an ophthalmologist’s office, but from a distance (as I was approaching), it looked like a very unimpressed sign. Bored, even.
I decided around this time to begin my return, and slowly worked my way back through more scenic roadways, eventually finding myself back in familiar territory and approaching the rotary again.
The fingers had a bit of chill at this point, and the stomach was grumbling that I hadn't been paying any attention to it for a while, and as luck would have it; there was an I-Hop restaurant right on the rotary. I pulled in, shut down, and made my way in. The girl at the front desk took one look at me and got kind of wide-eyed, and asked me if I was some kind of astronaut. Uhm...what? It took me a split-second to realize what she was referring to - I was still geared up with all the warm and protective clothing. I laughed and explained that no, I was merely out enjoying the roads on the motorcycle. She seemed impressed with this, and asked where I was from (relax, this is a PG blog, and she was much too young, anyway). I told her I was from Walpole and asked if she knew where that was - she said "Yeah, don't they have a prison up there?" Ahh yes, some things you just can't leave behind you.
A warm cup of hot chocolate and a hearty breakfast (in the late afternoon? Hell yeah!) later, and I was soon back out in the lot, getting ready to saddle up. The sun had long been making it's slow descent from the skies, and it was draggin the temps with it, so it seemed a good idea to just hammer home. I hopped back out into traffic, shot back over the bridge, and then it was nothing but a little over 50 miles between me and my driveway. A brief side-stop to gas up again, once I'd arrived in Walpole (gotta keep the tank full - not sure when I'll be able to get out again), and then it was time to regretfully roll her back into the garage.
I've got my fingers crossed that that won't be the last ride of the year. Not to jinx anything, but so far, we've dodged a lot of bullets with the whole snow thing. If things keep up this way, then Zig and I should have no problem for our annual New Year's ride - and that's only two weeks away.
Where does the time go?
Ride Hard, Take Chances
Monday, December 10, 2012
All Horned Up
Another crappy, cold, wet day. Might as well do a bit of maintenance on the bike. Let’s replace that dead horn I mentioned last week, shall we?
I picked up this after-market horn from Amazon, for short money. (Even with shipping, it came in well under the cost of an OEM horn.)
A few quick turns on the mounting nut and the housing is off and we're ready to dig in.
Remove the leads from the old horn...
They say water is the biggest killer of horns, and sure enough; when I rotated the old one, water came out. Guess that's part of the price of riding in the rain.
This replacement horn doesn't have two hard-mounted posts for the electrical leads, just one. The other lead gets connected to a washer which gets mounted onto the center post, acting as the ground.
Before I put the whole thing together, I did a quick check first, holding things in place with my hand, and making sure the horn was going to work. Yep! Good and loud, too!
Ok, time to get things put together. It was a bit of a tight fit, and this after-market horn is not a perfect drop-in replacement, but considering the cost savings, it'll do the job just fine.
Ta-da! A very easy fix, didn't take any time at all. Now I'm loud and obnoxious again!
Ride Hard, Take Chances
I picked up this after-market horn from Amazon, for short money. (Even with shipping, it came in well under the cost of an OEM horn.)
A few quick turns on the mounting nut and the housing is off and we're ready to dig in.
Remove the leads from the old horn...
They say water is the biggest killer of horns, and sure enough; when I rotated the old one, water came out. Guess that's part of the price of riding in the rain.
This replacement horn doesn't have two hard-mounted posts for the electrical leads, just one. The other lead gets connected to a washer which gets mounted onto the center post, acting as the ground.
Before I put the whole thing together, I did a quick check first, holding things in place with my hand, and making sure the horn was going to work. Yep! Good and loud, too!
Ok, time to get things put together. It was a bit of a tight fit, and this after-market horn is not a perfect drop-in replacement, but considering the cost savings, it'll do the job just fine.
Ta-da! A very easy fix, didn't take any time at all. Now I'm loud and obnoxious again!
Ride Hard, Take Chances
Thursday, December 6, 2012
John Gets Lucky
My buddy here at work (John - the only other guy that rides all the time, too) was in an accident this past Monday. Nothing too serious, but it was due to yet another stupid cager. He was stopped at a red light, and the offending idiot was stopped behind him. The light turns green, and the idiot in the cage stomped on the gas, running into John and launching him sideways into a pickup truck that was waiting to take a left.
The good news is John's fine - doesn't even have a bruise, even after colliding mid-air with the pickup truck. The bike has some damage and is at the shop now, getting fixed. The guy who hit him was very apologetic and claimed that his foot slipped off the brake and when he tried to stomp back onto the brake pedal, he hit the gas, instead. Moron.
Be safe out there, and always be on the lookout for the cages...'cause they sure as hell ain't lookin' out for you.
Ride Hard, Take Chances
The good news is John's fine - doesn't even have a bruise, even after colliding mid-air with the pickup truck. The bike has some damage and is at the shop now, getting fixed. The guy who hit him was very apologetic and claimed that his foot slipped off the brake and when he tried to stomp back onto the brake pedal, he hit the gas, instead. Moron.
Be safe out there, and always be on the lookout for the cages...'cause they sure as hell ain't lookin' out for you.
Ride Hard, Take Chances
Monday, December 3, 2012
Getting (C)old
The bike's horn is on it's way out. Rather than sending forth an intimidating "F off" to intruding cages, the horn, as it currently exists, sounds like a meek apology for being so bold as to even attempt sharing the roadways. This would not do.
I did a bit of research on horn replacements and ordered one from a US Made company. It arrived in the mail on Friday. Awesome! Saturday; I would do the install!
Saturday arrived and it was a very cold, very gray day. I ventured out into the garage to get a feel for things, but quickly ventured back to the warmth inside the house. F it, I thought. It's gonna warm up next week, I'll do it then.
What has happened to me? Choosing warmth and comfort (and delays) over necessary bike work in the cold? I must truly be getting old.
I apologize for my transgression and vow to do the fix at the next opportunity I get.
Ride Hard, Stop Being A Pussy.
(If it helps, I did ride in this morning!)
I did a bit of research on horn replacements and ordered one from a US Made company. It arrived in the mail on Friday. Awesome! Saturday; I would do the install!
Saturday arrived and it was a very cold, very gray day. I ventured out into the garage to get a feel for things, but quickly ventured back to the warmth inside the house. F it, I thought. It's gonna warm up next week, I'll do it then.
What has happened to me? Choosing warmth and comfort (and delays) over necessary bike work in the cold? I must truly be getting old.
I apologize for my transgression and vow to do the fix at the next opportunity I get.
Ride Hard, Stop Being A Pussy.
(If it helps, I did ride in this morning!)
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Blanket Party
Leading up to yesterday, the weather forecasts had called for yesterday’s snow storm to not amount to much of anything, maybe a dusting, nothing more. Then yesterday morning, the forecasts changed; we would now be receiving an inch perhaps, with a small area (near Walpole) possibly getting 4 inches. Hmmm….well, having a forecast change at the last minute is nothing new, nor is it unusual for a new forecast to be worse than previously expected. We just had to sit tight and see what the weather gods had in store for us.
All day long, the white flakes fell, but quick glances out my window showed the roadways were just wet, no accumulation. Even at the end of the day, when the fluffy white stuff seemed to be fading away, the roadways were nothing more than wet. Nice, this is turning out better than expected!
Ahh, but then things changed. Just before turning in for the night, I stepped outside to check on things. The wind had picked up, the fluffy white stuff was back, and picking up steam. Damn. Guess I just gotta see how things look in the morning…
Fast forward to the morning. I walked out to find a nice white blanket awaiting me. But not on the ground…on the roads! There wasn’t a bit of snow to be seen anywhere…not on the grass, not on the Jeep, and certainly not on the roads. But the salting crews had apparently been out, and they sure must have been mad at someone or something, because they hadn’t spared any expense. There were salt crystals lining the edges of the streets, looking like shattered glass. There were piles of salt dumped out at intersections. Everywhere I looked, the pavement was hidden by a thick blanket of pure white.
Fabulous.
The temps are going to be a bit better over the next few days, but there's no cleansing rain in sight. I may have to scrap the usual “salty roads = no riding” credo and just continue to get miles on while I can. Hmmmm….
Ride Hard, Wash The Salt Off Your Bike
All day long, the white flakes fell, but quick glances out my window showed the roadways were just wet, no accumulation. Even at the end of the day, when the fluffy white stuff seemed to be fading away, the roadways were nothing more than wet. Nice, this is turning out better than expected!
Ahh, but then things changed. Just before turning in for the night, I stepped outside to check on things. The wind had picked up, the fluffy white stuff was back, and picking up steam. Damn. Guess I just gotta see how things look in the morning…
Fast forward to the morning. I walked out to find a nice white blanket awaiting me. But not on the ground…on the roads! There wasn’t a bit of snow to be seen anywhere…not on the grass, not on the Jeep, and certainly not on the roads. But the salting crews had apparently been out, and they sure must have been mad at someone or something, because they hadn’t spared any expense. There were salt crystals lining the edges of the streets, looking like shattered glass. There were piles of salt dumped out at intersections. Everywhere I looked, the pavement was hidden by a thick blanket of pure white.
Fabulous.
The temps are going to be a bit better over the next few days, but there's no cleansing rain in sight. I may have to scrap the usual “salty roads = no riding” credo and just continue to get miles on while I can. Hmmmm….
Ride Hard, Wash The Salt Off Your Bike
Monday, November 26, 2012
You Know The Drill By Now
Saturday, November 24, 2012
Yet Another Temp Check
Friday, November 23, 2012
Hidden Treasures
Monday, November 19, 2012
Great Night For Riding
Sunday, November 18, 2012
Victrola, Russell!
Saturday, November 17, 2012
Friday, November 16, 2012
Bunch Of Wild One Year-Olds
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
That's Brisk, Baby!
Monday, November 12, 2012
Two Beats Four Once Again
Sunday, November 11, 2012
Friday, November 9, 2012
We Are All Patriots
9:30am...there's a rumble in the distance. It gets louder and louder, and soon rows and rows of bikes are flowing past, heading down Rte 1, turning left in front of Gillette Stadium and eventually setting their kickstands right into the grass of the Patriots' playing field. Was this some kind of hostile takeover, or violent protest? Not at all. The Massachusetts chapter of Rolling Thunder had worked with the Patriots to establish a POW/MIA memorial chair.
As it turns out, the Patriots are the first NFL team to honor POW/MIA's with such a chair in their home stadium. Hopefully, though, other teams will follow suit.
Per the Patriots' owner, Robert Kraft; “We have always felt a special connection with our military and saw this seat dedication as a unique way to recognize and honor those soldiers who served, but never returned home,” said Robert Kraft, chairman and CEO of The Kraft Group, the owners of Gillette Stadium. “We hope the seat will serve as a constant reminder for fans attending games at Gillette Stadium that whomever we’re rooting for, we are all Patriots.”
How cool is that?
Unfortunately, I was not able to attend the ceremony this morning (damn work - always getting in the way!), but Kevin did, and he sent me this pic.
Very cool, and very timely as well, since Sunday is Veteran's Day.
The weather looks to be good this weekend (for a change). Get out there, fly some flags on the bikes, show support and pride for those that do, and have, risked their lives for us.
Ride Hard, Take Chances
As it turns out, the Patriots are the first NFL team to honor POW/MIA's with such a chair in their home stadium. Hopefully, though, other teams will follow suit.
Per the Patriots' owner, Robert Kraft; “We have always felt a special connection with our military and saw this seat dedication as a unique way to recognize and honor those soldiers who served, but never returned home,” said Robert Kraft, chairman and CEO of The Kraft Group, the owners of Gillette Stadium. “We hope the seat will serve as a constant reminder for fans attending games at Gillette Stadium that whomever we’re rooting for, we are all Patriots.”
How cool is that?
Unfortunately, I was not able to attend the ceremony this morning (damn work - always getting in the way!), but Kevin did, and he sent me this pic.
Very cool, and very timely as well, since Sunday is Veteran's Day.
The weather looks to be good this weekend (for a change). Get out there, fly some flags on the bikes, show support and pride for those that do, and have, risked their lives for us.
Ride Hard, Take Chances
Monday, November 5, 2012
Dwindling Season Blues
Dreaded Daylight-Savings kicked in this past weekend, and while an extra hour of sleep is always a welcome thing, the fact that darkness descends earlier as well, kinda sucks. It's just one more indicator that the riding season is winding down and winter is on it's way. Now it's dark on my ride in, and on my ride home.
At this point, the biggest "Your season is done" indicator left in Mother Nature's satchel of goodies is her first-snowstorm-of-the-season to come along. What's that? Have I checked the weather reports? Why yes, I have. And said snowstorm is headed our way on Wednesday. Thanks Mother Nature for that wonderful kick in the naughty parts.
The one possible saving grace is the rain/snow line; it keeps moving back and forth.
Here's hoping that snow line heads a bit north and west of here and that we get enough rain to keep the roadways clear of that other indicator of winter: salty roads.
Kide Hard, Cross Fingers For Rain.
At this point, the biggest "Your season is done" indicator left in Mother Nature's satchel of goodies is her first-snowstorm-of-the-season to come along. What's that? Have I checked the weather reports? Why yes, I have. And said snowstorm is headed our way on Wednesday. Thanks Mother Nature for that wonderful kick in the naughty parts.
The one possible saving grace is the rain/snow line; it keeps moving back and forth.
Here's hoping that snow line heads a bit north and west of here and that we get enough rain to keep the roadways clear of that other indicator of winter: salty roads.
Kide Hard, Cross Fingers For Rain.
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Halloween Run Addendum
I found a pic on Facebook from the run this past Sunday. This was actually on the way to the run, before the rain had started up, and you can see that my plan for the Haunted Hitchhiker was working wonderfully. His lower half was gliding along above the pavement, no worries. (You can see the arm hanging out of my saddlebag, too.)
Alas, a short time later, the rains came, and we now know how things turned out...
All Hallow's Eve
I've been watching the weather - like we all have, lately. But aside from wishing Sandy would just get the hell out of town, I've been specifically watching how things were shaping up for today, The All Hallow's Eve of 2012.
Why today? Is it for Trick-or-Treating? Candy and other treats? Scares for late-night revelers? Nah, none of that stuff. Today is mynnual wear-the-skull-mask-to-work day. It's too dark for anyone to see it in the morning (and it was still kinda windy and rainy, so I opted to just pack the mask for the ride in).
However, the skies are breaking up as I type this, the forecasts are saying we may even see a touch of sunlight before the day is over, and that all means it'll be a good ride home with the mask on.
There will be the occasional odd looks, but most folks will get it. Some kids will point and wave, some adults will smile, and there will be other drivers that beep and give me the thumbs up. It's fun!
Ride Hard, Take Chances... Never Grow Up.
Why today? Is it for Trick-or-Treating? Candy and other treats? Scares for late-night revelers? Nah, none of that stuff. Today is mynnual wear-the-skull-mask-to-work day. It's too dark for anyone to see it in the morning (and it was still kinda windy and rainy, so I opted to just pack the mask for the ride in).
However, the skies are breaking up as I type this, the forecasts are saying we may even see a touch of sunlight before the day is over, and that all means it'll be a good ride home with the mask on.
There will be the occasional odd looks, but most folks will get it. Some kids will point and wave, some adults will smile, and there will be other drivers that beep and give me the thumbs up. It's fun!
Ride Hard, Take Chances... Never Grow Up.
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
2012 Halloween Run
This year's Halloween run seemed doomed from the start. It was rain-postponed twice, bringing it right down to the wire in terms of holding it prior to Halloween. This left them no room to reschedule, and they were stuck with whatever the weather gods decided to throw at them. I was afraid to cross my fingers, as those very same gods hadn't been kind at all so far...
Nonetheless, the weather forecasts had been saying it would actually be a decent day. Sure enough, though; about three days beforehand, the forecasts begin getting sketchy, and they only went downhill from there.
The morning dawned grey and cold...and rainy. Checking the outlook, it seemed we might have a chance for the rain to pass by for the afternoon, but that is not how things fell out.
Here's the Haunted Hitchhiker, as seen in an earlier post. All nice and dry, and ready to rock and roll.
I'd picked up a couple of mini skeletons and plopped them over my spotlights and zip-tied them into place. (Yes, I made sure to turn off the spot lights. Although, it would have been pretty cool to see a couple of fire-enshrouded skulls coming down the road at you...)
Alas, the poor weather kept the crowds down to about one-third of the usual turnout.
Turnout was so poor, that the organizers were just handing out the t-shirts for free (they usually set you back $20 for them). They had boxes and boxes of them, and there was no way they'd sell many so they figured to cut their losses and at least hand them out.
The one upside to the low turnout, is it seemed it was all the hammerheads that had stayed home. The route actually went off without a hitch, blocking was good, there were no u-turns and missed streets, etc. However, there was a fair amount of rain. And since I was wearing my usual skull mask (which fogs up big time if I wear any kind of shades or even clear lenses), I couldn't see a thing because the rain was whacking me right in the eyeballs.
As the run was beginning it's return to the rally point, we came upon an on-ramp for I-93, which I promptly took, opting to hammer down to I-95 and then hit home. There, I planned a change of clothes and then head back to the after-party. However, no sooner were the dry clothes on, than Matty and Tara came pulling in. Matty was going to drop Tara off so she could grab her car, rather than having to do that after the apri-party. We all got to talking, and since the rain wasn't really letting up much, and there was a Pats game on (and since the beers in my fridge were already paid for), we decided to scrap returning to the run, and stay warm and dry inside, instead. The game was a complete success, as the Pats went on to rout the Rams, and we toasted their achievements early and often. We even had a few other folks stop by and catch the game with us - all in all, not a bad way to salvage the day.
So there you have it. Here's a couple of pics to show how my passengers faired. First; the two mini's. They look like they have a "WTF was that??" look on their faces. I don't think they were fans at all.
And then; the Hitchhiker. What a sorry state he was in. He was all rain-soaked and his trailing body had become covered in dirt, leaves, mud and road grime. He is going to need some serious cleaning/revamping before next year's run. (The revamping will entail being moved to a higher spot on the bike as the hovering-above-the-road experiment was deemed a failure. The soaking rain saw to that.)
Oh yeah - I'd also had one of those fake arms hanging out of my right saddlebag. I'd bungie-corded it inside to keep from falling out, but apparently that didn't work, as I noticed yesterday that it was gone. Suffice to say it was less than stellar display performance on my part, all around. But there's always next year, right?
Ride Hard, Take Chances The Weather Will Cooperate.
Nonetheless, the weather forecasts had been saying it would actually be a decent day. Sure enough, though; about three days beforehand, the forecasts begin getting sketchy, and they only went downhill from there.
The morning dawned grey and cold...and rainy. Checking the outlook, it seemed we might have a chance for the rain to pass by for the afternoon, but that is not how things fell out.
Here's the Haunted Hitchhiker, as seen in an earlier post. All nice and dry, and ready to rock and roll.
I'd picked up a couple of mini skeletons and plopped them over my spotlights and zip-tied them into place. (Yes, I made sure to turn off the spot lights. Although, it would have been pretty cool to see a couple of fire-enshrouded skulls coming down the road at you...)
Alas, the poor weather kept the crowds down to about one-third of the usual turnout.
Turnout was so poor, that the organizers were just handing out the t-shirts for free (they usually set you back $20 for them). They had boxes and boxes of them, and there was no way they'd sell many so they figured to cut their losses and at least hand them out.
The one upside to the low turnout, is it seemed it was all the hammerheads that had stayed home. The route actually went off without a hitch, blocking was good, there were no u-turns and missed streets, etc. However, there was a fair amount of rain. And since I was wearing my usual skull mask (which fogs up big time if I wear any kind of shades or even clear lenses), I couldn't see a thing because the rain was whacking me right in the eyeballs.
As the run was beginning it's return to the rally point, we came upon an on-ramp for I-93, which I promptly took, opting to hammer down to I-95 and then hit home. There, I planned a change of clothes and then head back to the after-party. However, no sooner were the dry clothes on, than Matty and Tara came pulling in. Matty was going to drop Tara off so she could grab her car, rather than having to do that after the apri-party. We all got to talking, and since the rain wasn't really letting up much, and there was a Pats game on (and since the beers in my fridge were already paid for), we decided to scrap returning to the run, and stay warm and dry inside, instead. The game was a complete success, as the Pats went on to rout the Rams, and we toasted their achievements early and often. We even had a few other folks stop by and catch the game with us - all in all, not a bad way to salvage the day.
So there you have it. Here's a couple of pics to show how my passengers faired. First; the two mini's. They look like they have a "WTF was that??" look on their faces. I don't think they were fans at all.
And then; the Hitchhiker. What a sorry state he was in. He was all rain-soaked and his trailing body had become covered in dirt, leaves, mud and road grime. He is going to need some serious cleaning/revamping before next year's run. (The revamping will entail being moved to a higher spot on the bike as the hovering-above-the-road experiment was deemed a failure. The soaking rain saw to that.)
Oh yeah - I'd also had one of those fake arms hanging out of my right saddlebag. I'd bungie-corded it inside to keep from falling out, but apparently that didn't work, as I noticed yesterday that it was gone. Suffice to say it was less than stellar display performance on my part, all around. But there's always next year, right?
Ride Hard, Take Chances The Weather Will Cooperate.
Saturday, October 27, 2012
Halloween Preparations
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Train Of Consequences
Trains, like most modes of business-focused transportation, rely on schedules and promptness to survive. They depart at set times, make scheduled stops, and arrive at their destinations within pre-determined windows.
Most of those who are impacted by these transportation models adjust their schedules in certain ways to align their schedules as needed. If you need to take a certain bus, or train, or trolley, then you plan accordingly to be at the right spot at the right time.
There are those of us who also adjust our schedules, but for the opposite reason; we do not want to meet up with the aforementioned devices, we want to avoid them. We want to avoid having to put our routines on hold while we wait for the offending mechanism to move along.
And so it was this morning. I was running a bit late, which meant that the ordinary route I would take, which crosses over a set of train tracks, would be ill-advised on this day. Those tracks were employed by a certain freight train which always arrived at that specific intersection between 7:05 and 7:11 each morning. The resulting traffic backup which accompanied said crossing, would set me back even further.
Ahh, but there are side roads which one can take. Side roads which are prior to the aforementioned intersection, and which circumvent said intersection. And while they, too, are bisected by the very same set of train tracks, they are far enough away that, given the correctly calculated arrival time, no locotmotive interference would be encountered.
Glancing at my clock, I was confident that taking the side roads was the way to go. That, in doing so, I would glide easily across the tracks in the wake of this morning's freight transportation as it ambled on ahead, causing delays and aggravation for those that did not follow me onto the alternate route.
Signaling my intentions, I cut hard to the right and down the first of the side streets which would be my salvation this morning. Checking my side mirror, I saw that not a single other commuter followed my lead. Ha, Fools! You will rue your decision shortly!
I continued on my chosen path with glee and abandon. Some lefts, some rights, and I would soon be safely across the parallel iron snakes which lay in wait.
Alas, as I rounded a corner and came in sight of the crossing, I found that rules, schedules and timeliness had been discarded this morning, for there was the wall of steel cylinders and rectangles lumbering ever so slowly across my path. It was running far, far late today!
Easing down through the gears, I came to a stop - regretfully, and humbly. My meticulous plan had been thwarted. Where is Order? Where is Reason?
Chaos, you win this round.
Most of those who are impacted by these transportation models adjust their schedules in certain ways to align their schedules as needed. If you need to take a certain bus, or train, or trolley, then you plan accordingly to be at the right spot at the right time.
There are those of us who also adjust our schedules, but for the opposite reason; we do not want to meet up with the aforementioned devices, we want to avoid them. We want to avoid having to put our routines on hold while we wait for the offending mechanism to move along.
And so it was this morning. I was running a bit late, which meant that the ordinary route I would take, which crosses over a set of train tracks, would be ill-advised on this day. Those tracks were employed by a certain freight train which always arrived at that specific intersection between 7:05 and 7:11 each morning. The resulting traffic backup which accompanied said crossing, would set me back even further.
Ahh, but there are side roads which one can take. Side roads which are prior to the aforementioned intersection, and which circumvent said intersection. And while they, too, are bisected by the very same set of train tracks, they are far enough away that, given the correctly calculated arrival time, no locotmotive interference would be encountered.
Glancing at my clock, I was confident that taking the side roads was the way to go. That, in doing so, I would glide easily across the tracks in the wake of this morning's freight transportation as it ambled on ahead, causing delays and aggravation for those that did not follow me onto the alternate route.
Signaling my intentions, I cut hard to the right and down the first of the side streets which would be my salvation this morning. Checking my side mirror, I saw that not a single other commuter followed my lead. Ha, Fools! You will rue your decision shortly!
I continued on my chosen path with glee and abandon. Some lefts, some rights, and I would soon be safely across the parallel iron snakes which lay in wait.
Alas, as I rounded a corner and came in sight of the crossing, I found that rules, schedules and timeliness had been discarded this morning, for there was the wall of steel cylinders and rectangles lumbering ever so slowly across my path. It was running far, far late today!
Easing down through the gears, I came to a stop - regretfully, and humbly. My meticulous plan had been thwarted. Where is Order? Where is Reason?
Chaos, you win this round.
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Oh Deer
The mornings are darker nowadays, and the thermometer's mercury has begun its inexorable trend downward. The afternoons are still quite comfortable, even as the sun reaches the horizon faster each day.
The Fall brings a palette of oranges and browns, but the beauty is not without danger. Leaves and pine needles aren't just a nuisance to lawn owners, they also lie in wait on roadway edges and sharp corners. That all adds to the fun, though!
However, when you round a corner in the early morning darkness and your headlight outlines a multi-point buck standing on the side of the road, your admiration for road challenges is tempered a bit. Thankfully on this morning, my observer chose bolting back into the woods over opting for an in-person greeting. As I rounded the roadway where he'd been standing scant seconds ago, the enveloping darkness of the woods enfolded his fading form like a blanket, warming and welcoming a weary traveler.
We each continued on, our day ahead not ruined by a chance morning encounter.
Ride Hard, Get Lucky Sometimes
The Fall brings a palette of oranges and browns, but the beauty is not without danger. Leaves and pine needles aren't just a nuisance to lawn owners, they also lie in wait on roadway edges and sharp corners. That all adds to the fun, though!
However, when you round a corner in the early morning darkness and your headlight outlines a multi-point buck standing on the side of the road, your admiration for road challenges is tempered a bit. Thankfully on this morning, my observer chose bolting back into the woods over opting for an in-person greeting. As I rounded the roadway where he'd been standing scant seconds ago, the enveloping darkness of the woods enfolded his fading form like a blanket, warming and welcoming a weary traveler.
We each continued on, our day ahead not ruined by a chance morning encounter.
Ride Hard, Get Lucky Sometimes
Monday, October 15, 2012
Delayed and Defeated
The Halloween run was once-again postponed due to bad weather. The date is now set for October 28th, and it'll be all or nothing; there are no more rain dates or second (third) chances. Here's hoping the weather gods see fit to help us out this time around.
So with the run scrapped, there was nothing much to do but watch the Pats suffer yet another epic meltdown, blowing a 13 point lead with less than 8 minutes remaining in the game. So f'ing aggravating.
Nice and warm for the ride in this morning, but they're saying heavy showers later today. Oh well, I've got a warm shower and dry clothes waiting for me if need be.
Here's hoping everyone had a great weekend, and were able to get some riding in.
Happy Monday
So with the run scrapped, there was nothing much to do but watch the Pats suffer yet another epic meltdown, blowing a 13 point lead with less than 8 minutes remaining in the game. So f'ing aggravating.
Nice and warm for the ride in this morning, but they're saying heavy showers later today. Oh well, I've got a warm shower and dry clothes waiting for me if need be.
Here's hoping everyone had a great weekend, and were able to get some riding in.
Happy Monday
Friday, October 12, 2012
Haunted Hitchhiker II
Back in ’10, I rigged up the Haunted Hitchhiker (and almost had an encounter with a LEO).
http://twowheeledtales.blogspot.com/2010/10/haunted-hitchhiker.html
I figured I’d resurrect him for this year’s run (on Sunday!). But the question was; where to mount him? And then it hit me; I’ve got the flag receiver, so I should be able to rig something up using that. Let’s see how he’d look back there…
Not too bad, but we can’t have him dragging along on the ground, can we? That’s just plain rude. The poor guy is looking to hitch a ride, not be dragged through the streets. Ok, so back to the flag receiver. It’s got two pole receivers on it, so a quick trip to Home Depot for some square dowels, and it was time to construct a very simple brace…
Then affix the brace to Mr. Passenger's back…
And voila! That guy isn’t going anywhere. (Yes, the bottom of his outfit may drag a bit, but it’s made of cheesecloth and is super light. So light, that when moving, I expect it will blow up and just float in the air.
Although, now that I think about it, I wonder if it’ll blow up and obstruct view of him. Oh well, I guess I’ll find out on Sunday.
The run itself promises to be just as screwed up as it always is. The route always gets messed up, with folks taking wrong turns, doing U-turns, going the wrong way…and to exacerbate things this year, the route has been changed several times in the past week (it’s posted on-line so folks can see it, but it keeps getting changed). Bring on the fun! Can’t wait to…
Ride Hard, Take Chances!
http://twowheeledtales.blogspot.com/2010/10/haunted-hitchhiker.html
I figured I’d resurrect him for this year’s run (on Sunday!). But the question was; where to mount him? And then it hit me; I’ve got the flag receiver, so I should be able to rig something up using that. Let’s see how he’d look back there…
Not too bad, but we can’t have him dragging along on the ground, can we? That’s just plain rude. The poor guy is looking to hitch a ride, not be dragged through the streets. Ok, so back to the flag receiver. It’s got two pole receivers on it, so a quick trip to Home Depot for some square dowels, and it was time to construct a very simple brace…
Then affix the brace to Mr. Passenger's back…
And voila! That guy isn’t going anywhere. (Yes, the bottom of his outfit may drag a bit, but it’s made of cheesecloth and is super light. So light, that when moving, I expect it will blow up and just float in the air.
Although, now that I think about it, I wonder if it’ll blow up and obstruct view of him. Oh well, I guess I’ll find out on Sunday.
The run itself promises to be just as screwed up as it always is. The route always gets messed up, with folks taking wrong turns, doing U-turns, going the wrong way…and to exacerbate things this year, the route has been changed several times in the past week (it’s posted on-line so folks can see it, but it keeps getting changed). Bring on the fun! Can’t wait to…
Ride Hard, Take Chances!
Monday, October 8, 2012
Puppy Rescue Mission
The Waltham and Sharon American Legion Riders put their heads together and, with a short planning window (and despite a cold and damp weather forecast), managed to raise one thousand dollars for “The Puppy Rescue Mission” this past Saturday. We had a good feed, we had some fun raffle prizes, and we had a great route. The turnout wasn’t overwhelming, but was still decent, given the short time we had to put things together, combined with the fact there were other local runs going on as well. The one benefit to a moderately-sized group? You can move things along faster! And George and I took that to heart, setting a respectable pace. Blocking went off without a hitch, we had some LEO support for the larger intersections, and we all arrived back to the Post, safe and hungry.
The food was ready, the sun was shining by this point, and the camaraderie was in full swing. These Waltham guys are pretty cool – and a number of them even go to the Rendezvous. They camp out in their own area, but there was talk of riding out together next year, and that won’t suck.
All in all, it was another good day, and for a really great cause.
The Puppy Rescue Mission’s purpose, per their own website;
The primary mission of The Puppy Rescue Mission, Inc. (TPRM), as stated in our by-laws, is to fund-raise and assist in pet rescue, foster and re-homing when needed, in particular pets of soldiers, especially those deployed in war zones. We assist with requests, logistics, administration and fund-raising for the adopted stray dogs of war rescued by and bonded with soldiers. This may include vet care, supplies, transport and related issues. We work with or through other organizations that help our soldiers bring their companion animals home from war.
Our primary mission is to help bring home the companions to our soldiers serving in a war zone. These companions already have homes waiting for them -- they just need help getting there. TPRM believes that these beloved companions have at times not only physically saved our soldiers from harm but have also filled an emotional need for a sense of home and normalcy in a hostile and dangerous environment.
These companions make our soldiers' lives better. Their unconditional love is critical to the morale of our troops. And as demonstrated by the attack on the suicide bomber, these dogs protect our soldiers from harm. In return, our soldiers want to save their companions from this dangerous world when they are transferred home. TPRM responds to our soldiers' requests for help by raising funds and helping find the means to transport their friends.
TPRM believes this rescue mission has a place among all the organizations working both globally and domestically to save animals from cruelty and death. We believe that in supporting our soldiers' urgent requests to help save their companions, we are not only supporting our fighting men and women but also helping to save the helpless from a cruel world. In the words of our founder, "No soldier should ever be faced with the decision of leaving their beloved animal behind....".
They’re a great charity, doing great things, and we were very happy to be able to help them out!
Check out their website;
http://www.thepuppyrescuemission.org/home
Ride Hard, Help A Battle Buddy!
The food was ready, the sun was shining by this point, and the camaraderie was in full swing. These Waltham guys are pretty cool – and a number of them even go to the Rendezvous. They camp out in their own area, but there was talk of riding out together next year, and that won’t suck.
All in all, it was another good day, and for a really great cause.
The Puppy Rescue Mission’s purpose, per their own website;
The primary mission of The Puppy Rescue Mission, Inc. (TPRM), as stated in our by-laws, is to fund-raise and assist in pet rescue, foster and re-homing when needed, in particular pets of soldiers, especially those deployed in war zones. We assist with requests, logistics, administration and fund-raising for the adopted stray dogs of war rescued by and bonded with soldiers. This may include vet care, supplies, transport and related issues. We work with or through other organizations that help our soldiers bring their companion animals home from war.
Our primary mission is to help bring home the companions to our soldiers serving in a war zone. These companions already have homes waiting for them -- they just need help getting there. TPRM believes that these beloved companions have at times not only physically saved our soldiers from harm but have also filled an emotional need for a sense of home and normalcy in a hostile and dangerous environment.
These companions make our soldiers' lives better. Their unconditional love is critical to the morale of our troops. And as demonstrated by the attack on the suicide bomber, these dogs protect our soldiers from harm. In return, our soldiers want to save their companions from this dangerous world when they are transferred home. TPRM responds to our soldiers' requests for help by raising funds and helping find the means to transport their friends.
TPRM believes this rescue mission has a place among all the organizations working both globally and domestically to save animals from cruelty and death. We believe that in supporting our soldiers' urgent requests to help save their companions, we are not only supporting our fighting men and women but also helping to save the helpless from a cruel world. In the words of our founder, "No soldier should ever be faced with the decision of leaving their beloved animal behind....".
They’re a great charity, doing great things, and we were very happy to be able to help them out!
Check out their website;
http://www.thepuppyrescuemission.org/home
Ride Hard, Help A Battle Buddy!
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Strange Observation
Treading Water
Friday, September 28, 2012
Latching On
The stock tour pack latches from Harley aren't exactly the most durable pieces of equipment in the world. One of the ones on my original '08 had broken as well, but the whole bike went bye-bye before I had a chance to replace it. Fast forward to this bike, but the same problem.
I found a replacement one on eBay for short dough (~$13) and after plopping some credit card cash down, I soon had a package in the mail. So, here's a few pics and a quick writeup of this very easy procedure.
The offending latch...
The tool that came with the new latch was a simple Allen wrench, but the bolts on the existing latch required a torx-head.
A simple matter of removing the old bolts...
Here's an exploded view of the old latch. Nice locktite residue on the old bolts (I should probably look into getting some of that stuff at some point). The middle piece is the spacer and is re-used when attaching the new latch assembly.
Here's the new latch, all shiny and pretty.
I figured you didn't need to see a pic of me bolting the new one back on, so here's things all finished. It works fine, but doesn't operate as smoothly as the original. It has a bit of drag to it, even after I siliconed it. Oh well, at cheap money, it's much better than the OEM one that doesn't last that long, anyway. We'll see how long this one lasts (and with the price difference, I can afford 4 of these for each ~$50 Harley one.)
The test ride last night (out with McCarthy and Nellie) proved it to work great. No more rattling and popping of the pack top every time I hit a bump.
Ride Hard, Don't Take Chances On Things Falling Out Of Your Tour Pack.
I found a replacement one on eBay for short dough (~$13) and after plopping some credit card cash down, I soon had a package in the mail. So, here's a few pics and a quick writeup of this very easy procedure.
The offending latch...
The tool that came with the new latch was a simple Allen wrench, but the bolts on the existing latch required a torx-head.
A simple matter of removing the old bolts...
Here's an exploded view of the old latch. Nice locktite residue on the old bolts (I should probably look into getting some of that stuff at some point). The middle piece is the spacer and is re-used when attaching the new latch assembly.
Here's the new latch, all shiny and pretty.
I figured you didn't need to see a pic of me bolting the new one back on, so here's things all finished. It works fine, but doesn't operate as smoothly as the original. It has a bit of drag to it, even after I siliconed it. Oh well, at cheap money, it's much better than the OEM one that doesn't last that long, anyway. We'll see how long this one lasts (and with the price difference, I can afford 4 of these for each ~$50 Harley one.)
The test ride last night (out with McCarthy and Nellie) proved it to work great. No more rattling and popping of the pack top every time I hit a bump.
Ride Hard, Don't Take Chances On Things Falling Out Of Your Tour Pack.
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