Archive for the 'Maintenance' Category
360Bikers Riding Group 6 Month Party
Posted in 360Bikers, Just Plain Cool, Local Events, Maintenance, Personal Note, Special Events on June 8th, 2008
Motorcyclist really are a social group. Rides are a nice mix of solitude and socializing that gives you the opportunity to be alone and with a group. The support you get from fellow bikers is unmatched and I know of no other group that takes care of each other as much.
After six months of riding together and growing as a group, 360Bikers had a celebration that Will has been waiting to do for a long time. More than twenty of us descended on his house bringing food and beverages to get us through the night. From 7:00 till dark we ate and socialized, meeting new members, their girlfriends and wives, and generally just having a great time. After the sun was down we watched “Wild Hogs” on an outside theater with hi-def and surround sound, courtesy of Rich. Will’s wife even let me do some grilling while she met with people and took care of other behind the scenes needs.
Vic had gone out earlier in the week and shot a small wild boar. Yes, to go along with our “Wild Hogs” movie we actually ate some wild hog. Will’s crowning moment was when he unveiled the bleached skull of the pig as the center piece of the party. Steve (“Slick”) gave some musical parodies and earned a few part recognitions in the movie. Somehow, it’ll never be the same watching that movie again.
It was a great evening with really great friends. Those that missed it should make plans for the next one.
Personal Class 2
Posted in 360Bikers, Maintenance, Personal Note, Special Events on May 30th, 2008I had to attend a workshop today in Melbourne. The weather was nice, so I packed appropriate clothing for the meeting and put on the jeans for a quick 130-mile each way ride. The workshop started at 8:30 so I left the house around 6:15 AM. Going up was nice, cool, and with relatively low traffic volume. It was a nice ride. The workshop produced a lot of good notes and by 3:00 I was on the road home again. The temperature had risen considerably and traffic was very heavy… as anticipated. Still, it was a nice ride. Personally, I’d rather ride with our group on those distances. We might not make good time, but it’s a lot more fun on a Class 2 with friends from 360Bikers.
Lee Keller
You Can Get A Tool Kit!
Posted in 360Bikers, Maintenance on May 25th, 2008
Today I was at our neighborhood Walmart killing time while I had tires put on the car. I walked through the entire store while waiting endlessly for them to get to my car. While in the final stages I revisited the tools in automotive. I had been looking for some tools to carry on the bike since my shifter went loose a week ago and I had to rely on my good friends for a tool kit. Actually, I took some of my home tools and put in the trip pak to make sure I had something I could use in the future.
Some bikes, especially the Japanese bikes, come with a tool kit that is designed to take care of most minor needs on the road. It also seems to be designed to frustrate anyone that actually wants to accomplish anything with them. The quality is low and only the most desperate can actually accomplish anything with them. Usually, the ending is not good. But the fact is, they are better than nothing. For the price of a Harley-Davidson you’d think they could put in a Stanley tool set that included the standard sockets, screw drivers, and allen wrenches you need to service your bike at the side of the road. Yet, there’s nothing.
Today I found a cheap set of sockets. Cheap because they aren’t some big name brand. Untested might be a better word. The 22-piece set includes BOTH metric and SAE sockets in the sizes I’m likely to need to do repairs on the road. The cost was less than $5. Now, a real Harley owner probably spends a couple hundred on a Snap-On Tools set or something like that, but I don’t have that kind of green, especially in today’s economy. I also picked up a set of allen wrenches that will meet almost every need I have. That cost me 97¢. So, for under $6 I got everything but the screw drivers and the Harley takes those other drivers anyway. I bought a set of those (and every other type of head) for $8 on Black Friday last year.
So, the bargains are out there if you look. It’s good to have tools with you, even if you only wander a few miles from home. If you know of any bargains on tools, post a comment. You might have to register, but that takes a minute and your fellow bikers would love to know where to find a good value to help keep safe on the road.