Good idea. That also works great on cats with bad attitudesSkier wrote: Thankfully I have a plan for solving the eye-rolling-student problem: a squirt bottle. Just mist in their faces every time they make a comment!
Misadventures in wrenching and riding
- Skier
- Site Supporter - Platinum
- Posts: 2242
- Joined: Sat Aug 07, 2004 10:44 am
- Sex: Male
- Location: Pullman, WA, USA
ALASKA '08 is quickly coming!
Tentative dates are August 2nd through August 31st. There's still a ton to do!
To acquire:
1. Mini-Goldwing setup (AKA Mini-wing): side racks and 36 liter Givi cases for the Hornet.
2. Spare clutch lever, gear shifter (already have a spare clutch cable).
3. Cheap point and shoot camera for keeping in my tank bag.
4. LDRider underwear for long days.
5. Heated vest for extra comfort.
6. 90/10 adventure tires: Pirelli Scorpio Syncs.
Maintenance items:
1. Repeat 16k maintenance checklist except valves and steering head bearings.
2. Change oil and filter before leaving.
Tentative route:
Since I'm doing this trip solo now, I'm axing Prudhoe Bay. My current route looks something like this. (Google Maps)
On the good news, everyone front, I traded my basket case Katana for some cash that allows me to get almost all of my "to acquire" list to my door.
Things are coming up soon, better get on it!
Tentative dates are August 2nd through August 31st. There's still a ton to do!
To acquire:
1. Mini-Goldwing setup (AKA Mini-wing): side racks and 36 liter Givi cases for the Hornet.
2. Spare clutch lever, gear shifter (already have a spare clutch cable).
3. Cheap point and shoot camera for keeping in my tank bag.
4. LDRider underwear for long days.
5. Heated vest for extra comfort.
6. 90/10 adventure tires: Pirelli Scorpio Syncs.
Maintenance items:
1. Repeat 16k maintenance checklist except valves and steering head bearings.
2. Change oil and filter before leaving.
Tentative route:
Since I'm doing this trip solo now, I'm axing Prudhoe Bay. My current route looks something like this. (Google Maps)
On the good news, everyone front, I traded my basket case Katana for some cash that allows me to get almost all of my "to acquire" list to my door.
Things are coming up soon, better get on it!
[url=http://www.motoblag.com/blag/]Practicing the dark and forgotten art of using turn signals since '98.[/url]
- Skier
- Site Supporter - Platinum
- Posts: 2242
- Joined: Sat Aug 07, 2004 10:44 am
- Sex: Male
- Location: Pullman, WA, USA
I finally got my Stebel Nautilus mini airhorn installed on the Hornet. It took a while to fab up a tiny bracket with my crappy drill bits, but it's on there now!
The horn already received some use when a car was trying to blindly back up into the street. A couple toots and they thought something big was coming their way.
Good times.
On the ALASKA '08 front, I have most of my items on the way. Big things left to order:
1. Tires
2. LD Comfort shorts
3. Non-cotton pants
I am to have those ordered by the end of the week. It's been an expensive month for me.
The horn already received some use when a car was trying to blindly back up into the street. A couple toots and they thought something big was coming their way.
Good times.
On the ALASKA '08 front, I have most of my items on the way. Big things left to order:
1. Tires
2. LD Comfort shorts
3. Non-cotton pants
I am to have those ordered by the end of the week. It's been an expensive month for me.
[url=http://www.motoblag.com/blag/]Practicing the dark and forgotten art of using turn signals since '98.[/url]
- Skier
- Site Supporter - Platinum
- Posts: 2242
- Joined: Sat Aug 07, 2004 10:44 am
- Sex: Male
- Location: Pullman, WA, USA
Monday was tough: took a day off work to hop on the bike:
Went a little ways up a forest service road to get away from other people:
Lit up a smoke and had a read in the beautiful outdoors of Oregon:
Then I had some delicious fish and chips made from salmon. This was the view from the parking lot, but I was 10 feet from here when chowing down:
Had a Rocky Patel Olde World Reserve. The stick didn't burn evenly but that may have been from the wind.
Went a little ways up a forest service road to get away from other people:
Lit up a smoke and had a read in the beautiful outdoors of Oregon:
Then I had some delicious fish and chips made from salmon. This was the view from the parking lot, but I was 10 feet from here when chowing down:
Had a Rocky Patel Olde World Reserve. The stick didn't burn evenly but that may have been from the wind.
[url=http://www.motoblag.com/blag/]Practicing the dark and forgotten art of using turn signals since '98.[/url]
- Skier
- Site Supporter - Platinum
- Posts: 2242
- Joined: Sat Aug 07, 2004 10:44 am
- Sex: Male
- Location: Pullman, WA, USA
Ah yes, side cases:
36 liters of fury per side:
Shopping bag of parts:
Side racks:
Of course, one of the turn signals has to be relocated to look extra goofy- err, for clearance. This means taking the toprack frame off along with the three body panels on the bike:
A quick hole drilled and some lengthening of wire and we're set:
Of course I have no pictures of the cases on the bike ( ) but the install is done!
Sometime in the future I'm going to make a bracket to bring the turn signal down and mount it on the license plate bracket. It'll be a few inches back and down from the stock location but it won't look this goofy.
It's starting to look as if I should have purchased a bike more touring-oriented!
36 liters of fury per side:
Shopping bag of parts:
Side racks:
Of course, one of the turn signals has to be relocated to look extra goofy- err, for clearance. This means taking the toprack frame off along with the three body panels on the bike:
A quick hole drilled and some lengthening of wire and we're set:
Of course I have no pictures of the cases on the bike ( ) but the install is done!
Sometime in the future I'm going to make a bracket to bring the turn signal down and mount it on the license plate bracket. It'll be a few inches back and down from the stock location but it won't look this goofy.
It's starting to look as if I should have purchased a bike more touring-oriented!
[url=http://www.motoblag.com/blag/]Practicing the dark and forgotten art of using turn signals since '98.[/url]
- Skier
- Site Supporter - Platinum
- Posts: 2242
- Joined: Sat Aug 07, 2004 10:44 am
- Sex: Male
- Location: Pullman, WA, USA
Turn signal relocation bracket complete. Looks much better.
My buddy picked up a new Yamaha FJR1300 over the weekend. Can't wait to see it, should be an awesome bike.
This week I've brushed up on responses to the usual question of "aren't you hot in that?" when I wear my Roadcrafter about town. I picked up some good ones from a different forum:
1. Why, you're not lookin' too bad yourself!
2. I'm hot out of this, too.
3. Nah, this is one of those new air conditioned suits.
Despite record-breaking heat, nobody has asked me any of these yet. Almost as if they know I have a witty retort to regurgitate.
My buddy picked up a new Yamaha FJR1300 over the weekend. Can't wait to see it, should be an awesome bike.
This week I've brushed up on responses to the usual question of "aren't you hot in that?" when I wear my Roadcrafter about town. I picked up some good ones from a different forum:
1. Why, you're not lookin' too bad yourself!
2. I'm hot out of this, too.
3. Nah, this is one of those new air conditioned suits.
Despite record-breaking heat, nobody has asked me any of these yet. Almost as if they know I have a witty retort to regurgitate.
[url=http://www.motoblag.com/blag/]Practicing the dark and forgotten art of using turn signals since '98.[/url]
- Skier
- Site Supporter - Platinum
- Posts: 2242
- Joined: Sat Aug 07, 2004 10:44 am
- Sex: Male
- Location: Pullman, WA, USA
Holy Hell this trip is coming up in a hurry.
To do:
1. Mount my new Pirelli tires.
2. Make multiple copies of my passport, driver's license, insurance info and vehicle registration.
3. Test pack everything in my cases. Make sure a two gallon jerry can will fit on top somewhere.
4. Get a little bit of cash to secret about my person and luggage.
5. Get list of places to stay and hash out a more specific itinerary.
6. Verify I have my oil change materials so I can bang that out the week before I leave.
To do:
1. Mount my new Pirelli tires.
2. Make multiple copies of my passport, driver's license, insurance info and vehicle registration.
3. Test pack everything in my cases. Make sure a two gallon jerry can will fit on top somewhere.
4. Get a little bit of cash to secret about my person and luggage.
5. Get list of places to stay and hash out a more specific itinerary.
6. Verify I have my oil change materials so I can bang that out the week before I leave.
[url=http://www.motoblag.com/blag/]Practicing the dark and forgotten art of using turn signals since '98.[/url]
- Skier
- Site Supporter - Platinum
- Posts: 2242
- Joined: Sat Aug 07, 2004 10:44 am
- Sex: Male
- Location: Pullman, WA, USA
A month on the road looms in the immediate future! I’ve got a rough itinerary outlined so folks know where to find my remains after the bear has its fill.
Day one: To Lolo, MT to Missoula, MT to Glacier, MT. Sleep in/around the state park. 380 mi.
Day two: Glacier to Calgary, AB, Canadaland. Stay in the KOA out of town, hang out at a pub and drink tea, hopefully meeting some folks on a forum I frequent. 230 mi.
Day three: Calgary to Kamloops via Trans Canada Highway. Beginning the Kamloops… loop. They should come up with a better name. 386 mi.
Day four: Kamloops loop - Kamloops to Kamloops. 463 mi.
Day five: Kamloops to Prince George, BC. 327 mi.
Day six: Prince George to Hyder, AK. Hot springs, watch bears eat salmon, pay for items in an American town with Canuckbucks. 437 mi.
Day seven: Hyder to Watson Lake, YT. 406 mi, Google Maps says 19 hours.
Day eight: seriously, Google said 19 hours.
Day nine: Watson Lake to Carmacks, YT. 366 mi.
Day ten: Google said 28.5 hours for that leg.
Day eleven: Carmacks to Dawson, YT. Home of the infamous Dust to Dawson event. 221 mi, easy day.
Day twelve: Dawson to Inuvik, YT. That arctic circle don’t cross itself! 481 miles, 30 hours.
Day thirteen: continue to Inuvik.
Day fourteen: Bomb around Inuvik, back to Dawson, YT. 482 mi.
Day fifteen: continue to Dawson.
Day sixteen: Dawson to Fairbanks, AK. 388 mi.
Day seventeen: Fairbanks to Homer, AK. 579 miles. Camp on the spit.
Day eighteen: Homer to home via the Al-Can. 2,475 mile.
Day ninteen: continue.
Day twenty: continue.
Day twenty one:continue.
Day twenty two: continue, reach home.
Total mileage: 7,620.
Brutal.
I have a full month off of work so I have a few slop days to take care of adventurous things, such as: bike catching on fire, getting partially et by bears, bike setting bears on fire, harassed by angry shopkeep with shotgun and, of course, general tomfoolery like hangover recovery- err, rest days.
Trip prep:
Got my chain and sprockets all cleaned up. Slapped all my luggage on the bike and started figuring out what goes where. The addition of a big red fuel container for the stretches in YT mixes things up a bit, but it should all fit well. I’ll have my 36 liter side cases, 52 liter top case and huge tank bag to fit all my stuff in: clothes, food, fire making materials and the most important bit, cigars and booze.
Day one: To Lolo, MT to Missoula, MT to Glacier, MT. Sleep in/around the state park. 380 mi.
Day two: Glacier to Calgary, AB, Canadaland. Stay in the KOA out of town, hang out at a pub and drink tea, hopefully meeting some folks on a forum I frequent. 230 mi.
Day three: Calgary to Kamloops via Trans Canada Highway. Beginning the Kamloops… loop. They should come up with a better name. 386 mi.
Day four: Kamloops loop - Kamloops to Kamloops. 463 mi.
Day five: Kamloops to Prince George, BC. 327 mi.
Day six: Prince George to Hyder, AK. Hot springs, watch bears eat salmon, pay for items in an American town with Canuckbucks. 437 mi.
Day seven: Hyder to Watson Lake, YT. 406 mi, Google Maps says 19 hours.
Day eight: seriously, Google said 19 hours.
Day nine: Watson Lake to Carmacks, YT. 366 mi.
Day ten: Google said 28.5 hours for that leg.
Day eleven: Carmacks to Dawson, YT. Home of the infamous Dust to Dawson event. 221 mi, easy day.
Day twelve: Dawson to Inuvik, YT. That arctic circle don’t cross itself! 481 miles, 30 hours.
Day thirteen: continue to Inuvik.
Day fourteen: Bomb around Inuvik, back to Dawson, YT. 482 mi.
Day fifteen: continue to Dawson.
Day sixteen: Dawson to Fairbanks, AK. 388 mi.
Day seventeen: Fairbanks to Homer, AK. 579 miles. Camp on the spit.
Day eighteen: Homer to home via the Al-Can. 2,475 mile.
Day ninteen: continue.
Day twenty: continue.
Day twenty one:continue.
Day twenty two: continue, reach home.
Total mileage: 7,620.
Brutal.
I have a full month off of work so I have a few slop days to take care of adventurous things, such as: bike catching on fire, getting partially et by bears, bike setting bears on fire, harassed by angry shopkeep with shotgun and, of course, general tomfoolery like hangover recovery- err, rest days.
Trip prep:
Got my chain and sprockets all cleaned up. Slapped all my luggage on the bike and started figuring out what goes where. The addition of a big red fuel container for the stretches in YT mixes things up a bit, but it should all fit well. I’ll have my 36 liter side cases, 52 liter top case and huge tank bag to fit all my stuff in: clothes, food, fire making materials and the most important bit, cigars and booze.
[url=http://www.motoblag.com/blag/]Practicing the dark and forgotten art of using turn signals since '98.[/url]