Work in progress

[watchman]

I am slowly getting accessories installed on my new bike. I am taking my time and trying to think ahead since I will not get my fairing install for awhile. I have to get it painted to match the new bike's colors. And with this colder weather I am not spending much time in the unheated garage. The only thing new I have bought for the bike is Phat II risers. They should be here today or tomorrow. So for now I am installing my driving lights air horn, highway pegs, Back Off license plate bracket, luggage rack, tail bag and my Corbin seat. The rest of the stuff can wait until warmer weather.

Who ever assembled the bike originally needs more supervision. I found the red reflectors on the front wheel and the amber reflectors on the license plate bracket. The valve core in both air shocks was loose and the shocks would not hold air. The spring damper on the right shock was set on I and the left damper was on IIII. And there was no cable ties on the handle bar cables.

But the worse thing so far was that when they install the right saddle bag they did not get the safety hanger in the bracket and bolted the bag on causing the hanger to get bent and the bag to bend inward. And the bend was there for so long the bag has taken a set with this inward curve in it. I hope that now with the hanger straightened and the bag installed properly when the bag gets really warm this summer the curve comes out and the bag takes it's proper form. The curve makes the bag very hard to take off and put on.

So as you can see I am checking almost every nut and bolt and have gotten from the rear fender to the engine. With the other things I have found I am concern especially with the torque on the front wheel and brakes. Anything that was install when the bike was originally put together out of the crate is really suspect.

Anyway I will have the bike road ready by the next warm weather and I will start getting some miles on it. I will get some pictures posted soon. See you in May at ES.

[watchman]

I went to Kirksville this morning and spoke with my dealer and to get the handlebar cable ties ordered. After I told him what I had found he said that everything I found would have happened on the bike assembly line not at a local dealership. Some how this made me feel a little better.

[oldbikers]

Check it out and make it right Jim and we will see you in ES.

[lw]

Think a heating pad applied to the inner wall of the bag (off the bike and lying flat of course)would help it flex back to original before summer? Just a thought

[watchman]

I finially got the 600 miles on the new bike. I will be changing engine and rear end oil this weekend since it will be raining here. After that the only thing left is to get the fairing sanded down and repainted to match the bike.

I took one of the bags to the PPG dealer to get the paint codes and I have a guy at a custom car shop that I am going to buy the paint from, that is going to custom mix the paint. He say he will mix it and test spary until it matches.

In the mean time I need to get another 500 miles on the bike and then I will install the V & H Baggers, K & N Air filter and see what I might need to do about any lean fuel problems. I should have it all finished in a few weeks depanding on the weather.

[revmrq]

Congrats on the new Bike. It sounds like now your making it your own. Good luck on all your projects. Sorry about the rain today, We didn't get any here. It was a great day for riding. I was able to do a little, but not what I would of liked. I hurt my left knee a few weeks ago, the worst thing is I don't know how i did it. I got about an 1 1/2 hour ride before my knee said it was time to stop. I do hope that Spring comes quickly and no more ice or snow.

[watchman]

Got the heater in the garage fixed tonight. Liz and our son Tim is now sanding the paint off of her fairing and tomorrow both farings will be in primer. Maybe Saturday he can get either the red or black paint shot on them. Tim works night out of town so maybe next weekend he can get which ever color is left shot on and the clear coat. Then it will just be letting them get good and cured, installing new windshield gaskets and mounting them back on the bikes.

This has seemed like a forever job and I will be glad when it is over. After I get my fairing on the bike I still have to install and wire up my speakers, 12 volt outlet, GPS and mount my windshiedl bag. But I should have everything done before the Rally.

[billmac]

Watchman, if you would have said the dealer apologized and admitted they should have checked things out better, I would have gone into shock.