November 2nd, 2014 - Polar Bear Ride, Lewes DE

This was the second Polar Bear Ride of the season, the first being the sign-up ride to Cape May. It was about 380 miles although our Road Captain Jack reported 408 miles (a little rounding up for and extra point).

It was a fairly cold and very windy day. When I say windy I mean we were getting blown all over the place. The most dramatic winds were on the Delaware Memorial Bridge. As we came down the Delaware side the sides of the bridge opened up and the winds were very strong. The bikes were actually leaning way over  sideways into the wind to stay in their lanes.

The ride home was going to be more direct, to get us home before dark. Two of the riders opted to take a more northern route up 95 to avoid going over the Delaware Memorial Bridge again, due to the high winds we experienced before. This is where my ride fell apart; literally and figuratively. Some where after getting fuel in Dover I was shifting (trying to) when I felt the shift lever just flapping around. At first I though the shift linkage had given way again but this time it was different. At first glance it looked like the shift linkage had exploded. The arm that connects the shift linkage to the shift pedal shaft had lost it's screw and had come off. I looked for a place to pull off as quickly as possible because I knew if I stopped I would never be able to get going again in fourth gear. I pulled into an abandoned gas station, cutting off the 'tail gunner' as I did. I knew no one was going to stop as I saw the group keep going with no signs of brake lights. I turned the bike off, took off my helmet and gloves and assessed the situation. I quickly got a handle on the situation, determined that it was 'riggable' and went about searching my tour pack for tools and materials.

Disconnected Shift Linkage

Bungee Cord To The Rescue

Long story short, I pressed the arm back on the shaft and secured it with a bungee cord. Satisfied that it would work, I put on my helmet, gloves and neck gaiter and hit the road. I had lost some valuable time, meaning daylight. This was critical as I only had my prescription sunglasses. My face shield was stuck in the up position so I would have no clear vision protection once it got dark.

I headed north on Route 1 (I was guessing at this point) in the direction of the Delaware Memorial Bridge. I stopped at the first Wawa I saw to use the bathroom and to wash my very dirty hands. (I really need to clean the bike!) I continued north, following the signs for the bridge and crossed back into New Jersey without incident. The severe side winds that we had experienced on the way over had become a strong tailwind for the return trip. I continued on, returning home just as it was too dark to continue with my sunglasses.

Not long after I returned home I received a call from Jack, our Road Captain. He was concerned as to what had happened to me as they noticed upon their return that I was not with them. We discussed the event...no harm, no foul! At least from now on I'll have my mike cord attached so I can communicate with the group.

Besides the mechanical problem, it was a great ride. A little challenging with the high winds, especially on the bridge and technically challenging coming up with a quick roadside fix for the shifter.

October 26th, 2014 - Cape May with Ocean Thunder HOG

Today's ride was from Ocean County Harley-Davidson in Lakewood, NJ to the VFW in Cape May, NJ. The purpose of the ride, besides going for a ride on a perfect day, was to register for the 2014-2015 Polar Bear Run season.

Ocean Thunder HOG Chapter Patch

Polar Bear Logo

Barbara and I geared up and left our house at about 08:10 to meet at the dealership for a 09:00 departure. When we arrived at about 08:55 there was only one bike in the lot. Hmmmm. We went inside to sign in and by the time we returned to the bike several other bikes had arrived. It wasn't long before there were about 30 bikes. It didn't take long for everyone to sign in and form up. We were on our way by about 09:25.

We headed out, down Rt. 70 then 539 and Pasadena Rd. to Chatsworth. We continued on through the pines to the Wawa in Mays Landing for a rest stop.

From the Wawa we continued on to Cape May. After getting separated and rejoining we arrived at the VFW. We parked right in front of the VFW among the multitude of bikes that were already there. We went inside and signed up for the 2014-2015 Polar Bear Ride season. It was $25 to register. If you do enough rides you get a patch and a pin. 

We left the VFW and headed over to a closed ice cream shop to take advantage of parking for free in their lot. We walked through the shopping area to a nice little restaurant for lunch. Although it was busy they were able to accommodate our group and seat us all together in a group of tables. After lunch Barbara and I split from the group and went window shopping. It's definitely a place we want to return to when we have a day to spend.

When we returned to the parking lot the other bikes had already left. We mounted up and headed straight home via the parkway. What a great day for the first Polar Bear Ride.

September 13th, 2014 - Something Funny Going On

   The bike has been doing something funny lately. Every once and a while the engine misses. Most times it's one shot but sometimes it will miss a few times. Last night it didn't happen at all. That's strange in itself since it's been happening every time I've ridden since it started.
 
   The first time it did it was right after I passed a car on Rt 70. It's been doing it ever since; for about 6 weeks...except for last night.
 
   There are no trouble codes being displayed so I don't really have a starting point to troubleshoot from. I think it's ignition related. My suspicion is that the coil is starting to go. I plan on checking the plugs, replacing the spark plug wires ( I happen to have a new set ) and cleaning a re-seating as many electrical connections as I can.
 
   The reason I think it didn't miss at all last night is because it was much cooler than any time over the past few months.

   The work will be done while I'm doing other things:

   I have to change all of the lubricants. I'm switching over to all Mobil 1 Synthetic fluids. They are a bit pricey but research suggests improvements. I've never done a fluid change on the bike so it should be interesting...and messy.
 
While I'm at it I might finally install the new hand grips. Another first time job. I'm a little leery about doing it since the throttle cable assembly needs to come apart and the old grip cut off.
 
   And of course the bike needs a good cleaning. It's really filthy. It's a work horse, not a show horse.

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Sunday April 13th, 2014 - The weather is here...

Spring has finally arrived and I'm riding whenever I can. Because we're watching David a lot I can't just jump on the bike and go whenever I want so when the opportunity happens, I go. David is starting to go to day care a few days a week, and even though I have a lot of work to do around the house I still plan on getting in some good ride time.

I've done some maintenance on the bike. I had to replace a rubber grommet that holds on the left side cover and I replaced the fuel door lock with a locking push button. I still have to replace the ignition spark plug wires and install the rear shifter eliminator and horn.
There are still a lot of goodies that I want to add or replace on the bike. I really need good hand grips. The stock grips that are on the bike are very smooth and can be slippery.
Although I cleaned the bike for the cruise I still need to do a deep cleaning with the Pimp Stixx. They will allow me to reach into the really tight spots. This and the power washer will get things really clean. Get out the leaf blower to dry things out and I'll be good to go. I want to get some good photographs of the bike when it's really clean. I'm thinking of taking the pics on the little bridge near the house in the bogs.

Another 50 degree day in the beginning of February

It's 54 degrees outside right now. The bike is in the driveway and I'm ready to go. Barb has to get ready then it's off we go.

We decided to take a ride to the Plumstead Inn for lunch. It's a favorite place to ride to for lunch. Heather, David and Steve followed in the car and had lunch with us. 

After lunch we took a ride up 537, through Jobstown to Pemberton Borough the up Four Mile Road home.

It was a great day for riding. We saw a few other bikes on the road but not as many as I thought we would. Hopefully we'll have a few more opportunities to go riding before the cruise.

It's supposed to be 50 today...I shall ride

It ended up only getting to 48 today...very little wind. First I installed the new battery in the bike. There's not alot of room to work but I managed. Next I bundled up, put on my new trouser straps to keep the wind from blowing up my legs and took off. I headed up to Ocean County Harley-Davidson to submit my paperwork to get credit for logging miles. After 1000 then 5000 miles you get a pin and patch. The dealer put down 51000 miles and I'm at 52990 so I've already passed the first goal. I'll wait a bit before I submit it. Maybe right before the cruise.
I installed the new iridium spark plugs after I returned. We'll see if it does anything to improve the slight problem I perceive with the way the engine is running, and the lower gas mileage...although I read that a low battery (the one I replaced) can cause a weak spark, which may have contributed to the problem.
I also installed the Dragon Wing variable fairing vents. They should help with ventilation on hot days.
Tomorrow, if it tops 50, I'll install the heat shields. I'd like to have them installed before the cruise since the rides are in warmer climates.

It felt great getting out on the bike again. It's been about two months. I really felt good handling the big bike. Hopefully tomorrow Barb will go with me I can work on riding two-up. Hopefully I can get a good picture of her in her 'leathers' next to the bike.

It's here.,,

The new battery for the Harley is here. Actually I've had it almost two weeks but I've been waiting for a day warm enough to work on the bike. The bike's been sitting quiet and cold for about a month.

 

In addition to the battery I have a few other projects to complete. I need to install the new horn. The old one is all but dead and sounds really pathetic. I have new iridium spark plugs and ignition wires to install which I hope will improve a performance problem I perceive when I'm riding. It feels like one of the plugs is a little fouled.

Other small projects are to install the Dragon Wings and Heat Shields I received for Christmas. Both should help with the heat problems of riding a big-V in warm weather. Both are standard on newer bikes so they must help.

 



Damn

The bike sits...it needs a battery. It's almost 70 degrees around the first day of winter and the bike is 'down'. I didn't have time to be riding around anyway. I haven't been riding in awhile...weather, babysitting, battery.