April 17th, 2016 - Polar Bear Ride to Cape May, NJ

   Today was the last Polar Bear Ride of the `15 - `16 season. I just squeaked by with enough points to get my 'rocker'. It's funny how much riding, scheduling and work we'll do for a little patch!

 

   The ride was to the VFW in Cape May, NJ. The weather was fantastic...sunny and 60 with little wind. Most of the ride was through the Jersey Pinelands. The work I had done on the bike paid off. The engine purred along the way it did when I had first gotten the bike.

   

 

Working On The Bike

   Yesterday I decided to dig in and finally change out the ignition coil, ignition wires and spark plugs. I had been experiencing intermittent missing after the bike had been accelerated hard above 3000 rpm or when the temp was rising; like sitting in traffic. I'm figuring the coil was getting overheated after hard acceleration. I found that if I didn't accelerate too hard or over 3000 rpm it didn't happen. If it did start missing a bit it would stop after I was moving, especially on colder days.
   I replace the stock coil with an Accel aftermarket coil, the wires with Accel aftermarket wires and the plugs with NGK Irridium plugs.
   I wasn't sure how much of the bike had to come apart to get at the parts. I removed the fuel tank hardware and with a bit of wrenching things around I was able to finally remove the coil. Replacement was a bit tricky but I was eventually able to get the whole thing back together. I started the bike and it seemed to run just a bit smoother.
   Of course there's always something else. In disconnecting the fuel line quick disconnect the o-rings gave out causing the fitting to leak...14 year old o-rings!  I'm hoping George can help me out today.

Fast Forward...

   I brought the bike out today to take a look at the fuel line quick disconnect. Apparently  it had leaked slowly overnight. Not too much but I can't ride like this. I looked into it an it appears that the o-rings in the fitting are known to need replacing periodically. I have a good selection of o-rings in my dive gear maintenance supplied so I thought I would take a closer look. I reseated the fitting a few times, poked around inside and bam...no more leak. I'll order a rebuild kit and take care of it before the cruise.
   I also took a short ride to Rita's to check out the ignition situation. The bike ran great.Great acceleration, passing, etc.But...now there's a check engine light. There's always something.

November 25th, 2015 - Polar Bear Grand Tour

Today was my first Polar Bear ride for the 2015 - 2016 season. We rode to the Appalachian Brewing Company in Collegeville, PA.

The weather forecast had been going back and forth about rain in the morning so I kept checking the 'hotline' to see if the ride would be cancelled. As of 08:00 the ride was still on so I gathered my stuff and headed outside. It was raining ever so lightly at the house so I decided to go...without rain gear. The weather map showed the rain letting up to the north and west, the direction I was headed.

I headed up Rt 70 and the rain started to get a little more substantial. I stopped for a minute to consider putting on the rain gear but decided to continue on with out it. Luckily the rain stopped in the next few minutes.

Our Group...that's me in the back on the right.

I arrived at the Wawa, a little damp, and met up with the other 8 bikes that were going. Jack wasn't there so today's ride was going to be led by Casey.We headed out with a slight drizzle starting up again but I\it wasn't long before the rain stopped.
The ride was uneventful, weaving our way through NJ to Trenton then through lower Bucks County to our destination.
We had a great lunch then headed back home. The return trip was via the turnpike as we all wanted to get home. All in all it was a nice ride.

Dirty, dirty bike

My bike is really dirty. I don't mean a little dust...I mean filthy, nasty, corroded, muddy, dirty. After a season of winter riding it is in dire need of a deep cleaning.

February 8th, 2015 - Ride to Pic-A-Lilli Inn

Today's run was a short one. The Pic-A-Lilli Inn is considered local to us. We logged extra miles because we rode up to Lakewood to the usual meeting place, Wawa. Barbara made this ride which was nice; she hasn't made many rides and she hasn't had a chance to try her electric heated gloves.

The weather was fantastic for the middle of winter. It was mostly sunny and the temperature topped out at about 52 degrees. I was finally able to make it out of the driveway.

We rode up to Wawa where we met with the usual cast of characters and a few extras too. We usually only have 6-8 bikes but today we had 13. We left the Wawa a few minutes after 10:00 and header down Rt. 70.

We wound our way through the Pinelands until we got to the Pic-A-Lilli Inn. There were quite a few bikes there, as was expected because of the nice weather.

Dan, Casey, Charlie, Jack, Craig, David and Barbara

We went inside and signed in. Today I had enough points to get my Polar Bear patch!

After we signed in we were given a table large enough to seat all of us. When you consider the number of people there we were lucky to get seated quickly. Lunch was fun. This crowd always has a great time when together...lots of good natured ribbing. 

We left the restaurant and worked our way back up to Chatsworth where Barbara and I split from the crowd and headed home.

March 22nd, 2015 - Polar Bear Grand Tour Ride to Brian's Harley-Davidson

My son Chris was supposed to go on this ride today but he sent me a text saying he wasn't going. Too bad...we spent a good part of yesterday installing HOG Tunes on his bike. I would have liked to do a little work on my bike but we ran out of time.

Since Brian's isn't very far we met at the Wawa at 10:00. When I pulled in to the Wawa there was a commotion around the gas pumps. Apparently a bus had cut too close to the concrete posts protecting the pump island and ended up hung up on one of the posts. Lots of debris...no injuries. I filled the bike and joined the other riders. While we waited to leave I hooked up my electric gloves. I left the house hoping it was warm enough to do without the electrics but my hands were a little cold.

We left Wawa right after 10:00. There were 10 bikes today, a good size group. If there's more than 10 bikes we have to split into two groups. It was a nice ride to Brian's. The weather was clear but a little breezy. When we crossed the Calhoun Street Bridge in Trenton the winds blowing down the Delaware River pushed the bikes around on the steel grates of the bridge.

We arrived at Brian's around 11:40. There were fewer bikes there than we expected. We parked the bikes and went inside to sign in for the Polar Bear Grand Tour to get credit for the ride. 

Inside the dealership they were hosting a free lunch...meatball sandwiches, macaroni salad and drinks. After we ate we checked out the store. Brian's has a very large and well stocked inventory of clothes, accessories and parts. I wasn't in the market for anything except women's shirts but there weren't any worth buying in the clearance rack. 

Me getting ready to leave Brian's

When everyone was done looking around we geared up and headed out. We did a quick stop at Jack's mother's house in Bensalem to drop something off. The ride home took us along the Neshaminy Creek through Bensalem, Hulemville and Croydon. We crossed the Delaware River again over the Burlington Bristol Bridge. When we crossed Rt. 206 I split from the group and headed for home. 

January 18th, 2015 - Polar Bear Grand Tour Ride...not!

It's raining. I've ridden in the rain and don't exactly care for it. Especially when it's about 35 degrees. Like Jack said, "It's no fun if you have to start out in your rain gear".
So it's no ride today...maybe next week.

January 11th, 2015 - Polar Bear Grand Tour Ride to Upstream Grille. Lake Hopatcong NJ

   Today's run was a cold one. I wasn't quite sure about going. Not so much because of the temperatures but because there had been some winter weather a few days ago and I was unsure about the road conditions where we were going. I text-ed Jack to ask about the roads and he assured me they were clear.
   When I went outside it was about 14 degrees. The big red bike was reluctant to start but on the third try it turned over and roared to life. While the bike warmed up I went about hooking the trailer up to the Jeep. I have the trailer hooked up and ready to go whenever I go on these rides...just in case there's an incident.
   Because of the temps I wear alot of clothes. At this point on top I had on a performance long sleeve T-shirt, a performance insulated top, on 'old school' insulated top, a turtle neck, a sweat shirt, a hooded sweatshirt and my riding jacket with liner. It may seem absurd but each layer has a purpose. I hope to order a new coat this week which will do away with the need for some of the layers. On the bottom I wear high athletic socks, performance insulated bottom, above the knee heavy socks, 'old school' thermal bottom and a pair of heavy, heavy lined blue jeans. On my feet I wear a pair of heavy, mid-height, Harley-Davidson boots. On my neck I wear a full neck gaiter which I pull up over my nose and on my head I wear a full face helmet. With the face shield pulled down my face stays warm...but there is a fogging issue whenever I come to a stop. To finish things off I have a pair of electrically heated Gerbing gloves.
   Fully dressed, bike warmed up I headed out...very carefully. My driveway was the trickiest part. Once on the road it was go time. I headed up to the Wawa in Lakewood to meet the other riders. I got a few strange looks and shaking heads when people saw me on a bike in these temps.
   At the Wawa were the usual characters,  but no Charlie. We had our coffee, chatted then headed out for Lake Hopatcong. It was going to be a high speed ride up; the Parkway to 287 to 206 to 80 to 15. At 75mph the wind chill was about zero. The ride was without incident although the traffic was a little heavy, especially on 206. We made one stop in South Bound Brook for the bathroom and coffee.

   When we arrived at the Upstream Grille there were already alot of bikes there. Many more than we expected with the low temps. The parking lot was almost clear, with only a few tiny spots of ice...but those spots will drop you if you're not careful.
   We went inside to sign in to get credit for the ride. I also had to sign in for my participation in the January 1st Chilly Chili Ride. Because I forgot the wrist band from the ride they were reluctant to let me sign but finally relented. By now I should have enough points for my patch so I'll get that on the next ride. We had a nice lunch even though Dan's chili 'sucked' and he was also way overcharged for extra bratwurst.
   As we went to leave Jack discovered that his heated gear was blowing fuses. Not good. He couldn't pin down the cause right away so he decided to ride home with out heat. We headed home under cloudy skies with a temp of 26 degrees. For the ride home we hopped off of the high speed interstate about half way and took 'back roads'. We stopped at the Englishtown Wawa for the bathroom, coffee and fuel. While we were stopped Jack isolated his electrical problem to his heated jacket liner. The rest of the ride home was smooth. The sun had come back out, the temps rose to about 35...a nice finish to a good day.

 

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.

Out All Day On The Bike - June 1st, 2013

I'm going to be out all day on the bike. First I'll be going to Lakewood to Ocean County Harley-Davidson for their Tent Event...free lunch. From there I'll be taking the parkway to Newark to visit with Heather. Next I'll be going to Hightstown to meet Paul then I'll return home to re-group before going to Burlington for Bike Night.

I went to the Harley dealer for their Tent Event. There wasn't much 'under the tent'; just a bunch of old shirts, gloves and helmets at 50% off. There was music, a one man band, that was pretty good and free hot dogs. I went inside to look at a few items that I was thinking of buying but none of them were on display. When I went back to my bike another rider pointed out that there was something leaking under the bike. I checked it out and apparently is was gasoline from the overflow. I had just filled the tank and really topped it off. When I parked the bike it leaned way over on the stand, causing some gas to spill into the overflow and onto the ground. No big deal...just have to remember that for the next time.

I took off for Newark, heading up the Parkway. The traffic wasn't bad going North but it looked bad going South so for the way home I would be using the Turnpike. I stopped at the last rest stop before my exit, had a drink, took a break from the heat and took my meds. For some reason I was really tired on the bike. I continued on without incident and arrived at the Renaissance House about 15 minutes early. Heather was sitting outside but I couldn't start my visit until it was time so I fussed about with the bike. She said she knew it was me coming as soon as she heard the bike come around the corner.

The visit was nice and when it was time to leave I headed for the Turnpike. There was little traffic on the turnpike compared with the parkway.

Pic By The Bog - May 29th, 2013

 I stopped along Rt. 70 to take a quick pic of the bike in a nice spot.

A ride around Maine - May 23rd, 2013

We trailered the bike up to Maine on Wednesday night in the new trailer. Note to self: check things better before leaving the dealer. The new trailer has one marker light out and a faulty brake light. Off we went anyway. The ride wasn't too bad...a few back-ups due mostly to construction. We arrived about 23:00, checked-in and went right to bed.
We had been watching the weather and things did not look promising for the weekend. Thursday was looking to be the only possible ride day so we got up and ready to go about 09:30. It was pretty overcast but not raining so off we went, with David and Annette leading the way.
Our first stop was Freeport...L.L. Bean. Pretty amazing place. It just keeps getting bigger and bigger. We walked around Freeport for a bit then decided to get going.
We headed up the coast to Wiscasset, ME for lunch at 'Red's Eats'. What a place...very earthy but soooo delicious. All the hype is true.

After stuffing ourselves on lobster and what were probably the best onion rings ever we headed out to Rockland. The scenery was nice, coastal. When we reached Rockland we headed inland to Augusta, the state capital.

In Augusta we stopped at the Harley dealer, North Country Harley-Davidson. We bought the normal stuff...shirt, pin...then headed back to the hotel. First we had to go back through Augusta.

In NJ we have traffic circles (rotarys or roundabouts in Maine). We think our circles are stupid and dangerous, especially the way people drive in NJ; badly and with attitude. The circles in Augusta were wicked crazy! They are several lanes, including the incoming and departing lanes and people just shoot out and across, at high speed. Somehow they work because they plan on adding more.

It was a nice long road along winding, hilly roads. We managed to dodge the rain except for a few drops; nothing heavy. When we arrived back at the hotel we put the bikes back in the trailers. It was just in time because it started to rain.

We went out to dinner at the Great Lost Bear. It is a nice bar / restaurant with a great atmosphere. It also has something like 70 beers on tap. After a great burger we headed back to the hotel, in the rain, and went to bed.