I had to Pull a Smokin Joe yesterday......

[Stanley Steamer]

I finally got around to replacing the OEM shocks with some 13" Progressive 412 HD's....I have the saddlebag quick-drop kit on the bike so removing the entire bag assembly is quick and easy.....and while I have the bags off, I went ahead and washed the old girl up..... .....

I went ahead and adjusted the new shocks up two notches from the minimum setting they come at and will take the old girl for a test run later today....but since I had easy access to the rear wheel, I went ahead and used some purple power on a long "mother's" polishing ball to clean a little of the grime off the wheels.....I am NOT going to take the time to polish them up with metal polish though....

I am going to give the Old Girl her yearly waxing to protect the pin-stripping I had done a few years ago....putting the stuff on isn't so bad, buffing it off is another matter..... .......but I guess it'll be worth it in the end..... .....

I am going to leave the bags off and wax them while they're off the bike....and do my test runs for the new shocks with them off realizing the little bit of extra weight will matter a little bit......I ride solo 99% of the time and when I'm loaded for a trip, it's still much lighter than riding two-up.....


Here are a couple of pics before the waxing.....

[MacDragon]

Sweet looking IS Stanley...

[Thunderbolt]

also the heat shields, and clean the supports with 0000 steel wool if necessary then wax them up good.  I usually repaint the heat shields with whatever black paint I have available while it's apart as they usually have a little rust here and there.

[Stanley Steamer]

Ok.....I got the new shocks on, everything washed up and the once yearly waxing done.....looks good, but it takes away from riding time....

[Dubsvalk]

Beautiful bike Steamer!  I have mine back on the lift.  Pulled the bags, aligned the bag guards I installed a few months back.  They now line up perfectly with the center of the rear fender.  I will do a major clean and polish as I remove the rear wheel and diff.
Dubs

[Jess from VA]

Man.......... all ready for a million buggies. 

Today, my black interstate looks like a bumblebee with all the yellow pollen. 

[SANDMAN5]

Sharp!!!

[Smokinjoe-VRCCDS#0005]

Lookin' good Steamer    What about that alternator deal ? It turn out OK ?

[Stanley Steamer]

Lookin' good Steamer    What about that alternator deal ? It turn out OK ?

The alternator is still working, but the whirring noise is still there.....

...problem is, it'd be my luck it'd go out 300 miles from home......not to mention the noise can be annoying at times....it seems to lessen at lower rpm's and isn't always that noticeable over the radio noise.....

I still have the old one and may have a local guy I know rebuild it for me....for a back up....

[hubcapsc]

Looks good Stanley... I polished mine all up yesterday... it still had Texas dirt on it... I
even shined the front wheel... by the time I got done with everything else (it was dirty)
I decided I was hungry and the heck with the rear wheel...

-Mike "shhh... "

[f6john]

     I see shadows on the the ground in your pics! What gives, the sunshine is actually making it to the ground there? My girl needs that same attention but we're all to busy gathering wood to build an ark in my part of the country.