Hey, give me some skin man......

[Strider]

Well, skins.  Left out around 8 this morning and did the 100 miles over to Hard6's.  Had horrible insomnia last night - must have been thinking about seeing my ol' riding buddy again after so long.  Got over to his house about 10 and we started to tear Traveler down.




Got the old skins off the rear and threw on a new Bridgestone Battleaxe. Found some other stuff wrong with Traveler in the rear department.  My seal on the left side was all squashed and 2 of my o-rings in the rear drive were buggered and the final drive was dry.  Got those changed.  Then when we pulled the old tire off, we found the teeth on the "star" on the rear were just about gone.  Hard6 said it would be a heck of a lot safer to change them - didn't know if it would make it to another tire change - and if that goes - well, you DON'T, so swapped it with a used one in his shop that was almost new in wear.

I stripped the lower bolt on the left hand side on the lower shock bushing getting it back on.  Thank goodness it was the bolt and not the nut that is part of the swingarm.  Hard6 dug around in a bucket of bolts and found one that would work.  Whew.



After a while, we got Traveler back together and got a chance to chew the fat for a few minutes.  I had to leave out to try and get in front of a thunderboomer that was rolling in.  Stopped in Jennings for lunch at the Rocket Drive In.



In this heat, the burger and the cherry shake (with bits of cherry in it) sure went down good.



Ok, so I got some skins...changed the oil and checked the bike out (well, had someone whom I trust with my life check it over)...Sooooooooooooooooo....

Yep, you know what that means.....................

ROAD TRIP BABY!!!!!!!!

Blastoff tomorrow morning heading north-west, I reckon.......

WHOOOO-HOOOOOOOOO!!!!

Oh yeah, by the way, Honda shops don't call you (just got off the phone) to make sure you made it home OK and how did the bike handle and all after you get a tire changed and the rear end looked at...

THANKS JP!

[Strider]

There should be a ride report coming in a couple of days.  Should be at the Ranger Casa in the Piney Woods in North Texas for a couple of days, so I won't have access to the net, but will post when I can.  Hey, I hear they got some baby back ribs or something in Colorado that are suppose to be good.....  

Now, I gotta go and get a new memory card for my camera and a carton of smokes.  Couldn't leave until I got that rear tire changed...so let me go.

[big turkey]

Battlaxe rear tire, goes well on Viking Lore Inspired Motorcycle.

Have a good trip.

Big AL

[Jack]

  Have a safe trip, Warren, and, yes, JP is one fine fellow!

[Ebony Red]

Glad to hear you found the parts, when I pulled my u Joint last year it was dry... lubed it up and now good riding...

How ya doin' Strider? Been a while since I posted.... Just having a brew now after installing brakes on my cage (07 ford focus)

Maybe we'll see ya in Bellaire... 

Later,
Jerry in MN
 

[..]

There should be a ride report coming in a couple of days.  Should be at the Ranger Casa in the Piney Woods in North Texas for a couple of days, so I won't have access to the net, but will post when I can.  Hey, I hear they got some baby back ribs or something in Colorado that are suppose to be good.....  

Now, I gotta go and get a new memory card for my camera and a carton of smokes.  Couldn't leave until I got that rear tire changed...so let me go.

Say hello to TR and Catfish for me.

[flamingobabe #44]

Be safe my friend....have fun....enjoy riding in America...tell all hello for us...if you are in Houston coming or going and need a place to crash...we will leave the light on for you....fb

[Hoosier Valk]

Safe winds Warren!

[Tundra]

Strider...Gotta love the Battle-Axe My favorite rear tire! Curious, I see you have run that before so I guess you like it too. How many miles do you get out of it? Most I've had was 10k, That's ok with me cause the price is right and that tire is GREAT! Gotta do them splines anyway.
  Lucky to have a friend like that

[Strider]

That is usually what I figure I will get out of a rear.  The tire doesn't get great mileage because it so sticky but handles GREAT for the same reason.  I think this is my 4th Battleax.  I love em and like you said, the price is right.  One thing about the Bridgestone is when you get near the wear bar, start looking for a tire - they wear quick at that point.

I can usually get a few more miles out of a tire - but I try not to push it too far.  Hate to be in the middle of nowhere and have the tire give up the ghost.

Yes, I thank my lucky stars to have a brother like JP - don't get no better.

[Willow]

...  Hate to be in the middle of nowhere and have the tire give up the ghost.

Hey!  I've been in that garage.  Of course I'd been in the middle of nowhere (sort of, Alexandria, LA) when my tire gave up the ghost.

JP dropped everything he was doing to get me back on the road and then even joined us in a kidnapping plot to get someone to Panama City Beach.

[Scanner]

Hey Strider, beautiful bike!  I've searched for "seat rails" like yours but no success.  Would they fit with an OEM saddle and Utopia backrest?

Where would I find em?

Thanks
Mike