IT ALL TURNED in the last two days. Here’s the Friday morning view behind the humble manse…
… and this from a half hour ago.
The iron piggy went back together yesterday. I had hoped to finish before frozen-knuckle weather. Didn’t quite make it.
I took breaks, warmed up inside, and, given that yesterday was Veterans Day, made a round of calls and emails, just to check in with friends who took the guvmint job, wore the uniform, willingly or under duress, went where they were told and did the drill, from the boring to the terrifying.
On saddlebum matters I was rushing to get done this week in the time available. Here’s a Schedule 40 PVC spacer I cut for setting pre-load in the fork tubes. The spec for this bike on the heavier springs I installed is 1870 thou. The spacers I cut mic’d at 1863 and 1858. That’s within the thickness of a piece of paper from one to the other.
Two tries, two spacers, close enough for chop-saw work. Not exactly a precision cutting instrument.
Last thing I did yesterday, in 20-something temps, was chase down a few wiring bugs inside the nacelle. Then went for a test ride.
Left the helmet and the ear plugs home. When things are newly put together you’re listening for noises that shouldn’t be there.
The once-familiar old hog feels like a stranger now. New suspension fore and aft, new brakes, new sneakers, and a whole new note through new exhaust.
In time, we’ll get reacquainted.
I don’t like the heat shields on the true-dual header pipes, won’t be surprised if I get inspired today to take them off and pitch them. Did the same with the factory shields when the bike was new.
They look pretty but I don’t care about that. Too many futzy little clamps on the heat shields, opportunities for things to loosen up and rattle.
Anyway, it’s not a real motorcycle unless you can burn your boot on the exhaust! And I do like to shut off the motor without listening to the tic-a-tic-a-tic-a-tic-a as the shields contract on cool down.
This was one frosty morn this week. It’s time for the awnings to come down and go in the shed for the winter. Time for the little electric candle lights to go in the windows. It always makes for an inviting look on a winter’s night. Nice to come home to.
The frost was everywhere this week, most of all on the pumpkin, where you don’t have to be James Whitcomb Riley to notice.
See the pumpkin at 3 o’clock?
You know it’s the advent of winter when the squirrels are hedging their bets by digging for pumpkin seeds.
Tony DePaul, November 12, 2017, Cranston, Rhode Island, USA
Good to see it all went back together. I knew the ‘when the frost is on the punkin’ reference. NSFW hhehehehehe
Haha! Pam read it the other day and cracked up laughing.
Where’s the snow? It’s not winter until there’s at least a foot of snow on the ground. Iron Piggy’s looking good though.
Thanks, Bill. Snow is always a guessing game in southern New England. I can recall back-to-back winters in the mid-90s where we had no measurable snow one year and something like 105 inches the next.