Road to the Toad

Destination- Cranfills Gap, TX

This time I rode with the Cowtown Motorcycle Group to the Horny Toad Cafe.  It was my first ride with them and I must say the group was fantastic!  Everyone was very welcoming, genuine, and full of life.  I met a bunch of new people that I look forward to spending time and riding with again. The ride was well planned having rest and fuel stops along the way for even the smallest tank.  We had a safety meeting and went over road protocols for safe riding for any new people that might not have much group riding experience.  I was impressed with the group and have already RSVP'd for another ride with them.  If your in the North Texas area, DFW and surrounding areas, I would encourage you to take a ride with the group, you will love it.  I want to make mention that you can ride any brand or style of bike with Cowtown.  It's about the ride and people, not the type of bike.

Jim called me Saturday wanting what I was doing Sunday and I told him I was riding with Cowtown to The Gap.  He was interested and signed up as well.  Jim, Pat, and I met up at a QT to fill up and ride together to the meetup spot.  We met up at the Texas Smokehouse II in Alvaredo with the group.  It was a good turnout, 14 bikes if I remember correctly. 

Tempuratures in the early morning were reading 39 when I left the house with the forcast saying 70 for the high.  I bundled up well and headed out to meet Jim and Pat. With the wind chill I was a bit frosty when I got to the QT.  Exposed parts of my body had that hard cold kind of pain you get from extreme cold when riding at speed.  That situation went away quickly though and by the time the group took off for the ride I was able to remove my face mask.  Later it was warm enough to the point I even took off my jacket.  You couldn't have asked for a more perfect riding day for February than we experienced.

The ride was planned with more than just riding to The Toad though, Randy, the road captain, stopped at a couple of cemeteries along the way to look for resting spots of fallen soldiers so he could add them to his list for the Cowtown Motorcycle Group Memorial Day run.  They go to remote cemeteries and leave flags on the resting places of soldiers that may have been overlooked.  The thoughtfulness of this moved me and gave me a good insight of the heart of this group to be thinking of memorializing forgotten soldiers four months ahead of time.

We did the usual thing that bikers do upon arrival, talk bikes, experiences, laugh, eat, get to know one another, etc. before heading out for the trip home.  I want to throw this little piece of info in before getting to the video of the ride.  Jim made mention that I have only used rock style music in my previous videos.  You see, he is a HUGE fan of country music.  Well my friend! This ones for you! ENJOY!!! ;)

Cowtown Motorcycle Group: Road to the Toad 2013

Margaret Rides Again!

Yup, this was her 3rd time EVER to ride a motorcycle.  And I have to admit, not because she is my wonderful wife, she did fantastic!

It can be difficult for us seasoned riders to grasp the concerns, fears, and issues that beginning riders have.  We simply let the clutch out, roll on the throttle, let off the brake simultaneously and zoom away clicking up and down our gears without thought.  The new rider however has a completely different perspective on this process.  They are not familiar or acquainted with how all that works together.  They also mentally dwell on each task that needs to be performed just to get the bike moving, all the while being concerned about keeping their balance, tipping, or falling.  To the new rider taking off is like a task list where each action needs to be checked off and accounted for.

1) Slowly release clutch until engagement
2) Slightly roll on throttle
3) Keep my balance
4) What if I let the clutch out too fast?!
5) Let up on brake
6) What if I give too much throttle?!
7) Release more clutch
8) Keep my balance
9) What do I do if I start to fall?!

All these things and more are going through the new riders head and it can easily create a fog of thought that makes it even harder to get started.  New riders will overcome these issues at various levels, some are never able to get past them and consequently, and unfortunately, never ride.

The very first time I took her out to learn to ride she was able to grasp the basics of clutch and brake.  She wasn't zooming around the parking lot, but she did ride and stop.  I would jog beside her, coach her, and be available in case of emergency. I got my exercises in for sure that day and lost a few pounds!  Only one time did she fall, and fortunately when she started going over, she pulled in the clutch and held it in place to keep the bike from propelling forward.

The second time we went out her skill level went up tremendously.  She just caught on to all of it. By the end of the day she was taking off and stopping without help.  She rode around the parking lot for a couple hours practicing clutching and braking.  She did topple a couple times, once due to popping the clutch and having the bike jolt forward, the other time she came to a stop and turned the handlebars which caused her to topple to that side.  No harm done though, she hopped right off and just let the bike go over.  It was a good experience for her to topple though.  In her own words, "Now I know I can fall over and not necessarily get hurt".  She had a great fear that falling over automatically meant broken body parts.  Toppling safely helped over come some of her preconceptions about that.

The third time we took her out to practice was totally exciting.  Again she took a huge leap forward in her learning so I began pushing her riding skills.  By the end of the day she was shifting up to third and back down, weaving between buckets (I bought cones for future practices), and coming to quicker stops at a parking lot line.  It was quite impressive and I am very proud of her.

We have gone out a fourth time and again she accelerated her learning and skills. I closed the cone weave to be a bit tighter and had her perform more shifting patterns to accustom her to having to shift more due to traffic situations.  I also shook her up a bit by having her take off facing upwards on a slight incline.  That gave her some problems because she couldnt just let off the brake without rolling backwards.  It did help her learn to feather the clutch with more accuracy though and taking off on an incline is a real world situation that she needs to be able to do.  We'll be working on that next time as well.

Going back to her third ride, I took the GoPro that day and shot a bit of video of her.  I did it so she could see how well she was doing.  Sometimes its not evident to yourself when your the one riding.  I had fun with the clips and put them into a short video with some music.  Its not some ultra exciting movie but that was not the intention.  I guess I'm just proud of how quickly she is taking to riding.

Murphy Strikes Again

Well, after mentioning that I hoped Murphy wouldn't be around in my post about oil changes, he struck.  I was on my merry way home from work Monday enjoying the highway and weather when I started smelling something awful.  If you have ever worked construction and had to cut Fiberglass Reinforced Plastic you would recognize the sharp tingling burnt plastic smell that is specific to that material.  At first I thought maybe there was construction going on close to the highway and the wind had blown the smell in my direction so I didn't pay much attention to it.  But, 20 minutes, 30 minutes, 40 minutes, and on and on until I got home I was still smelling it.  Not good.

I crawled around the bike on all fours like an animal sniffing for a meal to try to isolate the smell.  It didn't take long, it was plainly visible and smelly where the oil had been coming out.  The valve cover gasket had blown out at the front left corner and was leaking oil all over the head.  It was a mess.  Kind of funny that it smelled the way it did, I wouldn't have expected oil to smell like that.

Tuesday I rode it to Fort Worth Harley for them to fix.  Jake in service was awesome and told me they would take care of it under warranty.  So I'm thinking kewl kewl, its all good, a couple days without the bike, no problem.

Wednesday Jake calls me and told me it looked as though the gasket had been put on crooked which caused it to fail.  They replaced it but when inspecting the bike they found that one of the rubber motor mounts was cracked.  Oh my!  Am I riding it too hard?  He said they were replacing that under warranty as well but had to order the part so it would be Friday before the bike would be ready.

As frustrating as this situation is, I am thankful to the service department at Fort Worth Harley.  Not only did they take care of the original problem but they took the time to look over the bike for other potential issues, discovered one, and took care of it.  That is some seriously good service that you wont often find in any industry.

Since May of 2012 when I got the bike I have put 16,500 miles on it.  I have had a battery, valve cover gasket, and engine mount fail.  I understand that problems will occur, especially on mechanical things.  Bugs are ever present and that is why we have service warranties to get us through the initial problems.  As I mentioned in my post about Holiday Down times, I am looking for reliability.  If a bike is not reliable, then its simply no good to me.  The future will be interesting.

Chapter Meeting February 2013

This months chapter meeting was the coldest of the year.  Margaret chose to go with me and we bundled up and hit the road.  The tempurature was 51 degrees when we left the house with a very strong northern wind.  It didnt take long for the cool air to chill us both.

Upon arrival at the meetup at the dealership we were greeted by Don who smiled and said, "by the way, the ride portion of the chapter meeting was cancelled".  Thats what we get for not calling the ride line before departing.  It didnt matter though, 26 other riders came in on their bikes so it ended up to be a decent turnout. So we mounted up and rode parade style to Billy Bobs and had a great ride to the meeting!  It was cold but riding with everyone else made the ride enjoyable.

At Billy Bobs we had snacks, raffle tickets, and 50/50 drawings.  We also heard from various officers topics related to their position such as Safety Officer, Membership, etc.  This meeting however included games!  After conclusion there was Bingo and a Pool tournament.  I participated in the pool tournament and was quickly shut out during the first round.  I didnt do so well and failed to impress Margaret with my pitiful billiard attempt.  It was fun though and once again had a great time at the meeting.

I tried mounting my GoPro to the window on the fairing with a suction cup mount that came with the camera.  I was trying to get a different view than the last 2 videos but it didnt work out so well.  The window flexed more than I thought and as a result almost none of the video was usable.  It would be ok if you want to boggle your eyes or head up and down to keep up with the picture.  I was able to pull a couple short clips from the ride portion but, they are very short.  Then at Billy Bobs the memory card filled up so I had to finish out the media with pictures.  So I put the still shots at the end of the video this time.

Oil Change- Part 2

If you missed Part 1 here it is:

As promised, Oil Change- Part 2!!!!!!!!!!!! No chit chat this time, were just gonna get right into it.

WARNING: This is a long post!

First take the bike out for awhile and warm the engine up to running tempurature.  I dont use a bike stand or front wheel ramp, it would be nice, but I dont want to spend the money on it.  Take out the crankcase and tranny dipsticks.  This will help relieve any vacuum and let the oil drain well once the plugs are removed.  The tranny will require a 3/8" allen wrench to take out.  Loosen the crankcase drain plug located on the front of the oil pan with a 5/16 socket, slide the oil pan under the bike and remove the plug.  While its draining inspect the plug for metal shavings and wipe them off if there is any on it.  The end of the plug is magnetic and will catch any shavings from the motor.  Clean all of the drain plugs well in preparation for putting them back in later.

Crankcase: Filler Cap

Crankcase: Drain Plug

Tranny: Filler Cap

Drain plugs: Inspect magnetic tip for shavings

Now pull the pan back a bit keeping it under the dripping crankcase drain and remove the transmission plug located through a hole in the crossmember on the bottom of the frame.  This is also a 5/16 socket.  Get it loose enough to where you can make the last few turns before it comes out and put that pan under it.  Remove the plug and let it drain.  Now you've drained both crankcase and tranny all at once!  How easy was that!

Now you gotta get that oil filter off.  Im not going to downplay this part though.  It's messy, period.  Stuff some of the shop towels underneath the filter down into the frame area and around the oil cooler.  The more the merrier on this because once you break that rubber seal on the oil filter, the oil in it is gonna spill down onto everything underneath.  The towels will at least catch the bulk of the oil and keep from getting it all over the place.  Use your oil wrench and turn counter clock wise just enough to break it loose so you can turn it with your fingers.  You can then spin it off really quickly and since your bike is on the jiffy stand (which causes the bike to lean left a bit) it will cause the oil to flow to the sealed end of the oil filter and you wont get as much leakage.  If your careful when you pull it off you can tip the open end up and keep whatever amount of oil is still in it from pouring out all over the place.

I use this type since Ive had it forever but you can buy a nice one at harley that will snap onto your socket and fit the filter perfectly.

Shop towels stuffed all around the bottome of the filter

Now remove all those dripping shop towels and clean the parts that might have gotten oil on them.  Then take a clean towel and wipe the connecting plate where the oil filter connects to.  This should be shiny and completely free of oil.  Pull out your new filter and using your finger wipe a bit of clean oil around the rubber seal.  This will keep it from drying out and provide some lubricant that will keep the seal from tearing off or bunching up when you tighten it.  With your fingers, do NOT use the oil filter wrench anymore, spin it on until you feel the seal touch the plate.  At this point you might want to make a mark on the filter with a marker or chalk.  Anywhere around it is fine.  What your gonna do is tighten the filter 1/2 to 3/4 turn with your hand for the final tightening.  The mark will give you a reference of where you started your turn from.  If you made the mark on the top of the filter, then turn it until the mark is at the bottom or at the 9 oclock position.  If you go past that you've over tightened the filter and the seal might leak.

Wipe the seal with a bit of clean oil

Check the Orings on the plugs making sure there is no wear from previous oil changes and replace if necessary.  An Oring kit is available for $5 at the dealership and gives you the seals for all 3 drain plugs plus the clutch inspection cover.  You wont need one every time so inspect the rings and reuse them if they are still good.  Now take a bit of the liquid teflon and lightly coat the threads of the plugs.  This will provide a bit of extra leak insurance and it will help with the plugs vibrating loose once you've got them in.  Wipe the contact surface clean where each plug is to go and put them in.  If you have a torque wrench you can follow the factory recommended specs for tightening.  I have one but prefer to tighten by feel. (NOTE:  Start each plug by hand to insure they are threaded properly, you dont want to start turning them in with a socket and jimmy the threads or crossthread them)

Inspect ORing

 Thread Sealant

 Ready to put in

Now that all the dirty work is done you can fill the crankcase and tranny.  Use the funnel you got with that autozone kit so you dont make a mess.  Put 3qts in the crankcase and check it by tightening the dipstick and then removing it.  It should show right at the top of the dipstick marks that read Full When Hot On Jiffy Stand.  Once you start the bike the level will go down since some of it will end up in the oil filter.  The end result should read right in the middle of the dipstick.

Initially add 3qts according to owners manual.  I have found that after riding for a day I have to add about 4 more ounces because the new oil filter you put in will fill up and lower the reading on the dipstick.

The tranny is supposed to take 28 fluid oz according to the owners manual.  Since the first oil change mine has taken exactly 32 oz (1 qt.)  Start with the recommended 28 oz and add if necessary.  To check this level just set the dipstick down in the hole without screwing it in.  Remove it and add if needed until it falls right in the middle of the X.  Ive always had a bit of visual problems here since the tranny dipstick is chrome.  I cant seem to see where the oil level is very easily with the new clean oil on it, but, youll be ok, just look real hard.

Initially add 28 oz according to owners manual

Check Oring and replace if necessary.  You can clearly see this one is damaged and I had to replace it.  It cost .95 cents at the dealership

 Check oil level

ALMOST DONE!!!! Wooooot!  Now its time for the primary.  I empty the old oil into a milk jug before doing this part so as not to overflow the drain pan.  Then do the same thing as before.  Use a 5/16 socket to remove the drain plug located under the left side of the bike.  This plug is the easiest to get to as it is at the outer edge of the primary.  Now you'll get a T-27 Torx wrench and remove the clutch inspection cover.  Wipe it clean but be very careful with the seal.  The first time I did this I removed the rubber seal and wiped it down.  I was very careful but still managed to stretch the seal just enough to where it was too big to seat as it should back into the cover.  It doesnt take much to stretch it.  Now I take it out and just kinda blot it without wiping it and it doesnt stretch it.

Remove drain plug

 Remove cover using Torx wrench

Stick your funnel into the side of the primary.  There is a rounded notch that Harley put there just so the funnel could fit far enough in so as not to make a mess when filling it with oil.  There is no dipstick to check here.  On this part, you put exactly the amount specified by the owners manual.  36 oz.  This 4 oz over a full quart which is why I have to buy a 6th qt.  Remember the tranny level from earlier according to Harley?  They say 28 oz. which IF that amount fills the tranny properly then the remaining 4 oz will be just what you need to finish off the primary.  You will know after doing your first oil change whether to buy 5 or 6 qts. Think about it this way though, if you have to buy that 6th qt, youll end up having enough with that extra qt to do 8 more oil changes, so youll only need to purchase 5 qts for the next 8 times.

Add 38 ounces according to your owners manual

Once youve got it filled replace the cover.  Your owners manual even gives you the order to use to put the Torx bolts back in.

And thats all there is to it.  I always give my bike a nice bath at this point to remove any sticky oily substance I may have inadvertantly gotten on it, and to get the bugs and road grime off too.

CONGRATULATIONS! You have just saved yourself $334.  Nice bit of change in your pocket.



Oil Change- Part 1

I am absolutely amazed at how many people I know and meet that do not perform their own oil changes.  Personally I just dont get it,  the savings are just too great not to do it yourself.  Doing it yourself also helps you familiarize yourself more with your bike.  Another thing that blows me away is that the process is in your owners manual!!!!  HD makes it very easy by providing great diagrams and oil quantities for the crankcase, tranny, and primary.  They even provide diagrams of how to read the oil levels from the dipsticks!!! No special HD shop manual, tech manual, or secret HD service cryptography stone tablet is necessary.

Here is a picture from my owners manual as an example.

Not one form of regular maintenance on both vehicles and bikes that can singularly prolong life and prevent breakdowns is regular oil changes.  I know, I know, changing oil is messy business. But, it must be done!  So you can either drop your bike off at the shop and let them do it and sacrifice an arm or leg for payment,or, save a LOAD of money, take your time, have a couple beers, change the oil, listen to some jams, wash your bike, and make it a afternoon event and have a load of fun doing it.  Better yet, get a buddy that rides and do both bikes together.

I will be comparing prices for changing the oil on my Street Glide with the 103 engine.  I am not going to get into debates about things like specialized low rimmed drain pans, bike lifts, bike stands etc. These specialized items will make the job easier if you prefer to spend more money but they are not necessary. Just go to Autozone and buy one of those combo oil change kits for cars (this is a one time purchase which will be paid for on your first oil change by the savings).  I bought one for my son this past summer for changing the oil on his SUV for $4.95.  It came with a plastic drain pan, funnel, hand cleaner, and shop wipes.  While your there get an oil filter wrench, you can get those for around $8.  Take your new oil filter with you to get the right fit. You can also pick up an oil filter wrench at the dealership for around $15 if you prefer which will fit without issue. I also use liquid Teflon (NOT Locktite) for the threads on the drain plugs and you can also get that at Autozone for about $5 if I remember correctly.  Its been a long time since Ive bought that since you can do a huge amount of oil changes before you need to rebuy.  All-in-all for $20 you have the basics for changing your oil for years.  I am going to assume that you have a couple basic sockets and allen wrenches and hopefully a small set of Torx wrenches handy.  You may have to buy the torx but they are relatively inexpensive at Harbor Freight.

I use the Screaming Eagle 360 Full Synthetic in mine so I will compare prices based on what I use.  If you choose a blend or non synthetic your cost will go down.  Something else I like about this oil is you can use it in the crankcase, tranny, and primary.

I change my oil every 5K miles because I do ride quite a bit and its usually under very harsh hot conditions.  When I do an oil change I change the Crankcase, Tranny, and Primary.  I have heard and read that some people will go 7500 miles or more when they use the synthetic before doing an oil change but I dont, and wont. The owners manual says you only have to do the Primary every 10K miles and the Tranny every 20K miles but I do all of them every 5K.  Then add the superior protection that the synthetic provides and you have some serious protection going on.

Now lets talk prices.....

The dealership charges $420 for a complete oil change.  That means crankcase, tranny, and primary.  WOWOWOW! (some cycle shops are cheaper but I am not going to get into a comparison of rates for a thousand different shops, you will still save by doing it yourself.)

6 qts Screaming Eagle 360 Full Synthetic Oil (youll see why you will need 6 later)= 71.70

Oil Filter- Black= 8.95 (chrome is 11.95 if you prefer)

Seal Kit= 4.95

Total= $88.60

Savings= $334.00

Sooooo, well worth a couple hours (thats taking my time and enjoying the afternoon). And if your wondering, that $334 is the labor you are paying for the dealership to do it for you. What could you do with that amount of money if I handed it to you today? If nothing else, you can use that savings to buy some cool shiny thing youve been wanting for your bike!

The next post will explain and show pictures of the process.  I was going to put it in this post but when my wife was reading it she said "HOLY CRAP thats long!  Youve got to break that into 2 posts".  Shes probably right, so until next post........................