The Gift of "Comfort and Cool"

As my bike continues to evolve, I am always looking for ways to take it to the next level. While a lot of mods are done because they add to the aesthetic appeal or simply "look cool", this one actually gave me the best of both worlds. And for the money, it should! After 10 wonderful years of marriage, my beautiful wife gave me the gift of comfort and coolness all in one box. She bought me an air ride system for my Fatboy. Not just any air ride mind you, she bought me a Shotgun Shock. This system is a bit different from other systems in that it has two switches to allow for increased "tuneability" of the ride height and stiffness of the shock. What this does in real world terms is allows the rider to adjust the height of the rear suspension from slammed on the bump stops all the way to factory height; then the rebound switch allows you to make the shock rebound as soft or stiff as you like. I can air it all the way up to where the shock is so hard I can't push down the rear fender at all, or I can make it so soft it will bottom out on a speed bump. Obviously, the "sweet spot" is somewhere in the middle. The other great feature of this system is that there is only one air line from the compressor to the shock, so there are less hoses to leak and cause problems. In addition, even if you do spring a leak, the shocks use offsetting solenoids that actually push against each other and the system will hold air unitl you dump it with the switches. So if your miles from home and spring a leak, you won't be riding home on the bump stops. Install was easy thanks to my buddy Rob at Black Helmet Customs and JD, the owner/creator of Shotgun Shock, is a cool dude who is always willing to help and stands behind his product. This is something I thought I would never spend the money on, but I have to say, it's a game changer for me. I love it and will have one on every bike I ever own. Not to mention, it's priceless when you pull up to the curb, dump the air, and the rear end floats down. People definately take notice. The next part of the equation is the frontend. Leaving it at factory height is an option, but not for me. I spent $120 on the Progressive Drop-in Fork Lowering kit. The name of the kit is a bit misleading however. For an FX frontend, I think it's as simple as draining the fork oil, removing the fork caps, pulling the stock springs out and cutting the PVC spacers to length. However, with the FL frontends, it's a bit more complicated. What's in the kit? The kit includes two types of springs to replace the one spring in each fork leg. One spring is a longer spring, similar to the stocker, but shorter. The other is a very short spring. Lastly, the kit has some brass washers and a piece of PVC pipe (1" or 1.25" I think). I'll get to the PVC shortly. The Install... Now, keep in mind, I had never taken my frontend apart, so it was slow going at first. Of course, the fork tins and headlight had to come off first. I was able to loosen the bars and lay them back on the tank to get them out of the way. The next step after draining the old fork oil, was to take off the fork caps and loosen the pinch bolts on the triple trees. With the pinch bolts loose, I was able to use my motorcycle jack to raise the bike and actually allow the front wheel and forks to stay on the floor. Once I got enough clearance I could remove the stock springs, "drop-in" the new ones and put the PVC spacers in with some brass washers supplied in the kit. The PVC spacer is cut to length per the directions based on how much drop you want and what model bike you are working on. I think mine was cut to 3" for a 2" drop, but I'm not positive. I finished off with adding some Screamin Eagle Heavy Weight Fork Oil to add a little more stiffness to the forks. The result was immediate improvement in handling and the bike seemed to have better response and a more aggressive stance to it. Coupled with the Shotgun Shock, this thing sits low on the ground and has a really mean look. Needless to say, I reccomend these two mods to anyone. They are not cheap and there are definately more cost effective methods of slamming the rearend of a softail. However, I can't say enough about the ride comfort and adjustability. And there are so few instances with Harleys that you get comfort and cool all in the same mod.

Bigger and Better in Texas!

Since I bought my bike 7 years ago, I have wanted a D&D Fat Cat. It's a 2 into 1 pipe that has a lot of attitude and performs great to boot. And, they are manufactured about 20 miles from my house. They are a bit pricey and I fell into the drag pipe trap that so many newbies tend to gravitate towards. Well, after several years I finally convinced my lovely wife that half the fun of owning a Harley is changing stuff. I also found a killer deal on a 1 month old Fat Cat from a fellow member of HDForums.com. The system, which retails for $600-$700 depending on the vendor, was for sale for $350 and had been used very lightly. It had the "big bore" baffle in it which would not work with my 88 cubic inch engine, but the baffle could be replaced fairly cheaply. The previous owner bought the pipe and actually needed the Fat Cat's big brother, the Boarzilla, for his big cubic inch engine. So his loss was my gain so to speak. I picked it up for a great price and was thrilled to finally get the pipe I had been wanting for a long time. Of course, when things seem to good to be true, they usually are. The pipe arrived and I went to change the baffle and discovered that the fiberglass wrapped "big bore quiet" baffle was wrapped in fiberglass which had welded itself to the inside of the muffler. I spent days trying everything from knocking against the baffle with crowbars, 2x4s, pretty much anything I could fit in the muffler, to no avail. I sprayed a full can PB Blaster down it and even got to the point of damaging the baffle itself. It never budged. I called D&D and they told me this happens sometimes and they reccomend buying a replacement muffler to the tune of about $300 with the new baffle. Well, now all the sudden my good deal is not so good because I am basically buying a new muffler and used head pipes for more than what I could get a brand new system for from a local supplier. At that point I wasn't sure what to do. I had posted questions on my online resource for all things Harley, HDForums.com, and a fellow member responded that he had an old muffler off his D&D in his garage that had the standard baffle. He made me a good deal on it and because it included the baffle I needed, I ended up only paying about $40 more than I would have had the other muffler worked out. Now comes the silver lining...D&D changed the angle of their mufflers sometime in the last few years. They also make a standard version for softails and a longer Heritage version designed for the Heritage Softail. I have always liked the older style cut and the longer 20" muffler on the Heritage pipe. The new set of pipes I bought had the newer version which I wasn't as wild about. However, the replacement muffler was off an older Heritage and it was exactly the muffler I wanted in the first place. So basically, I bought a system that was made 20 miles from my house from a guy that lived in another State and put it together with a muffler from a guy on the East Coast to finally arrive at my current D&D Fat Cat. The system works great and looks even better and I'll probably never run another exhaust on my ride. I guess it just proves that good things come to those who wait...or it could mean sometimes being too cheap to by new costs a lot more in time and aggravation.

Coil Relocation and Removing the Seat Post

I'm attempting to update my blog with recent mods. A simple, inexpensive project is relocating the coil from the stock position, between the oil tank and rear cyclinder, to the area where the stock horn is located. This also requires moving the horn obviously. Mine is currently waiting to be moved under the tank.

I took a Harley Davidson Airwing horn cover and turned it upside down. Then fabricated a bracket out of a piece of flat bar. Very simpe, just cut to length and drill holes. I used a grinder to smooth the egdes and spray painted it black to clean it up. Then I positioned the coil so the plug wires would exit through the top of the horn cover. There are various horn covers, etc. to do this with, however I have never seen anyone use the Airwing cover so it looks a little more custom. I also used 9" chromeXS spark plug wires from US Kool Lines which match closely with my braided cables and brake line. The only thing left was to extend the coil wires and route them under the tank so they dropped down between the two cylinders where the horn used to be.

Next, I took the bolts out of the stamped metal seat post which is used to hold the coil in the factory position. I had to take a bolt out of the oil tank and take one end of the shift linkage lose to get the post out. The result is a clear space between the rear cylinder and the oil tank. This mod cost less than $100 including the cost of the horn cover and the new spark plug wires but it adds a little custom detail that will set your bike apart from the rest.

If 12.5" Is Good, 16" Is Better!

I swapped out my 12.5" Buffalo Bars for some 16" Chubbys from Wild1 Inc. The bars are great. Nice chrome finish and put my hands just above my shoulders. Very Comfy! I have ridden up to about 300 miles in a day with them so far and no numbness at all. I also took the opportunity to change out my stainless braided Barnett cables for some smokin' Sterling Chromite II cables and brake line from Magnum Shielding. These things really gleam. They really stand out in the crowd. If you have to have cables, then these are the way to go.

Well, on to the good stuff...the pics:

This is in the midst of the carnage. Getting the tank off was the most fun.

Wiring up the bars:I also took the opportunity to add a stainless braided EFI hose (which is not supposed to fit softails. But guess what, it does!):

And finally, the finished product:

Until the next mod...

Swingarm Bag Review And A Problem Solved

A while back I posted about a guy I met through the wonders of the cyber world named Shaun Oneal. He makes custom leather products like seats, tool rolls and swingarm bags. I'd had my eye on a swingarm bag for awhile and after reading some reviews on Shaun's work and visiting with him a little via email, I decided I wanted an SO Kustom swingarm bag.

So that's where the blog came in. I introduced Shaun in a previous post, and now, after receiving my bag and trying it out, here's the review.

First off, the bag is heavy 8-9 oz. leather, which make it rigid and sturdy. This is something I was a bit concerned about. No one likes saggy bags, LOL! Second, the twist clasps are both functional and not a headache to get into like comparable bags with buckles. And lastly, the bag is ample size for a tool kit, sun glasses, gloves, some bandannas, and a bottle of water, or whatever.

When it came time to mount the bag, I was concerned that the zip tie method of securing the bag to the swingarm would damage the powdercoat over time. So, I employed a little ingenuity and came up with a mounting system that utilizes the existing belt guard holes.

PARTS LIST:

1 - piece of 1/8" Diamond Plate

2 - 15/16" Coupler Nuts

2 - 15/16" Bolts

4 - Chrome 15/16" Button Head Bolts

4 - Large 15/16" Washers

5 - Small 15/16" Washers

Red Loctite

Blue Loctite

First I started by cutting a piece of cardboard to make a template of the back of the bag in order to transfer the shape on to the diamond plate. Next, I didn't have a way to cut any heavy steel or metal so the aluminum diamond plate was great for me. I used an $80 tile saw I already had and it ate through the diamond plate nicely. I took a flat metal file and cleaned up the edges. To wrap it up, I used a wire wheel on my bench grinder and really put a smooth finish on the piece. Here's a pic of the plate and the method I used to get the dimensions correct:

I wanted the bag to look like it was floating, no brackets visible from the side. By using the existing belt guard mounting holes, I took avoided any alteration of the frame and was able to achieve the look I wanted. I used two 5/16" coupling nuts. I installed the front one using the OEM beltguard bolt. I had to use 5 washers to bring the front coupling nut flush with the rear due to the mounting tabs being mounting at different depths on the tubing of the swingarm.

The rear coupling nut posed a bit of a challenge. The rear mounting hole on the belt guard is actually a threaded hole, so I had to use my coupling nut with some threaded rod that I cut to length and fashioned a bolt for this application. I used Red Loctite to secure the threaded rod in the coupling nut. See below:

Now it was time to mount the plate to the bag. I drilled 4 holes (one on each corner) of the plate to align with the holes Shaun had already put in the bag. I used 4 5/16" chrome button head screws and inserted them through the plate, and the bag and used a secured it with a large washer and 5/16" nut.

Once the bag and plate were joined, I simply put all the pieces together and added some Blue Loctite for good measure. I had previously drilled holes in the plate that aligned with the coupling nuts. The finished plate looked like this:

As you can see, clearance was perfect.

After putting it all together the finished product was exactly what I wanted. A clean, strong mounting system that won't damage the powdercoat and helps me get the most out of the bag.

Ride Safe and Happy New Year!!!

TRT

Fatboy Just Got Fatter!!!

I posted several months ago that I had a major mod in the works. Well, this past week it finally came ot flourishion. I have loved 3/8" spoke wheels every since I started researching mods for my bike 4 years ago. My lovely wife decided to pick me up a set last June from KC International. The wheels are made by DNA and called Mammoth 52s.

I decided to deviate from the stock size of 16x3.5 and go with a bigger diameter wheel. The 18x3.5 was a nice comprimise between stock and radical and allowed me to still run my stock fenders without modification. I also took the opportunity to add a DNA Superspoke pulley and rotor set. This combination really set the bike off and I can't imagine it could have turned out better.

After going back and forth on doing the install myself and posting pics. However, after examining my honey-do list and considering Christmas is 10 days away, I decided to take it in to a local indy shop called American Motorcycle Trading Company. They are good to work with and seem to value my business, unlike the local HD dealers. Dropped it off at 11am and it was ready by 2:30pm. Not bad for a project that took 6 months to gather all the parts.

I finished the conversion off with a set of Avon Venom X tires. I again deviated from the stock size on the front tire by going with a 140mm instead of a 130mm. There are no clearance issues and the tire fills out the stock fender nicely. I've only ridden a short distance so far, but I am looking forward to the stickier tires.

Okay, without further adue, here's the good stuff:

Shaun Oneal Kustom Leather

Since I bought my Harley, I have searched near and far for different parts and accessories to take my sled to the next level and make it "MINE". I mean, that is what we all want right? To make these factory motorcycles unique and put our own personal imprint on them. Through the evolution of my own motorcycle, I have often ran into vendors, dealers, etc. that seem to think that I am privileged to buy their product or ride their motorcycles. I actually have grown quite tired of this attitude and, as a result, have stopped doing business with these individuals.

However, that's not what this is post is about. I am pleased to be able to introduce you to a business I've discovered that specializes in leather products like swingarm bags, tool rolls, and custom seats. I have had the opportunity to converse via email with the owner, Shaun Oneal. What I have found is the same that many of his customers have found. He is friendly, eager to answer questions, and happy to have your business. That's something I've found a shortage of in the motorcycle aftermarket. People just don't seem happy to have your business anymore. If you take a look at Shaun's website, you will see his craftsmanship is stunning and he can do just about anything. I am a frequent poster at www.hdforums.com, and Shaun regularly receives rave reviews from customers. While, I haven't ordered my swingarm bag yet, it won't be long. I will certainly post pics and reviews afterwards. Until then, here are some pictures of Shaun's work that I've gotten off his website, www.sokustom.com, with his permission of course.

My personal favorite, the solo swingarm bag. I'm not a fan of saddle bags. At least not on my bike. However, I do like to have a few essentials with me. This bag makes it possible without converting to 100% bagger.

Another option for personal storage is the tool roll pictured below:

And lastly, these seats scream old school craftsmanship!

From my short emails with Shaun, I have found that he is a family man, loves to ride, and is carrying on a family tradition in working with his hands. These are all qualities I embrace, and I hope you will visit his website, or jump over to http://www.hdforums.com/ and ask for references, you'll get plenty.

Ride Safe,

TRT

A Break From The Heat...

Summer time is the best time of year if your a biker. The days are longer, sunnier, and, if you live in Texas, just plain HOTTER (not sure if that's a word). I don't mean to be a buzz kill, but Summer is pretty much my least favorite time of year to ride my bike. I guess the one week a year it gets below 30 is probably worse, but that's just a week.

Anyway, I know you folks up north love the Summer and try to put on as many miles as you can before the white stuff starts to fall. Then it's time for Stabil and the battery tender, and driving the cage to work. Not so here in the Great State. I love the fall weather, and would rather bundle up than get sunburned, so I am looking to the coming months with much anticipation. The days when my air cooled twin cam won't roast my legs and I can actually put on a pair of jeans without having sweat rings in all the wrong places.

I know for a lot of folks, riding season is winding down...but for me, it's just about to begin. Bring on the Winter!!!

Ride Safe, see ya down the road!

It's Been Awhile...But, New Mods Are Coming!

Hello to everyone out there who reads my blog (when I have the opportunity to post). Pics to follow soon, I'm excited about this one. I'll try not to keep you waiting too long.

First Ride Of Spring

I had the opportunity to get out this weekend and ride my bike for the first time in six weeks. As I have recently discovered, Mr. Motorcycle and I share the same occupation. I work in the insurance industry specializing in catastrophe work. I mention this because my work schedule is what has kept me off the two wheeler for such a long stretch. I got to spend a good chunk of the last several weeks bouncing around a few states for my job.

However, Saturday I got to ride over to a buddy's place and we put the bikes up on the lift and did a full service. We got all the fluids changed, new filter, checked primary chain adjustment, belt tension, greased the steering head bearings, etc., etc. Today, I pulled her out and gave her a good wash and will get her nice and polished up this weekend.

The fatty is officially ready for riding season. Now I get to park her again and head to Austin to work a hail storm. Oh well, at least I got the first ride of spring in, and I may just get the second in before I leave.

Mr. Motorcycle, good luck in Fargo.
Fasthair, I took your advice and changed the background to color in my signature photo. I like it better that way.

TRT

SHE IS MINE, MINE, MINE!!!

Well work has been busy. I'm back at it, travelling, chasing the storms. But, in the mids of it all, I made my last payment on the Harley today. As the title of my post indicates, "she is mine"!!! Paid her off in a little over 3 years. Not bad, especially for also having two kiddos in that same time span. Now the Harley is paid for, the other two are still costing me money. But what a joy they are. Anyway, greetings to all of you in blogger land. I am still around, just a little busy.

Greetings and best wishes to all.

Still here...

It's been awhile since my last post. I have been around, but just haven't gotten around to posting. The past year has been a hectic one around our home. My job keeps me away from home for several months a year. I work in the insurance industry and I work in the catastrophe division of a very large insurance company. Anytime a natural disaster hits, we basically go in and handle the resulting large volume of claims. Our normal work week is 6 days X 12 hours/day. On the flipside, when I am not deployed to a storm site, I do not have to report to an office and I can work remotely via laptop and cell phone. So, this gives me the opportunity to spend a lot of time with my wife and two boys.

Anyway, this past year was an extremely busy year for us. We had a record hail and tornado season, and then we all know about Hurricane Ike hitting the Houston/Galveston area. All this activity translated into me working an above average number of days and being away from the family a lot. My beautiful wife is probably the strongest and most understanding person I know, she balances 2 wild and crazy boys, one is 2 years old, the other is 11 months. She also manages to juggle a full course load of college classes (and get a 4.0 gpa) and a part time job. So, when I get home, I try to give her as much help as possible while getting some R&R myself.

Of course, I also try to get out on the Harley as much as I can as well. It has been 70 - 80 degrees here the last several days. I actually got to go riding in short sleeves yesterday. However it's back to 30's and 40's tomorrow. I also got to do a minor modification to the bike this week.

I removed the cheap looking plastic mudguard and replaced it with a polished stainless steel panel that really opens up the rear wheel area of the bike. See pics below:

BEFORE:
AFTER:

It's nothing complicated, but did give me the opportunity to turn a wrench and add some more shiny stuff to the Fatty.

So, the reason my posts have been few, is because I am soaking up as much "family time" as possible. Soon the phone will ring and the road will beckon and back to work I'll go. God has blessed my family abundantly. Although, I am away from home a lot, I am thankful for my job and even more thankful for my family.

Bikes, Blues, and Barbeque 2008

2008 provided me the opportunity to head out on a road trip with my buddies (minus one black pearl Road King) to the beautiful land of Northwest Arkansas. For anyone who has never journeyed to this enchanted place, it is absolutely beautiful. We made the 1000 mile round trip back in September for the annual Bike, Blues, and Barbecue Rally, which is the largest charitable bike rally in the country. No tickets needed, but a portion of all proceeds from vendor and food sales goes to charity. The usual suspects were in tow, Mike and his "very popular" Honda ACE, Chris and his "hmmm, twenty-somethingth Harley (this one is Dyna Wideglide), and Javier on his Suzuki Boulevard.

We left on Friday morning after breakfast at What-A-Burger. For those of you who don't have the privilege of eating at What-A-Burger, you are missing out. We got on the road about 9am.

The ride out was uneventful. We took a roundabout route through northeast Texas and into west Arkansas. We headed straight north up to Fort Smith, AR and then hit the home stretch. We pulled into Fayetteville, AR around 5pm and headed straight for the rally grounds. Here are some shots of the parking lot.

We walked around to all the vendor boothes and saw a lot of cool bikes. I saw a Fatboy with a wide tire kit on it that I loved, and then I got to stradle this beast.

Not sure I would want to invest $40K of my hard earned cash into one of these, but it would be fun to rip open that V8 going down the interstate. The bikes sat really well for their size. Friday night was the public voting for the barbecue contest, so we paid $10 which got us a paper plate, a post-it note, and two drink coupons. We took the plates around to about 30 different trailers and was served sample-sized portions of anything from ribs to chicken to brisket. I probably had the best ribs I've ever had from the XXX Barbecue team. On the way out, you jotted down your vote on the post-it and turned it in.

So with our bellys full and our butts soar, we decided to head to the hotel. I bought my first pair of chaps (now I'm a real biker) that night, so like a kid at Christmas, I had to wear them to the hotel! I didn't mention before that coming through Ft. Smith, we erroneously decided to take the business route which funneled us through a lot of traffic and stop lights, instead of the interstate which would have saved us about 45 minutes. Well, since we were staying in Bentonville, AR (about 30 miles north of Fayetteville) we had a short ride to the hotel. However, we decided (erroneously, again!) to take the business route. So we got a steady of diet of stop lights and traffic. We finally get to the hotel, and crashed out. It had been a good day of brotherhood, barbecue, and of course, chasin white lines.

Next morning, Mike (owner of the lovely ACE), headed to the Yamaha dealership to get a new rear tire, since he noticed that his was down to the threads. The rest of us slept in until he called to say he was ready. Chris slept in more than the rest of us due to his wearing ear plugs. He had to due to the fact that Javier snores like a mountain lion with a head cold. Here's a pic of Mike and my handsome self at the Yamaha dealership.

Once we were all up and running, we headed back down to the rally grounds, then over to Dickson Street where the real party was going on. This is the original location of the rally but it has grown so much, it has been expanded to the fair grounds as well. There were bikes for miles, it was great. I saw some of the nicest bikes I'd ever seen, and some rather strange ones too. The one that sticks out the most was Harley Night Train someone had tricked out, but it still looked very much like a Harley. I guess, given all the glamour and prestige of the customs, I am still partial to the Harley design. Here's a shot of Dickson Street.

I thought this sign was great!!!

After lunch, we met up with a friend of Mike's who lives locally. He rides a sport bike and he lead us through the twisties between Bentonville and Eureka Springs. This is some of the most beautiful country I have ever ridden through. Here are some pics of the roads we traversed.

Notice the sign in this picture.

After the afternoon ride, we all headed back to the hotel for some chill time, and then we went to a restaurant that Mike recommended for a steak. The restaurant was very local, evidenced by the fact that there were only about 6 bikes in the parking lot and ours were 4 of them. The food was great and the conversation was good too. Back to the hotel and fast asleep (I know, we're a boring bunch).

Sunday morning we hit the breakfast bar hard and packed up all our gear. We posed for a picture at the hotel to commemorate the occasion and of course, I wore the chaps.

On the way home, we took the direct route. We headed out of west Arkansas and into eastern Oklahoma. We put the hammer down and was making great time when it happened. You know what I'm talking about, someones bike broke down. So, we ended up spending an hour trying to get the bolt replaced which held Mike's rear brake linkage to the rear brake peddle. Now, of course, the bolt hole was located somewhere only a small child could fit their hand, and it had to be located directly between the hot exhaust pipes and the hot crankcase.

We got back on the road and pointed our headlights south, for the last leg of the trip...we thought. Riding in the following order, Chris, Me, Mike, Javier, we were making good time through southern Oklahoma when a very odd thing happened. Chris has a habit of directing the oncoming traffic if he thinks they are intruding on his riding space. He not-so-discretely waves his hand in the direction that he wants the car to move. Well, he was in the act of doing this when an oncoming tractor trailer clipped his hand with his side-view mirror. It was wild, I heard a pop, and the mirror flew off the truck and almost hit Mike riding behind me. We immediately pulled over, not knowing what exactly had happened. The truck never looked back. There was no serious damage done, just heavy bruising and an immediate need for Advil. Here's a pic of Chris's hand.

The latest string of events prompted us to stop for lunch. We stopped at a little diner that had a full parking lot, assuming the place must be good if everyone in town was eating there. It did not disappoint. I polished off a hamburger and we let Chris gather his wits and let the Advil kick in. Back on the road, we crossed the Red River back into Texas and had an uneventful ride home. All in all, I would say the trip was fantastic. I had a great time hanging with the boys for a weekend, and it made coming home that much sweeter.

The most memorable thing about the trip for me, was when we pulled into a gas station upon arriving in Fayetteville. I stood their in the parking lot and all I heard was motorcycles. No traffic, even though we were 100 yards from an interstate, nothing but the rumble of exhaust pipes. It was amazing, and I had a grin on my face from ear to ear.

I am really looking forward to wherever 2009 takes me, as long as it is on the back of a motorcycle.

Pics of the bike, with a twist.

I decided to try my hand at some amature photography. Since my kids won't sit still long enough, I opted for the Harley. Here are some of the end results. I really like the different angles and how the individual parts have character of their own. Of course, a little help from Photoshop doesn't hurt.

The Poem

First of all, I hope everyone had a great holiday and will have a happy and safe New Years. Santa came in style at the Tanner household as usual. He brought all kinds of good stuff for kids and adults alike. Highlights of my Christmas loot are a sweet pair of sneakers from my lovely wife, an ipod clock radio for my garage, and some $$$ towards my wheel/engine fund (still haven't decided).
It's been a good year, and God has blessed us abundantly. I know it's been a while since my last post, so hopefully I still have someone interested enough to read my drivel. I look forward to catching up on your blogs as well. I came across this poem that my wife had me write for her for an English assignment a couple semesters back. I wrote it in about 5 minutes with no preparation so it's not a masterpiece by any stretch, but it does express some of the feelings that riding my Harley evokes in me. Hope you enjoy it.


Eighty chrome spokes spinning like saw blades,
melting into the pavement.
Forty-one millimeter forks gripping the disc in its place.
Beefy ape hanger handlebars give a menacing profile.
The single blazing headlight casts a cold cyclopsian stare.

The pungent smell of exhaust
as eighty-eight cubic inches of hell raising history come to life.
The low clean lines of the fat tank and ample fenders
curve down into the frame which houses the heart of the beast.
Like an outlaw adorned with skulls casting sinister stares,
it evokes trepidation in all who it encounters.
Chrome adornments give this American masterpiece an eye catching glimmer.

Like temptation, lust, even addiction,
once you are in its grasp you become its prisoner.
You live to ride, you ride to live.
The saddle creaks under you,
like that of a cowboy in the old west.

Nostalgia and patriotism envelope me,
calling to mind those who have given their lives at home and on foreign soil
so that I might ride free.

Humility grips my soul.
Pride drives me on.
The bar and shield beckon me,
like the stars and stripes over a soldiers casket.

This is my motorcycle, this is my Harley.


By the way...she got an A+!!!

HAPPY NEW YEARS EVERYONE

Giving Credit Where Credit Is Due

Not too long after I got my Harley on Christmas Eve 2005, I came across www.hdforums.com. Just like any kid at Christmas I wanted to learn about how my new toy worked, but didn't want to screw up anything with a price tag this big. The guys on this forum have helped me immensely over the last 3 years. I learned so much about how my bike worked before I ever turned a wrench. Since getting the bike, I have performed 90% of my own mods. This is coming from a person who has minimal background working on cars. Before buying my Harley I owned a Honda 750 for two years. The biggest mod I did on that was switching out the exhaust. The knowledge I have gained from HDforums gave me the confidence to do things myself. It also helped me decide which mods may be out of my reach.
Since that fateful Christmas Eve in 2005, I can honestly say I have increased my knowledge about these bikes 1000%. Being an active participant on the forum has also paid dividends. I have saved a lot of money by not having to buy parts twice or by not buying things that don't work because I have read others reviews.
All the guys and gals on the forums are more than willing to lend a helping hand with whatever questions I've had, no matter how ludicrous it may be. My wife can attest to the fact that I enjoy my time reading the forums, and I try to pass on as much knowledge as I can. Not only is the forum good for information, if you like bikes (and I do) then you can see pictures of all kinds of Harleys.
So anyway, I just wanted to say thanks to the folks over on HDforums.com and let any of the visitors to my blog know of a great site that is full of information and helpful people. No matter if you have a Sporty, Dyna, Softail, or Bagger if you have questions, someone over there has the answer.

P.S. - if you come visit at the forum, my username is WARG.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

DISNEYWORLD...week in review

We went, we rode airplanes, buses, the monorail, trains, and boats. We went on jungle cruises, pirate ships, rockin' rollercoasters, haunted houses, and saw all kinds of shows. We chased down characters from every movie Disney has put out since Steam Boat Willy. We ate all the fried, baked, sugared, buttered, iced, frosted, and greasy food they had. And we did so with a 10 month old, a 21 month old, a 2 year old and a 5 year old that all had their own agendas.

Thank God we are home safe and my boys are in their own beds...now, I'm going to bed.

Tis The Season...

I mentioned in a previous post that Christmas is my favorite time of year. I also mentioned that I would post some pics of my yard decorations when I got them put out. Well, today was the day. My wife and I climbed in the attic, took out all those boxes of decorations, and put back in boxes of Halloween decorations and baby clothes. It's a never ending cycle of pulling stuff out and putting stuff back in around here. However, Christmas is big in our home. Not only for the spiritual significance it has for our family, but also because my wife and I are like big kids around the holidays and now that we have two little ones, it just compounds the joy and anticipation. I actually look forward to hanging lights and decorating the house.

To make matters worse, we are also Disney junkies and are making our annual (sometimes we miss a year) pilgrimage to Walt Disney World next weekend. My oldest son is two and this will be his second trip. We always go as a family including grandma, grandpa, aunt, uncles, and cousins. We are also taking a friend and riding buddy and his family this year. Not only that but we are meeting friends there that have as many in their group as we do. So it should be fun. We are tying two of our favorite things together, Christmas and Disney.

Anyway, since Thanksgiving is passed and the Christmas season has officially began, I wanted to wish all of you a Merry Christmas and all the blessings you can handle.

Here is the real reason you read the post, the pics of the yard art:

Every yard needs an inflatable Santa, mine just happens to ride a motorcycle!!!

An overview of my yard:

The only snow I'll see this Christmas:
Mickey and Minnie, obviously:

Donald, complete with Santa hat and a scowl (this is my favorite):

Goofy, sporting the German helmet and some mini-apes:
I did the artwork myself, so forgive me for any technical inaccuracies.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!

The Klock Is Ticking

I am always looking for ways to "customize" my Harley and, as mentioned previously, more is less for me. I love the style of the guys at Klock Werks. The seem to preserve the OEM look but add smoother, cleaner lines that lend a certain minimalist style to their bikes. In a previous post I stated that a set wheels is on my short list of mods. Well, I will probably go with a couple of these guys fenders as well. Not 100% sure about swapping front fenders, but I love the stretched rear fender with the recessed license plate holder. They are not cheap, but they are made of heavy duty material and they bolt up without modification. I probably won't go this route until I decide to get a paint job. The wheels will definitely come first. So if you like clean lines and smooth style, Klock Werks may have something to spruce up your scooter.

Below are links to the front and rear fenders I am considering:

Front Fender
Rear Fender

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

To Shield Or Not To Shield...That Is The Question

Well, as you can probably tell by looking at my bike, I don't use a windshield of any type. Now I know what your going to say, and trust me, I've already heard it from all my buddies. Windshields cut down on fatique, they keep you warmer on cold rides, they keep you more dry in a rain storm, etc., etc., etc. Anyway, as I've said before I am very much a less is more type of guy when it comes to my motorcycle. So, I have not been able to bring myself to put one on yet. I know there are nice detachable options out there that come right off in 30 seconds. I just can't seem to part with the $$$ to buy one.

I have put some miles on without the windshield and have faired pretty well. I have ridden 700 miles in a day, and 400-500 miles in a day several times. During these trips, all my friends had windshields and I was no more fatigued than they were. Actually, the most beneficial thing I've found on long trips is the rider backrest I have and a well packed duffle bag I can lean back on. Of course I have reconsidered my stance on this since we have spoken about taking a trip from Texas to the Grand Canyon. That trip is about 20 hours one-way, and I would imagine eating sand in the desert for several hours would be no fun. Of course, this is not an ego thing, and this is completely personal preference, so to each his own. Who knows, I may spring for it if the situation dictates, but for now I will just floss the bugs out of my teeth and keep grinning.

Here's a pic of my bike packed for the road. Also, since Mike's ACE was such a hit, here's another shot. This one's free, you gotta pay for the rest.

Also, here's an upclose pic of my backrest. I got if from http://www.firehousecustoms.com/ for about $100. It's perfect because it fits my stock seat which means I didn't have to buy a new one. They make them for all different models and they're made specifically to fit stock seats. I'm trying to get Mike to buy one, but he has resisted so far. The only thing I wish it had is a quick detach feature, but I only use my stock seat for trips or riding 2up anyway, so not a big deal.