Dealers Sometimes Will Work On Older Bikes

January 16th, 2020
Concours with mountains behind

The Kawi out on the plains.

As I explained in my last post, my Concours needed some brake work. Dealers generally don’t like working on older bikes but I decided to ask Vickery for some assistance. Here’s what happened.

I explained to the guy at the service desk that I had bought the bike from them but they had fired me as a customer 10 years ago. Now I was just asking their assistance in getting a screw out of the plate covering the brake fluid reservoir. Could they at least do that for me? While I was making this appeal, a second guy stood and observed. This other guy turned out to be Randy, the service manager. He came out to look at the bike and called out an older mechanic, presumably because this guy had experience working on this older bike.

They assessed the situation and said they could try bleeding the brakes for me and would drill out the bad screw. They also said the front brake pads were nearly shot and should be replaced, which they would be happy to do.

I was surprised they would take the bike in but happily called Judy to come get me.

Shortly before closing time that day they called to say the bike was ready to be picked up. I said thanks, I’ll come by tomorrow.

The next morning I went over and Randy pulled out his phone to show me a photo he had taken. They had removed the plate from the reservoir and the photo showed a whole bunch of sludge that had formed over many years and which was blocking the ports on the reservoir, thus the bad brake performance.

The sludge had been cleaned out and the brake lines flushed, plus new brake pads had been put on. The brakes were working great again. I was good to go.

I told Randy I truly appreciated their working on my bike, and that they had fired me as a customer long ago, and yet they had done this work. Randy explained that the big problem for them is that at times people bring machines in for work and the mechanics find much bigger problems, such that the owners then decide they don’t want to spend the money and they abandon the vehicle without paying for the work already done.

The key, he explained, for them to agree to do simple maintenance work on an older bike such as mine, was to bring the bike in and let them look it over. If the bike is sound and if it’s just simple maintenance they will do the work, IF. The big if. If they have a mechanic–like that grey-haired guy–with experience with the older bike. Their younger mechanics have never worked on, say, a 1999 Kawasaki Concours, and they are reluctant to have one of them touch it. But if they have the guy, they’ll work on the bike.

I also got the impression that it is Randy who would need to look at the bike and make the decision, not the guy behind the counter. Those guys, it seems, are pretty much told to say no to any such request.

So I was thrilled. The Connie is long overdue for a basic tune-up and while that would be something Joel could do I’d much rather just drop the bike at Vickery. Thank you Randy, you haven’t seen the last of me.

Biker Quote for Today

You know you’re a biker if you see no use in going to a bar without bikes in front.

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Posted in Kawasaki, motorcycle mechanics, motorcycle problems | No Comments »

Finding Service For An Older Bike

January 13th, 2020
motorcycle on Loveland Pass

The Connie on Loveland Pass.

The front brakes on my 1999 Concours were squishy and the brake fluid level seemed low. I could add fluid but if it got low again that would indicate a fuel-line leak. That’s beyond my ability to deal with.

Normally I would just have taken the bike over to Joel at Mountain Thunder Motorsports but these are not normal times for Joel. His landlord had raised his rent a huge amount and rather than pay it Joel had closed up shop and is now working out of his home. Unfortunately, his home is somewhere up in the hills. If he’s going to work on my bike it will mean he drives down with a trailer, loads it up, drives home and works on it, then drives it back down. That’s a lot of effort for what might just be low brake fluid.

So I called Vickery, where I bought the bike new in 1999. I used to take it to Vickery for service but about 10 years ago they fired me as a customer because dealerships don’t like to work on older bikes. That’s how I ended up working with Joel. I had also been fired as a customer by Aurora Honda some years before that with my CB750, for the same reason.

It seemed to me that Vickery ought to be willing to just do some simple maintenance, even on an older bike. No harm in asking.

I called the service department and explained the situation and asked if they would be willing to at least do this simple job. The answer was no. I then asked what sort of brake fluid the bike would use, because I have read many times how you should not mix different types of brake fluids. I figured I could at least top it off myself and then if it got low again that would mean a bigger problem and I could call Joel.

The guy at the service counter told me what fluid it needed and I went over to Vickery to buy some. Back at home I tried to remove the top plate on the reservoir but for the life of me I could not get one of the screws out. The other came out easily but all the bad one did was start stripping. Now what do I do?

It was a nice day and I was determined to ride the Kawi that day so I geared up and headed out, with no destination in mind. Before I got out of the neighborhood I decided to ride to Vickery. At the very least perhaps they would help me get that screw out. Refusing that, I felt, would be terrible customer relations, but I wasn’t especially optimistic. If they wouldn’t even do that for me, I had located an independent shop over near where Joel used to be and I figured I could drop by there and see if they would help me.

What happened then is interesting and I’ll fill you in on Thursday.

Biker Quote for Today

Why bikes are better than women: Motorcycles only need their fluids changed every 2,000 miles.

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Posted in Kawasaki, motorcycle mechanics, motorcycle problems | No Comments »

Miles Down For 2019 But Bikes Still Rule

January 9th, 2020
three motorcycles

From left to right, the Concours, the CB750, and the V-Strom.

I make note of my odometer readings on all three bikes and my car at the end of the year and once again I put more miles on my bikes than I did on my car. It has been quite awhile, actually, since the last time I put more miles on the car than on the bikes. I try to ensure that the bikes get the bulk of the miles.

That said, my mileage overall for the year was down. In 2018 my total mileage was 10,158 (7,230 motorcycle miles); in 2019 it was 8,011 (4,777 motorcycle miles). I guess I just don’t leave the house as much as I used to. Still, that was 4,777 miles on the bikes versus only 3,234 miles in the car. But there have been years when I’ve put more miles on the Kawi alone than I put on all my vehicles last year.

So which one got the most riding? Once again it was the V-Strom. This has totally to do with tires. I was getting set to go on the OFMC ride last year and looking at the tires on the Kawi I was not confident. I wanted to take the Kawi but the tread was getting thin. But it was not thin enough for me to want to get new tires yet. I briefly considered taking the CB750 but it has the least luggage capacity so I took the V-Strom.

All told, I put 3,494 miles on the V. That compares to 2,425 the year before.

The Concours was the one that really got short shrift last year. That wonderful highway bike was only ridden for 688 miles, versus 4,336 the previous year. That has got to be the least it has ever had. (Nope, I checked my records and I only rode it 666 miles in 2013.) I want to ride it on the OFMC trip this year so I’ll make sure to wear out those tires and get new ones before that trip comes around.

In last place as always is the CB750. I only put 595 miles on it last year. But that’s up from 469 miles the previous year. I made a special point of riding that bike more.

So what am I looking for in 2020? By golly, I will put more miles on all three bikes, I swear. And if I can put fewer miles on my car that will just be a bonus. In particular I want to put more than 1,000 miles on the Honda in one year, something I haven’t done since 2009. That used to be my only bike and it always got lots of miles.

And let’s see if I can exceed 10,000 motorcycle miles this year. You know what they say about a dirty job that someone has to do. Well, I’m more than willing to do the dirty work.

Biker Quote for Today

The cost of not following your heart is spending the rest of your life wishing you had.

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Posted in Honda motorcycles, Kawasaki, Suzuki motorcycles | 1 Comment »

First January Ride: Hoping Against Hope

January 6th, 2020
motorcycle covered in snow

I’m so glad this was NOT what things looked like here on Saturday.

I knew Saturday, January 4, was supposed to be an extremely warm day, the kind that is perfect for motorcycle riding. There was just one problem. Our street was still iced in, especially in several spots where big trees shade the road and protect the ice. Would I be able to get out or would I be totally frustrated watching a terrific riding day slip by?

Thursday and Friday had been moderately warm, in the mid 40s. Saturday was projected to hit 58. By sundown on Friday there was still way too much ice on our street.

I checked it out. If there had been just a spot or two where I would have had to coast over, say, 5 feet of ice, I would have been inclined to do it. But those big trees were leaving areas where it was more like 25 feet of ice, and more than just one. Going out I might have been able to roll on over, with no throttle because it is downhill. But coming back would have meant higher speed or throttle to get back over those spots. I was leery.

So in the early part of the day I went about my normal routine. That includes walking to the gym, around the other side of our block. Coming home I saw that that side of the block was still unpassable. I showered and had lunch and then took a walk down our side of the block to check the ice there.

Holy smokes! The way was totally clear! And it wasn’t just a narrow pathway, a huge wide swath had just opened up. Thank you Mr. Sun! I headed home to gear up.

I chose the V-Strom for my first ride of the year. The ride was nothing of any particular note; I just headed south, and south, and south, until I turned east, and then turned north for home again. But it was a beautiful day. I wore my electric vest but had no need to turn it on. I kept my visor cracked the whole time and my face never came close to getting cold.

And there were a lot of other bikes out. Plenty. Heck, who wouldn’t want to go out on a day like this? I even saw a convertible with the top down.

Have I ever mentioned how much I love living in Colorado? This is why.

Biker Quote for Today

Why motorcycles are better than men: If your motorcycle doesn’t look good, you can paint it or get better parts.

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Posted in Colorado motorcycle rides | No Comments »

Last Ride Regardless Of Weather–Maybe

January 2nd, 2020
motorcycles outside the Rock Rest Lodge

Despite icy roads, at least a few people were able to come on their bikes.

I went to the Last Brass Monkey Run Tuesday, December 31. No, I didn’t ride.

I sure as heck wanted to, and some people were actually able to do so; there were about a dozen bikes parked outside the Rock Rest. But for me as well as a bunch of others I spoke to, our streets were iced in and there was no way to get out on two wheels.

The folks who really, really tried to ride were Larry and Kathy Montgomery. Larry is the incoming ABATE state coordinator, taking over for Bruce Downs. Bruce and Carol were there but couldn’t ride because their street was iced in. Larry and Kathy were there but couldn’t ride because . . .

Well, it’s a bit of a story.

Their street was iced in but Larry is nothing if not resourceful. So he loaded up the bike on a trailer and they drove over to the ABATE state office on Chambers. But the bike wouldn’t start because the battery was dead.

Back on the trailer and they drove over to a piece of land near the state office that Larry owns where for years ABATE has stored extra training bikes. Attach that thing to a charge unit and give it awhile.

Later: still won’t start. The battery is not just dead, it is shot. Time to drive to Golden.

Inside the Rock Rest.

So it was a good turn-out. Part of your registration included a poker hand and there were five games to see what cards you got. In one case there were two bags, four balls in one and 13 balls in the other. Take from the four-ball bag to find suit, from the other for card. I started off with a King of Spades. Nice! I like this.

Next was a wheel to spin, like Wheel of Fortune. My spin landed on a King of Spades. Ummm . . . you can’t have two Kings of Spades in one hand. I had to spin again. Got a 7 of Diamonds.

Then a board with eggshell foam where each depression is a card. Drop your ball and see where it lands. I got a 3 of Clubs.

Fourth was a blow dart thing. This is cool so I was glad to have the chance to do this. And I got a 10 of Clubs.

Finally a hoop throw. Whatever you get a hoop around, that’s your card. I got a 2 of Clubs.

That’s a pretty miserable poker hand. No, I did not win.

I did, however, come home with a baseball-themed beer stein as a door prize. Judy said we could give it to ARC but I said no, I think I’ll use it. What the heck, it’s kind of a nice beer stein.

All in all it was a good time. I’m glad I went.

Biker Quote for Today

Anything that gets your blood racing is probably worth doing. — Hunter S. Thompson

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OFMC 2020 Route Laid Out

December 30th, 2019
motorcyclists beside the road

The OFMC stopped along the road a couple years ago.

The OFMC–at least the three of us who remain–now have a route set for 2020.

Now that I’m the designated planner, this is a consensus thing. Last year it was agreed that everyone was fine with doing some longer days and going farther. This time around the guys say they would prefer shorter days and also like the idea of staying in one place for three nights. You got it.

We’ll be leaving Denver on a Friday and cruising down to Alamosa. On Saturday we’ll go further south, to Espanola, New Mexico. This will be our three-night stop. What does Espanola offer to make it worth three nights? Well, everything the OFMC looks for.

First off there is an Indian casino hotel where we will stay. A gambling stop is a must on OFMC trips. Second, Espanola has what appears to be a spectacular public golf course. A golf stop is also an OFMC must. And third, Espanola is in a spot where there are several very good options for day rides. So one of the two days we stay there will be for golfing and the other for riding. Arrive–night one; golf or ride–night two; golf or ride–night three; leave.

The OFMC started out with just Bill and John and me. Then it grew, and then it shrunk. We’re back to three now, and Dennis has replaced John. But John lives outside Montrose and he said he and his wife, Cheryl, will almost certainly be interested in coming down and joining us in Espanola for some golf and gambling. So that will be fun.

From there we’ll head up to Durango and the next day on to Monticello, Utah. The day after that a very scenic route will take us to Hotchkiss, Colorado, for a favorite stop at the Hotchkiss Inn. Then the last night will be in Leadville before heading on home.

So. No long days, gambling, golf, three nights in one place, lots of good riding. My job here is done.

Biker Quote for Today

Why bikes are better than women: Unlike women FAT motorcycles aren’t cheap dates.

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Posted in OFMC | No Comments »

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