Saturday, May 12, 2012

A Little Maintenance and a Little Ride...

I haven't been out riding much since John and Wendie's visit 2 weeks ago. The weather hasn't been the best and I've been doing some much needed maintenance on the bikes. Last week I broke down and purchased a Mityvac MV8000, and a quart of DOT 4 brake fluid. Both the FJR and the ZX-14 are in serious need of a fluid flush. I replaced the front brake pads on the FJR when I had the leaky forks rebuilt over the winter of 2010-2011. I didn't flush the brake fluid then and I should have. The ZX-14 is in need of a set of front pads, a new chain and sprockets, and a set of Michelin Pilot Road 2 tires.
I used an old syringe to suck the well aged fluid from the FJR's clutch and brake fluid reservoirs. Then used the Mityvac to pull fresh fluid through the lines until the fluid ran clear. I managed to avoid drawing air into the system and everything went pretty smooth. It helped to have Nancy watching the reservoirs and telling me to stop before the fluid got too low.
The ZX-14 front brake reservoir. It's getting to the low mark!
Parts ready for the '14...
I wanted to start with the FJR because I'll be riding that to the Southern FJR Owners meeting in Marble Falls, Arkansas. John and I will be heading there at the end of the month. We'll leave on Wednesday the 30th, and stay there until Sunday the 3rd of June. We should be home sometime Monday.
I've been talking to John, and discussing plans for our August trip to Sturgis and somewhere yet undecided. He mentioned that he had been talking to an old riding buddy of his, and wanted to get the 3 of us together for a ride. We made plans to meet in Turtle Lake, WI at 11:00 a.m. today.
I got the FJR cleaned up and was out the driveway by 0900. I stopped in town for gas and a little cash from the bank. I was down to Turtle Lake about 15 minutes early. As is typically John's style, he showed up at exactly 1100. After the introductions and a short break, the 3 of us were on the road for a short 88 mile loop through the WI countryside. I had a route sheet in my tank bag and managed to miss only one turn. I missed the intersection and failed to notice the street sign and the turn because there was a bright yellow Dodge Charger parked in the right turn lane. I was paying too much attention to the car and didn't see the sign. In that area of WI it's not easy to find fun road to ride. Most of the area is farmland and all the roads are straight. I picked a few roads that looked like they might be fun. It wasn't bad. one section had a lot of 15 and 20 MPH right angle corners. We stopped for a break in Ridgeland and stood around talking for a while. John and Mark were trying to figure out what years they went to Sturgis together. It was probably close to 30 years ago. We ended our ride back in Turtle Lake. John and Mark headed back to the cities and I headed north.

My route sheet!
John and Mark in Ridgeland.
It was a great day for a ride. Plenty of sun, mild temps and good roads! I put on 291 miles and averaged 50 MPG.