Man, 1:15 AM and I am beat. I'll be sleeping good tonight. My friend's wife had hurt her back early on but was adamant she be able to go on a ride so she toughed it out. While at Hooters it was decided she needed to go to the Hospital so my wife took her in the Sportage and I rode to my friends house. While we were waiting to hear what happened we hopped in the hot tub. She gets home around midnight drugged up and happy, and the wife starts to follow me home. For some reason my bike keeps surging and stuttering, I keep having to pull the clutch and rev it up to get it stable. Finally it just dies and I coast to a light. I'm trying to crank it and I notice fuel coming out the air filter housing. I'm no carb guy, I'm a diesel mechanic for frak sake. I call my buddy up and I'm like, "What the hey man? Its dumping fuel out the air box!!!" He's like, "What!!??"
I closed the fuel valve off and it finally started, as soon as I turned the fuel back on it would start smoking and die. We figured the float or needle was sticking in the carb. I barely crack the fuel valve, adjust the idle screw up to 2000rpm, and start tapping the hell out of the carb with on of the wrenches in the tool kit. It quits smoking and idles fine, I figure I'll limp it back to his house. I get off the phone and it dies again. WTH!!!!!!!
Ok, try cranking it. No fuel pouring out. Hmmm... did the carb un fiddle fudge itself? Open the fuel valve all the way, starts up and runs like a champ the entire way home. I guess I'll be pulling the carb off and having a buddy help me clean it out and rebuild/adjust it. I still love the bike though.
One more noobie question for you guys. Are these DOT knobbies more prone to catching grooves in the road than a more highway styled tire? I was coming down HWY 287 from Loveland which is concrete and its grooved in the direction of travel. My bike was just shimmying the entire time, got me a bit nervous to be honest. Once I hit asphalt it would stop, so it had to be the grooves. Would a less aggressive tire help with that? I figure I'm going to ride what I've got until they're bald, but for future purchase consideration I'm wondering if a less aggressive tire would be better for that. Or is the groove shimmy thing just a motorcycle thing and I'm just going to have to get used to it?
On with the pics. My buddy got his oil and filter for the engine, primary, and transmission. While he was changing all that out I decided to spray bomb over the carbon fibber and mount the unknown brand plastic bark busters. I like them on there, they still block the wind fairly well and I know when/if I drop the bike my controls should be safe.
Close up of the "bark buster"
Outside of Hooters
All in all I put over 100 miles on the bike today, although when I looked down at my trip odometer to watch it click over to 100 I noticed it skipping back and just stay at 99.9, so I don't actually know how far I rode.
Highlights of the day? I stalled it at a light leaving Thornton (damn it) and while my buddy is slowly going and looking back to see if I'm able to get going again this 90's ricered out Civic hatch starts revving on him. My buddy takes off and the Honda is screaming, unable to keep up. I'm like, "What the heck is that about?" and crank on the throttle hard. I redline second and third gear and starting catching them in 4th. A light up ahead is red so we're all slowing down and I am pretty much on them again. The light turns green while we're still moving and that dumb Civic takes off. My buddy goes flying with that big 103 V-twin roaring and I rev my little thumper for all its got, keeping up with them and pulling slightly on the Civic. I hit 80+ (don't worry officer, its all lies. I just want to sound cool) and can't believe this "slow" little thumper is keeping up with the big Harley and pulling on the riced out Civic.
Second highlight was en-route to Hooters. I am coming under the interstate and there are traffic circles at the on/off ramps on either side. In the dark and still wearing my shades I get a confused and wind up in the on-ramp only side. I'm like, "Damn" but wait, there is hope. The median/island has a cut out for the cross walk, so I slow down and turn onto the cross walk. It takes me onto a sidewalk and I goose it and jump off it and back onto the street. Oh yeah, that's why I wanted a damn dual-sport.
