I'm Back With a Vengeance

With a vengeance? Might be a little bit harsh. But I wanted to get your attention.

I've been gone from posting this last week. I was working on some cosmetic changes on the Blog. I put some Tabs just below the header. So let me explain there use.

The Home Tab, will bring you back to my first post. It explains the reason I started this Blog.

E-Store Tab will bring you to my E Store site. I plan on selling new and used Harley parts. It's under construction so in the mean time enjoy the fish aquarium.

Projects Tab will bring you to where I will have bike repair projects done by friends of the blog or if I can at times guest wrenches. They will have photos and instructions and a comment or two when possible.

More Photos Tab will bring you to the place I will drop some of the over flow photos from posts. I don't want my Posts to be cluttered. I will have photos from bike shows I might attend. Rallies and Charity rides photos also.

Links Tab brings you to a list of links that I are labeled, Friends of the Blog and Links Of Interest. These actually are self explanatory.

So there we are. Be patient I'm doing this all myself, you wont be disappointed. Hope you all like the new look and enjoy what I have in store for the future on "My Harley-Davidson Ramblings".

Boy cabin fever is really setting in. The weather sucks and the temp keeps going into the single digits every other day. The heating bill will be killer this year.

I'm going to break out this house next week. I'm going to the "International Motorcycle Show" in Rosemont Illinois/Chicago. No matter what the weather is. I live about forty miles form the convention center. I will take lots of pictures and post them here.

Last year Harley introduced the new Sportster Nightster. I think they will have the new Cross Bones and the Rocker this year. We will see.




Here is Doug the parts guy working the parts counter. You can see he loves his job. Everyone at WoodStock Harley seems to love their jobs. Some one told me "If your happy with your job it's like not working at all."

Tip of The Day: I had no idea how hard it would be to find Tips that would be not only help full but mechanically correct. So in accordance to my being a fanatic for being correct with my facts. The "Tip of The Day" is on hold. I will post tips when I find them and they pass muster.

So today I will start the, "Meaning of the Day". These words will have some relation to the motorcycle or rider. I will start with A and work my way through the alphabet.

Meaning of the Day:

ABS - Anti-lock braking system. System that senses when a tire is about to loose traction during braking and decreases braking force, preventing tire lock up. Some 2008 Harley's for the first time are being equipped with ABS.

Now you know, Biker Joe

The Wait Is Over, "The Rocker's" Have Arrived

I visited my local Harley dealer and low and behold they had a ROCKER™ in the back room. Boy it sure took a long time for this bike to show up on show room floors. I heard other dealers around the country are seeing their Rocker™ orders arrive.

Well this bike is all ready spoken for and the next one coming in is also sold.

My observation. I couldn't take it for a ride for all the obvious reasons. Our weather here sucks. 15º above zero was the high for today. I wouldn't want someone riding my new bike, so I will have to wait for the hype to be over. I did give the bike a good once over. The bike comes in two flavors. ROCKER™ -FXCW and the ROCKER™C-FXCWC.

The one I saw today was the high end model, the ROCKER™C. At first glance the bike looks sleek with the stretched out forks with it's 38º rake, making the over all length, 95.0 in. I walked around to the rear and saw that massive 240mm rear tire. Boy it looked sweet. The bike has chrome in all the right places. The ROCKER™C comes with the new, 2-in-1 convertible Trick™ seat.

Now this is were I'm going to get very critical. Harley has a real problem making their seats comfortable for all riders. This seat is very wide. Even with the advertised seat height at 25.3in. it is very hard to reach the ground flat footed, where a persons height is 5'8" and under. I have an inseam of 33" and I could not sit flat footed because the seat is too wide. It pushes out your thighs and makes you kind of bowlegged. The seat has another draw back, it has very little padding. I don't know if one will be able to ride for long periods of time with out getting, "dead butt". Another thing I don't like the looks of is the new Trick™ passenger seat. As far as being comfortable you will have to ask the ladies. I think the bike would be much better as a fixed solo rider instead of two up. The ROCKER™ with out the C has a fixed solo seat.

I think Harley needs to make these bikes so everyone can ride them comfortably. Big riders, heavy riders, tall and short riders. We need these bikes low enough so we can touch the ground under us flat footed not with our tip toes.

My over all impression of this new edition to the Softail family is awesome. The motor company had to come out with a ride like this to compete with the metrics. For more information and specs on this new model click here →Rocker™.

My favorite North West Illinois Harley store. Studded tires anyone?

The Tip of The Day:
Clunky shifting? When shifting to a higher gear, take up the slack in the clutch lever and with your toes preload the foot shift before shifting. When you feel the slack taken up in both controls, shift. The shift should be butter smooth.

Now you know, Biker Joe

Cross Bones What a Bike

Well Harley has really out done themselves this time. Another new model for 2008. It is called, Cross Bones. Photos and review supplied by, Motorcycle.com. I would never get rid of my scoot, but if I had the money I would add this one to my stable.

I'm going to my Harley store and see if one has come in. I will post some real life photos.

All right now stop drooling on your keyboard.

Tip of The Day:

Frame and suspension should be given a once over at least one a month. You should,

Check and tighten all nuts and bolts. Engine, trans. mounting hardware. Use a name brand torque wrench.

Look for hair line cracks around engine and transmission mounting brakets.

Check steering fork assembly for looseness and adjust as needed.

Check fork fluid level. use only approved fork oil.

Inspect rear shocks, replace if worn and check fender mounting hardware.

Check handle bars for cracks and inspect mounts.

Oil cables and all levers.

Now you know, Biker Joe

Harley-Davidson Lovers Wanted

We need some Harley lovers here. I know your out there. The weather sucks in most parts so what else do you have to do but get on the computer and surf the net for HOG sites. We are all brothers and sisters, so no need to be bash full.

We all have tales to tell. There is no better place to discuss and share our good or bad experiences with our beloved hunk of metal here at "My Harley-Davidson Ramblings". Here the weather is neither hot, cold, rain, snow, ice, or salt on the roads. This is the perfect place to spend a few minutes a day and before you know it Spring will be here.

I need some input from all of you. What would you like to read here? I'm open too any and all suggestions. Okay, come one come all!

2008, 105th Anniversary edition Softail.

Tip of the Day:

Brakes are the most important component on your bike. If they are not working properly you could have a very bad bike day. When you inspect your brake system you should.....

Refer to your shop or owners manual for specs. A Must.

Check and adjust lever and pedal travel if needed.

Check master cylinders for brake fluid condition and correct level. Always wipe dirt off the cylinder cover before removing so not to contaminate the fluid. Make sure you refill with the proper grade DOT brake fluid for your year and model bike.

Check all brake lines for wear or leaks.

Check pads or shoes and replace if needed. If the brakes feel jerky when applied, the rotors or drums may be warped, they should have been replaced yesterday.

If you are not sure on how to do the brake inspections or repairs above. Take your bike to an authorized service center.

Now you know, Biker Joe

American Chopper Is Back

I had some computer problems yesterday and I couldn't post. Something hijacked my browser and I couldn't get on my Blog. It's all fixed now so here we go.

Thursday evening was American Choppers season premier. As everyone knows who watches this TLC series, Vinnie Dimartino left the show on the last episode of the season to start his own custom bike shop. I think he was the number one reason viewers returned to watch this show every week. He knows all the ins and outs of custom bike building and he saved the Teutul's butt a number of times.

I read but I don't know if it's true or not. Vinnie got tired of being Paul Jr.'s fall guy. Taking the blame for things Paul Jr. didn't do right. I also read that Cody was leaving too. He was in this new episode so he didn't leave yet before this taping.

I did some investigating and sure enough Vinnie and Cody opened their own shop. It's called V-Force Customs.← Click here to visit the site. It's located in Rock Tavern, Orange County, New York. They are going to unveil their first custom bike at Daytona, Bike Week and going to give it away at the end of their year long rally tour.

Vinnie and Cory, we here at "My Harley-Davidson Ramblings" wish you the very best in your new endeavor.

Note: Say, TLC lets have a series revolving around these great guy's. All the custom bike building shows are mostly gone. We need a new one. You could have a program where a customer comes in, sits down with Vinnie and designs a custom bike.. Then Vinnie goes out to the shop and builds the bike for them. TLC, remember who thought this one up. Yours truly.

Getting back to American Chopper. I don't know if I will be watching it much more. I'm getting tired of those corporate theme bikes. I liked the episodes when they had a few people send in their drawings of their dream bikes and the Teutul's built it for them. We will see how much longer this program lasts.

/

Another no brainer.

The Tip of the day:
You want your engine to last a long time? Do these few little inspections.

Check levels per Mfg. recommendations. If engine/transmission oil is very dark or black or smells burnt, change the oil and filter.

Check fuel filter and air filter for any kind of dirt or crud. Clean or replace.

For you V-Rod owners. Check coolant/anti-freeze level, and all hoses for cracks or leaks. Replace per Mfg. recommendations.

Now you know, Biker Joe

The Bikers Creed

Hello everyone, I found what is called "The Bickers Creed". The author is unknown so I can't give an acknowledgment to the person that wrote it.
Enjoy

The Bikers Creed
Author: Unknown

I ride because it is fun. I ride because I enjoy the freedom I feel from being exposed to the elements, and the vulnerability to the danger that is intrinsic to riding.
I do not ride because it is fashionable to do so.
I ride my machine, not wear it. My machine is not a symbol of status. It exists simply for me, and me alone.
My machine is not a toy. It is an extension of my being, and I will treat it accordingly, with the same respect as I have for myself.
I strive to understand the inner-workings of my machine, from the most basic to the most complex. I learn everything I can about my machine, so that I am reliant upon no one but myself for its health and well-being.
I strive to constantly better my skill of control over my machine. I will learn it's limits, and use my skill to become one with my machine so that we may keep each other alive. I am the master, it is the servant. Working together in harmony, we will become an invincible team.
I do not fear death. I will, however, do all possible to avoid death prematurely. Fear is the enemy, not death. Fear on the highway leads to death, therefore I will not let fear be my master. I will master it.
My machines will outlive me. Therefore, they are my legacy. I will care for them for future bikers to cherish as I have cherished them, whoever they may be.
I do not ride to gain attention, respect, or fear from those that do NOT ride, nor do I wish to intimidate or annoy them. For those that do not know me, all I wish from them is to ignore me. For those that desire to know me, I will share with them the truth of myself, so that they might understand me and not fear others like me.
I will never be the aggressor on the highway. However, should others fuck with me, their aggression will be dealt with in as severe manner as I can cast upon them.
I will show respect to other bikers more experienced or knowledgeable than I am. I will learn from them all I can. However, if my respect is not acknowledged or appreciated, it will end.
I will not show disrespect to other bikers less experienced or knowledgeable than I am. I will teach them what I can. However, if they show me disrespect, they will be bitch-slapped.
It will be my task to mentor new riders, that so desire, into the lifestyle of the biker, so that the breed shall continue. I shall instruct them, as I have been instructed by those before me. I shall preserve and honor traditions of bikers before me, and I will pass them on unaltered.
I will not judge other bikers on their choice of machine, their appearance, or their profession. I will judge them only on their conduct as bikers. I am proud of my accomplishments as a biker, though I will not flaunt them to others. If they ask, I will share them.
I will stand ready to help any other bikers that truly needs my help. I will never ask another biker to do for me what I can do for myself. I am not a part-time biker. I am a biker when, and where-ever I go. I am proud to be a biker, and hide my chosen lifestyle from no one. I ride because I love freedom, independence, and the movement of the ground beneath me. But most of all, I ride to better understand myself, my machine, the lands in which I ride, and to seek out and know other bikers like myself.
Author Unknown




This photo needs no explanation


The tip of the Day:

Whether your going to store your scoot for the winter or riding it daily. You should check the electrical system. It is always a good idea to do an inspection regularly.

Check head light high/low beam, tail/brake light, turn signals, horn, instrument and driving lights.
Test Kill button/switch.

Inspect overall wiring for chafe. Use wire ties to secure loose wires. A shot of WD-40 will keep switches & locks healthy.

Check battery levels and clean terminals. Baking soda & water will clean corrosion from the posts , a little petrolatum or grease helps prevent future corrosion. You can buy felt o rings that been socked with oil. Any good auto parts store sell these.

Inspect starter connections & mounting bolts. Check shaft for excessive wear if noisy.

*If your bike has a fuse box, check 'em and get spares.

Now you know, Biker Joe

Where are all the people?

They say, "if you build it they will come". OK , now I built my Blog so where are all the people?

Yesterday I was working on this Blog of mine. I'm looking for some interesting links and other stuff on motorcycles to add here for your enjoyment.

As many of you know this page you are looking at has a lot going on in the background. There takes a lot of programing code to show links, photos, lists, and other cool stuff on this page.

I know computers inside and out. Windows operating systems and network maintenance is my forte. Programing and and writing code is new to me. I can write small Batch Files and VB Scripts. I'm not one for leaving things basic so I'm trying to do a quick study in HTML, "Hyper text Markup Language". A lot of this code can be found out there and one can do a Copy/Paste of these codes in the body of the page where needed. But I like knowing how things work so I'm not going to put anything into my pages I haven't tested first.

If you are one that frequents this Blog there will be changes often in it's looks as I learn more about this coding. I want to keep everything pleasing to the eye and easy to navigate. So people, come back and come back often.

You probably have seen a Donate button added to the page. I have arthritis in my hands that has made me take an early retirement. I can't use tools like I did for ten hours a day anymore. So I started this Blog about the love I have for Harley's and hope to entertain and help some of you with your maintenance questions. I'm hoping also, this Blog can supplement my income. At first this was not my intentions, but I know of people that are making their Blog a full time job and making a decent living.

So, if you think what you are reading here is entertaining and helpful to you. A small donation would be greatly appreciated. I hope this does not turn most of you off and scare you away. You know what they say, "If you don't ask you won't receive". I thank all in advance.

To tell the truth there is not much to write on motorcycles this time of year living in the rust belt. I don't want to keep complaining about the weather so I'm just going to say, I can't wait for spring! We all will have to be patient and spring will be here soon.





Screamin Eagle Fat Boy



Tip of the day:
Is the vibration from the engine of your bike causing the bolts and or nuts coming loose? You can stop this from happening by using a little Loctite® on the bolts treads before you fasten them together. Loctite® is a brand of adhesive that fills in the spaces in the treads, when dried, bond the fastener. Loctite® comes in varying viscosities and strengths. You can buy it in tubes or bottles and they come color coded. All it takes is one or two small drops (no more) on the treads to cure your bolt loosening blues.

Now you know, Biker Joe

Riding in Cold Weather with Asthma

Not much going on today, so I'll try to make this Post interesting.

When I ride in cold weather I need to keep the cold air out of my lungs. I have border line Asthma, so I have to keep the air pollution out of my lungs. I looked around for something that will keep my face warm and cover my nose and mouth. I found a face covering called, "Extreme-Danna". It's made by a company who's name is Sparkling Earth. They make all kinds of Bandannas, skull caps, Do-Rags and much more.

The Extreme-Danna that I purchased is constructed in a three layer triangle shaped bandanna. The center layer acts like a filtering layer. When I breath out and back in the the cold air gets warmed going back in. I like how I don't have to tie any knots, it has on each end Velcro® fasteners. Wrap it around the head and push the Velcro ends together. The price is right and it looks cool too.






Tip of the Day:
Tire care revisited. When cleaning tires use a mild detergent and rinse thoroughly. Do not use any tire conditioning products, like Armor all®. This stuff will actually dry out your tires and weaken the side walls.
Don't store tires in direct sun light or near anything with an electric motor running. The Ozone from the sun or a running electric motor will dry and crack the tire.

Now you know, Biker Joe

Help Is On The Way

I'm going to get some help today. I'm trying to find out how to keep the edges on my brake rotors from getting surface rust on them. No matter what I do the rust keeps returning. This guy I met at the Harley store is coming over and we are going to see what can be done to stop it.

When I get this problem fixed I will add it to my Tip of the day.

What a beautiful day for a ride.


Note: I will be taking Sunday's off. There will be no Post on Sunday's. If I get bored I might Post something I think is interesting. Thank you for your understanding.

Tip of the day: In my next few Posts I will have some tips on tire care.

Did you know if a motorcycle is left standing for as little as three weeks it could cause a flat spot in the tires. The flat spot condition can put the tire and wheel out of balance. As said in any Harley owners manual, " This could cause death or serious injury".

There are two things you can do. One, you can roll the bike to a different spot on the floor and two, you can lift the bike off the floor with a bike lift. I myself use the lift method. The lift method will also take the weight off the suspension, the rear shocks and forks.

Have a great weekend, Biker Joe

The 105th Anniversary Celebration

Anyone going to the this 105th celebration? I would like to go but having cash flow problems and work is really hell that time of year. I'm not to far from Milwaukee WI. about 90 miles. It would be nice to see all those hogs from around the country there. I could go for one day and come home that night. I'll see come August.

Click on the photo/link above. Lots of info. on the site. While there check out the new 2008 Harley-Davidson models.





The 2008 Fat Bob

Tip Of The Day:

Did you know that riding a motorcycle can harm your hearing. Your thinking, duh those loud pipes can make us all deaf, almost correct. The wind noise at highway speeds, any speed over 45 mph can can cause irreversible hearing loss. Wearing a helmet will help. Wearing ear plugs and a helmet is better. Wearing no helmet ear plugs a must.

I wear no helmet in the summer. I do wear one in the winter. Wearing a helmet, the wind sound was much louder than without. I started wearing earplugs two years ago. They felt weird at first. You think you won't be able to hear anything around you but that's not the case. I heard everything around me. I could hear all the moving parts in the engine when I was standing still.
I could even hear someone next to me on another bike talking to me. Now I would never ride without them.

Facts:

There is no significant difference in wind noise level as a function of speed, no matter what the helmet brand or model.

Neither the riding position nor the brand or styles of motorcycle make any significant difference in noise level.

Padding inside the helmet, open or closed vents, or added weather stripping on the helmet to alter flow patterns, does not significantly alter the noise level in a helmet.

Stopped at a stop light at a busy intersection with your helmet visor closed produces a sound level of 80-90dB SPL.

When not wearing a helmet, the wind noise at highway speed is nearly 10 times greater than when wearing a full coverage helmet.

Below 30mph, machine, exhaust and environmental noises are heard. Once speeds exceed approximately 30mph, wind noise dominates completely.

Some helmets resonate at approximately 500Hz, and actually enhance wind noise.

Legal speeds of 65mph can produce wind noise levels in excess of 108dB, this noise is loud enough to cause TTS in your hearing and permanent hearing damage.

TTS:
A common ailment of motorcycle riding is a condition known as "Temporary Threshold Shift," commonly referred to as TTS by audiologists and hearing health care professionals. TTS is caused by excessive noise exposure for a duration of time, which drops your actual acute hearing pattern to a lower level temporarily. Meaning, your hearing is less than what it was before the initial exposure. Continuous TTS exposure will result in permanent damage.


Now you know, Biker Joe

Harley-Davidson Heated Jacket Liner

Sorry I had to skip yesterday. I think you will forgive me, I got to ride my scoot yesterday. The roads were dry and all the salt was washed away from the rain we had.

I'm really excited today. I'm going to give my first review on a Harley-Davidson product.

I always thought of myself as a fair weather rider. In the day I would only ride when the temperature was at least 65°, and no rain in the forecast. Today I still won't ride if it's going to rain. I have a story to tell about my riding in the rain in a future Post.

With cost of these Harley's today we have to ride as much as we can during the so called "riding season". If you live in the snow belt states/country's, you know what I mean. I will ride with the temperature down into mid thirties, as long as there is no snow/salt on the streets. As we know that any temp below 60° and moving faster then 40 mph. The Wind Chill factor is murder.

When I want to ride on days when the temps are lower then 50° I need to layer my clothing.
I'm not going into what should be worn or not worn when riding a motorcycle in the winter in this Post. I may do that in a future Post. Just for reference I'm going to tell what I wear.

I first put on a heavy pair of jeans. I have a pair of very thin thermal long johns but they still are bulky under the jeans and I have a hard time bending my legs. I then put on a heavy pair of socks. Next I put a thin breathable thermal shirt on. This shirt is suppose to hold the heat in and wick the bodies moisture. Now I put on another long sleeve thermal shirt. I also wear these kind of shirts in the summer. Next a long sleeve sweat shirt. Now I'm ready for the jacket. Oh I forgot, I put a pair of high top boots with steel toes on.

I've tried winter leather riding jackets with the lining in them, but they seem to get cold from the wind and the cold travels right through the layered shirts. I found out that the winter wind breaker type jackets shell has a resin coating and that seems to keep the wind out. I also found out that wind comes in from the smallest break in the jacket. Zippers, seams, etc. The neck area is another place wind gets in. No matter how I zip up, button up, wind still gets down and all the layering in the world wont keep that wind out.

Note: I don't wear a helmet in the summer it's just to hot. I do wear one in winter to keep my head warm. The helmet is a DOT half helmet. I guess a full face would be better but it feels like I'm too closed in.

I tried a number of things to keep that wind from coming down the neck. I finely got the right mix of neck and face coverings that works. I first put a Dickie around my neck, then I put a skull cap on with a pair of tinted goggles. I put a bandanna around my lower face covering my nose and mouth. I push the top of the bandanna right up to the bottom edge of the goggles and the bottom I push down into the neck of the jacket. Now I put the helmet on.

Now with that all said, looking like the Michelin Man I bring out the bike start it up and go for a ride. You ask, are you warm? Kind of. Are you comfortable? I can tell you no.



One day I was surfing the net and I came upon an add for heated riding gear. I read the information and it really sparked my interest. I saw the same heated clothing at the Harley store I frequent. They have the whole wardrobe, pants, vest, gloves and the full sleeve jacket liner. They are all a little pricey. So I thought that this is something I could ask for at Christmas. The whole family could pitch in. I took a chance and asked for the jacket liner. Come Christmas day under the tree a Harley shopping bag sat and in it a Harley heated jacket liner and the adjustable thermostat was in it. The thermostat regulates the power coming from the bikes battery that heats the jacket.

Now finally the review.

Harley-Davidson's heated clothing is manufacture by a company called Gerbing. The company has been in business since 1976. In 1999 Gerbing has been the sole supplier of their heated clothing. Click on the orange Gerbing for more information.

The jacket comes with all the cables needed to plug into the bikes electrical system. One cable has an on/off switch. I read that it works fine but it gets a little hot and the switch has to be turned on and off to regulate the heat. Knowing this I asked for the adjustable Thermostat.

I installed the wire harness and a separate plug I got off the Internet to the fuse box cover. I have a battery charger that I use to keep the battery charged when I don't use the bike. Now I can use the same plug for the charger and the jacket.

There are wires spread around the inside front, back and sleeves

of the jacket. This is so the jacket is heated uniformly. A wire runs down both the sleeves with plugs on each end. These plugs connect

to the optional heated gloves. On the left side of the jacket down the inside there are three wires with plugs.

One is for the power connection. One is for optional heated pants and one is for the gloves.

The jacket can't be worn over bare skin so one need to wear a long sleeve shirt under it. You will need to wear something around the neck because the jacket when zipped, the collar goes up to the chin.

I put on all my usual clothing for cold weather riding except for my upper body I just put on my long sleeve thermal shirt. The instructions says to wear only one layer of clothes preferably cotton or silk turtle neck. I put on the jacket liner then the riding jacket and the rest of my gear.

Note: The jacket can not be worn with out a wind proof jacket over it.

I go out to the garage uncover the bike and roll it outside onto the drive. The temp is around 38°. I turn the key push the start button and vroom it starts right up. It's been under the cover for a month. I let it warm up then I get on the bike and plug the cord from the jacket into the bike. I turn the thermostat on, I pull in the clutch and kick it into first roll out into the street and take off. By the time I get to the end of the block I can feel the warmth. I ride out to the main road, the jacket is keeping me toasty warm. I get on the road I get up to 55 mph and I drive for about 6 miles. I feel no cold at all, it feels like summer. I rode for about an hour, averaging 50/55 mph and I never felt a bit cold. Now my hands that's another story. I will need to buy the heated gloves. I was wearing winter gauntlet gloves and my fingers where starting to freeze at the finger tips. That happens all the time even when I ride at 50°.

I love this jacket I wish I had it four years ago.

Pluses: Keeps you warm. No more Michelin Man look and feel. Can move arms and head like it's summer.

Minus: Must remember to disconnect from bike before getting off.

Tip off the day: If you like or want to ride when it's cold outside go out and buy this jacket linner. It will be the best bang for the buck next to chrome.

By for now, Biker Joe

Tip Of The Day?

First off. Would you like a "Tip of the day" added to the Blog? I've decided I would give a tip of the day in my daily Post. So starting today at the end of my Post I will include a tip that could help you Harley Davidson owners better maintain your bikes. Maybe even save some money on repairs down the line.

If you think "Tip of the day " is a waste, let me know.

Update on the weather here. Broke another record, temperatures hit a high of 65° yesterday.

We had high winds and a few tornadoes were sited. They say it should dry out a little tomorrow if it does I will pull out the bike for that needed winter ride.














Tip Of The Day:

When cleaning your motorcycles chrome the best thing to use is those alcohol rub sheets. Try to avoid leaving finger prints on chrome. The oil from your fingers or hands has acids that can eat into the chrome. The chrome could discolor or even start peeling if not cleaned off immediately.



Biker Joe

Total Warm Up

We broke a temp record yesterday 61° and maybe another one today. The rain washed away the snow but still have some salt left over. Will be getting more rain today and a flood warning for the area.

I hope the streets will be clean enough to ride tomorrow or the next day.

As I posted Friday, I was going over to the Harley store and purchase some spark plugs. While I was there I visited some of my friends that work at the dealer. Everyone I spoke to said that business is slow and some employees hours have been cut. It is always slow this time of the year. If the temperature stays up the customers will return.

I looked at some of the new 08 models on the floor. No Rocker yet and no time table for when we will see one on the floor. There will be a bike show coming in February. They say the new Rocker will be at the Harley booth so I hope to be there and take a few pics of it. I will post them for sure.

Take a look at this photo of a custom Soft

Tail I found. This truly is a looker.

Bye for now, Biker Joe

Warming up.

We are leaving the deep freeze today. If all goes well I might be able to take the scoot out next week.

Today I'm going to the Harley store. I have to pick up a couple of spark plugs. I broke one removing it so I could spray a little fogging oil in the cylinders. I don't know what happened it broke right at the top. Maybe I had the socket on an angle when I broke the spark plug loose.

I really don't put the bike up for the winter. You never know when the weather will be just right for a ride. I do wash and wax the scoot before the temp drops below 40°. I lube and adjust everything. I usually change the oil and filter but I only have 1800 miles on my last change so I didn't do it this year. I have it on a lift so the tires are off the ground and I spin the wheels every once in a while so the brake pads don't stick to the rooters.

My garage is under the front bedroom of the house and the temp is between 40 and 50°. I don't like how it holds the humidity though. When the humidity is high outside it is the same inside. I watch this because I don't want the chrome on the bike rusting. I have a small fan under the cover blowing across the bike to keep the air circulating when it gets humid.

Next summer I think I will install an exhaust fan in the wall. This humidity problem could rust up my tools and other stuff I store in the garage.














By for now, Biker Joe

Baby It's cold outside.

It's really cold out here. 0° at 4:00 AM. This coming Monday it is going to be in the fifty's.
I hope the snow melts enough so I can take a ride and test my new heated jacket liner.

This Blog is spouse to be about Harley motorcycles. It is a work in progress, so be a little patient with me. I'm planning on doing some reviews on the latest H-D models and post some photos of local owners bikes.

As soon as the new 2008 Soft Tail Rocker is available at dealers I'm going to take one out and let you know what I think of it. I wan't to look at the new ABS system also. I'm not that fond of ABS on cars, on motorcycles, we will see.

I will try to post everyday at least one photo that has something Harley in it.

So stay tuned.

Biker Joe

Snow, snow, snow.

Can't ride this New Years Holiday, so let me tell you how the Holiday turned out.

New Years eve and we had another snow storm. They say we broke the record for the number of inches of snow in December. I can give a rats ass how many inches of snow we got this December or any other December in history. I'm tired of shoveling this stuff already. The winter has just begun.

Around 11:00 pm Central, I watched the ball drop in New York and saw everyone doing their kiss face for the new year. After that I decided to go out and clear the snow off the drive and walk. I thought I could be done before we do the same New Years thing here and maybe with some luck I could sleep in and not have to shovel tomorrow.

I put on my snow removing gear and ventured outside. I'm thinking it's better to remove three inches now then remove six inches latter. I first cleared off my car. There was about four inches of snow on it. By the way my car is outside because my wives car and my Harley is in the garage. No room for mine. This is where the hate my Harley comes in.

Anyway it took about forty minutes to do the job. I got back in the house just in time to toast in the new year. A half hour, forty five minutes go by I think to myself lets look outside and see how good I cleaned the snow off. Would you believe it looked like I never shoveled an inch of that snow. And on top of it all the towns plow truck pushed about a foot of that stuff from the street onto my drive. You know those big ice chunks with about a ton of salt in them.

I go back and tell my wife the bad news, bad news for me anyway, that I will have to go out tomorrow and do it all over again.

So it's now January, 2 and I shoveled that drive and walk again, that's three times in three days.
Global warming? I haven't seen it.

I want the snow to melt so the streets will be clear and wash down the salt. I got the Harley heated jacket liner from the family for Christmas. I wan't to try it out and see if it really does keep me warm. I hate dressing up in layers looking like the Michelin Man when I want to take the scoot out for a ride.

How did your New Years turn out? Chime in.

Biker Joe

Links

On this page we will have a list of Links that may be of interest to readers of "My Harley- Davidson Ramblings. One list will be called, "Friends of the Blog". They may not have any relation to motorcycles but never the less they are friends of the Blog. The other will be called, "Links of Interest".
If at any time any one of these Links go dead please let me know in the Comment section of this post.

Friends of the Blog:

Links Of Interest:

More Photos

This is my 2004 Dyna, Super Glide Sport, FXDX. Before and after I made some custom changes. We just can't keep our scoots stock can we.

This is were I will put the overflow Photos from Posts. I will also add photos from open houses, rallies, and charities rides.