Bubba

As long as you vacuum bleed, you don't need to worry about whether the caliper is attached to the fork leg. As a matter of fact, I usually use a wedge to push the caliper piston all the way in BEFORE I bleed the line to make sure all the old fluid is flushed and that I get the maximum amount of fresh DOT4 into the system. NOTE: When you do this, make sure your master fluid level is low enough to allow the fluid from the caliper to backflow into the reservoir without overflowing!!! Once removed, the main thing to make sure of is that you hold the caliper so that the bleeder valve is UP to ensure all the air is expelled from the brake housing. I do agree with other posters that a 1/4"-drive socket--maybe using a universal joint or one of the wobble sockets--should be able to reach the bleeder valve, but I'm not familiar with your bike's set-up. DO NOT bleed this way using the tried-and-true method of pumping the master cylinder piston!!!

Good questions to ask at this time of year. It's true that dry leaves on pavement are worse than plain dry pavement; wet leaves on the road are MUCH worse than plain wet road. With respect to temperature--in general--the friction loss from cold pavement is due more to the tires themselves being cold and having lower coefficient of friction (same reason why racers use tire warmers prior to a race). Typically, tires that have been compounded for street use are safe to use in cooler temps and wet weather. If you are one who likes the sticky race compound tires for street riding, beware--those don't play well on the street in less than ideal conditions. In general, use more restraint when braking and cornering, keep your hooning down to a dull roar, and slow down and enjoy the colors of fall riding. We'll be cursing the cold and rain and sleet and ice and snow all too soon! Another piece of advice: get yourself some decent, warm, rain gear. Riding when you're cold, shivering and miserable not only sucks, but it's unsafe too. Check out online MC discount shops like Jaffrum for reasonably priced clothing on sale at this time of year.

Sunday morning pre-ride bump! Sun is out!

24 hour pre-ride bump... Gonna be purty in the woods!!!

Drc: Thx for the plug! And great pics, BTW. These roads are some of the best northern KY has to offer. You won't be disappointed, as long as we can stay ahead of the Sunday morning church folk.... When you came down, did you ride your FJR or the KLR? I usually take my Wee, but the rear tire is shagged, so I'll prolly take the Feejer and try to keep from wearing the peg feelers down to nubs. Looks like a great week for scootin'...

Posting a link to another LocalRider event--not mine--happening this Sunday. If you're near Cincinnati or live in SW Ohio/northern KY, think about riding with us. There aren't many good riding days left in 2012, so you don't want to miss out on this one!!! This route won't be like this past Wednesday's 'Colors' DS ride; it'll be keeping to the smoother twisties; pace will be 'spirited' (I love that term ) but prolly max out at 15-20 over SL, so not gonzo crazy. Tentative plan is to start riding east and south from the I-75 corridor, eat lunch in Williamstown then head west and ride 36, 22, 227 into Stamping Ground, then back north on 368 and 607 and eventually end up in Rabbit Hash. Approx mileage is 150-200 for the loop, and ride time is approx 4.5 - 5.5 hrs, not including stops. All types of bikes are welcome. Start location: Steak N' Shake, 450 Mount Zion Road, Florence, Ky (I-75 south, exit 178, turn left off the ramp on Mount Zion Rd) Meet-up @ 10 AM; kickstands up @ 10:30 sharp. Return location: Rabbit Hash, KY (NOTE: For riders unfamiliar with the area, there will be a leader to return you to the I-275 Petersburg exit in NKY.) Here's the link: http://www.localriders.com/forums/sh...508#post156508 Last Year's Legends Ride: http://www.localriders.com/forums/sh...5&postcount=20 http://www.localriders.com/forums/sh...0&postcount=24 http://www.localriders.com/forums/sh...1&postcount=25

Yup, you missed a good'n! There are some nice roads up towards Oxford near where you rode. I've ridden my bicycle up that way many times. I bet the colors along Indian Creek are purty right now. If you're interested, there's a ride posted on Local Rider--Legends of the Fall Ride--for this Sunday at 10 AM that's going into the same area in NKY, but this one will be a faster paced ride on some of the smoother twisty state and county roads. If you like scraping pegs, come on along! [NOTE: Will be a fast pace, but there will be all types of bikes including cruisers, and we don't leave anybody in the woods. ]

Great day for a ride! Four of us met up for fun in the sun and to peak at the purty leaves. Great roads and almost no traffic for more than 160 miles. Here's a few teaser pix from the ride and you can view the 'Full Monty' here: http://s875.photobucket.com/albums/ab313/icantdrive55/Colors%20of%20the%20Fall%20Ride%2017Oct12/?albumview=slideshow

Morning bump...hey look...the sun...shiney!

Neither Mitt nor Barack are gonna make the ride tomorrow, after wearing each other out with verbal sparring. If you're not worn out from listening to 'em, come on out! Shameless bump...

I posted this on the Local Riders forum where I usually hang out, but not a lot of response due to mid-week timing. Pace will be 'spirited' at SL up to maybe 10-15 over, but not gonzo crazy. Any questions, my phone number is at the bottom of the ride description. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Colors of the Fall Ride The weather looks abso-tively, posi-lutely splendiferous for a short ride to check out the leaves and burn the last of the stale gas in yer tank before the winter ritual of outfitting yer scoot with studded ice tires for those long winter commutes. I'm gonna be heading down to NKY from the west side of Cinti (Green Twsp) and doing a route of approx 150-160 miles. Furthest point south will be Williamstown, KY. Many of the roads are lane-and-a-half (i.e., no centerline) paved rural roads that follow either a ridgeline or a creek bottom with lots of twists, elevation changes and overlooks to keep things interesting. Suitable for just about any bike, but some of the pavement can get....sketchy, so good tires are recommended. Details: Meet-up in the UDF parking lot, 4332 River Rd, at the corner of River Rd/US 50 and Anderson Ferry from 11:45-12:30 PM on Wed, 10/17. Kickstands up at 12:30 sharp. Note: Riders coming from the south can meet at the ferry access in NKY at approx 12:35-12:40. Take Anderson Ferry into NKY. Toll is $2/bike. The ride mileage will be calculated from this starting point. Total mileage for the loop is approx 152 miles; the ride will finish back at the starting point. Return ferry toll is $2/bike. Estimated ride time is approx 4-4.5 hours, not including stops. We should be home by dark o'clock. Gas stations are scarce along the route due to the rural nature of the ride, but gas will be available in Williamstown at approx 75 miles. Please start the ride with a full tank and have a minimum fuel range of 90-100 miles. Along the route, do expect: wet leaves gravel slow farm implements/occasional local traffic hogging the road small- to medium-sized domestic animals/infrequently, horses/cows/purty deer unmarked hazards poor road signage also, beautiful vistas/colorful trees/interesting roads. I guarantee there will at least be S-O-M-E roads you haven't ever ridden before! Post up here if you're thinking of riding. I'm guessing that a mid-week ride won't generate a huge crowd--or perhaps any interest at all--but I'd kind'a like to limit the group size to no more than 7-8 bikes. Bubba @ 5one3-5nine8-8nine9two

PM sent.

I can attest that these are great tires! Got a studded set on my F-150 and another set on my wife's Honda Accord. Not sure how to price used winter tires but I'm guessing that they retail new for about $80-90/tire. Make the guy an offer he can't refuse....you won't be disappointed come January.

Yeah! Lemeno when you want to go for a group ride! I won't be there...

Wow! Resurrected from the dead after 3 1/2 years.

It's definitely getting dicey to have any kind of confrontation, on-road or otherwise, given the number of people carrying nowadays. And while I can understand and defend a person's right to self-defense, I'm also completely convinced that there is probably the same percentage of drooling idiots/mouth-breathers who are carrying--legal or otherwise--as there are in the general 'A-murican' population. That, my friend, is a VERY scary thought. I was riding in NKY last year with a group of 4-5 bikes on a rural road. Several of the group passed a slower car--it was doing maybe five under--and as the second bike went by, the cager swerved across the center line toward the biker. I waited about 15-30 seconds and as I went to pass, he swung across the center line to block me. Knowing that we were coming up to a light in a mile or so, I waited with the rest of the group behind. At the light, I pulled up alongside of the car, tapped on the window, thinking I might have an 'animated dialog' with the dumbass....which was when I noticed that he had reached over to the passenger seat and had uncovered a rather wicked looking semi-auto pistol that he had concealed beneath a sweatshirt. Needless to say, that kind'a ended any argument on my part in a big hurry. Now, you can make a couple of arguments here: 1) showing his weapon certainly made further confrontation unlikely, at least with anyone having a modicum of common sense and self-preservation; but 2) had he played the same game with someone who was also carrying, how likely would the situation have gone from no-big-deal to something similar to that in this thread? Unfortunately, this thread is a GREAT illustration that holding a CHL is no guarantee of intelligence/maturity/common sense.

I didn't respond initially because you said you were looking for 'close' but if you're starting to look farther afield.... Butler County offers indoor storage in the stock barns on the Butler Cty Fairgrounds north of Hamilton on Rt4. Barns are secure metal-sided stick-frame buildings with concrete floor. I used them for years to store my 26' cruiser and it ran around $260/season, typically late Oct thru early Apr. Prices are by the foot, so your cost would be less. Fairly inexpensive for indoor storage, but the CATCH is that it is DEAD STORAGE, meaning you put in during one of three or four intake days in the late fall and you have no access to your boat/RV/camper until the next spring, when they normally call you with a date for you to remove your unit. The office number is 513-892-1423. There is never anyone in the office except for intake/release days--usually on Sat or Sun--but they post a recorded message with upcoming dates when the season gets close. Hope this helps.

22 deg will close, but most stair treads are typically 7/9 (rise/run) with some being as steep as 7/8 (I think that's max by code). Not to say your stairs aren't oddball, but if it was me, I'd cut a couple of pieces of scrap and get the exact angle by trial-and-error. Start at a little less than 22-22 and go from there.

That link and similar ones have been posted on several forums around here (Cinti) for a week or two. I got no love of squids/jackasses who do sheit like that on a public roadway and piss off the cagers and police. We have enough trouble with public image and high-profile police scrutiny as it is without inviting more. No way would I take part in an event like that. And NOT because of the interaction with the police. That is pretty much the antithesis of how most MCists want to be viewed by the caging public. A ride like that isn't any different than those truly stupid poker runs populated with drunken pirates who can't ride sober! You're way more likely to be taken down by some squid/bozo who's operating his bike barely above the level of drooling mouth-breather than a LEO making a pit manuever. Looks like it's being organized and led by a few complete idiots, with the majority of "regular" riders tagging along and acting the fool because of mob mentality. I'm not a big fan of group rides with more than 4-5 riders, mostly because any group larger than that creates problems of flow and consistency with individual riding style/speed. Here is a great example of why you don't want to be part of this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3COiz7qt8Y&feature=player_detailpage

Since #3 is 'locked down', I call dibs on #2, 31, 8, or 5....not picky.

Not a racer here, but could it be part of the whole neck hyper-extension protection system that newer track suits (and helmets?) have....

Might be able to help you. Gotta check with my daughter in C-bus--gave her a small 20,000 BTU gas vent-free for her place but she said she wasn't gonna do the install. Got no pics, but it's a nice one with a heavy cast shell, dark brown deramic finish, and an extra platinum cat converter. Think it was a Vermont Castings stove, but can't remember. NOTE: Set up for natural gas, NOT propane. You'd need to buy a new burner and maybe a gas control valve for propane. Similar to this: http://vermontcastings.com/family/Stoves/Vent-Free/Stardance/

Every siding mfr has their own color palette and dimension specs. You'll have to find out what brand/model/color your installed siding is to get a match. When you remove one of the damaged pieces, check the back of the siding for info stamped in the vinyl. Even so, your replacement pieces won't be a perfect match as your original siding has certainly weathered some from sun exposure. Shouldn't be noticeable tho, in another few years. Also, get yourself a hook tool--looks like a 1" spatula with a hook end--to release the siding channels bottom from top. Use it for the reinstall as well. WAY BETTER than tearing all the pieces off from the top down to get to the damaged area. Can be had at any home improvement box store.

Doubt seriously that you threw a rod. That's usually a catastrophic event that grenades the engine. With the low oil pressure light on at idle (when hot) and the knocking you describe, I'd bet one or more of your main bearings is shot and has spun in the crank web. Whatever it is, it sounds terminal unless you can do the work yourself or have a REALLY good bud who does major repairs cheap! Might be easier to pull and replace the entire engine if you can find a used one on Ebay or CL. If the body/interior isn't super clean/mint and low-mileage-perfect (other than the motor), I'd be tempted to cut my losses and look for a new cage.

Damn, dude! If you've got 6K on a tire on a big heavy sport bike like your Blackbird, it's gotta be toast. I only used to get 3500-4000 out of Metzlers on my GPZ1100. Put a new set of skinz on it and you'll be way happier.