Well, this fine gal we all share a stake in now\u2026 by the way, thanks a ton for everything all y\u2019all have done to keep ALI going and us together!!! Anyway, she is really strutting her stuff now, and it seems she has found her groove, too!<\/p>\n
That chronic drive-train issue (pinion cup and drive shaft mostly but occasionally a rear end \u2018pumpkin\u2019 too) was finally resolved by Dennis Scott, Trout Dude, it appears. She\u2019s been going strong with no new problems ever since he worked his diagnostic magic nearly 70K miles ago. And I gotta tell ya, that is a huge relief\u2026 both emotionally and financially!!!<\/p>\n
Things just kept getting progressively worse, with breakdowns occurring more and more frequently\u2026 The last couple of \u2018outages\u2019 occurred barely twenty thousand miles or so apart! I was seriously beginning to have thoughts about the unthinkable\u2026 and I truly was starting to wonder if indeed \u2018our end\u2019 might be near\u2026<\/p>\n
This was never closer to occurring than the time her rear end went out in Alberta. The story of her rescue and salvation there by Terry Nichol, t-man403, is legendary, and it was well documented here at the time. Anyway, Trout Dude has changed that entire dynamic, and life is really, really good again!!! Thanks so much, my friends!<\/p>\n
I did have to eat some crow over that, though\u2026 I\u2019d become rather critical of mechanics at dealerships I\u2019d taken her to around the country whenever something would fail or to simply have anything done like brake pads or a rear tire replaced. I\u2019d assumed they just weren\u2019t doing proper lubing and re-assembly whenever they worked on ALI\u2019s seemingly delicate and fragile posterior.<\/p>\n
Nobody, and I mean no-body, ever suspected it might be the swing arm that was the source of her chronic ailment, but that has proven to be the case. Since Punisher donated a new one and Trout Dude installed it (and Warlock loaned us the special tool), things have been like old times with us, and we\u2019re both mighty happy with this new lease on life! We now ride with confidence into some rather remote and rugged country with nary a care nor caution! Well, none beyond normal prudence\u2026<\/p>\n
Universal joints (couplers), too, have had to be replaced\u2026 usually about every 90 to 100K miles, give or take 10-20 K. This is not unusual, from what I can gather, but due to our many miles together, it has seemed to have occurred several times\u2026 Probably a total of six, possibly seven, I don\u2019t recall now\u2026<\/p>\n
Anyway, we\u2019ve even found some tires that outlast any other bike tire I\u2019ve ever heard of! Michelin Commander II rear tires are actually slightly smaller than usual Valk tires (they do fit our wheels, though), as they are made for Harleys. However, since we\u2019re on our third rear now, I don\u2019t see us changing to anything else any time soon.<\/p>\n
The first one we got 30K miles out of it. The second 34K! Heck, we\u2019d never gotten more than about 15K miles, and usually less and sometimes far less, out of any of the Valk tires before these\u2026 I\u2019m still not certain they are to be completely trusted on wet or slick surfaces as much as Avons and Elite IIIs, for example, but we\u2019re staying with them anyway\u2026 for now.<\/p>\n
The Bridgestone Excedra front tires have also been delivering far longer tread life than any of the others we\u2019ve tried\u2026 25K and more! These extended ranges, of course, mean we go further between inspections and lubing chores, but it hasn\u2019t seemed to have had any negative consequences\u2026 and our girl hasn\u2019t complained even once! I suspect she ain\u2019t all that fond of having to go up on a rack and put her feet in the stirrups and\u2026 Even refined ladies don\u2019t like that, I\u2019m told\u2026<\/p>\n
She\u2019s on her third speedometer now, but that\u2019s due entirely to pilot judgement error. She started making a peculiar \u2018vibration\u2019 noise that could be silenced by placing my hand on the speedo cable right where it entered the speedo\u2026 so, I assumed\u2026 I didn\u2019t worry about it because all of the stuff still worked for some time afterward. Then one day, it all stopped working.<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t do anything about it for several months\u2026 The noise had stopped, so I just let it go, as I was preoccupied at the time with wandering all around the country, and I just didn\u2019t want to stop for that. Finally, I got to where I really, really missed the trip log (no fuel gauge on a Tourer), but the rest of it I didn\u2019t much care about. I\u2019d learned to figure speed pretty accurately by the tach\u2026 and I never cared much about the mileage readings. But, never knowing how much fuel, ergo range, we had remaining became a real downer! <\/p>\n
Duffy sent me a speedo that came off of a wrecked bike of his, but it didn\u2019t resolve the issue. I then had the cable replaced a couple of more times, and things would work again\u2026 for a short time, couple of days at most. I then ordered a brand new speedo, but that still didn\u2019t remedy the situation! Finally, I had the \u2018gear\u2019 at the front wheel replaced, and that did, at last, solve the problem. I could have saved a lot of grief and several months of \u2018faking it\u2019 had I thought of that in the first place\u2026 but I was just so sure\u2026<\/p>\n
She\u2019s on her second kickstand\u2026 The original one was dealt a death blow by some kid at a Honda shop\u2026 After working on our bike, the mechanic had instructed a goffer kid there to wash ALI.<\/p>\n
He for some reason \u2018stood\u2019 on the \u2018arm\u2019 that sticks out from the kickstand so you can hook it with your foot to operate it\u2026 Well, he bent the thing nearly all the way down. They got it straightened back up so I could use it, but the metal had been weakened, so over time it would need to be straightened again periodically\u2026 It was just a matter of time before it finally broke\u2026<\/p>\n
At a GOTF one year, I mentioned this to Hotglue\u2026 He said he didn\u2019t have an extra one, but LynnDel (Phyllis) might\u2026 Well, I followed her and Wizard over to her house, where she and I watched Wizard take one off a Valk with a sidecar, and replace the one on ALI. That one is still working fine! Thanks again Phyllis!!!<\/p>\n
Speaking of kickstands\u2026 The pin that screws into the frame that holds the other end of the spring that retracts the kickstand is notorious for breaking\u2026 and the one on ALI did as well. Since \u2018Murphy\u2019s Law\u2019 wouldn\u2019t have it any other way, it occurred and I first noticed it just as I was driving off on a road trip! Instead of heading for the highway out of town, I rode straight to the local dealer for assistance.<\/p>\n
\u201cSorry, that item is another on the lengthy list of things we don\u2019t stock\u2026 we can order you one, though.\u201d I mentioned my travel plan, and the guy told me that if it were he, he\u2019d just scoot on down the road to \u2018Busbey Welding\u2019 and see if they might could do something. That was my next stop.<\/p>\n
As luck would have it, and I\u2019m sure much to the chagrin of ol\u2019 Murphy, the spring had remained hooked to the kickstand, and the broken-off part of the pin was still there, too, so I\u2019d been able to keep those! The young guy at the welding shop welded the pin minus the threaded portion to the frame right next to the hole in the frame where it was supposed to go, and that is still working out just fine! Probably been that way for over 300K miles at least\u2026<\/p>\n
She has her third windshield now. The first two were OEM, but the last time I changed it out, I decided to try a Clearview. So far, I like it. It is an inch or so shorter than the OEMs, however, so that has resulted in a few more direct bugs hits on my face than before. All choices of this sort are a compromise, naturally, so to gain one thing, something else often has to be traded away\u2026 Anyway, the primary reason for experimenting is to see if perhaps this one will last any longer than either of the first two\u2026<\/p>\n
She is on her third alternator, the last two being 1500 Gold Wing units. No problem with those, they\u2019re usually in stock at dealerships unlike alternators for Valks, and they cost around $200. per unit less! They do require an \u2018adjustment\u2019 by having the back part \u2018clocked\u2019, but other than that\u2026 they are definitely the ticket.<\/p>\n
When we first became a couple, the dealer I bought her from had put an after-market Corbin seat on her. I decided to keep it, and it served me well for several years\u2026 over 200K miles. It was leather, though, and it had begun to crack and weather noticeably, so I replaced it.<\/p>\n
I decided to go \u2018kinder and gentler\u2019 in deference to my tush (Corbin seats are notoriously \u2018firm\u2019), so I bought an Ultimate Big Boy. I liked it right off, but it was vinyl, so it seemed \u2018hotter\u2019 than the leather had been\u2026 Once I added a sheepskin, however, (many thanks Dragon Rider 2) it became my favorite seat of any I\u2019ve ever owned. I\u2019ve never had a Russell Daylong seat, though.<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve had nothing but good dealings with Ultimate, and I highly recommend them to do business with. I hear Russell is also really good, too, and the Daylong has an amazing reputation\u2026 Hmmmm\u2026<\/p>\n
If I ever get another seat, I may experiment with a Daylong\u2026 However, brand loyalty and a history of solid satisfaction do count for a lot\u2026 Reckon I\u2019ll just have to see when or if the need ever arises again. Right now, for a couple of reasons, her seat looks almost new and it\u2019s still very comfortable\u2026 It could very well be the last one we ever share together\u2026<\/p>\n
Everything else done to her over the nearly eighteen years we\u2019ve been a couple have been piddling things\u2026 like a thermostat replacement, a starter button assembly and wiring change-out, and the wiring harness coupler thingy behind the alternator required replacement, too\u2026 Thanks Misfit! Surprisingly, she still has her original clutch!<\/p>\n
All three brake rotors have been replaced once each and will likely require it again one of these days\u2026 We also acquired Cobra floorboards, driver and passenger, and I really like those! Exhaust is and always has been stock. The lock thingy that holds the front seat secure vibrated loose and off way back when, but Mitcho replaced it with one he had, and that now works fine\u2026<\/p>\n
Hard 6 replaced the water pump for us one time\u2026 It didn\u2019t need it, but I requested it anyway as a precaution. I was thinking at the time of returning to Alaska, and I\u2019d figured that would be one less thing to worry about. A few years later, he also replaced both forks, because we couldn\u2019t get them to stop \u2018weeping\u2019 tiny amounts of fluid\u2026<\/p>\n
He also swapped out ALI\u2019s Tourer gas tank for an Interstate tank\u2026 extra range can be rather helpful, ya know! And, he replaced the after-market risers ALI was sporting with even longer ones\u2026 that makes a huge difference in reducing aching back and shoulders on long days in the saddle! Other than those items, it\u2019s just been a mountain of tires, three or four batteries, a few bulbs, some fuses, and a river of oil\u2026 Oh, and timing belts have been replaced every 100K miles.<\/p>\n
Speaking of oil, and I realize this can be a sensitive subject for some folks\u2026 I use Rotella T6, 5W-40 almost exclusively, and I do change the oil and filter (Honda OEM) every five thousand miles or so\u2026 occasionally a bit longer. I will use other oil, though, if I can\u2019t get the \u2018blue jug\u2019. But\u2026 I prefer the fully synthetic oils, and this one has served us very well for many, many miles\u2026 nearly all of the miles on the clock!<\/p>\n
On another ride to Alberta, ALI\u2019s carb performance really began to deteriorate. Trout Dude and Mitcho were with me, and they figured it out along with Terry, t-man403. The vacuum slides, all six in fact, had perforations in them from their very long lives, but as soon as those were replaced, gas mileage greatly improved, and the odor of raw gas (gasoline that is) disappeared for those following behind ALI and me\u2026<\/p>\n
Through all of this, she and I have travelled the length and breadth of North America. We\u2019ve seen some incredible sites, heard some amazing stories, met some very colorful characters, grown as individuals in ways nobody could have anticipated, and lived a dream that few ever get to attempt.<\/p>\n
We\u2019ve been humbled and inspired by the greatness of our land, and by the greatness of its people, too. We\u2019ve celebrated life and mourned the loss of life with \u2018our family\u2019, and we\u2019ve formed friendships that never would have occurred otherwise. And, a significant by-product of all of this is that the bug casualties have to number in the tens of millions by now!<\/p>\n
Yep, ALI is proud as a peacock, but she never brags. Nope, she just smiles and lets her story make any statements for her, as she quietly goes about her business, stoic but confident. No sir, she\u2019s deservedly proud, but there ain\u2019t a vain bolt on her body. Good thing, too. I ain\u2019t one to pamper a bike by cleaning and polishing it often, checking this, tweaking that\u2026 Mostly we just go\u2026<\/p>\n
I once rode with a guy who checked his tire pressure daily\u2026 with a digital gauge that read out to two decimal places! Truly, he always topped his tire pressure off to some .50 reading level, and he did so anytime the pressure was off more than a pound or so!!! I\u2019m not like that at all, and ALI has never protested, objected, or even frowned\u2026<\/p>\n
She is really something, though. People sometimes tell me they think I\u2019m quite the rider\u2026 Heck, I actually feel more like NASCAR driver Danica Patrick\u2019s husband in a way\u2026 She\u2019s the real story; I\u2019m just the lucky guy who gets to ride her!<\/p>\n
Anyhow, she\u2019s running fine nowadays, and she really seems to be enjoying being back out on the road. She actually much prefers to be out here doing what we\u2019re doing, but\u2026 She is fully aware that she can take far more use and abuse than her rider can, so she accepts with grace that she sometimes must sit on her kickstand with a cover over her for extended periods while her companion deals with other things\u2026 Gotta love a gal like that\u2026 I know I sure do\u2026<\/p>\n
She and I have recently passed the 533,000-mile mark together, and our relationship is stronger than ever. Sometimes I\u2019m asked what my next bike will be\u2026 I always answer, \u201cShe and I are going to remain an item until one of us physically can no longer go\u2026 Depending upon which one of us that is, I\u2019ll decide then what to do next.\u201d The way things look today, however, it\u2019s a moot point\u2026 It appears she is going to outlast me by a long shot! I\u2019m even making arrangements for her in my will\u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Well, this fine gal we all share a stake in now\u2026 by the way, thanks a ton for everything all y\u2019all have done to keep ALI going and us together!!! Anyway, she is really strutting her stuff now, and it …<\/span> Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-653","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-meanderings-by-ddt-2"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/willowinthewind.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/653","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/willowinthewind.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/willowinthewind.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/willowinthewind.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/willowinthewind.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=653"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/willowinthewind.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/653\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":654,"href":"https:\/\/willowinthewind.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/653\/revisions\/654"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/willowinthewind.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=653"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/willowinthewind.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=653"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/willowinthewind.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=653"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}