UTMC

A little back story before we get to the "ride report". I didn't meet my father until I was in my early twenties due to some crazy booze + car + teenagers = crashes drama around the time of my procreation. He's very different from me. Very 70's "hell yeah, Harley!" kind of country guy but when you get down to brass tacks, he's a good dude. We hangout once in a while, more often now that the Mrs and I have a wee one. I've been trying to bond with him a bit more around motorcycles. I finally rode his bike (97 FXD Super Glide) and the front brake rotor has some serious shake. I doubt it's warped since it's rarely used (wouldn't want to flip over!). So I offered to pull the rotor off and give it a light sanding and see if it helps and while I've got his bike, give it an oil change.

He'd love to be able to do it himself but with all hardware in his back from a construction accident, he can't really do a lot of bending and flexing.

So, I rode the big HD home from his place, about 40 minutes north of me....

After about 5 minutes or riding, I was done. I wanted to be off that damn thing and never swing a leg over it again. My arms are stretched out, my butt is pushed back and my feet are too far forward. The bars make my shoulders roll forward and the grips are really thick. I know it's not set up for me but that posture is awful. I don't see how people ride around town like that.

What is with the "Glide" in so many HD models? Is there an Astro Glide?

As I finished the ride home, I thought about how this was the complete opposite of riding my Ulysses. If riding was surgery, the Ulysses was like cutting with a scalpel, the HD FXD Super Glide felt like cutting with a hammer.

I'm really dreading riding it long enough to test the rotor and warm up the oil.

I'm sitting here nodding my big stupid head, like I expect you to hear it rattle.

Now it's peeing all over my garage floor.

But, look at the shiney parts, how can you hate something so shiney!

Seriously though, how does one utilize that highway peg without rubbing their calf against the brake pedal?

You call that 'peeing all over'? Pshaw, pshaw I scoff at thee! I am the caretaker of an antique British car that requires I keep a bag of Speed-E-Dri Oil Absorbent Granules close at hand. Pshaw!

Is it leeking oil?

Pattio wrote:You call that 'peeing all over'? Pshaw, pshaw I scoff at thee! I am the caretaker of an antique British car that requires I keep a bag of Speed-E-Dri Oil Absorbent Granules close at hand. Pshaw!

Very true. However, I think it might flow faster if it was fresh oil!

2XSL wrote:Is it leeking oil?

It is. The oil plug was stripped out in the past. I'm not sure what was done to remedy it, I haven't had time to lay hands on the bike yet. I tried to get my daughter to crawl under there and look but she's no good with tools yet. Plus, I don't think her little baby muscles could loosen or tighten the oil plug.

red wrote:

Pattio wrote:You call that 'peeing all over'? Pshaw, pshaw I scoff at thee! I am the caretaker of an antique British car that requires I keep a bag of Speed-E-Dri Oil Absorbent Granules close at hand. Pshaw!

Very true. However, I think it might flow faster if it was fresh oil!

I'm starting to feel like I'm very slowly giving my garage floor a spa treatment of fresh warmed Rotella. I'm going to have to give in and start using a drip pan of some kind, 'cause my speed-e-dry island is becoming a toxic archipelago.

Pattio wrote:

red wrote:

Pattio wrote:You call that 'peeing all over'? Pshaw, pshaw I scoff at thee! I am the caretaker of an antique British car that requires I keep a bag of Speed-E-Dri Oil Absorbent Granules close at hand. Pshaw!

Very true. However, I think it might flow faster if it was fresh oil!

I'm starting to feel like I'm very slowly giving my garage floor a spa treatment of fresh warmed Rotella. I'm going to have to give in and start using a drip pan of some kind, 'cause my speed-e-dry island is becoming a toxic archipelago.

What about catching the drip in a pan, filtering it and reusing the oil?

red wrote:

Pattio wrote:

red wrote:

Pattio wrote:You call that 'peeing all over'? Pshaw, pshaw I scoff at thee! I am the caretaker of an antique British car that requires I keep a bag of Speed-E-Dri Oil Absorbent Granules close at hand. Pshaw!

Very true. However, I think it might flow faster if it was fresh oil!

I'm starting to feel like I'm very slowly giving my garage floor a spa treatment of fresh warmed Rotella. I'm going to have to give in and start using a drip pan of some kind, 'cause my speed-e-dry island is becoming a toxic archipelago.

What about catching the drip in a pan, filtering it and reusing the oil?

kinda like the guy in the hospital in Catch-22

The Soldier in White
An unnamed soldier wrapped completely in bandages. He is connected to two bottles of unidentified and similar looking liquid, one which pumps the liquid through an IV into the soldier, and the other which drains the liquid from the soldier through a zinc catheter. When the bottles are respectively empty and full, they are switched around. Dunbar claims there is actually no one under the bandages.

Pattio wrote:You call that 'peeing all over'? Pshaw, pshaw I scoff at thee! I am the caretaker of an antique British car that requires I keep a bag of Speed-E-Dri Oil Absorbent Granules close at hand. Pshaw!

indeed, that's just a weak bladder moment. My triumph gives the Exxon Valdez a run for it's money.

everybody knows to use a maxipad