[Zedbra]

I swapped out my scalloped Dunlop for an Avon Chrome and swapped the front bearings while I had the wheel off. Looking forward to my long ride later this morning.

 

[Zedbra]

I spent way too much time looking at new bars instead of working, finally decided to just have some custom made to my exact measurements. Then, I needed to go for a ride and decided to pick my son up from his elementary school - he sure loved waving to all his friends from the back of the bike.

 

[Zedbra]

Drove to work and back and rolled over 60k (kilometers) on this fine pre-summer day. Still haven't finished getting it to where I want it to be, but that's the fun part.

 

[Zedbra]

Last night I installed a new Avon Chrome on the rear and I can corner again 120kph and above; no more Dunlop induced wobble. Time will tell overall how I like these Avons, as we do get a fair amount of rain here. If they perform as well in the wet as they do right now on hot dry corners, then I'm a convert.

 

[Zedbra]

I went to my friend's house in Whistler yesterday morning for breakfast - it was a nice sunny day with minimal wind for a change, so perfect day for the 100km ride. My friend asked me to take one of his guests (he owns a hostel) for her first ride on a Harley, so I agreed to do that after we ate. I took her all through the back roads behind Alta Lake and then went ripping down the Sea to Sky Highway for over an hour. I found out later, that this was her very first time ever on a motorbike and when we got back, she was elated.

 

[Zedbra]

I got all excited when my wife came home from the Post Office with a rather large box saying FMB Choppers. My custom bars arrived from order to shipping international up here took less than two weeks. If I sent email questions late at night, I would get responses from the owner - David. I'm impressed. Great customer service. So, of course I needed to rip it open and test fit them before taking them to the chrome shop.

I ordered FMB Chopper's Phatty Blazed (1.5" tubing) 16" apes for 2015+ FLTR, but had the center clamp tube reduced and notched to fit my 2008. I also asked for the following dimensions: 9" bottom tube OAW, 8" pullback, and 33" grip width; notched for TBW and heated grips. Welds look good, I lightly hit some of the internal notch burs with 100 grit, and off to the chrome shop tomorrow morning.

Pics. We all like pics.

The anticipation. I have been thinking about these apes more than I'd prefer to admit.

I ordered them raw as I want to have them chromed.

Current bars, which are too low and too wide for my liking.

I volunteered my wife to be my assistant to test fit these apes - and they fit perfect to the measurements I sent FMB.

 

[Zedbra]

After trying to fix my dishwasher and getting myself a nice tingle in the teeth from a faulty switch, I decided I needed to go for a ride. Regardless that it was pouring rain, I needed some twists and turns on the highway that sits right outside my doors towards Whistler. Wind therapy is a real thing.

 

[Zedbra]

rode it. Rode it summore!

That's the right answer, I've also been piling on the miles. Did my 3 hole shocker at the start of the riding season mid-April and I'm already 6k km into it after 350km today. Time for a a complete fluid change already. When you have long winters, you ride the most you can when there isn't ice.

 

[Zedbra]

Dropped all 3 fluids, already 6000km since mid-April.

 

[Zedbra]

Just got back from a 2 day 933 mile round trip ride. I was booking it through winding mountain roads, didn't stop for pics - only for gas; I'm still grinning. All the winter mods to get this scoot right and tight have paid off - I just ripped up the road and it was asking for more.

 

[Zedbra]

I finally had the time to install my custom bars. Originally, I wanted to get my Indie to do this and let me assist so I could figure it out for the future. The shop is busy and I was anxious, so I started the job Thursday night and finished yesterday. Bars are 16" FMB Phatty Blazed, 8" pullback and 33" wide, per my specs. I had them shipped raw and then had them chromed up here, so the project wasn't cheap.

I can't say I enjoyed pulling the plugs and running the internal wires, it was a lot of work, but I got it done and saved myself $400 as the shop would have charged 4 hours; I wish it only took me 4 hours.

I had to take them for a test spin, so a friend and I headed up to Whistler and back

 

[Zedbra]

Rode down to motorbike festival that didn't have the best turn-out. The ride there and back with my friend bombing around on his hard tail was the best part of the day - other than meeting the original owner of my bike.

 

[Zedbra]

Not yet but to protect the tank I wanted the bra on it anyhow.

I would consider getting the back of the tank (or the whole tank) covered with clear bra. I had the entire front of my new car covered to protect it - works great.

On my RG I added a new sheepskin I picked up from a semi-local shop and also installed some Polk speakers in my rear pods.

 

[Zedbra]

We put the Native Baggers fat tire kit on. Added the Ciro Fang Lights and Elegant Solutions bug screens in. Also Progressive 2 inch lowering kit and dropped the fairing 2 inches. It was a great day!

Looks really good. Curious how you like the fat tire up front, let us know after some miles.

 

[Zedbra]

Had quite the day/night working on the scoot. I pulled off the rockers, installed some Rockouts, drilled out the oil return slightly larger, replaced the breathers (though one was good while the other was dirty), then I installed and wired 4 Polk MMa652s with a nice little amp, and then I added a tank lift while I had it off.

I am getting popping when I turn off the amp, and I am not the informed on audio tuning, but the sound is more than good enough for what I need.

All in all, very good day skinning some knuckles.

 

[Zedbra]

What I thought was too good of a deal to be true turned out to indeed be reality. I managed to picked up a Saddlemen Road Sofa low profile heated seat, with a back rest included, brand new, for $268 Canadian - it was the last one in the store's inventory and I was in the right place at the right time. If a certain member of another forum had responded to a PM about buying their used seat, I would have never found this deal. I have a skinny butt and short legs, so the low profile is perfect for me; I couldn't mount it quick enough when I got it home, then went for a 150km ride to try to start breaking it in.

I also hooked up my V&H FP3 and so far, it hasn't been a happy start. My previous tune ran much better for my 110ci and I had to go back to my stock tune and start an auto tune session to try to get any decent performance.

New seat:

 

[Zedbra]

Swapped out the amp inside my fairing, the last one popped after only one week. I ditched that one and picked up a nice little Focal amp. I am getting really (really) good at removing and installing my fairing.

 

[Zedbra]

^ too bad that pretty hardware won't be seen again. Nice build.

 

[Zedbra]

Rolled over 68k kilometres on my way home today. Decided to swap the primary fluid, this had some dye in it to find a leak and then it ate the O ring on my derby cover. So, I decided to spary some brake clean to get that junk out of their and the bloody straw on the brake clean shot into the primary. Sigh. I had just left my Indie's shop, so I called him up and he had a primary gasket in stock. A 10 minute job turned into an hour real quick.

On a plus note, I added Bel Ray primary fluid and the short test ride for a few blocks gave really smooth shifting, hopefully that keeps up.

 

[Zedbra]

Replaced my leaking Clarity derby cover with a Barnett. With the Bel-Ray red primary fluid, it looks like clutch murder. I like it.

https://i.imgur.com/UOVelbt.mp4