If only I knew...

Sometimes, the easiest things appear to be the hardest. I wanted to change the rear unit oil on the bike. Based on the owners manual, there are two plugs, one to drain, one to fill/inspect. But the hub is buried somewhere in the back of the bike, behind the hard saddlebags, beneath the passenger seat, totally hidden from sight. How would I be able to get to it? Jack up the bike high enough to get under it? Take the seat mounting apart? Pull the saddlebags off the bike? take the muffler off? So since I had the dealer do it once at the end of the 600 mile break-in period, I figured it was "good enough" and hoped that nothing needed attention.

Well, on the Vulcan Riders and Owners Club, an internet based group of riders who either ride or used to ride Vulcan Motorcycles (like my Nomad), this came up. Within a minute, one of the guys tells me - 2 bolts, the bag comes off, and there ya go!

Sure enough, 5 mins later, the bag was sitting on the workbench and I was draining the rear unit oil. Couldn't have been easier!

Sometimes, just a few words of experience can make a WORLD of difference! So now I am ready for the next rally in 2 weeks - at Interlochen, Michigan! Did a dry run packing for the rally. Everything is on the bike, have a few straps to tie up when I do it for real. And best of all, plenty of room for more if necessary.

Findlay's Bike Bash '07

Findlay had a great Biker Bash 07 tonight, a block party right downtown where they cordoned off a city block, gave all bikes a place to park, listen to good live music, and share in food and drinks (mostly non-alcoholic!!!) of the local businesses. My favorite is Coffee Amici – a place that I stop at every time I go through Findlay Benefits went to United Way.

Here was the bikes that had arrived by 6pm. The crowd basically doubled throughout the night.

The band….from Coffee Amici

A harley girl bike!

All kinds of people on a great warm evening– a Family event!

One of the best activities was checking out all the bikes. A lot of Harleys, and quite a few Goldwings. But I did notice three Vulcans beside mine. Anyone recognize whose bikes these are?

Full Weekend Ride, Fri - Sun

Took a Weekend Long ride - Lima area; lakes, general sights, great food. But to start off with, I ran into a place called "Lugnut's". The guy who hosted our GLVROC site's name is Lugnut! So I had to snap this for him..

One of the first places we went to was Grand Lake St Marys. Met some nice people in town, saw some great sights as we rode around the lake. Then we stopped at a swimming beach. Brought the swim trunks, but the winds were really stiff, and it was a bit cool to go jumping into the water. But we stopped, had a break, and took some pics...



Not to be outdone, Buddy excited about being near the water. He took a walk along the rocky shore, and decided to climb a tree. But, typical of buddy, he could not figure out how to get down! So I snapped a pic, and then helped him down. I do have to admit, I was tempted to leave him there and run...run...run... But I could not do that to him.




Then we went for a ride to Lake Loramie State Park. A beautiful, small lake with lots of little turn ins to enjoy the views, the fishing. We rode around the lake for awhile and found a beautiful little park where we sat, relaxed again, and enjoyed the views. Took a couple pics, but here is one of the best.



We all stayed at a hotel called America's Best Value just north of Lima. When I first pulled in, I was greeted by what looked like an abandoned parking lot, in an industrial area, with only a few cars and a few semi's. The building looked a little austere and was far from a manicured hotel like Hyatt or Hilton. But when I went inside, it was completely different. The lobby was top notch, and meticulously clean. The owner was very friendly and wanted to make our stay the best. He even put me in a room where I could watch over my bike, and park it in a sheltered area if it started to rain! The bar was uniquely laid out, but had people who were just as friendly if not a bit quaint. The room was HUGE with a REAL Kingsize bed (ever see that in a Hilton despite what you reserve???). The room decor was a little rough and needed some cosmetic repair. But nothing that was significant or overwhelming. It was perfect for a bunch of riders who needed a comfy place to crash after a day's ride.

Now the voltmeter...

Just received the voltmeter today (far right gauge). Mounted it in a racing chrome cup. Aesthetically, it glows a nice muted green, matching Kermit's primary color. Now I can monitor the battery, ensuring a sufficient charge. Took about 2 hours to do... Now all set for that weekend ride!!!

Have to get a better picture to show how it fits into the overall bike design...

Mounted Chuckster's Risers

Just mounted Chuckster's 2" risers. Look great, clears the speedo, and get a better view of tach. Cant wait to try them out tomorrow, see if it makes the ride even more comfortable!

Click the pics to see larger image. Email Chuckster if you are interested. Prices start at $46 shipped in US. chuckster1_31@comcast.net

2nd day ride

Got a call from Henry asking if I wanted to go for a ride. Well, I was gone much of yesterday on the bike, so I said sure, if we can limit it to about an hour. That way no one at home would be upset about me being gone AGAIN..

Well he and his sister's daughter's fiance joined us. With me having the only time limit, I took the lead. At 3:30, we started by making a short run to Marion. Took a couple pictures, and i decided we should head up to Bucyrus. Headed across route 30, back down 23 into Delaware and then back to Marysville.

Finally, hit home at about 7:30. not to bad for a "one hour ride"! We took a couple long breaks, shot the sh!t, and let the fiance rest and recoup (he is new to riding).