How fast was that...?

This morning on the way in to work, I made a little detour to our local UPS Centre. I picked up the errant spotlight for Baby's light bar. Sometime today, I expect to receive a phone call from my Honda dealership, informing me that my Kury Stiletto pegs are in and ready to be picked up as well. These constitute the very last parts that I require for Baby to be back on the road.

Last night after arriving home, I had a great supper of salad and chicken (buck-buck, as I like to call it...) prepared by my dear woman. I sat in the recliner, just happy to be able to rest. I had really been dragging my ass by the time she picked me up at work. Now I was finally home and able to relax. She has been negotiating the purchase of a Mazda MPV recently, through one of the dealers along Youville Drive in Orleans. She wanted to R/V with the sales rep to take it out for a test drive and sort out a trade-in deal for our Buick. Not being in any shape or frame of mind to deal with such matters, I opted to stay where I was and let her sally forth on her own.

As the evening progressed, I thought about the work I had done so far on the bike. The mirrors, grips and forward control extensions had been installed, the shifter plate and shifter lever had both been straightened... she had come some distance so far. Then it occurred to me that the bolts holding the extension plates had been reversed. The job was not yet complete. I would have to remove the two longer chrome bolts from the left-hand side and replace them with the two shorter ones from the right-hand side bracket. Once that had been done and the fittings properly torqued to 29 ft./lbs., then I could consider the project done.

"That's okay", I told myself. "I'll just change out one at a time. That'll make it easier...". And so I did. Before too long, I had finished. I stood looking at my handywork, but could not muster the feeling of accomplishment I wanted to. Why was that? Then it dawned on me. During the disassembly phase, I had disconnected the old rubber brake line and replaced it with a nice, new braided stainless one. During the swap, I had lost a considerable amount of brake fluid from the system. I still had to re-fill the rear master cylinder and bleed the rear brake system. I wasn't done yet. My mind then wandered to the other master cylinder, the one which supplies my hydraulic clutch. I had promised myself to bleed and replace it's fluid as well, once I had finished adjusting the length of the new shifter rod assembly.

Each one of these jobs takes approximately 20 minutes to complete. Hardly a day of slave labour, with tunes, cold drinks, a large fan providing a nice breeze and recirculating the air in the garage. Notably with the door open. Even as a conservative estimate, it would be safe to say that Baby will be road-ready in every respect, before this Friday. All I am required to do is to avoid giving in to this fatigue that washes over me at the end of the day. My wife thinks me silly to carry on working on the bike, when all my body wants to do is rest. It is precisely this brand of stubborn, pig-headedness which will stand me in good stead when I begin my physiotherapy. There are occasions in life when a person must perform actions or chores, regardless of whether or not they feel like it. Redardless of whether they engender pain or discomfort. Military training and conditioning go against taking the easy way out. We are made of stronger stuff...

With any luck, I will be able to enlist the aid of my riding buddies or my daughter. One hand will only get you so far, but with family of either type involved, the sky's the limit...

Where has my summer gone...?

I note as I sit here, that we are currently at the 12th of August. This morning I noticed as I stepped outside, there was a distinct coolness to the air. It has been 23 days since the accident. 3 weeks and 2 days without riding. What remains of summer, is slipping away inexorably... like grains of sand through my fingers. I suppose I'm feeling somewhat melancholic because I have yet to resign myself to missing the rest of the riding season. I refuse to accept that it's a done deal for this year...

Yes, there is still that little voice inside of me that's saying: "Well c'mon... be realistic. You haven't even started physio yet! Your shoulder is still mending from the surgery. They can't possibly start you on any physio program before it's healed...". I know this. I accept it. But still, I remained convinced that as soon as I'm cleared to start my physio, I'll be at it like gangbusters. I am convinced that I can regain enough mobility to ride safely and competently, before the weather turns too cold and the snow flies. After all, I only need a nice weekend to accomplish the present goal I've set for myself. The trip to Syracuse, NY.

http://www.dinosaurbarbque.com/

In the meantime, for those first few shorter trips, there is always Merrickville, Almonte, Smith Falls, Montreal, Morrisburg, Iroquois, Brockville, etc... I will take those rides to focus on my basics and gauge my own performance at the controls. Once I'm happy with that, I'll invite my spouse to come along if she wishes. Then hopefully, we'll get to do Syracuse again. Even if she decides not to go or follows in the vehicle. Once the snow flies, I'll spend the winter working my body. Getting stronger, improving my flexibility, maybe even shedding a few pounds... This accident will not end up being something which rendered me less capable. It will be an event which galvanized me into action and which will have left me more fit and capable that ever. It will be so because I wish it to be. I have the will, the drive, the focus, the strength of character required. I have this, my passion for the ride... to commune with my iron horse, my trusty steed, as we lean, bend and swoop as one, along the highways and byways.

Almost against my will, I am already planning what projects I might undertake on Baby this winter. True, there is very little left which might be done to her, other than a few small aesthetic additions. There is the matter of the license plate bracket. That should really be replaced by something a little classier:

http://www.kuryakyn.com/products.asp?bn=metric&ci=2991

Then there is the matter of cleaning up the rear fittings such as axles, plugs, caps, etc... Maybe a chrome cover set for the back end of the frame around the swingarm pivot area, and one for the drive shaft itself...

http://www.bigbikeparts.com/images/productimages/55-134.jpg

http://www.kuryakyn.com/products.asp?bn=metric&ci=3452

She has treated me very well, has provided me with untold hours of pleasure as we've travelled along. It's the very least I can do for her. But that will be for this winter. Winter is not here yet. Nor is fall...
Though it may feel like it at times, my summer is not yet gone. Not yet...

A great weekend...

Saturday was a little unusual, I suppose. Normally, we would have been out on a road trip with Baby. This week, we had to settle for the car. Mind you, with the sun roof open and the windows rolled down, it was a close second for getting my weekly dose of wind. We headed out to Cornwall, then to Massena, NY. The 138 which runs off the 417 Highway and leads South into Cornwall, is a very pretty little road. It's well maintained and scenic, as it winds through the countryside. Traffic was relatively light. We trundled along at a sedate 80kmh, just enjoying the day.

There was a bit of a lineup once we hit US Customs. It probably took us at least a half hour before we were on our way to the St.Lawrence Mall. Once there, I grabbed a bite to eat while my spouse went off in search of cool bargains. I was happy to stooge in the food court, though eventually I did limp over to their Sear's store, where I always find some incredible deals on tools. I was just lookin' this time around, though. I eventually met up with her and we both headed to Steve & Barry's. We were informed that the store would be closing down!! I have to admit I was not overly surprised, though I was disappointed. It is such a great outlet for clothing! Everything in the store is $9.86 US. Everthing!! No wonder they couldn't reap enough profit to keep it going...

Following the Mall, we went to the local Ponderosa for lunch. We both opted for the buffet, where for $9.50 you can eat until you fall on your head. The food is great! They generally have at least 2 types of chicken dishes, spare ribs, meat balls, mac and cheese, all manner of veggies, different types of spuds, chicken fingers, beef and a couple of soups. They have a very good assortment of desserts as well, including fruit cocktail, jello, pudding, cake and cookies. They also have an ice cream fountain, as if the rest wasn't enough. It's mental... For $1.00 more, they'll throw in an 8 oz. steak that you can chow down on for dessert.

After having our fill, we decided that we should investigate other surrounding towns for any possible motorcycle parts' dealers. We thought of going to Malone, but were advised that the nearest dealer was in Pottsdam, NY. So off we went, running the back roads looking for Pottsdam. It was a very pleasant ride, I'd have to say. I made a mental note to come back and retrace our footsteps once I was back in the saddle again. The roads were great and so was the scenery, although one should bear in mind that the NY State Troopers exert a constant presence here. Yes, even along the back roads... as witnessed by a local who was seen being detained by one of New York State's finest, along with his over-eager Porsche.

We located Sovie's, the local Harley dealer just outside Pottsdam village. According to the sign, they also supposedly sold and serviced Hondas, but at the parts counter inside, it was clear that they were there to serve the Hurgle-Durgle crowd exclusively. I thought I might be able to pick up a set of KuryAkyn Stiletto pegs for cheap, but the lad who waited on us didn't have a clue. He claimed to be unaware that KuryAkyn actually produced a catalog for all the metric versions (read: non-Harleys...) of their custom parts. Frustrated by such stupidity, we left. It goes without saying that I will never again darken their doorstep and that I wouldn't piss on that lad if his head was on fire. We kept on the back roads until we reached Ogdensburg, where we crossed back over into Canada. By now, I was in a hurry to get back home and just chill. Sunday would be another day. One devoted to working on Baby.

For starters, I would have to say that never again will I take for granted, having two operational arms and hands!! This after having spent Sunday wrenching on Baby, trying to get her road worthy. Attempting to use two box wrenches to tighten a brake line, with one operational arm, is not a feat I look forward to repeating any time soon.

Working on Baby or any other other bike, is something which I normally do accompanied by some soothing tunes on the shop's sound system. It's generally a relaxing, therapeutic affair. Yesterday was more like a marathon. By the time I packed it in, I was exhausted. It had it's share of frustrating moments, but I would just take a step back, go for a short union break and restart fresh. I installed the new grips and actually supplemented them with a set of Kury Stiletto end caps. They look great! While I was at it, I cleaned up the throttle sleeve and lubed the handlebar and throttle cables with a teflon-based lubricant. The throttle operation is now slick and effortless, as it should be. I remember thinking to myself that this is one Hell of a way to finally get me to do my planned maintenance...

Following the installation of the new grips, I then proceded to replace the clutch and front brake levers. The areas were cleaned out thoroughly and re-greased as needed. She now looks better than ever, what with the new mirrors as well...

I disassembled the left and right foot peg assemblies and installed the forward control extensions. On the brake side, this also involved the installation of a replacement braided stainless steel brake line. Very nice! Once I was done, I noted that the bolts on the left side appeared longer than the ones on the right side. I had transposed the bolts, not realizing that one set were 100mm and the other set was 120mm. D-Oh!! I will switch them out when I return home this evening and retorque them.

I took time out and cruised on over to the dealership, to order a set of Kury Stiletto Iso-Pegs. They should be in by Wednesday of this week. Outside of the left-hand side gas tank medallion, they are the last items on the list. I am still playing tag with the UPS man, as far as the mini spotlight goes. They attempted to deliver the light on Friday, but of course nobody was home at the time. I have since contacted UPS and will have them hold the mirror at their warehouse on Stevenage Drive, so that I might pick it up in person...maybe tomorrow.

The left hand rear turn signal has a slight bend to it, no doubt caused bt the saddlebag when it left the rail. I'll have to remove it and see what all I can do about that. I have decided that this winter, I will install the Kury license plate bracket and mini lights combo. Baby deserves it...

http://www.kuryakyn.com/products.asp?bn=metric&ci=2991

That and a new set of Avon tires, will have her ready for another season of adventure. The windshield? I'll leave her as is, for the time being. It's still plenty serviceable and it won't hurt me to have this little reminder.

All in all, it was a very good weekend and I feel much better for it.

More progress...

Yesterday evening about 1915hrs, I slid on my sandals and wandered out around the corner from our place to our community mailbox, to see if we had received any mail that day. Arriving at the mailbox, I found the red key, indicating that I had an oversized piece of mail in the bottom locker. Upon opening it, I found a package from fellow VTX-er Big Dave from Waubaushene, ON. The postage alone (Expresspost) had cost him over $10.00...

True to his word, he had shipped me his set of stock '05 and up mirrors, complete with bugs. I was elated! Hurrying home (well okay... at a fast hobble) I opened the package, recording each step, to be posted later on in my Facebook album entitled: "Fixin' Baby". I removed the old mirrors, which were in fact rectangular in shape. These new ones were teardrop-shaped and would give Baby a new look which I really like.

I cleaned up the new mirrors and installed them in about 20 minutes. They look great! Today as I sit writing this, I am equally hopeful that more parts will materialize at the dealer's or again, in my mailbox (the spotlight replacement from Big Bike Parts in Rice Lake, WI). Saturday will be mostly taken up with a road trip to Massena, NY (yes...by car, unfortunately), but I will begin wrenching upon our return that evening and on into Sunday.

It's all coming together, slowly but surely...

A big vote of thanks goes out to my VTX family, for helping me get back on track!

Updated sitrep...

So this morning saw a return visit to the OGH, for another check-up with Dr. Pollock. 5 new x-rays later and we were chatting about the progress I had made. Already, there are signs of new bone growing where the graft and metallic rebuild parts are located. As hoped for, I am now minus yet another bandage (the one on my right forearm), which now leaves only that one on my knee. Once I'm rid of that one, I'll actually be able to shower again!! I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to that...

The good doctor was kind enough to renew my prescription for pain meds, so that I might have a fighting chance at getting some sleep at night. Some parts have begun arriving at the dealership, enough to give me something to do over the weekend. The forward control plates have yet to show up, but at least the grips, levers, shifter peg cover and shifter plate bolts have materialized. With any luck at all, I might receive the new spotlight by mail before Friday is done.

Things are turning around. My positive outlook has been rewarded by some good news and my body is well on the mend. My VTX brethren have all reached Cabano, QC safely. I wish them a wonderful time and wish I could be with them. It's just not meant to be this year, sad as it might seem. There will be other runs to attend, when all is well with the world. In the meantime, my work is cut out for me. Mind the doctor, get well and think positive! Syracuse cannot be all that far away...

State of the Union...

It's now been roughly two and a half weeks since my 'unplanned get-off'. All in all, my recovery is coming along quite well. I'm down to only two bandaged sites, one of which (my right forearm) should be discontinued this week sometime. The road rash sustained on my left forearm has healed remarkably well. So much so that I don't anticipate any scarring whatsoever. That will leave only my knee. My dressings are now changed every three days, as opposed to every day. A good sign. The sprain in my ankle still causes me to limp slightly and the swelling has yet to subside to any appreciable degree. I will concentrate on that from this day on, though it's impossible to not use it.

My shoulder of course, remains the sticking point and will be for some time, I'm sure. It is a constant source of pain and I have been off pain meds since three days after having left the hospital. This has led to a shortage of actual sleep hours, as it's prety much impossible to find a comfortable position in which to sleep at night.

Last night however, I actually managed to grab some shut-eye in two to three hour blocks. A marked improvement. So the progress continues, seemingly unabated. I am hopeful that my next appointment with my surgeon, slated for tomorrow at 0900, will provide me with some insight as to what is next on the agenda.

As for Baby, she waits patiently on her lift. The broken and scraped parts have been removed and she's been cleaned up. Most required replacement parts have been ordered or have been sent by mail to me, from my good brothers of the Canadian VTX Riders crew. By week's end, I will be doing some more wrenching on Baby, as I begin replacing those parts. The anticipation is just like Christmas when I was a wee lad. I'll drain and replace the hydraulic clutch fluid while I'm at it, as well as bleeding the front and rear brakes. It's all therapy for me. Physical as well as emotional. We'll heal together...

On the fraternity of riding...

Over my years of military service, I always felt a common bond with my fellow military, male and female. Not only for those I served with here at home, but for all military personnel of the free world, wherever they might be.

I have also noted over the years, that the same type of bond exists between most riders, if to a lesser extent. We are all part of a larger family and tend to be supportive of one another, regardless of what make or model bike we happen to ride (well okay, certain "Harleys Only" morons exluded...). I recently posted an article on the VTX Riders' website, basically describing what all I had been up to and the progress I had made to date. It was not long until I began receiving not only replies filled with good wishes and encouragement, but offers to supply whatever parts they could, so that Baby might once more be out in the wind.

http://www.canadianxriders.com/

Although certainly not surprised, I was genuinely touched by such generous offers. Big Dave has mailed a set of stock mirrors (both left and right), so that I might replace the left one. Mal has generously offered the port side VTX tank medallion. As he noted, it's from a fast, black bike, so it won't slow Baby down any. All the other parts required have been ordered, except for the foot pegs. I will order those in a couple of weeks, once I have paid off the other items.

My present goal is this: I have a little less than 3 months to recover enough to be able to ride. Once I am fit to ride, I plan on taking one last trip to Syracuse, NY to try those famous Dinosaur Bar-B-Q ribs. I'll bring back an order of pulled pork B-B-Q sandwiches to eat a little later on. That's my goal. If you don't have a goal, how do you work towards something?

It's all up to my healing. How well my body can recover from this latest setback... when I can begin my physiotherapy... when I can attain the desired amount of mobility in my arm. Good food, rest, exercise. I already have plenty of drive. As I mentioned to my home nurse, when she enquired as to whether I planned on riding again: "Ma'am... I'm Navy. The Senior Service! And you simply cannot stop us!!"

Hooo-ah!!!