And I’m not talking about going down the road. I was walking the Hog backwards out of the barn onto our rough gravel driveway this morning (Sun). My foot slipped on some rocks and I know it was going to fall towards me. I’ve been in this situation before with the big bikes I’ve had in the in the 30+ years ago. All you can do is guide the bike down because it’s coming down – no stopping the 750 lb motorcycle. Since it has crash bars in the front and rear – no bigee. It just leans over on them. No damage what so ever. Since it’s so heavy I get only one try to upright it. Otherwise it’s time to call for help. I did it in the past most of the time. I figured I would wait and let my batteries recharge for the big lift. Since it was laying over I figured it was a good time to degrease it. I broke out a can and squirted the entire bike. Then I hosed it down. It got a lot of very old grease off. Then it was time to stand it up. Being I was 30 years older I had my doubts about putting this big old hog up. There wasn’t gonna be a second time. I pulled up my pants and went for it. It went up. I still got it baby. I immediately went and got some back pain pills. I then degreased the other side. Not too bad with all that oil/grease off. Now it just looks like an old bike that isn’t all greasy/oily - like me now.
I worked on the running lights, turn signals, fog lights, brake lights, radio and got them all working to include the horn. It was just loose or bad connections. I then adjusted the clutch cable the remaining distance I could. It needs a clutch cable for sure or a trick to shorten the cable. It’s stretched out to its max. I worked on the rear air shocks and got them to work. The front air shocks are still a mystery. Instead of having a bunch of oil leaks it appears that I have only two that need to be repaired. One is a rocker box if you know what that is. The radio & speakers were new and it rocks real loud with no distortion.
I’m no mechanic or want to give you that impression. If I see something that is not connected, I can connect it. I can take something very simple apart and put it back together after I clean it. That’s it!
Oh yea, yesterday, I called a Harley dealer to see if I could get the internal engine/trans/clutch checked out and all that stuff on the 1985 Harley. They said, “Sorry sir, we don’t and a lot of Harley dealers don’t work on anything that old.” Talk about feeling old. Smack - right in the face. My last three Harleys were from around the early 80’s. Well, I guess 30 years is a long time. I guess today’s mechanics can’t diagnosis unless they can plug into the bike’s computer. This “old bike” has no computers or even fuel injection. Too complicated for today’s so called “mechanics.”
The leather saddlebags are hard as rocks and dirty. Any ideas?
See ya………………….
