Gertrude's Getting Close...

[GrandpaDenny]

...to 100k miles. Hit 99k day before yesterday. Will she hit 100k by xmas? Probably not, as she's going in for surgery on the 18th (new carb and lower airbox, fork oil change, clutch spider springs). Wow I just realized that's only a week away!

The guy doing the work is the guy with the Concours 1400 we like to chase around the mountains. So, I would hazard a guess that Gertrude's maiden voyage after coming out of hospital will involve a high-speed run on the PA Turnpike to somewhere out in The Mountainous Twisties, and probably 5-600 miles (and a hundred bucks of gas LOL), so maybe by New Year's she'll hit 100k. It's been a while since Gertrude and Blue have danced together.

Here's a pic from I believe last time we ran together.

[Nails]

I wonder what's wrong, that photos show upside-down until you click on them?

[GrandpaDenny]

Meh. I think you're imagining it ROFL. Sometimes pictures do that - they look fine on one's computer or phone, but when uploaded they're rotated - sometimes 90 degrees, sometimes 180. Then clicking on them, they show up correctly. Not the first time I've seen it, although I believe it is the first time I've experienced it with one of my photos.

Could also be a reflection of the personalities of the owners of the two bikes - we're both a little off-kilter, I guess. And then there's his wife, Carol... she's afraid to ride on the back of anybody's bike except Blue, but is perfectly content on Blue at 170mph.

I've told you guys about running on a rough road in the mountains above Emporia, PA, where she was hanging on for dear life at 15 mph, right? I went by them drinking coffee. Bit of a suspension difference between Gertrude and Blue, I'd say.

[cushman eagle]

...to 100k miles. Hit 99k day before yesterday. Will she hit 100k by xmas? Probably not, as she's going in for surgery on the 18th (new carb and lower airbox, fork oil change, clutch spider springs). Wow I just realized that's only a week away!

The guy doing the work is the guy with the Concours 1400 we like to chase around the mountains. So, I would hazard a guess that Gertrude's maiden voyage after coming out of hospital will involve a high-speed run on the PA Turnpike to somewhere out in The Mountainous Twisties, and probably 5-600 miles (and a hundred bucks of gas LOL), so maybe by New Year's she'll hit 100k. It's been a while since Gertrude and Blue have danced together.

Here's a pic from I believe last time we ran together.
Gertrude and Blue.jpg

Hey,GrandpaDenny,I live in NE Ohio,and I am not seeing any weather in the forcast to plan on any 100+ mile rides this winter
The last ride I had I was listening to OSU give the win to Michigan
I should have changed stations,and stayed on the bike a couple hours longer

[Nails]

Your bike has a radio?

[cushman eagle]

Your bike has a radio?

Sure does ,Nails,there are times I enjoy listening to it ,and times I just shut it off.

[GrandpaDenny]

Your bike has a radio?

Sure does ,Nails,there are times I enjoy listening to it ,and times I just shut it off.

Since I've put the bluetooth hub (Sena SR10) on the bike, and also my helmet bluetooth communicator has a built-in FM radio, I don't listen to the bike's radio that much anymore.

Got back from a club ride yesterday, 99,981 miles. If I'd've noticed before I took my helmet and gloves off, like whilst still riding, I would've stayed out another 19 miles. So close!

[cushman eagle]

Hey,GrandpaDenny,a quick trip to a steak dinner at Texas Roadhouse will have you a[ brand new] VXII
Congratulations
With all the salt on the roads here,it has been 5 weeks since I have had y bike out.

[GrandpaDenny]

Gertrude went dancing today in the hills of NE PA, a run called the New Tripoli Twisties. Her dancing partner was a modified 1995 Concours 1000. Gertrude not only held her own but excelled, leaving the Concours behind in a couple of difficult sections. The C10's driver was my buddy with the Concours 14 that I've mentioned before; the C10 a machine that he'd just got done working on for a customer - it was a test drive, and that bike's first voyage in over ten years. So he didn't try to scrub the tires. I'm sure the Concours is faster and more nimble than a VXII - this was shown when he opened it wide open a couple of times. However, he didn't blow my doors off, like he does with his C14.

So I got to check out the C10, and I like! It's so similar to the VXII in so many ways. For those who may not know, the Concours 1000 and the Voyager XII are very closely related. The Voyager XII is pretty much a Concours modified for American highway cruising - American style touring, whereas the Concours was designed for European-style touring. The difference is the wide-open distances in the US.

Man I can't wait to get the new carbs in. Later this week! New carbs, change the fork oil (going to 20wt), replace the spider springs in the clutch, service the steering head bearings, and a couple of other small things.

Oh... and Gertrude now has almost 102,000 miles on her!

AND I figured out yesterday what the weird noise I sometimes hear is. See, there's this noise that appears occasionally, usually at highway speeds, that sounds to me like the noise you hear when a radiator hose pops on a car. It comes on suddenly, doesn't waver with engine speed, and stops suddenly somewhere between 20 and 40 mph. So yesterday I happened to be watching the speedo whilst slowing down and when the noise stopped at 40mph I saw the speedo needle jump a little. So the noise, I believe, is the speedometer or the speedo cable.

It didn't make the noise at all today, BTW.

[cushman eagle]

GranpaDenny,to put that many miles in the weather we have been having means you got more guts then I do.
I assume your weather is about like ours in NE Ohio
I also assume you have been lubing your speedo drive gear box and cable when you have the front tire off for replacement.

[GrandpaDenny]

GranpaDenny,to put that many miles in the weather we have been having means you got more guts then I do.
I assume your weather is about like ours in NE Ohio
I also assume you have been lubing your speedo drive gear box and cable when you have the front tire off for replacement.

No measurable snow at all here all winter. It was colder than a witches t*t in a brass bra towards the end of last year (I've never really understood that expression, all the Witches I've known have been nice and warm...) but other than that it's been unusually warm here overall. Robins have been out for a couple of weeks! So no winter for us this year. I'm starting to look into moving to Vermont or Canada - after growing up in Phoenix, working in steamy ship engine rooms, and living in Florida for 25 years, I'm done with the heat.