Well.....Bye.

[Cooter]

I don't do early so for me to get up at 5am to meet the guys and ride the hill on a beat-the-heat schedule means I'm serious.

My 5am alarm has the motorcycle engine tone to keep my bitching down (a little). Slam a cup of coffee and a breakfast bar, squeeze my new covid belly into my old suit, and ennie meenie minie... I'll take the EBR! and super excited to have it on the street today I like my neighbors so I roll down the hill a ways before I start them that early and damn... forgot the key.
(Insert forboding tone)
It's not far, but I'm sweating in my helmet to hustle back up the hill to get it. It's MUCH too early to sweat
Riding the first block I notice that when I converted from track trim, I forgot the mirrors, and 3 blocks later I remember the turn signals too. Oh well, it's only LA traffic. No one uses those things here anyway
I have 30 minutes to make the 45 minute ride to Pasadena and thankfully its light traffic. I'm back to stock gearing so 5th is still fine at a 90mph average (allegedly). Pretty obvious now that Erik had the track in mind when he built it. I'm SUPER excited to ride today, and when I see every one brought their fast bikes too I'm positively giddy! No ADV's no Su-Mo's, all liter-plus sport bikes, a few Porsches to follow, and we are all ready to rip!

Until I see the water drops under my bike. ****ing Hell:mad-new:. This thing get the most mechanical attention by me and the most ribbing from my Panigale riding buddies. Pissed (and embarrassed), I'm heading home, whining in my helmet the whole way.
It's pissing water from the weep hole in the water pump, that is all part of the engine cover I JUST replaced. Ya. That new one.
The water pump sits right behind the rear exhaust pipe.
Which means it needs to be removed.
Which means the engine needs to be removed.
Which means I need to literally split the bike in half.
Again.
I'm having issues with stuff lately, and its ALL been "brand new" stuff? WTF? Hands to the sky.... WHHHHYYYYYYY!

 

[Cooter]

By the time I get back to the house, it's still bloody early, I'm already squeezed into my suit, and I am certainly not going back to bed. Theres no way I can catch up with the guys, so plan B is to just go alone and take the Brutalé for a lap around Malibu. I know it sounds like I'm bitching, but I am well aware at how lucky I am

Until it starts smoking.

Muther Fuuuuu...!

Looks like they drained the oil to do the clutch basket job, left some on the headpipe and didn't clean it off. Oddly the 'semi-wet' clutch is high enough on the engine you don't have to even do that, but my now stained, stainless exhaust tells a different story. At least I can keep riding!
Theres very light car traffic this early but a TON of road bikers out to beat the heat as well, which means my apexes are narrowed to a very small lane in order not cross the double yellow, and to avoid the spandex gang going 3-wide at 3mph uphill around right handers.
I'm all for "share the road" but I understand it means "SHARE the road", and it seems most of them do not
Got to the Rock Store the long way, saw some rad bikes from thew Iconic Crew and even had a Jay Leno spotting. In his McClaren P-1, not a bike or a steamer this time, that guy is the pinnacle of legit 'car guy'

What a great day! I nailed it!

Dammit!!!
I'm anal enough this is a $150 new tire nail:down:

 

[Cooter]

I really need to get my riding fix in to clear my head for a 2 week work trip on Monday so I'm not done riding today! The SS is still on the lift at my shop and only 1/2 done with a detail, so irony of ironies the only thing in my garage ready to ride and not leaking is a Harley freaking Davidson?? Who's have ever thought that!

OK Big Bertha. You're next!


Time to find a lunch spot so I'll take a long lap around the Palos Verdes peninsula, grab a bite in San Pedro, and maybe swing by some friends. I got some odd looks before I realize I am still fully suited up complete with scuffed knee pucks, and riding a Road Glide:black_eyed: What a dork:sorrow:

Even got back to my beach just in time for sunset!

And ya know what? If the only thing that HD does, is look good and cruise... It is the perfect tool for that job.


TL;DR
Had a good day:love_heart:

 

[JakaBasej]

I really need to get my riding fix in to clear my head for a 2 week work trip on Monday so I'm not done riding today! The SS is still on the lift at my shop and only 1/2 done with a detail, so irony of ironies the only thing in my garage ready to ride and not leaking is a Harley freaking Davidson?? Who's have ever thought that!

OK Big Bertha. You're next!
View attachment 15710

Time to find a lunch spot so I'll take a long lap around the Palos Verdes peninsula, grab a bite in San Pedro, and maybe swing by some friends. I got some odd looks before I realize I am still fully suited up complete with scuffed knee pucks, and riding a Road Glide:black_eyed: What a dork:sorrow:

Even got back to my beach just in time for sunset!

https://nexthash.com/

https://bezelinvestments.com/

And ya know what? If the only thing that HD does, is look good and cruise... It is the perfect tool for that job.


TL;DR
Had a good day:love_heart:

Oh man I love it I would love to drive around EU with that.

 

[34nineteen]

FYI, here are the coordinates at where that pic was taken.

https://www.google.com/maps/@33.917...4!1sLE3Y-pl1qziykAQjn0RZcw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

 

[Cooter]

Thats true.

Super stalky.... but true!

 

[34nineteen]

I'm guessing the conversation went something like this:

CoOter: Bubbles, I love my new Harley so much. I want to take pictures of it!
Bubbles: We live close to the beach, why not go down there and take a picture of it.
CoOter: Good idea. My Harley is so rad. They really screwed Eric Beull out of his company and name. Do you think Harley will every make Buells again?
Bubbles: (rolls eyes) Lets just go take the pictures.

Cooter: OK! This is the spot. This is perfect. Park the bike in the sand, and I will step back to capture the hydroelectric plant as a back drop. Maybe I can even get a porta potty in the pic.
Bubbles: wait.... what?
CoOter: I know, right?!
Bubbles (rolls eyes): Can we go now?
CoOter: Almost done, just trying to capture the mood of the scene and frame it properly. However, I need to step back so far, I am practically standing in the ocean.
Bubbles: Why not take a picture of the ocean?
CoOter: Thats dumb. I guess we can take a picture of the ocean if you want.
Bubbles: (quietly) I need a drink.

 

[Outlaw]

Sounds very convincing.

 

[Cooter]

Almost like he was there! In the bushes, with binoculars.:concern:

 

[Pitcherman]

Nice bike, did you snap that first picture as you tripped over the sand covered curb?

 

[34nineteen]

Growing up as a kid in So Cal, my mother used to take us kids to a beach in LA called Cherry Beach or Junipero Beach. The waves sucked (the fun beach was Bolsa Chica or Huntington), but it was kind of cool seeing the Queen Mary and the dome where the Spruce Goose was stored. Theyre on the RH side of the pic by the palm tree.

 

[njloco]

The bike is nice the pictures suck, there isn't one can of beer in any of them !

 

[Cooter]

Wheres Beer-Do!

 

[Silverrider]

Awesome ride Coot , I am jelly !
I will trade ya. Includes a 12 pak of your choice.

 

[Cooter]

A classic! Looks super clean SR The white letter Dunlops put it over the top

 

[njloco]

Why are you giving him the 12 pack ? it was my idea !

 

[Silverrider]

I had to change the tires they were the originals 36 yrs old with 12K om them .

 

[Cooter]

Does it have an 8-track? That is so dang cool:applause:

I am also ready for a more straight line adventure. Normally I avoid highways/freeways like the plague (PCH notwithstanding) but I got some 2020 CVO 1.25" bars to replace the silly Chollo ones on Bertha and want to try them out for a couple hundred miles.

WOW! thats was an adventure. 3.5 HOURS to replace handlebars?! I can swap the TH350 transmission in an El Camino faster than that. LITERALLY.

First the whole dang bike comes apart

THIS is the OE solution for running wires through the bars?? 50 wires individually heat shrinked?

I can't even....

and had to bandsaw the $110 billet riser in HALF to clear the ignition switch. Unbelievable.

and whoever put those T bars on it lost a bolt and just stuck in some random 1/2" that was way too short. Only 3 threads in one side of the bars:hororr::stupid:

 

[Silverrider]

That is awesome , !!! Love it . It has a BT please show me how to use it . LOL

 

[34nineteen]

Why are you giving him the 12 pack ? it was my idea !

Plus once you start feeding him beer, he'll never go away.