rode about 80 miles today.windy again but nice nonetheless.*** end looks so much better without that factory license plate holder hanging off the back.

 

I rode it, 30*F is still good...

 

Mine's been in a storage unit for a couple of weeks, so I topped off the gas with some Sta-Bil treated ethanol free gas (had to drive nearly an hour to get it, yeesh), and fired it up... eventually. Was about 37F here, but took ages to get it warmed up. Didn't have time for a ride, and still too much ice for safety, but at least I FINALLY got it treated. First clear road day above 40F that I'm not working, I'm getting out there ASAP. Hopefully the balaclava I ordered weeks ago will FINALLY arrive by then, but that's a whole other story.

I tell yah, those 5 gallon "spill proof" gas cans from Lowe's are convenient to buy, but a PITA to use. Comes out as little more than a trickle.

 

I can't stand most of the gas cans made today because of all the idiot-proof spouts.
They suck. A buddy told me about this 4-AA battery powered electric pump, so
I got one of those and it works great! I love it. Auto-shutoff too....




T.

 

I'm going to try and get out again tomorrow for a while. From what the weather is forecast to be after that, it will probably be the last for the year.

No matter though, I have new chrome sliders, Progressive monotubes, and new front tire ready to be installed. The shop I use said they will be slow after the first of the year so the bike's front end will be coming apart for that. When all that's buttoned back up, the new rear tire will be going on.

During the winter I do make sure the tank is full with Stabil added. I agree, these new government approved gas cans are a PITA.

 

The really old red cans didn't have a spill problem. Then the government stepped in to protect us from ourselves. Fortunately, I still have a couple of the old ones that I also keep non-ethanol stabilized gas in. Whenever there is a warm day, I go for a ride and when I come back, I can top off the tank. When the bike sits, I keep it hooked up to the Battery Tender with a long extension cord that allows me to move the bike a few inches every few days on the cold garage floor, to prevent flat spots in the tires.

 

Just stood in a cold garage and gazed upon my bike for a full ten minutes . Soon be summer again .

 

So, I'm trying the FortNine approach this year: cardboard box on the floor to lessen flat spot potential, and just fire it up every week or two to try to keep the battery alive. There's no indoor plug for a tender, so the hope is to just exercise it enough when it's too cold/icy to actually ride. No more missing out on surprise 50+F days because it's locked up at the dealer. And at this rate, if the forecast stays how it's looking right now, I might finally get out again on Saturday! *fingers crossed*

 

I would not be tempted to start the bike if I wasn't going to ride it. In order for the battery to get anything like a recharge after starting you will have to keep the engine at a high idle constantly for quite sometime I would think.

Do you have a much bigger car battery you could hook up in parallel?

 

Flat spots on tyres ( Tires ) ? Is this really an issue ?