Well...after 11 years (7 of which I've owned it), things have begun to wear out on the sled.
I won't count the Rocker Box Gaskets...that's a given.
You may have already read my "jumped the rim" story. Which, I'm now told I could've been involved with a lawsuit against Dunlop for that model tire. Oh well..I lived. So should they.
The new pipes (pics coming) replaced the old V&H Straight Shots with Slash-Cut Short Shots (not designed for the FXR btw...we had to fabricate a bracket and fit the set for Dynas. The only V&H pipes made for FXRs now are the Straight Cut Shorties....blech!!!) A day into it, I hear squeaking and see the bracket rubbing the frame and we installed spacers to move the pipe out a bit.
I'm extremely pleasantly surprised with the exhaust note. Very deep and resonant. Plus, I had no idea how much back pressure I was losing on the old pipes. Not having removed the heat shields, I didn't realize how destroyed/spider cracked the head pipes were.
New pipes with proper setup = much smoother running sled.
No sooner did I get her home...the sporadic oil weep from under the cam gear case. Turns out the new pipes being tightly attached caused a bit more vibration to the engine and some of the bolts came loose. However, I replaced the cam seal & gasket. The job was half done anyway right?
Week later, why is there oil now dropping from under the primary? Can't see any leaks. And it doesn't drip every time I park it. Where is this new oil dropping from?
Ah...Shifter shaft seal. Of course. A year in the AZ desert tends to dry everything quicker, and 11 years of exposure + one year in the sun...Makes sense.
Unfortunately, I don't have the time to pull the primary and all that comes with it for this one. I'm working too much. So, I bring her to my local wrench (plug here for Bill at Desert Custom Cycles in Mesa, AZ) and he does the job in a couple of hours and the fiscal damage is minimal.
But...when he replaced the toe-shifter, he set it at about a 20-degree angle. My ankles don't like that kind of upshift. But, I ride her home and shift with my boot heel way up on the peg and rough it.
Of course...why isn't my neutral sensor light working? I'm in N. No light.
Well, I took the shifter arm off and re-set it to my foot's liking, and made plans to see about a new neutral switch, but somewhere about 3 minutes into my ride, I come to a red light, and bang! The indicator's working again, and I have no further issues.
So...for now, it appears we've given the girl a bit of work...I like to call it "The Scottsdale." Anyone who's ever lived here, knows what I mean
...Just in time for it to be 105 tomorrow.
Awesome!
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Topic: Been a busy couple of months. (Read 1351 times)