i live in a camper most of the summer, making money - my wife takes care of everything, i trust her with everything. but she thinks i like shiny parts.... so.. my friends usually set her straight, then i don't have to do it. i figured this crowd would see that if you can pass the decision on, you never have to take the blame.. i can't be the only one who lets one of the guys tell her its needing tires, or whatever... seriously? im the only one who figured that out? they can tell her the truth, and not have to sleep with her....
of course my friends are getting old, and dropping dead... the reason i posted what i did was being asked why im cheap. and guys keep answering questions im not asking.. so i explained.
back to reality, from my 79 sportster bought new in 78 to my 77 glide in the 80's to the 2000 to the 2007 ive ridden mostly stock, mostly on marginal tires, mostly on the cheap. every state west of chicago plus most of canada. if there is any tread on a tire at all its probably ok. the last two bikes are belt the first two were chain. i "think" when it comes to it ill do the cheapest - but belt if its close. so ive asked opinion on chain conversion... i find adjusting belts a complete PITA, but chains don't last as long. my concern about everything durability...
the inner cam bearings i hear about all the time, but not often on stock cams. what is the balance of changing those bearings vs having to take the oil pump apart to get at them?? i hear lots of rumors of oil pumps not being installed right - this one was off when new, lots of blow by new, warranty redid all of it - and after they redid it, its been completely perfect. is is really worth it to remove a perfect pump to change those bearings??? it sure seems grey to me.
lifters on the other hand appear to be a problem. ive done years and years of adjusting lifters - what a total pain. id rather use stock pushrods, its only a little labor to take the tank off to change the lifters. - the current bike only has 35k on it because im becoming a old fart. the questions i pose are in light of riding this bike till i can't ride any more. i never speed any more - i ride because i still like to, not because i give a c(*&^ what i look like any more. its not like 1980 picking up girls... i have to take it apart soon, and i want to replace what will bite me in the next 40k, not what a hot rodding kid would wreck.
for sure - belt, both sprockets, lifters, plugs, plug wires, shifter seal, main drive gear seal, inner primary bearing and seal, rear tire, maybe the compensator... what else will really make a difference?
ive ridding 34000+miles in 4th and 5th gear never use 6th at all - do i need to be thinking of taking the trans out and replacing the needle bearings?
its a stone stock 07 ultra with a sidecar, me and swimbo 590lb together. and it still has a stock compensator, and still has the horrible stock gearing... and its not broken - trying to stave off something breaking - and yes she promised if it grenades i get a short block. id still rather not.
the 00 grenaded the cam chest - hence why i have a 07... - so im a bit jumpy... can't replace the bike - SS is on the horizon so no new anything any more.