Yesterday, while riding with members of the Club Moto Saguenay (of which I am now an honorary member), I noticed that my bike, which was leaking oil from the stator plug - I had noticed the leak a few days before and had been monitoring it - was getting worse. The noise that I thought was coming from bad shifter bushings was getting louder too. With the help of Rejean and Francine, they located a local rider who had some tools for a Harley. He came and looked at my bike and it was decided to take me to Carl Tremblay's shop in Dolbeau-Mitassini.
Rejean on the left and Francine on the right
When we got there, Carl put my bike on a lift and took the primary case off and pulled the rotar - and it's shot as is the plug for the stator. Parts were located at Jonquière Harley to the tune of some $550 plus taxes. Rejean's wife went and picked them up and Rejean promised to deliver them to Carl's bike shop this morning!
Carl on the left talking to Rejean on the right about the parts needed
In spite of the hardship that is going to cause financially on this trip - the bike has to be repaired now or I will be in worse shape in the not too distant future. Carl only charges $45 per hour which is a huge relief! I can't thank Rejean, Francine and the unknown rider who helped me out enough. They are true brothers and sisters of the family wind and in spite of the language barrier they all dug in to help me find the best solution and then took me and my gear to my hotel. I thank Rejean who rides a Goldwing for packing my arse!!!! The bike should be ready this morning and I have to say a huge thank you....these guys and gals helped me and stayed with me late into the night and then rode home in the dark. I am so grateful! I love this community and how we all stick together in tough times. This kind of support and help would probably not happen had I been in a car! Club Moto Saguenay - I am more proud than ever to be an honorary member of your group - you are everything bikers are supposed to be! I will keep you updated on how things work out! Until then, please ride like everyone around you is blind and can not see you! Belt Drive Betty Editor & Rider
Motorcycle safety and awareness begins with the rider.
Riding like everyone around you is blind and can not see you, riding like you know they want to move into the spot you are in - these are two of the MOST important skills that riders can develop to keep them safe...most riders seem to understand that. We hear the banter back and forth over cell phone usage and texting while driving - distracted driving laws are springing up everywhere - we all know the dangers - RIGHT?
Apparently not...
Over the weekend I had a couple of pictures shared with me by by friends on Facebook.
Darwin Award Candidate # 2
After seeing these fine examples of what not to do while riding, I went on a mission to see just how many riders text or use cell phones while riding...there are tons, and tons - here are but a few...
On Youtube:
Below - A rider in India texting while lying back on his bike in traffic...
Below - A cop texting and riding, on his POLICE MOTORCYCLE AT 1:30 in the afternoon!
On Youtube there is a video tagged as Extreme Facebook Update..Like a boss... the man states no reposting without consent so - go to Youtube and type in Extreme Facebook Update...Like a Boss - the video sickens me...
The photo above, I found on Google Image search and comes from the aforementioned video!
No where in the world it seems are we safe from the ones who think they possess superior skills to others...
Then there are those who for whatever reason decide they look good, or cool with as little clothing and gear on as possible:
Or how about those who feel the need to show off in other ways while riding:
And it doesn't end with motorcycles - I found tons of pictures of bicycle riders texting while riding too, here's one good example:
Sadly - I could go on, and on and on....it appears that we humans have become really stupid thanks to the amazing technologies we have in hand.
We riders are always bitching about cagers but seriously - it is time to take a stand folks - a stand against the riders in our community who feel their rights are more important than those of others, who don't understand the simple concept of sharing our communities and the world with others...that forget they have loved ones - family and friends who are going to miss them when they are gone or resent them when they have to play nurse maid for days and weeks or maybe the rest of their lives...
How do we get these people off the road - be they in a cage or semi; on a motorcycle or on a bicycle their selfish, thoughtless and inconsiderate actions cost everyone.
The costs are many - we KNOW that - hospital bills, insurance hikes, extreme police pressure - everyone pays the price for the show off and the self involved, self centred human.
WHAT THE HELL DO WE HAVE TO DO TO GET THROUGH TO PEOPLE?????
I want you to tell me what your thoughts are on the topic of riders using cell phones while riding, the use of bluetooth devices and texting while riding...then I want you to share which me your thoughts on riding wearing shorts, bikinis, tank tops, flip flops etc as opposed to real riding gear. Join the discussion on my Facebook Fan-page - CLICK HERE
In other news:
I finally got out for my first ride of the season - and on a nice clean, shiny ride thanks to Elbow Grease Ventures in Dawson Creek BC - thanks Papa Mike Chemerys...
I feel like a new woman this morning - I so needed that brain clearer - that soul clearer, YAHOOO what a feeling! There is a ton of news in the feeds from the weekend and this morning...check out everything that we uncovered at www.beltdrivebetty.com I am leaving you this morning with a biker's prayer that I discovered when I was at Tattoo Tony's shop in Toronto about 10 days ago, there are many biker's prayers that I have seen over the years, this one really touched something in my soul, I hope you enjoy it!
I hope that you had a great Easter weekend and that you have a fantastic Easter Monday! Belt Drive Betty Editor & Rider
From cracked handlebar mounts to the potential for stalling, quitting while operating, to faulty brakes, there are a ton of recall notices out. Ted Lateurnus of the Globe and Mail has an extensive article on the defects noted by Transport Canada. Leading the way: Harley-Davidson has 28 recall notices Indian - 12 Kawasaki - 7 Ducati - 5 Husaberg - 5 Triumph - 5 Honda - 3 Victory - 2 Vespa & Piaggio - 1 each For more information on Recalls, check the Transport Canada Site - choose English or French and then choose your Make, model and year range...Your life could be at stake.... As we riders in the nether regions of this country start working towards having our machines ready to go for the summer, there are a lot of topics up for discussion: Safety; of the rider and the machine, motorcycle "gangs" and how their interaction with the police services affect us, helmet and other laws, like the motorcycle Only noise bylaws that can affect travel plans and which rally, what vacation spots we want to experience. We have talked politics and law to death of late, what with all of the debates and debacles that have been taking place world wide... Today I want to discuss the good stuff - the reason we all bought motorcycles - I want to know about events and travel destinations you think a person should experience. Our news feeds come from all kinds of sources from around the world and expose us to events that take place in far away places like the eastern cape of South Africa, and the climes of Timaru in New Zealand not to mention those that happen in the US and right in our own back yards. Our Lifestyles - Motorcycle Events Section contains articles from all over the world about international motorcycle events. Our Events Calendars contain information on some 1,400+ Canadian events (everything from racing to coffee nights - rallies to runs) and the news is always filled with articles out of the US about events like Daytona Bike Week, Laughlin, Sturgis and more...there is no shortage of information on where to ride and what events to consider... I would love to know two things... 1st: What event in your hometown or region do you feel is a MUST do and why... 2nd: Tell me about one place or one event that is on your bucket list and what is it that has drawn you to want to experience it. Enquiring minds want to know... There is a TON of news in the feeds from the weekend and this morning for you to check out, visit www.beltdrivebetty.com to see what might affect your day or life as a rider... Our web site is being moved - YET AGAIN - this time to a dedicated server, so that we are not sharing resources with other sites - this will improve the speed of our site immensely but it is also slowing down the streamlining and moving of content. According to our stats, Google has already indexed 458,000 pages of content on the new site! Only 125,000 pages more to move and then, once Ali has the two huge tasks ahead of her accomplished she will begin again on the creation of our new content sections and menus to make the site easier to navigate. Your patience is appreciated as is any feedback on the things you come across on the site that may not be working the way they should... We announced the winners and their prizes in the 2012 Beat the PMS Blues Online Show 'n' Shine - it appears that I am not alone in the suffering from that most debilitating dis - ease as over 100 bikes were entered! I want to take this time to thank all of our sponsors and all who participated either by entering a machine or voting - we all had a hoot! I leave you with a few funnies shared with me by friends on Facebook and through emails...hope they make your Monday a little brighter!
Enjoy your Monday, it brings you one day closer to Friday! Belt Drive Betty Editor & Rider
Have you ever had a tire wear out prematurely and wonder why? Well - I got an education today - one that cost me $300 and will cost me another $225 or better yet! And maybe - if you read this blog you can learn something and save your self $300 - $500 and - who knows, maybe your life! Did you know that a tire has a serial number? It isn't quite like the VIN on a vehicle - it is more of a batch number. It tells you what week and what year your tire was made. Had I known that small little fact - I could have saved myself $300 a real good scare and a ton of time. I headed for Moncton and my meet up with the Bike Klub at about 11:30 Monday morning. I was running late after a heated debate with the tracing department of Purolator. I will NEVER use that company again. This is now the third time that they have messed up shipping an order for me and I will never allow myself to be put through the insulting and insufferable thing they call customer service again. I have had NO Marketing materials on this trip because of this company and it has been highly disappointing to say the least. On the way to the Confederation bridge I decided to stop in to Red Rock Harley-Davidson and take some pictures and talk to the owner. The service manager came over to talk to me as he is a CAV member too and we got talking and he happened to look at the tire on my bike and noticed it was at the wear bars (Later inspection would show and irregular wear pattern - not consistent with low pressure but of tires that are too old). I said how can that be, they are brand new tires... I have been loosing air pressure in the rear one and I have been filling it every other day. I had mentioned that to hubby when he caught up to me in Charlottetown - he told me that when I got to Moncton he wanted me to have that tire checked. Well - I looked at the tire and low and behold it was worn - right to the wear bars. Red Rock could not fit me in but they called ahead to Moncton and I was told they would be ready for me when I got in. And they were! I left the bike in the capable hands of Brian Stuart of Toys for Big Boys and also of Harley Tech Talk and the man who sends us in tech articles once in a while as he has the time. And young master Mark Vale - a member of the Bike Klub took me to the school to meet Chelsea, Paul, Mazz and Stephanie - Keegan dropped in when he got off work and I got the chance to see the 4 confirmed members for 2011. More will be confirmed once school starts mid of next week. After a great hour or so visiting with the Bike Klub, Stephanie gave me a lift to the dealership.
I got there and they had installed a new tire for me and then proceeded to explain to me, complete with a tech sheet from www.tirerack.com explaining all about how to determine the age of a tire and the showed me (see picture below) how to tell the age of my tire and further explained that a tire only has a 4-6 year shelf life for sale. Now I remember reading something about that in car tires so when I read that what Brian had to tell me about the age of the tire was true it had been built/made in the 13th week of 2002, it came back to me about the news articles on tires I had read in the past. Now I won't say where I got this tire - the person who sold this tire to me did so I feel in good faith and was probably never trained to know how to tell the age of a tire any more than I was. This practice after all only started in 2000 - that is the practice of stamping the date of creation into the side of the tire. This person is trying to track down which supplier it came from - in the mean time I want to talk to the dealership that installed this tire. They have a training issue that I am almost certain many other dealerships and independent shops probably have. Their staff should have know or thought to tell a person that this tire was 8 years old - long past it its safe time to use - it wore out in 5,000 km's that is killer scary on so many levels. If the staff didn't know - they need to know and so does every rider out there. I could have lost my life very easily or have been put in a really tough spot - I got lucky because I have a community of angels who ride with me. I bought a set from this person and the tire on the front - looks OK and is wearing properly but now I have to watch it like a hawk - until I can get it changed - hopefully in Nova Scotia...the front tire is - are you sitting down...from 2000. Yah - that's what I said. OH CRAP Please - every one, it is important to find out what year your tires were manufactured - every time you buy a tire - you need to find those 4 magic little numbers that will tell you if your odds for safety just went up....And to think I rode on that back tire in rain on the confederation bridge - the whole time thinking that it was scarier than normal (meaning I thought riding on the bridge in the rain was scarier than riding on a road in the rain) I guess I wasn't imagining things. It was scarier - just not for the reasons I thought it was.... I guess that every time I looked at my tire I was seeing the good sections because it was plain that in some sections that tire was virtually bald. Oh well - lesson learned the expensive way because after all I bought the tire and paid the labour in a province that has provincial sales tax but the gang over at Toys for Big Boys took some off of the tire and labour to help the cause. Their efficiency, concern and service ranks right up there with the treatment I have gotten in Medicine Hat, Prince George, Red Deer and Smithers. Thank you Mark Vale for going above and beyond, Brian Stuart - your tech sheet of information was an eye opener and the hugs were fabulous! Thank you to all the staff who treated me and my motorcycle so well. Toys for Big Boys 633 Salisbury Road Moncton, New Brunswick Phone: (506) 858-8088 Fax: (506) 382-5601 In the news today: In Ontario - another motorcycle rear ends a vehicle - rider taken to hospital - what is going on with this people? I can not count the number of rear ending accidents lately - it is like an epidemic - are you not paying attention? Are you following too close? Twitter has some recommendations for business owners In BC the names of recent crash victims have been released Hold on to your pipes boys and girls because California just passed another MOTORCYCLE NOISE law - it now has to go to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to be passed - he owns several motorcycles.... Like every day - I welcome your feed back. I hope and pray that if you are riding today you will Ride defensively, ride your own ride - do NOT let peer pressure get the best of you...Ride like everyone around you is BLIND, has an UNSAFE load and IS out to get you and please - ride Proud not Loud - invest in a 140 DB Air horn instead!
While sifting through the news feeds this morning I came across a real gem! Mark Harrell, owner of Harrell's Car Wash Systems, a 70-employee operation that operates, builds and sells car-wash systems in Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio has invented the first automated motorcycle wash system! Moto Express Wash. The prototype is running in Speedway, and patents are pending. "It's being tested at Harrell's own business, Dirt Stripper Car Wash at 4980 Crawfordsville Road. He's nearly ready to move forward with production and says that by spring, the wash should be in place at car washes nationwide.
The timing is right for Harrell's invention. Nearly 24 million people in the U.S. own motorcycles, a number that continues to climb as gasoline prices rise.
The response to the invention so far has been incredible, especially since Harrell got a one-of-a-kind endorsement from the king of custom motorcycles, Paul Teutul Sr., star of TLC's hit show "American Chopper." Teutul featured the wash on an August episode."
PROTOTYPE IN USE: Motorcycles are safely secured before entering the automated, touch-free wash. - JAMES YEE / The Star
It looks pretty sweet to me and I can see this particular invention going places big time! I am heading out this morning to the Edson toy run, lots of people from the Grande Prairie region are going to the Peace River Toy Run...no matter what run you are attending in these dying days of the 2008 riding season, please ride like they are out to get you and be safe out there. Belt Drive Betty
