After a week of "colder" weather and a lot of rain, I decided that I had done enough homework and started doing some TLC on the ST. The 06 has been under its cover on the carport for several months now and the yard guys apparently blow a lot of cuttings up in there as they mow, cause it was not a clean as I was expecting.
As I started going over it however, I started remembering where a lot of the little dings, scratches and other marks occurred. There are the scratches on the lower faring I got when I went in the ditch on the way to Westoc in Redmond and Mark and Bryan had to help me out. The myriad fine scratches on the tank from pulling the tank bag bag to fill up quick during rallies. Some nicks in the tip over wings cause "stuff" happens...There are the little scratches on the right side case where Allie continually tapped on it during our 24 day outing for Westoc in BC and the bright shiny new cover on the left from when I lost a whole saddlebag in the night during the very first Big Tex Rally and folks here had a new one for me in less than a week.
There is still sand in the Givi from the infamous swim with Terry at PuttStoc where he talked us all into a dip in Lake Powell and a sticker for Moonshine that I have never got around to putting on the back. I still need to get a pop rivet for the front faring next to the windshield from when Rob hit a bird like a pop fly on the way to Pikes peak and then I hit it again on the way down.
After 100768 miles, the ST has never left me on the side of the road, has needed only one brake micro switch and one thermostat in unplanned mtce and even after its nice nap for the last few months, started right up and idled smoothly when I finished cleaning it and went out for a ride. I Like my new bike, I really do....But somehow, this one still "has it"; that's the only way I know to say it.
As I started going over it however, I started remembering where a lot of the little dings, scratches and other marks occurred. There are the scratches on the lower faring I got when I went in the ditch on the way to Westoc in Redmond and Mark and Bryan had to help me out. The myriad fine scratches on the tank from pulling the tank bag bag to fill up quick during rallies. Some nicks in the tip over wings cause "stuff" happens...There are the little scratches on the right side case where Allie continually tapped on it during our 24 day outing for Westoc in BC and the bright shiny new cover on the left from when I lost a whole saddlebag in the night during the very first Big Tex Rally and folks here had a new one for me in less than a week.
There is still sand in the Givi from the infamous swim with Terry at PuttStoc where he talked us all into a dip in Lake Powell and a sticker for Moonshine that I have never got around to putting on the back. I still need to get a pop rivet for the front faring next to the windshield from when Rob hit a bird like a pop fly on the way to Pikes peak and then I hit it again on the way down.
After 100768 miles, the ST has never left me on the side of the road, has needed only one brake micro switch and one thermostat in unplanned mtce and even after its nice nap for the last few months, started right up and idled smoothly when I finished cleaning it and went out for a ride. I Like my new bike, I really do....But somehow, this one still "has it"; that's the only way I know to say it.