Nowthen, Another Tech Day 4/27

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TripperMike

Old Yeller - Thanks for the Memories
FJR Supporter
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Nowthen, MN
Yep, it's that time again. Most of us in the frozen North are probably 3 to 4 months away from starting our riding season. And so some of us already have our bikes in various stages of disassembly.

But come April, inevitably there's always something that still needs to be done to our bikes. So I offer to you Nowthen Tech Day.

Though much of the wrenching we have done in the past years have been relatively mundane, it's still a lot more fun when done in front of a dozen or so of your riding peers heckling you. You'll have the opportunity to learn first hand how our ancestors from the old country used to change tires using just tire irons, a block of wood. Of course you'll be assisted, by said riding peers, with a chorus of grunting as you navigate your way around that tire rim. Not having to do all the grunting by your lonesome helps, it really does.

Other activities have included fluid changes, eating, valve checks, eating, front fork rebuilds, eating, replacing various worn out bike parts; and in case I have mentioned it yet...eating.

I should mention, even though we have done several valve checks here, we have yet had to replace any shims. Thank goodness Mama Yama builds such a dependable bike or I might be stuck learning how to do a shim replacement on some one else's bike.

If this sounds like your cup o' tea, then come join in with a great group of folks who usually show up. We're located approximately 30 miles NW of the Twin Cities. As I did last year, I will also be extending this invite to my fellow Team Strangers. If you don't have the foggiest notion what a Team Stranger is, well there's another reason for you to drop in.

Mike n Joy

P.S. if you're new to this and need an address to these shinanigans, PM me.

 
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This sounds like quite the time. I wonder what the road out from the NW are like that time of year??

 
This sounds like quite the time. I wonder what the road out from the NW are like that time of year??
Are you a gambling man? lol The Dakotas are usually pretty good that time of year; but I wouldn't bet the family farm on western Montana.

But should you feel daring enough, we can provide for an overnight stay or 2.

 
Mike, You are the best to keep this tradition going for years!

I am due for a valve check (30k) and wondering if that would fit in your plans? If yes, would early that morning be ok... or better to come the night before?

TIA, Roger

 
"Mike, You are the best to keep this tradition going for years! "

I'm not so sure about the "best" part of that compliment. We enjoy putting it on and hangin' with you folks for the day. Besides it's excellent motivation for me to straighten out my shed.

"I am due for a valve check (30k) and wondering if that would fit in your plans? If yes, would early that morning be ok... or better to come the night before?"



If you go by the book, well then you might be due, but few FJRs are really in need of one. I didn't do my first check until after 55K miles and all were within spec. I will be more than happy to help you do a check anyways. Bring it the night before would be optimal and we can dig into it the first thing in the morning. So if anyone wants to be involved, that'll be the time to show up. And let me say in advance Roger; should your valves need adjusting, I want to thank you now for the sacrifice. It won't be in vane as it's all for education.
winksmiley02.gif


Now a spark plug change might be in order.


 
You sound smart... maybe we can do fluids and plugs and such. Then do valve check at 50k. Thanks for the tip!

Tell me what to bring food-wise, and I will.

 
Mike, last year was my 1st riding season and I picked one heck of a bike to experience that. 2016 ES.

I am a newbie when it comes to bike maintenance. I would love to stop by and watch few FJRs getting worked on and of course eating!!

I have Denali auxiliary lights that I bought last year and never got to installing them (not that I know how), probably could bring them with and I can attempt the install under professional supervision? Hehehe

I'll PM you for address info. Thanks Mike!

 
Mike, I might make it this year, I had my right knee replaced, and the left is to be done soon, so I probably won't be riding there. I hope to make it just for the learning experience, and camaraderie....oh, and the food, did I mention food?

Eddie

 
I am a newbie when it comes to bike maintenance. I would love to stop by and watch few FJRs getting worked on and of course eating!!
I have Denali auxiliary lights that I bought last year and never got to installing them (not that I know how), probably could bring them with and I can attempt the install under professional supervision? Hehehe

I'll PM you for address info. Thanks Mike!
You'd be more than welcomed to come by Maher. Once you do start getting into self-maintenance, you'll find that the FJR is relatively easy to work on. And we'd be honored to get you started down that path of enlightenment. lol If you have brackets for those lights, we can certainly try to get them installed.

Mike, I might make it this year, I had my right knee replaced, and the left is to be done soon, so I probably won't be riding there. I hope to make it just for the learning experience, and camaraderie....oh, and the food, did I mention food? Eddie
I hope you will be able to make it Eddie; and that those new aftermarket knees heal up nicely.

 
Mike,

Thanks for hosting this again. I'll try to make it, but I can't commit until late Feb. There may be some good things happening and there may be some really bad things returning again. I'll know more in five weeks.

Right now, I'm packing for a ski trip to Germany and Austria next week. Need to get it in before the my window of opportunity closes.

 
There may be some good things happening and there may be some really bad things returning again. I'll know more in five weeks.
Here's to hoping for nothing but Good Things happening then Cookie.

Right now, I'm packing for a ski trip to Germany and Austria next week. Need to get it in before the my window of opportunity closes.
Retirement must suck huh? lol Have a blast!

I won't use that old theatrical phrase people tell another before they go on stage. haha

 
Yes Mike. I have brackets to mount. Basically just need to install them. I have an idea how but will being them along just so experts can weigh in.

 
Retirement is great, but the pay sucks. I'm trying to learn to live on far less income. Money coming in is far less of what it was while working and my medical costs (insurance and medications) have doubled. It does put a big dent in what I can do. I'm not standing on a street corner with a cardboard sign yet, but I have the sign figured out for when the time is right. It will say" Please help. Victim of my own decisions". My wife retires at the end of March, so that's when the new reality will hit. No more impulsive decisions on motorcycle gear or equipment. That kind of sucks. I was pretty lucky to live like I did for as long as I did. I still have four motorcycles in the garage. I should trim the heard a bit this summer and get it down to two bikes. Worse case, I'll have to go back to work again. I do like having the days off. No more dreaded Mondays anymore. I guess that's the price for freedom.

The Austria ski trip was planned by a close friend who didn't take the results of my last medical tests too well. He was extremely persistent about getting me to Austria to ski while I still can. It's one of those do it now, or wait for three years when the possible cancer treatments are finished. Yes, there's a high probability that I'll be back on chemo and immunotherapy this spring. I'll know more in February after the next round of lab work and CT scan results come back. After that, I should be able to plan my summer based on the treatment schedule. If I'm lucky, I will be able to stall for a few more months. When they tell you it's the natural progression of the disease, you don't need a crystal ball to see your future. I knew it would be back. I was hoping it would be another five to ten years before it reared it's ugly head. As I said before, you don't get to pick the cards you're dealt, but you do get to choose how you play them.

Bottom line, I hope to see everyone at the tech session. If I have that lovely gray complexion of death, you'll know what's going on. I'll get through it again. It won't kill me. It will just make life miserable for a while. I'm not quitting riding. After all, I bought the '05 FJR three weeks after my first round of chemo. It was the best treatment program possible for my mental state.

Let's plan on me being at the tech session. I'm putting it on the calendar. Time to start living again.

 
OK I'll bite, what's this event labeled "Now" - "Then", other than the above description.

Yea it's been to long already without the gray steed out on the road. I might have quite a bit more time for riding in the not to distant future, as teh place that I put in time at did a re-org, blah, blah.

Say Hi to Joy for me.

I could bring my Morgan and Mighty-vac, let me know, that is if I can find my way.

 
Thanks for the heads up on this Roger Dodger.

I'll shoot you a PM for the address, Mike.

Cookie - take care my friend.

 
I could bring my Morgan and Mighty-vac, let me know, that is if I can find my way.
That would be great if you could NBB. I think someone might be quite surprised how well their bike runs when in sync if they've never had it done before.

I think "Nowthen" or rather "Now Then" is just another way of saying "Dang it! It's time to get some friends together and shoot the breeze while standing over our bikes."

 
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