Just completed a skills training ride with my local HOG chapter, LA#1 HOG, to the Sagebrush Cantina in Calabasas, California. It was another beautiful southern California day and everyone was zipping along the freeway. Imagine my surprise as I moved the toe of my boot to upshift to fifth gear and my boot went through thin air. I looked down and there was the shift lever with no shift peg! So, just a bit of practice and I was able to shift down by pushing down with the heel of my boot on the top of the lever. Upshifting was doable, but took a bit more contortion to get the toe of my boot under the lever. We stopped for a break and, amazingly, one of the guys had a spare peg in his saddlebag. I stopped at Bartel’s Harley in Venice on the way home and I now have two spare pegs in my saddlebags. My experience as an Army helicopter pilot should have reminded me that unless the bolts on vibrating things are secured with cotter pins or loctite and slippage marks, they will come loose at some point. So, my “pre-flgiht” will be more complete and loctite is now in my bags. 11 months before I launch on the Tour de USA for prostate cancer awareness. Check out our website at TourdeUSA.org.
1 comment:
Robert,
I read your blog with interest until reaching the sentence starting with "My experience as an Army helicopter pilot..." That sentence raise my interest to a higher level. My son is an Army helicopter pilot and will soon start his advanced training to fly the Kiowa. And yes, he is also a motorcycle rider!
Lee Alberts
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