Yearend Mile/Kilometer Totals

[Barry]

Well it finally stopped raining so I rode the bike to work today.  Funny how strange the bike sounds and feels after a 6 week lay off. My confidence on wet bends was also lacking so I rode like an upright citizen all the way there.  

Coming back though was different. With 10 Deg C and mostly dry roads I took the long way home and blatted it up the dual carriage way to try and warm the oil up so I could change it. God I'd forgotten how incredibly  smooth the engine is cruising at 4500 RPM. By 5000 it has started to tingle a bit but at 4500 it's just perfection. No way I'm touching the carb balance during the coming service.

Drained the oil when I got home and in spite of having done this any number of times still managed to make a mess on the garage floor taking the filter cover off. Good job I put lots of newspaper down.  Going to use a different oil but this isn't the place for an oil thread so I'll post something in Totally Off Topics section.

[montmil]

...Drained the oil when I got home and in spite of having done this any number of times still managed to make a mess on the garage floor taking the filter cover off.

Take consolation by reading Peter Egan's column titled Zen and the Art of the Oil Change in the December 2012 issue of Cycle World. Hysterical, it is.

Much of the oil will follow the bottom of the muffler and run onto the floor. Expect some to drip off the filter wrench and onto your blue jeans. Accidentally drop the slippery, hot filter into the pan for a nice splash effect...

[Barry]

Accidentally drop the slippery, hot filter into the pan for a nice splash effect...

Yes I did that too but kept it off my jeans ...at least I think I did  

We've all been there a haven't we and yet we still think one day we're going to do the perfect oil change and not spill a drop.  

[Dave 2]

Well, my yearend total is easy to figure because it comes to ZERO miles on Greta who has been patiently going through my slow restoration process. However the miles that I expect to ride in 2013 should be double the pleasure once she is all sorted out and running. The big thing for me is to take the time to be certain that everything goes back together the right way, with a lot of help from forum members. Thanks everyone and Happy New Year. D2

[davidpdx]

I put 2625 miles on my "new" 1984 R65 this year which is the most I have ridden in about 30 years. I put about 100 miles on my 1946 Triumph Speed Twin with the last 15 or 20 having a side car hooked to it. That is the least I have ridden the Triumph in many years.

[montmil]

OK, David. You know the House Rules... You gotta post a photo of your Speed Twin hack or the rig does not exist.

Good work on the R65 miles. Sounds as if the Airhead suits you. [smiley=thumbsup.gif]

[davidpdx]

Here is a link to a video I made of putting the sidecar on my Speed Twin and the first ride. I am going to need a lot more time riding with it to get comfortable and may or may not leave it on. For one thing a sidecar takes up a lot of floor space in the garage.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Cs97U86TKQ

[bruce_launceston]

I only record oil changes etc so in the 12 months and 2 weeks ending mid december 2012 I did 8565km. I think that's 5353 miles.
I've ridden 1345km since then, 420 of them today across the state to a mining town pub for lunch and back.
It was a glorious day and great roads especially the Cradle Mountain link road, excellent wide road, non stop sweepers and very little traffic for roughly 80km across the high country to the wild west coast mining town of Waratah.