The Geezer Gang getting ready to ride.  Temps in the 40's with winds gusting to 25 MPH but still a good day to be out on the road.

Bought a GoPro Hero 2 Camera

Today I started learning the intracacies of my new GoPro Hero 2 Video camera.  On the last major road trip I had to rely on others to take videos and then ask them to download them to my computer so I could share in all the sights we had seen.  This didn't seem fair to them or to represent my memories as much as I hoped it would.  So, I saved my pennies and nickles and bought this camera.

I'll be practicing with it over the next few weeks andtry to load some "trial videos" on the blog to make sure it can be done.  According to the icons above videos are allowed so nothing to lose.  The camera also takes still photos so that can be a back up plan . 

So look for photos and videos of sights here in Michigan in the near future as the planning and the weather permit.  We're down to 102 days before departure date.

New battery installed and everything is back up an running

I learned another valuable lesson in mechanics.  If you're not sure how to put something back together then take a photograph of it before you take it apart.  Shop Manuals aren't always accurate.
Thank God for good friends with mechanical abilities.

Too windy for a good ride today but tomorrow promises to be better.

New battery installed and everything is back up an running

I learned another valuable lesson in mechanics.  If you're not sure how to put something back together then take a photograph of it before you take it apart.  Shop Manuals are always accurate.
Thank God for good friends with mechanical abilities.

Learning to be a mechanic

Today I had to learn how to diagnose why my bike would not start even though the battery tender indicated it was fully charged.  So out comes the tool kit, the shop manual, and my Fluke voltage tester.  Can you imagine anything more dangerous than a Corpsman with a set of tools and a book of instructions?  I can't either.

Looks like I've got a dead cell in my battery and it will have to be replaced.  Glad I found it early in the year and here at home.  Getting that damned heavy battery out is more work than I want to do alongside the road in the rain. 

Should have everything back up and running by tomorrow; battery store was closed before I could get up there.

Time to start inspecting the camping gear

Today I mapped out the route I'm going to take to Sturgis and added Harley Dealers and hotels to it.  I will also break out my camping gear for inspection and begin to do some "practice packs" to ensure I can get everything on the bike I plan to take; I'm hoping to practice some discipline in being a minimalist.  Since Ralph isn't coming along this time with his truck I need to make sure I don't overpack stuff that will never be used.  My sleeping bag is the biggest headache because of its bulk.  Rest of the gear should fit just fine.
Getting down to the real trivial stuff at this point.

Time to ride

121 days before leaving for Sturgis

Too cold and rainy to ride today so I helped a friend of mine pull the wheels from his 2009 Ultra Glide so he could swap out the tires.  This was a "training class" for me and I got to hand him tools and learn from the master; sort of like "School of the Boat". 

As Don knows I'm not much with the mechanical side of things and do better with things that breathe and bleed in the fixing up department.  But as all submarine sailors know you better know how your equipment works so that you can fix it when the time comes or at least be able to explain it to the service department who is sending out help. 

Anyway, it was a good learning experience and I may even try the work on my own bike when the time comes to replace my tires which will be at the end of the year, if all goes well.  His bike is a little more complex than mine because he has ABS brakes and I don't.  Other than that the bikes are identical so it was good experience and not quite as daunting as I envisioned.

Now we just need a return to the good weather to get some more riding in.

Looking forward to Sturgis and Norfolk this year.

See you in South Dakota