What did you do on or to your other bike part 2

[Gone in 60]

I think this will hold…

[pdedse]

I think this will hold…

So did the 2x6" absorb water from the ground surface?  It looks like there is somewhat of a gap between bottom of the 2x6" and the cement garage floor.  I've seen these run right up flush with the cement floor to keep pests out, which would be fine in dry climates.  In Oregon, I think they often leave 1/2-3/4" gap that separates the wood from the floor to minimize any water absorption.  I painted one of my former student's house, and that garage door jamb 2x6 was rotted out because there was no space left, just wood on cement.  With all the moisture we get, it's only a matter of time.  My current house has a 3/4" gap, which can be filled with a spacer of a material that won't rot.

[Cormanus]

Gone, I'm pleased fortune smiled on you in an odd kind of way.

[rdprdp01]

Although not an atmospheric river, we have experienced a significant amount of rain in Northern California in the last week or so. I would liken it to a stream.

I tried as best I could to follow Gone’s fine example: work on a motorcycle when off duty and leave things to God and Mother Nature. I was partially successful, but when First Responders role, so do we. IT Systems and Telco Infrastructures are naturally stressed during the holidays. Throw in water, aging infrastructure, and questionable judgment from citizens, and things tend to get a little busy.

What is more concerning is the number of earthquakes we have experienced in recent history. I am not sure if the troubles in SoCal are waking up the fault lines, but the worst earthquake this week led me into the garage where I seriously considered moving the CB1100EX into an open parking lot while my Northern California home’s walls were shaking. A man should have an emergency preparedness program. Mine is quite simple: safe the motorcycle; forget about everything else. 

At least the garage door did not explode. 

I did manage to follow Gone’s great example and double down on motorcycle maintenance while the weather did its thing. I owe pdedse a “How To” on how I go about managing changing brake fluid, which is really a testament about my neurosis of the possible damage which can happen when brake fluid melts everything in its path! I will publish it later today.

[Gone in 60]

The 2x6 runs close enough to ground that a lot of water will get to it. The wood was soaked to the lag bolt that holds the spring chain holder. I have a feeling that the door swelled a bit and might have gotten tweaked in the frame a bit somehow. I repaint the frame and door annually to try to keep it waterproof, or at least as dry as possible. It faces East and bares the brunt of sun, rain and all that nature can throw at it.

Rdprdp01, the door exploded in 2020, which is why I built a new one. It actually collapsed a bit and landed on my car, cracking the rear spoiler.

As for off-season maintenance, I tend to do my fluid changes and other chores during my holiday break from work. My new job is stressful but is generous with that. I’m off till January 5.

The rain was scheduled to continue through today, but let up and became a beautiful Christmas Day. The garage door can dry out a bit. No riding though, spending the day with Mom. Looking forward to testing out the NC’s new suspension links and hand guards soon!

[rdprdp01]

The 2x6 runs close enough to ground that a lot of water will get to it. The wood was soaked to the lag bolt that holds the spring chain holder. I have a feeling that the door swelled a bit and might have gotten tweaked in the frame a bit somehow. I repaint the frame and door annually to try to keep it waterproof, or at least as dry as possible. It faces East and bares the brunt of sun, rain and all that nature can throw at it.

Rdprdp01, the door exploded in 2020, which is why I built a new one. It actually collapsed a bit and landed on my car, cracking the rear spoiler.

As for off-season maintenance, I tend to do my fluid changes and other chores during my holiday break from work. My new job is stressful but is generous with that. I’m off till January 5.

The rain was scheduled to continue through today, but let up and became a beautiful Christmas Day. The garage door can dry out a bit. No riding though, spending the day with Mom. Looking forward to testing out the NC’s new suspension links and hand guards soon!

Like with all things, you manage your home very well! I just never expected these kinds of extremes in California and the surprises of loud booms and shaking walls. For all the time I have spent in California, I suspect I remain a Southern Boy who remains clueless. Merry Christmas, Gone. Love your posts, particularly when you talk about your Mom and her place. David

[Gone in 60]

The 2x6 runs close enough to ground that a lot of water will get to it. The wood was soaked to the lag bolt that holds the spring chain holder. I have a feeling that the door swelled a bit and might have gotten tweaked in the frame a bit somehow. I repaint the frame and door annually to try to keep it waterproof, or at least as dry as possible. It faces East and bares the brunt of sun, rain and all that nature can throw at it.

Rdprdp01, the door exploded in 2020, which is why I built a new one. It actually collapsed a bit and landed on my car, cracking the rear spoiler.

As for off-season maintenance, I tend to do my fluid changes and other chores during my holiday break from work. My new job is stressful but is generous with that. I’m off till January 5.

The rain was scheduled to continue through today, but let up and became a beautiful Christmas Day. The garage door can dry out a bit. No riding though, spending the day with Mom. Looking forward to testing out the NC’s new suspension links and hand guards soon!

Like with all things, you manage your home very well! I just never expected these kinds of extremes in California and the surprises of loud booms and shaking walls. For all the time I have spent in California, I suspect I remain a Southern Boy who remains clueless. Merry Christmas, Gone. Love your posts, particularly when you talk about your Mom and her place. David

Thank you sir! Merry Christmas and all the best to you as well! At Mom’s now, celebrating Christmas with her, Mrs. G and her brother. Half in the bag at this point, and trying to retain enough sobriety as to not burn the turkey.

[Gone in 60]

Farkling the NC continues. Yesterday I added an LED strip under the rear edge of the Givi top box mount plate.

This entails fashioning a bracket from scrap plastic and 3M mounting tape to mount the flexible 45 LED strip, and running the wires to the under-tail as cleanly as possible, connecting to a flasher unit, which connects to the brake light circuit. The strip flashes then goes solid red with the brakes.

I do this to all of my bikes. Since I ride with a top box 90% of the time, it puts a brake light at the very back of the bike, up higher than the normal light and gets a lot of attention.

[the Ferret]

Last ride of 2025 was a 45 miler @ 35 degrees and cloudy...ending the year with 305 days and 16,431 miles.... a bit below my yearly average of 308 days and 22,026 miles over the last 12 years since retiring.

Anyhow as the sign says above my right handlebar muff HAPPY NEW YEAR fellow CB owners. I hope 2026 is a healthy, happy, safe and fun one for you

[Gone in 60]

You are quite dedicated, sir! I applaud your riding year, and wish you many more.

I got out for a ride on my NC... for five minutes. I have been itching to test ride the work I've done recently - new rear shock linkages, clutch and brake levers and hand guards among them. Holiday activities, emergency garage repair, scheduling repairs at Mom's house, and on-again-off-again rain have tempered my riding, however.

Today, I had lots of errands to run. Weather was looming and the skies were grey, but it wasn't raining. I thought maybe I could get everything done and get back home before the sky opened up. Most of the errands were quick, but one of them was picking up a new pistol at the local Turner's. I won't go into California politics and don't invite commentary, but let's just say we do a lot of paperwork. It's sort of like buying a new car. I figured the one spot I might get stuck for a while was that last chore, and I didn't want to be staring out the window looking to see if the rain had started while I was waiting for a counter clerk to go get the next document for me to sign a fifth time.

Didn't matter. I got out the door and within one block, drops started hitting my oh-so-tall windscreen. I turned around and grabbed the car. But, that one block felt good, and I could tell my efforts were worth it, in smooth suspension and wind-free fists!

---

I did roll the NC out of the way to finish fixing the garage beam that cracked right next to its parking place. Filled and painted the repaired and reinforced beam. Looks like new, and my thought is that by filling the crack, if it starts to crack again, I will notice it, hopefully early enough to do something about it. But, it's braced nine way to Sunday, and should be stronger than before... in theory.

Also, fate made a decision for me. Anyone who knows me well enough knows that I can't have anything visually imperfect on my vehicles... I bought the NC knowing it had some flaws, and I thought I could live with them since this is going to be a commuting appliance. But. the previous two owners were quite short, and even with a lowered suspension, there were some boot scuffs on the pillion seat from them trying to stretch their 28" inseams across the seat while climbing aboard. 

I thought I could live with those scuffs but they continued to bother me... I couldn't get them out by any means, the vinyl was scratched. Then, while wiring up my auxiliary brake light, I was mending a solder joint on my wiring and a molten blob of solder inexplicably spat off of my iron and landed on the pillion seat, scorching a mark in it. Ugh. 

Well, that was one flaw too many. And, you tend to stare at the pillion seat when you get on the bike. Just for kicks, I pulled the seat and stopped by a local upholstery shop in my travels yesterday. He eyeballed the pattern on the vinyl, we went though a bunch of swatches, and darned if he didn't have something that's almost a dead match. I left the seat with him (I only need the front half to ride), he said to give him a few days, and for a few bucks, I can have some visual peace of mind. 

Man, I'm too picky.