Tuesday Night Ride - La Salle

As we approach autumn and the leaves begin to change colour and fall off... apparently so do the number of riders who take part in the annual Tuesday Night Ride out of Le Garage.

Paul arrived moments before me, but because he had to hold down the fort at the restaurant, he was out.

He's been talking about getting new painted tins and a gas tank from Harley. He may need to place the order, sooner rather than later. These marks on his front fender are from a fork bag from the Sturgis trip.

Paul's got a few options when it comes to paint. A person can either send in their own tank & tins to be re-painted (sheet metal exchange program) or buy a complete, second set of custom painted sheet metal for your ride.

That tank is sic! But that's not the only damage inflicted on his Fat Boy from the trip to Sturgis.

The saddle bags he borrowed left this mark on his swing arm and there is also a few bare patches on his rear fender from the bags rubbing against the metal.

He mentioned, that had he used the braces, there wouldn't be any damage (as minor as it really is). Those new skins would look pretty cool though! Justin arrived sporting new, black hand controls on his Night Train.

They look sweeeeet. Until I compared his controls against the other bikes at Le Garage.. I didn't think there would be that much of a difference. But they really do stand out!

A funny story about installing them. Justin may be a little embarrassed, but in his defence, he doesn't own a repair or owners manual, so he tackled the job blind you might say.

He said the brake lever was no probs. Fit like a glove. Installed in minutes. The clutch well, let's just say he and his wife worked in unison to hold and stretch the cable and insert it through the perch and into the new lever. He he.
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First, he bought the wrong size snap ring pliers ('c' clip pliers) to remove and replace the 'c' clip from the pin and didn't know about the in-line cable adjuster. He said he actually ground down the pliers tips to fit the holes. It worked getting it off, then one tip snapped when he went to replace the 'c' clip (he went back to the store and bought the right size snap ring pliers). Hey, he was laughing just as hard as I was.

He now knows... thanks to a bud at work, that this (pic above) is the in-line cable adjuster used to adjust the tension on the clutch cable. He he. Justin, we're not laughing AT you bud... but WITH you. It's all good.



Anyway, I thought the TNR curse/tradition reared it's ugly head, when a guy on a nice H-D soft tail rode up.

It was not to be, he simply knew bikers hung out here and popped in for a wobbly pop. So it was Justin and I.

We decided to take a quick, but scenic trip out to La Salle. Justin had been there for a bonspiel and I only golf at the local course.

A quaint little bedroom community just south-west of the city. What we didn't count on were the bugs.

I'm sure we looked like this guy...

...when we walk into the La Salle River Inn.

We were just hammered, um... by mosquitoes! It was nuts! Really!

We had a drink and then hit the road home, bandannas a blazin'!

And this is what the Motörheadster looked like the next morning!

Oh need a closer look.

Here.

(click on pic for large view)

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Everywhere... bugs! And thick!

It's like a layer of fur on the head lamp.

My brake and clutch controls... even the in-line cable adjuster, was covered. Sorry... I just had to take one more shot. Thank god Justin can take a joke, he's way bigger than me!

More fur.

Justin and I now know, exactly how Jim Carrey felt in the movie "Me, Myself and Irene" and bugs!!

Ace ♠