the new tire hunt

the hunt for new tires has been going on for some time now. the stock Dunlops that are on Selene have well over 13,000 km on them and are quite worn. the rear tire also has a plug that was the result of a nail picked up in Quebec. the search has been a battle of brands and prices, meaning i want a good brand at a good price. the Dunlops were great, but i want something better.

i've been all over the net and have even debated about buying my tires from the states and having them shipped to Canada. Cruiser Customizing always has great deals and were actually selling tires at 40% off regular price. i really didn't think i could get a better deal then that.

before i ordered, though, i figured i would check out a couple of local places and give them a chance. i'm all for sinking my money locally.

okay, tires sizes:

front: 120/90 R18
rear: 170/80 R15

tire brands:

Pirelli MT66 Route
Avon Venom
Metzeler ME880

i still chuckle at the fact that i had Pirellis on my Kawasaki 440LTD, but i digress. a few calls around town gave me these average prices (both tires, tax not included, in canadian funds):

Pirelli: $351
Avon: $396
Metzeler: $498

Cruiser Customizing was giving me prices of (in US funds):

Pirelli: $225
Avon: $340
Metzeler: $347

it was really looking good for Cruiser Customizing. i could get a damn good set of tires (Metzeler) for a heck of a lot less then any local place. even with the duty and exchange factored in, i would end up saving money.

then i called the last local place on my list. a place that i'd never seen before due to the fact that they are a little out of my way. a little place called Levesque Recreation. i hit them up with the brands and a few minutes later, they came back with prices:

Pirelli: $261
Avon: not listed in their books
Metzeler: $375

here is the real kicker...those are the straight prices with taxes in. sold! i couldn't believe the price difference.

i went down the next day to check out the shop and double check the prices. they are a small outfit with a small stock of helmets, tires and some parts. they do mechanical work on practically all makes and models (i could see a H-D and a snowmobile being worked on in the garage). there was also a beautiful boxer running around and investigating everything. he was behind the counter the whole time, but would stand up at the counter staring at you while chewing on whatever he could get his teeth on. i'll have to snap a picture of him when i pick up my tires.

so there you have it. it really does pay to shop around. it's a lesson that i have to learn time and time again. i'm famous for impluse purchases...ask joey...

more maintenance

last sunday blessed me with some spare time to spend with Selene. this is only the second trip i've been able to make to her storage area in order to do the maintenance that i need/want to do. i packed up my usual stuff (coffee, munchies, music and tools) and headed off.

this trip was a test of how anal i can get when i'm cleaning something. as i was sitting next to Selene grooving to Deadbolt on my mp3 player i noticed how dirty the cooling fins on the engine were. knowing that these fins were mostly for looks (liquid cooled engine and all) it struck me that they should at least look clean. after poking around a bit, i noticed that there were several allen bolts holding the fins in place. i pulled out the bike's tool kit (yes, mine actually came with one) and removed the bolts. the fins came off rather easily and gave me this odd look at the engine.





so i sat there and cleaned and cleaned. i found out how difficult it is to get clean those damn little fins and realized that it was too late to stop. in the several hours that i was there i only got the right upper rear fins and most of the lower half cleaned. it was a real pain to get between the fins and getting the corrosion off the exposed aluminum was killing my fingers. to be fair, i really didn't have the right tools to clean between the fins. a screw driver and cloth have to be used very carefully...you really don't want to scratch anything. so yeah, i think new cleaning tools are in order.

the unfortunate thing is, that's all i got done. i spent an entire evening there and it felt like i got no where and there's so much more to do! not to mention the fact that i still haven't got my jack from my parents to remove the wheels for cleaning and new rubber. i want winter gone so much that i'm not thinking about how much time i need to clean...lol. of course, life always throws you a curve ball or two, like last week with joey in the hospital. no details here, but she is now doing well and back to her complaining self ;) i'm gonna get smacked for that one...

i know most people wouldn't even try to clean that hard and others would call me nuts for doing it, but i really care for the bike and want it to look as good as possible. i don't do it for anyone else but myself. it bugs me when she is dirty and it really irks me when i see rust, corrosion or chips. i've already turned one bike into a fixer-upper due to my own stupidity and i won't allow it to happen to this one.

2007 MBI Riders Choice Awards

it's that time again. time to choose the best and the worst of the motorcycle world. the MBI Riders Choice Awards are open until march 12th and cover many categories. there is no need to register to vote so just hop on over and join in!

CMC Canadian Motorcyle Cruisers

here's the story. a friend mentioned the CMC and figured that i would like to join. turns out they are a newly formed all Canadian riding group. i checked them out and low and behold, they had two groups starting up near me. both were about two hours away, but hey...i would get to ride there.

so, i joined up with the fredericton group because heck, i enjoy a ride to our province capital when the weather gets toasty. i quickly find out that i'm the only one in the group! que the founder of CMC. he calls to find out whether i live in fredericton or saint john. turns out they are looking to open a chapter in saint john. well, a couple of emails later, i find myself the 1st officer of the saint john, new brunswick chapter of CMC. it took a few minutes for that one to sink in. joey kind of looked at me funny too.

see, i know i've said this before, i'm really not a social kind of animal. i usually keep to myself. i'm the quiet guy at the party...if i go to the party at all. it's not that i'm anti-social, i'm just used to spending time by myself...being an only child and all that.

now, here i am in charge of a chapter of a motorcycle riding/social club. LOL. i guess it's a "jump in with both feet" kind of thing. i'm very curious and excited to see how all this turns out. suddenly, i have a bunch of things that i need to get done like advertising, building a website (maybe), staying up to date on the forums and chapter news (not hard as i think the computer is glued to my hip anyway), and keeping an eye on my own forum...when i get members under me...hehe.

i've already been informed that it's all voluntary and i'm not being forced into anything. to me, that's great. this is a prime opportunity for me to push myself in an area that i have never excelled at. i really think this will be a good thing for me. oh...and it'll give me an excuse to ride more. yeah, like i need more excuses to ride. ;)

what do we have to do?

i have to say, this is one of the most interesting awareness campaigns i've ever seen. i have to say, it would definitely work. ;)

What do we have to do to get noticed?