A Day in the Life...

[55il]

[QUOTE=DK Custom Products;550247]Mary and I have been talking about our Big Trip this year. We don't have a firm plan yet, be we have some rough ideas of time-frame and places we want to ride.

Going to visit family in Nevada, California, Idaho and Montana.

Yellowstone, Beartooth and some more riding in Colorado.

Still waiting on family plans to solidify before planning a route.

Gonna be a good ride!

Kevin



Kevin, it sounds like your gearing up for a nice trip this year.

I’m also trying to set plans for a cross country trip andthis is one of the reasons for asking about a mesh safety jacket for summer. I too like wearing my leather jacket and when in the mountains I don my heated jacket when it’s cold.

Two years ago, a friend and I took about the same trip your lining up and we ate up a little over 7,200 miles. It was the most fun I have ever had on a motorcycle and especially riding my tri-glide. The worst part of the trip was traveling through the Mojave Desert during daylight hours wearing a t-shirt. Fortunately, my friend had a bagger and carried ice water. But a mesh jacket will keep from losing skin in case of an accident and be better hydrated.

Again, everyone thanks for all the jacket info. DJ

[DK Custom Products]

Kevin, it sounds like your gearing up for a nice trip this year.

I’m also trying to set plans for a cross country trip andthis is one of the reasons for asking about a mesh safety jacket for summer. I too like wearing my leather jacket and when in the mountains I don my heated jacket when it’s cold.

Two years ago, a friend and I took about the same trip your lining up and we ate up a little over 7,200 miles. It was the most fun I have ever had on a motorcycle and especially riding my tri-glide. The worst part of the trip was traveling through the Mojave Desert during daylight hours wearing a t-shirt. Fortunately, my friend had a bagger and carried ice water. But a mesh jacket will keep from losing skin in case of an accident and be better hydrated.

Again, everyone thanks for all the jacket info. DJ



Sounds like you had a fun trip!!! Yeah, a mesh jacket, when it is hot, is actually cooler than just a tee. Especially if you keep it a bit wet.

Kevin

[DK Custom Products]

A while back one of the four fender tabs on my TG front fender broke.

Yesterday we went about fixing it.

Relatively clean break-



We've done repairs on painted items a few times over the years, we'll be welding that tab back on while the majority of the fender is submerged in water, and wrapped with wet towels.

First we need to prep the areas that will be welded-





Next up is positioning it in a tub of water so that the water level comes up to right below the point where the welding will take place-



Getting wet towels wrapped around all parts of the fender that are not submerged-



We do not want any slag or HEAT hitting any area that is not the tab....it will damage/cause the paint to bubble.

The tab is mostly hidden, and painted black from the factory, so that will be easy enough to put back to looking stock. But if any part of the paint on the actual fender is damage...well, that would not be good.

The threads on the nut on the tab need to retain their integrity, so we use some anti-seize on a threaded "handle" that goes into the tab threads. Not only to keep the threads intact, but to give a way to hold the tab while welding it into place.



Tacking it in place...



...making sure it is straight before proceeding.



It was slow going, so as not to build up any heat transfer to the painted fender.

Yes, that is steam coming from the water, right below where it is being welded.



WhooHoo! No paint bubbled anywhere...even on the tab closest to the fender.

We cleaned it up, primer, and then some gloss black.



Letting it cure over the weekend. Will put some clear on it next week...then it goes back on the forks!

Kevin

[Jack Klarich]

Nice job and good pictures

I have that same angle die grinder

I bet it has a million revolutions on it

[DK Custom Products]

Nice job and good pictures

I have that same angle die grinder

I bet it has a million revolutions on it

Thanks!

I bet it has a lot more than a million revolutions on it! Those things spin at 20,000 rpm, so it only takes 50 minutes to go 1 million revo's.

Kevin

[DK Custom Products]

It was 22* this morning!



Kevin

[frostbite51]

2 below here this morning, which is better than the 17 below yesterday. Cleaning day today, got an inch or so of snow over the weekend. So when it hit 5 above I got after it.



First up is the front - use the leafblower on the steps and sidewalk down to the street. There's 3 small steps for the back, I just sweep them. Then it's time for the big broom.



150 feet on the west side...



100 feet on the north...



and then back to the shed to keep the dyna and freewheeler company.

It takes about 45-50 minutes and is a heck of a lot easier than shoveling. The broom is good up to 3 inches or so, then we get the bobcat out...

[DK Custom Products]

2 below here this morning, which is better than the 17 below yesterday. Cleaning day today, got an inch or so of snow over the weekend. So when it hit 5 above I got after it.



First up is the front - use the leafblower on the steps and sidewalk down to the street. There's 3 small steps for the back, I just sweep them. Then it's time for the big broom.



150 feet on the west side...



100 feet on the north...



and then back to the shed to keep the dyna and freewheeler company.

It takes about 45-50 minutes and is a heck of a lot easier than shoveling. The broom is good up to 3 inches or so, then we get the bobcat out...

Man...that's just a whole different life!

Kevin

[DK Custom Products]

Some days are just like this.



Kevin

[DK Custom Products]

Kevin

[DK Custom Products]

Sometimes a road calls to be ridden, other times it screams "Come Ride Me".



Kevin

[hogcowboy]

Sometimes a road calls to be ridden, other times it screams "Come Ride Me".



Kevin

Looks like it will get colder too. Been there done that.

[DK Custom Products]

Looks like it will get colder too. Been there done that.

Yep, looks like a fun ride!

Kevin

[DK Custom Products]

Windy, rainy and cold today. Was nice to spend a bit of time in the shop and get my repaired front fender back on.

Here's the untouched factory side-



Here's the repaired side...not quite as nice...



...But, as you can see from the following two pics, once it is mounted, can't really tell the difference without really close inspection.





The first of the two above is the repaired side.

As is the case with so many fender badges, mine were rattling. Instead of just replacing the OEM keepers, I removed them...



Took the badges off...



...Cleaned the fender and the back of the badges with alcohol. Then used some 3M tape on the badges to hold them to the fender.



This is the same stuff that holds tank badges on. Looks good, and no more rattling.



With the fender back on, I had to remove the outer fairing again. There is just no way for me to reach the fendertip light connector otherwise.



I always use dielectric grease on electrical connections.



All buttoned back up.



Kevin

[Jack Klarich]

Looks good from my house

[DK Custom Products]

Looks good from my house

[DK Custom Products]

Early this morning our shipping facility, in Memphis, was broken into.



Fortunately all he took was a jar of coins and a tablet.



He did leave his mug looking into the security cameras, several times. lol

Kevin

[DK Custom Products]

Adrenaline Rush Last Night!

On the way home, around 7:30, I had a near encounter with a deer. (large doe)

Saw it running on the side of the road...slowed down...she stopped and was looking at me...I was looking at her...

I decided to speed up to get past...

At the same time, she decided to go ahead and cross the road.

IT WAS CLOSE! Thought for sure I was going to hit her.

Missed by about a foot!

Kevin

[Jack Klarich]

Sometimes a road calls to be ridden, other times it screams "Come Ride Me".



Kevin

That reminds me of Spearfish Canyon

In 1993 my wife snapped a picture off the back of my FLHS a tree fell at the top of the ridge and slid down into the canyon

There are no barriers on that road no shoulder either

Straight down into the canyon

[DK Custom Products]

Rode in this morning. 65*



I think we're about done with the cold for the next 9 months.

Kevin