What did you do to your Royal Enfield today?

[Alan LaRue]

REdmonton, I think we'll all defer to your winter experience!

Myself, today I rode in the rain. Not much an experience for many of you, but for me, it's the first time I've made the 36 miles commute home in a steady rain. Somehow the 20% chance of predicted rain, having had no rain for a couple of weeks and nothing over 20% predicted for the next 10 days (Accweather thinks they can predict 25 days out!), turned into an area of rain about 150 miles in diameter. No matter, it was a chance for me to test the BILT rain pants, the only rain gear I have. I bought them, actually, for what passed for cold weather on the Gulf Coast, temps in the 40s. I'm glad I had them in the pannier.

Unfortunately, my Brosh Cook K jacket was no protection against the rain, and my River Road summer gloves turned my hands purple when they got wet. My ankle-high boots are soaked through. Funny thing is that I've been looking at raingear online and haven't bothered to order any.

At least now I have the experience of a 36 mile rainy commute, which somehow makes me feel like more of a motorcyclist. My main concern was the Avon tires with "classic" tread pattern, but I didn't feel any sliding. Still, when they wear out, I'm going to replace them with something more modern!

[sjbiat]

I started out on a 2000 mile ride from Austin TX to NYC.  Day 1 did 260 miles to Jasper.  I need to be in Huntsville AL by thurs night.

Stephan B

[Alan LaRue]

I didn't realize it was that far from Austin to Jasper! Quite an ambitious ride you have planned. Are you planning to use Interstates?

Looking forward to hearing about it.

[barenekd]

I started out on a 2000 mile ride from Austin TX to NYC.  Day 1 did 260 miles to Jasper.  I need to be in Huntsville AL by thurs night.

You'd better do more than 260 miles a day!
Bare

[Alan LaRue]

You'd better do more than 260 miles a day!

That 260 miles was all in the rain, I imagine. The weather is better today.

[mattsz]

I started out on a 2000 mile ride from Austin TX to NYC.  Day 1 did 260 miles to Jasper.  I need to be in Huntsville AL by thurs night.

Stephan B

Ride report!  Keep us informed...

[idk]

It makes my 350 mile ride to Raleigh, NC today look a bit sad.  Still, I enjoyed it and am looking forward to riding the long way back over the weekend. I am looking forward to hearing your reports.

[mattsz]

33 deg F today - looking forward to getting some proper riding gloves.  My ski gloves are a bit bulky!

Was planning a 150 mile ride up the coast, but the weather is heading south, so I've postponed until Sunday...

[sjbiat]

Re my ride to NYC.  Yes, it rained all day yesterday  Today was beautiful weather.  I drive to Jackson via Natchez trace. I cruise at 55-60. But I stop so often to look at things or take pictures, that at the end of the day, I only average 30. Enfields are so much fun that I don't miss the higher speeds.  I am so pleased at how easy it is to ride hour after hour on the C5!  Unfortunately I don't have time for the whole trip in October- I will have to leave it with friends in Murfreesboro and finish the trip in November.

[Fido]

Put off buying another bike because I doubted I'd find room to keep both in my garage. Shouldn't have worried. The RE is now sitting in it's new position while awaiting arrival of a new Moto Guzzi V7 Stone. Where there's a will ........

[Alan LaRue]

Fixed stuff:

Adjusted the chain. (Since the dealership installed an 18T countershaft sprocket only a few hundred miles ago and did not replace the chain, I don't really think it should have gotten so loose, but it was clanging on the chain guard and not far from jumping off.)

Installed a headlight connector with 3 combined sockets, rather than the individual ones. The original common burned up shortly after I got the bike back from service. I don't know if I can blame them for not reassembling it correctly, but... . Unfortunately, the high beam is still weak, so I need to trace the wire back further to find the problem.

Washed it! It was filthy after riding home in the rain on Tuesday. I made sure to power wash the chain really well.

Lubed the chain.

Replaced the speedometer cable. Last time I lubed it, the speedo was still jumping around every day after about 15 minutes. In the box-o-stuff that came with the bike was a spare speedometer cable (in the housing). I did not replace the housing, just pulled the fresh cable out, sprayed more lube on it, and inserted it into the old housing. It worked fine this morning, but I wonder whether the old housing was grimy enough that it would have been prudent to replace it, too. It was late when I got to that task and I didn't want to... well, I was getting lazy. Anyone have experience with just replacing the cable? Okay or bad idea?

I'm using Liquid Wrench Chain Lube on both the chain and the speedometer cable.

[Ducati Scotty]

Replace the housing.  It's not that tough of a job.  Also, make sure you clean the inner very well to get any filing off of it.

Scott

[Alan LaRue]

Thanks Scott.

[Ducati Scotty]

Were you using that special speedo cable lube you found or something else?

Scott

[Alan LaRue]

The first few times I lubed the cable I just used lithium grease. The last time I used the Liquid Wrench Chain Lube (which is recommended for stranded cables, as well), but the action didn't get any better because the cable was already messed up, I suppose.

The new cable was actually pre-lubed, but I gave it a good coating of the spray anyway.

I will go back and put the new housing on, clean off the cable to make sure there are no filings, and re-lube it. It was late last night and I didn't feel like taking the headlight off again.