My brain looks exactly like this!

My dad made sure I was self sufficient - or at least had working knowledge. I will do the same for my girls. I wasn’t allowed to get a car until I could change a tire and the oil. The tire came in handy in Nashville. Pulled into a strip mall to fix a flat and looked up to see an audience. Apparently it’s amusing to see a blue-eyed midwestern 19 year old girl change a tire.

My motorcycle was always my responsibility because “you aren’t my wife - that’s the only other bike I work on aside from mine.” Handed me a toothbrush, and walked me through taking my carbs off to clean them.

 

You know you got it, if it makes you feel good...

I learned how to splice with shrink tube connectors last night!

 

That doesn't look like a webcam.

 

Those connectors are awesome.

 

Oh look! The sewing machine lives!!!!

 

Who gave you permission to leave this.

 

The Antique chairs I am restoring are out in the garage too - I am allowed out there.

The shock collar doesn’t trigger until I stray outside the parking lot.

 

Back on it.
Stator/rr installed, wired in a volt meter, fixed a fuel leak, and changed the oil.

Just in time for it to snow.

 

There are still a few good riding days left. Get out there!

 

Yeah, I think the best riding is in the fall anyway.

 

She's in Minnesota. Fall comes in August there.

 

Well we got our first frost this morning so I guess it's here too.

 

I have been out the last two days for the commute. There is something about nearly being killed on I94 every day by truck drivers drifting out of the narrow lanes that gives one fresh perspective on life.

I do need more insulation though - 60 degrees is too cold for me - time to pack on some winter weight.

I missed throttle therapy, but am really thankful for the new found skills I have acquired and the garage I am building
My next project is to refinish some antique furniture and build a work bench. I am so darn excited about this path.

 

Get yourself a Gerbing’s or First Gear heated jacket liner and Koso heated grips and you’ll never ride again without them.

*Don't buy a heated vest, because your shoulders and arms will freeze.*

 

Heated grips are OK, but heated gloves are "OMFGAWESOME!"

 

Really? I've had the opposite experience. Granted, I've never had good heated gloves, but the cheap grip heaters I've had were much better than the cheap heated gloves I've had.

But I also only rode during winters in Arkansas, which is not much cooler than summers up north. Nowadays my poor neglected bikes get gas tank gastroenteritis from sitting for years at a time...

 

Really. A good set of heated gloves will nearly make you weep with happiness. Gerbings has always been the mack-daddy of heated gear. I know some other companies have gotten into the game recently but I haven't tried them.

 

My Warm & Safe heated gloves are amazing, down into the 20’s. But, they are bulky. For most people heated grips are plenty, because most don’t ride into such extremes, so I always suggest them, first.

 

I have some Dainese D-core cold weather gear coming that has been on backorder since July.
I don't want to fry the new stator just yet, so I am not hardwiring anything else into that machine until I am confident that my repairs have actually fixed the problem - no heated gear this fall unless it runs on a portable fuel cell

 

The VFR stator makes 480W(IIRC). It always generates that amount of power, no matter the system draw from accessories like heated gear. It’s the regulator side of the R/R that deals with the excess power produced by the stator. With a shunt-style R/R, including MOSFET, it’s dissipated as heat. With a series-style R/R, the charging circuit is simply opened. The only things to hurt stators are dead-shorts from wiring issues and failing R/R’s.