Date: 29 March 24, 03:05 AM
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 COVID-19 & Colorado Weather



scuzzy


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  • In an emergency, 9-1-1 calls ME.

I had well over $800 worth of work done on my Harley a couple days ago, but about all I have been able to accomplish since then is to get the bike home. Between COVID-19 and miserably cold Colorado weather, my bike is pretty much garage-bound.

Our weather may improve over the weekend, so hopefully I'm whining for nothing.

Bill


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Motorcycle mechanics are essential workers? 
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scuzzy


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Bill


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I thought your bike was pretty pristine, you had it rebuilt?
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scuzzy


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  • In an emergency, 9-1-1 calls ME.

The bike is pristine, but only because I keep it that way. Maintaining large bikes, especially a Harley, is an expensive love affair. $834 got me 2 new tires, a set of brake pads, and a steering head adjustment (neck bearings tightened). The tires only last about 10k miles, so I'll get a year to 18 months out of them.

I'll do basic maintenance on the bike myself, but even that's expensive. I would have done the brake pads, but since the tires were being replaced I had the mechanic do it. When I do a full oil change myself, it's about $110 for the 3 oils (6 qts total) and a filter. If I pay the shop to do it, it's $300 to $500 for a simple service, depending on how many of the 3 oils are changed (engine, primary case, transmission).

My bike with its current accessories sells for about $30k new. High-end Harleys, such as the CVO Limited, can push $45k before accessories, taxes, etc.

I take my bike to a small independent shop in Colorado Springs (American Bike Tailor). The mechanic is among the best and is very personable. He was a professional racer and continues to build and customize racing motorcycles.

Bill


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I had no idea maintenance is that expensive.  How frequently is that done?  You mentioned tire wear, how about the oil changes?
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scuzzy


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Engine oil (4 qts) & oil filter gets changed every 5,000 miles. Primary case oil (1 qt) is every 10,000 miles, and transmission (1 qt) is every 20,000 miles. A single quart of synthetic oil is about $18 at local outlets. I buy kits directly from Amsoil, which even with shipping saves me a few bucks.

The brake pads will last about 25k, but I tend to go through the rear pads just a tad faster. I use the rear brakes while slipping the clutch to maneuver the bike in tight turns at slow speeds. The bike has a curb weight of over 900 lbs, so I need all the help I can get. Lol

It's common for the rear tire to wear much faster than the front, but my preference is to replace them in pairs. Having full confidence in my tires is far too critical an issue for me. My life rides on two tiny contact patches as it is, so I'd rather not be cheap.

Bill


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Makes sense to me.  Thanks for the info.
Fractal Design R5 | Asus  Z170 Pro | Intel i5 6600k | 16 GB G.Skill Ripjaws  DDR4 2133 | Seasonic 650w PSU | eVGA GTX 550 TI | Samsung 960 M2 500 GB | Samsung 850 EVO 500 GB | ASUS Burner | Windows 7 64-bit