Tales From The Trails

Well let me begin by wishing all a very happy, healthy and prosperous New Year. The New Year is a time to reflect on the past and plan for the future. New Year’s resolutions are a popular topic during this time. For some of us, our thoughts may turn to our riding goals and objectives for the New Year. These may include; attending the monthly Sunday morning Slow Speed Rider Skills Course and mastering both the beginner and advanced courses, taking that much anticipated cross country ride, attend one of the big out-of-state bike rally’s, or simply stated, strive to become a better rider. Whatever your goals or objectives are, the New Year is a great time to do some serious inventory on your trusty steed. We all are, or should be programmed, to conduct a thorough pre-ride T-CLOCS inspection before every ride. T- CLOCS is an acronym for Tires & Wheels (T), Controls (C), Lights & Electric (L), Oil & Other Fluids (O), Chassis (C), and Side stand (S). Actually, the best time to conduct a pre-ride T-CLOCS inspection is at the conclusion of your previous ride. This way if you do encounter a problem with your bike you will have sufficient time to correct it prior to your next ride.

Beyond this important pre-ride check, how about looking at some of the “core” components on your bike. Core components such as; the battery – how old is it, is it time to be replaced, how about the oil – aside from the level checked during the T-CLOCS pre-ride inspection, how many miles / elapsed time has it been since it was last changed, when was the last time you had your clutch cable adjusted, are you current with the service interval recommended by HD for your particular bike, have you checked your highway pegs, floorboards, forward foot controls etc. - are all bolts and splines tight and secure. Many folks have started out with two highway pegs but return with only one as the result of a bolt backing out of the clamp. On two separate rides last year, a rider in the group found out the hard way that slop in their forward control was actually the spline on an aftermarket part wearing down. Although these core components should be looked at periodically during the year, the New Year is a great opportunity to start the year off on the right foot to ensure your rides will be safe and enjoyable, free from any unwanted surprises. Take a minute and check over the bike thoroughly and perhaps bring it to the good folks at the TC - Harley Dealership to check it out for you.

Our new activities team of Patti and John Beacham has many exciting and interesting rides planned for us so let’s all be ready to enjoy them to the fullest.

Ride Safe – Have Fun

Gary

January 2007