There are a lot of things to like about living in the Sonoran Desert in Arizona. The landscape while rugged can be quite beautiful especially as the cacti are blooming or as the sun is setting over the red rock formations.

For nine months of the year the weather is perfect. Daytime temperatures hover around the mid-60’s to mid-80’s making it warm yet comfortable. For people with outdoor activities such as soccer, baseball, and motorcycle riding it is the perfect place to be.

Of course there is the summer when temperatures stay above the century mark consistently for weeks at a time. It is one thing when the daytime high is over 110 degrees and sometimes 120; it is quite another when the temperatures are still over 100 in the middle of the night.

This of course is miserable especially on vehicles. There have been days when I seriously considered wearing oven mitts to drive just so I would not burn my hands on the steering wheel. Windshield sunshades are not a fashion statement in Arizona; they are a necessity.

It’s not just the interior of a vehicle that takes a beating. Car and motorcycle batteries really take a hit in the hot weather of Arizona. While most of the country can make a battery last through it’s allotted warranty that won’t happen here.

In many cases a battery will need to be replaced as often as 24 months. I was feeling pretty good when Trina’s Suburban lasted almost three years. There was dancing around the garage and a prayer of gratitude to Mr. Diehard and his battery manufacturing.

Today though was not a happy day. I went to the garage excited that the weather was now perfect for riding my Harley Davidson Night Train every day. I loaded up the saddle bags with my laptop and briefcase for a ride that would ultimately end up at work.

It’s funny; when I am in the car I try to find the shortest distance between home and the office. When I am on my bike the exact opposite is true. It takes me three times longer to get to my destination. It is not because the bike is slower but rather I look to find ways to be on it as long as possible.

The joy and enthusiasm was short lived this particular day. As I climbed onto the bike and pressed the starter, I was not rewarded with the throaty sound of the Twin-V engine coming to life. I was instead greeted by the all too familiar sound of clicking from a battery that no longer has any juice left.

Initially I hoped that I had somehow left the accessory switch on or perhaps the security system had drained the battery. After a few hours on the recharger though the results were the same. With a quick wrench I removed the battery and placed it in the car.

While I went through the bike looking for possible faulty connections Trina took the battery down to the dealership to see if perhaps my charger was bad. When my cell phone went off with a message from Trina I almost didn’t want to look.

The diagnosis was the worst-case scenario. The battery failed due to the heat and needed to be replaced. This was most frustrating since the bike had been ridden very little due to my shoulder surgeries and subsequent rehabilitation.

Trina brought home a new battery and it was quickly installed. What a difference that made, the engine immediately turned over and before long I was headed down the road to anywhere. The clock is now ticking on this new battery as the heat of summer will return much too soon.

I’m trying to find alternatives to keeping this battery working longer. I’m just not sure I am going to be able to talk Trina into letting me park the Harley in the family room.

Motorcycle riding in Arizona comes with its own set of challenges. There is of course traffic which is at times comparable to that in California. Then there is the fact that most Arizona drivers fail to notice motorcyclists on the road leading to the inevitable close calls where cars pull in front of your bike or cut you off in traffic.

Besides the physical dangers brought about by inattentive drivers there are also environmental issues that cause problems for motorcyclists in Arizona. Although we get only ten inches of rain per year it seems as though that rain all comes in the course of just one day.

There are also the extreme temperatures that exist in the southwestern desert. It is not unheard of to see summer temperatures reach 120 degrees or hotter. During the winter it is rather common to see early pre-dawn temperatures drop to the teens making it somewhat difficult to dress appropriately.

It seems as though the longer I am in Arizona the more difficult I find it to accurately guess what the temperature is. There are days I would swear that the temperatures are over 110 degrees only to find that it is only 87.

As my buddies and I ride we are continually commenting on the weather and temperatures with guesses differing by more than 20 degrees. I finally decided I needed to find some way to accurately measure the temperatures to try and settle some of the outrageous guesses that come from riding for hours in the heat.

During one of my near weekly trips to the Harley-Davidson dealership I happened to find a bike accessory that would perfectly fit the bill.

Harley-Davidson has developed a Master Cylinder Clamp Thermometer that attaches to your bike’s handlebars at the master cylinder. The thermometer then displays the temperature using an analog dial.

The dial face comes in either silver or black to match your bike. The housing is chrome which allows the thermometer to blend into the handlebars making it fairly inconspicuous. Besides face color, you can also choose between Celsius or Fahrenheit temperatures.

The thermometer is an analog device with temperature readings between zero and 130 degrees Fahrenheit. The gauge numbers show 120 degrees but minor marks go an additional ten degrees.

Installation is extremely simple. All that is required is to remove one screw from the master cylinder clamp, thread the screw through the thermometer clamp and replace the screw on the handlebar.

Based on initial testing the temperatures are fairly accurate when compared to the local bank signs I’ve come across when riding. While this is not a must-have accessory, it has eliminated a lot of discussions about how hot or how cold it is during a ride.

The gauge face is very easy to read even while riding providing a way to quickly glance at the handlebars to see what the temperature is. Now when someone asks me if it’s hot enough for me I can respond with the temperature quantifying exactly how hot it is.

Ten days ago I was writing about riding in triple-digit temperatures and the need for a Hydration Jacket. Now less than two weeks removed I find myself waking up to temperatures in the low to mid-50’s and highs reaching the mid to upper-70’s. That in a nutshell is autumn riding in the southwest desert.

With temperatures now cooling off, I’ll be putting the hydration jacket in the closet and finding something that will keep me a little warmer. In times like this I turn to my Harley-Davidson Alternator jacket.

This leather jacket utilizes what Harley-Davidson Motorclothes refers to as “Switchback Technology”. This is more of a marketing term than anything else but in a nutshell it means that the jacket is capable of transforming from a full leather jacket into a textile mesh jacket.

The front and rear panels of the jacket are zippered from the base of the sleeve across the chest and back. During the cooler morning rides the jacket can be a cool weather leather coat blocking the chilly wind from reaching your body.

As the daily temperatures heat up making a full leather jacket too much, the rider is able to unzip the front and back leather panels removing them for storage in your saddlebags. The jacket then becomes a mesh jacket allowing good airflow.

The top of the sleeves remains leather to offer protection in case of a fall. The jacket also includes pouches for flexible body armor protecting elbows, shoulders, and spine (with an optional spine pad) in case of fall. The sleeves include elastic and snaps to allow them to be more form fitting to your arms eliminating a lot of the flapping that comes with other jackets.

Removing and replacing the panels is a fairly straightforward exercise that doesn’t take much time or effort. If early morning temperatures are colder still, the jacket could be included with a sweatshirt or insulated garment making this jacket perfect year round for riders in the southwest.

The jacket is a standard black leather with orange embroidered Harley-Davidson across the front. With the panels zipped off the mesh jacket is also black with an orange Harley-Davidson logo on the right breast. The sleeve has a Harley-Davidson bar and shield logo embroidered on the black leather. The jacket contains two zipped pockets for warming your hands and includes an inside pocket for storage.

This is a very versatile jacket that will keep you warm in the cold air and cool in the warm air. It is the perfect jacket for fall and spring riding where temperature ranges are greater. It is comfortable and stylish. Removing the body armor makes this a casual jacket that can be worn around town off the bike as well.

Finding a good set of motorcycle gloves is equivalent to searching for the Holy Grail. You have heard legend that the perfect set of gloves exists but so far it seems that they are more of a myth than a reality. It becomes even more impossible when you begin to factor in the various parameters that make up a good set of gloves.

First and foremost biking gloves should provide protection to the rider’s hands. The road can be a very unforgiving thing when your skin comes in contact with it especially at riding speeds. Protection is not the only factor though.

I doubt there are many of us who would wear armored gauntlets to ride in. A glove must be comfortable and allow some feel of the controls. Then there are the ever-present elements whether it is the bitter cold, blistering heat, snow, rain, or wind the rider always seems to be battling something.

Riding in Arizona, especially during the late spring to early autumn timeframe the biggest issue you have to deal with is heat. With temperatures over 100 degrees it becomes difficult to find gloves that will protect your hands without putting them through some type of heat inflected torture.

I am always on the lookout for a pair of gloves that will allow me some protection while being able to keep my hands cool. There are several different styles of gloves from half-finger, to three-quarter finger to full gloves.

I tend to prefer a full glove. Not only does it allow a bit more protection but it also saves me from burning my fingers when I grab the clutch or the front break. When you’ve been riding all day in temperatures over 100 degrees those grips and levers can get kind of hot.

I happened across a pair of Held Air gloves and decided to give them a try. The gloves are a combination of leather and fiber. The palms are lined with leather for long wear. They are reinforced around the thumb area to prevent premature holes from forming.

The back of the glove is made up of a combination of leather and mesh fiber. The back of the knuckles and fingers have leather pads offering protection if you happen to fall. The rest of the back is mesh, allowing air to reach your hands.

One of features of these gloves I especially liked was that the fingers have a mesh section. This means that while riding you can flex your fingers and get a blast of air inside your glove.

The gloves come in two colors. There is the standard black, which I bought or there is a light gray color that may actually be cooler in the hot sun. The gloves are slightly curved in a natural arch so that you don’t have a bunch of material wad up in your hand when you grab the grips.

The quality and craftsmanship are first rate. Held put these gloves together with high quality materials and as a result these gloves wear very well. After two seasons these gloves still look like new. The leather is colorfast treated so after a day of riding I am confident I will not pull my hands out and have them covered with black dye.

These are great warm weather gloves that I am able to use for all but the coldest riding temperature. You could safely use these for three seasons if you added a thin glove liner making them great since you no longer would have to carry two sets of gloves for varying temperatures.

I’m definitely a fan of the Held Air gloves and may even pick up another pair just to have once this pair finally wears out which from the looks of these may be quite some time.

There is perhaps no subject that polarizes the motorcycle community quite like exhaust systems. It is not just the type of exhaust that is divisive, sound and noise are also factors when it comes to discussing exhaust systems.

Lately there has been a lot more negative press surrounding the use of after-market exhaust systems. Residents and other drivers are complaining of the noise pollution that accompanies many of the systems.

The complaints are most often the result of a biker installing an exhaust system without the necessary sound dampeners making their bike extremely loud. I have been on rides with bikers whose exhaust systems are so loud that they set off automobile alarms just from starting the bikes.

We all love a deep throaty sound that the Harley-Davidson Twin engine makes but bikes need to be aware of how loud their bikes have become otherwise we are destined to have legislature introduced that will limit the products that can be used on the street.

Already there are several states considering noise laws that make it unlawful for riders to install many products due to the amount of noise that the pipes produce.

The stock exhaust system on a Harley-Davidson motorcycle has been designed as a compromise between performance and sound. When I first bought my Night Train I was surprised to hear how quiet the stock pipes were. Most of the bikes I had been around before had modified exhaust systems.

For the first three years I rode with stock pipes on my Night Train and was under the impression that they were adequate for the type of riding I was doing and I was conscious of the noise implications and did not want to be identified as part of the problem.

The funny thing was that during those years I had several close calls with motorists who pulled in front of me or changed lanes as if I did not exist. I am a very defensive rider so I was able to steer clear of a potential accident but the trend was making me very nervous.

After my wife witnessed one of these close calls she made the comment that somehow the drivers of cars need to be more aware of cyclists. About this time I decided that I really wanted to change exhaust systems to something a little more open.

I selected the Vance & Hines staggered Big Shots exhaust system. I liked the look of the Vance & Hines pipes and was impressed with their reputation.

I was a little concerned about the noise level; I wanted something a little louder than stock but not over bearing. With the new exhaust system in place I started the bike up. I immediately knew the difference between this exhaust system and the stock system.

They are indeed louder than the stock pipes but are still within a reasonable sound range. Talking to my neighbors they admitted the bike was now louder but none of them would classify the bike as being obnoxious or overly loud.

With the new exhaust system I quickly noticed a difference. With a less restrictive flow than the stock exhaust there was an increase in acceleration. Besides the new pipes I also installed a change to the bikes jet system to make sure it was receiving the proper mixture of fuel.

I’ve been quite happy with the Vance & Hines exhaust system. Whether directly attributed to the bikes or some other factor I have not had the close calls I did before on the road. I believe the slightly louder pipes have resulted in drivers being more aware of my bike and therefore are less apt to change lanes or pull in front of me.

The quality of the exhaust system is first rate. The stainless steel pips with built in heat shields remain perfectly polished and lend a more street savvy look to the bike. The bright chrome pipes are a distinct contrast against the blacked out look of the Harley-Davidson Night Train making it all the more impressive.

While I do not condone extreme exhaust modification and believe we are all responsible for maintaining a level of peace by minimizing noise pollution I do think that a little more noise than the stock pipes are warranted to make sure the other drivers notice us. It’s a change I would definitely make again if given the opportunity. This bike upgrade may just have saved my life.

The speedometer and instrument panel for the Harley-Davidson Softail Night Train consists of a single gauge located on the top of the gas tank. It has an analog speedometer as well as an odometer. The odometer portion has not only the total bike mileage but also has a resettable trip odometer.

From a readability perspective the gauge is first rate but somewhat limited. I prefer having a gauge that shows not only the current speed but also has a tachometer for monitoring RPMs. For a Softail owner you basically have two choices.

The first choice is to add a separate tachometer gauge. Harley-Davidson offers such a gauge in a three-inch gauge that mounts to the center of the handlebar. While this is the least expensive choice for adding a tachometer, it does require adding yet another item to the handlebar.

I like the handlebar relatively free of clutter so the thoughts of adding a gauge front and center was not something I was interested in. Besides the gauge it would also require additional wiring to tap into the bike’s electronics, which is yet another connection to manage while you, are on the road.

The second option replaces the existing speedometer instrument gauge on the tank with a combination speedometer and tachometer. This provides one single instrument gauge rather than two. The tachometer speedometer combination also is a five-inch gauge making the face easier to read as you glance down.

The combination gauge also is plug compatible with the existing wiring harness for the factory speedometer meaning that there is no splicing or additional wiring that needs to take place making it a very simple installation.

To order, you must visit your Harley-Davidson dealer who will verify your mileage on your existing instrument panel then order the new gauge. When it arrives it will have the mileage entered into the odometer. It’s kind of a crapshoot as to whether the mileage will match. I guess if you noted the mileage then took the bike home and left it parked until the new gauge cluster arrived it would probably be close. Mine ended up being within 15 miles of the estimate I had.

The new instrument cluster comes with simple instructions and it took less than half an hour to complete the transformation. When I started the bike the tachometer immediately registered as did the speedometer so it’s basically foolproof to install.

At first I thought the tachometer would just be informational or a nice-to-have addition to the bike but I find myself monitoring it more often than I would have guessed. The face of the gauges is quite easy to read.

Harley-Davidson offers several different types of faces to their gauges. I went with a traditional black faced gauge with speed listed on the top half and the tachometer listed on the bottom. The style is very close to the stock gauge giving the bike a traditional look. The instrument panel is lighted making it easy to see both in daylight as well as night.

You can never have too much information when you are riding so this has been a valuable addition. It’s also one more way for you to customize your Harley-Davidson motorcycle to make it unique.

Motorcycle riding in Arizona is an interesting proposition. During the winter months, temperatures can reach the teens in the remote desert. In the summer temperatures can get up to 120 degrees. Those kinds of differences make finding the right kind of riding jacket nearly impossible.

While there are several jackets made for riding in the cold, riding in this kind of heat is not something that many people have to endure so manufacturers have been somewhat reluctant to develop riding gear for severe heat.

Although many ride in just a T-shirt, I would rather have something on my upper body that will protect me in case of an accident. The problem is finding something that will wick away moisture while still providing the necessary protection.

A jacket is advantageous during summer riding even during hot temperatures. The reason for this is that a jacket protects the rider from the hot sun beating down on him during the ride.

To date a rider had two choices when it came to protective riding jackets. There were leather jackets that protected very well but tended to be rather warm in the desert climate. There are mesh and lighter weight leather but these still tended to trap the moisture inside causing the rider to potentially overheat.

The other choice was textile jackets more commonly known as mesh jackets. The textile jackets allow air to flow through the mesh fabric to promote the removal of moisture. Many of the brands include some type of removable body armor that protects the rider from any mishaps.

The historical problem with jackets during summer riding has been one of moisture management and body cooling. When a rider sweats, air will evaporate the moisture and cool the rider. Too much though and the rider could dehydrate making for a dangerous riding situation. Too little and the rider could overheat.

Harley-Davidson Motorclothes division came out with a new jacket to help with the war against heat. During the spring they introduced what they referred to as a hydration jacket. This is a mesh jacket with special compartments that can hold hydration pouches.

The pouches contain polyacrylite crystals. When soaked in cool water the crystals expand. The expanded pouches are then added to the jacket. During a ride, air flows over the pouches cooling the rider allowing him to retain a lower body temperature.

The polyacrylite pouches are reusable. According to documentation that comes with the jacket the pouches are good for 50 rides or one year whichever comes first. Additional pouches are available for purchase from Harley-Davidson.

I was curious whether this jacket would live up to its billing. I bought the jacket and brought it home. The temperatures have been hovering around 100 degrees so I figured this would be the perfect time to try them.

Soaking the pouches takes approximately five minutes and I used cool water from the refrigerator since water coming out of the tap in Arizona really isn’t that cold during the summer. I was surprised how much the pouches swelled.

Besides being larger they were also a lot heavier. Adding the pouches to the jacket increased the weight of the coat by a measurable amount. Unfortunately I was so eager to try the jacket that I didn’t even think to weigh it but my guess was it was four to six pounds heavier.

I got on the bike and went for a ride. According to my bike thermometer the temperature was 101 degrees. I didn’t notice the weight of the jacket while I was wearing it. It felt fairly comfortable. The mesh jacket allowed for decent airflow.

I was skeptical of the polyacrylite crystals but I have to admit they really did work. It was much cooler with the pouches in place and almost made the ride bearable. Just to test and make sure it was not all in my head, I removed the pouches and put them in my saddlebags and rode home.

While the jacket had good airflow it was just warm air blowing from the atmosphere and I was much hotter. I am going to continue to use the hydration jacket during the warmer months and I’ll try to update with longer-term usage experiences.

Shortly after I got my Harley-Davidson Night Train I realized that I was going to need a way to carry things while riding. Initially I just figured I would get a backpack and put what I needed in that but quickly decided that wearing a backpack was a pain, literally.

As a software developer I seem to have to carry things around a lot. Whether it is my laptop computer, or a series of documents that I have to review I seem to always have something in my briefcase.

The backpack idea I thought was good but quickly learned the weight of a backpack seems to shift at precisely the wrong moment and when temperatures are nearing or over triple digits they can be pretty hot stuck to your back. Besides, can you really look cool riding a Harley-Davidson motorcycle while wearing a pink My Little Pony backpack? Hey, you use what you have and I don’t want to talk about why I have a pink My Little Pony backpack.

Obviously I needed a different way to carry items on my bike. I considered a rear fender rack and the associated bungee cords but I was worried that my laptop and other items may not be as protected as they need to be. I also considered a rack bag but I could not find one that was capable of holding what I needed without looking like a wart on the back of the bike.

I finally decided that saddlebags were my best bet for storing the items I needed while allowing the bike to retain its outlaw look. Well as outlaw as a computer programmer on a motorcycle can look.

I was feeling pretty good making the decision for saddlebags but that feeling didn’t last long when I learned that there were about a million different types and brands of saddlebags. I definitely didn’t anticipate the sheer number of saddlebags that were available.

After several days of research and visiting what seemed like every web site on the Internet I finally decided on a set of bags. I decided on a set of bags from Boss Bags. The reviews I read were very positive and really who could possibly resist a set of bags strong enough that a guy could stand on them without the bags sagging or breaking?

After a series of measurements I selected a set of 36C bags. It seemed a little awkward ordering them, I wasn’t sure if I was going to get a set of motorcycle saddlebags or a leather bra. While on the phone with the salesman he explained what the numbering system meant.

The 36 represents how many cans of beer will fit inside of each bag. That means this set of bags is capable of holding 72 cans of beer if fully loaded. Not only did these bags seem perfect for carrying my laptop and briefcase but on the weekend I could be the most popular guy at the Harley Owners Group if I showed up with 72 cans of beer.

The Boss Bags saddlebags were made of very high quality materials and I loved the quick release system that used compression fittings to get the bags on and off the bike. These bags were the perfect companion giving me the storage option to hold a jacket, my briefcase and my laptop.

Unfortunately at work we change computer manufacturers and the company standardized on a larger laptop. Suddenly the 36C bags were no longer large enough. The depth of the bag was slightly smaller than a 15.4 inch laptop would fit and the tear drop style make the top too small to get a laptop inside. I was once again in the market for a new set of bags.

Given the high quality and workmanship of the Boss Bags I went back to the company and worked with their customer service department to find an appropriate bag that would work for me.

I didn’t want anything too big but given the laptop sizes that are in use today I was forced to go with the 42C bag. I was concerned that these bags would be huge, something I really didn’t want. Boss Bags customer service assured me that the bags were not gigantic and that they felt like I would be happy with them.

The final decision came after Boss Bags offered a money back guarantee if the bags did not work out. That eliminated all fears I had and I placed the order. Like the 36C, the 42C represented the number of beer cans that would fit in the bags so I was now capable of carrying 84 cans of beer. I was quickly becoming the premier beer transportation system for Arizona.

With the larger size, the 42C bags require more than just replacing a couple of fender bolts with quick release posts. These larger bags came with their own mounting plate that has not just the quick release posts on the top but also a lip on the bottom to support the larger bags.

Installation was very easy with a minimum amount of time and tools required to complete. I eagerly mounted the bags then stood back to look over the bike. I was worried it would look like my bike had developed breeder hips but that was not the case at all. It retained the same style and look as it had with the 36C bags in place.

The opening is large enough that I can easily slide my briefcase and my laptop into the bag with room left over. The larger size does not deter bike handling either. The larger bags do make it a tight fit with the rear turn signals but no adjustment was necessary and I didn’t have to relocate the lights like I thought they might.

Overall I have been extremely happy first with the Boss Bags 36C and ultimately with the Boss Bags 42C saddlebags. The leather looks great and with minimal care has remained looking like new despite daily use. If you’re looking for a set of saddlebags for your bike I suggest you try Boss Bags, you won’t regret it.

The Harley-Davidson Owners Group has come up with a concept they declared Million Mile Monday. They set aside June 30, 2008 as a day to get everyone out on their bikes. The goal was to collectively try and accumulate one-million miles worldwide. The miles could be pretty much anything. Some would use their bikes to commute while others had planned a long journey that would incorporate this date into their plan. At the end of the day members were invited to log into the H.O.G. web site and enter their miles. It is a cool idea really. What better way to remind people how great it is to ride a motorcycle than to get them out on the road. Hopefully it would also increase the total number of riders on the road for at least a day. This should in turn make other drivers more aware that the motorcycle population is not a niche market but is much more mainstream than they had previously imagined. Perhaps then drivers would be more conscientious than they have been in the past.

Initially I had huge plans for Million Mile Monday. I thought about taking the day off from work and loading up the Night Train and heading out for an epic ride. Those plans were dashed when I realized that this date fell during the time that Trina and Whitney would be gone and I would have Dakota at home alone. For a moment I considered putting Dakota on the back of the bike and making it a father and son outing.
It seemed like everything was working against me on this. First there was the fact that I was still pretty sick and with all the medication driving a bike a long distance was probably not the smartest thing. Secondly, this was the day that Trina actually returned to town and I needed to go and pick her up. I wasn’t exactly sure she would appreciate me pulling into the parking lot on a motorcycle since she would have all of her camping equipment with her. Then of course there was the small fact that it was to be 114 degrees today with a 15 mile per hour wind making the wind chill about 120 degrees. I swear it feels hotter when the wind blows in Arizona. Regardless of all this I was committed to be a part of Million Mile Monday. So after making sure Dakota was settled and checking the clock to verify that I had time before Trina came back into town I grabbed my helmet, my leather jacket, my gloves, and jumped onto the Night Train. It felt great starting it up and rolling down the driveway.
Before long I was out on the road; the sound of the exhaust serenading me. Each passing mile brought a bigger smile to my face. The trials and troubles I had been enduring seemed to melt away every moment I was in the saddle. After an hour or so I knew I needed to get back. It took every ounce of strength that I had to turn the bike around. Not because I was weak but because I knew that once I parked that bike I would again be thrust into the real world and my fun would be over. Sometimes obligations get in the way of what you really want to do.
I pulled back into the garage and parked the bike. For a moment I sat there as the silent engine cooled. It had been the best part of my whole day and I have the Harley Owner’s Group to thank for that. It may be hot and I might not have felt the best before but I was feeling pretty healthy now. Maybe I need to make every day Million Mile day.

After getting the call that my new wheels had arrived for my Harley-Davidson 2005 Softail Night Train, I made arrangements to have them installed. I dropped the bike off at Chandler Harley-Davidson on March 6. It was two wheels so I just assumed that the bike would be done either that day or the morning thereafter. Now what was that saying about never “assume” anything? Yeah, I seemed to have forgotten that. Maybe I was being unrealistic. Maybe I am being impatient. Maybe I just have no clue how long it actually takes to install a couple of wheels. No matter what the reason, it wasn’t done. Instead I got a call this morning saying that the bike was ready to be picked up. All that was left to do was have it washed.

Have it washed? When was the last time that you went to a doctor’s appointment for them to cure whatever ails you and had the doctor tell your wife, “We have completed our examination of your husband and we’ve fixed him up with a shot and some medication. He is available to be picked up. Just let us know when you will be over to get him and we will make sure he is all washed and cleaned for you to take him home.” I’ve never had that happen although I am sure Trina would have gratefully accepted that especially after I had spent a long day outside in 100 degree temperatures on a bike while wearing a leather jacket. I think this blog entry just took a serious detour off the main road. Hang on, I need to go back and read what I wrote so I can try and get my thought process back to where it was going with this. Oh yeah, the bike was done. As soon as I got the call I had Trina run me down to the dealership. I felt like a kid on Christmas morning waiting to open his gifts. After paying the balance on the service order I was told that the bike was nearly ready, they just had to finish washing it. I briefly thought about sharing my ponderings about how Harley dealerships are different than doctor’s office visits but then I remembered how off track that made me the first time so I just kept the comments to myself. Trina hasn’t really gotten into the whole motorcycle thing so to ask her to go to a Harley-Davidson dealership is akin to her asking me if I want to go hang out at a fabric store. It’s just not going to happen without some serious bribery. Considering the amount of money I just gave the cashier to pay for my wheels I didn’t have much bribery money left so I suggested to Trina that I could just wait around for the bike if she wanted to go. I had not even gotten the last three words out of my mouth than Trina was already in the car driving out of the parking lot. So I stood around and waited for the bike to come out from the back. I figured 5 minutes tops and I would be out on the road. The five minutes stretched to ten and that went to 30. And while I usually love going into the Harley dealership and look around at all the potential ways to modify my bike, today the time seemed inordinately long. When I had waited 45 minutes I began to worry. Did someone take the bike pretending to be me? I went back and found my service technician just to remind him of what I looked like. He assured me that he remembered my face but that my bike was not quite ready it was being washed. At an hour I wondered exactly what they were washing it with that would take that long. At 75 minutes I began to worry that it was going to take me that long to wash it after a ride I would have to start making my rides a lot shorter. At 90 minutes I was pacing the floor like an expectant father. Finally I think the sales guys were starting to get just as nervous as I was as they kept coming over to check on me. I didn’t think I had that crazed postal worker look about me but maybe I did. Finally the service technician came out to tell me I was now the proud parent of a beautiful bouncing baby Night Train who had just had its bath. Don’t tell Trina but I was probably more excited at that moment than I was in the delivery room when our children were born. It’s not that I don’t love my kids, I really do. It is just that I can deal with a little spilled oil on the pavement a lot better than blood and whatever else there is in a delivery room. I went outside and gazed upon the bike. All thoughts of hospitals, women in labor, and Trina screaming at me immediately left my mind. The bike looked awesome! In fact it was starting to attract a small crowd as people came by to check it out. It was just the right balance of black and chrome to make it look unique. Yeah the bike was finally looking like me rather than just another bike on an assembly line. This time I think I am done customizing. At least until next week anyway.