Out of storage, or Opening Day 2014

[ssevy]

The snow has finally melted to the point where I could get the Tiger out of its winter storage today. It has been sitting in a heated basement for 5 months undisturbed and never started. I did change the oil and filter, lube the chain, and fill the fuel tank full of non-ethanol fuel and a bottle of either StarTron or K100 (I can't remember shit anymore). After I rolled it out into the sun, I got my cell camera, and video recorded my first attempt at starting (by the way, it's 5, not 6 months. I was too excited to do math I guess):
http://s716.photobucket.com/user/ssevytriumph/media/2014-04-06183910.mp4.html[/img]

It started in about 10 seconds, and ran perfect the entire four hours I rode it today. This is the first spring season that I have owned it, and riding this as opposed to my Legend on the frost heaved roads was so much nicer. As the temps were only in the low 40's today, the small fairing and hand guards did a great job of keeping me comfortable, as did the new seat. This bike is simply brilliant for my needs, and with just a couple of stops for pictures, I did 187 miles today. A splendid way to begin the season! Here's a view of the weather conditions today:


PS- Sorry the video isn't embedded. Don't have a clue how to do that, and I don't post on youtube.

[Sin_Tiger]

Very nice 

[Mustang]

fired up the hack yesterday also . not quite as drama free . mine sat around idle for about 3 1/2 months.
my friggin brand new battery that was put on in september was toast (as in had to replace it) , then promptly flooded it . Looked like a deisel with the "smoke pouring from the stack as black as coal " for minute or two , then she settled right down and ran fine .
last years ethanol btw ......no drama with that !

yep we got snow covered ground and sandy roads still too here in the frozen wasteland !

[nickjtc]

That first ride of the year is always so satisfying. Especially if the bike co-operates and starts first time! Where I am working this week (Revelstoke) the snow is 6' deep by the side of the road in some of the subdivisions. Glad I came in the company car!

[ssevy]

fired up the hack yesterday also . not quite as drama free . mine sat around idle for about 3 1/2 months.
my friggin brand new battery that was put on in september was toast (as in had to replace it) , then promptly flooded it . Looked like a deisel with the "smoke pouring from the stack as black as coal " for minute or two , then she settled right down and ran fine .
last years ethanol btw ......no drama with that !

yep we got snow covered ground and sandy roads still too here in the frozen wasteland !

I know you are a big fan of Wally World disposable batteries, but I really like the Motobatt I put in the Tiger last summer. With the dual set of terminals, you can keep the battery cables for the bike good and tight, and still have another set of terminals to hook up your charger wire or accessories. Seems to be really good quality, and no acid to spill if it tips over.
I gave up on wet cell batteries when I once shorted one out while trying to slide it into place on a Honda bike. The side of the case blew out and sprayed me with acid. Fortunately, not my eyes. A very good learning experience!

[Tripodtiger]

It must take some extra form of commitment when you can only ride half the year.

The seasons are going the opposite way up here.  Still, we'll have maximum clearly about 20C for most of the year.  Winter it rarely gets below mid teens during the day, unless the weather comes down from the antarctic & the Great Australian Bight.

I'm hoping to actually take the sidecar into some snow this year.  Been meaning to try & get there for a while and there always seems to be something else to do.  And lots of our snow fields are locked up for winter anyway - we don't know how to deal with it let alone drive in it.  If they didn't lock it up the rescue people would never get a day's peace.  Same as locking off the Simpson Desert in summer.

[rybes]

It must take some extra form of commitment when you can only ride half the year.

good point and i thought the danish 3 month insurance restriction was bad

[ssevy]

Those of us who are natives in the north country just get used to it. Fortunately, most of us are too cheap to waste a bullet, and it is rarely fatal when you jump off the roof of your doublewide (unless you land on one of the rusty junk cars parked nearby and get tetanus)

[Sin_Tiger]

You live in an interesting area Ssevy 

[97tiger885]

You live in an interesting area Ssevy 

Interesting,..., I doubt that often gets said about living in the Adirondacks.

[nickjtc]

It must take some extra form of commitment when you can only ride half the year.

If anything it makes a rider even more excited about what the new riding season has to offer. As long as you have an appropriate space there is NO excuse to not use the down time to get all of the fettling chores done on the bike(s), so that you are 100% ready for the fun-and-games of the new year.

We've been thrown a bit of a curve ball hereabouts with the introduction of a new restriction that snow tyres must be used (or chains carried) on major highways between October 1 and April 30. So if I ride from home to visit friends/family out of town as we speak, an over-officious police officer can give me a ticket.

[JayDub]

Apart from up in the far north, Britain - apart from its idyllic countryside - seems to be pretty boring compared to where some of you guys live, and some of the restrictions you have make me think that we have no excuses to not ride all year round (I did for many years until I had to get a van for work), we have it easy by comparison, and yet I know so many people now who give up riding when November/December arrive, myself included when the temperature really drops, but only because I live at the top of a village up a mile long and quite steep hill which means if I go out on the bike (or sometimes the car) and it snows or hailstones then the bike stays at the bottom until it thaws... but never mind, global warming should take care of that

[nickjtc]

but never mind, global warming should take care of that

Don't hold your breath.  :icon_wink: Global warming is a myth/conspiracy theory/alien plot. 

[JayDub]

The human race is a conspiracy!

[John Stenhouse]

Don't hold your breath.  :icon_wink: Global warming is a myth/conspiracy theory/alien plot. 

Nope Global warming is a fact..............Whether it's man made is the question