Confessions

Hello fellow riders-As I sit here, snowed in, waiting for the snowplow to go by so I can leave, I'm wondering what I can contribute to this forum. It seems everything that I know has already been posted & discussed. What a great wealth of information to be found here! I figured I could pass along some mistakes I have made to benefit the newer riders here. Some examples- I have bought the cheapest tires I could find and ran 'em til near bald. Never do this. I have run brake pads to almost the backing plate. Never do this. At times I have used the cheapest motorcycle oil I could find. Probably not a good idea. I have ridden after drinking more than a couple beers. I'm an idiot but have learned. I have ridden beyond my skill level & paid the price. I have trusted the fuel gauge of my XJ750 Seca & learned that good riding boots dont always make good walking boots. Just remember-A little common sense goes a long way. Also remember that you get what you pay for! XJ Bikes ROCKS!

 

Did you see my XJ snowmobile?
http://xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=2 ... obile.html
Needless to say, it did not work.

 

If the pavement doesn't look slick it prolly is...... I almost ate shit yesterday taking a corner at 15mph. Luckily rolling off the throttle and standing the bike up saved me.

 

Way to go wwj750! It does seem like...

Fortunately, all these gurus here haven't spilled all the beans yet. They keep feeding us some great tidbits along as we need it.
My confessions:
*First bike, bought used, new to motorcycling; tried to get every mile out of original tires.
Lesson learned: It's a great way to view the blue sky and clouds while scooting along the shoulder of the road on your back at 55mph.
*Fill the gas tank to the brim, we’ve got a long way to go.
Lesson learned: 1973 Honda paint just ain't as tough as todays and sir, please don't lite that cigarette until I change my pants.
*3 foot tall sissy bars look cool.
Lesson learned: 3 foot tall sissy bars don't look cool
*Shop manual? Naah! I'll remember where everything goes.
Lesson learned: There are HOW many individual parts on a bike? And now that I've got everything back together, is this here one of them?
*Didn't use loctite on the XJ's 4 driveshaft flange bolts. Fortunately they backed out while I was on a grassy pasture road and not at full speed on the open road. They locked down the rear wheel instantly.
Lesson learned: ALL reciprocating parts get a triple check and proper security fastener(safety wire is not out of the question).
Well that's enough for now and oh yes there's more I could share. It's by accumulating these kind of lifes experiences that will make us XJ gurus someday(if we survive long enough).

 

Great post, MidnightSmoke & BTW-I'm runnin out to the garage with my bottle of locktite right now-Thanks!