FromMaine

😁 I don't own a truck. Nor a CB radio. My girlfriend didn't leave me, cause I'm married and don't have one. I'd be seriously challenged to come up with lyrics.

Coming out of a corner and hitting some fine gravel on rt. 215 in western North Carolina 10 years ago earned me a broken big right toe, chowdered peg, and in need of a new set of boots, and I never went down. Wearing Oxtar TCS Evo ti boots probably helped that be the only issue I had to deal with. Stuff happens on the open road.

I'm about 45 minutes from Bangor on the coast. Bangor is our second largest city, with about 35,000 people, which gives you an idea of what the rest of Maine looks like.........:) The part no. in your photo, 586610 corresponds to the one listed in AW's site in the UK. I'll link a photo from their website which confirms it fits your bike. Looks like Capt. 80's did his homework.🙂 For the record, looks like WEMOTO in the UK shows the same part available also. Good luck with the bike.

+1 for Marine grade heat shrink. We obviously used it extensively on the ships I was on as it protected our wiring long term from corrosion in a salt air environment, and was also effective for short term immersion in, well, the ocean.

Ordered. 😀 From a UK bookseller.

No explanation needed. 😁 Yes, they are real, Haynes really did publish them in 2017. Yes they are hilarious. Gift from my brother. I worked in Germany for about a year, also in France for a bit less in shipyards, building or hauling out for work. Apparently, there is a volume on Americans also.😁

Balance Beads are not my thing, but they do have utility. I have used them twice when I had to swap a rear tire when about 2,000 miles from my garage. First time was in Wisconsin coming back from a cross country. Had a tire sent to a buddy who did not have a garage or tools. I managed to get the tire off and the new one on with my tire irons, but having no real option to balance properly I just used beads. I.knew this ahead of time so ordered them with the tire. Second time was when I bought my 4th Gen from a fellow in Iowa. I was headed to Colorado from there, so sent a rear tire and beads ahead as I flew in to pick it up. Again I knew ahead of time he lacked much in the way of tools. In fact I used a 2×4, hammer, and a door frame to break the bead cave man style. Then borrowed a neighbor's pancake compressor that surprisingly managed to set the bead. I have done a few other tire swaps on the road, but it was in really well equipped garages, so I used a static balancer and weights as I do here in Maine.

Holy Macaroni Tony is that a nice looking 5th gen.! Eight spoke, white rims, Highmount, seat cowl, and a blacked out belly pan. One of the reasons I really like the looks of my 4th Gen is the black belly pan against the Pure Pearl red bodywork and of course the white wheels. Much as I like white rims with red bodywork, I do.have an open mind, I'm curious to see what Captain has for a Bronze rims bike. He does have some good looking bikes in his Garage.

My 86. 90. 97, and 01 all have white wheels, so you know what side of the fence I am on. Personally, I think MBranes polished aluminum or Mello's silver would be the next best choice. If it has to be Black or Bronze. I would go with a high gloss black. I am still waiting to see a bike with Bronze wheels that I think the wheels and whatever color the bike is doesn't look mis matched. But, its an opinion.🙂

Sorry to hear about the medical issue. and yes you are lucky, I almost got taken out in my first month living in the UK in a traffic circle. As far as the minor scratches go, I think your fairing would be Honda R334, Victory Red. You could look for someone who supplies paint pens in the UK or Europe. I certainly saw lots of VFR's in both, I would assume they are available. The link is for a US company, but will give you an idea of what I mean. Honda VFR800F Touch Up Paint & Paint Color Codes Probably the same is available for the Crankcase cover, but my newest VFR is a 2001, so I have no idea what the color code is. Sure someone here will be able to offer some info. Lastly, I have put my manhood in my back pocket and marched into a large stores Cosmetic section with a motorcycle bit and color matched to nail polish. This doesn't last forever colorwise if left outside, but holds up well if the bike is covered or stored inside, and its as tough as nails. Just a thought. Good luck mate.

Well got side tracked. Will try to finish this up. It had rained the night before and was a steady drizzle at 38F as I pulled pulled out onto rt 132. Almost immediately i saw the construction sign and stop sign. Not sure how to describe it, but I was at the crest of a blind hill, no tarmac just gravel and could not see more than maybe 100-150 ft before, well nothing. Found out later this hill is a 17% grade, yikes. One of the workers walked up towards me. Monsiuer, Attention, Frais! then kicked into the gravel to show it was indeed fresh, unpacked gravel, then waved me on. It was steep enough I used a bit of throttle to start out, then just kinda coasted and just used my clutch to slow when needed. It was just about a kilometer like this and I was painfully slow. The car behind me was far enough behind to clearly show its not "if" this guy dumps it, but "when". As I came up to the end of the gravel, all I saw was mud, about 1" on the road. Of course rain, fresh gravel, 17% grade will do that. No gas, bumped onto the tarmac and was fine for a second or 2, then the rear started to come around to the right, so a little gas, and kinda got straight for a second or two, then repeat until clear. To be perfectly honest, I am that guy who on a nice sunny day, in a perfectly level and maintained parking lot has dumped his bike. I really have no idea how I did not that morning. A whole 2 kms after turning onto 132, I wanted a break.🙂 No where to pull off so keep going. Ran into more constructionup near the town of Gaspe and stopped to chat briefly with a Mountie. Who confirmed, yes there is more on 132. So looking g at my map, I decided to cut the corner of the peninsula and take 198, a long lonely road I was last on maybe 20 years ago. Things hadn't changed much as I saw the signs, no services next 85 km, in fact there is only one town, Murdochville before you reach 132 again. About 50 kms in I still the only person on the road when I saw the construction sign. There was a car in front of me, he had been there a while. I was obvious the were improving the sightlines on the road by cutting back abot 50 ft either side. This involve cutting about half a billion trees it seems. Eventually just shy of 50 minutes later we were on our way, behind an escort vehicle, it took a while. I stopped for gas at Cap-Chat. The road between the junction of 132/198 and there is beautiful. My hands were so numb by then, I stepped in side this 2 pump station to warm them up and dry my hands so I could put a different pair of gloves on. I came out to see a school bus oariently parked behind my bike waiting to get to the sole diesel pump. I made a quick apology the thr driver and headed off. There was more rain, construction, cold, a bit of highway, occasional nice views, then I finally made it to my destination, Riviere du Loup, which my schoolboy French says is Wolf River. My motel was old school one story, but I could not find where to check in, in the dark. The was a St.Hubert restaurant directly attached to it so I parked outside and walked in to enquire. The restaurant was paced at a bit after 7:00, they were a sit down with a bar and was about to go ask a hostess where to check in when I looked straight in front of me, the register to my right said take out orders, to the left said motel reception. Well thar was a first. Finally in front of my room, I put the kickstand down over 10 hours after leaving Perce, and the door next to mine opened. He was Tom, an older guy from Nova Scotia, started asking questions and telling me about his Harley and FJR. He eventually noticed my CAF look and said, you must be ready for a hot shower. He was right. After getting cleaned up and warm I walked across the road to a Normandin restaurant. I ordered a bowl of soup, Burger and a beer as big as my head. Finished with the food and nursing my beer, I reach fir my phone. It wasn't there. I tried to remember when I would have lost it till it dawned on me, it was still in my tank bag in a plastic bag where I put it this am. It was one of those days. The old saying is, "pics or it didn't happen" Guess i have to say this time, "It happened, therefore no pics" 😁

Wow, duly noted.🤐