...a little update.

Not lots to say here, but the epoxy job on the intake manifold of the Sgian Dubh lasted, oh, 13 or 14 minutes. Made it home okay. Made it to the doctor's the next day okay. I actually rode it to Prescott and back last Saturday for a Big Brothers - Big Sisters fund raiser the Sheriff's Office is doing. It did NOT, however, run well. Not particularly slow or jerky or anything...just not right! Letting off the throttle then on again created a hesitation I knew wasn't supposed to be there, along with a few other telltale signs.

So, that night I removed the intake manifold again and sho' nuff, it was ALL busted up. So I used a pliable silicone based contact glue covered with black electrical tape. It worked alright, but I still (in the back of my mind) knew it wasn't right, so I ordered one from HelixParts www.helixparts.com/usa/ for the princely sum of about twenty bucks on Tuesday. They shipped it on Wednesday and it showed up in my mailbox today, Friday!!! Wow!!!

Well, I scurried to the garage and began untaping wires and removing seats and all of that stuff. The swap only took about 10 minutes. Big difference! Starts much easier without all that extra air getting in!!

Of course, with the seat removed I saw a major issue. I had originally bolted the tailight assembly to the seat base using self-tapping screws. They were holding okay, but I knew it was just a matter of time until one or more just dropped out, sending my tailight onto the back tire in a splash of plastic and rubber. Not my idea of a good time. Also, with the tailight bolted to the seat, I could only remove it as far as the wiring would allow, which, inevitably would NOT be far enough.

So, a quick trip to my local ACE Hardware store for a length of steel with holes already drilled in it and some zip-ties was in order. I got home and did a little measuring and cutting and doggone if it didn't just bolt right up! Of course, there was the always time consuming job of locating the correct nuts and bolts in the bottomless pit that is my garage. I know, I know...I should clean it out, but my deal is this; I go in there to fix stuff, NOT to hang out! And if stuff is fixed, I'm riding it, NOT hanging out in my garage. So you see, I just don't have time...

I got the bracket built just fine and with a minimum of fuss, but like always, I see what I could have done either better or differently, so I'll probably have to do it again sometime. Not right now, though...it's time to ride!!!

C-ya...ride on!
--Keys