Last weekend I vowed to myself while gazing through the window in the door to the garage, I will get in there and make something right next weekend. Saturday turned out to be that day, and I took the SS off the lift, and put the Monster up on the lift to see what I’ve been neglecting. I considered firing up the bike to let the oil warm up, but thought about the 50W sludge pumping around and decided to drain it as it was. Apparently it was a good call, as the garage mice are saboteurs. (time for a shop-cat?) I found this little stash of winged food inside the air-box. I doubt a sunflower seed could stand up to the power of a stainless steel valve, but I don’t believe that Fabio Taglioni designed his demo’s to run on birdseed.
Sunday was a cool forty-seven degrees and sunnier than any summer day. I left my driveway and was off. Up through Litchfield County into the backroads of Winstead and Colebrook. I shifted into high gear with a margin of throttle and just listened to the motor rhythmically propel me through the country at two-thousand revolutions per minute. Left, right, straight, who cares? I fully enjoyed being “lost” for an hour before the shadows of the trees got longer and my gloves weren’t feeling as warm as when I left.
I stopped by a friends house to beg for a cup of coffee, but nobody was home. On my way back, I noticed Walt’s truck at his shop, so I pulled a u-turn and stopped in. Turns out not only did he have a spare cup of coffee, but he had a few minutes to kick tires and trade lies over a few smokes. A light breeze reminded me that it was colder still, so I thanked Walt for the coffee and struck out for home.
It was really nice to get some helmet time in.
February 4th, 2008 at 8:10 pm
Yea, I got mice in the garage too. Last year they munched through some wires in the cobra and it killed all my lights. There was just enough wire to get me to a very dark, unlit street before they went out. It was a challenging ride home. I had some moles take up residence in the foam element of my old YZ. They had eaten through the element and I sucked one up into the carb trying to start the bike. I think if I had kept some oil on the element it would have helped. I have traps in the garage and they only seem to get the end of my flops, the mice go for the more expensive stuff.
I think Lola would like a shop cat; they taste even better than squirrels.
February 5th, 2008 at 10:12 pm
Man, I can’t imagine with cars. I remember as a kid my dad had a family of mice make a nest in his roto-tiller. I can still remember the stream of obscenities and angry looks. I got off lucky, the air-filter kept all but 5 small seeds out of the intake manifolds. Look out Ed, I might have done you in. I never had mice problems until I got the stove. Check the cobra before you crank her over in spring!
February 6th, 2008 at 9:33 am
Oh man, I never thought of that, makes sense though. I think I’ll up the traps and try some loud music.