Zen is elusive - attempting the art of motorcycle maintenace

I was today-years-old when I realized that changing a motorcycle tire is similar to changing a bicycle tire only in the words used include “changing”, “-cycle” and “tire”.

I’ve fixed bicycle flats and changed plenty of bicycle tires, you use these little spoons to lever the tire off the rim, pop out the tube, put on a new tire, re-inflate, and go!!

It took me about two hours and risked some skinned knuckles to change the front tire. I don’t think there was much Zen in my tire changing. And the rim will never look as good as before I began, even though I was using rim protecters. 

I’m putting on road tires for the first 4,000 km jaunt of this, will put on my new Michelin Akanee Wilds that have been sent on ahead via Canada Post and are waiting for me in Dawson City. 

The experience of changing the front tire brought enough joy that I detoured from my plan to go immediately do the rear tire, which I know will be even more fun, and instead worked on other tasks: I bled the front brakes (a process of removing air bubbles that get into the brake fluid, refreshing the fluid for good measure), repaired the wonky hand guard that I had bent in my crash on Friday, and took various photos of prior repairs to share with you:

Oops! Sorry! That photo is a dim recollection from Camp 45 Road, last week!

Fixed the broken off chain guard with some scrap stainless steel sheet metal:

Then, the left rear axle adjuster screw backing plate (not sure if that is what it’s actually called), fixed prior to my “dry run”: 

Also note the repairs to the rear ABS sensor protector, immediately above. It would appear that the P.O. (Previous Owner) used this bike similarly to how I have: how it was intended!  If you don’t break stuff, you aren’t having enough fun. Awesome . . . 

To repair these various broken pieces, I cut the stainless steel pieces with an angle grinder to shape, then bent on a vise, and drilled holes to match the damaged locations and bolted together.  I’m quite proud of the outcome!

I also took some time to chop wood for the hot tub, I repaired the lawnmower, weeded around the apple trees trunks, and cooked a couple of chickens that my sister-in-law brought over for a family meal. (Sorry, no photos of any of that, especially the chickens which looked great on the rotisserie.)

Monday, I’ll tackle the rear tire with a fresh helping of Zen. It all looks so easy on YouTube. I’m pretty sure I have enough swear words to get through the task. A couple tools I’m happy to have acquired, thanks to Amazon, include proper motorcycle tire spoons and a bead breaker. I’ll take photos of the job as I do it. Amazon also delivered a small compressor that I’ll bring along with me for repairs along the way, and my Dawson City change over back to knobby tires.

But for now, I’m going into the hot tub.