Maintenance and farkle day for the Versys!

On Saturday I'm leaving for a twelve day riding vacation to Prince Edward Island, and as I expect to put at least 3,200 kilometres on the bike, I figured it was time for another oil change, as well as an opportune moment to install some Barkbusters Storms and a Kaoko throttle lock that I purchased used last fall.

I dropped the oil without too much mess right into the pan, and to my delight I located a cap style oil filter wrench that fit onto the Bosch oil filter. The wrench made removal and installation a breeze! In fact, it went on so tight that I had to back it off to hand tight and deliberately add a 1/4 with the ratchet.

Hokay. The barkbusters are all fiddly, and need to be installed with all the fasteners pretty loose until it all lines up. Removing the fasteners to hit them all with medium strength thread locker then finding they didn't quite want to go back into place was a pita! But eventually brawn and wile beat them out and they  are installed to my satisfaction, although the Strom handguards look a bit too tall for my riding style, and I wander if enough air will flow over my hot sweaty hands in the dog days of summer.

The Kaoko throttle lock is designed to be used with handguards, so there is no bar end with it, and while similar to the Manic Salamander bar ends I had on my KLR, it has the potential to lock up quite a bit tighter, so I'll be using it when on a straight boring stretch of super slab when I want to stunt or scratch my nose. Just kidding, I pull over to scratch my nose. :P

Right, now to test drive the nice clean oil and watch  it fade to black again.

Oops, I almost forgot to lube the chain while it's up on the stands!

Test ride!

Update: With the bar risers and Give windscreen set to the highest adjustment level, my new barkbusters hit the windscreen just before steering lock. It's manageable, I'll ride it out. :) 

There was wind coming over the barkbusters, and the air stream is felt most on my wrists. They should be great for spring fall and the odd rain storm.

And there you have it! Bark Buster Storms

Update: 2019-05-29

The bark busters do flow a lot of air onto my wrists, and that's changed the way I dress on cold spring or fall days, so that I always wear a long sleeved shirt while riding as it runs right up my jacket sleeves. *sigh*

2014 The Pennsylvania Loop

The plan had been in the works for months, and I'd marked my calendar with the date for the trip, posted it up on GTASportriders and got some parties interested in it, so I set off on Friday after work on my Versys with what I thought was a light load, a tank bag, 20 litre canoe bag, and my Givi top case down the highway winding my way through rush hour traffic for 100km to meet up with the boys at a Tim Horton's in Grimsby Ontario. They all start or end at a Timmie's, don't they?

Our first "day" was to make it to Ellicotville New York State.

Whitby ON to Pennsylvania and return

I hope they let me back in

This makes me wish I had a Nexus card. *sigh*

A spectacular sunset

We made it in time to check into a room with two beds and a cot, then head over to the Depot to relax with a couple of cold ones and maybe a late night snack before bed. The beer was cold, and they had some hard cider that I'm partial to, so I sampled their entire inventory. All two brands. Angry Orchard and ???

And we made it to our hotel in Ellicotville

Day 2 - Ellicotville NY to Bradford PA

Brian packed so light that all he is missing is his helmet and gloves.

We got some of the rain they threatened in the forecast for this weekend, which amounted to about five minutes worth.

PA Route 666 is closed. Who knew?

Actually David and Brian knew, but I completely missed the sign as we made the turn onto it... I was really looking forward to this stretch of road...

David is a rebel

I was busy taking pictures and wondering how convincing I was going to have to be to challenge the two sport bikes to do a bit of adventure riding with me, when I saw David was running his big Kawi ZZR1200 across the verge and around the barricade... Sweet!

Off roading the CBR125

It's official, it's an adventure bike!

There he goes, leading the way

Andy doesn't trust us so he loiters in the rear

The pair of deer ran out in front of Brian and David on PA Route 872

A doe and her fawn, we think

"Ron! There's a huge rock! Get out your camera! Did you get it?" 

Cameras bring out the best of everyone

Andy loves this thing, all but the front suspension... Now where have I heard that?

The bridge over the river in Renovo (Now I have to google it and find out it's name)

Can you make out Hyner View? I'll give you a hint, it's the wee beige smear near the crest in the distance

Stone quarried from all parts of the state form part of this monument

A close up of the monument

Help! I've fallen and I can't get up!

Something this area has seen for more than a century, Trains carrying coal through the river valley through Renovo

Note, never EVER use abbreviations on a monument. WTF is a CCC worker?!

Civilian Conservation Corps

Civilian Conservation Corps

PA Route 120 Renovo Road heading West, bound for Bradford PA

Selfie! Yes, I'm smilin', who wouldn't be on these roads?

This area is so beautiful

Go juice

More go juice, Rockstar flavoured

I'd like to lease the M113 APC for a week.

Adventure by Garmin. Your hotel is back that way, just off the highway ramp that you just turned off of.

David is eager to check in and get started on his steak

Hair by Shoei

Downtown Bradford PA

And the reason we're here in Bradford, The Beefeater

24 ounces of Prime Rib

I've settled for 18 ounces, onions, mushrooms and blue cheese

Brian opts for Prime Rib as well

David finished it. All of it

I had room for some strawberry shortcake

Ellicotville NYS, our route north to the border

David on his 2003 Kawasaki ZZR1200

Brian on his 2011 Honda CBR125

Note the race rearsets, aftermarket rear shock and race gear shift...

Is that rain? Nope, just a threat.

Just a bit further to Onterrible

Technically, he is back in Canada

It's a bit of a wait today

I should have brought a good book, but at least I have Data back on the cellphone!

I decided to emulate Brian and head on up to the Campbellville Ice House Restaurant

A mixed berry smoothie. These are so delicious!

I doubt they've gone quite as far as we have today.

That max speed must have been from when I loaned my GPS to a homeless man who'd lost his way to the dragstrip.