Thursday, April 30, 2009

R&L Equipment and the Flat Tire

Last Thursday, I decided to get the bike ready. When I had it uncovered and unhooked from the battery tender, I removed the right muffler tip and retrieved a moth ball that had fallen in there last fall. Baggies of moth balls over the pipes discourage nesting rodents. It fired up on the first press and then I checked tire pressures. Front 41, rear zero. Spinning it, I found a piece of wire right through the tread. Damn!

We don't have a Honda dealer in Sudbury. Silly for a city this size, but I have been dealing with J&R in Wasaga Beach for years. But that is 200 miles south and I needed a quick fix so I called R&L Equipment in Verner, 45 miles east of town. The R&L guy apologized that he couldn't get the bike in the next day. It's spring, I had no expectations. I was busy early in the next week, so we settled on today at 2:00. They suggested a Dunlop E3 tire,which I dislike. I asked about the Bridgestone G704 and, wonder of wonders, they had two IN STOCK. And, without asking, he knocked 20% off the MSRP.

Date set, I aired the rear tire up. Three days later, it had only lost two pounds so I figured the wire could stay in place for the ride to Verner.

Thursday, Leo and I set out for R&L. We got there at 1:30 and they took the bike right in. At 2:00, I watched through the window to the shop as the bike went on the lift. The mechanic changed and balanced the tire, changed the final drive oil and greased the spines in 45 minutes. Excellent service and price.

They gave me the old tire to play with. I took the Stop and Go tire plug kit, which I had never used before, and plugged the hole. Now I know how it works in case I need it somewhere on the side of the road.

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