Our Janus Experience, Chapter 2

As a wanna-be writer, with skills that I'm sure aren't as good as I think they are, I write for the sheer pleasure of writing. Mainly because nobody is paying me to do it. Maybe, I suppose, that is a good thing, as it keeps my writing pure. With that said... I'm writing this blog post for the second time, as the first piece (which was done and about to be published) was eaten by the internet and has now disappeared into the dark abyss, never to be read again. I won't dwell on this, extremely frustrating, setback... instead, I'll tell my little story... again.

Our Janus Experience, Chapter 2

I originally planned on telling my story in a multi-piece blog post series with cool little "chapters", but as it turned out... between working an unhealthy amount of time at my paying job and some minor setbacks throughout the whole process, it just wasn't meant to be. So, I'll tell the story in the best way that I can, so that I can share this experience with you and still salvage the little bit of Saturday morning that I have left.

At the end of Chapter 1, I left you with our build sheets being sent to the production team. Well, the next part of that journey should have been getting our production numbers (I'll explain later) and our VINs so that we could get our financing in order and then getting the link to our photo albums. Yes, I said photo albums... as in, the team at Janus photographs the bikes as they're being built, so that you can watch your new Janus motorcycle become more than the sum of its parts... so to speak. 

If I've never mentioned this before- I have, what would best be described as, "dumb" luck. My best explanation is this- I wouldn't consider myself to be "unlucky" per se, however... when it comes to me, if something can go wrong, it typically will. I guess you could say that Murphy's Law lives strong here in the ole MotoWriter. Without getting too far off topic, let me give you a hypothetical example: Let's say I was in a line of 500 people, getting an ice cream cone (it's hypothetical, after all). The 499 people before me would experience a delicious frozen treat, smooshed happily inside a delightfully crispy container... but that 500th cone, my cone, would undoubtedly have a hairline crack in the bottom of it and I would end up wearing more of the sugary frozen treat than I actually ate. Now, some people might say that sounds like "bad" luck, but in my case, the rest of the story would go like this: after wearing said ice cream stained shirt for the next hour, someone at a cool store would end up seeing me, and in a random act of kindness, end up giving me 50% off a new shirt. So, basically... it's not bad luck... it's just, well, "dumb luck." 

With that explanation out of the way, our experience with buying a Janus wasn't exactly the same as what most folks were reporting. Shortly after signing off on our build sheets, unbeknownst to my wife and I, one of the team members at Janus HQ got sick and was out for several days. Now, you might think that this shouldn't be much of an issue, but at a small operation like Janus, one critical member of the team going out unexpectedly can greatly affect the overall process of the build. With that being said, though... in our case, it didn't actually affect our builds, only our communication about the builds. 

When the good folks at Janus realized that my wife and I had, sort of, fallen through the cracks... they immediately made up for it. While at work one day, I got a call from an unknown number. I almost ignored it until I saw the call location was Goshen, IN. I immediately answered and, to my surprise, the guy on the other end of the line was none other than Janus Co-Founder and Owner, Richard Worsham! That's right, the Head Cheese, the Big Kahuna, the Big Boss Man himself! Now, I don't care how big or small a company is- for the guy at the very top to take time out of his day to call a customer and offer his condolences for things going a little sideways, then offer to answer any questions or address any concerns, is a major boss thing to do. THAT my friends, is the core of customer service from a guy that truly cares about giving his customers a positive experience along with a quality product. By the end of the call, Richard told me that we'd have our photo albums by the end of the day and, sure enough... we had them before I left for work that day. 

The builds

Now, I'll just say this, while we didn't get the albums of the builds while the builds were happening, that didn't change a thing for me. I'm still enamored by the fact that we have albums of our bikes being built. Imagine, if you will, someone at Harley-Davidson taking pictures of your bike as it was being built. At Janus, they not only take photos, but before the frame ever gets set on the build stand, the technician knows where that motorcycle is going and who it is going to. That is simply unheard of in this fast-paced production focused world we are in. The guys on the production lines at the major manufacturers are simply building bikes for a nameless, faceless customer to be bought from a dealer, somewhere out in the world, but at Janus, they knew that Halcyons #908 and #909 were coming to the Gulf Coast to Mr. and Mrs. MotoWriter and that, my friends, is friggin' awesome. 

When we got our albums and we could see the bikes coming together, part by part, it was exciting to see. You also may be wondering, if you caught it, what I meant by our "production numbers." Well, one thing that is really cool with Janus, is that they (much like every other manufacturer) keep up with their production numbers of their different models. The biggest difference being, they proudly display it on their bikes. On the Halcyon 250's, for example, they have an "old school" registration plate on the front fender that has the

 production number painted on it. Why, you might ask? Simple- they are proud of their motorcycles and, in the Janus Owners Community, the production numbers are a point of pride. For example, the guy that has Halcyon JM-001 may not necessarily have a more valuable bike than the guy with JM-500, but it's certainly cool to say he has it. Plus, it's just cool to have a "pedestrian slicer" as it's commonly known, on the front fender of your bike... it's a really neat throwback detail.

Janus really delivers... literally

Once your bike has been built and your financing is in place (or you've paid the balance on it), you have two options- pick it up from the factory in Goshen, IN, or have it delivered. Being that we are a full day drive away from the quaint little town where our motorcycles came into existence, and the fact that we were both working long hours over several days, my wife and I opted for delivery. Just over a week ago, I got a phone call from Mitch McLane, telling me that he and Kyle Norwood were southbound, heading to our house. The next morning, right on schedule, the Janus van pulled into our driveway.  My wife and I watched in eager anticipation as Mitch and Kyle unloaded our bikes. The guys were actually on their way to Barber Motorsports in Birmingham, AL so they had a few bikes in the back of the van. Due to the limited space, Kyle had to leave the mirrors and the engine guards off our bikes, so I let him use my garage to get them all buttoned up as we went inside with Mitch to get all the legal stuff taken care of. Did I mention that Kyle was one of the guys who actually built our bikes? How cool is that? Before finding Janus, I couldn't have imagined that any company could offer that kind of personal connection with their customers. These are production bikes with the one-on-one personal touch of having a one-off custom built bike. You won't find that anywhere else. Period. 

Not to mention, my wife's bike was ordered with a picnic basket and, when Mitch noticed that it wasn't sitting on the bike perfectly, he took it off, placed it back in the van and said that he would have a new one sent to her as soon as he got back home. He sincerely apologized that her bike wasn't perfect when it left Goshen. After Mitch and Kyle left, on their way to the Barber Motorsports Vintage Motorcycle Festival, my wife and I just sat back and enjoyed the simple elegance of our new steeds before we had to leave to go to our respective jobs.

The next chapter

While my storytelling of our Janus buying experience may be coming to an end with this post, I assure you that our Janus ownership experience is only just beginning. My wife still has yet to learn the basics of operating and riding her new motorcycle and I'm looking forward to teaching her to ride safely, cautiously and defensively. While Mrs. MotoWriter and her bike patiently wait for their first ride, my little Halcyon and I already have a few miles on the clock together. 

Riding a small bore motorcycle isn't for everyone. The vintage styling and rudimentary technology of the Janus Halcyon 250 isn't for everyone either. But for genuine motorcycle enthusiasts like me, these motorcycles are unbelievably cool. My Road King Special is my refined, sophisticated and very comfortable cruiser/tourer; my Dyna Street Bob is my ripper; and my Halcyon is the bike I'll ride when I'm longing for those days gone by, when life was simple, calm and easy.

Whatever you do in life, make it meaningful, make it fun and make it memorable with the ones you love. Ride safe and make happy choices, MotoReaders.

Janus Motorcycles

The Roman God of Past and Future

At the very core of our fast paced, modern society, is the subtle reminders of our connections to our past- those ancient societies built on myths and legends, where life was both mysterious and simple. For example- the month between December and February is named for the Roman god of beginnings and endings, past and future and the duality of time in general. He is known as Janus. It only makes sense that the first month of the new year is named for him and, after seeing the offerings from newest American made motorcycle company, based in Goshen, Indiana, it only makes sense that Richard Worsham and Devin Biek named their company after him. After all, their bikes harken back to a time of simplicity, efficiency and functionality with just the right amount of beauty in their form while at the same time, offering modern conveniences and performance.

The elephant in the room

Now, right off the bat, I want to address the elephant in the room:

The Janus Motorcycle Company uses Chinese engines... 

and I simply do not care. 

Allow me to explain- I've been riding motorcycles since I was a kid. As an adult, I've owned a Kawasaki, a few Hondas, a Yamaha/Star, and several Harley-Davidsons and do you know what each of these motorcycles have in common? They ALL have Chinese parts. My die-hard Harley fans might be cringing at that statement, but it doesn't make it any less true and, let's be honest... there is a reason that China is making all these parts. It's because they can do it for a hell of a lot cheaper than any other country can or will, because they have a strong, non-unionized workforce, as well as, the facilities to get the parts built for pennies on the dollar compared to other countries. Is everything from China great? Of course not... but neither is everything from America or from our European counterparts. 

With all that said, however, I trust that Richard and Devin did their due diligence and chose the engines that would best represent their new company's high standards of reliability, power and simplicity and, if I can trust them enough to build a motorcycle that is safe to ride, then I should be able to trust them enough to put an engine on that bike that will have bulletproof reliability. These engines, which are made by Lifan, are simply parts of the motorcycles, much like a turn signal or a seat spring, rather than being the centerpieces of them, meaning that the motorcycle itself, as a whole, is the main attraction. For good reason, too- the rest of the motorcycle is a hand built work of art. 

Riding is the most important thing

Another elephant to address, is that the Janus Motorcycles are not, well... elephants. They aren't big. They aren't powerful. They aren't complex. They are simple, small, lightweight motorcycles designed for short trips on backroads. In other words- they are just like the bikes that many of us grew up on as kids. They are modern motorcycles with the souls of those simple machines that we had so much fun on when we were young. 

Richard and Devin decided to build a motorcycle that didn't focus on engine displacement, technology and performance, but rather... they chose to focus on the one thing that is so easy to overlook these days- they chose to focus on why we ride in the first place. Riding is the most important thing... not how big the bike is, or how fast it goes, or how loud a stereo is or how much technology can be crammed into the frame rails. They focused instead on the experience of being on a machine so simple, that it could almost not even be there. They chose to design machines that were easy to ride, light enough to maneuver by even the newest riders, and easy enough to work on that even the least mechanically inclined riders could maintain them. They don't just allow for their owners to work on the bikes themselves- they encourage it and make tutorial videos to show them how!

There are, currently, 30 videos covering different maintenance topics on the Janus Motorcycles YouTube channel.

The Halcyon 250

Halcyon hal·cy·on /ˈhalsēən/ adjective, denoting a period of time in the past that was idyllically happy and peaceful. "the halcyon days of the first motorcycles"

A motorcycle with a 14 cubic inch engine that makes a whopping 14 horsepower and 11 foot pounds of torque isn't for everyone, but that's the beauty of it- it's not supposed to be. Neither are dirtbikes, sportbikes or cruisers for that matter, if we're being completely honest. Not all riders are going to be into all types of bikes and that's okay. The Halcyon 250 is one of those types of bikes that has styling that isn't for everyone. It has a hardtail frame, sprung solo seat, leading link front suspension, wide handlebars and a 1.94 gallon gas tank. It looks like something out of the motorcycle history books instead of a modern motorcycle built in the 21st century. The Halcyon would look more at home at a vintage motorcycle festival than at a bike night at a local diner and you will probably never see one buzzing down the interstate, since it only has a top speed of 70 mph. 

You may be asking then, that with such a small engine, little horsepower and a minimalist top speed, why am I spending so much time talking about it? The answer is simple- I'm buying one. Actually, that's not entirely true. The whole truth is, I'm buying TWO. My lovely wife, Mrs. MotoWriter, has decided to embark on this journey with me. She has always been there with me, it's just now... instead of being behind me, she's going to be beside me. You see, for me (as it probably is for many of you), motorcycling is so much more than the representation of a particular brand... it's a way of life. Motorcycling is an opportunity to journey through life unencumbered by the constraints of being in an enclosed vessel; a chance to experience the world around us in such a way that is interesting, exciting, fulfilling and memorable. 

I'm not interested in being a brand ambassador, but rather, a lifestyle ambassador. I'm more interested in sharing the essence of being a motorcycle enthusiast with the rest of the world and I can't think of a better way to do that, than with motorcycles that excite and exhilarate, as well as those that relax and reminisce. My Dyna is loud, fast and aggressive, my Road King is refined, large and powerful and our Janus Halcyons will, hopefully, be fun, exciting and memorable for us.

The Phoenix, the Gryffin and the Halcyon 450

I'll talk briefly, very briefly, about the whole Janus lineup, since they currently have a few different models. I'm not going to spend too terribly much time here, though, because this blog post isn't intended to be a full-on presser on the company, but rather, my humble opinions on them. 

In the 250 class lineup, Janus offers the Gryffin and the Phoenix (for a limited time) alongside the flagship, Halcyon. The Gryffin is their version of a dual-sport scrambler, while the Phoenix is their 250 classed Cafe' bike. Of these two bikes, if I were so inclined to do so, I would most likely add the Gryffin to the garage over the Phoenix. The main reason being that, while a 229cc, single cylinder thumper engine is right at home in the dirt, a cafe' racer (in my opinion, anyway) should have a bit more "oomph" to really fit the "racer" name. 

The guys responded to numerous requests for a larger displacement version of their immensely popular Halcyon, with the new Halcyon 450. The 450 is very similar in a lot of ways to it's little brother, however... there are some distinct differences. Two of which to note, are the hardtail look, but with a Softail rear suspension and the larger, 445cc single cylinder engine. The 450 is a really nice looking motorcycle and, if I didn't have any other bikes, I might consider it to be my only bike. 

*edit- I assumed the 450 was a twin, since it has dual exhaust, but after actually reading the specs, realized I got a little overzealous when writing this- so I corrected this to reflect the accurate information.

The Janus Experience

One thing that I've read about, heard about and seen on several different YouTube videos, is something called the "Janus Experience." Apparently, buying a Janus is quite a bit different than buying a motorcycle from any other manufacturer, because they don't have any kind of dealer network. You literally build the bike online, then buy it directly from the factory. From what I've seen so far, the folks at Janus take the concept of customer satisfaction very seriously. From the initial ordering phase, to the financing (if needed), to the build and to the delivery of the motorcycles- they apparently take a very personal approach to providing the customers with a memorable and pleasant experience. 

Mrs. MotoWriter and I just finally finished building our bikes online, choosing our options and are actually still figuring out the finer points of how this is all going to work out (she doesn't actually know how to ride after all... not yet, that is), but that didn't stop us from pulling the proverbial "trigger" as they say- today, I sent the fine folks at Janus the deposit on our bikes! 

As we continue along on this journey... I'll be posting updates here, to keep you folks in the loop as we undergo our own "Janus Motorcycles Experience" and I hope that you take a few minutes to read them.

While you're waiting for my next post- ride safe, make good choices and try to answer this question for yourself- why do you ride? 

Dyna Update!

Fork seals

Ugh. Hydraulic forks are the best... until they're not. Most people will ride their motorcycles for years without ever even servicing them. The maintenance is pretty straightforward, most of the routine services simply require draining the old fluid and replacing it with fresh stuff, which, in a lot of cases, can be done without even taking the forks off the bike. Most fork seals last for years, and for thousands of miles, as long as the fork tubes are kept clean and free of debris.

But if you're a project hunter, like me, who can't turn down a great deal on a bike that needs a little love, chances are, you're gonna be doing a helluva lot more than simply swapping fluid. I've got two such bikes sitting in my garage, right now. One, is an '06 Sportster that I picked up for less than $2k a few years ago, and the other is an '11 Dyna Street Bob that I added to the stable a couple years later. Both of them were complete, but in deplorable condition- rust and corrosion was rampant on both, neither was running and both of them had been neglected for several years. But... I got them cheap and trusted myself with being able to get them back on the road, which I did. 

Both bikes have been awesome, but both have had the common issue of fork seal leakage, in part because I half-assed the job the first time on both bikes. Let me explain.

Sporty

When I first got the Sportster, the fork tubes were obviously roached. They were pitted with rust from top to bottom. The sliders were fine, but the tubes were simply beyond repair. Where I half-assed it, was I stupidly went on eBay in an attempt to save a few bucks and bought a set of used tubes that were significantly better than mine. With a new set of Genuine James Gasket seals and my new used tubes, I put her back together with some fresh 10w oil and she was good to go, for a few years anyway. After a few years of riding, one of the seals sprung a, very minor, leak. It was just minor enough to make me doubt if it was actually leaking, but after a few months, I realized that I was going to be doing a fork seal job again. 

Dyna

When I first picked up the Dyna- a 2011 FXDB Street Bob- I already had some knowledge of the bike's history. I bought it from a friend who, several years earlier, had bought it from a local Harley-Davidson dealership. He was the second owner of the bike and I was actually with him when he bought it. As it turned out, he didn't ride the bike as much as he thought he would and it ended up sitting in his driveway under a bike cover... for years. I hadn't seen the bike since he bought it and had no idea how bad of condition it was in before I agreed to buy it. It really didn't matter to me though, because for the price he was asking, it was worth it. When I first saw the bike, I was in awe of how bad it was. For a bike that was only 7 years old with less than 10k miles, it looked as if it had been abandoned in a field for a decade. I guess that's a drawback of living in the south, near the Gulf of Mexico- the salty, humid air makes short work of corroding metal. The ethanol based gasoline did it's own damage to the inside of the fuel tank, but that's a story for another day. 

The fork tubes didn't look too bad at first glance- the uppers were a little spotty, but the lower sides looked fine, even though they were both leaking. I assumed that the seals were leaking due to being dry rotted, and I wasn't completely wrong, so in my eagerness to ride the bike, I bought a set of Genuine James fork seals for it, then tore it down and put it all back together in an afternoon. I was stoked to ride it... for a few hours anyway. I assumed that the problem was with the seals, since I had previously installed a set of the same brand on the Sporty and they were now leaking after only a couple of years of riding. In my frustration, I cussed the Genuine James Gasket Company for all they were worth, then went online to do some research.

The Sporty fork saga, continued

Having had my fill of frustrations with the James Gasket seals, all my research pointed me to ordering a set of All Balls Racing seals for my trusty little XL. Once I got it tore down, however, I quickly realized that the seals weren't the problem. Apparently, something (probably sand, since I live near, and often ride beside, a beach) had gotten under the dust seal and made a nice little scratch on one of the tubes. The eBay tubes, if I'm guessing by their appearance, were most likely show chrome which is pretty, but not the most durable for a machine that is ridden a lot, so I bit the bullet and ordered a set of new hard chrome tubes, made by Hard Drive. I put it all back together with some 15w, for a little better dampening. She rides better than a new bike now...with no leaks!

The daggum Dyna

I like this damn bike, a lot, but boy it sure makes me cuss sometimes. After getting the new seals, I tore the forks down and, after a quick inspection of the tubes, put it all back together with the new All Balls Racing seals. Success! No more leaking! I was ecstatic... such a simple fix... 

...or so I thought.

Within about a month of riding, that familiar old bead of oil showed up on the high side tube again. I put the bike back on the lift, pulled it apart for what felt like the hundredth time, and inspected it like a jeweler inspecting a diamond. All of a sudden, I saw it- a small, barely noticeable, chip in the chrome, just above where the seal sets when the bike is at rest. The chip was small, only about a millimeter in diameter and was barely discolored, making it hard to spot with a quick visual inspection. The location was such that, when the bike was rolling on relatively smooth roads, the seal didn't cross over the chip, but when the fork compressed under a harder bump, the seal crossed the chip and a tiny bit of oil would leak past. 

As I dragged my fingernail across the chip, I felt it catch the edge and at that moment, I knew that I had, now twice, cussed the Genuine James Gasket Company in error. Oops... sorry guys.

I did my best to try to smooth and polish out the chip, to no avail- it continued leaking, so I called my local indie shop, French & Son's, and ordered a new set of Hard Drive hard chrome tubes and a new set of All Balls fork seals. Once I had them back in the shop, I put the Street Bob back on the lift, tore it down for what felt like the millionth time, and went to work. Having pulled the forks apart so many times, it didn't take me long to install the new tubes and seals. I topped it all off with some fresh 15w fork oil, put it all back together and rolled it off the lift... again. This time it's (finally) fixed and now it rides better than a new bike, too. 

The lesson learned

My dad used to tell me that if you're going to do something, do it right the first time. Well, for the Sportster, the biggest mistake I made was trying to save a few bucks by buying a set of cheap, used fork tubes. In my defense, they lasted a few years before they got scratched. That could have happened to anyone, I suppose, but by buying the tubes used from an individual, I had no specs on them and ended up buying a set of nice looking, but not very durable, show chrome fork tubes that were susceptible to getting scratched. With the Dyna, however, I'll admit that I half-assed it from the jump. I should have taken the time to inspect the fork tubes before I ever put it back together the very first time, but I was trying to save time and money so that could get back to riding the bike as quickly as possible. In doing so, I ended up having to do the job, way more times than I should have. Besides the aggravation, I also wasted valuable time and money on seals and oil. 

Now that both of the bikes are back together, I can focus on actually riding them. Maybe, while I'm out riding, I'll stumble across another project bike that I can tinker with. One thing's for sure though, if I do get my hands on another crusty project, I won't be cutting any corners when dealing with hydraulic fork tubes... I might just go with a springer front end, instead!

Regardless of what you might find yourself working on next, remember this:

If you do it right the first time, you'll only have to do it one time. 

Let's talk...

Hello MotoReaders!

Hey folks, I want to apologize for my absense lately- when I realized that it had been almost two months since my last post, I knew I had to write something and write it quick. Not to make any excuses, but as many of you know, writing this blog and writing the occasional piece for H-D Forums, does not pay my bills. Actually, if anything, the few bucks a year that I do happen to make from writing slideshows for the forums just barely offsets my cost to maintain this blog site. But, my point is that I have a 40+ hour a week "regular" job that demands the majority of my time and lately, it has been very demanding. 

Let's be clear on something- I don't want your money.

It seems like everything we encounter these days is just a ploy to get into our wallets. It aggravates me to no end that I can't even answer my phone without having some jackass on the other end trying to sell me something or steal my info so that they can drain what little I have in my bank account. Just getting on the internet for five minutes exposes us to a constant barrage of advertising and click bait. Seriously, how many times have you seen this picture with the caption "20 unbelievable vintage photos - number 19 will blow you away!" You click the link to see who the chick is and it's a slideshow with so many ads on each page that it takes a half hour to get through the whole damn article, only to find that they never even showed the picture of the girl, much less identified her! Honestly, it's enough to drive you insane. Truth be known, that's why I don't write more than I do for H-D Forums- the only assignments I get from them are slideshows. By the way- the picture of the girl is, from the very brief research I've done, taken from a postcard from the Phillipines from the 19th Century.... there ya go, no need to click on that one ever again. 

You may be wondering, then, if I don't want your money, why do I have a Patreon site? Simple- why not? Look, truth be known, I've seen a lot of folks making YouTube videos, writing blogs and making a living off of their content. When Google first sent me the email telling me that my blog was "eligible for Adsense"... I got a little caught up in the moment and signed up for it. I figured, what the hell, I can let a few advertisers put some ads on my page... my readers can decide if they want to click or not. Before my site had generated enough for me to actually get a check though- Google closed my account. That little setback frustrated me, but in my aggravation, I had an epiphany- my readers don't come to my blog so that they can get bombarded with ads about gross hygeine products, computer virus software or rain gutters- they come here to read about motorcycles, life and finding happiness in the simple things. 

I signed up for Patreon so that if someone likes my site enough that they want to help me keep it up and running, they can have a safe way to do it that is legal, easy and most of all- OPTIONAL. Look, I can't stand watching a YouTube video and having to sit through 5 minutes of commercials... if I wanted to see frickin' commercials- I'd watch television! So, as long as I can do it, my content will always remain ad-free and it won't cost you anything to enjoy. But, if you want to help me keep it going, I'll try to do my part to give you a little something as a thank you for your support. I started this blog site so that I could write about the things I wanted to write about, without being dictated by someone holding a paycheck over my head.

So, where've I been lately? 

I've been busy at my regular job and, when I get home, I've been riding as much as I possibly can. With the Autumn weather slowly moving in, as soon as I get home from work, I get on the bike to get a few miles of mototherapy before dinner. With my current schedule, I don't get to ride as much as I used to, so I try to get in the wind every chance I get. If you follow me on Instagram or Facebook, you may have seen that I've posted a couple of short Reels to let you know I'm still here. On top of work stuff keeping me occupied, I've also had a lot of family stuff going on lately that has really been weighing heavy on my heart and that, of course, has zapped my creativity. I started writing my first installment of "Tales from the Asphalt" a while back and then just lost all interest in finishing it. I'm still not sure if I'm going to, after all, my "Bike of the Month" feature fell flat on it's face after just a few months, so my "feature" ideas are just sort of simmering on the back burner for now.

 

And what about the swag?

This is one idea that I had
(please don't steal it)

This is another one
 (again, please don't steal it)

You may be wondering, what ever happened to the swag that I was having made? Well, I'm still working on that. I was talking to some friends about having some shirts and some decals made up from a couple of designs that I came up with, but it just didn't work out (for a few different reasons). I decided to pump the brakes on that stuff for now and re-focus on establishing some semblance of a real logo, not just some crap that I sketched out on a notebook on my lunchbreak one day. After all, if I'm going to do this, I want to do it right. My niece is a talented graphic designer and I'm enlisting her help in coming up with something fun and cool for me. I suppose that we'll just have to see what happens after that. Currently, everything that I've done as "the MotoWriter" has cost me money, so it's tough to justify making another investment into t-shirts, decals, pins or patches. T-shirts are especially tricky, because I'll have to order a bunch, in a variety of sizes, for anyone that might actually want one. If I do get any "patrons" to my Patreon site, maybe I can offset some of the cost with that. If not, the swag idea may end up falling to the wayside like my other ideas have. I really hope not, though... because I like to look at the "stats" of my website to see where everyone is visiting from and it's pretty damn cool to see that there are readers from, literally, all over the world that are visiting my little corner of the world wide web and I'd love to be able to send y'all a little something to wear while you're out riding or to stick on your helmets, windows or back fenders of your bikes. 

Thanks for your continued support, even though I don’t show you any boobs.

To be completely honest, I have never really considered myself a "writer," not by any means. I'm an overthinker and, for lack of better terminology- "an observer of the world". As I see different things, have different interactions with people or have new experiences, I get ideas- ideas for stories, advice or insights and, I just seem to have a knack for articulating those ideas into the written word. Ironically, my half-ass ability to manipulate the English language into something, even slightly, interesting to read has been revealed to me at a time when videos and pictures reign supreme and words are nearly dead. I suppose if I started each one of my YouTube videos (which are few) with a short video intro of a girl with big boobs about to lose her modesty on camera, I’d have a much more popular channel. I saw a video in the last month or so, about some kind of motorcycle upgrade and it was so gratuitously sexualized that I had to turn it off. Look, I’m not a prude by any stretch of the imagination, but come on, is your motorcycle content really so crappy that you have to turn it into soft-core porn in order to get people to watch? Well, actually, disregard that question because the video of the well-endowed woman that didn’t seem to know the difference between a box-end and a crescent wrench that was fumbling around a motorcycle, had tens of thousands of views compared to my best performing video, so I suppose the joke’s on me. Sex sells, but modesty and morality will get you into heaven, and I’ll take the latter because it lasts longer. 

Look, I know that I may have missed my “ideal time” to explore this idea of being a writer, but it’s pretty encouraging to see all of you clicking over to my site to see what I have to say, and doing it without the promise of seeing some skin. That tells me that you guys are more than just the conditioned sheep that are led by photographic pheromones, but you are true intellectual motorcycle enthusiasts. In other words- you are my people and I’m proud to be your writer. I've always believed that the motorcycle community is vast, supportive and universal and you, my readers, prove that to me every time that I log in to my computer and I see that you’re still there, even when I haven’t been.

I really appreciate all of the support and site visits, more than you can know. It's honestly a little overwhelming for me to look and see that the MotoWriter site has had over 22 thousand site visits in just over a year of being active on the interweb, and that it has reached countries big and small, literally, all across the globe. I’m a very humble person, by nature… I always have been, so when I see so much interest in my words and commentaries, it’s a little bit shocking. So, thank you. Thank you for taking the time, your time, to read my blog and thank you for checking in. I’ll try to do a better job of keeping new stuff coming, and coming more frequently. 

Till next time, ride safe and make good choices!

Lake of Life

Life and... a lake?

Life is weird, man. Seriously. It's like living on the edge of a lake and each event that happens is like a stone being dropped in the water.  Calm can be found, but it never seems to last very long. Most things are like small pebbles, leaving little ripples that fade quickly. Others though, feel like boulders, smashing into the surface with such force that the waves crash into the bank, causing permanent and lasting damage.

Some stones are the ones that we throw in, others seem to fall right from the sky. We control a lot of them, but some are completely out of our control. Those always seem to be the biggest of them- those life altering, long lasting, painful events. Things like, losing someone close to you. Or watching someone you love throw their life away making stupid decisions, or maybe just choosing to be miserable in order to make someone else happy. Sometimes we make poor financial decisions, or we lose ourselves in our own stubborn selfishness, and we end up missing out on great opportunities for happiness.

A Grand Design and the Rule of Threes

I'd like to think that the whole lake analogy is actually part of some grand design that I happened to stumble on and that by recognizing it, I can somehow figure out how to keep those lake waters of my own life as calm as possible. But let's be honest, recognizing the similarities just makes it harder to control. I mean, let's think about this for a second- for the past twenty years I've worked in, let's call it, a customer service field. I've seen, first-hand, the affects of the full moon on the public at-large. In my observations during these past two decades, I've seen people become more and more obnoxious during the ole waxing gibbous (as it's known by smarter people than me). It seems that during the week before a full moon, people just embrace being rude, driving more aggressively, losing control of their emotions and acting on impulse. This all may sound crazy to some, but I consider myself to be a casual observer of our society and I take notice of things like this. I'm not special, not by any means, I just happened to start noticing the patterns a long time ago, then spent the next several years taking mental notes of it. But even though I make a point to recognize the signs of the impending lunar cycle, I often find myself falling victim to its affects... until I catch myself that is. Of course, by that time, I've usually already done something stupid.

 

And what about the rule of three? You know, if something happens, it usually happens in threes- accidents, illnesses or even deaths. I've seen proof of that too, but I won't get into those details just yet. These are weird observations, I know, but bear with me for just a little longer. My point is, that even though we may recognize the patterns, we often don't (or can't) avoid what happens next.

We can't control everything

No matter how hard we try, we can't control everything. So, if our lives are like the waters of a lake, and the events that happen to us are like rocks of varying sizes being tossed in, how can we mitigate the damage from the biggest stones? How do we deal with the lasting affects of those big waves coming in, hitting us over and over? 

I don't know. We just do. When someone we love dies, that's a big stone. We will usually get those first few waves, the biggest of them, right at first. But then, after some time has passed and we think our hearts are finally healing, when we are sure that the waves of that event have all finally passed, we are hit with another wave of emotion when we are least expecting it and we have to face that pain all over again. But with each wave, the severity seems to lessen, and the hurt seems to not last as long. And this cycle continues, over and over, until we are finally okay. 

The big one is coming

So, how do we deal with it? With time, patience and preparation. Time heals all wounds, as most of us have been told. As we hurt, we heal. We begin the process of rebuilding what has been damaged and we build it stronger so that it can hold up, hopefully a little better, for the next big wave that is coming. 

It's also important to remember that we can control some things though- things like, how many of those stones we throw into our own calm waters; how we prepare for the big stones when they hit; and, understanding that, no matter what we do, those big ones are going to hit eventually. 

Preparation

Trying to prepare for life's unexpected events seems like it could be one of the most perfectly paradoxical conundrums we face. After all, how does one go about expecting the unexpected... it is by definition... not expected! But, I assure you, by taking small steps in preparation for big events, you can actually mitigate the confusion and frustration when the proverbial shit hits the fan. 

For example, several years ago, my wife and I started thinking about the "what ifs" of our own lives. So, in an effort to be more responsible parents, we made some grown-up decisions and started having those difficult conversations. During those talks, we figured out that we needed more insurance, we needed wills and we needed to establish our final wishes. I know it seems terribly dark and morbid, but having those hard talks when we did, allowed us to have the peace of mind of knowing that we won't have to deal with that stuff when the time comes. After all, it's a helluva lot easier to make those decisions together when your minds are clear and your hearts aren't hurting, than it is when you're heartbroken and can't think clearly. A little bit of preparation can go a long way... I've seen that first-hand, too. 

Prevention

We can also control how many stones we throw in our own calm waters. We need to recognize that if things are calm, we don't have to kick the top off of the anthill. We can let it be calm and actually enjoy those moments of peace and happiness. We can take the time to enjoy the calm, the peace, the laughter and the good times. Breaking out of the analogy for a minute and speaking literally- stop stirring up shit in your life. Don't talk about people behind their backs, be happy for other people when they succeed and help them when they need a hand. Don't start drama. Don't get involved in someone else's drama. Find joy in the moment and don't take the things that are most precious to you for granted. Be bold and be confident. Be bold enough to start your own business or be content working for someone else, but either way, be happy with your decision to do either. Be confident enough in yourself to make a big decision and be flexible enough that if you don't like what you chose, to choose something else.

We can't control what happens, but we can control how we deal with it, when it does. 

Find happiness now

It's also important to find happiness now. Don't wait until tomorrow, next week or next year. Find something that brings you joy and peace, and find it now. Remember also, that while it's important to be able to share that thing, whatever it may be, with those you love, it's just as (or even more) important that you are able to enjoy it when you're all alone, too. 

For me, as many of my friends and family know, I've found happiness in motorcycling. Not just riding them, but working on them, researching and learning about them and writing about them. I know that may sound superficial to some people, but it's a fun hobby for me. Sure, I enjoy other things, too... but for now, right now at this time in my life, I'm exploiting my love of motorcycles for all it's worth while I still can. I share my passion with my friends and family (even those that don't ride), but I also enjoy slipping out to the garage and turning wrenches in solitude and going on solo motorcycle camping trips in the mountains, too. 

I encourage each of you to find something that brings you happiness. Whether it's motorcycling, bicycling, fishing, hunting, hiking, or just watching the world go by. Find something that makes you happy and that you can do alone and with your loved ones and start doing it now. As my wife wisely noted recently- don't wait to eat off the fine china or drink out of the heirloom crystal, do it now while you can still enjoy it. Buy the motorcycle, that new putter or that dress you've been eyeing. Open that special bottle of bourbon or wine that you've been saving for some "special occasion" and let yourself enjoy it now, because TODAY IS THAT SPECIAL OCCASION... you woke up and you were blessed with another day of life and there are a lot of people who didn't get that same gift.  

Don't wait until the next big stone drops into your lake before you start enjoying your life. 

Do you want to see your bike featured as the MotoWriter's Bike of the Month? Email me in your high-res photos and your personal motorcycle story to me and, if I pick your bike, not only will you get some pretty rad bragging rights, but you'll also receive a small bit of swag to show off your support of the MotoWriter! Thanks for all your support!

PRODUCT REVIEW! Road King Special Handlebar UPGRADE!

Product Review- KST Kustom's 12" StraightJacket bars

If you watched the long-term review of my 2017 Harley-Davidson Road King Special that I did on my YouTube channel, you will no doubt know that my biggest point of contention with this motorcycle was the absolutely awful handlebars that the MoCo installed on this, otherwise fantastic, machine. I don't claim to be a great video blogger, hell, I don't claim to be a great blogger... but I do consider myself to be an extremely fair and impartial judge of motorcycles, moto-gear and moto-parts. It's in that fair and impartial judgement that I try to bring you good folks- my devoted readers- some insight and some, hopefully, helpful information to help you decide on what to spend your hard-earned dough on. So, if you've dropped a stack of Benjamins on a Road King Special and you are tired of the pinched wrists and numb fingers from those stock bars, keep reading because this review might just help you decide.

Now, without further adieu, let's talk about these bars!

KST Kustoms- company background

KST Kustoms is based right here in the good ole' US of A, operating in the sweet southern air of Bremen, Georgia. According to their website, they build their handlebars in a 21,000 square foot facility using over 30 years of experience in the motorcycle industry dealing with several major manufacturers, to include Harley-Davidson, Victory and Indian. Why is that important, you might ask? Well, simply put, they understand the importance of high quality parts with premium finishes and high grade materials. In other words, you aren't likely to buy anything from this company that is going to bend, twist or corrode.

Google Earth view of KST Enterprises 21k sq ft facility

Another interesting note from their website is that they "strive to exceed" their customer's expectations with a "commitment of respect and honesty." Well then, color me intrigued. Those aren't values commonly seen in many of the companies we deal with these days. The folks over at KST, Brett Kent and Ret Tolleson, also claim to design their handlebars "to maximize handling and minimize fatigue all while looking aesthetically pleasing." If you watched my video review all the way through, you probably noticed that I spent an unfortunate amount of time complaining about the bars on my beloved Road King Special because, while the finish was nice, the shape was awful. My fingers would go numb, my hands would hurt and my wrists would get cramps from the angle of the grips. I also noted that one of the most significant things that attracted me to this bike was the appearance- it is an absolutely beautiful motorcycle- so putting a set of cheap, crappy handlebars on it was simply not an option for me. Being a working man, though, spending a thousand bucks on bars wasn't an option either. There is always a middle ground and that's what I found with these bars. 

Opening the box

My first impression of opening the box was pretty basic- a big, more or less, empty box with a set of very well wrapped bars in it. I don't need much more than that. The bars were wrapped from tip to tip, with nowhere for any of those pesky scratches to get in. The label was attached to the bars and the wiring was attached to the label- simple, basic and to the point. I liked it. Not sure if you need the wiring extensions? No problem, their website explains what you need for your particular bike. If you still want to make sure, just shoot Ret a message and he'll tell you exactly what you need for your bike. If you have a 2017 and up Road King Special, though- you can take my word for it- you only need the wiring extensions and KST sells them for $35. Your stock hydraulic brake and clutch hoses are long enough.

Installation

These bars feel good and have a nice weight to them. They feel like a high-quality component. Installation was pretty straightforward- a few basic hand tools and a couple of beers paired up with some good music in the background for... ambience. But seriously, you just need to cover your tins with blankets to protect them from dings or scratches and take your time. You can always pay someone else to do it for you, but why would you? It's an easy job and you'll have the satisfaction of telling your wife (or husband) how much money you saved. One thing to note- when you are removing your brake and clutch assemblies, take a couple of plastic bags and bag them. The handles are great for suspending them up and out of the way, and the plastic makes sure that they don't inadvertently leak fluid onto your paint. This is a review, not a how-to, so I'll spare you the detailed steps, but basically it goes like this- remove the clutch and brake controls from the bars (DO NOT remove your hydraulic lines from the reservoirs), remove your headlight to get to the wiring behind it, remove the handlebar clamp cover and remove the clamp. Once you have your stock bars off, take it to your work bench and swap the hand controls over to the new bars. 

One thing to note- the largest of the plugs need to be removed from the wires. It's easy to do, (google it, if needed), but just make sure that you take note of which wires came out of which slots (the slots are numbered and the wires are color-coded). I used baling wire to fish the wiring through the new bars, but you can use whatever you have- just make sure it's strong enough to pull your wiring without breaking. Once you have your controls set up on your new bars, plug in the new wiring extensions and head back over to the bike. I left the protective wrapping on until I had them mounted and adjusted to the position that I wanted them in- no need to invite scratches to the party this early, after all. 

GET A Grip!

The stock Harley-Davidson grips are exactly what they need to be- functional and cheap so that there is no regrets about taking off a good quality part to replace it with something that looks or feels better. Grips, mirrors, pegs (or floorboards) and exhaust are the most common things to be replaced first on a motorcycle, so it's best that the MoCo doesn't put too much time and money into these particular items. I've always chosen Avon grips for my Road Kings and Biltwell grips for my Sportster and my Dynas. The Avons have durable rubber inserts over a really nice aluminum core with a beautiful finish that goes perfectly with the look and style of the elegantly refined, highway cruising, Road King. The Biltwells are inexpensive, soft and offer just the right amount of vibration dampening needed for those loud, shaky boulevard bruisers. I've owned three Road Kings and I've haven't been disappointed by Avon grips yet.

Mirror, MiRROR ON MY BIKE

Rusty stems on my stock mirrors

Talking about disappointment though- another point of contention with my Road King was the stock mirrors- the finish was truly despicable for a motorcycle that costs as much as a small car. The ironic part is, I actually like the factory Harley-Davidson mirrors. They have a unique, "Harley shape" and they have a great field of view. Most of the time, the finish on their stock mirrors is good, if not great, but for some reason, I guess my bike got the "Friday at 5 finish"- you know, the "it's almost quitting time, this is good enough" workmanship. Maybe they were just a bad batch or maybe some little road gremlins took a leak on them when my bike was parked, but either way- I wasn't about to keep these crusty, rusty pieces of crap on my flagship cruiser. Now, I'm not an uppity person. I don't require brand names or high price tags. I like what I like- functional components with a nice design. The better the price- the happier I am. 

When I found these mirrors on eBay, I kept a close eye on them. The seller claimed them to be new old stock "Kuryakyn Hex II" mirrors. I honestly didn't care who made them, I just liked the shape and the price- under $50. They came wrapped in bubble wrap and when I pulled them out, I was pleasantly surprised at the quality. They are all aluminum and have crystal clear glass. When I installed them, though... they didn't look right to me. There was just something funky that didn't set right, so I contemplated my next move- buy another set and shelf these, or make some kind of modification to them. I had an epiphany and decided to swap the mirror heads from one side to the other. The result was a much more aggressive look, that had a lower profile and a more streamlined shape. It was definitely the right thing to do. Whoever made these mirrors needs to be proud of their workmanship. They are well made with an aluminum body and aluminum stems. They have a clear field of vision and hold steady even on the worst roads I've found. Not bad for less than $50.

Final thoughts

The guys at  KST make some bold claims about their products and company and I'm here to tell you- they back them up. They are friendly, helpful and very responsive and the best part is, they deliver exactly what they promise- high quality parts with a great price and exceptional customer service. These bars are well designed and perfectly executed and best of all, they look like they were designed for this motorcycle. No more suffering with numb fingers and pinched wrists. The height on the 12" Straightjackets are perfect for my five foot, nine inch tall "dad-bod" and I've even noticed that they make the bike feel even more nimble than before, probably because of the additional leverage gained by the extra 3" in height. 

Look, I'm a simple guy. Harley-Davidson hit a homerun when they first introduced the Road King in 1994. It had everything that a rider could need, a big comfortable seat perched atop a big frame that was purpose-built to stand up to hours out on the open road. It had lockable saddlebags to keep your gear dry and secure and a basic, removable, windshield to keep most of the bugs and some of the rain off of you. Over the years, the engineers in Milwaukee refined that machine, over and over, making it more comfortable, more fuel efficient and more powerful. In 2017, they gave it a makeover to give it a more aggressive look and, in my humble opinion, they knocked it out of the park. I absolutely love this bike, but over the past twenty thousand miles, I've grown to despise the sorry excuse for handlebars that the Motor Company mounted on top of that majestic Hiawatha headlight. If anyone from the best damned motorcycle company in the world is reading this blog, I would strongly encourage them to give Brett and Ret at KST Kustoms a call about giving this badass bike an upgrade on the assembly line. In case they don't though, and you have a set of those awful, 9" tall atrocities that came stock on the FLHRXS, check out the products offered by KST. Place your order, grab your service manual, crack open a tasty beverage and get to work making your Road King Special, truly special.

Until next time, ride safe and make good choices, y'all... I've got some riding to do.

Stock grips are... well, stock grips- cheap and easy to replace

The new bars behind the stock H-D CVO Windsplitter windshield

Just a couple of upgrades from factory-
J.W. Speaker headlight, KST Kustoms
Straightjacket 12" bars, and some "mystery"
mirrors from eBay.

The new mirrors didn't look right to me...

...but with a simple swap of the mirror heads, I got the look I was going for.

Before and after, showing the height difference

These bars look good with the windscreen...

...and without.