Out of the darkness and into the light...

This winter certainly feels as though it has been a long one, constant rain that seems to have been with us forever, strong winds short days and long nights but light is beginning to emerge and like moths to a flame this weekend saw the roads alive with bikes.  Summer haunts for bike night meets were mobbed at the weekend as many saw to take advantage and awake from winter ‘slumber'.

For me the dark nights of winter have enabled earnest progress on the FLHP and at last the bike emerged from the workshop and took the first rays of sun for the 2014 riding season.  Getting to this point, I have blogged, but from my last missive liquids proved to be an issue, after last leak of brake fluid this time, the last fluid to go in was petrol / gas and yes the FLHP left the best to last – a perished seal in the fuel tap / petcock.  Not much fuel was in the tank but it was enough to momentarily act like a Dutch boy at the dike!!  Jane’s pile of donor parts came to the rescue, with new tap in place, the balance pipe between the two tanks decided to want to play the same game – agghhh.

Pipe replaced, petcock replaced, fuel contained to the tank and the carburettor, battery charged and right show lace tied up for ‘safe’ kick-starting – let the games commence.  They did to no avail, not on the kick start, first push on the starter and bang we are off, choke slightly backed off and that “potato, potato, potato” signature tune comes to being. No knocks, no rumbles or rattles from the engine it sounds strong, timing needs to be addressed and points / condenser will go in favour of electronic ignition, a few niggles to iron out then onto the road for testing brake efficiency etc.

The sun is shining, the days are already getting longer and the riding season is already with us, now where’s my lid, jacket and gloves……..the road now beckons both at home and overseas….

Lane