Sunday, December 2, 2012

The repairs begin

Drove down to Vancouver, WA over Thanksgiving.  That was a trip worthy of its own post.  Seven hours.  Intended to leave early then discovered that the lights didn't work on the trailer.  Had to buy new ones and install them so that delayed my departure by an hour, by which time it was too late.

Brought the bike back from Mule's where it's been sitting since July.  Hadn't seen the estimate from the HD shop, didn't want to know anything until I saw it, and honestly, it isn't too bad.  The front end is trashed.  I may be able to salvage the triple trees (we'll know once we get the forks out), plus the innards of the front forks may be OK (springs, damper tubes, etc).  Definitely need new tubes and sliders, as well as bearings and chrome tins.  All sheet metal needs replacement.  Tanks are crunched (although the dragon on the LHS is good, thankfully, so I'll be keeping that).  Front fender is destroyed and rear fender is tweaked enough that it's probably easier to just buy a whole new set.  Probably basic black for now.

Other than that, not much appears to be wrong.  A few little pieces of trim, a couple detachable backrest uprights, handlebars.

I may have a line on new sheet metal through a friend who has a set for an old Evo that he doesn't need any more.  I have to check and see if they are really going to be available.  Handlebars, I needed new ones anyway. The old ones had a set of heated handgrips go bad inside them and I'll get the internally wired ones that I put on the Road King.  Forks, well, there's a swap meet in February.  I'll have a list, otherwise that stuff isn't that expensive.

Oil cooler got sheared off which is the only reason the bike couldn't be run.  Apparently if fired right up when it was picked up from the wrecker's, but the oil came pouring out the cut lines.  I discovered that the fittings just sheared right off the cooler.  I took the ends out with an extractor, put new oil line spigots in, and it is ready to be mounted back on to the motorcycle so the bike should be running soon.

I do need a new rear tire, but that has nothing to do with the accident, but rather the miles.

Here's a few sample pics, and you can see more over at my Photobucket account at http://s424.beta.photobucket.com/user/heresolong/library/2012/Fatboy%20pictures

Fuel tank (the really smashed side).  So sad.  By the way, the fellow who painted the tanks died of cancer a few years ago.



Front end.

 

And stripped down a little.


2 comments:

Unknown said...

What happened? Why is your Harley at the service shop? Sounds like you got in an accident with your motorcycle. Well, I hope your Harley gets fixed as soon as possible. It would be great to get back to traveling with your Harley, right? The sooner, the better!


@Claudio Mccarty

Hannah Parkin said...

Yah, what exactly happened? It's quite interesting to know. How is the bike now? Your bike looks really nice and I hope it's well restored by now. Or should I say I hope the dragon has been reborn. Haha!

Hannah Parkin