Christmas Wishes and remembering Fiona

 Here's hoping you all had or having a great Christmas holiday, full of good health and cheer.

As to this post's title.....

Wish 1: 

Just a thought that popped into my head as I drove Martha's car to the VA Hospital's ER Room this morning to get a COVID-19 Test.  Why the test?  A requirement to show I'm healthy before undergoing my scheduled colonoscopy on Monday, courtesy of the VA.  HHJJ.

I wished that everyday, traffic would be as light as it was this morning, as I drove into Denver's eastern limits where the VA Hospital is located.  

I of course know this wish will not come true.....just too many people in this cesspool of a metropolitan area.

Wish 2: 

I'm wishing for continued good health to all I know, and that perhaps we're beginning to see the beginning of hopeful signs as vaccinations are started.

Wish 3:

No more motorcycle fires!

Here's some pics of Fiona from this year.....in remembrance.

Fiona, during 2020

If you don't see the video above, here's a link to youtube

So the developers at Blogger have struck again.  Unless you do the below for now, you can see the video box on my phone when using "view web version" but not "desktop site".  I can see the video box just fine using regular PC.  

I googled the solution:  Go into HTML editing mode and get ride of class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video"

Blogger's developers are sure NOT improving the interface!

Replacing Fuel Lines on Brigitta and a look at past and present cousins....

 Today the weather had finally warmed enough to allow me an easy and almost iceless exit out of the neighborhood while riding Brigitta, my '87 R80 Beemer.

I rode her the nine miles to the RV Storage Yard and as I parked her next to the URRV, noted the smell of gas.  Oh Oh.

A quick look showed drops of gas emanating from the vicinity of the right tank petcock!  I had recently installed a couple of worm gear clamps  (none had been there before Fiona's immolation); and apparently the clamp's pressure caused an existing split in the rubber to leak gas.

See the split in the rubber fuel line, it's

on side closest to my thumb

Needless to say, visions of another engine fire pop into my head and I hurriedly shut off the right side petcock.  The leaking stopped of course and after retrieving what I had gone to retrieve from the URRV; I rode the few miles to the BMW Motorcycle Dealership.

Got me 3 feet of braided fuel line, borrowed a scissor from the parts clerk, and within five minutes had replaced the leaker with new fuel line.  Leak resolved!

While at the dealership, I saw this R60 /2 in very good condition sitting in the showroom.  I didn't ask if it was for sale so no need to ask me the price.

Now, with the above R60's 600cc engine representing one end of the spectrum....I present to you what is probably a new R18 that was sitting in the parking lot...with its 1800cc engine:

Those are some huge jugs eh?  Not being misogynistic here, that's what the engine's cylinders are called by some riders.

I believe the R18 is BMW's attempt to get some buyers away from the Cruiser crowd of motorcycles such as Harley-Davidson.  It doesn't hold any appeal to me but having 1800cc on tap would be so nice on those long trips involving interstate highways.

Asked to make a choice, I would go for the R60 /2.

Once I got home I also replaced the left side petcock's feed line even though it wasn't leaking, just so they're both same age you see.  I kept the old one as a "get me home" spare and will store it in the toolbox under the seat.

As a test ride, I rode to the Home Depot to get a wire brush Dremel bit and once I was back home I spent a couple of hours cleaning the burn stains on most of the moto tools, my hand started cramping up so will finish the rest tomorrow.  

Not much riding....last day of Fall

Not much riding, metro roads are way too crowded these days and the several days worth of light snow preclude me taking Brigitta, the '87 R80 Beemer out for some exercise for now; as the neighborhood streets are covered in hard packed snow/ice.

Scarlett, the 2014 Ural Patrol of course could get out, we tried for sunset pics midweek but it was blah....though precusor to sunset through the clouds was pretty good:

Sunday, I helped neighborhood friend Dale B. change out his first tire on one of his scooters.  We used the Harbor Freight tire changer in my garage.  Though we got by with plain old tire irons, it reminded me that I have to retrieve the better irons and the tire changing tool from Baja Tools from the URRV.

Two other neighborhood friends had recently bought a couple of Yamaha Dualsports.  Together with them, and Dale's 220cc Scooter, we all set off for a ride through the eastern plains under brisk but bearable weather conditions.

We ended up taking a break in the small town of Kiowa and after getting gas, Dale had us pose the motorcycles/scooter against a local bar front:

Kiowa, CO

Sunday evening produced a pretty good sunset, at least as compared to the last two attempts at sunset pictures!  Below are pics shot with both my new camera and Thing Two's Nikon....it's a pretty good camera though I find its software interface not as easy to use as Sony's.  However, it saves in RAW format!

Sony HX80

Nikon D5600

A couple more with the Sony's zoom function of distant Pikes Peak:

Home Again

 Dec 09, Wednesday:

Got back to the clogged cesspool that is the Metro Denver area soon after noon today.  Left Springer, NM soon after the sun had risen above the horizon with temperatures hovering at 21°F (-6°C).

Temperatures would climb throughout the drive and it would be in the mid-60s as I unloaded the URRV and then took it to the storage yard before the forecasted cold/snowy weather that starts tomorrow.

I was gone for 37 nights this time out.  It wasn't as warm as I remembered Arizona, this time around, but warmer than Colorado!  I'm thinking perhaps southern Nevada next time out....thoughts?

Still feeling the loss of Fiona, my '99 Ural Patrol with the Beemer engine....her remains were last seen at the Insurance Auction Yard, run by IAA, in southern Phoenix.  On the positive side, more room in the garage now!  No, I will not be buying another Ural....there's still my 2014 Ural Patrol: Scarlett for my three-wheeled fixes.

Owen the cat made himself right at home as I typed this post.

All are well here in the house, I'm sure there's chores and tasks to be done over the rest of the month.  

It's good to be home.