What goes up must come down.....
HANDLEBARS:
After posting last week about the Rox bar risers we decided to install them Sunday afternoon. The garage is unheated and the floor is really cold so the first thing we had to do was put on some boots.
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| (My Bog Boots on the left - Troubadour's Muck Shoes on the right) |
We picked the little chrome colored hex nut covers off and I unscrewed the stock clamps. Troubadour graciously held the handlebars up for me.
I installed the base of the 2" Rox risers and Troubadour slid the handlebar on top.
I thought it was a good sign that the cables and lines were long enough for the bars to be placed on top the risers, but we still needed more room to rotate the handlebar into position. As it was, the brake and clutch levers and hand guards were facing the floor. To try and gain a little more wiggle room we had to lift the tank which also entailed first removing the seat and the white side covers. It is nice that the Gladius comes with a pivoting tank and a prop stick.
You can't really tell in that photo but the headlight has been flipped forward too. It is nice that you can undo a few screws and it just leans forward.
This photo is taken from the front looking under the tank. Oh look an air box.
Out comes the air box.......
We loosened as many zip ties (aka cable ties or zap straps) as we could but still the clutch cable was not long enough and the throttle cables were too short so when we tried to rotate the handlebar they would pull on the throttle body. Not a good sign.
We decided it was just too much hassle to special order new longer lines so we were just going to put it all back together the way it was. Cue a Sad Panda face.
It did give us (and by us I mean Troubadour) a chance to check the air filter. It was nice and clean. Unfortunately the oil has a little condensation in it but Max is due for an oil change anyway.
Rather than standing around watching Troubadour reassemble everything I decided to make myself useful and went back inside. By the time he had everything together I had a late lunch ready for him. A nice batch of homemade broccoli soup made from scratch. Yumm. Sorry, no pics, we were too hungry.
The handlebars went up........the handlebars came back down.
WATER VAPOR:
The water vapor has been going up and subsequently has been coming back down as rain. Copious amounts of rain. This time around it has been raining for two days straight.
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| (It was raining while I was out getting groceries this morning) |
I am sure everyone has heard those of us in the Pacific Northwest complaining of the rain this year (in between snow storms of course). To put it into perspective I thought I'd give you some statistics published in our local newspaper this morning. The title of the article was "Heavy rain expected; flood advisory in effect."
From last night until tomorrow morning we are to expect between 1.5" to 2" (3 to 5 cm) of rain here on the valley floor with up to 4" (10 cm) falling on the coastal mountain range. That doesn't sound so bad until you hear some other figures.
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| (The puddles are starting to invade our driveway) |
The Hyslop weather station between Albany and Corvallis has recorded 8.78" (22.30 cm) of rain between March 1st and March 28th. Our average rainfall for March is only 4.24" (10.76 cm) so we have more than doubled our average and still have one more day to go.
Our average rainfall from January 1st through March is 16.10" (40.89 cm). Last year we received only 14.73" (37.41 cm) through March. This year Mother Nature raised her middle finger at averages and sent us a whopping 23.82" (60.50 cm) of rain in the first three months of the year. We've slogged through over 7" (17.78 cm) of extra rain and our seven day forecast shows nothing but more rain. Is it any wonder our official State animal is the beaver.
FYI - Be careful when on Google Images looking for a cute beaver picture - you never know what you'll see)
But on the upside - the grass is really green. Too wet to mow and almost a foot tall in some sections, but nice and green.
In the photo, just to the right of center in the back of the yard, you can just see our Star Magnolia trying it's best to bloom. Unfortunately the blossoms are taking a beating from the rain as soon as they start to emerge.
Water vapor goes up......rain comes down.
ADDENDUM (03/31 at 7:29 am):
The headlines in the paper this morning are "Midvalley withstands a deluge." Apparently the storm system has stalled above us and dropped another inch or so totaling 10.40" (26.41 cm) of rain this month and it is still raining. If it doesn't stop raining today they predict we will beat the all time record of rainfall for March set in 1904 - 11.70" (29.71 cm). That is a lot of rain for 31 days.
ADDENDUM (03/31 at 7:29 am):
The headlines in the paper this morning are "Midvalley withstands a deluge." Apparently the storm system has stalled above us and dropped another inch or so totaling 10.40" (26.41 cm) of rain this month and it is still raining. If it doesn't stop raining today they predict we will beat the all time record of rainfall for March set in 1904 - 11.70" (29.71 cm). That is a lot of rain for 31 days.
- Au Revoir
"He was so benevolent, so merciful a man that, in his mistaken passion, he would have held an umbrella over a duck in a shower of rain." - Douglas William Jerrold
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Ah man!! I was hoping the floral boots were Troubadours. Sad panda. Hehe
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry the bar risers didn't work out. Very good that you tried. I let the dealership take care of mine, but luckily I didn't need longer cables. I'm impressed with the swing up tank and headlight. Very convenient and a good safety feature. You know...no worries of dropping the tank.
Good luck with the rain. Hopefully you won't be dealing with a time too soon of wanting it and it having it. :)
Maybe I shouldn't have hinted at the floral boots and made people guess.
DeleteThe swing up tank is nice because you don't have to empty it to lift it. Brad has to empty the tank on his tiger when he removed it.
The rain system has stalled above us and we've now seen over 10 inches of rain this morning and are heading for the 11.7" record set back in 1904. How's that for a goal?
Trobairitz:
ReplyDeleteI think you were both taunting me with that boot photo.
so sorry the risers didn't work. I don't know why cables/hoses can't be an inch or so longer, or why controls can't be moved to different positions and designed that way
. . . and I love Broccoli soup (with cheese)
bob
Riding the Wet Coast
yes, we thought of you when taking that picture. Yesterday I debating going barefoot in the muddy grass to show how saturated the ground was but it looks way to cold for my feet. I'm chicken.
DeleteI had some fake cheddar on top the soup that melts like regular cheese so it tastes the same as non vegan broccoli soup. Yummy.
Too bad about the risers not working out. Time to move on to the Triumph backup plan.
ReplyDeleteI recognize that shopping center, my mom lives a few blocks down King. Been there many times.
We'll see about the Triumph, not right now but maybe in the future.
DeleteYeah, I was at Winco. I usually shop for things there and then buy the rest at Fred Meyer. Sometimes the quality of Winco's produce is not so good. Good for canned foods and frozen though. It is cool that your mom lives close by. We are down walnut and West of 53rd in a little subdivision just south of the fairgrounds.
im surprised bob didnt comment on the cute state animal pics.. ;)
ReplyDeleteim with beemergirl, i think its super cool you have easily adjusted pivot mounts. sorry sad panda about the cables though. seems i have to change mine every time i do a config change, which is why i havent modified my softail bars yet. i made this mistake on my sporty, tight SS cables fitted by the dealership were too tight, and kept jumping off the perch/clip and opening the throttle dangerously. sigh...
we went from 12% of normal rainfall to 50% last weekend. and more rain is in the forecast... have a great weekend!
That dangerously opening throttle thing is exactly why we didn't leave the handlebars at that height. And with a sport bike they are harder to work on than a cruiser for changing cables and such. In fact at one point Brad said "Are you sure you don't want a Bonneville?" It was that tight trying to get to the cable ties.
DeleteSorry that you too are getting some of this rain. Our storm has stalled so we have more coming. I'll be dry and warm in the car. Not riding to coffee today. Good excuse to take the cage to Costco and stock up.
Strange your bar risers didn't fit, I've used them on all my bikes without changing cables, but the max height you can get over here is 30 mm, maybe thats the difference.
ReplyDeleteSorry also to hear about your rain - here in the UK we have a hosepipe ban in place as we're in the middle of a drought!
It is just the length of the cables on the Suzuki. Hubby tried the bar risers from his bike which are more on par with 30 mm and they still wouldn't work. AND they only imported the Gladius for 1 year (2009) so it is really hard to find after market items for it)
DeleteA drought in the UK? Bollocks you say. At least you have good riding weather. When do you get your bike back?
Trobairitz:
Deletethey sell the Gladius here in Canada, so if an accessory is available, I can get it for you. Just let me know the part number
And you are a chicken. I'm going to find a wet muddy patch. I've got no problem walking in it
hope your rain stops soon. I rode to Steveston for breakfast but it started to rain after lunch so I came home
bob
Riding the Wet Coast
Thanks for the offer Bob. I keep forgetting you can still get a Gladius up there.
DeleteYes I am chicken - and you sir are hardcore when it comes to bare feet.
You never need to apologize for complaining about the rain or gloom. Until a person has been there, they have no idea. It's not like Midwest gloom. Nothing compares to PNW gloom. Turn all the lights on!
ReplyDeleteI still don't like to be a complainer. Don't get me wrong by my post, morale is till high (we take 5,000 units of vitamin D3 a day so ward off SAD), it is just unfortunate that we can't really do much outside.
DeleteI was actually amazed to read the numbers and see how much rain we've had. I just look at the pretty green grass and think, "yep, that's Oregon green."
Bummer, that the cables did not work out. I have thought about changing the handlebars on the Sportster, but the cables are also too short to do that.
ReplyDeleteThe weather is not much different from here, hence this year I haven't logged in much more than maybe 300 miles.
I wonder why they don't make stock cables longer? My guess is it is a cost cutting measure.
DeleteI too have only logged a few hundred miles this year. The weather will get nicer, we just have to wait it out.
Ive concuded that bar risers are sold mainly to solve a problem that does not really exist....I've tried risers on several bikes now and my conclusion is that they are only of use if you need to stand up on the foot pegs for long periods e.g. when riding off-tarmac. Otherwise it's better to adjust the lever angles to ensure a straight axis through the lower arm hands and fingers.
ReplyDeleteNice to see proper boots rather than crocs(tm)!!
Good points Nikos. My believe my wrists/arms are quite straight when riding but there is a forward lean to the bike that puts pressure on my wrists/forearms. Not sure if the bar risers would have made a difference or not.
DeleteThe boots aren't proper Wellies but they keep the feet drier that Crocs.
Awww I was hoping the bar risers would work. Darn it anyway, I hate it when the sad panda comes to play. The rain has been unrelenting here as well. Ugggh I am definitely develops webbed feet. I hope we hae a gorgeous hot summer.
ReplyDeleteWe did see a bit of sun this afternoon. Not long enough though. The good thing about the rain is that it extends soup season. Good thing we love a hot bowl of soup.
DeleteI like how you used the hook: "What goes up must come down" to hang the stories of the risers and the rain together. Very nice.
ReplyDelete~k
Thank you. Every once in a while I have a brain wave of creativity.
DeleteWow, it sounds worse than Brussels, where I lived for ten years. It rained 300 days a year. I hated it.
ReplyDeleteBut the good news is we've had sunshine today - you know - Monday - when I'm trapped in the office.
Deleteyeah, really good news.
DeleteSorry to hear about the short cables. It always something with these projects.
ReplyDeleteRecord breaking water vapor. And I thought last spring was bad. I think us in the northwest are pretty hearty souls when it comes to rain, but this is crazy! LOL - our lawn has that same "shaggy pony" look too.
Shaggy pony is an apt description.
ReplyDeleteWasn't it nice to see some sun yesterday? Sure it was only through the office windows, but it was nice. Back to rain today - sigh.
Trobairitz:
ReplyDeletetry to say this 50x really fast:
"Trobairitz is a non-conforming, non-conformist" even my fingers got tongue twisted.
amazing what you find on the internet, and everything is true, TOO
bob
Riding the Wet Coast
Nice catch Bob.
DeleteI try to not conform, but sometimes that gets me in trouble.
Several years ago we were watching a big group of cruiser type bikes ride by and I said out loud "look at all the non-conformists conforming together"
I laugh thinking of outlaw motorcycle gangs wanting their members to be non-conformists and rebel against the constraints of society, but then the members have to conform to their rules and codes. I don't get it.
That is why I say I am so non-conformist that I don't even conform with the non-conformists. It is kind of a standing joke in our household.
Sorry Trob!!! I couldn't get past your boots!!! I have wanted those boots for about 4 years now!!! Ever since I saw them in Portland Maine when I visited my cousin! I know I'll never get a pair! :-(
ReplyDelete4 years? That is a long time to want the boots. You need someone to give you a gift card to the boot store for your birthday. Or at least that is what happened to me. A co-worker gave me a $50 gift card to Footwise and when I went to spend it I saw the Bog Boots. They only cost me $19 then. If I knew your size I could mail you a pair if they don't have them in your area. I don't think they're discontinued.
DeleteOMG, the beaver pic made me laugh. When my son was about 8, he had to do a school report on beavers. I was bored at work one day, so I decided to search for "beaver." I was at work and shared the office with a very conservative Pakistani woman. I about died when pics started popping up. :-)
ReplyDeleteIsn't it funny what comes up when we think we are googling an innocent word. I was doing a blog post about 100 degree weather last year or the year before and made the mistake of looking up "too hot" that's another big oops. And heaven forbid you ever need a picture of a pussy cat.
DeleteI can remember when the internet was first available my mom was using our computer and was searching for beads as she likes to do crafts. Pretty soon she had pictures of penile piercings on the screen and couldn't figure out why. I guess they had beads on them, lol.
Hi All, just came across this blog while searching Rox Riser pics. Love that Gladius by the way, almost bought one but went for the Triumph T100. Wish I could afford two. I am supposed to be installing the Rox risers this afternoon in hopes of alleviating elbow issues. Sad to hear yours didn't work out, I ordered the longer brake line so wish me luck.
ReplyDeleteI debated on a T-100 as well. I am still torn because of the upright seating on the T-100 and I love Triumphs. I too have elbow issues with the Gladius but it is a great little bike. Hope all goes well with your installation.
DeleteInstallation wasn't successful, need longer throttle cables so going to the dealer this weekend. Hopefully they can get me fixed up.
DeleteNo success installing the Rox risers, need longer throttle cables so am going to Triumph dealer on Saturday. Hopefully they can get me fixed up.
DeleteBummer! Sure hope they have some cables in stock. With a sporty type bike it would be such a pain to remove and reinstall cables and we just didn't have it in us so for now I shall deal with the sore right elbow and forearm.
DeleteKeep me posted on how it works out. How are you liking your T-100? How long have you had it?
Oh and to warn you - to ward off spam I have to moderate comments on posts older than 10 days so if it takes a day or two for your comment to show up I apologize for not checking my comments more often.
Woo-hoo.....success, the Rox risers are installed. The dealer removed my tank and re-routed everything, they didn't even use the longer brake line. My elbow didn't hurt all the way home, I'm sure the position change is giving me relief for the particular point in my joint that is currently inflamed. Time will tell if it resolves the problem or if it moves to a new spot. Regardless, I needed the handlebars moved back so I'm much comfier.
ReplyDelete