*sigh*

[FightingFalcon]

Is it bad if you feel depressed over not having your bike?

I came home this weekend from DC because the dealer said that my bike would be ready. Saturday afternoon I'm all excited and I'm sittin around my house waiting to go pick it up. Then at 2pm I get a call from the dealer with some not so good news. They put the bike together and took it out for a ride and noticed that the front wheel was wobbling. Took the tire off and saw a minor dent on the wheel. The wheel doesn't need to be replaced but it needs to be worked on, whatever that means. So I'm lookin at another week or two before I can have it back.

Now I gotta drive back down to DC today and come home next week. It's a 4 hour drive for those who don't know. I don't mind making the drive but only if my bike would actually be ready!!

It's been three weeks since I've ridden and five weeks since I've REALLY ridden (that one hour doesn't count....). I've been depressed all five weeks and I feel like a part of me is missing. Five weeks of prime riding season gone.....bleh. I'll just hafta make up for it by riding in the cold.

Bundle up Husky - by the time I get my bike down there it might be winter ;D

[101ABN]

I hate it when dealers'shops don't get work done on time.

WTF is a "minor dent?" If it's minor, it should be just a balance issue.

If it's more than that, I'd rather replace the wheel than trust it

Are these mag wheels? Steel?

I'd be concerned about structural damage that may not be readily visible.

Sorry for your delay. Fall should be good riding time in the DC area until it turns chilly.

Buy some good techno thermal underwear and silk liners for your gloves and ride on.

[FightingFalcon]

WTF is a "minor dent?" If it's minor, it should be just a balance issue.

If it's more than that, I'd rather replace the wheel than trust it

He made it sound like a balance issue but one that they couldn't fix in the shop. So it'll take another week to ship it wherever its going and then get it back. I guess I'm gonna go ahead and trust his judgment since this guy has been riding for years and definitely knows what he's talking about. If there was any question of safety, I'm sure he would recommend replacing the entire wheel. Not to mention the fact that it means more $$$ for the dealership.

I'm just annoyed that he didn't notice it earlier. The bike was sitting there for three weeks before insurance company got its stuff together and the parts got there. He didn't notice this beforehand?

I've talked to Husky and some other guys about the cold and I'm concerned about how my tires will handle. I just put Dunlop Qualifiers on there and I've heard that racing-style tires take longer to heat up. Some guys in my area (even farther north) ride all winter long. They just let the tires warm up more and are easier on the throttle/lean angle.

I'm not too worried about being cold myself. I'm just gonna buy some heated gloves/vest

But once the tires start slipping, that's when I call it quits for the winter.

[Husky23]

Ya, what 101 said FF - I'd be much more worried about wheel damage then tire balance at this point...these days sport bike tires are pretty well factory manufacturered balanced (except at extremely high speeds). Dunno.

And as far as I know, sport and race compound tires warm up more quickly...softer compound rubber and all that.

The other only thing to beware is the preservative on new tires...it's slick. I've seen more than a few drop their rigs after new tires without allowing a good "scrubbing" of them in.

[FightingFalcon]

husky23 said:

The other only thing to beware is the preservative on new tires...it's slick. I've seen more than a few drop their rigs after new tires without allowing a good "scrubbing" of them in.

That's what I'm most scared of. When I first got my bike, I read through the owners manual and read about the scrubbin in period. But since I was taking it really slow for the first few hundred miles, I never had a problem.

When I pick up my bike (either tomorrow or next Saturday), I'm gonna hafta go right on the highway. The dealership is on a highway with no lights so you kinda just gotta shove yourself out there. I'll just hafta wait around until I can get enough space to get on there without having to use tons of throttle.