WNY Tech Day II

[Luis]

Im still in. Wont leave for another few min. Should b there by 5ish, almost when it is time to come back... will still b a nice ride...

Luis

 

[Steel_Gin]

It was great meeting up with John, KJ and Steamer for breakfast!! Just a thought, maybe we could get a crew to meet up for lunch this summer, between ROC and BUFF or just across the boarder or south of BUFF to pull some PA people in the mix. Nothing formal, pick a date, time and place, how you get there is up to you. Any thoughts??

As for my "Tech Day", not what I had in mind. ..............just for the record this is my wife's sink.

 

[Luis]

Wont make it guys. Runnong out of time. Next year

 

[wnyfjr]

Wont make it guys. Runnong out of time. Next year

Thanks for trying! We'll definitely do it again next year. At the moment, Ray is working on the last fork of the day, Tim (Madmudder) is installing a set of frame sliders and the rest of us are just standing around giving each other ****. Lots O fun!

It was great meeting up with John, KJ and Steamer for breakfast!! Just a thought, maybe we could get a crew to meet up for lunch this summer, between ROC and BUFF or just across the boarder or south of BUFF to pull some PA people in the mix. Nothing formal, pick a date, time and place, how you get there is up to you. Any thoughts??
As for my "Tech Day", not what I had in mind. ..............just for the record this is my wife's sink.

Yikes. I've seen this movie before, and it's nasty. I'd say it was my wife's sink too, but sadly, we share one sink.

 

[Madmudder]

Thats what she said

Had a great time and looking forward to someone else being the but of all criticism next year. Even KJ escaped nearly unscaved of beamer jokes. I was fortunate enough to get into the garage so not all was bad. Special thanks to Mike & Laura for hosting the event and allowing all the rowdies to invade their home again and I cant forget Ray & Billy for the big contribution in the successful completion of the work I wanted to do to my bike. All the rest of you I am not sure if you deserve thanks or criticism for your part in this event

All in all a great day Thanks to everyone even steamer who got involved in the day, here he is resting next to his bike. https://i1362.photobucket.com/albums/r693/madmudderr/Stanly%20Steamer%202_zps4fgnfwg1.jpg

https://i1362.photobucket.com/albums/r693/madmudderr/Stanly%20Steamer%203_zpsljezydee.jpg

 

[wnyfjr]

The last stragglers just departed. Had a great time and I think everyone else did too. As Tim said, many thanks to Ray and Bill for their tech skillz and also big thanks to Laura for keeping us fat, er, fed all weekend! She had a ball with everyone here and we'll be doing it again next year! I've got some photo evidence I'll try to get up here later today, but now I have to go to church and repent, then I have a garage to clean up...and it's a nice day, so perhaps a nice afternoon ride is in order!

 

[Bustanut joker]

I suspect this didn't happen.. No pics or live streaming video.

:****:

 

[FJRPittsburgh]

Trevor and I had a late departure of 9:30AM as we slept in a little. We arrived home @ 3:30PM after a little extra riding. Tech Day was a complete success once again. Mike and Laura were exceptional hosts. Thanks Laura for all your good cooking. Thanks Mike for putting together another great Tech Day!

Bill (Yamafitter) spent some time setting up my FJR's suspension. Thanks Bill. I had a better ride home with noticeably firmer handling.

Ray worked his *** off on a couple sets of forks. He was especially talented handling everyone's rods and even remembering to insert them at times. (That's what SHE said)

It was great to see everyone again. Even the new guy who was forced to sleep outside in the cold.

Trevor's vocabulary increased. Thanks KJ!

What a great group of folks. See you all again soon.

 

[LittleJon]

"Even the new guy...." I have a feeling it may be a while before I drop that.

Another great experience. Thank you Mike and Laura for taking such good care of us.

There was a bit of talk about possible Ride To Eat trips. I hope we can make a few of those happen before the bikes get put away at the end of the season.

And I promise to try my best not to dump my meal on the floor next time.

 

[Madmudder]

You can lead them to water

It was good to meet you, let the farkling begin!

"Even the new guy...." I have a feeling it may be a while before I drop that.

Another great experience. Thank you Mike and Laura for taking such good care of us.

There was a bit of talk about possible Ride To Eat trips. I hope we can make a few of those happen before the bikes get put away at the end of the season.

And I promise to try my best not to dump my meal on the floor next time.

 

[LittleJon]

It was good to meet you too, Tim. It's truly an amazing culture that this motorcycle had allowed me to become a part of. When I bought it, I believed the only enjoyment it would bring was when I was actually riding it. I had no idea that there was such a community that I would be welcomed into. I've had the pleasure of owning this bike for 8 months, and it has already been one hell of a ride, sometimes even when it's parked.

Being the "new guy" is a small price to pay.

 

[Wine Guy]

Ditto on all accounts. Mike and Laura, I can't say enough about your hospitality you extended to this group of misfits. Laura, the food was great - you had me at Beef on Weck - and then baked ham!! And the buffalo wing cheese dip was to die for! Im going to have to look long and hard for a good time like this again - I think that's what SHE said!

 

[SLK50]

Alex and I got home about 4:30. Took longer than expected

cause we got lost ( missed the exit on 86 ) and used that as

an excuse to take the long and twisty way home. Really like

the new suspension. After dialing back the compression

a bit the ride and handing are markedly improved.

A heartfelt thanks to Mike and Laura for hosting another

great tech day and making us feel welcome in your home.

We had a great time and are already looking forward to

the next one.

A special thanks to Ray for my fork rebuild, without who's

help would not be possible. OK, he actually did it mostly

himself but I easily recognized it as a task beyond my

skill set.

Lastly, thanks to everyone who participated. Easily

making this one of the most fun events especially

the lively campfire conversation.

Looking forward to seeing all of you again soon.

 

[yamafitter]

I was the first to arrive on Saturday and found Ray and Mike lounging in the garage. That won't do so even though I had no plans to do anything to my bike I had Ray pull the front wheel off my bike. During the SE Ohio event I had noted some vibration from the front end so this tech day would be a chance to check the front wheel balance and it needed more weight. We also discovered that both of my rims were bent. I blame KJ for that when he routed us into banjo music country during the ride to Hillbilly Hotdogs. Per usual KJ failed to accept any responsibility.

Ray just got the wheel back on my bike as MadMudder rolled in and then others started arriving. Ray got involved with fork overhauls. First off was a POS Gen 1 antique that didn't want to come apart at first. We had some issues with removing the bottom bolt but after we borrowed Laura's boss's air powered impact gun we finally got the fork disassembled. It also helps to remember to remove the spring clip holding the seal in before you start to slide hammer the bushings out.

For a while it looked like MadMudder was going to have to wheelie his way home....

Ray showing the boys a magic trick. Nothing up my sleeve, presto......

I put my time to good use stealing KJ's beer and helping out with some sag adjustments on the bikes. Many thanks to Laura who made very sure no one went home hungry and to both Mike and Laura for hosting the event. However, I'm still pissed at KJ for interrupting me stealing his beer and taking away my quality drinking time while he bothered me with his internet wife hunting.

On the way back home I tagged along with a group of five Lamborghinis and a Ferrari and made some excellent time up the QEW but it started getting a little stupid so I backed off. I made it home just as things were clouding up.

The dents in the rims are fairly small so I will deal with them at a later date since I will soon be heading back out for FODS and then Spearfish but I do have to get a new front tire so I need to get that ordered up in the morning.

Again thanks to Laura and Mike for another fun weekend.

 

[Geezer]

Ditto on all accounts. Mike and Laura, I can't say enough about your hospitality you extended to this group of misfits. Laura, the food was great - you had me at Beef on Weck - and then baked ham!! And the buffalo wing cheese dip was to die for! Im going to have to look long and hard for a good time like this again - I think that's what SHE said!

Now I'm really sorry that I couldn't make it this weekend. Laura's Beef on Weck.

 

[Wine Guy]

Hey BillyFitter, the beer you stole was mine. If you recall, KJ didn't arrive until mid afternoon and you were stealing beer well before that.

This action created the ultimate shortage of beer in the evening since now, I had to steal some one else's beer, and so on, and so on.

All is good Billy, I look forward to a little 40 Creek from your stash next time we get together!

 

[Top_Speed1]

Great event and times, which clearly deserves some photo's and a Ride Report.... just for Barry (Bust') so he doesn't think "it didn't happen!"


Starting out on Friday...

it was a Marina party nite for me and Deb, it rained (hard) so we all just hunkered down under the canvas and took in some cold ones. Debbie was edging on the intoxicated level (and she only on Michelob Ultras?). We get along great now.... and so much easier just being BFWB. I didn't hear any **** about me going on this weekend venture within 10hrs. very nice!... but, she did hammer me on the texts late Sat nite which made for a 3am visual on my cell phone before clonking out. Yikes. Gay may be the much easier way (out!)

Upon arriving around 2pmish, we are kindly greeted by some natives..

Work was already in action!

Brotha Ray is the 'Seal Master General'. Here he is showing how he makes love to the bench vice by inserting his big phat shaft and injecting his love juice (aka fork-u oil).

Mike actually likes the Steamer!.... not sure why? lol.

My new online Date-**** assistant and critic. You know we had some good laughs (and some scary ones!) there Billy!

Jeff & son Trevor... how cool is that!?... you have your own son riding with you and he takes to the sport with so much great enthusiasm. And Trevor... I if I get a little sauced up again (well, that's prob a givin), you may be a Derrick again... just go with it!

'JS'NS!

I got my head shaved for this event cuz I knew I would be taking some heat! ...all good tho!

Another Father & Son duo... Robert (SLK50) and his Son Alex came 2-up from PA. Here host Mike does some intertwining

Okay, this picture is a "Guess which guy is a Canadian" and use to the cool night that was quickly dropping upon us?!"

And what's a RR without Food ****!
Both Mike & Laura put out a wonderful ham dinner. It was awesome, BUT.... I must say, the Snicker-doodles stole the show and not just for me. I just wish they didn't stick together so much

(inside thing there peeps, relax, I'm not busting).

Great bonfire afterwards kept us warm n kozy. Billy and I surfed for womanz around teh fire on my smartphone, mostly for me, cuz he's too damn picky!

Sun- AM
Breakfast from Laura's kitchen included a huge bowl of fresh fruit and creme, a baked oatmeal dish that they stole the idea from a B&B while on vaca after the Penn-Run (hey, it was healthy & delish!), then we mongered down some ham and egg cups

yumm! (except Stan doesn't eat eggs, or much of anything else!... that way he stay a lot more fit & trim than the rest of us.



On the return home loop, I planned (and lucked out) on some very kewl southern tier roads. Weather was pristine for riding, no bugs in the am stretch and just so crisp visually. Here we are in Naples NY working our way back north. Steamer dragged me to this joint (Middletown Tavern) as Sundays is Steak and Ribs (specials). I had the Ribs but left my phone out on the bike (sry, no FP), these are Stan-lee's images...

A HUGE thanks goes out to our wonderful hosts Mike & Laura. Whatever we wanted, bammm... there it was. Laura was constantly making something on the stove or in the oven. My group (Stan & Jon) coming in at ~2pm, missed the Beef on a wicks (lunch) but the homemade chicken wing dip appetizer hit the spot just right. It was all Laura's "course's" from there on in!. Thank you so much for hosting and opening up you home to us hoodlums. I had an air-mattress upstairs in the Cat-room (aka Sewing room) and it worked out perfectly!

PS... hope your cats are back to their norm!

KJ
(& Steamer, since he can only type with his right index finger; lol)

 

[Wine Guy]

A few pics from my perspective.........a nice mix of bikes - not just an FJR thingy, everyone is welcome.....

KJ showing us more stuff on the Beemer - Onboard WiFi?? Seriously? YES!

Inside where all the action was. Taking things apart, putting things together, and Billy stealing my beer.......

Ray hard at work....the first fork took a bit of time but after that it was smooth sailing for the other 3......

Ray was pretty happy showing off his long shiny thing (that's what SHE said)......

I had to make it home that night, but not until after a bit of bonfire laughs with the rest of the crew......

Excellent day with a bunch of great peeps. As I said in my earlier post, THANKS to Mike & Laura for being such gracious hosts. Laura, the food was amazing and it kept coming! Mike, thanks for letting us spill stuff on your garage floor and allowing us to pee behind the shed!

 

[wnyfjr]

Excellent day with a bunch of great peeps. As I said in my earlier post, THANKS to Mike & Laura for being such gracious hosts. Laura, the food was amazing and it kept coming! Mike, thanks for letting us spill stuff on your garage floor and allowing us to pee behind the shed!

It was great fun for both of us to have all you reprobates hangin' around all weekend! At least you weren't peeing on my garage floor and spilling stuff behind my shed. And as for peeing behind my shed, I'm hoping it's free weed-control. I still have a few pics and I'll try to get them uploaded and post them here later today.

 

[wnyfjr]

OK, so after much cussing (damn iPhones) I finally managed to get the pix from this weekend onto my laptop so I can post the after-action report of WNY Tech Day II.

Ray arrived Friday afternoon and we finished getting the garage set up. Basically, we only needed to unload his tools, as I had managed to get the place just about ready before he arrived. He went through his mail and then spent some time reading the instructions for his new Sena 20S. Listening to him read all the different button pushes for that thing made my head spin like a jog dial! We went and grabbed some ice from the local 7/11 and loaded the cooler with beer and sat back to enjoy the afternoon. No pix of that, but you get the idea.

Saturday morning dawned a bit chilly and overcast, and with several last-minute cancellations.

When I had last checked with them, I had understood that Tim (Madmudder) and Mike (WineGuy) were going to connect for breakfast on this side of the border with Jon (LittleJon), KJ and Stan (Steamer) and then head for my place. They weren’t meeting up at the diner until 9:30, so I knew I wouldn’t likely see them until around lunch time. Jeff (FJRPittsburgh) and his son Trevor had decided to wait out the weather Friday night and were launching for Eden Saturday AM, so I was expecting them to be a later arrival as well. Tim rolled in solo and I found out that their meet-up plans had sort of disintegrated. Not long after, Billy ‘Fitter arrived, also having waited until Saturday AM to head south. Tim and Bill got things started: Bill removed his front wheel to re-balance it

and Tim and Ray removed his forks so Ray could get to work tearing them down for a new set of springs.

Jeff and Trevor arrived, followed by Mike (again, he never connected with Jon, KJ and Steamer either!). Jeff and Trevor kept an eye on Ray to make sure he didn’t skip any steps.

They weren’t watching very closely I guess, as I recall at least once when a fork had to be un-done to put the rod back in after assembly! It’s OK Ray, I know you were just checking to see if they were really paying attention. During this procedure, Mike cracked the first beer by 11:30am. I’m proud of ya Mike!!

I think Robert (SLK50) and his son Alex were next to arrive, and Robert wasted no time in prepping his bike for the same fork spring replacement that Tim was getting. We were missing an air impact wrench, so we had a slight hiccup getting Tim’s forks done in a timely manner. Thankfully, Laura works at a collision shop and her boss was kind enough to let me go down and borrow his. After that, Tim was able to reinstall his forks and Ray started in on Robert’s. Somewhere in all this, we took a break for lunch, and this is just one of many examples of why I love my wife! She put out the lunch spread on the back deck and had everything arranged, from Beef on ‘Weck to home-made potato and three-bean salads, and fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies. She even came out a little later in the afternoon with warm-from-the-oven Snickerdoodles (cookies for those unaware) and passed them around the garage! Jon, KJ and Steamer arrived just after lunch and turned right around to make a quick beer and ice run – NICE!) The driveway was a bit more full than it was when we started that morning:

We started Tim’s forks before lunch. Note the time on the clock above the shop towel dispenser on the wall…

It’s almost 4:30 and he still hasn’t got his front wheel installed. Part of this was due to the impact wrench situation, but there were some in attendance who felt this was due to the bike being a POS Gen I. Of course, he strongly disagreed.

I guess I stopped taking pix after that, but we managed to finish Robert's forks and Tim added a set of frame sliders. We wrapped up the wrenching around 7pm. Laura had dinner waiting and ready: ham shank, cheesy potatoes, green salad, all delicious. Steamer was kind enough to carve the ham and did an excellent job. After that, some of folks headed home, while others stayed for a bit to enjoy the campfire before rolling out. Good conversation, good laughs, and even some Dr. Phil-type moments watching KJ review possible matches from an on-line dating app! Of those who stayed the night, Jon was brave enough to stay outside in his tent, with a low temp of 46 degrees. Robert and Alex wisely decided that discretion is the better part of valor, and opted for couches in the house instead of the tent they brought with them! Once more, Laura worked magic and provided breakfast on Sunday morning. I’m not sure she realizes that typical tech day fare is not this fancy! No one complained though and it disappeared easily enough.

I can’t thank Ray and Bill (and of course Laura) enough for helping to make this another success. We enjoyed having everyone in our home (Laura loves a full house) and we will definitely keep doing it as long as folks want to keep coming. I also have to thank everyone who came to wrench or just hang out. As FJR owners, it’s obvious that we are a social type, and every time I have gotten together with people on this forum, it has been a blast. This weekend was no exception.