Now for today... got out in the garage and was slowly cleaning and putting the front together. I had just moved to putting the new 8 Gallon tank on when the new forum member Want2 rode into the driveway. We had a nice chat. He wanted a new bike and happened into a dealer he had never known existed and sat on all the bikes. He got to the S10 and almost didn't sit on it because he thought it would be to tall. He went ahead and sat on it and decided to buy it. He was out on gravel roads today and had a lot of fun. I looked at my new tank and realized it didn't fit right just as Want2 pulled in. Argh... I gotta make a bracket! During our conversation that problem kept bothering me in the back of my head... until I realized... you idiot, you need to take off the brackets from the old tank. Want2 and I laughed and he said goodbye and I swapped out the brackets to the new tank. It didn't want to fall into place. I got one tab over and went to the other side and pulled out on the tab slightly and it went down and bolted up!!! They used larger diameter outlet tubes for the vent and filler cap drain. Had to go get some bigger rubber hose and threaded it down the left side of the engine. Both fit in the holders. Put together the left panels (inner/outer) and got it on without moving the lower AltRider crash bars. I have two bolts that are giving me trouble threading in... just like they always do. I cursed the engineers or bean counters for not putting 1/4 turn screws on the left side too! While the panels were off I used some cardboard as a shield and sprayed my crash bars where the powder coat had been scrapped off when my buddy dropped it. So all black again. Does it match perfectly? No, but close enough!! I'll continue to clean off as much of that Alaskan mud with its Calcium Chloride as I go. Pressure washed it yesterday.
Starting to disassemble. I pressure washed it and was able to get a lot more with the panels and tank off. I was happy to wash down the radiator as it had muck residue on it.
The relay for the Clearwater lights that's in the way of panel removal.
Where it is now tucked and out of the way.
I lost a mounting screw somewhere on the Alaskan trip. While disassembling the windshield mount I found another one loose. These are low torque screws. I didn't want anymore backing out. So I put a split/lock washer on all 4 as I was putting them back.
This is the result.
Missing the mounting bracket... duh!
All good now.
New 8 gallon tank installed. I may have to swap out the Helibar setbacks for the Rox Risers to ensure clearance. I really want to keep the Helibar setbacks though.
More fun tomorrow... but I will have to turn the heater on as the 72° weather will be replaced with 20 degree weather! Took the Wing out today when I had to run to Rockford for the tubing.