Tag Archives: cbr900rr

Ol’ Yeller to the rescue!

That’s right, the old beast came through on the year’s biggest ride!

I had the Repi all prepped and ready for this year’s Friendship Ride… lines bled, parts lubed, and even some old parts replaced… followed up by a good scrub and polish. Well, “the best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry”, and come Saturday morning the battery decided it was done. I guess nine years of starts was all it was able to take. Time was running out, didn’t know what to do. Should I continue on with the Repi, knowing that I would have to be push started after each stop and face the ridicule from all my battery tending friends? Oh, HELL NO!

I quickly pulled the cover off Ol’ Yeller, dusted off the parts that were dusty. Wiped down all the gruff from the previous rides, checked the tire pressure and when I went to start it up… nothing. Damn, I had unplugged the tender to use for some other, at the time “necessary” electric device and forgot to plug it back in. No worries, I knew that the battery was good so with a quick jump from the wife’s car, we were on our way.

That’s right, no prep, no fancy new parts, no clean and polish, just wake up, shake the bugs off and go. I did require a little help on my first stop/start, but after the first leg Ol’ Yeller was starting and stopping like the best of them. Still had to endure a day of ridicule and jabs from the mob, but I held my head up high with the fact that my oldest, slowest, most outdated bike still took care of business. I just love this thing, and I’m probably the most comfortable on the bike after owning and riding it for the past 21 years.

Here’s to old friendships that never let you down.

Wow, what a great day at the track

Temps were HOT, but on the track everything was cool. I had a little hiccup after the first session as I noticed my back tire was going flat. Took the bike over to Jason at Dunlop Race Tire Services but unfortunately he didn’t have a tire to fit my aging 18 year old bike.

While I was contemplating my options of calling it a day, or making the drive to Bakersfield to pick up a new tire and try to salvage the rest of the day, Jason came through and somehow found a replacement tire for Ol’ Yeller. It was even the same make and model tire that had gone flat.

Thankfully, the rest of the day went smoothly and without any more drama and it was fun enjoying the track with good friends and family. Thank you Jason, you really saved the day!

Dave Moss had Ol’ Yeller dialed in and after a few sessions had me glued to the track. If you haven’t use his service at the track, I highly suggest spending the $40 for a full day of adjustments. Dave has incredible knowledge and won’t make you feel like an idiot when you ask him stupid questions.

I’m thinking I may have to retire Ol’ Yeller from future track days as I think maybe it’s time to bring out a more modern bike even though the Repsol is over 11 years old.

Let’s Ride Trackdays runs a great event and I’m looking forward to our next track day together.

Friendship Ride 2016

What a great day. Took another trip with an awesome group of riders this year. A bit smaller than what we are used to, but all good friends having a great time enjoying our awesome mountain roads. Wildfire smoke was at its lowest in years, traffic was smooth and flowing and the temperature was nearly perfect.

We ended the ride again this year at the Fresno Flats Historic Village and Park where we had some tasty BBQ pulled pork and chili beans.

This ride never disappoints. What a great venue for spending the day with friends and family. Looking forward to years to come, riding with friends and remembering those that have left us too soon. Thank you to all those that have stood by me all these years. I could not do this without your help, you are truly appreciated.

Until next year my friends, ride safe.

Visit FriendshipRide.com for more info.

Now, get out and ride

I can’t believe it’s been so long since I’ve taken Ol’ Yeller out for a street ride.

My tummy’s been rumbling for some sweet Kobe beef so tomorrow it’s off to one of our favorite destinations, The Diamondback Grill in Sonora, CA.

The bike has a couple track days under its belt so a bath was certainly on order.

All washed up and a quick system check has proved that this old dog is clean and running better than ever. Looking forward to spending some time with my old friend on some of our favorite roads.

Ready to roll?

Picked up these from Moto Mummy. They had an incredible sale on the Battlax Hypersport S21 tires.

I’ve been running the BT-S20 on Ol’ Yeller for a while now, and love how they perform on both the street and track. So I figured the updated triple compound rear might be just what I’m looking for when it comes to good street performance for the Repsol.

Well, the wait is over, Moto Mummy had these delivered to my door in just a few days.

Looks like it’s time to give the Repsol some much needed TLC and get it ready to thoroughly enjoy the new riding season.

1 2 3