Good News and Bad News

From: Ray Irons (rirons@doverde.net)
Date: Mon Sep 27 2004 - 20:12:26 EDT


        Hi All,
                Been awhile since I've posted anything to the list but here goes. This
past week has been one of ups and downs, so overall; I'm still a fairly
happy camper. Last Tuesday, I became the proud owner of a slightly used
1997 Suzuki GFS1200 Bandit. I found a sweetheart of a deal on it, only $3500
and less than 6000 miles on the clock. I picked up the bike at 1130 Tuesday
morning and after coming home, to drop off the associated paperwork, I
wanted to go out for a quick ride. Went to start the bike, and the motor
wouldn't turn. The starter was spinning but wasn't engaging the engine. A
quick call to my dealer and they sent a truck out to pick up the bike. Got
it back to the shop and found a bolt in the starter clutch backed out. The
applied loctite and re-installed and torqued the bolt to spec. Started the
bike several times and pulled off the side cover to check the torque. Torque
checked fine, but the repeated starts had run the battery down, had to put
it on the battery charger. Once the battery was charged up, the got the bike
running and took it out for a spin, let it cool and pulled the side cover
one more time to check torque on the bolt. All checked good so they
delivered my bike back to me at about 6:30 that evening. Now for the bad
news.

                Wednesday afternoon, after work, I jumped in the Dak and went to my
ex-wife's house to pick up my sons for supper. On the way home, I got rear
ended by a guy in an 87 Chevy Caprice. I got a bent bumper, a dented
tailgate, and a softball-sized dent in the quarter panel below the driver's
side taillight. His car faired less well. His front bumper submarined under
mine and my bumper crushed his grille and radiator. As soon as the cops got
there, (you bet I called them right away) he asked me if I could move my
vehicle to the side of the road. I told him I believe the bumpers are locked
but I was willing to try. I started the truck and tried to pull away and
started to drag the Chevy. The cop asked what happened and the other driver
spoke right up and said it was his fault. He looked away for a moment and
when he looked back I was right in front of him with the brakes on, and he
just couldn't get stopped in time. I almost had to laugh when he told the
cop he wasn't going that fast. The cop looked at me, looked at him, looked
at the fifty foot long skid marks on the road and said "It looks like you
were going a bit fast to me." After the tow truck got there and lifted up
his rear end, I was able to get loose and drive away. His insurance company
has contacted me, but they want me to take it to a Chevy dealer for
estimates and repairs. There's just something about taking a Dodge to a GM
dealer for repairs that just don't sit right will me.

                Well that's about all for now, I did have an enjoyable weekend riding on
my bike and trying not to look at the rear end of my truck. I'll keep you
all posted on the repairs and how it comes out.

Later,

Ray Irons
Dover, DE



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