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The motorcycle helmet gods are unfair! Why has Diana received special treatment and I’ve been snubbed?! A few years ago I bought a black Fulmer half helmet. Shortly after Diana bought the same exact helmet in the same size and color. There was one little difference: Diana’s helmet strap had a little snap on it to secure the loose end. Mine did not! Mine had a little red rubber band. Not a big deal… except this happened again! A year later I bought a black Harley Davidson Jet II three quarter helmet. I liked it so much I bought Diana a silver one. Again the helmet gods played their evil little trick! Once again I got a little red rubber band like thing (like a ponytail band) and Diana got a snap to secure the loose end of her chin strap. My helmet didn’t have a snap! Instead I get a slap! Slap to the neck! Slap to the chin! Slap to the cheek! Ouch! What did I do to deserve the wrath of the helmet gods?!

Lately the little red rubber band that is supposed to hold my strap end from slapping me about the head has become stretched/loose and I am getting bitch slapped left and right. This is so unfair! I couldn’t take it anymore! I had to act!

I ”borrowed” a half inch self adhesive velcro coin from work (male & female). The self adhesive pieces of half inch round velcro didn’t want to stick to my helmet strap, so I crazy glued the muthers in place. Problem solved! Take that you unfair diety of noggin protection!

If you find yourself being punished by the cruel lashings of a loose helmet strap; do yourself a favor and get some velcro from your local arts & crafts store. Glue or sew the velcro in place. The punishment will end!

Side Note: there are 3 days left to get $15 off any order of $100 or $50 off any order of $250 from JC Whitney. Use promotion code DEDAJX8. Offer ends Monday. This is a good time to order any winter supplies like a battery tender or fuel stabilizer.

Tags: Technical Stuff by Jay Green
13 Comments »

Blue Job truly is an amazing product! It is not your avaerage chrome polish; it is a deoxidizing agent. It reverses the affects of oxidation!

My buddy Diesel offered to give me the chrome highway peg mounting plates from his Dyna Street Bob. My Dyna Low Rider came with black mounting plates and he no longer needed his chrome ones since he installed the Kuryakyn Forward Controls. We all know bikers cherish chrome, especially free chrome!

Diana bought her new Super Glide before Diesel got the chrome goodies to me. The Super Glide did not come with the highway pegs, so I called Diesel and told him I needed the whole highway peg mount and not just the mounting plates. He said no problem and brought them to our next HOG meeting where he sheepishly gave them to me… “I tried to polish them up” he said. They were spotted with rust like oxidation and weren’t the best looking pieces of chrome. Not a big deal, this is still $150 Highway Peg Mounting System for free from a good friend and I was appreciative. Harley Davidson Part# 49019-5

I thought this situation would make a great head to head comparison of regular chrome polish to Blue Job. First I got my old bottle of Mother’s Chrome Polish out and applied it to one of the highway peg mounts with a clean cloth, let it dry and then polished. Now I had a fine shiney but rusted highway peg mount. The rust pits were still there! The chrome was shiney but still rusty too.

Next I added a little water to the small container of Blue Job Super Concentrated Powder. This is the left over powder from my previous test where I removed melted plastic from my exhaust pipe. I coated the other highway peg mount with the paste, let it dry and polished. Most of the rust came off. I applied more Blue Job. I wrapped the special Blue Job Pipe Wipe around a piece of pine wood. Then I rubbed the mounting plate as hard as I could using the cloth covered piece of wood. Most of the rust was gone. Now it just had fine micro rust. I remembered this is a chemical reaction on a molecular level and brute force may not be the answer. I applied the wet paste and didn’t let it dry. I massaged the wet paste into the chrome to release the oxygen. I rubbed and I rubbed and like magic the rust pits were gone! Now Diana has a shiney pair chrome highway peg mounts! Thank you Diesel! Thank you Blue Job!

A little Blue Job is great, a lot of Blue Job is even better.

The Harley Davidson Highway Peg Mounting Kit part# 49019-5 for FXD and FXDC models came with my motorcycle as standard equipment. I reccomend the product if you don’t have it on your Dyna. The few minutes that I am able to stretch my legs and change leg position makes riding alot more comfortable.  I would hate not to have them.

Diesel reccomends the Dyna Kuryakyn Forward Controls which he was able to install himself. The Kuryakyn kit saved him a bundle over the Harley Davidson conversion which is not a do-it-yourself installation.

If you have a problem stain on chrome, you need Blue Job! Melted plastic, shoe rubber, rust and even the exhaust pipe blues can be removed with Blue Job. It will take a little elbow grease, but it will work! Blue Job can be purchased from J&P Cycles, click the below advertisement to get yours.

Tags: Product Reviews, Technical Stuff by Jay Green
12 Comments »

So you bought a Harley Davidson motorcycle and you want to make an improvement to the handling and comfort of your ride. Have the stock rear suspension replaced with Progressive shocks ASAP. After riding my Dyna Lowrider for over 10 months I started to notice the ride was kinda rough. Speed bumps, stutter bumps and potholes were jarring my kidneys and spine. I don’t have an intercom system to warn my passenger about coming bumps and she was taking them pretty hard. Everytime I saw a bump I would cringe for her sake. Then the shocks started to get worse and I started wearing a kidney belt (yes I know, I am a spaz).

I had a pair of Progressive 412 Series Shocks installed along with a new rear tire and a K&N Air Filter during my 10,000 mile service a week before leaving for New River Gorge, West Virginia. The work was performed at Custom Cycle & Machine in New Castle, Delaware. They take care of me famously!

The shocks worked fantastic. Bumps are no longer a concern to me or my passenger. The ride feels more responsive in the corners and I haven’t been wearing the kidney belt!

The only thing I don’t like is the fancy chrome covers that cover the adjustable rate preload setting. They are not numbered so I can’t tell for sure if both sides are set exactly the same. The shocks came with a special adjustment tool since the chrome covers don’t work with the standard spanner wrench. I may have to number the settings or see if the covers come off. I might have them put on Diana’s bike and get a different pair of Progressive Shocks for mine. Diana can leave them on the same setting. I on the other hand need to adjust them depending on the amount of luggage I have on board and if I have a passenger.

Call Custom Cycle & Machine at 302-328-7200 and ask for Scott. Tell him I sent you and they will hook you up with great service.

Or, visit J&P Cycles to order your Progressive Shocks and install them yourself.

Tags: Product Reviews, Technical Stuff by Jay Green
3 Comments »

For those of you who read my January 25th, 2008 post titled Dyna Touring Bike - 2 Bikes In 1 you know I have been adding only detachable accessories to my Harley Davidson Dyna Low Rider motorcycle. Without the accessories the Low Rider has a chopperesque look but with the accessories it looks like a touring mount. The best of both worlds! I call my motorcycle The Transformer.

The latest accessory is this Harley Davidson hard coated polycarbonate windshield. The retail cost of $340 was an issue for me. A fellow HOG member offered to loan me his new shield for my trip to Pennsylvania. I wasn’t going to take him up on the offer until the weather report started to scream RAIN! Fortunately for me, my friend decided to trade in his Dyna but kept the shield. He sold it to me for a price I couldn’t refuse!

[Read more →]

Tags: Product Reviews, Technical Stuff by Jay Green
8 Comments »

The recipie for cleaning melted plastic, melted rubber, and even girlfriend skin from your beautiful chrome pipes is Blue Job Chrome Polish + Elbow Grease. You can purchase Blue Job at J&P Cycles but you have to supply the Elbow Grease. J&P Cycles® - Motorcycle Parts and Accessories

Blue Job is different from abrassive chrome polishes as it is an oxidizer and will not scratch your beloved chrome. No swirlies or spider webs or any scratching at all!

Tags: Product Reviews, Technical Stuff by Jay Green
4 Comments »

Previously I put the question to you, my readers, whether I should try to do my own 5,000 mile service or pay the professionals. Everyone seemed to think it is worth it to pay the guys who know what they are doing in order to keep my motorcycle safe and at its best.

Nothing against the dealership, but I can’t afford full fledged Harley Davidson service. Besides, I only trust two mechanics with my bike. One of the two is my friend Scott who is wrenching at Custom Cycle & Machine in New Castle, Delaware. I think of Scott as a performance guy. He is the guy to see if you want a bunch of mods done to your bike so it creates gobs of street pounding horsepower.  [Read more →]

Tags: Technical Stuff by Jay Green
14 Comments »