Slow Death

Slowly another winter is killing my bike, not the Harley FXSTC but the 650 Yamaha Dragstar. This is its third winter and it gets ridden for work, so most days, in the cold, the damp, the rain, the sleet, with the grit and road salt. The engine is fine, the frame is fine, bits of the chrome are going but that is not a big issue. Slowly the electrics are failing as salt, and road and weather conditions, erode the connections or wiring. The lights are failing, bulbs blowing a times, but more annoying is that sometimes random lights refuse to work. Two weeks ago the indicators and rear light stopped working for a day. Last week the parking lights stopped working. Today the parking light returned to operational and the headlight stopped working. Given this happened after 5pm, at work, it was dark and I needed to get home, I was not impressed.

Oddly, despite dipped beam not working, a quick check revealed that the main beam was working fine. I know it is rather antisocial to ride home in darkness on main beam but it is a lot better than riding in darkness with no headlight, and not illegal. I guess some guys in cages might have sore eyes, oh well, consider it pay back for when I've been following you and you gave me a face full of your screen wash.

With the faulty electrics being intermittent they will almost certainly be a problem to fix. I'm tempted to simply replace the entire wiring loom and ignition switch, fuse boxes, the lot. The rest of the bike seems to be standing up to the state of London roads and conditions so it would be a shame to not fix the problem, and a lot less expensive than replacing the bike.

If I was planning to stay in the UK for more than another 18 months I'd have considered replacement getting a Sportster or a Bonnie, going for dark custom, removing chrome, making a bike that might survive regular use in winter. But no, the plan is to quit the UK in 18 months, live in Turkey, and I can only import one bike. So I might as well fix the Dragstar and run it into the ground.

And the FXSTC goes to Turkey with me.

I'm retiring to Turkey. I am only allowed to import one road vehicle tax and import duty free. I can buy other vehicles in Turkey.

I'd take Chuck's advice & apply it to the FXSTC too.

Yeh. The FXSTC is going to Turkey with me.

The Dragstar I need to keep alive for the next 18 months. It needs to live through this winter and the next. Beyond that I do not really care. For now it is my work bike. Work - Community Psychiatric Nurse, in Assertive Outreach, in London, UK - I need the wheels and I do not want to park the Harley in some of the places I need to go to.

In 18 months I am quitting the day job, retiring to Turkey with the FXSTC and Hilary. Until then the Yamaha needs to live.