Well, as I haven't made Sturgis for a few years, I'll give a Bikes Blues and BBQ report instead.

It's going in full swing. I see a lot of bikes, everywhere. I would say this should be one of their biggest. Maybe bigger than last year. We'll see what it looks like tomorrow.

So far, there have been several bad wrecks. One happened in front of my wife Wednesday. She didn't see what happened, but the guy was laying in the median and there were several nurses stopped to help. The bike front end was ripped off. She thinks someone hit him changing lanes. He was life flighted out of there.

Yesterday, an Evo softtail crossed the yellow line on a 2 lane twisty road and head-on'ed into a twinkie, killing the twinkie rider and injuring his spouse (back seat.) That was bad. Another wreck this morning reported by a guy here at work, just north of where my Lotus was destroyed last month. Do Be Careful.

Went to Pig Trail HD today at lunch time. Picked up some $8/qt oil and waited in the long line to check out. The couple in front of me got her a shirt or two, him a belt and maybe a doo-dad or something. $205. He was in shock, going over the receipt. I told him "Welcome to Pig Trail Harley-Davidson."

Traffic is really bad everywhere and has been since Wednesday. I've been taking back roads home. Back roads to Pig Trail too, for that matter. Now that I've joined the 'teens, I have a smart phone to replace my stoopid phone. The google map thing has a feature to show you traffic congestion. I check that when I'm leaving and if the interstate is a parking lot (lots of red on the map) I go a different way.

Rode the bike to work today, and traffic was actually light at 0730. I was surprised, as I was ready to take the back road in, which would have put me right at where the guy here in the office saw the wreck north of where my Lotus was destroyed. Good thing I stuck to the interstate.

Anyway, should be a pretty good rally. The vendors at Pig Trail actually had an assortment of stuff and not the same thing at every tent. That's a good sign.

 

Thanks for the report dude, I'll be looking forward to the next one.

 

Thanks for the report! Be safe and have a blast! I might head down early in the morning!! How's the weather down there this weekend??

 

We will be riding to Pig trail with our Harley group Saturday morning. From there it is just a see how it goes kind of deal. Have to be back in Tulsa for the Husker game at 8 pm.

$71 got me a used set of header pipes on Ebay. They are off a '06 Street Glide, so hopefully will work. Tomorrows ride will be with the cracked pipe. Fingers crossed!

 

The weather was as good as it gets for riding today, this makes our third time to BBB.

 

The weather is looking really good. No rain, mild temps.

I'd put some muffler bandage on the crack if I were you, Capt'n. Ask Me How I Know.

 

I have a muffler bandage, but I do not see how I can wrap the crack. There is an elbow welded to the back of the y piece. This precludes wrapping around the pipe....unless I am missing something here?

 

I would just take the covers off and wrap it as best as you can and put some safety wire around it to hold it in place. Leave the covers off. Better to not look as shiney and not have to trailer it home. That's just me. Of course, lots of crossover pipes are cracked and people ride thousands of miles like that. Who knows how long mine was cracked before everything happened just right and the crack let air in when stopped just long enough for the exhaust valve guide to cool off, then dropped out of the head when I cranked the motor at just the wrong time.

 

holy cow....ok....I will see what I can jury rig.

 

I wasn't kidding with this picture:


That's me fixing it behind the motel in Pierre, S.D.