I finally got around to giving the 14 some attention. I decided to bin the mischievous HID. Well not bin it, more like leave it on the desk for some funky enduro lighting project. Anyway, I took out the ballast and wiring for the HID and switched back to the halogen. Packing the light housing is always fun but I had an extra pair of hands at my disposal so it went pretty painlessly. Then on went the link pipes, silencers, tank and fairings. I even remembered to adjust the chain tension. I did forget something a lot more critical though, which could have ended the day in tears. Before that though it was time to fire it up. The battery was charged and tank was full of gas so it was a question of whether it’d run or not. I had to run the starter for about five seconds before it exploded into life. What an awesome sound it has. Gotta love those Devils.

I decided to take the 14 out for a spin and pulling out of the garage I noticed a strange clunking noise in the forks. I feathered the front brake a few times and noticed that the calipers were loose. In fact the bolts were only threaded enough to keep them hanging off the forks. Damn! I’m glad I noticed that before opening up. So a quick return to the garage and a few torque wrench turns later, I was back on the road. Riding the 14 was too much fun after riding enduro bikes for almost six months. It’s just such a smooth ride with enough torque and power to get you in to and out of trouble. I’m glad to have it on it’s toes and rolling again.
I never got around to finishing the single seat. Maybe next winter or during some unexpected boost of energy. Now, we ride.