Horn

Short-term goal: roadworthy. That meant putting everything together and making sure the basics are all in order so that I can take it for a roadworthy assessment. Don't expect it to pass first time, but at least then I'd have a list of issues to prioritise for sorting out.

Got started straight after breakfast on Saturday morning, and things were going swimmingly until I pressed the horn button and nothing happened. I thought I'd sorted it out since it worked while off the bike connected to an external battery. Some percussive maintenance and lots of swearing followed, until I traced the fault to the switch. 

Opened up the LHS controls to find it caked with a thick greasy paste. The only option was to strip it down completely and clean it out, then figure out if the switch was salvageable. This took a good 3 hours, and putting it back together was no mean feat either. Lots of little fiddly bits that like flying off into inaccessible crevices. 

No pics as I was rushing to get to the testing centre before they closed. Didn't make it. 

In any event, the switch is now clean, lubed up, the horn button has a new spring to facilitate the "flash to pass" function (flashes your headlight, I assume to let the guy in front know that you intend to pass...) and the indicator and dip switches are all a little less "crunchy" in their operation.

Oh, and I received some eBay parts: 4 Emgo el-cheapo pod filters, some fork seals, and the replacement oil filter bolt. Emgo claims to be endorsed "by the winningest team in US Endurance race history". Winningest?! That really shouldn't be a word.

Let's hope those filters aren't the 'failingest'!