I have to tell you something because your last post struck something in me. I have always believed that you cannot have a bad day when you are helping someone. It is something I have always found to be true.
While I truly appreciate this forum and all it's members, it is really unfortunate that with this medium you cannot get or feel the true benefit of your work or of the people your various posts have helped. I lurked around for quite a while reading up on so many things and all your adventures, insights, and yes, missteps and successes. It helped me a ton. Your posts educated me in a variety of ways.
I guess what I am saying in a long-winded way is thank you. You have helped me and I am sure others just like those Youtube videos have helped you. We cannot choose our family and many times our circumstances but we can choose how we react and adapt. Keep up the good work and know that indeed many people are rooting for you.
Name: Eric Heims
Red 2016 RTS, Diamond R Armrests, Ram X Mount, Doc Humphreys Dampener, BajaRon Swaybar, Spyderpops "Critter Splitter"
"It is the common fate of the indolent to see their rights become a prey to the active. The condition upon which God hath given liberty to man is eternal vigilance; which condition if he break, servitude is at once the consequence of his crime and the punishment of his guilt." John Philpot Curran 1790
Your account of how the Spyder came to fall on you has set off alarm bells in my head. I have a Yamaha Road Star tucked away in my furnace room (no gas in it) & it is on a lift on wheels & does not have straps on it yet. I'm about to move it a bit so I can change the fork seals but I think I will have to rethink how it is supported before I start work.
As to your limited arm mobility, my lower back is always pinching a nerve & I find myself imobile & when performing on the toilet, cleaning my nether regions is excruciatingly painful
...As to your limited arm mobility, my lower back is always pinching a nerve & I find myself imobile & when performing on the toilet, cleaning my nether regions is excruciatingly painful
Hang in there
Yes, life is tough all over but not sure we needed to know just how tough!
Welcome back to the web..............look on the bright side of Ted's Red Sled being our of commision...............think of the money you're saving on gas!
Spyder: 2011 RT Limited w/ RT-622 trailer Mods: ESI Brightsides, RT Rear Brightsides, HMT Brake Light, Scuff Guards, Utopia Backrest, Chrome, and more Chrome, Pearl White Rear View Mirrors, Rear Fender, and Dashboard, Black Rear Wheel and Belt Assy, SpyderPops Heat Shields & Bump Skid, Elka Stage 1+ Shocks, 2012 SF Graphics, Silver Carbonfiber Dash, Corbin Arm Rests, Baker A.W., BRP Vented WindShield. BR's Sway Bar, Tricled White Halo Lights, BadBoy Air Horn, Spyder Legs Floor Boards
Uneasy trepidation slowly being replaced by glimmering shards of hope
Structurally speaking, the garage is as done as I can do it, at this point. Finding so many things salvaged from the fire, and I discovered a still brand new in the box 42inch ceiling fan that I had just purchased a week prior to the fire and hadn't seen it since, thinking it was lost in the fire. Its just the right size to fit in the garage, to take the place of the center light, with still allowing room for the hide-away attic ladder to still be unobstructed & fully usable. Being that the garage is detatched, its not heated or cooled, except for a small oil-filled electric heater that was also salvaged, but alas, heat rises, so installing the ceiling fan makes practical sense, distributing and circulating the heat in the winter & providing some much needed airflow in the hot summer months. Is this going overboard? I mean, we've never really had a garage to work in and I know how difficult it was to even do an oil change last winter, all bundled up & it was still in the 30s in the garage, so I didn't want to be out there at all, less alone having to get on a freezing concrete floor. I'm thinking if I'm going to actually be using the garage now, I need to make it as comfortable as practically & financially possible, otherwise I'm thinking I'll dread going out there, and when your doing something you dread, you usually don't enjoy it, defeating this entire process, no? I can't find where to pull the breaker tho for the garage, as its not listed on my panel in the condo, so I'm thinking its gotta be located somewhere outside of the garage. I'll be looking into that tonight.
Last night, I removed ALL of the tools that have been littered all around our living room and took them to their new home in the garage. How, over the years, I've amassed at least a dozen different screw drivers, I'll likely never know-lol. Once I get ALL the tools gone thru & organized, next comes ALL of Teds Red Sled that has taken up residence in our living room. I posted a couple pics a few weeks back, of most all the red body panels, rear tire & frunk, all over our living room. It will be nice to have the space back and be able to move around again.
Any suggestions of what to do with a portable, large size window unit air conditioner that runs on 220 electric. The firemen took it out of the window & set it aside, right before they threw my leather desk chair thru it to allow for ventilation of the fire. It was only used for about 2 months before that winter hit & is still great condition, but being in a condo, I can't use it here & don't have 220 in the garage. I'm thinking of dontating it to get it out of the way, its BIG-lol.
Dave, I can certainly agree on being comfortable while out there working on Teds sled. When it's so cold in the garage that you have to wear layers of jackets, gloves, etc.. It's hard to get motivated, and even then, it's hard to work! I would also suggest laying down a blanket if you have to be on the floor. That little bit of insulation will be greatly welcomed!
As for the parts in the living room, I had the entire interior of my Charger in our Master Bedroom for about 4 years.. It's sure nice to have an understanding wife!! Anyhow, may I suggest that you not move the parts to the garage, unless you have space to keep them up and out of the way. For me, that is another problem that just destroys my motivation. When I spend half my time moving stuff around just to make room to do something! Can you fit any of your body parts in your Moto-Mate for the time being? That would free up space in that condo, and not occupy the garage if those parts aren't needed yet.
Only one ceiling fan in the garage?
I have two! lol
And if you have any moving blankets, those are excellent for putting down on the garage floor and much more comfortable to sit on rather than the cold concrete.
Glad to hear things are moving along. Slow and steady wins the race...or at least will get you to the finish line
that's a great idea, since the garage interior is finished that would be really cool. i use a big bingo hall type fan, it cranks.
keep the a c unit till spring and sell it. it could not have been cheap. donating is great, but charity begins at home. you need to take care of yourself first. I M H O p.s. just turn off the main breaker in the condo , it should kill the garage, unless there is a small panel out there somewhere.
Dave, glad to hear that the preparatory work is almost complete. Now you will be able to turn your energies to reassembly of the Tedster's rideKeep slogging away and before you know it you will both be back spyder ryding
All the great movements in the world began with a cup of coffee!
2018 F3-T
My mods: Can am Trailer hitch, USB and 12 volt power outlets, Gustason windshield, Bead rider seat cushion, battery harness for electric gear and battery tender, Time out trailer.
Structurally speaking, the garage is as done as I can do it, at this point. Finding so many things salvaged from the fire, and I discovered a still brand new in the box 42inch ceiling fan that I had just purchased a week prior to the fire and hadn't seen it since, thinking it was lost in the fire. Its just the right size to fit in the garage, to take the place of the center light, with still allowing room for the hide-away attic ladder to still be unobstructed & fully usable. Being that the garage is detatched, its not heated or cooled, except for a small oil-filled electric heater that was also salvaged, but alas, heat rises, so installing the ceiling fan makes practical sense, distributing and circulating the heat in the winter & providing some much needed airflow in the hot summer months. Is this going overboard? I mean, we've never really had a garage to work in and I know how difficult it was to even do an oil change last winter, all bundled up & it was still in the 30s in the garage, so I didn't want to be out there at all, less alone having to get on a freezing concrete floor. I'm thinking if I'm going to actually be using the garage now, I need to make it as comfortable as practically & financially possible, otherwise I'm thinking I'll dread going out there, and when your doing something you dread, you usually don't enjoy it, defeating this entire process, no? I can't find where to pull the breaker tho for the garage, as its not listed on my panel in the condo, so I'm thinking its gotta be located somewhere outside of the garage. I'll be looking into that tonight.
Last night, I removed ALL of the tools that have been littered all around our living room and took them to their new home in the garage. How, over the years, I've amassed at least a dozen different screw drivers, I'll likely never know-lol. Once I get ALL the tools gone thru & organized, next comes ALL of Teds Red Sled that has taken up residence in our living room. I posted a couple pics a few weeks back, of most all the red body panels, rear tire & frunk, all over our living room. It will be nice to have the space back and be able to move around again.
Any suggestions of what to do with a portable, large size window unit air conditioner that runs on 220 electric. The firemen took it out of the window & set it aside, right before they threw my leather desk chair thru it to allow for ventilation of the fire. It was only used for about 2 months before that winter hit & is still great condition, but being in a condo, I can't use it here & don't have 220 in the garage. I'm thinking of dontating it to get it out of the way, its BIG-lol.
Best bet is to SELL the AC unit( money for farkles) take some old cardboard boxes cut em up to fit the garage floor or use em doubled makes for good insulation. Add an old blanket as has been suggested. Teddy would have a ball with the blanket I am sure. Go to yard sale and find a bigger heater for in the garage. Yes the fan will help,, as you know MY garage is rather large and I have 2 fans and now a pellet stove and the place is warm. I leave the fans going 24/7 so heat gets moved around. For those of you who haven't seen or know about my garage it's a 50X60ft. 30 ft front to rear inside and 60 ft wide with 4 garage doors ea 12 ft wide( I didn't want to miss that hole) Has 9 ft ceiling. Insulated and drywalled. Pellet stoves are really GREAT !!! it keeps that garage at over 50 even when it got down to 22 deg. outside. Sooo Dave Bring Teddy and bike and set it up here I got room!!! And if you think YOU have too many screwdrivers you gotta see the mess I have!!!
Best bet is to SELL the AC unit( money for farkles) take some old cardboard boxes cut em up to fit the garage floor or use em doubled makes for good insulation. Add an old blanket as has been suggested. Teddy would have a ball with the blanket I am sure. Go to yard sale and find a bigger heater for in the garage. Yes the fan will help,, as you know MY garage is rather large and I have 2 fans and now a pellet stove and the place is warm. I leave the fans going 24/7 so heat gets moved around. For those of you who haven't seen or know about my garage it's a 50X60ft. 30 ft front to rear inside and 60 ft wide with 4 garage doors ea 12 ft wide( I didn't want to miss that hole) Has 9 ft ceiling. Insulated and drywalled. Pellet stoves are really GREAT !!! it keeps that garage at over 50 even when it got down to 22 deg. outside. Sooo Dave Bring Teddy and bike and set it up here I got room!!! And if you think YOU have too many screwdrivers you gotta see the mess I have!!!
I'll second the motion for working on the corrugated cardboard. It insulates you from the floor, is soft enough to help prevent bruises (or broken parts that you accidentally drop), and if it gets dirty, or oil or coolant soaked you just toss it and get another box. I also agree about selling the A/C unit. I'd buy it if I was closer. Mine for the garage died about ten years back. If you decide to install the ceiling fan, remember that they cannot be hung from a standard ceiling box. They need one that has a reinforcement running between joists, and is marked as acceptable for ceiling fan use.
Teddy TOOK me on a walk yesterday, wouldn't have anything to do with the garage
It was funny, cause I thought we'd just go down to the little river park area in front of our condo like usual and play fetch, but he chose not to He had decided he wanted to take his stick, and me, for a walk around the business district of our neighborhood, and it was only 42 degrees
When he gets in his stubborn moods theres not much I can do unless I want to fight with him Seeing as its been so long since we've both been able to ryde, and granted, we've both been a little down in the dumps without our 'therapy' I let the little guy have this one
Reminds me of that saying about knowing when to choose your battles-
Well, he took me (& his BIG Stick) on a 3 mile jaunt, at rush hour, with hundreds of cars on their way home from work, passing us by on the sidewalk. The peoples reaction was almost as good as seeing him on the back of his Red Sled. I'd look up at a passing car, and you'd see a BIG OLE GRIN on the face of almost every driver, as they passed by in disbelief that this lil black dog with a red mowhawk and tail was just walking down the street carrying a stick twice his size, just like he owned it. If there were more than one person in a car, you'd usually see one of them pointing out Teddy to the other one, all with HUGE GRINS upon their faces.
It had been a while since we actually just went for a walk, and it was a good reminder of all the joy that this lil guy brings to the masses, just by being himself
I'll second the motion for working on the corrugated cardboard. It insulates you from the floor, is soft enough to help prevent bruises (or broken parts that you accidentally drop), and if it gets dirty, or oil or coolant soaked you just toss it and get another box. I also agree about selling the A/C unit. I'd buy it if I was closer. Mine for the garage died about ten years back. If you decide to install the ceiling fan, remember that they cannot be hung from a standard ceiling box. They need one that has a reinforcement running between joists, and is marked as acceptable for ceiling fan use.
I'm with you on using cardboard, I couldn't work without it !!!!!!!
hi dave keep your eye out for some second hand carpet for your garage it both insulates and softens your concrete.
cheers mick
Cardboard, carpet scraps or samples, old throw rugs, pieces of foam insulation.....anything that softens the blow. P.S., they also keep you off the cold ground and out of the stones if you have to work outdoors...and are much easier on the knees.
The concrete floor isn't much a problem for me, as much as it is for Teddys lil paws
I thought about putting down some of that indoor/outdoor carpet in the garage, more for Teddy's comfort than anything else. I know his tiny lil paws have to freeze on that cold concrete floor, even with a heater heating the air to 65 degrees, that concrete is still VERY cold to the touch. A couple weeks back, Teddy was able to score us a 15X8 foot remnant roll for only $15.00, gotta luv that pup We cut that up and used it all to make scratch resistant shelf liners for the 5 tier Metro shelf we have designated for nothing but safely storing the Spyder parts, especially painted ones, once removed from the byke to do work. For 15 bucks, I couldn't beat that deal, and it worked out really well. As soon as I get all these tools sorted & organized, I'll snap some pics to share with y'all, as I'm feeling a little proud of how its working out, especially compared to where we started. Have to admit, I'm a bit embarrassed, as I took some pics of when I did an LED Marker light mod that we got from Steve at KBCarStuff (site sponsor) & I sent him the pics to show how much better his LED replacements were compared to the stock, & he liked them so much, he asked if he could use them on his site, which I agreed to. He sent me a PM not to long ago, that they were up & thanking me for them & allowing him to use them & suggesting that I check them out, which I did. I was hoping that he'd crop out the background, but he didn't & yes, you can see a great contrast between the 2 different lights, but all I see, is that dissaster of a mess of a garage in the background
Once we get Teds Red Sled back together, I think I'll send him some new ones
As for indoor/outdoor carpet for the floor of the garage, what do you all think? My worries are about water, dirt & road grime over time, seeing as we ryde year round & in all conditions
Carpet ????????? Sure if it never rained or snowed.
Ever smell a wet dog ?????????
Temporary carpet while working on the Spyder, yes !!!!! A Permanant thing.......... heck no !!!!!!!!
Roll it up when done...
Name: Eric Heims
Red 2016 RTS, Diamond R Armrests, Ram X Mount, Doc Humphreys Dampener, BajaRon Swaybar, Spyderpops "Critter Splitter"
"It is the common fate of the indolent to see their rights become a prey to the active. The condition upon which God hath given liberty to man is eternal vigilance; which condition if he break, servitude is at once the consequence of his crime and the punishment of his guilt." John Philpot Curran 1790
Learning to listen & making steady, albeit slow progress, its paying off
I haven't gotten as far as I'd like this weekend, but progress is still being made & the fruits of my labor have already proven themselves. My buddy stopped over yesterday and helped me install the ceiling fan. Tho, this one isn't the one I found still new in the box from 5 yrs ago, its his old one from his living room that he replaced last year. Bigger and nicer than the one I have, but it still fit as long as I line up the fan blades before opening the trap door to the attic. Tho, it looks really out of place in our garage, being that its a nice wood grain with gold embossing all around, but hey, it works. Upon doing the install, I actually listened to Scotty's suggestion (see, I'm learning) and got a heavy duty mount made for ceiling fans. If I would have tried mounting to what was there, it would have proven disasterous (thanks Scotty) But my buddy & I had to open up the attic floor to get into the joists to mount the new mount, and it was so nice to know exactly where the tools were located that we needed. He'd ask, do you have this & I knew exactly where to go to get it, without having to search for ever like before, was so nice and made the project so much easier. Having the right tool readily available for the job makes all the difference in the world. This is what I was hoping for in the beginning of this monumental project of going thru everything, trashing what actually needed to be trashed, salvaging what could be used, and this last part, of getting everything organized for use.
I thought about putting down some of that indoor/outdoor carpet in the garage, more for Teddy's comfort than anything else. I know his tiny lil paws have to freeze on that cold concrete floor, even with a heater heating the air to 65 degrees, that concrete is still VERY cold to the touch.
Doesn't he have furry paws? (I'm serious!) Tink has quite a bit of fur between her pads; I had never seen a dog set up for cold any better than our little Pom! since these little ones are kind of based on the Finnish Spitz; the cold weather shouldn't be an issue...
Ahhhhh...... yes, Bob. ....... he did, a long long time ago
Originally Posted by Bob Denman
Doesn't he have furry paws? (I'm serious!) Tink has quite a bit of fur between her pads; I had never seen a dog set up for cold any better than our little Pom! since these little ones are kind of based on the Finnish Spitz; the cold weather shouldn't be an issue...
But seeing as he's also a Therapy dog, he has to be fully bathed and trimmed before each visit and with keeping him shaved for better hair management when ryding on HIS Spyder, I keep his coat nice and trimmed for that reason as well. Part of proper trimmimg also includes his nails and in turn, the fur between and around his pads, to help visually ensure he's clean and hasn't picked up something that he could potentially spread to someone durring a visit. So his pads are pretty much furless, leaving him a little less prepaired for the cold than your average Pom. Also of note, that I hadn't really taken into consideration of the garage floor til just recently, is that our garage is built the same as our condos, pearched atop 40 foot concrete columns, with the entire underneath open to the surrounding ambient air. So when its freezing out, even with a heater inside, the concrete floor is still going to be freezing. I think eventually, I'll do as suggested here, and get a 6X8 foot roll of the indoor/outdoor carpet with the rubber backing and just use that as a daily covering, but leaving it unattatched, so if it rains or snows, we can just roll it up to the far end of the garage and it be out of the way. Once dry weather returns, we can roll it back out. I saw where Lowes has one for less than $20 that seems would work well, for just this application. Gotta look out for the lil guy, ya know?
Got it!
Thanks for the explanation... and I wasn't even going to mention the whole other meaning of "furry paws"!
Your solution of some roll-out and up carpeting will be a winner!
Reply With Quote
Originally Posted by oldgoat
...............think of the money you're saving on gas!
it was fun while it lasted.
Uneasy trepidation slowly being replaced by glimmering shards of hope
It's sure nice to have an understanding wife!! Anyhow, may I suggest that you not move the parts to the garage, unless you have space to keep them up and out of the way. For me, that is another problem that just destroys my motivation. When I spend half my time moving stuff around just to make room to do something! Can you fit any of your body parts in your Moto-Mate for the time being? That would free up space in that condo, and not occupy the garage if those parts aren't needed yet.
i use a big bingo hall type fan, it cranks.
Teddy TOOK me on a walk yesterday, wouldn't have anything to do with the garage
Seeing as its been so long since we've both been able to ryde, and granted, we've both been a little down in the dumps without our 'therapy' 
I let the little guy have this one
cold hard floor?
The concrete floor isn't much a problem for me, as much as it is for Teddys lil paws
We cut that up and used it all to make scratch resistant shelf liners for the 5 tier Metro shelf we have designated for nothing but safely storing the Spyder parts, especially painted ones, once removed from the byke to do work. For 15 bucks, I couldn't beat that deal, and it worked out really well. As soon as I get all these tools sorted & organized, I'll snap some pics to share with y'all, as I'm feeling a little proud of how its working out, especially compared to where we started. Have to admit, I'm a bit embarrassed, as I took some pics of when I did an LED Marker light mod that we got from Steve at KBCarStuff (site sponsor) & I sent him the pics to show how much better his LED replacements were compared to the stock, & he liked them so much, he asked if he could use them on his site, which I agreed to. He sent me a PM not to long ago, that they were up & thanking me for them & allowing him to use them & suggesting that I check them out, which I did. I was hoping that he'd crop out the background, but he didn't & yes, you can see a great contrast between the 2 different lights, but all I see, is that dissaster of a mess of a garage in the background
