Friday Ride -- Indians and Insulators

Today I had an appointment for the first service on my motorbike.  The Triumph factory ships the Scrambler with a light weight semi-synthetic engine oil specifically formulated for the break in period.  After one month or 500 miles the oil filter is changed and a pure synthetic lubricant is added.

Another interesting feature of the modern Triumph motorcycle is a computer brain.  Computer diagnostics is reason enough to work with my service department.  With my bike plugged into a computer any fault or abnormality can be easily spotted.  These are amazing times we live in today.  I understand that back in the day it took a skilled tuner to keep a machine running at it's best. I appreciate the past and the skill of well trained and experienced engine mechanics but I'm also all for utilizing modern technology to make things easier.  I've heard more than one tech say "I wish the other manufacturers would get on board and offer similar diagnostic programs".

I took a gamble with the weather but lady luck was on my side.  I was on the road by 9:00am enjoying a calm and beautiful albeit crisp morning with temperatures in the 40's.  The rising sun at my back warmed my black motorcycle jacket providing comfort despite the wind chill. 

When I discovered this telegraph line along a CSX railroad track in Wyandot County I had to stop and take some pictures.  This is a stretch of lines several miles north from the site of another series of photographs I took last year.  Some of the insulators on this line looked familiar but I did notice some green beehives so what a treat to stumble blindly upon some historic antique glass insulators while not engaged in an actual "insulator hunt".

After the service the tech recommended a local sports bar where I did enjoy a perfectly grilled cheeseburger and fries. By this time the temperature had risen to a comfortable 55 degrees and I happily took the long way home logging a total of 106.2 miles for the day.