I had my doubts that a piece of ornate plastic was going to make a meaningful difference in keeping car washing water clean. But the Grant’s-brand Auto Detailing Dirt Guard from Harbor Freight proved me wrong – it does the job far better than I imagined it could.
After a couple riding seasons that didn’t pan out as I hoped, 2023 marked possibly my favorite year of riding since I got into motorcycling in 2007. I came up just short of the mileage goal I’ve set for myself every year since 2016 – but finally got to go on a trip I’d been waiting more than a decade to take, rode for charity for the first time, did my first Tour of Honor, attended my first FJR1300 rally, rode in the Pacific Time Zone for the first time and made one last visit to a now-defunct motorcycle museum.
My 2023 Out West Adventure wasn’t my first time touring in the western United States. But the nine-day, about 4,900-mile trip was more than just another tour – it was a trip I’d waited more than a decade to take that, overall, was mostly what I hoped it would be.
I’m all for supporting charitable causes, but haven’t used my love of motorcycling to support one – until now. I learned about the annual MS5000 fundraiser for multiple sclerosis patient advocacy and support last year and – after vetting the event and the causes it supports – decided I’d be a participant for 2023.
I can’t remember which year I started staying up for all 24 hours of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, but the annual endurance race is a special event for me every year. From food prepping to setting a caffeine strategy (like a pit stop strategy – but with 5 Hour Energy shots), I’ve developed a few practices for watching the race to make the experience even more enjoyable.
The National Motorcycle Museum in Anamosa, Iowa, had been on my list of places to visit on two wheels for years before I finally made it there in 2022. The news that the museum is set to close permanently in September served as a reminder to tour as much as I can each year – as you never know when the places and events you want to experience will be no more.
My late start to the 2022 riding season received a further delay when one of the fork seals on my 2008 Yamaha FJR 1300 started leaking on my first ride of the year. The fork rebuild proved to be one of the most frustrating and haphazard maintenance tasks I’ve tackled, but I came away from the experience with more confidence in my mechanical abilities than ever before.
With how hot it got this summer in Cleveland, Ohio, I finally found the motivation to buy a floor fan for my garage/workshop. After doing some research, I settled on Harbor Freight Tools’ Central Machinery 20 in. High Velocity Floor Fan, and I’m very pleased with my purchase.
My history with the Iron Butt Association’s SaddleSore 1000 is a bit spotty, but I finally had a mostly problem-free experience doing a 1,000 miles in 24 hours ride on July 8.
Several of the big box home improvement stores offer a version of a horizontal eight-gallon air compressor at a reasonable price. My recent purchase of one such compressor got me started on researching just how much I could do with it – without spending a fortune on tools.
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