This thread just keeps getting better.

I really like what you have been doing here. Glad to know you won't stop.

Very inspiring thread and just a big +100 on the mirror. The best way to feel comfortable on a bike.

This thread is awesome! Love reading the rebuild and commuting efforts. As stated by others, the bike looks great and the paint job is pretty awesome.

+10 on the mirror; five minutes after I put my first one on, I wondered how I'd managed so long without it.

Love your build, it looks like a badass and a comfortable ride. :thumb:

Thanks for all the support!

Now that the motorcycle is broken I have no choice but to jump in with both feet. With that in mind I figured I needed to add a way to lock it up if I need to run into a store or the bank. Just to keep the honest people honest. I got a cable lock. It's parked in my garage at home and inside the building at work, basically it's never more than 20' from me almost at all times. I also picked up a mini pump and some more flashing lights.

In the right bag I've got a multi tool, tire levers, couple patch kits, spare tube, small LED flash light, chain tool, rain pants, rain jacket and a reflective vest.

The left bag will hold my lunch and clothes for the day.

I need to weigh it again with everything in it just to see how much all this stuff ads to it.

A cable lock is OK in some areas, but in other areas, it's a joke to the thieves. Find out what people near you use. Don't do something you'll regret.

For example; I have a three pound Kryptonite chain lock for the tweakers, and stickers and as much personalization as I can for the real thieves. My area is rural, with too much meth, and a university (where bike thieving is rampant).

I really don't see myself locking the bike up much at all. Maybe once a week when I go to the bank because my workplace has never heard of the magic that is direct deposit. The only place I've locked it up so far was in front of the city building last week when I went to early vote.

Unfortunately not much has been going on with the bike except my not riding it due to my knee pain.

However before that started I decided I wanted to try waxing the chain. I cleaned all the oil and grit out of the chain and dipped it in some melted parrifin wax mixed with some parrifin oil. I let it soak for about 45 minutes, agitating it occasionally until I was relatively certain no more air bubbles were being released from the rollers and such. I let it cool in the wax until it got hard enough to pick up without the liquid wax just running off then cleaned off the excess and reinstalled it back on the bike.

I've noticed it's considerably quieter than before. Also it shifts smoother/quicker. I may be able to notice that more because I'm using friction shifters. I don't know if would be able to tell the difference with trigger shifters. I've only commuter twice since I did this so I have no idea how frequent I'm going to have to re dip the chain. But even if it's once a week I feel it would be worth it because I feel the drivetrain just runs better.

Hopefully I'm able to get back into it soon. I still will run down to the convenience store on it but that's less than a mile away.