Gertrude Gets Tight

[GrandpaDenny]

I posted the other day about remounting Gertrude's trunk and tightening up the left saddlebag mount. Yesterday I had a doctor's appointment, and I took Germantown Ave. the whole way. Cobblestones, trolley tracks, potholes - a lovely road. I'd ridden the same stretch of road in a friend's Mercury Mountaineer the other day and we got beat to death. Gertrude rode better. It wasn't until I was almost home that I realized there weren't any rattles. None.

I love cheap fixes, and free ones best of all!

Most of the issues I've had with Gertrude have been due to loose or missing bolts and mal-installed items. DSPO stuff. So check all those fasteners, folks! Missing body screws can be easily fixed with cable ties. Check the rear sub-frame bolts under the seat - under the side covers - I'd discovered them missing on Gertrude once upon a time. It's a Kawasaki thing, they fall out over time. So tighten those bolts!

[Nails]

DSPO? Your XII was making you suicidal?

[GrandpaDenny]

No, not at all. The previous owner had replaced those bolts with fillet-head machine screws, way smaller and way longer than the original frame bolts. I have no idea why. We discovered this when Gene changed the fuel filter, and one of THOSE bolts were totally gone. So all that was holding the rear subframe on was this one long scraggly scrawny undersized screw. Fortunately he had a couple of frame bolts. So yes, DSPO - Dumb Sh*t Previous Owner. At least he did cobble up the electrical system. That's all MY handiwork