[SAMSAR]

The results are in and it looks like everyone had a “great” time at this year’s New England Tech Daze. For myself, I really enjoyed the experience of hosting the event. I was especially proud yesterday to be a part of this BMW motorcycle community. Even with the heavy rains yesterday, every rider who confirmed still made the trip and supported the event. The distance awards go out to:

1. stager – 245 miles x 2

2. dj_nj – 190 miles x 2

3. beemergirl – 144 miles x 2

 

We completed a variety of projects.

• Woodie (Rich) completed a 6K service on his 1100RTP. True to his word, he was the first to get started and the last to leave. The lesson learned was obvious… Do what dj_nj does and leave the tupperware and crash bars home… even if you do look funny riding down the road.

• MikeR1100R (Mike) was right next to Woodie and also completed a 6K service on his R1100R. Of course, with no fairings on that model, he got to leave an hour earlier. Thanks Mike for being our first Guinea Pig using the Twinmax for your TB Sync. We learned a lot and the other three TBS’s went much quicker after that.

• just954rr (Jim) completed a sweet installation of his Autocom and Garmin 2730 with XM. There isn’t a lot of room on his 1100s but he really made it look and sound professionally installed including the custom-made magnetic mount for the XM antenna right next to the GPS. Very cool.

• Both dj_nj (Dave) and kpjensen (Karl) did big tank-off projects including new Throttle Cables, Cam Chain Tensioners, and Alternator Belts. Sorry you got the tents guys. If I had known better, and how involved those jobs were, I would definitely have made sure you had room in the garage before you started.

• Under Beemergirl’s patient and watchful eye, I did my first tire balancing using a pair of jack stands and the Parnes Balancer. The front tire went super fast, one 7 gram weight and we were done. The back tire…not so well. The tire would actually roll up from the 3 o’clock position and roll down from the 9 o’clock position. Beemergirl, RonB, Stager, and BOXDAWG all played with it for an hour. They settled on two 10 gram weights and while better, it’s still not perfect. Next time I do a tire change, I will recheck the rim balance…

• I did learn a lot though… For example, who knew that a garage floor and jack stands aren’t always level… or that there is such a thing as too much axle grease… and that it is in fact possible to have so much brake dust on your rims that you can alter your tire’s balance. Stager has suggested I change my handle to “Dirty_Wheels”.

• I also solved my Autocom alternator whine problem by installing an extra Noise Filter that BOXDAWG brought. Now we just need to find another solution for his Autocom popping problem.

 

Several people came by just to lend a hand, share their knowledge, watch projects being done, and enjoy the company.

• Stager, Beemergirl, and BOXDAWG were able to stay most of the day and were able to help us all out. They also found time to watch the valve adjustment, TB Sync, and center/kick stand lube projects.

• RonB stopped in for a few hours on his way home from an Airhead event and spent time talking with everyone, helping me do my first tire balancing, and checking the weather radar on my wireless laptop I had set up in the garage for a break in the rain.

 

Others also used the laptop to search the web, this board, and to send emails for quick questions… It might be something to add as a tip in the Tech Day How To document.

 

Special thanks go out to:

• Armando for loaning us his party tent (kpjensen stayed dry under it almost the entire day) and brake bleeder bag.

• DiggerJim for loaning us his tire changing stand, Wilco bar, and Marc Parnes Balancer.

• HenryJ7 for loaning us his twinmax, ministan (neat modification with the wd-40 straw thing), brake bleeder valve tube, and homemade manometer (we opted for the twinmax but everyone was very impressed with the simplicity of it).

All three had other commitments but still found a way to make the event a success.

 

Breakfast was continental and Jim’s wife Fadime treated us all to a freshly baked, and warm, Turkish specialty she makes called “Borek”. Perfect for a wet morning. Lunch was my wife’s Beef and Black Bean Chilli and hot dogs. Taco chips and cookies kept us going in the afternoon.

 

My wife Suzanne liked the flowers and she LOVED the Texas Hold’em Tournament Poker Set everyone pitched in to get her as a gift. Woodie… How did you know? She sends along her thanks and appreciation too.

 

Suggestions for any future Tech Daze hosts…

• There is a tech day event binder floating around with some good information in it and pictures/comments from past events. Thanks to John Diakonis for tracking me down and mailing it to me. By the by, the Techgnome stamp is M.I.A. and John is still searching for it.

• I will be adding a Tech Daze preparation worksheet to the binder/CD-R to help keep track of everything beforehand. There are still improvements I would like to make but, if anyone would like a copy, let me know.

• Lunch was the most important meal to recharge followed closely by Breakfast. No one was able to stay for dinner with the rain and not surprisingly, no one drank any alcohol.

• Set up a station outside the garage for engine-on activities like the TB Sync.

• Put the Air Compressor outside too (around a corner if possible) with enough hose to reach all areas. It was hard for others to talk and hear when it kicked in.

• Have plenty of tables and chairs on hand for people to use.

 

I have some great pictures but still need to figure out how to load them up.

 

Both Suzanne and I are looking forward to next year.

 

Paul

aka “SAMSAR”

aka “Dirty_Wheels”

[rocks]

Sounds like you guys had a great day... productive too!! Anxiously looking forward to the pictures... as well as next year

 

Sorry I missed the festivities

[Woodie]

THANK YOU!

 

[mikeR1100R]

Thoroughly enjoyed my first "Tech Daze" We had a pretty intrepid group considering the weather and the distance some of us traveled.

 

I learned alot, especially that my sidestand was so loose that it was about to fall off. I'm glad that Woodie and I decided to lube our stands.

 

A couple of humorous notes: SAMSAR was observed disinfecting his wheels after receiving some criticism from Beemergirl about all the brake dust on them.

I had completed everything except the TB sync on my bike. When I tried to start it, nothing happened. I figured it was the sidestand switch since I had removed the stand to lube it, and was looking all around the stand until someone (I forget who) gently pointed out to me that I had inadvertently bumped my kill switch to the engine off position.

 

Thanks again to kpjensen for giving me his extra alternator cover so that I can do the same mod he did to make it easy to get at the big pulley nut to turn the motor for valve clearance adjustments. I did find the instructions on the IBMWR site, Karl.

 

Thanks again to everyone for all your help and advice.

 

Many thanks to SAMSAR and Suzanne for hosting the event.

 

Hope everybody had a safe ride home.

 

Mike

[stager]

Thanks Paul and Suzanne for hosting......it was a great time to meet some fellow riders, eat some excellent lunch and watch Paul clean his wheels!

 

Althought the ride was a little "damp", it was worth it to watch and assist of some of the projects. I'm looking forward to next year!

[kpjensen]

Paul & Suzanne, did an awesome job hosting the event

I got to do almost everything I had planed to do for quite some time now.

Thanks for all your help with everything Dave, it looks like we got a lot done! Couldn't have done it without your help! But I guess that's what tech days are all about.

A great time was had by all, and a superb first time tech day for myself!

[BOXDAWG]

Thanks Paul and Suzanne for hosting tech daze. Had a great time meeting everyone and assisting where I could and watching Paul clean his wheels, See you all on the road. Mike

[just954rr]

Thanks Paul and Suzanne for opening their home to us all...Fadime loved the pedicure machine......thanks again

[DiggerJim]

Good thing I got caught in Boston - my wheels aren't exactly sparkling. I don't remember his wheels were *that* dirty. I better go clean mine before anyone sees them. I'm so 'shamed

 

Sheesh, you'd think we were those bikers that spend all their time polishing their chrome 'cause their bike isn't rider-comfy. You know one of those Harducjapbri bikes we're always dissing here

Jim

[KMG_365]

Sounds like a GREAT time!! Too bad about the rain, but I would've traded you for the 117* temps I rode home through!

 

Hey "Dirty Wheels",

 

Check out this thread for info on picture hosting options and get those pics up!!

[beamergirl]

Paul and Suzanne,

 

Thank you for opening your home to us! I believe everyone would agree it was a successful tech day

 

Have you taken it out for a ride yet Paul? Show off those clean wheels, the neighbors will be pointing at you in disbelief with outbursts of oooooohhhhs and aaaahhhhs When the sun comes out, you may need sunglasses to look at them, BE PREPARED!

 

As always, great to meet new folks and see others again from previous times. Woodie. Hope to see everyone again in the near future.

[beamergirl]

Good thing I got caught in Boston - my wheels aren't exactly sparkling. I don't remember his wheels were *that* dirty. I better go clean mine before anyone sees them. I'm so 'shamed

 

Sheesh, you'd think we were those bikers that spend all their time polishing their chrome 'cause their bike isn't rider-comfy. You know one of those Harducjapbri bikes we're always dissing here

Jim

 

 

Jim,

 

A E I H C B

 

D G E K R S

 

F J N P V A

 

 

Please read the 2nd line

[rocks]

SAMSAR has been dubbed

 

Dirtywheels

[SAMSAR]

SAMSAR has been dubbed

 

Dirtywheels

 

Thank you... Thank you... Thank you...

 

I promise to live up to this honor I've been bestowed, with unashamed pride and as a testament that I ride my bike more than I clean it. Let it be known that I will never clean my rims again... Well, that is until it's time to balance the tires again... Or, whenever there's a chance I will run into BeemerGirl.

 

I had a great time Sunday!

[KMG_365]

Okay, now that's redundant, I guess you can go back to "member" now.

[rocks]

Ouch

[kpjensen]

Boy, it's a good thing I was out cleaning my bike in the rain the night before. That was it's first bath this year! Now I'm glad she got it before tech day Lord only knows what nickname I would have now

[SAMSAR]

Here are some promised pictures from the Tech Daze...

 

Casa De Soucy

 

 

 

Woodie is first to arrive and begins a 6K Service on his RTP. MikeR1100R joins in shortly after... after he dried out.

 

 

 

Mike (MikeR1100R) welcomes Karl (kpjensen) to the Tech Daze. Most everyone hit heavy rain on their way over even though it didn't start raining hard at my house until after lunch.

 

 

 

kpjensen and dj_nj teamed up for new Throttle Cables, Cam Tensioners, and Alternator Belts.

 

 

 

BoxDawg and I start setting up my rear tire to be balanced.

 

 

 

RonB and BeemerGirl had a good time teaching me how to clean my rims... I mean balance my tires.

 

 

 

De (BeemerGirl) is explaining the valve adjustment procedure to my wife Suzanne.

 

 

 

Jim (just954rr) and his wife, Fadime, installed their new Autocom and Garmin StreetPilot GPS/XM. Very well thought out and cleanly done.

 

 

Paul and De search the manuals for the brake caliper torque settings. While Woodie and Mike continue with the 6K services on their 1100's.

 

 

 

Mike (BoxDawg) looks on as Woodie gets ready to do a valve adjustment on his RTP.

 

 

Dave Derrick (dj_nj) puts the final touches on his TB Sync using a TwinMax that HenryJ7 let us borrow.

 

 

Denis (Stager) rode up from PA the night before and De's bike is in the background.

 

 

I hope you enjoyed the pictures. Jim's wife Fadime did a great job taking these and others.

 

Thanks,

 

Paul

[hammo]

i can't belive i missed this. i hope you do it again sometime and if so, i'll def be there. jason

[SAMSAR]

 

Suggestions for any future Tech Daze hosts…

• There is a tech day event binder floating around with some good information in it and pictures/comments from past events. Thanks to John Diakonis for tracking me down and mailing it to me. By the by, the Techgnome stamp is M.I.A. and John is still searching for it.

 

 

The Techgnome has been found!

 

As I was packing up the Tech Daze Handbook, I noticed that he was tucked up nice and secure in some foam. I completely missed it when I pulled the binder out of the box. Sneaky little fella.

 

John, it looks like the BMW Service Stamp is still missing though. Any luck finding it on your end?

 

Limecreek, the tech daze handbook is finally on it's way to you. Have Fun and stay cool!!!