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31 March 2010
It's Back...

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Monday I went over to Casey Cycle City and ordered the vacuum operated fuel valve… just a mere 130 bucks for it and another 35 or so for the air filter. It's a good thing I like the PC or it would have gotten a 1.50 tee and I would have just left it that way. But then I'm not sure if the float bowl valve would be able to hold back the flow from the fuel pump. So for the sake of safety we opted for replacing the valve with the correct repair part.

The valve arrived on Thursday and it took about ten minutes to install it, that's including the time it took to remove the old one and reinstall the air box too. I didn't put all of the body work back on because we're still waiting for the new air filter to arrive, hopefully it will be here on Friday. If it doesn't show up on Friday I will put it back together so I can use the PC until the air filter arrives.

It's been running with the old air filter since it was made and a few days more won't make much of a difference in its life. It's better to run with the old dirty one for a few days than to run without one. Running without an air filter on the street may not seem like it matters much but it does. The little grit that's in the air can do lots of damage not only to the engine but the fuel system too.

Lucky for me it did come in on Friday and well the whole bike will be back together Saturday morning just in time for next week's great commuting weather.

I guess you've noticed I didn't start this week's column by talking about the weather… I suppose we need to talk about it when it's good to ride as it has been the last weekend and during the week. It's a sure sign summer is heading this way….

Saturday was nice, a little cool but nice just the same. I finished up the PC and decided to take it out for a real test.

Somehow I found myself pulling into Steelhorse's parking lot about thirty minutes after leaving the house. It was a rather special day, the new 2010 MV Agusta Brutale was waiting to take it's place on the showroom floor.

Mike was busy assembling the new MV display and I somehow got involved with the project. We then went about re-arranging the front showroom which is now called the MV room. The room is filled with MVs and it does look pretty good.

The new Brutale may take someone who is familiar with them to see the differences but it is a very stunning looking machine. The 1090cc engine size just leaves us to speculate just how powerful the motorcycle is.

I was rather happy that the PC actually got better gas mileage or at least it seemed like I was getting better mileage watching its gas gauge during that sixty mile round trip ride to Steelhorse. Between not leaking or spilling gas on the ground, and the new air filter allowing the engine to run a little leaner, I was expecting to see some difference in gas mileage. I'll have to fill the tank and keep track of the mileage to see if it does get better; the PC's gas gauge has a tendency to lie.

I'm actually very happy to have the PC back. I've missed not having it available to commute on. Either the R1 or the MV is really well suited for commuter service; they'll do it but it's really not what they're intended for. Neither one is as comfortable and can carry the amount of gear or store it as well as the PC does.

I was so tickled with having the PC back; I used it on Sunday to get to the radio station. The PC isn't the fastest motorcycle but it is comfortable and fairly quick in its own way.

When I got home, I gave the PC a bath and then retired her for the night. Of course the forecast for the next couple of days is rain…

My F4 in the sun Saturday morning waiting to roll out.

XXXX