Clean Up: Duc and Water

And, because it's nearly 60 degrees in December, I thought why not clean the bike up? There is something really gratifying about getting into a dirty drive train and adding a little sparkle. Before:

The Grunge Brush makes a huge difference, making cleaning the chain a LOT easier.

It's so nice to be able to pull the bike OUTSIDE and clean her up.

A clean bike? She's a happy bike! After:

Repair Project: Battery Replacement

The battery on the Ducati died. I tried reviving it with a trickle charger, but to no avail. So, I started my battery replacement project.

Step ONE: remove the seat and expose the battery area. This is easy enough on the Duc.

Step TWO: Grab the tools that are going to get the job done.

Step THREE: disconnect the battery cables, being careful to remove the NEGATIVE cable FIRST. This is apparently quite important, because if you do it in reverse, and then touch the ground to the frame of the bike, all kinds of pyrotechnics occur. And, none of them good.

NOTE: I always have the parts bin, just to keep track of things. My father always insisted on this. Also, I was surprised at how many tools I needed to get this simple job done.

Step FOUR: Out with the old...

Step FIVE: And in with the new....

Here was an interesting conversation I had at the battery store.
Kid: That's it. Just don't lean it or drop it or roll it.
Me: Well, I am putting it in a motorcycle.
Kid: Oh. Sorry. I meant for the next hour.
Me: And, just to be clear, I should reconnect the positive first, THEN the negative, correct?
Kid: Oh, I don't think that matters.
Me: Oh, I think it matters VERY much.
Kid: Really?
Me: Yes. Really.
Kid: Oh. Well, I am new here, so I don't know everything.
Me: Okay, so who is the expert?
Kid: That guy. (Points to the fat guy sitting in the back). ______ can you come out here? This guy wants to ask you something? (Fat guy looks pissed off, gets up slowly and ambles over).
Me: Your guy here tells me I should keep the battery level for an hour. Anything else I should know? Like, should I reconnect the positive terminal first?
Guy: Yes. Keep the battery level, don't connect it for at least an hour (good to know), definitely reconnect the positive first (that's kind of important), and if you don't start it, put it on a slow charger/tender.

So, had I not sought clarification, I would have taken advice from some kid who was brand new and really had no idea what he was talking about, dispensing his advice ostensibly because some other idiot was too lazy to get off his ass and make sure the kid is trained right?

Jeez. I'm really glad I asked.