Daniel E. Markle's Blog

After years of using an otter case on my Samsung Note II phone, figuring it was near the end of life and wanting to enjoy a slim phone for a while before retiring it, I started using it without the case. I enjoyed having a phone that actually fit in my pocket, but alas the inevitable happened, I dropped it and the screen broke. This older phone still fit my needs however, so I was loathe to replace it. I've always wanted to tear one of these apart, so instead of throwing it away, I decided to replace the screen.

Replacing the screen on these isn't particularly easy for the unexperienced. There's many small parts and screws, the components are sensitive to ESD, and to get a good job without wrecking the case proper tools are needed. Fortunately I'm an N scale train hobbyist; these have similarly sized components and similar issues dealing with tiny electronic components.

Ifixit has a guide for replacing the screen on the Samsung Note II which I used as well as an order page for the various parts. It actually works the first time, I have no extra parts on my workbench, and my new screen is unbranded, which is a rather cool side effect of the surgery.

Riding in to work last week I picked up this stowaway. I heard a noise when I hit it, then after riding a few hundred feet, came to a stop sign. When I pulled out from the sign, the back end felt slightly mushy and I started hearing a ticking noise as I began moving faster. I changed road position, thinking it was the road as the stretch I pulled onto was under construction, but in the course of turning I noticed the back end was very mushy, and it dawned on me what was going on. My first flat tire on a vehicle.

Pulling off towards the side of the road as far as I could, I looked back and saw this nail sticking out of my tire. Unfortunately I was at a bad spot where there wasn't a berm to park in. After assessing the situation I decided to move the bike at a few MPH up a driveway to a storage facility where I could safely park and wait for help.

Waiting a while in occasional rain, contemplating how it had been a while since I had time to just relax and watch the rain, I was able to arrange a ride home then come back for the bike with my trailer. Loading proved to be a challenge on a wooden tilt bed trailer; my rear wheel skidded off when I tried to go up. However, there was a location with a pile of stone where I was able to load with some strategic parking and riding. Looking for a way to unload the bike off the tilt bed safely, I ended up buying a patch kit, cutting the nail out with bolt cutters, patching the tire, then inflating it. With sidewall damage like this, there was no permanent fix for the tire, but this was enough to get the bike in my shop and remove the rear wheel.

YCH examined the wheel when I brought it in and determined the damage was cosmetic. With a new tire, the bike is back on the road in time for the Triumph rally in Oley and I have a new experience to add to my motorcycling repertoire.

Having experienced many motorcycles by now, I still hadn't ridden a Harley Davidson. Generally their price is exorbitant and their reputation for quality is poor. Although typically thought of as behind on technology, they are one of the only companies selling mid-size cruisers with ABS brakes, a strong part of a purchase decision for me. In this case it came down to a Triumph Thunderbird ABS or a Dyna Switchback ABS. Both were similar in price (albeit the Triumph was new, and the Harley gently used), the deciding point came down to a review which actually rated the Harley higher; rare for this magazine which frequently lampoons Harleys. Reading about the Dyna; with a rubber mounted engine for the famous Harley vibration, and arguably the best handling of Harley's bikes, it seemed a great choice for me.

On a technical checklist basis, the Harley is inferior in nearly every way; crazy weight and balance, shaking, short service intervals, the frustrating bag mechanism, proprietary tires, the checklist goes on. It leaked oil on the ride home, which got me thinking 'oh boy'. The saddlebags had a locking component which appeared to have been broken by the vibration; this specific bike is a bit famous for the bags coming off. I believe this locking mechanism breaks as the locking pins are on a cast part, and if undetected for too long the bags jiggle off. It turned out the oil was overfilled, which is apparently common by Harley dealers. Once the oil level was adjusted, it no longer leaks a drop. I replaced the broken saddlebag component, time will tell if it happens again, but now I know what to watch for. As I do my own service work, the short service intervals shouldn't be a big cost for me.

On this four state all day tour to Harper's Ferry, I rode it long enough to get used to the shaking and certainly loved the journey. The experience reminds me of the 1952 Ford 800 I have versus my Kubota B3200. Modern Kubota is more practical in every way, and it's what I reach for to do real work, but the Ford has character all its own. I'll give and get a fair shake from this bike, and use experience to determine for myself if I like the brand.