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A Valkyrie With An Oil Leak? |
| My maintenance log said it was time to change the oil
on my 99 black and red Interstate so I stopped by my nearest Honda
dealer and picked up some oil and a new filter and was on my way back
home. I get home and drain the oil and remove the filter. Install the new filter and replace the drain plug. All is going well, I put in the 4 quarts required and start it up. It sounded very happy since it went quite long on that oil. I get everything put away like funnel, rags, etc. and back the beast out of the garage. Now it is time to go rip up and down my street in a manly display of “Valkyrie Domination!”. I think I need to point out the fact that a couple of neighbors a few doors down both have Harleys and they also have several friends that also ride Harleys. It is all very friendly. From time to time the Harley guys rumble down to my end of the street and make my windows rattle in a non-verbal display of pride. Now it is my turn. Sunglasses? Check! Open road? Check! Launch! I crack the throttle and I’m gone. I get no further than 10 yards from my garage door I feel something glopping onto my leg. In a split second I run a procedures check in my brain. Drain plug? In! Oil filter? Installed and tight! Oil? 4 quarts as per the Honda manual! Oil fill cap? OH $#!&! You Idiot! The oil fill cap is back at the garage! SHUT DOWN ALL SYSTEMS! I roll to a stop just in front of Mr. Harleys place, my Honda spewing oil out of the oil fill cap like a two wheeled Valdez! The oil trail, a perfect arcing trail that is pointing right to my garage! Dear God please don't let Mr. Harley come home just yet! The thought of having to live with Harley guys pointing at me saying "Yea, that is the leaky Honda guy!" is just too much. I let the Valk sit and drip as I urgently walk back to my garage uncomfortably on my well oiled mono-ped to get my fill cap and a rag. Oh God please not yet! I grab a rag and the fill cap and slick my way back down the street. Just a few more minutes, PLEASE! I wipe it down and put the fill cap back on. I get it started and take it back to the garage. I'm still not out of the woods! I need to wash off all the damn evidence! Hondas don't leak oil! With a bucket of soapy water and a sponge I give it a quick wash down and tell Gordon (the grounds keeper who saw everything) not to tell Mr. Harley where the oil trail came from. I think I'm in the clear… unless Gordon rats me out! If all else fails... DENY... DENY... DENY! Wags VRCC # 311 |