Hate it when you get caught in a predicament, but still decide to move forward. Talking about a MC cradle for my Zumo 550.
Not really liking the affair I had rigged up to mount the unit on top of the CL77 gas cap using a vacuum winshield mount, I kept looking. Finding parts for obscure/obsolete relics, such as the 550 are really hard to come by now. Then, out of the blue a complete cradle set appears on eBay, so I scarfed it up. Kinda like shopping at Costco – you see it, you better get in ‘cause it might not be there next week, or even tomorrow, for that matter.
Then – a friend, and local ADV inmate says he has a cradle set and would I be interested. Oh geez – sure – why not. Always good to have spare parts for old stuff like that. My wife has made similar comments, but we won’t go into that. He was going to drop the stuff off in a couple of weeks when in town for a job.
Then, a couple days later, he sends me another note that he had made a mistake with the model number; his was a 660, and not a 550, which has a completely different cradle arrangement.
I backed off of his generous offer since I preferred to keep total compatibility with what I have now.
The one that I bought on eBay cane in a day later, and it was complete and in good shape; everything worked. Installed it on Friday, because another inmate and his son and I were planning on doing the 5 & 10** ride early Saturday morning, and I wanted it in place on the CL just to see how it worked out….. which was good.
** The 5 & 10 (nickel/dime – call it what you will) ride is riding down local Route 5, cross the James River on the Jamestown Ferry, then ride Route 10 back up towards home.
My friend and his son:
FWIW – the ride was about 150 miles in length, but the CL I have now beat the living tar out of me. It was nothing like the original I had back in the late 60’s when my previous wife and I did close to 3900 miles on it up through Canada one year. Suspension on that one was totally stock; not sure about the one I have now. Seat padding (or lack thereof) is completely different, I know; my backside will attest to that. Forgetting the discomfort level, the bike ran great with no issues what-so-ever. That was the first, long ride I've made on it since re-assembly awhile back.
.
Not really liking the affair I had rigged up to mount the unit on top of the CL77 gas cap using a vacuum winshield mount, I kept looking. Finding parts for obscure/obsolete relics, such as the 550 are really hard to come by now. Then, out of the blue a complete cradle set appears on eBay, so I scarfed it up. Kinda like shopping at Costco – you see it, you better get in ‘cause it might not be there next week, or even tomorrow, for that matter.
Then – a friend, and local ADV inmate says he has a cradle set and would I be interested. Oh geez – sure – why not. Always good to have spare parts for old stuff like that. My wife has made similar comments, but we won’t go into that. He was going to drop the stuff off in a couple of weeks when in town for a job.
Then, a couple days later, he sends me another note that he had made a mistake with the model number; his was a 660, and not a 550, which has a completely different cradle arrangement.
I backed off of his generous offer since I preferred to keep total compatibility with what I have now.
The one that I bought on eBay cane in a day later, and it was complete and in good shape; everything worked. Installed it on Friday, because another inmate and his son and I were planning on doing the 5 & 10** ride early Saturday morning, and I wanted it in place on the CL just to see how it worked out….. which was good.
** The 5 & 10 (nickel/dime – call it what you will) ride is riding down local Route 5, cross the James River on the Jamestown Ferry, then ride Route 10 back up towards home.
My friend and his son:
FWIW – the ride was about 150 miles in length, but the CL I have now beat the living tar out of me. It was nothing like the original I had back in the late 60’s when my previous wife and I did close to 3900 miles on it up through Canada one year. Suspension on that one was totally stock; not sure about the one I have now. Seat padding (or lack thereof) is completely different, I know; my backside will attest to that. Forgetting the discomfort level, the bike ran great with no issues what-so-ever. That was the first, long ride I've made on it since re-assembly awhile back.
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