If you said, "R*O*L*A*I*D*S - from the TV commercials in the 70s and 80s," you get 15 bonus points. No, this isn't about that kind of relief. Joan's Xmax has been sitting a bit too long and the battery is run down - the heat here in the desert doesn't help that situation.
The battery in the Xmax is in an unusual place compared to most motorcycles and scooters: it sit under the front fairing, just below the windshield. Most bikes have the battery under the seat or some other easily accessible place. I have had the piece on the front of the fairing off twice in the six years Joan has had that bike. Once was to wire an accessory USB attachment piece back to the handlebars... as I recalled, it was a real chore. The other time was to replace the battery 3 years ago. I couldn't recall the process to get to the battery, since that accessory attachment was stuck in my mind.
YouTube is my friend. It took 12 seconds to pull up a video showing how to remove that piece and get access to the battery. And about 90 seconds of watching the video to provide some relief to my mind for the process... two allen screws and about a dozen clips that hold that plastic piece in place (be careful not to break any of those tabs/clips).
Before I get that charged and check the state of the battery, I will wire a pigtail to the battery connections so we can attach a Battery Tender without having to take that apart each time. In the meantime, the Battery Tender is giving the battery a slow charge. I will put a load on it and test it to see if the battery needs to be replaced. Typically, I figure 5 years or so on a bike battery - things are different here in the desert.
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Happy 250th Birthday, America!
It was relatively quiet last night, as far as fireworks in the neighborhood. Steph and Dan went to a ballgame with friends and left me in charge of Dicha for the evening. With concerns about the potential noise and commotion, they put her crate in their huge walk-in closet, with a TV to mask any outside noises that could possibly stress out the pooch. As it turns out, it wasn't an issue.
Now, if we can make it through tonight. Our neighborhood is in a "No Fireworks Zone," but that didn't stop some neighbors on this past New Years Eve. It just so happened that we were watching Dicha during that night - the noise was horrendously loud, as it was a group of adults setting off huge aerial displays right behind our house... with most of them going off right over the top of us. We brought Dicha over to our house and sat with her on the floor that evening to try to keep her calm.
If the assholes start that again tonight, I will be calling the Police. There have been Extreme Fire Warnings in place for almost the entire state of Arizona. Fireworks have been completely banned in many areas (including ours). I assume that our proximity to South Mountain is why our address is in that "No Fireworks Zone." There are local PSAs stating that there are "no fireworks allowed that raise above the ground anywhere in Phoenix." There are also wildfires being fought in quite a few places in the state... people have to be aware of the potential danger.
That said, there is a lot going on - fireworks above the Diamondback's Ballpark again tonight (they did that last night, as well), with many other communities across the Valley having professional fireworks or drone shows.
This morning, before getting the Xmax battery charging, Murphy and I were outside in our courtyard. Joan bought this yard ornament flag months ago...
In the courtyard, we're the only ones who see it; but we've enjoyed it for several months now.
Right now, we're watching the tall ships (and aircraft flyovers) in New York Harbor. In the words of the philosophers Cool and the Gang: It's a Celebration.
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