Why Men Sit and Ponder

I immediately checked online for the availability of this part. Nada, nothing, SOL. So I stood and pondered and gazed around at my plethora of refuse. And then as I gazed at the cluttered bike stand behind the 350, gauging the potential usefulness of each piece, I spied an odd piece of rubber next to the battery that shows up so prominently in pictures. Upon picking it up I about collapsed in shock! It was the exact piece I was missing. In looking at past pictures it's some how stayed right there and never tumbled off into the Netherlands beneath the bike stand. I felt like Gandolf in Lord of the Rings as I stared at it, turning it over in my hands and muttering... "I have no memory of this piece..." (I'm actually really excited about making a movie reference since I absolutely stink at it... but I digest... and yes he said place, not piece....) So got the rear fender properly installed so it wouldn't rattle around, then moved on the to installing the chain. Had a really bad time with the universal link that connects the sucker (the little bicycle ones are so easy) and when I finally got it on was not at all happy with how the safety clip sat in the grooves. While I had no guilt about Ben suddenly taking a face plant after the clip came loose, the thought of his wife potentially becoming angry and unleashing Hell in my general direction made me uneasy enough that I decided I would go and get a proper chain riveter and do the thing up right. So that is the progress at this point.

Side story. My buddy, Mike, who I sold my old black bike to (her name is Deathbitch) is totally hooked on riding now that he started. So anyway, he was in my garage gazing at the little 350 and said "This is Ben's? "

"Yup", I replied.

"Is he gonna ride it?"

"Naw, he'll probably set it aside and polish it occasionally."

"*%$# that, give it to me!" steamed Mike.

So, uh, Ben, if you see a guy on a nasty bike, all black and cruddy (you know the one) come steaming up behind you when you're out cruising around... better start juking and dodging... and don't worry, little 350's are nimble.