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So the first thing I did was hook up the headphone and microphone units in our helmets. I didn't take any pictures of that, I was too excited to think about that. Installation is pretty much how they describe it in the book, although neither of our helmets is Shoei or Arai.
Besides, that's all standard stuff, no tools needed, just careful routing of the wires and maybe a bit of tape to keep things in place.
We headed out to pick up some barbecue at Bailey's Smokehouse (in Blauvelt, NY). I don't mean grilled burgers, my friends. I mean honest-to-FSM slow-smoked 'cue. My wife and I go there on a semi-regular basis, since we learned that's where our man Fink went. He used to have his own place near our house, but he closed shop a while back.
I chucked a nine-volt battery into the Autocom, stuffed everything into my tank bag, and we headed out on the road. Along the way, although I found the VOX picking up the wind in my helmet a bit too often, we were able to converse quite normally. And of course, this means we get to mention all those things we notice on the road but forget by the time we can talk. Fantastic.
Next morning, SWMBO headed off to work. I puttered around the garden for a little while, but before too long I rewarded myself for my landscaping by working on the bike.
As is always the case, the first step in any maintenance is to remove the BMW top case. That's because it blocks removal of the plate that enables you to take the seat off. It wasn't long before the bike was opened up and prepped for surgery:
