Followup to the bad carb

After disassembling the wee beastie's carburetor, I'm afraid her days are numbered. I cleaned out the jets (which were a little gummed up, but not too bad) and probably should have replaced the float, but didn't have the part available. She's running a little better, but still stumbling when accelerating from a full stop. This has me a bit worried with my next cross-country trip approaching. It is really gonna SUCK if I have to stop every hundred miles between here and Pennsylvania and spray carb cleaner into her throat. Besides, it's time and then some that I "move up" to a bigger engine ... most folks consider a 600cc machine too small for touring, and while I revel in my status as the grrl who rides the little bike impossibly far, it probably will be more comfortable on a larger machine.

So, I am pulling the trigger. Ever since running the Iron Butt with Joker, I've had a bee in my bonnet about the Kawasaki Vulcan Nomad, a 1600cc beast. Today after work, I dropped by Burbank Kawasaki with a price quote from another SoCal dealer in hand, and whaddaya know, they beat it by $400. I take delivery of a jet-black 2006 Nomad, zero miles on the odometer, on Friday.

Now I just gotta get the run-in done before heading back east. :)