This is my ode to
@Igofar:
My SMC was failing (again), so I sent Larry a DM and requested a consultation on the White Courtesy Phone. Because I figured that so many people were reaching out to him, I thought that I’d need to schedule a time to speak with him. Not so. He called me the very next day and we spoke for 2.5 hours! Amazing! What’s more, he offered to walk me through a variety of procedures over the phone for an extremely reasonable price (
wink, wink, nod, nod). What a remarkable commitment to someone he had never met in person!
After the call was over, I wasn’t sure if my experience with the guy on the other end of the White Courtesy Phone was a mistake or a blessing. I had owned my ST for a while, put nearly 60,000 miles on it, and done quite a bit of work on it myself, I thought I was pretty knowledgeable about the bike. Larry quickly, but nicely, disabused me of that notion. My level of ignorance was astonishing and I was concerned. Larry’s immense knowledge was immediately apparent, and I was humbled.
I was also quite despondent over the poor condition of my bike. The vast majority of the initial call was taken up by Larry telling me all things that were wrong with my ST. His “list” went something like this:
Clutch lever bushing was worn & boot torn
Forks were misaligned
Rear brake caliper bracket was damaged
Rear Brake Fluid Reservoir was damaged (it was amber-colored)
Wrong Brake Pads (EBC)
Wrong oil (Shell Rotella T6 because it is no longer S rated)
Performing oil changes incorrectly (not pulling in the clutch lever)
Didn’t have a magnetic oil drain plug
Hadn’t cleaned the bobbins on my front rotors
Fuel mileage less than 52 MPG (throttle body was not synced properly)
Counterbalancers were out of adjustment
The rear shock pre-load needed to be serviced
Missing rubber washers on the front fender
Bearings in the final driven flange needed to be replaced
Didn’t bleed the clutch line correctly after replacing the CSC
Not replacing the 2nd O-ring on the rear wheel underneath the final driven flange with each rear tire change,
Didn’t need to remove the throttle body to replace the O-rings for the cylinder head water pipe joints (although I did get points for replacing the fuel joint tube and correctly tightening the bands around the insulator boots), and I
Should replace the front axle pinch bolts with the type used on the Police bikes.
Nevertheless, he promised that if I followed his directions, he would help me correct all the deficiencies. While I professed my willingness to follow his tuition, I doubted whether I could do everything he expected. Despite my trepidation and because everything he discussed was explained to me in relatively simple and understandable terms, I decided to go through with it. Of course, it didn’t end up being that easy…that’s a story (or several stories) for another day.
Over the next couple of months, Larry made sure that I ordered all the necessary parts to fix my ST and that I had all the required tools. One tool I would have to make on my own. It was great having a second set of “eyes” look over my vast parts lists and a tremendous resource to answer my numerous questions.
Thus far, Larry has spent nearly 12 hours on the phone with me. Every time we spoke, he was gracious, patient, supportive, and very engaging. Larry has a great sense of humor and knows how to play a number of interesting songs on his guitar. Bleeding your brakes while he plays his guitar is quite an experience! I highly recommend it.
As I mentioned earlier, not everything I needed to do went off without a hitch. Each time I encounters a roadblock, I called Larry on the White Courtesy Phone. Virtually every time, he cheerfully answered my call, immediately stopped what he was doing, and spent time (sometimes an hour or more) helping me work through the problems. Larry has the patience of Job. Never once was he curt, short, terse, angry, or condescending despite my level of ignorance.
With Larry’s guidance, I have:
Rebuilt all three brake calipers;
Replaced the SMC
Replaced the lower steering stem, top bridge, and steering bearings (due to a broken pinch bolt);
Aligned the forks;
Replace the front wheel bearings; and
Successfully got all the air out of my brake system.
There was a time when I thought I’d never get all the air completely purged. Even my air bubbles had air bubbles! However, Larry is just that good folks. He can deftly instruct even an ignoramus like me from two time zones away!
In reality, I simply lack the vocabulary to adequately express my gratitude to Larry. I also sincerely appreciate his further commitment to help me with the throttle body sync, counterbalance adjustment, etc. in the future. As another member said: “Larry is both a World Class ST Whisperer AND a Great Guy.” He’s also a guru, instructor, and excellent mentor. Larry has even inspired me to help others with my newfound knowledge.
Saying “Thanks” just doesn't seem sufficient, but it’s the best I can do for now. If you need help, please do not hesitate to contact Larry via the White Courtesy Phone. You won’t regret it! Thanks again, Larry!
-Chris Welch
(P.S. I regret that I was not able to contribute to Larry's tip jar. After much pleading, however, Larry relented and permitted me to send him a small token of my appreciation. Larry is also a very generous person.)
(P.S.S. If anyone would like the details on the journey I took with Larry or pictures of the carnage, I will gladly share the details upon request.)
!! I had this very awesome privilege. I had already called and been given the low down on how to make the clutch slave replacement a much less painful ordeal and so when Larry saw my post about not having a firm lever when done, I received a follow up call with more tech assist. So, if you need help and the 
number has been offered. CALL!! You will not be disappointed. If the whisperer calls you, you better answer too.
www.st-owners.com
