Yesterday that changed.

Sometime mid-morning I was reading the local newspaper online and in one of the sidebars they list job openings. There was something listed that either said motorcycle or Sturgis or something else that caught my eye. I clicked on it. Seems the local Indian/Triumph dealer was looking for help with their stand at the Sturgis rally. Hmmmm.

Background: I had by now given up on making Sturgis this year. While things are FINALLY starting to turn around, finances really won’t start improving until September which is too late to make the trip. And I still have an issue with my handlebars that makes me a bit wary of taking long trips with them.

More Background: The last time I was at Sturgis may have been the first time I became aware of the Indian Triumph of Fargo dealership. They had a big, impressive display at a great location during the rally. Was one of the best there. Rather chuffed that it was from Fargo. But I hadn’t ever gotten around to stopping by the dealership in town and checking it out.

So there I sat at work mulling over whether to check out what this “job” was all about. There was no phone number listed; they wanted you to stop by.

I had just begun this week to workout at the gym over lunch, so one thought was to go to the gym and mull it over and then stop by after work. But something kept gnawing at me and I finally convinced myself there was no harm in finding out more about it. So forget the gym and head down to the dealership.

Walked in and asked for the person listed in the ad, who I needed to wait for until he was finished with some folks. When he finally freed up, he handed me a standard job application form and asked me to fill it out. OK. But as I was filling it out, it was pretty obvious that it was totally irrelevant to what I was applying for. Really don’t need a listing of my grad degrees to work at a stand during rally.

So he asked if I had time to chat with himself and one other person. Sure. So I was introduced to what I assume is the owner or manager of the place. He opened with some info including that they would give me a ride down to Sturgis and the phone rang. I had jokingly begun to say “but will you bail me out of jail?” and he managed to get in an emphatic “NO” before he picked up the call. Ooops?

The interview continued with some more information about the job and the accommodations. They will provide a ride, trailer my bike, provide housing, provide food, give me some time off, and possibly have access to some events, possibly including concerts. Plus pay a flat salary.

So, my turn to ask questions. “When do we leave and when do we come back?” (I have a  rather big project going on at the day job at the moment which has some deadlines in the middle of rally week. I’d need to get that squared away before I could leave.) “We’re talking 12-15 hour days, aren’t we?”

Basically, it came down to a week and a half of long hard days with very little recreation time and even less drinking. But that doesn’t mean it can’t be fun. Honestly, the opportunity was so perfect I could hardly believe it. Everything they were looking for are things I’ve done before, and I’m no stranger to long days of hard work in the open air with an occasional belligerent soul or two.

I told them as I left that I needed to check with my current employer. It wasn’t about the time off, it was about being gone during a somewhat important time in the big project. I also wanted to talk with the boys since there were some repercussions there too. They responded by saying that if I could make it, I’d be high on the list of candidates they were considering, but that they were looking to make a decision by the end of the day.

Honestly, I loved that interview. No BS résumé. No scripts to follow. Just a good old handshake, a general sizing up of each other, and deciding whether to give it a go.

So I left pretty much knowing the job was mine if I wanted it. Headed back to work, immediately had meetings to distract me (well, not totally), but did finally get a chance to talk to the project manager. He said as long as I could get some things done before I go, he wasn’t going to stop me. Called the dealer back said I was able to make it and they should continue to consider me for the job.

I got a message on my phone as I was riding home from work. Called them back and they offered me the job, which of course I accepted. I’ve got a quick orientation to attend before we leave, but otherwise I somehow managed to finagle a trip to Sturgis less than a week before it starts. I did not wake up with any hope of that happening.

Now all I have to do is learn everything I can about Indian and Triumph motorcycles, past and present, in the next five days.

You know when life puts this stuff at my feet, I feel it’s my job to pick it up and run with it. Don’t know where it leads, but the journey looks to be fun.

And finally, I’ll have something worth writing a blog post or two about.

Odometer: 11,334 miles

And there’s a good reason I was the only idiot on a bike. It was COLD! But since the weather turned nice, the construction season started early and my bus route has been detoured. It no longer stops at my workplace. It gets close, I could walk. But if I’m going to be cold, I’d rather be on my Harley than on my feet.

It’s a little over six miles between home and work. And about a third of the way in I knew I would have to stop and warm up along the way. At 30-degrees I’m nearly frozen when I get to work. At 20-degrees I reached that state in half the time.

So I was thinking about where I could pull over for a few minutes and warm up. Coffee shops came to mind. Except I always feel obligated to buy something, and that wasn’t going to work for me. But it dawned on me that the hospital is about halfway. It’s got a nice area where people hang out. So that was the plan. And it’s a good thing it isn’t any farther than it is, because my left hand was almost non-functional when I pulled in and shut the bike off. That’s not a good thing. In fact, that’s a dangerous thing.

So I walked into the lobby, full leathers on mind you, and peeled my gloves off. Wincing. You know what it’s like to thaw out frozen fingers. It HURTS! The greeter at the door wanted to know if she could help. I told her “I hope not” as a joke. No amputations please. But there was a great bench near the door, with heating vents no less, which was the perfect place to spend a few minutes until the feeling came back.

After that, the rest of the ride into work seemed short and I arrived warmer than I thought I would.

On the way home it was only 40-degrees out. Many would call that cold. But compared to 20-degrees it seemed balmy. But I decided to stop halfway home anyway – at my new favorite home-away-from-home bar downtown. Grabbed a burger to thaw my hands out and was heading out when a gentleman made a comment that made me stop and chat for a bit. We got to talking about bikes and rides and the usual stuff. But he made the comment about my having “big kahunas” for riding in the cold that morning. Funny transliteration. But I couldn’t disagree. I didn’t see anyone else out.

But I have to pause here because I deal with this all the time. I don’t have a car. I essentially had no choice but to ride to work. Big kahunas or not, you do what you have to do. And a cold ride to work is better than a cold walk to work. It’s just so out of the ordinary for an adult to not have a car around here it never enters people’s minds. I often choose to not set them straight. I could easily argue that the “big kahunas” moment was not riding to work in 20-degree weather but in watching my car pull away when I sold it nearly two years ago.

Odometer: 10,379 miles

We have had an absolutely unbelievably mild winter this year. Never seen anything like it. Had snow for about 3 weeks. And it never really did get cold; just hung around freezing most of the winter. I saw other motorcycles out on the road every month. And not daredevils, just folks just out enjoying the nice days.

The weather this past week has been record-setting. Last week the forecast looked good enough, so I called the dealership and asked how soon they could bring the bike back into town. As always, they were pleasant enough and said they’d get it going and give me a call. That was last Monday.

I spent the weekend chipping ice out of the driveway so I could pull the bike into the garage if necessary and got sunburned just a bit in the process. Yeah, you heard right. Me. In short sleeves. Outside. In March. Long enough to get sunburned. The apocalypse is imminent.

Today is Tuesday and I still hadn’t heard from the service folks. I had to come home early for some appointments, so I was riding the bus home at midday. And watching bikes left and right on the road. As much as that makes me happy, it also frustrated me that I wasn’t out there with them. (And I’ve had just about enough of bus riding for now.) So I actually called the shop from the bus. “Rick, when are you going to release me from house arrest?” “Dropped it off in town last night. Is that what you wanted to hear?” FRAKKIN’ YES!!!!

So after the errand and appointments were taken care of, my youngest son and I drove to the pick-up point. Almost forgot where it was. Certainly forgot which door and the code to get in. Luckily it was still during business hours and a nice guy, who didn’t have to, helped me figure it out. And of course it was parked way in the back. The gentleman had to move one other bike so I could get mine out. And there were a couple of boxes of old parts that I needed to get out of there too.

I have to admit, it felt weird. Unfamiliar. I’d forgotten the routine. And I was looking at a muddy gravel lot. And the engine wanted to cut out on me. All the gas had drained out when it was on its side, and they hadn’t added any over the winter. Luckily there was a gas station just a couple of blocks away.

Driving through the lot and pulling on to the road did not feel smooth. Not subconscious. Not natural. But it really is like riding a bike, it didn’t take long for it to come back. By the time I’d gotten to the gas station, fighting to keep it running the whole way, it was all coming back again. Still not subconscious, but increasingly familiar. I managed the gas-up routine with no flubs and remembered to reset the trip odometers – both of them. I use the A trip odometer for each tank of gas. But I use the B trip odometer to track the mileage of a season. And a new season had begun.

All this was taking place right at the start of rush hour and in one of the busier parts of town. For a first ride, this is not where I wanted to be. So I headed about a mile east and stopped at Starbucks to sit the traffic out. God it felt good to be at Starbucks. I waited about 45 minutes for the traffic to clear and then headed out. It was rather windy (gusts about 35 mph), so I opted to go through town instead of taking the Interstate. Gave me a chance to check out the roads along the way. I knew one (Main Avenue) would be horrible, so I was prepared for that. Had an uneventful trip home, other than seeing a bunch of folks on their bikes too.

I debated on where to park the bike when I got home. I somewhat planned on putting it in the driveway, but changed my mind. The streets are still a little messy with grass and grit from the winter, but I chose that instead to make it easier to get out again in the morning.

I can’t wait to ride to work tomorrow. Sounds stupid unless your life’s been dictated by a bus schedule for months. No room for error there. Being able to leave 3 minutes later, or 10 minutes earlier, is just huge. And my 6:30 p.m. curfew is no more. It really has felt like house arrest for the past six months. Get out for a work release and then head right back where you came from.

I can already feel my spirits lift. They have been black lately. Dark and ugly. The freedom of having wheels — well just ask any teenager. And when those wheels are a Harley? Enough said.

Let’s get this season rolling.

Odometer: 10, 130 miles

So now it’s just send out the cover and have her sit until Spring. It’s been an absolutely gorgeous fall and I wonder how long I would have ridden her had she been available. It’s Thanksgiving today, and usually that means a snowstorm. Instead it hit 57 degrees. There are still bikes making the daily commute to campus. Sigh.

I have no idea what next summer will bring. I’m in the middle of making a decision regarding a new job. Perhaps that will allow me to get a few more miles on, as there is some business travel required. But for now, I have to be content knowing that she’s all fixed up and just waiting for me.

And you know, at this point, I think those handlebars aren’t going to be a problem. I think I’ll just grab life by them and ride.

Odometer: 10,121 miles (still)

I did call the dealer and had them come pick it up before I left town. They showed up Monday evening (Sept 12)  and Brad loaded her into the trailer. He took a quick look at her and found things I hadn’t. As he rode it down the driveway and into the trailer, he too wasn’t real happy with it and confirmed that it was a good thing I had it picked up.

Ok, I’m out of town one direction one week, back for a day, then off in another direction the following week. But that one day in between, I drove out to the shop to talk/look it over with the guys. What I had first thought might only be $200-300 in damage turned out to be more than $1,300. Brake lever, grips, pegs, turning lights, windshield, mufflers, and broken bolts were the bulk of it. Yeesh. Okay, time to call the insurance company.

I had to wait until I got back to town the second time to get the ball rolling on the insurance claim. Found dealing with them to be really pleasant actually. My deductible was less than I expected and the adjuster actually found some additional damage that the others had missed. They pretty much cut a check to the shop that day.

I was wavering a bit on whether to get some of it fixed up or not. For instance, I still want to get saddlebags which means I need to replace (and move) the rear turn signals anyway. But after a quick inquiry, I figured out that was going to be too much trouble, so I just gave them the green light to put it back the way it was.

It’s been probably a month since I gave the go-ahead, but I was really in no hurry. I knew my riding season was over. They’ve got until spring to get her fixed up for all I care. They did call and say some of the parts were backordered, but again, we’ve got months to get it done, so its not a bother at this point.

Today is usually what I consider the end of the riding season. On top of it being pretty cold to ride, especially in the mornings, the days are getting short. Even if it’s nice for a week or two more, that’s all you can hope for this time of year. I have seen a few bikes still out on the streets. Good for them. I wish I was too. But I feel a bit like a poser, since I haven’t been riding lately. Even put away the leather jacket for the first time in two years.

I’ve missed some nice weather this fall for riding. My confinement has started two months early, so I expect by March I’m going to be pretty stir-crazy to get out and ride. I wish I could do some more work on the bike this winter, but I’m guessing that won’t happen. (Although, I still have a yearning to call them up and have them swap out the handlebars.) So at this point, the best I can do is make plans for next year.

Sigh.

I don’t know how it happened, but all signs point to it being pushed over. It was standing upright at 9:30 p.m. last night, but by 9:30 a.m. this morning it was lying on it’s right side. There was no wind to speak of overnight, so it didn’t blow over. There was a car parked directly behind it so it’s difficult to imagine that it was bumped. It fell to the right, not the left, so it wasn’t an issue with the jiffy stand. It had to have been pushed.

I’ve picked up a Sportster before by myself, but it wasn’t mine. The way this one fell near the curb, made it really difficult to get leverage to lift it. After a few attempts and a bit of puzzling, a stranger was driving by and asked if I needed help. Not too proud to say yes. We got it righted and took a quick look. He wished me luck and I thanked him and that was that.

Now to assess the damage. Their was a piece from the end of the brake lever that broke off and was lying on the ground. That brake lever was bent from the last time she tipped over. And the lens cap from the left rear turn signal was also lying on the ground. The housing for the turn signal was slightly dented and scratched, but the lens cap popped back in fairly easily. A few scuffs on the throttle grip and the fringe, and maybe on the tailpipe (I need to wash it to be certain) and that seems to be about it. Except for the gas. I had just filled it up on Friday before I parked it and it seems that all of the gas leaked out. And when I unscrewed the filler cap to check the level, the cap seemed looser than I would have left it. I wonder if they didn’t loosen it just to have the gas run out. At least the oil is in good shape.

I decided to start her up to see how she’d react and noticed a couple of more things. First, when I climbed on, the handlebars had moved. Now I’ve been bitching about the handlebars all summer. It seems that maybe they finally got moved where I wanted them. Seems odd though. Like crawling into a different car. They did seem tight though. I couldn’t get them to move anymore, so I’ll go with that. Mirrors will have to be adjusted though.

And secondly, as soon as I pulled the clutch in, she started to roll back. Before I had put her in neutral. Odd, and possibly not good. Put her in neutral and fired her up. Started right away with no troubles. Put her in first gear, also with no troubles. Let out the clutch a bit, still no troubles. OK. Maybe she’s good. Shut her down to ponder her fate.

I’ve got two working days before I leave for a couple of weeks. They’re forecast to be beautiful, just like today is. Lovely days to ride. I have errands I need to run too. But I need to get the bike into the garage before I leave anyway, and I’m not sure I trust it at the moment and I don’t have time to deal with it before I go. Screw it. Park it in the garage.

OK, back out to start it up again and put it away. Fired up again with no problems. The handlebars still feel different, but I just have to get it around the corner. Pull out and go to put my foot on the peg and – no peg. Duh! It got folded up when it fell. Kicked it down and didn’t like what I felt. Felt Loose. Wobbly. Not solid.

Bother. This I do not like. Whatever, just get it in the garage.

Got it parked, which is always a fun exercise as it gets parked crosswise in a single stall garage. Took a closer look at that footpeg, and while there doesn’t seem to be much for damage, it is a lot looser than the left side. Need to have someone look at that. Really don’t want to ride it until they do.

I did call the police to file a report. Not enough damage for an insurance claim (I don’t think at least), but there’s enough goings on in the neighborhood that I wanted it logged. Maybe if they catch the mischief-makers they can hold it against them.

While I won’t have to deal with it until I return in a couple of weeks, I am wondering if my riding season is over. Since my favorite mechanics are over 100 miles away I can’t just pop over and talk to them. One thought was to call them and have them pick it up and look at it while I’m gone. If it needs fixing, well that would settle it. I’d be done for the winter. If she’s good to go, I could have them bring it back and hope to get another couple of months worth out of her before the snow flies. Need to get that brake lever and probably grips dealt with either way.

Maybe I’ll give them a call in the morning.

Odometer: 10,121 miles

Speaking of which, there have been two things of note recently. In the last few weeks, I’ve finally gotten around to pulling the windshield off and giving it a go without one. First thing I noticed was how much louder it was, mostly because of wind noise. The next thing that struck me, literally and usually in the face, was all the stuff that gets kicked up from the road that I hadn’t really noticed. There’s a lot of construction in town and it seems I’m always behind a truck. After a couple of days of that I said “well this has been fun and I’ve proven I can do it, now put it back on.” That was a couple of weeks ago and I still haven’t gotten around to it. Since I’ve only been riding around town I guess I decided it wasn’t that big of a deal and I’ve gotten used to it. If I ever get out on the road again, I’m sure it will be the first thing I do to get ready for the trip.

The other thing that has happened is that I’ve gotten a bit used to the handlebars. I still don’t like them and will probably swap them out the first chance I get, but I don’t mind them so much any more. Maybe my arms have gotten stronger. Maybe I’ve learned to steer with my butt. Maybe I think the badass look is worth it. But I no longer hate them. However, I still can’t see taking them on a long trip.

Speaking of long trips. I missed Sturgis this year, mostly because of a bigger trip I’ve got coming up in a few weeks – to England. Probably worth it in the long run, but I feel bad that I’ve broken my streak. I heard attendance was down anyway. And no one I know went. I will have to correct that next year.

And I’ve got people on both coasts and down the middle of the country that I’d like to visit on an epic road trip. I need to start making plans to see if and when such an escapade would be possible. I sure would love to put a few thousand miles on the bike in one epic adventure.

Odometer: 10,008 miles

To be honest, I really have no desire to ride my bike anymore. Those handlebars really sucked the fun out of it. I barely enjoy riding across town. I’ve no desire to take it out on the road. I’ve even considered selling it.

My plans for the summer changed and I could possibly make Sturgis, but I really can’t imagine riding down there, so we’ll see if I make it or not.

Looks like this summer I’m just going to be sitting on the sidelines until something changes.

Odometer: 9532 miles

April 18, 2011

Well, I’ve got about a month under my belt so far this riding season and it’s not been a great start. The weather hasn’t cooperated much, but we have had a couple of gorgeous days. At least I think we’re finally past the threat of snow. (Knock on wood.)

I been riding back and forth to work, but haven’t been on any real “rides” yet this year. And I wish I could blame it on the weather. I am still struggling with the new handlebars. I’ve adjusted them several times and rotated the clutch and brake levers. But it seems like even a short trip across town tires out my shoulders and forearms. They are just not working for me.

I suppose I have a couple of choices. I could go back to the shop that put these on, tell them and see what they’d want to do about it. Part of me says I should do this, just to let them know that I’m not a happy camper and give them a chance to make it right. But after my experiences and finding some loose bolts and three scratches on the bike that weren’t there when I dropped it off last fall, I really don’t want them touching my bike again.

Me and the Ape Hangers

Another choice is to go back to my favorite Harley dealer and basically repeat the process with them – swap out the handlebars. I did stop by and chat with them as I passed by on a trip out of town a couple of weeks ago. It sounded like there were some options for smaller bars. (I was afraid that going from 1″ to 1-1/4″ diameter bars created an irreversible problem.) But I’d wind up paying for the new bars and installation again. And the new cables are probably too long too.

I’d love to just take it to the Harley dealer and have them swap them out ASAP. But reality is that it probably won’t have the money to make that happen until next winter. So I’m back to wondering if I should go complain to the other shop to get something done yet this season.

The good news in all of this is that I really have no big rides planned this year. One I had hoped for in June didn’t come together and I’m not planning to make Sturgis this year either. So it looks like I’ll just be spending this year riding around town. At least I’m still riding.

Odometer: 9,522 miles

I was torn last fall whether to send my bike to my Harley dealer 100 miles from home, or keep it in town at a friend’s custom shop. After a bit of delay in bringing the bike in last spring and my traveling out of town far less than I once did, I decided to keep it in town. I also knew that I needed to replace my handlebars, as my experiences had me believing the stock ones were becoming a safety issue.

I had dropped the bike off last fall with instructions to do the 10,000 mile service and install some mini-ape handlebars. It was probably February before I got a call asking if I wanted natural or synthetic oil for the service. That’s cool. They were working on it at least.

I can’t remember when I started talking to them about the handlebars. It may have been January. What I had in mind was the mini-apes from a Heritage Softail. They seemed to fit me well. I had stopped by the shop to make a payment and I was informed that I might be able to swap bars with someone. I was shown this pic and agreed to the swap. They appeared to be just what I had in mind. As it turned out, the other party decided to sell their bike, not fix it up, so the swap was off. But I thought it was pretty clear what I was looking for.

It wasn’t until mid-March that I stopped by the shop again to make a payment. I asked what the balance was and it was just over what I had planned to make as a payment, so I decided to pay it off. The bike show was in a week or two, so I thought I’d check and see how it was coming along. Had a minor shock because the bike was stripped down and there were these HUGE apes, not mini-apes, on it. OK, the seat and tank were off, so I was sure it wasn’t as bad as it looked, but it took a bit for the heart to return to normal. I spent a fair amount of time at the bike show studying handlebars.

I went back again at the end of the month and the bike was back together. It was less of a shock, but they were still bigger than I had in mind originally. Part of me thought they looked kind of good. And when I sat on the bike, they *were* pretty comfortable. Not sure if I should be nervous or appreciate their confidence in my bad-assery.

Still a little nervous about these huge bars, I went in on April 9 to go pick it up. Called ahead to let them know I was coming. Got there, and even though they had called me to see if I was still coming in, the bike wasn’t quite ready to go. Bars needed to be fit to me, of course, but they also wanted to run it for a bit to get the fluids moving. Fine. So as I was sitting around waiting for them to do this, I was informed that I had a balance on my account. Having less than $5 to my name, that was a deal breaker. Picking it up was going to have to wait until payday – a payday that hadn’t planned on including a bike payment. To be honest, I wasn’t surprised. I was more surprised the previous time when the balance was lower. I had expected more.

Realize that my bike is my freedom. I really have no other form of transportation. The car I *own* is really my youngest son’s. I have it until he turns 18. And this year I was too broke to get tires for it until my oldest bought them for me. Once it was safe to drive it on snow again, I was too broke to afford gas. Literally, the evening we went to pick up the bike, the car wouldn’t start because there was so low on gas. Once again, oldest son had to come to the rescue and put a jug in so we could start it to finally go get the bike.

OK, this paragraph is going to be difficult for me. I had gone nowhere, and seen no one for what seemed months. In actuality, I probably had been out 4 or 5 times since the first of the year, but two were around the funeral of my aunt. I don’t even go out for groceries. I sit alone in front of a computer at work and I sit alone in front of a computer at home. It costs money to leave the house, therefore I don’t. When I found out I wasn’t going to be able to pick up the bike up, it was like having your parole approved and then suddenly revoked. I wasn’t angry, I was major depressed. A friend I’ve never met noticed that. And stepped in to pay the balance of my bill. They don’t know, nor can I convey here, the difference that made. I suppose it’s like the governor stepping in for a pardon while you’re heading back to death row after the parole was denied. I found it strange that it wasn’t happiness that was the emotion of the day but humbleness. Who am I for someone to do this for me? Can’t say thank you enough. You know who you are.

Within hours I was at the shop to retrieve the bike. It still wasn’t *ready*, so once again I was hanging out a bit before driving it home. They told me that there was something up with the low fuel light and that I should ride it around a bit and see if it would go off. If not, then stop back and they’d look into it. Sure, no problem. I’d probably be back to have them readjust the handlebars anyway. (I don’t trust myself to tighten them down enough or I’d do it myself.)

Took it easy on the way home as the bars are very different from what I’m used to. I was surprised by how quickly the riding skills came back. “Like riding a bike.” Haha. But it didn’t take long to realize that the bars needed to be moved forward. No biggie. Made it home through the potholes, sand, flood zones, and traffic with no problems. Parked the bike though and wanted to set the clock. There’s a button on the back of the speedometer that lets you do that. Push, push, push. This feels different. Looking closer, the rubber cover over the button was missing. And looking at the speedo, it looked, I dunno, “different.” But the big *gulp* came when clicking to the odometer and it showed 4,000-some miles. Read this blog. It had over 9,000 when I brought it in. I dunno if they messed with it or put the wrong speedo on, but this HAS to be resolved. And the low fuel light is still on.

Again, it just pains me to say this, but I don’t think a single interaction with my friend’s shop went smoothly. The bill was as expected, finally. But I could find fault with nearly every thing else. I am so disappointed. I really wanted it to work out. But I have to admit that I can’t imagine myself going back. I don’t know if it’s because I’m still a noob, if it’s because I’m too Minnesota nice, or if that’s just the way it is.

I’d usually put an odometer reading here, but at the current moment: ???

UPDATE: It was too cold to stop by the shop on the way home today, but I did call. As I suspected, they also thought they had put the wrong speedometer on my bike. Apparently there was another one just like it that was taken out when a custom one was installed and they got them mixed up. Easily corrected, but still. I’ll get it taken care of as soon as it’s warmed up a bit.

Handlebar Specs (Width/Pullback/Rise/Center):

• What I had: 31″/5.75″/6″/8.75″
• What I wanted: 33.75″/7.25″/8.25″/10″
• What I got: 36″/12″/12.5″/10.5″