Another vote for Old Britts, Ella is great to deal with and Fred has been helpful in figuring out things and with questions I have had.

Send that tire to hobot, he can get a few more miles out of it!

Guido,I just back after a ride on my new rear tire. The old one wasn't showing threads, but it wasn't showing much tread either. It assumed a squarish shape in cross section. The difference was like day and night. Steady tracking in the straights and no more weird stuff in the corners. Commandos seem to be really sensitive to tire condition and inflation.

Just because tires have a short life on THE Gravel don't mean I like em hard and old and worn. If not careful and aware flat worn old tires can get ya in trouble.
Ya can't really say anything about how a Commando feels running or behaves turning at base unless both tires in good fresh condition.

Funny thing about parts, I had used Walridge before many years ago and the came across Phil @ Fair Spares. Phil Has a ton of knowledge and is willing to explain until you get it.
He has done all my head work for me. I pulled a head stud last year and called he but he was off to NY for the rally So I called Rabers to do the repair, sent Bob the head and he said it had to be stripped bare to weld up the stud hole for retapping and then the head had to be resurfaced. Turn around time was to be 1 week.
I got the head back in 3 weeks, it was never stripped prior to welding or machining and was full of swarf.
I had to strip it and totally clean it. Bob Rabers was gone on vacation during this whole time.
Called him up, he appologised and gave me $75 in store credit only after me asking for some kind of compensation for me having to tear it apart.
Before I sent it to him he told me he was going to put in an insert and not a heli coil. He didn't.
This was the first time I used him. I doubt I will go back there unless I have to.
I will save more bucks from RGM I have found.

The tires I am running are K81 4.10x19. I like them cuz they handle so well, like riding on a knifes edge.
As for the pre fight check list,,, you bettch ya.

I spent the whole day today cleaning my shop so I could tear this bike down. I started to pull the swing arm, go about 30 minutes into it and quit.
I had been up since 3am getting the shop ready. Needless to say my shop was a freakin' mess.

I am thinking it would be easier to pull the oil tank, rear fender to work on the iso's and swing arm, no?