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I'm posting this in General Discussion because I think it's an important issue that all riders should pay attention to...
About a week ago I noticed a spiderweb had appeared between the right-side saddlebag and the fender. I grabbed a broom, swept it away and thought nothing more of it.
It reappeared the next day, and again I removed it.
It reappeared pretty much every day since, and I felt more annoyed than anything. I went for a ride today and a friend that had ridden behind me said that one of my bags was sitting a little lower than the other. Got home and decided to straighten them out, which required removing the seat.
Saw that spiderweb again and decided to be cautious. Around these parts we see all kinds of spiders, but the dreaded Brown Recluse is generally considered to be one of the worst. So, I loosened the seat, flipped it over and saw this:
Of course, I had to grab a picture because that's what one does when confronted with mortal danger. I ran inside and grabbed a pair of tweezers, rubbing alcohol, and a little plastic tupperware.
And here's the money shot:
I assume most of you are familiar with the western Black Widow (latrodectus hesperus), but if you aren't this is one creepy little spider.
They're actually quite common around here, but I haven't seen one in years.
EDIT-Extra pic for scale:
About a week ago I noticed a spiderweb had appeared between the right-side saddlebag and the fender. I grabbed a broom, swept it away and thought nothing more of it.
It reappeared the next day, and again I removed it.
It reappeared pretty much every day since, and I felt more annoyed than anything. I went for a ride today and a friend that had ridden behind me said that one of my bags was sitting a little lower than the other. Got home and decided to straighten them out, which required removing the seat.
Saw that spiderweb again and decided to be cautious. Around these parts we see all kinds of spiders, but the dreaded Brown Recluse is generally considered to be one of the worst. So, I loosened the seat, flipped it over and saw this:
Of course, I had to grab a picture because that's what one does when confronted with mortal danger. I ran inside and grabbed a pair of tweezers, rubbing alcohol, and a little plastic tupperware.
And here's the money shot:
I assume most of you are familiar with the western Black Widow (latrodectus hesperus), but if you aren't this is one creepy little spider.
They're actually quite common around here, but I haven't seen one in years.
EDIT-Extra pic for scale: