After I replaced the starter clutch cover and plugging the rear tire I went out for a short ~100 mile ride.

It was awesome.

The only down side was my not being overly confident with the rear tire.  The more I rode the more it started to bother me so I decided that I had to get it fixed.

The next day I called every shop in my area and even a few out of state and found no one that was willing to patch the tire.  Yes, I know I should have immediately thought “replace” instead of “repair”, but the tire still looked great (well, other than the puncture).  I finally came to grips with the fact that I would have to replace the tire.  With great pain I inflated the tire and carefully slogged the bike in the rain to the shop.  All the time I was thinking, “I could probably find someone to patch it down home”.  Although with my being so far away from shops and techs I trust it was best for me to just replace the tire.

Today I picked up the bike from the shop and am very happy to have it back on the road.  I might take it to see some friends tomorrow if the weather permits because I have to be sure everything is working right.