| Author | Message | ||
     Zac4mac |
BadWeB is the Shiz, Thanks Blake! Enjoy the role of Tramp, John, we all will all get a huge Vicarious High from your "snippets". Z | ||
| Blake |
I'm just a custodian. Thanks to awesome folks like you and John, this place warrants tending to. I've bunked with both you guys, so I can vouch. You get to know a person waking up in the same room. | ||
| Crusty |
I'm just going to bite the bullet and order a pair of shocks from Progressive Suspension. Thank you for all the offers of help. | ||
| Crusty |
Blowing Hot And Cold I’m in Montrose, Colorado and I’ll be parked here for a few days. The Ride over the Rockies was both enjoyable and interesting. Today was the first time I took I 70 all the way from Denver to Grand Junction. In the past, I always got to I 70 from some other direction and missed part of the road. Sneer at the Slab if you want to, but it’s an impressively beautiful way to get across the mountains. I can’t believe how much Denver has grown and how much traffic there is there. I almost felt like I was in southern California. Heavy traffic speeding up to the speed limit, then hard braking to almost a stop. Then slowly accelerating until we were all back up to the speed limit again, then hard braking… It was a joy to leave Denver in the rear view mirrors. The ride wasn’t bad after getting away from the city. It got pretty cold, though. At one point, I was well above the snow line. I kept thinking that as soon as I saw a place to pull over, I’d put on my electric jacket. I don’t know how high the road goes, but it got so that even when I twisted the throttle wide open, very little happened as far as acceleration. I didn’t even notice when I crested the high point of the highway and started down (except for all the signs warning trucks to use lower gears). It wasn’t a steady up one side and down the other. It was ups and downs with the ups not being quite so high after I had reached the top. I had been heading downhill for a while, when I saw a sign for a ski area. It’s weird when you have to go down a few thousand feet to see that. I would have thought that the climb up to the summit would have balanced out my gas consumption with the downhill portions of the ride. Maybe it did, but I got my best fuel mileage of the trip; 50 MPG while traveling at 70 - 75 MPH. I won’t complain about that. As I got further west, the temps rose until it was 93º F in Delta. That was a welcome improvement over the 40s at the high point of the road. When I saw the bank thermometer showing the temp, I was thinking I should pull over and take off the Aerostich jacket and put on the mesh. The wind was also very erratic as I descended from the Continental Divide. It would be fairly calm, then suddenly, I’d be hit with a strong blast from the side. It made for a couple of anxious moments as I was going around a sweeper. Add in the reduced damping that only one functioning rear shock makes, and the ride got quite interesting. I noticed that the wind was affecting the other vehicles as well. Both cars and Semis would suddenly sway to the left or right as they went down the road. There were also some pretty cold scattered showers that hit me a few times, though they never lasted very long. Mainly though, the rain stayed off to the side. I saw a few bolts of lightning, which got my attention; but once again, they stayed well off to the south of me. Here in Montrose, the extended weather forecast is for temps during the day to get up to around 90, then cool down into the 50s at night. Plus, the humidity is low. I can live with that. | ||
| Pwnzor |
I. Am. So. Jealous. Riding around Colorado, heavy weather... That is my idea of a wonderful day. | ||
| Ourdee |
Colorado is beautiful country. | ||
| Pwnzor |
Both times that I drove from California to Georgia when I was moving here, I took the long way and visited friends in Durango. God's creation is so amazing, and at 8500 feet the wild flowers, trees, majestic mountain scenery... absolutely awesome. | ||
| Crusty |
While Waiting For UPS I ran my computer on battery power alone yesterday until it just shut off by itself. The reason I ran it so low was that I was busy finding and ordering a pair of shock absorbers for the Roadster. While I look at all the beautiful, trick shocks with adjustable preload, compression and rebound damping, I have to lower my sights to cheap, but still better than the stock POS shocks. I settled for a pair of Progressive Suspension 412 shocks with the heavy duty springs. They have to be better that what the bike came with, even if they’re not in the same league as Ohlins. I called Progressive and discussed what part # I needed to order. They don’t sell direct to consumers, so I’m getting them from J&P Cycles. I’m also getting them for 10%off, which I promptly spent buying a new set of handgrips. The shocks shipped out via UPS last night, and they’re scheduled to be delivered on Wednesday. So I’ll be here until next Thursday, at least. The good news is that I won’t be spending as heavily as when I’m traveling. I need to find ways to make up for the unexpected expense. However, I put it on the MasterCard, and I’ll get it paid off eventually. It’s just a minor speed bump on the road through my life. I’m loving the weather here. Yesterday, it was in the low 90s (F) and it cooled down to the upper 50s last night. and the humidity is wonderfully low. This morning, Susan was complaining about how high the humidity is today. It’s all the way up to 30%. I ain’t complainin’. Susan, Dave and Steve are in a band that plays mostly ‘70s rock. I sat in on last night’s practice and I’m going to be the roadie for the band tonight. Hey; I get in for free and get to enjoy the concert. All I have to do is help carry some equipment. Dave and Steve are both good people. The band’s name is Thin Air, and they refer to themselves as a Geezer Band. Their audience is mainly people in the same age group (Baby Boomers). I was at one of their gigs last year when I was here, and I had fun. I’m looking forward to tonight’s gig, as well. I was pretty busy yesterday. I came to McDonald’s and killed my computer, then brought it back to Susan’s and put it on the charger. Then I went to the quarter car wash and cleaned the Roadster. The shock oil did not want to come off the muffler, but I can be pretty persistent when I put my mind to it. The bike is looking clean, now. I think I’ll put some wax on the paint. Vern did such a nice job, that I want it to look as pretty as it did when I put the Custom tank on in Tennessee. After the Car wash, I ran errands. I went and got a key made for the back door to Susan’s house, Hit the Post Office and got stamps and hit the supermarket for Gatorade (and wound up buying a bunch of other stuff as well). I did my laundry. Well some of it. I washed all my clothes except my jeans, then washed my Darien jacket. I hung the Darien outside to dry, and it was dry in a couple of hours. It still looks pretty seasoned, but it’s clean. I stayed moderately busy until the evening, then I sat in on the practice session. Susan has a friend in Real Estate, and she gave us three listings of affordable houses in the area. This Sunday, I think we’re going to do a drive by on all three. The parameters Sue gave her friend were that the house had to have a garage, and it had to be priced at an affordable level (110 K). One of the houses looks almost Ideal in the photo. A drive by will give me a better idea. Who knows; maybe I’ll move to Colorado? We’ll see. (Message edited by Crusty on June 10, 2016) | ||
| 86129squids |
Crusticle- you are getting the bulk powder Gatorade, right? That would make the most sense for ya... moderate the strength and mix whenever you need. I lived through a summer as a UPS loader with Gatorade by the gallons...  | ||
| Ourdee |
I worked in a foundry that provided gatorade. The old saw bones at the plant was responsible for the free drinks. Man probably saved a few men. Hydrate or die! Too much blue makes your poo bright green. When I lived in the dessert I drank 3 to 5 gallons of water a day. A humid day was anything over 5%. | ||
| Crusty |
Fitchburg? Colorado? Queensland? I like Fitchburg, Massachusetts. A lot of people only see the negative side of it, but there’s a lot of beauty and interesting things there. In a perfect world, I’d have enough money to buy a small ranch house with a garage there. I have several friends there as well. Of course, the winters suck and the humidity can sometimes be oppressive, but it’s still in a beautiful part of the country. Another plus is that I’m familiar with the hospitals and doctors there. However, I’m in Montrose, Colorado. The climate here is wonderful. The humidity is always very low. it gets hot during the day, but the temps fall into the 50s at night. It’s on the Western Slope of the Rocky Mountains, and there are spectacular views everywhere. The roads here are also pretty sweet for motorcycle riding. Tomorrow, Sue is going to drive me around and we’re going to do a couple of Drive By’s of houses that are for sale that are within the range of what I can get a mortgage for. They’ll be fixer-uppers, but that’s pretty much all I can afford, anyhow. I’m not committing myself to anything; I’m just exploring my options. The other day, I called Melia in Queensland. She hasn’t bought a bike for herself yet. She could get enough for the '79 to buy a rideable bike, but she just can’t bring herself to sell the Iron Motor. So, I’m going to start buying parts to fix it up. I told her that if I buy a house, I probably won’t have the money to come back for a while, and that when I do go back to Australia, I’ll have enough cash to buy a bike, so that I can travel around. So where does that leave me? Right here. A few months ago, I had somebody accuse me of being wishy washy. One day I want to travel all over the world; the next, I want to buy a house. I’m inconsistent. Well, I plead Guilty to all charges. Some days, I would like a quiet life. A nice little cottage with a white picket fence and a huge garage. Other days, I want to see the World. I want to ride my bike to Tierra Del Fuego. I want to be able to recount stories of crossing the Nullarbor and being pelted by gravel thrown up by truck trains. In a perfect world, I would have both a house and I’d be able to travel as I wish. Since this world isn’t perfect and neither am I, I guess I’ll just have to settle of making the best of things the way they are, and deriving maximum enjoyment from them. While every silver lining does have a dark cloud, the opposite is also true. There’s a lot of Joy to be found if you look for it. And you don’t have to look too far. I’m living a dream. I like what I’m dreaming. | ||
| Ourdee |
Crusty, I have seemingly joined your ranks, albeit for a few days. I'm holed up in an extended stay hotel. I cleaned the air conditioner and it doesn't smell so bad now. There will be an apartment available in a few weeks. I'll be in the area till January when I retire. My wife is 300 miles away staying in her childhood bedroom in her mom's house. Her task is right now is finding our next home. She said to me,"You always want to take a trip on that bike. Come down for the weekend". I actually hesitated to take the ride. So, this morning I went and shot my archery league targets for next week. I plan on taking a ride next weekend. I'll have to drag my bike out of temporary storage and hook the battery back up. I don't feel safe parking Lil Red outside this hotel. The apartment next month has a garage. I got on Zillow.com and looked at Housing in Indiana, West of Indianapolis. 30+ miles. There are fixer uppers for 15 to 40 thousand dollars. I'm going to be retired and don't need to be near employment opportunities. Makes me think that you may be looking in the wrong places for your picket fence. East coast, Colorado, etc. May be a run down rural town in a low tax area would suit your needs and let you still roam? I do know that I have accumulated too much junk again. 600 mile trip only needs one change of clothes and rain gear, right? | ||
| Crusty |
How Can You Be In Two Places At Once… Today, I’m going to look at real estate. I honestly don’t think I’m going to buy anything, but it hurts nothing to look, and it gives me something to do. I feel like I’m stuck until the shocks get here and UPS says they’ll arrive on Wednesday, so I’m just marking time. Don’t get me wrong, It’s really nice here and I’m in love with the low humidity, but I’m in a traveling frame of mind. There are many things to see that I haven’t yet seen, and I’m really not sure if I want to “park me arse” here. I’ve been thinking about the Iron Motor a bit. I saw a set of shocks for an Iron Head on FleaBay for 20 bucks, and I’m thinking that maybe I should buy them. Let’s see; if I’m going to get it up and running, I’ll need quite a few other items as well; Forks (or at least fork tubes), Clutch plates, Primary chain, Final drive chain, Front and rear Brake components (Master cylinders, Lines & Hoses and Calipers and some linkage pieces)) and Handlebars. There’s a lot of stuff that can be gotten in Australia, but she is a ’79, and there are a lot of one year only parts that would be easier to find here in the US. Still, it’s something to work toward. Shipping to Australia is very expensive, so I’ll have to do my best to get parts that will fit into a Flat Rate Global Express box from the USPS. While I’m at it, I could send some little treats along with the parts. Real Maple Syrup, B&M Baked Beans, Marshmallow Fluff and Butterfingers readily come to mind. I’ll have to find out how big a Global Flat Rate box is, then see what will fit inside. That will determine what, and how much gets shipped. (Roni Ann loves B&M Beans (original). I’d love to see her face when she learns that there are 8 different varieties!) I also have to start saving some money. Not only is a ticket to Brisbane really expensive, but when I go, I want to have enough saved up to buy a decent traveling bike. It’s going to be tough, but I’ve got an idea on how to do it. When I get back to Taxachusetts, I could find an easy part time job. I could bank all the money earned, and eventually, I’ll have enough saved for what I want to do. I turn 66 this September, so I won’t have to worry about my Social Security being cut because of the added income. If I can manage to save enough, I might even be able to get a Rubber Mount Sportster to ride there. I don’t think I’ll have enough to buy both the bike and then get Hepco & Becker bags and mounting racks, but you never know. Hey; I might win the Lottery; or a lower than top prize but enough to achieve my goals. Maybe I should start buying tickets? At least that’s the theory. I think I can make it work. If nothing else, it gives me a good bit to think about. In the meantime, Wednesday is only three days away. | ||
| Pwnzor |
B&M Original Baked Beans are the best prepackaged beans you can get IMHO | ||
| Crusty |
…When You’re Not Anywhere At All? First, I want to explain that the reasons these Snippets haven’t been so regular is because Susan (who I’m staying with) doesn’t have Internet, so I have to come down to Mc Donald’s where there’s free WiFi to get Internet access. It also means that I don’t get to check my E-mail or check out the forums very often. I’m not quite incommunicado, but it does take a while for me to get and respond to messages. Yesterday, Sue drove me around towns near Delta to look at houses. There were two that looked really appealing, but the one that really grabbed me was in the town of Cedaredge. It’s a small ranch with a 1 car garage. It looks sweet enough that it has my full attention. it’s right at the top of what I can get for a Mortgage, but property taxes here are ridiculously low, compared to Massachusetts ($450/year), so it would be easy to make the mortgage payments. It’s not ideal, it ’s heated by a “Russian Wood Stove” along with Ceiling Radiant electric heat, and it has an electric stove, yet it really calls to me. I’m almost tempted to go talk to the Realtor. Sue preferred the property in Austin. A Mobile home that ’s been taken very good care of with an insulated & heated 2 car + garage, and landscaped with lots of beautiful flowers, but the “Stick Built” ranch is the place that grabs me. Anyhow; we looked at houses, then came back to Montrose and had dinner and watched The Martian. I really enjoyed the movie. That pretty much sums up the day. Today, it’s supposed to rain, so I’m going to keep a low profile. Tomorrow, I’ll ride up to the Harley shop in Grand Junction and buy a quart of Formula +. I’m going to do an oil change before I head out. I’ll grab three quarts of 20w-50 Synthetic and a filter from Wally World for the engine, along with a disposable container for the waste oil. Then I’ll go over to the car wash and do the oil change and wash the bike. The waste oil will go back to Walmart, and everything will be Groovy. | ||
| Pwnzor |
John, what's your monthly cell phone expenditure look like? Even the most basic smart phones usually have the ability to share their 3g/4g connection to a laptop, and if you're just reading or posting to forums, the amount of data used is almost negligible. Food for thought. | ||
| Crusty |
I wrote this yesterday: A Rotten Melon Morning I had another Migraine last night. This morning, my head feels like a cantaloupe that’s been sitting out in the sun for a couple of weeks. When I was going to the Headache Center, the Doctor told me to avoid caffeine except when I had a Migraine. I’m a coffee addict, so I’ve decided that when I have a morning like this, I should just drink more coffee than usual. Which is what I’m doing. I think that in a short while, I’ll head up to Grand Junction and hit the Harley shop. I’ll probably just get the oil and filter there. Why go to different stores when I can get what I need in one? The difference in price won’t be enough to matter. Once again, the weather is beautiful. It’s in the 50s right now and supposed to get up to the low to mid 80s today with low humidity. It sounds like a good day to go for a ride and do an oil change. I keep thinking about that house in Cedaredge. it’s about the same size as my house in Leominster was, and I really liked my little ranch house when I lived there. I’d have to get used to the area and learn my way around, but the scenery is magnificent and people here are pretty friendly. I shouldn’t have too much trouble making new friends, even though I tend to be a wallflower. Cedaredge isn’t that much out of my way to Grand Junction; I think I’ll take another ride by that house when I go to get the oil. In the meantime, the shocks should arrive tomorrow. It will be nice to have working suspension again. I’m hoping that the improved shocks will noticeably improve the ride over what it was before the shock lost its oil. I would love for the bike to handle well in corners. I don’t need race bike suspension, but I sure would love for the Roadster to handle even 50% as well as any of my Buells did. I’ll probably have to get new innards for the forks before that happens. Well; I’ve had three cups of coffee. I think it’s time to head for the Hardly -Ableson Shop. | ||
| Crusty |
This morning, I wrote this I Was Productive Yesterday started out with a miserable headache; yet I was full of nervous energy. So I decided to head up to the Harley shop in Grand Junction. I figured that it would be better to have a headache and be riding, than to sit around the house feeling like crap. I decided to take a small detour to Cedaredge and look at that house again. I don’t know why it’s so strong, but that house is really calling me. I looked in the window and walked around the front and back yards, determining what changes I’d do to the landscape. Inside the house, I could see a refrigerator, stove and a clothes dryer, I could also see one of those showers that has the shower head attached to a flexible hose, so you can direct the spray where it will do the most good. The interior looked to be in pretty decent shape. Cedar edge is a town in decline. A lot of the folks there worked in the Coal Mines in Hotchkiss, and the mines were shut down a few years ago. There are quite a few properties up for sale, and prices are very affordable. If I’m willing to get a place without an existing garage, I could get a house for really short money. It’s really something to think about. I’m living on my Social Security, so I don’t have to worry about income and jobs disappearing. I spent about 30 minutes or so there, then continued on toward Grand Junction. I bought my oil and filter, then headed back to Montrose. Once back in Montrose, I went by Walmart and bought a disposable roaster pan, a can of degreaser and a funnel. I stopped by Sue’s place and got the plastic jug and went to the Car Wash. I changed my oil in the parking lot, putting the waste oil in the jug; then I pushed the bike into the wash bay, sprayed it liberally with Gunk, then washed it all off. She was clean with fresh oil and all looked right with the World. For dinner, Sue fixed this really delicious chicken breast meal that was quite tasty, then we went into the living room to watch a movie, Stranger Than Fiction starring Will Ferrell. The movie surprised me; I expected it to suck, but it was enjoyable. (I don’t really care for Will Ferrell). Part way through the movie, the UPS guy showed up with my shocks. They arrived a day early. I opened the package and looked at them; then we went back to the movie. Now, I still had the headache, but after the movie ended, I was too wound up. I had to go out to the garage and put the shocks on. It took a while, I had to sort out which spacers to use, then I had to turn all the spacers around; I had them backwards. The shock that had lost all its oil had the eye completely broken away from the shock body. I took a couple of pictures, but the WiFi at this Macca’s is pretty lame, and I can’t upload the photos to Photobucket. As soon as I get to a better location, I will. Anyhow; I went to bed around 10:30. My bike has fresh oil, it’s clean and it has new shocks. My head was pounding, but I felt on top of the world. Today, I’m going to put the new grips on and just keep a low profile. Or somethin’. | ||
| Crusty |
A Brief Explanation For some reason, the McDonald’s I’ve been frequenting has suddenly got really crappy Wi-Fi. It won’t let me even post Snippets on any of the forums I like to post on. I’m sitting in the Montrose Public Library, right now, so I’m able to post; but it’s kind of a drag that one resource seems to have dried up for the time being. I’ll keep writing, and I’ll post when I get the opportunity. | ||
| Pwnzor |
Thanks Crusty! | ||
| Tootal |
Many years ago the Grand Junction dealer treated me real well when I had a leaking head gasket. I tore the rockers off and they let me borrow a torque wrench only to find out my studs were stripped on the right side cases! I put it back together and limped it to Hays Kansas before the gasket actually blew in the parking lot! A fella stuck his head out of the door and said, "Sounds expensive!" | ||
| Crusty |
A Little Anxiety I’ve been sitting here a little too long. I’m starting to get itchy for the open road. However, I’m going to stay until Saturday morning. Heading toward Monument Valley and the Grand Canyon on a weekend is probably not the brightest thing I could be planning, but I’m hoping that it won’t be too bad. I’m thinking that I’ll do like I did last year, and I’ll camp at the Navajo National Monument campground. This time, hopefully, without the rain. The Roadster is ready. The shocks are quite an improvement over the junk stockers, the new hand grips make the bike feel like a Harley, and she’s got fresh oil and a new filter. I’ve got the shocks set on the second setting for the spring. I’m not sure if I should crank it up another notch; I’ll see how it feels when it’s fully loaded for traveling. I can always click it up another notch if I feel it’s necessary. I strongly suspect that I’m going to be moving to Colorado after this summer. I really love the weather here and house prices in Cedaredge are just too freakin’ affordable. The climate is similar to the climate in Colorado Springs with the exception of being a little drier. All I have to do is make a few friends. We’ll see. I’m not sure how long it’s going to take me to get to my brother Tony’s place in California. I know that I’ll get to the Navajo Monument the first night, but I don’t know how long I’ll be at the Grand Canyon. Nor have I figured out what route I’m going to take from that point towards San Francisco. I’ll figure it out as I go, I guess. I really don’t want to overplay, because that’s a formula for disaster. Then again; I don’t want to just show up without some warning, either. I’ll probably call him from the Canyon and give him a heads up. It’s funny how different traveling this summer is from last summer. Last summer, I was more of a Tramp; but this summer I’m relaxing more as I cover ground. I feel more at home on the road this year. I’m not articulating the feeling well, but I can feel the difference and I think I’m enjoying it more in a more mellow way. Last year was fun, but more uncertain. This year is also fun, but more sedate. Or something like that. It’s just Different; but I like it. One thing I really should do is start taking more pictures. I don’t know why I’m having such a hard time taking them, but I’m going to make a little more of an effort to. If nothing else, my brother David will be happier. He really gave me a ration for not taking pictures last year, and he was right about that. I’ve traveled something like 3,000 miles so far since I set out. I hope my tires last until I get back to Hudson. I think they will. OK; let’s see if I can post this. | ||
| 86129squids |
+1000 on taking lots of pictures! Your "snippets" are always awesome, but "a picture is worth 1000 words"... | ||
| Court |
Crusty . . I thought of you yesterday. I did a quick 650 miles through the New England states. The road does funny things to your mind . . . I think I saw a gorilla holding up a captured Volkswagen. I need sleep. | ||
| Crusty |
Suddenly, I can't post my Snippets from McDonald's. I'll post when I can. I had no trouble posting from the Library, so I think Ronald has cut how much free Internet he wants to give away. | ||
| Crusty |
WTF??!? I don’t know why, but suddenly I can’t post onto any of the forums I usually post on, and I also can’t even get a weather forecast from Intellicast to fully load. I can’t get the Sportster forum to even load at all. I thought it was my laptop, but it only happens at McDonald’s. When I tried to post at the Montrose Public Library, I had no trouble. I think Ronald McDonald has cut how much free internet he wants to provide. Either that, or it’s AT&T; they’re the Proud Partner. At any rate, this complicates things. I guess I just won’t be posting on forums as often as I have been. The good news is that I can still send out E-mail, so my blatherings will still be available to the folks in my E-mail circle. | ||
| Crusty |
’m in Cortez, Colorado heading for Monument Valley. I came down the Million Dollar Highway (US Rt. 550) I stopped in the town of Ouray and took a couple of pictures of the Miner’s Monument. The statue of the Miner is pretty correct. He’s holding a drill still and putting in in a Stoper (a drill for drilling vertically) The Miner is wearing a true Miner’s hat with a light and a belt mounted battery. On the other side of the belt are a Spud wrench and a Rap wrench. Everything is portrayed pretty authentically. I was going to mail my dead shocks home to myself until I discovered that it would cost me $30.16. Then I decided that I would be better off if I just threw them in the trash. I can buy used shocks off eBay for 20 bucks a set. Why spend $30.00 for one good shock and one that’s broken? | ||
| Crusty |
Coming over Red Mountain Pass was just magnificent. The views are phenomenal. I didn’t even mind a bit when all the traffic stopped for 20 minutes for road construction. I had zipped shut all the vents on my Darien jacket and put on a sweatshirt when I stopped in Ouray, so I was pretty comfortable. Once I got down to Durango, I took off the sweatshirt and opened the vents back up. I’ll probably be switching jackets pretty soon. It’s getting hot enough that I’ll be wanting the mesh. It’s supposed to get into the high 90s in Monument Valley, so I need to stay aware of the heat and drink a lot of liquids. That’s it for now; I’ve got to get back out there. | ||
| Crusty |
OK; The secret is to just post a paragraph or two at a time. What a royal Pain in the ass. I still can't get on the Sportster forum. Macca's is going to lose a good bit of my business, the cheap Pr*cks. | ||
| Court |
The Million Dollar Highway . .and Ouray are awesome places. About the time this Buell internet crazed began . . . about 22 years ago. . . one of the most active of our group had a summer home in Pagosa Springs. I used to hang out at a place in Ouray I found while out exploring on the S2. Any direction you go from there is "right". Highway 666, The "Devil's Highway" was always the bomb on an S2 . . . shame it got renamed. |
