| Author | Message | ||
     Njloco |
I saw bikes parked across from the entrance, in the street last year, no one bothered them. | ||
| Crusty |
Last time I rode to the show, I parked half a block away on 35th or 36th St. I didn't pay for parking, and nobody bothered my bike. I think that was the year I rode down with Griffmeister. | ||
| Griffmeister |
Yeah, even though they have the space for a few bikes, the Javits doesn't provide bike parking. Two times I went on the bike and parked on W36th street. I have seen people park on some of the other streets, too. Technically, I don't think you're supposed to park on any of the surrounding streets. The NYC parking authority has a website with a map of streets that allow parking for free, but I've always had a hard time deciphering it. The only thing I'd be cautious about is that previously I've only gone on the weekend. Friday is a work day with the associated rush hour headaches. Parking regs might be taken more seriously. | ||
| Crusty |
Reflections in the Snow It’s snowing out. We’re only supposed to get less than an inch, but there’s more than that on the ground, and it’s still snowing. It’s a good day for staying inside and thinking a bit. I’ve discovered a few things in the past year and a half. The US Parkways are wonderful, relaxing rides with very little traffic. Skyline Drive, the Blue Ridge Parkway and the Natchez Trace Parkway are all remarkably beautiful roads. Supposedly, they’re heavily patrolled and the speed limits strictly enforced, but I saw few cops and I had no problems and I was running my usual 10 to 15 MPH above the speed limit. I saw my first live armadillo in the campground on the Natchez Trace that I stayed at for the night. I’ve discovered that I’m not the Tramp I thought I was. I love to travel, but I also like having a home base. I really want a house of my own. If I figure a way to get one, it’ll slow my traveling down quite a bit. I don’t think I’ll mind that too much, but there are places I still want to ride to. I still want to ride to the Arctic Circle. I understand that the mosquitoes are horrendous in Alaska, and I hate mosquitoes, but I still want to go there. I also want to see more of the Canadian Rockies. I’m making plans on going this coming year; but to be realistic, I might not have enough money saved up to do it. I might just have to wait another year. Well; if I can’t do Alaska, there’s always Newfoundland. I didn’t get to go to the Buell Rally there back in 2004, and I still want to watch the Sunrise at the Lighthouse on Cape Spear. Maybe I could do that if my finances won’t allow a ride to the Great White North. There are a lot of other places I still want to see, as well. I want to go back to Australia; but this time with enough money to buy a bike to travel around on. I haven’t seen Ayer’s Rock; nor have I seen the 12 Apostles (Rock formations just off the coast). I think it would be really interesting to ride across the country to Perth. Thousands of miles in a straight line on a dirt road dodging Truck Trains and kangaroos. I’d also like to see Alice Springs, but not in the Summer. Just like I want to see Death Valley. I was close to it last June, but it was miserably hot. I think a rideabout is an excellent idea. Once again, if my finances allow. I don’t know why, but I really don’t have a lot of desire to ride around Europe. Of course, that could change, and should fortune allow, probably will. The same goes for Asia. My brother Tony really liked India, and Leigh enjoyed China when he was there, but I don’t feel any desire to go there. I went to Africa (Kenya, specifically) back in 1980. While it was interesting, I feel no urge to revisit. For now, I’m just going to look toward the near future. This year, there’s a TT race that’s going to be held at the Daytona Speedway during Bike Week. I love Flat Track, and the idea of seeing 750 Twins on a track with a jump intrigues me. Maybe I should go check that out. (Message edited by Crusty on December 05, 2016) | ||
| Crusty |
Ambivalence I feel like I’m in the middle of a joke, “Today, I have Good News and I have Bad News” “Uh; what’s the bad news?” I’ve been planning to go to the IMS at the Javits Center with a friend. I spoke with her on Thanksgiving weekend and she seemed pretty pumped up about going. However, I’ve been trying to get hold of her for days and I’ve been pretty unsuccessful. She hasn’t answered her phone, or returned my calls and she hasn’t responded to an e-mail I sent her. We need to work out things like where we should meet and at what time and all the other little details. I don’t know if she’s changed her mind or if she’s sick or if life has gotten in the way like it sometimes does. I don’t know if I should make contingency plans or not. I could ride the Roadster down to the City, but it would be good to know what’s going on. It doesn’t surprise me that Saturday is going to be the coldest weather of the season so far. I think my gear will keep me warm enough, but it would be much warmer and I wouldn’t have to bulk up so much if I were going in a car. Then again, if I take the bike, I can park on the street for free instead of in a garage. Either way, I will be at the show. I really want to see the Black Lightning, Mike Kirkpatrick and Erik Buell (I’m assuming that both Mike and Erik will be there). I also want to try on gloves and sit on a few other bikes, but I mainly want to immerse myself in all things Motorcycle. I love going to the show for just that reason. “Well, that doesn’t sound that bad; what’s the good news?” The other day, while I was housebound by the snow, I was looking at houses for sale locally and in Cedaredge, Colorado and in Cincinnati, Ohio on the internet. I came across one in Cincinnati that’s absurdly cheap. So I sent the link to the listing to my brother and asked him if it was too good to be true; was the neighborhood a bad one or not. He replied that that part of town was mainly Blue Collar, and probably pretty decent. He then got pretty fired up about it and is checking it out. If it’s as good a deal as it looks, I’m going to be moving to Cincinnati. It’s a small house; a four room Ranch with a detached 1 car garage. It looks like exactly the right house for me. It will need a bit of cleaning and some minor fixing up, but for the price it’s a diamond in the rough. I don’t want to jinx the deal, so I won’t go into the details, but if it all comes together, I’ll be Ohio bound in the not so distant future. So; I don’t know how I’m going to the show. I don’t know what’s going on with Kathryn. Is she OK or is she sick or did something else come up? Should I feel sad, angry or determined? I also don’t know if I’m moving to Cincinnati. I’m optimistic, and feeling a bit of anticipation, but I’m also a little fearful that there’s something major wrong with the house. In other words, I feel happy, sad, excited, angry, resolute and a little bit scared. The good part is that I’m definitely not bored. | ||
| Pwnzor |
The potential house sounds great, I'll be watching for more information with baited breath. | ||
| Oldfartnbuell |
Hey Crusty, Life's a peach! Always pick the lowest and the most plump on the tree. It will work out! Trust me. | ||
| Crusty |
 | ||
| Buellish |
Prospective new digs John?Does it have a garage? (Message edited by buellish on December 07, 2016) | ||
| Natexlh1000 |
If you're hitting the javits center, I would suggest the bus from south station to penn station. Fung wah used to be $15 but they are out of business now. I think the most cost effective now is "bolt bus" or "mega bus" It's too bad amtrak costs absurd amount since it would be most effective for the mission. | ||
| Crusty |
Mike; Yes, it has a 1 car detached garage. | ||
| Froggy |
That is a sigh of relief from me, their buses seemed to be designed to terrorize 95 and 84. I've lost count of the number of close encounters I've had with them over the years, and the mile long trail of smoke that is always coming out of their engine compartments. | ||
| Natexlh1000 |
Yeah the fung wah killing machines were the butt of our family's jokes. There was always one on fire on the side of the road on mass pike with a huge crowd of sad passengers milling about. That said, I took it once, it left on time, cost $15, got to Boston's south station on schedule. Easiest/cheapest trip from Manhattan I ever took. | ||
| Damnut |
John...... remember you could always ride with me to the IMS show tomorrow. It will be the nicest day of the weekend to ride there. I'm going to hit up the dinosaur in Stamford on the way there. More than likely I'm going to meet up with my wife in Stamford for lunch there. She'll be on her way home from a business trip in New Jersey. | ||
| 86129squids |
Good luck John! I just had a crew come out and do a foam insulation job on my little shoebox yesterday- dang if it doesn't feel good to know I'll not be leaching HVAC costs out the walls anymore from now on. Keep us posted! | ||
| Crusty |
Jim; I heard from Kathryn this morning and she's really looking forward to the show. Thanks for the offer, though. Brad; I've got my fingers crossed and I'll let everyone know what's happening as it happens. | ||
| Adrenaline_junkie |
Cincinnati Buell Rally!! | ||
| Etennuly |
You are suffering from one of the things one of my favorite quotes covers.....'here I stand, with my feet planted firmly in mid air!' Could play a new game next year. If you buy the house have a Bueller event in you back/side/front yard. It'd be great for meeting you neighbors!  | ||
| Ocbueller |
Enough Buellers on this website to hold a roofing or painting party. Just provide tent space and a potty. Any reason for a Buell Rally. Having a homebase that's affordable, will allow you lots of options for wandering when the urge hits you. Take your time and chose your new home wisely. SteveH | ||
| Reepicheep |
What part of Cincy Crusty? I can offer another data point. | ||
| Crusty |
It's up near Pleasant Ridge. | ||
| Crusty |
Enough Buellers on this website to hold a roofing or painting party. I can just see it now. I'd come home to find the house has been painted Molten Orange with Nuclear Blue shutters.  | ||
| Natexlh1000 |
That actually sounds kinda cool. | ||
| Reepicheep |
That's a good location, and the property is MUCH more likely to appreciate than it is to depreciate. That whole I-71 north corridor is continually getting more and more valuable. | ||
| Buellish |
What's wrong with Nuclear Blue shutters?Mabye Carbon Black and Nuc Blue,a nice decal on the front door? Decorating by Badweb,I like it! | ||
| Crusty |
A Disgruntled Morning My bike is sitting in the garage with a battery charger attached. It wouldn’t start. I know that the temperature was 16º F (-9º C), but still, it should have started. Maybe the battery is getting weak. I don’t know. Anyhow, it screwed up my day, and I’m not happy about it. When I get it to start, I’ll go by the local Auto Zone and buy a can of ether. Winter isn’t even officially here and I’m having cold related problems. That’s not a good sign. next time I go over to Fitchburg, I’ll swing by the garage and dig out my battery tender and bring it back here. I’m really wishing I was in Australia right now. Oh well. I went to the Motorcycle Show in New York, yesterday. Kathryn was here at 5:30 AM and we drove down. It took a little longer than I expected because my Furosemide was doing a great job of removing excess water from my tissues, and I had to stop a few times to pee. (getting old may be a pain in the ass, but it still beats the alternative). Anyhow, we got to the show a little after 9:00 and immersed ourselves in the world of motorcycles. We looked at bikes of all types and looked at accessories. Kathryn got fitted for an Arai helmet (we now know which one fits her best), and she tried on some Textile jackets. I looked for a pair of comfortable winter gloves. We looked at a number of custom bikes that were on display and I even bought some snake oil. (Leather Treatment). My poor Elkskin Gauntlets really need to be oiled. While I know that I could probably get the same stuff for a lot cheaper. I needed some, and they had it there and were willing to oil my boots for free while they told me how great their product was. We sat on bikes. Lots of bikes. Hondas, Yamahas, Kawasakis, Harleys, Indians, KTMs and, of course the EBR Black Lightning and an SX with the Corbin seat. I’ll get back to that shortly. Kathryn is attracted to the Yamaha Bolt She sat on a couple of different variants. She also sat on the Honda 1000 retro styled four. She likes Japanese fours, and it had a good bit of appeal. The bike that really grabbed her, though, was the Indian Scout. She sat on a couple, but what got her was a young woman whose family owns a dealership in Brookfield, Connecticut. It’s a family business, and the emphasis is on Customer Satisfaction. Her father owns the business and her brother is the Sales Manager. The clincher was the photo of the family dog who gets depressed when he can’t go to the shop for the day. I’d put money on Kathryn buying a Scout in Connecticut if she ever gets a new bike. At the Harley display, there was a presentation on how to pick up your bike if it falls over. Kathryn volunteered to try, and the woman doing the presentation coached her and Kathryn was able to pick up the bike from laying on its side. I checked out the new Roadster with the upside down forks. I like the forks, but I think that bobbed rear fender is stupid. I ride in the rain. Why would I want a bike that’s guaranteed to put a skunk stripe down my back? If I got one, I’d have to change that rear fender for one that works for me. We went by the KTM display, so I could show Kathryn what styling inspired by a bucket of razor blades was like. Kathryn likes more traditional motorcycle styling. She’s not particularly attracted to the Transformers Origami styling that’s currently fashionable. She thought my description of the KTM was apropos. We went by the EBR display when we first got to the show, then we returned just before we left. Mike Kirkpatrick was there, which made me feel good. I like Mike. He’s a Class Act and I was hoping I’d be able to see him. He was working, so we couldn’t talk for very long, but he pointed out all the neat things about the Black Lightning. It’s going to be my next new bike. There was a salesman from the New Jersey dealership there, and he and I talked about the changes I’d want to make. Everybody there loved the idea that I want to ride one to the Arctic Circle. It would be an epic ride for me. I sat on the Black Lightning, and it clicked. They didn’t have the Corbin seat on it; the Corbin was attached to a “regular” SX, so I sat on it, also. I can’t tell how comfortable it will be on a long ride from 30 seconds on it at the show, but my Red Lightning is going to have one on it. We returned to the EBR display just before we left the show to see Erik. I only got to talk with him for a couple of minutes, but he was displaying all the enthusiasm he normally exudes. We discussed luggage, but we didn’t get to finish the conversation. We were interrupted and Erik was drawn into discussing business matters. I think he really got a kick out of it when I told him that I was going to have to buy a Black Lightning and ride it to the Arctic Circle. Kathryn got to meet him, and even though she’s not particularly fond of the styling, she’s fascinated by the innovative designs of the bikes. I explained many of the features of the bikes and the reasoning behind them, and she’s now looking at them in a new light. I told her that when I get mine, I’ll let her take it out for a ride. I think the big turning point for her was when she sat on the Black Lightning and realized how it just felt right. We left the show and drove up to the Dinosaur BBQ where we met Froggy and had a wonderful Lunch. I’ve eaten and enjoyed good BBQ all over the country, but the Dinosaur is still one of my favorite BBQ joints. I had a Three meat combo, which I couldn’t finish (Guess what I’m having for dinner tonight) and we enjoyed each other’s company and conversation when we weren’t totally engrossed in stuffing ourselves. Froggy showed us his new heated jacket that he’d bought at the show on Friday. It’s a company called Venture that I hadn’t heard of before, but it looked like pretty good quality. The one really neat feature is that the power switch is is wireless and mounts to the handlebars. Froggy’s another nut case who rides all year round, so I’ll be very interested in getting a product evaluation from him in a couple of months. I’m not overly impressed with Gerbings, so I’ll want to know if it’s worth getting a Venture. Well, that’s my Show Report. I forgot to bring my camera, so I didn’t get any pictures. Kathryn took a few with her cell phone; when she e-mails them to me, I’ll post them up. Well, the bike’s been on the charger for a couple of hours; I guess I’ll go out and see if it’ll start now. (Message edited by Crusty on December 11, 2016) (Message edited by Crusty on December 11, 2016) | ||
| Njloco |
I heard that a trip to the Arctic circle has some pretty rough roads, not that the Black lightning couldn't make it but, I'd be concerned with the front oil cooler being hung so low and with no fender protection. I'm sure something could be rigged up, I would also look for some protection for the cooling fans on each . I would love to take my Ully or Explorer up there. | ||
| Griffmeister |
Crusty, I see I'm not the only one that liked the feel of the Lightning. Sure would have liked to try the Corbin seat on it. You can feel the stock seat pushing you into the air box, the Corbin is angled back a little. Sorry I missed having Dino with you, but Friday was a lot less crowded than the weekends usually are. Made up for it by stuffing myself at Junior's. This is going to be a cold week, good battery or not I think you'd do well to find the tender. Hope all it needed was a little boost. | ||
| Ourdee |
If you plan on Prudhoe Bay, The oil cooler fins will probably get plugged up from the gravel road. Good info to start on: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dalton_Highway Extra fuel cans, survival gear, and fortitude. | ||
| Crusty |
My Red Lightning I went to the IMS in New York this past weekend. My biggest priority was to check out the EBR Black Lightning. I demo rode an 1190 SX a couple of years ago, and liked it, but the changes made to the SX to create the Black Lightning just seemed to make it even closer to the bike I want. Now, I’ve been told that people at EBR read my chicken scratches. While most of the time, I’m just spouting gibberish, sometimes I have a bit of insight. So, what the hell, this is what I want in my ideal bike. We’ll start with a Black Lightning. While I haven’t ridden one yet, I sat on the one at the show. I like the taller bars and the lowered foot pegs. The Corbin seat was on the “Regular” SX, but I’m pretty sure I want that as well. I was a little concerned about the shortened suspension, but Mike Kirkpatrick told me it works well, and his word is good enough for me. Froggy took out an SX with the revised sprocket gearing at Homecoming and really liked it a lot, so I’ll take his word on that, as well. As I’ve said, I sat on the Black Lightning at the show, and the bike “Clicked” with me. It just felt right. I told Erik that I was going to have to buy one. Since I really hate to lie, I guess I’d better. However, it’s not perfect. (Is any motorcycle?) I saw a photo of an SX with a windscreen and soft bags a while back. I’ve done enough traveling with soft bags to know that I want hard bags. The windscreen looked like a good idea, though. Now, for hard bags, I’d like either Hepco & Becker Juniors or Givi Trekkers. I’d have to trash can the secondary muffler and get the exhaust tips (and probably the ECM). Now, I’ve been told that the magnesium subframe for the seat won’t support the weight of both a passenger and luggage, but that’s OK with me. I pretty much ride solo. I may take a passenger on a day trip, but I ride alone when I’m out putting on miles. Erik was telling me that he has a trunk that mounts up in place of the passenger seat on his personal bike. That’s a good idea, and wouldn’t be hard to do, even for a non-engineer like me, but I still want saddlebags. The weight of bags and my camping gear would still be less than the weight of a passenger. Maybe somebody at the factory could talk to H&B or Givi and get them to come up with mounts. I know that EBR is small company with less than two dozen employees, and it would be difficult to spend the time designing and testing bag mounts when there are so many other important projects that need doing. The last big thing I’d like to see is a pipe dream and I don’t think it’ll happen, but I’d like to see either a belt or an enclosed chain for the final drive. When I’m on the road, I don’t enjoy having to lube and adjust a chain. While belts are nice and require very little maintenance, they can be punctured. Then they break. I’ve had several belts break over the years on bikes like my FLHS, my S3-T, my M2 and my Roadster. Still, I’d prefer a belt to an open chain. An enclosed chain, however is something to think about. It could be set up as part of the swing arm assembly. Put a bearing inside the sprocket, and have the wheel slide onto the assembly like a shaft drive motorcycle does. Make the chain enclosures out of plastic so they wouldn’t increase unsprung weight by much and make them easily removable. Think of the advantages! For racing, just take the plastic off to reduce weight. Tire changes would be a piece of cake (like for the Daytona 200) Tire changes would be a piece of cake for touring riders, as well. Before the Roadster, I owned a Moto Guzzi Norge. It was the easiest bike to change tires on that I’ve ever owned. An enclosed chain running in an oil bath would be more efficient in transferring power than a shaft but would be as reliable and have good longevity. The final detail I want in my Red Lightning is to change the 4 black bodywork pieces for red. I just have a thing for red motorcycles at the present time. I’m not asking the factory to do that; it’ll be my own personalization. That sure would be a sweet ride to take to the Arctic Circle, IMO. (Message edited by Crusty on December 12, 2016) |
