| Author | Message | ||
     Crusty |
Winter Lately, I’ve complained about winter on a couple of forums I frequent; as usual, I got some responses from people who like the season. Not me. I hate winter. I hate the cold. I hate ice and snow. While I do enjoy putting things out on the back porch so that they’ll freeze quicker than if I put them in the freezer, it’s not worth the trade offs. Whenever I take the bike out, I first have put on all kinds of movement restricting gear. Then, unless I get outside quickly, I start to overheat and begin sweating which is bad once I do get outside. I hate sitting at an intersection and having to twist my entire upper body to see if any traffic is approaching because neck motion is restricted by the gear to keep me from getting frostbite. I hate the fact that if the roads aren’t covered by sand and salt, and there’s no ice, my tires are so cold that they stick about as well as a bowling ball. However, even if the tires stuck like glue, there are patches of sand and salt on the roads, especially right on the inside line of every blind corner. I’ve had friends tell me that I should take up winter sports. I don’t enjoy skating. Not just on ice, but even on roller skates. I have no interest in ice fishing. First, I’m allergic to fish and I don’t even go fishing in warm weather. Why would I want to push a shack out on a frozen lake and huddle inside while some water breathing chunk of poison decides it should end its life just to make mine a living hell? I’ve had friends tell me I should take up skiing. The idea of putting slick boards on my feet, then speeding out of control down the side of an ice and snow covered mountain does not look attractive to me. Then they’ve said that if I feel like I’m out of control, just fall down and I’ll stop. I would ask Sonny Bono or Michael Schumacher their opinions, but I don’t think I’d get a favorable reply. I’m a motorcyclist. All my instincts and skills are aimed at not falling down. I also get a kick when people tell me how beautiful the winter is. Oh yeah; there’s nothing quite as lovely as naked trees and dead remains of plant life beside the brown fields and frozen puddles of ice. Oh; but the snow is so lovely; yeah, a bleak monochromatic landscape combined with the knowledge that you’re going to be outside in temperatures that would kill you if you weren’t so thickly wrapped just so you can get your exercise by shoveling mass quantities of that white shit is almost an experience that’s truly ecstatic. Or somethin’. And I’m sure that somebody is thinking that I’m a real pussy about winter. I’ve worked in some absolutely miserable conditions over the years. When we were sinking the cooling water shafts for the Seabrook Power Plant, we were drilling and blasting in hard rock. The temperature was -15 F and we would work for 10 hours without any breaks. Water would seep through the rock and rain on us while we were drilling, then instantly freeze. In spite of wearing plentiful warm layers and two sets of rain gear, we would be soaked within minutes of starting our shift. At the end of the shift, we would have to chip the ice off our hard hats to remove the mine lights. It was miserable. There's a lot more I can tell you about working out in the cold, but none of it is what I'd call happy or fun. And another thing; I ride my motorcycle year round. I don't own a car. Now; am I still a pussy? I just got off the phone with Don in Buffalo (Oz666 on BadWeB) They got something like eight inches of snow yesterday with another foot or so coming tomorrow night. He told me that he completely agrees with me about winter and he’s a life long resident. I’ve experienced cold weather. I don’t like it. I don’t like winter. Maybe you like it, or maybe you don’t. my opinion is unchanged; WINTER SUCKS | ||
| Airbozo |
Crusty: I moved out of Colorado because of the ice and snow. To southern California. Years later I moved to Northern California and don't miss commuting in the snow at all. I like winter and I like the ice and snow, but at my own choosing, not when Mother Nature feels I need a big dump. The rains we get where I live are better than the snow, but more damaging. At least I can ride most of the year. I only have a cage because my work requires me to be able to take clients to lunch or dinner. Not often and even though I have offered, no one has taken me up on a ride on the back of my Buells. Pussies. | ||
| Zane |
I was born in SW Ohio but grew up in South Florida. I can deal with the cold. Don't like it but can deal. It's all the other stuff that comes with the cold that I can't handle. Things like snow, slush, freezing rain ect. I've traveled a around a lot since my divorce in 2009 but with one exception have tried to stay in the south. I'm in the Phoenix area now and hope to stay here for the as long as possible. Snow and I don't get a long. Yeah, when it comes to real winter, I'm a pus. | ||
| 86129squids |
I've got a heavy tolerance for cold. Not like John Crusticle, not had to suffer through it. God bless. My dad and my stepdad endured similar conditions... I had a great day off, riding, then came home to prepare a homemade pizza, which my honey and her brother said was excellent. As Charlie Sheen sed, "Winning!!!" Maybe one day I can head north and try out a snowmobile... | ||
| Zac4mac |
We're supposed to get 1-3" of the white crap tomorrow but.. Yesterday was 62 and I rode the Uly and the Westwind a little. Two wheeled Nirvana Back to driving the Buick today, 23.4 right now. I should call Don soon, of the 7 locales I watch weather, Buffalo and East Troy are there for context. Z | ||
| Glitch |
Pussies. What ever I've ridden so many years, and so many miles, in all kinds weather. I've nothing to prove, I've been there, done that. Winter sucks Pure and simple | ||
| Airbozo |
Glitch: I was mainly calling out those that would not take me up on my offer to strap on a helmet and go to lunch. Hell I commuted to work in the snow on my old Honda 150. My uncle made me a set of studded snow tires because he feared for my safety. Those days are over. I am such a pussy I won't ride when the roads are wet. | ||
| Court |
>>>>Yeah, when it comes to real winter, I'm a pus. Don't feel bad . . . .that's pretty much EXACTLY the reason for the WEF. 25,000 horses arrive in Wellington . . . on or about November 1 every year. We loaded trailers in NJ on October 31 . . . landed the next day just in time for the trailer to be coming down the road with horses and cats. Cars ship the week prior. I have a major (>$2B) going now and a huge outage of the NE grid commencing 2/28 so my days of running back and forth come to an end when I return in about 10 days. I can "deal" with the cold . . . but confess that 87F is damned appealing in January. I did, by the way, test riding and long distance durability stuff on under development models for Buell and did some riding in some REALLY foul and cold conditions . . . old timers here recall some of the stories. During those very cold rides I found things like the first isolator failure on an S2 . . . the failure of the side stand switch and broke a shock (they are still pissed I kept the photos of it) at speed on I-35. Not only were the NCRs exciting . . . they all occurred in REALLY cold weather . . . I'm done riding in cold. | ||
| Glitch |
Sorry if I came off as touchy. Its been 60 to 65 here all week, and I no longer have a bike or anything. So maybe I am a little touchy. I'll be better when I get my woods buggy up and going, and get back to the woods full time. Spring is when it all comes together. Trust me, if had the bike, I'd go to lunch with ya. I've more time than I know what to with these days. I had no idea how hard retirement is | ||
| Natexlh1000 |
>>>first isolator failure on an S2 I believe it. My X1 vibes like crazy until those rubber dinguses warm up. It's only logical that they would be more prone to fail in that state. | ||
| Ourdee |
I had no idea how hard retirement is +1 | ||
| Zac4mac |
Talking to Ron, my " landlord" at the shop... "You need to charge more for the time you spend on those heads." I told him "this is my retirement hobby and if it pays the bills, that much better". Even tho parts of my body hurt that I didn't know existed, I still look forward to heading in to the shop every day. I love my world. Z | ||
| Glitch |
I love my world. My world is in the mountains. I'm only here long enough to take care of a few things. Ann will stay here and help with the baby. I'll stay in the woods and Ann will come up on the weekends. Here I'm dependent on others, and its more than frustrating. At least at the property, I have access our land, and thousands of public acres that don't mind ORVs | ||
| Crusty |
It’s Warm! At 9:00 this morning, the temperature was 60º F (15.5º C). It’s supposed to be above 60 until 3:00 AM tomorrow morning, then it will drop all day long until it bottoms out in the 30s tomorrow night. But then, it’s going to warm up again until it may break 70º next Tuesday. We’re finally getting some above average temperatures. There have been quite a few days in the past month when the high temp was 20 or 25 degrees below average. It sure is nice to see the change. With the warmer temperatures comes hope. Spring is coming! There are other signs of the coming nice weather as well. Four weeks from today, I’ll be in Daytona Beach watching the Daytona TT. That’s the start of the Flat Track racing season. Summer’s coming! I’m starting to get psyched up about this coming Summer. Since I’m not going to be traveling as much as I’d like, I’m going to hit quite a few races and I’ve got them pretty much spaced out. In March, there’s the TT and maybe I’ll spend a day or two doing Demo rides and such since it is Bike Week. In April, there’s the Atlanta Short Track. At the end of May, there’s the Memorial Day weekend Springfield TT and The Mile. A week later there’s the Red Mile in Lexington, Kentucky. That race is only about an hour and a half away; I’ll be home and in my own bet that night. On the 30th of June there’s the Lima 1/2 Mile; another race that will allow me to sleep in my own bed that night. Followed by the Weedsport, NY Short Track a week later. Then, things are quiet until late August, when the Peoria TT happens followed a couple of weeks later by the Labor Day weekend Springfield Short Track and The Mile. I’ve already bought tickets to most of those races. I haven’t bought a Red Mile ticket because they aren’t available yet, and I won’t buy a Peoria ticket until I get there. There are no stands at Peoria; it’s all General Admission. Last year, I sat on the grass on a hillside. This year, I’m bringing a camp chair to sit on. I’ll be all right. And I’m flirting with the idea of going to the Meadowlands Mile in New Jersey on October 6. That’s far enough away that I don’t have to make a decision for a while. I’ll just have to see how things pan out. Last Summer, I didn’t get to do a whole lot of traveling, and I ran myself way too far in debt by buying my house and making it livable. This year, I’ll limit my traveling, but still do enough to satisfy the Tramp in me. I think I can do all these races and still pay the credit card down. I sure hope so. Even if it doesn't happen the way I'm hoping, it should be one hell of a good year! | ||
| Tootal |
Your welcome for the weather, I brought it back from Florida with me! I spent a week and a half with friends. Last year my buddy told me not to drive down, just fly and I'll pick you up at the airport and you can pick from five motorcycles! Well, only three are running so I ended up on his 2009 Road Glide. I brought my helmet, gloves and jacket but only needed the jacket on one morning. It was mid 80's from then on! Felt good to ride again, it's been a while. So anyway, I flew back yesterday and brought the heat with me, I'm glad you enjoyed it cause it's going away real soon! | ||
| Crusty |
My friend Bill was a diehard Iron Motor enthusiast. Unfortunately, he died without warning from heart failure in his sleep. After he died, his sister gave me his 1978 XLH. He'd owned a '78 that he bought new, but sold somewhere around '84 or '85. He always regretted that, and searched until he got another '78 shortly before his death. I've got it now, and I plan to set it up just like the '78 he used to ride alongside me on my '78 FXE. We did a good bit of traveling together. He'd put a Superglide tank on it so he could cover some distance between fuel stops, and he took off the Chrome Salami 2 into 1 exhaust and put staggered duals on it and he'd added a sissy bar and highway pegs, but the bike was mostly stock. I've had the bike for a couple of years, but I haven't had the money to fix it up. I think it's time to maybe start. The first order of business will be to get it to start and run. After that, I'll buy a Superglide tank and look for the right sissy bar. I know a really good painter who can do the Brilliant Red paint right. And I have to find the aluminum rim for the front wheel and get it laced up. All it's going to take is a bit of money. It will be a while before it's up and running, but it will get done, eventually. Here's how it looks today:   (Message edited by Crusty on February 18, 2018) | ||
| Buellish |
Looks like you have a job ahead of you John! I had many friends that road Ironheads back in the day,we big twin owners called them "dirt bikes",as in when ya gonna grow up and get rid of that dirt bike and buy a real motorcycle? | ||
| Crusty |
Sometimes… This is a five week month. By that, I mean that there are five weeks between the fourth Wednesday in January and the fourth Wednesday in February. That means that my Social Security has to stretch for an extra week. It’s not a big deal, usually but today was a record setting warm day. It was 80º F (26.6 C) at 3:00 this afternoon, and I couldn’t really afford to go anywhere. So I decided to put the choke cable on the Roadster. Now, it’s not a big job, and it should have taken me about an hour. However, it’s the first time I’ve done it to the Roadster, so I figured maybe a couple of hours. Everything went smooth enough, I pulled the gas tank, loosened the choke cable from the bracket , pulled the carb off the engine and installed the new cable. Everything went well until I tried to start the bike. It would crank, but it wouldn’t start. It wouldn’t even fire. I pulled the plugs and checked them, thinking that maybe I flooded the engine. The plugs were dry and gave nice fat sparks when I cranked the starter. So it had to be fuel. I was pretty sure it was, since I’d been working on the carb. No matter what I did, the bike wouldn’t start. if I gave it a shot of ether, it would run for a couple of seconds, but that’s it. I was thinking of all the possibilities that could cause the carb to not work. Maybe there wasn’t enough vacuum to open the diaphragm on the petcock long enough. Maybe I’d disturbed a little piece of crap and it was plugging the low speed jet. I was getting pretty annoyed. Finally, I pulled the float bowl. The bowl was dry. That’s when light dawned on Marble Head. I looked at the (vacuum) petcock, and I’d forgotten to put the vacuum line back on it. I put the line on and put enough of the carb mounting hardware on and the bike cranked for about four seconds, then caught and ran like nothing had happened. The choke works like it should and I got to feel like a complete idiot. I don’t know why I didn’t think to look at the vacuum line. I guess my diagnostic skills went on vacation for a while. It was so basic, and I just glossed over it. The end result is that the bike is running like it should and I get to berate myself for not thinking. I guess that isn’t too tough to deal with. In the meantime, it’s almost 7:30 and the temp is still in the 70s. I’ve got several windows open letting the house air out. Not bad weather for February 20, that for sure. | ||
| Damnut |
John......... See ya in April bud! | ||
| Ourdee |
 | ||
| Glitch |
That's OK John. Took me over six months to fix a scooter engine. that's why I look so happy my first project works | ||
| 86129squids |
Dangit Jim? Heading to Suches? | ||
| Zac4mac |
I saw Buffalo was at 60 yesterday and was jealous. It's -5.5 as I type. We finally got some much needed snow tho, so no real complaints. I did call my folks in Texas to tell them they were 72 degrees warmer than me.. Z | ||
| Court |
I'm pouring a little concrete today and could not be happier. . . .  | ||
| 86129squids |
We've been blessed with high 70 to low 80's yesterday and today, got lucky and BOTH days I'm off!!! YAY!!!! Went riding for a while yesterday, visited my best buddy at the marina... just unbelievable, record-setting temps. Getting ready to do alderwood-planked salmon this evening, prepped with preserved lemon/lime and dill, with Brussels sprouts, green beans, and potatoes... doing a batch of homemade pickles in about 10 minutes. "Productive Piddlin" is what I love to do on days like this. | ||
| 86129squids |
...sorry Crusticle, I just remembered you can't do fish. Of any kind??? Giant suck. My buddy gave me a sticker yesterday from a place in Chattanooga called "Sofa King Juicy Burger"... yay me! Oh well, we'll focus on the 'cue, right?~!?  | ||
| Crusty |
Sofa King Juicy Burger I just looked it up on Google maps. I'll be passing close by on my way to and from Daytona. (Google says 5.7 miles) Maybe I'll stop and check it out. | ||
| Damnut |
Well I received a letter in the mail yesterday that didn't have a return address on it. Inside there were a couple of stickers with a note attached that said "Hope to see you in April". Well I had no idea (well it could only be a handful of people) who would send me something like that until I looked at the city origination stamp and it said Cincinnati................. | ||
| Damnut |
The only things I know in Cincinnati are WKRP and you. (Message edited by Damnut on February 21, 2018) | ||
| Crusty |
There really is a WKRP in Cincinnati. |
