| Author | Message | ||
     Etennuly |
So you are a first timer to camping in the infield? Only three cautions I have for ya is that sand is hard as rock sometimes, if you see a hole in the sand camp at least thirty feet away(fire ants), and where you are set up can be a wind tunnel! Enjoy! Several of us BadWeB folks have met many times at the Hooters across from the track. Good times. But I would only go with a group because it is a busy place! | ||
| Crusty |
No WiFi I’m sitting in the Macca’s close to the track having breakfast. The big surprise is that this Golden Starches doesn’t have WiFi. I mean; while the quality of McDonald’s WiFi has gone downhill over the past couple of years, they’ve at least had it. Now, nada. I guess I’ll have to swing by Starbucks to check my E-mail, forums and post this Snippet.. That can get expensive. Even if I get a Tall (small) coffee and not a Flat White. It’s a shame I have this addiction to the Internet. Now I have to pay to get my fix. I had my usual first night camping restlessness, but I feel pretty good, in spite of that. I could hear the roar of loud exhausts until about 2:30, then it got quiet. The noise isn’t that bad inside the Speedway where I’m camping. I’ve got my tent set up by the fence inside turn 3. I took a picture of it this morning just before the sun rose above the track. If you’ve never been here, you can’t believe the size of the track. Looking at it from my campsite, it looks like a wall. 31º of banking is a steep incline. I don’t think I could walk up it. I also took a picture of the stands from my campsite. They’re as tall as a five story building and run well over a half mile long. I have to ride almost a mile from my campsite to get out of the track. The beauty of Bike Week is that I’m totally immersed in all aspects of Motorcycling. There are races of all sorts; Flat Track, Road Racing, Motocross, Enduros and even Trials. Some day, ask me about the Motorcycle Demolition Derby I went to here. All I’ll say about it now is, Only In Daytona. There are all the Customs. Cruising down Main Street will show every kind of Custom motorcycle you could ever imagine and a bunch more you can’t imagine. Last night, I saw an old Royal Enfield 750 in a strip mall parking lot, as well as lots of other bikes from the 60s and 70s. And that’s just out in public, being ridden around. There are more on display that aren’t being ridden, but I bet you can find parts for whatever you’re restoring without having to look too hard here. All the Manufacturers have their Demo fleets here. Harley, Indian, Honda, Kawasaki and Yamaha were the big ones I saw last night just trying to find my way into the track, but the others are all here as well. Even Boss Hoss is here. I have no desire to demo a bike powered by a Chevy V8, but I could, if I wanted to. There are lots of vendors here selling everything related to motorcycling - Tires, chrome accessories, parts of all sorts, both new and used, clothing Leathers, Textiles, etc, T-shirts, you name it. Each time I come to Daytona, I remember what it’s like to be here. I tend to forget just how incredible this place is. Well, I guess I’d better head over to Starbucks and get this sent off. I think I’ll go by the H-D Demos and test ride a new Roadster and a Street Rod. You know; just to kill some time before Practice for the TT starts at 2:00   | ||
| Etennuly |
I have loved it there too. Watched Daytona 500 just yards from there. Funny thing about all of the myriad of two wheeled machines there. I had never seen a jet powered bike until my last trip there. I had purchasers a few items and was carrying them in a big plastic vendor bag. I hear a jet bike coming through the parking lot, so I stopped to wait for it to go by. Very cool machine. See it coming down the isle slowly. Beautifully crafted for sure. And that sound is magical. It passes about four feet from me. I was in awe. Then I turned back to walking the direction I was headed, WTF moment! The contents of my bag are dragging the ground! I thought i felt a flash of heat as the jet went by. It melted the handles and the body of that vendor plastic bag enough to get it to touch the ground! | ||
| Tootal |
Thursday is my favorite day. To hear the twins all racing and then the triples that sound like bees flying around! I love seeing the old race bikes and the ability to just walk up to the race teams is great. Have fun Crusty, it's always a good time. Last time I went to the Hooter's across from the track I got a back rub without asking! | ||
| Buellish |
John,my brother in law made the special asphalt that was laid on the track the last time it was repaved.He was interviewed on the news about it.Glad to hear your having a large time,sorry to hear about your internet woes! | ||
| Crusty |
Wow; Just Freakin’ Wow! I’ve done so many things in the past 24 hours, I don’t know what to write about. I guess I’ll start with the Demo rides. I went over to the H-D Demo area and got signed up, then went over and took a Street Rod and a Roadster out. between the sign up area and the bikes was a hot looking honey who was giving away free tickets to the TT. Since I already had my ticket, I gave that a pass, but I did tell a few other people about it and I think they took advantage of the offer . The first bike I took out was the Street Rod. Being a Flat Track freak, I was pretty strongly attracted to it and I was pretty curious about it. So my impressions are that it handles nicely and it looks good. I really like the brakes. It was the first Harley that I’ve ridden that I like the brakes on. They’re not up to Buell ZTL brakes, but they work and feel really good for a street bike. The power was acceptable. It didn’t make as much power as my Roadster, but it shouldn’t; it’s only a 750. I liked the suspension a good bit. It felt firm but not too stiff. I didn’t really care for the bars, but that’s an easily changed item. What I didn’t like was the abrupt throttle transitions. When I closed the throttle, it was like I hit the kill switch. Then when I eases the throttle back on the engine would leap ahead. It was very difficult to be smooth in traffic. I also didn’t care for the clutch. The friction point was almost all the way out, then it was like a switch. Between the throttle and clutch issues, I lost my enthusiasm. It’s a good start at being a sporty Harley, but it needs a bit more development. The Roadster was next. I was surprised to hear that there was only one in the demo fleet. There were at least two of every other model, so I had to wait until the bike came back.When I took it out, it felt really nice. I like the better suspension a lot and the brakes are miles ahead of the brakes on my bike. The fuel injection works like it should. If I get one, I’ll have to swap out the gas tank, bars, seat and rear fender and mount good hard bags on it, but it would be a better mount than the Roadster. It’s not perfect; the transmission still shifts like it belongs in a 1949 International Harvester pickup and it’ll never handle like a Buell, but it’s a bike I could climb on and ride anywhere (once I make my changes). I can see me owning one. I think I’m going to go back and take it out again this morning Now, the TT. The racing was good. Jared Mees won on an Indian. The best finishing Harley was Sammy Halbert who came in ninth. Vance and Hines may have tried a few different frames and put a DOHC head on the bikes, but they’re still down on performance. The fastest three riders and bikes in the Main were Jared Mees on an Indian, J.D. Beach on a Yamaha and Henry Wiles on a Kawasaki. Mees is still on a roll and if the TT is any indication, will pull off another championship this year. Then again, it looked like Brian Smith was going to repeat as a champion during the early part of last year, so nothing is set in concrete. The showers at the Campground are adequate. They’re better that the showers at many campgrounds, and they’re free. The hot water is hot. They’re not as nice as the shower at my house, but then again, no campground shower is. The shower last night felt wonderful. I got a bit on sunburn on my arms; mostly my right arm. It itches a little bit, but I’m not complaining; I’m enjoying it. Now, I just have to figure how to get some equal exposure on my left arm. Tonight, I’m meeting up with a few people from Badweb for BBQ at Backyard Boys BBQ. That should be fun. Well; I’m off. Maybe I'll take a few pictures while I'm out and about! | ||
| Adrenaline_junkie |
Crusty, I did the same back to back comparison last fall and left the store with the Roadster. I've made some changes to mine as well. The most impressive to me was adding 1.25" extension blocks to the rear shocks. Night and day difference on how the front end feels. It is now very planted with excellent feedback. Roy | ||
| Crusty |
I guess the latest trend in Custom bikes is the Penny Farthing look  The Midway at Daytona Int'l Speedway  The Street Rod  The 2018 Roadster  Badwebbers and BBQ  The parking lot outside Backyard Boys BBQ  | ||
| Ftd |
It was nice meeting the Buell guys at the BBQ place. It was nice change of pace from the usual Bike Week fare! | ||
| Crusty |
A Restless Morning I was up at my usual time and went over to Starbucks to check my e-mail and surf the forums and have an expensive cup of coffee. Then, I got restless. I didn’t really feel like heading back to the Speedway, so I went for a ride to check out the area. I figured that since I’m here, I might as well see the Atlantic Ocean. Plus, it was early in the morning, so traffic shouldn’t be too bad. I went up Int’l Speedway Bl. until I got to Rt. A1A, then headed north. I had the itch to ride on the beach, which I haven’t done since 1976, but all the ramps down to it were closed off. So I just cruised up A1A and became a tourist and gawked at everything. One thing I noticed was that there were a lot of motels and hotels that had Vacancy signs lit. I had thought that it was less crowded than I remembered, but now I’m pretty sure the number of attendees has shrunken. Still, there are a few hundred thousand bikes here, and that’s a lot. If this is a trend, then maybe the outrageous room rates will also come down. Maybe next time I come down, I’ll be able to get a room for a change instead of camping. Then again, I do like my tent, so I’ll probably just camp again. It was nice to see the ocean again, even if I didn't get to ride on the beach. Anyway, I rode up A1A to Ormond Beach, then turned around. I was right about the traffic being light this early. I came back into Daytona Beach then turned west on Main St. They’re getting $7.00 to park a bike, so I didn’t stop. Fleece ‘em for as much as you can get. I did see a few interesting bikes as I rode by and the usual partiers (partyers?) already going at 9:00 AM. I get a kick out of some of the people. The folks who are covered with tattoos and piercings and brightly varicolored hair are always worth staring at as are the “Augmented” scantily clad women. At least they aren’t offended if they see you looking at them; in fact, they like it. After Main St., I turned south on Halifax Ave. and rode back to Int’l Speedway Bl and headed east. I stopped at a Krispy Kreme Donut shop and got one Original Glazed donut when I saw the Hot - Fresh sign lit. The joint was packed with a long line waiting to order, but the wait was worth it. I don’t know what they do differently from other donut chains, but there’s nothing like a fresh Krispy Kreme . Now, I’m about to head back to the Speedway to watch the 200. Yesterday afternoon during qualifying, I heard the announcer say that Danny Eslick was on the pole for today. I hope he pulls off another win. **************** I wrote the above this morning where there was no WiFi. Eslick did win, but he wasn’t on the pole Someone beat his time in the last qualifying session which was after I had left the Speedway to meet up at the BBQ joint. I got a heavy duty sunburn from sitting out in the sun. My arms look like they belong on a cooked Lobster. Tonight, I’m going to shower and get my saddlebags packed so that in the morning, I’ll be out of the campground early. It was a fun time. | ||
| Tootal |
Wow, it was 5 bucks to park last time I was there. Now you know why attendance is down. They don't like the bikers there so they charge for everything. They made it illegal to park on the side streets without a permit then they want you to go to big parking lots that cost money just so you can walk to Main St. and spend more money. That's the reason I quit going. My buddy and I went for many years, actually we met there a long time ago. He's 85 now and I still go to Florida to see him and he's doing great, he just doesn't trust himself on two wheels anymore. Glad you had a good time John! Safe travels home! | ||
| Crusty |
Whew! I’m in a Mickey’s in Tifton, Georgia recuperating from being stuck in a massive traffic tie up. In an hour and a half, The only time my bike wasn’t in first gear, it was in Neutral. I might have gone two miles, but I wouldn’t swear to it.It was one of the most bollixed messes I’ve been in in years. If it was an accident that caused it, that would be bad enough; but it was the Georgia DOT putting down lane dividing strips. They aren’t painted on, they’re sticky backed like tape. They shut down 2 of the three lanes on the busiest travel day of the week. Atta Boy! Georgia. You are now second only to Chicago (but above New York City) in places that have truly shown how to disrupt the flow of transportation. | ||
| Crusty |
Be It Ever So Humble… I got home yesterday afternoon around 4:30. I was tired and cold and I took a hot shower before I did much else besides turning the thermostat up to 70º as I walked past it. I had turned it down to 50º when I left for Daytona. I had hit some really heavy rain at the Georgia/ Tennessee border in the morning and I never completely dried out nor did I warm up until that wonderfully hot shower. It really is a good feeling knowing that I have my own home to return to. When I got out of the shower, I just looked at the living and dining rooms and smiled. I was Home. It was a good trip. I saw some good racing, had an enjoyable dinner with some friends and I demo rode a couple of bikes. One was a bit of a disappointment, but the other might just be my next bike. I really liked the 2018 Roadster. I'd have to change the gas tank, rear fender, seat and bars and I'd have to put good hard bags on it, but I think I could enjoy riding it to the Arctic ocean. It felt a lot like my bike but improved. The engine carbureted better, the forks and shocks worked much better and the brakes were a hell of a lot better. It won’t perform like a Buell, but it will be a comfortable mile eater. Now, all I have to do is figure out how to make the payments; well, I need to find out how much the payments would be, first, then juggle my finances so that I can afford it. In the meantime, I still have the Roadster and she’s still running well. I don’t have to rush into anything just yet. The ride home from Daytona kicked my butt. I’ve been just vegetating all day. It took way too much effort to run a load of laundry and fold it and other than cooking dinner, I plan to not do much else today. I feel whipped. The TV has been warning everybody constantly about the Winter Weather Warning. Tonight, we’re supposed to get 2 to 4 inches of snow. I guess I should panic and run to the supermarket and get Milk and Bread, but my ass is dragging too much. I ain’t going anywhere. Maybe I’ll just stay home for another day if the weather is ugly. There are some perks to being retired. In about 2 1/2 weeks, I’ll be heading out again to see the Atlanta Short Track, the Barber Museum, visit with Grace and Steve, then ride over to April Buells at TWoS. I’ll be on the road for a week and a half or so. That will probably be my longest trip this year. I’m doing my best to bring the balance down on my debt. It’s all coming together and it’s looking good. | ||
| Pwnzor |
Looking forward to seeing you in a few weeks. I will be out in the campground with you this time. | ||
| Buellish |
What Matthew said (except the part about the campground).You will love Barber! | ||
| Ourdee |
I want to go to TWO's. Hamhok! Have to work. | ||
| Crusty |
I've been to the Barber Museum before. I went after Buelltoberfest in 2015. It's just that there are so many incredible motorcycles there I couldn't give them the attention they each deserve. I took dozens of photos when I was there, but I want to go back and look closer at some of the motorcycles. I also know that I missed some really significant bikes, like the Britten. I've been planning this for a while and I'm really looking forward to it. | ||
| 86129squids |
The one time I visited Barber was back when the 1125R was new, and dealer personnel got to ride it on various tracks around the country. The next day, Megan, Ed and I toured the museum. They'd been there before, but not I. As I was lagging behind them, I fondled the Britten with pure lust. When I caught up to them, they'd been chatting with George Barber himself... what should have I had done?!?! | ||
| Crusty |
New Bike Blues I’m going to have to get a new bike eventually. I mean, the Roadster’s showing 87,000 miles and every time I go somewhere, I’m listening for funny sounds or feeling unusual vibrations. The bike is fine and is running fine, but I just have the expectation that something’s going to go wrong. The problem isn’t with the bike, it’s with me. I keep thinking of that old saying, It takes a long time to develop Trust, but it only takes Suspicion to destroy it. Try as I might, I can’t get completely over the engine self destructing thirty thousand miles ago. So, what do I get to replace the Roadster? I don’t want a Harley Big Twin. I like them, but if a belt snaps while traveling, I’m screwed. I can’t change a belt out on the side of the road. It requires a shop. I can change out a Sportster’s belt a lot easier, and I did change the Roadster’s belt in a parking lot when the first belt snapped. Plus, I really like Sportsters. The Demo rides I took on a new Roadster in Daytona really impressed me. I’d have to change out the gas tank, seat, rear fender and handlebars, but I think it would be a good way to go. It would be everything the Roadster is, but it would run better and more quietly and it has much better suspension and brakes. The rub is that I’d have to take out a loan to get it. I’m focused on reducing my debt; getting a new bike would go counter to that goal. I could buy a used bike. Last night, I looked on fleaBay and the used Roadsters with the better suspension are going for close to the same price as a new bike. I could look for a replacement Roadster that’s a bit newer than my bike, and save a big chunk of cash. I wouldn’t have the suspension and brakes of a new Roadster, but I would probably have a bit more faith in the bike. I’ve heard from a few people that the 2005s had a crank pin problem. The pins weren’t properly hardened or something and they wear out prematurely. My engine ate itself at 57,000 miles. I read a post from another ’05 owner whose engine died at the same mileage, and the guy I bought a pair of stock mufflers from told me his wore out at 17,000 miles, but he replaced it before it destroyed everything else. Incidentally, the engine that’s currently in the Roadster is also an ’05. I could just have the engine rebuilt using top quality parts, but that would cost me more than a newer used bike. I’ve also been thinking about getting a used Buell. There’s an ’07 Ulysses for sale locally for $3800. It has a lot of upgrades, like the three bearing rear wheel and it’s white. It has Pelican side cases, instead of the stock Journeys, but that’s not a huge minus for me. It would be a much better bike for riding over the Dempster and Top Of The World Highways. The rub is finding parts. I think that most parts would be available. The biggest problem I have with a Uly is that it’s a tall bike and I’m short. Still, of all the bikes I regret selling, my ’06 Uly is at the top of the list. Well; I’ll give the matter a bit more thought. The old adage, When you don’t know what to do, do nothing until it becomes obvious seems to apply. | ||
| Buellish |
John,what it takes to lower a standard Uly is a Lightning Long shock and an upper handelbar clamp with the bevel made flat to act as a riser under the bars to raise the bar enough to get the forks up in the tripples to make the bike level.I did my '06 this way and before I sold it to Charlie (New12R) I put it back to stock height.Unfortunatly,I don't still have the parts. | ||
| Crusty |
Weather Forecasters Have you ever seen a Weather Forecaster on TV who was consistently right? I got home from Daytona on Monday, and all I’ve been hearing about is Snow. Now, we got a major storm that left a colossal three inches on my lawn on Wednesday (whatever snow landed on my driveway melted immediately). The major TV networks were scrolling warnings across the top of the screen warning us which counties were in imminent danger. Then, immediately after that freakish weather came the dire warnings of another imminent Retribution from God. On Wednesday, they were predicting a disaster of Biblical Proportions I heard 10 to 12 inches of snow was coming. On Thursday, it was downgraded a little to only a major storm with 5 to 7 inches expected. Now, they’re saying 1 to 3 and it’s supposed to change over to rain. Also; the storm warnings had the storm starting at 5 AM. It just started snowing at 8:45. Well; I hope they get the predicted temperatures for the coming week right. They’re saying that by Wednesday, the temperatures will hit 60º. By this time next week, it will all be just a memory. I wish I could be as consistently wrong at my job and make as much money as the TV weathermen get. To be honest, I doubt they could accurately predict a Sunrise. Rant over. | ||
| Hughlysses |
^ Nothing like motorcycling makes you appreciate how useless weather forecasting of more than one day in advance is. I've tracked weather for a week or more in advance for a motorcycle event (like March Badness) and taken screen caps of the predicted weather each day. The predicted forecast changes almost every day. It's rare that they get it right a week in advance, so I don't know why they bother to try and forecast it that far ahead. I'd love to see a weather forecaster that graded themselves at the end of each week. I’ve also been thinking about getting a used Buell. There’s an ’07 Ulysses for sale locally for $3800. John- Don't forget about the 07 crankshaft issues. I'd really recommend you try and find an XB12XT (2008-2010) which gets you the better engine AND the lower suspension from the factory. | ||
| Crusty |
So I Says To Myself… I’ve made no secret of the fact that I’ve fallen for a new Roadster. I was so impressed by the Demo bike that I rode in Daytona that it’s pretty much dominating my thoughts. All the rain we’re getting hasn’t helped me, either. I’m spending lots of time in the house and I have lots of time to think. Then I go online. I happened to go over to Cycle Trader and I found a left over 2016 Roadster for $2800.00 less than MSRP for a 2018. That really got my wheels turning. However, as attractive as that is, I think I’ll have to let it go by. If I were to take out a loan and buy it, I wouldn’t have the money to go anywhere on it. I’d be spending all my traveling cash on the new bike. I also wouldn’t have the cash available to transform it the way I want. It really is a temptation and I might decide that it would be worth it, but I’ve bought tickets to a bunch of races this summer and I’d hate to have tickets and not be able to go. I haven’t changed my priority of paying down that usurious credit card. The way they’re fleecing me just bugs the hell out of me. Once the card is paid down, I’ll be able to afford the payments for a new bike. Who knows; maybe for 2019, The MoFoCo will have a bike that’s closer to what I want and I won’t have to buy a gas tank, rear fender handlebars and get an extension for the back of the front fender. (I guess those out-of-touch-with-reality types in their cubicles in Milwaukee think that people don’t ride better handling motorcycles when it rains out.) So, it looks like I’ll be on the Roadster for a while longer. That’s OK. It’s running well enough. I’ll just keep working on the plastic and it will all come around in time. In the meantime, next week, I head out for the Atlanta Short Track. That should be a good race. | ||
| 86129squids |
$.02... You've got the Crusticle Roadster set up, sorted out, farkled, and so on... you've ridden it all over creation, except down under. That motor should be trustworthy. TONS of mammaries over the time you've had it.  I've watched you ride that thing swiftly and deftly, lefty/righty... I don't see you NEEDING a new bike. Re-sole those boots if need be, it'll be a LOT cheaper. Maintain it, baby it when needed, add new farkles as needed, and RIDE. There's something about having that green piece of paper that says "Title". That's what I love about the Beemer, that dang thing will probably outlast me, and I hope it does. | ||
| Zac4mac |
Get the bottom end sorted and I'll do your heads half price. Stg1 or Stg2. Decking can add 1-2 points on CR and HP. 75-80 HP with nothing else changed, add 300 for some cams and... Z | ||
| Tootal |
John, you sound like my buddy's teenage son, only you're listening to reality. His son wanted to trade in a perfectly running Toyota to buy a new Ford Focus. Since he wouldn't listen to his dad, his dad called me and we met up and I explained how if you go into debt you'll be married to your car, working just to make your payments and you won't have time to pick up all those girls you think you're going to have time for. Well he didn't listen to my voice of personal experience and got the Focus anyway. Many years later he got married and as we were walking out of the church congratulating him I bent down and whispered in his ear, I told you so! His head just dropped knowing that it went down just as I had said. We both had a good laugh. | ||
| Crusty |
I Really Shouldn’t… I’m sitting in a Macca’s in Corbin, Kentucky taking a wake up / lunch break. I really shouldn’t be here. I should be home and calling various HVAC people to find out just how bad I’m going to get reamed. Instead, I’m on my way toward Woodstock, Georgia and I’m going to hopefully see a good race. Even though I’m doing this on a shoestring, I really shouldn’t be going at all. (I’ve got a motormouth in the next booth that has decided that I should be the recipient of his opinions on everything . He’s quite annoying. ) Anyway, I wasn’t going to go to the race, even though I bought a ticket months ago. I really can’t justify the expense. However, the night before last, the weather forecaster was saying that Cincy’s supposed to get measurable snow tonight and tomorrow. I’ve had enough for one winter. It’s a rare occurrence when the temp reaches the Average High for the date lately. Tomorrow night’s low is supposed to get down to the low 20s. I hope my pipes don’t freeze, though I really don’t think they will. So, between the furnace dying, the colder than average temps and the threat of snow, the Tramp in me took over and I’m almost half way to Georgia. The weather forecast is for rain tomorrow morning. I hope it stops early enough that they can get the race in tomorrow night. Otherwise, the rain date is Sunday. I guess that if I’m going to be in crappy weather, I’d rather be in rain than than snow. Then again, I’d much prefer sunny and 75º. | ||
| Court |
For what it's worth . . . you did the right thing. Your pipes ain't gonna freeze . . . racing, in at least one unsubstantiated study., is a proven way to lower your blood pressure and promote emotional stability . . . so all the signs scream "road trip". Enjoy the race . . . the peace and meet at least 2 new friends. When you get home the available list of solutions will be the same, you'll be a better person . . having seen a race and made friends . . and you can make the decision then . . . in the better weather. Now . .. put the guy in the next booth on the phone and let me straighten his logorrhea out. Have fun, race much, be healthy. . . . . it's really all we've got. Well . . .that and pulled pork. | ||
| 86129squids |
Crusticle, if you pass through E TN, feel free to stop by! Got a good BBQ place about a half-mile from the house, and an air mattress if need be. | ||
| Crusty |
I'll know more about the furnace this week. Right now, I'm in Calhoun, Georgia. The rain stopped, but nothing looks like it's drying out. I hope that it's looking better at the track. I'm going to head down to the track in a half hour or so (I'm about 45 minutes North). I found a BBQ joint on Google that gets almost 5 stars (Uncle C's BBQ). I guess I should check it out just to make sure Google knows what they're talking about. The good news is that even if the race gets postponed, they'll run it tomorrow and the weather's supposed to stay dry until after that. |
