| Author | Message | ||
     Pwnzor |
Fabulous. If that bike was for sale at a dealership I would have a tough time walking away from it. | ||
| Two_seasons |
Beautiful Crusty. I don't know if one will fit, but have you considered a center stand? If you are out in the middle of nowhere, it could make sense. | ||
| Thunderrat |
Crusty, Excellent job  That is a fine looking sporty. I love what you did to the front fender: and a proper rear fender. Here is to safe travels on that sweet bike ............ted | ||
| Griffmeister |
Gonna be tough to keep your eyes on the road when you’re constantly looking down at the bike. | ||
| Crusty |
Route Planning This afternoon, I’m going to ride up to Middletown to check out The Jug as a possible location for a Meet & Eat. I have a pattern that I’ve been falling into when it comes to going places. I don’t want to take the same roads in opposite directions; I’d rather make the route a circle. I also tend to take the fastest and most direct way there, then take secondary roads home. So that’s how my route started. I’ll take I-75 to The Jug. It’ll get me there quickly. But when I started planning my route home, I started noticing things along the way as I tried to avoid highways. If I take a left out of the parking lot and follow Central St. into town, I can pick up OH Rt. 4 and take that towards home. Rt.4 takes me past Jungle Jim’s, eventually. And Jim’s has Chilean cherries on sale for $3.99/Lb. So I think I’ll stop and pick some up. I love cherries, so I think I know what I’ll be snacking on tonight. Now, usually when I go to the Jungle, I’ll take I-275 towards home. but it will be close to rush hour when I get there, so I’d rather take secondary roads. As I was plotting my route home, I saw that I would be going by Powder Coating Specialty. I plan to have the saddlebag mounting brackets powder coated after the brackets have been modified and I’m not sure if I need to get the chrome bead blasted off first, or if they do it as part of the process. So I think I’ll stop and ask. The last thing I noticed was that my route takes me past Velvet Smoke BBQ. That has me in a bit of a spin. If I eat at the Jug, I won’t be eating dinner; it will be late enough in the afternoon to be considered a Linner. Plus, I’ll be eating a bunch of cherries this evening. That’s fine, but the idea of getting some Burnt Ends really appeals. Maybe I should just go check out the Jug and not eat? But then; how can I give it a decent review? I mean, if I don’t eat there, how can I recommend it as a possible Meet & Eat location? Maybe what I should do is eat at The Jug, then hit Velvet Smoke tomorrow before the weather turns to sh*t on Friday. That makes the most sense, except that this is a very lean month. Not only is it a five week month, but Property Tax is due this month and taxes have gone up. Plus, my NRA membership is up for renewal. I guess I can wait to hit VS until I get my next SS deposit. That’s less than 2 weeks from now. Anyhow; the sun is shining! it’s going to be a nice day for a ride and I have three destinations to hit on the Gentleman’s Express. It’s going to be a Good Day! | ||
| Wolfridgerider |
they do have a tasty looking burger... | ||
| Pwnzor |
 | ||
| Crusty |
Recon Report Well; I went to The Jug for lunch. There is no inside seating available at present, and if they open up the inside seating, there are only a half dozen stools along a counter. They have a few picnic tables out front and that’s where I sat and ate. I had a cheeseburger and a root beer to drink. It was a good burger and the root beer was also good. I would eat there again and I liked the burger a lot more than the burger I had at the Thurman Cafe, even though the Thurman Burger was a lot bigger. I didn’t eat much because I was cold. I took the Interstate to Middletown and I was chilled when I got there. Having to sit outside at a picnic table when it’s 40º F (4.5º C) to eat was not conducive to having a long, lingering lunch. I guess it would’t be a bad place for a Meet & Eat, but it’s basically just a root beer stand like an A&W. I would suggest that if people want to go there, we should wait until warmer weather; especially if people have to travel a ways to get there. As I said, the burger I ate was good. I wouldn’t mind eating there again. If we do go there, it would be more like going to White Castle than a real restaurant (though the burgers are a lot better). The rest of the ride was kind of underwhelming. I was cold the entire time I was out there. (The first thing I did when I got home was take a hot shower to get the chill out). I stopped at Jungle Jim’s and got a bag of cherries. My first impression of them is that Chilean cherries aren’t as good as Pacific Northwest cherries, both in size and in flavor. Traffic was fairly heavy coming home from the Jungle and I missed Powder Coating Specialty. I was looking for it, but traffic was heavy and it took a lot of my attention. I’ll just have to call and ask questions about what I need to do. There’s no rush; I won’t be getting the parts coated until after I can get up to Joe’s and he can weld and cut the brackets. Right now, my ass is dragging. That ride whipped the living sh*t out of me. I think I’ll kick back on the recliner and fall asleep watching the idiot box That is all. | ||
| Pwnzor |
Crusty, have you ever tried Ranier Cherries? They're multi-colored gold and red... They only come out during June and July, sometimes into August. Oh, my, God... they're good. | ||
| Crusty |
One Of Those Nights I’m having one of those nights. I woke up at 3:00 AM and the Committee in my head immediately convened. So I got up and played a couple of games on the laptop. Then I started looking at motorcycle parts. There aren’t many parts to look for to finish up the Gentleman’s Express. I pretty much know what parts I need and how much they’re going to cost. But I still have the 78 Sportster down in the basement and it needs quite a bit. I had thought that the parts it needs are going to be a lot more expensive than the prices I’ve found. So far, I’ve spent the last hour looking at all kinds of things. I was wondering if I’ve started looking at the 78 because it’s winter. I spent a good bit of time playing with it last winter after I got back from Australia. Then I found the 16 Roadster and began building the Express, and the 78 got put on the back burner. I could get sucked into building the 78. It needs a lot. A couple of items it needs are Swap Meet items. The right exhaust bracket for the chrome salami exhaust. The parts for the front of the seat so it mounts on the frame properly. I need to find a Superglide tank. It needs a generator and a clutch kit and cables; throttle, clutch, rear brake and Speedometer. I don’t know what else. I guess that once I get my plastic paid down, I’ll be able to start back in on playing with it. Part of me is saying that I could just buy some of the cheaper items. Twenty bucks for a cable or other cheap items. I know where that leads, though. If I do that, the payments on the plastic will get smaller and I’ll become obsessed with building the bike. Like I became obsessed with building the Gentleman’s Express. When I bought the 16, I told myself that I was just buying the bike. I wasn’t going to make any changes until both the plastic and furnace were paid off. That didn’t even last a day, once I flew to Wichita and started riding it home. I didn’t even get out of Kansas before I ordered brake and clutch levers and new hand grips. The ride home convinced me that I had to change the handlebars, and I was off and running. A sizable amount of debt later, the Gentleman’s Express is a reality. But the debt is still there and it’s a lot bigger than it was last year at this time. If I start buying “Cheap” parts for the 78, a year from now, I’ll still be in debt. I want to get it paid off and the only way to do that is to not buy unnecessary things; like parts to restore a 43 year old motorcycle. Maybe once I get the debt cut in half of what it currently is, I’ll be able to start buying little items for the 78. But that’s going to be several months. And it feels like an alcoholic saying, "Well; if I can go six months without a drink, then I should be able to handle only having one or two!" In the meantime, it’s winter. I have things to do for both the Roadster and the Express. I guess I’ll concentrate on that. There’s a beautiful new Alto Carbonite clutch kit still sitting on the dining room table. maybe it’s time to put that in the express. But not at 5:00 AM. | ||
| Tootal |
You forgot to mention that wonderfully comfy stock seat! I still remember the look on your face when you were trying to dismount after hours of sitting on a board!  | ||
| Crusty |
You should have seen Ourdee when he sat on the bike a few days after that! | ||
| Wolfridgerider |
You forgot to mention that wonderfully comfy stock seat! I still remember the look on your face... That reminded me when Doug and I did a Iron Butt ride on the DR650's. We both had our seats recovered. I had more padding added. Doug had the "Lower" padding installed. This is use at the beginning of the ride  and here we are just over the half way point. I laugh pretty hard every time I see this pic  | ||
| Ourdee |
Doug is almost making me cry. Lil Red will get you. Ouch. (Message edited by ourdee on January 15, 2021) | ||
| 1313 |
Doug is almost making me cry. Lil Red will get you. Ouch. Reminds me of the time I helped a German colleague pick up some flavor of XB12S in Apopka, FL and getting it back to New Bern, NC. I rode the bike all the way through Florida, and once we hit Georgia we alternated riding the bike at every gas fill up. I remember riding the last leg and around Goldsboro, NC praying that any traffic light on HWY 70 would be red so that I could put my feet down and get my ass up off the seat. But the damn light turned green just as I was about to put my feet down... And then there was the time that I took a company S1W to one of the first Woodward Avenue Dream Cruise's in Detroit. On my return trip, the damage was already done. Buying that camping pillow to put on the seat in Ann Arbor was useless... | ||
| Tootal |
My dad and I rode to a Rider magazine rally in Pigeon Forge Tennessee. We rode my two bikes. One was a 91 Harley Electro Glide Sport and the other was an 85 BMW K100RS. Switching bikes at gas stops worked out great! We even rode the Dragon one way, switched bikes, and rode the other. Great trip and and if you are riding with someone you trust on your bike it's a great way to rest your keester on a long trip! | ||
| Crusty |
Short Strokes It’s a grey winter day. The temp is right around the freezing mark. The highs are supposed to be in the mid 30s and the lows are supposed to be in the low 20s right through the 10 day forecast with show showers off and on almost every day. It snowed during the night. Not enough to count; just a dusting. It’s supposed to do it again this afternoon and again overnight. It’s not super cold, nor is the snow going to accumulate, but along with the leaden skies it makes for a bleak winter. I doubt I’ll be going anywhere outside the house beyond the mailbox today. When I was at the supermarket yesterday, I bought some “salad bowl” containers. I had measured the OD of the clutch plates and I measured the diameter of the containers. The clutch kit would fit in one, so I bought them. There were on sale - a package of 3 for $2.99. My Carbonite clutch plates have been sitting in one of them covered with Formula + for about 20 hours. I’ve been debating with myself if I should change out the clutch on the Express today. I probably won’t be taking it out for a few days, so I have plenty of time to do the job. Then again, if I do change it out, the bike will sit for a while before I get a chance to see if I like the new clutch. I also wonder if the oil will penetrate the clutch fibers as thoroughly in the colder temps. Maybe it would be smarter to let the plates sit for another day or so. I don’t think sitting in oil for a longer time will hurt anything, so I’m leaning toward letting them sit. I’m also thinking that I might just bring the bowl (it is covered) upstairs into the heated house until it’s time to start the job. AFT finally released its schedule for 2021. The DuQuoin Mile is back once again. I checked with Gargle and it’s 325 miles to the track. DuQuoin is one of the prettiest tracks I’ve been to and it matches Springfield for the quality of racing. I have a pretty good idea where I’m going to be on July 17. I hope tickets go on sale soon. I have my tickets for Springfield. I’ll have a ticket for DuQuoin as soon as they go on sale. I guess I had better start replacing my tired out camping gear soon. REI has a 3 1/2” self inflating pad on sale in their closeout section. I should probably get that first. When I get my tax refund, I’ll get the new tent. I plan to get an exact replacement for my current tent. I’m really surprised that such a great tent sells for so cheap. $249.00 for a brand new tent is one hell of a deal. The USMC was instrumental in the design of this tent and it shows in both its durability and design. I got my present tent (a birthday present from David) in August of 2015 as a surplus tent and it has been a case of instant love and appreciation. I lived in this tent for a while and even though it is now wearing out, it has been more than good to me. I just had a magnificent BLT for brunch. I’ve figured out the formula (recipe?) to make a truly incredible sandwich. Since I’m feeling generous, I’ll share it with you. Toast a Kroger Private Selection Brioche roll (If you can find a Martin's Potato Bread Roll; even better!) Take three slices of Wright’s thick sliced bacon and cut them in half so that you have six 5” or so pieces and fry them over low to medium heat Spread Hellman’s Mayonnaise on both toasted roll halves (This is the hard part) Find a good tomato and slice it into pieces that will just cover one side of the roll. Get a head of iceberg lettuce and rip some pieces that will cover the diameter of the roll When the bacon is cooked, and has sat on paper towels to absorb the excess grease, put two slices of bacon on the bottom of the roll. Next, put the tomato on top of the bacon Then put two more slices of bacon. Then the lettuce. Then the last two pieces of bacon Then the top half of the roll. Pour yourself a good cup of coffee and enjoy a bit of Nirvana. Have a Nice Day! | ||
| Crusty |
Gear Shopping I need to get some new camping gear. Not everything, but I need a new sleeping pad and a new tent. I have no complaint with the gear I’m replacing; it has served me well. It has become old and not quite up to the task, though. The tent has developed a few small rips in the door screens and one of the poles has started to split at one end. Minor annoyances, but they are red flags that it’s reaching its end of life. My sleeping pad has developed problems with the air valves and it loses air over a day or two where it used to stay air tight. Considering that I lived on the road for two years, a six year life span is pretty remarkable. I’m going to get a new tent when I get my Income Tax Refund. I’m impressed enough with my present tent that I’m going to get the same one. It’s the best tent I’ve ever owned by a wide margin. I got it as used Military Surplus, yet it has endured a lot of abuse. I’m amazed that the price of a new replacement is so low. At $250.00 it’s a steal of a deal. The sleeping pad, however, is going to be upgraded. My present pad is an REI 3.5 pad. While it was a great pad, REI no longer offers it, so I’m going to go with a 4 inch pad this time. I’ve gotten older and a thicker pad will be better for a couple of reasons. First, I’ll be more comfortable. Forty years ago, I had no trouble sleeping on the ground. Now, I hurt after sleeping in a bed. Also, the thicker pad offers better insulation. I’m planning to ride to Tuktoyaktuk next year. Permafrost is real there. If I’m camping, I don’t want to sleep on a slab of ice without good insulation. I toyed with the idea of getting a six inch thick pad. That might be a better choice for Arctic camping. But the 50% higher price and larger packed bulk are definite deterrents. I’ll try the 4” pad this summer and see how I like it. I think it’ll be OK. In the specs, REI states that it’s among the best for Winter and colder conditions and the R factor is close to 7. The jury is still out, though. Since I won’t be buying right away, I have time to mull over if the extra bulk when it’s packed is worth it. If the 4” pad is warm enough, why would I want the extra bulk of a 6” pad on the bike? These are the questions that run through my mind at 4:00 AM when I wake up and can’t get back to sleep. I prefer having to deal with issues like these when the committee in my head convenes than the extremely frustrating things that go on when I get caught up in Politics. Now; at 5:00 AM, I can go back to sleep and let my subconscious decide which is the better choice. More money and more packed bulk, or less bulk, but still warm enough and more affordable. | ||
| Crusty |
01/21/2021 I’m cranky, this morning. I woke up at 5:30 with a bladder that was screaming at me, then, as soon as I got back in bed, the committee in my head convened and they were doing their best Antifart/BLT imitation and my mind was Downtown Seattle/Minneapolis. I lay there for about 10 minutes, then decided things were not going to quiet down, so I got up. Playing Solitaire, Circle the Cat and Minesweeper helped to settle my head, but by the time that happened, the sky was getting light on the Eastern horizon. So I started the coffee and brushed my teeth. When I checked my e-mail, the USPS let me know that my package was Out For Delivery today. It’s a 12 foot extension so that I can plug my ear buds (pieces? Shells?) into the TV. Don gave me the ear things for Christmas and they help me hear people on my cell phone a lot clearer. He said that if I watch a movie with them plugged into the TV, it’ll be like sitting in a theater. The 12 foot extension cable cost me a whopping $4.52, so I figured I’d try it. I was thinking that I’d watch a Marvel movie when the cable arrived; The Avengers or Doctor Strange or even Guardians of the Galaxy, but I’ve decided that in honor of the Inauguration, I’ll watch The Revenge of the Sith tonight. I’m going to have enough money to get by until Monday when I get my SS deposit, so I think I’ll get extravagant and buy dinner. I’ve been wanting Burnt Ends for a couple of weeks, and I have a $20.00 bill that’s burning a hole in my wallet. I was going to wait until next week, but I’m probably going to be holed up because of the weather. Today, the high temperature is supposed to hit 48º F (9º C), so I think I should go out for a ride. Besides the fact that a ride should help my crappy attitude, I’m hoping that the Carbonite Clutch will break in and stop squealing. Right now, I’m thinking that if the squeal doesn’t get better, I’ll put the stock clutch back in the bike. I’ll probably change out the Grenade plate before I head to Tuk, next year. I could try a few different variations. The XR 1200 pieces supposedly work well. And Alto makes a Grenade Plate (Spring Plate) that uses stainless steel rivets, instead of brass items. I’m not sure which way would be best. I’m leaning toward the Alto spring plate, but I probably will give it time and watch the XL Forum to see how people like them. I looked at the MoFoCo BIG Reveal yesterday. The salesman at Cin City was right; there are only three Sportsters being offered. There are seven Cruisers and 13 So, basically, I’m feeling very pissy. I’m going to fix a BLT for breakfast, hit a meeting, then put on a few miles. On the way home, I’ll stop at Velvet Smoke and pick up dinner. Hopefully, all that will improve my mood. | ||
| Crusty |
A Winter’s Day There’s snow outside. Not a lot, but it’s there; leeching the color and joy from everything. The temperature is supposed to rise above freezing as the day goes on and it will continue to rise into the evening, when the rain begins. The good news is that the rain will melt the snow. When I wrote about winter and snow, I got a few replies about how much snow falls where some folks live. Well; if you like it, more power to you. Stay there and enjoy it. My all time favorite coffee cup says WINTER SUCKS on the side. I don’t like winter. That’s part of the attraction of living where I do. Shoveling snow may be good exercise, but it’s also known as Heart Attack snow. On a day like this, my mind tends to wander in many directions. A couple of weeks ago, I was looking at a new tent and sleeping pad. This morning, I’ve been looking at Riding Gear. Motoport jackets and pants, to be specific. I think that getting a suit from Motoport would be on my list if I should come into a fair sized windfall. I’m pretty disillusioned with my Aerostich gear. I realize that a lot of people love theirs, that’s why I got it to begin with; but I haven’t had good luck with mine. I bought the pants first. They fit well, but they weren’t waterproof and they were made of two different shades of gray. I rode down to New Jersey when Aerostich had a Pop Up there and got fitted for my jacket. It didn’t fit and had to be sent back to Duluth and modified. Then it faded to a grayish shade of pink. When I was on the road in 2015, I met a guy on a Kawasaki Concours who was wearing a Motoport suit and he loved it. He’d had suits from all different sources, including Aerostich and he flat recommended his Motoport. I’ve known a few people over the years who had Motoport jackets and pants and were very happy with them. I think it’s time to give them a try. Besides Aerostich, I’ve had jackets from Olympia, Tourmaster, First Gear, Fieldsheer and Buell. The Buell Adventure suit sits right at the top of my list for great gear. I’m talking about the original Adventure suit. The gray one from the late 90s, not the black suit that came along a decade later. I didn’t have one of them, so I can’t speak to its quality. I also had a Motoport jacket that I got in 1997. It was the first textile jacket I ever bought for riding. Until that time, I’d only worn leather. It was pretty basic, but I liked it enough that my next piece of riding gear was the Adventure suit, which I loved and rode with year round. Good riding gear has gotten expensive, which is why I said I’d need a windfall; but even being broke, I plotted a trip out to Motoport in San Marcos, Kalifornica. I came up with a circular route that satisfies my sense of rightness. I’d go from here through Louisville to Nashville where I’d pick up I-40. Stay on I-40 through Albuquerque (where I’d stop for a good Mexican lunch or dinner) to Flagstaff. At Flagstaff, I’s head south on I-17 and stop to visit Dondi before continuing on to Motoport. After getting measured for my new suit, I’d go north on I-15 to Barstow and up through Las Vegas and up towards Utah. Part of me thinks I should get off the Interstate as soon as I cross into Utah and make my way over to Monument Valley one more time, but the other part of me is saying that on a trip this long, I should just concentrate on taking the most direct route. Ah; screw it. This is my fantasy route. I’ll plot it the way I’d like. After riding through Monument Valley, I’d head over to Colorado and ride over the Million Dollar Highway and up to Cedaredge and visit Susan before going over Grand Mesa to I-70 and heading east. Maybe I’ll swing down to Wichita and look at what’s available for a small house, or maybe not. Either way, I’d stop in Saint Louis and visit Greg and probably stop in Indianapolis to have lunch with R.D. (as long as I haven’t lost my phone) before getting back to Cheviot. Anyhow, looking at Riding Suits, plotting a route and writing about it is a good way to spend a winter morning. I just have to be careful. Some of my best adventures have come about by doing similar things. Riding through the Southwest looks pretty nice at this time of year. Crossing the Rockies in Colorado does not, though. Hmmm; maybe I should think about taking I-10 east from Motoport, instead… | ||
| Ourdee |
So, how about talking Alaska mileage and tires. I was watching FortNine on YouTube. He claimed that the new Michelin Commander III Cruiser Tires approach the 30,000 mile marker. If true, that could get you a round trip with out a tire change. | ||
| Crusty |
They don't make the Commander 3s in the right sizes for my wheels. The trip is going to be roughly 10,000 miles. I'll probably have to get tires along the way. I think the Pirelli Scorpions are good for about 8,000 miles on pavement. I don't know how all the dirt roads will affect them. I'll be riding over 2,000 miles of dirt, I think. I'm not going to be any kind of Crusty Demon of the Dirt, but I really have no idea about how the dirt roads will affect the life of the tires. Hey; if I had all the answers, it wouldn't really be an Adventure, now; would it? | ||
| Ourdee |
Rats. I found TKC 70s for the Himalayan. But not the new TKC 70 ROCK in it's size. I think I want the center tread for the rear tire anyways. | ||
| Crusty |
Hot Fun In The Summertime This summer is shaping up to be a busy season for me. It looks like I’m going to get a fair bit of riding in. That’s a good thing after the past couple of years. First, there’s the May rally at Two Wheels of Suches. I don’t know if it has a name. I called it the May Morons, but that didn’t catch on. Anyhow, it’s at my favorite campground anywhere and I’m looking forward to being there. I can ride the roads around the area (which are all beautiful), eat ribs from Jim’s Smoking’ Que, sit on the porch of TWoS and look at all the beautiful bikes, and engage in all kinds of Bull slinging about motorcycles. A few short weeks later there’s the Midwest Meet & Greet in Cuba, Missouri. I went to that rally last year and had a very good time. This year, instead of coming home on Sunday, I think I might just head west to Motoport in San Marcos, Kalifornica and get fitted for a high quality jacket and pants. That will put a few more miles on the Express and will probably stretch a weekend rally into a two week romp. After I get back, I have the DuQuoin Mile to look forward to in July. That will only be a long weekend ride; a day to get there, a day at the Races and a day home. DuQuoin’s only about 325 miles or so from here, so that’s no big deal. August will be fun. Kathryn’s finally going to take possession of the Roadster. She’s going to fly to Cincinnati. I’ll give her a crash course on Sportster Maintenance and introduce her to things like Velvet Smoke and Skyline Chili. David will give her The Tour. David loves Cincinnati and he makes a great tour guide. She’ll see the really good parts of the area. Jungle Jim’s, the Mushroom House, the Spaceship House, Aglamesis Brothers Ice Cream Parlor, plus maybe a ferry ride across the river or a trip through Eaton Park. Then, Kathryn and I will ride to the West Virginia Buell Revival. she’ll have the opportunity to get used to the Roadster by riding over some magnificent West Virginia roads. After that rally ends, the two of us will ride up to Massachusetts. I’ll run around Mass visiting people for a few days, I want to visit the Shop and see Guido, Jimmy, Little Guy, Sandra and the other cast of characters who frequent the place. I also want to stop in and visit Jim Cox. I haven’t seen him in about 15 years. I’m also hoping that I’ll be able to ride to Casserta’s Pizzeria in company with Ernie and Kathryn. Three of us on Sportsters, that will be pretty neat! Then I’ll ride home and get ready for Springfield (i.e. change the oil in the bike and do my laundry!) and the 2 Miles and Short Track over Labor Day Weekend. Finally, I’ll head back to Georgia for Buelltoberfest and that should wrap up all my long rides for the year. The bike will go through a few tires and oil changes, but I’m really looking forward to bonding with it. I’ve kept a fairly low profile for the past couple of years and I haven’t really done many long rides; this summer, I’m going to stretch my legs and let the Tramp in me loose. I need to, so that next year, I’m in a proper mindset for my ride to the Arctic Ocean. I also hope that I can do it without really trashing my budget. I’m pretty sure I can. The only really expensive part will be the trip out to Motoport. Not the trip itself, so much, but the new jacket and pants won’t be cheap. Still; I need new gear. My riding pants are literally coming apart at the seams, and my Closeout Special jacket is showing definite signs of deterioration. Right now is the dead of winter. It’s really heartening to be able to look forward to another wonderful season of riding. And it’ll be on the Gentleman’s Express! | ||
| 86129squids |
Important quextions... pardon if you've covered already. What does Kathryn ride now, regularly? Is she an OTR rider like you? Both got gear packing down? Somehow I'm remembering some old MCN magazines... Wish (and sht in other hand) I were retired so I could roll with ya. Planning on seeing youn's in May. | ||
| Crusty |
Kathryn is an old friend who I've known for almost 40 years. She has always wanted to get a Sportster, but could never afford one. She has owned a 550 Honda, an R75 BMW, an R 100 BMW, an R 60 BMW and she presently rides a 1981 Yamaha 650. After my ankle got crushed in 1997, she gave me the R 60, so I'd have transportation (She was riding the R 100 at the time). My giving her the Roadster is a payback of sorts. She's not as hardcore a rider as I am; she mostly stays close to home. She has made some fairly long rides, however. She has ridden to the Springfield Mile several times and has taken rides to some distant places in the Northeast. She was part of our small Touring group that rode regularly to some distant locations almost every weekend in the 80s and 90s. Usually trips to destinations of a few hundred miles. She has quite a few Thousand Mile weekends under her belt. Kathryn's an old friend and I think she'll really enjoy both the bike and the trip to Cincinnati, West Virginia and the ride back to Massachusetts. | ||
| Pwnzor |
Not to mention, she'll be in the presence of the one guy who knows how to pack the most stuff on that bike, You're a great friend, John... what you're doing with that bike, paying it forward (or back, depending how you look at it) - makes me proud(er) to know you. | ||
| Crusty |
Counting My Chickens The other day, I got my Income Tax forms. They’re not W 2 forms anymore, they’re 1099s ‘cause I’m retired. Since I’m a poor old fart and don’t get a lot from Social Insecurity or my pension, I get everything back that was withheld during the year. Still, I need to file. The first year I was here in Cheviot, I used H&R Blockhead and it cost a sizable amount. However, the next year, Credit Karma offered free tax filing, so I tried them and it was easy and I didn’t have to shell out a couple of hundred bucks. I’ve been using them since. They fit in with my philosophy of. “If it’s Free, then it’s for me!” As soon as I got my tax forms, I sat down and got my Federal forms done I can’t do my State forms for a week of two; they aren’t ready; or somethin’. I get no State Tax taken out, so I’ll get nothing back. I still have to file, though. Or else… Anyhow; I was severely tempted to jump on the Express and ride out to San Marcos, CA to Motoport and have riding gear custom fitted for me. To help break that temptation, I ordered a new tent. I was going to buy one when the tax refund came in anyway and there’s no interest on my credit card until December, so I figured, Why not? That strategy worked. I still plan to get new riding gear because my present gear is falling apart, but it will last a while longer and when I go west to get it, the weather will be better for traveling. But the tent has been bought before I get my tax refund. Knowing the morons who are running the Government, they’ll probably come up with some ingenious plan that takes my refund and gives it to their favorite cause (their wallets!) I guess it’s kind of like counting my chickens before they hatch. If I were smart, I’d wait until I have the Refund in my bank account before spending it. I’m not that smart, though. This morning I went comparison shopping for tires. I only have a couple of thousand miles (maybe as much as three) before my present tires and down to the wear bars. I’ll have to replace them this spring. So I started cruising the internet to see who had the best prices. I was just looking; I wasn’t planning to buy. Prices have gone up a good bit, and the places that usually have the best prices no longer do. I finally found the best deal, which is only $20.00 more than I paid for the present set. Then I figured, “Well, if I get the tires now, I’ll beat the next price increase. I’ll just channel more of the Refund toward them.” That’s a silly thought; I was going to just put the whole refund on my balance anyway. But I bought the tires. So I hope that everything goes the way I plan. The corrupt politicians don’t pillage my refund and I haven’t totally hosed my projected budget. If it all does go to hell, I’ll still figure out a way to accomplish my goals. I might have to give up a trip or two and it might take longer than I planned, but I’ll get there. And BTW, if you’re looking for the best prices for Pirelli Scorpion Trail 2 tires that fit a Roadster, check out Performance Cycle of Colorado. | ||
| Patches |
Looney Tunes 1932-1960 | 5 Hours Compilation | Bugs Bunny | Daffy Duck | Porky Pig | Chuck Jones https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvGFo-B68D0 | ||
| Crusty |
Rare or Medium Rare? I try to maintain a positive attitude. I try to let the small shit slide and focus on the good things in my life. Sometimes though, it’s really hard to. Sometimes I feel like the camel who keeps getting straw piled on its back. Or, rather like Popeye when he says, “That’s all I can stands, I can’t stands no more!” It started when I woke up and looked outside. It snowed again, last night. Not much; just enough to turn everything white again. Things were mostly white when I went to bed, but the streets were down to clear pavement. I guess the good news here is all the rock salt I put down on Wednesday night kept my walk, steps and driveway clear. but it’s still annoying. Then, I looked at my e-mail FedUp sent me an happy little missive that my package is going to be delivered today! I guess I’m supposed to believe them. After all, they told me it was going to be delivered on Wednesday. Then they said Yesterday. Now they say Today. I’ll believe it when the tire is in my possession. That wasn’t the only joyous e-mail I got. Cincinnati Bell has raised my internet rates by $25.00/month. That pissed me off. They jacked my rates up last year when I got back from Australia; now they really want to drive me home. When I grabbed my phone to call them, it was flashing Low Battery. It was at 100% yesterday morning, and I didn’t make any calls. It did this once before; I think it’s dying. Great. Now I need to buy a new phone. Hopefully not, but the way I’m feeling, it seems probable. Then I went online. Badweb is dying. It was my favorite forum for years and it’s spiraling down like an enemy airplane in a war movie. I watched the American Thunderbike Forum go through the same thing. A lot of the good people who I respect have left, and it really saddens me. It isn’t quite in its death throes, but it’s getting closer all the time. And I still have no idea when my tent is going to ship. When I spoke with the nice lady in Customer Service, she said it would be getting shipped this past Tuesday or Wednesday. It really isn’t a big deal if it doesn’t ship for another week or two, but on top of everything else, it’s really irritating. David buys lunch for the people working at his shop every Friday. Today it’s going to be Pizza and I haven’t had Pizza for a while. I was hoping to get by there and have some (I have an open invitation), but I really don’t want to get road salt all over the bike. With the additional snow from last night, I’m sure they put more salt down. So I’m in a rare mood. It has improved since I started hacking out this Snippet, so maybe it’s only a medium rare mood. Then again, I haven’t called Cincy Bell yet; that might just be enough to put me over the edge. I need a meeting. I wonder if the parking lot at the church has been plowed and salted? |
