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Tripper
| | Posted on Saturday, November 12, 2005 - 07:32 pm: | 
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To my friend,
Ferris Bueller...
Jerry Haughton...
or whoever you may be or become...
You have allowed a virtual community of friends to follow along, and some to join you for brief periods along your truly EPIC adventure. I heartily thank you for taking us along, for your fine writing, and for your adventure of spirit which eminates from you and sucks us in.
Thank You D for letting this guy run free and spread his special form of joy, and for adding your own spice to the mix.
And thank you Mr. Madduck. You are a brave and generous soul!
Thank you Erik. And all manufacturers of motorcycles that inspire and thrill.
Thank you Badweb. And you Blake. This was a brilliant idea and a good thing to do.
Your friend,
Dave |
Prior
| | Posted on Sunday, November 13, 2005 - 02:15 am: |
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Dave,
It's too bad we missed you in KC for this go around, hope life is treating you well up in New York.
Suppose I'll give my Ferris shout out too, it was AWESOME hanging again in my back yard this time, being at the Buell factory with ya, chilling with Erik, talking to Brian and stomping around the Field of Dreams with Don. Jeff's BBQ party (and the HUGE amount of food he made up for us) was an awesome time too, props to Jeff for what he's done for all of us. And we got to hang with a TON of Buellers we've never met along the way. And we met Court's sister and got to hang with Dick German too! Fantabulous.
RANE would not have happened in the big way it did without your help, of which I am eternally grateful. Who'd have known such a great friendship would have come out of all of this.
FBrat was indeed an epic adventure, bringing a man, significant to Buell history, together with a machine that is going to be very significant to Buell's future, for an awesome adventure.
Erik,
Thanks for wrecking an entire day of work to hang with us and for the T's you signed. Brian is still floored about talking to ya on the phone, we'll all get together soon enough.
Blake,
Badweb is damn cool too. Keep up the good work man.
We've yet to get Ferris's final analysis on the bike; my hope is that Buell has built a machine that Ferris will add to his stable in the near future. Mr. Yamaha has to be pissed that a FJR was running around Laguna Seca with Pegasus stickers on it. Honestly, who else would do that!
Over and out on a borrowed computer.
Alex a.k.a Baby Bart |
Denisea
| | Posted on Sunday, November 13, 2005 - 02:15 pm: |
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Dave,
Only along for the ride for a few days due to time, w*rk, $ constraints but was more than happy to add some spice, and a little sugar.  The four days I did get to partake were simply put, wonderful - albeit long days of riding and I have no clue how FB did it for 10 days straight. It was a grand opportunity to form an opinion on the Uly - which I penned shortly after getting home. Many, many thanks to all the friends, new and old, who helped both of us on this journey.
Baby Bart,
Your enthusiasm is but one of the reasons we enjoy your friendship - looking forward to the next ride in your neighborhood.
Sweetie,
Thank you again for the journey. 'Twas a grand adventure.
D |
Joyseeker
| | Posted on Wednesday, November 16, 2005 - 11:18 am: |
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Jerry..... i'm sad it has come to an end. 
your sense of photo humor does well with wine and having tried to post a picture here i think you made a super human effort.
good lines forever js 
do you think i fit well? |
Bartimus
| | Posted on Wednesday, November 16, 2005 - 08:19 pm: |
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Huh? That's it? Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
I wanna hear more! Just make something up, ok?
It's winter and it's cold, I need some entertainment!!!
Thanks Ferris and Denise, it was a joy reading this from day to day and following the adventure as it unfolded.
Looking forward to your next adventure!!!
Whoretimus |
Jim_sb
| | Posted on Thursday, November 17, 2005 - 05:22 pm: |
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Hey Ferris, great report, great ride.
Glad you came by to say hello.
All the best,
Jim in Santa Barbara |
Pdxs3t
| | Posted on Thursday, November 17, 2005 - 08:37 pm: |
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Thanks for the ride my friend! |
Court
| | Posted on Thursday, November 17, 2005 - 10:09 pm: |
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S-U-P-E-R-I-O-R Reporting! |
Daves
| | Posted on Saturday, November 19, 2005 - 09:30 am: |
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Thanks to all that were involved, in big or small ways.
Just glad I could be part of it. |
Blake
| | Posted on Wednesday, November 23, 2005 - 01:17 pm: |
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Thanks FB and everyone involved! This turned out better by far than I ever expected. You really went the extra mile. ![: ]](http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/clipart/proud.gif)
Maybe we can coax just one more FBRA thread out of you? Was hoping you and D. would talk some about your riding impressions (solo and two-up) versus your experience on an S2T, VFR, S1W, V-Strom, and FJR? Please? |
Bartimus
| | Posted on Wednesday, November 23, 2005 - 07:44 pm: |
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yes, I was kind of expecting the same thing.
A ride impression with both pros and cons compared to his current and past bikes.
C'mon Yamamotosan, get busy!!!
Inquiring minds want to know. |
Jerry_haughton
| | Posted on Wednesday, November 23, 2005 - 08:45 pm: |
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sorry so quiet on my end, boys, i've been hammering out consistent 14-hour work days since FBRAT and Oktoberfast ($ort of like clo$ing the barn door after the hor$e$ got out...)
a wrap-up is forthcoming, but you gotta be patient.
while i'm here: thank you all for the kind words above, and thanks again to all who played a role in the success of this ride, whether your role was "minor" or "major."
in all seriousness, i still haven't fully recovered from FBRAT. perhaps i never will.
would i do it again?
i'll hafta get back to you on that one...
FB |
Oldog
| | Posted on Wednesday, November 23, 2005 - 11:46 pm: |
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Thanks FB
Incredible adventure
Happy Holidays, FB & D |
Jerry_haughton
| | Posted on Thursday, November 24, 2005 - 05:48 am: |
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happy Thanksgiving, Oldog - thanks for your support.
FB&D |
Blake
| | Posted on Thursday, November 24, 2005 - 09:42 am: |
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"A wrap-up is forthcoming, but you gotta be patient."
Us? Be patient? Hah! He's a wishful thi8nking demanding sort ain't he? 
Seriously though, take your time brother. If you need some help with the math, let me know.  |
Bartimus
| | Posted on Friday, November 25, 2005 - 05:28 am: |
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LOL |
Bartimus
| | Posted on Thursday, April 20, 2006 - 08:49 am: |
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"A wrap-up is forthcoming, but you gotta be patient."
I think we are STILL waiting... |
Jerry_haughton
| | Posted on Thursday, April 20, 2006 - 09:06 am: |
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i think you're right...
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Dtx
| | Posted on Tuesday, February 20, 2007 - 09:39 pm: |
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We need another epic adventure like this for 2007. Hard to believe this one was back in 2005. I had a lot of fun joining a leg of this ride. |
Jerry_haughton
| | Posted on Wednesday, February 21, 2007 - 10:22 am: |
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Drake, it was cool to have you and the rest of the KC contingent along for part of the ride!
i'm pretty much covered up right now with our latest epic adventure, as me 'n D just moved to the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia.
there are plenty of great roads around here, and lots of awesome photo opportunities, but the This Old House that we bought needs a whole lotta love, and i suspect i'll be staying pretty close to home for some time to come.
thx again for being a part of FBRAT.
FB |
Nutsosane
| | Posted on Thursday, February 22, 2007 - 05:09 am: |
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Jerry, good roads down that way huh? Sunday breakfast in Stewartsville (I believe)I'll make sure and send along the invite via PM. NUTS |
Jerry_haughton
| | Posted on Thursday, February 22, 2007 - 07:00 am: |
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Jerry, good roads down that way huh?
well, i HEAR there are.
haven't had a chance to find out first hand, between the weather, work, and our new/old house.
looking forward to hooking up with you again Jason.
FB |
Dbird29
| | Posted on Thursday, February 22, 2007 - 09:57 am: |
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"Remind me to tell you sometime".....
Oh wait, that's that other old Buell guy.
We are still waiting for the recap report. I can't imagine moving across the contry could be that hard.
 |
Court
| | Posted on Thursday, February 22, 2007 - 10:34 am: |
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>>>Oh wait, that's that other old Buell guy.
Hehehehe. . . . right you are VERY OLD! It's occurred to me that my last "Epic Buell Journey" has been 11 years . . . I'll bet most the folks here hadn't even heard of Buell then.
I may be due.
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Jerry_haughton
| | Posted on Thursday, February 22, 2007 - 11:20 am: |
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I can't imagine moving across the contry could be that hard.
you have no idea. 
ok, here goes, the down and dirty (fitting, i think) version.
best handling Buell i've ever ridden, plush, supple ride for the most part, yet able to stick it in a corner and absolutely rail. a lot of front end dive when hard on the brakes, but not so much to affect carving a precise corner, and i was reminded at times of what it must feel like to hump a super-motard bike around a tight track.
fit and finish very good, no complaints, other than the overall appearance is "dull," but that, of course, is entirely subjective.
poor fuel range, if'n yer traveling out in the Wild West. two hundred miles IF you baby it, and 200 miles for an "adventure" bike just don't cut it.
does East Troy know that once you leave East Troy you can't find 93 octane gas? i'm exaggerating a little, but only a little. several times on this trip i HAD to buy 86-rated fuel, many times 87, and often 89, and Madduck's Uly didn't like this a bit, i.e. welcome to Pingville, USA.
wind protection sucks, IMO.
ok, that's a little harsh.
lemme put it another way: for a bike that's s'posed to be up to Big Adventure (which could, possibly, mean long days in the saddle), the minimal wind protection left me cold.
i like the hand protectors, and appreciated what little protection the fairing and screen offer, but ride for a LONG time in the cold, or a LONG time into a stiff headwind, and after a while you feel like you're riding without any clothes on.
it was so bad heading into Las Vegas, that i had to hang onto the bottom of the left mirror stalk with my hand, to allow better purchase, as the wind was fierce and catching my torso like a big barn door.
comfy seat, less so with the lower seat that was swapped on in East Troy, but still comfy.
the bike is WAY too tall for me, even with lower seat. my problem i guess, not the bike's, but what a pain in the ass, especially during off-road excursions when i needed to dab my feet.
HATED this aspect of the bike, and toss a passenger and a full load of gear on the back and then even street riding on tippy-toes becomes an issue. HATED this, but then i'm only 5'8" on a good day, so maybe i'm the one who's built wrong.
HATE THE ••••••• FAN!!!!!
son of a bitch, did i ever learn to despise the noisy frikkin' fan, which got noisier as the trip went on. and sure didn't appreciate pulling up to some scenic, wild vista, the only company me and a million acres of solitude, ready to whip out my camera and try to document my emotions and the surroundings, only to be serenaded by the damn fan.
didya know that if you shut the bike off with the kill switch, leaving the ignition on, the fan won't come on?
sorry Madduck.
i'm no engineer, but when you take an engine that is primarily cooled by exposure to air, and wrap that engine tightly with an all-encompassing aluminum blanket, er frame, doesn't that make it harder for said engine to keep it's cool?
sure seemed like it on this trip.
nice to be able to haul so much stuff so securely. the latches seemed light-duty, but never gave me any problems. the weather-seal around the bottom of the bags was in tatters by the time i got home, attacked, it appeared, by the glue used in assembly.
lessee, got decent tire wear, considering, still had a legal rear tire at nearly the 5K mark, no complaints here, or in the grip department.
experienced headshake on occasion, not so much to be scary, but enough to bug me.
liked the power outlets, but wished they'd been BMW-style, and wish the one under the seat was a little easier to access for the passenger, if said passenger is riding wired.
brakes good, no complaints.
odd phenomenon climbing Pikes Peak: one can't go TOO fast up the hill, in part because you'll get a ticket (saw several cops in hiding on the way up and down), and also because the stutter bumps will absolutely knock you senseless.
so, trolling up the mountain about 25 or 30, and the stylishly-styled front beak (if i owned a Uly this thing would come off before i left the dealer) would allow "roost" to come up off the back of the front tire, get caught up in the little bit of vacuum behind the shield, and then dive right into my face.
i didn't need to have my faceshield down, yet HAD to keep grit from flying into my face. frustrating. the bike could use a real front fender, IMO.
did my first off road in the wilds of Colorado, one-up and two-up, and the bike HATED it. first, the thing's geared too high. you wanna plunk along like a tractor when the going gets soft or dicey, but the bike protests because of the tall gearing.
worse, the motor must be equipped with top-end cams, 'cause it sure doesn't have any torque on the bottom.
sorry about your clutch, Madduck.
speaking of which, the clutch on these is touted to be low-effort, and i concur. however, the tranny was touted to be the slickest ever, and i don't concur. the tranny on the Uly never did get all warm and buttery. sure, it worked, but no better than any other Buell i've ridden.
my biggest gripe about the bike, and the reason i wouldn't spend my own money on one, is the way it ran, which is to say...mostly awful.
a dog on the bottom, for the most part, needing to be spanked hard on the big end to get any result, and then still leaving me wanting for more. add a passenger, and gear, and i was reminded of my Death Valley test ride of the Blast when it first came out.
this was even after Al from American Sport Bike did a TPS reset during Oktoberfast (which made no difference), AND after Bartels fiddled with the bike ("Er, sorry dude, um, that's how they ALL run," or words to that effect).
i found this interesting: during the Oktoberfast ride we had several Uly's along (me 'n D were on the FJR), one of which was Al's. here's a guy who knows how to speak to a Buell, and who had had his long enough to lay hands on it several times over.
during an early part of the ride, we were toodling along a little side road about 35 or so, and Al dropped over onto the wide dirt shoulder and goosed his Uly several times, just having fun. it was about 70 degrees, and we hadn't been riding hard during this section, but when he gassed his bike, it pinged, not once but several times, plainly audible thru my helmet from 30 or 40 feet away.
reminded me of much of FBRAT.
liked the bike a bunch some of the time, but not ALL of the time, and not nearly enough to consider buying one.
in fact, not nearly enough to consider buying ANY current Buell, even if it was one i could actually reach the ground on.
sorry Erik, this ain't personal. i still love and respect you, and REALLY appreciate yours and Jon's hospitality when we were there.
i'm the kind of guy who feels like calling CNN when i do an oil and filter change and nothing leaks afterwards, and can't imagine how amazing it must feel to have your own name on the side of a successful motorcycle company - all due props, sir.
but, the Uly left me angry and frustrated. i REALLY wanted to fall in love with it, REALLY wanted to buy one when the trip was done, REALLY wanted to climb up on BADWEB and sing the Uly's praises to the heavens.
instead, i took the coward's way out and blew y'all off for a year and a half, too chicken to vent my spleen.
my apologies to all.
FB |
Court
| | Posted on Thursday, February 22, 2007 - 11:42 am: |
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I've never ridden one . . . not 10 feet.
Now I . . . . strangely . . . feel compelled to.
Thanks for the write-up. One thing I know with complete certainousity is that coming from you, agree or disagree, I can place credit it your words.
I really got to try one of these things sometime. . . the Ulysses, for the role I'm currently needing (carry stuff, comfy place for a lard ass and room to mount an entire aresenal of gadgetry. . from the guy who had a phone on a 1995 Buell) would see a great fit.
Where do you get these things?
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Madduck
| | Posted on Thursday, February 22, 2007 - 04:30 pm: |
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Jerry,
You are absolutely right on just about everything, my take is I love quirky motorcycles and am 4 inches taller. Still working on the fan thing, the 07 seat suits me just fine and switching to the 9 primary solves almost all of the torque problems for me. The lower gearing really transforms the whole motorcycle. Us "big" guys are really glad that a motorcycle company has finally built a motorcycle we can feel comfortable on. Oh Ferris, if you put on another 50 lbs or so the cold won't bother you so much, you get no sympathy from me when you skinny guys are shivering.
FBRAT was one of the most interesting projects i have ever participated in. Thanks so much for your incredible effort and "bringin us along". You are one of the most amazing people on the web.
Court, sorry you didn't get to "ride along". If you need to borrow my ULY its available, I have four other bikes so won't miss it too much. It is about time to build on the legend Ferris started. |
Firemanjim
| | Posted on Thursday, February 22, 2007 - 10:44 pm: |
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HeHe,first time I heard Jerry described as "skinny"---- |
Al_lighton
| | Posted on Friday, February 23, 2007 - 01:38 am: |
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Jerry,
Finally we get to hear the review!
Tom and I long conjectured that the reason that you hadn't written it was because your overall Uly impression wasn't all that favorable. But I'd rather read a truthful account like that any day than silence. One should never be afraid to speak the truth as you understand it to be if it is presented thoughtfully and without malice.
One correction: I remember the shoulder, can't say I recall the specific pinging, but if you heard it, I'd bet I'd entered the dirt in too tall a gear. Overall, I would not characterize my Uly as ping happy at all, but I can make it ping if I try to (lug it deep, crack it hard). But I can say for sure that other than the bars and mirrors and possibly a couple body parts, the engine was untouched down to the air filter at that point. I didn't start digging into the intake, exhaust and tuning until December of 2005, because I didn't want to change a thing until I could do it one step at a time with proper instrumentation. That, and I'm a big fan of not modifying mechanicals until the "infant mortality" period is over (1000 miles minimum, 2500 preferred).
At 5-8, you're not Uly sized, to be sure. I'm 5-10 with stumpy 30" inseam legs, and the height doesn't bother me at all (unless I'm pushing it backwards uphill while straddling). But I'm a dirt biker, and my XR400 has a 37" seat height, and I have to kick start that beast. The Uly seems easy by comparison. We never did get you out onto the dirt bikes when you were here, and now we've lost the opportunity. I'm bummed about that.
Al |
Jerry_haughton
| | Posted on Friday, February 23, 2007 - 03:28 am: |
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Thanks for the write-up. One thing I know with complete certainousity is that coming from you, agree or disagree, I can place credit it your words.
thx Court. don't ever forget you're a major reason why i evolved into "Ferris Bueller" in the first place - thanks for showing the way (and thanks again for yours and your family's help during FBRAT )
FBRAT was one of the most interesting projects i have ever participated in. Thanks so much for your incredible effort and "bringin us along". You are one of the most amazing people on the web.
Madduck, firstly, thanks again for buying into this whole concept in the first place. takes an amazing individual to pony up for an expensive new motorcycle and then let someone ELSE flog the snot out of it around the countryside - thank you.
i REALLY appreciate it when i hear someone say that FBRAT was amazing or incredible to them, 'cause it certainly was for me, one of the hardest things i've ever done, and one of the most memorable.
the riding wasn't hard, per se (altho the ride morphed into a much higher mileage-per-day affair than i wanted), but meeting all my commitments in terms of making all the connections with all the various participants along the way sure was a lot of work.
pretty much nailed 'em all, with the exception of being WAY late to hook up with Bartimus in Colorado (Pikes Peak KILLED us on time), and being late to hook up with the SoCal contingent in Wrightwood towards the end of the ride.
further, by FAR the hardest thing for me is being "social" - i SUCK at it. i envy folks who have the gift of gab, and who are comfortable with strangers (and especially NON-strangers). i can certainly gab, and alcohol makes it easier, but it's never easy, even tho i try to make it look like it is.
FBRAT was a lot of new people, every day, great folks one and all, and i'm still humbled to this day that so many people went to so much work to be a part of this ride, but the "new people every day" thing really tested me. i think i did pretty good for the most part, altho Dave Stueve will certainly remember what a wallflower i was at our group dinner in Iowa. sorry 'bout that, guys and gals.
Tom and I long conjectured that the reason that you hadn't written it was because your overall Uly impression wasn't all that favorable.
bingo.
and instead of stepping up and saying so, i clammed up and hid in the corner. i really suck sometimes.
One correction: I remember the shoulder, can't say I recall the specific pinging, but if you heard it, I'd bet I'd entered the dirt in too tall a gear.
i surely heard it, and even commented to Denise at the time. she, as you'll remember, spent three days of FBRAT on the back of Madduck's Uly, and recognized the sound.
But I can say for sure that other than the bars and mirrors and possibly a couple body parts, the engine was untouched down to the air filter at that point.
my apologies, as i'd assumed you had at least farkled with the TPS by that point.
still, it struck me that a bike shouldn't ping in that situation. my VFR never pinged, my V-Strom never pinged, my FJR never pinged, and my Road King doesn't ping.
remember that big dune you dared me to climb down in the desert? the hardest part of that, by far, was that Madduck's Uly didn't have the balls to make it. i had to flog the clutch to the point of abuse to get to the top, 'cause the bike wouldn't have made it any other way.
hell, i even had a hard time trying to toss up a little "photo roost" for y'all when i was making passes back and forth in front of our camp when we first got there that night.
all in all, the bike was a dog. i don't know how to put it any other way. maybe i got a "bad" one, i don't know, but this day and age, one shouldn't have to have your Buell expertise, or have to "start digging into the intake, exhaust and tuning" to make a new motorcycle run right.
as far as my size vs. the Uly's, i can ride the thing just fine - i think FBRAT was a clear demonstration of that. one-up, two-up, on road and off, i did just fine.
one of my major goals on this trip was NOT to toss Madduck's bike on the ground, and i was successful in that regard.
i'm happy that "big" guys have got a Buell they can ride, and i'm sure that having a lot of dirtbike experience makes the task easier, as well (my inseam is about 29"), but i managed ok, and altho the seat height was plenty annoying at times, i certainly can't fault the bike for it.
We never did get you out onto the dirt bikes when you were here, and now we've lost the opportunity. I'm bummed about that.
me too, Al. Denise and i had long fantasized about offing the 'Dome and moving somewhere "cool," somewhere where the riding was grand and adventure lurks around every bend.
my ride up the Blue Ridge Parkway last September during BRATPAC was pretty religious, and was, as they say, a turning point.
when i got home from BRATPAC we (me 'n D)pulled the decision trigger, sold the 'Dome MUCH quicker than we expected, went in with a 60-day escrow, then ten days later were asked if we could be out in 15.
i.e., it all happened fast and we barely had a chance to say goodbye.
our latest adventure has us pretty much consumed at this point, but our hope is that over the next few years the dust will settle enough that we can hit the road on two wheels in a big way, and MAYBE one of these days we'll come sliding into yours and Joanne's driveway looking for a couple of dirtbikes to borrow.
and before i forget, thanks again for all the help and camaraderie that you and Joanne (Joanne, you ROCK!) and the rest of the SoCal gang provided for FBRAT, very, very, very much appreciated.
it's 3:30 and counting out here on the east coast, gotta get to work...
FB
(Message edited by jerry_haughton on February 23, 2007) |
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