| Author | Message | ||
     Jerry_haughton |
this is an e-mail i got tonight from a Buell friend of mine, hope he doesn't mind if i share. he's been thru a bunch, yet comes up smiling every time. he's been unable to ride for awhile, but as of today he's officially back in the wind, and i couldn't be happier for him. Jim, lookin' forward to our next ride.  FB Well, I could not resist any longer. Went to the garage after physical therapy this morning and finished tightening down the race can, inflated the tires to OEM spec's and rolled the bolt to the front door. Shel looked up and asked what the hell was I doing, I looked at her and said nothin. I cinched my brace down as tight as it would go, got my boots on, threw on my Vanson and grabbed my helmet. Left glove barely fit over the brace but with a little work, I over came that problem. The bolt was hesitant to start, think she is mad at me for not riding her for the last 6 months. Shel gets that way after a week. After a few more attempts she turned over and began her typical Buell idle. I couldn't let her sit for too long, the low gas warning light was on and I didn't want to deal with running out of gas. So off through the parking lot I went. Bike is still rough and hesitant. I make the right turn on to the street to head for the Shell station on the corner. I crack the throttle a bit and the bike is so quiet, forgot me and the boys repacked the race can. The repacking kit that Al sells is awesome. I now have back pressure again and the ponies are where they should be. Well, I fill the bolt up, almost 15.00 bucks to do so, OUCH! So I am sitting there waiting for traffic to pass so I can get back out on to the street, trying to figure out what direction I am going to go. I know I have to stay away from traffic, the wrist won't take the continuous shifting, so I head for I-205 south. Its 85 today with a very strong east wind. I am talking 25+ MPH. I almost turned around crossing the Columbia. I had to have the bolt completely leaned over because of the wind crossing the bridge but once I got across the bridge things mellowed. So the wrist is doin OK and I keep riding south. I almost forgot what it is like to be in the wind. All the smells, sound of the bolt and the yahoo's on the road. I make my way down to Oregon City to do a drive by at Kyle's school to let him know I was saying hello (he won't be expecting that today). Traffic is a little too much for the wrist, hit all of the lights perfect (was lucky) and back onto the freeway heading north for home. Resting the left hand on the bars and workin the steering with the right hand, so use to pushin with the left hand, it was like learning to ride all over again havin to push and pull with the right hand alone. Make it back to the apartment, came in took 5 Tylenol and 2 oxycodone and wrapped the ice pack around the wrist. Will try this all again in a couple of weeks. In all honestly, I am hurtin no worse then what I do when I get done with physical therapy. | ||
| Johnnylunchbox |
Excellent story and I hate to be a buzzkiller, but tell your buddy to not take so many tylenol. They are safe in recommended doses, but can do a number on your liver at higher doses. Just my 2 rupees. | ||
| Pdxs3t |
 | ||
| Cataract2 |
So what happened to your friend? Sounds like how I was to get back on my bike after my wreck. | ||
| Unibear12r |
Good stuff Pdx.  So is there an Octoberfast in your near future? | ||
| Geofg |
Excellent story, but even at today's premium prices, the most I've ever put into my XB is $7.65. Where the heck was that gas station? -Geof | ||
| Cataract2 |
Looks like CA Geofg | ||
| Unibear12r |
Actually it was a state or so north of Kalifornication. | ||
| Brad_buell |
Great to hear that he's back on the bike!  But, HOLY COW, that works out to $4.05 a gallon if his bolt were bone dry!  | ||
| Pdxs3t |
Unibear......Hoping that I can make the trip come October, still a long ways to go in the healing process. If Mr. Murphy stays away, will be seeing ya at the Dome! Cataract2...I had to have some major surgery on my wrist to move tendon's and repair ligament's. Ok, it wasn't an even 15 bucks. Havin a bone dry S3T Thunderbolt and toping it off with 5.1 gallons at 2.67 at the bend ya over Shell station on the corner works out to be 13.66. | ||
| Fullpower |
well i am damn glad to hear ya back in the saddle | ||
| Geofg |
Ah, "bolt" = "Thunderbolt", not "Firebolt". That makes a whole lot more sense now. I was really scratching my head trying to figure out how you'd cram that much fuel into an XB. And what's $1.34 among friends. Sound's like $15 to me. 8) -Geof | ||
| Pdxs3t |
Would be nice if one could fit that much fuel in to a Firebolt! |
