screamstone Posted June 3, 2010 Share #1 Posted June 3, 2010 I joined VR.com just over a year ago. I've been reflecting lately on what an amazing site this is and just wanted to throw this all out there. I found a bike in South Carolina, over 12 hours ride away. I found this site and asked if anyone could advise me on where to stay, and for tips on getting transport to the dealer. What I got instead was a free ride from the airport, a place to stay for the night (with a demon-posessed teddy bear that nearly scared the life out of me), a full maintenance routine on my bike, and a personal escort to Savannah from Sleeperhawk, the Mechanic, and Wanderer. I met a few other riders that weekend at dinner (which Sleeperhawk wouldn't let me pay for!) and at the maintenance day. I was amazed at the amount of time, energy, resources, and kindness that was shared with me in just that first 24 hours or so. Next, I rolled into Jacksonville the next day and met Ruffy and a few other riders (sorry, still can't remember names) for breakfast. Again, Ruffy helped me with a couple "upgrades" on the bike and gave me a few good tips of aftermarket accessories and ideas. It was another Amazing day with incredible people I met because of VR. What's really amazing, is that over the last year (with a few months off from a medical scare), I have found the most amazing, funny, insightful, helpful, and friendly people on this site. Sometimes I just log in to read a joke or two or poke around the watering hole and get my mind off some stress form work or home or whatever... It just takes 15 minutes of reading around to feel like I'm among friends and get back to a better frame of mind. I have also found an INCREDIBLE amount of knowledge on this site. Sure, the maintenance manual download is nice... but it's written for mechanics (or the mechanically inclined), and a lot of times I don't feel like I understand everything I should before doing a job on the bike. But the writeups here, with pictures, great tips on how to make parts of the job easier, often a few jokes, and many times an explanation of WHY this thing should be changed or WHAT it does or HOW it works... Those give me the confidance that I need to attempt to do it myself. And I've been successful every time so far. I can follow directions, but if something doesn't make sense to me, I'll be stuck. If I can understand HOW the thing works, I can do some problem solving and be successful every time. VR writeups in the tech library and the tech talk forums often give me this extra info that makes me feel confidant to try the work myself. The help I've recieved, either publically in forums, privately in messages, and sometimes over the phone and in person, is incredible. Freebird, Goose, Sleeperhawk and the Mechanic, Wanderer, Rick Butler, Carbon One, Ponch, and probably 20-30 more people I just can't think of now (there's so many, I'm just remembering who's helped me in the last week alone!!!) have been incredible sources of knowledge, information, wisdom, and encouragement. I'm glad to know all of you and appreciate the time you take to help total strangers out on this site. And that's the real thing here. I bought a bike, but I found a "family" of amazing people on this site. I pride myself on being a pretty picky person when it comes to who I associate with. I prefer to surround myself with people that are generous, friendly, intelligent people with a lot of character and integrity. I have found an uncommon concentration of people here with incredible generosity and character. It makes me proud to be a part of this site, and to count some of you as friends. I wanted to just stop and take the time to tell you, all of you, how much I appreciate this site. I don't generally take the time to write "Thank you" notes, but I really felt compelled to just thank you guys for all you've done for me. I know for a fact you have saved me HUNDREDS of dollars, possibly over a thousand by now, in service for preventitive maintenance, and by helping me fix things on my own that I may have had to pay someone else to figure out for me. Most of it was simple and easy with your help, but I would have paid at least 300-400 in service fees to take it to the shop. VR is amazing. This is a good thing. I'm proud to be a member and proud to count those of you I've personally met (or just met online) as friends. This place is just stuffed full of amazing people, which is really cool since it's this unorganized bunch of ragamuffins who just choose to welcome all and share what they have, be it material or intellectual. Thanks to you, all of you, for helping this nerdy (but damn sexy), mechanically challenged (but getting better), bald goofy guy feel like he could ride across the country and not have to worry about being stranded alone on the road. I know I could log into the site on my phone and probably find the answer to fix any problem I had with the bike, and if it wasn't road fixable or I couldn't figure it out, I know there's someone here that would stop what they're doing, and take the time riding for miles and miles, to come help a total stranger out of a jam with a ride to civilization/safety and a place to stay... Not for any reward or recognition, but because that's just the type of class act that populates this board. This board is full of everyday heroes. Thanks, everyone, for everything you do for everyone here and everyone around you. I'm stunned with the incredible character and generosity of everyone I've bumped into on this board. I rarely write thank you notes, I wish I was better at that. But in this case, reflecting on it lately, I was positively compelled to take the time and say thanks for everything everyone has done here to help this newbie out. Talking to a friend the other day about bikes and all the money he's spent doing things I learned to do here... and he couldn't believe the amount I've learned (he knew I wasn't mechanically inclined before), and was completely floored when I told him about the people that fed, opened their homes, worked on the bike, and rode for literally hours with a total stranger. I was a part of a lot of religious organizations for MANY years, and quite frankly, this group is more generous to strangers and outsiders than any church or ministry I ever was a part of. I see here what most people are searching for at churches/synagogues/mosques/etc.- Honesty, integrity, relationship, and fellowship. REAL fellowship. And lastly, if you've read this far, you're also incredibly patient, a glutton for punishment, and/or a masochist. So be proud of that too, or realize you need serious help- whichever applies to your particular situation. Take it easy guys- keep the shiny side up. ~Rob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
utadventure Posted June 3, 2010 Share #2 Posted June 3, 2010 .... really cool since it's this unorganized bunch of ragamuffins who just choose to welcome all and share what they have Take it easy guys- keep the shiny side up. ~Rob We resemble that remark!! LOL Rob glad to have you here contributing to making this the great site that it is. Just wait until you really need help.... these guys will be on ya like a rat on a cheeto! Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragerman Posted June 3, 2010 Share #3 Posted June 3, 2010 ... did somebody mention muffins ?!?!? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mini-muffin Posted June 3, 2010 Share #4 Posted June 3, 2010 ... did somebody mention muffins ?!?!? Hang on there a minute what sort of muffins you talking about? :crackup: Oh and as for the long thank you Awww shucks. We like you too. Margaret Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragerman Posted June 3, 2010 Share #5 Posted June 3, 2010 Hang on there a minute what sort of muffins you talking about? ... well there’s no muffin like a “mini muffin” of course! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wanderer Posted June 3, 2010 Share #6 Posted June 3, 2010 Golly, gee whiz, Rob. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jburrell Posted June 3, 2010 Share #7 Posted June 3, 2010 I agree and have had many help me and continue to offer assistance. Remember Pay if forward! enuff said. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuddyRich Posted June 3, 2010 Share #8 Posted June 3, 2010 Another addict...... :rotf: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evan Posted June 3, 2010 Share #9 Posted June 3, 2010 Bought my 88VR last spring after stumbling across this forum. While Rob lives in Florida and I live in Ontario, I certainly share Rob's sentiments that he has expressed so well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yammer Dan Posted June 3, 2010 Share #10 Posted June 3, 2010 Where is the Food??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yammer Dan Posted June 3, 2010 Share #11 Posted June 3, 2010 Oh.. Good one anyway Rob!!! But we all knew that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Squidley Posted June 3, 2010 Share #12 Posted June 3, 2010 Cool...we sucked another one into the cult! Would you like some KoolAide Rob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuddyRich Posted June 3, 2010 Share #13 Posted June 3, 2010 Uhhh, Brad, What's in the Koolaide??? :rotf: Now if you was offerin brownies.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragerman Posted June 3, 2010 Share #14 Posted June 3, 2010 See Rob, you’ve opened the door now everyone wants to play! We’ve got the bikes, muffins, Kool Aide and now the ‘brownies’ ( ) ... besides some icing for the ‘muffin’ and a few tunes who could ask for anything more!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
screamstone Posted June 3, 2010 Author Share #15 Posted June 3, 2010 We’ve got the bikes, muffins, Kool Aide and now the ‘brownies’ ( ) ... besides some icing for the ‘muffin’ and a few tunes who could ask for anything more!! How's abouts some matching tennis shoes?!?!?!? We could all ride to alaska and wait for a comet to take us to Planet Yamma. I call top bunk in the Compound!!! :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monty Posted June 3, 2010 Share #16 Posted June 3, 2010 You forgot the cheesecake, ice cream and frog legs!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AKRefugee Posted June 3, 2010 Share #17 Posted June 3, 2010 You forgot the cheesecake, ice cream and frog legs!! Okay I am all for the ice cream Hope I beat BoomerCPO to the cheesecake so I will get some. but what does a frenchman's legs have to do with this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Owl Posted June 3, 2010 Share #18 Posted June 3, 2010 but what does a frenchman's legs have to do with this? And he ain't even a Canuck.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monty Posted June 3, 2010 Share #19 Posted June 3, 2010 Well Annie, how about some Bunderburg? Or at least some VB? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DragonRider Posted June 3, 2010 Share #20 Posted June 3, 2010 Looks like you found a few of the good ones here................ Thanks for sharing what we already know................. And thanks for the short version..................... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
autopilot Posted June 4, 2010 Share #21 Posted June 4, 2010 And lastly, if you've read this far, you're also incredibly patient, a glutton for punishment, and/or a masochist. So be proud of that too, or realize you need serious help- whichever applies to your particular situation. Take it easy guys- keep the shiny side up. ~Rob I'll take masochist if it's still available! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dunvilsteev Posted June 4, 2010 Share #22 Posted June 4, 2010 Well said, mate. I agree 100% with everything you mentioned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bongobobny Posted June 4, 2010 Share #23 Posted June 4, 2010 Proving once again that great song from the 70's, WE ARE FAMILY!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
halfwitt Posted June 4, 2010 Share #24 Posted June 4, 2010 The folks here are awesome! You've been here a year and I've been gone for most of the past year. So - a very belated welcome and if you pass through York County PA gimme a holler and we'll ride! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yammer Dan Posted June 4, 2010 Share #25 Posted June 4, 2010 Hey Randy!! Where have you been?? Thinking about you the other day. Things OK? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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