cowpuc

I have crossed the lower 48 many times and really gotta say, 1st worst for abuse of police authority is Nebraska (buddy got an 1100 dollar fine for not putting on the hat as we crossed into Omaha), Tennessee (visit the Dragon and you will see), California (just plain arrogant and last is my home state of Michigan - our small town police forces and courts are attrocious, truth means NOTHING - its all about money!!! Other than those, including AZ and NM, man what a wonderful breath of fresh "legal" air!!! I REALLY use to enjoy Montana,,, go old Montana - what America used to be 'Puc

Annie, I dont know if the folks you are speaking of are the typical Harley riders we have here but, most of ours would only tow a trailer they could fold out and sleep in and have dinner in and go potty in.. They dont tour like a couple of us off breeds do,, sleeping in ditches with tents that never do acutally get put up.. Roughing it is part of the ride... I say all that so you can maybe get taste of what I am about to explain to you..... If it were me doing what they are planning on doing I would go to nearest Harbor Frieght store when I got my bike state side and buy lot number 42708 - this is small trailer PERFECT for pulling behind I scoot - comes road ready after you bolt it together (I actually would never do this because I dont pull trailers behind my bike - I toss the tent on, bag on, clean socks, one pair pants, one shirt, riding shorts and tenny shoes and usually the only thing worn out and repurchased on trip are a few pair of riding shorts..).. Anyway, after I bought the trailer I would put it together, tow it to menards, or Walmarts or Sams Club or a trailer place and buy one of those nifty little cartop clamshells that fit on these little trailers perfectly.. Drill four holes thru the bottom of the clamshell into the rails on the trailers, smear some seal-all over the bolts so no water can get in and you have a PERFECT little brand new trailer to haul all over the contenient for under 500 bucks.... But,,,, it dont fold out into a camper,,, those are 3500 USED and a little more new...... And I dont know anyplace that rents them..... Take that back,,, I think I did hear of Harley shop out west that rents bikes and trailers.. Maybe they could find one thru the HOG membership????? Hey,, I have an totally true trick that I pulled on some Aussies that were touring the country for a year and bumped into them in Rapid City SD... You would LOVE IT!!! Thing is,, I aint typing it out unless 10 or more people want me to.. A trick I learned hahah Harbor Freights web site is Harborfreightusa.com Your welcome Puc

Indeed, my story is very simular to yours only a few decades in difference.. Being the only gear head of 1 brother and 5 sisters I was left with the neccesity of figuring all this stuff out on my own.. After owning MANY jap bikes thru the years I finally broke and bought a New Low Rider in 78.. I had owned Yam XS's, Kaw 750's, Honda CB750's and tons of smaller scoots leading up to the BIG DAY! While I was NEVER impressed with the marketing scam HD was running back then that worked on this premise "we will charge x4 of anything even close to what the japs are selling - its a very small price to pay because of all the substancial upper crust snobishness you get to own because you are bying harley parts".. Well,, I did get the ol girl over 100k, had it to the west coast on several occasions and got to do the Harley during the era when "Lonesome Highway" was my favorite show and the Beach Boys were right on top of their game... Few years later and I too discovered that I really didnt need the accolades the dealers gave me for giving them 4 times the money I would have on my japper and I went bald so there went longsome highway too.. Being a TRUE gear head I started looking for the most underestimated, misunderstood scoot out there and ran across the VR one day.. Got a ride on one, really liked the industrial strength everything everywhere and, being a MXer at the time,, REALLY liked the way that great big hyper volacity touring bike didnt mind having her pipes drug in the twisties - yessir,, love at first bite!!! I have had MANY opportunities to go harley over the years and even have owned a few more from building chops and taking them in on trade...... I have a hunch that you are a lot like me, not that you will never own another HD,,, its more like you will never be without another low dollar thrill bike like these Crotch Rockets in sheeps clothing... Get it, pull maintenance right away so you know you bike,, sync the carbs - check air pressure on the rubber and let er rip 'puc

X2 Only I just gently pull the bike off the side stand and let it balance itself at center, carefully bend down and bingo.. Once you get the hang of it you will be surprised how easy it is.. I actually like the window, its those goofy bikes with the weep hole and no way to actually check the level that I dont care for...

I am there right on tune Snaggletooth... Aint nobody foolin us,, we knew it all along,,,,,,,,, Mary is NOT the only one who has a little lamb......

I have been a Michigander all my life. Many moon ago I closed up the operation here in Muskegon and the wife and I temporarily planted our feet in Cadillac.. I worked for Baker College up there in Admin.. There was a cutey pie from Mesick that worked and went to school on our campus that was your towns Mushroom Queen one year.. If memory serves me correctly, she was born and raised up there.. She also was a very talented singer.. Cant remember her name - any idea? Have you been in Mesick long? Have you ever heard of the title "Mushroom Queen" before?? Are you doing the Blessing this year?? You ever get down under give me a shout and we will see if we can hookup, what say.. 'Puc

Alright lets see,,, these are in the order that I would prioritize them if I were doing them again.. 1st - Heating elements in the grips and in the backrest and raised portion on the rear of my seat.. Total cost = 40 bucks and a couple hours of time. It is SOOOOOOOO freaking comfy being able to ride relaxed no matter how cold it gets AND, I have found thru years of riding that the more uncomfortable you are the more dangerous you become to yourself and others.. 2nd - I made a set of pipes for it out of thin wall chain link fense poles and some 16 gauge steel. Synced and tuned the engine to the pipes. Now people know I am there, I have watched deer run away from my bike AND I have been told by the younger generation that my bike is the "sickest" sounding ride they have ever heard... I take that as a compliment.. 3rd - cut an old windshield I had way down so when I am in my normal long distance riding position I am looking over the shield by 3 inches and yet still in the "no-wind" zone. 4th - built up a tool kit that matches the bikes needs to a tee. 5th - floorboards for the rider - my girls have done many cross country trips on my Yams and we fiqured out a long time ago that those boards are wayyyy more comfy for them. 6th - Quick release oil plug - pull a pin - swing the door and its open.. Soooo much quicker and easier to swap oil in a parking lot while traveling. 7th - progressive fork springs 8th - KX500 clutch springs - NO MORE SLIPPING EVEN DUMPING THE CLUTCH IN FIFTH!! 9th - the deer horns I stole from a dead Muly out in Montana years ago - they have started more conversations with everyone from old grandmas to little kids.. I love people and am always looking for ways to get folks to tell me their lifes story.. 10th - last but not least, the little wedge shaped saftey mirrors I found out in Idaho that are mounted on my mirrors - I loved them so much that I spent the time to remove them from my 84 and have the 84 mirrors now on my 83.. Have saved my life many times!!! 'Puc

Find a place that does lambs, look at the lambs standing around and find a big one, put your lamb in line with other ones and make sure it is facing the big one, push your lamb against the lamb in front of it, the other lamb will turn around and butt heads with your lamb and knock it down, when it gets knocked down it will get pieces of corn and stuff caught in its fuzz, the other lambs will go after it trying to eat the food caught in your lambs fuzz, your lamb will start crying and going baahhh baahh real loud, your lamb going baah bahh real loud with make the lambs lick it even more then it would have gotten licked if it hadnt gone baahh bahh, let the other lambs finish doing their thing with your lamb, allow your lamb to get chased by the other lambs after they get done cleaning up the fuzz on your lamb - you will think they are chasing your lamb cause they want more food but they are acutally drying your lambs fuzz - if they dont chase your lamb and dry its fuzz you will have to do it, if you do chase your lamb DO NOT go baah bahh while doing so - I knew a biker from Sanfransico that did that and he was incarcerated for 15 years, apparently this is highly illegal. After chasing your lamb for 1 hour corner it and feel it and see if its fuzz is dry yet, if not you will have to chase it some more. NEVER NEVER NEVER sit on a wet lamb, you will be scarred for life AND you will never be able to find people to ride with again.. Just some free advice 'Puc

what ever you choose to use be sure and clean the system out before using something different... I am no chemist but I had a bike that someone had decided to combine a couple different type of AF and when I got it on the lift and pulled the waterpump there were GOBS of gelled up gooey crap in there and it took me for ever to get her cleaned out.. Personally, I would use something friendly with alloys and get if from Walmarts so you can always find it if needed on a trip.. 'Puc

I have built a number of chops over the years and it seems that everytime I do one I learn more about steering geometry.. As you already know, there are a number of items in the equation that ='s stability and all those items have effect on the other items in the equation.. Sometimes adjusting the equation will give positive results and some not so.. A number of years ago I crossed into the realm of negative trail on one of my scoots, it felt fine and acutally really fun to ride.. I slowly tested it back and forth working my way to 120mph.. On this particular scoot all signs of anything bad happening were not found.. I had been testing on a section of road that I had used for this purpose MANY times with MANY bikes so I was sure I had a good grip on the perameters of the testing.. Came back on the 4th test with a funny smell on the bike and a need to buy new underwear.. I had gotten her right up to 90 just a clean and positive as any factory bike.. As soon as I touched 110 I felt a funny vibe in the bar tips and tank pads on my knees.. As soon as I relaxed the throttle it got interesting FAST!!! Here in Michigan we call em TANK SLAPPERS.. Tank slapping comes from the fact that your tank is slapping your thighs so fast you can keep from getting slapped.. Its also a fact that once you have been tank slap you KNOW it over cause the nature of the beast is just that... The ONLY was to correct a true tank slapper is to stop,,, BUT,,, hit your brakes and now your no longer tank slapping but pavement sampling.. I have saved a couple slappers by tossing it on the back wheel but there is something in the back of a riders mind that just does not agree with lifting the front wheel while your scoot is acting like a mexican jumping bean is inside its gas tank... Be REAL careful how much you change your castor, trail, fork oil ect... Do the changes little by little and NEVER assume that everything is fine so you can go further,,, you owe it to yourself to PROVE it is fine and you can go further... 'Puc By the way,, yes the crotch rockets guys use dampers but so do the dirt guys,, there is NOTHING wrong with setting up a damper - good insurance!!!!

Don, we are praying for your health and traveling safety out there. As others have mentioned, please dont worry about this internet stuff but focus on your health and all the decisions pertaining to it.. God Bless you folks! 'Puc

Also dont forget the obvious.. Put the bike on a stand and spin the tires and see if your brakes are binding.. CHeck your pipes for dings and also check them for mouse nexts - remove the muffs and see if she comes up to speed.. Spray carb cleaner on Vacumm lines while its idling and if the idle changes you gotta leaker. Check air pressure in your tires. RUn it without the air filter in it and see if its being chocked off.. 'Puc

Lets see if I can take an educated guess at what you are going to find out,,,,, I have no ego so if I am wrong I will learn something too.. First the Ohm Meter you are using.. Let me guess that you are using a very sensitive digital meter.. The reason I say that is the old analog Simpsons tended to not pick up the eddy currents that this new digital stuff does.. Next I totally agree with your summation that the coil windings between primary and secondary MUST be separated or they cannot function. However,,, the material used to shield the two windings maybe of such that "leakage" (eddys) can be detected with a sensitive meter and this low resistance material is necessary for the modern electronic switching taking place to trigger the secondary coil.. So here is what I would do if I were in your shoes.. I would test the coils on a known running bike and see if its any different then mine.. If not so I would be concerned,,, if they tested the same I would keep packing for that cross country trip I have coming up..... LOL 'Puc PS: Hope it all works out for you!!

Actually Ivan I have had a lot of experience with the sparkplug pump.. I have personally made them for friends of mine and have ALWAYS warned them that Fuel/air mixture at a VERY volatile state is now in thier tire.. Everyone, myself included, who got one from me swore they would warn the tire changing guy about it before dismounting.. Well,, all well conceived and properly planned idea is great until someone forgets.. At least that was always my nagging concience talking me out of doing any more of them.. Now what I Have discovered is that you can us that same device a flame thower that works very well!! You wanna start a fire to warm up by - Drilled out plug - screw in shrader valve, screw on braided wire air ling with 1/16 hole in orvice on end.. put regular plug in coil wire and ground to head,, Start bake and aim air line at sparking piston... Now for "putting up with Cowpuc has earned you one of his free ADVICE FROM TH E MIND OF PUC" Always make sure your plug is in the terminal and that the steel on the plug is grounded when ever your testing.. Many CDI's and trashed because the mechanic missed this point! Puc

This may sound a little corny - not intended - but I have personally found the greater endeavor in covering our country is found not so much in the absoulute stunning glory of the high tides of Maine, the extreme history of the east coast, the amazing old time Maritimers stuff in the Keys, the smelly stock yards and VASTNESS of Texas, the fake looking big gulf of the Grand Canyon until you ride the two tracks along the rim and toss boulders off the edge to acutually PROVE to yourself its real, those amazing round boulders stacked on the side of 40 out by Needles, those crazy white dogs chasing a coyote on the farmers field that we have camped on the last 5 times we went to LA on the bike, the smells and views and NIGHT moon glow on the ocean on "1", that huge river that divides Oregon and Washington, what Gods finger did to Mount St Helens, waking up north of Cor De Lane to Eagles stealing fish, the endless beauty of Glacier and trying to enjoy it while traversing on ice patches, the jack rabbits coming across Montana and the and the Antelope almost killing us in Wyoming cause we were caught waving back at an Engineer on a train, the tornado that literally passed over our heads just south of Rapid City, the Black Hills - Needles Highway - Rushmore - Custer State Park petting zoo (here we pet wild buffalos) are all wonderful BUT the real wonder of them the off trail area we camped in and woke up to Big Horn Sheep feeding within 50 Feet of our tent - we watched for over two hours, the MASSIVE winds coming into Cody that literally moved our bike (84 Royale) across two lanes and almost into the ditch on the other side, the shower/motel at Cody after 3 weeks of roughing it without either, the 7 solid days of pure enjoying Yellowstone (take the back roads and camp in the sticks) - Tetons, Jacksonhole,, the little cafe in Majove that has the genuine old school look and the BEST viddles anywhere on the planet - believe their name is Prevos or Premos or something like that, coming into Vegas at 2 am WOW, leaving Vegas at 1pm when you place your foot down on the pavement and it slides out from under your cause your shoe is melting, the kids in Salina Utah riding their mini bikes and quads right down the road to the gas station - heyyyyyy is that legal asked Cowpuc - out here it says the kid - Cowpuc says to his daugher on back of bike - we should live here, the endless prairie of corn that is covering the Old Chisom Trail but you can still find monuments if you look..... Anyway,, all that said I really said nothing of importance because thier is another BIG part of the ride that needs to be there or its all empty.. Everywhere you go there will be people just waiting to here your story and for you to hear theres.. PEOPLE who you meet along the way are the very adhesiveness that bonds the ride to your memory. If you do what I suggest you WILL have an endevear second to none.. Go out of your way to meet folks - dont wait for them to come over and chat - YOU go and introduce yourself and do the cold call.. Learn to thrive on meeting new people - listen to their stories, be honest with them about what your are doing and they well instantly be your best friend.. What I am saying here is that PEOPLE are what make good trips GREAT TRIPS!! Of the ENDLESS friends I have met while covering this great land of our I want to share two.. I sat down to eat on the way to sturgis a few years back. Just got in under the wire and got served. A guy with a shirt on the said "I got my Harley in Iraq" sat down at a table and knew he wasnt getting served and he didnt.. Frustrated, he walked passed me and I said they didnt serve you did they - he said no.. I said sooooo,,, whats the shirt all about.. He said I just got home from a year in Iraq, my brandnew Harley was waiting for me at the base and they paraded me all the back to my home town for heros welcome.. My mom asked what I wanted to do and I said mom - I gotta hit the road on my bike - that was three days ago... About that time the waitress brought back my dinner and I slid it in front of him - he said oh noooo I cant take your dinner.. I said well, then I will just through it away cause I will be darned if I am going to eat while my brother who just got home from fighting for my freedom to ride my bike across the great land goes hungry.. I looked him in the eyes and told him if he didnt eat it I would toss it.. He ate,, camped with my for the days of Sturgis, went ghost towning and we had a BLAST!! We are now very dear friends and he has been to our home and stayed with us.. Another notable meet of many was an old Lakota Indian woman that my daughter and I got yapping with a gas station.. After about an hour of 100% thrilling Indian tales of the days of yesteryear this precious old woman invited us to here farm that had been in their family since the reservation days.. Come to find out, she was a PROFESSIONAL miniature horse raiser!!! Friends for life.. The last point I want to make about truely riding epic trips is to examine your heart for what you are after.. Maybe the first couple times of doing such a thing the planning and organizing is not just helpful but for some it is NEEDED before they feel like they can let go.. The longer I do this I am finding that it has an effect like some kind of powerful drug. I can hop on that thing an ride for hours and truly just be so lost in the ride that it feels like minutes..........its a feeling very similar to the feeling of when you are in the zone racing professionally on a dirt bike. Time just sort of suspends and it just you and the machine as one ripping through space and time. IT DEFINES FREEDOM FOR ME... Go define it for you... Good luck Cowpuc

I am with Ivan,, I think we should have a club policy that states if you are buying off Ebay - or anywhere - that we consider each other family and will that for not "bid" against each other!!! Sooo, if you have something on ebay you are bidding on you would post it on here and all the readers on VR would not bid against you.. Seeee, now this is way to handle Ebays nonsense without getting mad!! For all the crap ebay/paypal does to us it would sure be refreshing to have a website that promotes real familyness and fairness!!! I will be the first to sign on! 'Puc

You might want to google them and see what other folks have got to say too!!

LOL We got an "invite" from them too.. Ours was in the form of a good sized package that included a plastic car key that you were suppose to try and maybe win a new car just for taking their 90 minute presentation.. Along with this car offer was a GUARENTEE that you would win one of the following priizes.. It had everything from a walkman to 52 inch tv listed.. Each prize had a number listed by it. These prizes were listed in an envelope that you are not allowed to open and that the "official" at the store would open to determine what you had won. I looked the envelope over and discovered that if you held it just right you could see the prize number you had won.. According to what I saw we had won a 52 inch Sony TV,,,, of course my wife and I went to the open house... When we got there we were welcomed to some of the toughest sales drives I have ever seen.. Back in the 80's when time-sharing was the big drive we used to go to there open houses and I gotta tell you,, on a scale of 1-10 the time-share sales drives were a 1 and Direct Buys drive force was a +100!! We finally got them to the point that they understood that all we came for was our free 52" Tv.. The guy opened the envelope and handed me a 50 cent cup holder for my prize.. I said wait a minute - I peek thru the envelope and it said the grand prize of a 52" TV.. He then showed me the envelope - yeppers,, the stupid thing was designed to show EVERYONE that prize and the rest of the letter was hidden by ink blots on the inside envelope,,,,,, so everyone who took a peek would think they were getting a TV LOL.. The Salesman laughed as he told me that I wasnt the first one to "peek".. Then I laughed and told the salesman that indeed I got fooled by that envelope BUT at least I hadnt written a $4500 check to join a company that had to trick people in order to get them to join and them I said,, so the joke is really on you I guess!! DOnt be fooled!!! 'Puc

Like most everyone else I have seen, or come upon, my share of accidents and a number of them have been fatal.. I had the opportunity to take the Red Cross training in CPR and have acutally used the training a number of times. All that being said here is a situation that occured last fall not to far from our home. A deer jumped out and ran into the side of a biker. THe biker was only going about 15 MPH but the impact still forced the guy into on-coming traffic and he was literally ran over by a truck. The victim was trapped under the truck and in getting there vital parts of his body were smashed and he was obviously a goner.. The riders wallet and paperwork were laying seperated from his body and he was less then a mile from home. A discussion took place as to whether or not his family should be called to the scene.. That is the question that I would like to hear some opinions on from our group.. If you end up being the first on the scene or there way before "Professional" help arrives do you make the phone call to family,, more pointedly - if the person has expired do you notify them???? I am really curious what everyone thinks 'Puc

I gotta sneakin hunch that being nice had very little to do with Bubba makin dat decision!!

LOL,, and as a person who has cut tons of grass with a little push mower I have never met a flywheel key that I would trust not to get a notch in so small that you couldnt even see it but its always enough to mess up the timing so the stupid, idiotiotic, piece of crap mower wont start no matter how many times you pull it - and ALWAYS with a neighbor watching!!! Xcellent job Randya!! 'Puc

Not saying you whether you were over riding your headlights or not but I can attest to having done just that on many occasions.. Although with me its usually an exhaust system off a car or a big ol' honkin hunk of tire from a semi having lost its re-tread... Heck I even JUST barely missed a full grown Texas Longhorn standing perpendicular to the center line with his head turned away so you couldnt see his eyes - scared the living jeebers out of me!!! Speaking from experience, over riding the headlights is a VERY easy thing to do,,, just kinda kick back and daydream for few seconds and WHOA - what was that!!! A trick that has saved my life a number of times is what I call the Flammy Tap I learned as a kid.. I found out while going no handed on my SL350 that I could change lanes instantly just by Tapping lighting on the end of the bar.. I told a buddy about it at the time and he said I was a flammy so the turn Flammy Tap was born... 'Puc

I bring along a air pressure gage and head straight to a gas station. On the way to the station - with no traffic around - I would hit the front and rear brakes fairly hard. At the station I would put her on the center stand - spin both wheels and look for sticky brakes by seeing if the wheels spin freely. I would then check air pressures front and rear. Also check the oil while I had her up.. Now give her the once going over looking for loose nuts and bolts that might cause me troubles.. Then, if it already had the break-in miles on its clock, I would hit the road and not look back - yeeeeeeeeeeeehaaaaaaaaaa!!!! Congrats on the new bike and have fun out there. 'Puc

Hi Pete: Hopefully this letter is finding you getting stronger everyday.. Like a bunch of others, I too am praying for you!! Considering biking, as others here have pointed out - every case is different. My dad had a stroke years ago and with lots of therapy he is about 90% better, I also might add that he is much more sensitive emotionally then he was before his stroke.. I say this bring you to a long range perspective of your condition.. Give yourself lots of room to re-establish control over your extremities - time and therapy is numeral uno!! I have been around bikes all my life and can tell you that Scooters, yes Scooters, have come a long way thru the years!! Personally, I would NEVER be ashamed or embarrased to ride one of the new 650's ANYWHERE at anytime.. While on a bike tour down south I bumped into an older couple who were all packed up and on the road - she on here 400 and him on a 650, both scooters.. I asked them how far they had come and they were from the state of Washington with over 3500 miles already on this trip! There bikes are fully automatic - excellent MPG (she was getting 75 MPG!!) and will run highway speeds all day long with no problem!! Might not be a bad idea if your stroke damage appears permanent!! Just some thoughts, at any rate we are ALL pulling for you. 'Puc

The Sturgis Rally in Sturgis South Dakota is one of the biggest and oldest rallies on the planet.. For 20 years the rally went off without ONE shooting incident even though it is attended by old traditional gangs such as Hells Angels.. I have a hunch that the writer of that poorly researched and down right untrue article even realises that this 20 year record was broken last year by an off duty Police Officer from out of town who belonged to a police biker gang!!! This so called "protector of the people" pulled an illegally carried pistol (it is state law that ONLY SD Police are allowed to carry at the rally) and discharged the weapon inside of a crowded dance hall (my daughter and I had been there the night before).. Came right down to the bottom line and it appears that we "bikers" are the least of the writers concern and that maybe our society has much larger problems!! 'Puc