leroy

Don, I pray all works out. Stay on top of it and don't let it get you down. Be careful on the IBA ride. Do not hesitate to call it off if problems arise. I understand the need to get out and do one. A SS1000 just makes me feel great. For the first time I had to abort one last week (hurt my feeling) because I have put off neck surgery resulting in my right arm hurting big time while on the bars. I was able to deal with it while riding the Dalton but much worse just 5 weeks later. I am setting up the surgery asap. The talk on here has been a lot about BP. The docs seem to want 120s/80s. I told my primary care doc, hell, my BP has never been that low even in my 20s. My cardiologist was not at all concerned with it in the 140s over high 70s or even mid 80s. My stress test was excellent. I am 70. I am taking Lisinopril and Amlodipine Besylate. From what I have read at my age sometimes when they try to tweak the numbers too low there is interference with our other meds. The Mayo Clinic site seemed to be not too concerned if not over 150/90. Sometimes I think these docs are like an expert race car engine builder needing everything perfect. I'm just an old sedan with 100,000 miles on me. I burn a little oil, muffler not as good any more, and I leak some fluid. So, I won't be trying to run 200 at Dayton or break into the 12s in quarter (or even 15s). Don, take care and don't leave any stone unturned.

Cleaned the bugs off of it after a round trip yesterday from Dallas to West Memphis, the long way to make it a Saddle Sore 1000.

Most has been said. The class I took used 125 and 250 cc. They are great confidence builders even for an old fart who used to ride big ones before a 26 year leave of absence from riding. Of course once I finished the course I bought a Honda VTX 1300R, great bike. As for the lady. A used 250 is a great trainer, cheap, and not much to loose if she doesn't continue to ride. As said earlier if she keeps riding it will soon be her previous motorcycle. Also as said something in the 400 to 650 range would be a good long range keeper. Also as said it must fit her. I am short so not many feel comfortable for me. I lowered my RSV with Race Tech and Barons. I can speak very highly of the V Star 650. Although it is air cooled (I am not fond of air cooled) but it is shaft drive and a very, very tough motorcycle. It is low. The reason for being so positive about the V Star 650 is that a friend had a well used and abused, naked V Star 650. He threw on a duffle bag and kept up with another buddy and I on a cross country trip. I was on my VTX and my other buddy was on a Gold Wing. We did not cut him any slack. We were running 70 and 80 for most of the 4000 mile trip. Many of the miles were 95 degrees and higher. He never had any problems. If I were to buy in the 650 range I would not hesitate to buy the V Star 650. Also the Honda 750 is a good choice. This size could be a tourer later. I know a guy who has ridden to Prudhoe Bay, Alaska from north eastern PA more than once on his BMW G650, single cylinder. And remember "back in the day" as when in my previous life of riding, an 850 was considered getting large. Many 650 Triumphs and BSAs have traveled the world. Good luck.

I made the SS1000 for MS from north of Dallas to Waterloo, IA. I took the long way to make it over 1000 miles in a little more than 16 hours. My 300 mile range thanks to an auxiliary tank made fuel stops less often but the old bladder required a few extra stops. While I was in Waterloo I got a VIP tour of the Zanotti Armor factory, makers of modular safes. https://zanottiarmor.com They are very impressive. I will be buying one soon. Some companies will claim more time for fire resistance but none are fire proof.

I posted on the other RSV forum about Long Haul Paul, Paul Pelland. He rides and does crazy stuff to raise money for multiple sclerosis. I am riding out on Sunday for Waterloo, IA (I have cold weather gear) to look at modular gun safes by Zanotti. I will make it a Saddle Sore 1000. Hey, it is an excuse to ride. I heard Paul at the annual IBA party in Jacksonville. He was a hoot. I went to his site https://www.longhaulpaul.com/nonstop-to-nowhere/ Since my daughter and several relatives have MS I signed up for LongHaulPaul's Saddle Sore 1000 for MS. If you get a chance watch the youtube it is funny.

djh3, I am glad you mentioned the RV. How I forgot that I'll never know. That has been a bug of mine since I began pulling travel trailer. I had experience with trailers and large vehicles. But I see so many of the people you describe that just think they can point where they want to go without allowing for length. Then to add to the terror on the road they add something to tow behind them. Many of these people should not be driving a Fiat 500. Stay clear of RVs and travel trailers.

Helmets while using a motorcycle and seat belts when using a car, I do both. However, I must stick with, "it is my choice". It is a violation of my rights to restrict that choice. Yep, just another excuse for a fishing expedition to see what they can find. As said by others, it has nothing to do with head injuries and all to do with another way to screw with us and write more tickets. When I started riding in 1965 there was no license endorsement and when the "brains" at the state level decided to require one I was grandfathered in and there was no motorcycle safety course. I have taken 3 such courses over the last ten years because I wanted to. My choice to do so. They are beneficial. I did get a motorcycle endorsement when I changed states of residency. I might piss some people off but if we must have a motorcycle endorsement to ride a motorcycle why is it that bicycle riders do not have to have any training at all? Yet they are using our highways? Furthermore, since they want bike lanes, where are their "tags" to show they paid road tax? I know the answers, actually just one for all, bicycles are green and libs like them. I am not against bicycles but they need to be treated fairly like we motorcyclist are...not.

I have several Glocks. I have heard you either love them or hate them. Well, I like them but I am really a revolver guy. I am on neither side of the love hate thing. I do like them. People often say but there is no safety. Well first off your finger is the best safety. Most revolvers do not have a safety. With my Glocks I have fired premium ammo to cheap stuff, truncated, hollow points, ball, plus reloads of the same type bullets to include lead with no problems. Glock says not to shoot lead because of the cut of the rifling is suppose to lead up much worse. I hate to shoot lead anyway. Over the years I think I have heard all of the myths dreamable about Glocks. Probably most were started by the 1911 guys. Most of those guys believe if it is not a 1911 it is not a gun. I like my 1911 too. It does fit my fat hand and short fingers better than the Glock. Plus, I like power as in 357 and big bores as in 44 mag, 45 ACP, and 500 S&W Mag. I just bought a Browning Hi-Power. Love it. It actually made me a better shot. It is accurate. However, when carrying concealed I want to be able to pull the gun out and squeeze the trigger without any other movements to get it to go bang. Often I carry the S&W 340 PD, no safety and no hammer. Only holds five 357 rounds. If I need more than 5 I am probably screwed already. Of course I have a couple of speed loaders with it. I am not big on 380s (just me) but I do carry at times the Ruger LCP because it is so small, flat, no safety, double action, reliable, and I got it very reasonable. I have carried the full size Glocks in 9mm and 40 S&W. All of them may break at so point. Just get them fixed. The main safety is the finger. Obviously the idiot who shot the person in the foot should maybe be recycled through a "Proper Handling of a Handgun" course. Or maybe he doesn't need to own one.

Cowpuc, Your wife made two good decisions...she got out of teaching and to homeschool. I am sure your children got a way better education at home in less time than they would in the public schools. Our teachers mean well but the system they are trapped in just sucks. Now the younger teachers are products of "the system". They are actually only facilitators. Education has gotten in the way of learning. My mother, God bless her, was way smarter then me even if she did not finish ninth grade (she helped get me through algebra thus starting me on a math career). When I was a young boy in elementary school I remember her saying, "When they control the media and the schools, we are done for." Wow was she smart. The "they" at the time were the communist. Oh, sorry, it still is but with a different name as in statist, or liberal, or progressive.

Leo, you are so right. Three wheels is just a good alternative to enjoying the open road. My buddy, 72, probably needs a trike but has this thing about they are not as manly. I told him BS. Who are we trying to impress at our age.

Cowpuc, One thing I forgot to mention, do you see kids riding bicycles? Hell, I rode mine all over and it was only one speed. Also, when I graduated from high school, as you related to, there were places a guy could go to work, learn a trade, and get a good paying job. I know of many guys near my age who graduated from a small school in my birth town and went to work at Fisher Body, or Ford, or Cincinnati Milling Machine. Made good money starting and learning and moving up. True they all worked either on the farm or at a gas station or food store, or mowed lawns all the way through high school so they had work ethics, a thing of the past. I'd go back to visit relatives in that small town, Williamsburg, Ohio. Man these guys age 18, 19 20, 21, and older were driving some hot cars (and they knew how to work on them) plus putting bread on the table. Two of them I still visit from time to time have their own collection of hot cars thanks to their hard work and the factories that used to exist. I am not sure where it is all going but one think for sure is at age 70 my time I will have to endure is limited.

Man, you are so right on. Especially in the education department, dumbing down of America. I have witnessed it first hand. I hesitate to admit that I was a teacher a total 30 years but not all at once. I had real jobs before teaching and during my career. I graduated from high school in 1967. Yes, I took college prep courses but had no idea that is what they were. I took practical courses also. When I left high school I could have went into the electrician field with not trouble. I knew how to work with wood. I could make machine drawings or blueprints. I liked science, math, history, and anything with an engine. Started doing my own work on my bicycle, then motorcycle, then car as soon as I could turn a wrench. I taught math, 7-12, from basic to calculus including some college classes. Every class I taught I could have taught out of high school. With all of my college hours, over 200, I have to say not a one of them has helped me in the real world except get a teaching job and maybe open a door to a job. Once in that door they were useless. Today's education system sucks. There is no nice way to put it. Most of the teachers really cannot do anything else. They went to school from K thru 12 and have no clue what a person really needs in the real world. The state tells them what to teach and that is the state test. If a person knows something and bucks the system they are forced out. Thank God I retired the year I did or I would have been in the hot seat. Been there done that before but now I'm too old to screw with the fools. Example in point, all Texas students must take algebra I, geometry, and algebra II. I ask why? Not everyone is a math person. In Texas they gear it all to college. When they graduate they can't scratch their A$$ with both hands. One other thing on the decline in motorcycle interest. Besides not being gear heads as most of us were growing up how many know or even could learn to shift gears thus the arrival of automatic MCs. They are used to comfort as in AC. They do not know "roughing it". How many have ever pushed a lawn mower? Dug a drainage ditch? Helped roof a house? Worked in a garden/field? Hauled hay? Worked at a gas station? Like said above they would rather hale a ride or pay for anything they want (or parents pay for it). I am glad I grew up when I did.

I have always thought the Miata would be an excellent alternative to 2 or 3 wheels. I like the looks of the older ones better. They remind me of the Triumph TR3 that was a blast to drive.

Red Ryder, I'll give you my take. The short is you will know because you will feel very uncomfortable when on 2 wheels. 3 wheel riding is better than no riding. You had a sidecar but did you have the steering kit on it. I understand that makes the steering like power steering. When I was 66 I had what they call sixth nerve palsy, doctor talk for double vision. It was somewhat corrected with a prism on my glasses. I was fortunate, I got over it in 12 weeks, usually takes 6 months. But I began thinking 2 wheels may not be in my future riding. At that point i rented a Can Am for two days. I loved it but not as well as two wheels. I had already ridden a trike and did not like it. I researched sidecars. I even went to Hannigan in Kentucky. I like the sidecar idea, but wow, expensive. Once you have the MC set up properly for one including the steering can't just take it off. I even took a MSF sidecar class. Once I recovered from my double vision I did not ever feel I had to give up two wheels even at age 67 after dropping my VTX 1300 (while riding solo) and breaking my leg while in Nova Scotia. I just said oh s...t my vacation is just ended. Med Jet shipped my VTX home for me at no cost. However, then at 68 while two up I dropped my RSV while 1000 miles from home. I had some damage to the fairing but nothing serious. But this put some serious questions about myself in my head. Every time I stopped I was afraid it would happen again. Was I to stop riding or go to three wheels or what? I wasn't ready to stop riding. I visited Hannigan again. The first time in NS really did not bother me. The second time I began thinking. Dangerous, I know. Upon arrival back home I started looking at alternatives. I had already test rode a Can Am for two days so I knew them. I had ridden a trike, liked the Cam Am better. I visited Hannigan twice for sidecars. I even took a MSF sidecar riding class. I lowered my RSV with Race Tech up front and Barons at the rear. I am now 70 still able to comfortably ride my lowered RSV two up. I prefer solo. I have decided that if I still want to ride after I do not feel comfortable touring on two wheels I'll either buy a Can Am or go with a sidecar properly set up. If I am done with touring but still want to ride locally, I'll go with a smaller motorcycle. This is just my feeling. My buddy said when he can't ride on 2 wheels he will finish life riding his Lazy Boy. That is what one of my uncles did. He died being miserable and making everyone else miserable. He was too proud or whatever to go to 3 wheels. Good luck on your decision. If you are like me once I decide and drop the money I am stuck with my decision.

A buddy of mine and his son have both won plenty of shoots with the good ol' 870. The shooter is the important part of that equation.

I can't answer your question directly but I have an alternative I liked better. I bought a suspension set up from Race Tech www.racetech.com/page/id/156 that lowered the front an inch and the installed a Barrons kit to lower the rear one inch. It made a fantastic difference. Ground clearance was less and my center stand in now for sale. I rode Beartooth Pass days after lowering it. I did not notice any handling difference just more likely to drag the boards. No big deal. I don't know if Race Tech still has any left. I believe they only had three when I bought mine. Matt Wiley is their guru, he is the one who fixed me up. Give them your riding style, two up or solo, loaded for travel or not and they send you exactly what you'll need for your situation including the correct weight oil. I added the Gold Valve since everything was torn apart. This was not a cheap way to go but after dropping my RSV, with my daughter as a passenger, as a result of my short legs, it was cheaper than repairs a second time. BTW: if you go to their site my non lowered VTX is pictured in the cruiser section. No I do not work for them nor do I get a kick back nor discounts. Matt just liked my picture.

Good to hear about the tire. Hope your health issue isn't permanent or at least not serious. I have a low mileage E3 on the front of my RSV. It replaced an E3 at 19,000 mi as heading out on a trip. Had E3 on the rear, got good miles, 15,000 miles. Almost all of the miles were highway with touring load and/or two up. Had to go with a Commander II on the rear this last time as needed it a hurry and all they had. I'll go with the E4 before spring as replacement. I do have an E4 on the rear of my VTX1300 but it only has about 4000 miles on it. No real experience with its longevity. I don't like to replace tires but I am curious how many miles I'll get out of it. The Commander IIs on the rear of VTX were lasting me 14,000 + miles loaded & highway miles. Since I bought the RSV I usually don't load up the VTX for long trips, most are regional or day rides so I may not wear it out.

Awesome. BTW Cowpuc, how did your "super tire" experiment turn out?

Glad yo posted this, saved me time. I have been using it in my VTX (137,000mi), new in '08 and RSV (27,000mi), new in '15 since both were new.

That is a neat hobby and interesting. I did some when I was young but I can tell you are by far better at it than I could ever think of being.

Had a boat for many years. I enjoyed the ownership the entire time. One day the manifold rusted through so started the repairs. Wow, it was a shocker to find out how much a new manifold cost for the boat. At the time I was a single parent of three girls and no spare cash. It sat for a couple of years. I got married again. Cash flow was good and wife wanted me to fix the boat. But then she got transferred to Texas so we moved. Plenty of lakes where we live but boat stayed in Oklahoma at a friends lumber yard to retrieve later. Here it is 21 years later and the boat is gone somewhere. I miss it at times. But where I live now all I can see in owning another boat is more work than worth. Just taking one to the lake would be a pain. I did have fun those years I did own a boat. A lot of water skiing, fishing, and even some scuba diving. Now I am addicted to motorcycles. The Wife is very supportive of this addiction. She even was OK with me adding another one a couple of years ago. She doesn't ride at all not even as a passenger. I think she likes it when I am gone for a couple of weeks. I know I am. I do believe it helps to keep me energized and fell a little young. A man has to have something to do to keep him energized and feel young. I don't golf. I stopped fishing years ago. I don't go to bars. I gave up chasing women so long ago I can't remember. I wasn't chasing them when I met my fantastic wife I have now. I met her by accident. I hope you have some other hobby to keep you happily busy. One that your wife will support you on. You don't have to have a new motorcycle or a new boat to still enjoy life. Used ones are good too. Sometimes cheaper and smaller are better. Especially if it needs to fit a budget.

My mistake. Thank you for catching that. Yes, that will make a large difference.

I have a 2012 RSV. I have been wanting to add the Freewire since I have Sena 20s thus able to use the CB and the Ipod set up. I was told but not sure it is true that the Goldwing cable is what I need to be able to use the Freewire on the 2012 RSV. Another way to state this is the 2012 7 pin cable the same as the Goldwing or is the New Venture cable the same as the 2012 RSV cable?

First off I am with State Farm. I have been insured with them since 1965, when I was 16. All of my things are covered by them. My family went with them in 1961. All their things were covered by State Farm. We have been with them ever since except when we lived in Germany. State Farm did not insure in Germany. I was with the same agent until moving from Oklahoma to Texas 21 years ago. I have been with that agent since. Remember where you live has a big influence on rates. If I lived one county south my rates would be much higher. If I lived one county north they would be lower. Since my county has exploded in population my rates have increase a lot. Liability coverage limits doesn't change rates much but with some companies your deductibles can be a big issue. I am sure there is cheaper insurance out there, especially for my RSV. I can't get a reason why my liability is almost double the amount I pay for liability on my VTX. Unless the reason is because the RSV is a tourer thus assuming more exposure on the highway. My VTX has been exposed to 136,000 miles in 10 years vs 27,000 on the RSV in 3 years. So, I have trouble with that theory. Because of that I might consider moving my motorcycles to another company if, if, I got the same coverage for a noticeable reduction in premium. But I will not move my other stuff unless State Farm really screws me. A sore spot with me is why do I have to pay for liability on three cars and two motorcycles when we only have two drivers. I have never understood that. When I worked for the insurance company I asked an underwriter. His answer, that is the way it is. I know State Farm is not the company they used to be, none are. I have always had good service from them. Getting to know the agent is valuable. He/she can help you when there is a problem. I was an agent for a large company in the 1980s. I was one of their top producers. It was a good company but I stayed with State Farm for my personal coverage because I learned longevity does have its pluses as does knowing your agent. Also, if your agent has been with the company a long time he/she knows people by name in claims and underwriting. That is if they are any good and care about the service they provide. If you can insure with USAA, go for it. I know they operate remote but from when I was in the business (another company) their premiums and service was hard to beat. We did not even try to beat their premiums. All company's rates fluctuate. One will try to cut rates to build business then the losses mount so rates are raised in a few years. So I would just pick a good reputable service oriented company with a real person to talk to in person and stay with them. I would never insure with Progressive because of the principle person at the top. Good luck in your search. Remember, they all spread the risk. We who do not have claims pay for the ones who do. I don't like it either. You might call it redistribution of losses. Sort of like income tax is used to redistribute wealth.