AKRefugee
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Posts posted by AKRefugee
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One of the things I see quite often is riders who are uncomfortable with the pace of the group ride but don't want to appear to "wimp out" by dropping out. I also have a Sportster and ride with a gruop of fellow Sporty riders. One of the things we always do before a ride is a safety brief. During the brief we always provide a printout of the directions we will be riding. We also tell everyone "Ride your own ride, if the pace is to fast or you are not comfortable with the ride drop to the back. When you get to the tail gunner give them the go around sign and a thumbs up so they know you are okay."
When I first started riding with this group there were a few leaders that liked to travel just "a bit" fast. I never felt pressured to stay with the pack and the few times I did drop back I actually ended up having a few others join me. When I got to the next rest point and rejoined the group I was never chided for the slow riding and in fact usually found the next stretch was done at a bit slower and more comfortable pace.
The bottom line is "Ride your own ride" and if you are not comfortable with the group ride drop back or out. Don't belittle any rider that does decide to drop back or out. And let every rider know it is 100% okay to do so if that is what THEY need.
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60 bucks WOW. Mine cost less than 35 bucks.
Got the Ultra LED Light Bar from here http://www.customdynamics.com/Light_bars.htm#Ultra_LED_Light_Bars_
Then went to Home Cheapo and got two L brackets 2x2 and a can of black spray paint, Painted the brackets and then used the bolt for the helmet locks
to hold it under the trunk. Little bit of split wire loom from Auto Zone to cover the wires and off you go.
See this kind of stuff all the time on EBay. Don't fall for it.
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I work in aviation here in Connecticut. Today we had nice weather (finally) and the company needed a part taken to JFK. No one else was available so I volunteered to run the part down to JFK. Went to the house and got the Evil Duck out and off I went to JFK. When I got there I pulled up to the departure area and called our personnel to come out and get the part. While waiting for them I got off the bike and just leaned against it listening to some tunes.
I waited for about 15 minutes. During this time security was running off the cagers but they never once approached me. The person finally came out and I gave them what I had brought down. I asked him for the replacement part which he had of course he had forgotten. He said he would go get it and that I should wait right there. I told him okay but if security cam around and ran me off I would come back in about 15 minutes to look for him.
I waited for about 20 more minutes, still just listening to tunes. Security never came up to me but was still running the cagers off. After about 20 minutes he came back with the part and told me the he knew why the security was not bothering me. I asked him why and he said "they think your are a police motorcycle".
Now I was sitting there about 35 minutes now wearing a 3/4 helmet with a full shaded shield, my black leather chaps and a yellow and black winter riding coat listening to AC/DC etal at about 25 and they think I am a COP? Must have been the antennas and the mike on the helmet I guess. Got the biggest laugh out of that all the way back home.
As I often say "cleverly disguised as a responsible adult (not)". Didn't know the disguise was THAT good.
Moral of the story. If you want to park in front of an airport terminal waiting on someone for a long time, and not get harassed, take your Venture!
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Dont forget that after the time changes, you must swap out the winter air in your tires and replace that with summer air.
There are two gas stations near my house. One has a red air hose and the other has a black air hose. Which one is the summer air? I want to be sure to get the right one. Also is it to early yet to make the switch to the summer air?
:think: -
When I bought mine I researched it very well.
Best article I found was a comparison between this ride a HD RK and the Honda Interstate. They took these bikes on a 7000 mile trip and each driver rode each of the bikes. The Venture beat all the others in all but two areas. The first was the windshield was hard to see through in rain and the second was a slight delay in acceleration when pulling out to pass. Regarding the windshield you can either get a shorter one from Yamaha or cut it down your self. As far as the delay in acceleration when passing, just plan your wrist twist about 1 to 2 seconds earlier. Oh did I mention the price. For what I have on mine I payed about half of what I would have paid for the HD. And the warranty of 5 years. Oh yeah the leg room for me at 36" inseam. And also the better half is so comfortable on this she has even dozed off back there. And finally my eyeballs are not bouncing at the end of a long ride from engine vibration. Most people by a motorcycle for image. And yes that includes many GW riders. Me, I go for best bang for the buck.
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Really neat here in CT. Son said first time he had seen a red moon.
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This may rate as the stupid question of the day.
Do I need to take the Bags and/or rear tire off to replace the links?
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Don't know about the waxes and stuff but can tell you that I have used good old pledge on all my bikes. Where I used to work ,we flew the Lockheed Electra L188 to the Aleutians Islands and we ALWAYS used pledge on the props and NEVER had a problem with salt corrosion on the blades. Good enough for that good enough on the bike IMHO
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Talked the dealer into giving me a short windshield when I bought the
RSV 06 since the one on there was a bit scratched up. They didn't have it so they left the tall one on and gave me the shorty when it came in. Never got the shorty out of the box.
After some riding, and reading in forums, the part that can make the most noise (read significant other here) has said that she does not want the shorty on. Since I do not like unnecessary noises coming from the back I have decided to agree with her. (see not quite as dumb as I look after all).
Any way here is the deal. If someone has a full height windshield in great shape (i.e. like new) and wants a shorty still in the box I will work a swap with them. Just PM me.
The windshield I have is as follows
PART#: STR-4XY02-50-00
DESC: WIDE,WINDSHIELD/LOW
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Thanks Brian
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Well,, I have a pair of Genuine Harley Boots with the strap joining medallion that says Harley Davidson and has a pic of a Harley stamped into it.. THese boots were over 250 bucks new but I got them slightely used from a guy who couldnt afford to maintain his Harley lifestyle.. Got the boots for 25 buck - they had been used on one ride.. I wear them alllll the time and they are the most comfortable biking boot I have ever owned.. I have well over 100000 miles on them road tripping and MANY times those boots and my black riding shorts are the only clothes I wear...
So yea,, Harley does make good stuff...
'Puc
Why does this seem just a little disturbing to me . . . never mind I don't think I really want to know do I? (immediately goes shopping for brain bleach)
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Wow what an informative thread. dharnie, thanks for the follow up on the results. Sorry about your expense but will say saved me a lot of work and cost here. Thanks to every one else. As always I am learning a lot about this ride very quickly from the info you all provide.
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I am a novice at this stuff but can follow directions with the best of them.
I have two sets of after market lights from Wally World that I have mounted on the deflectors and foot pegs. Now I have to wire them.
I want to have the first set on all the time the headlight is on (both high beam and low beam). Also want to be able to turn them off when working on the bike etc. so will probably need to place a switch somewhere.
I want the second set to be on only when high beam is on. Don't think I will need a switch for this set.
How, what and where I wire them in is what I need to know. What colors wires are what on the bike? How and where do I wire them into the bikes wiring? How and where do I mount a switch. Can I do it without splitting the fairing?
Remember I am a newbie to this bike and while I am not totally mechanically challenged neither am I an engineering genius so instructions must be simple to follow.
Thanks for any help with this
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Thanks all for the responses they have really helped me with my decision.
I have decided to go ahead and mount them on the deflectors.
Seems that there is to high a possibility of damage if I mount them
on the fairing.
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I enjoy riding and talk about my riding with any one that will listen. I also try to listen to what they say about bikers. The complaints I hear about most are not about the big bikes, lets be honest here most of the owners of cruisers and touring bikes are older and have had the poop scared out of them enough to ride quite defensively. No, the complaints I hear most about are the young bloods riding the crotch rockets.
Their high speed driving, wheelie popping down the interstate, cutting back and forth like a sewing machine and riding between cars in traffic scares the cagers. Hell I've almost been taken out twice by this sort of driving by them when I was on my bike. This type of riding reflects on all bikers and makes many cagers resentful towards all bikes.
So how do we break this image? What do YOU do to help change this? Have YOU taken the time to talk with a young rider about this type of riding? Do YOU encourage your local dealers to include riding courses as part of the purchase of a new bike? Do the local riding groups YOU participate in actively encourage safe riding conversations with these young riders? When YOU see young riders riding in an aggressive or dangerous way and the opportunity arises to speak to them do you pass on the opportunity, rip them a new one or calmly discuss it with them?
In order to increase our odds of being respected when on the road we each must do our part for the over all biking community. I am reminded of a an aviation saying that I will modify a bit
"There are Old Riders and there are Bold Riders but there are no Old Bold Riders."
What are YOU doing to help the young riders become old riders? We all like to participate in big events but it is our daily actions that will have the necessary affect over the long run.
Just my
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I have some lights that I am thinking of mounting on the front of the fairing as passing lights
I really don't like the look of the bar for a passing light set up and don't want to mount of the deflectors or forks if I can avoid it.
I am thinking of doing the following
Mounting about 6 to 8 inches outside of headlight centered on the center horizontal plane of the headlight.
Drilling necessary hole in fairing with rubber grommet for the hole.
Making a small (about 2" x 2") metal plate with matching rubber plate side
drilling hole in plates slightly smaller than hole in fairing.
Mounting bolt for light through fairing, rubber plate, metal plate, lock washer and nut.
Taping into the headlight wiring
Thoughts, suggestions, hints cautions???
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Ummmm, not sure how to address this uh possibly touchy subject but have you thought about a DNA test on that youngun??
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What no added chrome yet?
When you adding lights?
When does the Corbin seat arrive?
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Kit,
Hey you forgot duct tape in there somewhere
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Thanks for the additional pics. Picked up some similar lights at Wally World and have been thinking about that same spot on the deflector for mounting mine. Any noticeable bouncing of the lights at night?
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Congrats on the new ride.
Check out the stats and some things I noticed were
1. seat is 3 inches lower. probably no good for my 36 inch inseam
2. air cooled. let us know what the heat factor is like.
3. electronic windshield height adjustment. hows that working out?
Enjoy the ride, It does look pretty in a weird kind of way
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Been looking at a similar set up. Can you post some close up daylight pics of the mounting?
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Being a frustrated ex-climatology student in college I have a ton of links to just about everything weather, but the one site I use most of all is UNSIS for a real time idea of what's headed your direction. Make sure you have a broad band connection....
Thanks CONDOR will add this to my bookmarks
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I work with weather fo a living and have found the most informative and user friendly is this one
http://www.weather.gov/forecasts/graphical/sectors/
Just click on the map somewhere close to where you want and then play with it. Use it all the time for several days out weather. Make sure you have the mouse over option selected.
:think:
Strange close calls
in Watering Hole
Posted
Doing a fall ride with about 10 other folks doing on a nice twisty with rocks on one side and lake on the other. Was wearing a 3/4 helmet with a shield. Came around the corner scraping pipes and a HUGE leaf came up under the shield and glued it self to the inside of the shield. Scared the dodo out of me. Went to the right until I felt I had gone far enough than back to the left then back to the right several times all while trying to get that damn leaf out of the shield. Friends thought it was funny cause all they could see was my going from side to side and pawing at my face like I had a squirrel up there or something. Keep it up and got it stopped but still to this day do not know how.