Freebird

That sucks big time. I feel you pain.

LOL....didn't see it coming.

Due to a recent private message exchange that I had with a member, I just wanted to make a few comments about the nature of forums such as this. I'm not going to call anybody out by name but some of you will know who I'm talking about just from reading the recent exchange. I'm sure that he will probably see this also so I want to make it very clear that I am not trying to single him out. It just so happens that it brought up an issue that has recurred many times over the years. The thing is folks, this is a public forum. We have people here from all walks of life and many varying opinions, likes, dislikes, etc. If you are a person with somewhat thin skin, then a public forum is probably not the best place to seek advice on any subject. Whether it be cars, trucks, motorcycles or anything else, there will be some who agree with your opinion and others who don't. You can't take it personal or you are going to be very unhappy here or on pretty much any other forum. The fact that somebody does not agree with your choice of rides, accessories, helmets, whatever does not mean that you are wrong. It simply means that their tastes and/or needs are different than yours. If you post a comment or opinion in a public forum, you are very likely going to get positive as well as negative responses. If you post something looking only to receive positive feedback and reinforcement for your opinion, you are usually going to be very disappointed. This does not make you wrong. It also doesn't make the person who responded wrong. It's just simple human nature of not all liking the same things. If we did, there would only be ONE brand and model of car, truck, motorcycle, etc. and life would be a little less exciting. It is our individuality that makes discussing these things fun for most of us. The most recent of such discussions was in regards to Voyager trike kits as opposed to a conventional trike. Some feathers were ruffled when some members commented that they did not like the Voyager solution. So what? Why should it bother anybody that owns one that somebody else is not a fan? There are several good reasons that the Voyager is an excellent solution for some people. It may be that their budget does not support an expensive full trike conversion. It may be that they have more money than any of us but just can't justify the expense in their own minds for the end result of a full trike, it may be that the idea of being about to move between a trike and back to two wheels is an attractive feature for them. There are a number of reasons to go with the Voyager. There are others that just don't like the Voyager at all. It does handle differently, it has a different look that doesn't appeal to some people, and etc. Regardless of which camp you are in, if you are happy with what you have then why are you bothered by somebody having a different opinion? It was also mentioned that anybody who doesn't own the item being discussed should keep their opinions to themselves. Sorry folks, I don't agree with that at all. I can give you a good example. I don't own a Can Am Spyder. I have never owned one and likely never will. I do have a valid opinion about them though. First of all, let me say that I love them and Eileen really wanted me to buy one. I almost did just that. Pioneer had a very slightly used one with the matching trailer that I was ready to pull the trigger on. Now I had test ridden one for maybe 5 miles a few weeks earlier and though I knew it would take some getting used to, I felt that it would be fine. When I called to close the deal on the used one, I was too late, they had just sold it. A few months later we had our International Rally at Pioneer and they were kind enough to let me ride one for the day on an extended group ride. I tell you, after about 100 miles on that thing, I was in severe pain. So much so that when we stopped for a bit to eat before heading back, I let Eileen drive and I just rode on the back. The problem was, it was NOT comfortable for riders with long legs. There was no way that I could get comfortable on that thing and my back was killing me. I discussed it with the good folks at Pioneer and they were honest and confirmed to me that many tall riders felt the same way. That is why they wanted me to take it for an extended ride before buying one. Now I have read that some changes have been made and it may be better now but based upon that experience, if somebody asks for opinions on it I would share this experience and recommend that if they have long legs, they take one out for a good test ride before pulling the trigger. So, I don't own one but certainly feel that I can offer some valuable input if somebody asks. If you are working on a project or modifications, some are going to like it and some aren't. You will likely hear from both sides. If you don't want to hear opinions from both sides, you are probably going to get upset. The bottom line is, don't be thin skinned. Expect that it you ask a question or post about something, you will likely get both positive and negative opinions. If that bothers you then discussion forums are probably not really something you should be a part of. I don't want anybody to leave but I am under no illusions that I can make everybody happy here. If you expect me to issue a policy that only complimentary and positive opinions are allowed on any give subject, then you are going to be very disappointed. Come on folks. I'm currently riding a Harley Road Glide. Do you have any idea how many negative comments I've read here about Harleys? If I let it bother me, I would have to quit my own site. My own brother left this site years ago because after he bought a new Ultra Classic, he let what he called "Harley Bashing" get to him. I can assure you that many of the negative comments I've read have come from people who have never owned a Harley...some from people who have never even ridden one. I don't care. They still have a right to their opinions. As long as it doesn't get just hateful and nasty, so be it. So loosen up people. Enjoy the mostly supportive responses that you get. Take the negative with a grain of salt. If you only want to hear the opinions of one or two people, send them a PM. Don't expect that if you post it publicly that only those one or two people are going to respond. Whether we agree or disagree on a subject, we are still here to support each other and share the joy of riding and the friendships that are developed because of our shared passions. Family members often disagree. It doesn't mean we don't care about one another.

No, not at all.

Sorry about the iPad problem. I'll take a look but don't know that I can do anything about it. Bob, I've thought about multiple years but have always resisted. I would hate for something to happen and people come to my funeral wanting a refund.

I'm glad you are enjoying it. Sorry it took me so long. Just couldn't find a great solution but this one seems to work ok.

OK...I've replaced the "Donations" tab in the menu bar with one that says "Membership". I hope that makes it easier for people to find. Also, I get a lot of emails and private messages from people asking when their memberships expire. If you click on "Membership", it will show the expiration date of your current membership right at the top in the block that says "Active Subscriptions". If it is close, or even if it's not and just just want to renew, renewing early does NOT start over on the date that you renew, it just adds a year to your current expiration date. Just a side note, I have also refunded the $5.00 donation that was made by mistake.

Which ones? If it about replies to posts and etc., go to your profile and turn them off under "may account" and "settings" You can also look under "subscriptions" and turn off all the threads that you are subscribed to.

That's good. You have to be registered and logged in before you can become a supporting member.

Donations and etc. will not work for membership. Membership payment is an automated process built into the system. This is the link that I get when I got to paid subscriptions. Does it take you to YOUR profile or whatever to pay? If so, I can come up with something more visible. http://www.venturerider.org/forum/payments.php

Excellent tech article. I'll copy it to the Tech Library. Thanks for taking the time to do this.

You shouldn't need anything for the carbs. Though it would be a fantastic time to check and set the float levels while you have them off. If you do that, you MAY need new bowl gaskets but I was careful and able to reuse mine.

Pictures restored.

I agree with the Pucster. Sure looks like that could be it. If it is, that is a GREAT catch Puc...I would have never seen that. Had to look very carefully even after you pointed it out.

I have. But dang if I can remember where.

It doesn't appear that the pictures got attached. Were they sized properly?

Yea..poor dog has to slum it.

I started restoring missing picture attachments last week. Like I said, this is going to be a long process. I'm starting with the Tech Library threads and have already restored quite a few of them. I am going to post a sticky on this thread. What I would like for you to do is post links to this thread to threads that you run across with missing pictures that you feel are most important. To me, that means threads with technical information and etc. that you run across while searching for answers. After the Tech Libraries, I will be concentrating mostly on the Tech Talk forums. Any threads in the watering holes and other areas will have a much lower priority. Over the years I've always tried to stress that tech posts should be put in the tech talk forums and this us a good example of another reason that is important. Though I'm starting with the Tech Library, if I see a thread posted here that somebody needs in order to help with a current issue, I will get on those ASAP. I've already received a few private messages about just that type of thread and have restored them already. Thanks for your assistance.

Advanced Google Search. Motorcycle Tank Dog Carrier. "Motorcycle tank dog carrier" Just posted how I found these in case the link doesn't work for some reason.

I love it Eck. Very very nice. How is the motor? Is that it that I see behind the battery rack? Looks like a starter? I assume it works well?

LOL....I'm going to miss a lot of you when you are gone. Try to stay in touch.

You didn't tweak the establishment at all and I was not the least bit upset at your reply. Just felt that some clarification was needed. There is more than one way to look at many things.

I just found and reattached the jpg and the pdf files to the first post.

I can see how some of the comments could ruffle feathers but when people ask for advice and opinions on a given subject, they really should hear from those with positive as well as negative experiences. Would it be right for then to get only positive feedback when there are some negative opinions that may be of interest? I understand that if you own something and really like it that you don't want to hear others talk it down. I think we are all that way to some extent. If I'm thinking about spending my hard earned money on something though, I really do want to hear both sides. I've not owned a actual full trike conversion nor a Voyager conversion. I've ridden both though. I don't think I've spent enough time on either one to be able to offer an expert opinion. I can only offer my initial feelings. The full trike conversion did handle much better than the Voyager. That's just the fact of what I experienced. Now given more time on the Voyager, I may well have become accustomed to it and been perfectly fine and if I were on a budget or just didn't want to spend the big money for a Hannigan conversion, I would certainly not rule it out. I jut think it's good though that when people ask for opinions, they get opinions.

I too am sorry to hear this news. I met him a few times and he was a great guy. Prayers to all the family and friends. May he rest in peace.