uncledj

Little Charlie is healing up nicely. As it stands, Lisa and I ARE planning on attending. We've a cabin at KOA Ashville East, arriving the 17th. Unless something else bad happens.....We'll be there. Poor little fella still has the cone on his melon and is still largely penned to keep from too much stress on that tiny leg, but he's not in pain and is ready to run....He should be allowed out of the pen in a few weeks. (I think he should be let out now...but gotta listen to the doggy doc)

Ditto on Spragues , Kinzua train bridge is an impressive sight, PA Grand Canyon is cool....I'd recommend doing the Penns Cave boat tour if you're over that a way and it's close to Beaver Stadium if you're a football fan...Penn State Museum in the stadium....Hyner State Park has an overlook that's pretty cool....Neat ride up the mountain to the overlook...There's a place on RT 6 near Titioute called "Simpler Times Museum"...With a sign that reads "Open by chance or appointment"....The old guy that own / runs it lives on site....if he's still with us....Lots of oil well drilling equipment, old tractor trailers....cars...gas pumps....a real mish mash of stuff, but pretty cool....Haven't been there in a few years but it was quite a site. Route 6 runs across the top of the state and offers some nice riding. Have fun.

Grieve for the world, not for him. He's in a better place than this crazy ball of dirt.

You can also raise the back end about an inch, which shifts the weight to the front a bit. I did it years ago and did notice a handling difference. These bikes take a bit of practice for low speed turns and such, but with a bit of thought and practice, they're pretty easily tamed.

I'm about an hour North of Columbus, OH....If that helps

We're hopin'. He got surgery this morning....2 plates and 5 screws....with a 6 pound dog those pieces must be tiny. Anyhoo, they called and said he did very well and we can pick him up tomorrow. Big money for this stuff though...got almost as much tied up in his busted wing as I paid for my 06 Venture. They now say 5 weeks in a pen and inactive and he should be good as new.

Just lettin' everyone know....Ashville may be up in the air for us right now. We have 2 Pomeranian pups in our lives now. We've had them since early April, and took them to W Kentucky with us in May without issue. We were at a friends farm with them in Western PA for the 4th weekend and one of them suffered a badly broken arm. We had a baby gate keeping them towards the back of the motorhome, and I heard a cry and went to check and "Charlie" was on the other side of the gate with his front leg bent at a 90. I think he climbed or jumped over the gate and got his tiny leg caught on something. He's getting surgery this morning,....getting a tiny plate screwed to that tiny leg bone, but he's going to need to be kept in a small pen....kept from activity for at least 6 weeks. I don't know how this will affect our Ashville plans yet. Already had to cancel July Myrtle Beach trip. Will keep everyone informed.

Yup...My first street legal bike was a 74 Honda XL350, rode it from Y-Town to Hillsville PA to hill-climb, then back home. Got a bit more beat up each time, but I don't remember it ever NOT getting me home...even with a rear flat, I still (almost) made the 20 mile trip home. Was getting close and the car in front of me braked hard....so did I....Tire separated from rim and I went down...fairly soft drop, but had to wait for my buddy to bring a truck to get the last few miles. That was a great bike, even though hill climbing generally beats the crap out of a bike, it always started and ran.

Whether it's a car, boat, lawnmower or motorcycle, working on it yourself brings you much closer to that machine. It's what builds the understanding and "love" of that machine. When you work on it yourself, you take a greater pride in it....you much better understand what's making it "tick" and how this machine is propelling you down the road at 70mph and how / why it stops when you brake. That's part of the work / understanding / love / and joy of riding that would be lost with any machine that needs a higher level of service tools. I'll bet the mechanics who would perform such service would lack much of the understanding of what makes it tick....just do what the 'puter tells them..... LOVE of your bike is a lot like the love of your wife...Takes work, and the understanding gained by the personal interaction and frustration, anger, joy and success of every aspect of those interactions.

Watching a parent age and need help with the simple necessities of life is a very difficult thing that many of us go through. I'm sure your mom knows how much you love her and your video affirms it. I've a pretty good idea of what you're going through, and know that I mean it when I say "Thoughts and prayers are with you all". Take Care, my friend.

I'm with ya....old eyes and big hands make motorcycle work difficult....

I'm soooo Jelly !!! Congratulations!!! I'm very happy for you !!! I've still 5 or 6 years to go but it seems quite far off. Wishing you all the best in this, next, stage of you life.

A few pics....

That first time that I get to ride every year feels GREAT.....Makes me remember why I enjoy riding. Just wish I had more time to ride whenever I want.

Lisa, myself and the babies got home about 5, safe and sound. Thanks Ron for setting this up, had a great time and would like to do it again next year. I've a few pics and will post when I get a minute. Great to see everyone and catch up. Thanks again

Getting ready to head out. See ya this afternoon.

Will be there Friday...not sure what time.....don't know if I'll be able to do the Hannigan tour or not.

Sorry to hear that. You're in the same place we'll all be eventually. I'm just hoping that when I have time to ride as much as I'd like, (retirement) that I'll still be able to do it. Wife and I have been talking about a Can-Am....Might eventually pull the trigger on that.... Best wishes for a positive outcome for you and the wife. Hope to see ya at a rally sometime.

Haven't been to a lot..maybe a half dozen, but I kinda like the WNY Rally...Lotsa good folks, campfire, band, and that uh...wonderful...hooch that Starfan brings from across the pond. Love Dons' MD, cause it's close and gives an opportunity for some wrenchin' and socializin'... I'll be retiring in 5 or 6 years and hope to be able to attend more frequently then.

I thought YOU WERE the Hoodlum.....

Booked a cottage for Lisa and I for Friday and Saturday night. Will probably trailer the bike..not sure yet. Lookin' forward.

Not sure I understand the question....Could you re-phrase???

You are crazy and you need to see your doctor.

Love it....750?

Finally had time to get it back together. I ended up cleaning the carbon off of everything, didn't see a need to grind / seat the valves...Put a new carb on and I did notice that the old carb (1 year old) had a tiny bit of corrosion (rust) on the spring that keeps the choke shut. The choke is simply a needle that pulls away from an orifice when the choke knob is pulled.. They call it an "enrichment valve". I think this all came down to that valve not closing properly. I adjusted the valves, and the exhaust valve was a few thousandths tight, but other than that I put it all back together and it seems to run pretty well, albeit throttle response seems just a tad slow, but not a problem. Further found a bent rod in one of the control arms. Straightened it as best I could (actually straightened out pretty good_) Looked like someone nailed a tree or rock with that wheel. Changed control arm bushings, ran it around the property for a bit, then put it away. Now lets get that old TT600 freshened up.