rod

15 1/2 on a permit. 1972 Yamaha 125 2 stroke twin (mine) 1968 Yamaha 250 Big Bear 2 stroke twin. 1967 Honda 450 (Dads), 1973 Yamaha RD 350 (brothers). I would like to any of those bikes now. Rod

Most tank bags that I have seen will work Ok. If you search for tach You will have a few choices. JC Whitney has bag liners that fit or a menber here makes them. Tires are like oil threads loads of opinions. I like the Avons. Rod

I agree with the 357. Lots of choices for ammo and easy to get. My rifle with 357 ammo is as good as a 30-30 and can shoot 38 ammo fairly cheap, shoot the magnuns when you need real power. Rod

I grew up with basic first aid because we back packed and hunted in remote areas. In the Air Force I was a security /police Law enforcement first responder. I always have a first aid kit on my vehicles. Tonight I had 2 wrecks that happened in front of me hours apart. Both were ugly I don't know what the cause was on either. The first was a mutable roll over with no seat belts on the passengers. I pulled out the survivors and stopped the bleeding until the CHP and EMT showed up. The 2nd was 3 hrs later same freeway other direction 1/2 mile away they flipped and landed on the guardrail cutting the car in half. I hope the car seats were empty I could not find any children. I don't think the driver survived, I did CPR and first aid but it was a lost cause I'm afraid. As motorcyclist we should all be prepared to respond to emergency's. In this case I was on my Virago and only had a small first aid kit. The best part of the kit was my training. If you don't have basic first aid you should go to the red cross and get trained, you could save the life of a friend or loved one. Do not be afraid to help most states have good Samaritan laws that protect you from liability and it is the right thing to do. Ride safe Rod

Try Deep surplus online. http://deepsurplus.com/ Good luck Rod

If I had the money the FJR is the first on my list of bikes I would buy. Rod

You might want to check these out. Rod (I have not verified any of this. Passed on by a friend). Many of these are for 55+ As I was waiting in line behind an older gentleman at Wendy's recently, I heard him ask for his senior discount. The girl at the register apologized and charged him less. When I asked the man what the discount was, he told me that seniors over 55 gets 10% off everything on the menu, every day. Being that age myself, I figured I might as well ask for the discount too. As I waited for my turn, I thought about the consequences of doing so. If the employee asked me for I.D., it could be embarrassing having to show my license. But if she didn't ask for proof, I would get depressed that I really did look "old" and that I didn't need to prove it. Since I always like to save money, I boldly asked for the discount, and sadly she just rang up the discount (even though I am convinced I don't look a day over 54). Anyway, this incident prompted me to do some research, and I came across a list of restaurants, supermarkets, department stores, travel deals and other types of offers giving various discounts with different age requirements. I was actually surprised to see how many there are and how some of them start at the young age of 50. This list may not only be useful for you, your friends and family, but it might also be appreciated by your clients. You might consider sending them an e-mail about it and link to our site in the e-mail, or maybe include it in your newsletter. Hmmmm, Dunkin Donuts gives free coffee to people over 55. If you're paying for a cup every day, you might want to start getting it for free. Or pick something below that you can use. Restaurants: Applebee’s: 15% off with Golden Apple Card (60+) Arby’s: 10% off (55+) Ben & Jerry’s: 10% off (60+) Bennigan’s: discount varies by location Bob’s Big Boy: discount varies by location (60+) Boston Market: 10% off (65+) Burger King: 10% off (60+) Captain D’s Seafood: discount varies on location (62+) Chick-Fil-A: 10% off or free small drink or coffee (55+) Chili’s: 10% off (55+) CiCi’s Pizza: 10% off (60+) Culver’s: 10% off (60+) Denny’s: 10% off, 20% off for AARP members (55+) Dunkin’ Donuts: 10% off or free coffee (55+) Einstein’s Bagels: 10% off baker’s dozen of bagels (60+) Fuddrucker’s: 10% off any senior platter (55+) Gatti’s Pizza: 10% off (60+) Golden Corral: 10% off (60+) Hardee’s: $0.33 beverages everyday (65+) IHOP: 10% off (55+) Jack in the Box: up to 20% off (55+) KFC: free small drink with any meal (55+) Krispy Kreme: 10% off (50+) Long John Silver’s: various discounts at participating locations (55+) McDonald’s: discounts on coffee everyday (55+) Mrs. Fields: 10% off at participating locations (60+) Shoney’s: 10% off Sonic: 10% off or free beverage (60+) Steak ‘n Shake: 10% off every Monday & Tuesday (50+) Subway: 10% off (60+) Sweet Tomatoes: 10% off (62+) Taco Bell: 5% off; free beverages for seniors (65+) TCBY: 10% off (55+) Tea Room Cafe: 10% off (50+) Village Inn: 10% off (60+) Waffle House: 10% off every Monday (60+) Wendy’s: 10% off (55+) White Castle: 10% off (62+) Retail And Apparel: Banana Republic: 10% off (50+) Bealls: 20% off first Tuesday of each month (50+) Belk’s: 15% off first Tuesday of every month (55+) Big Lots: 10% off Bon-Ton Department Stores: 15% off on senior discount days (55+) C.J. Banks: 10% off every Wednesday (60+) Clarks: 10% off (62+) Dress Barn: 10% off (55+) Goodwill: 10% off one day a week (date varies by location) Hallmark: 10% off one day a week (date varies by location) Kmart: 20% off (50+) Kohl’s: 15% off (60+) Modell’s Sporting Goods: 10% off Rite Aid: 10% off on Tuesdays & 10% off prescriptions Ross Stores: 10% off every Tuesday (55+) The Salvation Army Thrift Stores: up to 50% off (55+) Stein Mart: 20% off red dot/clearance items first Monday of every month (55+) Grocery: Albertson’s: 10% off first Wednesday of each month (55+) American Discount Stores: 10% off every Monday (50+) Compare Foods Supermarket: 10% off every Wednesday (60+) DeCicco Family Markets: 5% off every Wednesday (60+) Food Lion: 6% off every Monday (60+) Fry’s Supermarket: free Fry’s VIP Club Membership & 10% off every Monday (55+) Great Valu Food Store: 5% off every Tuesday (60+) Gristedes Supermarket: 10% off every Tuesday (60+) Harris Teeter: 5% off every Tuesday (60+) Hy-Vee: 5% off one day a week (date varies by location) Kroger: 10% off (date varies by location) Morton Williams Supermarket: 5% off every Tuesday (60+) The Plant Shed: 10% off every Tuesday (50+) Publix: 5% off every Wednesday (55+) Rogers Marketplace: 5% off every Thursday (60+) Uncle Guiseppe’s Marketplace: 5% off (62+) (I have been told that A&P supermarkets offers 5% off to people over 55 every Tuesday) Travel: Alaska Airlines: 10% off (65+) Alamo: up to 25% off for AARP members American Airlines: various discounts for 65 and up (call before booking for discount) Amtrak: 15% off (62+) Avis: up to 25% off for AARP members Best Western: 10% off (55+) Budget Rental Cars: 10% off; up to 20% off for AARP members (50+) Cambria Suites: 20%-30% off (60+) Clarion: 20%-30% off (60+) Comfort Inn: 20%-30% off (60+) Comfort Suites: 20%-30% off (60+) Continental Airlines: no initiation fee for Continental Presidents Club & special fares for select destinations Dollar Rent-A-Car: 10% off (50+) Econo Lodge: 20%-30% off (60+) Enterprise Rent-A-Car: 5% off for AARP members Greyhound: 5% off (62+) Hampton Inns & Suites: 10% off when booked 72 hours in advance Hertz: up to 25% off for AARP members Holiday Inn: 10%-30% off depending on location (62+) Hyatt Hotels: 25%-50% off (62+) InterContinental Hotels Group: various discounts at all hotels (65+) Mainstay Suites: 10% off with Mature Traveler’s Discount (50+); 20%-30% off (60+) Marriott Hotels: 15% off (62+) Motel 6: 10% off (60+) Myrtle Beach Resort: 10% off (55+) National Rent-A-Car: up to 30% off for AARP members Quality Inn: 20%-30% off (60+) Rodeway Inn: 20%-30% off (60+) Sleep Inn: 20%-30% off (60+) Southwest Airlines: various discounts for ages 65 and up (call before booking for discount) Trailways Transportation System: various discounts for ages 50 and up United Airlines: various discounts for ages 65 and up (call before booking for discount) U.S. Airways: various discounts for ages 65 and up (call before booking for discount) Activities And Entertainment: AMC Theaters: up to 30% off (55+) Bally Total Fitness: up to $100 off memberships (62+) Busch Gardens Tampa: $3 off one-day tickets (50+) Carmike Cinemas: 35% off (65+) Cinemark/Century Theaters: up to 35% off U.S. National Parks: $10 lifetime pass; 50% off additional services including camping (62+) Regal Cinemas: 30% off Ripley’s Believe it or Not: @ off one-day ticket (55+) SeaWorld Orlando: $3 off one-day tickets (50+) Cell Phone Discounts: AT&T: Special Senior Nation 200 Plan $29.99/month (65+) Jitterbug: $10/month cell phone service (50+) Verizon Wireless: Verizon Nationwide 65 Plus Plan $29.99/month (65+). Miscellaneous: Great Clips: $3 off hair cuts (60+) Super Cuts: $2 off haircuts (60+)

If the helmet is DOT/SNELL approved fit is more important than price. Finding a helmet that is comfortable is the #1 consideration. That said my Dad said if you have a $20 head buy a $20 helmet; if your head is worth more spend the money. Rod

There is a lot of weight on the front due to the fork mounted fairing. Going with a smaller tire on the front will help a bunch; dropping the forks 5/8 to 3/4 of an inch will help too. With this big bike you need to use all the skills that are taught in the classes. While you can get away with being sloppy in your technique with small bikes the Venture demands proper technique. Once you get the feel for it the bike will surprise you on how well it handles. Slow, look and press thru the corners and practice it will be fine. Rod

What is the problem with winter? 70 deg here in San Diego. Rod

Nice; too bad you are not out here I have some aluminum that we use to make it a solid single piece. It would polish up nice. Rod

Lube the lever and put some grease on the lever where it rubs against the piston on the handle bar. New fluid and SS lines if that does not help. Rod

I have an old Benjamen and Crossman pump, both are deadly inside of 40 yrds. Possums,cats,coons,dogs, and other critters getting into my chicken coop found out the hard way. The thing I like about the pump is you can adjust the power to the need, 4 pumps ouch 10 pumps damage 20 pumps kill. Rod

Thanks for the link. I love the concept bikes. I wish they would take a more practical approach sometimes but their imagination is incredible. Rod

Make sure the ballast on the fixture is grounded to the case. Make sure the stereo case is grounded that should do the trick. Electronic ballasts make less noise than the old magnetic; cheap fixtures are nosier than the better quality fixtures. Rod

Well that is great!!! Take lots of pics and take it all in. I am so jealous. Have fun my friend Rod

My grandfather was a mechanic and that is what he used. Like others stated it is harsh and can eat some rubber parts if you spill it. No problem for the neoprene in the carbs. I get it by the gallon for rebuilding and use Seafoam to put in the tank. Use in ventilated area and don't leave it on you skin. Rod

I agree with layers. I got some insulated bib overalls (Carhartt) that work great. Make sure to get the ones that have the long zipper on the legs for easy on/off. Good ski gloves keep your hands warm. Rod

Sounds like you did the right thing, good job. A common mistake people make is to look at what they are trying to miss rather than where they want to go. Rod

Practice is the key to braking. The MSF has the ARC that I think every one should do at least once. I have never gotten a bad review at the end of the class, every one has always learned something and braking and swerving is mentioned the most often. Keeping your brakes in good condition is also important. Rod

Check this out. http://www.allaboutbikes.com/motorcyle-news/general-news/6046-hundreds-of-bikers-prank-innocent-moviegoers-video enjoy Rod

I have one. Rod

Not a good idea to take a power tool to the tire!!! A good washing with soap and a 3M pad and ride careful for the first 50-100 miles depending on the road surface. Braking and lean angles are gonna be where you will notice it most. Ride careful and safe Rod

I just got a call from my Dr after the latest MRI. "Your shoulder is being held together by a thread of muscle" surgery ASAP. It looks like my 2000 mm venture #222 will be for sale soon :crying: Lets hope by the time I can ride a big bike again there will be an upgrade Venture with Vmax based engine. Rod

I was in the six item express lane at the store quietly fuming. Completely ignoring the sign, the woman ahead of me had slipped into the check-out line pushing a cart piled high with groceries. Imagine my delight when the cashier beckoned the woman to come forward looked into the cart and asked sweetly, 'So which six items would you like to buy?' Wouldn't it be great if that happened more often? John was on his deathbed and gasped pitifully. 'Give me one last request, dear,'he said. 'Of course, John,' his wife said softly. 'Six months after I die,' he said, 'I want you to marry George.' 'But I thought you hated George,' she said. With his last breath John said, 'I do!' Rod