FreezyRider
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Posts posted by FreezyRider
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Hi Dave...long time no see!
My advice is option 2.
This past summer Donna and I and another couple did just what you are looking at doing, only we did it in 3 weeks.
Left NE Indiana, went to the Badlands, Rushmore, Crazy Horse Monument (puts Rushmore to shame), Bear Tooth Highway - don't miss this, it was the highlight of our trip - North to Glacier National Park and the Road to the Sun, west to the PC Highway, Redwoods, Lake Tahoe, Death Valley, Hoover Dam, Grand Canyon, up to Colorado and the Million Dollar Highway, Independence Pass, Mount Evans, Rocky Mountain National Park, Garden of the Gods...then beat feet for home. Total of 7500 miles. Motels all the way.
We did pull a loaded cargo trailer and most days we ate our lunch out of the the coolers which really worked out well. Tried to find motels that offered a full hot breakfast as well. So, normally (a few exceptions) our only expensive meal of the day was the evening meal. Worked out great!
Our total cost for this extravaganza, including meals, gas, motels, tips, park fees, farkles for the wife, mementos for the grandkids, etc...was $5005.00. You will probably save some money going solo.
Since this trip was the celebration of our 40th anniversary, we were prepared to spend the money.I'd do it all again, it was WONDERFUL. Out of the entire 3 weeks we had only about 2 hours of rain...none of that was a hard rain either. We did have several 100 degree plus days.
For me, at my age, being able to "recharge" at the end of the day in an air-conditioned motel room was worth the expense. I don't think we would have been able to be out that long if we were camping. We saw campers in several places...100 degrees...they didn't look like they were having much fun.
The next time I go that way, it will either be longer time-wise (unlikely) or just slower and shorter. I want to spend more time at several of those locations and thoroughly explore the area.
Good luck, you're gonna love this!
Joe
Edit: Oh, one other thing...if you don't have one, get a Senior pass for the National parks. You can actually buy one at the first NP you enter. Got ours at the entrance to the Badlands. Costs $10, and is good for life at all National Parks. The other couple with us wasn't ancient enough to qualify...they spent about $150 on park fees as opposed to our $10!!! Sometimes aging has its benefits!!!
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Ya know bro,, one of the things that I really really love about VR is that we can love and talk to each other like real brothers,,, kinda rare in life it seems... For me,, being, as you say, "wide open" has an amazing affect - it always seems to help just to know that I have friends who really do care.. That said, I want you to know that your old Pucster buddy is one of those friends - Prayers Up Dan!!
In November of 03 I swerved my car as a White Tail Deer tryed to jump thru the windshield.. After using a tree for brakes, I woke up and pushed the airbag off the side of my face.. I had leaned away from the deer - hid my face behind the dash and the airbag had deployed against my left shoulder and my face had made contact with the center of dash board and chipped a couple teeth.. The medical people focused on my broken back which left me parallized. After 5 back surgeries, a year in a body cast (turtle shell) and wayyy more "pain management" drugs than anyone should ever take (I liked em,,, a lot), I found myself being declared "healed" by the car insurance companys doctor (we have "lifetime" car insurance care in Michigan,,, unless the insurance people decide they dont want that responsibility - if that is the case they just hire a doctor to declare you "healed" and you are healed and all better - its almost kind of a spirtual experience LOL...).
Later, little things kept popping up,, just not "feeling" well at times - little periods of brain fogginess.. Just not able to focus and having a hard time concentrating.. Every once in a great while I would have these odd smells in my nose - some times it smelled like hot fiberglass, other times like burning electrical wiring.. Those episodes were not real frequent but in later years became more so.. I had complained to my doctors about it all thru the years BUT, most of them felt it was just getting over the surgeries, drugs and maybe some PTSD.. It seemed just not that big of a deal to me either and truthfully,, it came and left infrequently enough that I just lived with it.. Besides,, who the heck wants to deal with temporary medical stuff when ya got work to do, kids to play with, bikes to ride and life to live..
This year, for some reason,, it didnt just come and go.. Tippy says that the fogginess and "death stare" has been lingering since late last summer.. Looking back,, I thought I was going thru some midlife crisis stuff,, you know,, empty nest and all that - I had soooo much fun with the kids,, you know the routine.. I had also noticed major changes in my sleep habits (INSOMNIA), irritability, unable to focus, lack of thought clarity, tiredness, stinky nose, watering eyes, just feeling blahhh since this summer and I just got tired of it.. I switched doctors,, again,, in search of why... This new Doc, a young lady full of youthful vigger,, took me seriously.. Sent me off to another young specialist ENT - she told me he would remind me of Doogy Howser and he does.. Anyway,, he is the one that found this leaky brain fluid stuff, right after finding it he asked me how long it had been since I had head trauma.. I told him about my car accident and he said that residual affects of head injuries can go on for many many years and sometimes never do get treated.. That a lot of times in the medical field stuff like this is found by accident, if you will, and as a result of looking for something totally unrelated,,,,, go figure...
After having my heart checked today and some blood drawn I had another regular Dr's appointment.. She asked how the the sinus polyp removal was coming.. I told her about the brain fluid stuff.. She had that same "deer in the headlights" look on her face that I am sure I had when the ENT told me about it (I even told her that). She said she felt bad for me cause this may be some very serious stuff.. I told her how THANKFUL I was to finally have someone take me serious about all this stuff and that just getting some kind of anwers made me feel better than I have in a long long time...
Later, after examining my crippled up hands (I literally can only open my hands half way - they are permanently "c" shaped just like they are holding a set of bike grips LOL) and finding out that I apparently have "Gout" (arrrggg) - I made a comment about how getting old sucks,, she says,,,, Scott - I get that BUT obviously you have really really lived,, your body is worn out equally from top to bottom LOL...
I truly am sorry for what ever is going on Dan,, I hope and pray that somehow they find out whats happening.. I am here for ya buddy!!! In the mean time,, try to focus on the positive memories of life,, you and I and our family here have sooooo many things to be thankful for,, we still got each other even if we are all worn out!!!
Puc
Pucster, you sir are an example of the best of VRo! I love your positive attitude, your encouragement of others, your openness and willingness to share your personal life if you think it might help someone else.
Sending some "Bro love" your way! Continue to be a blessing to others!
Joe
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The answer to your first question is that they don't look cool and won't sell. HiViz around a job site works. On a bike, not so..... I think we all are safety conscious because we wear helmets, but we like them to come close to matching what we ride. There was one member from around Carson City NV that painted his bike yellow. He'd wear one....
We recently returned from a 3-week, 7400 mile ride to the West coast, down through the Southwest, up into Colorado and then back home. I was impressed by how many HI-Viz coats/jackets I saw...even a couple on HD riders!!! Shocked!
I do think the HV is growing steadily, and they sure make a difference. I agree that in the helmet area, particularly with half-helmets (or shorties) they are not going to sell all that well. It seems that shorties are very popular in states with helmet mandates. A lot of riders wear a shorty because it complies with the law, and without the law probably would not wear a helmet at all. Couldn't believe how many shorty helmets I saw that were the nazi helmet style. I don't think a lot of these people would buy a HV nazi helmet!
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IF you are riding with a buddy who also has a Goldwing, do this:
Swap batteries. Put his charged battery into your bike with the dead alternator, and put your battery into his working bike. Pull the fuse as above in your bike, start it, then jump his bike (you'll have to have jumper cables of course) to get it running. Now ride. His bike will charge your dead battery. You can ride for hours on his good battery. After a few hours swap batteries again and keep riding. You can do this for days on end - bit of a pain but it'll get you home.
Read this on another forum, posted by someone who had done it.
Joe
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They look really cool...and all that...probably a lot of fun to drive...and all that...
But dang.
You can buy a decent used Miata for half that and it comes with a windshield, air conditioning, and airbags!
Agreed!!!
I've had a yearning for a Miata. There are times that our weekend or vacation plans have suffered due to crappy weather...storms have a way of taking all the fun out of riding. I'm not talking just rain here, but storms with wind/lightning/hail ain't fun to ride in. Often wished I had a Miata or similar when we are heading out for a few days and storms are predicted. But I've been held back by the fact that a Miata would be sitting in my garage all winter due to the snow & ice here in Indiana. I don't want to have 2 vehicles that are basically warm-weather only (Wing & Miata), then have 2 more for our daily drivers.
So, I found a solution. A few weeks ago I bought a 2000 Jeep Wrangler Sport which is in pretty much unmolested condition. Never lifted, only minor cosmetic accessories, has an auto trans, A/C, Cruise Control, hard top and soft top. I'll tell you, I'm thrilled with it (with the exception of fuel economy; they are heavy drinkers). This baby will eat up Indiana winters, and with the soft top installed we can head out even when storms are predicted. Takes only a few minutes to raise the top.
Still have our Wing, still riding it on weekends and trips...but I can see the day coming when the Jeep may take precedence over the bike.
Joe
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4- the GW fanatics and the groups. they act snobby and think I should have matching everything to resemble them.
Sure have to agree with you there, Barry. I am a member of gl1800riders.com, as are Eck, MidRsv, and some others around here. The only reason I joined was to be able to access all of the maintenance and troubleshooting information and to ask questions if necessary. There are some real snots on that site...as well as some really good people. After awhile you learn who is who, and go from there. There are some guys who really go the extra mile to help others, just as most here do. Their help has been invaluable to me. I stay away from the jerks.
I actually let my membership here expire back in April, thinking that I'd just utilize the wing forum more. Well, that didn't last. Even though the wing forum is very informational, I missed the "characters" around here.
Had to re-up and join back in, glad I did.I've done a lot of work on my wings over the years, and would certainly be willing to help if you ever need it. Congratulations on your new ride!!!
Joe
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Cowpuc is a bad influence??? Not sure about that, but I do know that he is ONE HECK OF A GOOD STORYTELLER!!!
Love reading your stuff, Puc!!!
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Hey, Pucster...I really enjoy reading all your posts. You have a great outlook on life and it's fun to follow your travels.
Thanks for making and posting this video! Great job!!!
Joe
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Here are a few more photo links. We're back in Willow Springs, MO and we should make it home tomorrow. It's been an OK trip, far from the best that we've taken. The weather in Colorado was not great. If it wasn't raining it was very cloudy. Taos was very disappointing and we probably won't be going back there in the future.
Dennis
Dennis, you've been retired so long that you've evidently forgotten that a bad day motorcycling is still better than a good day working!
Joe:big-grin-emoticon:
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We seem to agree on some things....I must be slipping!
Usually I'm the guy with the 'out-of-the-box' viewpoints!
Actually my '10,000 pound' reference was for a camper pulled behind a pickup or SUV...using a small heim joint there would probably not be wise. But they are fine for 200-500 pound trailers pulled by a motorcycle.
My rule of thumb for bike trailers is...the smaller the better.
The larger the trailer, the more it impacts handling, braking, ride enjoyment, safety, and of course, driveline wear.
But I realize that some folks want to load up mama, the pooch, and 500 pounds of junk to keep mama and the pooch happy for 3 weeks in the mountains or crossing 25 states in the summer.
Not my preferred way to travel, but for them, it is. And it turns out that the Venture, the GoldWing, and several other touring bikes have plenty of power for doing exactly that!
Aw, heck...we agree on dang near everything. And if I was you I'd be worried about that!
Joe
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Probably. Lots of things eventually wear out. Given enough time. Same with standard polished hitch balls, brake pads, human hip joints, the water pump in your car, and oil.
But we still use them.
And when used for the lighter trailers they are fine. Would I pull a 10,000 pound camper with one?
Probably not.
Me either. In fact, I wouldn't pull a 1000 pound anything with a motorcycle regardless of the type of hitch! Not worth the risk.
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What king of weight can you pull with that. The bush tech trailer is a lot smaller then my Martrix Rover. My trailer weighs 190 empty and about 450 full. My concern is will that ball grin down the outer diameter ring
My trailer weighs 150 empty. I have carried 200 pounds in it.
One thing to think about...when you are pulling, the hitch does not have the full load applied to it all the time. Once rolling there is minimal force on any component of the hitch. Starting, stopping, hard turns produce more force, but not as much as we probably imagine.
In my uneducated opinion...it would take a lot more than 450 pounds of pressure to wear down the steel components. The top link for PTO usage undergoes much more pressure and stress in its everyday usage than we will ever put on it pulling a small cargo trailer that rolls on wheels.
Joe
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This is weird...maybe the heim joint that you used was defective?
Quality issues maybe?
Dunno...but heim joints are designed to take side loads....thats exactly what they are for.
Mine lasted thousands of miles....but I dont pull it anymore, so I dont know what it would have done after say, 25,000 miles or 100,000 miles.
They do have a service life, so I suspect replacement in the future will be necessary if I ever put it back in service.
That's what I was thinking too, Brian. Those Cat 1 upper links last for decades, and they bear most of the weight when raising or lowering farm implements...that's a lot more stress than pulling a lil' 'ol mc trailer. And...if/when it wears out it costs about $22 to replace. Wait, that's not right...I still have the other end since I cut it in half. So it won't cost anything to replace the first time.
Joe
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I thought the Heim joint idea was a good one also, until I tried it on my trailer. A heim joint is not designed to take a side load as this application would be. I probably run one 1000 miles on my trailer and it was totally wore out. Went with my own design swivel hitch with a small ball from a camper anti sway bar. Mike
Don't suppose you'd like to share some pictures?
Joe
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Hey Joe,
Welcome back!
I did the same thing about 5 years ago to my craftsman leaf/grass sweeper and craftsman wagon that I pull behind the four wheeler. Had to because it kept bending the tongue.
I might use the setup for something less than 200 lbs. but woudn't trust it with my +400 lb. camper. The threaded part is 5/8" but the solid portion only 1/2" and it's not hardened.
The other thing I'd worry about is how many degrees of motion there is when you pull into a steep driveway. Haven't had time to measure yet, but i don't think it's as much as a standard ball and hitch..
It definitely works on the four wheeler on the lighter stuff!
The threaded shaft on mine is 1 1/8 inch, and the pin hole in the eye is 3/4 inch. I pulled about 350 lb last weekend for over 500 miles without a problem.
Think about this...the shank on your hitch ball is likely either 5/8 or 3/4...I've seen both sizes in use on m/c hitches. The diameter of the ball is not the weak point at all, but the shank size is. At least on the ball end. In addition, my coupler was bolted on to the tongue of my trailer using 2 bolts, which are 3/8 diameter. There is likely the weakest point on a normal hitch. I have full confidence in my setup when it comes to pulling 4, 5, or even 600 lbs...much more than I would ever want to pull. As far as the tilt angle, I don't see an issue with it. I have gone up some pretty steep driveways with it so far and haven't felt any problems. Time will tell.
Good to be back, thanks for the welcome!
Joe
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Glad to have you back.
I get some of the best answers when I am talking to myself.....
Yeah, but when I'm talking to myself I can't share my brainstorms with everybody! And I just know you're all dying to hear them!
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Now that's cool.... Simple and elegant. I even have a Bushtec post hitch for a 1stGen that it may fit.... or be made to fit...
Welcome back Joe...
Your manufacturing techniques must be similar to mine...find something in the garage that is close to what you need, and then grab a big enough hammer to make it fit!
Works for me!!
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Well, I've been gone for awhile, let my subscription expire because I am more active on the gl1800riders forum. Still checking in here occasionally...or maybe more
and this thread finally goaded me into re-upping. As a guest I couldn't see the pix you guys were posting and since I have an interest in swivel hitches it was driving me crazy. You got an evil scheme going here Freebird...you hide tidbits unless we pay. (Smart man!) Got my interest up to the point that I decided to spend the $12 just so I could show you all what I have done...and what you can do for about $30 or less. Now, ain't I a nice guy, spending my own money to save you all some $$$. Oh, I'll send you my paypal address if you want to send me some money due to your adoration...
The picture attached is, unfortunately, not my idea. Not even my bike shown. But, the back of a Goldwing is the back of a Goldwing. All the same. I can take closeup pix of mine if anyone has questions, but I think you'll catch the drift.
Just go to your farm supply store, like TSC or Rural King or whatever, and buy an upper link arm for use with a PTO. I got one with a 3/4 eye on the ends, but I think the one in the pic shown is a 5/8...don't think it matters. Cost will be about $22 (TSC). I cut mine in half and used the end with standard right hand thread. The pic will show how it attaches, I'm using a longer pin with a large enough hole on the end that I can use a padlock on it. The swiveling/tilting eye socket allows turning and up/down pivoting. The threads on the stem provide the tip-over compensation. I left mine threaded out about 1 1/2 full turns.
I have only about 600 miles on mine, but that was pulling a trailer loaded to the max (for testing) on some of southern Indiana's twistiest roads. Works like a dream.
No, I'm sure the DOT boys wouldn't smile. But you can't always please everybody.
Hit me up with questions and comments...but be gentle.
Glad to be back posting again...getting tired of just reading and talking to myself!
Joe
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Too bad the map of the U.S. isn't just like that!
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Oh, and I should add, Harry...if price is a main consideration, definitely go with wired headsets. No quality bluetooth system will come close to the economy of wired sets. For me, I just wanted to get rid of those dad-blasted irritating cords so I finally forked over the money to do it.
Joe
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The SM10 is a transmitter only. I own one. It will only send audio from the bike or another plugged in source to your headset. It will NOT receive your voice and pump it into the CB.
Sorry.
Joe
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This is a complex thing, hope I can explain it correctly. I have a system working on my Goldwing, and it will also work on your Venture. But...It isn't all that cheap.
Utilizing the Sena SMH-10 headsets plus a wiring adapter harness this can be made to work. It requires that you purchase one headset for each helmet that needs to be connected into the system, plus an extra one that becomes a transmitter/receiver attached to the bike itself. A member of the gl1800riders forum has developed the harness to enable this attachment to the system. The "module" (headset) attached to the bike will then transmit all bike audio to the headset(s) used by rider/passenger, and will receive whatever goes through your headset microphone and send it through your bike's cb.
That is probably a fuzzy explanation, but it works perfectly on the Goldwing. The guy making the adapter cable can be reached at fox2kill@comcast.net. Name is Steve. Tell him Joe from the 1800 forum sent you.
He has said that he is also able to provide the harness for other makes of bikes, I would imagine that would include the RSV. His harness is inexpensive...the Sena headsets will be where you'll spend your money. But they are terrific devices! Wife and I are totally wireless and love it.
Edit: By the way, your phone will also connect to your headset. So will your Garmin GPS if you are using one and it offers Bluetooth.
Joe
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Joe, I may be going back to Florida in a couple of weeks. If so, I may be able to help. Won't know for a week or so.
Dennis
That would be great, Dennis. Just let me know...it's for Ben & Michelle, you met them a couple years ago. Not sure if he's going to pull the trigger on it until/unless he can figure out how to get it home. I'll let him know you may have an option for him.
Joe
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I have a riding buddy -not a member here, doesn't like computers- who wants to buy a small cargo trailer located in Tampa, FL. Only problem is, we are in northern Indiana.
Just wondering if there is anyone located down that way who is planning a trip north, say to the Chattanooga/Nashville area in the coming weeks and could drag the trailer up that far with them? Buddy could meet in that area to take possession. Maybe over Spring Break week? I realize most people are going the opposite direction over Spring Break, but just on the small chance that someone is coming this way I thought I'd throw it out there.
Please let me know if you could assist, and Thanks!!
Joe
Since this trip was the celebration of our 40th anniversary, we were prepared to spend the money.
Had to re-up and join back in, glad I did.
Wireless Hard Drive
in Watering Hole
Posted
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https://www.dropbox.com/