Miles

Scraper...I think the bigger question is...WHy would you want a 15" tire for the FRONT ??? What bike are you putting a 15" tire on the front of ????

It would have been nice if you had put some clothes on...before taking that picture. Caution:::: Do not look at the image in the mirror:rotf:

Skid, are these two pictures of the boat? Because I see a boat-bouy cup holder there... Just saying'

Well...a Valentine One detector is both a radar detector, and a laser detector. It also has front and rear facing receivers, and alerts the rider to directional locations as to where the scan is coming from. There have been many, many tests done by independent labs, and 99.314159 % of the time, they say that the Valentine One is the best radar/laser receiver the money can buy. I can honestly say that my Valentine One has paid for itself...993.14159 times.

My turn, my turn... Aha, I finally got to say that back at you guys:rotf:

Paul, it is great that you have improved to the point of being able to put weight on the leg, but... I think that both Jeff (flyinfool) and 1rooster have great ideas for you. I did the same thing when it came time to rehab my right hand. I knew as much, or more, than the PT they sent me to. I went to her, found what she was intending to do with my right hand, then did my own course of PT at home, every day, every week, every month, for a couple years. It is worth the small cost for one or two visits...pick her brain, ask what she thinks you will do in a month, or 3 months, and then take those lessons HOME, and do not give up. Keep working at it. As for 1 rooster's idea, that is very smart. That is one of the reasons why the YMCA is there. If you have one anywhere in your area, go there, seek help, and keep at it. The most important thing with any PT is to continue doing the work. Set goals for yourself, meet those goals, then exceed those goals. "WE" believe in you, now you need to beleive you can do this.

Okay, Bob, I will make sure I hand the R/R to YOU, at Freebird's MD in June.

The HUD unit for the radar detector is from LegalSpeeding.com, and here is the link: http://www.legalspeeding.com/HARD-System.htm It works quite well, but the unit attached to the helmet is battery operated, small weatch type batteries, so on a,loonger trip you would need to carry an extra battery. The mount for the radar and for the GPS are both from the same place: Techmounts.com and...here is the link: http://www.techmounts.com/products/index.php?page_function=browse_search&mount=bar I hope this helps

This post may get moved...I don't know. But I have several items I am willing to give away...for FREE. I am willing to hand deliver these items to people that want them, if they attend Freebird's MD in June, or the VR International Rally in Galena, IL. These are the OEM Bar End Weights, from my '06 RSMTD, and...the OEM Regulator/Rectifier from the same bike, and the OEM air filters...from the same bike. The air filters look good, and are very usable, for those that use an OEM style air filter for either the RSTD or the Venture. The R/R will also fit either a RSTD or a 2nd gen Venture. (the R/R has now been spoken for...going to bongobobny) [ATTACH]74945[/ATTACH] [ATTACH]74946[/ATTACH] [ATTACH]74947[/ATTACH] [ATTACH]74948[/ATTACH] Again, these are FREE. So, I don't know if this post will get moved to the Classifieds, or not. But I am not selling them. I am giving them away. I will not ship them...they have to be picked up at either Freebird's MD in June, or at the VR...IR in Galena, IL. First come, first one gets the prize.

That is GREAT. I wish you 20 years of success...then retire !

Rick, pics posted at: http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?p=749857#post749857 I move my XM radio between my bikes, and my 2 cars I also drive. I have power wires and antenna wires always mounted in each vehicle, so it is just a matter of moving the radio head unit.

Okay, I was trying to send these pics in a PM to Barrycuda, but...since we are on the subject of GPS and XM radios, I thought I would take some pics, and post them here, for your entertainment value. The GPS is a Garmin Zumo 550, waterproof, and equivalent to the Hummer H-1 for a bike GPS. I have used this same one on many different bikes. Probably 400,000 miles on that GPS unit. The XM/Sirius radio is an old...roady2 unit, that a friend gave me. It was new...but probably 5 years old when I got it. It works great, and it is mounted on the JM Corp. http://www.jmcorp.com/ProductDetail.asp?ProductID=SRMK-UN02, which allows me to mount the antenna on the flat plate, and power it all through the bike, and sound via the JMCB2003 unit, to my helmet. The CB unit is a JMCB2003 unit, very ubiquitous to bikes that do not have a factory installed CB unit. They work well, and I have had many of these over the years. They don't woerk as good as a stock GL-1800 OEM CB, but...it works. I can plug any accessory item into it, and listen to that item via the CB unit. BTW, the small black switch mounted just below the CB unit, is the on/off switch for my "amber" driving lamps, with PIAA bulbs. And last, but most important, is the Valentine One radar unit. Never leave home without it...enough said. I have that Valentine One sealed inside a radar detector box, which makes it waterproof. I also have the tarnsmitter unit to send the radar signal to a small red LED light to my helmet, with HUD, in my line of sight. [ATTACH]74938[/ATTACH] [ATTACH]74939[/ATTACH] [ATTACH]74940[/ATTACH] [ATTACH]74941[/ATTACH] [ATTACH]74942[/ATTACH] [ATTACH]74943[/ATTACH] [ATTACH]74944[/ATTACH] A lot of farkels, but they are all necessary from a ride from Seattle to New York City, in under two days. TOOLS...but I still need to keep my eyes on the road.

Don, I have received my order of 15 bells, and I thank you very much. I opened the package at the small local Post Office, because one of the long time workers there rides a bike. I wanted to show him what they were. He had only recently heard about Ride Bells. I have to say, these Ride Bells look...GREAT. As in...WOW. I have been using Ride Bells for 40 + years now, and these are by far the best looking ride bells I have ever seen. Unfortunetly for me...I cannot put on of these on my own bikes, because...the rule is...the law is...that a Ride Bell must be given to you by a friend or family member, or...heck...even a stranger, BUT...you cannot buy your own Ride Bell. I did not make that up...it is the rule. So, the lucky folks that do actually attend the Great Pacific Northwest Meet & Eat on April 27th will each receive their own VR Ride Bell, as a gift from me. Well done, Don, these are really beautiful !!!!!!!

I have an XM/Sirius radio on my RSMTD. It works great, and I love the selection of stations. It is plugged in to my JMCB2003 until, so that I can listen to the XM radio through my helmet headset. If you go to: http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?p=749857#post749857 you can see opics of my XM radio and other farkles.

I have to agree with several of the members here, that the use of a GPS is simply a tool...and nothing more...and that a rider still needs to use their own brain, their own sense of direction, and their own common sense when it comes to route planning, and riding. I have learned a lot of lessons over the past (...oh sh*t...it is snowing outside right now) 16 years of using a GPS. After those 16 years of GPS use, and probably close to 650,000 miles during that time, I have learned to input a route into my GPS, and let it be a guide, but do not believe everything that GPS tells you. There are many horror stories of people driving off cliffs, going into rivers, getting caught in the wrong side of town, etc, etc, etc. More Importantly...I think that a GPS is inherently dangerous on a motorcycle, until you learn how to competently use it, and...to ignore it. What that means is...I always tell every new GPS buyer...for motorcycles...to NOT mount it on the bike until they have learned all the functions (snowing harder now ) and have learned how to operate it without riding off the road. I tell all the people that when you first buy a new GPS, use it while walking around the outside of your house. Walk up and down your street, become a competent user while...walking, or sitting on your front porch. Then, when you "think" you know all there is to know about it, then install it into your car or pickup. Re-learn how to use that new GPS while driving on 4 wheels. You will find it to be a distraction. Much worse than a cell phone or eating all the ice cream cones that Big Tom enjoys. A moveable screen of the GPS will attract you like a new toy, and you need to learn to get past that. After a couple MONTHS in the car...then you can move it to the bike. If you think I am being silly...it is YOUR life on the line. Once you mount it on the bike, try to set as much of it as you can while STOPPED. There will be times in the future when you make changes or adjustments while in motion, but...PLEASE try to learn the GPS well before you make changes while in motion on a bike. I have "tried" to learn to ignore mine, and use it simply as a tool. Yes, I do now make changes while riding at speed. It is safer to make changes at higher speed, then at lower speeds, and in town. Try to make changes only when in 5th gear, and traveling at a sufficient speed that you do not need to make any other changes to the BIKE, while messing with the GPS. I have had several close calls, all because of the darned GPS. Lessons are hard learned, but I still like my GPS, as a TOOL. Quite frankly, I can ride to almost anywhere in North America with NO maps and NO GPS. I know the majority of roads that well. But the GPS, when used as a tool, can calculate things faster than I can (I know...hard to believe, eh?), and it can show me alternatives to where I am going. Bottom Line, just be careful when using a GPS. Few people will admit that the GPS is what distracted them, and caused the accident, but it happens everyday. Let's all be careful out there. (snow has stopped falling:() Miles

Palm trees will never grow in a town named...Romulus.

Barry, you have what I affectionetly call a Flintstone GPS. My best riding buddy down in Nevada...known hin for 35+ years, while he has a Garmin 665, he is too old to really know how to use it, so he really does leave it at home, and he does what you do...maps out his own route,puts it all down on paper, and uses the maps notes on his tankbag. It is the funniest thing to see, since I know he owns a Garmin 665. When we ride together, he has accepted that the Garmin 550 that I use has saved his bacon several times, so he has learned to listen to me when I say...we need to go left...not right. So, I use an older Garmin 550, and I also have a separate XM radio receiver on the bike. I looked at upgrading to a newer Garmin 665, like Freebird has, but...I am so used to my 550, they are easy to use, and if you do a search, you will find that a USED 550 costs as much or more money than a NEW 665, because of the demand for the older 550 models. Riders just that Garmin 550.

Spring has Sprung a leak, here in Western Washington. A lot of rain all-night-long, and tons of new snow in the mountains. Oh well, just another day in paradise !

Chief, I did do a complete Barnett Clutch replacement on my '06 RSMTD, including all plates, and the new pressure plate from Barnett. Here is the info on the metal and friction plates: 1986-13XVZ13 Venture, Royal Star 401-90-089050(7)***511-90-10002*302-90-20037 **306-90-20082*Friction Plate Kit **Friction & Steel Plate Kit ***Spring Conversion Kit I do remember that when I installed my Barnett plate kit, there were in fact a set of notches on the outside edge of the friction plates. All of the new friction plates had one of the outside lugs that had 2 notches in it, (2 notches made it look like it had 3 points sticking up...at that one tab or lug) I lined up all the friction plates so that all the tabs/lugs that had the 2 notches were in the same spot. Also, on the metal plates, there was a dot...and I linjed up all the metal plates so that the dots were all in the same place. I ordered my Barnett Kit from Amazon, via a vendor on their site. When all was done, the new Barnett clutch made a big difference.

This is sad, and I think we all wish him the very best. I am an adament user of the ICE device : http://www.aerostich.com/icedevice.html These are very small, are easy to attach to a jacket zipper, or anywhere else. The package you receive has 12 forms that can be filled out...12 copies of the same form. And there are 5 of the very tiny capsules that the form is placed in. That means, one order of these will satisfy at least 5 riders if you want to share them with others. I keep one of the ICE devices on the outside of my jacket, and one ICE device inside a pocket. A ICE on a phone is good, but what if the phone is damaged. I hope that he comes out of this well.

Buddy, I am taking this in the right (fun) way, and I know it is all meant in good-hearted nature. I do not believe that I have anymore money on hand, or in pocket, than the next guy. I know all too well what it means to be able to pay a heating bill, and buy groceries. But I think the difference may be that I spend my money on different things than most people do. I have no children to support, at all. I do not buy drugs of any kind, such as alcohol, cigarettes, dope, or (well, I will leave it at that). Everything I have is paid for, except for the mortgage on our house. I am fortunate that my wife also rides motorcycles, and that is what brought us together. She is 100 % onboard with our motorcycle lifestyle, and to us that is what it is, not a hobby, or a fad. I am also fortunate that my wife works as a Ph.D. Epidemiologist, and I am a retired (fill in the blank) I have the same amount of money as most people on this forum, but...my life has been about motorcycles since I was 16 years old, and rather than buy a boat, or a motorhome, or support kids, or their needs for new shoes, new phones, new cars, I get to spend what money I do have on my wife and myself...for motorcycles. As for what others have suggested that I can simply pay more for the "84 Venture than what the auction bid ends at, I will not do that. I have no problem with you all "thinking" that I stole the bike for the price paid for it. I just don't want anyone actually "saying" that I did, because we each have a chance to bid on this bike. And lastly, I have NO preconceived notion that I will be the eventual high bidder on this bike. No Sir. Have you not all seen my attempts to get others to bid up on this bike. If I wanted the bike so badly, I would keep quiet, buy it at the low price it is now, and take the bike at the bargain basement price of $ 1,575.00. If by some luck 'o the Irish I am the highest bidder, then that is the price I will pay, and not a dollar more, as we all have a fair chance in this. I have other bikes that are on my radar, that are much more desireable to me, than a '84 Venture. But I also like the idea of having an original Sport Touring bike, before all the ST1100's and FJR's came out. But most importantly, if I am going to eventually own a 1st gen Venture, what better way than to support St. Judes Hospital ?

Playboy, there is a hitch in your giddyup. I cannot raise my own bid to higher than what is showing right now. It is showing $ 1,575.00. I could go to the thread and put in a bid of $ 2,000.00, but until someone else goes higher than me, it will stay at $ 1,575.00, because it is done in intervals. It takes someone else to bid higher than what my current high bid is...for the bid to change. And, I cannot be the one that raises the high bid, because my current high bid is already higher than the current bid of $ 1,575.00. Now...back to Playboy...

Yeah...DragonRider...that is what I said...eh?

I have to agree...Kathy looks great on that Spyder. In fact, I think she made the Spyder look even better than it would without her.

Okay folks, I just want all of you to be put on notice, that "if" I end up being the high bidder on the St. Judes Venture that was so kindly donated by Ken P, and if I get it for the bargain basement price of $ 1,575.00, I do not want anyone to say that I stole this bike for that price, because all of you have a chance to bid on it. As I told DragonRider, this bike is well worth a lot more than that. I would feel slightly bad for getting it for such a cheap price, but, I would also think I got a LOT of bike for a little bit of money. So, to avoid the onslaught of comments "after" the auction is over, put your money where your thoughts are...now...rather than speaking up about it afterwards. Most importantly, this IS for a good cause, the St. Judes Hospital.