In over my head?

1100c & up, retro cruiser; Hey, you're the guy everybody's making bikes for! Every major bike manufacturer, with the exception of Triumph and Ducati, is making a bike like that! Honda: Shadow VT1100, Shadow ACE 1100, Shadow ACE Tourer 1100. Kawasaki: Vulcan 1500. Suzuki: Intruder 1500, Intruder 1400 (two different bikes; the 1400 is faster, the 1500, fatter) Yamaha: Royal Star & its derivatives. BMW: R1100C (or something like that!) Moto Guzzi: 1100 California (if they haven't discontinued it) Harley-Davidson: Except for the Sportster 883, every damn bike they make! Do you want shaft, chain or belt drive? Air, air/oil, or water cooling? The "traditional" narrow-angle V-Twin, a V-4, a flat-twin, or a transverse wide-angle V-Twin? The choice is yours! Kid in a candy store time!

I think Triumph's Thunderbird and Adventurer are 900cc only. I also forgot the Polaris Victory, but I don't think it's available yet.

Now that you have a list of fitting bikes, get to sees and sit on them and your biker's heart will choose the right one and it'll be THE ONE.

Agree with Yves completely. For the dollar value the Kawasaki may give you the ride you're looking for. Think about the Harleys though; are you going to end up wanting the "original, the only..etc."? then they're worth every dime, which BTW you will not lose. Remember also the accessorizing you'll undoubtedly want. These are all reliable, go-anywhere bikes IMHO. And no, Guzzi is producing the California as fast as they can, it's been their best-seller by far )o:{

I would not recommend a smaller bike given your size and past riding experience. You will get bored quickly. I would recommend taking the MSF course BEFORE getting your new bike, and really thinking it over carefully. Read everything you can get your hands on and talk to other riders--like us! hehe. I chose the HD Road King because it gives me the best of two worlds--touring comfort, and boulevard good looks, not to mention loads of options and accessories. I also enjoy the other, less tangible aspects of owning a Harley Davidson, like HOG (Harley Owners Group). However, IMHO, there is no "perfect" bike. Just pick the one that will give YOU the most smiles per mile. Nobody knows you better than you know yourself. Ever notice that guy always has such a silly grin on his face?

Ohhhh Yves and Brad of infinite wisdom....I Agree.

The advise given is very sound indeed! Go sit on every one of the manufacture's big cruisers and see what gives you the best showroom fit. To be Honest the Honda Valk is a huge bike. As far a Harley, you sound like a "Heritage Softai" kinda guy to me. Kawasaki has there new "Nomade" touring cruiser that might make you happy to. For size and a much "less heavy" (ie: weight wise) big cruiser, I fell the 1400cc Intruder (not the new 1500 FAT bike) might do you well as the lighter weight would make it easier to horse around and is "much cheaper" than a compareable Harley Davidson model. Have fun, it's a great perdicament to be in! Tailwinds, BJ Ondo

The advise given is very sound indeed! Go sit on every one of the manufacture's big cruisers and see what gives you the best showroom fit. To be Honest the Honda Valk is a huge bike. As far a Harley, you sound like a "Heritage Softail" kinda guy to me. Kawasaki has there new "Nomade" touring cruiser that might make you happy to. For size and a much "less heavy" (ie: weight wise) big cruiser, I fell the 1400cc Intruder (not the new 1500 FAT bike) might do you well as the lighter weight would make it easie to horse around and is "much cheaper" than a compareable Harley Davidson model. Have fun, it's a great perdicament to be in! Tailwinds, BJ Ondo

The advise given is very sound indeed! Go sit on every one of the manufacture's big cruisers and see what gives you the best showroom fit. To be Honest the Honda Valk is a huge bike. As far a Harley, you sound like a "Heritage Softail" kinda guy to me. Kawasaki has there new "Nomad" touring cruiser that might make you happy to. For size and a much "less heavy" (ie: weight wise) big cruiser, I fell the 1400cc Intruder (not the new 1500 FAT bike) might do you well as the lighter weight would make it easier to horse around and is "much cheaper" than a compareable Harley Davidson model. Have fun, it's a great perdicament to be in! Tailwinds, BJ Ondo

Again, thanks for the advice! I was just thinking about the first time I rode a motorcycle. In June of 1963 I purchased a new BSA at a dealership in Hampstead Heath, a suburb of London, England. The salesman said he would get one of the mechanics to give me a few minutes of riding instruction in front of the store. We rode four or five times around the "heath", an open grassy park of about 20 acres, and he thought I had the hang of it. I tipped him a "couple of bob", pulled out a map of London I had brought with me, and headed back ac oss the city to where I was staying. I began to realize what a dumb thing I had done. With 10 minutes riding experience under my belt I was crossing through one of the world's largest cities at 5:00 PM in heavy traffic and on the "wrong side" of the road. I was totally unfamialiar with the city and had to read a map every few blocks to find my way. Then It started raining. Fortunately I had bought some rain gear so I stopped and put it on. I actually made it back to the flat in one piece! The next morning I packed my gear and strapped it onto the bike, cranked 'er up and headed out to South Hampton. I went about 500 yards up a slight rise and suddenly found I was going head-to-head with a large truck (lorrie?)and managed to swerve back to the opposite lane where I should have been. That evening after I reached South Hampton I found a piece of white rag and tied it onto the handlebar to remind me "left side of the road" when I started out every morning. I left the damn thing tied there until I left England.

O.K., will someone please tell me how I forgot the Valkyrie from the list? I knew I was missing one, but I thought it was the Rebel, which doesn't qualify! Well, Planeman, I have very little experience riding motorcycles (about 9 hours road time total), but I have been riding bicycles for transport for more than two years. I am from Jamaica, a former British colony that drives on the left. I was in Mexico for four months, and after the first month I couldn't stand not having a bicycle any more, so I bought one. That very day I ended up on the very left lane of the northbound side of a HIGHWAY! Let me just say that I am lucky to be alive. For the rest of my stay in Mexico I kept saying to myself "A la derecha; solamente a la derecha!"

BTW, I am 5'11" tall and weigh 250 lbs (note the English units!), I learned to ride on a Nighthawk 450, and the bike I've been too bloody LAZY to get around to have fixed (tried to fix it myself, nearly destroyed the primary gear)is a TwinStar 200. Everyone on the XRoads told me this was a small bike, but I smile, I'm in Jamaica, which is a small country (without many highways, probably why I didn't recognise one in Mexico!) in which a 200 is (or used to be) considered a big bike. There have been D.J. r leases written about bikes, like "S.90 Skank" by Big Youth and "CB200" by Dillinger.

Planeman, you reminded me of 1) driving a sportscar in London (hairy), and the day I bought my Laverda and thought I could simply ride from Brooklyn NY, into downtown NYC. I knew the clutch was stiff, but not *that* stiff! I new it was powerful, but not *that* powerful! I knew the Bklyn bridge was nuts, but..you get the idea! I still thank the city busdriver who let me restart after a stall at a light in front of him!

Which side of the road? I have the same problem when I get to,and back from, Europe. Which pedal? After driving an auto for a while, and getting lazy?, I stalled the hire car in the middle of central london the other day, London Bus drivers are not so patient! Which lever? At one point I had a '62 Panhead and a '65 Iron Sportster to chose from and swapping left foot to right foot change didnt cause much problems (usually, but with a couple of memorable locked back wheel "gear changes"). My problem was with the Ariel gears- 1 up the rest down, instead of the more usuall 1 down the rest up. I was ok when running on auto pilot, it was only when I stopped to think about it that I had a memory lockup "too many parameters: out of memory error - please reboot" :)

I guess that answers my earlier question...... The righty's were something else..."so you say you wanna ride my scoot huh?...... Welll, Okay hehehe...." Yeeeee haaawwww... hehehe

One of the joys with kickstarts/manual advance on Brits and HD's is/was always - "you wanna ride my bike? - ok but you have to start it first!" :) It also added another level of security to bikes without ignition keys - leave it fully advanced, and on full compression! "Hey man - a flying bike thief"! (or at least one with a broken ankle)

Shebee, that's so funny. An old friend of mine who had an Ironhead Sporty back in the 1970's was reminiscing recently about just that fact. He said he was shot out of the cannon on more than one occation! I also have a buddy that had an old Panhead that he took to 110 cubes. He says that baby could litterally launch you into space with a whimpy kick. I guess those were the good old days? hehe Watch out--INCOMING!

Brings to mind bump-starting a 1000cc Laverda in an underground concrete parking garage with lotsa pillars...

Might be safer in NY traffic! hehe

I think I did that too once or twice. After it died on the Williamsburg bridge no less.

Hello Shebee. If you can, please tell me something about an Ariel Square Four. Back in the sixtys you Brits were always talking about them, something like us and our Harleys. Must be some bike. How are they as collectors items these days?

Planeman the Square four has been a collectors' bike for some time now! Quite an owner's group and club.

Planeman, The Ariel Square Four was last produced in 1959. Ariel managed (or mis-managed) to stay in business until 1970. A friend of mine has 3 square fours which he purchased in the 70's. He states that even though a owners club exists, it is nearly impossible to get parts for the Ariels. Everyone that has Ariel parts is hanging on to them. He also says it is easier to get parts for a Vincent. The bikes are not ridden very often due to the lack of parts. One of his bikes was featured in Iron Horse magazine (yes--the bike was chopped in the 70's). He told me the square fours hardly ever got 10,000 miles on them before they needed engine rebuilding. Perhaps this is why they are no longer produced. There usually is a reason why companies go out of business!! Hoop

Here is a Square Four that showed up at one of our club rides.

The Square Four was first produced in the mid-'30s. The Square-Four engine was actually two parallel-twins geared together, one in front of the other. It's an effective if inelegant solution, somewhat like the narrow-angle V-Twin, and it has one of the same drawbacks: less than optimal cooling of the rear cylinders. Ariel bought Triumph Motorcycles in the late '20s or early '30s. By the time the Ariel name was discontinued, all the major marques were divisions of NTV (Norton-Triumph-Villiers), which had crumbled. Edward Turner, designer of the original Speed Twin had earlier designed the original Square Four for his employer, Ariel. He was put to work on Triumphs after the takeover.

Wow! Pretty bike! Atleast on a V-twin the cylinders are offset a bit and air can flow down both sides. I don't see how the rear cylinders don't completely overheat. Hmm. Would a square four have an advantage over an inline 4? I guess you'd have the advantages of narrow profile (like a twin) with (hopefully) 4 cylinder power. But I guess if that's what you want, a V-4 is the way to go--much simpler (and, I'm sure, lighter).

I have absolutely no idea why they didn't just make a V-4, like Matchless did for their Silver Hawk. I see no advantage of this layout over a V-4 (except counterbalancing of forces, maybe?). Brough Superior used a similar concept on their Dream show bike, which had a similar layout to BMW except that they had two flat-twins, one atop the other, with the crankshafts geared together. The forces and unbalanced moments cancelled each other out. I read about it in The Encyclopaedia Of The Motorcycle by Hugo Wilson (bought it about two weeks after I came back home). The bike was illustrated with a plate on the licence plate holder that reas BS Dream. BS stood for Brough Superior, but considering that none of Brough Superior's show bikes ever really made it into production, the other possible interpretation of BS Dream may also have been applicable...

Well, it would be an extremely compact layout. Trouble is you have all the extra complexity, weight, reliability problems, etc. to worry about, so I guess a V-4 is best.

Square fours have a "cult" following in the same way as many other bikes. The Ariel Owners club over here is almost split into 3 non communicating sections, the fours, the big singles, and the 2 strokes. Comming from the 2nd catagory (big singles) I know very little about them, apart from the horror stories about rear cylinders overheating/lack of oil. The few that I have seen arround these days do few miles, but they are, apparently, great for pulling sidecars. Collectors pay silly money for them and other bikes, and then NEVER ride them, I have a problem with that. The machines were built to be ridden not stuffed in a display as an "investment" I think they are missing the point! I have had in the past and currently have "classic" machines and I know the problems involved with modern traffic and 50's brakes (or 60's brakes in the case of the PanHead) but for a 50/100 mile wander on a pleaseant afternoon you dont need 150bhp and twin 6pot brakes. The sound and feel of an old machine popping along at 50 mph down the lanes is a joy that a lot of people never experience. ok I'll get of my soap box, but this is a pet hate of mine! :)

I agree, Shebee. I was originally nervous about the idea of buying a "classic" bike putting alot of miles on it, but they were built to be ridden. If it's sitting in a garage somewhere collecting dust it's no different than a paper weight. If it's out riding around, it's a motorcycle.

Jay Leno is not alone, thank God! Steve you're lucky to see so many nicely kept rides in their rightful setting! I know a guy in Brooklyn with a Square 4 sitting in his garage for at least 30 years, got fed up with the motor seizing and put it away, saying he'll never sell it. I didn't know parts were a problem.

For something like that I can only assume that custom machining is your only option.

If the Square Four has a cult following then some enterprising mechanic or other must have made some money from fabricating parts for the faithful. Who knows, they are probably able to make "new" old bikes from scratch! Counterfeit Ferraris have been done like that, from reproduction parts.

BTW, the Ariel Leader, the basis for the 2-stroke line, was hideous IMO.

Not to mention counterfeit Harleys....

If they're loved, and prone to failure, someone will have casting patterns for better parts (or at least parts otherwise unavailable) If you build it, he will come! heeheehee

You're right Sam; let's differentiate between counterfeit & reproduction, however. Many of the older classics of every origin have been reproduced with more modern methods and metallurgy to great advantage for all, albeit a pretty expensive way to go. Seems Britain's the biggest supporter of these cottage industries in the cycle world. Nortons, Triumphs, MVs and yes many cars are reproduced now. And we all know of the catalog-built Harleys. I think there's a place for this.

I agree with Frank on this, I cannot see a problem with anyone having the choice to have built what ever they desire, we may not agree with their idea of style, or engineering capabilities but if they want to build one, or have one built for them then I'm all for it. Catalogue built harleys, and their imitators, are filling a requirement (need?). As to what the requirement is, and the reasons for that rather than any other solution, is a matter for personal choice and I dont feel any of us have the right to restrict that choice. Obviously there are business/copyright/patents/safety implications here but provided they stay within the restrictions imposed by the laws of the countries involved - let them be! Its their choice - and a lot of "standard" items in use today were developed from previous incarnations of the idea, and many by back street/garden shed opperations - all the R&D in the world can still be improved by looking at a problem from a different perspective. I think I might have strayed from the point here, and maybe it should be posted in Philosophy, but I think you will get my point

Yeah I agree Shebee. There's a guy in England producing meticulous repros of the MV's; he has the original factory drawings for the parts at considerable expense. The bikes are all custom adjusted in any way the customer asks (and waits!) Now we see the Slater Laverda SFC replicas made more reliable and easier to ride than the original, etc. keeping close to the original is what makes 'em worth it, and that costs. If it satisfies the owners' wants, so be it IMO.

Rufus, gotta get out and test ride em to find what feels comfortable to ride. I agree with Brad in that at your size you should get a full-size bike. Test ride the Road King or Electra Glides if you can and the Yamaha Royal Star as they're similar in size..though the RS weighs just a bit more. I consider those to be of the best quality in a retro-cruiser. I love my RS a plenty.

Kevin--great to see you here. Marc came in today as well. You are a bit late with advice to Rufus though--he just bought a used FLHTC. The RSTAR gang is Springing into action!

Yeah, if DT comes around, then we can say the gang's all here (no pun intended)! I took a look at the E-Glide Standard, and it didn't look that bad! Then I saw that the fairing is only part of the problem! As functional as the top box is, it's UGLY! Maybe that's why I like the PC800 so much, it's an integrated design without anything sticking out/off. I won't recommend the Twinstar to anyone my size or bigger (yet...maybe I will after I start riding it!), but the Nighthawk 450 that I've done most of my riding on fitted me O.K., and the short ride I took on the TwinStar before I tore it apart seemed all right. I fear to think about riding an 800, and I'm sure that Marc will understand my apprehension toward a GoldWing based on what I've said so far!

Re: the Royal Star. I looked at it long and hard. Gotta be the best looking bike anywhere. I read a couple of articles that indicated it is undercarburated and lacks the power it should have. Also I would rather let Yamaha get the bugs out with a couple of more years of production. The truth is I would love to have one. The Harley I bought just fell into my lap - after a lot of hard looking. Also, when I was younger I lusted after an Electra Glide but was broke, and in those days you didn't "Meet the Nice t People on a Harley" to paraphrase Honda's P.R. campaign in the 60's to fight the image. Now that I've worked hard and can pay cash I'm gonna do what I couldn't afford to do when I was young - and I'm gonna do it before I can't anymore. I just had to ride a Harley before I croaked. A note: I am still working out those damn Harley designations. I now understand the bike I bought is a 1987 FLHT (bar mounted faring on the nose)and not an FLHTC. I do have a question. I don't seem to see new FLH's on the dealer's floor and my "bible" (book) of Harley models doesn't say the manufacture of this model has stopped. Have these stopped and when? Also, under my "Why a Harley" column one of you (Roadhogger?) believed this year/model would eventually be a collector's item. Why do you think so?

Now what was Dave's address again? If you go to http://www.harley-davidson.com which is the H-D website, they have a link to a site explaining all those letters. I think all the current Electra-Glides and the Road King are FLHs The Road King is an FLHR and the Classic Ultra Injected is the FHLTCUI, which, if pronounced as spelt, probably sounds indecent.

Dave alphabet soup is at : http://www.pipeline.com/~pc006/htmfiles/info1.htm

Planeman: This is what the fellas behind the franchise signs tell me: For the 1999 model year, all FLH models will be fuel-injected--that's a done deal. Look for FI on other model lines in the very near future. As far as the FLHT goes, yes, it is still in production and one of the best values anywhere, if you can find one. FLHT's are popular because of their price (just under $13,000 list) which also makes them unpopular with dealers. Why? Because the margin is much lower than on dressed-up dressers like the Classic. In fact, some dealers don't even sell them! I have heard speculation that the model might be history next year, but I have no confirmation from a reliable source. However, if I were a betting man, I would guess the FLHT will still be around, albeit in fuel-injected form. I'll Be Backkkkk?

What happened to Dennis?

Dennis is still around. I think he, like many get a little net burnout. Since the RSTAR site opened, he's less likely to get around as much as he used to. I agree with Brad about the EG Std..though the list here in California is about $700 more (we've discussed this before). If you can buy one of these for list, it's one of the best buys in the big bike market. You can always add the big trunk and other goodies later..you just have to want that bat fairing out front which I wouldn't mind too much, though I'd miss the times riding w/o windshield which I do on the RS (and can also do on the King) once in a while, but not right now when it's in the 30s out.

The more I look at the "Batwing", the less I dislike it. The top-box looks 'orrible, though; it's unappealing on any bike (until you take the chilled ginger beer out of it, that is!) I can cheat and say that I've ridden three bikes in my life (I rode about 80 metres on a C-50; I didn't want to stop, especially since I'm accustomed to declutching while stopping, and I couldn't find the clutch, which of course is automatic on a C-50!) and none had a fairing (apart from said C-50's leg sheilds). Maybe when (if?) I actually start riding I'll be more partial toward a fairing. In the meantime: "Here's to internal combustion and wind in the face!" (from The Gumball Rally)

wind in the face is great for short distances and I've done 300mi days without anything between me and the wind but a leather jacket and a set of goggles.If I'm going to do a lot of miles and don't want to be worn out at the end I'll take a fairing,batwing,frame mount or big windshield. Happy TRAils/NSD Paul

So true, Paul. I used to hate those little plexiglass fairings (and I still think they're ugly as sin), but since I used to ride my bike year round I got one the second winter. I was so amazed at the difference it made in warmth that I promptly got on the bike the night I installed it and rode all the way across town to tell my buddys about how great it was. Ugly, but super functional and effective. Although I still love the "naked" look, I prefer to have atleast a small fairing. It makes all the difference in the world in terms of comfort and range.

Smile! I'm in Jamaica! 300 miles will get me anywhere! No fairing for me!

Sam I also don't think that harsh weather is a term that you are too familiar with in Jamaica.Somehow visions of year round riding dance in my head when I think of you Happy TRAils/NSD Paul

Year round riding if you don't mind a little rain. It does rain a bit now and then..doesn't it Sam?

Speaking of year-round riding, I took a highway ride yesterday (150 miles) with a temp in the upper 30's. Yikes! I was layered real good, but as Seinfeld says, "there was some serious shrinkage going on"! I think Gerbing or Widder will be paying my house a XMas visit! Handle With Care: Contents Are Fragile!

Not as much as I'd like in Kingston; we still have water lock-offs at nights. Portland & St. Mary are notorious for heavy rain. This due to the mountains that block the trade winds from Kingston and traps the clouds in Portland & St. Mary! These mountains are also notorious for LANDSLIDES, especially along the Junction road that links Kingston to Port Antonio. The road to Ocho Rios is less noted for landslides and more noted for Mt. Rosser/Mr. Diablo (VERY steep!) and for the Flat Bridge, a 300 year old, one lane bridge (and that's one lane in total, folks!) that has no rails and is over a deep river with heavy currents. Quite a few deaths annually. Everytime it rains in Kingston, the shoddy work of road repair crews is shown up when all the potholes come back and a few new ones appear!

So that bike "you" pictured in the Serious topic ought to work just Fine! (o;}

Brad afterthat ride don't you mean "contents are frigid"?BTW it's 25 degF here today. Happy TRAils/NSD Paul

Where are you Paul? It's supposed to get up to 40 today. Balmy!

Paul is just south of Salt Lake City. I still remember the beautiful setting of mountains around his area in Lehi. I hear ya Brad. I'd personally like some of those electric gloves. I was checking out the Gerbing and Widder stuff at the Intl Motoshow..some neat stuff out there. I'll need to beef up my alternator first though.

Hmmmm, Rode the bike in the dead of winter today... Sunny and 68... Brrrrrr... hehehe

I live not too far from Paul and needed to get some miles on my bike after doing some pretty serious motor mods so we can start doing some dyno work. So, I bit the bullet and bought an Eclipse heated vest and put some Widder gloves on order - they should be in on Friday. I also got some Winchester brand battery heated socks at K-Mart for $8 and after getting a Radio Shack battery holder to replace the funky holder that came with them, I had toasty feet on my hundred mile ride today.

Shane, sunny and 68 doesn't sound too cold. Being a little facicious, eh? hehe Steve, those K-Mart socks sound like they're worth the money. I wonder how long the batteries last on em..I assume they're not 12V so you could wire em into the bike easily.

Nope, the K-Mart socks are supposed to run on 1.5 volts. There is a little plastic holder at the top of each sock that holds one D-cell. I cut the wires at the holders and ran speaker wire from each sock that goes up each of my legs (ooh!) over my thermies and under my leathers. The Radio Shack battery holder has two D-cells in it and I wired a quick disconnect - it rides in my inside jacket pocket. The batteries only last a couple of hours so I carry spares, rechargables by the way.

Ok.Stereo heating. :o) If you could know how mutch amp. it takes, you could place a resistor and themconnect to the bike's 12v.

What the heck, just wire it straight into the 12V system and your feet will be really toasty, and I mean really toasty..hehe (o:

Steve you should have called me.I was off work that day and 100 miles would have been just right.What mods did you do to the Norton? Happy TRAils/NSD Paul

I sold the Norton a while back, Paul. I now have an M900 Ducati that is bored to 944 with 11:1 pistons, Keihin flat slide pumper carbs, ported heads and Dynacoil ignition. In a couple of days it will have Technomagnesio wheels and an Ohlins shock on the rear, soon to be followed by a flywheel lighter than stock by 4.5 lbs. Remove a few un-needed parts here and there, replace some others with carbon fiber and the results are a 375 lb. motorcycle with close to 90 rear-wheel hosepower and gobs of torque. I sold the Commando to a guy in Fruit Heights that has a garage full of other Brit bikes, so it is in good hands. Did you know that we have a Moto Guzzi dealer in Utah now? Classic Cycle in Layton, which had been specializing in British repairs and restorations, picked them up recently, and is now looking at Triumph (now that Harley of SL has dropped them) and possibly Laverda and MZ.

Hmm, maybe I oughta move out there! How's the real estate and school system? (o;{ "...but the kids will be better off, hon, think of the scenery, the peace & quiet.." How's that sound?

Steve, all I got to say is WOW! Time to put a blue cape on and call it SuperDuc!! You know the name of this topic is "In over my head", boy does that fit me to a tee. Ok, it's time to confess. As hard as I tried to be a great husband, I just decided that I couldn't do Cruiser's! I changed my deposit to a 1998 CB750 Nighthawk standard. I plan on semi-cafing it and my had to put on different bars if the wrist's are botherd badly. Goals are to put on a Rifle superbike fairing, new shocks/forksprings, braided lines and fork brace over the next year. Possibly a nice supertrapp 4into1 so it will be sporty without the painful sportbike riders poistion. Ya, I know shoot me, I need to hit the loto so Frank & Family, Jo and I can move to UT. and buy out the new Euro-bike dealer, ha ha! Tailwinds, BJ

What can I say BJ? "Your penance for your confession is.." (o; With wrist aggravations, what sort of bars will you go for, drag? And instead of Rifle, doesn't Targa or LP have a neater looker? The 'Trapp's a nice idea, classier than V&h slip-ons, etc. IMO.

Frank, the bars may have to have 2" more lift and come back about a inch or two also. Gona run with stock bars for a while and see if "soft grips" and a throttle lock won't surfice. Have to check out Targa or Lockhart for fairings and even the super trapps will be slip-on's to keep cost's down. Can't wait till Jan.(O:!! Tailwinds, BJ

BJ remember the Magna ACE 750? I think the one with the small fairing on a cruiser layout? Maybe those bars?

BJ can't make up his mind on what bike he wants and I can't make up my mind to start work on my bike! Psychiatric Help 5c! (Where's Lucy Van Pelt when we need her?)

Sam, this is the final desision as I "offically signed" the deal papers so no more changes. I wish you luck on the twinstar rebulid, I failed big time trying to make a "old bike" come back to life. Some of us just have no talent for wrenching my friend. Frank, will look closely at the Magna handlebars to see if they might do the job! Tailwinds, Bj

I put down a "deposit" on a new rear tire. It's been warm and I would have gone riding, but my bike is up a 70 foot ice slope--when I take it out I don't wnat to put it back on. I'm going to get the tire replaced soon, then next spring I'm going to ride the bike to the shop and let him do the carbs, valve adjustment, etc. -- a basic tune up. I was going to do all of this myself, but the prospect of a finely tuned Ninja is very tantalizing--and probably not something I could do first try.

Wise choice Jon. Basic stuff is easy to do yourself, but finely tune..it's nice to have machines like an EGA to check air/fuel mixture, etc. I'm taking my RS in next month to be rejetted again. The carb kit I have has been redone with smaller main and pilot jets with different needles too. Supposedly I'll lose just a little power in the low end, but have more in the mid-range where it counts when passing or hauling up hill. Best thing is the fuel mileage is supposed to be a lot better than I'm getting now .I want my range back!

The guy at the little mountain shop is a race tuner with several national places in AMA dirt bike racing (the kids division with his sons) and a 2nd place finish in '91 with the AMRA on a Ninja 600R like mine! Anyone who can come that close to winning the championship on an old-tech bike like that knows his stuff, and he knows 600Rs. He moved up to the mountains and found that a bike well tuned at 8500 feet screams at 5000, and he says he understands how to make some modifications (besides just jets) to make it run better at altitude. After that I may slowly upgrade the suspension and have a pretty decent (if still butt ugly and scraped up) sport bike.

That's ok Jon, then the boys on the new pretty CBR F3's won't want to mess with ya, ha ha! Just fix the seat, get new tires and paint up the scratches and go have a lot of fun! Speaking of Glenn, he picked up a VF1000, man what a neat old Superbike, think he was a demon on the GS850, he will be waiting in the next county before I catch him, ha ha. BJ

Oh, the seat's fixed. Remember when you came up to visit I had the material? Well, I finally got it installed and it looks great. Too bad the rest of the bike doesn't match it. Well, it's a boring low charisma bike, but I like it because it handles pretty well, is pretty comfortable and has a liter bike feel to it. Glenn's had the VF for a while--it hasn't run. He's slowly tearing the engine down in his spare room, I think. He also just bought a '96 GS500, an '81 Honda CB750, a late 70s Kawasaki 650, and of course the GS. The man's got an addiction!

Speaking of GS bikes, any more word from our friend Nick in PA? Has Glenn heard anything? And all through the house, not a creature was stiring, not even St. Nick!

No, he offered to sell parts to Glenn, but when Glenn requested them he just hemmed and hawed and hasn't done anything to get the parts to Glenn. Who knows?

Nick, I am sure, is going to put the parts into his next GS800 touring bike! We can rebuild him. We have the technology! heeheehee

I don't know--according to Glenn he's out of motorcycling forever. This accident really scared him. But if accidents would scare you out of riding, I would have quit a long time ago!

Boy, you look at somebody like Kathryn's husband--no talk of quiting at all after a MAJOR dump. It makes you wonder what the hell really happened to Nick. He was so confident! Perhaps that was his problem. Being a little humble and scared is a very good thing. What is it they say...when you think you have mastered your motorcycle it's time to stop riding! I fear, therefore I am!

It's hard to say, eh Brad. Unless we know what really happened. My buddy who owns the local Yamaha dealer crashed a little over three years ago on a Venture going about 100mph trying to catch up to his other buddy (both were on their way to the Colorado 500). He caught a high-speed wobble and lost it trying to slow down around 80 something..spent 6 months in the hospital. He and his buddy threw away their helmets and stuff..sold the bikes, etc. Didn't ride for awhile. I've now ridden back from Laughlin and out to this years Colorado 500 with both of them as they couldn't stay away from this great sport. Did he slow down..not a lot according to his other buddy, but some.

True Brad. If you're not scared you're not safe IMO. Nick e-mailed me tersely telling me he's almost 100% healed and that he'll be on a VX800 in the spring, a friend's bike. I believe the accident was fairly co$tly for him.

Ah, so he hasn't given up riding (or the attitude?) after all! Well, I am glad he will be healed and riding again. Frank, is Nick's e-mail address the same as before? If not, could you send me the new one? I see said the blind man!

Same address worked for me Brad. Doesn't seem as talkative as before though!

There are some who can handle the "Humbling" (of a crash) and some who can't. I have seen people get out of the sport just for the mere reason that they couldn't look another rider in the eye and say "I lost control". Damn Shame really....

If that rule applied, we'd all be gone! Sheesh, no shame in making a mistake--the shame is in not admitting it! Making a goof doesn't make you a goof!

But that can't really be it! Surely Nick must have brought it down before in his 30 years of riding? If this is his first crash in 30 years then he really has something to boast about!

Not a sure thing Sam. I've been down twice, once on gravel on the 900SS when I should have known better as a young guy in Europe, and another on oil spilled on a ramp; in 26 years I'm told that's amazing (especially the way I ride, cruising as little as possible).

I'm sure it is! What's the average? Two crashes in the first year sounds, if not entirely reasonable, then at least believeable! Two crashes in twenty-six?! Either great control (mental & physical) or great luck, most likely a combination of the two! Would a really big crash (with a god stretch of hospital time) scare you off, or at least have you retreating to combinations (aka sidecars)?

Well, thank god I don't know Sam! But I'm sure it would have me thinking hard for some time. I do believe luck, a very real sense of fear of the capability of the bike, road condition, and cars/drivers has contributed to any "skill" level I'm at. I know war vets who have been spooked by cars enough to quit, and a friend who's lost half of one leg who rigged a sidecar after rehab and rides most every day. Mental strength and discipline is very important to me and many other riders I respect. Not to gossip, but I feel somehow Nick is that sort of rider also.

I would imagine that it is a confidence issue. Initial reactions should be discounted accordingly.

I agree with Frank, I have been riding for 21 years and have had one semi-serious drop at speed and 2 tip-overs in tight parking lot turning situations. A lot I will give to the MSF ERC course a lot of luck and hopefully learning to "respect" the machine and reliaze the "true limits" of my riding ability. I have been told that the most dangerous time period for a new motorcyclist is the "FIRST 2 YEARS"! Jo dropped her bikes twice in the first two years but no hospital stays and just minor damage to the body. I surely hope that if the big one bite's me, I have to mental fortatuide to "get back on the bike ASAP". As stated in other posts, you will never really know till it happens to you!

I don't know what the average is either.I've been riding almost 30 years and the worst thats ever happened was in Sept of 96 when I hit a milk crate with my foot I broke my toe but didn't go down.Maybe all the falls I had riding trials makes up for it I don't know.I do know that I've always ridden like everyone else was out to get me.I guess with all my absence I missed out on the news about Nick.What happened? Happy TRAils/NSD Paul

Steve you sold the Norton.I must say that I am a little suprised.But I see what you replaced it with and I can understand.I can't wait to see it. Happy TRAils/NSD Paul

If any bike offically fit's into the "over my head" column it's gota be a Ducati!! Ah, if only I had been born thin and good looking, I too could ride a Italian Stallion. I plan on being up in Cody WY. during Labor Day Weekend, Paul and Steve, maybe I can meet you at the UT. border. Happy New Year, BJ

Ramblinman?

hello?

RAMBLINMAN?

He'll get back to you, YSRRider. Be patient.

Hey, Matt nice to see ya in the Spring Motorcycle deal. It's not a instant response chat like the Moto-Directory chat your use too. Just respond to any of the Topics and come back once a day for the answers. Hope to see ya around more often btw how's that CBR1000F holding up under a WFO kinda guy like yourself? Tailwinds, BJ Ondo/aka: Ramblinman

As I started "In over my head" I thought I'd report in. Saturday two weeks ago I took possession of the Harley I bought. I talked the guy I bought it from into riding it over in the rain for me as I havent ridden for about 30 years. I left it alone for the rest of the day hoping the rain would stop. On Sunday there was still a light mist that appeared would be over in a couple of hours (it wasn't) and I just couldn't wait anymore to try it out. I suited up and rode (verrrrry carefully) on some back roads for around four hours to get the feel. It all came back retty quickly. At the end of the day I went over to a friend's home in a condo complex and tipped it going slowly about 50 ft. from his place. The rear wheel seemed to suddenly be on ice. I tried to hold it up but couldn't and decided to part company and keep my leg out from under 750 lbs of machine. I rolled on my back and hit my head on the curb. THANK GOD FOR HELMETS! The deep scratch on the back of my helmet could have been in my skull. Amazingly, the bike is unscratched except for the sissy bar / mot r guard - or whatever its called - was bent. I've ordered a new one. After I got up and lifted the bike I looked back to see a patch of oil on the driveway I didn't see coming in. Water and oil did it to me again. I took a spill years ago from the same problem. I have promised myself to only ride when it is DRY. I'm OK, just nursing a few bruises. If the rain will ever stop I'll take it out again. Note: Using your computer, tune into HTTP://WWW.ONTHEAIR.COM to listen to some good live radio while reading The Spring. It has old time radio (The Shadow, Jack Benny, etc.) and a lot of other interesting radio, domestic and foreign.

Wow, planeman, talk about rolling with the punches. We can't afford to lose you man. And I'll check out those good sounds. Slaps planeman a high five for staying alive!

Planeman, sorry to hear about the spill, but glad you and the bike are ok. Rain is a BIG hazard, but oil patches are common in parking lots and can ruin your day in ANY weather. I try to avoid any areas where cars might sit and leak and avoid the lots completely whenever possible. BTW, although I am an advocate for helmet choice, your case illustrates a situation where it obviously helped. Consider yourself lucky. Drip, slip, flip!

Planeman good to hear you and the hog are OK. Surprised the guard bar bent.

I am glad you weren't hurt, but your wet weather riding skills get better only be riding in wet weather. I know and understand the rationale behind not wanting to ride any more in the rain, but.... Just keep tires with good rubber on, understand what your limitations and the bike's limitations are, and dress for the weather...then enjoy. Ed

The fear of immenent death is why I'm such a better all around motorist since I started riding. Besides, if it wasn't scary, it wouldn't be any fun.

Humm, I thing Honda's "you meet the nicest people on a honda" saying would be better to use, ha ha. Your comment above would cause quite a stur for sure. Tailwinds, BJ

Whick line BJ? "The fear of immenent death.." or "If it wasn't scary.." or both. I like the line "If it wasn't scary, it wouldn't be any fun. Hop on a Yamaha R1." Naw..they wouldn't go for it.

You missed your calling in life, Kevin. You shoulda been an advertising executive.

Shoot, I didn't even realize that I rhymed fun with R1..hehe. Where's Bob Starr?

Well, Planeman, I hope I show as much good sense as you did when I fall over with my 200. It won't be as heavy as your Glide, but I still wouldn't want it on my leg. When I fell off my tutor's bike (1984 Nighthawk 450) while learning to ride, I was fortunate enough to fall to the outside of the turn while the bike fell inside (v.slow 1st gear turn, hit a sand patch.) I hope that if I ever lose it again, I'll have enough sense to know when it's irrecoverable and jump off!

Planeman, Glad you are okay... Keep your chin up and everything else will follow... Tires, Good Tires, when riding in the wet...

Planeman, I too am pleased to hear you have survived this minor accident with only slight lacerations to your helmet and ego. I guess we never know when a road hazard will crop up--seemingly from nowhere. Best wishes for a safe riding season! Hoop

Thanks for the encouragement from all of you. I was kinda embarresed to admit I had dropped my "new" bike on my first day out. I'm back up on it again and determined to get through the "new rider" stage.

Keep at it, its worth the effort ! :)