| Author | Message | ||
     Tootal |
 Hey! What are brothers for anyway! | ||
| Crusty |
Safari Ants I went to Kenya back in 1980 and was there for five months. I had numerous adventures involving traveling, but the one that’s at the front of my mind this morning, is Ron and his encounter with the Safari Ants. Safari Ants are interesting in many ways. They travel in a column and will not deviate from their path. If anything gets in their way, they will attack it. They will travel underground for a while and then come up to the surface. If an animal is standing in their path, they will all swarm up the animal’s legs and will all bite simultaneously. The bite of one is pretty painful; the bites of many at the same time is enough to make someone run into a river full of crocodiles to get them off. I remember being out in the garden, one day and a line of them suddenly appeared as they marched toward their destination. I almost made the mistake of standing in their path, but my friend Ron saw them and pulled me aside. Out of curiosity, I threw my lit cigarette in their path The lead ant would attack the burning end, and get incinerated. The next ant in line would pass the dead body back to the ants behind him and then attack the lit end with the same results. They did not deviate from their course. Eventually, they managed to pick apart the cigarette and continue on their way. As I mentioned, sometimes they just appear, without warning. Ron was out in the garden one day and a line of Safari Ants surfaced, and he didn’t notice them. They crawled up his pant legs, then, as if by cue, started biting. Ron started slapping his legs, and realized what was happening, so he ran into the house and started pulling off his pants. he was slapping at his legs and brushing ants off which is kind of tough since once they bite, they don’t let go. Finally, Ron got them off, but when he looked down, he saw one last straggler on his very sensitive private parts As soon as he saw that, he wailed, “OH, NO!!!” and the ant bit him forcefully. Needless to say, Ron kept a wary eye out for Safari ants from that time on. I don’t think they ever caught him unawares again. | ||
| 86129squids |
What a pi$$ant!!  | ||
| Crusty |
Never Give Up At the present time, I seem to be caught between a Rock and a Hard Place. I have a few conflicting possible directions to go in and all three (or four or five?) involve going places. I wrote about some of my turmoil the other day, trying to get it all sorted out. I spent most of the weekend trying to narrow down possibilities, and instead made things more confusing. For instance; it seems like every time I see a house in Cincinnati that I like, something happens. Usually, it’s a dump that needs so much work it wouldn’t be worth it. Or it’s in a neighborhood that I definitely don’t want to live in. Or someone put in an offer before us. Or the price on Realtor.com was just the starting point for a bidding war on a foreclosure. (But it’s a Great Investment Opportunity!). I’m beginning to despair that I’ll find a place that’s what I want and can afford. And if I should find a place, It’ll take all my money to set it up to live in. Houses in Ohio don’t come with stoves or refrigerators and I’ll need to get a washer and drier. and paint and… I won’t have the money to go anywhere. Well that’s not quite true. I’ll have to put off my trip to the Beaufort Sea for a year, but I’ll be able to do a few shorter rides this year. I’d probably do this, but before I can, I have to find a house first. Actually, David has to find the house first. He’s the one doing all the work. I’m just sitting here on my fat ass in Hudson while he runs all over looking at houses. And then there’s the motorcycle. Should I just ride the Roadster? Should I get an EBR? If I ride the Roadster, should I build a 1/4 million mile motor? If I do, I won’t have to worry about it for a long time. But to build a strong engine will cost me almost as much as a “Fire Sale” EBR. But if I get the EBR, I’ll have to figure out how to mount bags on it, and I’ll have to make other changes, as well; bars, pegs, sprocket and chain, ECM, etc. The price goes up. Then, where to ride to? Suppose I don’t get a house or rebuild the blown engine; should I then head for the Northwest Territory? Will my engine last long enough to get me there and back? I’ll be wondering about that the whole trip. Yesterday, I was really bummed out. It seemed like all my paths were headed into Darkness and Frustration. It would cost a fortune to rebuild the Roadster’s engine, the house I was hot for in Cincinnati wasn’t really for sale at the stated price, the sky was dull grey and the Patriots were having their asses handed to them by the Falcons in the Super Bowl. However, the Patriots pulled off the win and accomplished a bunch of firsts in the process. They were the first team to overcome such a large deficit in points in Super bowl history and they won during the first Overtime in Super bowl history. I just need to keep a Positive Attitude and I can also accomplish the impossible. Sometimes, I forget that. | ||
| Crusty |
Weather I was planning to go over to the shop today and put in my new fork springs and change the fork oil. However, yesterday’s snow that turned to sleet and freezing rain has left the driveway very slick, and there’s no way in hell that I can ride the bike without falling down. It was supposed to start warming up during the night, and by sunrise, the temps were supposed to be up to the mid 40s (F), but that didn’t happen. It just got above freezing in the past hour, and things are starting to melt. They had predicted a high in the mid 50s, but now, the latest hourly forecast is saying high 40s by 3:00 PM. I figure it will warm up enough for me to take the bike out in another hour or so, and I’ll hit the supermarket and get a couple of necessities to get through the next few days. There’s a Nor’Easter coming in tonight bringing between 5 and 14 inches of new snow, accompanied by winds over 40 MPH. (for you metric folks, that’s 12 to 36 cm and 65 kph). The day after is going to have a (supposedly) high temp of 18º F (-7.7º C) and more snow will arrive the following day or two. I think I’m going to be indoors for most of the duration, unless I want to walk somewhere. Oh, Well. The good news is that on Monday and Tuesday, the temps are supposed to get above freezing with ample sunshine, so hopefully, the roads will be clear enough to ride on. I sure hope a house in Cincinnati materializes soon. I’m really sick of New England Winters. I think I’ll buy a Lottery ticket. I know how bad the odds are, but still, I might win something substantial. Probably right after monkeys fly out of my butt. | ||
| Whisperstealth |
If you were to get an EBR, why would you need to change the ecm, chain and sprocket? If you were to move to Arkansas, I'd bet you could get a whale of a house for the money, compared to Cincinnati. | ||
| Crusty |
I want to change the ECM so that I can remove the secondary Muffler and install hard bags, Also, I believe that the ECM needs to be fiddled with if the gearing is changed. I've also read that at idle speeds, the exhaust tends to get extremely hot due to EPA regulations. A new or reprogrammed ECM will take care of those issues. I want to change the sprocket because the people I know who have ridden a bike with the 44 tooth sprocket say that the bike works much better with that gearing. Froggy rode one and immediately decided that he was going to change the sprocket on his SX. I value Froggy's opinion as well as the others who also recommend it. There are several reasons why I want to move to Cincinnati. The biggest is that my brother lives there. It will be nice to have a family member close by. As far as getting a whale of a house in Arkansas, I don't want a whale of a house. I want a two bedroom house with a garage. And the only reason I want two bedrooms is so that I'll have a place where guests can sleep. My needs are pretty basic. A kitchen, a living room and a bedroom are all I really need. The garage is mandatory, however. (Message edited by Crusty on February 08, 2017) | ||
| Adrenaline_junkie |
You might could rent in Cincinnati until a good deal shows up to buy. Then you could look at the houses yourself and you would be out of the New England winters while you wait. Just my way of thinking. | ||
| Whisperstealth |
Got you. I would want to get rid of the secondary muffler and mount bags on the bike as well. I forgot about the ecm needing to be adjusted / changed when doing that. Getting a new bike is great, but making it yours often takes work and a pile of money. I hope you get one, Id love to hear about you modifying it. I totally get not needing a big house, my house is a small one. Garages are awesome, you are smart to want one. I think Being around family is a big deal, I bet having your brother close will be great. I hope you and David are able to find the perfect house for your needs. It's out there, stay positive! | ||
| Crusty |
Harley; Dinette Set; EBR; Dinette Set… There was a Harley ad on the Idiot Box a few years ago. It showed a bunch of riders pulling into a gas station and this twerp was telling them that he almost bought a Harley, but it was a choice between getting the bike or getting a dinette set. He chose the dinette set. That’s kind of where I am tonight. Let me explain. First, I’ve got Influenza. Most people think that “the Flu” is like a bad cold. It’s not. High pressure diarrhea, projectile vomiting, a slight fever that’s accompanied by a miserable headache and body aches that are similar to how I’d feel if I was thrown into a cement mixer with some large rocks. And my legs feel like they’re made of Jello. I can sleep for about an hour or so, but then I have to get up for a little while. Since I do have a bit of a fever, my thought processes are not the most, um, rational. I’ve been sitting here pricing out components to rebuild the Roadster’s engine. I’ve also been trying to price out components to build my Gentleman’s Express out of an 1190 SX. I’m torn between the two. If I rebuild the Roadster, I’ll have to have a machinist make up some cam bushings and clean up the bores in the crankcase Add in the price of all the other components, and I’m looking at a few grand. I’ll have to go in hock to do it. However, I wouldn’t have to worry about the reliability of the engine. If I decide to go for the SX, not only will I have to take out a loan to get the bike, but I’ll have to spend a fair chunk to set it up. I had decided to buy the individual components, but I’m having trouble lining them up. I went to Knight Design’s web site, and they don’t list any EBR applications. So I sent them an e-mail explaining what I want. I got a reply that has me scratching my head. I guess that the only parts supplier who is willing to help me is IDS. But before I get the ECM reprogrammed, I’d better get the 44 tooth sprocket. Removing the secondary muffler is not a big deal. And then, there’s the dinette set. I have no intention of getting a dinette set, but I will have to get some items if I ever do find a house in Cincinnati. Like a stove and a refrigerator and a clothes washer and drier and some furniture, as well. Even buying used, that’s going to take a bit of dough. (Hey; the fever broke, but now I’m soaked with sweat) Anyhow, as I said, I’m not the most rational tonight, but I can sit here on the laptop long enough to type this out. Earlier today, I couldn’t even stay on line for more than five minutes. Maybe I’m starting to get over this bug. I hope so. | ||
| 1313 |
Harley, Dinette Set, Harley, Dinette Set I certainly wouldn't spend $6,495 for a dinette set... For the love of motorcycles, 1313 | ||
| Pwnzor |
Prayers up for a quick recovery... I didn't know you were feeling poorly. | ||
| 86129squids |
Dude! Sorry to hear you've got the flu bug- there's a homeopathic remedy called "Oscillococcinum" that I've used several times over the years, see if you can find it. It's intended to be taken at the onset, and it works by minimizing the symptoms/crappiness. About $15, but good to keep on hand... Get better ASAP! | ||
| Whisperstealth |
Sorry to hear about your illness. I spent five days fighting / getting over the flu myself this week. It sucks! Hope you have a fast recovery. Tough choices to make regarding engine/new bike/furniture. Wish you the best of luck deciding what to do. | ||
| Ourdee |
Drenched with sweat sure beats the fever. Soak in a warm bath if you are ready gor it. I fell asleep and woke just before the water turned cold. With the fever gone, it's time to eat. | ||
| Crusty |
The Hour Of The Wolf A peripheral negative side of being sick is that it completely screws up my sleep patterns. I was sound asleep at 8:00 PM, but now I’m awake at 3:00 AM. I could go online and play a puzzle game or Solitaire, but I’m sick of games. I’m also sick and tired of feeling sick and tired. This is the hour that my subconscious loves. It’s when I remember all the angering/humiliating and generally dumb things I’ve done in my life. It’s also when the Tramp gets more vocal. I’d rather listen to the Tramp than my subconscious reminding me about that really embarrassing incident 45 years ago. So I think about Traveling. I checked the weather in Tuktoyaktuk and it’s -24º F (-31º C) It’s supposed to go down to -36º with wind chills of -50º. I’m glad I’m not there now. But I still want to ride there this June. It’ll be a lot warmer there in June. However, I haven’t really done any tramping since last summer. Yeah, I went to Mark’s W. Va rally and I went to Buellvemberfest, but those were short trips. I wish I could figure out whether I’m moving to Cincinnati or what. The plan that makes the most sense is to keep a low profile, pay down the plastic, get a house in Cincy, then go next year. I don’t always do the most sensible thing. And the Tramp doesn’t care one bit about being sensible. To be honest, I’ve had the most interesting times and the best adventures when I’ve listened to that side of my nature. But I also like the security of having a home base. When I first hit the road two years ago, I didn’t want a home base; I just wanted to wander. However, now I really want my own home. I came to that realization over the past year. But I still want to travel. I’m thinking that having a home base with a bit of serious traveling might be the way to satisfy both sides of me. My brother David understands where I’m coming from. He has a bit of the Wanderlust in him, as well. He’s a roller coaster enthusiast, and thinks nothing of driving a thousand miles to an amusement park to ride the coaster there on his days off. It’s also why he’s being so helpful in my search for a house in Cincinnati. He’s been doing all the work. I just look online, and when I see a prospective place, I let him know and he goes and checks it out. So; let’s see how we stand (Flat Footed!). If I can find a place in Cincinnati, I’ll move there and I probably will put off the trip to the Beaufort Sea until next year. I’ll still be doing some trips, but mostly to Flat Track races (and a couple of rallies). If it doesn’t look like a house is going to materialize, then I’ll be looking Northward in June. In the meantime, the Tramp is telling me that I haven’t seen a TT race in a while, and the Daytona TT is only a month away… | ||
| Buellish |
John,there is Flat Track in Woodstock,GA the Saturday before Glitch Badness. http://www.dixiespeedway.com/wp-content/uploads/20 17/01/FlatTrackBikes.jpg | ||
| Crusty |
Yes, I know. It's a short track. And on the same weekend as Glitch Badness is the Charlotte 1/2 Mile. If the move to Cincy does happen, I'll be able to easily make it to something like a dozen National races without having to travel more than a day each way. Right now, it's 20º here. In Cincinnati, it's 61º. That's another fine reason to move. Did you know that the average annual snowfall in Fitchburg, MA is 75", while the average annual Snowfall in Cincinnati is 24"? (I looked that up the other day) It snowed heavily here on Thursday. Last night it snowed only about 3" and tomorrow, we're supposed to get another 6 -8". I REALLY hope the right house materializes soon. | ||
| Ourdee |
When I left Indianapolis earlier today it was 59 and sunny. | ||
| Crusty |
Oh, Joy. Oh, Rapture. Yesterday evening, when I last looked at a weather forecast we were supposed to get somewhere between 2 and 6 inches of snow, starting around noon today. I just looked at two different sites and had a very rude awakening. First, I looked at Intellicast, and I was startled to see a prediction of 12+ inches expected. So, just to be sure they weren’t screwing up, I went to the WCVB (Boston) webpage and saw a replay of this morning’s TV forecast. They’re showing 12 to 18 inches in my area along with winds of 55+ MPH. In other words, we have another Nor’easter about to slam us four days after the last one. That just warms the cockles of me heart, I’ll tell ya. Two years ago, we had a winter like this in New England, and it hardened my resolve to hit the road. Last year, I went to Australia for three months, and New England had an exceptionally mild winter. Now, I’m back here, and it’s about to dump another sh*tload of snow on us. Boy; I’ve really got this timing thing down, don’t I? And some people can’t understand why I want to move to Cincinnati. Last night, I watched Avatar for about the 937th time. It was the only thing on the idiot box that I was even remotely interested in watching. I haven’t looked at the TV Guide for today, but I hope there’s something worth watching. Between the snow we’ve already gotten and the Influenza that had me in it’s grip, I haven’t gone anywhere for days. It looks like I won’t be going out on the bike for a few days more. On days like this, I start to think that maybe I should just get a car to get around in. Or do what I was considering and find a cheap van and convert it into a rolling motorhome. Drive to a warmer climate for the winter months, then come North for the summer. No; I think my plan that’s in place is the best one. Find a suitable house in Cincinnati, and use that as a home base. It’ll be hotter in the summer, but I can live with hotter better than I do with cold and snow. Some days though, it does get frustrating waiting for my plans to all come together. Well; enough whining about the weather. The upcoming Flat Track season is looking to be a really good one. Now that Indian has fielded a team, and Harley has also stepped up, things are looking pretty interesting. When you add in the other competitors on bikes like the Kawasaki 740, Yamaha 750, Triumph, Ducati, KTM, and even the XR 750 H-Ds, Nothing is a sure bet. Adding in that the same bikes must be used on all types of tracks, and it could get pretty exciting to watch. I’ve only been to the Peoria TT once, and it was a pretty neat race. Seeing 750s out there flying over the jump, then turning both left and right should be fun to watch. And big bikes on short tracks will also be something to see. Then, there are the questions that nobody is asking; Is the new XG 750 R fast enough? It’s been in development for a couple of years now and Davis Fisher managed to make it into the Main a few times last year. Have they found sufficient power in that engine; or is it going to prove to be a real embarrassment for H-D? The Indian FTR 750 showed its potential at the Santa Rosa Mile last September. Joe Kopp came out of retirement and set fast time on it, then finished 7th. With all the Hoopla about the Harley - Indian rivalry being resurrected, what about the Kaw 740s? Bryan Smith kicked ass on his. Other tuners may have found the horsepower Smith’s bike had over the winter and they could be pretty strong. Especially if the Kaw factory gets off their dead asses and puts some money into the race program. Cycle World has a neat Yamaha Street Tracker on the cover, this month. Might that factory be ready to finance a return to Flat Track? There are lots of questions and they’ll be answered in a little over a month when the green light flashes at the Daytona TT. My plans for this summer are still pretty much up in the air, but I know one thing; I’ll be attending at least one Flat Track race and probably more. And I’ll get there on a motorcycle. I’m not sure if it’ll be the Roadster or a Red Lightning, but I’ll be a-ridin’. | ||
| Ourdee |
Can't go wrong with a red lightning. =] Is there a TT in Indianapolis? | ||
| Etennuly |
Cinci is definitely better than the upper East coast land of the NorEaster for weather, but you are landing into an area of the rust belt that gives about four months of road salt every winter. I know you have family there, but winter sucks. | ||
| Crusty |
In The Beginning… The other day, I had occasion to think back to the late 60s and early 70s, when I was a new rider. I remember some of my friends learning how to ride and getting motorcycles. My first ride as a passenger on a bike was on a Harley Sprint. John Annal had borrowed somebody’s bike, and I went with him as a passenger. That ride made me realize that I belonged on the front part of the seat, and not the rear. I learned to ride shortly after and got my first bike soon after that. As time went on, I met quite a few others who were into bikes as well. Being that we were all young and new riders, it was inevitable that some of us would crash. The interesting thing was how many people who were rabid enthusiasts gave up riding once that had an accident. There was no rhyme or reason to it; some folks would heal up and get back on bikes and some wouldn’t touch one again. There was no way to predict who fell into which category until they had their accident. My old racing partner, Chuck used to say to all new riders, “you’re going to have a wreck within ten thousand miles; be prepared for it.” It seemed to be true for nearly everyone except me. I made some really bad mistakes, but I was lucky enough that I didn’t crash. I think all the bicycle riding I did as a kid and right up into my teens when I learned to drive a car helped me develop reflexes that bailed my ass out a few times. I would occasionally wonder which kind of rider I was, but it took years and a few hundred thousand miles before I found out. I had a pretty bad wreck up in Montana, and I was hospitalized. As I lay in the hospital bed with tubes coming out of my body, every time I heard a bike going up Rt. 93, I would crane my neck to see what kind of bike it was. I was bummed that my bike was totaled, and I knew that I was going to get another bike. It took a while, since my life was set back quite a bit and I wound up financially destitute, (The Project Manager called me in the hospital to tell me I was laid off) but eventually I did get another bike. The wreck happened on July 31, 1978 and I bought a Moto Guzzi 850 the following March. I’m addicted to riding, and I honestly hope that never changes. | ||
| Ourdee |
That wreck was 3 weeks before I reported for Basic Training. I put my Benelli in the shop just before that and didn't know I would never see it again. The next machine was a Yamaha RD350 in the desert. | ||
| Etennuly |
Digging up memories. July 1978 I was riding a used 1974 CB750 4, my first road bike. I was riding a 1973 XL 250 on dirt. I guess I was one of those who never waited to heal to ride. If I could get on it, start it, and stay on it, I figured I could heal while riding. Matter of fact I think I healed better while riding. Lucky that none of my catastrophic wrecks had me laid up with tubing hanging out of my body. That would have been miserable tying all of that medical equipment on the bike! Riding 750 miles back from Homecoming 2007 was a tough ride, but not my worst. I guess this is that fine line between determined and stupid! My dad's opinion always fell on the side of me being stupid. He stood in the yard watching tears run down my face as I kicked through several times to get my TT500 started with a broken right ankle joint a week after I broke it. I wore a ski boot that would not let it move. I loved my dad, but he was not a rider. Ah memories! | ||
| Buellish |
In July of '78 I owned a '75 Kawasaki H2 and was 6 months away from buying my first HD,a '79 FXE Super Glide.My 25 year love affair with that 45 degree V-twin is what led me to Buell. My first big wreck was in '92 when I was hit head on by a Honda Accord.It totaled the FLH and broke my hip.The walking thing took a few months.All I could think of was getting back on a bike,I went to buy a '71 BSA 650 Thunderbolt leaning on a cane and in three weeks I was on the road again. Family and friends thought I was crazy. | ||
| Pwnzor |
I have never crashed. I had an unscheduled stop once, but I rode away from it with no injuries. | ||
| Etennuly |
 That's the thing about landing on your head! | ||
| Tootal |
He stood in the yard watching tears run down my face as I kicked through several times to get my TT500 started with a broken right ankle joint a week after I broke it. Well that explains a few things! My dad had a TT600 that I occasionally rode. That thing hurt with a good ankle! I'm with your dad on this one!  | ||
| Griffmeister |
Damn, July of 78 I was riding a well used and abused 71 Daytona around Atlanta. Thanks for the memories Crusty. |
