Username: |
Hooper |
Full Name: |
Neil |
E-mail Address: |
(Hidden) |
Last Logged In: |
April 28, 2017
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Registered: |
November 23, 2007
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Total Posts: |
1378 |
Status: |
XBRR |
Home Page URL: |
(Hidden)
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Birthday (Year) & Occupation: |
Project Manager in Federal Government consulting
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City: |
Silver Spring
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State/Province: |
MD
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Country: |
USA
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Personal Quote: |
There are two kinds of people in this world: the quick and the dead.
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Bike Model (Ex - M2, XB12Rr, S1W, P3): |
XB12X ("The Deer Hunter"); Ducati Multistrada S Touring
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Model Year (Please enter full 4-digit year): |
2006; 2014
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Color: |
Until the Ducati, all four of my previous bikes had been black - the fastest color
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V.I.N. (To aid in problem resolution. Will not be displayed or shared otherwise.) : |
(Hidden)
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Servicing Dealership: |
Battley Cycles, Gaithersburg, MD, and in my garage.
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Performance Mods!: |
(Hidden)
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Problems/Miles (Please be specific): |
Hesitant starter; total conk-out caused by the removal of the washers on the battery terminals; and hitting a deer on 2/10/08 sure affected the performance. Voltage regulator died on 9/3/11 at 17,800 miles.
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Other Mods/Misc/Customization.: |
Full H&B luggage; TechMount mount for a compass (my nav system); HVMP extra-heavy bar end weights; Buell tall windscreen; Dark Horse Moto Ecoslider frame sliders; Stebel Nautilus Compact air horn (yeehaw!); Buell heated handgrips; Touratech handguard extensions; Touratech handlebar bag ($50?!); Aprilia Tuono mirrors; painted muffler with grill paint; 2" Rox handlebar risers (cue angelic choir); Precision Engineering 2" drop rider pegs (cue additional angelic choir).
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Favorite Rides (Roads and Routes): |
Gambrills State Park, MD (on- and off-off road); River Road, MD; VA Rt 55 (parallels Route 66 to the Shenandoah); MD Rt 28 until I tried to jump the deer. Rt 16 in New Hampshire. Rt 5 in western Maine. Big Sur. Rt 1 and 101 north from San Francisco, then east from Fort Bragg, CA. Scottsdale, AZ to Sedona, the Grand Canyon, and then Zion. The road from Loch Ness, west to the coast of Scotland. The road out of Aspen, CO. Death Valley, NV and CA.
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Why I do/don't ride a Buell: |
Totally original - they look, sound, feel, and ride like nothing else; they turn heads, gather a crowd, make people talk, and are (fortunately and unfortunately) RARE. There's no such thing as a "poser" on a Buell.
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How can Buell improve their motorcycles?: |
I guess we have to start over with this question, again. Things I wish Buell Motorcycle Co. had done: improved style and feel of the buttons and controls; hazard flashers; larger fuel tank; easier-to-adjust/stiffer headlight mount - I have to re-aim frequently; I wish they had marketed the heck out of the brand and gotten them into non-H-D dealerships. Sport riders would definitely have gotten on board if they knew about any brand other than the Japanese and Italian makes, or were willing to walk into a H-D dealer. It's not about having the capability to go 180mph in 10 seconds, it's about having a fast bike that corners like hell and is also original.
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Life History/Philosophy: |
"Live life! Live life like you're gonna' die...because you're gonna'!" William Shatner from the album "Has Been".
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Top speed on 2 wheels (mph): |
122mph on a rented, high-mileage BMW K1200GT somewhere in Colorado, allegedly. I thought about going further and faster, but then thought: "What if something happens pushing 139mph? That means I won't get to take motorcycle trips to places like The Rockies anymore." So I released the throttle and enjoyed coasting for awhile (coasting at 111mph is pretty cool too).
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Preferred engine oil (brand/grade): |
H-D synthetic, with a touch of extra virgin olive oil for flavor.
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First Bikes: |
2000 Yamaha V-Star Classic 650 (donated to a good cause); 1999 Suzuki GSX-F 600 Katana (donated for parts); 2007 Harley-Davidson FXDB Street Bob (traded in for the Ducati) |
Next and/or Dream Bikes: |
Any Exile Cycles bobber; Ducati Diavel!? |
Ride Report - Solo Ride Around Scotland: |
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=559053 |
Ride Report - A Classic Buddy Ride in AZ & UT: |
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=744536 |
Ride Report - Solo Ride Around Death Valley and the Las Vegas Area: |
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=926499 |
Ride Report - Solo Ride Around NW Colorado: |
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=955168 |
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