swingset

Sorry guys, I'm going to bust some balls here....some of you are relying on a gas station for air??? There's few tools you need to carry more on a bike than a tire repair kit and something to refill tires. A slime mini-compressor will fit under your seat or in a tank bag, tire repair kits are tiny. You're very likely to need one if you really ride, not only for filling your tires but the inevitable tire mishap. $30 worth of stuff from Autozone and this is a non issue and one less thing to worry about if you're away from civilization....and that's where all the fun riding is, no? You can buy a small $10 compressor from Walmart or Harbor Freight and strip the case off, if the $30 Slime unit breaks your wallet. And, while I'm at it a decent pancake or small tank compressor is immensely handy around the house or shop....I don't think I work on the bike or the truck ever, without using one... Just sayin ETA, Buildit beat me to it, but I know he's an ADV guy so he knows about blowing tires too.

772 is a cool road, I take it when I ride to Western Kentucky. My only gripe with that area is the shitty straight roads getting down there, which are hard to avoid.

Very cool, you'll love the KLR it's an awesome little bike and very reliable. Lemme know if you two ever wanna go hit some back roads & trails....I know some good ones around Central Ohio.

The Galley on 2nd Street is very good, awesome sammiches and a great atmosphere.

Congrats Sara, have fun & keep on your guard!

536 is a good road, as mentioned but be careful first time out. A few turns that will surprise the living shit out of you, so don't barrel through it blind. A lot of houses that mow their clippings into the roads on the corners, too. The best way to ride it, given its short length is to ride it one way kind of moderate and take note of the issues then turn and go more aggressive. Lots of good roads out that way, 536 is but one of many. Hop across the river and there's even more.

Your maps must suck. Every road in this country is documented by a cartographer, even roads that have been defunct for 100+ years. Get some better maps, or might I suggest a GPS? Just pulling your chain. Actually a GPS helps you to get lost, in a very good way. Firstly by giving you confidence that you are always able to quickly navigate back to where you need to be, or to gas, or to help. Second, it can be routed to a specific destination and dynamically adjust when you deviate. In other words, you can choose to go to Marietta but start picking roads off the suggested route and it will adjust to keep your destination right but your route up to you. Third, it will remember your route so you can revisit portions or share them. A good GPS is also a gas calculator, an altimeter, an .mp3 player, a weather alert, etc. They are, in no short way, a rider's perfect companion and only diminish your fun if you allow them to.

I hope her homeowners/renters insurance will cover it...or bike insurance if not. Sorry to hear tho, thieves deserve to burn.

The "Regional" section of ADV has a Central forum, in there are several Ohio threads...the "Adventures in Ohio" seems to be the hub where 90% of the locals hang out...it's where most people introduce themselves.

No problem...glad to help. Another good bike to keep an eye out for is the TTR250, they're not super common as they quit them in 2006 and were often confused with the heavier and slower 230, but they're a great little bike. I have one, and it's the perfect bike for a new or smaller rider. They have a 6th gear, front & rear disks, air-cooled simplicity and have a decent suspension that will take you anywhere. Unfortunately, they don't come with the factory lights/signals, but you can get a kit to do that (that's what I did) and the TTR250 came with road-titles so making it legal is a snap. I found mine mint for $1500 and I've seen them around for cheap. If you wanna do some dual-sport rides, the guys on ADV are always brewing up some good ones for new riders with an emphasis on fun without being too gnarly or technical....just lemme know when you're on two wheels!

Look into some of the Northern WVA camping grounds....the dual-sport riding down that way puts Ohio's to shame, and it's still within range of a little bike.

Sorry I tripped over this thread a bit late, I knew where there was a really nice KLX250S that would have been perfect for ya, but it sold yesterday. Good on ya for going the dual-sport route, too! With a DS bike, you can ride with anyone, anywhere. They're easier to maintain, cheaper to maintain, cheaper to insure, good on gas, hold their value, and chicks look cool on them. What's not to like? Here's a bike that might work for ya: http://columbus.craigslist.org/mcy/1171011426.html Needs plated & a DS kit, but the price is right.

It'd be a 5 minute ride for me, hehe. I was there yesterday morning before the rain to check out the car show.

It's got some great twisty sections, it's very long and very little traffic so it's a popular bike road. BUT, it's not to be taken lightly. For one thing some of the turns are off-camber, blind, or decreasing radius and inexplicably the worst two are unmarked so you can easily be duped into barrelling fast into the two most dangerous turns on that road. Also, there are a lot of farms and slow vehicles, so blind turns and hills are another potential for disaster. It's a little tore up here and there and cinders and gravel in some of the turns (mainly headed south) can be something to look out for. Just take it VERY cautious until you know it, and you'll be fine. I think it's highly overrated as a sport-bike road, myself....78 west of 555 is better, although much shorter.

Nice work. Makes me glad I ride dual-sports, I don't have time to ride & clean.

Wouldn't be the first guy she scared off.

I put 11k on the Vstrom last year, 6k on the dual-sports...which is about my average.

It's not too bad right now....rode about 1/2 of it yesterday, not a ton of debris in the corners. 78 west from 555 is a better time, tho....and the road is cherry by comparison.

If you don't have any towing or emergency stuff lined up, get the AMA or AAA with RV coverage before you go....worth it if shit goes wrong!!! Also, make sure you have something to patch a tire & air it up....probably the most likely thing to sideline you. Know your tools, do some maintenance with what you'll be carrying.....figuring it out on the side of the road sucks. An LED headlamp is worth its weight in gold. Zipties & a pair of vice grips...if you bring nothing else, these are fucking life-savers!! Duct tape too. Keep hydrated!!! can't stress that enough. Buy a camelbak or a cheap knock-off...you can attach it to the tank if you don't like having a backpack. If you don't have an over-the-gear rainsuit buy one....VASTLY superior and easier than relying on your gear to keep you dry. Frogg Toggs are great. Don't wear cotton...wicking synthetics are superior in every way, stay cleaner longer, dry out faster, keep you cool & warm better, under-armor (or the cheaper alternatives) are the shiznit. Bring two pairs of everything, wash what you're not wearing when you stop at a hotel, hang to dry (they dry out fast), you're good to go with minimal clothes. Buy a pair of bicycle shorts....they're seamless (less to rub), double-as underwear, have padding for your tailbone and junk, and are synthetic and won't sweat you. Use talcum on the twins, each day....pack an extra pair of these and do the recycle-trick from above. There's really no reason to ship clothes and all that shit...it's not hard if you buy the right stuff and it's really no more expensive than regular stuff....Walmart has a very decent knock-off UA stuff made by Starter. Oh, and buy some flushable wipes....they're the handiest thing in the world for a guy on a bike. You can clean a shield with them, clean your hands, wipe your butt, take a "sort of" shower, you name it. They pack light, and come in very handy. I'm sure I'm forgetting something....anyway check out IBA's website & forum....tons of great advice there. http://www.ironbutt.com/about/default.cfm

Like the title says, can't be too many of these bikes around....purple newer Daytona, white wheels, dude riding it has a white & black Joe Rocket leather jacket. If anyone knows the guy, or sees him, I would like to wish testicular cancer upon him for the future of humanity....please pass along my best wishes. The fucktard overtook me on 78 by Burr Oak State Park, while me and the wife are two-up in a tight S-turn with oncoming traffic, dove underneath me in a turn...which scared the living fuck out of me, the wife (bad reaction) leaned up out of the turn and I ended up breaking the rear end loose....causing much pucker in the starfish. Now, granted when the wife is onboard I'm not scraping shit, but I was into the corner pretty good....certainly not pussying through the twisties and this fucknut dove under me (badly I might add) right as I was tightening up my line (I came in from the outside) so my peripheral vision suddenly filled up with a bike where I was looking....not a super inspiring thing to see when you're not expecting it. I'm very lucky I kept us upright and out of the grill of a camper coming the other way, and God help me I wanted to roll on some throttle and catch the guy....but calmer heads (hers, not mine) prevailed. She was pretty shook up, and I kept an eye out for the dude but never saw him again. Anywho, it made a great day on the roads a little more exciting, and truly...from the bottom of my heart Purple-Douche, I hope you get herpes, in and around the eyeballs and anus, if it hasn't already happened. There. I feel slightly better. BTW, who but Prince paints a fucking bike purple? Seriously.

Beamers are great bikes, but cost of ownership can be steep....but you're on a Duc so it may be a non-issue to you. If you're going to look into BMW $$, don't forget to take a look at the KTM's motard bikes....cause they eat BMW's for lunch in performance. I've had a DRZ400SM, an XRL in supermoto trim and ride thumpers like they're going out of style. Comfort is, to me, a relative issue but I'm more comfortable on an upright position dirt bike than a supersport any day of the week, and if you have a good seat or use a good pad (the Sweet Cheeks pads are fucking awesome for long hauls), you can stay on them for a long time. I did 6 hours last weekend on the TTR250, logging 200 miles of backroads, trails and slab and didn't have any discomfort. It's all in how you set it up, to be honest. I love to travel on a thumper, I think it's about the most fun on a bike I've ever had.

Yes and yes, but you gotta order them from the UK they don't import Cabergs here anymore. The white just came out, I think. They have inner visors too, mine is like a blue iridium, so you can look all Top Gun with the clear outer shield.

I don't like the garish lids myself, but then I ride a Vstrom so looks obviously don't concern me. My wife said my caberg looked like a Speederbike helmet, so I obliged and slapped some imperial logos on it.

Glad you're ok! 555 is a tough road, it's deceptive and will lull you a little bit and bite you. Off camber, decreasing radius and unmarked turns....and it's a long road too so you tend to lose focus. I've been on it probably 15-20 times, and I've seen 5 wrecks personally (luckily none were me!) and one was a fatality.

I fully support and will fight for people's rights to wear whatever they want, even if riding without gear or with half-assed gear is (IMHO) fucking stupid. And, I won't ride with someone who isn't wearing at least a good jacket gloves & helmet. I've had to stop on the road when some dumb shit learned about his mortality the hard way, and I've seen brains mixed with a balled up bike. I've seen a girl writhing in screams and agony with rash up the length of her body. I'm for god-damned sure not going to watch an acquaintance put themselves through that, and involve me too.