Uncle Punk

I don't think they ever really work out if you count your time toward any value. Now as a retirement project you may come out ahead but it might not be worth the risk, unless it is something you intend to keep and enjoy for yourself. If you have cash and come across the right person you can buy bikes at trade-in prices without any work and turn more profit. Dealers buy bikes all the time from people who need money and they don't give them trade in pricing either when they do this.

I have one of these suits, paid more for it than the advertised price here and supposedly paid cost. This is a great deal guys. I love the descriptions of the items you sell. Your description of this suit told me about features it has that I didn't know about and I have had it for four years.

Hey look ma, I is on video!

This is good to hear, sorry it took witnessing good gear working for you to get to this point but no animals were hurt in the process. This really was a spectacular crash and I can't believe that the bike is rideable. I have seen a lot of crashes and have never seen a bike tumble and flip so many times and still ride away, unbelievable.

I think those other guys were riding too fast and should slow down if they wanted to be in videos.

You shouldn't have gotten that impression. A group ride is a group ride and it wasn't mine to decide how it should go. You did fine and with your history I would expect you to be cautious. Damn, I wanted to see the video of the get off to see how well I remembered it in real time, it was quite spectacular for no one getting hurt and the bike remaining rideable.

I have seen that second video and I don't have a problem with it. I think he should have his teeth kicked in for the first one but the second one is not very damning. It's probably not the way I would handle a stop but it works for him. If I had only seen the older video without the newer one I would have wanted him on my team, probably not the spokesperson for the team more like the grunt to do the heavy lifting.

At this point I am not thrilled with any of the prospects. I am closely aligned with Newt but am enough of a realist to understand that his baggage is insurmountable. His knowledge of our current political climate, how to work around it along with his knowledge of our history and his interpretation of its meaning makes him my guy but sadly not a viable candidate. It's kind of funny I can look past his baggage but I can't get by Palin's. I hate to hear her mentioned as a viable candidate.

His vision of being pro military and mine are not the same, in my opinion he is not pro military. Saying you are pro military and not utilizing it properly are not the same. I am aware of his military experience and am thankful for his service but it doesn't make him any more right than it did John Kerry. I have military service myself and that fact shouldn’t make my views any more correct for the rest of you either. We could afford to do the things our military is doing if we spent more on our military and less on the things the government shouldn't be involved in. I wouldn't have an issue with us spending another 10% of our GDP on our military. We could do that and still be ahead if we didn't have so many other unnecessary budget draining programs in the coffers.

I have too many conflicting factors to commit to a ride so it looks like a solo ride is what I will end up with. I don't even know what day it will be. I am starting to question why I even have a street bike this year. I really don't want to plan around any closures so if I go out it will be 83 to 78 to 260 turn around and head home on the same route.

We occupy other countries for strategic reasons from logistics to monitoring. I doubt Japan or Germany will be starting any more shit while we are occupying them while we remain one of the worlds super powers and I am okay with that. I like Ron Pauls stance on a lot of issues but they do not outweigh my dislike of his views on the military. I view him to be too much of an isolationist. Stating rhetoric that sounds good to get support from people who don't know any better feels too much like a democrat to me. While popular in times of war it takes away from the true sacrifices our military endures to keep the wolves at bay, whether or not you can see the wisdom in it or not. There have always been people who didn't agree with any military action we have ever taken but our military is one of the reasons we are the greatest nation on earth so I have a hard time giving those who don’t agree much regard. We would have never become the United States of America if it wasn’t for military action yet those who supported it and were involved with our independence were in the minority at the time. Our military is something that is all about our existence and besides infrastructure it is one of the core obligations of our federal government. I consider the rest of the issues I agree with him on to be issues that shouldn't exist. If he can get that one major issue so wrong he will never get my support.

They were there to free those who were being held for ransoms among others mission goals. It was in our interests to maintain free trade even though it wasn't affecting us by being a threat to our mainland. There are many more instances of this over the years and a definition of our best interests is not clear. I view the simple explanation of Ron Pauls views as being an isolationist. What you see as a police action I see as a means to protect our vital interests and to protect our world standing. We see the same thing and come to a different conclusion. A mindset to conquer the world needs to have a plan for interrupting it and a strategy toward that goal is to spread democracy. I see that as being vital to our self interests. When tyranny exists we need to extinguish it because it is in our best interest weather it brings us an ally or opens the door for our safety regardless of it being a direct threat at that time.

Let's start with the Navy being sent to the Barbary Coast; do we need a complete history lesson?

I have two, you can borrow one, but keep away from Innya he's all mine.

I ride my scooter all the time without a helmet or glasses. Obeying stupid laws is kind of a waste of my time and those who choose to enforce them.

That's all I need to know. Thanks. He is a dumb ass who has no idea about how the military is to be used or how it was used by our founding fathers. If he wants to change its role he will never get my support even if I agree with him on every other issue.

Can someone give me some information about him that actually comes from him about the military? I don't mean how he feels about the actions that have taken place I mean what does he think the military’s role is and how would he intend to use it.

Just kind of putting this out there because I don't really have a definite feel for the answer. If on my best day with what I believe to be good equipment I run a 1:39 and Brian runs a 1:31 with his optimum conditions shouldn't I expect to see an eight second difference in times when we are on the same bike? That would put me it a 1:44 if you are running a 1:36 or am I missing something? Do street tires start to equalize things and make the faster guys slower?

Yes, I know what you mean. I am expecting to run in the 44 to 42 range though with the layoff, tires and learning a new platform (Twins). Unless the big motor makes up for lost time over my old 600. I am looking at doing the 10th now and just need to decide how early to sign up to not get shut out and not do a rain day. I hate Mid-Ohio even with morning dew on the track and really don't want much of a chance for rain.

39 may be advanced pace but I have had a long layoff, the bike I was using had race tires, Ohlin’s front and rear. I expect to go slower on a stock bike especially one I am not familiar with plus I don't know how to use a twin. Even if I could come close to an old time three seconds is an eternity to be out there with others if 36s are what is the advanced pace. I don't mind being passed it doesn't bother me at all. The year I tried to race the experts would pass me while they were lapping me without any problems. I have all the gear so this is a no brainer to try and ride. What group should I sign up for?

Your group has been picked its novice just do it you can come back later to complain about how it was too slow, a waste of time and you didn't have fun. I dare you. Seeing some of the races from the sidelines had me missing being on the track and I am thinking of signing up for one of these events because I no longer have a track bike. I will be like Tpoppa and ask what group I should sign up for. With the exception of a session early in 2009 at Nelson where my bike broke down and another early season two session day at Mid-Ohio where I totaled my track bike I haven't been on a track since then. The Mid-Ohio event was my first time signing up for advanced but it was a twilight event that made the whole group kind of like intermediate with really fast guys. This means I have never ran in the advanced group at a track day. I don't mind being passed closely by the fast guys so I would be comfortable in advanced but I don't know if I should be there with so little track time the past few years. Another thing I am considering is that I don't really know how to ride a twin so the learning process may slow me down enough to make me dangerous in advanced. For reference in 2008 at the end of season AMA Sports event I was running a 2005 CBR600RR with lap times of 1:39. This is what I would think is fast intermediate or slow advanced. With Brian running eight seconds a lap quicker really slow advanced but I don't think the whole advanced group runs that time do they?

Novice, because that's where he belongs since this will be his first track day, just where you should be for your first track day.

Never been on a track you belong in novice. Having ridden with Tpoppa several times I believe he is fast enough to ride in intermediate but starting there for your first track day is not advisable. Unless you can get your own personal riding coach for your time in intermediate. I don't think anyone should be left alone to ride at will their first time on a track, even if you are allowed to pick a group your first time I would highly recommend novice for your first time.

If I remember correctly isn't that what you run with your GSXR? That's amazing that you can run such close times with a stock KTM. I have never ridden a twin in anger but found myself on the rev-limiter when I did ride one. How do you adapt between the two?

This is California law; it gives law enforcement the right to hassle its subjects unless they want to question them about their citizenship. In Ohio it would be a dick move for law enforcement to have stopped "Jeremy" but not in the foreign land of California.