Bubba

Not on my radar anymore. Besides, you REALLY don't want me to come on this ride with you guys....with my history of bad weather on camping and motorcycle trips, I'm like the old Al Capp comic character Joe Btfsplk...you remember, the one with the continual rain cloud over his head? I'd completely negate the rain-shedding properties of Tonik's Dome of Hate. Joe Btfsplk: The world's worst jinx, Joe Btfsplk had a perpetually dark rain cloud over his head. Instantaneous bad luck befell anyone unfortunate enough to be in his vicinity. Though well-meaning and friendly, his reputation inevitably precedes him—so Joe is a very lonely little man. He has an apparently unpronounceable name, but creator Al Capp "pronounced" Btfsplk by simply blowing a "raspberry," or Bronx cheer.[14] Joe's personal storm cloud became one of the most iconic images in the strip.

Damn, that didn't last too long. Posted on Sept 19th: "Best birthday present ever!"

In the interest of totally highjacking this thread.... This is directed to Doc as well as anyone else who has done some comparison shopping, and hopefully even demo rides, on the 2015 Kawasaki Versys LT. I've been loving my '09 Vstrom for the last 30,000 miles or so, but would love to have just a Wee bit (there's a pun there somewhere...) more HP and less weight. Could always go the route of swapping the Strom cams for the SV cams and doing a remap, but I'm not convinced the HP gain would justify the cost. So, does anyone own--or has anyone ridden--the new Versys LT?

Update: I'm officially licensed. I made my appt at the HCSO for 9:40 Monday (yesterday) to submit the application and get fingerprinted, and they called me back at 8:30 AM today--less than 24 hours later--to say I was approved and could pick up my permit. Don't know how other counties in OH are but Hamilton Cty is on it.

Jim: Not sure I'd forgo doing 16 from Tazwell to Marion for Hayter's Gap, unless you've sick of 16. That's a pretty damn good run!!!

Dan: NP. Welcome. I get the wander thing, but if you haven't ridden Hayter's Gap, maybe check it out. If you're into goat paths, look at Beech Mtn Rd/Poga Rd along NC/TN border. Pick up 1308 in Heaton at the bottom of 194 near the 19E junction and follow Beech Mtn>1312>Poga to 321 near Watauga Lake to bypass Banner Elk. And you can call me anything you want if you're buyin'....

Dan: Here's a one-day route returning from Waynesville to Cinti. Runs 209 to Hot Springs, then mostly follows 70 (Trail of the Lonesome Pine) into southern KY. https://www.google.com/maps/dir/39.0102961,-84.4688182/Blue+Ridge+Motorcycle+Campgrounds,+59+Motorcycle+Dr,+Canton,+NC+28716/@35.7599978,-83.0458953,10.55z/am=t/data=!4m64!4m63!1m55!3m4!1m2!1d-84.4208421!2d38.9813726!3s0x8841a521109a9695:0x2074a3d84087b90f!3m4!1m2!1d-84.3721434!2d38.9345936!3s0x8841a40a91898ee9:0x8138266dc437a3b8!3m4!1m2!1d-84.2767187!2d38.8048758!3s0x88419e294745782f:0xa698faa3338a7b7c!3m4!1m2!1d-84.029512!2d38.462964!3s0x8843d8df1c2e27e5:0xe4565e4d0b34334e!3m4!1m2!1d-83.6696945!2d38.0605852!3s0x8843895611185a73:0xe8e6f56fda92de8!3m4!1m2!1d-83.7024832!2d37.5815271!3s0x884364416f7d816d:0x29987ea46c2c174!3m4!1m2!1d-83.4087615!2d37.3435428!3s0x8844bb38f8b1bf73:0x4d7dccdefda054d8!3m4!1m2!1d-83.0089515!2d36.7567851!3s0x885b220c2ad131cd:0x5a73787b56dd8ac5!3m4!1m2!1d-82.943749!2d36.3419011!3s0x885bab0b94e21433:0xef8baa1b95a231fe!3m4!1m2!1d-82.8098429!2d35.9880661!3s0x885a369d58e2ec63:0xcb77a531788cd206!3m4!1m2!1d-82.9418875!2d35.6468445!3s0x88597f1bd3bb78a9:0x348c7ddc67fe5cde!1m5!1m1!1s0x8859992f8f8dfff9:0xbda3bb52c137d151!2m2!1d-82.810766!2d35.404653!3e0 Another option would be to run a two-day Cinti-Waynesville route backwards, with an overnight stay in/near Abingdon, VA. Some phenomenal twisties on this route!!! Day 1, Part 1: Alexandria to Hal Rogers Pkwy https://www.google.com/maps/dir/39.00939,-84.4694668/38.8898958,-84.386345/38.8555016,-84.2875824/38.6566816,-84.1121644/38.4420635,-83.9850851/38.3241548,-84.0937416/38.1477493,-83.7601532/37.9508979,-83.6254949/37.7297194,-83.6465493/37.2595049,-83.2533699/@37.3955627,-83.4975196,12.02z/data=!4m52!4m51!1m10!3m4!1m2!1d-84.4307213!2d38.9682355!3s0x8841a4cfd7466fa7:0x11cee3defb7fc9d1!3m4!1m2!1d-84.3939745!2d38.9077444!3s0x8841a3a0affba01b:0x8f7202062a1f60eb!1m5!3m4!1m2!1d-84.3239021!2d38.8877284!3s0x8841a1a6fa857fbd:0x6696b2d7e1885166!1m10!3m4!1m2!1d-84.2776657!2d38.8024204!3s0x88419e294745782f:0xa698faa3338a7b7c!3m4!1m2!1d-84.2228669!2d38.7399627!3s0x884176f24263e207:0x88e6f496bd9e1c35!1m0!1m0!1m0!1m0!1m5!3m4!1m2!1d-83.588552!2d37.8059651!3s0x88447fffcd4f89ab:0xfa0639167e79bb09!1m10!3m4!1m2!1d-83.6360184!2d37.6482331!3s0x88437cd7f9d69bb1:0xe790352c074196c5!3m4!1m2!1d-83.6306342!2d37.4452239!3s0x88435fb53e8fe1b9:0x366ec39eab285d0c!1m0!3e0 Day 1, Part 2: Hal Rogers Pkwy to Appalachia VA (includes KY160/Black Mtn) https://www.google.com/maps/dir/37.2591883,-83.2524535/37.1662096,-83.3075027/37.0478778,-83.1267881/36.9746918,-83.0084477/36.90042,-82.7859135/@37.086077,-83.1552594,11z/data=!4m2!4m1!3e0 Day 1, Part 3: Appalachia VA to Abingdon VA (includes VA80/Hayters Gap) https://www.google.com/maps/dir/36.9004179,-82.7859164/36.9374646,-82.5341259/36.8304098,-82.4663297/36.9084695,-82.0362594/36.9161563,-82.0069004/36.9096657,-81.9694646/36.853605,-81.9071834/36.7581226,-81.8568674/36.7018272,-81.9742515/@36.7591573,-82.303347,11z/data=!4m31!4m30!1m5!3m4!1m2!1d-82.7356031!2d36.9219168!3s0x885ad01e47563495:0x65a683e5d31dbc6d!1m5!3m4!1m2!1d-82.5298891!2d36.8929585!3s0x885ab788618a7265:0x9f6fed7931cd5152!1m10!3m4!1m2!1d-82.2128109!2d36.9189915!3s0x885aa9d7c4baff9d:0x4d2c277ecdad696f!3m4!1m2!1d-82.0557987!2d36.904725!3s0x885004d8c147f1e9:0xe83dc1dd51a61ff6!1m0!1m0!1m0!1m0!1m0!1m0!3e0 Day 2: Abingdon VA to Waynesville NC (includes TN421/Shady Valley, Roan Mtn, NC63/Betsy's Gap) https://www.google.com/maps/dir/36.7015125,-81.9743637/36.5417647,-81.994035/36.3214998,-82.0419456/36.1998275,-82.0728225/35.9075049,-82.1918326/35.8214053,-82.5049129/35.7702277,-82.5119662/35.7761485,-82.6473198/35.7529672,-82.8699772/35.4038533,-82.8114165/@36.5846056,-81.9674745,14z/data=!4m62!4m61!1m5!3m4!1m2!1d-81.9922341!2d36.5871915!3s0x88506e851be88469:0x67dca548ac1e508b!1m10!3m4!1m2!1d-81.8090893!2d36.4759199!3s0x88505ce8fc215d19:0x219141835ca22f96!3m4!1m2!1d-81.8696157!2d36.3897746!3s0x8850609c5057416d:0xe9ee81f506570ddd!1m5!3m4!1m2!1d-81.771095!2d36.254132!3s0x8850f6a4423b1d17:0xb436f5871d9fb4b3!1m15!3m4!1m2!1d-82.153552!2d36.0546775!3s0x88509ee6d6fe943d:0x987277129a184289!3m4!1m2!1d-82.1713113!2d36.0168287!3s0x88509f785bbac969:0x7053a0dbfd40f62a!3m4!1m2!1d-82.1843225!2d35.9663401!3s0x8850a0584c0e9b7f:0x12d1ccbfeab27339!1m5!3m4!1m2!1d-82.4313104!2d35.8761465!3s0x885a105f6c011e7f:0x689fa818473d0cae!1m5!3m4!1m2!1d-82.5126847!2d35.7969219!3s0x885a191b6ebff7c9:0xefe66778fc54d878!1m5!3m4!1m2!1d-82.6359867!2d35.759669!3s0x885a21460e79a019:0x8ecc8e342f6e751b!1m0!1m0!1m0!3e0 I know you guys are gonna be staying a bit further west, but there's a ton of roads to hook you into these routes along the way.

Joe: Might want to rethink this plan. The BRP is pretty to ride....for about a max of 30-60 minutes, then it all starts to look the same. Couple the seasonal influx of leaf peepers on a weekend and a 45 MPH limit on a federal highway, and it spells long lines of excruciatingly slow traffic crawling along the Parkway behind a 45' diesel motorhome with little or no passing opportunity. SO many other routes in the area that are as good with less traffic.

Doc: Lots of info on both the buffeting issue and the instability at speed. Not just a problem with the new Stroms--been talked about since they first came out. For the buffeting, you'll need to play with the angle and height of the windscreen. I added a Madstadt bracket to the screen for adjustability and a laminar lip to push air over my helmet. Pretty much cures the helmet buffeting but the low frequency noise from turbulence is still noticeable. As for the instability, there are a couple of plays: 1) raise the forks in the triple clamps 10-15 mm to lower the front; 2) add a steering stabilizer; 3) try lower the tire pressures just a bit. There's a couple of stories on the StromTrooper forum about the bike going into a tank slapper at 100+ MPH. I've upgraded my front fork with RT springs and Gold Valves, added a HD rear shock and replaced the caged ball-type steering stem bearings with tapered roller bearings, and the Wee still doesn't like anything over 90-95 MPH. When I add soft luggage for touring, it exacerbates the wobble. Nature of the beast....

If it's like a lot of the modern bikes, the current for the lighting system is shunted thru a 2-position switch to minimize the amp draw during the start process. My guess is that the contacts in the start switch are either dirty, sticky, corroded or fried. Take the switch pod apart and clean the contacts and then consider installing a relay for your low/high beam headlights to keep it from happening again.

Ah, the benefits of owning a 35,000 mile VStrom, the world's most homely motorcycle.

From the trailcam, one of the bucks he took before he switched to crossbow--his baby brother is in the background:

Not a bow hunter, so I can't give you first-hand experience, but I have a bud who has hunted my property every fall for years. He's taken many big bucks from my place (should be able to search here for my past threads with pics). Very--VERY--experienced bow hunter! He used a compound bow for years and never had any problems with a kill running more than a few hundred yards before dropping. Last few years, he's been using a crossbow because of his shoulder issues. Last year, he tracked a kill for at least 2-3 miles before he found it, and it was still alive. Luckily, the shot was taken on a cold winter evening with fresh snow on the ground or he would have never found the deer. Year before that, I don't think he found the deer, even with lots of fresh blood and appearing to be chest shot (frothy and pink). Seems counter-intuitive that a high-powered crossbow would be less lethal than a compound bow. Maybe it's a flinch, maybe a recoil effect. I give my bud a load of sh-t about his wife--who hunts with a compound--being better at a clean kill than he is, but maybe it's an artifact of the weapon? Dunno....

I think it's mainly a function of how the two systems work. Disc brakes don't 'retract' very much after you apply the brakes, as the pads stay pretty much in place and just skim the surface of the rotor. Your clutch, however, retracts fully after you squeeze the lever because the clutch springs are pushing the actuating rod back. Much greater opportunity to draw dirt and contamination past the seals into the slave cylinder. Plus, yeah, you shift far more frequently than you brake, compounding the number of times you can introduce shit into the system. I've got a car with a hydraulic clutch and it's the same kind of thing. I usually flush, bleed and refresh the brake fluid on my bikes every two years, but I do the clutch reservoir on the car 3-4 times a year.

Yeah, I've been following this thread out of mild interest. I've already ridden down to the NC area twice since late July, and that's after I lost 8 weeks on the bike earlier this summer due to a stupid old guy mistake and a broken collarbone in May. Doubt I'll make the commitment, but it's still on my radar. I'd love to meet and ride with you guys....someday.

Joe: Check out the routes on the LR forum from the last year and this year's Fall trip. Prolly takes you a bit too far east for Franklin, but easy to modify. Some good roads in KY and TN, most of 'em kind'a goat pathy....

Just show him this pic and tell him that you know bikes are dangerous, mkay, and that you never, ever exceed the speed limit. And since when does a volunteer fireman get training on accurately assessing a vehicle's travel speed?

Wait....so if I buy your jacket, will I lose 40# too? Strongly considering ....

Speaking of CCW info, I looked on the OH AG's website for current info on reciprocity states and when you click on the states listed, it takes me to a dead link. Anyone have a current resource?

blue: Where does he teach? (I'm in far corner of SW OH) Does he cover tactical and situational training?

As promised, I'm following up on the class results...post-exam. Everybody passed. As for range proficiency, all but two were fairly accurate with most of the shots--prolly 90-95%--in the COM at 5 yds and a couple folks (two young guys with youth, quick reflexes and good eyesight on their side) were within a 1-3" diameter circle. So accuracy isn't a problem, at least in a low-stress controlled environment. The initial intent of my post certainly wasn't to initiate an escalating war-of-words that cover such diverse topics as 2nd Amendment Rights, religion, abortion, voter fraud or any other hot button issues. I'll wait until the winter weather hits for that....

Yup. I'm aware of that now...wish I'd known. Not clear why they get an extra $60-65 more than the 3-hr Basic Handgun class for the CCL class except a certificate to show the Sheriff's office. Maybe it was a more comprehensive course when it was the 12-hour format. There was zero coverage of any law info in my class. Obviously, I plan on doing my homework. Hope the rest of the class does as well....

jbot: Not gonna happen. The internet is the "New Frontier"....kind'a like Dogde City in the early 1800s. Done. Sorry.

Dude, you are one seriously excitable fella. I'm not "making shit up"....merely voicing concern based on my experience. Mea culpa. Or as Emily Litella would say, "Oh, that's very different....nevermind."

Some additional points of clarification for discussion: I have already taken classes on Introduction to Handgun Safety and Basic Handgun Training. Pretty much right straight out of the "NRA Guide to the Basics of Pistol Shooting" handbook. What I THOUGHT I was gonna get as far as training in my CCL class was 1) a basic education with regard to state law of the legalities of concealed carry in Ohio as well as at least a basic overview of CCL laws in other states; 2) at least a very brief and basic training on different styles and techniques of holster carry, safe ways to unholster and reholster my weapon; 3) at least some overview of the responsibilities and obligations that go with the right to hold a CCL. None of that was covered in any way. Ideally, for a new gun user like me, some very basic training to a simulated threat scenario would be even more helpful to help develop the mental processes for thoughtful and appropriate reaction to a threat. The reason I say this is that I don't have a military background--as I presume many of the gun rights advocates on OhioRiders have--and based on the minimal level of training received thru this class, I'm honestly not sure I will feel 100% comfortable about carrying, which tells me that I probably shouldn't. I know there are academies that offer more advanced self-defense courses and I may avail myself of these, but that doesn't solve the bigger issue of under-qualified and under-trained handgun users carrying in public. Thoughts?