Bubba

You'll also see some of this: Lastly, they take ATGATT very seriously in Daytona:

I was there one time in '93 and never felt the urge to go back. Pretty much the same as Sturgis or any other pirate-fest. I wasn't that impressed with the Daytona race venue--too big, too far away, and too expensive for what you got. My preference has always been regional tracks like Mid-Ohio, Barber, the Glen for the more intimate track-side viewing. That being said, if you go you'll see lots of this: and also lots of this:

And then there's this: http://www.vox.com/2015/1/22/7859791/american-sniper-iraq Disclaimer--I haven't seen the movie, so I can't judge one way or the other.

What you say is accurate, since the gullible American public wants to be force-fed their daly dose of drama. Unfortunately, the ENTIRE MEDIA MACHINE has been targeted at the lowest common denominator as far as viewer intelligence level. True for movies, and even truer for what is purported to be news programs. It's no longer simply news; it's a history-making event!!! Case in point with respect to recent events: --"White cop shoots UNARMED BLACK CHILD"….take your pick of which event. --"Teenage Bonnie and Clyde on interstate crime spree" for sensationalism/glorification of petty crime vs the more realistic moniker of "Bevis and Butthead" or better yet, "Dumb and Dumber" --"Officer Involved in Ferguson Shooting DODGES Charges Again" as opposed to "Is Not Indicted on Federal Charges"

Hmmm. I bet this is why the movie is titled "American Sniper" and not "The Real and Totally Accurate Autobiography of Chris Kyle"…. Did I miss the press announcement that the Hollywood movie machine has eschewed the use of artistic license in their films to enhance dramatization and bolster revenue?

Welcome to OR. There's several riders from Cinti here, but most of the membership/ride activity is located centrally around the C-bus area and to the east side of the state. I'm gonna do my usual and suggest checking out the Assfault Junkies site (younger crowd, somewhat track oriented, very active ride membership in the warmer months, some drama involved) and LocalRiders.com (smaller/less active forum membership, a bit older, good riding crowd). If you're newish to the local riding scene, head south across the river to NKY for some of the best twisties in the region. If you're interested in hitting me up for a local ride or finding new routes ion the area, PM me here or on LR (forum name icantdrive55). To meet some of the regular Cinti riders, stop in at Fuel Coffee any Saturday 8-12 AM. Mostly car guys this time of year, but spring is right the corner….I hope.

Sounds like you got the patching covered. As for painting, do it just like you were painting your car or your bike. Two thin coats will give you much better finish and stand up to scrubbing and abuse better than 1 thick coat. The plus is that the first coat will show the patched areas that still need more filling/sanding/smoothing. Don't be afraid to over-roll an area, and try to keep moving quickly enough to feather the edges of the painted areas while they're still wet. For patching, get your self a good drag knife, preferably several of different lengths--with one at least 12 in long for effective feathering. When patching large/deeper holes, realize that drywall compound will shrink significantly during drying process, so multiple applications will be needed.

Steve Kiener, local guy in Cinti, does seat recovering and leather work. I'll PM his cell # to you; give him a call and see if he can do what you want. Other option is to contact Eddie (Dirt Road on the FZ1 forum) who's got quite a reputation for turning sport bike seats from yellow pine 2x8 planks into comfy touring saddles. http://www.yamahafz1oa.com/forum/showthread.php?t=116411&highlight=seats I have a Corbin on my Z1000 and it's very comfy; done several 200-250 miles days without discomfort.

If you decide to roll and the weather is on the cold side, I have a pair of e-gloves you can borrow. They use a proprietary Widder connector but all you have to do is wire the leads directly to the battery for the trip. Not water proof and not the best for rash protection, but warm enough. As I said earlier, you can buy a couple packs of hand warmers and stick them in the backs of your winter gloves and it keeps your hands pretty toasty. I looked at your route. Easily doable in a day. Leave as early as you can in the morning after dawn, i.e., roll by 8:30-9ish, and you'll easily get to your destination before dark. #3 is a non-issue. I've ridden down in southern KY and rural routes in TN and had no problems. They'll respect you as long as you respect them. Now, if you were doing an enduro/off-road//trail mix down in southern KY and you happened come across a well-maintained field in the middle of nowhere, it's always a good idea to turn around and quietly head back the way you came in. Riding down in DBNF several years ago, I ran into a couple of guys in suits standing next to a Lincoln Mark V parked in the middle of a rutted out, gravel path W-A-Y out in the boonies; when I asked where the trail went further on, they said "It dont go nowhere so you might as well just turn around"…. I did. On the road, no problem.

Depending on how far north you plan on wandering, you may find some of the higher elevation routes impassable still. Of course, a lot depends on the harshness of the winter, but certainly roads like the Beartooth highway and Going-to-the-Sun highway usually don't open until late June-early July at the earliest. Pics of Logan's Pass Visitor Center June 4, 2011 (helicopter flyover): https://www.flickr.com/photos/glaciernps/5806258692/in/photostream/

350 miles of backroads is an easily doable length for a day ride, poor weather notwithstanding. That's a pretty accurate time for that distance, too, given that you will likely encounter some traffic that will keep you at or close to the speed limit. Plan to take a butt break and/or a fuel stop every 2-3 hours or so and take water or a sports drink along to stay hydrated (yes, even in the winter). If the temps are much below mid-40s, you'll have to make sure you're wearing the right gear, whether that's Gore-Tex/heated/layered. Hands and feet are the toughest to keep warm, especially if it's wet. An easy trick for a one-time ride--where you really don't want to invest a metric shit-ton of cash in cold weather endurance clothing--is to hit Bass Pro or other hunting supply store and pick up the "wearable" heat packs for your boots, hands and even your torso. The large adhesive wraps made by Therma-Care (available in the pharmacy) can add heat to your core for 8-10 hours under your riding gear. I think that either of your bikes would be fine for this type of ride; take the one you're most comfortable on and go for it.

I'll be there to drink a beer with you before you head off for your tour. Only date I can't make is the 13th.

Joe: You always have the option of reporting the alleged abuse to either the police or the county humane society. Unfortunately for the animals, it takes a pretty high level of abuse/neglect/cruelty to trigger an intervention. Got one of those neglected dogs next door to my sister and called Ham Cty SPCA a couple of times. Bottom line, if the dog has adequate shelter and access to food and water, not much can be done. Lack of socialization isn't one of the criteria.

Shoot Brian Mullins (Kanatuna on AFJ) a text. He owns a shop in Cinti and does a metric shit-ton of work on the old, loud dirty stuff. I'll PM his cell # to ya.

Day-um. Yer good. BTW, it's we're…and disregard

Ouch! And "Zing!" C'mon, they are actually pretty good folks for the most part. Plus, we southerners are a LOT CLOSER to great riding in NKY. Sure, they've got their douche nozzles and winter drama-fests….just like another regional OH motorcycle forum I know, hmm?

I guess I missed these posts--haven't seen them. While I don't agree with those opinions in ANY way, he appears to me to be unrelentingly liberal. There was a time that I could have been swayed by Obama's rhetoric and I actually thought he might be good for this country, as much by becoming our first black president as for his diametrically opposed views of another 4-more-years-of-Bush-policy-as-usual that McCain was espousing. That was before his election in '08. As I've stated here previously, I believe now that Obama has done more to widen the black-white schism in this country than any other public figure in recent decades.

I'm gonna step up and defend Magz here….at least in defense of his unwavering liberal views. The reason he doesn't go with the majority isn't simply due to a perverse inclination to argue--as far as I can tell from reading his posts, he's pretty much firm in his anti-gun/anti-conservative posts. The fact that the majority of posters on OR are staunch gun rights advocates is the main reason he always seems to be espousing an opposing viewpoint. He may be in the minority here, but he's got a right to his opinions, and he's stuck to them--blindly or not--in the face of ridicule and criticism on this forum. I'm OK with him stating his case--that's what makes this an interesting world.

That's not gonna work. They'll know he doesn't have any cool stuff to steal...

Joe: Check out Eastern Beaver. Lots of options for pre-wired blocks w&w/o relay. http://www.easternbeaver.com/Main/Wiring_Kits/Fuseboxes/PC-8/pc-8.html

…in a twist on the infamous words of Crocodile Dundee, "That's not lane sharing; now, THIS IS LANE SHARING!" Apologies if this is a repost…. <iframe width="640" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/Wq_6toXQCdk?feature=player_detailpage" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> Dammit, I keep screwing up the embed link. You smart guys will figger it out.

PM'd you

^ ^ ^ This is good advice ^ ^ ^ Winter is a tough time for a new rider to get quality riding experience quickly. Ride times are usually short and few and far between. Roads are slippery with grit, gravel, salt, and sometimes the slimy calcium chloride they use to pre-treat for ice. Cold tires have far less grip on cold pavement than they would in summer. Moisture frequently condenses on cold road surfaces, making tar snakes slippery and in the worst case scenario, freezing into black ice. Take your time and slow down. All the experienced motorcyclists who roll thru the winter when the weather cooperates ride more slowly than in warm temps, and you should too. Drop your tire pressures down to around 30 psi front and 30-32 rear to help with traction (unless you plan on riding extended distance at high speed or heavily loaded). This will wear your tires a bit faster, but you're not gonna get that many miles in over the winter anyway. Watch out for hypothermia; even if you just feel cold enough to start shivering, your reaction times are reduced from the ideal. Don't be "THAT GUY" who spent $8000 on a new bike but is too cheap to buy him/herself quality gear. No, you don't need a $1700 Aerostich suit or Klim riding gear to roll around town as a newb, but you can find decent budget riding jacket and pants with CE armor at on-line discount stores like Jaffrum, Cycle Gear, Motorcycle Superstore. And in case you haven't taken the MSF course, do so at the earliest possible timing. You'll live longer and enjoy your rides more!!!

One of the other questions I need answered--prolly a pretty simple answer for those that have a CCW license--is what laws apply to carry, either open or concealed, when you're riding? I don't have any secure, lockable storage on my bike--soft luggage only--so my assumption is that the ONLY LEGAL OPTION TO CARRY ON A BIKE is with a CCW license. Without the license, I can't picture how a rider could comply with the regulations that apply to transporting firearms in a vehicle. Any informed advice would be welcome.

Funny, but when I think about Dayton Mall (I've only been there a few times and it was quite a few years ago) I envision a typical middle-class, small town suburban environment. Guess things change quickly. My daughter and family lived in Springboro--and now in Lebanon--and she said that ever since Dayton Metro put in a bus stop close to the mall, things have dramatically changed in terms of security. She basically said she'll no longer go shopping there after dark. I can't understand how the owners/management of a high-dollar investment like a mega-mall can allow their customer base to dwindle over an issue like parking lot security.