Bubba

I posted this on the Local Riders forum where I usually hang out, but not a lot of response due to mid-week timing. Pace will be 'spirited' at SL up to maybe 10-15 over, but not gonzo crazy. Any questions, my phone number is at the bottom of the ride description. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Colors of the Fall Ride The weather looks abso-tively, posi-lutely splendiferous for a short ride to check out the leaves and burn the last of the stale gas in yer tank before the winter ritual of outfitting yer scoot with studded ice tires for those long winter commutes. I'm gonna be heading down to NKY from the west side of Cinti (Green Twsp) and doing a route of approx 150-160 miles. Furthest point south will be Williamstown, KY. Many of the roads are lane-and-a-half (i.e., no centerline) paved rural roads that follow either a ridgeline or a creek bottom with lots of twists, elevation changes and overlooks to keep things interesting. Suitable for just about any bike, but some of the pavement can get....sketchy, so good tires are recommended. Details: Meet-up in the UDF parking lot, 4332 River Rd, at the corner of River Rd/US 50 and Anderson Ferry from 11:45-12:30 PM on Wed, 10/17. Kickstands up at 12:30 sharp. Note: Riders coming from the south can meet at the ferry access in NKY at approx 12:35-12:40. Take Anderson Ferry into NKY. Toll is $2/bike. The ride mileage will be calculated from this starting point. Total mileage for the loop is approx 152 miles; the ride will finish back at the starting point. Return ferry toll is $2/bike. Estimated ride time is approx 4-4.5 hours, not including stops. We should be home by dark o'clock. Gas stations are scarce along the route due to the rural nature of the ride, but gas will be available in Williamstown at approx 75 miles. Please start the ride with a full tank and have a minimum fuel range of 90-100 miles. Along the route, do expect: wet leaves gravel slow farm implements/occasional local traffic hogging the road small- to medium-sized domestic animals/infrequently, horses/cows/purty deer unmarked hazards poor road signage also, beautiful vistas/colorful trees/interesting roads. I guarantee there will at least be S-O-M-E roads you haven't ever ridden before! Post up here if you're thinking of riding. I'm guessing that a mid-week ride won't generate a huge crowd--or perhaps any interest at all--but I'd kind'a like to limit the group size to no more than 7-8 bikes. Bubba @ 5one3-5nine8-8nine9two

PM sent.

I can attest that these are great tires! Got a studded set on my F-150 and another set on my wife's Honda Accord. Not sure how to price used winter tires but I'm guessing that they retail new for about $80-90/tire. Make the guy an offer he can't refuse....you won't be disappointed come January.

Yeah! Lemeno when you want to go for a group ride! I won't be there...

Wow! Resurrected from the dead after 3 1/2 years.

It's definitely getting dicey to have any kind of confrontation, on-road or otherwise, given the number of people carrying nowadays. And while I can understand and defend a person's right to self-defense, I'm also completely convinced that there is probably the same percentage of drooling idiots/mouth-breathers who are carrying--legal or otherwise--as there are in the general 'A-murican' population. That, my friend, is a VERY scary thought. I was riding in NKY last year with a group of 4-5 bikes on a rural road. Several of the group passed a slower car--it was doing maybe five under--and as the second bike went by, the cager swerved across the center line toward the biker. I waited about 15-30 seconds and as I went to pass, he swung across the center line to block me. Knowing that we were coming up to a light in a mile or so, I waited with the rest of the group behind. At the light, I pulled up alongside of the car, tapped on the window, thinking I might have an 'animated dialog' with the dumbass....which was when I noticed that he had reached over to the passenger seat and had uncovered a rather wicked looking semi-auto pistol that he had concealed beneath a sweatshirt. Needless to say, that kind'a ended any argument on my part in a big hurry. Now, you can make a couple of arguments here: 1) showing his weapon certainly made further confrontation unlikely, at least with anyone having a modicum of common sense and self-preservation; but 2) had he played the same game with someone who was also carrying, how likely would the situation have gone from no-big-deal to something similar to that in this thread? Unfortunately, this thread is a GREAT illustration that holding a CHL is no guarantee of intelligence/maturity/common sense.

I didn't respond initially because you said you were looking for 'close' but if you're starting to look farther afield.... Butler County offers indoor storage in the stock barns on the Butler Cty Fairgrounds north of Hamilton on Rt4. Barns are secure metal-sided stick-frame buildings with concrete floor. I used them for years to store my 26' cruiser and it ran around $260/season, typically late Oct thru early Apr. Prices are by the foot, so your cost would be less. Fairly inexpensive for indoor storage, but the CATCH is that it is DEAD STORAGE, meaning you put in during one of three or four intake days in the late fall and you have no access to your boat/RV/camper until the next spring, when they normally call you with a date for you to remove your unit. The office number is 513-892-1423. There is never anyone in the office except for intake/release days--usually on Sat or Sun--but they post a recorded message with upcoming dates when the season gets close. Hope this helps.

22 deg will close, but most stair treads are typically 7/9 (rise/run) with some being as steep as 7/8 (I think that's max by code). Not to say your stairs aren't oddball, but if it was me, I'd cut a couple of pieces of scrap and get the exact angle by trial-and-error. Start at a little less than 22-22 and go from there.

That link and similar ones have been posted on several forums around here (Cinti) for a week or two. I got no love of squids/jackasses who do sheit like that on a public roadway and piss off the cagers and police. We have enough trouble with public image and high-profile police scrutiny as it is without inviting more. No way would I take part in an event like that. And NOT because of the interaction with the police. That is pretty much the antithesis of how most MCists want to be viewed by the caging public. A ride like that isn't any different than those truly stupid poker runs populated with drunken pirates who can't ride sober! You're way more likely to be taken down by some squid/bozo who's operating his bike barely above the level of drooling mouth-breather than a LEO making a pit manuever. Looks like it's being organized and led by a few complete idiots, with the majority of "regular" riders tagging along and acting the fool because of mob mentality. I'm not a big fan of group rides with more than 4-5 riders, mostly because any group larger than that creates problems of flow and consistency with individual riding style/speed. Here is a great example of why you don't want to be part of this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3COiz7qt8Y&feature=player_detailpage

Since #3 is 'locked down', I call dibs on #2, 31, 8, or 5....not picky.

Not a racer here, but could it be part of the whole neck hyper-extension protection system that newer track suits (and helmets?) have....

Might be able to help you. Gotta check with my daughter in C-bus--gave her a small 20,000 BTU gas vent-free for her place but she said she wasn't gonna do the install. Got no pics, but it's a nice one with a heavy cast shell, dark brown deramic finish, and an extra platinum cat converter. Think it was a Vermont Castings stove, but can't remember. NOTE: Set up for natural gas, NOT propane. You'd need to buy a new burner and maybe a gas control valve for propane. Similar to this: http://vermontcastings.com/family/Stoves/Vent-Free/Stardance/

Every siding mfr has their own color palette and dimension specs. You'll have to find out what brand/model/color your installed siding is to get a match. When you remove one of the damaged pieces, check the back of the siding for info stamped in the vinyl. Even so, your replacement pieces won't be a perfect match as your original siding has certainly weathered some from sun exposure. Shouldn't be noticeable tho, in another few years. Also, get yourself a hook tool--looks like a 1" spatula with a hook end--to release the siding channels bottom from top. Use it for the reinstall as well. WAY BETTER than tearing all the pieces off from the top down to get to the damaged area. Can be had at any home improvement box store.

Doubt seriously that you threw a rod. That's usually a catastrophic event that grenades the engine. With the low oil pressure light on at idle (when hot) and the knocking you describe, I'd bet one or more of your main bearings is shot and has spun in the crank web. Whatever it is, it sounds terminal unless you can do the work yourself or have a REALLY good bud who does major repairs cheap! Might be easier to pull and replace the entire engine if you can find a used one on Ebay or CL. If the body/interior isn't super clean/mint and low-mileage-perfect (other than the motor), I'd be tempted to cut my losses and look for a new cage.

Damn, dude! If you've got 6K on a tire on a big heavy sport bike like your Blackbird, it's gotta be toast. I only used to get 3500-4000 out of Metzlers on my GPZ1100. Put a new set of skinz on it and you'll be way happier.

Reiterate what the others have said above: Easiest = front tire pressure, worn front tire, front tire balance Most likely = loose/worn steering head bearings Also, be sure to do an accurate alignment check of the REAR tire. If the rear is out of alignment, it can cause similar handling issues to what you've noted. It also could a combination of all of the above. You didn't mention that you'd dropped the bike recently, so I'm assumiing that's not an issue, but if there's been a drop in the past, also look to checking your fork alignment.

There is a lawyer who claims to specialize in MC accident practice who is a sponsor on ORdotcom. Believe his name is Tony Castelli. Here's a link from this summer: http://www.ohioriders.net/showthread.php?t=95614&highlight=lawyer Also, as has been stated many times here, prolly not the best idea to discuss legal/medical issues on a public forum if there may be a claim forthcoming. Hope you and missus are feeling OK in a few...Good luck!

Man killed while trying to create Bigfoot sighting KALISPELL, Mont. (AP) — A man dressed in a military-style "ghillie" suit and apparently trying to provoke reports of a Bigfoot sighting in northwest Montana was struck by two cars and killed, authorities said. The man was standing in the right-hand lane of U.S. Highway 93 south of Kalispell on Sunday night when he was hit by the first car, according to the Montana Highway Patrol. A second car hit the man as he lay in the roadway, authorities said. Flathead County officials identified the man as Randy Lee Tenley, 44, of Kalispell. Trooper Jim Schneider said motives were ascertained during interviews with friends, and alcohol may have been a factor but investigators were awaiting tests. Ya think? http://www.cincinnatibell.net/news/read.php?rip_id=%3CDA0U2GD00%40news.ap.org%3E&ps=1011

I assume the Gladius/SV/Vstrom are all related in the motor department. There are many threads on the Vstrom forums about oil usage at higher RPMs, esp at uber-legal Xway speeds. No signs of smoking mentioned there either, and the best guess is that it's being sucked into the crank breather and burned. Less than half a quart in several thousand miles (using your experience) isn't particularly high when you're ringing it's neck, and shouldn't result in sooty exhaust, either. I'd do as suggested and up the viscosity to 10W40 or even 20W50 (as long as the temp is above 40F) and see what happens. I can't imagine that keeping your oil at max fill would do much for consumption, and may even make it worse initially if it creates more oil misting from windage effects in the crankcase.

Sold!

Buddy of mine was planning on going with us to camp, drink and watch the races. He ended up having wifey things to do and isn't going. Any interest? Can meet you somewhere in town or meet up there Friday eve. 5one3-five9eight-8ninenine2 Note the sig--Cinti westside

Nice newer 250 Ninja with Yosh pipes plus a new front tire and OEM parts included. Posted on LocalRiders forum. Price has been reduced to $2100. Sounds like a killer deal. FYI--NOT mine. "2007 Kawasaki 250 Ninja. Silver in color. Excellent condition. 7,500 miles. Smooth running, comfortable, quick, and great MPG. My teenage son has lost interest and this bike is sitting in my garage gathering dust. Bike has not been abused...old dad was tagging along on all of his rides. Bike is stock with the exception of a nice pair of Yoshimura mufflers. I have the stock mufflers and they will be included with the sale. Have an extra OEM new front tire that goes along as well." http://www.localriders.com/forums/showthread.php?p=154731#post154731

Dedicated MC stands are nice to have for the long run in terms of on-going maintenance chores, but you can get by for free in a pinch. Place the bike on the center stand (I'm assuming your bike has one). Simply raise the front of the bike either using a jack or a prop of some kind under the motor, or alternatively, run a rope/strap to an overhead support point (like a ceiling hook or joist) and lift the front by the bars. Without a center stand, it becomes a little more problematic, but not impossible. Cheapest place to find stands is Harbor Freight (new) or keep an eye out on CL.

Sorry, but I can't turn ya on to any shops that mount for free. Two places I know of that are prolly your best bet for decent price/service is either SportTour [www.sporttour.com] 11386 Reading Rd 45241, or the AFJ Race Shop [www.afjraceshop.com] on 3926 Eastern Ave 45226. Last time I bought tires was from ST and they charged $25/wheel for mount&balance.

If any of you are interested in a weekday ride, here is a post from Local Riders for a NKY ride tomorrow. Leaves @ 9:30 from Exit 181 near Florence Mall and heads west to Carrollton and Madison, IN. There will be mix of sport tourers, cruisers and DS bikes, and the pace will spirited (10-20 over) but not gonzo insane. I've ridden with the group before and these are experienced riders. http://www.localriders.com/forums/showthread.php?p=154552#post154552 Hope to see ya there.