CBBaron

You 2 are like an old married couple

Get some ear plugs! I ride a supermoto with a dirt bike helmet and wind noise is not really a problem with ear plugs. However I wont ride more than 10 miles or go over 45mph without ear plugs.

Congrats on finishing. That is an awesome accomplishment. Its all I can do to finish one lap of the park. I have thought of doing the Mohican 100k but I need to be much more dedicated to my training and work on my skills before it can become a reality.

Saw your bike parked at Bedford park last night (small blue ADV bike with a tire strapped to the rear rack ). Would have stopped to look for you but was on my way to an appointment. The bike looks sharp.

just strap the tire to your top box or rear rack like all those RTW guys do

So you will walk like a duck on ice I tried road shoes at one point, but I couldn't put up with the difficulties off the bike.

Duc says the MSRP is just under $12k

330mm 4 piston Brembo ABS at about 400lb. It's not race bike stopping power but still better than average. Plus as mentioned, it is about the look The "possum scraper" (first time I heard that one) is about the look also. Allows Ducati to get rid of the rear fender usually required. I'm sure we will see kits to get rid of the scraper also.

This spring has been horrible for bicycling. With the rain projected this week all the trails except OECR and Mohican are likely to be closed for a couple more weeks I resorted to riding an abandoned RR and playing in the quad mud holes this weekend.

So what is your new toy? I'll probably be looking for a new bicycle soon, once I get the settlement check from the insurance. I have not bought the quantity of bicycles you have recently but each one seems to be progressively more expensive.

Loaded the bike on the car this morning and will probably ride Bedford this evening. At this point an easy lap around Bedford sounds doable. Probably be there about 6:30. Look for the big purple Pugsley on a Beetle if you want to say hi Craig

Have fun. Would love to join you but, one I am still recovering from being creamed by a pickup on the last significant ride I did and two I can't get off work that earlier today I havn't ridden Hampton Hills yet. I will have to get there soon.

Glad to hear you are heading home. Don't be overly fearful of your pain meds, it's easier to keep ahead of the pain rather than waiting until you can't stand it any longer. I know from experience. Don't be too stubborn. You can wean off in a few days when things are more manageable. Craig

Voltage regulators need a minimum input voltage to output full power usually that is around 9V or so for a 5V regulator. If your battery is that low you have other issues. Samsung Notes have a big screen and use quite a bit more power than you smaller phones. A 3 amp charger should be sufficient. Another option would be to get an adaptive fast charger. A fast charger provides a higher voltage (9V I think) to phones like the Note 5 that support it allowing an even higher power input to the phone. They make these in cig lighter plugs for cars and they will not be water proof but might be a good option to power up your phone when you can. Craig

Man, sorry to here about that. I know that back pain and don't wish it on any one. Hope you heal soon and can get that pain under control even sooner. Good luck and take care of yourself. Craig

I bought my DRZ from them last year. I called around to all the dealers in the area and Roush was a few hundred less than any other. Went pretty smooth other than way too much tire pressure and they gave me the wrong title initially (wrong VIN). They had a runner bring the correct title to me at my convenience, so ended up not a big deal. So, yes I had a good experience with Roush sales.

I have the same breaker. I have used it on 3 tires so far. There is some finesse involved and I did have to go all the way around the bead before I could get mine off also. It does work and does not require much effort. The same levers work pretty decently as spoons. I have the same rim protectors but find them a pain to use. I do alot of gravel/dirt so I am just try to be careful and live with the occasional small scratch. I'm using armor all as a lube, which works pretty well when wet. I will say having plenty of lube on the surfaces really helps at all stages of the process. From bead breaking to setting the bead of the new tire.

Agree Riders Discount rocks. PMed RD on OR and after a quick discussion got a great set of pants and jacket for an awesome deal. I don't see the RST brand many other places in the US but I will say their track pants were very well made for the price. I wanted the matching zipper for a jacket connection and contacted the corporate website out of Britain and they shipped the part out right away with no questions asked. Great customer service by both Riders Discount and RST. I will definitely be a repeat customer. Craig

You know Frank? I have given him alot of my money over the years. During the winter his motorcycle always sat in the middle of the store, usually in the middle of some maintenance.

You make it sound difficult. Most of those miles were 25 at a time on my commute. With the exception of the Fall Gap Trip and a couple day trips there were not many times where the "comfort" of the bike was a factor. And really the only time the supermoto is uncomfortable for me is long miles on the highway. When its twisty or gravel the SM is just fun

Broke 10000 on the DRZ400SM. Not too bad for a year on a supermoto

Hi-Vis stands out as it is supposed to. Personally in my experience it makes a difference. I were a Hi-Vis jacket atleast 95% of the time, 2 of the 3 times I had to panic brake due to someone pulling out in front of me have been when I was wearing a black mesh jacket that was given to me. For other colors it helps to have contrast. All white will stand out at night and in poor lighting conditions but is less noticeable in bright sunlight. Bright primary colors like red, blue or green blend less with the background in bright sunlight but appear almost black when lighting is poor. So other than the Hi-Vis/black combo, my next choice would be a bold pattern of white and a primary color. Ofcourse reflective materials help immensely in the dark and can be integrated with most color schemes. This was my recent purchase for a leather jacket. I hope it is nearly as good as my "highlighter" jacket.

Dan is now riding a 250, and as you know he knows how to ride a bike fast. Honda's 500s are not really small bikes. They are more comfortable for a tall rider than any supersport I have tried. Similar to the SV. The CB500X is even more open. If you want a sporty bike the ergos are going to be pretty tight. Sure some people enjoy riding a couch at mach retard but that is not what everyone wants nor should you start there. Don't plan on your first bike being your last bike. Nearly everyone goes through multiple bikes and few regret the experience. Buy used, figure out what you like and dont like and upgrade.

Loved the Vstrom, great all around bike, for commuting and exploring back roads. Its capable of moderate trail rides and aggressive but its not good at either. If you are interested in more aggressive road riding then you should look at a sportier bike than the Vstrom. As mentioned the SV650 is probably going to be a good choice. Sporty enough for the track but comfortable enough for distance. Same basic engine as the Vstrom also. Im about your size and started on a Ninja 250 and don't regret it. The light weight and moderate power make it easy to learn to ride. You can wring the engine and throw it through corners without as much danger as the much faster bikes. Buy used and you can sell when something more interesting catches your eye for not much loss. I think I broke even on mine and that was trading it in on the next bike after riding a year and 7000 miles. Since your are tall another option for fun but easy to ride bike is a dual sport or supermoto. Currently I have a DRZ400SM. This style of bike doesn't have the top speed of the multi-cylinder bikes but on tight roads can be ridden very aggressively. The dirtbike style riding position is less cramped than the sportier bike. And if you drop the bike while doing stupid stuff at low speeds, you just laugh it off and pick up the bike, vs crying over scratched and broken fairings, turn signals and levers on sport bikes.

Sorry to hear, I've dealt with a few of those over the years, but thankfully they seem to be rare. Most AHs are just unaware. I agree about teens and autos. I'm not far from dealing with that myself.