the_silverfox

Waterproofing stuff only goes so far. The water still found a way through the seams. I use Alpinestars Gore-Tex boots. They're awesome. Had to ride across Arkansas in a steady downpour and had dry feet the whole time. They are pricey but definitely worth it. http://www.kneedraggers.com/details/Alpinestars_Web_GoreTex_Boots--617658.html

Pit Bull makes some pretty sturdy stuff; I don't even question their quality. I had a standard rear wheel stand I donated to my friend when I made the move from CA. Overall, they use thicker and wider metal tubing and the welds are very solid. This is what I have on my trailer. They're a cheap solution but according to a the trailer mfr. who custom built our trailer, they're a direct knock-off of a Canadian maker who charges 2-3 times as much for the same thing. These and a couple tie downs lasted the whole cross country trip for the two big bikes that were towed. http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=96349

Did the same thing back in July. Went from Roswell, NM to LAX to beat my certain someone's plane to the airport. 1000 miles in 17 hrs. I got to Albuquerque by 10AM that day and said "screw it!" to Flagstaff and canceled my hotel reservation once I hit Gallup. That last leg was so boring and hot; one of my boot buckles snapped in the 119 degree weather. Made it with 15 minutes to spare. At least there were In N Out burgers at the end. Although 1500 miles?! You be craaaazy.

That's crap. Honda only brought the street version here. I'd try out their adventure Varadero first. Possible V-Strom 1000 alternative.

Lane splitting! Had to do it for 40 miles one way, every day to work. Too many people in LA. It was lots of humor, but the fact that it was all too necessary to just survive there sucked. Sometimes you don't even need a motorcycle in Los Angeles to lane split! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNZSe8Q8-Iw

This is like "Dead Rising" all over again. (Awesome game, BTW.) Just find a way to make everything and anything a weapon.

I know Meijer in Lewis Center is hiring. Check their website out; they're looking for general merchandise people.

Me likes.

6'2", huh. That pretty much opens every bike out there for you! Happy shopping. Flying Brick likes to sit on KTMs at the dealership just to spite me.

Hells yeah! Newegg rules! Built quite a few PCs from their stuff. I go for the plain black sleeper case but if you're into glow bug status you can do some mods. Anyone had experience with buying stuff for a system build at Micro Center yet? I just went in there for new video and wireless network cards. Prices seem half decent, but I feel like you have to know what you're doing to get what you want (i.e. sales guys aren't that great).

Oh yeah, those days are not very far behind me. Although commuting to downtown LA it would be in the mid 80s by 7:15AM on a good day and you'd have to chew the air. Splitting through gridlock was fun. Jacket switching! Such horrible torture!

Yes...this is why I hid them in storage for the longest time!

I've had a questionable run with HP; the towers are ok for everyday stuff and I've had a laptop overheat and die right before a major presentation. Supposedly they've improved but that string of complaints isn't good. Not that Dell gets away scot-free either. Other than Dell's XPS line I wouldn't go with name brand in the PC world for myself for pre-made desktop towers. Macs are great; I used to have a Macbook Pro myself and it ran both OSX and Windows XP flawlessly. They are pricey though, and when they go down you have to take them to a Mac store to have them looked at because they're built so compact. Personally I'd go with building a custom PC; I've built my last four machines and it's better peace of mind when you know what you've put in them. Currently I have two machines, one for everyday stuff like Internet and e-mail and my "power machine." I do video editing often and games occasionally so I have one machine built specifically for that. Going the custom PC direction is my preference, but the biggest question you have to ask yourself is what you're doing with it. If you're just using it for regular, every day stuff then off-the-shelf is fine. PM if you have any other questions; I'd be more than happy to answer them.

Brick and I would be game for GoldenEye or Mario Kart. Hell, we could even have a whole vintage game party as well. Here's the list of the consoles we have... Sega: Genesis (2), Saturn, Dreamcast (2) Nintendo: NES (2), SNES, N64 (2), Gamecube PS2 XBox 360 a couple emulators on the PC ...and quite a few games to boot. LOL Anyone interested with a giant projector?

Forgot to mention that it's a $150 ride that still gets 65 MPG. Need to bring a tip jar and cones next time. Scooters make everyone smile!

No broken bolts, so me and the 'Brick will be there.

Well, on the K1200RS, there are circular guides that the stock brake lines ran through. The line length is perfect so it doesn't flop around or look like it'll get caught on anything. I haven't seen a Galfer set on an FJR so you'd be the first one I know to do it.

Depends on the bike, too. I have a PCIII and Two Bros. exhaust on my FJR. My bike runs smoother but my mileage tanked a little bit because the PCIII readjusted the fuel map to dump a little more gas when I reached certain RPMs to help cancel out the abrupt throttle the '06 and '07 models are notorious for. (It was fixed in '08.) Basically, it's fine when I'm slabbing it down the highway but stop and go traffic really eats the gas. However, I haven't had the thing dynoed yet; I'm still running on the Two Bros. adjusted fuel map by default. Maybe a little more adjustment will work the kinks out. Using both exhaust and PCIII (or Two Bros. Juice Box if they make it for your bike) is a matter of feel, trial and error, and your personal preference. Also, riding it in every gear and situation possible will help customize the performance to what you like. Yeah, Pratt, that's not fun either. Not that my 140+HP and 79,000 miles on the odomoter are really much to brag about as a lady rider myself. Nice to see another one of us on a FAST bike! I say go for the PCIII and enjoy!

Had to put a replacement Galfer line on Flying Brick's K1200RS. Color matched red and works wonderfully. Anyone else use Galfer out here? They're based in CA so I figure the Speiglers are more popular out here. Perhaps an upgrade for the FJR someday...

Agreed. The SV is still a V-twin but takes the same torque that a cruiser uses to putt on by at low RPMs and uses that to scream off the line. However, the power is easy to control and is very responsive to throttle movement, which is important when transitioning over to a high RPM machine. Moved from a cruiser to an SV650 myself and never looked back. That's why I love my FJR! Make it go fast, still cruise happily when I want, and pull the trailer with me every now and then.

Iron Pony...Macy's for motorcyclists. Comfort and happiness with a new helmet is well worth the ride there. Have to agree; I've been pretty happy with my Shoei. It's almost three years old now so it's due for a replacement. The X-11s and RF1000s are on sale because they're making way for the X-12 and RF1100s. The current Shoeis are all SNELL and good with the wind buffeting (I've used mine for over 75k miles), but it's a dated design that Shoei supposedly says they've really improved on with this new line. Pony says they'll be in by late October so there's another option for you. Can't go wrong with Shoei in my opinion; it's a matter of fit to choose the one that you'll go with. The fog issue is a bit annoying with Shoeis but I hear those "Pinlock" shields with the second liner over them work pretty well to combat that. I've also heard of some people using the spray-on antifog (like the stuff hockey players use on their clear face sheilds). Also, Scorpion has snow accessories that retrofit to all their current helmets so that also helps with the cold and fog; those may have to be special ordered, though. Scorpions are pretty decent (also SNELL certified) but they're heavier and the flat bottom isn't that great for shorter necks (at least for me).

I've been lucky with the closeout section at Iron Pony. Lots of ladies jackets back there.