the_silverfox

That's unfortunate that you had to deal with an ignorant jerk like that. I encourage you not to quit riding because of drivers like that. From what you did to escape the problem, it sounds like it was the best solution for that moment. The roads really do get better and more motorcycle-friendly when you leave Columbus, or Ohio for that matter. There is a very obvious hostility toward motorcycles here in Ohio that I have never seen anywhere else in United States. Coming from a state that actually acknowledges the existence of motorcycles on the road, I've learned to change my riding style when dealing with morning traffic and really creating a space bubble around me and assuming that everyone on the road on four wheels is an asshole. I've been honked and yelled at when I would ride on a fully open lane that has signs that it will close in two miles for those entire two miles until cones reduce it to half a lane where the motorcycle still fits. I still don't understand the reasoning behind all the anger, except for the fact that I understand the concept of proper merging. I am still trying to get over the hit-and-run taxi driver that destroyed my husband's BMW motorcycle last October. It is amazing what people choose to do when faced with injuring a human being and trying to keep their job.

For the smell issue, I've used this stuff to take care of pet odors and it's powerful enough to take care of cat pee which is really strong stuff too. It's called PureAyre and is 100% natural. http://www.pureayre.com/ Fire sounds fun, but a little too permanent for what you need.

Congrats on the test pwning! Doesn't matter what your profession is, recertification tests are a major bitch. I had to take two Praxis II tests earlier this year to transfer my soon-to-expire CA teaching credential to Ohio and ended up passing ten points over the minimum required score on each exam. I wonder if I'll ever find myself in a classroom again. I don't make nearly as much as I did back then but I'm sure not miserable anymore.

...waving from Westerville.

That is pretty cool. Kinda like how flamingos get their pink color from all that shrimp.

Update: Following manuals are still up for grabs! Lowering price too! PM if you want them. Clymer BMW K-Series 1985-1997 (K75, K100, K1100) - $20 FACTORY Kawasaki Z1000 2007-2008 (includes ABS model too) - $40

Bump. Still for sale. Anyone need replacement brake pads?

Watched that as it happened live on TV. That is some amazing stuff.

Yay!

I'd have to contact our distributor for those. We haven't had any in our store and I don't know who still has any on their showroom floor.

Riding any motorcycle with absolutely no gear...it's my biggest pet peeve about working in the motorcycle industry out here. Eight years. 175,000+ miles on the road. 43 states. Been down on the FJR alone at least six times, and that's only one of the four bikes I've owned, not ridden. Wore gear every single time and avoided major damage to myself. I will always get the same questions here in Ohio, "Isn't it too hot to wear that gear?" or "Can you still breathe in that helmet?" or "Are you planning to go into space with that getup?" When I'm back home in California, I will still get the flip-flop/t-shirt/naked-as-the-day-they-were-born squids (that's inevitable anywhere). But somewhere in that crowd will be the guy on the H-D V-Rod in full leather jacket, chaps, and a frost black Arai helmet. Out there, NOBODY asks why you wear the gear, you either choose to do or you don't. For being the state that has more licensed motorcycle operators than anywhere else in the country, it still appalls me how uneducated many riders are and how many willfully choose to ride without protective gear. As for that young buck that found your saddlebags tacky and believes he's still invincible, I'm just waiting for the accident report on the next newscast.

There are quite a number of nice standalone helmet headsets on the market (i.e. Scala Rider, Chatterbox, Sena) that perform a lot better and can be moved from helmet to helmet. I say choose whatever helmet fits you the best and throw one of those headsets in there. I've never been sold on completely integrated headsets in helmets, something had to be copped out to put everything there and sell it at that price. For example, the helmet Vega uses for the V-Tune is so malleable that I can push the forehead in with my thumb. BTW, I never sold a Vega V-Tune helmet until it made it to severe clearance. I guess you get what you pay for.

Cooling vest + mesh jacket + Camelbak filled with ice water = hot weather riding bliss. That's the system I use when I ride through the desert. I also wear a moisture-wicking UPF 50+ long sleeved shirt with that (REI sells them) because I learned the hard way that you can sunburn through a mesh jacket, and it keeps body moisture in a lot longer. Even cheaper, the simple soakable Cooldana you dunk in water and tie around your neck. Five bucks.

Retail is $139.95. Currently XL and XXL are both sold out. We can get them here at Indepdendent Motorsports. I would have to check remaining size availability as they only made 911 of the helmets in a full size run.