mojocho

06 R1 50th Anniversary (AKA: LMS - Little Miss Sunshine) Mods: > +3 rear sprocket - 520 supersprox with EK black chain > Vortex Rearsets > A&R Race Baffles > Speigler Steel Brake lines (black and gold) > Yoyodyne Slipper Clutch > PCIII (map from PC website...custom map this spring) > Pirelli Diablo Corsa III (stock size) > A few cosmetic mods, flushies, fender eliminated, a few carbon fiber pieces, smoked windsheild, and choice road rash from The Gap Likes: > THE Pimpolicious 50th Anni scheme...sans scratchs > Sound! A&R baffle opera. I like the look of the stock pipes, but have the sound of slip ons. > 100 mph in first gear (no need to shift in mid turn or constantly up and down in traffic) > great power at 10k RPM, more than enough in traffic below 10k > have almost all the mods I want on the bike > 42 mph on mostly highway commute. > twisties for breakfast, torque for lunch, and titties for dinner > of all the super sport liter bikes on the market at the time, IMO the most comfortable (relative to it's class) > Not unbearable on long rides. I've ridden from Detroit to WV...6 hours plus. don't get me wrong. I'm not delusional and think it's a wonderful on those long trips, but jsut sayin it's not impossible. > at 5'8" I have a lot of room to move around and can adjust seating position on long rides. > snapfabulous looks, still the best looking R1 IMO. > I'll never be able to out ride it's abilities. > bitch to get to the spark plugs Dislikes: > itty bitty tank...long rides are bearable b/c I have to stop every 120-140miles per tank. > no real storage under seat requires tank bags which I don't like to use. (I miss that from my YZF600R) > Low RPM has no grunt. Hoping custom map will help. Sprocket change helped a lot already > undertail exhaust roasts my asian water chestnuts > useless mirrors > too much for me on the track. would prefer a 600 or less for track days. > I'm not good enough to ride her to her fullest potential. Sorry baby...you deserve more, but I'm a selfish ass. > eats petroleum for a snack - tires and gas. 35mph on spirited rides. > she is materialistic and always wants more accessories...women! > can't afford a sibling... Overall, I love her. Sure i constantly window shop, but I really can't find anything more gorgeous especially with all my very deliberate mods. A lot of respect given after she bucked me twice. Now i keep her happy and she has ever since taken care of me and gotten me out of more than a dozen seat hicky moments. Track days, weekend trips, twisty days, commute to work. She is a head turner and you don't see her twin too often.

When I started, I've been asked to move to a slower Novice Group, I've asked and been granted to move up to a quicker group, and I've chose to move myself down a group... I'm still slow as a constipated midget, but I KNOW i'm a better rider than i was when I started. Sure, I pass rarely and get passed often in intermediate, but it's all about the fun factor. If you ride within in your limit (check your ego as others have said), I'd say the track is safer because you don't have deer, intersections, road debris, cell-phone soccer mom in the way. Also, you ride the same corners over and over again so it become very predictable which relieves a lot of the angst when I ride on the street.

Well said. I think I'd change my vote from Beaverun to MO if that was possible.

these conversations are disturbing...yet titalating...

I voted for Beaverun. I've never been there and tha time works the best for me. Most likely would like to the MO day as well though

Sorry to hear that man. It really is a sweet ride. around spring I'd have the tax return and bonus and I'd be all over (if the wife didn't kill me first).

YEAH! Let's Roll!

Not many people stop coming the opposite way. Whenever I do, I usually get honked at and sped around. It happened so much that I thought I was in the wrong.

http://www.clutchandchrome.com/news/news/texas-driver-charges-motorcycle-cop WOW. So many wrongs... It was he (lack of) drugs that made me do it.

Hmmm. Never noticed that. I guess I never really needed to do anything other than look at something. I feel a bit sheepish. I guess that function is not that important to me then.

I have a BB on Verizon and I can do that. I can be on a phone call and switch them to speakerphone and then toggle over to my email, contacts list, even internet screen.

+1, What a great response for sure!

So your full name is Gump Beneficiary?

LOL! I didn't know the FBI uses hotmail accounts. :-)

TO keep it simple from my perspective, a) contribute to your 401k up to the amount you get free money from your company. b) pay off your car loan. c) build your 6 month savings. You can wait to pay against your college loan since the interest should be deferred while you are still in college. Unless you have an unsubsidized loan, then just pay the interest only each month.

A couple of things he is not explaining correctly. If you are contributing to a 401k, it is pre-tax; which he states. But the $1,000 you contribute also reduces your overall tax basis. So for example, let's say you make $50k a year. Your taxes at the 25% is $12,500. But if you contribute $1,000 to a 401k, your new tax base is now only $49,000; which reduces your taxes by $250. Also most people are not going to be in a 38% tax bracket at retirement. Your income would have to be over $400k to be in a 38% tax bracket. http://www.moneychimp.com/features/tax_brackets.htm So instead of $2880 he says you have, you'd actually have almost $3400 at the 28% for a $150k income, plus the original tax savings from your reduced tax basis of $250, which then you'd have $3650, or $150 more than a Roth IRA. A Roth IRA is perfect for someone who is not making as much now but plans on being a high roller on retirement. In the grand scheme of things, the final take away should be that just invest now in your retirement. regardless of if it's a roth or 401k.

disc locks won't prevent most thefts. A 3 man crew with a van can literally steal your bike in less than 10 seconds. You'd want to secure it to an immoble object like ground anchors plus chain. If your apt offers a carport, then you could chain it to the frame of the port. ground anchors would only be feasible without a carport if you have a reserved spot with your landlord's ok to bolt it to the ground. Again if you have a carport, you could park your bike infront of your car which could slow the thieves down. Personally I wouldn't want lojack. If someone stole my bike AND took it for a joyride, I wouldn't want it back. I'd rather have the insurance check and get a new one. Here are some reviews: http://www.webbikeworld.com/motorcycle-alarms/ They also make a covered barn, but you'd want to find something they couldn't just cut through. Coneptually like this but with more of cut resistant fabric http://www.thebikebarn.net/standardmodel.html Personally I can't imagine leaving it outside uncovered. That's just me. I wouldn't be able to sleep. A lot of inconsiderate drunks would be sitting on it and most likely knock it over as well. Your parents place or a closer storage unit would be a better idea IMO.

+$1,000 Ramsey offers sound advice with biblical references. It's practical whether you are a practicing christian or not.

A lot of good suggestions on where to go above answering your question directly. I’ll be the party pooper and give you my opinion. Keep in mind that playing the stock market is the same thing as gambling at Vegas. There is no secret trick or knowledge. MANY PhDs have written hundreds of papers proving that it is NOT possible to consistently beat the market. No Wall street author has a fool proof way. If they did, then they sure as hell wouldn’t be wasting their time on writing or lecturing about it and they sure as hell wouldn’t tell anyone else about it. There are things you should do financially before playing the market. In order 1. Tithe 10% to charity of your gross income. 2. Pay off all high interest unsecured debt. (small loans, credit cards, store cards) 3. Pay off all other debt except Mortgages on primary residence (college loans, car loans) 4. Save up to 6 months of your monthly take home pay as emergency funds and save in a liquid account such as bank savings. This avoids you taking on more debt in the case of an “oh-shit-the XX needs fixed” 5. Max out your company sponsored 401K 6. Max out a Roth IRA The most financial sense is to follow this exact order in order to be financial free. Number 1 is a religious or philosophical debate so that is “optional” to some. The above may not be sexy or fun or even cool. But GUARANTEED, you will spend hell of a lot more money on paying interest on debt than you’ll ever make on day-trading. If you have no debt, congratulations. Then you move to step 4. Then 5. No day trading account will ever consistently beat the advantages of a 401k or Roth IRA. Especially if your company has a matching 401k contribution. I really am shocked that most people at the minimum do not contribute to at LEAST the company matching. That is an IMMEDIATE 100% return. Nothing comes close to that. Only reason you should move onto a ROTH IRA before you max out is if your company’s investment house is not a large one that offers you enough diversification to meet your asset allocation goals. I used to have $15k in Credit card debt. $30k in college loans. And no savings. Save yourself a lot of pain ad worry by not getting into that trap. I used to think it was OK charging a dinner on the credit card until someone told me that you are figuratively flushing your money down the toilet with interest. It took me a decade of discipline to overcome all that. I’m still on step 5. But the nice thing is that if I have enough saved up and get a nice tax return and a small bonus, it’s mine to burn on something fun and frivolous, like a 50th R1. For most people this will go in one ear and out the other. If you really have to play Gordon Grecco, then my advice would look at mutual funds (it’s already diversified), think about your risk aversion, and accept the fact that you will lose everything so you can sleep at night. If by chance your money grows to $20k, $50k, $100k, then just remember that it’s only temporary until the next big bubble bursts. Good luck and take my advice or not. Just my 2.5 cents adjusted for inflation.

+ 1000 Good advice. I'm on it. You can network for other things. Over the last year or so, there are a lot of groups that are being created which you can join. Like anything some are good and some are low activity. But that gives you opportunity to learn more about the field you are in. Conferences, seminars, etc.

RIP Corporeal. May God watch over you as you have watched over us. Thank you for your service, sacrifice, and honor.

That's great man! Still suggest you wait until you've finished all the mortgage paperwork on the house first, then get the bike. Unless you see a deal you just cant pass on, an extra $5,000 in the savings or checking account will help you a lot. Besides, you can't ride for a few months anyways. Sounds like you got a great woman! If things don't work out with me and my wife, let me know if she has a sister.

You can wait, but you do take the risk of it selling out. It all depends on the date, what other MC events are happening that weekend, etc. I've signed up a couple days prior once and another time an event was sold out a month prior. For examplet when Moto GP weekend in Indy occurs, any track day that weekend probably will not be sold out. July 4th weekend, probably will be. If you know you are going, then pay for it ASAP. Otherwise, roll the dice.

LOL. Good save.

+1, My opinion has always been that you don't finance a luxury item. That's what this is basically if it is NOT your only/main means of transportation. Trust me, I know how hard it is to NOT have a bike, but judging by what you said, you've got a lot of things going on. Wedding, a new house, a new car. The last thing you want on your credit is more debt when looking for a house. The mortgage market is VERY strict now. Even a clean, high credit score is not enough. If your Debt to Equity ratio is even remotely off, you'll be denied or you'll pay tens of thousands in higher interest rate on a mortgage. Even a pre-approval is not set in stone. Again, Trust Me on this. If you don't have $5k to pay in cash, what are you going to do for your down payment on your house? How are you paying for the car. More debt or less equity... if you MUST have a bike, look for a used one. Plenty of good ones for you to ride around on for under $2k. Do you have all your riding gear as well? Helmet, leather jacket, proper boots, gloves, etc? Cost of maintenance. Also home maintenance is something everyone forgets. Not sure if this is your first home, but you'll need to drop some Kwon when you first move in. Lawnmower, garden hose, curtains, furniture, blow-up dolls, washer and dryer. $5k easy. Don't forget that eventually your wife will also lose her diamond engagement ring even though you told her to be careful with it as you guys are moving then she'll do something stupid and take it off in a "safe" place and a day later she can't find it but somehow it's your fault and you have to buy her a new and larger one and you can't get insurance to cover it because you didn't rnew your rental insurance or you didn't officially move into your nw home yet so it's not applicable...or so I've been told this could happen . Then you'll need to budget annually a minimum of 1.5% of the value of the house for regular maintenance items like the unexpected hot water heater, paint, lawncare, roofs, etc. Not trying to overwhelm you. but getting married is stressful enough, but also adding a new home purchase and being stretched thin is not good. Every woman wants financial security. It's the biggest cause of divorce. don' get started on the wrong foot. Save up and then pay cash for the bike you really want. Nothing better than looking at your bike knowing you have a free and clean title in hand. Just my 2 cents and the events of the story above may be hypothetical situations that may or may not have happened to the author