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Well, I can't say I did it today, but after years lovingly wrenching on my older bikes, chucking money aside for the better part of a decade, I bit the bullet on a machine I can trust to not leave me stranded, hammer my spine on bumps or be hopeless when gravel appears. I just completed installing the major farkles I wanted on this bike and so far, I love it to death. Claims it's boring are vastly wrong. Also, hey, I haven't been on this board in a long time. The last few years have been kind of...weird.

I haven't posted here in a long time. Life and all that crap. The bike needed work, etc. Then May a year ago, I had triple spinal fusion surgery in my neck. I was completely unprepared for how long it took to get back to anything more or less, "normal" Healing, out of shape, blah, blah, blah. I've taken a few rides this year, but they were short, 50 miles or less. I figured I was "feeling out" how I felt. Today, I got up and thought "f**k it", cleaned up, got the gear together, got the bike out and headed west. Cincinnati to Clifty Falls State Forest via Versailles, and back, no Interstate. 164 miles round trip. On the Vulcan 500. Bug platters on the helmet, a welt on my neck from whatever the hell flew into it at 60 MPH. Aside from being stiff here and there and despite a nice gel pad, my ass hurting, I'm in decent shape. I've been off the two wheels for way, too long. It's good to be back. Stupid question, does the rump toughen up or am I just old?

Yeah, I think we talked a couple years ago, but I fell out of riding for a while. Damn that was stupid. I'm not going to say how fast I wound up going on the ol' 500, but it was stupid/fun. Tank mounted speedos suck. Look down, OH SHIT! Sure, I wouldn't mind going for a ride. Maybe get a critique how shitty my lines are...

I didn't want to get this spendy. but I wound up with a Shoei RF-SR. It fits fantastic. Not quite the Laz-e-boy feel of the Arai, but damned good. Comfortable. Comes with the pinlock insert. The tiny vents flow air fantastically. My 85 mile ride the other day with it on was completely different than the EXO-500. No pressure points at all. Impossible to fog (I can't say that of my sun glasses!!!), MUCH quieter. DOT / ECE / Snell rated.

I think is was Iron Ridge campground. Primitive - no electricity, but there are paved roads with parking pads at each site. There's running water available and (more or less) heated showers. Each site has a picnic bench and a really awesome, heavy cast iron fire ring set into the ground. Nice hiking accessible from inside the campground. Pretty good riding in the area and a small town with a supermarket not too far away if you happen to be in need of ice and *refreshing beverages* for some reason. Certainly not the kind of *refreshing beverages* park rangers frown upon, of course...

The stars finally aligned today. "Good enough" weather, sunshine, feeling good, motorcycle that's actually running, ready and waiting in the garage. Stopped in Delhi (West side 'burb of Cincinnati) to get some quality health food - Arbys. Headed down Anderson Ferry to 50 and headed west to make a bee line to Miami Rd and Brower Rd. (By Harrison's Tomb). Brower starts slow and straight, but that's offset by the fantastic odor the power plant and asphalt companies create. After the plant, the bends pick up a bit and it turns into a proper, nice wooded road. An alternate route is to dip off of Brower up Cliff Rd. to Dugan's Gap for an amazing view of the Ohio river valley and back down to hook up with Brower, which becomes Lawrenceburg Rd. - should have taken that, but didn't. Followed Lawrenceburg Rd. across 50 where after a mile or two, the curves start picking up a little and it becomes reasonably wooded as you follow the Whitewater River. At Jamison Rd. Lawrenceburg Rd. becomes Dearborn Rd. - that's where the fun really starts. If you don't get stuck behind a Buick, it's a blast reminiscent of KY 10 or 22. Sweeping bends, tight ones, good sight lines for the most part. Has a nice variety of curves and landscape. I stopped at the Marathon on N. Dearborn in Lawrenceburg just in time to see a couple of "sporty" bikes go by as I was heading out. Couldn't tell what they were with the sun in my face, but seemed like SV650s or something of that nature. Anyway, what's a guy to do? Try to catch up! I'm sure they felt like they were loafing along and cars here and there kept their pace down, but given how rusty I am and I was on the modest Vulcan 500, it was just the right pick up in pace to get the blood flowing. I stayed a good ways behind them until they turned off somewhere around Rt 1 (don't remember if it was before or after). I continued a couple miles New Alsace where I doubled back and opted to head home via Rt. 1 South to 50 East. The sun was getting low and the temp was dropping. In all, an 85 mile trip. I don't care if it sounds corny, but I'm just so damned happy - haven't been on a ride like that in WAY too long. Wish I could have gone further, but the early sunset and temps conspired to keep it short. And if you're the riders who were in front of me, I hope I wasn't cramping your style.

I won't bore you with details beyond saying a truckload of life got in the way. Both bikes needed considerable work and time was short. I've got my little Vulcan 500 buttoned up and running like a Timex. Went on a motorcycle camping trip to Lake Vesuvius last month and the weather has been general crap every single day since I got back. But she's running again - I have to remind myself I have a perfectly running motorcycle out in the garage just waiting. The Nighthawk gets torn down (AGAIN) this winter. Just thought I'd say hi. Doug

I had been away from riding for a while; the machine needed considerable work, which I finally completed. Found this thread because I'm looking for a helmet again. Thought I'd necro-update that I eventually got the Scorpion Exo-500. It's fairly good, but still has a bit of forehead pressure and is kind of bulky. There are several LS2s (looks like they've switched to oval), Icon and a Bell on my radar. And of course the Arai is a shining beacon of comfort and expense. Going up to I-Ron-Pony on Monday.

As a follow up, I took my shitty Pontiac Vibe on the route I would have on 2 wheels. 25 most of the way down to the Tellico Plains of TN and mostly 27 on the way back, stopping to see Cumberland falls on the way back. "Discovered" some roads that are massively entertaining. Check out TN 116. I drove part of it - holy hell!!! KY 700 between 27 and 90 going to the falls is GREAT. And KY 227 is amazing for being near SW OH. I was flogging the little hatchback for all it was worth, hard trail braking into bends, flooring it out of them and wasn't even coming close to breaking the speed limit on that thing. I also discovered a "road" that linked 116 to a northern route was essentially a logging road barely carved out of the side of Brushy Mountain. It was as close to pants staining as I've come. No place to turn around. But amazing none the less. I HAVE to do this trip on 2 wheels eventually. Trip down:http://goo.gl/maps/feh6l Trip back, not including TN116 and the Brushy Mountain detour: http://goo.gl/maps/HZHnD

More importantly, what will become of the Pirelli calendar?

Then by movie universe rules, a 200 should upshift at least 27 times

I have a Nighthawk 750, the cover is dead on, right down to the plastic dipstick hole. Reason I think it's a last gen, hydraulic tappet 750 is the squared valve covers and hoses to the oil cooler - the earlier ones used the frame. The frame looks right as well - the passenger pegs are in the right place and those cheezy wire heel rests are even there. That kickstart looks fake to me.... And it just proves that Google knows literally everything. I just wasted my time wondering instead of looking it up first. http://www.bikeexif.com/daryl-dixon-motorcycle I really like how the XF650 tank looks on it. Wonder how much work it took to fit it.

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned the bike itself. Looks like an early Nighthawk 750 quasi-cafed, with a wrapped V&H exhaust, a reverse fork front end from some other donor, no airbox or battery and a spray painted engine. I'm also relatively certain it's a fake kickstart since that sure does look like the 16v, DOHC, hydraulic lifter version of the 750 (valve cover is a give-away) that never had one. Did *ANY* CBxxx have a kick start? I can't decide whether I like it or hate is as a monstrosity. Regarding sound, trigger discipline, etc, just accept that Hollywood has no understanding of reality, let alone basic physics. All cops can chose to shoot people in the knees, revolvers can fire 20 rounds w/o a reload, a .44 magnum can throw a man across the room w/o so much as a hint of recoil, cars have an infinite number of gears...

As boring as it sounds, I've decided to convert visiting my buddies down south to a shorter car trip. Too many variables / factors stacking up. I've never gone that far solo, the roads are probably going to be sketchy so soon after a harsh winter (tube tires), I don't have much rain riding experience and cold/cool weather compounds it all at my level of experience. If I'm going to burn vacation time, I'd like it to be enjoyable and safe. There will be time for trips when the weather is a bit better.

I'd love to have a heated vest too, but the puny alternators on both of my bikes aren't up to the task of running much more than gloves and a phone / gps. The winter suit does a fine job, it's just bulky.

The coldest it's forecast to be is in the high 20s, but that is the dead of night here in SW Ohio. I'm probably going to delay leaving tomorrow until it warms up a bit and just plan on it being a 2 day trip down there from the get go. It's significantly warmer down there. And since my tax return hit my account, I'm going to stop at the moto shop on the way home today and try to grab a pair of heated gloves (plus cables and controller). I have heavy, waterproof winter gloves, but active heating would be so much nicer. I'm taking a non-highway route, but I won't actually be that far from I75 and the associated civilization.

Well, the aforementioned trip is supposed to be tomorrow. I'm right on the edge - I have gear to handle cold and rain, but battling both at the same time sounds miserable. I am heading south around Knoxville, however. And have the trip so I can stop at a hotel for the night instead of having to push through. Rode 100 miles this past Sunday on a "shakedown" ride and both the bike and my butt were fine. The 'hawk is still out of commission, but at the speeds I intend to travel (state routes), the lil 500 will do just fine. It's more than capable of slabbing it if I need to, as well. Do I suck it up and "adventure" through the elements? That's the question. My cold wx suit is wind / water proof... Higher end Frog Toggs for warmer wx rain.

Craigslist is like any other aspect of life. Gauge where the seller is and how they act - it pays to know the neighborhood. I managed to get a complete surround set of floor standing speakers for dirt cheap because the guy's (new) wife didn't like how they looked in their new McMansion. The motorcycle in my avatar was for sale by a deputy living in a nice northern suburb of Cincy. After BSing with him for a while when I came to look at it, he said most of the people who looked at it were kids or people he wasn't comfortable with. He actually knocked a few hundred off since he knew I was serious and figured I'd give it a good home. Couldn't complain about a pristine, garage kept bike with 8000 miles on the clock and all the service recipts for $2k. It seems like the best deals are from folks in "higher end" neighborhoods - they sell mostly to make space, not to fund a meth habit.

As it turns out, the 'hawk blew a fork seal on a fun ride out to Aberdeen. Just no time to fix it in time, assuming the weather is miraculously cooperative enough for me to go.

We had a "warm enough" day today, so I layered up 4 layers under my fall/"winter" jacket, heavy gloves, thermals, etc. I intended to take the Vulcan 500, but despite being on the Battery Tender Jr., the battery is toast. Hit the starter - Gggrrrrrrrr-click-click.... &^$%^!!! Rolled the Nighthawk out and got it to cough to life, hopped on, filled the tank and met up with my friend at Party Source parking lot just across the I-471 bridge. Took KY-8 out to Maysville for lunch, took the old bridge across the river, wandered around up and down the hills, hooked up with OH-763 (AWESOME) and worked my way home via 247, etc. I have to say, I'm starting to love the Nighthawk. Yeah, it's a heavier feel than the Vulcan (of course!), but as soon as I lighten up off the bars, the bike feels like it goes into turns by itself. Slabbed it the last 10 miles or so to get home and enjoyed how good it is on the highway. I was doubting whether I was going to fix it up all the way, but now there's no doubt. PLENTY fast. It's running smooth and after about 100 miles of rural twisties and state routes, it still returned 51 MPG. Unfortunately, she blew a fork seal, so it's back off the road for a while, but I was planning on refreshing the front end this Spring anyway. OH-763 and surrounding roads are great. That is a GREAT pocket of roads. Wooded, lots of turns, but the pavement is a little sketchy here and there.

I'm thinking that for a trip like this where temperature / road conditions could be an issue, a decent, sensitive OAT thermometer would be a worthy accessory to add to my bike.

Issac's Papa - Yup, just cammed a little differently. More "lower end" torque than the Ninja. It runs out of breath around 8k. My Vulcan is reasonable on the highway; I've cruised from Cincy to Dayton at 75 mph just fine. Buzzy, but it pulls fine. But this trip is about the journey - no highway (well, maybe some on the return trip).

I might just take you up on those gloves... I want a pair of my own, but it depends on funding between now and then. Basic armor under the snow-suit would be so much easier than a jacket. I'm still debating straight through.

I was thinking about trying a pair of therma-care pads stuck to my inner thighs, right over the femoral arteries. Last ride I did was a few weeks ago when it was mid 40s, but the sun wasn't out. Was a "clear my mind" sort of ride - just pointed west and went. I should have turned for home when I thought, "Hmm, a little chilly", but I made it out to Sunman Indiana before turning around. The ride home devolved into pure, shivering brutality. I was hugging my legs against the 'hawk's engine and stopped in Cleves for a burger, hot chocolate and my hands under the dryer for 5 minutes. No, I wasn't wearing the suit, because apparently, I'm stupid. FWIW, I've used that suit for backyard astronomy, spending a couple hours out in 15F, 15 MPH wind with no base layer besides jeans and a T-Shirt, actually starting to sweat a little. It's a First Gear suit, worth every penny- it's basically a water-proof sleeping bag with arms and legs. Both the Vulcan and Nighthawk can run a phone and gloves, but I wouldn't push it much more. Especially not the Nighthawk - the only reason I'd consider heated gloves it is because I've converted the lights to LED, freeing up a few spare watts. It doesn't even start charging until about 3000 RPM. Great bike, crappy alternator. The Vulcan is a little better, but not by much. I'm going to navigate using the phone running Osmand+, a free GPS program with extensive offline maps. And a Gazeteer + compass as a backup. The only good thing about wearing hearing aids is I can pair them to the phone via bluetooth and have the driving instructions piped to my ears-pretty handy. I'm still really debating 1 vs 2 days. If I split it up, I can change the route and wander even more. But that burns $$$ and precious vacation days. I can always have plenty of hotels mapped if need be and my route isn't actually ever significantly far from 75S. Honestly, the best of both worlds would be to get a cabin in and stay over inside RRG, but again, time and money. I'd rather arrive in the evening since the folks I'll be meeting will be gone during the day - whitewater boating buddies down there specifically to hit the water. I've been battling migraines and am not in shape to hit technical water - a ride is a good excuse to meet up with 'em and shoot the shit. There's one more concern that is real. My route takes me pretty far off the beaten path into KY and TN. My bike has an Ohio plate and I'm a "Damned Yankee". I'm purposefully aiming for the creeks and hollers. No, I'm not expecting "Deliverence", but we've run across some "interesting" folks over the years deep in the Cumberland plateau while driving to remote river put-ins. My southern friends have gone as far as saying, "Be quiet and let me talk", to me when talking to locals. Any advice beyond being respectful during any chance encounters?

I think I confused a few folks. The mileage is 350, the Vulcan is 500 (cc) and the Nighthawk is 750 (cc). Thought making revolutions at that speed, the ol' 500 will happily cruise at 70 all day long with plenty of reserve power to pass. But since I have no intention of slabbing it, instead sticking to State and County roads, the 500 will do just fine. I already took the '500 down to RRG with a 3 days of full camping gear onboard (see avatar) with no problem. I have a waterproof, full winter suit, but it's so damned bulky. Have a rain suit, undergarments, fuzzy neck warmer, boot covers, armored jacket. The winter gloves are waterproof as well, but I know from experience they're only good for about an hour of cold riding. I'm contemplating electric gloves - both bikes have enough spare watts to run 'em. If ya don't click the link, the itinerary is roughly to take 27 down through Paris, KY, down through RRG, down to Jellico where I really depart the state roads for routes that follow the rivers and creeks, working my way down towards, Oak Ridge, TN and then my destination in the Tellico plains. I'm thinking I could stop either at Irvine, KY (north of RRG) or London, KY (S of RRG, better hotels). Thanks