Rodehard

Annoying, but shit happens. I've gotten stupid tickets before (like no front plate) just because the dude was in a bad mood. And I've been let go for big smokey burnouts:). I have a couple friends who are LEO's, and they're great dudes - and of course ride too. All I know is that I have at least 45 moving violations on my record, and deserved every one considering the 10:1 ratio of getting away with it vs getting busted! Now than I'm older, I pick my locations a lot better - no more holeshots in the middle of town!

Finally found an hour to install the new heated grips. Nice kit, plugs into the bike's "heated grip ready" wire harness, enable the grips in the settings screen, and done. Even just 1hr in the shop tinkering makes a crappy day so much better!

I like those short levers, maybe you should give them a try. On many of my bikes I've slid the lever mounts inward on the bars, so that just my first two fingers are grabbing the lever near the end. I do this cuz sometimes the lever will pinch my last two fingers when I pull the lever in. Depends on the bike/lever geometry etc.

Hey @TwiztedRabbit are you putting an aftermarket crank in the motor? I just noticed the one pic above showing the crank along with one rod and piston, the crank has grooved main journals. The crank in the other pic showing the crank in the upper case with rods bolted up has smooth main journals. Some top secret R6 building secrets revealed on OR? All the V8's I've built have smooth journals on the crank, with the oil grooves in the bearings - that's why the one pic caught my eye.

This tread is giving me a chubby. I love building motors, but most of my race motor builds have been for dirt late models, drag cars, and dirt bikes, quads etc. I did a big bore kit on my old ZX11, but that was the only I4 bike motor I got into, and I never split the cases. Thanks for sharing the good stuff Rabbit!

I'd love to attend the meet and great, being a new member of the forum it would be nice to meet some of you guys face to face. Unfortunately I'm hanging out with my daughter in hospice this weekend. Glad to have this time with her, just wish it was not like this. I was in Wheelsports last spring getting parts for my EXC, and they still had a '14 SDR sitting there, and still asking almost list price for it. That was the only street bike I saw in the building. Wheelsports is kind of a weird place, dirt bikes and weed whackers - just never seen a bike dealer like that before. They have good inventory of dirt bike parts, but yeah - not much for the street bike crowd. That reminds me, KTM is now part of the Brembo master cylinder recall. Sucka$$. Now I gotta find a dealer to do the recall work on my SDR. I hate other people wrenching on my bikes.

Just don't drop the soap...... A long track weekend sounds like perfect medicine to me.

Ok, I'm half afraid to ask, but what's up with the Oreos? Everyone eat a bunch and smile for a group photo, or something more sinister

Things must have changed at MO since I was there almost 5 yrs ago. We were allowed to pass on the back straight after the keyhole. I passed some guys, and I got passed too. We didn't have to stay in line behind the CR's. Actually our last session of the day got red flagged - I was exiting the keyhole (slowly, cuz I'm slow), and 5 guys passed me on the inside exiting the corner. I was able to stay with them thru the kink and heading into china beach, but was about 50yds back. One of the guys lost the front, and swept two other guys into the sand. I almost ran over the guy who lost the front, as he was rolling on the track - I could see his face, shield was knocked off his helmet. He got a helicopter ride. Maybe they tightened things up after that?

Bragger. I'll be happy to not be the slowest in novice. Second to slowest is a win for me!

Put some front axle sliders on the Duke - judging by the road rash on the axle nut, the PO could have used these when he laid her down. Got some heated grips, but I only got so far as to take them out of the box and rub them gently.

Big. Giant. BONER!!!!!!

Scooter, I think you are right, HD is making some changes in the right direction. Realizing that they can't just put out the same stuff decade after decade, and as long as it's air cooled and makes the potato potato sound they'll sell all they can build. Most of my friends with whom I've ridden sport bikes for 25+ years all have HD touring rigs now - I seem to be the last adrenaline junkie left in our group. They love their $22k couches on wheels (their words, not mine). I've ridden their bikes - they're comfortable and sound cool, but too big, slow, and expensive for my tastes. And honestly they all look alike to me. The XR's, like yours, look sweet. Now if they could just get at least 130hp at the wheel out of that V-twin I might be tempted to "buy amuricin". Speaking of HD motors, the V-Rod motor is a great engine. One of my best friends bought one the first year they came out, and he turned it into a drag bike, ran the AHDRA circuit, won his class championship with it one year. Don't remember what class he ran, but the bike was stock framed, pretty tweaked motor, and he ran high 9's with it. And I found a pic of his bike, for grins:

I'd pitch in on his too.

I'd throw in, but I just joined the forum and I've already done one trackday, plus I already have my $200 stuck in my secret bike fun envelope well hidden from the misses. If anyone on the forum is apprehensive about going, maybe thinking "I'm too slow", "I don't have a crotch rocket", whatever. Guys, it just doesn't matter - it is a blast and no one cares how fast or slow you are! Everyone just does their thing, and the coaches are great - they'll lead you around the track and show you the line. It's definitely not a race in the Novice group. No passing is allowed except on the back straight coming out of the keyhole. Just hold your line and let the faster guys scoot by. DO IT! I promise you won't have any regrets, just awesome memories forever

A very gracious act @TimTheAzn It really speaks to your character, and to the friendships that are made on this forum. My hat's off to you!

I love those LS motors. My big block is carbureted (heavily modified demon 1080 cfm 4150 body) and pushing 700hp, but it's really gnarly to drive on the street. Even with a bypass style fuel system I still get fuel boiling in the bowls when the temps get over 85deg. Stupid alcohol. I'd like to sell the BBC, and build a 600hp LS motor. Better drivability on the street, and with the 200lb weight reduction just as fast. But.......time, money, life, and a passion for bikes leaves the hot rod sitting!

It takes a motor head to notice tires in the background! Those are for my 67 camaro - a car I've owned since I was 18. Street legal, 7500rpm all roller big block, Tremec 5 speed, ford 9" with 4.33's, 6 point cage. I broke something at Marion dragway about 6yrs ago, and didn't feel like bench pressing the trans out for the 400th time. So it sits - it's paid for, and not going anywhere!

Uh..thanks! Maybe you could change your ID to TimTheLate found another pic from my only outing to SEO last summer. Some nice riverside park north of McConnelsville.

Here's a couple shots of the Duke. Working on it reminds me of my '03 250EXC, only bigger and more titillating.

I'll get on it. Got some pics on my other computer, just need to do it. That motor.......man that thing ROCKS! Just starting it up makes me want to have sex with it. Wait, is that weird? 3rd gear 65mph roll on power wheelies - never even getting close to WOT. 4th gear roll on wheelies at 75mph. The thing will wheelie, and carry the wheel, shifting into 5th. All done in street mode, with traction/wheelie control off. Sport mode just makes the throttle jerkier in my opinion. But, you can puts around like an old man if you want, the motor doesn't care. Love it. Keep trolling CL, I've seen a few other SDR's on there. An SDGT has to turn up eventually. Touring on the SDR is not an issue, KTM makes great semi-hard side and tail bags for it - not BMW RT capacity bags of course, but enough for 1 for a weeks trip. Skip the tank bag, it sucks.

The first streetbike I actually owned was an old XS1100. Definitely not a sport bike, but hey - its a liter+! I rode and occasionally raced off road, and borrowed buddies street bikes until I was nearly 30. I only had the XS11 for a summer, then bought a 4yr old ZX11. Much better:)

mmmmm....The SDGT. I wanted one so bad, but $20k+ for a bike will never happen in my lifetime! This SDR craigslist find was a stroke of luck - damaged enough to devalue it significantly, but nothing truly important was hurt. I've become a naked bike convert, if only because every faired bike I've owned created one problem or another. The airflow off the screens is either loud, turbulent, blocks cooling air in the summer, doesn't block enough in the cold, or all of the above. Nice to hide behind in a downpour on I75, but otherwise windscreens are not so awesome. I still have a few screens lying around from old bikes. On the naked SDR, the air flow is smooth and quiet. There's just a lot of it, all the time. I can do 75mph on the highway all day, but admittedly it took a while for me to get used to the wind pressure, and then It was good. 80mph continuously for about an hour is all I can take, then need to slow down. Downside to going naked is I have to wear or carry more gear - it's surprisingly cold on the highway with ambient temps below 70. The heat off the radiator/engine is easily tolerated or avoided, the frame doesn't get hot, no hand numbing buzz in the bars, plenty of leg room (I'm 6'1" 190lb nekid), comfy riding position, all make the SDR the magical unicorn of bikes I've always wanted. I did have to add some foam to the stock seat, now my butt lasts thru a tank of gas. The stock seat was only good for about 1.5hr then I needed to stop. The ergo seat was good for about 2hrs before my underside started burning. And now I'm rambling... Thanks for the welcome!

I still have my 1969 Z50, given to me in '75 for my 10th birthday. Best present ever. Post up your first bike pics if you can! I was going to restore it, but the parts cost about $1500. The poor thing is whipped, after I outgrew it my brother learned to ride on it, and seemingly every part needs replaced.

Noted Jason, not trying to horn in on anything bud.