redkow97

I also assumed Ben Spies... But now that I'm here; I don't think any of us are in a position to pass judgment as to whether or not $80 billion was worth it. We don't know what these spies learned, what they prevented, or even that this budget actually went to spies and wasn't inflated simply to mask spending in other parts of the government. "it's top secret" is a pretty easy way for Uncle Sam to get past the auditor. Would it have been worth $80 billion to prevent the September 11th attacks? I'm betting the victims' families think so.

I can't think of any example of a bike that was made to road race (and actually won) that makes a good tourer... Attempting to adapt an RC51 for some other purpose may be possible, but you're always going to be left with a bike that's been designed for something else. Why go to all the trouble when there are so many great touring bikes? Frankly, for mere mortals like us, I wouldn't even call an RC a great track bike. It performs well - no argument there, but they're semi rare (parts are expensive), and they don't crash well. Anyone who rides on the track long enough is going to crash, and I defy you to lay down an RC51 without destroying one of those stupid side-mounted radiators and ending your day; only to go home and spend a bunch on eBay to replace it. the only way I'd track an RC51 is with the front-mount radiator kit like the race teams used. When a race team changes a design, it tells me the factory screwed up or had to compromise something for streetability.

I've typed like 4 responses so far and deleted them all. I keep thinking, "man I sound like an asshole..." Self preservation makes my mind go places I'm not proud of. Beyond being prepared to fend for myself and my wife, finding like-minded individuals would be a high priority. I think 6-8 people is about the biggest group you'd want, and 4 is about the smallest.

^ and I'll even allow for "I like the way it looks" to be a 'valid' reason for some people; it's just not one I can rationalize.

How did I get "called out" in a thread that I haven't posted in for weeks! I take no issue whatsoever with how people want to ride, or what kind of riding they enjoy. Do what you love, and love what you do. But here's what confuses me about people's taste in bikes (or cars, or guns, or whatever): why would you buy a 190hp superbike with mirrors and lights just to casually ride down a country road? I fully understand why that kind of riding is appealing to some; but they should be buying an FZ1 if that's the type of riding they like. Buying a ZX10 for that kind of riding is like using a chain saw to trim a banzai tree. Or commuting to work in an F1 car. Or target shooting with a machine gun. I don't understand purchasing more bike than you'll use. The occasional blast to 180mph that a ZX10 can provide on a back road isn't THAT much better than the blast to 160 the FZ1 would provide...

old one.

if it weren't my dad's money, I'd give up by now. Cars are cool, but bikes are cool AND CHEAP. if i want a noise machine that accelerates, i may as well look into cruisers instead of muclecars.

hahaha - i shouldn't say this with my bike up for sale (although I am leaning toward keeping it anyway), but that's 2 more than my '03 RR put to the wheel in 2008. that's mapped for 87, and only according to the previous owner, but still funny that your older, "less advanced" bike puts out more power wish I could buy yours btw - sell mine and pocket a few bucks. Hang onto that thing until spring, and I think you can get close to $3k out of it.

just out of curiosity, what did it dyno in that video?

I think Jamie was doing Erik a favor honestly. Erik Buell and I are tight (ok, so we're facebook friends), and he was talking about the episode before it aired. So it was planned pretty explicitly. Based on the bike, and custom leathers, I'm guessing Jamie enjoys trackdays and/or road racing. I also wouldn't be surprised if Erik Buell RACING can't sell a street-legal bike without violating their non-compete with HD, so that could also have been why Jamie's 1125R had the track plastics - but why would anyone own a track bike if they didn't use it?

I think the Bandit's Trans Am would be killer, but they're expensive. My friends joked one time that they would pay me $500 to get the trans am firebird tattooed on my back from shoulder to shoulder. So when my neon died last week, the joke was that I should replace it with a trans am. I (semi seriously) looked into it, and the nice examples were in excess of $33,000

^ ya, i found a company that says $18k for the full kit, but none use a donor car; at least none that i've seen so far. I think fox body mustang convertible might be the answer. That's assuming the money man like the idea. I just like the idea of having a high horsepower noise machine with some cool factor. Something to take out on special occasions, and never let the dogs inside.

I would speculate that it's a 250cc SINGLE because Honda will be competing in Moto3 next year. the 125cc two-strokes are being replaced by 250cc single-cylinder four-strokes. I can't remember where I read it, but Honda (allegedly) crammed a 250 single into one of their 125cc GP bike frames, and shaved 2 seconds off the lap time at their test track.

what does the kit cost w/o the donor car? I REALLY like this idea.

I actually just talked to the old man about a ~'92 GT convertible. In that body style, I like the convertibles better. the 5.0 has a huge aftermarket, but it's FI, which is slightly worrisome. worth looking into though.

Pops doesn't have THAT much monies. Pops (and I) have also never done much work on cars, which is why "common, cheap, and easy to work on" where requests. I'm open to off-the-wall responses too. Jeep CJ-7 was one thing that occurred to me. You can build one part-by-part out of a catalog. That's the kind of thing I'm looking for, except I was hoping for a muscle-car, or an old MG, or SOMETHING kind of cool and sporty.

there are similar devices that hook your bike to a receiver hitch; you just pull in, strap down, and then crank the hitch up so the front wheel is off the ground. in the fine print at the bottom of the advertisements, they advice removing the chain.

My dad has always wanted a project car, and now that he's got 3 sons through college, no mortgage, and weathered the latest rounds of layoffs at Progressive, I think he might actually be in a position to start looking for one. The dream candidate would be a '69 Mustang Mach 1, or 428 Cobra Jet - but those are hard to find, and harder to find for anything resembling a reasonable price. so what's the cheapest and easiest route? desirable qualities include: - Easy maintenance. A brutally simple V8 and a manual transmission are ideal. - Strong aftermarket parts availability - retro enough to be cool (i.e. 60's is best, 70's is ok, and 80's is out) - cheap and thus, probably common... I'd call my dad a "Ford guy," but that's a preference than can be overruled by budget (i think). But that said, cool old lincolns and mercury models would be other possibilities. It also doesn't explicitly preclude old Dodges, Chevy's, etc. Dad seems to be semi interested in "restoring" a car, but I'm thinking a modern restoration would be more fun. Big 'ole motor with modern stereo and some minor suspension upgrades. If it gets better than 8mpg and less than 350hp, I'll be upset. thoughts?

^ 95% of STT's events are on weekends between April and September - if anything, I'm betting Monte's pretty bored on a Wednesday in October But truly, it is cool to chat it up with the big man on occasion. I will miss Monte's jokes and stories in the pits. Either that, or I'll hear more of them, because he might actually RIDE a little more often!

here's the problem though: even if Proposition 19 passes, the SALE of marijuana will still be prohibited by the FEDERAL controlled substances act. As far as I'm concerned, buying weed is the only risky part of being a pot smoker. I'm not dumb enough to carry and illegal substance around, or leave it in my car - I'm going to enjoy it in the comfort and privacy of my home. Illegal? yes; but also very difficult to get caught. Prop 19 makes possession and growing legal, but I don't think that most pot smokers are going to get so ambitious as to start gardening - they're going to BUY from someone who grows it as a business. thus, the effect of the law just changes the nature of the criminal act. You'll have fewer people being busted for possession, but more being busted for selling. Or am I missing something?

bump? it's a shitty time of year to be selling... I may just hang onto the bike until spring. I'm sure booking an April trackday will be enough to get this thing sold in March

Hey Monte - long time no see! I have no doubt that Richard is going to do a great job, as you and Bonnie have for as long as I've ridden with STT - I just feel that there are sometimes conflicts between what's best for the customers and what's best for the business. the simple example is having a full event. Financially, you want every group to be full. That's good for business. I totally understand that. But from a rider's perspective, having 10 empty spots in each group gives us a lot more for our money, and ultimately allows the riders to have more fun, and (i would argue) learn more. It's an inevitable give-and-take, and I know STT has always, and will continue to pursue the best balance possible. But that's always been the goal; thus why I said I don't expect many significant changes. It wasn't meant to be a criticism.

I know you're half joking and half serious, but this is REALLY solid advice; particularly the soda comment. I recently swore off hot dogs too. "dieting" is difficult - but it's really pretty easy to identify foods/drinks that have no nutritional value whatsoever and avoid them completely. re: taking the stairs - We have a gym in the basement of my office building, and I work on the third floor. A fat lady was holding the elevator for me (she was going up to ground level...), and I told her I was taking the stairs. She asked why, and I lied and told her I was claustrophobic so she wouldn't feel quite as miserably overweight. I'm such a nice guy!

Monte's post was still pretty vague. He calls Richard a "major shareholder," but doesn't say "majority" share holder. I think there's also the strong implication that Monte and Bonnie are retaining at least some ownership interest. (for now?) I've yet to hear a bad word about Richard Harris; even after seeing his name sprinkled all over the WERA board! In that crowd, I would have expected someone to hate the guy I'm encouraged. but I have to think that there will be few, if any, meaningful changes at STT as far as the customers are concerned. From a business perspective, I am going to assume that Richard purchased interest in STT because it's profitable - so I doubt he's going to mess with a successful business model. That's too bad. I think there's always room for improvement.

My mother-in-law test drove the sonata ...and then went and bought another Altima 2.5; an SL this time, instead of the S i just bought from her. I don't mean to complicated your search, but consider the Altima. I think you'd pay more like $20k instead of $23. I seem to be in the minority, but I don't like the new Sonata's styling. I preferred the look of the old car. YMMV. But it's almost universally agreed that the new 2.4 liter I-4 is a HUGE improvement over the old I-4 it replaces. I didn't know that there was a 2.0 turbo model. the optional engine was previously the 2.7 V6 that's in my wife's Tucson (because we HATED the old I-4). I have nothing bad to say about the 2.7 except that it's a little thirsty; but then I also use it primarily to tow my bike to the track... But here's what I'm really curious about - why do you want to get rid of your civic Si?