redkow97

I'm a big fan, but I tend to agree. It's not often Dave Grohl is the weakness in a performance.

I've been called worse.

I think they do, but no one chooses to utilize it. I'm not sure if it's a matter of the weight, or the weird feel issues.

"is there something you want to tell me?" When I found the mango allergy info, her response (via text) was "REALLY? YOU FUCKED A MANGO?"

I'm posting this mainly so no one else has to deal with the amount of worrying I've done over the last week. My lips were on fire, and I started developing herpes-like sores in the corners of my mouth. Dermatologist says "it's either a staph infection, or herpes." Culture for the staph infection came back negative. Great... Then I notice my junk is itching more than normal, and see a rash starting to develop. What. The. Fuck? Long story short, after spending about 3 days thinking I caught the herp somewhere, and just haven't known it for a decade, I have just been made aware that the skin of mangoes contains an oil similar to the stuff that makes poison ivy react with our skin. While mango allergies are relatively rare, I had peeled and eaten one the night before my symptoms began, and it's something I eat VERY rarely. Because it's an oil-based liquid, dish soap should wash it off, but hand soap (or a quick rinse of water) may not. Use the bathroom 20 minutes after mango-peeling, and there's the junk issue... Anyway, be warned.

My craftsman shit the bed and I borrowed my buddy's DeWalt drill and circular saw yesterday. He dropped the drill off my deck roof onto the pavement below. Barely a scratch. I was also impressed with the battery life as the circular saw was making 4' and 8' cuts all day for the roof decking.

I have a standard def projector if you want to do movies in the barn.

She's probably safer than 90% of the people I've encountered at the range. All tht said, I do think speed drills are asking for careless mistakes. Do it correctly in 1:30, not with mistakes in :53

Honestly I'm not convinced it's sour grapes as much as finances. How much does it cost to race at Daytona? The crowds have not been large at all. I am betting the track cost doesn't justify the expense. If MotoAmerica can't make money or at least break even hosting the event, then they shouldn't agree to it. Losing money does nothing To advance road racing in America.

another thumbs up on this thing. I sold my 2003 for only marginally less money, and mine was in a bit worse shape, with no front suspension work beyond springs and heavier oil. The only thing my bike had that this one doesn't is a gear indicator. It was still a rock-solid bike even after I sent it cartwheeling through the grass. I even like the paint scheme on this bike. I'd be seriously tempted if I weren't about to spend several hundred dollars on roofing supplies tonight

What was fighting you with the air box?

I think kids are only tangentially related to this discussion. Happy or not happy is the real question; kids just add additional obligations that you have to consider before your own happiness. My kid is worth it. I don't think anyone can really appreciate how easy that is to say until their 20 minute old daughter shits on their arm, but all that said, I don't fault anyone for not wanting (or thinking they don't want) kids. Still spent the weekend posting our Xbox and PS2 on eBay. That's the kind of stuff filling closets that we could use more efficiently rather than moving. Next is te garage. Who wants EX500, CBR F2, and 600RR parts I forgot I owned??

I'm not familiar with the legal hoops that one has to jump through to operate such a vehicle, but it seems like it would be a lot cheaper to just purchase a business class seat (or two) and cruise at 400 mph. You could do that 40 or 50 times before justifying the cost of this 'car.'

What does it look like with the wind screen all the way down? Is it manually adjustable, or do you have to control it manually? My favorite FJR memory is a guy and his girlfriend having one at Mid-Ohio and camping right behind us. His girlfriend was a total butterface, but she had an awesome rack, and no awareness whatsoever of the fact that the screen door of their tent was quite transparent.

poor financial decisions? I think you mean this: And yeah, I used the brands that poor people are more likely to buy, but the reality is that smokes and booze are always an unnecessary expense. Our country has a FUCKED UP perception of wealth in that we see people as "financially stable" who are really completely broke, but financing a ton of nice shit.

Totally understand this take as well. There was a woman in the documentary who was quite successful and had a lot of awesome stuff. She decided to quit, down-size, play with said stuff, and then sold it to travel the US. The mantra doesn't have to be that wealth and possessions are bad, you just want to be conscious of what you're sacrificing. If you're happy, you're doing a lot right. I have friends who are only happy if their name is on the door of their firm, and they're making $80k or more. That measure of success makes them happy (or so they say). I am happier having more free time to be hung over from craft beer...

My wife claims we could not have a second baby in this house. I look at our dining room and see a table we use four times a year, and in our living room we have a couch that only the dogs lay on, with a coffee table I have never set a drink on. The shelf under it is filled with DVDs that we watch far less often than their cost justifies. I could likely empty half of every closet in our house too. Absent a school system, I see no reason to "upgrade" houses.

There is a middle-ground. Watch the documentary "Tiny: an exercise in living small." I'm not suggesting that you move into a 100 square foot box, but take stock of all the things in your house you don't use, and could live without. That documentary has stopped me from looking at larger houses.

my 16 yr old self would have been down for a lot of things that were neither legal, nor in my best interest. That is explicitly why this conduct is against the law. But even if this kid had been 18, it is illegal in almost every state for a teacher and a student to engage in sexual contact. I'd listen to arguments about lowering the age of consent, and eliminating laws like the one above, but until that happens, these aren't difficult laws to abide by...

dude... How hard is it to not bang kids???? and for all of you who see nothing wrong with this, double-standard much?

I haven't ridden one, but I'm not sure I agree... If you're saying you can eliminate the perceived problem by modifying your riding habits, then that's one thing. If you're claiming that "the surge in power shouldn't be annoying once you know it's coming," then I'm less inclined to agree. Knowing to expect a poor engine characteristic doesn't make the characteristic any less poor...

I have seen bikes far less capable than the Vulcan 500 or the Nighthawk 750 in the beginner group with both clubs I mentioned. It is not about going as fast as possible, learning the skills and techniques is what makes going fast(er) possible to do more safely. The going faster part is optional, but tends to be a byproduct of improved skill. It should not be an issue to be placed in one of the less aggressive novice groups and spend the day working on skills rather than outright speed. Frankly, that's probably a much better process, but reigning in a bunch of excited first-timers with purpose-built sportbikes under them is no easy task for even the best organization and instructors I just saw that the OP is in Cincy, so Nelson would be a pretty long drive for an underwhelming track, but I really think that would be the cheapest option, and closest to a "street" experience.

I think 90% of drivers and riders alike follow the vehicle ahead of them much too closely. I try to remind myself of this and leave more room in my car, let alone when I'm on the bike. It's not worth rear-ending the guy ahead of you, or getting rear-ended when you stop faster than the person behind you realizes. Leaving more room can only help. condolences to the families of all those affected by these incidents.

Hit up the beginner group with STT or MotoSeries. Yeah, it's on a track, but especially at Nelson Ledges, you're going to be on street-like road surfaces, and the muscle-memory can be really helpful. You and the bike are both capable of a lot more than you probably realize. You'll get 50+ chances at every corner, at speeds you would (or should) never choose on the street. I think of it like taking warm-up swings with 2 bats - when you go back to 1 bat (i.e. reduce speeds to road-legal levels) everything feels easier by comparison. If you can brake hard from 100+ on a race track, you should feel a lot more comfortable braking from 75+ on the highway in an emergency. What you (hopefully) won't get to practice on a race track is avoiding obstacles at 40 mph in traffic, and/or dealing with unseen road hazards. Other than practicing spotting such things, dirt riding is probably the best way to get used to situations where loss of traction is inevitable. That said, your 750 is never going to be a 200 lbs. dirty bike... Still can't hurt. And it's fun.

so remind me what else is in the garage, other than the grom and the SxS. I can't picture you without some kind of respectable sport(y) bike. some guy on Cleveland CL is selling a 1992 Honda F2 for $800. Something to scratch the itch without breaking the bank?