Ziggy

I'm going on vacation next week to Northern Va to spend some time with family and friends. I'm taking the bike, the wife and kids will follow in the car. So the question is this... Knowing that the bulk of the luggage will be in the car with the rest of the family, what would you pack on your bike? Rain gear, phone, mp3 players are already considered standard/daily items. I ride a slightly modified VStar 650 Classic, and have a pair of saddlebags and a tank bag for luggage. I don't have a sissy bar bag or a "driver's" backrest, but I'm going to be keeping an eye out for something to lean on. The route I have mapped out takes me northeast on OH22 to Lancaster before dropping onto 33 toward Athens, then on to 32/50 and eventually 50 east all the way to VA. Mileage is 432 each way, Google Maps says 8.5 hours to go straight through.

Got a couple of my employees to vote for her too...

You guys are neck and neck with some other chick... I'll log on and vote from home later tonight. I don't have flash on my blackberry, or I'd vote there too.

Voted... Good luck!

Depending on how much you ride, and what kind of riding you do, I'd imagine that 10-12k or more would be reasonable to expect out of your cruiser tires. There are a lot of factors that go into it though. A routine tire inspection should tell you when you're ready to replace. On most cruisers, it's more common for people to need to replace tires due to dry rot than wear.

Wow... Used to be a Porsche?

The value in that car is strictly in the salvageable parts. That's not to say that it couldn't be done, Lord knows there are fools out there that have tackled projects such as this, but the cars that get resurrected from this state are generally great, historically significant cars of yore... Not (forgive me) commercially available and relatively easily replaced late model cars. Even to half ass repair that car would far outweigh the repaired value.

I've never clicked the Traffic button on Google Maps before... That's cool. With any luck though, it'd only be a short time before I found the back way in and out of where I need to be so I wouldn't have to use the interstates as my only route in and out of work. Kosmo: I'll check that site out, thanks!

I really don't mind a commute, and figure I'll be staying out of Dallas proper 98 percent of the time. Mesquite is on the East side of the city, and from what I can see on the map, looks to be fairly accessible as long as I don't go west of there. Traffic there can't be much worse than 71/75/275 in Cincinnati, right? Right now, I live just east of Kings Island, and work in Sharonville (just south of 275, in between 71 and 75), and depending on which way I go it is either 12 or 18 miles from my house, and routinely takes 35-45 minutes to commute.

It says here the guy lost control at high speed and barrel rolled it into a ditch... On another note, $10k would be a bargain for that hulk if the LS9 is still mostly intact. Summit has LS9 crate engines for $23k. Buy it, pull the engine, and anything else that'll clean up is bonus! Saved yourself 13 grand.

I'm looking at possibly taking a transfer for promotion to the DFW area, and would be working east of the city in the suburb of Mesquite, TX. The money gained should be fairly significant over what I make right now, and from what I've been able to find, it looks like the cost of living is a little bit lower out there. What I wanna know is; Where are the good school districts? Where are the big traffic hang ups for commuting? What areas should I stay away from (crime and such)? If I get the job, I'd like to buy a house on some property. I don't mind a thirty-ish minute commute (more riding time ) so I can be pretty flexible with location, just don't wanna be in the "city".

I would totally be in for this, but I gotta work, and gotta get my carbs dialed in. Be careful, stay safe, have fun!

I've gotto learn to check the date on the thread...

I used to live in the Northern Virginia area, Loudoun County specifically, and my parents and in-laws still do. If traffic, pretentious people, and politics gnaw at you, stay away from the DC area. My family and I make the trip down there several times per year, and every time I go, I find that there are more people cramming themselves into the area every year. The cost of living is high, the commuting roads suck, and people are generally rude and focused on the 16 inches directly around their heads. VA does have some great roads, but it can be a collossal PITA to get to them. My tollerance for the greater Baltimore, Washington D.C. area is about a week. Any more than that, and I can feel the life being sucked out of me. Don't get me wrong, it is a great place to visit. Crappy place to live and raise a family, but a great place to visit.

Rolling Thunder is this weekend in Washington, D.C. I was planning on going myself, but my plans got hosed. I've been in years past, but never got to participate in the actual rally across the Memorial Bridge. One of these days...

Pretty sure you know a guy that'd give you a deal on a slightly used ZX6R... j/k good luck finding one you like!

Love the pipes! Makes the bright bits pop!

Had a great time yesterday. I'll be looking forward to next year! Pretty sure OR picked up a few new members yesterday too.

voted with all of my e-mail addresses.

I'm riding up from Cincinnati either way.

Welcome to the board! I'm in Hamilton Twp too, off of Zoar.

You get this fingered out?

When I took this job, I commuted from my house on the East side of Columbus, to my job just North of Cincinnati every day. Door to door was just over 100 miles each way. I did that for 3 months until my house sold and I was able to move the family. In some aspects, the drive was great. I listened to music, books, talk radio etc... But in other ways, the drive really sucked. Especially if my boss wanted to take us out to dinner and drinks after work or something. There were several nights that I didn't get on the road to head home until after 10:00 PM, only to turn around and have to be back on the road to work by 6:00 AM in case I hit traffic. I bought a $700 accord and put 12k miles on it in 3 months making the commute. Now my commute is 12 or 18 miles depending on which way I go. Either way it usually takes about a half hour, give or take 10 minutes. I think it's just about right for commuting on the bike.

I'm in!

I did the jets on my 650... I assume it'd be similar. Have you checked out any of the VStar forums for a How To?