Too nice a day. I’m headed 250 miles to the gulf coast

[tonybluegoat]

[tonybluegoat]

Foiled!  About 90 min out my bike started wobbling at low speed. The back tire is down to the threads. Drats!

Headed home after a consolatory burger. Guess I need to buy a tire.

[Chrisj CMA]

Guess I need to buy a tire.

Ya think?    And wash that thing

[tonybluegoat]

Guess I need to buy a tire.

Ya think?   And wash that thing

Washing is for yuppies. I've never washed my 81 XJ650, so chances are this won't get washed either.  Good American dirt.

[f6john]

Maybe if you had washed it before you left you might have noticed the need for a new tire while you were laying on the ground polishing the exhaust. 

[Serk]

I agree on the washing, if it's nice enough outside to wash it's nice enough outside to ride!

And on the weather being too nice here in The Republic to NOT ride, I managed to make a little jaunt across the DFW Metromess in rush hour traffic just for the fun of it (We all like different things. Ripping through highway rush hour traffic at triple digit speeds reminds me that I'm alive...)

[msb]

I agree on the washing, if it's nice enough outside to wash it's nice enough outside to ride!

Washing ( and waxing) is done AFTER a ride. It is possible to put on a lot of miles AND maintain a clean bike...been doing it for 46 years 
Also, as it was in my HD days especially way back when and even now with a 21 year old bike, washing and polishing on a regular basis gives you a chance to find a lot of little things that can be tightened, tweaked, etc (or notice that your tires are bald )

[Jess from VA]

I keep a somewhat clean bike, usually. (wiping it down after a ride is really so much easier than letting it get filthy and starting from scratch after weeks or months)

However I don't take off on no rides with a near threadbare tire; I actually decide to put a new tire on somewhere before threadbare.  And this is true even though I'm kind of a cheap bastard as a matter of principle.  I've been sideways with the back end trying to pass the front several times on old and hot tires.  It's not that much fun.

Motorcycle riding is exciting enough without worn out tires.  

[Deerslayer]

ALWAYS...

treat your bike like a fighter pilot.

I give it a look over every time. it only takes 2 minutes to check tire pressure &  check their condition.

..Slayer

[Chrisj CMA]

Maybe if you had washed it before you left you might have noticed the need for a new tire while you were laying on the ground polishing the exhaust.  

+1 xactly

And like msb said. You can ride and have a clean bike and I’m no yuppie.

This is my red and white with 160K on the clock at the Barbers museum in Leeds AL. Was a 300 plus mile ride. Still looked as clean as the one inside.

[The emperor has no clothes]

Are there still “yuppies” ?  

[tonybluegoat]

Are there still “yuppies” ?  

They turned into the boomers who spend money hand over fist.  Everything new, just so, tons of insurance from their phones to the weed eater they bought at Home Depot. They complain about the economy that they wrought, about "debt" when they carry half a million dollars in debt from their mortgage to the cars, motorcycles, boats, credit cards, no payments for 180 days furniture, home improvement loans. They complain about the cost of healthcare while they insist on having every diagnostic procedure, medical treatment, the testosterone of a 20 year old, etc. And they live in fear that something might go wrong.  I go train their dogs for them every week.  They are nice people. But they live in a world where they pay a dog trainer $1,000 to train their $2,000 dog to not pee on their $3,000 rug in their 1,900 square foot house for 2 people.

So you're right... Yuppies became Guppies. (sorry there is no grenade emoticon to put here)

[Chrisj CMA]

Guess I need to buy a tire.

Ya think?   And wash that thing

Washing is for yuppies. I've never washed my 81 XJ650, so chances are this won't get washed either.  Good American dirt.

My XJ 650.  Later on I had the 750 it was faster, but the 650 was more fun to ride

[tonybluegoat]

Maybe if you had washed it before you left you might have noticed the need for a new tire while you were laying on the ground polishing the exhaust.  

+1 xactly

And like msb said. You can ride and have a clean bike and I’m no yuppie.

This is my red and white with 160K on the clock at the Barbers museum in Leeds AL. Was a 300 plus mile ride. Still looked as clean as the one inside.

Snazzy. Very nice. Have pride in your work. If you're going to do something do it right.  Cleanliness is next to godliness. A good mechanic takes care of his tools. ect. You should do all those things.

The funny thing is that somehow it matters to you that MY bike is dirty. It reflects on the "community" for me to have a dirty bike. It's primal.

Nice bike!

[Chrisj CMA]

The funny thing is that somehow it matters to you that MY bike is dirty. It reflects on the "community" for me to have a dirty bike. It's primal.

I don't care how you keep your bike.  And if it wasn't a Valkyrie I would not have commented.  I just hate t see a Valkyrie missing out on her massages and loving care.  But, thanks for the compliment

[Black Pearl's Captain]

Tony you need to update your sig line.

Seems like there must be three things you don't pay attention too. Weather Politics and your tires....  

[tonybluegoat]

Guess I need to buy a tire.

Ya think?   And wash that thing

Washing is for yuppies. I've never washed my 81 XJ650, so chances are this won't get washed either.  Good American dirt.

My XJ 650.  Later on I had the 750 it was faster, but the 650 was more fun to ride

Nice.

I had 3 at one time.  Sold one back to original owner for twice what I paid for it (without washing it). Have one that I ride and one that I pulled out of pile in Oklahoma.  My brother and I are stripping it down to make a naked bike out of.  Maybe run hills with it... who knows.

None of these were running when I got them.  One came out of a hurricane. One came from a guppy in Austin who had an immaculate garage, spent 5 months doing to what the guys on the XJ650 forum told him to do and could never get the carbs right. I fixed it in a day doing it "wrong." I got kicked off that forum for doing things "wrong" too much. Maybe I'll get booted off here too for having a dirty bike. My Prius has over 400,000 miles on it and I don't "take care" of it either. It's always dirty and full of fast food bags.  

I don't do well in polite company for some reason. But I have no mortgage, no credit bills, no car payments. Everything I own is paid for and I only work about 6 hours a day 6 days a month, so luckily I don't have to exist in polite society much.

[tonybluegoat]

Tony you need to update your sig line.

Seems like there must be three things you don't pay attention too. Weather Politics and your tires....  

  Yep!  Every bike I buy has crappy tires.  Every bike I sell has new tires. Go figure.  I'm tempted to go to the dark side.

[Serk]

I'm tempted to go to the dark side.

Especially on a big bike like the Valk I love my DS tires....

(As if this thread weren't controversial enough! Now maybe we should discuss the preferred oil?  )

[Serk]

Also, it's uncanny how many went on the XS to Valkyrie pipeline.....

My first road bike before my Valk...

[tonybluegoat]

I'm tempted to go to the dark side.

Especially on a big bike like the Valk I love my DS tires....

(As if this thread weren't controversial enough! Now maybe we should discuss the preferred oil?  )

I'm with you PM me!  Hell I have a prius tire around here somewhere... I wonder if that would fit?

[msb]

Are there still “yuppies” ?  

They turned into the boomers who spend money hand over fist.  Everything new, just so, tons of insurance from their phones to the weed eater they bought at Home Depot. They complain about the economy that they wrought, about "debt" when they carry half a million dollars in debt from their mortgage to the cars, motorcycles, boats, credit cards, no payments for 180 days furniture, home improvement loans. They complain about the cost of healthcare while they insist on having every diagnostic procedure, medical treatment, the testosterone of a 20 year old, etc. And they live in fear that something might go wrong.  I go train their dogs for them every week.  They are nice people. But they live in a world where they pay a dog trainer $1,000 to train their $2,000 dog to not pee on their $3,000 rug in their 1,900 square foot house for 2 people.

So you're right... Yuppies became Guppies. (sorry there is no grenade emoticon to put here)

Whew!....guess I'm not a Yuppie (or a Guppie) then. No debt, refuse to pay for the extra insurance on items I buy, ride a 21 year old (albeit clean...hope that doesnt work against me here ) bike, like the value I get from my healthcare,  and  do all I can on my own to keep this 63 year old body in good enough shape to  still do SOME of the things I did as a 20 year old...and I don't own a dog

tonybluegoat....your analogy of certain dog owners is funny. Have a good friend who trained police and bomb dogs for 30 years. He and his wife also operated a kennel and trained domestic dogs as well...I remember him having similar comments about some of the people that brought their dogs in for domestic training.
Anyway....hope you get a new tire on and are able to take that camping trip ride soon...I enjoy reading your posts  

[tonybluegoat]

Also, it's uncanny how many went on the XS to Valkyrie pipeline.....

My first road bike before my Valk...

It's because they are the absolute best bikes for the money on the used market. I can pick up an XJ for $600 once the own "give up on it." Before they give up on it they want $1,200.  But once they get sick of having it sit around I can get it for $600.

The Valks are similar except I think people are just scared of how big they are. Like Harley's aren't massive loads of poorly engineered steel. When I bought this one I had my pick of at least 4 Valks for under $3,500. This one was, honestly, in the worst condition. But my wife liked it best, so I bought it.  It was on the coast so it's a little corroded and has rust spots in places.  The chrome is cracked on the triple tree.  I saw it and though, "Great!  I don't have to worry about screwing it up!" I hate washing things.

But yea, I have a 3 cylinder XS in a pile behind a shop.  We cannibalize it for parts to work on the XJ. The XJ is like a road worthy dirt bike.  It weighs nothing.  The original idea was to make a bike that weighs less than 200 kg and will go over 200 km/hr.  They're bullet proof.

[tonybluegoat]

Are there still “yuppies” ?  

They turned into the boomers who spend money hand over fist.  Everything new, just so, tons of insurance from their phones to the weed eater they bought at Home Depot. They complain about the economy that they wrought, about "debt" when they carry half a million dollars in debt from their mortgage to the cars, motorcycles, boats, credit cards, no payments for 180 days furniture, home improvement loans. They complain about the cost of healthcare while they insist on having every diagnostic procedure, medical treatment, the testosterone of a 20 year old, etc. And they live in fear that something might go wrong.  I go train their dogs for them every week.  They are nice people. But they live in a world where they pay a dog trainer $1,000 to train their $2,000 dog to not pee on their $3,000 rug in their 1,900 square foot house for 2 people.

So you're right... Yuppies became Guppies. (sorry there is no grenade emoticon to put here)

Whew!....guess I'm not a Yuppie (or a Guppie) then. No debt, refuse to pay for the extra insurance on items I buy, ride a 21 year old (albeit clean...hope that doesnt work against me here ) bike, like the value I get from my healthcare,  and  do all I can on my own to keep this 63 year old body in good enough shape to  still do SOME of the things I did as a 20 year old...and I don't own a dog

tonybluegoat....your analogy of certain dog owners is funny. Have a good friend who trained police and bomb dogs for 30 years. He and his wife also operated a kennel and trained domestic dogs as well...I remember him having similar comments about some of the people that brought their dogs in for domestic training.
Anyway....hope you get a new tire on and are able to take that camping trip ride soon...I enjoy reading your posts  

Where do you live. I'll ride up. We can have a bourbon, or a scotch or a rum.  NO TEQUILA!

[baldo]

I'm tempted to go to the dark side.

Especially on a big bike like the Valk I love my DS tires....

(As if this thread weren't controversial enough! Now maybe we should discuss the preferred oil?  )

Mmmmmmm....cookies.

[Willow]

Guess I need to buy a tire.

Ya think?   And wash that thing

Washing is for yuppies. I've never washed my 81 XJ650, so chances are this won't get washed either.  Good American dirt.

If your rear tire was wobbling you had been riding on threads for a long time, enough to wear thinly enough to lose air.

That kind of thinking about cleaning the bike would lead one to never bathing or changing clothes.  I'm not overwhelmingly driven to a pristine bike but riding a filthy machine shows disrespect for one's ride.

[J.Mencalice]

Are there still “yuppies” ?  

They turned into the boomers who spend money hand over fist.  Everything new, just so, tons of insurance from their phones to the weed eater they bought at Home Depot. They complain about the economy that they wrought, about "debt" when they carry half a million dollars in debt from their mortgage to the cars, motorcycles, boats, credit cards, no payments for 180 days furniture, home improvement loans. They complain about the cost of healthcare while they insist on having every diagnostic procedure, medical treatment, the testosterone of a 20 year old, etc. And they live in fear that something might go wrong.  I go train their dogs for them every week.  They are nice people. But they live in a world where they pay a dog trainer $1,000 to train their $2,000 dog to not pee on their $3,000 rug in their 1,900 square foot house for 2 people.

So you're right... Yuppies became Guppies. (sorry there is no grenade emoticon to put here)

Incorrect.  The original baby boomers came first and yuppies were outgrowths of the later boomers.  Post WWII population explosion when the boys returned home alive, horny, and ready to rock.  Yuppies were the affluent offspring that came of age in the 1980's and fed their greedy little hearts with things such as BMW & Mercedes Benz autos (American wasn't good enough for them any longer).  Yuppies embraced disco (crap music for  'gs). Yuppies totally screwed up Vail, Aspen, Steamboat Springs; the list goes on and on; to this day there are yuppies being cloned in loft apartments in downtown Denver.  Reference "American Psycho", the movie, if you want to see yuppies to the extreme.  
They streamed into our mountain towns on the western slope of Colorado and really screwed things up for the rest of us wanting independence and the solitude of the land.  To them, everything is about a return on their "investment".  Screw'em.

Addedum:  A Happier New Year and  Peace to all who seek it.

[hubcapsc]

The beautiful weather has reached South Carolina. I headed out for a great ride
to Georgia this morning. My tires are new and my bike is clean, so I didn't
turn back    ...



-Mike

[..]

The beautiful weather has reached South Carolina. I headed out for a great ride
to Georgia this morning. My tires are new and my bike is clean, so I didn't
turn back    ...



-Mike

I'd have come out for a dash about.

[Chrisj CMA]

The beautiful weather has reached South Carolina. I headed out for a great ride
to Georgia this morning. My tires are new and my bike is clean, so I didn't
turn back    ...



-Mike

Nice 

[hubcapsc]

I'd have come out for a dash about.

I left out through Toccoa. 123's sweepers and 17a (except for a few blocks in town) and
385 are pretty nice roads, especially on such a gift of a day. 197 woulda led towards
Clayton and Tiger - a good "dash about" loop for next time 

-Mike

[msb]

Are there still “yuppies” ?  

They turned into the boomers who spend money hand over fist.  Everything new, just so, tons of insurance from their phones to the weed eater they bought at Home Depot. They complain about the economy that they wrought, about "debt" when they carry half a million dollars in debt from their mortgage to the cars, motorcycles, boats, credit cards, no payments for 180 days furniture, home improvement loans. They complain about the cost of healthcare while they insist on having every diagnostic procedure, medical treatment, the testosterone of a 20 year old, etc. And they live in fear that something might go wrong.  I go train their dogs for them every week.  They are nice people. But they live in a world where they pay a dog trainer $1,000 to train their $2,000 dog to not pee on their $3,000 rug in their 1,900 square foot house for 2 people.

So you're right... Yuppies became Guppies. (sorry there is no grenade emoticon to put here)

Whew!....guess I'm not a Yuppie (or a Guppie) then. No debt, refuse to pay for the extra insurance on items I buy, ride a 21 year old (albeit clean...hope that doesnt work against me here ) bike, like the value I get from my healthcare,  and  do all I can on my own to keep this 63 year old body in good enough shape to  still do SOME of the things I did as a 20 year old...and I don't own a dog

tonybluegoat....your analogy of certain dog owners is funny. Have a good friend who trained police and bomb dogs for 30 years. He and his wife also operated a kennel and trained domestic dogs as well...I remember him having similar comments about some of the people that brought their dogs in for domestic training.
Anyway....hope you get a new tire on and are able to take that camping trip ride soon...I enjoy reading your posts  

Where do you live. I'll ride up. We can have a bourbon, or a scotch or a rum.  NO TEQUILA!

British Columbia....have at 'er, but you might want to wait 'til Spring ...see ya then 

[tonybluegoat]

Are there still “yuppies” ?  

They turned into the boomers who spend money hand over fist.  Everything new, just so, tons of insurance from their phones to the weed eater they bought at Home Depot. They complain about the economy that they wrought, about "debt" when they carry half a million dollars in debt from their mortgage to the cars, motorcycles, boats, credit cards, no payments for 180 days furniture, home improvement loans. They complain about the cost of healthcare while they insist on having every diagnostic procedure, medical treatment, the testosterone of a 20 year old, etc. And they live in fear that something might go wrong.  I go train their dogs for them every week.  They are nice people. But they live in a world where they pay a dog trainer $1,000 to train their $2,000 dog to not pee on their $3,000 rug in their 1,900 square foot house for 2 people.

So you're right... Yuppies became Guppies. (sorry there is no grenade emoticon to put here)

Incorrect.  The original baby boomers came first and yuppies were outgrowths of the later boomers.  Post WWII population explosion when the boys returned home alive, horny, and ready to rock.  Yuppies were the affluent offspring that came of age in the 1980's and fed their greedy little hearts with things such as BMW & Mercedes Benz autos (American wasn't good enough for them any longer).  Yuppies embraced disco (crap music for  'gs). Yuppies totally screwed up Vail, Aspen, Steamboat Springs; the list goes on and on; to this day there are yuppies being cloned in loft apartments in downtown Denver.  Reference "American Psycho", the movie, if you want to see yuppies to the extreme.  
They streamed into our mountain towns on the western slope of Colorado and really screwed things up for the rest of us wanting independence and the solitude of the land.  To them, everything is about a return on their "investment".  Screw'em.

Addedum:  A Happier New Year and  Peace to all who seek it.

Fair enough... 

[tonybluegoat]

The beautiful weather has reached South Carolina. I headed out for a great ride
to Georgia this morning. My tires are new and my bike is clean, so I didn't
turn back    ...



-Mike

Nice 

[scooperhsd]

 Just got back from a 50 mile local loop ride - felt good to be back out in the wind again !!!!

[Serk]

Momma wouldn't let me take a ride today, too much getting ready for X-mas morning stuff for the kiddos (The joys of having three 8 year olds) but..... once responsibilities were handled, I still had to take advantage of this gorgeous weather here in The Republic with a little Me Time!

[Jess from VA]

You know smoking and drinking will stunt your growth don't you?         

[f6gal]

Momma wouldn't let me take a ride today, too much getting ready for X-mas morning stuff for the kiddos (The joys of having three 3 year olds) but..... once responsibilities were handled, I still had to take advantage of this gorgeous weather here in The Republic with a little Me Time!

You must be over-indulging... since your kids just got younger.   

[Serk]

Momma wouldn't let me take a ride today, too much getting ready for X-mas morning stuff for the kiddos (The joys of having three 8 year olds) but..... once responsibilities were handled, I still had to take advantage of this gorgeous weather here in The Republic with a little Me Time!

You must be over-indulging... since your kids just got younger.   

D'oh! Yeah, it's been a crazy last few days..... Much as I enjoyed the triplets at 3, would NOT wanna re-do that phase!!!

[Chrisj CMA]

Been crazy here too trying to schedule 11 grand kids. Grandpa looses his mind quicker and quicker these days.