Post a picture of your motorcycle

The Bikini fairing, like that on the BMW R90S, looked great when I was riding and a proper sized one was a boon at high speed, here's one on a Suzuki GT550 triple .

Efthreeoh wrote

It was sad to see Polaris scuttle the Victory brand. Looks like Indian may once again go into the trash bin of history too...

Truth. Most comfortable touring bike ever designed. I watched its development over four years and they started with what is the most comfortable riding position, and let’s design a bike around that.

Greatly miss its further evolution. Polaris backed the Indian horse only and let Victory die on the vine and now look at them 😢

Yes, at one point I had 3 two wheeled vehicles in the garage. It was a little crowded. The BMW in the back is a fantastic two cylinder that they stopped making (or at least importing to the US) in 2020. C650GT, auto clutch, heated seats and grips, electric windshield, ABS and traction control... The big Yamaha FJR1300 was sold, later replaced with a BMW R1250RS after a trade for the C650.

Keith Quigley
Bedford, TX
US

Just a quick shout out to Vanson Leathers.

Last week, finally after 24 years of dedicated service, my Vanson motorcycle jacket lost a tooth on the main zipper. I contacted Vanson to inquire about a repair. Every Vanson jacket comes with a leather zipper pull tag that you can use for a key fob, which has the jacket's serial number. I gave the repair department rep the number and he knew the model of the jacket, where I bought it, and when I bought it. Impressive. With that number Vanson can reproduce your garment if need be, such as in case it is stolen or damaged by road rash.

If you ever want to splurge on some great moto gear, you can't go wrong with a Vanson product.

Efthreeoh wrote

Just a quick shout out to Vanson Leathers.

Last week, finally after 24 years of dedicated service, my Vanson motorcycle jacket lost a tooth on the main zipper. I contacted Vanson to inquire about a repair. Every Vanson jacket comes with a leather zipper pull tag that you can use for a key fob, which has the jacket's serial number. I gave the repair department rep the number and he knew the model of the jacket, where I bought it, and when I bought it. Impressive. With that number Vanson can reproduce your garment if need be, such as in case it is stolen or damaged by road rash.

If you ever want to splurge on some great moto gear, you can't go wrong with a Vanson product.

The issue I have with riding gear is not being able to find a riding gear company that makes garments which fit a tall/athletic build guy. The only company I've found that still sort of sells gear which accommodates people of different size/shape is Rev It. Alpinestars used to have gear that accommodates tall people but they scrapped that now.

What I have to do is get a Rev IT jacket which is sized to fit my broader shoulder width and pair it with riding pants that I can get with a smaller waist but have length for my legs. The riding pants I've used for street and track is wearing through at the inside knee area due to the track tank pads they're exposed to. Rev IT as far as I know doesn't have a repair service. I found a company in NYC that will do repairs and I was considering that route. Rev IT has newer version of my pants but was always out of stock in my size. I asked them when they'll have stock in my size again. Was told at that time, there were no plans of restocking that size. Last year I just happened to do some online browsing and looked to see if that particular pants was available in my size. To my surprise, I found the retailer I've purchased from in the past had two in stock. I immediately jumped on ordering it. Shortly after the other one they had in stock was sold. So no more stock. I also found Revzilla state side had one in stock in my size. So I ordered that one too knowing how difficult it's been to get this pants in my size. Since then no retailer or Rev IT has these pants in my size in stock. I pretty much bought the only inventory world wide.

^agree with this^

The solution is something custom tailored, or live with it. I wear Sedici Avventura pants and jacket. Jacket fits my shoulders but the waist is blocky/too much room and the sleeve could use approx 3/4" more length. Pants fit my waist but could use 1" more length, especially to overlap the boots when on the bike. When off the bike and walking, the pant leg length is perfect.

Oh well, the items have good features and good enough appearance, and the price is what I am willing to pay.

Yes. I was facing a custom suit if I hadn't found the scarce stock of Rev IT leather pants. I rather not go through the expense of getting a custom suit along with so far, I've only seen customization for one piece track suits.

The solution I came up with was to combine pants and jackets that fit my body. I'm stuck with Rev IT since manufacturers don't have a standard zipper. I need to zipper the pants and jacket together when I'm on track. I could try to find some place to replace the zipper so I can use a jacket from a different manufacturer. But again more hassle. Also with a two piece setup, there's more flexibility where I can ride with just the jacket and not the leather pants that has knee pucks. Or just take the jacket off leaving the pants on when it's hot out while I rest off track.

With my recent gear purchases, I'm all set till I'm too old to ride. Only thing I have to do which I don't remember it being a problem with my old worn leather pants is how slippery the new pants are when I'm on my bike. Braking and hanging off the bike are exercises in trying to stay on the bike without slipping off. I got some horse saddle tack to spray around the crotch area of the new pants so I don't slide off the bike. But I think I just have to wear them in by getting the leather roughed up so there's some texture for grip.

Our first package dropoff... Ironic though, shipping my 24-year-old Vanson jacket back to Vanson for a zipper repair.



More ironic, earlier, stopped by the Honda M/C dealer to buy an oil change kit for the Valkyrie (unseen in the right-side pannier).

After 5 years of riding/tracking, I was in an accident that pretty much destroyed the left side of my body: nearly completely severed my left/dominant arm at the shoulder, losing 100% of function as well as shattering that arm's humerus/radius/ulna, broke 4 ribs, broke 6 vertebrae in my neck/back, compound fracture of my femur/knee (which punctured my leathers!), collapsed a lung... I'd "died" a couple times on the table; ~60seconds of flatline total due to blood loss, which is crazy to think about since they ended up giving me a total of ~2 full oil changes (17 units of blood).

It was life-changing to say the least. But I never stopped loving riding - it was/is one of my biggest passions. So, 8 years later (and, (surprisingly, with my family's blessing, having seen how diminished my spirit had become) I got back in the saddle and have been riding on hard mode for the last 14 years.

Some of my favorite shots





My wife and I




I even joined AMA Flat Track Racing for a season








My peak stable




My pre-accident R6 track bike


And streetfighter R6


Equal parts fun & ghetto

cg_ops wrote

After 5 years of riding/tracking, I was in an accident that pretty much destroyed the left side of my body: nearly completely severed my left/dominant arm at the shoulder, losing 100% of function as well as shattering that arm's humerus/radius/ulna, broke 4 ribs, broke 6 vertebrae in my neck/back, compound fracture of my femur/knee (which punctured my leathers!), collapsed a lung... I'd "died" a couple times on the table; ~60seconds of flatline total due to blood loss, which is crazy to think about since they ended up giving me a total of ~2 full oil changes (17 units of blood).

It was life-changing to say the least. But I never stopped loving riding - it was/is one of my biggest passions. So, 8 years later (and, (surprisingly, with my family's blessing, having seen how diminished my spirit had become) I got back in the saddle and have been riding on hard mode for the last 14 years.

Some of my favorite shots





My wife and I




I even joined AMA Flat Track Racing for a season








My peak stable




My pre-accident R6 track bike


And streetfighter R6


Equal parts fun & ghetto

You, sir..... are a steely eyed missile man!



R.

flybigjet wrote

You, sir..... are a steely eyed missile man!



R.

Thank you - that's quite high praise from someone in aviation!

I've shared this before, so, mostly copy paste for anyone interested:

I've always been competitive; with myself and in general. Combined with ADHD, I tend to find all kinds of interests/hobbies quickly, obsessing over them and rapidly becoming somewhere between "proficient" and "very good" in short order and then losing all interest, in favor of the next interesting activity.

Riding is one of the few things that stuck with me for more than a couple years. I'd wanted a moto since I was a kid but my parents (perhaps wisely/presciently ) forebode it, steering me towards mountain biking instead. So, somewhat stupidly, I started riding in college - a buddy had crashed his car and bought an SV650-S that he let me learn to ride on. Then sold to me for a song. I owned it for about a year before selling it to buy the newly released 2nd generation YZF-R6 in late 2022. Within weeks, I found a local sportbike riding club who practically became family for the next several years. To this day, many of my fondest memories and closest friends came from those years.

Within a few months, as a relatively broke college student, I started corner working for a track day provider in exchange for free track time. A riding friend owned the local bike repair shop and got 95% of my tires from racer buddies as take-offs... 70%+ life for 30% the cost of new. I was putting 15k miles/year on my bike(s) between 2022-2005, when my big accident happened.

The year leading up to the crash, I'd graduated Cal Poly and went straight to living in Santa Barbara, working for Citrix Online (most know of it from the GoToMyPC/GoToMeeting days). I worked there during the day while keeping my college job as a meat clerk/butcher for Vons/Safeway in the evenings/weekends so that I could pay off my student loans (and bike) within a year. I was also at my peak fitness: As a high school/college mid/long distance runner I'd hovered around 140-150lbs between HS and college but had become a bit of a gym rat, to improve my track riding - at the time of my accident I was 170lbs, 5% body fat, benched 280lbs, could run a 4.5min mile.

Then came the crash in Nov of 2005... I'd hit gravel and slid into a guardrail just off the highway, impacting at 50+mph. The aftermath of which was a nearly-broken spirit and body so diminished/damaged I barely recognized myself. Between severing my arm, the broken vertebrae, head trauma, collapsed lung, shattered femur/knee, I was in Stanford hospital for (only) ~5 weeks. Only 5 weeks because Stanford is a teaching hospital, so, they kicked me out as soon as I was stable (most doctors felt that my hospitalization should've been 3-4months). So, my options were group home or stay with family. My (amazing) mom got a hospital bed and took me in while having her employees run her real estate business... all in less than 1.5mo's after my accident. She'd been with me at the hospital, being my advocate... Every... Day... up till that point. As my mother, my crash had taken nearly as big a(n emotional) toll on her as it had me. As thanks for everything she'd done and given up to take of me, I promised her I'd never ride again. (more on that below)

They day I got home, I was down to 118lbs. Over the next 3months I was in constant physical/occupational therapy, perpetually fighting the "normal" pain of such extensive injuries compounded by extreme nerve pain and depression. My employer, Citrix, had really liked me and covered my insurance coverage costs while I was out, however, they could only do so for 6 months from the accident. So, compounding the stress of the recovery, I had to push myself to be ready to move myself back, from the SF/Sac area, to my room in Santa Barbara... only 2.5 months from the first day I could put weight on my utterly shattered leg, not to mention nerve/phantom limb pain from the severed arm.

The hardest thing I've ever done is make that solo, 5hr drive back to SB. I cried the first and last 1/3 of it. 1.5days later, I was back at work.

Over the next few years, it was a struggle, but I never let my injuries, pain, and new disabilities stop me. I got laid off in 2009 and moved in with my sister for a while, back in the SF Bay. But, did I let these minor setbacks slow me down? Of course... but not always and it never outright stopped me. I sky dived, went river rafting, hiked, mountain biked, go-karted, joined a paintball team, got in RCs/drones, gaming, etc. I had to fight to be allowed to participate or be taken seriously in a lot of activities... people/businesses are very scared of liability/litigation. But my determination usually won them over. What hadn't remained, however, was the fire in my belly and confidence around people. I was obviously a shell of my former self. By the 6-7th year, my mom finally said to me, "cg_ops, I will never be 'ok' with you riding, but if you think it'll bring back your old, confident, outgoing self, I will no longer hold you to your promise."

2 weeks later, I got a WR250 X (the black supermoto pictured in my last post). Within 2 months, everyone I knew commented on the difference it had made. I didn't ride like I used to... I couldn't. Wouldn't. At least not on public roads with all the dangers therein. But I was riding! At the time, I was working for LeoVinci / Arrow Exhaust, who sponsored a local track day provider. They got me some free track time and, within 6 months of getting back on the bike, I was working for them as a control rider/instructor. 2 years later, I joined AFM and won the Formula Singles Novice class.

The moral of the story? I believe that few people find a (non-romantic) passion in life. It's a rare gift that far too few find/seek out. So, if/when we do, that passion can become a part of us - be a source of our fondest memories and foster the closest friendships. Therefore, if we want to live the most of our short lives, we need to be comfortable being uncomfortable in pursuing, finding, or re-discovering those passions. Otherwise.... what's the point?

cg_ops wrote

Thank you - that's quite high praise from someone in aviation!

I've shared this before, so, mostly copy paste for anyone interested:

I've always been competitive; with myself and in general. Combined with ADHD, I tend to find all kinds of interests/hobbies quickly, obsessing over them and rapidly becoming somewhere between "proficient" and "very good" in short order and then losing all interest, in favor of the next interesting activity.

Riding is one of the few things that stuck with me for more than a couple years. I'd wanted a moto since I was a kid but my parents (perhaps wisely/presciently ) forebode it, steering me towards mountain biking instead. So, somewhat stupidly, I started riding in college - a buddy had crashed his car and bought an SV650-S that he let me learn to ride on. Then sold to me for a song. I owned it for about a year before selling it to buy the newly released 2nd generation YZF-R6 in late 2022. Within weeks, I found a local sportbike riding club who practically became family for the next several years. To this day, many of my fondest memories and closest friends came from those years.

Within a few months, as a relatively broke college student, I started corner working for a track day provider in exchange for free track time. A riding friend owned the local bike repair shop and got 95% of my tires from racer buddies as take-offs... 70%+ life for 30% the cost of new. I was putting 15k miles/year on my bike(s) between 2022-2005, when my big accident happened.

The year leading up to the crash, I'd graduated Cal Poly and went straight to living in Santa Barbara, working for Citrix Online (most know of it from the GoToMyPC/GoToMeeting days). I worked there during the day while keeping my college job as a meat clerk/butcher for Vons/Safeway in the evenings/weekends so that I could pay off my student loans (and bike) within a year. I was also at my peak fitness: As a high school/college mid/long distance runner I'd hovered around 140-150lbs between HS and college but had become a bit of a gym rat, to improve my track riding - at the time of my accident I was 170lbs, 5% body fat, benched 280lbs, could run a 4.5min mile.

Then came the crash in Nov of 2005... I'd hit gravel and slid into a guardrail just off the highway, impacting at 50+mph. The aftermath of which was a nearly-broken spirit and body so diminished/damaged I barely recognized myself. Between severing my arm, the broken vertebrae, head trauma, collapsed lung, shattered femur/knee, I was in Stanford hospital for (only) ~5 weeks. Only 5 weeks because Stanford is a teaching hospital, so, they kicked me out as soon as I was stable (most doctors felt that my hospitalization should've been 3-4months). So, my options were group home or stay with family. My (amazing) mom got a hospital bed and took me in while having her employees run her real estate business... all in less than 1.5mo's after my accident. She'd been with me at the hospital, being my advocate... Every... Day... up till that point. As my mother, my crash had taken nearly as big a(n emotional) toll on her as it had me. As thanks for everything she'd done and given up to take of me, I promised her I'd never ride again. (more on that below)

They day I got home, I was down to 118lbs. Over the next 3months I was in constant physical/occupational therapy, perpetually fighting the "normal" pain of such extensive injuries compounded by extreme nerve pain and depression. My employer, Citrix, had really liked me and covered my insurance coverage costs while I was out, however, they could only do so for 6 months from the accident. So, compounding the stress of the recovery, I had to push myself to be ready to move myself back, from the SF/Sac area, to my room in Santa Barbara... only 2.5 months from the first day I could put weight on my utterly shattered leg, not to mention nerve/phantom limb pain from the severed arm.

The hardest thing I've ever done is make that solo, 5hr drive back to SB. I cried the first and last 1/3 of it. 1.5days later, I was back at work.

Over the next few years, it was a struggle, but I never let my injuries, pain, and new disabilities stop me. I got laid off in 2009 and moved in with my sister for a while, back in the SF Bay. But, did I let these minor setbacks slow me down? Of course... but not always and it never outright stopped me. I sky dived, went river rafting, hiked, mountain biked, go-karted, joined a paintball team, got in RCs/drones, gaming, etc. I had to fight to be allowed to participate or be taken seriously in a lot of activities... people/businesses are very scared of liability/litigation. But my determination usually won them over. What hadn't remained, however, was the fire in my belly and confidence around people. I was obviously a shell of my former self. By the 6-7th year, my mom finally said to me, "cg_ops, I will never be 'ok' with you riding, but if you think it'll bring back your old, confident, outgoing self, I will no longer hold you to your promise."

2 weeks later, I got a WR250 X (the black supermoto pictured in my last post). Within 2 months, everyone I knew commented on the difference it had made. I didn't ride like I used to... I couldn't. Wouldn't. At least not on public roads with all the dangers therein. But I was riding! At the time, I was working for LeoVinci / Arrow Exhaust, who sponsored a local track day provider. They got me some free track time and, within 6 months of getting back on the bike, I was working for them as a control rider/instructor. 2 years later, I joined AFM and won the Formula Singles Novice class.

The moral of the story? I believe that few people find a (non-romantic) passion in life. It's a rare gift that far too few find/seek out. So, if/when we do, that passion can become a part of us - be a source of our fondest memories and foster the closest friendships. Therefore, if we want to live the most of our short lives, we need to be comfortable being uncomfortable in pursuing, finding, or re-discovering those passions. Otherwise.... what's the point?

That? Is one *hell* of a story. Very, very impressive!

R.

Classic Aprilia "Bicilindrico" boomer...