Boys and Motorcycles

ORIGINAL: cyclefiend2000

i say follow the path of least resistance! []

 
I have little respect for the opinion of a man who won't share pictures of his wife's tattoos.  It is un-American.  []  OTOH, if I knew keedokes a little better and was sure she wouldn't be horribly offended by my warped sense of humor...

if I knew keedokes a little better and was sure she wouldn't be horribly offended by my warped sense of humor

 
Oh it didn't take me long to catch on.[]

As apples don't fall far from the tree, Paul's maturity might never happen anyway...

ORIGINAL: twelvepaws

As apples don't fall far from the tree, Paul's maturity might never happen anyway...

 
[sm=rofl.gif][sm=rofl.gif][sm=rofl.gif]
 
Purely at my expense, but damned funny anyway.

are you gonna post pics of the motorcycle once your son gets it (the motorcycle i mean)?

I tried.  He sent them to me in BMP format which, rather strangely, I think, is not supported by this forum.  I suppose I could take them to my puter at home and convert them in PS.

There's no way I could have helped you. I like motorcycles, especially Harleys.
 
Kudos on taking the class, though. Statistics for a rider are vastly improved if they take an accredited safety course. In some cases, it also lowers the insurance. More importantly though, are the statistics. The worst motorcycle accidents are within the first 6 months of riding and nearly always involve someone who has not taken a safety course.
 
There's an old saying. There are fast bikers, there are old bikers, there are no old, fast bikers. So, the training pays off in increased safety. Not only in how to handle the bike in differing circumstances but how to read traffic and avoid problems to begin with.
 
As for the Sportster, it's a fine start and he can customize it later and build a touring bike out of it.

Here's an idea of what I think of your sense of humor:

If I just happened to pull your name for Happy Mail, the package might include a condom.  Maybe you could give it to your son. [sm=wink3.gif]

ORIGINAL: keedokes

Here's an idea of what I think of your sense of humor:

If I just happened to pull your name for Happy Mail, the package might include a condom.  Maybe you could give it to your son. [sm=wink3.gif]

 
I am reminded of something from my high school days.  "I don't wear a raincoat when I shower, I don't wear a rubber when I ****"  []

ORIGINAL: ron2

There's no way I could have helped you. I like motorcycles, especially Harleys.

 
I like motorcycles too, although I am not especially a fan of Harley.  My experience with motorcycles though is 20 years ago.  I imagine Harley today is not what they were 20 years ago.  They were unreliable, oil leakers.
 
I like motorcycles, just not MY kid on a motorcycle.

I imagine Harley today is not what they were 20 years ago. They were unreliable, oil leakers.

Not really. They had personality then and you had to have some sense of mechanical ability. Now every yuppie and their brother with 20K is a "biker".

Me 28 years ago. I don`t have my earlier bikes from 74 scanned.



Fairly current pic.
 

Back from the dead, I see. Long time, no see.
 
I like Harleys but simply can't afford one. I'm not a JAC. So, more than likely, with a friend of mine, we'll be able to find old imports and fix them up ourselves. I know a guy that rebuilds the original Goldwings from the 70's. Originally conceived to compete with the BMW "Boxer", they had outstanding performance. From the factory, 82 hp at the rear wheel, 0 to 60 in 4 seconds. As for oil leaks, a lot of that problem was fixed with the introduction of the Shovelhead. But Harleys have had imported parts since 1969, when AMF bought them out. The Davidsons bought H-D back and introduced the Evo (Blockhead) in 1984. The V-Rod is a total departure. Porsche re-designed the vr1000 racing motor, a new flexi-frame was designed, noise limits were introduced, the front forks are imports, the carb was import. My all factory Chevy 1/2 ton is louder than a stock V-Rod.
 
But these days, it's all good. Just having a bike and being able to ride is what's important, not the brand you are riding.
 

I do remember Harley being on the brink of BK several years ago.  Perhaps that was when AMF owned them.  I also imagine their dire financial situation also had something to do with their inferior quality and the price one had to pay for that inferior quality.  I do think the situation with HD has improved.
 
On a personal level, I have always liked Harleys and always wanted one, but I am not the kind of guy who is willing to work on a bike all week so I can ride it on the weekend.  Give me a Goldwing and I will see you on the road.

AMF did save HD from a certain death. Even the shovels like to mark their spot. If you turn off the rear chain oiler it helps. Once they went to the EVO and now the Blockhead they became as maintenance free as cars and riders lost touch with the personal relationship true bikers had with their scooters. You can still find an older shovel for 6 to 8K and you`ll never lose that.

The bike I always wanted to build since I was a kid was sitting in a motorcycle salvage yard in Clinton, Texas, near Greenville. '68 Shovelhead, k& q seat, coil over rear end, hydraulic front extended forks with a slight rake in the frame,12" ape hangers, shorties with probably almost non-existent baffles, original gear casing, all-chain. The only thing not stock was the 42 mm Del Orto carb. But it was the last of the original iron horse and I didn't have the $9k the guy wanted. My first ride was on my step-uncle's '69 Shovelhead hardtail built like Peter Fonda's "Captain America" but without the paint job and this one had a diamond shape tank, rather than the tear drop.
 
Growing up, I was used to bikers being gear heads. A few years ago, I encountered a guy parking his bike at the shop of the friend who restores Goldwings. His front end looked like a springer but I spotted shocks there. I asked him about it and he didn't have the slightest idea what I was talking about. He was a JAC.