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HispanicSlammer

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  1. HispanicSlammer
    San Francisco De Asis Taos New Mexico
    I sort of slapped together a ride down to New Mexico to catch a ride with Vanion and the New Mexico riders to hit the Gila Monster once again. This would be my third time on that road, the Deals Gap of New Mexico as it were, not quite but darned close. The only drawback is its practically in OLD MEXICO and so a ton of slab on the way down there. I took a 4 day route, one down, one for the ride, a rest day at my sisters house in Santa Fe, and finally the ride home. I told my boss I intended to ride down right after work and get some sleep when I get into Albuquerque. He thinks I am nuts for doing these crazy rides but he always comes to me for advice about what good scenic roads to take in Colorado so he thinks I am on to something. In any case he was kind enough to let me have a couple days of personal time and off I went. I took the interstate into Walsenburg, a town of which I have never much liked, it always seemed a place of which to endure going thru on the way to my real destination, you have to go through it to get to hwy 160 and over La Veta Pass. Hwy 160 is probably one of the most patrolled hwys in the whole state, simply cause its go so many different counties it goes through and its one of the State Patrol training areas - so speeding on it has its risks, usually La Veta Pass is clear but the San Luis Valley and further West near Pagosa Springs is always a speed trap - just every thing west of Alamosa count it as a speed trap. I usually avoid it when ever possible hwy 50 is much more scenic to me. However when heading to Santa Fe to see my sister I often take it cause the interstate is a serious bore. Turn off 160 and down into San Luis the oldest town in Colorado and the name sake of the valley for which it is named for, its a small town steeped in Hispanic history, once part of Mexico you can bet every body there knows everybody's business!
    The ride into New Mexico from Questa New Mexico is pretty, it is much different than Colorado more arid and desert like, and it has lots of Indian Reservations along the way. New Mexico is a very spiritual land with traditions that go back a millennium in some places. Taos Pueblo for example has been occupied destroyed and rebuilt always with native Indians living on it for over a thousand years. Thats what you call Pre Columbian! Now enough with the history lesson - since I don't really know what the hell I am talking about - just regurgitating quotes from my broother In law Billy so I will try not to bore you too much. Yea I learned a thing or two from the man. I was always impressed with how much Hispanic and Indian culture has shaped the state of New Mexico, there are places in Colorado that are as well but it has been washed over and pretty much erased by later history, most of it settled in in the last 200 years. I am just used to being part of a small minority on Colorado where as Hispanics are the majority there and their influence is everywhere. One could say I am conflicted being half Caucasian and half Hispanic, and never having learned to speak Spanish I often get strange looks by people when I tell them that I don't speak Spanish. Well I don't! My daddy is as white as a snowflake and my mom pretty much forgot all the Spanish she learned with she was a kid. My aunts and uncles are all fluent but much older than my mother and she was raised in foster homes so she lost touch with the language at an early age. My sister on the other hand is blond and blue eyed and she speaks it much much better than I could ever - she is after all a genius when it comes to language and academia.
    So on with the ride, I made the mistake of riding right into Taos right into the mess of tourist and got pinned behind a mass of cars on the main strip, the ride into New Mexico from this point on was to become a life or death struggle it seemed as every rice jockey in a celica and what ever cheap ass compact car was out to take the 5 inches of pavement right in front of me. No signals, no thats for losers! These people meant business I need to turn now and I can so here I come move or else! Shoot I just SIPDE'ed the hell out of Taos, and Espanola, Pojaque, Santa Fe all the way into Rio Rancho cause it was non stop for 200 miles. Aggressive as hell and every body was out for themselves! I saw a couple two up on a gold wing and being not from here I decided to let them take the lead and see how they negotiated it - the word is Aggressive, tailgate, and pass at every opportunity is what they did! Daylight for two car lengths they took it - no matter if there was traffic ahead as far as you can see they took it. Me I followed cause at this point it was the only thing keeping me awake. Shoot even an Ambulance in Espanola almost took me out with a left hand turn right in front of me - idiots no signal - I slowed down and started to pull aside as this was a 4 lane split down the middle with a no mans land in between the Ambulance driver failed to signal and just jerked the wheel left right in front of me till I had to come from 30 mph in a 55 to a dead stop to avoid getting hit. Jebus he went right over the median and turned left right into me? I was dumbfounded it was like he was looking to cause and accident for something to do? I mean over the bump on the median over the dirt mound and down the bump and right INTO ME! I thought I was safe but NO! then he took off down a dirt road and disappeared as I check to see if I had wet myself!
    Just a half hour before coming into Rio Grande Canyon past Taos I was heading around a corner - saw a semi tractor trailer on the side of the road on the other side, and he pulled out right in front of me too, I had to stop for him too dead stop, passed him as soon as I could! NO yield no stop and look just here I come stop or get hit! IDIOT and he was a commercial professional driver? Never before had I had this much trouble driving in New Mexico, it did not help that I was on no sleep since 4pm the night before. 18 hrs into it I was WIDE AWAKE let me tell you! I was so glad to make to my buddy Marks house - relieved actually to be off that bike and away from that carnage!
    Mark (I call him MrDude cause he says Dude allot) he goes by Millrtm on the forum, he put me up for the night, they just moved there about 6 weeks ago from Colorado - working at Intel. It had been 3 years since I had seen his family and his kids grew almost towered over me, his oldest for sure. Mark is pretty tall himself. Nice family and his two oldest boys are very articulate, well mannered and good kids. I watched them play halo for a while then just dosed off after an hour. They have a hectic schedule and lots of boxes to put away from the move.

    Early Morning Meet-up in Albuquerque
    I woke up at 6am on the dot and showered up, Mark too - we put on our gear, pumped up the tires and headed out for the meeting place across town. Vanion, Echo, Zia Rider and Sal where already there waiting for us. So we had a few refreshments, kicked tires and caught up a little bit. Vanion lead us out of town, then he did something funny he waved me on by? Huh? Ok I guess I am taking lead - I did have the only Radar Detector, it was a long 200 miles to go and one stop at Socorro to pick up Blythe. I just let a few faster cars and even a bus play rabbit up ahead speed up to match speed and keep some distance - if I got a hit on the radar I would slow down and let the rabbit get eaten! One more stop for gas past T or C (Williamsburg) I think it was called and finally we got off the darned interstate and headed west on hwy 152, more slab for about 10 miles till we hit the foot hills and into Hillsboro, nice sweepers there before Hillsboro actually some of the best turns of the whole ride (insert omen here) ! Then Iead some more to Kingston and stopped to let Vanion take up a position to take pictures and he did.

    Lined up ready to hit the Gila Monster
    I don't know how I got suckered into leading but I pretty much lead the entire ride, I don't mind I am used to leading rides but man it was 500 miles of it! I guess I got spoiled in Troutdale I did not have to lead at all maybe one day thats it! So I took some video of the best parts of the Gila Monster, I was disappointed with the road since its condition had taken a turn for the worse since I last road it, pot holes, and crumbling edges, gravel washed out in places due to heavy rains and CHIP SEAL! OMG we ran right into 40 miles of fresh chip seal - piles of loose chip, no doubt about it was came at the wrong time! Maybe a week before we would have missed all this stuff, but we did not so it was slow going all the way into Silver City from the top of Emory pass, we did have a little bit of good stuff, up to Emory Pass

    http://www.vfrdiscussion.com/forum/videos/491/gila.mp4

    Top Of Emory Pass

    Rest Stop Emory Pass
    So for the most part the Gila monster was a bust, Blythe must have been peeing his pants cause he was worried about the little bit of sand in the corners then smack 40 miles of loose chip seal! If he was worried then he must have kung foo grip on the bars now! It sucked thats all I could say I even followed a pack of Harleys and let them take the lead just so I could relax a little bit. I was ready for some lunch and so we stopped at a barn place that is a steakhouse, I have always stopped there but this time the food was really good! I enjoyed it and all the company. Interesting people sitting across from me getting to know them, Mr Dude he sort of has this detached sensibility about him, a military thing he sort of analyzes things and comments on them - lots of comparative talk and sometimes he goes a bit overboard comparing this or that. Colorado to New Mexico a bit too much - I like both myself for what they are. I remember at some point along the ride I heard "Colorado Smallerado" and though oh well Mr Dude strikes again! He does that to everybody! I cant count on my hands and feet the number of times I heard about the specs of this bike or that bike compared to a vfr! I just tune it out, now with the Bandit he had the advantage in the engine department, but not so much anymore! The Veefalo don't handle so good as my old bike so I lost a bit on him there and he can keep up pretty good in the sweepers but the tight stuff the vfr 1200 is still better, and no more big Bandit engine advantage no more! Compare that Mark! heh - I will probably hear about it now! I know I know you modded the bandit - took out the butterfly's secondaries, added a full header, on pipe, fuel injection mapping and all that.
    It was a bit more slab then about a 50 miles into the ride after lunch the road got very good, on the way into Reserve was probably the best part of the whole ride, we went up and down a very good pass with some nice sweeper that I was really digging, me and Mark just sort of took off on and had some fun! Even after Reserve there was more good stuff but we had to split off with Blythe there so we stopped at the cross roads at his turn off and took some pics

    Gas One At A Time Reserve New Mexico

    Rest Stop Reserve New Mexico the last 40 miles were superb

    Stop at the Cross Roads Blythe was leaving us after this point

    Veefalo leads the way

    Perfect day for riding not too hot not too cold sunshine all day long
    The rest of the ride was interesting too out on the western plains of New Mexico and into the Malapias National Monument area definitely some pretty country, if a bit bumpy and roller coaster like - it was a challenge and more traffic now, the closer we came to interstate 40, then one more stop for a butt rest till we could stop again for gas and then we headed off our separate ways! It was an epic ride and a good one even if the Gila was a bust, all I can say is next summer with new chip seal it will be a real treat for the unsuspecting motorcyclist if they do it right!

    La Ventana Arch

    Millertm looks at the other bikes

    San Francisco De Asis

    Taos Doorway

    Full Size
    Source: Gila Monster Run
  2. HispanicSlammer
    Two Horsepower next to 172 hp Lunch at the Dogbar in Cuchara CO
    I just got home about 4pm after riding 300 miles of New Mexico and Southern Colorado on my brand spaking new vfr1200f - I am pooped, 300 miles yesterday of slab and no throttle lock I had one sore right hand by the end of the day! I am so stoked about this bike, its hardly become real to me, its like I am stil riding the old girl sometimes but then I roll on the throttle and its so quiet I cant hear it, but boy I can feel it. Gobs and Gobs of power, its a bit intimidating really. I have been given 75% more power to the wheel and its definitly there. 6th gear roll on passes of cages is nothing for this "Buffalo" I havent named it yet but Buffalo Bill is rolling around in my head - not sure about that one! Buffalo Betty?
    I rolled into some back roads near Folsom New Mexico this moring and hit some very bumpy rual roads, it was set way to stiff. I ended up softening the rebound on the forks 6 clicks in the final account, stopping every now and then and clicking off more rebound and then 3/4 turn softer on the shock too. I think I got it just about right. I have yet to get the sag set properly its definitly steering neutral if perhaps a bit slow. She does like to tip over easy but the side to side flick transitions are more effort then the the 5th gen. Its the extra wieght but it is stable in the turns - if not for the Bridgestones, I cant say I like these oem tires. They seem planted but every now and then they get squirrly especially rolling on out of turns in low gear at 5-8k rpm powering out of turns. I havent even come close to the edge yet. I am still learning this bike. Its gonna take a while to get completely comfy it wieght is in a different place the longer wheel base. I suspect it will steer more effortlessly when I get the sag sorted out. No center stand makes that a bit of a chore!
    The first thing I noticed is the pegs are higher up, and in a spot that seems to be just right to for makeing my hip injury ache. It goes away after a 1/2 hour or so but its a bit uncomfy I might need to lower the pegs for now, and they seem to stick out farther just in a differnt position then what I am used to. more sporty then the 5th gen or the vtec for rider postion. However the bars are not as far of a reach for me. She does not like ot run below 80mph it seems as I would naturally seem to be rolling over these Colorado meandering turns at that speed without thinking. You know the easy stuff drop it a bit and round the turns all day long. Oh and the seat is WAY comfy, its all day comfy, I did not start to feel the usual butt fatigue till well into 300 miles! Its narrower too so that helps alot, more supportive then my corbin too! Very happy with the stock seat! I did the Bishops castle ride about 10-15mph slower then I run it on the old girl and it felt very good, I was timid with it at first then I got more aggresive as I rolled into the more open hills with less forest where the Deer hide. Plus the wind was gusting again, this damn southern colorado wind is annoying its pushes me over in turns and just destroys my confidence. But I think after a few more rides I will be back at my usual pace through there. Hike it up in the back perhaps and it will steer a bit quicker. Comming down Cucharra Pass I noticed the quirky nature of a shaft drive. Its definitly not as responsive as a chain drive, but darned close. There is a slight, very slight delay at low gear when first rolling on and when the power kicks in I can only describe it as drive line lash and its a bit jerky so I have to be very smooth on the throttle when In lower gear 1st and 2nd gear are the most noticeable, but 2-6 is much smoother. I am sure its somthing you will have to manage to learn to ride. For me I slowed down in the tight stuff more then usual not used to the tires, or the shaft drive or the different powerband. Oh yes I am glad it has a gear indicator cause it reves out power at a lower rpm so what feels to me like 6th gear is actually 5th or 4th. I has the same thumpy vibration as the older vfr but its at a different harmonic - what I am trying to say is I am used to the vibes of the 5th gen in 6th gear crusing being up into 6-7k rpm at 80mph in 6th gear. The 1200 feels the same in 5th and 4th gear but at 6th gear its cruises 80mph at 4-5k rpm so its just a bit less revy in top gear!
    I think the fly by wire averages out sudden imputs, it will take off if you whack the trottle but it will be smooth and not like the older bikes, where it will reve out very fast, this one just builds more power with less revs so it seems like your not going as fast by the vibrations but the speedo is indicating quite the opposite your hauling with much less twist of the wrist!~ I cant explain it, it seems tame when you whack it but its doing 100mph without feeling like 100mph! The vfr time continum has changed and warped out a bit on this beast. I hope to become much smoother with throttle inputs in the twisties and be more confident in the turns as I learn this bike, towards the end of the day I was feeling like my old self again if not a bit wiser to the bike!

    First MOD! Drilling a hole to install a Powerlet socket to Power my GPS

    Looks like a fish gill it slides right off the front of the bike

    Gswanson - Fabricator GPS vfr1200 stem mount cut - welded - drilled - deburred - painted

    Stonewall Colorado

    Stonewall Sangre De Christo mountains in the background

    Stonewall
    Source: HS's Buffalo Roundup In Oklahoma
  4. HispanicSlammer
    I got a pm from Reddog congratulating me about the new bike, and then it turned into a question of just when the hell would be out riding again. Usually Bill and I go out for a day long fathers day ride to the Black Canyon, my favorite road of all time. We usually drag a couple of noobs with us - noobs to the road not to motorcycling so they can see how fantastic it is. At the end you find a new rider - tires freshly scrubbed edge to edge and hand shaking from the all out adrenaline of riding along a 1000 foot deep canyon, jaw dropping scenery, and turns so sweet you can only imagine - (southern boys its allot like the Cherehola, shorter, but the scenery is better). So I invited Sfarson who I knew had ridden it before. He wanted to bring along his regular riding buddy Chorner - I have ridden with him too a few years ago on a couple of rides. I was saying yea bring Chris along, so the conversation shifted from the Black Canyon to the Creede Run, another ride I do annually/semi-annually/hardly at all! So I was like yea sure lets do that instead. So a week goes by - I invite a few more guys, Chris his father gets sick all of a sudden and is not sure he can get away for a 10 hour ride so we switch it up again to a Squaw Pass ride. Final count 8 guys invited but only 3 of us go!
    So I meet up with Reddog in Woodland Park and he is flabbergasted that the bike is not 12 foot tall and a football field long, its actually smaller looking than his VTEC! We eat breakfast and catch up on news a bit. Then off we go to meet Sfarson in Pine Junction at 10am.

    Meet-up in Woodland Park Reddog waiting for me
    Reddog says he hasn't been on a group ride since the Kansas meet, so hes rusty and has only been doing solo rides and 2-up with is lovely wife Analise. The day before in fact he was out riding and Gambling in Central City with her 2 up he said. So hes had more saddle time in the twisties than I on the Veefalo. So he taking it easy on me in the twisties near Deckers and going easy in the tighter ones just north of there, all the way to Horsepower Hill. Thats where I let loose, Bill he just lets me go cause it seems the Veefalo she like these fast sweepers. I am soon going 100+ up the 3 laner - deep sweeping fast turns - 2 lanes you can take up and then fast sweepers at the top, and on down the other side of the mountain. Into the bowl and all out on the long strait of the next mountain. I waited for Reddog on the strait. I was going as fast if not faster on HP hill then ever before and it seemed like I was holding back. Veef she was liking it allot, I mean allot!
    Shes a sweeper hound, not so much the tight stuff - she holds her own but the sweepers are her playground. Then down into Buffalo Creek and Pine, I took off a bit on the tighter turns going up the climb from Pine to Pine junction, a couple thousand foot ascent up the mountain there. I had to pass allot of cars doing it cause they are building new houses in a new development, so much more traffic up it than before. I was thinking more tinder for the tinderbox that is Pine! That place goes up every other summer! Maybe they should have put that in the Brochure! Its a fire place guys get fire insurance!
    I pull into the grocer at Pine Junction at hwy 285 and there is sitting a Mint absolutely mint red 5th gen with 16k on the Odo and sitting in a plastic chair in the shade is 6 foot 2 Steve Farson waiting for us. I mean I haven't seen a 5th gen that nice since I painted the old girl! It was nice, and he looked huge sitting on that thing. Steve says "yes I don't need to go out and buy an exotic 20k Italian bike to get thrills - for 4k I bought this thing and I reach for the keys of the vfr as much if not more than my more expensive bikes. It sounds great handles great and its just a great find" Then he says "When I am riding it I become ONE WITH THE BIKE" . I thought I should relay that story cause every time I met Sfarson for a ride he would be on a brand new exotic Duc, or BMW, or Supermoto, or some such other new fangled bike. Then he would say to me "still riding that vfr eh? how many miles now"? Now he knows first hand why!

    The crossroads at Squaw Pass Road cross roads co 145 and squaw pass road
    Steve Takes the lead and heads strait for North Turkey Creek - a tight little road that heads toward Denver, its gotten a but busy in the last few years so you end up picking your nose as the cages strangle up the twisty parts, so we are hoping the turn onto high drive will be better? We see the turn hit the signal and the cage in front of us goes strait but then a sedan and UPS truck pull right just as we start to make the turn - DAMN IT! 3 turns later we are past them and off onto some nice high mountain access roads, 180 degree switchbacks, tight uphill turns, undulating road and driveways everywhere so we take it easy on there, then down the mountain to Little Cub Creek road to Evergreen. It was an easy pace but fun - the turns are marked 10 and 15mph we were doubling and tripling that but still not insane at all. Fun it was fun.
    Then the high traffic again into Evergreen and over to Squaw Pass, there are about 4 cars in front of us on Squaw pass - all locals who are turning off soon except one idiot in an SUV who took the most lazy pass around a slower cager I had ever seen. He took like what seemed 5 minutes to pass this guy - plenty of room and space to do it. But no he takes his lazy sweet time till another car was coming head on - still not moving over till he is about to get hit - he finally jerks the wheel over hard and back into the lane! Idiot, I am glad Steve decided not to follow him passing the cage. As soon as we could we got around that jerk! It would not be the first time on this ride we encountered idiots.
    The Squaw pass was bumpy as usual, some of you might know it from the Summer Summit it was the Mount Evans loop. This winter did a number on it again and even buckled up the newly paved section from last summer. If ever a road was in need of a complete repave this one is it! Even chip seal would be an improvement!

    Reddog Parry Peak and James Peak loom in the background 16 miles away

    Three Generations Sfarsons 5th gen - the Veefalo - Reddogs Vtec
    We stopped for a break at the cross roads of some dirt road and had a nice view of Parry Peak from there, then tried to set up our cameras later for some video, I messed it all up, the input cable fell out cause I did not use the Pelican box I had it in for so long, then I had the dash cam aiming at the dash and thats it, all you could see was the tops of trees as I rode so there is no video! I did get some good pictures, here are some from Juniper Pass.

    Veefalo

    Juniper Pass on Squaw Pass Road

    Zoomed in a bit Parry Peak again Saint Marys Glacier in there somewhere
    The way down from Squaw pass was fantastic, still bumpy but fun, the turns at the bottom are sweet! I am still not carrying the same corner speeds I did with the old girl but I will be soon enough I was glad to just be smoother on the throttle this time out. I have to get on the gas sooner it seems to make up for the shaft drive lash or whatever its not as instant as the chain on the old girl. But the power is more linear than the 5th gen. Then we headed up to Loveland pass. The guys started to push that pass harder then we had all day, going much faster we encountered 3 vehicles right before the first good turn. Sfarson and Reddog got around 2 than I did and we hit the turn and right way they got past the last car, who for some reason speeded up to hold me off for the next 3 turns. I could see them going up the pass faster and faster getting farther and farther away till finally she pulled over and let me go. By this time I could see Steve just flying up the pass a good half mile ahead. You can see the whole pass in places as it climbs up and he was way way up ahead of me, Bill not far behind but Steve was gone just gone. ONE WITH THE BIKE he says! Yea the back tire was edge to edge to say the least.
    Me I was just glad to be there!

    Loveland Pass

    Loveland Pass Colors were fantastic

    Me and the Veefalo Sfarson grabbed my camera and took a shot
    I took the lead on the way down and was going slow, but smooth I was really proud of how smooth I was riding, it was so nice. I got behind a bicyclist woman who was anything but smooth heading from the top down to Keystone, she was using up the whole lane and I was running out of passing lane before the switchback but I got around her as did the others. She made me nervous I did not want to side swipe her - she was that erratic! shifting around on her seat jerking the handle bars around turns braking mid turn? bah! We had gassed up before Loveland pass in Georgetown since I am not so sure about the tank range on this thing just yet, 3 bars left I thought I better not risk it. If ever there was a Colorado tour guide motorcyclist (besides me) Sfarson is it, he has a story for everything. Love his stories, he even had a story about the gas station in Georgetown, about how some truck came down the pass on I-70 came down the offramp and crossed the road and hit the side of the gas station there - and nobody got hurt!~
    So we intended to grab some Tacos in Breckenridge but the place was closed so instead we ate a some Yuppy steakhouse bar called the Kenosha, stole all the names of the local mountains and passes for the menu items - stupid touristy stuff and the food was outrageously priced just like everything in Breckenridge is. Pricey and not so good - but the company was great and the stories were great so it was a win! Then we hit Hoosier pass which has become a darned favorite of the in and out crowd, its busy with traffic all the time now, nice turns too ruined by way too much traffic. We did not even try to get around them there was so many, it would have been an exorcise in futility.
    Steve Peeled off at Fairlplay and Bill and I continued on to Hartsel, I tried to signal to Bill to see if he wanted to switch bikes - he thought I meant I needed gas cause he turned around and started headed back to Fairplay. I guess my switch hand signal looked more like "I need gas"? So I rode the vtech for 10 miles and he rode the veefalo. I noticed that the riding position was almost exactly the same coming off the veef, but the throttle response was NOT! I guess you get used to power rather quickly. VTEC is always nice and I love the exhaust note, since veef has none with that stock slip-on. very little actually even wide open!
    At Woodland Park I stopped at the gas station and got a drink and some candy and sat in the shade a bit counted the almost endless procession of cars from Woodland park down Ute pass on the way to Colorado Springs. Its crazy how busy that hwy 24 was, matter of fact all the roads all day long were like that. Hwy 285, hwy 24, Hoosier Pass, Evergreen. These near mountain communities are getting overpopulated! The traffic is ridiculous! Thats why I prefer to ride south and on the western slope now, not nearly the traffic!
    So I got back on the bike and headed down Ute pass, I went around some really slow moving cars doing 10 under and look in the mirrors to find some POS Pontiac sunbird or some such small car ALL OVER MY ASS. He would pass as I passed but only instead of smoothly passing he would jerk the wheel and get like 5 feet behind me. So I showed it what 172 hp could do and took off at the first chance I found daylight and then he was 1/4 mile behind me the rest of the way back. Till I got to the twisty part where the traffic bunched up again, and then he was on my ASS again, so I weaved out of his way and tried to let him pass but the asshole would not pass me. So I slowed way down and then he took the bait and took off like a bat out of hell, jerking that car in and out of traffic threading haphazardly in and out and between cars in the turns. I was behind him a good hundred feet following in the wake of that jackass. Till I decided I was coming close to the normal check-spots the State Patrol stop at and slowed down - Sure enough I let him go and turned the next corner to see him get lit up and pulled over by the state patrol! HA HA dumb-ass! He was driving like a complete jerk too! He took the twisty part of the pass tailgating folks 5-3 feet behind till he could jerk his car around them, I was actually afraid for a couple of Harley guys cause it looked like he was going to try to jerk that car around them at inches too. They had on NO GEAR at all! Thats when I ducked in behind them and waited it out - Pontiac was gone in the 2 last turns and I followed the Harley Boys into Manitou Springs they were going rather fast for HD's! Thats when we passed that Pontiac pulled over by the State. The HD boys flipped him off as we went by too! Funny as hell! I would have too but Karma is a bitch!
    google Map
  5. HispanicSlammer
    Spent Last Night working on the bike
    So Baileyrock was kind enough to remove the Ohlins Shock off the Old Girl and send it to me a few weeks back, I had hopes that it would fit since it seemed it mounted the same as the older 5th and 6th Gen bikes. The only concern was clearance and if it needed to be modded for length? To my surprise the OEM shock is the same free length and size as the 5th Gen Ohlins I had on the old girl. It was a simple bolt up job! I only had to remove the slip on to get to the linkage. Boy they beefed up the linkage triangles for the 1200 thats for sure its almost 40% thicker! Thanks BR for doing all that tear down work on the old girl.

    The Ohlins off the Old Girl YES its the same size!!

    Ohlins Install Where to put the remote reservoir?

    This is the only place I could find to mount the reservoir - the hose was a bit long too
    Now for the Farkles, I have always been a fan of heated grips but I did not want to used my Hot Grips controller on this bike - seemed too big and clunky to use (I will offer it free btw in the pay it forward section if anybody wants it). So I found of all things a cruiser website that had a one button 4 position led controller that mounts to the handle bar by replaceing the main clamp. It required me to drill the bar though to thread the wires into there but I found I was into a solid section of the bar where the hollow end is pressed on. so I drilled 3 shallow holes and then made a sort of wire trench with the dremel and fished the wires in there. I put the bars on the clamp and tried to see if it was weakend by the drilling - nope solid still no issues since it was a small hole into solid aluminum.

    Heated Grip controller 4 heat settings marked with an led display on the right handlebar

    Symtec Heat Deamon - Heated grips and controller
    I like the clean look of the new controller and the one button touch on the fly, the led can be turned down too for night time riding so it does not blast you by holding the button longer.
    I have always liked the brake light modulators I had before so I bought a new signal dynamics XP back off brake light modulator. Also I wanted to be seen better in the day (after being ran off the road in my own damn lane!) I thought I would geek it up and get a signal dynamics diamond Headlight modulator too. both purchased at motorycycle superstore.

    Installing Signal Dynamics Headlight Modulator I want to be seen - no more hillbillys not noticing me in my own lane!

    Ran out of wire taps doing it the old fashioned way - good thing is all the wires are in one place on the left side under the fairing
    I found a nice little autcom mount piece for the loose connector that I previously let hang off the seat from the old girl, this secures it better and can be removed from the holder

    Autocom connector secured with a plastic holder now
    I did not take pictures of the brake light install I was well into it before I decided to post this up. I had already installed a signal dynamics led voltmeter too that I did not post either. used the same wires as the headlight tied into the horn. The headlight mod can be controlled by the horn too.
    Source: Veefalo Mods
  6. HispanicSlammer


    I began with a strip down of the basic plastic removal around 3am in the morning, I work nights anyway and well it is a quiet time for me with no interruptions from nosy family members! That took no time at all I am getting pretty good at removing the plastic.
































    Yes you have to remove all that just to get to the front spark plugs, lucky they use high mileage iridium spark plugs with a 30k lifetime so you are going to have to inspect the valves before hand before you have to replace them - I did that and they all looked fine. I had all of my exhaust valves just out of spec those are the rocker roller set, and one of the bucket under shim intakes was loose but still in spec. Just as I figured the roller rocker design would be more apt to be out of spec then the bucket under shims would be, just like the CRX dirt bikes! Its a simple elegant design, less rolling mass with only one cam shaft and the cam chain does not need a huge bend in it for a powerful cam chain tensioner this design uses a spring loaded bow tensioner instead of a massive punch design like the vtecs use.










    There are two marks on the timing cover I suppose its easier then the 4 I had on the old girl, you watch the cam shaft on the rear set for direction ques as you turn it to make sure the engine is in top dead center for the cylinder your inspecting all marked out in the manual but the manual has very small pictures for the cam shaft positions so its hard to read. I managed it though. They have 3 measurements for the Valve Clearance

    Exhaust Valves have a roller rocker design with a roller on one end and a screw driver and lock nut on the other with a square head for the driver. They were all out of spec all of them!

    The manual has two sets of measurements for the exhaust side

    Valve side with the lock nut 0.03 + or - 0,02 mm or (0.012 + or - 0.001 inches)
    Roller side 0.21 + or - 0.02 mm or (0.008 + or - 0.001 inches) my gap strips were in listed in both but came stepped up in inch sizes so I use the inch listings

    Intake side is the shim under bucket design

    0.16 + or - 0.003 or (0.006 + or - 0.001 inches) on one was loose at .007 but still in tolerance and most likely to go tight as it wears.















    Source: VFR1200F Valve Inspection
  7. HispanicSlammer
    I took the XR 650r down south Tuesday for a 300 mile loop through Pueblo, Buela, Colorado City, San Isabel, and over the Wet Mountains to Gardener and Up over Mosca Pass.

    map google earth image

    Buela Colorado Sleepy Little town southwest of Pueblo

    Buela Colorado Main Road

    San Isabel National Forest Hwy 162

    Lake San Isabel west

    Mosca Pass in the distance

    Gardner road miles and miles of dirt road

    Mount Blanca 14,000 foot peak from top of Mosca Pass

    East From Mosca Pass

    Sunset Mitchel Mountain Road

    Sunset Mitchel Mountain Road

    Sunset Over the Sangre De Christo Mountains

    Sunset Glorious Riding
    I spent pretty much 8 hours on the road that day riding mostly flat dirt roads on the big pig, ended up riding home in the dark, and a bit buzzed over the wonderful sunset near Westcliff. It wasnt as easy as riding the vfr but it was still a Honda@
  8. HispanicSlammer
    The Entrance to Shelf Road You can see the cliffs in the distance, its a bumpy jeep road when it reaches the canyon - taken just north of Canon City
    Here are a few pics from my recent solo run on the gold belt tour, mostly dirt roads in the Wet Mountains and along the Pike Forest.

    The Sangre De Christo range hwy 96 near Rosita

    Cooling Clouds An afternoon rain storm forms over the mountains

    Westcliff taken from the gas station in Silvercliff, beats me why there are two separate towns right next to each other?

    Shelf Road In all her bumpy glory at Trail Gulch - Four Mile Creek below

    Work Horses they scrambled when I came up to the fence but when they saw the apple slices I had they were soon eating right out of hand

    Goldfield Mine just north of Victor

    Pikes Peak South Face

    Pikes Peak South Face at the end of Gold Camp Road

    Cathedral Park On Gold Camp Road

    Cathedral Park up close

    Old Stage Road Descending to Colorado Springs my home town below - it was getting dark and cold!

    200 mile loop
  9. HispanicSlammer
    Arapaho Peak Peak to Peak Highway w/ a new video
    Monday NOV 19th, yea thats right November its 72 degrees in the mountains and I was riding. Gotta save that for posterity, because tomorrow it is supposed to snow, and all this great riding weather will be gone. Back to cold days and tons of gravel in the corners. I was on the bike by 9am and heading up Ute pass, slowly since I wasn't sure what the roads would be like. It was like riding in summer, though I took all my cold weather gear and stowed it in the Givi trunk. I never needed it. It was like riding in the late afternoon all day cause the sun was so low in the sky, long shadows all day long. I gassed up in Woodland park after crawling up Ute Pass, I was soon on Deckers road heading west. I love this road but it sometimes scares me cause it was the scene of my first crash. So I always take it easy there, and it was a good thing, there was gravel in all the hard turns. Seems the Rednecks with dual wheels cant stay off the shoulder and they always kick gravel into the turns.
    Its always like that but today with the long shadows it was difficult to see so I took it slow, I was following a guy on a K1200S he was riding rather conservative - which was fine for a while, but once he saw me he waved me on by. It wasnt long before Horsepower hill was comming around the corner, where I would rev it up to top speed for the climb. Deckers road is really strange, its a fairly tight mountain road, and smack in the middle of it is a wide three lane highway that has been knicknamed Horsepower Hill by the locals. its a 5 mile climb up the mountain with fast sweepers all along the way, then up and over and back down the other side the fast sweepers continue. You can do the whole thing at triple digits if you have the nerve. Today I did and dropped mister Beemer in no time, at the top the road goes from 3 lanes back to 2 but the speed is the same and you end up in a curvy valley called "the bowl" you can really top it out there and then there is a long strait at the top of that that you can see for 2 miles. More top speed but I always slow down there - no more turns till you get to the bottom so whats the point? I didnt see the Beemer again till I stopped a half an hour later and he finally went by at Pine Junction. I had to get a drink of Red Bull to keep me alert. Working nights messes up my inner clock ya know.
    I tossed around hwy 285 for a bit, doing a nice back road called North Turkey Creek road and ended up in Morrison a half an hour later. I was stopped at the stop light pondering to turn left and head up Bear Creek Canyon or turn right and go into town. The light took for ever so I backed up a bit and headed into town - here I got the notion to do a loop up Golden Gate Canyon and back into Central City and do the Central City Parkway to I-70. It was only 1pm but I knew I only had a few more hours of daylight left to ride. I did end up doing Bear Creek Canyon 2 hours later after I finished the Denver loop, that was fun, lots of traffic as usual, but I had the tight parts to myself for a while. There was a guy riding an old Honda race bike, it looked like a small cc, not sure what year, it had dual shocks and it looked like a Cafe racer. He was riding slow so I passed him and waved as I went by and dissapeared into the next turn. Those skinny tires looked like mountain bike tires.
    GOLDEN GATE CANYON

    Video Preview
    :media: - Golden Gate Canyon Video
    I took my camera along not knowing what to film, I should have filmed Horsepower Hill cause I was really going fast on that, but instead I did half of Golden Gate Canyon. I started out going 7/10ths but upped it to 8 when I realized the road was good. You have to be careful this time of year. I stopped half way cause the bike was whobbling like it had a flat tire or somthing, I got off and looked at the tires and concluded the road was just bumpy like that. I then caught and passed the fella on the Norton a minute later - if you want to know. The video is the tight parts, no music just the V4, I cut out all the parts where I got stuck behind a car, or had to tiptoe through some slow gravel strewn road. 7 minutes long wmv format - I will upload it to youtube later if you dont like wmv movies.
    I saw about 20 bikes out and about - mostly Harleys and I waved at every one. There were lots of guys riding slow, but not me, I wanted to go go go. So I went alone today. I pretty much passed them all and waved at the ones going by. I only stopped for gas twice and once for a drink, the rest of the time I was rolling. I have done this double loop a number of times - it is really two loops combined, one out of Denver and one out of Colorado Springs and they intersect. Here are some map files below. It felt so good to be railing corners this late in the year!

  10. HispanicSlammer
    Pacific North West Meet 2010 Columbia River Gorge on the historic scenic Hwy 30
    I spent the night before the meet in Boise at my Uncles place - he fed me steaks and diet Dr Pepper. It was nice to catch up with him again since I maybe see him once a year during the holidays. It was a cook it yourself deal which is perfect since I like to cook my own steaks - that way nobody can take the blame for it being over cooked or raw but me. It was a smidgen too raw on one side too. Oh well, my old man called him and told him I was supposed to be there Sunday instead of Monday so him and his girlfriend went all out - and then I called him from Jackson to tell him I was gonna be there on Monday, JUST LIKE I SAID I WOULD in the message I left him the week before. Dad got it all wrong. Oh well the steak was in the fridge and booze in the pantry - which I stayed well away from. I am a shitty drunk, especially on the hard stuff.
    It was alright we watched the Jets and Giants on Monday night football playing in the new shared stadium in New Jersey - how does that figure? Is a rename in order the New Jersey Jets vs the New Jersey Giants? Heh we had a good laugh at that one - since both of us are really Broncos fans anyway and half assed fans at that.
    So he wakes up at 5am with his casual western work wear for his job as a computer programmer for the State of Idaho - he wont own a computer at home since he has to type on one all day long he hates them! I can see why he likes it there in Boise its a nice place, lots to do, good roads, small town but not too small, outdoorsy and very friendly people. I have yet to meet an unfriendly Idahoan yet! I am sure there are some and they are probably originally not from there.
    I call up Maddog who PMed me about riding out to Troutdale together earlier in the week, I called the guy since he left me a few messages wondering what was going on, and we decide to meet in the morning at the rest stop along the interstate at the state border in Ontario OR. So I pulled out of Boise around 7am and headed west on the long strait road to the interstate - on State Street it was a 15 mile long road to the interstate and it was busy the whole 15 miles. I should have gone south and got on the interstate soon but I did not have on my magic traffic goggles - so how was I supposed to know? Then of course as always when your on a schedule the interstate absolutely must have a 15 mile long road construction project going on that shuffles traffic all to one side of the highway. Nothing like seeing the country side behind an 18 wheeler smoking diesel fuel. I get there at 8am on the frickin dot and no Maddog? Ok so I wait he said 8-8:30? Then 8:45 rolls along and I say well 5 more minutes then I am leaving - and here comes a yellow 5th gen with a guy on it in the most faded stich I have ever seen! He could win that aerostich contest they have at the ugly boring rally they have. Hes got on some soft bags and top bag - and hes all of 130lbs if that. I am thinking hes got at least 150lbs less haulin than I - I hope I can keep up. Then he says "I am slow" Yea I have heard that before and ....NOT!
    Off we go into Oregon and as soon as we hit Vale we had to roll our clocks back 20 years to a time when gas was pumped by an attendant at the gas stations. Where the insides where lined with wood paneling and nothing was labeld - no rows of fancy drink coolers - no fancy neon signs - or multi flavor soda dispensers - I really felt like I had stepped into a time machine in some of those places he took me. On some of the stops we had to get off the highway and drive into the town behind some back alley and find the only gas station for 30 miles. If he hadn't of known it was there I would have never found it. Maddog, he says we will fill up at every stop cause you never know when these back country places will be open. Eastern Oregon is about as rural as it gets. I can only think its a product of the state law that requires a gas station attendant to be present to pump your gas. It negates the all night - pay at the pump - do it yourself thing thats for sure and if Bubba is sick today well I guess you just close down for the day leaving a community undeserved for its gas needs! Oh well the Gov-a-mint knows best eh? Shoot, I had to get used to waiting in line for gas in Oregon - all I can say is IT SUCKS! Half the time they just said "go ahead man"! After waiting for 5 minutes to get his attention. Nope I did not see any female attendants - not sure if that is a law too. I did meet allot of anti gov-a-mint folks in Oregon though and well no wonder! Like I said IT SUCKS! Let freedom ring and let us pump the darned gas please!

    Maddog suffering from the Oregon Heat shedding a layer

    Service Creek Café

    Dilapidated Barn viewed from t he Service Creek Café
    So we headed out from Vale and made our way to Unity and I tested this "I am slow" declaration he made, in some tasty sweepers and NOPE - DOES NOT HOLD WATER! I calculated it in my head and found that 1) those chicken strips he had on in Ontario have somehow mysteriously disappeared in the last 100 miles and 2) he seems to be able to accelerate at a very steep rate compared to me? I had to conclude at this point that Maddog was full of shit! He ain't slow! It was like Shamu trying to catch up to Dani Padrosa! I mean look at the guy he cant be much bigger than Dani Pedrosa!
    So I figured I was feeling good about the bike the day before when I was railing it solo, but when your riding with other riders all that changes and the doubt creeps in along with some anticipation of whats to come especially if your riding with somebody you don't know. Its only natural to want to keep up - but having put on more then my share of miles on a vfr I think I can honestly say "F that" to myself and go at my own pace. If its fast enough then good, if not well I am sure they will wait for me at the next turn. There were a couple of times Maddog stepped away and I let him go cause I was liking the roads. Sometimes you get caught up and don't look around to see all the good stuff your missing - wow this was some pretty country in Eastern Oregon. I like how they make roads that follow rivers and creeks, its a natural rhythm to the road it just flows like the water does. Maddog pulled off at Unity and told about this great country road 20 we were going to take at Bates and take it all the way up to Long Creek. He said watch out for the cattle grates, but he mentioned nothing about the clods of dirt all over the road, we soon were on it and I found I could just keep it in 4th gear most the time and modulate the throttle well enough to power out of the sweepers, deep ones that make you lean more at the end and they just kept a coming! I was having a blast on that road, keeping him close this time I was in my element. I put my foot down on the chip seal and sure enough it was solid and no loose stuff, it was time to rip it. Pretty soon though the road stopped the chip seal and it looked a bit glassy in the shade, I know its just an optical illusion but for me it was enough to slow it down a bit. It also had some tar snakes on the north side so I let Maddog go again. I can't count the number of times I just had an odd feeling about a road and slowed down only to find my ridding buddy on the side of the road! Too many times I don't know this road but I know whats good and whats not, tar snakes are not good! So yea I slowed down.
    We rode for a few hundred more miles and then the heat started in on us, Maddog had to peal off some layers and then I saw I was dealing with a very lite rider in front of me. I thought this darned 1200 cant keep up? Whats going on..oh hes not very big thats why! And he doesn't have much packed with him either. Ok 400 cc's is not that much of an advantage in this situation especially when the bike sort of limits the power in the lower gears too.
    Toward mid day I felt I could keep up - and he wanted me to lead but my gps was all goofy - telling me to turn on dirt roads and pointing me in the wrong direction, I ended up just shutting off the route cause it had recalculated it all, then reloading it to fix the errors. Not happy with this replacement zumo garmin sent me, its a lemon. It takes 15 minutes to draw the maps - always shuts off for no reason and wont power back up. Darned thing, I got tired of fiddling with it. So I just let him lead. I usually lead all the time at home, mostly actually with my buds. Some of my buds prefer to lead its all good I don't care. I don't mind leading if I know where to go. I tend to use the rear brake allot so it bugs some people before entering turns, a habit of dirt biking It involuntary mostly I don't even think about it, and I don't jam the brakes just lightly put my foot on it and thats it. I usually just unplug my rear brake light sensor so it don't bother people, they say to me "your brake lights on but your speeding up"? Yea I know! I wouldn't do it if I could train myself out of it. Thats just the way I ride, 300,000 plus miles and I am habituated.

    Shaniko Oregon Maddog and I were standing in the lawn sprinkler cooling off

    Mt Hood snapped a quick pic from the road
    One more gas stop in Spray then we hit some of the best turns of the whole day, just west of spray there was a good pass and then at Antelope a very tight twisty section that I was able to record with my contour hd camera.

    http://www.vfrdiscussion.com/forum/videos/491/antelope_shaniko.mp4
    There were great roads all in that section of road, up until mount hood then we slabbed it into Troutdale, I took the lead for the last 100 or so miles into town since I had a radar detector. I saw a few cops and they lit me up, I slowed down in time and kept on going. It was a good day or riding.

    Full Size
  11. HispanicSlammer
    https://contour.com/stories/bishops-castle-run-to-wetmore
     

    I have not been to the Greenhorn highway all summer, the road to Bishops castle - its always fun railing the turns on that fast sweeper road, then the tighter stuff down to Wetmore. I met up with reddog in Woodland Park and we checked out the sky and thought well maybe we can go around Pikes Peak to a turn off at Twin Rocks and avoid the angry looking clouds sitting over Pikes Peak. We got lucky and missed most of the rain. Heading south on High Park road we saw a rare site, motorcycles holding up cars! We figured it was a new rider and sure enough it was a woman on a metric crusier and her husband not far behind riding 15 below the speed limit - of course in a section with no sight lines for at least a mile, we had to pass 3 cars and 2 bikes.

    Reddog was saying over the blue tooth sena communicators they should pull off - but honestly I am sure she was so white knucked kung fu grip on the handle bars she probably had no idea there were cars behind her! I did not mind too much cause I know the road well and knew we were going to be into a passing zone soon enough.

    Then over the back road to Cripple Creek we were soon on hwy 50 - Reddog was astonished at how bad they messed up that road with tar snakes, the hill down to the Arkansas River was so full of tar snakes it was like riding over a slip and slide water park as wide as the road. It was awful - sections we did over the years at a 100 plus are now very dangerous and not advisable to ride much over the speed limit if even that.
     
     
     
     
     

    Lunch was a bacon cheese burger with weird maple syrup flavored bacon? It sort of ruined the burger which was very tasty but the maple syrup was just too much. Hit the spot though after we both peeled that stuff off. Then back on the road to Westcliff where we finally got some rain, just enough to clean the bugs off the visor. They dont call them the wet mountains for nothin!

    Then soon we were pushing the speed up a bit and turned off on the Green Horn hwy at McKenzi Junction and then I rolled on the throttle and let her rip all the way to Bishops Castle - thats a very fun fast ride for 15 min or so of good stuff. There is more good twisties if you keep going but the best stuff is on the way to the Castle. Bigalow Divide its called is the best part.
     
     
     
     
     

     
     
     
     
     

     

    Map of the video ride


    Full Size


    We rode into Flornece and the heat on the temp gauge showed 100f, only in Colorado can you go from 65 to 100 in a matter of 12 mintues! We looked back at the wet mountains it was just covered with rain clouds, we hit it at the perfect time!
     
     
  12. HispanicSlammer
    Ice Racing Rainbow Falls Park Colorado
    Harry's Roamers Motorcycle Club is the oldest motorcycle club in Colorado established in 1929 they are known for putting on an ice racing series. This years event at Rainbow Falls Park brought hundreds of folks out to the mountain lake one of the four Ice racing events they organize each winter. It was really a hoot to come out on this cold Sunday morning and watch all the different bikes go around the oval shaped track, spectators were outnumberd by participants 2:1 - now thats what I call a real sport!

    http://harrysro.poww...hrmc/index.html
    I remember comeing out to this lake as a child to ice skate with my grand parents but this is the first time I have attended the ice races and boy this seems like alot more fun! My buddy Craig and I piled into his four wheel Toyota and headed up Ute pass for Woodland Park, Rainbow falls is just about 15 minutes north of there on Hwy 67 I embedded a map if your wondering where exactly! We had just come off the night shift, restless, looking for somthing to do. He saw a line in somthing he read about ice racing here in Colorado so we looked it up and sure enough - IT WAS ON. We were not sure what to expect, 2 feet of snow or what so we dressed up like Eskimo's and headed out, there was hardly any snow up there by Rainbow lake we where thinking it might be a bust but sure enough the road headed slightly down hill into a lake depression and we saw all the cars, the lake was frozen solid! The Track was layed out and there were bikes and trailers littered everywhere. 8 bucks to get in seemed like a cheap date for a half days fun and we gladly paid the entry fee. We walked out on the ice and studied the curious fenders and inspected the oddly studded tires and wondered just how go you get those things in there - these where the screw in from the outside type!
    Once the raceing started we noticed not many racers where spinning out its seemed like flat track racing with similar sliding and slipping as if on loose dirt - just colder!

    KTM

    KTM

    Homemade Fenders

    Some more homemade than others

    riders meeting

    DONT..KICK..THE..CONES
    I was getting tickled at the organizer who was holding the pre race quote "bitch session" as Craig called it, he said the times he raced there is a similar type session at all of them! HEH pay to play I gotta say! It was over soon enough and everybody knew they were serious about safety and the CONES!

    ATV Tires studded for maximum grip

    Lay out the green carpet

    Speedway bikes

    speedway bike rotated engine forward for better handling, CG moved forward

    Got Milk

    speedway bike

    one more
    I was facinated by the speedway bikes, stripped down to almost bicycle like frames, small aircooled engines, no brakes just pure sideways fun having motorcycles - they harken back to the days of board track race bikes, and to me look like living history.

    On your mark, get set!

    The name of the game? get the hole shot!

    battleing for position

    Way out front

    ice pits

    2 strokes

    Classics

    Even raced UTILITY ATV'S I think if they could put studded wheels on a washing machine they would race it.

    classics race
    http://www.vfrdiscussion.com/uploads/videos/491/1236584620_icerace.wmv.flv
    THE MAP

    Full Size
  13. HispanicSlammer
    Just fitted the bike with EBC HH pads all around, and put on a few stickers for the crappy plastic hugger. Going to head up to Cripple Creek, Victor with Dan and Craig for a bit of fun. We wanted to do hwy 67 to Pine but the CDOT says its closed due to flash flood damage. Dan has to be back early so its just a local ride.
    It is sunny out and a bit cool should be fun!
    When I was fitting the new brakes I noticed a bit of play in my front wheel - wheel bearings are shot, thanks Baileyrock for bring that to my attention when we were at your place putting on my wheels after the texas mac ride, I have been monitoring them. I think I will replace everything, the wheel bearings, the seals, the axle and the mounting bolt too.
  14. HispanicSlammer
    Well I was surprised to get a PM from Florida Member Jeremy555 that basically invited me to ride with the guys again at Deals Gap in September - airfare to get me there, room, and a bike to borrow for the weekend! WOW what can I say about that - other than yes of course. It would be impolite and ungrateful to turn down a gesture like that, and luckily my boss also agreed and let me have the time off to do it!
    I really don't know what to say really, thank you guys, really its a great thing to do for the "Ole Dumbass" - reference to what a beemer dude once called me while riding in New Mexico, God forbid a VFR be allowed to pass a BMW? So after all the frustrations associated with Hackers, losing cameras, dropping stuff on dirt-bike trails, the day to day grind of our mundane work weeks. There is light at the end of the tunnel, and the Southern VFRD boys are making that possible. Everything I have heard about Southern Hospitality is true! I am so looking forward to coming back to ride those awesome Appalachian mountain roads again!
    It will be great to hang out with Baileyrock again too for a while.
    I mean how can I pass up an opportunity like that??
    read about the Deals Gap ride in the Rider Groups>South forum
  15. HispanicSlammer

    Hello Vfrd

    By HispanicSlammer,

    Hello Ladies and Gents,
    Opps thats a bit optistic, since I have ridden with some of you, perhaps women and dudes is better? In anycase I am proud to announce the blog service arm of vfrd availible for vfrd members.
    I am hosting a ride to Creede here in Colorado on July 23rd sunday if your interested and are in the area to ride. It is a big ride so bring your best gear.
    Above are pictures of last years ride.
  16. HispanicSlammer
    First you begin by leaving the day before the Fourth of July weekend which in of itself is idiotic, then you forget to check the weather forecast (not that it mattered since It was raining everywhere) then you pick a place to camp that has the worst weather off all. Not a bad plan if your looking to make your riding adventure a joke. I did that and found I was scratching my head wondering "why in the world are all these RV's out and about" I had never seen so much traffic on hwy 50 going to Salida. It was crazy I was able to enjoy a little bit of the road to Texas Creek but "wow its crazy out here to day" Then I stopped for lunch at a Mexican restaurant in Poncha Springs and the waiter said have a happy Forth Of July - DOH no wonder. I had been on this 18 day forced vacation from work and completely lost track of time, I did not even know what day it was or what! I mean I got lost in the fray and just wanted to go visit my sister in Santa Fe since I had nothing better to do than go riding. I thought I would go ride over to Durango but I slapped the whole trip together so off the cuff I did not even leave till noon. I figured I would take my tent and go camping on top of Grand Mesa for the night then head down to Montrose and ride the Million Dollar Highway.
    I have been on the Million Dollar Highway 30 or so times but only twice have I done it going south, this time I was going to do it going south on the vfr. OK good plan so far, except there are all these damn tourist on the road on a Thursday? What gives then I get the news from the waiter OH Yea I haven't looked at a watch or a calendar in ages all I knew was that it was Thursday and I don't have to be back to work till the 8th. OK time to go riding. I noticed the afternoon clouds had rolled in on the mountains by this time and I was in for some rain. All the way up Monarch Pass and back down it rained on me and ruined what ever chance I had to rail the turns. OH well I will be on the Black Canyon soon enough and I could rail the whole way up Hwy 92 on the way to Cedaredge. Yea right.
    I noticed a lot of black clouds when I made it to Gunnison and thought well I cant even pass cars with all this traffic on hwy 50 - a car coming every second it seemed made passing slow movers a real job. I was crawling along behind the rest of the slomos heading west when I noticed the clouds seemed to be darkest right over the Black Canyon. I thought for sure I was gonna get more rain when I made it too hwy 92. So I pulled off and put on my rain gloves. Hwy 50 is all sweepers and at times it fun but mostly its slab, scenic slab but slab. I was ready to lean the bike over for a change since Monarch Pass was a bust and the fast stuff at Texas Creek was congested with RV's . No sooner than 100 yards after the turnoff at hwy 92 did the rain come and it was pouring, and there was a row of RV's heading up the hill too? Oh Jeez no way - I can ride pretty good in the rain and so I took off up the hill and passed the RV's the first opportunity and low and behold the road was clear of traffic after that however any chance or railing would have to be held in check cause the rain was just pouring hard. I still passed everything but at a much more conservative pace than I was going to ride. I couldn't see anything cause the clouds were hanging so low that stopping for pictures was a bust too. Oh well I enjoy riding in the rain sometimes, but boy it was cold my hands were starting to cramp up cause the rain was like ice water.
    It only took about 40 minutes to get past the last good turn on hwy 92 then what do you know the rain slowed to an even drizzle, the road was still wet and it turned to slab again. I road into the bread basket of the western slope and headed for Cedaredge on my way to the Grand Mesa then the sky opened up and really started pounding me. I rode past a nice looking motel and in an instant I scrapped any plans I had to go camping and opted for a dry room with a hot shower.

    Cedaredge Lodge Very friendly owners made me feel at home
    The folks who owned the place came out and greeted me, and couple who transplanted from Florida and really fixed the place up, they built a huge patio added a hot tub and they even invited me to BBQ with them out on the patio for dinner. The rain really started pouring then and when I got to my room I was so soaked I just stood in the warm shower for what seemed like ages warming up. Rain in Colorado is refreshing for about 10 minutes then it just gets freaking cold, especially in the mountains. It usually drops the temperature about 20 degrees from 70F to 50F in an instant. I got out of the shower and vegged out on the bed for a half an hour and went outside to explore the place I figured they gave up on the BBQ with rain so I rode down to the café a mile down the road and had a wonderful pork chop dinner that was on special. If nothing the accommodations and the food was good! Stuffed and still cold I fell asleep before the sun was even down.
    The next morning it looked to be still cloudy out and cold. At least the rain had stopped

    Cedaredge Lodge they insisted I park under the carport

    Cedaredge Lodge a creek ran along the backyard where they had a nice little porch over it with a hot tub

    sit out on the coverd patio
    I just headed back south and forgot about the Grand Mesa, over to Delta and Montrose. Hwy 550 is boring here and boy there was all that traffic again, crossing Montrose was a pill since its always slow going in there. The road takes you to Ouray - its 2 lanes for a bit out of Montrose then it starts to gently wind around farms and into the mountains. I was just about to merge into the one lane when a Porche with Arizona plates stuffs himself in the left lane and cuts me off from merging - the guy driving gives me this smart ass smirk and he takes off since he has a "sports car" I was just cruising since well the road sucks here and I ride "the pace" all the time. As soon as the road started to have curves in it I was not far behind, and he was passing people rather easily, but one section I was passing cars too and was right behind him. He was still in the left lane and passing very slowly so slowly in fact I was running out of room to get back over. So as soon as he started to merge I gunned it and went past him too.
    Then it was on - racing with a Porche I guess - I must have touched a nerve cause the guy was right on my six for the next 10 miles when the passing was easy. Then when in Ouray we were crawling 25mph in town for what seemed like ages I had planned on stopping for pictures however I was embroiled in a passing battle with this Porche now and no way was he going to get around me again to give me another smirk like he did the first time. More childishness I guess on my part but I have to admit it was the most fun I had the whole trip. Up the hill and onto the Million Dollar Highway there were all kinds of cars, RV's and SUV's all over the road. The passing was a snap since the road is bit scary to tourist since the turns are sharp and there is no guard rail - the way down is pretty far and deadly if you screw up. I was passing 2 at a time and hitting the turns at full lean. That is untill I ran up behind a Pickup truck pulling an ATV in a trailer, this guy was so afraid he was driving into the oncomeing lane? He was at least a 1/4 of the way into the oncomming lane the whole time? IN BLIND CURVES? Anybody comming the other way had to jamn it over into the inches of shoulder just to avoid this asshole? I managed to get past him and flip him the bird as I got past, he even came into me a bit as I passed - on a section of dotted line? Mr Porche managed to follow and stay close, all the way up to the first pass, there are 2 tight switchbacks and we both got around the traffic to hit them clean and I was all the way leaned over into the first one, the Porche was 10 feet behind me. I flicked it right to hit the next turn then left and way way over I was scrapping my boot, and the Porche fell behind a bit till I was a good hundred yards ahead in the switchback and as soon as the road straitened he was right behind me again. (wow OK this guy cant drive I guess cause he should have railed those turns!!).
    It was not long before we where starting on the tight switchbacks and loops of Red mountain pass, again in the tighter turns he fell back then where was a long strait and 4 cars and big RV was holding them up. I passed all four cars at once and then had to wait a couple of turns to get around the RV and the Porche just must have gave up there cause as soon as I got around the RV I was gone and never saw that Porche again. Oh well it was fun while it lasted and well I wish I could have seen his face when I got around those last 4 cars right before the tight stuff came up again.
    I had to take it easy after Silverton cause there were Bicyclist on the road, hundreds of them riding to Durango. I was on my way to Durango to have some lunch, a place I know well. I graduated from Fort Lewis College in Durango and lived there for five years, I absolutely love that place. I like to go back and visit even though all my professors have all retired and I don't know anybody there anymore I still love to go there.

    Molas Pass

    Molas Pass

    Molas Pass

    Durango Colorado

    Downtown Durango

    Downtown Durango Oldtymers my favorite lunch stop in Durango

    Panhead Chopper with whitewalls Kick start and green paint

    Durango Circa 1910
    Leaving Durango I headed east on HWY 160 to Pagosa Springs, I never advise anybody go that way for anything and this trip proved it. The traffic out of Durango was strangled up with construction and it did not let up till Bayfield a good 30 minutes of BS traffic. It is always like that I was kicking myself for not heading east and just going to NM strait away and taking hwy 64 across. No I just endured the traffic to Bayfield, then it cleared up a bit but here is where the cops come, cops everywhere. It has always been crawling with cops, two different sheriffs, town cops and state patrol, it crawls with LEO"s what was I thinking? The Pagosa Springs is a nightmare of slow traffic. Its all sprawled out for 10 miles and crawling along at 30 miles per hour it takes forever to get out of that place. I have never liked Pagosa Springs much, first it stinks like Sulfur then the sprawl goes on and on all the way to Durango hwy 160 just sucks, thats all it just sucks. The good thing is I got off hwy 160 here and headed to Chama and out of Colorado. The road is not very challenging or twisty but its much less traffic. I just cruised all the way to Santa Fe on hwy 64, well almost its pretty much a strait shot into Santa Fe once you get to Espanola.
    My sister was waiting at her new house, they were building a fence and they just had a stone patio built, I spent 3 days there and tickle torchured my niece and nephew for days while they were fighting with each other - kids will be kids. I enjoyed it, the bbq's the fireworks. Spending time with sis too.

    The road to Chimayo New Mexico

    The Road to Chimayo

    Santuario De Chimayo

    Santuario De Chimayo
    Well anyway I thought for my ride home I would head to Taos on the back roads at Penasco and then cut across to Angel Fire, Yea right more Sabotage. As soon as the mountains closed in on the road I passed a car and fell in behind an Oklahoman on a V-strom. He was really shaky in the turns and so I backed off a bit and then we got stuck behind traffic. Two cops were coming the other way and flashed up with their lights? I was annoyed at that since we were barely going the speed limit as it was behind this traffic. Then it was clear why - chip seal, one lane traffic for 5 miles and we where stuck in a pile up that was half a mile long. OH I was dying now, 25mph all the way to Agua Fria for another 20 miles?? It was a nightmare, I so so much wished I had not turned north at Penasco and just continued east to Mora instead. The traffic was going so slow I had to feather my clutch to keep from knocking into the car in front of us. V-strom seemed to handle the loose chip better than me. The worse part was when the bike started to over heat, the temp gage started to flash 250f!! for about a minutes but there was no place to pull off, then the road opened up a bit and we were going 35 mph and it cooled back down. I need to replace my radiator cap I suspect it not holding pressure. I have replaced the coolant and the thermostat, its got to be a bad cap.
    Oh man that took forever and it sucked A%^%$. As soon as the road got out of the mountains and onto the valley plains along the lake at Eagles nest folks were getting passed 5 at a time, me and the V-strom - then I passed him too cause he was slow too. he had to get gas anyway and I kept going past the lake, into town and up the hill to Cimmaron Canyon. There was brand new pavement and the turns are great there, I wasn't counting on umpteen million campers in the canyon though and deer ever where. Once again I had to slow down cause people and deer were all around walking on the road side? OHH (*&(*&(*&(&^*&^*&^*&^*&^$#$$()(
    Ok fine then it started raining again when the camp sites where long gone and I was on the high speed sweepers, the brand new pavement was gone and the old tar snakes from hell were there in the rain, time to slow down again after a few slips from the rear tire. No railing that either?
    Out of Cimmaron Canyon the rain stopped and then it started blow wind at 30mph gusts all the way to Raton I was leaned over just to keep the bike strait. This trip was starting to look like a complete bust for what it was. The in Raton the rain came again and still windy - yup as soon as I hit Raton pass into Colorado the rain started pouring again.

    Interstate 70 at Raton it was raining hard on the pass
    I rolled into Colorado in the hard rain all the way down Raton Pass where it stopped in Trinidad and they had more construction going on there - one lane with all the familiar turns off blocked off from the overpass. The interstate is pretty much one large overpass in Trinidad above the town all they across town, and it was being worked on so they diverted the traffic to the other side and there was no place to get off. I was at 180 miles on my tank and calculated I had 2 bars left on the tank, I have made it 240 miles several times with no problems. So I figured I could ride to Walsenburg and fill up there, 25 miles north.
    I rolled past one gas station I don't like at 190 miles, It filthy and I needed to use a bathroom - I don't like dirty filthy bathrooms. Then with about 5 miles to go I ran out of freaking gas! First time ever I had run out of gas on my vfr, 118k miles and now I run out of gas?

    Doh out of gas
    There was a frontage road on the east side so I took off my suit and started hoofing it when a guy on a Yamaha Vstar pulled off and asked me if that was my bike on the side of the road, I told him about running out of gas and he offered to go get some for me if I did not mind waiting, wow on the interstate a motorcyclist named Brandon comes to my rescue! Brandon your a lifesaver man you saved me a 10 mile hike! I gave him some cash and off he went!

    Brandon to the rescue I told you I would make you famous
    He comes back with some gas and the vfr starts right up, I tried to give him some cash for his trouble but he refused it saying "no just help out the next guy" which I do anyway. What comes around goes around folks and this day it was payback. Thanks Brandon I really appreciate your help.
    It was around 6:30 when I rolled into Walsenburg to fill up the rest of the way, the clerk said "oh your the guy who ran out of gas" yup! I decided I needed to get in some twisties no matter what so I pulled off the interstate at Colorado City and headed up the Greenhorn Hwy to Bishops Castle, it was fun for about 5 turns, which I did not rail cause I know of some deer trails there that are always full of deer. Sure enough my caution was warranted I saw a couple of deer feeding on the side of the road the next turn, then down to Lake Isabel I picked up the pace all the way to Bishops Castle at my normal pace, ran the good stuff to Bigalow Divide then wouldn't you know - it started raining on me again! JEBUS I cant catch a break!! I had to slow it down cause the chip seal is all scrapped off and its slick tar patches and tar snakes the rest of the way, in the rain its slick. Oh well - a bad day riding is better than a good day off work. The moral of the story is, I still love to ride no matter what!!

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  17. HispanicSlammer
    OMG I am in deep now everytime I take somthing off I find somthing else wrong
    I keep delving into this bike deeper and deeper and finding all sorts of problems, I know my rear brake has been dragging so I decided to get some new parts and rebuild it. It was a mess, the rubber seals were hard as rocks, and the bellows covering the slider pins were torn and the pins were covered in caked on brake dust not sliding at all.

    rear brake rebuild replaced the seals, pads, bleeders, cleaned up and polished the pistons

    One rebuilt rear brake caliper high temp grease on the sliders, new bolts, new pads, new bleeders, new seals.
    I just about got that done and decided to check the swing arm and it was slightly loose when moving side to side and indication that the bearing are shot. So I took it off too, found about 4 inches of caked on oily dirt on the top and side of the swing arm it was just a mess. When I took the axle out I noticed it was in awful shape partially rusted and I think it was the issue since it looked worn where the spacers fit. I run my fingers across the needle bearings and if felt like it was full of grime, the other bearing on the other side seemed fit though. I ordered new bearings, new axle and new spacers cause I am not sure where that play was comming from, along with new dust seals. I have no idea how I am going to get the needle bearings out? Or press in new ones? I dont have the right tools for that.

    Swing arm removed she had a little play in the pivot axle!
    Some good news I got my wheels and hub back from the powder coater and they look great!

    Powdercoated hub it was looking rather dull so I had it done too

    Wheels just back from the powder coater Spectrum Powder Works here in Colorado Springs - loving how they look
    I got bored with getting greasy so I cleaned up and took a nap, I dont have the parts in yet to start putting it back together and I still have to get that darned broken header stud out! I ordered new studs and a carbide drill bit since my bits dont seem to be able to get the job done, I really dont want to take the head off and take it to a machine shop to get that stud out - hopefully that drill bit will do the job! I had to keep my parts orgainized so I put the little washers, seals, bolts, nuts, connectors and what nots into little baggies seperated by what they came off of. I did manage to get the stator back in and put the new stator cover on with a gasket - should not leak I treated it with a thin coat of yamabond 5 and let it dry like it says to do on the tube. Lots of work left to do its takeing nearly all my free time off work, but I enjoy it!

    filling in sratches and holes with poly flex slowly getting the PITA job done of repairing plastics
    RECAP OF WORK DONE AND WORK LEFT TO DO
    fork rebuild - new seals new oil done inspect head bearings - done bought new wheels - stripped and powdercoated - installed new bearings and dust seals done replaced stator cover - reinstalled inspected and tested stator new gaskets repaired oil leak done removed old accessory wires - rework heated seat with a new heat troller, reroute wires in a common conduit. find a better spot for the pc-usb rework the autovox unit installed two powerlets center post for the garmin zumo, and rear kit for my heated vest - wired up a side plug adaptor Yet to do
    repair broken header studs install new header gaskets replace bearings in the ecentric and swing arm pivot axles degrease that unit replace the crappy plastic chain gaurd and hugger reupolster my seat with new leather or leather like matierial replace worn foam in the seat finish repairs to the plastics complete paint stripping on the tank sand and prime the plastics and paint replace the fuel filter since I have the pump removed PAINT THE BIKE GET IT BACK TOGETHER CORRECTLY
  18. HispanicSlammer
    The Canadian Crew and Me at the lookout on the Old Spiral Highway
    As another riding season begins to draw to a close I can look back at it with a smile and think "good times" - just right not too much not too little. I feel like Goldilocks in riding leathers testing the seats of other peoples motorcycles. Most people I ride with on my trips live an awful long ways away from me, a days ride if not more, so its not often I see them just corresponding here on vfrd. Its always a pleasure to see them again and usually the ride together becomes an epic adventure and once again I am happy to be riding with friends. I have always been a bit aloof but I have never been so much the loner that I shy away from people. The consummate average Joe, so average that my own mother called me "Charlie Brown" ever since I was a little child, Charlie Brown had friends. At my time in life reaching middle age friends are not so easy to come by, you meet them at work, at church (if your the pious type), and places but mostly they are just acquaintances.
    It is as a motorcyclist I have found the most friends, not just with vfrd but long before that, I have always found a bond with people who find themselves at home on two wheels with a motor between their legs, people who don't think its crazy to do that! People like myself, and that is the key. As profoundly different as we are in life, by race, religion, culture, nationality I can honestly say motorcyclist are "people like me". I find an awful lot of comfort in that - since that spirit of kinship doesn't come so easy, not for me, the loner "Charlie Brown". So when I go to a vfrd rally in Troutdale Oregon and meet a few new people and come to know them, then reunite with vfrd members again its an honest friendship I find very rewarding. It is the reason I really created this website, out of a selfish need to find people like me. So it goes a very special riding season draws to a close and I am once again planning for next year!

    Lake McDonald Glacier National Park
    It was the the end of the PNW meet in Troutdale and we had split up - half of us on the way to Canada and the rest of us on our way to Glacier National Park. Radar, Radars-rider, and I would ride one more day together to go and visit Montana. We took a rather out of the way route from Idaho to Montana or so we thought, my gps was constantly trying to route me off what it thought was a dirt road, up to Thompson Pass I was getting confused as to where to turn off or if just to keep going? We were sort of playing it by ear, Radar had never been to Glacier before so he let me lead. We got off the interstate as soon as we could and turned on this back road and it was shaping up to be a nice road that mirrored a nice creek, lots of fishermen wading in the stream and a generally picturesque place to behold. Soon a turn came and went and the sign said Thompson Pass so I turned around and took it. Thats when it got to get interesting since the surface took a turn for the worst. Like it had not been resurfaced in years, bumpy and up and down wavy roller coaster type things going on, I thought perhaps the gps was right we might be heading for a dirt road right into Deliverance. I was very surprised when we rolled up behind the longest stack of cars, Harley's, and RV's I had ever seen. The road had no straits long enough to start picking them off one by one so we just sat behind them all for mile after mile till we came to a village in Prichard Idaho, where some sort of festival was going on. It was all very confusing. Where were they going since we could see none of them turning off and why so many all bunched together. I saw an opportunity after the village to pass them all at once and I took it with Radar in tow right behind me. No real traffic behind that mass of locust and none past them either? It remains a mystery where that caravan came from and where they were going?
    Then Thompson pass came along for a few miles of great twisties on the Idaho side and a few more on the Montana side but a bit bumpy on the shady side of the mountains. It was turning out to be one of those great roads - you don't really enjoy it till its almost over? Then you realize "hey that was good"! Too bad that it was all slab from there on out, along with 15 miles of road torn down to the dirt. You would think a car with 4 flat square tires could handle it better then a bike but nope they all want to go 15 miles an hour on dirt? One guy even went so far as to bob and weave around so much that I though he might have blown a tire, he was only looking for the smoothest part of the road - again at 15 mph - Radar and I found a bit of daylight and passed him at 40 and showed him the correct way to smooth out an easy dirt road - go faster! Somehow we were soon at Flathead lake and rolling our way into Kalispell but I turned off and totally missed the entire town, good thing since I don't much care for that place so much. Radar had reservations at an RV park that had a motel, cabins and even teepee's to stay at! I got a little apartment off on the edge of the property and they had a room in the motel. We took a break and washed up then headed to Hungary Horse for a meal and some awesome Huckleberry pie!

    Radar And Fay early in the morning up Glacier National Park

    Going To The Sun Road

    Logan Pass on Going to the Sun Road

    Short Delays Mt Logan

    We made it through the park between storms

    Fantastic view

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    The next morning we bundled up expecting cold rain but somehow managed to ride between two storms - all the way into and out of the park. It was early so we did not have to pay, the ranger at the gate did not even acknowledge we where even there, sitting there like fools waiting for somebody to take our money till a cager passed through without paying and so we followed. It was even rude - totally ignored us! Oh well its was much cheaper this way!

    http://www.vfrdiscussion.com/forum/videos/491/glacier.mp4
    At the end of the park is where I would have to say goodbye once again to radar and his lovely traveling companion Fay, they were on their way to Saskatoon and me I was gonna try to make it to Cody Wyoming. In the Indian country on the Montana Plains is got to be where the name "Big Sky Country" comes from since it is very much so. I was rolling south to Helena and racking up the miles one by one at a pace that if it was not Montana might land me in Jail. Stopping for lunch in Choteau I found a wonderful café that had some of the best food of the whole trip, Biscuits and Gravy and real gravy! Good stuff!

    Brunch In Choteau The food here is excellent

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    The rest of the day was slab to nth degree, nice sweepers on interstate into Helena then an awful 2 lane road hwy 287 on the way to the interstate heading east to Red Lodge. I was planning to make over Bear Tooth Pass by nightfall but I was taking too much time, a huge fire along the highway at Columbus almost choked me to death with smoke so I got off the interstate there and went a back way into Red Lodge, it was also under construction and down to the dirt base so I was going along even slower then I would have. Then smack right into a rain storm I finally pulled into Red Lodge and looked for a motel! I found one on south side of town and I am glad I did cause it was one of the highlights of the whole trip. Harley Davidson's parked side by side the whole parking lot, two large groups of motorcyclist had pulled in also to get out of the rain. One group from Boise and the other from Queensland Australia - talk about an epic trip. I was hardly able to swing my leg off the bike before a nice Aussie was handing me a beer and a braut and inviting me to come have dinner with them at the BBQ - and I did and it was great! Lovely people these Australians the the Boise group too, all different walks of life, age, fathers, sons, wives and old friends. I was like I landed into a second rally in Red Lodge!

    Out of the rain - at the Red Lodge Inn two groups of Harley Davidson's also stopped to get out of the rain

    Australian HD riders they cooked burgers steaks and dogs for everybody - with beer for everybody it was like a mini rally in the Red Lodge Parking Lot we had a great time
    I drank so much beer I got a headache cause every time I finished one somebody was handing me another! We stayed up till the moon rose and the stars of the Montana sky were so bright we could see well enough to stumble to our rooms. Oh boy did I have a good time! I woke up to the sound of roaring Harley's and the entire bunch had gotten up early to head over the pass together. I has semi packed already so I just showered up and put the bags back on the VFR in an empty parking lot. I gave my key back to the owners, a nice couple who just bought the place and renovated it, trying to make a go at being innkeepers, I must say they sure were great hosts, shuttling us to the grocer for burgers and making beer runs for us all night long. Good people I hope they are successful in their business. If ever in Red Lodge make sure to stay at the Red Lodge Inn on the south end of town, new red paint and brick parking lot.
    Red Lodge Inn
    811 S Broadway Ave, Red Lodge, Montana 59068
    (406) 446-2030
    I got on my bike and headed for the pass 20 minutes later and to my amazement I caught them all at the base - of course I passed them and waved as I went by, I had a long 700 mile day ahead of me yet to go. Stopping a few times for pictures till they almost caught up again and off I went, it was incredibly cold at the top of Bear Tooth Pass the digital thermometer on the dash said 32F! My hands were frozen with the lite summer gloves even with the grip heaters on high!
    it was 30f at the top my hands were numb

    Bear Tooth Pass Panoramic

    Bear Tooth Pass it was 30f at the top my hands were numb
    The ride to Chief Joseph is always fun, 80 mph sweepers and then some nice 20mph switchbacks on the way up to the top, I was again alone.

    Battleship Rock at the bottom of the Chief Joseph Highway

    Chief Joseph Highway Wyoming

    Chief Joseph Outsmarted the US Army In those mountains

    A few more curves before the slab starts
    I stopped for breakfast in Cody and wondered out loud what was I thinking? No way could I have made it here by night fall then just about then a guy rolled up on a Honda Shadow no helmet and an earring in his ear like Sinbad and a bandanna on his head. He gets off and says hello, he tells me he and his friend rode strait from Detroit to Cody Wyoming in one shot, and instantly made me feel like the ultimate pussy! He said he was hopped up on cigarettes and coffee and that it had become some sort of how long can you go competition between them and no way would he have done that alone! I thought he was a nut, especially since it was all interstate, I would be frozen on a fetal position if I was him! Dude good luck get some sleep now!
    So off I went to cross Wyoming and I took the most boring path possible but the fastest, although wind river gorge was nice it too turned into a construction nightmare with a pace car and the, whole crawl a snails pace for and half an hour scene! Economic recovery DOT style, fix all the roads all the way down to magma now? We need fresh magma, hot molten rock to build this road on! ?!
    OK so the rest of the day sucked - end of story! but I did 700 miles on the veefalo - no bandanna or earing but not bad! I rewarded myself 50 miles to go with an ice cream in Sedalia! It was a great vacation!

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    ********Update***********
    I got an email from Dawn, the Matriarch of that fine bunch of Austrailians I met in Red Lodge - I was happy to hear from her.

    Dawn Page & crew Dawn sent me this photo via email from thier adventure in the USA - as is thier fashion they invited the owner of the hotel into the shot - very good people.
  19. HispanicSlammer
    My XR that is, this time around!
    Figured out that I had missed an oil jet oring and had it in the wrong spot! no wonder it was chewing up cam shafts! Well anyway I fixed it, then pumped it to make sure oil was getting to the cams! Had it all back together and of course could not get the cam chain tentioner to release! This thing is complicated more than the vfr?
  20. HispanicSlammer
    MT EVANS
    I took a look on the internet for the weather this break, I call it that since I don't get weekends off. Sunday 70% chance of rain, Monday 30% chance, Tuesday 80% chance of rain. Well thats a no brainer go for a ride today or get wet. 30% chance of rain means that your going to get rained on but only for 30% of the day! I stood outside my shed and pondered which bike to take, the XR or the VFR? I wish I had taken the XR now since the VFR would get me a nice fat ticket going up Ute pass. State Pat Troll says I was going 67 in a 40 and that it was 6 points for that! 67! thats walking come on (I say to myself in my mind - since I don't ever argue with cops)! He cuts me a break and writes the speed lower by 2 mph so that the ticket drops by 2 points to a total of 4! Then he tells me if I send it in by mail by the date on the paper its only 2 points. I am thinking well I never once got a blip on the radar detector - and I know it was on, and I know State Pat Troll uses radar I am thinking he might not have had it on! I don't know maybe I should take my chances and go ahead and appear for this one.
    So not even a half an hour into my ride its already cost me $160 for the day and I have yet to gas up. Oh well, I head up Ute pass a slower speed with my tail between my legs and bugged eyed looking for cops around every tree and every corner. I turned north at Woodland Park to head up Deckers road into Pine - my usual route when heading north into the mountains. Boy as soon as I started down the hill into the twisty part the road turned from fun to dangerous. There was gravel in all the turns from heavy rains, then when I rode past Trout Creek I ran into several road crews clearing out debris and land slides from an apparent heavy flash flood. They had dirt piled up in mounds along side the creek like a dike and it was all over the road, bits of trees and other debris piled up along the road side for the next 12 miles almost all the way to Deckers. I could see where half of the mountain had slid onto the road in one place and they had heavy equipment out to clear it out - already done I could see an arroyo that was 12 feet over my head where they had cleared out the part that slid onto the road. It was bad I am amazed the road was still there. On past Deckers the road was in typical shape, lots of gravel in the turns where the dual wheeled yahoos who live around there spread it all over the turn cause they cant seem to keep those pickups on off the shoulder of the turns. Its always like that so I take it really easy there all the time.
    What surprised me was even more road crews were out on Horsepower hill, apparently the creek on the west side of the hill had overflowed over onto the road and it was a river there for a good mile or so, they had piles of washed out trees piled up 10 feet high, trees that were dead from the forest fires of years past. The damage of the Hayman fire continues to takes its toll I see. I did not see clean road until I got to the top and it was clear from there on down to the bowl. I love to blast the bowl, but ripping up horsepower hill was not in the cards today.
    I decided to do a scout run on one of the routes we are doing for the summit meet, Mount Evans, I rode up Shadow mountain road, it was good, not much traffic but a little. I got stuck at the end where it turns from Shadow mountain to Brook Forest Road, I am not sure exactly where it does that but it does. I was thinking it is not an easy turn off to find so my ride leaders better know the route, or have a good gps with them. It is definitely worth the extra 20 minutes to go that way, either that or suffer behind the shuffle of traffic from Connifer to Evergreen. I never ride that route if I don't have too, way too slow for me.

    The westward view from 14,000 feet Mt Evans

    South Pikes Peak is like a ghost silhouette in the rain cloud

    Kenosha Pass from 4000 feet above it and 10 miles away

    Summit Lake 1000 feet down

    The Sawtooth from up close Guenella Pass is just 2 miles strait west of here

    Mt Evans Summit Observatory parking lot you can make out my vfr on the left hand side - never seen this many people out on a Monday before

    A pool of water summit lake and Saint Marys Glacier put into perspective

    Saint Marys Glacier to the north

    Friendly little girl sitting on my rock taking pictures I suddenly feel two little hands grab my shirt - I turn around to see this little girl help herself up on my rock by grabbing hold of me and standing up - I don't blame her I had the best seat in the house

    Mount Evans Road

    A Marmot this one was kind enough to stand still and pose for me as I dug in my pockets for my camera

    Colorado Big Horn Sheep the matriarch stands watch as I snap a photo - I had to give my horn a toot so that they would clear the road

    Squaw Pass Echo Lake you can see it wind its way down the mountain to Idaho Springs

    Sqwaw Pass coming up from Evergreen
    Riding home I had finally caught up to my 30% of rain in Kittridge, I rode down from Kerr Gulch road, another road on our path, again not easy to find from Kittridge its a little goat road for the first mile or so going up the hill its all recycled pavement smashed down with rollers and then its brand new pavement another mile or so up - one of those roads Busy Little Shop would say is a "little leprechaun road" it starts off as then it gets good the further along you go.
  21. HispanicSlammer
    All dressed up and no bike to ride
    Yea you can say I went all crazy, as if Paris Hilton were to suddenly become a serious motorcycle sport tour rider! Scratch that I wont have no usless mexican rat dog yapping away with its head sticking out of the top box, I said serious sport tour rider! Yea I got my overtime sorted and worked some extra hours, and a generous tax refund resulted in some new gear for this year. I retired the old stich, sold it actually to a fellow rider I know from work, he needed gear - I had it - it fit him - cash was exchanged!

    All New Gear Transit suit, Sidi Boots, Held Gloves, Nolan Helmet
    So what does a serious sport touring rider want? I want a fricken leather suit! The textile stuff is nice, but man is it dorky! I want that mad max leather suit that just says "yea I live out here get out of the way"! Ok I have to back up a bit I still opted for a bit of dork - the Aerostich transit suit. It has the dorky visi strip on the back and legs, but its not drap olive and with goofy colors. Its black, traditional leathers black. My old roadcrafter was looking rather orange in the shoulders from taking a pounding from the sun, and a few bumps on the dirt bike, a backwards flip over on the piggy going up a steep ravine I ended up in the scrub weeds on my back and upside down with my leg stuck under the bike. Scared the crap out of my riding buddy cause it looked like the bike fell on me but good boots and the stich well... they are expensive for a reason, they work!
    I wanted the same functionality of the stich, I could live with a little less with regaurds to a two piece instead of a one piece but still I wanted it to be WATERPROOF. If anything experience says "your gonna get stuck in a fricken downpour" I know this! I have ridden in at least 12 of them, 200 miles of a 500 mile ride to the Black Canyon - downpour. Riding BR's brothers bike to Nashville from Robbinsville - downpour. Riding 1-40 in Oklahoma City - downpour. Yea I get rained on alot. This Transit suit is water resistant leather and its got a gore tex liner - its waterproof! All sorts of breaktroughs in leather technology this suit is micro perferated to release water vapor from the body and to cool off, impregnated with a reflective black die that reflects 15% more heat in the hot sun than standard leather (look at the top pic of me in the suit - it is reflecting the light of the flash). Big ass standard rear vent keeps you cool! No underarm zipper though, like the Roadcrafter? Oh well. Its got a front zipper too I suppose !
    Boots I have been using goretex waterproof touring boots for years now, I always wear out the shifter support leather, they pad it with foam and it tears through? Alpinestars waterproof touring boots. After reading about BR and Veefer800canuke breaking legs with boots perhaps I should get some real sport boots! I need waterproof cause - you know. Hey SIDI mades a waterproof sport boot! YEA got those
    Waterproof gloves, got some already - technic gloves but man are they stiff and the liner is too thick I have no feel and no flexlity. The answer Held warm and dry gloves - geez but the price! More overtime!
    top it off with a Nolan flipup (bought last year actually last season) and I am ready for a 2 week adventure out to the south for the Texasmac and beyond, hopfully the ozarks ride too.

    Vertigo Mega (wide sizes) Gore-Tex Boots

    Aerostich Transit suit

    Held Warmn'dry

    Held Warmn'dry

    New Nolan N103
    Oh and a stich silk scarf to keep my neck warm and unharmed by new leather. So how much did Paris spend? $2700 over the last 2 years on gear, recouped $500 for the stich, selling more gear too on ebay. OWCH. Addin a couple of coolmax shirts, patagonia wickable, wickable underwear, wool socks, and a Gerbing heated liner (also last year).
  22. HispanicSlammer
    Continuing on in this blog entry with more of the story of last summers California PNW adventure! Its not often you meet people you just click with - and certainly this is rare with individuals but even more rare with a group. This close knit group of Canadians are just the best (well most vfrd people are the best) but something special cannot be denied! I just love riding motorcycles with these folks, I trust them and its always a blast - even when everything goes wrong! This time is no exception!

    I finally made it to the sharp pointy place the french called Coeur d'Arlene. There is a sleepy little motel there called the Flamingo we seem to patronize as a group every time we pass through. My second time there they actually had a room for me this time. Complete with a fat cat that likes to jump up on your bed before it is touched by human hands to claim it as his! I am a cat person anyway so it does not bother me. Some cats act like dogs this is one of them!

    So I was the first to get there, then Radar showed up with Fay on the back - then Didit rolled in with Craig in tow and we almost had a complete set of Canadians at that point - just missing Axle, Tammy and Jeff our Vancouver contingent, we would meet up with them in Oregon in two days!

    My original plan was to ride with these guys for 3 days then head up to Canada for the meet going on up in Nelson that weekend, it was really ambitious for sure with 500 plus mile days in the middle to make it there and home! I dont know what I am thinking some times I bite off more then I can chew but things sometimes dont work out as planned and you just roll with the punches. I had a night planned at the McMinnimins hotel in Portland along the way too I was looking forward to another sample of that raspberry ale I liked so much when the PNW meet was in Troutdale the year before! OH well - when you plan too far ahead, something always gets fouled up! I sort of like the aspect about motorcycling of not knowing what to expect, sometimes I pull up lemons and sometimes I pull out sweet surprises from the hat.

    We soon got on with this vacation get together by walking over to a restaurant a few blocks away and had a wonderful dinner as Didit smoozed his way into the heart and minds of the servers and wrangled up a nice patio table out front, we came a bit late it seemed and just about everybody in Idaho was in Couer d'Arlene to get dinner the same time we where. He charmed his way into getting us a great spot. We had a great dinner and we needed it since we were in for a long day of twisties from Idaho to Enterprise OR, to go ride the Old Spiral Highway and Then do Rattle Snake Grade, it was not too far but it turned out to be a strange adventure none the less.


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    Our first leg of the day was the ride around Couer d'Arlene Lake - a 20 mile twisty road that runs along the lake side. All I can say is its a great way to start a motorcycle ride. I set up my video camera under my headlight, I tied the tether cord to the attachment on the camera (good thing I took this precaution). Then rode about 100 feet as it fell off the mount and then dangled there for the entire length of the lake route. Damn luck! It was a fun ride though and we took it at a good clip! Didit and Radar switched up the lead and I followed for the most part because video is better with a subject in front to focus on, of course the subject turned out to be a shot of the front wheel as the camera dangled by a cord for 20 minutes! Jeez it would happen that way. Then we rolled down a pass behind a chemical hauler semi truck hell bent on not letting any of us pass. We waited patiently for what seemed like hours for a safe and legal spot to pass which turned out to be the end of the good stuff! Jeez 30mph in lonely twisties with a semi blocking us for 15 minutes was hell!

    So it was still early and time for a bit of breakfast in Saint Maries Idaho, it wasnt bad at all - the company was better, lots of laughs.. Me just realizing my camera was dangling by a thread! So all the passing they did to get around me to get in the shot was all for nothin!


    We had a bit of very nice country side to go through to get to the next major highway, still out in the sticks we had one pass coming out of Saint Maries that is really good with lots of sweepers. Usually it has too much traffic, I say usually since I have done it once before so I don't really know what I am talking about, so I expected much traffic on it and it WAS there just as I thought it would be! However its two lanes going uphill so I passed a ton of cages and trucks to get to open road and everybody followed suit.

    Being that we were about 100 miles into the ride I should have filled up in Saint Maries! My bike only has a 4.8 gallon tank and I hate worrying about gas, but I did not do that - so I slowed it down a bit except one really good part on hwy 6 about 5 miles north of a blink town called Harvard Idaho, its a railer of about 2 miles, just hard right then hard left then hard right, very predictable but the turns are very very deep so you can sustain leaned over position for a long time the hard over to do it on the other side for a while, back and forth they just keep coming! Great little stretch of road going up the hillside, and lots of trees around you, a they have concrete rails up on both sides so it feels like your in tree tunnel just leaned over as fast as you can turn the bike back and forth. Jeez that is a fun road, and just a bit scary going down hill cause you can get into to it way too fast and then you have to brake so you have to brake carefully and not upset the suspension.

    So we stopped for gas and then the fun started, Didit's bike would not start! Aww Jeez, I think we push started it and to the gas station down the road cause Didit needed a phone, or he needed a place where his phone worked in case he needed a tow. He filled up down the road and tried to start it again and nothin! The station had jumper cables so we jumped the bike started and then we unplugged his headlights and let it idle for about 20 minutes to charge the battery, they also had a multi meter they let us use - or maybe one of us had one? In any case the bike was charging without the headlights plugged in so Didit just left them unplugged, we would head to a dealership down the road!

    First we found a motorsports shop in Moscow, but they pointed us to a Honda dealer over in Washington just across the state line 11 miles away in Pullman WA. It was there we found his RR connector was all burned up.
     
     
     
     
     
     

     
     
     
     
     

     

    The dealer loaned us some wire, soldier, and a heat gun to try to fix it, which we did, but it did not solve the problem. So we said lets keep on going, the bike was running fine with no headlights so we pushed on after a short lunch at a bar next to the dealership. Next up we hit the Old Spiral Highway and had some fun going down it!
     
     
     
     
    http://www.vfrdiscussion.com/forum/videos/491/osh11.mp4
     

    Didits bike was just barely limping along and it was clear we had not fixed it with the connector so he decided to call around for parts and ended up getting our very own Tightwad from vfrd to send him a new stator and RR overnight to the hotel we had booked in Eureka CA. I had planned to ride with them all to Eureka then head north - but it seems plans and rides never seem to work out exactly as expected. We had one more section to do that day and then spend the night in Enterprise Oregon one more good spot of riding on Rattle snake grade then we would roll into Enterprise for the night.

    I spent most of the time looking in the mirror for a blue bike since we had no idea if the thing was going to make it, but it did! 2 days with a burned up stator phase, and no headlights. I think we tried to plug the lights back in and thats what killed the battery? So we left them unplugged till we could get the parts from Texas. Tightwad was a lifesaver!
     
     
     
     
     

     
     
     
     
     

     
     
     
     

     
     
     
     

     
     
     
     

     

    We decided next time if there is a next time we stay in Enterprise we will check out the motel in town instead of the Best Western, the quality is there but not for the price?

    So off we went after spending a frustrating 20 minutes waiting for a clerk to let us pump gas, Oregon has a stupid law about pumping your own gas, YOU CANT. Most the time they just let you anyway but they need to see if your doing it right first? 50 states in this country and each one is different! It is the law in Oregon that gas must be pumped by an attendant and there is no self serve! It freaked me out the first time I was there to see some dude stop me as I tried to pump my own gas, he noticed my Colorado plate so he did not go off on me - I am not used to being approached from behind and tapped on the shoulder pumping gas, I almost sprayed gas all over the guy cause he started the hell out of me. Thankfully I was expecting it this time around.

    We headed out of town behind a circus it seemed, an entire trainload of rv's and cars lined up for a mile it seemed and we passed them one at a time along the long straits out of town. Didit and I swapped mp3 cards so we could listen to something new, his wife prepared a whole playlist of songs I had never heard before. It was interesting, mostly club dance or workout songs, lots of fast music that made me want to ride at 100mph all day long! I had to slow myself down on several occasions. Today we were headed for Redmond Oregon.


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    We just had to stop first in Elgin, I had to pee so bad I could not stand it, and every RV we passed flew by us as we hung out at the gas station there, oh well! We decided to make it a long stop and just relax and let them all get way way ahead! Which was a good thing since we did not see most of them again after that. So we sat down and talked and took pics in this tiny little place
     
     
     
     
     

     
     
     
     
     
     

     
     
     
     
     

     

    I just plugged in Didits route into my gps without shaping the points any or looking at the route, he had originally had us headed down the interstate in La Grange but I did not see that and my map sent me right into town for a 15 minute stop and turn around and go back waste of time. He was not happy about that, but oh well - when we all use different gps units they don't always translate the same. So we got back on and then turned off to some podunk place called Ukiah Oregon, a dumpy little stop in the middle of nowhere - and we had to pump gas from an old style pump and pay cash to the kid in the wheel chair with no legs and only one working hand? That was a bit akward cause I did not know if he wanted help or if he was sort of one of those militant handicapped types that get all offended if you try to help? I just said f'it and let him do his thing an walked into the dumpy little store. From there on out the roads are really good, we took back road after backroad, and I was really feeling good with the bike and letting it get deeper and deeper into the turns as we went along. It was a good 2 hours more of riding before we stopped for lunch in Service Creek. It seems if you are a motorcylist riding along the John Day rider it is imperative to stop in Service Creek for lunch, the food is good and its a very relaxing place to be, if not a bit hot. I had no idea but the middle of Oregon is mostly high desert, and it gets very hot in the summer!
     
     
     
     
     

     

    We still had about 100 or so miles to go and I needed gas - I was on fumes actually not far from Service Creek I was worried about running out but we pushed on all the way to Prineville and I still had half a gallon left in there and was not in any trouble, but I did stop and fill up the tank along the way with my spare gas can I had stored in the side bag, turns out I did not need it at all! Oh well better safe then sorry.

    It was just another 30 minutes to Redmond - and there we fought over who (Didit, Craig, and I) about whos turn it was to sleep on the couch, (ME). I had the room all to myself in Couer d'Arlene so I got the couch this time.
     
     
     
     
     
     

     
     
     
     
     

     
     
     
     

     
     
     
     

     

    We walked over to a great little restaurant down the road and had a great time - my steak was good Madalinas Grill is the name of the place it was just up the road from the Hotel. Another Best Western but this time much better value! Then Didit and I took in a movie from across the street, shoot I cant even remember what movie it was? There was a very nice Moto Guzzi sitting across from the theater.
     
     
     
     
     

     

    So far the trip was turning out to be pretty good, as long as we left Didits bike headlights unplugged!
     
     
     
  23. HispanicSlammer
    Ohlins reinstalled, powdercoated pieces installed worked overnight to reassemble the bike
    I spent most the night and last night istalling new bearing on the swingarm and beginning the reinstall of all the parts. I installed the swingarm last night and rebuilt Ohlins shock, put the subframe into position and put in the plastic undertray. I had to make some repairs to the undertray since it had alot of holes drilled in it over the years for various parts. I filled them all in and smoothed it out with my pastic welder. Keep the dirt and rain out.

    My wheels still need shoes! 83° Aluminum Racing Angled Valve Stem Ariete from Kurvygirl.com

    Different Angle
    I installed new LED lights in the dash - all from superbriteled.com there is a thread on it in the forum by veefer800canuke I opted for white for a brighter dash and to save on wattage over bulbs.

    LED Dash Lighting I had to get the correct polarity but they all work by turning a few around.

    knobs and switches Left Lamp turn off switch, HI LO Double Burn switch, Heated Seat, Heated Grips

    Powdercoated swingarm Passenger Hanger and footpegs, powelet panel

    Reoganized accessory wireing moved all the boxes forward and some by the fuse box, moved the accessory fuse box on top of the battery lid, to make more underseat space for tools
    I rewired the whole accessory area, rerouting the wires to the front of the bike better and added a powerlet on the front and side for my Zumo GPS and the side for my heated vest. Rerouted the autocom wires and moved the autocom forward. Changed the battery leads with less leads and changed the switching power from the plate light to a soldier job from the headlight relay wires, less wires to deal with 3inchs vs 2 feet of switching wire. I wired in LED indicator on the dash for my heated grips its blue on the top right, the top left is the voltmeter from signal dynamics, its red in the dash shot above. I added a heattroller for the heated seat I built, I could never quite it right before using resisters either too hot or not hot enough, now it can dial it in just right. I heated seat is great when I get out of work at 7am and there is frost all over the seat, it clears it off in moments and is comfy in minutes.
    So far I have done tons of work
    New Chain New Sprockets New Fork Oil New Fork Seals Rebuilt the Ohlins Shock Powdercoated swingarm, footpegs, rearsets, hub, and passenger hangers Installed new bearings, rubber dampers, and seals in the eccentric hub rewired the accessories added 2 new powerlets repaired plastic damage from a couple of getoffs that resulted in deep scratches, 8 years of roadblast. sanded and sanded and sanded getting ready to paint Primed all the body pieces Sanded off scratches on the Staintune polished and cleaned Repaired a broken header stud replaced and put in new seals on the rear cylinders and headers New Wheels powdercoated installed trick valve stems New bearings on the wheels, swingarm, rearhubs, along with new dustseals New bolts and nuts all over - cleaned up most though Rebuilt the rear brake caliper new seals and polished the pistons, new bolts Bled the rear caliper Bought new graphics for a VFRD inspired paint job - even made my own font to use for the project availible in the site comments forum
  24. HispanicSlammer
    MY VFR that is!
    Just competed the 5th annual Ride to Creede this year was the biggest gathering yet, 7 riders this time, compared to 4 last year. We also made very good time, stopping to regroup where we lost one or two. This time we had 3 BMW's with us from ST.N where I also posted this ride.
    I realize I haven't posted in the blog in over a week, well since I am out riding its hard to keep up. Last week I rode with Craig and Dan in the Rampart Range area on the dirt-bikes, I am thinking I am not so into Dirt-biking as the guys. I just don't have the leg strength in my left leg to take 40 miles of whoops, my knee gives out and then I am sore on the left side for 2 or 3 days later - thats where I broke my pelvis last year. For once I would like to ride a dirt-bike trail without getting injured or overly sore afterward. It really seems I take a beating when I ride a dirt-bike, I don't see how people think its safer? I always feel totally out of control when I go fast on the dirt-bike. I get used to the bike squirming around but when it corrects really hard or falls in a rut I just know I am done for, then I manage to keep the bike up. Last time I was totally on the gas on a very wide jeep road and went wide, tried to correct and fell in a rut. The bike fell out from under me and I bailed off, no injuries just frustrated I lost control. It was later that I got injured a bit I did not see a rock jutting out of the dirt till I was right on it climbing a hill I lifted my left leg over it then when I put it down I got it caught a bit making the next left hander and I sprained my hip. That hurt for days afterward, much worse than actually bailing off. I like climbing and down-hilling but not whoops they suck, jumping is alright but my bike is big and not so soft in the suspension so I come down hard.
    Oh well I have been considering selling the XR after this season I have not enjoyed it so much... and I could use a new cage!
    Working on the website a bit this morning - fixed the nav bar so show the portal and the forums together. Making some automatic backup scripts for the database and working on odds and ends here and there.
  25. HispanicSlammer
    Tank with graphics and white stripe
    So I put the color on today, sanded the color smooth, then applied graphics and shot the clear coat. 2 coats of clear is what the instuctions called for. I had a ton of color left over, so I put it back into the can. It not catalyzed so it should keep for touch ups and whatnot. Well whatnot for sure as in redo! I am going to redo the left fairing and the front fender.
    I was in the shed almost done with the clear coat when all of a sudden a huge gust of wind lifted the left panel off the hook I had hung it on and down she went, still wet and all with clear coat and it scratched up and picked up every bit of dirt and weed known to man! I was quietly screaming in my mask some of the most foul language ever spoken on the face of the earth. Its amazing how well the mask can..well "mask" your screams. I was hot, then I just resigned to the fact that I would probably go broke if I had to do this for a living cause wow its a lot of work!

    paint 002.jpg

    paint 003.jpg

    paint 005.jpg
    I had my spray gun set up at 20psi - twice what the thing said to do to get better atomization but still I ended up with orange peel all over the clear coat. I tried adjusting the gun for less clear and more air but still it came out all orange peel. So now I get to wet sand some and polish with rubbing compound - more work! I sort of anticipated I would get orange peel cause I am a complete novice to this so well there you have it. My paint project had some setbacks and a redo - oh well its all part of being a motorcyclist enthusiast, spent more then I should have on tools, paint, and well next time I will probably just find a pro and have it done. I got paint everywhere in the shed, on the floor. I ran out of mixing cans so I used a plastic cup only to find out the reducer ate right through it and spilled white paint all over the floor of the shed, another episode of foul language in the mask. Lucky I was already done with that color. It dont look so bad for a first timer, I have seen much worse. The tape I masked off the stripes with was automotive paint tape but it came up in places and the line is not perfect. The tank lines are a little off but not too bad, heh eyeball job I suppose I need glasses!
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