SA2360

I have Teknic gear jacket and pants and have enjoyed the quality and fit over the years. Can get a bit warm on hot days but not to the point that it takes away from the joys of riding. Sorry to hear they are going under as a company. Good luck with your decision and purchase!

If I ride more that 30 minutes w/o ear plugs it feels like someone is sticking a pencil thru my eardrums!! I use inexpensive rubber ear plugs with a small plastic insert that allows easy placement firmly into ear canal. The ear plugs are also tethered by a nylong string so you can hang them round your neck or minimize loss.

You're right about hard bags....they are $$$. Effective but $$$. I would recommend removing the rear cowl for better platform and reduce the damage potential. I've also used a similar set-up with a heavy duty backpack along with a decent sized tank bag and I have enough carrying room for gear that will last a few days. I found a larger cargo style net works better than the bungee cords. The cargo net holds down the pack more evenly and minimizes side-slippage (I had that happen a few times as I rode with bunge cord straps). Thanks and enjoy your new ride!! Oh yeah....just remembered....a heavy duty trash bag in a side pocket DOES come in handy when you hit some rain. Simply slide it over the bag and tuck it in well and you have your waterproof set up.

I like the simplicity of the CBR1000 badge.....the old school design to me just doesn't fit well with the new design. IMO.

Greetings from the sand box. Been here nearly 4 weeks now and begining to miss home and riding. Getting here was a 2 day effort.....with a thrilling spiral drop landing in the back of a C-130 into Baghdad. The crazy landing pattern is done to minimize ground fire threats....sort of like being on the Dragon and your Throttlemeister stuck wide upon on your bike. I quickly came to dislike the heat and sand......it's not quite the same sand we are accustomed to on our beaches....this is fine dust (like baby powder) It gets in everything and everywhere. If you have any winds above a breeze....it picks up all of the sand and you're in for a dust storm. The first week we had a good one (rated an 8.5 out of 10 by those who have been here a while). The sky turns bloody red and you feel like you're on Mars (see picture below!). Baghdad Sand Storm Although things here are getting better each day...the majority of the violence right now is sectarian based...Sunnis and Shias clashing. The holy month of Ramadan was in effect for most of September (feasting from sun rise to sun set) once it finished last week....the bombings, killings and rocket attacks picked up once again. Many of you are armed forces veterans, possibly served here and/or have family/friends serving....keep them in your thoughts and prayers. The service men and women are an inspiration to me when I see them out in the red zone or coming in beat from a long day or night of missions!!! A couple of pictures from Iraq.......brought my Texas Mac shirt with me (unofficial FLAF....plus it's black so you can't see any signatures...even if you tried!!) Had my picture taken at the 'cross swords' parade field in Baghdad w/ my shirt as a recognition of VFRD... VFRD - Baghdad The following picture was taken at one of the forward operating bases....several large Saddam heads were secured because otherwise they would have been cut up by locals and destroyed.... Picture1.jpg As far as motorcycles in Iraq....you see a whole mix from scooters to sub 500cc bikes. The Iraqi National Police received a large donation of police bikes from Japan as part of the reconstruction efforts....Yamaha, Suzuki....and HONDA! Well.....ride safe...enjoy the Fall weather....cause here it goes directly from summer to summer. Next time I'll send a few pics from the local traffic....good luck wanting to ride around these neck of the woods!

Conservative is a relative term......I can hook you up with these......I guarantee nobody will say to you "Hey....those are motorcycle boots" :salesman: For casual Fridays I would recommend..... B) In all seriousness.....my recommendation would be to get a good riding boot and take and leave a pair (or two) of shoes to work that you can change into once you get there. You'll be hard pressed to find a good/safe riding boot that doesn't stand out as "riding boots" IMO...

Yes, it's called a Katana. :lol: Just posted........FS: Katana 600....low miles....garage kept.......PM me for pics/price......selling for a friend....honest!!!! :huh:

Biggest Waist Of Money, What mods are a waist of money and should be avoided? I thought all of the MODS do their jobs on their own time and are un-paid volunteers to keep this site functioning by enforcing rules, setting policy, coordinating the directions of this site.....quite frankly I think the MODS should be paid for their hard work, dedication and headaches.......I think it's simply WRONG to call the MODS out on the carpet and rate them like this is some form of MODS American Idol competition.....sure, I've been at the receiving end of a few MODS flames.....but I deserved it most of the time....I simply avoid the MODS now by trying to keep my postings relevant and professional in nature....Excuse me.....my phone is ringing... Oh....that was BR.......he said he appreciates my support of the MODS but this for once is not about MODS bashing but something quite different!!! Oooops! Sorry! My BAD!!!! Please disregard my post!! :unsure:

ok....so Saturday it was warm enough....probably broke high-40's.......so, while working on laying hardwood flooring in the house....I went down to the garage to make a few cuts on the miter saw.....when I caught sight of the lonely covered 98....I quickly decided to go for a short ride. I pulled off the cover.....ran an old cotton T-shirt over the bike to clean off the settled dust...I straddled my right leg over the Sargent seat...turned the key...watched the dash come to life in it's inviting glow.....then....pulled back the choke....hit the starter.....and heard the fine tuned whine of my Two-Brothers can......I slowly backed it around and faced the bike around and now found myself ready to ride. By now the bike was warmed up and closed the choke......I gripped the clutch lever, slowly pulled it back towards the grip. My left foot scooted forward and pushed down on the gear shift and heard the transmission engage in 1st gear. A grin began to form on my face as I anticipated the upcoming ride.......I slowly let out the clutch and felt the bike begin to roll forward. My right foot pulled away from the garage floor and found itself rising up to the foot peg.....a slight twist of my right wrist accelerated the bike up out of the garage and came around the side of the house with the end of the driveway another 1000' or so away to freedom. I felt like Steve McQueen and Dustin Hoffman in "Papillon".......as they take their make-shift raft out to sea. As I begin to add some more twist to the throttle.......I see my dear wife standing on the walkway up to the front door.....our eyes made direct contact.....there was NO way I could play "stupid" and act as though I did not see her. With my helmet on, ear plugs in and the cans singing....I could not hear what my wife was saying.....but it didn't take a lip reader to figure out the words rolling off her lips "Where the F@*! do you think you're going?" Like Hoffman and McQueen I was caught by the warden and my freedom short lived. I pulled in the clutch....hit the kill switch....and like a broken man...turned off the key, and with heavy heart used my left heel to drop the kickstand. I removed my helmet....as the evil stares continued (did I tell you I love her!!!!!)....took off my gear and headed back to my prison....I mean my house to continue working on the floors (did I tell you I LOVE HER?????) As the afternoon sun began to settle.....I took the bike back down the drive, replaced the cover...and continued to count the days towards my next escape attempt or parole date.....which ever comes first! So....with that said....let me add to the million mile mark for my weekend efforts!!! 24897 + .00186 = 24897.00186 :thumbsup:

I found that a simple rubber band or some duct tape works well for a hands free system....have to trim back the helmet liner a tad....the duct tape works best but is MUCH harder to remove at the end of the day!!!

For safety sake I recommend that you at least have the tire removed from the wheel and have a look inside for indicators of rim wear (ie. rubber dust, rubber particles, internal cuts and wear). The tire can look great from the outside but be completely un-safe based on the internal damage. This all is affected by how much distance you were running on complete flat rear as you went across the 3-4 lanes on the highway. I've had tires on cars do the same and they look GREAT on the outside, but once you remove the wheel and look inside you see a whole different picture. Unlike a car tire.....the bike tire takes on much more flex and stress and you want to have full confidence what is keeping you rubber side down. IMO....I'd inspect the tire internally for damage in order to make a decision to keep or replace. Are you sure it was just a bad valve stem? or was it.......... :goofy:

Best places for Body Graphics? I think this guy can point you in the right direction!!! :blink:

:thumbsup: On earplugs.....after several long riding days I really had some aching ears, at times almost unbearable. I started using earplugs and have made my riding SO much more enjoyable. I have Two Brothers exhaust....not too loud but still very noticeable after several hours on the saddle. I wear a Scorpion 700 full face and have been happy with the overall fit, function and design. Never had modular design so can't comment on them other than I know plenty of others who love their mods.....for me I can't help feeling safer in a full face design versus the modular due to the potential for mechanical failure in a wreck.