Calling All Motorcycle Enthusiasts

[Epoman]

I'm confused...why are there 2 motorcycle threads?? Just wondering bc I thought doubled things were deleted...





There are two motorcycle threads because it was easier for a New Member to find his thread. It may be merged in the future but was left as is for now out of courtesy.  Every decision made is based on what is best for our members. Also doubled threads are never deleted. Double posts are only upon request of the poster. You mod your site Shay, leave this one for the IHD mods to mod. I hope you approve Shay.

EDITED: Added Comment - Sluff,Moderator

Good advice sluff, however I would like to add, there are many threads that contain the same subject matter shay, so I do not know where you got that idea from. We do at times MERGE threads. Also I have no idea where you got the idea that doubled "threads" were deleted. If you are referring to double posting, where a member hits "post" twice and a duplicate "post" shows up yes, those are deleted but duplicate "threads" are never deleted they are sometimes merged and sometimes left alone, it is up to the sole discretion of the Admin team. In this future shay DO NOT take threads off-topic with comments or questions like this, there is a "Site Comments" section for these very discussions/questions and/or you could send a PM to one of the members of the admin team.

- Epoman
Owner/Admin

[shay_pcb]

I'm confused...why are there 2 motorcycle threads?? Just wondering bc I thought doubled things were deleted...





There are two motorcycle threads because it was easier for a New Member to find his thread. It may be merged in the future but was left as is for now out of courtesy.  Every decision made is based on what is best for our members. Also doubled threads are never deleted. Double posts are only upon request of the poster. You mod your site Shay, leave this one for the IHD mods to mod. I hope you approve Shay.

EDITED: Added Comment - Sluff,Moderator

Good advice sluff, however I would like to add, there are many threads that contain the same subject matter shay, so I do not know where you got that idea from. We do at times MERGE threads. Also I have no idea where you got the idea that doubled "threads" were deleted. If you are referring to double posting, where a member hits "post" twice and a duplicate "post" shows up yes, those are deleted but duplicate "threads" are never deleted they are sometimes merged and sometimes left alone, it is up to the sole discretion of the Admin team. In this future shay DO NOT take threads off-topic with comments or questions like this, there is a "Site Comments" section for these very discussions/questions and/or you could send a PM to one of the members of the admin team.

- Epoman
Owner/Admin

I was just wondering if there were 2 different points to the threads that I was missing. Didn't mean to take it off topic or question MODS. You don't have to get so defensive! Be happy; you'll live longer!!

Nice pics everyone!! 

[Epoman]

I'm confused...why are there 2 motorcycle threads?? Just wondering bc I thought doubled things were deleted...





There are two motorcycle threads because it was easier for a New Member to find his thread. It may be merged in the future but was left as is for now out of courtesy.  Every decision made is based on what is best for our members. Also doubled threads are never deleted. Double posts are only upon request of the poster. You mod your site Shay, leave this one for the IHD mods to mod. I hope you approve Shay.

EDITED: Added Comment - Sluff,Moderator

Good advice sluff, however I would like to add, there are many threads that contain the same subject matter shay, so I do not know where you got that idea from. We do at times MERGE threads. Also I have no idea where you got the idea that doubled "threads" were deleted. If you are referring to double posting, where a member hits "post" twice and a duplicate "post" shows up yes, those are deleted but duplicate "threads" are never deleted they are sometimes merged and sometimes left alone, it is up to the sole discretion of the Admin team. In this future shay DO NOT take threads off-topic with comments or questions like this, there is a "Site Comments" section for these very discussions/questions and/or you could send a PM to one of the members of the admin team.

- Epoman
Owner/Admin

I was just wondering if there were 2 different points to the threads that I was missing. Didn't mean to take it off topic or question MODS. You don't have to get so defensive! Be happy; you'll live longer!!

Nice pics everyone!! 

Well maybe you should have said that instead of making an asinine comment that we delete entire threads.

- Epoman
Owner/Admin

[sandman]

Many moons ago I had a Yamaha 350 R5

Oh yeah, I remember the old Yamaha RD series.  I worked on many of them over the years.  From 175cc to 400cc.  The 350cc model had set the pace for Yamaha R&D where they thrived from 1970 to about 1978 I believe until sales had trailed off and the RD's were no more.  Then, in 1985, Yamaha re-released the 350 two-stroke twin designed after the R5's called RZ which was basically the same engine but with water cooling and an advanced electronic power valve.  Sadly, the RZ's were finished in 1986 do to a nation wide ban of two-stroke street bikes over 50cc because of a new emission law.

Yamaha continued to produce the legendary RD/RZ style 350cc two-stroke twin since 1986 to 2006 in the Yamaha YFZ350 Banshee.  A ATV that set the standard of performance ATV's for 20 years straight.  I just am chock full of worthless motorcycle info, huh? 

[George Jung]

Here are a couple of pics you might enjoy.  The first on is Michael Jordan.  If you look close enough or enlarge it, he is just chillin watching his race team at VIR.  He owns a team in the AMA formula extreme class if I'm not mistaking.  We sat behind his tent for about 15 minutes before I realized who he was.  The kid with the jersey tipped me off.  The second pic is of my bike after a low side in turn ten on the north course.  It was my strongest part of the track all day.  Not sure what happened, but I was full on going about 90mph, I think I may somehow have touched the brake?  It was the coolest ride of my life though.  I walked away not feeling a thing until about an hour later when the adrenaline wore off and my wrist swelled.  Turned out I fractured my right scaphoid witch took two operations and over a year to heal.  Probably didn't help that I was doing 60 hour weeks in the kitchen right out of surgery.  I actually went through two casts and had to have regular work done to my brace.  I am right handed (fractured) so you can't even imagine what that was like.  Ambidextrous now!

[Triker]

I would say nice pictures, but the ones of your bike don't look too nice. OOOOuch! I'm glad you're healed.

[sandman]

That looks like a pretty expencive crash there George.  Is that your bike?  Looks like a 2002 or 2003 Suzuki GSXR 600.  Is that correct?  I hope your wrist is felling better now.  Do you think you will ever try racing again?

[George Jung]

It's an 03 GSXR 600, and it wasn't that expensive of a crash.  The fairings can cost some bucks but I simply turned it into a track bike.  Replaced rear sets, clip-ons, front fairing stay, and a few other small things, then slap on some cheap plastics and it's ready to go!!  The wrist is good and I am planning to attend a track day on April 9 at VIR.  When you ride up to and over your limits you will go down, thats what makes a track so inviting.  I could never ride to my potential on the street.  You have to take some falls to learn how to pick yourself up, or in this situation, learn how not to fall.

[shay_pcb]

Just wondering, do any of you bike enthusiasts come down to Panama City Beach for Bike Week? i can't remember exactly when it is, but I'm sure it's soon.

[jbeany]

. . .  learn how not to fall.

Ouch!

[sandman]

It's an 03 GSXR 600, and it wasn't that expensive of a crash.  The fairings can cost some bucks but I simply turned it into a track bike.  Replaced rear sets, clip-ons, front fairing stay, and a few other small things, then slap on some cheap plastics and it's ready to go!!  The wrist is good and I am planning to attend a track day on April 9 at VIR.  When you ride up to and over your limits you will go down, thats what makes a track so inviting.  I could never ride to my potential on the street.  You have to take some falls to learn how to pick yourself up, or in this situation, learn how not to fall.

Pretty good guess on the bike, don't you think?  Not really a guess considering that I work on them for a living.    Glad to hear that your wrist is feeling better and that your eager to attack the track again.  I personally miss my days on the track.  Those were some fun times even though I have crashed pretty hard a few times myself.  I have raced at Pocono raceway mostly but I have been to Virginia International once or twice.  I rode a much older 600 then you have.  It was a 1986 Kawasaki ZX600R and it was a new bike at the time.  Do they still require you to have a WERA license to race?

[George Jung]

I was surprised that you knew the model year.  So you work on bikes for a living as a mechanic?  What kind of work, tuning, maintenance, everything?  Do you work at a dealership or another type of shop?  Next to preparing meals, bikes are my passion.   Why do you not attend track days anymore?  I have completed a school, which in return gives you eligibility to acquire a racers license to race in WERA or CCS, nothing is needed however to attend track days (except for some dough) at VIR.  There have been people as young as 13 or 14 years old attending the schools and practicing on track days.  Did you say that you still ride any?

[sandman]

I was surprised that you knew the model year.  So you work on bikes for a living as a mechanic?  What kind of work, tuning, maintenance, everything?  Do you work at a dealership or another type of shop?  Next to preparing meals, bikes are my passion.   Why do you not attend track days anymore?  I have completed a school, which in return gives you eligibility to acquire a racers license to race in WERA or CCS, nothing is needed however to attend track days (except for some dough) at VIR.  There have been people as young as 13 or 14 years old attending the schools and practicing on track days.  Did you say that you still ride any?

Yes, I work on motorcycles for a living as a mechanic.  I do just about everything from cosmetic repair to total performance enhancement.  I have even spent a year working for East coast kawasaki's race team preparing their ZX7RR's for race day.  I have worked at a few dealerships but now I am working in a well established repair shop.  I don't go racing anymore because I simply don't have the finances for it and I don't want to risk damaging my only bike, which you can see in the first post in this thread.  I too, took a racing course back in 1986 and had to acquire a WERA ( Western Eastern Racers Association ) license just to get on the track at Pocono raceway.  Of course I still ride.  In fact, I ride all year round.  Minus riding in the ice and snow, but I have done that too.    My racing experience has made me a much better rider on the streets. 

[charee]

The BMW and side car we still have, the other picture is all the bikes we owned when the kids still raced motocross a few years ago

[George Jung]

OHHHH....Thank you sooo much charee!!!!!!!!  The BMW and side car is fantastic!

[Sluff]

Thats is classic Charee especially here in the states where we are used to seeing the side car on the right.

[jbeany]

My camera isn't good enough to take pics of pics, so the photos will have to wait until I get access to a scanner - but here's a pic of the shadowbox I made with pics of my grandfather's Detroit motorcycle club, circa 1946-47.  He had the first Harley dealership in Michigan, in the early 50's in Cheboygan, although he couldn't make a profit at it.  There wasn't enough demand for the bikes then!

The Harley manuals I rescued from my grandfather's garage after he died - gram was going to pitch them.  The giant bat-winged leather gloves were his as well. 

The shadowbox itself was a flea market find - an old announcement board from a closed Catholic school up here.



EDITED: Fixed picture size - Sluff/ Admin

[George Jung]

Great job on that shadow box, it looks really good.  We'll (defiantly I will) be looking forward to you getting those other pics scanned in.  I'd really enjoy some pictures from the club your grandfather was a part of.  Thanks jbeany!

[goofynina]

Jbeany, that is awesome of you to have created your own little "treasure" of your Grandfathers stuff, thank you so much for sharing that 

Cool pics of the BMW Charee, do they still sell those? 

[Sluff]

My camera isn't good enough to take pics of pics, so the photos will have to wait until I get access to a scanner - but here's a pic of the shadowbox I made with pics of my grandfather's Detroit motorcycle club, circa 1946-47.  He had the first Harley dealership in Michigan, in the early 50's in Cheboygan, although he couldn't make a profit at it.  There wasn't enough demand for the bikes then!

The Harley manuals I rescued from my grandfather's garage after he died - gram was going to pitch them.  The giant bat-winged leather gloves were his as well. 

The shadowbox itself was a flea market find - an old announcement board from a closed Catholic school up here.

What I wouldn't give to have that memorabilia. That is awesome JBeany.

[okarol]

but here's a pic of the shadowbox I made with pics of my grandfather's Detroit motorcycle club, circa 1946-47.

That's so cool JB!

[goofynina]

Hey Sluff, when are we going to get to see pics of yours and your wifes bikes?  It's ok if they yours has training wheels, we understand  

[Sluff]

Well you asked for it.

[goofynina]

Well you asked for it.

  Your killin' me smalls!!!  I knew it all along 

[George Jung]

http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=3008203&page=1

Motorcycle Fatality Surge Renews Helmet Debate The 'Wind in Your Hair' Lobby Fights State Proposals to Mandate Use of Head Protection
The number of motorcycle fatalities has more than doubled, from 2,227 in 1995 to 4,553 in 2005, according to the latest data available from the NHTSA. And while it's true there are more bikes on the road, the fatality rate has also increased by nearly 13 percent. (Everett Collection)

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By DAVID SCHOETZ

April 4, 2007 — The feel of the wind whipping through your hair or the possibility of your brains splattered on the roadside.

The debate over whether the nation's nearly 6 million motorcycle riders should by law be required to wear helmets is nothing new.

In 1995, Congress repealed a policy that had withheld federal transportation money from states that did not have mandatory helmet laws. But following that action, a steady and significant increase in the number of annual motorcycle fatalities — including in five states that since have repealed mandatory helmet laws — has renewed interest into what for some is a civil liberties dispute.

"We have been successful in reducing the fatality rate for passenger vehicles, but that success has been negated by the increase in motorcycle fatalities," said Ray Tyson, a spokesman for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The number of motorcycle fatalities has more than doubled, from 2,227 in 1995 to 4,553 in 2005, according to the latest data available from the NHTSA. And while it's true there are more bikes on the road, the fatality rate has also increased by nearly 13 percent.

Perhaps not surprisingly, the majority of the deadly crashes involved riders who were not wearing helmets.

During the same period, the fatality rate among passenger cars has dipped more than 20 percent, while the percentage of deaths in light truck crashes is also down.

The problem, according to advocates of helmet laws, is that one-sided, well-organized lobbying at the state level — where for now, this issue is primarily legislated — have largely hampered the creation of new helmet laws or the strengthening of existing ones.

Of the 50 states, 20 maintain helmet laws for all riders, while 27 require helmets for select rider groups — typically those under 18 years old. Colorado, Illinois and Iowa currently have no helmet laws.

"It's pretty much a single-issue lobby," said Barbara Harsha, executive director of the Governors Highway Safety Association. "They're very well-organized and they've become very adept at working state legislatures."


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Personally, I am a firm believer in safety and taking full precaution.  I do not however think a government should take away an individuals right to make a decision for themself.  While wearing a helmet decreases the chances of life threatening injuries it does not give the government the right to make that decision for riders.  If this were the case, that laws should be made to protect everyone and the government will stop at nothing (even if it means taking away a person's right to think for themself) then they would take a financial hit and return to the days of prohibition.  They make money from taxing the booze and they make money from the court system and generate business/revenue for insurance companies and lawyers, yet people continue to die (innocent and guilty, mostly innocent) at a tragic rate.  If the government wants to save lives that bad and take away individual rights they should start with taking away the right to produce alcoholic beverages.  Oh, but that would be wrong.  Well no more so than telling a biker that he has to wear a helmet so in the case that he has an accident his life MIGHT be spared.  Damn, we're talking about a biker.  If he runs a red light and t-bones a miniwagon it will probably scare the shit out of the little ones but it's not going to kill them.

*i know i have some serious run-ons there - sorry