cowpuc

Having never ridden a 2nd Gen I really am not the person to explain how to ride one Neil and am certainly in NO position to say what I think may or may not help.. BUT (you knew that was coming didnt cha:rotf:) because I really really admire you (love ya brother) I am gonna stick my neck out there again.. I have ridden many many other brands of bikes (Harleys, Honda's, Victory's, the new Indians, old Indians etc. etc.) and have found them all very responsive to using the engine dynamics (gyro effect) in the same manner as my 1st Gen.. That said, I was just out playing a little more on Tweeks trying to remember what my exact habits for stopping are (its terrible when your a geezer and ride by habit and really cant think thru exactly how you do something - weird eay).. When coming to a stop sign with full intent of putting my feet down (most times I just stop with my feet up and go - I actually had to think about that when doing this testing), I find myself controlling my front brake with my pointer finger and still have very good control of my throttle. I, again by habit - never really even thought about this - will gently bump the motor while I am applying the front brake as I am putting my foot/feet down.. I fought with my brain to NOT do this just for you and guess what I found out!! Yep,, a total loss of confidence and that "feel" you speak of was overwhelming as I was handling the weight of the bike with Tippy on it all thru use of body strength - the added gyro effect of the motor is amazing.. I also played with doing this and not doing this while stopping with my feet up laying across the forward pegs (my normal riding position) I have on my crash bars to emulate forward controls and had the same outcome (I was curious to see whether or not the forward controls on the 2nd Gens may be part of the issue of which you guys speak).. I noticed no difference to speak of in outcome.. I was tempted to go downstairs and grab a couple 40 pound bags of softner salt and toss em over my trunk to add some top heaviness but got lazy and didnt pursue it. Maybe for kicks I will do so when it STOPS raining here, make another video with the added weight - even if it didnt work out I think it would make a GREAT video (an ol geezer with a gorgeous young lady on his bike with a tent on the back and a pile of water softner salt stacked on the trunk:rotf:).. Just out of curiousity, Tip and I are gonna try to find a dealer in our area that has a 2nd Gen and see if we can get a test ride. I would LOVE to be able to chat knowledgeably about this stuff with my good friends (and brothers like you)!! Oh yea,, just ran outside and did a hearty right back at cha Neil!!! Hey,, you getting wet there? I heard rumors that the whole east coast is gettin nailed big time,, again:confused24: Hope all our VR family are ok out there:bighug: Puc

:crying: cut it out Randy,, now ya me ballin too :crying:

HAVE A GREAT TRIP FRODO!!! Congrats to both of you on your 30th my friend!! Ride safe, have fun and dont forget to say "eh" at the end of your sentences - may get cha a discount or something in Canada!!

WOW!! Best wishes on your sale Larry but WOW,, kinda takes my breath away my friend!!

Ohhhh,, sneekin up on me eay:stickpoke: We should both be down at Asheville ya know!! I have NO DOUBT you and Jack are right on the money here Dan. Wonder if anything can be done suspention wise or other can be done to bring the 2nd Gens more into the realm of the better handling old style 1st Gens... I wonder if forward controls plays into this,, hmmmmmm

Tippy and I LOVE test riding the new bikes.. When the area shops have Demo Days, you will usually find us on whatever, doing our thing just for kicks.. Something that Tip always seems to come back with is how she feels like she is sitting to high - she doesnt like the "feel" of being way up in the air - she likes being tucked behind me.. I have noticed thru the years of design change in motorcycles with the bike manufacturers trying to copy Harley (not picking on Harley - they are beautiful) that it seems like this high riding position is the "norm".. Having never ridden a 2nd Gen, I wonder if this higher sitting position while lowering the sitting position of the driver is where some of that befuddlement is found?? I sure wish Yamaha would release a bunch of those left over brand new 1st gens,,, I would LOVE to test ride one all the way home:rotf::rotf::rotf::rotf::rotf::rotf::rotf::rotf::rotf:

Never rode one Jack,,, hmmmmmmm,, sounds like I better go find a used one in a shop somewhere and "test" ride it

Oopppss, ... I didnt see this before I posted that video up Neil.. Sounds like ya got a GOOD handle on the slow speed riding brother.. Gotta agree with ya on that tippy feeling brother, you are definitely NOT alone!!!

I use a technique I used for years both trials riding and woods riding. It involves using the gyro effect of the engine, clutch - throttle and brake control.. While I do use my front brake for most stopping - I use my rear brake usually in preparing for completing the stop.. Neil, here is a little video Tip and I just went out and made for you to help me explain what I am talking about.. Like explained in the video text, I am certainly NO expert when it comes to riding techniques - I just use little tricks I have learned thru the years to survive out there in the jungle.. I hope this helps somehow my good friend!! Puc Now a question for you,,, HOW ON EARTH DID YOU GET THE ROPE IN THAT WHIP SO PERFECTLY SHAPED - man is that a GORGEOUS contraption!!!

Prayers up for all involved!! I agree with you Lewis,, way way way to often..

Best of luck to the both of you Reiny!! Watch those Bear Teeth, Broad Heads and platforms (if your hunting from a tree) and bring us back a BIG one!!!!!!!

Ride safe and have a blast down there my friend!!! Double check those pig tails, you just wouldnt look right running around with just one hanging from the side of your helmet!!!

Heyyy look at that Coff,, I tied ya exactly on our response time!

Man,,, I dont know what the big deal is here:confused24:, you cant count it as an Official Meet and Greet unless SWA flight 2774 was done with a 1st Gen Boing and air planes dont count for Iron Buttin.. :rotf::rotf::rotf: HOW COOL that you two got to meet up like that Neil, seizing the moments and making new friends by doing so - it dont get no better than that I tell ya!!

See David,, now THAT makes HUGE sense to me, especially for an Advanced Road Riding Course! If I were young and money were no issue I would invent a virtual test machine for motorcycle training simular to a flight simulator.. The beginning rider would get on a real bike mounted on a dyno like stand. Screens on sides and in front. Starting out literally running the bike thru the gears and braking, learning throttle control, clutch and braking while an instructor is standing right next to the bike. Than proceed to a virtual roadway. An intersection where cars are present, a car creeps at the intersection and the machine records your reactions. The shadow of a kid on bicycle behind is shown, the machine records your reaction.. A truck driver comes across the center line, the machine records your reaction. Gravel on a hidden paved corner, the machine records your reaction. A deer jumps in front of you, the machine records your reaction. Its set up so you advance thru the course as your skills increase.. After passing the "bike simulator" you EARN the graduation of going onto the actual test track.. I know what cha mean on the plastic repair too my friend!! You dont think I have all those stickers on my bike just for conversation purposes do you:rotf::rotf:

BAAAARUUUTHER was I way off!! Thought I would have been wayyyyyyyy closer than that:confused24: Thanks Eck for

And this IS without peeking on google or where ever.. I guess Florida.. Now I am gonna go read Ecks thread and see if I am close..

A Robin Williams quote: “There are so many beautiful parts of the world . . . Thailand, Italy, the south of France. There are places in Spain that are astonishing. But here . . . 25 miles and you go up on Mount Tam to see the fog come in; 25 miles the other direction and you're somewhere else that takes your breath away. There's no question this is where I want to live. Never has been.” Mr. Williams, THANK YOU for bringing smiles to so many! May your soul have found everlasting peace and beauty well beyond the majesty of Mount Tamalpais! R.I.P.

Sam, one of the tires I wore off my 83 last year was a Commander 2.. The last sentence of your post describes a warning that I received from a friend who owns the Tire Dealership where I purchased the tire from.. Worded something like this "this should help in your tire wear because these are much harder rubber BUT - be careful in the twisties and in rain cause I have had LOTS of complaints on loss of traction issues.. I did experience a few occasions in cornering where the tire spooked me pretty good, one of which was coming off a sandy corner where I was expecting the tire regain traction like a Dunny and it didnt do so .. In rain, I have a habit of actually speeding up to stay dry and also found the Commander had a different feel to it.. The tire did in fact handle the desert temps much better than most tires I have used though, IT LOVED GETTING HOT.. It was a MUCH stiffer tire to install - needed to get very warm (set in sunshine for a couple hours before fairly pliable) before spooning it on - I am sure due to a harder rubber compound.. All that said, it proved to be a good enough tire that I didnt hesitate installing another one just recently (got a good deal - 65 bucks) and will run it till its gone.. Bottom line though, if your rides are gonna be filled with worrys of "can I trust this tire" cause it did this or that I would change it in heart beat.. Biking is suppose to be about having fun and getting rid of worrys - not the other way around..

WAY COOL JACK!! I could spend the rest of my life going from school to school learning from the pro's brother!! That said (I can hear you saying,, here we go again:rotf:) I gotta say.. I was down at our local Harley shop yesterday watching the "advanced Harley instructional class" ride around the practice course.. I inquired as to whether or not this was a class for people preparing to ride the roads or for people headed into racing.. I was told it was strickly for highway management. When I asked the instructor how come they dont toss some sand or gravel on a couple corners and turn the sprinklers on some others for the riders to buzz through, he laughed at me and looked at me like I was nuts (I get that a lot).. I told him that, IMHO, there is a difference between learning to read a track and learning to handle stuff that the road throws at us everyday out here in the real world.. That said, I REALLY appreciate your comment of - a lot of these tips can be used in a limited way on Ventures as well. Maybe correcting bad habits?? By the way brother,, those guys at the Harley Advanced Training were riding the brand new 500cc Harleys (looked like baby V-Rods), REALLY neat little bikes in their own right!! Puc

Hmmmmmm... Many years ago Tippy wanted me to hang a clothes line,,, WOE NOW,, I can hear it already,, WHAT THE HECK DOES A CLOTHES LINE HAVE TO DO WITH BUYING A MOTORCYCLE PUC - YOU DONE GONE MAD YA BOZO!! Well,, let explain.. So Tip wants a clothes line, I go about welding pipes together making the bestest clothes line holder upper that ya ever did see.. Than came the day to put it up... Tippy wants it put in the ground so the line is running north and south.. I, being the "see the big picture" kinda guy, explain to her that the wind usually blows from west to east and that the clothes would dry better hanging west to east.. BUT, in her eyes, it wouldnt look right.. We discussed the matter and, between the two of us, decided on a clothes line mounted at an angle so it looked good and the clothes dryed fairly well.. We were both happy and our kids enjoyed a life of running around with dry clothes:rotf:.. Working together to find a solution that we both can enjoy is where we have found ourselves over and over again in this crazy thing we call life.. Lord KNOWS we have had our struggles (and those usually come from one of us being bullheaded and unwilling to negotiate and compromise ) All that being said, I wonder if you went together and chatted with the Sales people about your concerns on what may be coming in the Slingshot line.. Maybe set up an arrangement with them that will allow her to purchase any future add on's available at dealer cost if she ordered one now.. I can see where having her learn the bike, riding techniques and proper road behavior without the added weight of a full touring machine could work in your wifes favor. Kinda the crawl before ya walk routine.. Also, Dealers are "suppose" to work with perspective buyers on fulfilling their needs and wants. If you ran into a Dealer unwilling to work with you and her I would RUN, not walk, RUN from that dealership and never look back.. In the end, finding a GOOD dealership is a goldmine in itself, especially when dealing with a first year model.. Ya better be nice to her Don, you always wanna be able to depend on her to let you ride on the back of her bike if you ever find the need to be rescued.... :motorcyclehelmet: Brothers and Sisters on VR,, if you dont hear from me for a while you will KNOW what NOT to say here on the forums

wow!!!! THAT is gorgeous RJ!! VERY VERY well done my friend!! Godspeed as you and your NEW bike enjoy many many fun filled hours of watching the miles go by!! Brother, THAT is beautiful! Puc

I HEARD A RUMOR WHILE READING TODAY, ABOUT A BUDDY OF MINE WHO'S NOT FAR AWAY. TO HIS AGE HE HAS ADDED ONE MORE, WHEN I HEARD THE NEWS I ABOUT HIT THE FLOOR. MY BUDDY DONT APPEAR AS A GEEZER LIKE ME, MUCH YOUNGER AND SWEETER IN SPIRIT IS HE. HIS SMILE IS CATCHY, HIS KINDNESS RIGHT BOLD. A WELL LOVED FELLER IN THE VENTURERIDER FOLD. MY FRIEND BONGOBOB IS WHO I SPEAK OF, A BETTER PERSON AM I BECAUSE OF HIS LOVE. I WISH HIM THE BEST ON HIS SPECIAL DAY, AND WISH I WAS WITH HIM SO WE COULD GO PLAY! HAPPY BIRTHDAY BONGO!!! PUC

Titanium Bob,, that would be TITANIUM!! Keep it up and you'll be sitting on a bottom made of Diamond!!

Well well well,, look what the cat drug in.. We didnt make it out this year TX but I been thinking about you guys!! Been watching for a pic or two.. THANKS for the update!! Who is the pic of (looking for a Ural in there ) Glad everything is good, have a great trip home if your still out there!! Puc