cowpuc

Either Italian or US would be fine Sly. It's gotta be the full size, I would even grab a left over LEO/Military model (cant remember Military # = M9 maybe?) but it needs to be current model "92" with the curve at the bottom front of the grip and upper mag release. Also DA/SA (I know some LEO models were DAO = 92"D" maybe?).. If you see something locally that fits my price range (250ish) and wouldnt mind passing a phone number I would GREATLY appreciate it brother!! THANKS SLY!!

You and I are on the same brain strain trail here brother.. While a few of my/our favorite spots where we dropped tent for a a night after 16 or 18 hours of CTFW have been in the back side of Cemeteries thru the years (thinking to myself that flicking a few ashes may be a little more legal there some how), we do have a LOT of favored/special camp spots on State and Federal Lands across the country that have very special memories. Of course, knowing my wife and kids and how sensitive they all are about staying "legal",, my ashes will probably end up stuck in a bottle somewhere which is ok too,, the choice will definitely be in their hands brother.. Thanks for sharing Sly and THANKS again for the continual support my friend!! Oh yeah,, for many many years my DL had the "body parts donation" stamp on it just in case some living soul needed some good parts left over from a Puc's body supply salvage.. Now adays though,, there aint much in left that usable,, I am still good with the parts salvage but thinking most will end up in the ash pile for memory inducement..

So here is something my little brother and I got chatting about,, something to think about and something I would really like to hear thoughts on.. If your Jewish, I would especially be interested in your response here as I know the Bible talks a lot about "The Bones" (as in moving bones from one spot to another).. My brother was jabbering about his burial plot(s) and when I mentioned that I was thinking of cremation (I like the idea of having my ashes scattered about in "special" places - I know its illegal and even that gives the process a sort of Rebel Puc spin to it ) to which he looked surprised. I reminded him that once we walked the Valley and greeted The Lord,, absent from the body and present with The Lord IMHO.. He seemed to be dwelling on Old Testament teaching of having The Bones remain and some significance there in.. I have spent a fair amount of time studying "The Word" and don't get the final connection of leaving the bodies remains intact for eternal purposes - more for those left behind/rememberance stuff.. Any thoughts? Please keep it/any and all stated thoughts in a non-judgmental form though as I sure dont want no sparky Mod like @Marcarl or the bossman to have to close my little brothers cancer thread here,, please keep it light - all opinions welcome IMHO..

NICE!! REALLY NICE TUFFY!!! If any of you lop eared varmints happen to cross paths with a Beretta 92F 5 inch at a Pawn Shop or where ever for 250ish and dont mind taken a sec to grab a number for me,, I would greatly appreciate it.. Looking at these pics has got my trigger finger just itching and I am to busy to satisfy it with some actual range time,, may as well snatch up a good deal on that Beretta dream of mine if one happens to appear at a decent price ..

I wouldnt respond/try to call this ads number cause the whole thing smells funny to me (2nd gear issues on an 87? Phone number comes back as a NM number?) but here is a good case of the Blues.. To bad its probably a scammer looking to fill his scamming data base with phone numbers,, ol Blue deserves to out CTFW, not being used to as part of a scam IMHO:biker:.. https://muskegon.craigslist.org/mcy/d/muskegon-1987-yamaha-xvz-venture/6871775256.html

Hi ya Piff (closest I can come to pronouncing PH:hihi:),, Puc here, just got summoned in on a PM asking about carb issues and thought I may as well take a quick shot at your ? as long as I am in. If nothing else, you may find it entertaining before someone responds who really knows this stuff.. IMHO,, around these parts most main stream shops wont touch +10 year old scoots, and probably for good reason.. Sort of similar to house plumbing issues (you know, where you loosen one joint to fix a leak and end up with 180000 other leaks because you tried to fix the one leak) where a small repair job turns into a nightmare and the customer blames you for it. Couple that with the legal side of things where a bike that had carb problems is fixed, the owner picks it up, crashes into the side of car, turns out his brakes were shot too and now the shop is up for litigation cause they didnt notice the brakes were toast and on and on.. You get my drift? Independents (non main stream, NON franchised, small bike shops) a LOT of times will fill the gap though and will customarily work on older scoots. Maybe ask around your area and see if you can find one? Here they are all over the place. Some good, some bad.. Can you do it yourself? Sure,, why not? Totally depends on your ability with spinning wrenches IMHO and you are the only one who can answer that end of the equation.. Out of 4 children I have 1 that is exceptional with the wrench,, using those stats and without knowing you at all,, I would say you have a 25% chance of doing the job completely and correctly with no assistance. If your over 10 years old, increase those odds by 25% and if you arent afraid to ask for assistance by some of the guru's running around the joint,, increase the odd's another 50%.. Nice to meet ya brother!! Puc P.S. = It is amazing how much stuff is available on Ebay with just a little searching them,, also, an online parts house such as this: https://www.yamahapartsnation.com/oemparts/a/yam/5107f835f870022108d6576a/carburetor-non-california-model can also be a great source.. Just another FYI Piff,, it's not uncommon to end up spending well in excess of 600 bucks for carb parts for a rebuild.. Toss in a few hours of Labor and, IMHO, +$1000 carb rebuild jobs could happen.. I got a neighbor that spent well in excess of $1000 to have his early model 1500 Wing carb redone a couple years ago and, once out of the scoot, I know that Honda carb is lots simpilar than doing x4 carbs like ours (nasty project gettin em out on the Wing though),, just thought ya might wanna know how much ya can save by spinning your wrenches..

WOWZY that is powerful Sly,, THANK YOU for sharing that! Personally,, due to some circumstances in my own life between God and myself, I am not a Church goer either.. I served on Staff at our local church for numerous years and, some not good things happened that involved an errant Pastor and I ended up needing to severe my ties with Corporate Churching and settling for the Biblical idea of "where two or more are gathered = I will be in their midst" = I get it my brother,, I get it.. I am honored by and respect you for your earnest honesty and clearly covet your prayers brother,, more than words can say.. THANK YOU for taking the extra steps at listening to God's soft tugging at the heart strings though to stop and bend your knees for us like you did Sly.. Thanks you two for pulling this thread back up, it brought a smile to face! While even thinking about Shooting and Guns seems like a very distant dream due to all thats going on,, over time,, I will be back and sharing again here with alll you lop eared lead tossing varmints again!!

Doug stared at me with his Blue eyes and he said "Say a prayer for me", I threw my arm's around him, and said "God has set us free". He could hear the riders coming, he said "This is my last fight", if they take me back to Fruitport (our home town), they won't take me back alive. There were seven Spanish Angels at the alter of the Son, they were praying for my brother, in the Valley where Victory's won. When his fighting stopped and his pain cleared, there was thunder from God's throne. And seven Spanish Angels, took my little brother home. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I spent most of my day at my brothers side today. While he is far from giving up (with my complete and total encouragement and support = KEEP FIGHTING LITTLE BROTHER!!) he indeed seems to be progressing farther and farther toward the Valley of the shadow of death. This is very difficult for all of us. It seems that very few really want to be around the hardness and difficulty of facing death with him as I was the only there (besides his wife) for almost the whole day. I blame no one, this stage is very difficult to watch and be around. Personally, probably because of the inner connection with my brother that I have, I simply refuse to let him slip off and face the Valley alone and, in tears he told me how much he appreciated that.. We cryed a LOT together this time. Doug asked me if, along with speaking for 10 minutes at his funeral about our love for each other, I would sing the above rendition that I sang to him (very hard,, this little 2 minute rendition of Willies - Seven Spanish Angels that The Lord laid on my lips took over 10 minutes alone for me to sing to him again) at his funeral, either grave side or during the service = my choice.. After my own tears cleared and I thought for a couple minutes about his request, I stared into his Blue eyes and said OK but this one is going to cost you little brother.. He glared back at me and asked I was thinking? I said if I am going to promise to do this EXTREMELY difficult task, then I want you to, after you and Jesus walk thru the Valley together and He is escorting you toward your Mansion on the streets of Gold,, I want you to tell our Lord that you and I made a deal that if I sang that song,, you were going to ask Him to reserve the Mansion next door to yours for me and if necessary, you would be willing to live mansionless on the streets of Gold until I got there and so we could get side by side Mansions. Then it started,, we bantered back and forth as to whether or not a signed and Notorized contractrual agreement would be necessary to complete such a task. I told Doug that I knew the Bible says there will be no given of marriage in Heaven (IMHO, that is where the statement in most wedding vows of "till Death do us part" has its basis) but I didn't recall any clear statement in God's word denying any other Earthly contract fulfilment so maybe that might help us.. The , and :crackup:really seemed to lighten the darkness of what he is facing and,, though maybe out of pure selfishness on my part, it did my heart good too. Obviously all the thoughts and prayers are working brothers and sisters!! I passed it along to my little brother than many many people were stedfastly lifting him up at the throne of Grace and/or thinking of him daily. He clearly stated that he knew this in his heart and spirit and greatly appreciated it. I really appreciate it too gang and, even though I know I sound like a broken record and a whiny puppy, would appreciate more of the same. From the bottom of my heart,, THANK YOU!! Puc

Just a quick update for those who are supporting my brother (and our family) in thoughts and prayer. I just finished a 4 hour conversation with one of my sisters who spent part of the evening at my little brothers beside and she was telling me that things appear to be rapidly worsening. Doug is going thru the phase of having a hard time recognizing family members and getting names mixed up but even in that state, he repeatedly asks if I am there. My plan now is to get over there again this weekend for him - hopefully early tomorrow. I am thankful beyond words for all your support at the throne of grace and thoughts/concern and would be extremely grateful for a contuation of your support during this time.. Thanks again my friends! Puc

Oh yeah,, I got into Archery back in the late 60's hunting Michigan White Tail with a Bear #55 recurve and those clip in broad head inserts/wooden arrows. Grabbed an Allen Speedster compound with they first came out.. Lost that skinny limbed thing off the top of my car and replaced it with a PSE.. All very good for deer slaying.. I was never one to fear heights (Tradesmen are like that) so Baker Boards and Compounds became a way of life for years around our home = +2 deer (onto Gun Deer) in the freezer to feed the family.. LOVED shooting, LOVED practicing and LOVED that "potato sack smack sound when the 31 inch wasp tipped aluminum arrow" did its thing to the unsuspecting horned varmint down below.. Havent been in the air or held my bow in a good while.. Now I gotta go down stairs and do some digging (cant now,, got me a baby sitting watching my 2 year old grandson) and get some pics to share cause I just GOTTA see what @uhfradarwill is holding back on us!!

WOWZY WOW WOW WOW BROTHER - TERRIBLE THING THAT GOING PARALIZED BUSINESS IS:no-no-no:= SOOOO GLAD TO HEAR YOU ARE ON THE MEND MY FRIEND!! :clap2: thoughts and Prayers Up as you continue your PT and work toward a full recovery! I had a very similar experience and can tell ya first hand,, that is simply NOT a picnic. Now though, looking at the scars on my back,, I stand (pun intended) in constant amazement and awe at the Neuro Doctors and what they are able to do with pardiciments like you find yourself in.. Not being able to move those lower extremities isn't the end of the world but when you are as active of a person as you have been thru the years it sure can seem like it. You done good getting it taken care of Earl, now focus on that PT - give it time to heal - spend those hours sharing your amazing knowledge and skills with us lop eared bone headed varmints and it wont be long and you'll be right back to normal.. Well,, as normal as,,, never mind,,, I aint pickin on my brother while he's down

,,, in that I am one of those tight wad, only play the Lotto when it passes the 500 million mark and only by 1 ticket even at that,, if/when that happens this year Jack YOU and our VR Family will know about it,,, instead of Hot Dog's for everyone it will be new Scoots for all :guitarist 2::happy65::beer: Will have to rename "Puc's Meet Greet and Eat Meat" outings to "Puc's Meet Greet and Ride A New Bike Home"

Soooo sorry and deeply saddened to read this @HermanK84VR !! I want you to know that you and your family have my deepest sympathy at such at great loss.. Prayers Up for each of you as you work thru the grieving process at the loss of your Father In Law. Thank you for sharing of the peace and comfort you "Dad" found in The Lord as they took the journey thru the Valley together. Your sharing here meant alot to me my friend (not that I would wish this NASTY STUFF ON ANYONE = I HATE CANCER!!) = THANK YOU for sharing!! My brother is as comfortable as possible, hospice has brought in a special bed which really seems to help in pain management and general ease of life. I wish I could report to my brothers and sisters here that things seem to be improving but that would be a lie and I cant do that,,, it's really not lookin good and it's hard watching my little brother go thru it all.. I would not wish this Bone Cancer stuff (or ANY form of Cancer) on anyone,, not even my worst enemy - how can flashes of pain even appear thru being fully morphined,, nasty nasty good for nothin rotten stuff I tell ya. Thanks again everyone for you continued thoughts and prayers! Your gracious and endless support is greatly appreciated! Puc

WOWZY WOW WOW WOW!!! THANKS YA BUNCH OF LOP EARED VR MC CLUB PARTYING VARMINTS!!! My Birthday was filled with life in the fast lane!!! Where do they get energy from,,, :scratchchin:were we ever locked in 4 wheel drive this In spite of the hard times of what my little brother is going thru,, The Lord blessed me with one of the best Birthday's ever!! Thanks gang for well wish here!! Puc

I/we do Sly, beyonds words or any other form of explanation, I/we do my brother!! My youngest and her husband are in the process of moving into their new home this week and a month ago Tip and I, way before we got the news about my little brother, had made plans to watch Birdie (Sam, our 2 year old Grandson) for the week while they made the move. When the news broke about my brother last weekend, my daughter called and all but begged me to let them find another sitter. My reply was NO WAY,, that I felt even though it was going to be a tough week that Birdies presense may just be an answer from The Lord about feeling His presence and fighting the gloomies over my brothers condition.. Guess what,, all the prayers are being answered, it's working and so is The Lord (quadruple time!!)!! Today is my Birthday, I/we are celebrating by spending the morning watching Micky Mouse with Birdie then to my Son's for Birthday lunch of grilled steaks (YUM), then I am heading down to my daughters to drop off a BUNCH of tools (spoiling my Son-In-Law rotten on my Birthday = dont get no better than that) and then to back to my brothers side to pray with and comfort him the best I can. I may try to share the pics below of him and I on a cross country trip bike trip out along the east coast many years ago with him if he is up to it. It's been a rough week for Doug, the Morphine is definitely helping control the pain but the mind can only handle so much of the stuff.. Thank you again EVERYONE for the thoughts and prayers. As my brother and our family continues to take this difficult journey. your consistent and fervent thoughts and prayers are definitely felt and appreciated! Your friend Puc

Indeed those MK2's are completely different than our MK1's Snipe,, we got the easy way out for changing rear tires - especially when needing to spoon on a new one on the side of a hiway.. I never ever did have a Mk2 apart like we are talking about here but I have been told that instead of dismantling everything to get to the real wheel assembly, there are just a few bolts to remove and the whole rear luggage assembly can slide off the back as a complete unit. No idea if its true or not but the guy that told me about it had ridden em for years and seemed pretty serious about what he was saying.. Now where those few bolts are,, I have no clue but I would definitely do some digging and figure out if that is possible before I started tearing it into a zillion pieces...

Having dealt in the sales of bikes for many years and coming from a large family I was often asked to assist in a bike purchase for new riders in our family. My response was ALWAYS = "I would be glad to assist, get the good deal and all that BUT = if I am gonna be involved it has to be done my way, that being 1 year riding the woods with me and pass my version of having rider skill development before hand OR, just jump on this little Honda XR100 and show me you already have those skills = the skills that will give you a fighting chance on the crazy roadways bikers have to face everyday". For testing I look for fully accomplished balance, clutch, brake and throttle control,, skills that need to be fully developed and applied without having to think thru each step of shifting up/down, taking off from an intersection with no stalling and on and on. IMHO, roadways are no place to learn those skills and they should flow from the new rider by instinct so all their focus when riding can be on whats going on around them. Don, if your daughter has not aquired those skills and she were my adult daughter, I would offer to pickup a used XR100 or something similar and offer to spend the time working with her in a vacant parking lot doing stop and goes, figure 8's, running thru the gears and all that. Being able to OWN (and I am referring to the riders ability to easily manhandle the bike when I refer to "own") a bike is a huge advantage to brand new rider when developing those skills so they are not fighting the weight factor too, plus this sets them up for a lesser failure/lower discouragement rate with learning to ride and tends to lay the platform for a lifetime of happiness in riding, all this IMHO of course. If the skills I am speaking of already flow from her like a fountain of effortless delight and you are comfortable with her abilities I would suggest locating something that can get out of its own way (I REALLY like the +500cc idea) under throttle and that she can flat foot at a stop - at least for her first bike. The V-Star line is generally good for this but so are the Kaw Vulcan, Suzuki Intruder and Honda Shadow and even the Sporties. I have gone thru numerous sales of each and ridden with folks on those models too and can tell you that personally I have been impressed with the durability of them for both around town use and even some cross country touring.. I mention them all because the cruiser models tend to sit lower and be more comfortable/easier to "own" for the shorter legged rider than even the smallest of "crotch rockets".. Thats my opinion brother,, consider the source What ever she decides, please pass on a wish on my part for her to FULLY ENJOY her new adventure!!! Puc

Not that I am anybodies mother and that this will work for others but this is what has worked for me over the years: I have used a small weight scale to do the final set on my bikes for many years - scales the shooters use to measure hammer or trigger pull (have used em for double duty thru the years,, I'm a cheap bugger = multiple use of specialty tools = another flaw in my character) but the method has served me well. What I have done on both my MX/Harescrambling race bikes, street bikes and even quads/three wheelers is as long as I know I have good bearings in the steer head and its lubed properly I will run the bottom spanner nut down and torque it to 5 ft pds, move the forks from lock to lock several times to displaced any grease from between the bearings/races, retorque to 6. Then put the spacer (some are rubber, some are steel) over the bottom spanner and spin on the upper. I like to hand tighten the upper as tight as I can get it and then finish it off with a nudge with a spanner so the spanner notches between top and bottom align. Reset the upper, toss on the stem nut. Center the bars so the front wheel is point straight ahead (dont have to be perfect). Take a tie wrap and zip it loosely on the end of each bar. Hook my trigger scale to the tie wrap and at a perpendicular angle to the grip lightly pull and watch for movement in the grip. I like to see movement at about 12 ozs of pull in both directions off each grip.. If its lacking I take the upper cover back off and tighten the upper spanner nut by one notch to realign again (hold the bottum nut with a spanner to nudge against),, if its tight I back off one notch = then check it again. I know,, all sounds really old schoolish but the above has done ok by me... Cheap Chinese Scale that would do the job? Something like this: https://www.ebay.com/itm/50KG-5G-Han...IAAOSwd0BVwtEo

BEAUTIFUL! Thanks Vic!! Permission to read at my brothers funeral if/when the time comes?

IMHO, weak or sacked fork springs can add significantly to that horrible loose front fork feeling. I know all my 1st Gens the OEM springs that I pulled from them looked like Ink Pen springs.. After tossing in a set of Progressives with an inch of preload they become a different bike.. Not as easy to take corners at speed as Maggie my R1 but definitely an improvement over stock - even 2 up and loaded down for CTFW in the mountains.. I also found that 12 weight oil and using a syringe to get the oil levels to match between forks helps too.. I also check the fork bushings when doing the swap to make sure there is no play there as well - even a little wear in those puppies can cause a lot of loose feeling at the grip tips..

Sorry I am bit late on this but oh yeahhhh,, another Amen to this one! Bunnies is for eatin,,, Easter is for rejoicing over the empty tomb and the freedom we have because of it.. I aint much of a religious man either Unc but facts are facts and it's always best to face the facts sooner than later IMHO..

:sign yeah that::sign yeah that: Another example: around these parts when I was much younger, Easy Rider Rifle Racks were very common. For those not exposed to such a time in life, that is a gun rack that we would mount across the back window of our old pick up trucks and open carry our long guns every where we went.. That practice went out of being cool as more and more folks around here lost guns because of the simpleness for a person with no self respect to bust a window and grab a gun. Personally, I LOVE traveling the West where that practice and side arm open carry is still common (pretty cool to walk into a Walmart and see people walking around with shooters on their hips IMHO). While I know thats a little to American for some lop eared varmints, I personally enjoy being around it but yea, times have changed and I gotta agree with ya'll on this..

Ready I dont know if you folks are coming across on the Ferry and/or gonna be traveling the west coast of Michigan but if you are and need a spot to drop a tent, our yard is always open for such and if we are home you are more than welcome to camp inside with us - several club members have done so thru the years and the ones who did are still in one piece so that offer comes with references:big-grin-emoticon:. If you are pulling a travel trailer and need "Full Hookups w/ dump station", one of Michigans nicest State Parks are located within a stone throw right down the road from us too so there's that.i Also keep in mind that Michigan's State Lands and Federal Forests are still considered owned by "We The People" and you can legally pull off the road and camp on those lands for free. As a result of being spoiled a little by such traditional American freedom (I am a native Michigander), over the decades of CTFW I can only think of a couple times that I/we ended up needing to grab a motel as those always tended to be a little to confining when compared to tenting for my likings but I do know there are several of them also in the area. I have "State and Federal Lands" camped in all 48 of the lower States and have only been kicked off of our U.S. property a couple times and those couple times were in a State far from where you will be traveling (California). It might be in your best interest, especially if you will be traveling with camping gear in tow, to plot a course over State/Federal Lands cause there are many GORGEOUS sights and sounds that are often missed by modern day travelers.

I tend to be a little more about my opinions than I should be at times and as a result I ended up getting some messages sent to me over my opinions on a bike. The authorities suggested that I probably should, among a few other life style changes, be careful about putting personal information out in cyber space so I reluctantly followed some of their suggestions and am currently running a covert operation as a result. I am still me and still here though and am always willing to help someone in need. If you do need help and see a guy on a beat up old stickered covered 1st Gen pull up to assist you I suggest that you dont reach into your riding jackets pocket to pull out a Hot Dog to attempt to bribe me with as I have been practicing my quick draw and have gotten pretty good at it:Laugh:

Thank you again folks,, your thoughts and prayers and continued thoughts and prayers are greatly appreciated, the familiness and brotherly love of our club never ceases to amaze.. Sly,, you dont have to make any form of apologies nor do anything to change in your me over my in both written or verbal form.. While I do understand your point and know that it came right from the heart,, let me let you in on another part of all this that I think you will really appreciate,, it has to do with a brothers love and deep connection with one another: While tossing memories and sharing the roll down of lifes treasures with my brother,, he looked at me and told me that as his brother, I had the responsibilty of sharing/speaking at his funeral.. While I have done a small amount of Public Speaking,, my brother KNOWS that I get pretty nervous even thinking of doing such a thing, BUT - being my brother who I love dearly,, I made the promise that I would do so. After making the promise, I asked if there was anything special that he would like me to attempt to address.. As he was thinking (he was/is living on Morphine for pain control = he has PLENTY of pain to deal with as the Cancer that is taking his life is now in his bones = TOUGH STUFF:95:), I asked if he would like me to share the Gospel, he shook his head no and said the Pastor will be doing that. He said he wanted me to share memories of our lives together, how connected we were and how important family is,, that kind of stuff.. After saying that, he stopped crying, wiped his tears, looked me right in the eyes and said BUT,, I DO NOT want an 1 1/2 hour Funeral though,, I dont want you to .. We both got to laughing so hard we were bothing crying,,, mixed tears too (joy and sorrow)!! After getting beyond those tears,, I looked right back at him and asked just exactly how much time he wanted me to speak,, 2 minutes,, 5 minutes,, 10 minutes, 45 minutes? He smiled and said = 10 minutes.. I chuckled and promised him exactly a 10 minute tale of two brothers who adored each other at times but also did their fair share of ... Wanna hear another something that happened? Lots of people dont know this side of my brother and I but we (I much more than him) have always been, and will always be Willie Nelson fans. Willie and I go wayyy back.. One of Willies songs that can, by itself, bring tears to my eyes,, is titled 7 Spanish Angels - ever hear it? I will post it here if you haven't.. As I was riding my bike, I started singing that song only, for some reason, replacement words for some of Willies lryics flowed across my lips.. I almost had to stop my bike as I got crying so hard while I sang (to the tune below) that I could not clearly see the traffic in front of me.. Here are those words that brought the tears: Doug looked deep into my brown eyes,, and said say prayer for me,, I threw my arms around him and said God has set us free,, he could hear the riders coming and said this is my last fight,, when they take me to Fruitport (our home town),, they wont take me back alive.. There were 7 Spanish Angels, at the alter of the Son, they were praying for my brother, in the Valley where it's Won,, when his fighting stopped and the pain cleared, there was thunder from God's throne,,, as seven Spanish Angels took my little brother home... I think my 10 minutes is going to amount to 1 minute of talking and 9 minutes of