Tatonka

Thanks for those two roads out towards SD. I'll try both of them in September. Isn't the TOD in NC? I looked at a you tube video and decided I'd rather miss it. We have to slow down to 50 mph for runs like that in the Alps here. [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJRGln_lkRo]YouTube - Tail of the Dragon - '66 MGB[/ame] After having seen that however, I worry about the skill of the other drivers. I was driving in Scotland last year and forgot that I was supposed to drive on the "wrong" side of the road. Went 5 Km before I saw another car. Ride safe and don't let the shiny stuff kiss.

Thanks Condor, In Washington State, I want to do a some of the coast, North Cascades, Mt Ranier and Olympic, but I also want to do a portion of the Lewis Clark Trail in Idaho (Lolo Pass) which is supposed to be a great ride. I planned to head into Glacier National Park before heading for the Blackfeet Reservation in Browning. Since I'm camping in bear country, I'll have bear spray with me and didn't want to cross any borders just to be on the safe side. I've done most of the area before, just trying to do my 2005-2015 "Lower 48, Canada and Mexico Tours". I have done 23,000 since 2005 and plan to add at least another 12-15,000 from August to October. I'll be drinking suntan lotion in NM & AZ and I will be wearing long sleeve shirts and a helmet. For the twisties, I add leather jacket and pants. Hope you can get that plate cleaned off soon. I'll be sure to leave the scenery for you to check out on your ride. Ride safe.

Thanks for the tips guys. I head out to Phoenix with the Legacy Run in August and then plan a month of camping. I'll head up the CA coast to WA, then across to MT, then WY-SD-NE-KS-OK-TX and a short trip into Mexico. If you see a Black guy, wearing black, riding a black RSTC and a black leather vest, smiling and singing a song, that's me. If I ain't smiling, please pick me up and put me back on the bike and I'll smile and sing again.

Ho Chi Minh City is much worse and they drive on the right side for us Americans.

Wow, and I thought I started late. I was 32 when my youngest turned ten, then I was 43 when my youngest turned 10. I turned grandfather at 41 and great grandfather at 59. And I plan to fall from the motorcycle for the last time at 105. Wonder how many B'raer Rabbit tales I can tell till then?

My prayer was and is, "Thank you God, that your stepson is only lightly hurt considering the circumstances." May he heal quickly and completely. Please thank your stepson for his service and let him know we are mighty proud of him and he is in our prayers. Like the prayer I sent out today, God bless our servicewomen, servicemen and their families, no matter where they serve. Happy Independence Day which we wouldn't be celebrating today, if it weren't for friendly nations, stubborn colonists and a poor, hungry and ragged colonial army and militia. They did a good job of setting up our country so we just need to follow what they set up and not allow our politicians to try to fix what isn't broken.

"I have 4 or 5 women saying that they want nothing more than to make me HAPPY BEYOND BELIEF and are willing to do anything I want, any where I want. I'll trade places with you any time you would like! " As you can see Fozzy, They do a lot of research and know what us sailors really want the most. Either scam will put you in the poorhouse if not behind bars eventually.

Wow, one of those unexpected things out of the blue. Sometimes I ride in a group with Legion Riders and I often think how something like that could happen. Most people are so busy concentrating on the ones in the group directly to the side and to the front while watching their mirrors, that I'm not surprised that nine bikes could get wiped holding the recommended intervals. Guess it happened too fast and the first reaction was disbelief. I always used to only worry about a truck or car from the rear, now? I wonder if bikers can get PTSD like pointmen on patrol? I hope the guys get better soon. Prayers going up for them.

Hey Maineac, Those look great! How are they on sound? I'm looking for something a little quieter than my slash cuts.

Hi Thom, Thanks for the clarification on Florida tax assesments. I guess I paid enough sales tax there. Not to make a big issue of it but I've also been diving for a while (40 years and as long as I have been riding a bike), enjoyed it so much I did it in the Navy and ran a small diving business on the side afterwards. I think it is a recognized fact that divers are not normally "attacked" by sharks because they can see how big we are under water, but it sometimes does happen. Florida has shown an increase in shark attacks on beaches over the past few years and funnily enough, most of the attacks are on swimmers, surfers and occasionally on people just standing in the water. Many of the documented attacks on people standing in the water, show injuries on arms and hands, possibly because of the reflex action of the person to danger. Having observed some of the shark feeding excursions because they were in an area where I was doing marine biology research on behavioral patterns of large marine scavangers, I could see why the feeder wears a shark suit which he often needs as they get excited. As an experienced diver, I'm sure you know not to attach your spearfish catch to a line on your weight belt. In my diving in all oceans of the world, I only have been "attacked" once, but have also experienced the "What is it bump ?" from the side of a shark when it is not sure if I could be something it should be interested in. I only dive now and never go swimming in oceans. Some say warming of the water through El Nijo is responsible, I think part of it might also be the old adage, "Feed a bear and produce a problem bear". I don't have problems riding in DC, but I like riding in Paris and Ho Chi Minh City too. Since we're a rider and not a diver forum, I apologize for bringing the shark subject up. Ride safe, ride hard, but ride with God.

I just went through the hassle of buying a bike in Florida in April. Since I bought privately, I purchased a temporary tag ($5 and they don't require proof of insurance- beats me) at the Florida DMV (the seller had checked with DMV for me), but I had to pay sales tax (think it was 6%) on the sales price even though I showed them my DC license and clearly stated that I was taking it out of state. After a long discussion, I was told that DC was one of the states (quite a number of other states where they collect) where they were required to collect sales tax and DC would (or could) give me credit for the tax collected in Florida when I registered my bike there. I was ticked off but was pretty much over the barrel because I needed to ride the bike to DC, so I unhappily paid the tax with credit card and was charged an additional $7 for credit card use by the Florida DMV. They gave me a nice looking notorized certificate showing that I had paid the sales tax (I missed the statement that the home State, " might or might not", set off the tax collected in Florida) and went happily on my way. I was informed that I had 30 days (I believe) to transfer title in my home state. The DC DMV (and Office of the DC Treasurer) subsequently treated me carefully as a slightly demented moron (were nice about it though since I was wearing my A.L. Rider vest) for thinking that another state could collect tax for them. After long discussion and talk with the head supervisor, I was shown that DC collects excise tax on used vehicles and doesn't collect sales tax. A DC tax could not be set off against a sales tax collected in another state according to DC Code. They also showed me the fine print, "might or might not recognize" in the notorized tax receipt. Paid the DC 6% excise tax and put it down to cost of another learning experience. I'm giving you the grim facts of this "tax rape" free of charge. Good thing that 12% on a great deal, still left a good deal. If you live outside of Florida and purchase a bike privately in Florida (dealer purchases require paying sales tax anyway) , make sure you have the bike already insured (for your financial security in case something happens before you get out of Florida) and use the seller's tags to get home and send them back to the seller per courier after you register your bike in your home state. The $45 for the courier beats the 6% tax in any case. I had to show that I had a license with motorcycle endorsement to get the temporary tag, so I hope Florida will grandfather that requirement for a proof of motorcycle safety course for riders licensed before July 1, 2008. I would be careful however because not all states have reciprocity with each other for car and motorcycle driver's licenses. Some recognize the car, but not the motorcycle, especially when moving from one state to another (or internationally since each U.S. State has different agreements with foreign countries). Germany for instance will accept the automobile license, but still make you take the written and road test (but not require driver's school as long as you convert within 6 months of entering the country), but won't accept the motorcycle endorsement from any U.S. State, requiring that you go to a minimum 25 hour driving school before being able to take the written and road test for motorcycle. And I used to like to go to Florida to swim and SCUBA dive. With this and the many shark attacks going on there (bellieve it or not, they feed sharks from the piers down there as an attraction, but only on certain days of the week- duhh- do sharks have calendars?) and the Bahamas offer popular shark feeding dives (aren't sharks nomadic?), so they lose my bucks for the next few years. And don't forget that Florida has a complicated helmet law- you have to be 21 years of age and have proof of adequate medical insurance with you to ride without a helmet (although I still don't know why people would want to ride without one- but that is maybe part of my learning experience.)

Thanks for the share. I guess I sure ain't been everywhere. I'll keep trying. Have a great time in Hawaii.

Hey Clay, Thank you for your service. I can't say have a good time or stay out of danger, but I will say God bless and keep safe. Appreciate greatly what you're doing. I'm in Germany and if you get over this way, give me a shout. I'm with American Legion Post 5 in Walldorf Germany as well as the VFW Post 27 in Wiesbaden, Germany. If there are VFW or Legion posts in your area at home, drop in and say hi. You might even find a Legion Rider chapter close by. Got you in my prayers guy.

Hi Don, Glad you're feeling better. Prayers still being said in your name buddy.

Prayers have been offered. My sympathy t family and friends.

Hi Scooter, I know that was intended for Chocking, but I added that thankfully to my itinerary too. I guess he'll be coming east to west but I'm coming the other way.

Yo Chief, I hope the guy comes through ok. I guess adenaline can be a high too and when you're traveling so fast, your smarts just don't keep up. I went down once on the track at a clocked 171 mph during a race and lived through that with no real injuries. Most of my accidents happened on the track but that was what I got paid for. Wish I had been better. I guess my signature also says it, which probably happens more than we can imagine. Glad nothing happened to you. Thanks for your service and thanks for the great job you Patriot Riders are doing. I'll be on the Legacy Run in August and we had a lot of Patriot Riders along last year. Ride hard, but ride safe and with God. And greetings from a Brown Water Navy GMG.

Hey Chocking, Still a little early for that area sometimes but the bears are out. Be sure to take some bear spray with you and hang your food. Hope you have a wonderful trip and wish I could go with you. I'll be riding on the Legacy Run in August out to Phoenix. After the convention, I'm going alone and do some camping too. Plan is to take the coast up from San Diego to Seattle, then across to Glacier Park and Browning, Medicine Wheel in Wyoming and the Black Hills SD and down to Texas with a short trip into Mexico. Looking at about 4 weeks to do it. I'll hit some of the National Parks too, but I got to Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon, Yosemite, Sequoia, Joshua Tree, King's Canyon, Grand Teton, Yellowstone and Theodore Roosevelt N.P. in 2005 and 2006. I'll only do the ones I missed so far this decade. Enjoy, keep the dirty side down and don't be lunch.

I have an older bike (98 RSTC) but noticed the same problem when I drove it from Florida to DC after buying it in April. I had however, also noticed the same problem when I was riding a Road King Classic on a 120 mile test ride (The island of Mallorca is a great place to test bikes) which almost seems to have the same high configuration. I bought a set of wrist braces for the grips on EBAY and now seem to be doing ok because I can relax my arms more which relieves the cramping in my neck. I figured the $24 including shipping was worth trying before I went into a major rewiring and bar replacing operation. I can only let you know my final decision after my planned 12,000 mile trip in August/September.

Thanks for the good writeup on the installation. A Kuryakyn tail light with curved license plate holder was aready installed when I bought the bike and I had been playing with the idea of going back to the stock setup. Guess I'll save myself the work for now thanks to your reason for changing in the first place.

Quote: Then I drilled samll holes in the windshield where she placed the black dots. I then installed small black allen head screws (from the front side of the windshield thru the leather bag, and used chrome acorn nuts to fasten the leather bag to the inside of the windsheild. Unquote- I thought about doing the same thing but I have a horrible fear of having stress cracks appear in the windshield after a few thousand miles of road travel. Had tried the same thing on my boat plexiglass windows and wasn't happy with the results after a year. I have an '98 RSTC with Silverado windshield and I purchased a set of pouches (must really say, they were really expensive and not as practical as I thought they would be), so I removed the bags from the original back piece (didn't line up with the windshield acorn nuts) and placed them on another piece of leather, made holes to match the windshield screws and used a size longer set of chromed screws for the installation. With the metal strip on the front side of the windshield and the backing on the inside, I don't have a fear of visible vibration or stress cracks. Time will tell however. Please tell us how you solved your installation when you get it done. I kind of like the idea of posting such things in the forum because it forces me to be much neater and professional in my work since I know over 5,000 avid bikers will be wanting to see the results. Best of luck!

Hey Phil, Thank you Lord, that you can let us know about it. Prayers up for a swift recovery.