Venturous Randy

Nice looking bike if I turn my laptop up on its side. RandyA

Has anyone looked at whether it would be feasible to modify a 1st gen shock/mount to be usable on a 2nd gen? Evidently Yamaha did pretty good on the 1st gen shocks as I don't remember hearing any failures and they are priced cheap on ebay. This looks like it would be a good project for Dingy since he don't have much going on and he does have a 1st/2nd gen hybrid. RandyA

Never heard of the bolts stretching. Those looked like high tinsel bolts and I would suspect they would break before stretching. RandyA

They sure do work good on that bike. Are they specifically made for it? RandyA

Yep, I am fighting a Homeland Security ransom virus right now that I picked up somewhere. There should be a special place in hell for those that put these viruses together. RandyA

I turned 63 a month ago and am also thinking about what it will take to trike the 96 Goldwing I have. RandyA

I have had my 83 venture for about 17 1/2 years and have put over 140,000 miles on it and have been very lucky that during this time, with having had several close calls with other drivers, animals ranging from deer to a big pig, and some less than desirable road conditions, I have never crashed at speed. The fastest I have been going when I did go down was probably not more than two miles per hour. In the four years Linda has been riding with me, I have put about 33,000 miles on and a vast majority has been with Linda. During this time, I have dropped the bike one time each year. The first time was due to the parking spot at a convince store not being flat and instead of pulling up and stopping, I tried to do a U-turn and caught myself not being able to touch the ground and we went down to the left side. The second one was going down a paved one lane road that was an old rail road bed. When the pavement was about to end, while just barely moving, I touched the front brake and was on fine gravel and did the slow tip over to the left. This one ended up being a lot more serious because in picking up the bike, I ended up with a Vitreous hemorrhage in my right eye, ultimately losing my vision in that eye. The third year was with a ride with the Asheville group down a dead end road and when pulling into a driveway to turn the bike around, I put the side stand down while on a slight slope and did not realize I was in neutral and rolled forward and went down, again to the left. This last one was again at a convince store and while pulling out up a slight grade and stalled and tipped over to the right. In all cases, I know what caused these mishaps and it was simply a momentary loss of focus. I was just not paying good enough attention to what I was doing. I think this is what makes this so frustrating is all this was all completely preventable. OK, I'm through whining, even though I am still hurting on my right side a lot more than I thought I would be two and a half weeks after the fall. I just wanted to remind others how quickly a loss of focus, even for just a few seconds, can have such an impact. If any of you want to share your loss of focus events, please do so. RandyA

Hi everyone, its me, Linda. All is well and I know it's all your thoughts, prayers and well wishes that have made everything go so well. I'm feeling great, up and going and cooking burgers for supper, made from turkey. I'll have to see how that goes with Randy. He has been wonderful, but housework is not really his thing, but not really mine either. I'm more into playing. I really believe we were all put on this earth to help everyone we can in any way we can and then enjoy our life while we can and that's what I do. The Drs. say if I take care of myself I can have 20/30 years more. As my grand kids said, "Wow granny, that's a long time". Hope they meant that in a good way, but I was afraid to ask. ha,ha. Thanks to all of you and hope to see you soon. You're all like a big wonderful family and I believe I'm blessed to have been allowed to be a part of you. I send each one of you my love and thanks. Linda

I personally suspect that it will not make any difference at all. It probably just looks worse than it is. I would put it back together and go on. RandyA

Yep, Eck is special alright. He can also be quite entertaining. RandyA

Wow, multiple broken ribs is not going to be fun. Are they all on the same side? It is bad to cough or sneeze, but the hiccups is what hurt me the most. I guess it is because I did not know when they were coming. As far as the knee and tail bone injuries, they will be painful for the ladies also. I remember seeing a wreak like this once. I was coming out of a park entrance and 1st motorcycle went by, evidently missing entrance and did a U-turn in front of 2nd bike and got T-boned. The guy on the 1st bike got a badly broken leg. I wish you all the best and hope everything turns OK. RandyA

Well, she's home laying here on the couch. She is doing pretty good to have a double bypass on Thursday and be home by Monday. When ever she wakes up, I want her to read all your comments as she knows what a great family this is. Again, thanks everyone for the prayers, comments and phone calls. RandyA

Wow, hate to hear this. We need to stop the end of the season crashes and tip overs. I hope you do ok with the rib and knee injuries. Them ribs can really hurt. RandyA

If everything goes as expected, I will be bringing her home this afternoon. So far, it has been easy on me other than uncomfortable hospital chairs, now, the work begins. We really do appreciate all the thoughts and prayers from everyone. RandyA

With the passenger in the SUV being 68 years old, I wonder if her husband was driving and had a medical condition. This could have been any of us, even if we had been in a cage. Those on the bikes were just trying to get in another fall ride. Sad day indeed. RandyA

Just want you to know that we are thinking about you and Patsy and hope and pray that she is getting ready to make the turn with the solution to her problem. RandyA

Does pulling a trailer void the warranty on a 2nd gen that is still under warranty? RandyA

Just left the hospital. Linda is doing good and has been moved from ICU back to a regular room. In fact, she walked from one to the other and in this hospital, that is a long walk. They have her sitting in a chair and she can not lay down in her bed except at night. She is still in good spirits but still sleepy with the meds and stuff. Again, we appreciate all the prayers and best wishes. RandyA

Got in a short visit. They had her sitting up in a chair and she has tubes running everywhere. Wonder if she could be synced with all those tubes? She was still pretty out of it and probably won't remember the visit, but each day should get better. Again, thanks everyone for your thoughts and prayers. Linda is a very special person and she has brought a lot of joy into our lives. RandyA`

Thanks everyone. As Woody noted. Linda had a double bypass and her doctor said she did very good. I got to see her, but she was still out and still had the breathing tube and everything. I will be going up later this evening to visit her, but won't be able to spend the night. RandyA

Thanks, she is currently in surgery. RandyA

Oct 16 (Reuters) - U.S. motorcycle maker Harley-Davidson Inc said on Wednesday it is voluntarily recalling more than 29,000 of its 2014 touring motorcycles because of a problem with their hydraulic clutch system. Recalled models include 25,185 touring motorcycles and 3,861 Custom Vehicle Operations and Trikes built between May 3 and Oct. 14, 2013. The recalls include a "Do Not Ride" notice to owners and a "Do Not Deliver" notice to Harley-Davidson dealers until the motorcycle is fixed. "Some of these motorcycles may exhibit a condition in which the hydraulic clutch system may lose the ability to generate enough lift to disengage the clutch," the Milwaukee-based company said in a statement. Harley-Davidson said it is proceeding with the recalls consistent with National Highway Transportation Safety Administration's process, though the U.S. government body is closed due to the partial government shutdown. Harley-Davidson said if the clutch does not disengage as intended, the rider may have difficulty slowing or stopping the motorcycle, which could result in an accident. "The repairs have been identified and should take less than one hour." Harley-Davidson recalled more than 300,000 motorcycles worldwide in 2011 due to problems with the rear brake light switch. Harley-Davidson said in July that it expects to ship 259,000 to 264,000 motorcycles to dealers worldwide in 2013, up from 247,625 in 2012.

I got a 4 brush from Pinwall for about $50 or less a year or so ago on ebay and it looked like new. I was the only bidder. RandyA

Man, I could have went all day without seeing that. Ouch. RandyA

As of right now, she is scheduled for surgery at 9am in the morning. This is going to be a tough one as the surgeon is concerned about the size of her arteries and especially the connection points. She is in real good spirits and is looking forward to getting this step over with. She and I both appreciate the thoughts and prayers that have been expressed by this family. I will give more updates as they are available. Randy & Linda