Owen

As a couple of you may know, I was laid off my job Christmas week 2009. I have tried everything I could think of to find a job with almost zero luck. I worked a few weeks on an assembly line putting together electronics items for military hummers. Very hard work... very low pay... I just could not find anyone who was willing to hire a 55yr old, over qualified, over experienced, over eager medical imaging engineer. So I decided to make a go of it on my own. The opportunities were good, but the bureaucracy was greater. How do you float a 4 million dollar liability bond when you are unemployed? You don't. So that cut my opportunities by 90%. Still I managed to find enough work to keep my head above water. I had secured a contract to work for a local small service company that has kept the lights on and food on the table. Today that contract turned into a full time job with the company! It is far from the six figures I was making but will certainly turn into an adequate salary. With this will come medical insurance and the ability to allow my Navigator to retire. Just like so many others, it has been a hard 10-12 months. Finally, some breathing room...

Don't feel bad. I had my bike for about 2 months before I found the outlet right next to your switch!

He should not mind that the color does not match... I've been told his socks never match either!

'Lean indicators' is a better use than 'Curb feelers' !

:rotf: :rasberry:

I like the KISS principle. Works for me!

So critique the class. Did you enjoy it. Was it worth it? Did you drop Roxie?

I own and practice Ride Like A Pro CD. However I have always wanted to take this course and I am registering for the Oct. 23rd class. It is in Surgarland, Tx. Any one care to join me? Here is the link...

Another method, which I use, is to export your songs from iTunes in 'mp3' format. Save them in a file you can find, then import/copy them into the other device. This is how I put tunes from itunes on an sd card for my zumo 550...

Edsets... here are some Another option...

Yes. I use the same program with my iPhone and iPad. 'print n share'. There is also 'air print'. There are others... I have an older macbook that fits nicely in my travel pack on the bike. The battery lasts about 5-6 hours if you are not watching videos.

I left Houston on Sept. 1 heading for the internationally renowned, often imitated but never duplicated, Pork In The Pines event in Laporte, Mn. I was loaded down pretty heavily since this was to be about a 3 week solo run. http://i521.photobucket.com/albums/w337/Owen064/2010%20PIP%20solo%20run/IMG_1206.jpg The rain and wind started at about the Ok.-Tx. boarder. It was pretty rough for the next 300 miles or so. Kudos to me for deciding to take two helmets. The Exo 900 with full face shield made a huge difference in ride-ability in this stuff. Also having shortened the windshield just enough to see over it had made a great improvement in visibility. This was the first hard rain I had experienced with the new E3 tires. They performed well. I now have every bit as much confidence in them as the Avon Venoms in the wet stuff. The foul weather slowed my progress some and I only made about 650 miles the first day. Day two started with better weather. I hit the road hoping for a longer run. As it turned out, I had good weather, except for strong winds, until I turned east out of South Dakota heading for Minneapolis, Mn. I was dodging heavy thunderstorms and winds all the way into the city. The news was later proclaiming the wind, hail and tornado damage near by. Gee, just like back home! Nearly 900 miles that day rolled under the wheels and I was pleased with the performance and comfort of my ’08 Low Rider. I was also exhausted! Over night a cold front blew through and the morning brought temps in the upper 40’s and a misty rain. Wow, wish I had brought my leathers. I stopped in St. Cloud for my morning coffee at McDonalds, This provided my first clue that I was not in Texas anymore. First thing I noticed when I walk in was a table surrounded by 4-5 old codgers drinking coffee and playing Cribbage! Seems they stake claim to this particular table for their morning meet-n-greet every day. I had not seen anyone playing cribbage since I left New England in the ‘80s. The second clue was the strange accent the lady taking my order had. Yeeaaaa... My third clue was not finding any sugar, creamer or stirring spoons for my coffee. It was not so politely explained to me that I had not ordered my coffee with sugar and cream and that if I really wanted some she would pour out my coffee and start over. The remaining run into Laport was pretty cold for me. I stopped often just to thaw out some. I finally arrived just after lunch. http://i521.photobucket.com/albums/w337/Owen064/2010%20PIP%20solo%20run/HPIM2142.jpg The next morning was the day of the ‘Big Pig Event’. I was up early and headed over to the other side of Laporte to meet up with the guys/gals. I must say they were not as lively and upbeat as I had expected. Seems there was a bit of partying the night before and, well, lets just say there was some true suffering going on... http://i521.photobucket.com/albums/w337/Owen064/2010%20PIP%20solo%20run/IMG_1170.jpg What a great bunch of folks I met! Even if they all talked funny, they welcomed this Texas boy into the fold. The first thing I notice was the wide selection of bikes, trailers, and campers. There was a little of every make and model there. http://i521.photobucket.com/albums/w337/Owen064/2010%20PIP%20solo%20run/IMG_1166.jpg http://i521.photobucket.com/albums/w337/Owen064/2010%20PIP%20solo%20run/IMG_1173.jpg http://i521.photobucket.com/albums/w337/Owen064/2010%20PIP%20solo%20run/IMG_1177.jpg http://i521.photobucket.com/albums/w337/Owen064/2010%20PIP%20solo%20run/IMG_1172.jpg http://i521.photobucket.com/albums/w337/Owen064/2010%20PIP%20solo%20run/IMG_1180.jpg I walked into the food prep area and there he was, in all his naked glory... the Pig of Honor. He was gettin’ the treatment! The pit was heatin’ up and his time was nigh. It was decided that while the hard working cooks were doing all their chores, the rest of us ‘do nothings’ would take a cruise around the scenic area. It was a great ride. I loved the hills and curves. http://i521.photobucket.com/albums/w337/Owen064/2010%20PIP%20solo%20run/IMG_1169.jpg When we got back, the pig was roastin’ and the side dishes where being prepared. What a feed they put on! It was great! Of course I ate too much as always. http://i521.photobucket.com/albums/w337/Owen064/2010%20PIP%20solo%20run/IMG_1181.jpg http://i521.photobucket.com/albums/w337/Owen064/2010%20PIP%20solo%20run/IMG_1183.jpg http://i521.photobucket.com/albums/w337/Owen064/2010%20PIP%20solo%20run/IMG_1185.jpg http://i521.photobucket.com/albums/w337/Owen064/2010%20PIP%20solo%20run/IMG_1187.jpg It was great to meet so many of our Yankee members and make new friends! I hope to be invited back for next year. I spent the next few days with my sister in Laport. We had a very nice visit. It had been more than three years since I had seen her. I was watching the weather closely because of the fronts coming across from the west. I needed to be in Aurora, Oh. on Sunday in preparation for a one week class I had to attend. I decided to leave one day early and chase the sunshine from Minnesota to Ohio. I also decide a northerly route would provide the best chances for clear weather. My route took me across northern Wisconsin and Michigan. The ride along the southern border of Lake Superior was spectacular. http://i521.photobucket.com/albums/w337/Owen064/2010%20PIP%20solo%20run/IMG_1200.jpg Great scenery, good roads and quaint towns. I had extra time and took advantage of it, exploring the area thoroughly. The Mackinaw Bridge that connects the straits between Lake Michigan and Lake Huron was very impressive. http://i521.photobucket.com/albums/w337/Owen064/2010%20PIP%20solo%20run/IMG_1208.jpg As it turned out, I was able to visit 4 of the 5 Great Lakes. I only missed Lake Ontario because it was just a bit farther than I had time to manage. http://i521.photobucket.com/albums/w337/Owen064/2010%20PIP%20solo%20run/IMG_1202.jpg http://i521.photobucket.com/albums/w337/Owen064/2010%20PIP%20solo%20run/IMG_1206.jpg http://i521.photobucket.com/albums/w337/Owen064/2010%20PIP%20solo%20run/IMG_1213.jpg The training class I attended ended on Thursday and I was packed and on my way back to Houston on Friday morning. When I left it was about 50 degrees and misting rain. I ran out of the rain by the time I passed Columbus, Oh. That was the last of the rain for the remainder of the trip. The further south I went, the warmer it got, the more clothes I took off. I figured I would be naked by the time I reached Mississippi, but fortunately that did not happen. Somewhere on I-40 near Memphis, Tn., an ’06 Harley roared up beside me. He gave me one of those hard looks that don’t sit too well with me. Needless to say, Ed “Big Daddy” Roth would have been proud. There is a bit of Rat Fink in all of us, some more than others, and it was on. http://i521.photobucket.com/albums/w337/Owen064/2010%20PIP%20solo%20run/poster-65x825-rat-fink-biker.jpg I never looked at the speedo but we had a good run of it. He was more than impressed with the power of the venture. A few miles down the road I exited for fuel and a break. He followed me. At the stop sign at the end of the ramp he asked ‘Is that a Victory?’. No, better! Its a Yamaha! He followed me to the local stop-n-rob and we had a nice chat. He was a really nice guy and I enjoyed chatting with him a lot. He was very impressed with the Venture. I guess that little run on the freeway explains the GPS trip log, max speed of 104mph! Rat Fink! The rest of the trip was pleasant and uneventful. I had zero problems with the bike. The GPS trip log showed total miles of 4815. A few hundred were site seeing. The actual route was just over 4200 miles. I visited 4 of the Great Lakes and ran through parts of 19 states. http://i521.photobucket.com/albums/w337/Owen064/2010%20PIP%20solo%20run/CMCapture4.jpg The only down part to the whole trip was that it was a solo run without my navigator Margaret. Next run will not be solo!

So who has instructions on how to 'un-see' something?

Left home on 1 Sept. Got home today, 18 Sept. 4200+ miles. Great time, no mishaps. Full report with pictures tomorrow... I'm tired. As promised... see below.

Harley riders are nice folks... I've never had one turn down my offer of assistance on the side of the road.

Present and accounted for Sir! Still hanging out in Laporte, Mn visiting my sister. Leaving tomorrow for Aurora, Oh. Route should be north of Lake Mich. and south toward Toledo. I will be in a training class in Oh. for the week then head back to warmer weather in Houston.

I'm bettin' he will see this post in the morning and wonder what the H3!! he was thinking!!

FYI The bolt in my '08 is a 12mm x 1.25 pitch. I had the new one drilled as stated above and it was wrong. Luckily Ponch was able to weld it up and re-tap it...

Check your GPSs... Recall information.

Zoom Zoom New battery powered land speed record!

It is surprising how even a small piece of cut off windshield can amuse these guys. I counted at least 6 suggestions of how to use it to improve the looks of a 1st Gen. http://i521.photobucket.com/albums/w337/Owen064/SE%20TX%20MD%20July%202010/P8214328.jpg http://i521.photobucket.com/albums/w337/Owen064/SE%20TX%20MD%20July%202010/P8214331.jpg Changing the oil and filter on an 1100 classic is at least a 3 man job! http://i521.photobucket.com/albums/w337/Owen064/SE%20TX%20MD%20July%202010/P8214343.jpg http://i521.photobucket.com/albums/w337/Owen064/SE%20TX%20MD%20July%202010/P8214323.jpg http://i521.photobucket.com/albums/w337/Owen064/SE%20TX%20MD%20July%202010/P8214342.jpg http://i521.photobucket.com/albums/w337/Owen064/SE%20TX%20MD%20July%202010/IMG_0864.jpg Ponch's 2nd Gen gauges are a work of art. http://i521.photobucket.com/albums/w337/Owen064/SE%20TX%20MD%20July%202010/P8214341.jpg http://i521.photobucket.com/albums/w337/Owen064/SE%20TX%20MD%20July%202010/P8214339.jpg http://i521.photobucket.com/albums/w337/Owen064/SE%20TX%20MD%20July%202010/P8214338.jpg Ponch also has aspirations of being a dentist! http://i521.photobucket.com/albums/w337/Owen064/SE%20TX%20MD%20July%202010/P8214318.jpg http://i521.photobucket.com/albums/w337/Owen064/SE%20TX%20MD%20July%202010/P8214319.jpg Pretty often you could see that look of "I can't believe they just did that!!" http://i521.photobucket.com/albums/w337/Owen064/SE%20TX%20MD%20July%202010/P8214304.jpg http://i521.photobucket.com/albums/w337/Owen064/SE%20TX%20MD%20July%202010/P8214317.jpg There are sure a lot of trailers in this group. http://i521.photobucket.com/albums/w337/Owen064/SE%20TX%20MD%20July%202010/IMG_0846.jpg http://i521.photobucket.com/albums/w337/Owen064/SE%20TX%20MD%20July%202010/IMG_0844.jpg http://i521.photobucket.com/albums/w337/Owen064/SE%20TX%20MD%20July%202010/IMG_0851.jpg http://i521.photobucket.com/albums/w337/Owen064/SE%20TX%20MD%20July%202010/P8214243.jpg Most of the trailers are pulled by motorcycles... however there is this one that seems to always be carrying a 1st Gen and doubles as a tire changer mount. http://i521.photobucket.com/albums/w337/Owen064/SE%20TX%20MD%20July%202010/P8214234.jpg http://i521.photobucket.com/albums/w337/Owen064/SE%20TX%20MD%20July%202010/IMG_0845.jpg With enough epoxy, bondo, and fiberglass, you can fix just about anything! http://i521.photobucket.com/albums/w337/Owen064/SE%20TX%20MD%20July%202010/IMG_0853.jpg http://i521.photobucket.com/albums/w337/Owen064/SE%20TX%20MD%20July%202010/P8214266.jpg http://i521.photobucket.com/albums/w337/Owen064/SE%20TX%20MD%20July%202010/P8214265.jpg Sometimes you just gotta' suck it up and go for it! http://i521.photobucket.com/albums/w337/Owen064/SE%20TX%20MD%20July%202010/P8214253.jpg http://i521.photobucket.com/albums/w337/Owen064/SE%20TX%20MD%20July%202010/P8214251.jpg http://i521.photobucket.com/albums/w337/Owen064/SE%20TX%20MD%20July%202010/P8214252.jpg My puppies were not too sure about this crowd! http://i521.photobucket.com/albums/w337/Owen064/SE%20TX%20MD%20July%202010/P8214300.jpg http://i521.photobucket.com/albums/w337/Owen064/SE%20TX%20MD%20July%202010/P8214302.jpg The ladies enjoyed themselves also! http://i521.photobucket.com/albums/w337/Owen064/SE%20TX%20MD%20July%202010/IMG_0840.jpg http://i521.photobucket.com/albums/w337/Owen064/SE%20TX%20MD%20July%202010/P8214315.jpg http://i521.photobucket.com/albums/w337/Owen064/SE%20TX%20MD%20July%202010/P8214250.jpg I'm sure others have different observations to share...

No but... the first bite was dedicated to you!!

It was HOT! Boy what a great time we had! About 24 people and 15 bikes showed up to brave the Texas heat. Everyone piled in on the work and we got a LOT accomplished. There were bike parts and tools flying everywhere! At one point I counted 8 bikes torn apart and all sorts of repairs and mods in work. It was HOT! It was great to meet new friends and see the old ones. The last of the day left about 9pm. It was HOT! Sunday morning, after the hardware store opened, Thom and Mike got the last two bolts needed to get the MM back together and loaded up the trailer and headed south to Rockport. Thank you all for bringing so many things that are needed to make a MD get together a success. Margaret and I are looking forward to the next one! Did I mention, it was HOT! Lonna took some great photos with my camera and here they are... Also notice that Thom showed up with that First Gen on a trailer again!!! http://s521.photobucket.com/albums/w337/Owen064/SE%20TX%20MD%20July%202010/

Thom... with all the practice you've had trailering a bike... I would'a thought it would be no big deal!!!