Bummer

This won't be of much help directly. I've had a couple of sets of E3s that did very well. I preferred the Avon Venoms for handling, but at that time they suffered sidewall cracking, so I changed to the Dunlops. Right now I'm waiting on delivery of a set of E4s. I'm really counting on reputation combined with past experience with the E3s.

A few years back several of us here had sidewall cracking issues with Avon Venoms. The tires felt great in the twisties but they just didn't last. I've run Elites ever since. Haven't had a problem with them, yet (knock, knock, knock). Decent mileage, though they don't feel as nimble in the twisties. That being said, I recently bought an 05 Warrior from my Sister. I'm getting ready to put Avons on it. The Warrior crowd love 'em, so I'm going to take a chance.

Irene and I would like to send our heartfelt thanks to Don and Eileen for another wonderful weekend! As always it was a fantastic opportunity to catch up with old friends and make new ones. Nothing I can say will adequately express the depth of our gratitude.

Irene and I are working to get the details ironed out - weekend off (shouldn't be a problem), lodging and so forth. We plan to attend, but are reluctant to commit on the calendar until we actually know. For now we're a maybe, but with our fingers crossed.

I can't count the number of times I've seen you tell someone that machines can be fixed. It's still very true, though it doesn't always help when it's a favored toy that's broken. Irene and I are relieved that it was no worse, and that you guys weren't hurt. Hugs all around.

I understood, but thought the list could stand to have that addition. I noticed that their map has Dead Indian Pass pinned. By the way, thanks for posting that link. It's always nice to have a to-do list.

Wyoming deserves another one: Chief Joseph Scenic Byway - WY 296 - 8,061'. It goes from the Beartooth Highway just east of Yellowstone, over Dead Indian Pass, past Dead Indian Hill, and ends just north of Cody. Careful of the tar snakes. Not as dramatic as the Beartooth, but still beautiful and fun to ride. Combining the Chief Joseph with the Beartooth is hands down the best way to get from Red Lodge, Montana to Cody, Wyoming.

Yarmouth - Stanley Lobster - ultra yum. Nova Scotia is such a beautiful place. Very different from the Rockies Irene and I usually visit. We hope to get back there again. Preferably soon. Enjoy your trip, and be safe. (Here's a pic Irene took from our trip to Nova Scotia.)

I think a flow control valve is a less good idea than less grippy pads. Consider: the flow control valve is like an adjustable hole added to the brake line. That hole always restricts flow, even when you're only mashing the pedal a little bit. That will slow the onset of braking without actually preventing over braking. Sooner or later the fluid will get through the hole if you keep mashing on the pedal. By comparison the less grippy pads without the restriction will activate immediately during moderate braking without overdoing it later on. I have Blue Dots on the front with stainless lines and the V-Max splitter. In fact I have two sets of Blue Dots. One set for on the bike, and one as backup, because everything needs rebuilt eventually, and it's just not a good idea to let the ship sink while you rebuild the thing that will save you. I haven't added the kevlar pads, but I will.

Don't beat yourself up too much. It's all about conditioning. The Second Gen doesn't have the 60/40 split of the First gen. After all these miles, you are conditioned to the split braking system of the First Gen. Who wouldn't be? The Second Gen will lock up the rear with the foot brake in a heart beat, which will almost guarantee a high side pogo. You can really give the front brakes a lot before they'll lock up. I went from a First to a Second and I had to practice panic stops a lot because of the difference. I mean a lot. Once I got used to the difference I went to blue-dots on the front to get even more front brake. Today I use the rear brake primarily for turning control, and the fronts almost exclusively for panic stops. Even old salts need practice with new (to them/us) machines.

I certainly do. I suck at that sort of thing. You know, go to an event. Meet or re-meet a hundred people. Fifteen minutes later, who was who? I can't thank you enough for doing this, even if making life a bit easier for me wasn't the original goal. And Yammer, get better soon buddy. Cracked ribs hurt (though I refuse to admit why I know). The sooner that's over the better. Dear Warden, please forgive the familiarity, but I need to point out (and you may already be well aware) that there comes a time in life when guys have to do stuff that perhaps the more prudent (our wives?) wouldn't. It helps us not look too far ahead.

You do indeed. Thanks for fixing it. By the way, I would certainly hope that nobody would take technological difficulties as a personal slight. You've done a wonderful thing with this. All of us can benefit from going through the messages to link faces with names.

Hey puc, check the permissions on GaryN's video, please. It tells me it's private.

I sure do. Now you've got me thinking "I wonder what happened to..." I kind of feel bad for not knowing.

Irene and I are big on full gear - Kevlar lined jeans, steel toe boots, bucket, gloves. (Which has a lot to do with why we ride less and travel in the Z Roadster more these days.) Rather than a riding jacket in the summer we wear kevlar mesh shirts from the Draggin' Jeans company. The mesh isn't very large, but you can still get a sun tan/burn through it. We wear a standard t-shirt under the kevlar shirt. At each rest area, and pretty much any other stop, we get a bottle of tap water (not chilled water ) and pour it on to soak the shirts. One bottle each. We get on the bike and ride to the next rest area/stop and do it again. By the time we get to the next rest area the shirts are getting dry, but it's like riding in air conditioning. The shirts aren't really cool in the fashion sense (natural kevlar kind of gold color - long sleeves with velcro at the wrists), but they are highly abrasion resistant and very cool when wet and in motion. People look at us funny when we're pouring the water on, but it keeps us cool for fifty or sixty highway miles. Well worth it.