bj66

I lost my dad in September, I think the empty place setting and candle is appropriate. I am glad I started this thread now, and thanks everyone for sharing your holiday customs.

Just curious to see if anyone has a different Christmas tradition. Our family always has oyster stew along with ham and all of the other fixings. It might be fun to see what other people have that isn't necessarily the norm......

As far as the v-twin vs. V-4, I prefer the v-twin. I bought a HD Roadglide and love the low end power. It might not be as fast as my rstd or accel as fast, but I don't care. If I am putting along and twist the throttle it just goes, love the low end torque. The HD's might not be your cup of tea, but I bet you will like a v-twin. I bought my RG in 2011and since I got it I have put less than 20 miles on my rstd. The only time I got on it this year was to move it around in the garage. My son rides it now. I just love the v-twin and how the RG handles. I would expect other v-twin brands would give me the same feelings.

I got mine on opening morning. He is a nice 12 pointer (we call it a 6 x 6). My son Collin got a very nice 5x5. My son Chris is having trouble getting his. He recently had knee surgery and was lucky enough to apply and get a temporary handicapped permit so he can shoot from a parked vehicle. It is a big help for him, but tradeoff is getting him close enough to deer. There is enough snow on ground to make it difficult to get out to the deer. All in all we've had a good year, and I've destroyed enough vehicles by hitting deer, that I don't feel sorry for them. Best part of the season is getting together with neighbors and processing them. Its not the hunt, its what comes after that you remember most. Just the other day we were processing a couple of deer with neighbors, and my daughter who is now 12 decides its time for her to help. She wants to hunt next year, and is now starting to get involved. So we will get her started in all the safety courses. I was talking to one of my friends and he commented on what good boys I have (they are now 22, and 19), we sat back and watched the boys try and help their little sister cutting up her first deer. It made me proud, and to think each season was like the little corner where you used to have your kids stand so you could mark the wall to record how much they have grown. My boys have grown so much, this year I finally realized that they aren't boys anymore, they are fine young men. The hunting is secondary......

Eagles follow the goose migration through our area. It is something to see when the eagles "buzz" the geese when they are sitting on the water in the local refuge. Sometimes upwards of 50,000 or more geese will get up off the water leaving the weak/tired ones as prey for the eagles. Easy pickings for the eagles, and fun to watch all the geese get up all at once. I've seen flocks of geese get up that take up at least a 1/2 mile of water, and that's a lot more than 50,000. You feel bad for the ones that the eagles get, but that's mother nature at work I guess.

I use the Rotella T in my rstd as well. I am a farmer and have it around. I use it in my semi and 4 wheel drive tractor as well. Oil change interval on tractor in manual says every 250 hours which to me seems to be insane. I am a believer in Rotella T, I have a lot of dollars trusted to it, and in the bike is the least of my worries.

I just went through this in September. It is a tough time that's for sure, but remember that there is strength in numbers. Especially when its family. Seven kids all there together is a great thing and a great tribute to your father in itself. Each one will have a different memory to talk about, and it will trigger more memories. Some of which you hadn't thought of in years. It puts you on the fast track to heal emotionally. Obviously this hurts a lot, but the family and memories will take away some of the sting. There are 5 kids in my family, and I couldn't imagine trying to go it alone. I'll be thinking of you and your family....Bernie

Looked it up. 63 HP at drawbar and 70 HP at belt. Propane would give a little more I would guess.

I had to pull in the 10000 pound class because of the rear tire size. I had to add a lot of weight as you can see. If I remember right it is about 60 HP give or take a few HP....... I think with the right tire size, I could've got down at least to the 7500# class, maybe even 6500.....it was fun to do, but a lot of work. Its been 3 years since I've pulled it. It needs to have the regulator for the propane replaced. The diaphragms are shot, and they quit making the regulator in 1968. If you replace regulator, you need to replace mixer (carb). Not overly expensive, but it runs good, just doesn't make full power. I will keep it origional for now.

1956 Minneapolis Moline model GB propane. Used to do stock class antique tractor pulls with it. Still have it sitting in shed.....

Look on any one of the photographer websites that took pictures out at Sturgis this year. I am on several of them, the trick is finding which one is me........

Sorry its late when I get home. Doing the harvest thing, so I have to chat with myself in the combine.....😠

When my brother and I used to argue (we are both stubborn), he used to say "Someday you will learn, that even when I'm wrong, I am right!".......

Tried to get on from the waiting room in hospital. For some reason I couldn't get on. Would've been a welcome break.

Sorry I missed.. My dad took a turn for the worse today, and is in the hospital. I just got home and am going back early in a.m. I hope he can overcome this but its not looking good. Positive thoughts are encouraged, he's gonna need all the help he can get.......

A friend of mine lost his brother last night in Sioux Falls SD. An empty school bus attempted to turn into a city park, and turned right in front of him. News photos appear to be basically head on. Rider was killed, and his wife is on life support. I never got to meet Tom, but if he is like his brother, this world lost another good one.....Be SAFE people!

I have a bell as well as another good luck charm. A buddy gave me a plaid piece of cloth and we tied it to my luggage rack. I asked him what it was all about, and he look at me and said Dead Men Dont Wear Plaid......So I have my plaid and I'm not taking it off just in case.

Would've been fun.....had company unti 10:30 cst. Past your bed time.......

I was there........twice

Come on up! Maybe you can invest in some property where Puc camps during Sturgis......you could start a campground and call it "The Puc Stops Here"

Jeez Puc, at least you have a bike where you can swap out the fake gun for a real one. You should try that once on the old HD and see how long it takes someone to notice......

Your right Puc. I had my first bike when I was 8 years old. A Kawasaki enduro 90cc. Then a bigger framed 100cc Yammy enduro. After that it was a Honda 185 3-wheeler. Then I made the jump to street bikes in high school. The 4 wheeler I have is a 2001 Polaris 325 2wd 4 wheeler, not fast at all. Got that when kids were small and let them ride on it around the yard. With my fat butt on it,its barely fast enough to get out of its own way. So about 3 or 4 years ago I bought a Kawasaki Teryx side by side to replace the 4 wheeler I caught on fire. I use it around the farm and the boys like to bomb around with it when I take the yard sprayer off the back. I start thinking how many bikes are around here and it is nuts. And to think several of them have to ride gravel to even get to a highway in the first place. It took me about 30 seconds to come up with 25 or so bikes in my immediate area and all but 1 have to contend with some sort of gravel before we get to a highway. Your right though, we love our toys!!!!!

One thing to think about for South Dakota and other more rural states. We get our kids to ride at a young age, meaning multiple motorcycles per houehold. I have 3 in my garage, also have a side by side atv and a 4 wheeler. The side by side and 4 wheeler are licensed though I do that for insurance purposes. If something happens while I am riding them off of my property, insurance will pay just like auto insurance. I started a fire with a 4 wheeler about 5 years ago in some cattails by a river. 6 rural fire departments showed up to help control it. The bill from the fire was over 6500$. My insurance covered it and life was good. If I wouldve had them insured through my farm policy, it wasnt on my ground and I wouldnt have been covered. Im glad I didnt get that bill......So I contibute 5 of those vehicles myself in one household. The joys of having two sons. Also, I dont ride the ATV's on the highway much, but I do use them ice fishing. Its nice to have them licensed when bombing around on the frozen lakes. Not sure it is necessary though. I just got to thinking 4 farms 6 miles apart (mine included), 13 motorcycles total---- 2 goldwings, 2 yamahas, 9 HD's. So I would say the motorcycles are still a very big percentage. Yes there are ATV's but when you talk rural country roads with less traffic, you will see more bikes out riding.

I saw them in Sturgis as well. First impression was that they are almost as big as a car. I was thinking to myself that a 5.0 liter Mustang would be fun to drive too, and the trunk on a Mustang would hold a few clothes. I would look seriously at a convertible, because it felt like it was a 3 wheeled car to me. Both of my boys said that they could see themselves having one though.

I tried looking for ths thread on my phone about tuesdayish (nice word), and I didnt find it. Wanted to see for sure if we were getting together. Im sure the info was there, but I just missed it. Sorry about that. Weds morning at that time my son Collin and I were going through the Badlands loop. Perfect weather for that, it was only 68 degrees instead of 100 or so.