XV1100SE

Going across Ontario or keeping South of the border?

Nancy and I are in too !

I have my 2nd Gen tool kit but put together a bag of "real" tools that I always carry in addition to the ones that came with the bike. For the OEM tool kit... I can give you a list tomorrow unless someone beats me to it.

Week to go so thought I'd start planning for next Sunday. We will be leaving Kitchener in the morning and going to 403/Garden Ave. Next stop Casablanca rest area in Grimsby. From there ... Chaffee (or Fort Erie - 1hr from Grimsby..and then to Chaffee 1hr). Like to hear from others that want to ride together and what time you were planning on leaving. For us... (timing flexible).... Kitchener (leaving around 8am) to Brantford - 50 minutes (meet in Brantford at 9am, leave at 9:15-9:30) Brantford to Grimsby - 45 minutes (meet 10:15, leave at 10:45-11am) (Fort Erie - possible meet at noon, leave at 12:30) Grimsby to Chaffee - 2 hrs (plus time at the border) If we stop in Fort Erie puts us at Chaffee around 1:30. Straight thru from Grimsby around 1pm (plus border time). That gives us 4 possible meeting areas (including Kitchener and Fort Erie). Who wants to ride together and how is the timing I suggested ?

Due for my 31,000km oil change. I've been using Mobil 1 MX4T but at $18/litre... talking $72 just for oil ! Canadian Tire has Rotella T on sale for $32 (reg $43). Is this the one recommended as an alternative ? http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/browse/4/Auto/EngineOil/DieselOil/PRD~0287935P/Shell+Rotella+T+Synthetic+Diesel+Motor+Oil%2C+5W40.jsp?locale=en I don't have gear whine on my '09 and tempted at 1/2 the price to start using Rotella. Not trying to reopen an oil debate... but first off... is the oil in the link what Rotella users are using? For anyone that switched from Mobil 1 to Rotella do you think it was a positive or equal change? Canadian Tire has the FRAM oil filter... but I'll go with the OEM for filter.

Want to change front and rear pads. Will follow the above for the rear on my RSV. I've done a search but didn't find anything for fronts. Same process ?

The thing I don't understand, and probably one of the reasons I don't go... do the math : 10,000 bikes. Rider and maybe 1/2 with passenger is 15,0000. If 140,000 people went... where did the other 125,000 come from? If this is a biker event, then why do so many cage it? Weather was perfect, why would a biker take a car and not their bike? Why would someone without a bike go? Just to be part of the crowd and get a t-shirt ?

I don't go to Port Dover on Friday the 13th. For me... I'd rather be riding. But... estimates of over 140,000 people yesterday to a town of 6500. Over 10,000 bikes. http://www.delhinewsrecord.com/2012/07/13/huge-crowds-in-port-dover

I don't think the key is in the same place on all bikes. I think most have them around the same location as the RSV, but some have them on the left side of the bike too... possibly other places. In an emergency response, police, firemen, ambulance attendants, or good samaritans would always know where the kill switch is since it is standard on all bikes and in the same location. If you are hitting it while riding, pay attention to how you are hitting it and try to change your motion so you don't hit it any more.

Nancy's Father had his bypass this morning. Surgeon said it went well but theere is some tishue damage that he was concerned about. He needs to watch his diet, loose some weight, and get his blood pressure and diabetes ubder better control. He'll be at the Geeneral for 5 days. Thanks to all for the well wishes!

Glad you are okay.

Was a hell of a time to practice!

Sorry to hear of your loss. Thoughts are with your family. Don and Nancy

Thanks for the birthday wishes and comments. I know it was my mistake and as mentioned... will remember what I did wrong. Any time I have a close call or see something that I should have done differently I try to make a mental note. Mind you... it is still based on the situation. Recently I was at a traffic light turning left and because of the sun couldn't see the light. Oncoming traffic and so I was waiting for a break in traffic. Only when a car stopped did I realize the light had changed. Traffic was starting to come from my right when I finally made the turn. 10 minutes later... similar situation but I could see the light. It turned yellow... oncoming car went thru the red. Had I assumed that the car would stop... Had I looked at what had happened 10 minutes sooner and seen it as a similar situation and made my turn... I would have been nailed by the car. Learn from your mistakes (and other's) but every situation has some differences. Ride safe, be aware, and don't take chances or assume. Hope my tale keeps at least one other rider safe !

Glad you were there to help the biker.

Most of the time when you think "stupid idiot" it is usually directed at what someone in a cage did. Well, in this instance... first thing I could think of after it happened was that I was the "stupid idiot". Hopefully someone else will learn from my near miss. Might be a good reminder "mid-riding season" to be carefull out there. So here is my story... Yesterday started out with me sleeping in (late night getting home after meeting other members) so I left work later than normal. Made for a long day at work. Considering it was my birthday I felt I deserved to sleep in that day. Started followed my normal route home. Roads from Cambridge (Toyota plant) offer limited routes to get to Kitchener/Waterloo and at 5pm my best option was to head South to the highway (401- runs East/South-West) and get off at the first exit to go North from there. Clear sky, dry pavement, nice and warm. For those that don't know the area, Sportsworld drive is 4 lanes (2 in each direction) and ends at King St which is also 4 lanes (again, 2 lanes each direction). So I'm cruising comfortably along Sportsworld heading West to get to King St. Bit of traffic, a few bikes headed the same way. I'm in the left lane approaching the turn lane on Sportsworld to turn onto King. Probably 8 vehicles in front of me before the light which is red. One of the bikes passes me in the right lane and then cuts left to wedge themselves into the turn lane, they become 3rd from the light. I'm thinking that guy is inconsiderate. Advance turn signal... I'm the last one thru before the advance signal ends. Car in front of me and I change lanes to the right lane on King. The other biker and cars ahead are pulling away (going faster) from us. Since the car in front of me is going at a reasonable pace and I didn't have to rush anywhere, I stayed behind the car. No traffic directly behind us, left lane clear beside the car in front and I. I'm 3 or 4 car lengths behind the car in front, riding in the right lane in the left track. Sounds good so far doesn't it? I tend to be aware of my surroundings, knowing what's ahead and behind and anticipating. Normally approaching traffic lights I'll check the cross-walk signal to see if the light is changing. This time, I'm looking to see where the bike ahead is as we are approaching a set of traffic lights (Tu Lane Road - T intersection with my route going straight thru). Maybe a group mentality wondering if bike ahead is going to get on the highway and if I'll catch up. Not sure whether my vision caught brake lights on the car ahead of me, or if it was the sound of his screeching tires as he hit the brakes hard that diverted my attention back to where it should have been. Light changed to amber and the car in front of me wasn't going thru the intersection. I apply front and rear brakes heavy, locking up the rear. The car in front of me is locked up and sliding the front end towards the right curb. Funny how things go into slow motion in a situation like this. I can smell burning rubber as tires slide on the pavement... not sure if it is from my rear tire or the car. I'm closing on the car thinking I'm going to hit the rear of his car and this is gonna hurt ! Avoidance move and stop beside him or hope for the best... but hoping for the best and I end up laying on his trunk or thru his back window. Thinking... its my birthday.... better to avoid than spend the rest of my day in a hospital. So... rear wheel locked up, heavy braking on the front (but not locked up)... need to turn a bit. Slight release of pressure on the rear to unlock it... as the wheel starts turning the rear end jerks left .... must have been sliding slightly sideways. Couldn't have been angled the other direction... had to swing the wrong way, lining me up with the centre of car in front of me. What started out as a slight veer turns into a large move required. Lighter pressure on the front brake.... don't want to lock it up trying to veer left and then find myself low siding under his bumper. Do a quick counter steer to the left... straighten the handle bars...more front brake... heavy on the rear... locking up the rear again. Best option.... come to a stop beside the car at least. I'm skidding... car in front comes to a full stop finally. Because he skidded to the right... his rear end is sticking out and he is taking the full lane. Gotta move more to the left to get around him... this is gonna be close! Lighter on the front and rear... counter steer to the left...I'm clearing his bumper but I'm not going to stop beside him... I'm going to be in the intersection. Why did the guy in front of me jam on his brakes? Oh sh!t... the light had changed... is it still yellow or is traffic from the side moving yet? Glance up.... light is red .... glance left and traffic just starting to move. Stop in the intersection or go thru ??? Release front and rear brakes... rear wasn't going straight so it jerks to the side.... this time giving me some help in clearing the car and heading the right way. Accelerate to clear the intersection before the cars turning are where I want to be. I don't know at what point I did it but somewhere between the moment I started reacting to the point where I had to accelerate I must have downshifted a gear. Engine smoothly accelerated and didn't bog down. I'm clear of the car, thru the intersection, and ahead of the cars that were turning. First thought... what a stupid idiot I was. Inattentive for a moment... I could have ended up in the hospital and totalling the bike. Second thought... wonder what the drivers of the cars turning thought when they saw what I had done. They must have been thinking either what an idiot I was or how skillfully I handled the bike. (to me it was pure luck !) Me... I still think I was an idiot for not paying attention to the light and anticipating it and that the car in front of me would stop. How I avoided ramming the rear end of the car ahead of me... clearing it by maybe a foot... I was lucky. I did what I had to ... but I shouldn't have gotten myself in that situation in the first place. Be carefull out there... mid-season and we start to get "lazy" in watching for hazards. The heat, the sun... easy to have distractions or day dream. Yesterday was a good reminder for me to stay attentive. I rode to work today... and thankful that I'm not in a hospital.

Nancy's Dad is still waiting for a bed to "open up" at the General but one way or another he will be there today, operation time tomorrow still to be determined. There will be 5 days of recovery but not sure if it will be in Hamilton or Hagersville. Will post when I know.

Second that.

You didn't see what I did just before you turned left and I turned right... I was in the left track with the construction cones down the middle of the lane, pavement grooved. I was in a normal left half of lane position for riding two up since the tires were handling the grooves without issue. All of a sudden the grooves swung me left and CLUNK !! Left highway peg clipped a cone (and these are the cones about 3' high!). We had ridden a couple miles/km on the grooves and the tires (E3's) were tracking without issue... until almost to the end of the construction zone. After I made the right turn I pulled over and the highway peg had swung back and in. It had pivoted on the engine guard so all I did was pull it back to where it was. No damage, nothing broken. NOTE to Self... construction with grooved pavement... leave more space between me and the cones or ride single file.

Want to thank : Carl and Marca (Marcarl) Wayne and Robin (Wizard765) Phil (Sleepy2 - didn't bring either "phantom wife" After visiting Nancy's Father (Ed Bothen) in Hagersville Hospital we met up at Hewitt's Dairy for ice cream and then back to Carl and Marca's for coffee and chit-chat. Appreciate the get together and support from VentureRider members ! Nancy's Father will be moved from Hagersville to the Hamilton General once they get a bed - either today or Thursday. Operation on Friday... couple days recovery at the General before he will be moved back to Hagersville Hospital. Nancy and I will be with her Mother (Joyce) at the General during the operation for support if she needs it.

Welcome to the site. Sounds like you already got your $12 worth !

Congratulations !!!

Good luck !!!!!!!

The operation is being done at the General. Will get more details on when and how long it is expected to take. Nancy isn't working and I'm taking the day off work to provide support to Nancy and her mother (just in case of complications). Nancy's father had a heart attack years ago and has been complaining of shortness of breath and tiring from short walks. He is in his early 70's so hopefully everything goes smoothly. Appreciate your prayers and best wishes ! Thank you.

Nancy's father is in Hagersville hospital waiting for a triple bypass. His operation is in Hamilton on Friday. We are going to visit him in Hagersville Tuesday evening. Anyone free to meet at Hewitt's Dairy just outside of Hagersville at 8pm ?