BigLenny

I'm an all kind of brands and styles of bikes lover too. I can get just as jazzed up about a feet forward cruiser/tourer, as I can about a crotch rocket, as I can about an adventure bike, as I can about a sport tourer, as I can about scooter, as I can about a trike, etc...... Staying with one brand or style of bike forever equates to complete boredom to me. But that's just me. I like variety in my life. I could get diagnosed with ADD. LOL. And, I have never understood the immature folks who act like their brand or style of bike is superior to others. Appears they never made it out that high school clique mode. In the end, it ain't gonna mean a d*** thing whenever we're all 6 feet under. But, that's just me.

Okay, I've read some great info from you folks about how you deal with the side loaders, especially as it pertains to the end of the day and carrying the stuff in the bag to your hotel rooms and such. However, are my wife and I unique that we sometimes have the need to pop the lid open and take out or put something back in the bag at, let's say, a stop sign or redlight? It's times like that where I could see a side loader being frustrating to deal with.

Don, Your're right! I highly respect what they have done, and continue to do with their brand. Heck, I don't ride a Harley, but my main riding boots, and my favorite riding gloves are Harley brand. I've even had a pair of regular prescription eye glasses that were Harley Davidson brand.

Puc, That reminds me. In September of 2012, my beautiful wife Teresa and I did a two week bike trip out west covering AR, OK, TX, NM, CO, UT, and AZ. On the next to last day of the trip, we left Sedona and rode north to Flagstaff, then east for the long ride on I-40 back to Little Rock. About mid-day we rolled into Gallup, NM to a Love's Truck Stop for some fuel and a short break. While my wife ran to the ladies room, I filled ole red up with fuel and then puttered over to the front of the store to park. I pulled up beside a yellow Honda 250 Helix. Kind of a funny looking little machine. Couldn't really ever seeing one before. Shortly, an older fella came waddling out to the Helix. He complemented my bike, then I, thinking that since it was such a small little machine it was probably a local get around ride, asked him if he was from Gallup and out for a casual Saturday ride? He shocked me when he answered "nope, I'm from San Diego, and I'm headed east to a scooter rally". I asked him where the rally was. He said Eureka Springs, Arkansas. I about passed out laughing! We're talking about roughly 1600 miles from San Diego to Eureka one way. Then what totally floored me was; he informed me he was 83 years old! Here's a dude 83 years old, riding a 250 scooter 3200 miles round trip across America to attend a rally. I told him in our two weeks of riding, we had seen some of Americas most beautiful sights, but getting to see him at his age riding that Helix across country was by far one of my favorite sites of the trip. I still get a big ole goofy grin when I think about it. LOL.

That brings up a good point Yammer, If the side loader bags are removable so you can then lay them on their sides to open them, or cram them full, well, that would certainly help. But, it doesn't solve the issue of getting in them quickly while on the road, or at a quick stop. Hmmmm....

There are a number of nice touring bikes to consider if I'm going to replace my RSTD, but one thing that kinda makes me go hmmm is; side load saddlebags. Of course the RSTD has top load bags, and that's what my wife and I are used to, but I have a real concern of whether we would like dealing with side loaders. Often times when we're riding I'll need to stop and grab something out of a saddlebag, and it is so simple with popping open a top lid and grabbing something. As a matter of fact, my wife has been known to open a bag while we're in motion to grab something, or put something in the bag. It appears to us if we bought a bike with side loaders, the simpleness of getting in and out of the bags would go away. How do you folks that have side loading saddlebags deal with what I just described? Or maybe you don't really know the difference because thats what you're used to. Just wondering, because there are some mighty nice touring bikes with side loaders (Goldwing, BMW K1600GTL, BMW R1200RT, Victory Vision, etc.).

Im like you DJ, The Vision was a really nice ride experience for me too, but I just don't get why they haven't addressed the undersized saddlebags. They look massive from the outside, but hugely disappoint when you open them.

Im a Victory fan. I think they're cool looking bikes that gives buyers a more progressive look while still maintaining their love of V-twins. Not everybody wants to ride a V-Twin tourer that has the styling ques from 40 years ago. However, I feel like they need to get busy with some upgrades. Harley, has upped their game considerably in the technology and design area. Victory's Vision, and Cross Country Tour bikes are getting a little long in the tooth. The Vision has seen no technology or design change since it was introduced, except for anti-lock brakes. I was in a Harley dealership last week, and what they're offering on their bikes right now is pretty dang impressive.

I received an email from Victory this morning with this link advertising a new motor concept they are going to be announcing. Another indicator Victory will be moving to water cooled engines in the near future. http://www.victorymotorcycles.com/en-us/ignition?utm_campaign=vic_2015_campaign_US&utm_source=vic_et_em&utm_medium=email

Deer Season. Brace yourselves. The next few weeks there will be an absolute butt ton of Facebook and other social media site photos of otherwise normal men, women, and children posing with large dead animals.

Dale, That's awesome! So glad you got to experience that trip. Thanks for sharing the pics. BL

Here's an extremely important point that hasn't been mentioned yet: When you get off your bike and walk away from it, if you don't have an overwhelming feeling to glance back at it with total adoration, then you bought the wrong bike. That sucker has to look cool to you no matter what kind of mods and tweeks you've had to do to it make it ride right.

I agree with you on the Yamaha assessment. It's quite ridiculous how disinterested they are in supporting the touring world. I understand your attraction to the CVO or Ultra bike. Harley makes some really cool stuff. They are who they are because they do a world class job of listening to their customer base. Even though Harley has maintained an older style look, the bike is deceivingly high tech. And all the changes they made for the Rushmore editions were spot on improvements.

Congrats Eagleye! You did good! Thanks Cowpuc for the vid.

Rick, I totally get ya Bro. I like an ole boy that has a little Jerk tendency in him every now and again. Flavors the conversation up. I won't be disappointed on Christmas day because If they do come out with one, I'll hafta go get the dang thing myself. LOL Sure won't get it as a gift. I certainly don't expect them to, and my hopes are not even close to being up for it. But, if it happens, I'm gonna give you the biggest "I TOLD YOU SO" you ever got. LOL!!!!

Well, there ya go. I didn't know that. I was thinking HD because thats what I bought for my HD TV.

Wow Rick! Don't sugar coat it. Tell us how you really feel! Lol. Man, now I feel like such a fool to have hope in my heart. What was I ever thinking. Thanks so much for reaching deep down in that caring heart of yours and snapping me back into reality. I will now go back to my old normal world of "no hope for Yamaha".

Not so fast folks. As I stated in a thread back the last week of September, the corporate Yamaha folks at Bikes Blues and BBQ told me Yamaha is going to have announcements for 2016 products in October, November and December. Well, they added products the first week of October, then added some more last week. Now, looking at their website, they are still showing the 2015 FJR, not a 2016 model yet. So, does that mean they will announce their 2016 touring models in December? Who knows. Remember, the V Stars are considered cruisers, not tourers like the Venture, and Yammy shows the 2016 VStars on their site. Maybe, just maybe, Yamster will announce their touring models in December which will include a 2016 FJR sport tourer, aaaaannnnnddddd, a brand new 2016 Venture tourer. As as we all know, it's highly unlikely, but we can all hope, huh?

Yes, both Dish and Direct TV will experience outages when the weather gets severe and a heavy rain, but there is a solution for when that happens. Get yourself an HD free tv antenna and hook it up to your tv. When your satellite signal goes out, switch the input over to the free tv antenna and watch anything on the major channels. Simple.

Take a good hard look at a Yamaha Supre Tenere. Same class as a Versys, but with shaft drive and cruise control. Awesome bike!

Fixed that for ya.

Ed, We're ideally gonna find a place in New Mexico to park the truck and trailer. Don't want to trailer any farther than that. Just trying to get the flatlands of OK, and Texas behind us before we get on the bike. Thanks for the offer though. I'll be hollering at you as we make our way through Cally. Maybe meet up with you if you have time. BL

KIC, Thanks for the offer. I'm thinking we will hang close to I-40 heading west, but if I make a change to that plan, I'll certainly take you up on it.

Remodel the master bathroom. Nuff said.

And that Ladies and Gentlemen, is a mic drop moment. Very well said Great White! Now, drop the mic and walk off the stage.