BigLenny

Here are some pics of our Race Deck floor.

YESSSSSS!!!!! Thanks Brian! You Da Man!!!

Okay. Lets see if this works.....

Hey Folks, I have long wanted to post pics on the forum, however, I can't seem to find a way to upload them from the iPhoto Library that is on my iMac? When I click on Manage Attachments, then Choose File, all i have to choose from is the iPhoto Library file. I can't seem to find where on my iMac all of the photos would be listed individually so I can choose them. Does anyone know what I'm talking about/ Thanks, Lynn

I would highly consider laying down a floating specialized plastic floor made by Race Deck. I installed this product last year on my garage floor and I absolutely love it. It is super durable, easy to clean, and because you can create whatever design you want, it becomes something that visitors love to look at. Every time we have people over, they bragg about how awesome our garage floor looks. Racedeck.com.

Hey Puc, First of all, i gotta ask a question; Do you work nights, or is it you just cant sleep? Lol. My problem is i have a toothache and i cant sleep. Anywho, my wife and i have ridden almost 40k miles on our 2007 RSTD, and neither she nor i have had issues with engine heat, and down here in the south, we ride in some serious hot temperatures. We do not have lowers on our bike, so we get to experience the normal stock airflow that usually comes around the radiator cowling. Engine heat is a serious concern i have when i think about buying an air cooled bike. My wife is a little girl (5'3", 125lbs) and is quite sensitive to temperatures. I dont need her screamin about heat coming from the motor. Lol.

Hey Gang, Does anyone here live in or close to State College, Pa? I am looking at a red 2001 Venture on Cycle Trader, and it is at a place called Track N Trail. It doesn't have pictures on the website. Thought I might get an opinion of someone who lives there that could run by and take a gander at it.

Even though the owners manual says 36 in the front and 41 in the back, I always ran 48 in the back with the Metzler because the tire liked that psi.

Thanks for the input so far. The Pirellis were so much less than what I pay for the Metzlers, even if the rear only lasts 6-7K, it won't be an experiment that hurt the pocket book too much. I ran them at 36PSI in the front and 44PSI in the back. The stearing head response makes me worry a little.

Hey Folks, I have a question that maybe some could answer for me. Back in the last week of September, myself and a couple of my friends were going to ride about 3 hours away to attend Bikes Blues and BBQ. The weather for the first couple hours was predicted to be heavy rain, and then clearing. No big deal. The night before we left I was doing a final check of my bike and I noticed my rear tire was way thinner than I had thought, especially considering we were about to run in heavy rain at highway speeds. The next morning I checked with every dealer in town for a new set of Metzler ME880's like I usually run, or even a set of Elite 3's or something. Nobody had those in stock, or they were so backed up in service it was going to be the next day before they could install. So, I made the on the spot decision to have a reputable Suzuki dealer put a set of Pirelli MT66 Route tires on since they could install them right away. I rode the bike for 3 days on that trip and noticed the bike would wiggle when I crossed a seam in the freeway, and if i was at speed in a turn that maybe had some dips in it, the bike wiggles a little. That never happened with the Metzler tires i used before. The question I have is; does anyone know if this is characteristic of this tire, or do I maybe have something else that I might need to look for? My bike is a 2007 RSTD with 38K miles. My wife and I got the bike out yesterday and rode it for 150 miles. That was the first time we had ridden it in a couple months due to a serious surgery she had, and it was doing the wiggle thing. Wasn't dangerous feeling, just annoying.

We have two sets of Bluetooth units. We have a Scala Rider Q2 set, and a Sena SMH10 Dual set. The Sena is our favorite because the sound is considerably better than the Scala, also, they are easier to operate while wearing gloves. The Sena headsets connect to each other faster when you first turn them on. I keep the Scala's as a backup incase the Sena's ever crap out. Having said that, there is a product on the market called UCLEAR that grabs my interest because it is a boomless unit. The microphone is integrated into the ear speaker. Has anyone had any experience with this product?

That......was......awesome! Thanks Bob.

I have thought about replacing my grips with after market, but i always use the end weights as a place to rest my hand so the cruise can move the throttle back and forth. Am I thinking right there. Doesn't the the throttle grip move as the cruise adjusts?

FYI. Excerpt from Hyundai Motor News: Kia Motors is the sister company of Hyundai Motor Co. Hyundai owns a controlling 34 percent stake in Kia. Together, the two brands form the core of the automotive operations of the Hyundai Motor Group, which also includes auto parts companies, such as Hyundai Mobis, and logistics companies, such as Glovis; as well as Hyundai Steel and Hyundai Engineering & Construction. Hyundai and Kia vehicles share platforms, powertrains and R&D facilities, to lower costs. Also, a small amount of cross-production occurs between Hyundai and Kia factories. However, Hyundai and Kia are completely separate in terms of management, sales, marketing, advertising, target customers, media relations and design. The Hyundai and Kia design studios are securely separated from each other. Excerpt from CarScoops.com: Hyundai and Kia have a strange, symbiotic relationship. They share factories, parts as well as engineering knowhow and product testing duties. And yet they remain separate entities with their own marketing, distribution and styling departments. Michael Sprague, Kia’s VP for marketing and communication describes their relationships to the New York Times likes this: “Kia Motors America operates as a completely separate sales, marketing and distribution organization in the United States. [Hyundai and Kia share engineering efficiencies] similar in many ways to other global automakers.” Hyundai spokesman Jim Trainor echoes those comments:“[Hyundai treats Kia] just like any other competitor in the automotive space.” On the flipside of the equation, the final product decisions for both brands are made by a joint Hyundai-Kia board that meets regularly through the year. And some very similar products – such as the Hyundai Sante Fe and Kia Sorrento – are even produced in the exact same factories. Both carmakers are part of the family-owned Hyundai conglomerate in South Korea, one of the largest such commercial entities in the world. Despite numerous legal challenges from the state government and union, Hyundai / Kia have persevered to become the world’s fifth largest automaker.

Hi Mark, I'm glad you put that question out there. I am on the brink of pulling the trigger to purchase a 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe for my wife, and was thinking about asking the folks here about that. Kia and Hyundai are married companies that are making huge splashes in the automotive world providing what appears to be very good quality vehicles that are great looking and are covered with great warranties for super competitive prices. It's hard not to consider their products because they usually are equipped with quite a bit more content than other brands that cost more with less warranty. I have yet to find anybody that I've talked to that have told me they didn't get good service from their Kia or Hynudai. That Optima is a slick looking rig. I say you should go get it for your Honey. LOL.

I'm 50. The first time it happened to me was about 5 years ago. Can't remember exactly the details because that event has BY FAR been trumped by an age defining moment that happened last year. My wife and I were shopping in Walmart. We ran into my 70 year old mother and we all strolled together to the cashier. When we got to the checkout, the cashier said she thought my mom was my wife, and my wife was our daughter!!!!! I'm standing there pissed, but my mom was elated, and my wife was elated. When your are mistaken for your mothers husband and your wife's father. That'll make ya go home and look in the mirror. And my wife is 2 years older than me!!! LOL.

I've had my 2007 Venturette (RSTD) since June of 2008. Bought it as a brand new hold over. The Honey and I love it love it love it. Might just be the best $10,800.00 I've ever spent. Riding the bike together has done nothing short of enhanced our relationship with each other. There's just something special about saddling up together, her putting total trust in me and the machine, and bringing life down to just the road and the scenes. I've had serious notions to change to a Venture, but everytime we take a trip on Red (the RSTD), I always come back to the question, "why"? It has been a phenomenal bike that has never let us down, and it has become part of our family. Who knows. maybe some day.

Isn't the gas tank bigger on the RSV?

No. They were the 2013 998cc ones. That was one of the main reasons I didn't bite, because I'm 6'6" and 300 lbs, and even though my wife is only 5'2" and 130 lbs, I wasn't sure that it would hold up over time. They would be perfect for average sized folks though. They were beautiful. I might be taking a serious gander at the 1300's though.

Eck, That BMW is a sweet bike! Very high tech. My cousin and his wife have one and I have ridden it a few times. It is very comfortable and everything about it feels high end and precise when you're riding it. Super natural feeling on the interstate, but you can tell the bike really wants to attack curves too. It is very cool that when you get to your hotel/campsite you just unlatch the saddlebags and rear trunk and carry them in. I am very tempted with buyng the K1600GTL. The main thing that makes me hesitate is neutral sitting bikes aren't friendly to my knees which have had 6 surgeries on them. I really like feet forward bikes with nice highway pegs so i can stretch my legs if needed after a while on the road. BMW knows how to make motorbikes. They are on the leading edge for sure.

Bob, That is a very cool looking set up. And the reliability history of a GW is of course very solid. However, if you don't buy it, you should now that $32K for a Spyder is way high. I was at the local Can Am dealer here just last week and they have two different brand new Spyder RT Limited versions loaded to the gills with all the chrome and custom luggage on sale for $22,500.00. Just letting you know. But, judging by the excitement in your post, I bet by the time you see this, you will have already written a check for the GW. LOL. Congrats if you have.

You're right about the V-Strom. It is a phenomenal bike. I have two cousins who are brothers. They each own a V-Strom, one owns a 650, the other owns a 1000. Both bikes have been bullet proof for them, and their performance is at the top of the heap in their class. The cousin who owns the 650 has been from one end of this country to the other riding two up with him and his wife on long vacations, and the bike has never given them a bit of trouble. He just turned 100K on the miles. Last year he bought a BMW R1200RT for touring, but he still rides the V-Strom daily to work because he loves it so much. You're correct about it being the 09, 10, 11 European bike of the year, but did you know it was the 09 World Bike of the Year? The folks who own V-Stroms are very passionate about them. They have a website that is very robust and active. Certainly is a very viable option for a second run around bike. And if you get too bored with pavement, you can take it trail riding. LOL.

Mike, When you put it that way, it certainly appears Honda is on the leading edge, doesn't it?

Nemo, Go get it done. I've had two done, and it's a piece of cake. If you leave it the way it is, you will eventually lose the tooth. The next day after you have it done, you will giggle at yourself for ever worrying about it. They need to change the name of the procedure. ROOT CANAL sounds scary. It really isn't.