Panjandrum

Your bike is going to fit right in through Pumpkin season! Nice pics. You must have a new camera!

I have a 2008 Venture. It is super comfortable for both rider and passenger. I have a 32 inch in-seam, and leg position is excellent. Some put on highway pegs. I do not see the need. I have ridden two up (total 400+ lbs) plus full luggage, and the bike handles beautifully, pulling up even the steepest highway hills at 70+ mph in 5th gear. With stock pipes, it is certainly not loud. At highway speeds, I can still hear my tunes on the headset in my open-face helmet. I rode a Honda ST1100 before the Venture. The Venture is not quite as nimble through the twisties, but it's still fun, and can hold its own with anything in its class. The unit between the seat and the handlebars can make a big difference here. It is a large, heavy bike, so it takes PRACTICE to become adept at slow speeds in the parking lot and on those pesky U-turns. I love mine!

Now this looks EXCITING! [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cd6C1vIyQ3w&list=UU_LCo9Soo3jmcpD5WflCDNw&index=2&feature=plcp]Flyboard Family Official - YouTube[/ame]

Congratulations, Rick. I can see lot's of future bandwidth being occupied by your pictures!

Just trying to prevent our fellow riders from saying, "Hey, that's a great story! I must email it to all my friends," which they do, and those friends forward it to their friends! But you're right, Trader. It sucks to be me.

This is a great story, but is unfortunately an urban legend. Thank you, Snopes!

Man, it sucks to get old. I did laugh, but stayed dry!

I am up to showing an Albertan around the area too!

Up here, police will not come out unless there is injury to people or very serious property damage. No problem with the insurance claim on this one. The guy accepted responsibility in front of NUMEROUS witnesses. BTW, I selected the descriptive word "Numpty" rather than risk censorship for use of bad language.

So we stop for brunch in Hope, BC. This is a major cross-roads from the Vancouver Lower Mainland to the interior and all points north and east. It is a favourite stop for bikers, and there must have been forty bikes in the Home Restaurant parking lot. I was parked in a spot with three other bikes. While finishing the meal, one of the Coast Riders members who was outside rushed in and called to me. A Numpty in a truck had reversed into my bike. "I didn’t see the bike", he said. 40 bikes in the parking lot! Four bikes in the parking spot, and he hit the biggest! He didn't look! He must have walked past the bikes on his way to get into his truck. His tow bar engaged with the front fender, bending it onto the tire. He moved the bike back a foot (you could see the gouge in the pavement), and bent the kick stand, but the bike stayed up, and did not hit any of the others in the spot. We ended up removing the fender, and beat it into some sort of shape so that I could continue the ride. Thanks to another Biker in a truck who had the tools and experience to do that job! I am waiting to hear back from my insurance company, and get the bike FULLY checked out by the dealer... in case he bent something else. He did bend the wind deflector a bit, and scratched the right fork (quarter inch chip in the chrome. Looks minor, but I am concerned. The bike felt fine on the ride, but I am wondering whether there is anything else specific I should be looking for? Here's a [ame=http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=10150963511021784]video[/ame]!

I have a cassette player on my Venture. Does that count?

I love Top Gear! Jeremy Clarkson has some interesting ideas about motorcycling, though. Jeremy Clarkson Recently, various newspapers ran a photograph of me on a small motorcycle. They all pointed out that I hate motorbikes and that by riding one I had exposed myself as a hypocrite who should commit suicide immediately. Hmmm. Had I been photographed riding the local postmistress, then, yes, I’d have been shamed into making some kind of apology. But it was a motorcycle. And I don’t think it even remotely peculiar that a motoring journalist should ride such a thing. Not when there is a problem with the economy and many people are wondering if they should make a switch from four wheels to two. Unfortunately, you cannot make this switch on a whim, because this is Britain and there are rules. Which means that before climbing on board you must go to a car park, put on a high-visibility jacket and spend the morning driving round some cones while a man called Dave — all motorcycle instructors are called Dave — explains which lever does what. Afterwards, you will be taken on the road, where you will drive about for several hours in a state of abject fear and misery, and then you will go home and vow never to get on a motorcycle ever again. This is called compulsory basic training and it allows you to ride any bike up to 125cc. If you want to ride something bigger, you must take a proper test. But, of course, being human, you will not want a bigger bike, because then you will be killed immediately while wearing clothing from the Ann Summers “Dungeon” range. Right, first things first. The motorbike is not like a car. It will not stand up when left to its own devices. So, when you are not riding it, it must be leant against a wall or a fence. I’m told some bikes come with footstools which can be lowered to keep them upright. But then you have to lift the bike onto this footstool, and that’s like trying to lift up an American. Next: the controls. Unlike with a car, there seems to be no standardisation in the world of motorcycling. Some have gearlevers on the steering wheel. Some have them on the floor, which means you have to shift with your feet — how stupid is that? — and some are automatic. Then we get to the brakes. Because bikes are designed by bikers — and bikers, as we all know, are extremely dim — they haven’t worked out how the front and back brake can be applied at the same time. So, to stop the front wheel, you pull a lever on the steering wheel, and to stop the one at the back, you press on a lever with one of your feet. A word of warning, though. If you use only the front brake, you will fly over the steering wheel and be killed. If you try to use the back one, you will use the wrong foot and change into third gear instead of stopping. So you’ll hit the obstacle you were trying to avoid, and you’ll be killed. Then there is the steering. The steering wheel comes in the shape of what can only be described as handlebars, but if you turn them — even slightly — while riding along, you will fall off and be killed. What you have to do is lean into the corner, fix your gaze on the course you wish to follow, and then you will fall off and be killed. As far as the minor controls are concerned, well . . . you get a horn and lights and indicators, all of which are operated by various switches and buttons on the steering wheel, but if you look down to see which one does what, a truck will hit you and you will be killed. Oh, and for some extraordinary reason, the indicators do not self-cancel, which means you will drive with one of them on permanently, which will lead following traffic to think you are turning right. It will then undertake just as you turn left, and you will be killed. What I’m trying to say here is that, yes, bikes and cars are both forms of transport, but they have nothing in common. Imagining that you can ride a bike because you can drive a car is like imagining you can swallow-dive off a 90ft cliff because you can play table tennis. However, many people are making the switch because they imagine that having a small motorcycle will be cheap. It isn’t. Sure, the 125cc Vespa I tried can be bought for £3,499, but then you will need a helmet (£300), a jacket (£500), some Freddie Mercury trousers (£100), shoes (£130), a pair of Kevlar gloves (£90), a coffin (£1,000), a headstone (£750), a cremation (£380) and flowers in the church (£200). In other words, your small 125cc motorcycle, which has no boot, no electric windows, no stereo and no bloody heater even, will end up costing more than a Volkswagen Golf. That said, a bike is much cheaper to run than a car. In fact, it takes only half a litre of fuel to get from your house to the scene of your first fatal accident. Which means that the lifetime cost of running your new bike is just 50p. So, once you have decided that you would like a bike, the next problem is choosing which one. And the simple answer is that, whatever you select, you will be a laughing stock. Motorbiking has always been a hobby rather than an alternative to proper transport, and as with all hobbies, the people who partake are extremely knowledgeable. It often amazes me that in their short lives bikers manage to learn as much about biking as people who angle, or those who watch trains pull into railway stations. Whatever. Because they are so knowledgeable, they will know precisely why the bike you select is rubbish and why theirs is superb. Mostly, this has something to do with “getting your knee down”, which is a practice undertaken by bikers moments before the crash that ends their life. You, of course, being normal, will not be interested in getting your knee down; only in getting to work and most of the way home again before you die. That’s why I chose to test the Vespa, which is much loathed by trainspotting bikers because they say it is a scooter. This is racism. Picking on a machine because it has no crossbar is like picking on a person because he has slitty eyes or brown skin. Frankly, I liked the idea of a bike that has no crossbar, because you can simply walk up to the seat and sit down. Useful if you are Scottish and go about your daily business in a skirt. I also liked the idea of a Vespa because most bikes are Japanese. This means they are extremely reliable so you cannot avoid a fatal crash by simply breaking down. This is entirely possible on a Vespa because it is made in Italy. Mind you, there are some drawbacks you might like to consider. The Vespa is not driven by a chain. Instead, the engine is mounted to the side of the rear wheel for reasons that are lost in the mists of time and unimportant anyway. However, it means the bike is wider and fitted with bodywork like a car, to shroud the moving hot bits. That makes it extremely heavy. Trying to pick it up after you’ve fallen off it is impossible. What’s more, because the heavy engine is on the right, the bike likes turning right much more than it likes turning left. This means that in all left-handed bends, you will be killed. Unless you’ve been blown off by the sheer speed of the thing. At one point I hit 40mph and it was as though my chest was being battered by a freezing-cold hurricane. It was all I could do to keep a grip on the steering wheel with my frostbitten fingers. I therefore hated my experience of motorcycling and would not recommend it to anyone.

Totally agree. It is tough enough as a group leader to keep 5 or 6 bikes together. No hope with 30. Plus, other road users should be able to comfortably overtake a group of riders without splitting the group. With 4 - 6 bikes tightly spaced (1 & 2 seconds), this is possible. With larger groups, other road users are bound to split the group, as will traffic lights and intersections. I also agree that group spacing is generally set by the number 2 bike. My preference is to have a fairly experienced group rider in #2 position. Put the novices in #3 and #4, and have an experieced tail gunner. In town and on a highway with lots of traffic, either maintain a tight group, or ride as individuals. In the country with little traffic, open up the group and enjoy the scenery.

The socket is the aux socket next to the cassette. The plug is the jack from the phone. It is the first (front end) section of the jack that came off. No idea how. The suggestion to fit another socket sounds relatively easy. Thanks!

I love listening to my tunes on my Android phone plugged into the Aux socket. When the right channel went dead, I checked all the connections and the head phones. Tried the radio... STEREO! Checked the plug and lead. DAMMIT! The end piece of the plug had broken off. Found it! Inside the socket on the bike. Any suggestions on how to get that little sucker out of there? (2008 Venture.)

This is too good not to share! And I can do this on the Venture. I don't usually use cruise control, but it would free up my right hand for vengeance! [ame] [/ame]

My wife rides a V-Star 650. It is low, light, and easy to handle. But... we wish she had the 1100 version for the power needed when loaded in the mountains. You cannot feel any diffrence in weight between the two bikes. I think the reason there arfe so many 650's for sale is that so many owners find they want the extra power. One problem with many of the smaller cruisers is... no hard bags, and soft bags are a PITA to open, close, and secure. Something to bear in mind if you are used to the hard bags.

Yes, GaryZ, sadly, people do need to be protected from themselves. Now, if attitudes were to change, and we could guarantee that idiots would only harm themselves and not others, we could abandon all these laws and strengthen the gene pool by allowing individual idiots the right to kill themselves.

My comments are embedded below: Effective June 1, all motorcycle riders and their passengers must wear helmets that meet safety industry standards. This means motorcycle riders will no longer be able to wear novelty helmets, typically known as skid lids, skull caps or beanies, which do not meet the new requirements. Makes perfect sense to me. If you are going to have laws requiring that safety helmets be worn, it makes sense to back u7p the law by ensuring the helmets being worn are safe. What makes no sense to me is that such a law is needed to protect people from themselves! In addition, the new regulations: · Will require passengers, including children, to place their feet on foot pegs or floorboards. Drivers can easily be thrown off balance and risk crashing if their passengers do not keep their feet fixed on foot rests. Children who are unable to reach foot rests will no longer be allowed to ride as passengers. Again... maes sense as a law, as there are idiots who will put short people into a dangerous place if they cannot have both feet secured. · Will improve visibility and enforcement for police. The font size on motorcycle licence plates has increased by 0.95 centimetres (3/8 of an inch). Since May 2011, all new motorcycle licence plates have been issued with the larger font. OK... so the government is scknowledging that our police officers are short-sighted. In making the announcement, Minister of Justice and Attorney General Shirley Bond said the provincial government intends to move forward with a graduated licensing program that includes power restrictions, following additional consultation to determine the best model. Feedback will be considered along with research and best practices to develop a model that improves rider safety and reduces motorcycle crashes especially for new riders. It is crazy that a brand new rider on a provisional licese can go into a showroom and emerge on a brand new, track ready sport bike capable of 300 kph! The Office of Motor Vehicles and ICBC will also partner on an awareness campaign to ensure automobile drivers are aware of how to drive safely when they encounter motorcycles on the road. I cannot think of a better way to remind cagers that riders share the road with them. Doing this every year seems much more effective than focusing on training that occurs once, early in a driver's life. The goal is to reduce fatalities and injuries from crashes involving motorcycles. While motorcycles are estimated to make up about three per cent of insured vehicles in B.C., they account for approximately 10 per cent of road fatalities. In the last five years, 203 motorcyclists have lost their lives on B.C.’s roads and 5,172 have been injured. Motorcycle fatalities increased by about 57 per cent between 1996 and 2010. Seems to be a very laudable goal. The new rider safety regulations are the result of extensive consultations between the Office of the Superintendent of Motor Vehicles, BC Coroners Service, ICBC, police and other road safety partners to develop a comprehensive approach to improve motorcycle safety within the motorcycling community and industry. The right people are being asked to provide input. The Britich Columbia Coalition of Motorcyclists - BCCOM is also providing input. The month of May will allow for a transition period that will give government time to move to the new laws by informing riders and the public about the upcoming changes. Starting June 1, police will begin enforcing the new laws and issuing educational materials to riders found violating the helmet and seating regulations. Fines for all new helmet-related offences are $138, and fines for seating requirements range from $109 to $121. In addition to fines, riders violating seating requirements will have their motorcycles impounded. Seems to me that the Government is doing its best to look after the interests of motorcyclists. My $2.22 worth (inflation... and my opinion carries a premium value because it's mine!)

I have RLS... have had it on and off for years. I was told that quinine helps. There is quinine in Tonic. Tonic is good with gin. A few gin and tonics, and I sleep like a baby!

The Coast Riders 2012 Rally is July 26 to 29 in Enderby. Lots of opportunities to explore the great roads round the Shuswap area. Rally includes: Poker Run BBQ Bike Games Scavenger Hunt Banquet Plus time to sit in or around the pool and swap stories with friends old and new. All riders WELCOME! www.coastriders.ca

Great videos, Rick. We will have to get you out on more rides with the Coast Riders! Thanks for posting.

Rick, :whistling:"You can leave your hat on...":whistling:

There we were, minding our own business, and there is a loud honking from the road. I looked up, and there is a loud orange bike! Must be Rick (and Nina). Isn't riding fun, when you can run into friends in the middle of BF Nowhere! I liked this Easter week-end a lot. Rode on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Could have ridden today, but knuckled down to laying crazy paving in the back yard. Riding is more fun!

This post if four days late! (FUNNY, THOUGH.)