rentalguy1

Ya, umm, no. Statistics prove otherwise. This is also the best reason to carry close to where you keep your wallet, and to practice practice practice.

Full frame Taurus PT1911 in a Fobus paddle holster almost every day. Some days I am lazy and carry the wife's Taurus PT709 Slim in a Uncle Mike's IWB. A lot of concealment depends on your frame. I'm 5'9" and 205lbs, but it's all up in my shoulders, which makes shirts hang loose on me. I can pretty much conceal the 1911 with just a t shirt.

I live nearby (Bristol) and I'm going to attempt taking my son out for a hour or two this Saturday or Sunday. I would hate to commit to a certain day or time with a new baby in the house, though. May try to contact you when it gets closer to the weekend. As for riding, head up towards Bristol, and ride across US Hwy 421 to Mountain City. It's better known as the "Snake." Very fun ride if you are into twisties and switchbacks. If you prefer highway riding, head up Hwy 11W to Hwy 394, and it will take you around the back side of Bristol Motor Speedway. You can get to the Snake following the same route, as Hwy 394 dead ends into Hwy 421. You could also head north out of Kingsport on US Hwy 23 (called Lynn Garden Drive in Kingsport) toward Gate City, VA. That will take you to Natural Tunnel State Park. The coalfields are beyond that. It's impossible to have a bad ride in this area once you get out of any of the little towns. If you like Barbecue, there is a place in Kingsport called Pratts. It's on the main drag, named Stone Drive (which is also Hwy 11W). You can't miss them. They have a huge "wooden indian" in the parking lot. There is a world famous BBQ joint named Ridgewood between Bluff City and Elizabethton, which is about 30 minutes from where you are staying. It is worth the ride. If you need something quick for lunch, there are all the major chains, but I suggest the Purple Cow on Stone Drive (awesome onion rings) and Pals (several throughout town - sauce burgers with cheese). They are both drive through only places, and regional. Don't bother with the local MC stealerships. Their inventories were so low a few weeks ago that I am surprised that they keep their doors open. Atlas Honda/Yamaha/Kaw/Suzi in Bristol and Jim's Cycles in Johnson City are worth hitting up, though. There is a MC salvage place in Morristown, too. I can't remember their name, but they are well known. If you have the time, you may want to ride down there. Probably about an hour away. They have all kinds of used parts, and you might just find something you need there. I plan on heading down there when I start working on my VR. Have a safe trip and enjoy yourself. Stay safe! (the drivers in Kingsport suck - especially on Stone Drive)

LIke to add to my statement that I learned the bob and weave method in a rider's course years ago, and it has saved be from banging up a bike at slow speeds on a few occasions. I still practice it every time I ride, just so it will be somewhat instinctive if I ever need it. The laydown method comes from personal experience (by sheer accident) and from my nephew who was a AMA licensed superbike racer. Those guys are taught that it is better to slide on the ground in a controlled manner at higher speeds than go over the bars in a out of control manner. He says that if at the first gut feeling that you are no longer in control of the bike, it is time to part ways with it. Lock up the rear, lean to the left, and let go as it starts going down. I did it this way once, by accident, a long time ago. The bike was trashed, but I walked away without a scratch. I also got a death wobble by crossing RR tracks at 115 (young and dumb) once. I decided the best method was to ride it out. Bad move. I still have asphalt embedded in my chin bone, and that was 20 years ago. I hate to admit this one, but I have also hit a car head on at about 50mph. The cager and I were both in the middle of the road in a blind curve, so we were both at fault. Again, the car was trashed, but I walked away without a scratch. I can only attribute this to having enough reaction time to bring the bike upright, and faith in God. I cleared the car and landed in very dense bushes on the other side. I was also lucky in that I knew the cager, and he was driving his wife's LeBaron, instead of his '56 T-Bird. Anyhoo...interesting discussion. Safe riding!

purposely high side it. Road rash hurts much less than broken bones. It's also usually cheaper to repair fairings than replace the front end. I'd lay my bike down in a heartbeat to keep from t-boning/getting t-boned by a cage.

The wife is from Flushing. We haven't been up there in a while. Hope it will be a while longer before we do...

About 6 weeks ago. I almost backed into a vehicle that came from out of nowhere in a gas station parking lot. I saw him at the last minute and stopped. The young driver and his young male passenger wanted to make something out of nothing, and they came for me. At a distance, I apologized for not seeing them. They didn't care. They kept coming and telling me what they were gonna do. I told them to stop because I had a gun. I guess they didn't believe me, because they kept coming and screaming. I am pretty sure they were high. Driver got to about a inch from the door and was met with the business end of a full frame 1911. He changed his mind and left...quickly. I would have preferred to have just left, but that would have meant running over either the driver or passenger. I can assure you, though, had the driver taken one more step, it would have been his last one.

I would not go on the cruise, but I take my right to protection very seriously. My philosophy is that if my CCW is not welcome, then neither am I. The only exception is a courthouse or federal building where I have HAVE to be (like the VA). I guess you could maybe buy a small sentry safe at Wal Mart and lock the CCW up in it, then you could hide it in the trunk. The spare tire location would be a good hiding spot, plus it would make it more difficult to get to if you put the spare back on top of the safe. Have a great trip!

Sorry. I forgot to add this: 6lbs 6oz, 19.5 inches long.

Sorry it took me so long to post. It's been a busy day. I got back to the hospital at 4AM and they were checking her again. Her water had definitely broke and they admitted her then. Her OB ordered pitocin at 6 AM to speed things along, but the wife refused it until she had been checked. Doc finally showed up and checked her a little after 8AM and she was 8cm. Needless to say, the order for pitocin was scrapped. They got the epidural started at 5AM, and it worked a little for the first two hours. After that, nada. They pushed 4 syringes full of something into the epidural and it did nothing. At 8:30 the wife is screaming, kicking and yes, even biting (my arm was the victim). At 8:50 she starts screaming that she needs to push, and only her nurse and I were in the room. I spent the next 15 minutes telling her that she couldn't push til the doc came back, and holding her legs together. Doc comes in at 9:06, and Ellie Rose joined us at 9:08, after 3 whole pushes. It was like a scene out of a movie during the last half hour. The Exorcist comes to mind. It was BAD. Ellie came out not just kicking, but flailing arms and legs, and screaming. This kid has a set of lungs (could hear her from the nursery, and we were all the way at the other end of the hall in the waiting room later on. She had a apgar of 8 at 1 minute and 9 at 5 minutes. No breastfeeding practice needed with this one...she took right to it. Mom had some issues with the placenta that led to a emergency surgery about 30 minutes after delivery. Was supposed to be a 5 minute thing, but it turned into a 40 minute ordeal. They were only supposed to have to put her partially under, but ended up having to totally knock her out. She almost had to have a hysterectomy. All is well now, though. She is sore, but is being a trooper. Our 13 year old over the top excited. He can't get enough of her. I am the same way. We've both gotten to hold her for quite a while today. I am a little nervous, though. I feel like I am coming down with a bad cold now. I feel horrible. I am hoping that it is just a side effect from only sleeping 8 hours total in the last 72. I am hitting the sack in a few and not moving until in the morning. Thanks for sticking with me. http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e330/rentalguy1/IMG00277.jpg http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e330/rentalguy1/IMG00278.jpg

I'm new here, but thought I'd share. Wife is preggers, and had a appointment today. Doc said she was 2cm dilated and 75% effaced. He said baby will be here within the week, if not tonight. She's been having contractions since yesterday. They got down under 7 minutes apart about midnight, so I took her to the hospital. They think her water has broke, but they are having a difficult time confirming it. They won't let her go home, but they won't admit her yet, either. So now we are in limbo. When our first was born (13 years ago), we went to the hospital at 5PM, and had the same song and dance. Four hours later he was born. I was worried about how fast it happened last time, and this being her second child may make it even quicker. Now it kinda sux because we could have been home getting some sleep. Oh well, better safe than sorry. Oh well. Coffee break is over. I'll update when there is news.

hmmm...i must have the only HD that doesn't do this. Wait a minute...I have a gallon of used oil that I haven't recycled yet. I could pour a little under the bike and join the club.

That's a falsehood. I have a HD in the garage and it never marks it's territory. They fixed that problem many years ago. That's a sweet Softail. Hope he got it at a good price. The market is flooded with them right now.

It's clean for two reasons: We just bought the house and moved in a few months ago, and I just had to completely rearrange the garage last week to fit both bikes and the wife's Explorer in there at the same time. I'm sure it will be a mess by the end of the winter. The VR has just over 48K. I plan on doubling that as soon as possible, though.

Thanks for the input. I will most likely subscribe to the site. I just haven't gotten around to it yet. I bought the CD service manual off of evilbay because I have a ancient laptop out in the garage. I can read off a CD all day long, but I doubt it has the memory to download the whole manual to. The stainless steel brake lines may get added to the list. I kind of like the linked brake setup on this thing. It reminds me to put my left foot down to catch the bike (right leg is partially paralyzed). Keep 'em coming.

I searched, but couldn't really find a spot to post this. If it belongs elsewhere, please move. Every time I've built or restored a vehicle, I always created a build thread on a appropriate forum to exhibit where the project started, show progress, get ideas from others, and keep track of what has been done. Since I plan on a partial tear down/restoration this winter, I guess it's time to do it again. I bought this 1988 VR a little over a week ago, and I am quickly falling in love with it. I've ridden it about a half dozen times, for about 300 miles or a little more. She didn't want to idle without being half choked when I picked her up, but adding 6 oz of Sea Foam to a 3/4 full tank seems to have mostly solved that. It will idle all day without any choke after it has warmed to operating temperature now. It's super comfortable and is perfect for riding 2-up with my 13 year old son. Not bad at all for $2500. http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e330/rentalguy1/1988%20Venture%20Royale/001.jpg http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e330/rentalguy1/1988%20Venture%20Royale/003.jpg http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e330/rentalguy1/1988%20Venture%20Royale/002.jpg So, it's a 22 year old bike, and it's in pretty good shape, with only 48,000 miles on the clock, but it has some issues. I plan on the usual routine maintenance, plus a little extra since I don't know the service history of the bike. I am going to add some Sea Foam to the crankcase just before I tear down so I can ride it a few miles before the oil and filter change. That way the concoction can work it's magic and free up some of the carbon that's no doubt trapped in the valve train. I'll do a oil and filter change, likely using dino oil and a factory filter. I am leery of using synthetic, or a synthetic blend in a engine that old. I have seen it "eat" seals inside older engines on 4x4's in the past, so I can only suspect that it will do the same to a bike. I also am a firm believer in sticking with factory parts that were designed specifically to work with a particular machine. I know it likely doesn't make a huge difference, but I'm a (former) A&P mechanic, and old habits are hard to break. I am also going to change the final drive oil. I think I remember reading that there should be zerks added to the shaft, and other locations on this model. If that is the case, I will do this as well. I've got a new set of NGK DPR8EA9's out in the garage for it, and I am going to attempt finding a new set of factory plug wires. If I can't find them, I'll make a set of 7mm's. It will get a new fuel filter installed, and I will inspect the carb boots for cracks and leaks. Since it is idling fairly good on its own now, I am hesitant to tear the carbs apart and rebuild them. If it ain't broke, don't fix it, right? Then again, since it will be stripped it would be the best time to do this job. I'll decide when I get to that point. I will adjust the idle speed, though. It seems a tad low at 900 RPM, but I have a manual on order and will see what the specs are. When I got the bike home, I took a long and detailed look at the bike. This is when I noticed the left fork seal deterioration and leakage. This will be corrected with new fork seals, factory I hope. While I have them taken down, I will go ahead and install some progressive springs and change the oil. http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e330/rentalguy1/1988%20Venture%20Royale/013.jpg http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e330/rentalguy1/1988%20Venture%20Royale/012.jpg On the initial ride home, the bike wanted to "walk" at slow speeds, and I noticed the handlebars are canted very slightly to the left. I have since read that there are a few possible causes and corrections for the walking condition. I will explore these issues and correct them. The brakes feel pretty mushy on the bike, and the rotors are pretty worn. I will replace the rotors and pads, and then change the brake fluid and bleed the system. That should correct this. It has a set of Elite II's on it now. I have no idea how old they are, or how many miles they have on them, but they have some severe cupping. Especially the back. I don't have any pics of them, but I will try to get some once I have them off the bike. I will replace both tires, but I haven't decided with what just yet. I like Dunlops, and I have heard good stuff about Avons. I have run several sets of Bridgestone Battlax tires with very good results, but this bike isn't really that aggressive. I am really interested in some wide whitewalls, but I have no idea what they would look like on a first gen VR. If anybody is running them, please send me a pic. That pretty much covers the mechanical issues. While I have the bike apart I plan on changing the cooling hoses and flushing the system. I can't think of anything else mechanically. If you guys see something I missed, please let me know. All of the electronics (radio, cassette, intercom, CB, CLASS) still work perfectly. They are dirty and need some cleaning, but I don't plan on any major work or upgrades here. I do plan on installing some new speakers, and possibly trying to add some rear speakers as well. I am partial to Clarion, but will probably go with some Pioneers or the like to save a bit of money. The dash will need a good cleaning, too. http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e330/rentalguy1/1988%20Venture%20Royale/014.jpg On the cosmetic side, there are the usual small cracks all over the fairings and luggage. There is nothing too serious, but it needs attention. The bike had been dropped on the left side, which caused a crack in the upper fairing. It was patched up and had touch up paint applied, but it still looks rough. http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e330/rentalguy1/1988%20Venture%20Royale/010.jpg http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e330/rentalguy1/1988%20Venture%20Royale/009.jpg I have already bought wetsanding paper from 1500 up to 3000, and both colors of touch up paint. Once I have the all the plastics off, I will sand everything down that needs it and then touch it up and re-sand. Then I'll do the old three step polishing method on everything; rubbing compound, polishing compound, hard shell wax. After that I'll clean and detail the engine and frame as best I can. Then I'll reinstall everything. The vent on the left side mid fairing is missing some louvers, and the chrome trim at the bottom of the saddlebags is cracked. The back sides of both mirrors are scratched up, and the right one is pretty loose, too. I hope to just replace these pieces. If I can't locate them I will figure something else out. http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e330/rentalguy1/1988%20Venture%20Royale/008.jpg http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e330/rentalguy1/1988%20Venture%20Royale/007.jpg http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e330/rentalguy1/1988%20Venture%20Royale/006.jpg http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e330/rentalguy1/1988%20Venture%20Royale/011.jpg http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e330/rentalguy1/1988%20Venture%20Royale/005.jpg The windshield is a bit crazed, and has two small but fairly deep scratches. I will attempt lightly sanding the scratches with crocus cloth. This is a fix that I have done several times on helicopter windscreens, but the results have been mixed. I would prefer to have the scratches rather than making it worse by trying to fix it. After that, I will use plastic polish to clean and get rid if the crazing. That's all I have for now. It will take all winter to get this accomplished, but that's the fun of it. I know it will still be a 22 year old bike, but I hope it will run and look good for it's age. I have seen a few other ideas on the site that I will likely incorporate into this build, such as a light in the trunk, carpet inside the luggage, and adding a set of driving lights. I'm sure I will find more things to do before it's all done. If you all have any other ideas, please let me know.

I would come out and ride the home track with ya while you're here, but the wife is ready to download a new tricycle motor any day now. I was supposed to ride with a group of HD Sportsters over the Dragon last weekend, but I had to bail at the last minute because we thought it was time. If you make it over to Bristol, give me a shout.