Meet the Motorcycling Underworld - Slick Creek on the TransAm Trail

Y'all remember the tale of Nate droppin' his bike for the first time in Slick Creek on the TAT. Just as a public service I am posting some pics lifted off of AdvRider.com to better illustrate the process whereby Nate bit it. This is purley for academic reasons. Not to make fun of anybody or anything like that, but I know I don't have to tell y'all that, now..... do I.

Here's a fella makin' a bold attempt using pretty much the same teeter-totter method as Nate:



Here is another fella suffering the same results as Nate. Thump.


Not to be braggin' or anything, but this is pretty much how I did it:
Nice bike, eh, Waterboy? Look!, you can ride dualsport and still keep your blog handle!

New Rider - Ninja 250

Just got my first new bike last Friday!

It's only a Ninja 250, but I'm going to go for a sport-tourer after I get some serious miles under my belt.
Michael Maier Edit comment Delete comment | Email | Homepage | 05.01.06 - 7:39 pm | #

Congrats, MM! I can't think of a better starter bike. Many experienced riders enjoy them and I think there are even some club races limited to participation with only the EX250. Excellent choice.

Waterboy?????

chirp - chirp

Fun With Search Engines - Google "cruiserboy"

Ever look at the Sitemeter page tracking referal pages to your blog? I do. It is interesting to note what you have in common with the great searching horde of humanity the world over.

ZX14R; KLR650; KLX250s review; GPZ

Always the motorcycle stuff, though "ethnocentricity" had quite a following for awhile....However, my favorite recurring search string has to be "cruiserboys".

I referred to some fellas I was riding with in this way completely innocent of the homosexual connotation Sitemeter and have Google since revealed. Black leather everything and "chaps" - that's what otherwise grown men call their leather pants with no ass in 'em. I swear I laugh out loud everytime it pops up. A cruiserboy, it seems, is typified by the village people motorcycle gayguy, ya'll! Granted, when I called 'em cruiserboys I did mean it in a off the cuff derogetory way, but I had no idea of the extent of my own diabolical subconcious machinations.

So, Greg (not you EP), Frank, Timmy, Pappy, and Dave, many a pillowbiter has spanked his monkey reading my tale of the ride with y'all when Pappy, ahem, 'went down'. I ain't laughin'.... Really....I'm not.

Let's Grow Tomatos !

I know, I know, the almanac is callin' for one more frost in May but I'll bag 'em if need be.

So, what's on the menu? Big Beef, Pink German, and Early Boy.

If ya' ask me, I'll tell ya' anything other than a Big Beef is a waste of good dirt, so I let the wife plant the niche tomatos in the (Troybilt) garden and I went whole hog on two Big Beef plants.


As you can see this is a little different method for growing tomatos. I picked this up from Uncle Fred from whom much timeless wisdom and brilliant bullshit flows. Much as I like tillin' a garden I hate weeding it at least as much, and I just want to kill every bunny born, but not SpaceBunnies. I'll share my tomatos with SpaceBunnies.



Anyway, ya' cut about a 1" hole in the bottom of a five gallon bucket. (Yes, Bill, you can use a holesaw) and stuff your plant through it taking care to not damage any of its tender stems and leaves. Moisten the root/soil block and hang the bucket before filling the bucket with topsoil. I use my super double secret recipe of aged and tilled horse shit, rabbit shit, and garden soil. I usually put a couple of shovels full in and then water again before filing the rest of the way.

The vine will grow down happily without all the weeds and bunny trouble. Water and fertilizer are applied from the top of the bucket.

There are several advantages to this:

1) It's entertaining to "pluck" tomatos instead of pickin' 'em up off the ground like common folk.

2) The top-down watering/feeding method gets all the goodies to the plant.

3) the bunnies and beetles can't reach it. Though I have considered using a fishook through a leaf to catch one... Could be fun.


I'm sure this looks appetizing to deer, but I'll take my chances. Y'all give it a try. Even cityfolk can do this, and your neighbors will think you're a damned genius.

Hey, Gregg:

Link dies: Here's the new one.

The Lovely Long-Suffering Lady Inquires:

Pardon the ignorance, but what's the point of camo on someone riding a really loud bike?
Spacebunny | Email | Homepage | 04.27.06 - 12:10 pm | #

This is, of course, re: the military motorcycle posted below.


1) Camouflage is useless against terrain while in motion.
The human eye is drawn to motion and outline (visible boundaries). Camouflage serves to breakup an outline against a natural background rendering an appropriately camouflaged entity invisible, or nearly so, to the naked eye. The second it moves it becomes visible against the background, in fact it commands attention from the human eye. Therefore, the camo is for when not riding.

2) The KLR is not loud.
The audio was probably boosted during editing for entertainment value. A stock KLR muffler sounds remarkably like an old Volkswagen Beetle and has a "tweety" sound. I can understand the confusion here as my KLR is very vocal and does not conceal it's considerable power delivery.


Chicks.....


I guess ya' gotta give a girl credit for participating in a motorcycle discussion, though.

The Return of Boyhood heroes: GhostRider

We all had heroes growing up. They run the gamut from Superman to Hopalong Cassidy for most. Loud mouth do-gooders if you ask me. I had no use for them. Mine were cut from a different mold.
My favorite was an under the radar kind of fella' most times, but hell's own ass whoopin' when aroused, and though troubled somewhat by his base nature it was not troublesome to the extent that it would cause him to refrain from indulging it. Let the big dog eat!

The Ghostrider movie is in production and he has a bitchin' bike.

This got me to thinkin'.....

All he needs is a sail !

Why a KLR650 ? Well, Grasshopper....

There's a reason the Marine Expeditionary force uses this bike.



A few minor modifications and it's a Battle Bike... A KiLR 650!

high bandwidth warning!

Spring has sprung!

and there's too much shit goin' on to blog. Sue me.

Queers on the whitehouse lawn

If this doesn't point up the reason fags want kids I don't know what does. Exploitation. They didn't bring the children for the children's sake. They brought the children for their sake. They want children to use them to further their goal of normalizing their particular perversion.

Iranian Bunker Buster Nukes are a Mistake

A trial balloon was floated (leak?) about the proposed use of tactical nuclear explosives in bunker buster guise as a solution to eliminate the deep, hardened facilities constructed by Iran to protect and conceal its nuclear (weapons) program. It's a good idea on it's face, but falls short of dealing effectively with the problem of nutcase moslems seeking to acquire the ultimate power of mass destruction for the following reasons:

1) you take a chance on missing one you didn't know about.

2) you let the enemy know just how deep you can really reach to get them so they can dig a little deeper next time.

3) You piss the others off really good without displaying obvious destruction to create fear of further reprisal.

Rather than using tactical nuclear weapons I propose the limited use of strategic nuclear weapons to deal with the Iranian problem. As muslim history shows by the slaughter of 20,000 unprotected Jewish troops outside the Golden Gate, they are not swayed by shows of mercy, offers of peaceful co-existence, or the application of reason, but do deal readily in the application of mass slaughter. In 619 this was equivalent to WWII's Hiroshima and so got everyone's attention.

Here's the plan: Zap 'em.

I can't decide if Jimmy Carter's neutron bomb, which fries everybody but leaves facilities, or just enough metropolitan nukes dropped every few days (so Al Jazeera can make sure the East understands it has truly met the West) to effectively depopulate the country.

This effectively removes all political will to further irritate the West and eliminates the resource of (supposedly) poor uneducated masses from which homicidal maniacs are recruited to wear bomb vests. And there is no power vacuum created for even crazier moslem nutjobs to fill! Mark my words: The world of Islam would become quite reasonable and many would convert then and there on the rug in front of the television.

Simple. Clean. Elegant. Effective.

If you do the math for 20 years of low intensity widespread combat, it's probably a net savings of human life. OK, msybe not, but it is within 30% of the WWII death toll.

Hat's off to you, Harry Truman.

I Hate City Folk

A God-fearin' Baptist college tells a lousy pillowbiter to get his perverted ass outa here and the Lexington Herald-Bleeder is trying to start a crusade. Fuck 'em.

Heaven forbid anyone should act upon their disdain for the latest anointed perversion, lest ultraliberal journalist/hall monitors tattle to the city bound hive mind in hopes that it will pressure spit fingered elected officials into bending to that homogenous mob of drones living atop one another and bringing some sort of sanction against the heretics.

Fuck 'em. Double fuck 'em.


Note: Waterboy's grammatical suggestions are in bold print.

The Traveler

The wanderlust is sated; I am no longer obsessed. I can pass by my motorcycle without planning maintenance, modification, or upgrade. I overlook the Dennis Kirk Off Road catalogue on the kitchen counter. My focus has widened.

I reveled in adventure last week. Many things were seen and experienced that are denied to a casual passerby on a highway. My brother and I forded streams, overcame obstacles, broadened our riding skill, enjoyed the company of family, exchanged pleasantries with folks in parts hitherto unknown to us, witnessed the fruits of an agrarian life removed from the burdens of modernity, and benefited greatly from the kindness of strangers.

Folks seemed to recognize we were on a Quest. Outfitted as we were, we could easily have been taken for hoodlums out to trespass and depredate, yet we were waved by, yielded to (often at great inconvenience), and fare-thee-welled as worthy travelers.

An entire bridge crew in Mississippi ceased work and relocated earthmoving equipment over our protests to allow us passage. An old man left the security of his home to check on two strangers fording a hazardous stream nearby and offered future accommodation. Innumerable folks passing by on a dusty road stopped to offer local knowledge and geographic aid. I offer the above examples as evidence God protects fools and children for I reckon we are often both.

I am home now and my girls have need of me so, for a time, The Traveler will step aside. I gratefully resume my duties as father and husband.

Let's Put the Starbuck's Controversy to Rest

I guess this explains Little Brother's constant comment at stops, "Bet there ain't a Starbucks in this town!".

I caught Nate just as he was climbing back onto the bike after making eyes at the birkenstock clad earth-woman at the outdoor table. He is hiding a marble mocha macchiato in a carry-out cup in his left hand. He nearly scalded himself when I surprised him with the camera. I realize this casts a taint upon our whole family but it's best to air this sort of dirty laundry and be done with it. We'll just have to learn to accept him like he is..... Nah.

I'm Must Be Famous in Missippissi......

When they put your blog on their stop signs......

Let's Set the Record Straight

Some background on the 2006 KLX250 Drop Test.


powered by Audioblog.com

TransAm Trail Hooliganism and The 2006 KLX250 Drop Test

Gerald on Double Branch Rd. at the site of the Drop Test of the new 2006 KLX250.


Fine Dining in Mississippi.


30 mph wind and a "controlled" burn on the Natchez Trace.



Ever been 75mph on a dirtbike?



powered by Audioblog.com

Making New Friends

powered by Audioblog.com

Mississippi Dykes and Burning Bridges

powered by Audioblog.com

Bike Ride Reviews: 2003 KLR650 and 2006 KLX250

Also, some KLX250 riding tips from Nate for the loose stuff and The Brown Stain Truth.


powered by Audioblog.com

Graphite Gravel and the Green Weenie Suit

powered by Audioblog.com

The Red Truck O' Death and Fine Dining at Citgo

powered by Audioblog.com

Selmer, Tn and Nate Speaks With a Lisp

powered by Audioblog.com

Morning Update Headed for Mississippi

powered by Audioblog.com

Slick Creek Crossing and Oh Shit Hill

powered by Audioblog.com

A Fork in the Road and The Killer Guinea

powered by Audioblog.com

Day 1 Recap -Summertown to Florence

powered by Audioblog.com

Gettin' Together

powered by Audioblog.com



It's rainin' so here's a few pics from last night.

Here's the SwampThing strapped down for transport. For your protection not his.


The answer to the question, "What's in your garage". When equipped this way a common garage becomes a Stable.


Same scene with Nate's Jekyll featured.


See Nate pickin' his nose.....


Our steeds:

Hey Y'all! We're off.....

Yesterday we got together and made a shakedown run on the bikes then checked for loose fasteners (blue loctite is my friend!) Nate had already run out of fuel once before I even got here - it seems whoever prepped the bike put the petcock on reserve and about a gallon of fuel in it. Our poor mother had to bring him fuel out in the middle of nowhere...

Waterboy,
look into the KLX250/KLX650. They were made from '93 to'97 and there are some really good examples on the market for around 2500 to 3000. Nate's KLX250 is very similar to them if not the same bike.

Nate's bike rocks! Sure it's a little down on power from the KLR650 but it really makes up for it in weight savings. And that SUSPENSION! Oh, Man! It just soaks up everything!

For the record, I was the first to jump Nate's bike.

The AudioBlogs won't have titles, sorry.

Firearms:

Nate - Taurus Tracker .357


Me - CZ100 in 9mm

Trans Am Trail Preview Pics

I won't be able to post pics as we ride, so to give ya'll and idea of the scenery I lifted these off of ADVRider.com and KLR650.net. Bear in mind the rough stuff is not in these as folks are generally too busy with ridin' and survivin' to bother with a camera. These pics were taken on the trail by two fellas who go by "Shrek650" (KLR650.net) and "Yater" (ADVRider.com) through the states we are gettin' ready to ride. Shrek rode in from Florida and Yater from Texas (shout out to EP!) to Columbia, Tn. to ride together. Nate and I aren't gonna suffer quite so much of the interstate as they. So, feast yer eyes:

powered by Audioblog.com










That last pic is what the view from Nate's saddle will be.

Remote Audio Blogging is Up and Running

powered by Audioblog.com

No Comment

This KLR is called "BigFoot"



Oh, Nate still has not picked up his bike. I warned him I was perfectly willing to ride the TAT alone and would lord it over him the rest of his life and even pass the story down to my descendants. With appropriate embellishment, of course.

Diesel Oil In My Precious Motorcycle?

Yes indeed! Auto spec oils are rapidly loosing their phosphorus content due to emmissions equipment sensitivity and the diesel oils still have it in gobs.

From the Rotella website:

Can heavy-duty diesel oil be used in motorcycles?

Motorcycle gasoline engines may not seem in the same league as the big displacement diesel engine under your hood, but they share some of the same lubrication requirements. So yes, in many cases, a premium heavy-duty universal oil capable of serving both diesel and gasoline engines is the best choice for your bike.

The high power-to-displacement ratio of a motorcycle engine means rod and main bearings are subjected to loads that are not normally found in passenger car engines. The valve train is also highly loaded, and requires extreme pressure boundary lubrication. The same can be said about gears in the transmission, which are normally lubricated by engine oil. Oil additives containing phosphorus protect these highly loaded extreme pressure areas (in both gasoline and diesel engines). Because diesel engines have higher loading of components, more of the phosphorus-containing additive is present than in typical passenger car oils. And with advanced catalyst systems for gasoline engines, the phosphorus content has been declining in passenger car oils.

Since many bike engines are air-cooled, and tend to be operated at high power outputs and speeds, their lubricating oil needs to be more resistant to high temperature oxidation. That’s another advantage of a premium universal oil. Another thing you want in your motorcycle is oil that has excellent viscosity control, so that with use it retains high temperature viscosity. Some multiviscosity grade passenger car oils, subjected to extreme loads, can quickly thin out. Their viscosity can drop to the next lower grade.

One last thing to consider is whether oil contains friction modifier additives. For improved fuel economy, most passenger car oils have such an additive. But the wet clutch in your bike doesn’t perform right with friction modifiers. Universal engine oils don’t have friction modifiers.

Be careful choosing diesel oils. Not all of them are universal. In addition to the API Service Category CI-4 PLUS for diesels, look for API Service Category SL.

Premium universal oils like Shell ROTELLA® T Multigrade are formulated for heavy-duty performance, and your bike engine has some heavy-duty challenges for oil. For optimum performance, be sure your oil is up to the challenge.

Did a Little Custom Seat Work Today

I cut about 2.5 inches out of my seating area and replaced it with 1/2" of firm closed cell foam. I glued it down and left the pillion area as it was so it would have "stadium seating" like a sportbike. I feathered the new foam in and smoothed the transition to the pillion pad with a disc grinder.

All that's left is to spoon on the Kenda K270 DOT knobbies and I'm good to go!!

Nate's pickin' up his KLX250 Monday and just called to tell me there is an impromptu motocross track (with Jumps!) across from his new neighborhood so he'll have all week to break it in and get geared up for the ride. Barring injury, of course.

It's Catching.

Ooops! The link below was incorrect. Here is the good one: HondaChopper.com

Got an old '72 CB 750 SOHC that I saved from being landfill, and the thing was half assed semi chopped ( weren't they all back then ) with a 16" H-D rim laced to the rear hub, and the damn thing has a Arco (Armstrong) tire on it from the '70's, and the tire is not dry rotted.
Brand X

Now we're talkin'!

I have a confession to make:
I dig the old Jap and Brit Choppers. The uglier the better. With every tom, dick, and honda makin' V(iagra)-twins they are the only way a "cruiser" can truly be different.


BrandX go here.

We want pictures BX! You hearin' me? Pics before. Pics during. Pics after.

I'm thinkin' BrandX might be obsessed, too....

The World's Fastest Indian

Anthony Hopkins plays Burt Munro in this limited release film about one man's obsession with his Indian motorcycle and speed. I know those two phrases should be mutually exclusive but....




He was Obsessed!

I'll be watching this at the Kentucky Theatre tomorrow afternoon. Think I'm excited about it? You think right!


Update: That was the best movie I have ever seen. Hollywierd's usual preaching was kept to a bare minimum and overshadowed by the wisdom of age counterpointed by the recklessness and determination of a youthful soul.
I don't know if you'll like this movie or not but if you crave the peripheral blur of scenery, the roar of a harnessed explosion subject to your whim, and the soaring of spirit that comes from partaking in the joy of speed - all of it, every ounce - you'll say the same thing I did.

That was the best movie I have ever seen.

When Men Were Men

They didn't need no damned sissy suspension!