If you need any graphical/image editing/design work, I might be persuaded to assist as it is what I do for $.

I've only viewed this site for a few weeks.

My first impression, too bad it's not more like the www.fz1oa.com site.

I'm in the process of selling my 2004 FZ1 so I can get the new 1250. But I'm going to miss the fz10a site, especially http://www.cartestsoftware.com/fz1/ .

Just my $.02

stormi

I should have been more clear (not feel well today).
The forum engine is not important to me. And I should also say that BABBS is a pretty good site as is, its just new for me and I'm used to the organization of FZ1OA.

Pat's site has been such a handy page for doing maintenance and mods, is there a similar Bandit site?

To be honest, I never thought about the operating costs for FZ1OA, in the 2.5 years I've been on, it was never mentioned.

When the new FZ1 came out, they broke the main forum page into Gen1 and Gen2. The collective liked it the old way, and a poll confirmed it. So they put back to the original way.
In the maintenance section however, it is split between gen1 and gen2. Since I've never owned a Bandit, that may be handy for a nuB, to have a 1200 and 1250 section under GM&T.

FYIW, I didn't get the 04' Bandit because of the motor. I had a 1987 GSXR1100. In the Phoenix summers the tank would get so hot I'd get burns on the insides of my legs. It actually sounded like the gas was boiling in the tank. I didn't want to risk that again, with basically the same motor. I sold the Gixxer after 6 years and got a VX800 (which I still have).
I wanted a liter bike again to have a more relaxed freeway ride (rpm at 75). Unfortunately the FZ1 does not deliver that, but it sounds like the 1250 does.

Sorry for the ramble...

My business website was constructed using an open source set of tools known as Joomla which is pretty popular these days. Joomla isn't coming from a company and I doubt support will cease. There is a front end log in and a back end log in. The front end is for essentially editing web pages and the back end is more for admin of the site. If a wiki-environ was needed, Joomla would fill this bill as front end privelages are for document editing/saving while back end stuff is for more of the typical website admin stuff. Have a look at my site: www.wgcarbs.com - I also host a small message forum that is linked off that page... it is a free message forum and I can't really promote it but it works (aimoo.com). If you want to look at a larger, bike message board using Joomla, look at www.kzrider.com - note in the area where there are tech articles, folks are given permission to edit their own articles. This makes Joomla a pretty decent tool for a site such as Sven envisioned.

I personally like this message board but think that the main bandit alley site could use some updating or a redo; especially if the owner is not coming back to pick up the ball. I would like to see more tech stuff in categories by bike model, more organized links, online tech documents (like manuals, etc) where copyright isn't an issue. Oh yeah, by tech stuff, I mean if a subject has been fully explored, rather than put it in a stickey on the BBS, put it in a write up (not a thread) authored by a single person... there could even be competing techniques for doing the same thing written up.

It would be nice just to keep things simple which is what is so attractive about this site and have a reliable 24/7 working board. In the words of one world famous engineer "The more you overhaul the pluming in any good system, the easier it is to stop up the drain"

I agree 100%.  The mods I want to do are strictly functional.  Things that should have been here in the beginning.  

If I can get over this cold ( a thick head, and making changes to a forum is not a good combination.  I learned the hard way a couple of years ago.), and stop hardware from self-destructing, I'll be able to make some of those mods.  *none of the hardware  problems are related to the site,... just my own machines here, but greatly affecting the time available to work on the site.  And ride, despite it being in the high fifties to low 60s most of the week so far, I haven't gotten out, I've just been inside my dungeon office, trying to manage everything.

If a wiki-environ was needed, Joomla would fill this bill as front end privelages are for document editing/saving while back end stuff is for more of the typical website admin stuff. <snip>This makes Joomla a pretty decent tool for a site such as Sven envisioned.

I like the idea of a wiki, myself as well.  The big hurdle that we had with implementing one is now largely gone.  I have full access to the server that the site lives on (other than the legacy stuff that still lives at the BanditAlley site for now.)  This means that we can implement whatever we want to.  

By show of hands,.. er,.. posts... how many would have some content to contribute to a wiki, and would want to be involved in the building of the wiki?  I don't want to put one up for two articles.  

I personally like this message board but think that the main bandit alley site could use some updating or a redo; especially if the owner is not coming back to pick up the ball. I would like to see more tech stuff in categories by bike model, more organized links, online tech documents (like manuals, etc) where copyright isn't an issue. Oh yeah, by tech stuff, I mean if a subject has been fully explored, rather than put it in a stickey on the BBS, put it in a write up (not a thread) authored by a single person... there could even be competing techniques for doing the same thing written up.

all very good suggestions!  If we implement the wiki,.. can you contribute some of this?  I know that I simply don't have -that- much time to do all of the wiki content, and keep the site up.  Not if I wanna ride this year.  ( It's looking like moving to warmer climes is getting better and better.  I wouldn't have to budget my time so I get -some- riding in, I could ride year round.   )