Bandit Alley
GENERAL MOTORCYCLE FORUMS => GENERAL MOTORCYCLE => Topic started by: ZenMan on March 28, 2007, 07:36:33 PM
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Finally got it home! It was a little wet out, so she's got her first coat of road grime. :bandit:
This is the 99th '07 B1250 to roll off the production line... VIN#xxxxxxxxxxxx00099!
(http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d35/paulweit/Bandit%20Alley/B1250%20FAQ/Zenmans_No99.jpg)
Took it easy on the way home. Found the handling to be very neutral, literally steering itself through the curves. Rock steady with no tendency to dip towards the inside line. Straightline stability is excellent.
The bike fits me like a glove (6'2", 30" inseam) and I won't need to change the handlebars. The rider's footpegs seem an inch or two too far back, as I like to ride on the balls of my feet but resting on my arches was more comfortable. I'll get used to it. The seat seemed comfortable enough, but I'll need longer rides to really judge. No buffeting whatsoever, my helmet is immersed entirely in the slipstream above the windscreen, smooth and comfy.
It's too quiet! All I could hear was the wind past my helmet, except below 40mph I could hear the gears whine on acceleration. Like riding a jet. At idle you can just barely hear the valves ticking.
In 6th gear at 72 mph she holds at 3700 rpm. Twist the throttle and the bike leaps forward like an electric motor. I didn't find any flat spots, stumbles, or misses in the EFI, very smooth and powerful throughout the gears, with instant throttle response. No buzzing or vibration that I could feel through the bars at any rpm.
Brakes were smooth and predictable, though I haven't gotten on them very hard yet. Road was pretty wet most of the way home. No grabbing or over-sensitivity.
(http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d35/paulweit/Bandit%20Alley/B1250%20FAQ/Zenmans_No99a.jpg)
All in all I'm really happy with it so far. This bike suits me very well, it's everything I expected it to be and more. The power is impressive, all that torque is obvious every time you turn up the wick.
I hope to put some more miles on it in the next week, surgery is on 4/10 and I'm gonna try to do the 600 mile oil change before then. I'll keep ya'll posted!
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:congrats: Zen!
I gotta ask though,... do you guys not have roads down there? Mostly, here we try to ride on pavement, better traction... :wink:
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:congrats: Zen!
I gotta ask though,... do you guys not have roads down there? Mostly, here we try to ride on pavement, better traction... :wink:
Thanks, Stormi!
Hey, what can I say? We live on a farm.... dirt driveway, and 1/4 mile of gravel to the pavement. :grin:
But what pavement! Lots of twisties around here... you'll have to come down and checkit out someday! :bigok:
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OK....way to go, Zenman. You made it home with no one trying to wreck your new bike. You're definitely ahead of the curve, so far. :wink:
Hope your surgery and healing goes great....and by the time you're all healed up the roads will be nice and dry. Enjoy.
:congrats:
PS: and #99 too. What's not to like about that ??!! I wonder what adventures she'll see in her lifetime....and will she live to a ripe old age, being cared for by loving owners ?? Hopefully so.....
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Glad you finally got it...that was waaay to long to have to wait for a bike
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:thumb: on the new ride.... glad it's safely in the stable and looking forward to reading more of your impressions.
:clap: :clap:
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Thanks so much, guys... it is a huge relief to finally have her home where she belongs. :bandit:
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You defiantly picked the best color. Be careful post-Op riding until that new shoulder is working pain free. At least with the FI you wont even have to think about breathing mods or adjustments until you want to, just twist and go.
:congrats:
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:congrats: Nice looking ride, and pleased that you enjoyed the ride home. I could only wish my frist ride had been as good.
I'm guessing that you will also find the ABS system neutral and smooth.
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:congrats: Zen!
I gotta ask though,... do you guys not have roads down there? Mostly, here we try to ride on pavement, better traction... :wink:
Hey, Stormi!
What you see in the pics is prolly ZenMan's driveway, not the highway past his house :lol:.
Us older folks tend to have a few acres that we call home, although King George II and his evil henchmen are desperately trying to change that.
Imagine their nerve, repealing the rights we and our forebears came to America for, died for, and continue to love in spite of his depredations. :duh:
He wants us all to live in tightly-packed slums, while he and the 6% of the population that sends big checks to his campaigns continue to live off the sweat of our brows and the strength of our backs (ref.: Troops in Iraq, at the moment :gatlin:.
As they say in Brooklyn: FUGGEDDABOUDIT!
So, even tho you can hear the bad guys ripping up the very floorboards as they're stripping the USA for everything they can, true patriots continue to remember who their real friends are. Canadians are definitely among them! Thanks! :aus: (Sorry - the Ozzie flag is closest - we love 'em too.)
Herb, 509th BW, 8th AF
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Finally got it home! It was a little wet out, so she's got her first coat of road grime. :bandit:
This is the 99th '07 B1250 to roll off the production line... VIN#xxxxxxxxxxxx00099!
(http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q13/ZenMan33/99b.jpg)
Took it easy on the way home. Found the handling to be very neutral, literally steering itself through the curves. Rock steady with no tendency to dip towards the inside line. Straightline stability is excellent.
The bike fits me like a glove (6'2", 30" inseam) and I won't need to change the handlebars. The rider's footpegs seem an inch or two too far back, as I like to ride on the balls of my feet but resting on my arches was more comfortable. I'll get used to it. The seat seemed comfortable enough, but I'll need longer rides to really judge. No buffeting whatsoever, my helmet was in the slipstream off the top of the windscreen, smooth and comfy.
It's too quiet! All I could hear was the wind past my helmet, except below 40mph I could hear the gears whine on acceleration. Like riding a jet. At idle you can just barely hear the valves ticking.
In 6th gear at 72 mph she holds at 3700 rpm. Twist the throttle and the bike leaps forward like an electric motor. I didn't find any flat spots, stumbles, or misses in the EFI, very smooth and powerful throughout the gears, with instant throttle response. No buzzing or vibration that I could feel through the bars at any rpm.
Brakes were smooth and predictable, though I haven't gotten on them very hard yet. Road was pretty wet most of the way home. No grabbing or over-sensitivity.
(http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q13/ZenMan33/99c.jpg)
All in all I'm really happy with it so far. This bike suits me very well, it's everything I expected it to be and more. The power is impressive, all that torque is obvious every time you turn up the wick.
I hope to put some more miles on it in the next week, surgery is on 4/10 and I'm gonna try to do the 600 mile oil change before then. I'll keep ya'll posted!
I LIKE it! Just be careful with that rotator cuff, bro!
Herb
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All you guys, I appreciate your congrats and well wishes. :thanks:
CWO, you have the right idea... I'll probably leave it pretty much stock for awhile until I get more intimately familiar with the care and feeding of the beast, and explore my options... it's got plenty of grunt to keep me happy at least till I'm healed up enough to ride her like she was meant to be ridden. :wink:
Greyhound, this is a standard model... no ABS. I don't think they'll be in country for awhile yet. I would have went for one but the wait was long enough for this baby!
Gyro, nothing like a few acres to call your own... but it's gonna be hard to keep 'ol Number 99 clean around here. :roll:
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One thing I noticed when I fired it up to park it under the deck tonight... The tranny is a bit noisy when cold. When the clutch is pulled in, all you hear is a slight valve ticking, like a swiss watch. But when you let out the clutch in neutral, you can definitely hear some spinning/whirring in there.
This is probably partly due to the thin break-in oil, but I bet it's inherent of the new "stacked" transmission. I haven't seen any exploded views yet, but I think in order to make the engine more compact, the gear shafts are arranged vertically. It would explain what I'm hearing... definitely something I will keep an "ear" on, and do some research on too.
Shifting was crisp and positive going down the road... but the engine is so quiet I found myself looking at the tach a lot to estimate what gear I was in. Mostly I just left it in 6th, there's so much torque you hardly need to downshift even when passing cars. :motorsmile:
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:congrats: I like the sharp lines,looks great. Sounds like a worthy and comfortable stead indeed.Awsome!
Its going to seem like a long recovery when you have a new motorcycle waiting to go for a ride. It will give you plenty of time to clean all the road grime off that you put on befor hand. :motorsmile:
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WOW . . . very nice. I really like the black forks and swingarm, if the pegs and lump were matching I think it would be perfect. Man I'd be tempted to paint a few things. You can paint with one arm can't you? :congrats:
Not saying it needs any changes. :lol:
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one thing i like about my 02 Bandit is that the frame is the same colour as the bike (blue)
I see that the frame, forks and swingarm on yours are black.
if the bike was another colour like red, would the frame, forks and swingarm be red, or are they black on all colours??
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:congrats: on getting the new bike home...hope you get a couple of trips before your surgery.
It looks good. The initial impression sounds good. I hope you and the other 07 guys can give us a good longer term impression when it make sense.
Zen - your'e 6'2" with a 30" inseam? So this means you have a long upper body, and the windblast off the screen is at the TOP of your helmet? I'm 5'11" with a 32" inseam and on the 2nd gen, the windblast gets me starting at the top of my shoulders. If this is what you meant, then the 07 must have quite a different windshield arrangement.
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DaveG, I like the same color frame/bodywork too. On the red model, it's the same as mine, black frame/forks/swingarm. But on the ABS model, the bodywork is a steely blue, the frame is a gunmetal silver-gray, and the forks/swingarm are aluminum.
Chupacabra, I think it would look really good with a black engine and exhaust, etc. too, but I also like it the way it is for now, the big engine sorta stands out. If/when I ever tear it down, I'll probably powder-coat the motor black.
Smoothy, I'm going to install the first accessories on her this morning... a Pro-grip tank protector (carbon fiber), an SOR throttle cruise-lok, and a set of Parts Unlmited foam grips. And put my tankbag on. Might shorten the rear fender, too.
I really need to be careful with the injury, but shoot! I gotta put some miles in while I can, right? There'll be plenty of time for farkling post-op. :grin:
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:congrats: on the new ride!
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:congrats: on getting the new bike home...hope you get a couple of trips before your surgery.
Zen - your'e 6'2" with a 30" inseam? So this means you have a long upper body, and the windblast off the screen is at the TOP of your helmet?
:thanks:
Pmackie, sorry for not being more clear with my wind effect description... I went back and edited it, thanks for pointing that out! :wink:
What I was trying to say is that my entire head/hemet is immersed in the slipstream. The wind cuts off right about at my collar bone area. Yep, short legs, tall body. :roll:
I'm thinking if I was to put a higher windcreen on, it'll need to direct the slipstream at least 12" higher, otherwise I'd probably catch it in my face. But for now, having my head in the wind means no buffeting... a good thing. :wink:
Thanks Fossil!
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"The bike fits me like a glove (6'2", 30" inseam)"
Wow, you're realy long-wasted! I have the opporsite problem, about 4" shorter than you, and would like a couple more inches in my torso. Alwasy feel like my shirt pockets are too low.
Anyway, what a great story. #99! What a cool nickname. Even better than having #100. Good time to start taking photos and journaling your experiences.
I'll have to ride over one weekend and see it. I'll PM ya when I see an open date.
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Just a quick word, Zenman.
I, personally, would NOT lug that engine by just running along in 6th. Keep her spinning up (to the max allowed as per the manual) and down and keep rowing on that gearbox.....4 - 5 - 6 - 5 - 4....like that. That way the engine gets used to a lot of different engine speeds and the gearbox gets some of the "rough bits" smoothed out as well.
Also it doesn't hurt to give it a little bit of stick away from the lights (fully warmed up, of course) in first and second (again, not exceeding max revs as per the book) since this will push the rings out against the cylinder walls and help them seat better.
My .02.....
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#99 makes it the Gretzky of Bandits
"the GREAT one"
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#99 makes it the Gretzky of Bandits
"the GREAT one"
Oh, now you've got me talking hockey. And I was doing so well, even took my Preds logo avatar off. Say, anyone know how that little ol' team in Nashville is doin'...?
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Say, anyone know how that little ol' team in Nashville is doin'...?
Well now... since the "real" season doesn't begin for another week or so we'll just have to see. :stickpoke:
Looking forward to the Stars/Preds re-match on Saturday - should be a barn-stormer. :storm: :trustme:
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Thats as good looking a motorcycle as there is, maybe I need to come up there and ride it while your recouping. :congrats:
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Well now... since the "real" season doesn't begin for another week or so we'll just have to see. :stickpoke:
Looking forward to the Stars/Preds re-match on Saturday - should be a barn-stormer. :storm: :trustme:
Hey, don't rush the season! It's bad enough that we have both July *and* August* off between seasons. Thank God for "winter sports".
Here in the West...um..why *is* Nashville in the Western Conference again? Looking at the standings and the past couple years, Lord Stanley seems to like the South!
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Wow Zen... FINALLY! Must feel great. She's a beaut. Best of luck with her!
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Just a quick word, Zenman.
I, personally, would NOT lug that engine by just running along in 6th. Keep her spinning up (to the max allowed as per the manual) and down and keep rowing on that gearbox.....4 - 5 - 6 - 5 - 4....like that. That way the engine gets used to a lot of different engine speeds and the gearbox gets some of the "rough bits" smoothed out as well.
Also it doesn't hurt to give it a little bit of stick away from the lights (fully warmed up, of course) in first and second (again, not exceeding max revs as per the book) since this will push the rings out against the cylinder walls and help them seat better.
My .02.....
Yep, you're absolutely right, Rick. That's the way to break it in right. The ride home wasn't all lugging, I assure you! :wink: I was taking it easy cuz' the shoulder is a little fragile and I wanted to feel the torque out gently. But I was downshifting, accelerating, all that good stuff... in one straight stretch I went down to 4th and passed a semi, a truck with a horse trailer, and a motorhome in one swoop. She was in 6th at 104 mph when I let off and flicked 'er back in the right lane.
Gotta get those rings seated! :bandit:
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"The bike fits me like a glove (6'2", 30" inseam)"
Wow, you're realy long-wasted! I have the opporsite problem, about 4" shorter than you, and would like a couple more inches in my torso. Alwasy feel like my shirt pockets are too low.
Anyway, what a great story. #99! What a cool nickname. Even better than having #100. Good time to start taking photos and journaling your experiences.
I'll have to ride over one weekend and see it. I'll PM ya when I see an open date.
Sure, Sven, hell you're just an hour or two away, right? If you can't make it before 4/10 (that's my surgery, I won't be able to ride for a couple months after that) then anytime after July 4th I'll be back in the saddle.
PM me ahead of time, and be prepared to spend the night if you want... we have plenty of room. And there's LOTS of great roads around here. You like Mexican beer? :bigok:
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Thats as good looking a motorcycle as there is, maybe I need to come up there and ride it while your recouping. :congrats:
:thanks:
That's quite a compliment coming from someone who owns bikes as good-looking (and good-running!) as yours are, Bob... :beers:
I just might be taking a little ride down south this fall, maybe I can swing by your place and you can check 'er out then. Maybe get her on the dyno... you have access to one right?
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Wow Zen... FINALLY! Must feel great. She's a beaut. Best of luck with her!
Muchos Gracias! :grin:
I started with a few things today beginning the process of making her mine. Pro-grip tank protector, foam grips, and a throttle-lock cruise control. Installed my tank bag.
I also did a little minor surgery on the rear fender, shortened it and relocated the license plate bracket higher, up under the light. I like to see all of that fat tire from the rear. I'll take some pics tomorrow.
If the weather permits, gonna get the suspension dialed in and put some more break-in miles on her tomorrow too. :motorsmile:
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sweet looking bike, i still miss my bandit. i might buy one of the 1250 as my next bike. i will wait to see what type of sport touring stuff they come out with for it. and see what type of pipes they have to replace the one that looks like suzuki stole off a yamaha warrior. that is one big muffler! love the lines of the new bike though. throw some hard bags on it with a corbin seat, and i think i found my st bike i been looking for.
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sweet looking bike, i still miss my bandit. i might buy one of the 1250 as my next bike. i will wait to see what type of sport touring stuff they come out with for it. and see what type of pipes they have to replace the one that looks like suzuki stole off a yamaha warrior. that is one big muffler! love the lines of the new bike though. throw some hard bags on it with a corbin seat, and i think i found my st bike i been looking for.
Speedy, I was thinking along those same lines, except using a set of soft sport saddlebags and tailbag that I already have, and going with a lower fairing and slightly taller windscreen. I want to keep her on the sportier side of sport touring. :bandit:
My dealer showed me this pic (I've seen the same pic elsewhere) that her Suzuki rep emailed her. Suzuki says that everything on this bike will be available soon as an '07 B1250 option through the dealerships.
(http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d35/paulweit/Bandit%20Alley/B1250%20FAQ/B1250ST.jpg)
I like the lowers, but I'm not a big fan of hard cases, and I definitely will never have one of those big topcases on my bike.
I think it'll look great in black, aye? :bigok:
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Sure, Sven, hell you're just an hour or two away, right?
It may be a bit longer than a couple hours, but certainly do-able.
You like Mexican beer? :bigok:
.
Or more concisely, "you like beer, right?"
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She's a beauty Zen! :congrats:
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She's a beauty Zen! :congrats:
Thank you, Russtang!
<EDITED> The rest of this post has been moved to the B1250/650 FAQ's under "Rear Fender Mods".
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A few more accesories were added... Parts Unlimited foam grips and a SOR Vista cruise control:
(http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q13/ZenMan33/99f.jpg)
Pro-Grip tank protector:
(http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q13/ZenMan33/99g.jpg)
And Dowco RallyPack tank bag:
(http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q13/ZenMan33/99k.jpg)
The tank bag is part of a matching set that includes soft saddlebags and tailbag. I'll probably work on getting those installed while I'm recuperating. :bandit:
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Thanks, Stormi!
Hey, what can I say? We live on a farm.... dirt driveway, and 1/4 mile of gravel to the pavement. :grin:
But what pavement! Lots of twisties around here... you'll have to come down and checkit out someday! :bigok:
Careful what you offer,.. any more of this snow and you might just find me on your doorstep with a server and 3 bikes in tow. :stickpoke:
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What you see in the pics is prolly ZenMan's driveway, not the highway past his house :lol:.
Us older folks tend to have a few acres that we call home, although King George II and his evil henchmen are desperately trying to change that.
We're in the same boat here. When we bought this house, we were looking for acreages,.. but anything in our price range was usually downright scary. (Mold, estabilshed pets,... ) So we settled for neighbors in a medium sized town instead. It's the 5 yr plan though to have an acreage... I'm pushing for "not in a snow bound area" though.
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Thanks, Stormi!
Hey, what can I say? We live on a farm.... dirt driveway, and 1/4 mile of gravel to the pavement. :grin:
But what pavement! Lots of twisties around here... you'll have to come down and checkit out someday! :bigok:
Careful what you offer,.. any more of this snow and you might just find me on your doorstep with a server and 3 bikes in tow. :stickpoke:
Anytime, Stormi... you'll love our dial-up ISP! It only fails a couple times a day... :roll:
Unless you wanna pitch in on a satellite up-link... only goes out during thunderstorms. :lol:
But the more bikes the merrier! :motorsmile:
Great job keeping the site going... THANK YOU. :clap: :clap: :clap:
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Anytime, Stormi... you'll love our dial-up ISP! It only fails a couple times a day... :roll:
Unless you wanna pitch in on a satellite up-link... only goes out during thunderstorms. :lol:
But the more bikes the merrier! :motorsmile:
Great job keeping the site going... THANK YOU. :clap: :clap: :clap:
Maybe I could just use the internet connection on my cell phone?? :wink:
I just figured out why the site is faster for you dial-up types... no banners,.. less to load!
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:clap:
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Herb you wave that flag anytime you want! We don't mind at all!
Zenman that is a sweet ride, they haven't arrived here yet so can't wait to test ride one. Had my shoulder rebuilt 2 1/2 years ago so I understand where you're at. Coincidentally that was a month after I got my Bandit. If I can offer some advice don't rush thing's on the way back,you gotta think of the riding fun long term. :motorsmile:
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Thanks, Wizud! I feel for ya, I had to wait 3 months for this bike, I hope you'll get a test ride sooner.
This is my second shoulder rebuild in 5 months time, the right one still isn't 100% yet. I'll definitely take your advice and not push it. :wink:
I originaly posted some stuff about tuning the suspension here, but I'm gonna move that over to the "Suspension" forum, anyone that's interested can read it there and see the pics.
Here's what's under the seat:
(http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q13/ZenMan33/99p.jpg)
And the tool kit (notice the shock adjuster lower right):
(http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q13/ZenMan33/99l.jpg)
:motorsmile:
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:congrats: on the new ride and the end of the long wait!
Just curious, in the above pics, where does the tool kit go? On the 2G it goes pretty much where your "black box" is and the battery sat a little lower and there was a storage tray on top of the battery. Also the two screws holding the storage tray (battery tray on yours) have bumpers for the seat on them on the 2G...
I mention this because a couple years ago, I was riding with Steve (he hasn't posted here in a year or so) and popped my seat off to get something. Steve asked where I got the cool storage tray with the rubber bumpers... seems his 2G made it out of the factory without the tray or the bumpers. Just wondering if the new one is supposed to have bumpers in the same spot.
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Thanks, Red.
The tool kit goes in the back under the tail cowling. There's a hollow space there with a rubber bungee that holds it in place.
Tool kit storage:
(http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q13/ZenMan33/99s.jpg)
The bumpers are attached to the seat underneath... the seat actually unbolts into two pieces so the bumpers can be changed out to adjust the seat height for the rider. The manual says to take it to the dealer to do this, but if you had the replacement bumpers it looks easy enough to do it yourself, I would think.
I'll take some pics tomorrow... I'm sorta curious myself how the seat comes apart anyway. :wink:
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Hey ZenMan!
Thanks for the pics and info. about your new bike. I just got back on the board after all the trouble and was pretty excited to find out you got your bike! Mine hopefully will be in this week. My dealer kept telling me end of March, so the fact that it isn't here yet is really bumming me out! Thank God the weather has been crappy here in the land of 10,000 taxes (Minnesota) or I'd be going out of my mind! Good luck on your surgery, and congrats on the new bike!
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Thank you, ZillaX. :grin:
Wow, I was sure you'd have yours by now... My dealer said they get the bikes from the warehouse in Chicago, that's a lot closer to you. Do you have a deposit down? Did you get your dealer to put the order on priority?
I sure hope you get it soon. And remember you're welcome to come down and visit once I get healed up... Good luck! :motorsmile:
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Red and anyone else who's interested... I posted the seat adjustment procedure with pics in the "Comfort/Appearance" forum. :grin:
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Apology to Zen for the thread hijack...
We're in the same boat here. When we bought this house, we were looking for acreages,.. but anything in our price range was usually downright scary. (Mold, estabilshed pets,... ) So we settled for neighbors in a medium sized town instead. It's the 5 yr plan though to have an acreage... I'm pushing for "not in a snow bound area" though.
That was EXACTLY our plan too when we moved from California to Arizona a few years ago. We got a 1/4 acre lot with a nice house in our little Phoenix suburb. Once we got a feel for the area, we had planned to move to something with at least an acre. Well, between then and now, property values have shot up around 250%! Great if we want to sell and move someplace else (we don't). Not so great if we want to buy that house on 3 acres a block away.
I don't want to sound like the whiner whose property values have more than doubled. We've got a nice house (with...neighbors). Just kicking myself, because it's going to be a lot harder/impossible to get that acreage nearby when it's going for a minimum of $350k/acre. :shock:
Stormi, home run! You and your husband should consider the Southwest. Acreage is still a great price in rural areas and a great investment as it is expected to grow faster then any place in the country, why I invested out here and planning more for my kids future.
I agree!!! What's not to like about 330+ days of sun/riding? You just have to trade the snow plow and jacket for cold beverages and sunblock! And yes, land is still very reasonable in rural areas. Less than $500/acre in some areas.
Russ
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No problem... I'll even participate in the "hijack"...
We bought 26 acres with a small but new farmhouse, shop, well, pond, and outbuildings 9 years ago for $40,000. Since then we added another 10 acres adjoining for $12,000. We just had the whole thing appraised for $86,000. Not that we're planning on moving.
Raw land goes for $600 to $1000 per acre. You can find plenty of small farms (less than 40 acres) for under $100,000 around here.
Of course, jobs are mostly labor and don't pay much, but you don't need much with the cost of living so low. Taxes on our farm are less than $200/year.
An internet business is an ideal way to make a living here. I restore old trucks and tractors and sell them for a good profit, and my partner/girlfriend is a medical technician part time at the residential care facility in town. We do just fine, enough left over to buy toys and have lotsa fun.
There's not much growth or development going on, but that's exactly why we moved here... peace and quiet. If you want investment property, go somewhere else. If you want an idyllic, peaceful lifestyle, you can't beat it. Nearest neighbor is 1/2 mile away.
All our kids are grown and have their own careers, kids, homes... We'll never live the noisy, smelly, high-stress city life again. :wink:
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Slightly back on-topic - I think "Number 99," should you decide to name it, should be called Agent 99.
(http://images.salon.com/mwt/style/2002/07/01/feldon/story.jpg)
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Oh yeah, I remember Agent 99 quite well. She was a hottie! Too bad she had that thing for Max, though.... what a loser he was! :duh: Was I in an adolescent fit of jealousy??? :lol:
"Agent 99"... sounds stealthy. I like it! :bandit:
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:clap:
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Well I have been buying and selling property in the southwest now since 1987 and I can tell you that there is allot of up and coming rural property with well water and utilities like Snow Flake Arizona where you cam buy 20 acre blocks for 20K. You must buy low and sell high, you cant run with the herd because by then its too late. The problem is that most people won't or cant buy in a crashed market which is the best time and wont sell in a high market, they rather run with the herd, buying high and getting stuck (great for investors). I'm waiting another year as the market will be at its lowest and listing at their highest and will be investing in north New Mexico making multipal low bid offers, someone always sells at that point.
Well, this is an investment-minded approach, and I think what a few of us here have in mind is more just finding your own chunk of paradise to live on happily ever after. :wink:
I bought and sold a few properties in Washington state, it's a great way to make a bunch of money relatively fast and easy, if you're smart.
But there comes a time (at least for us) that the pursuit of the almighty dollar becomes less important than the pursuit of happiness. Of course you need money to live, but how much is enough? I know a few very rich folks that are pretty damn miserable. Finding a balance is the key.
We raised and cared for our kids from birth through college, they have their own kids and lives now. This is our time. So we bought this farm and now we live the sweet life. When we're gone, this place will pass to our kids... hopefully we have started a long family legacy here.
We have deer in the fields and bald eagles in the sky. We're surrounded by national forest and our road dead-ends on a excellent trout river. Hunting, fishing, camping, and hundreds miles of great roads all around. Winters are mild, you can ride 9-10 months out of the year.
We both make our living doing things we love, we don't work too much and we have more than enough to have fun too. It's not that hard, even a caveman could do it... it's just a matter of breaking the chains and living for yourself instead of doing what society dictates. Gotta quit watching all those TV commercials with the "Average American Family" bullsh!t. You really don't need a Lexus! :lol:
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Nirvana is in the mind Zenman. You have reached it when you believe you have. I congratulate you on finding what makes you happy. It is a rare and beautiful thing :motorsmile:
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Thanks, Wizud... I don't know about Nirvana, but we are pretty thankful to be able to live the way we always wanted.
I should make it clear that I'm not trying to brag, or make any judgements on anybody... PLEASE don't take it that way!
I just want to share with others who are contemplating making a move to the country... if we can do it, anybody can. It's not that hard, it doesn't take huge sums of money or years of preparation. I think the biggest thing that holds people back is the uneasiness of letting go of the seemingly secure steady job/urban environment to take on a radical change in lifestyle.
It's not for everybody, many people thrive in the high-pressure big-business city environment, and truly enjoy being in the midst of the bustling, multi-cultural masses. They'd probably be bored to death out here! :wink:
But if you always dreamed of "getting away from it all", it's just a matter of making up you're mind and doing it... trust in yourself and it'll work out. :motorsmile:
Ok, I'm climbing off my soapbox now... :grin:
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Man, that does sound like a nice place Zen! I recently bought 40 acres out in northeast arizona. I just wanted a place to escape everything once and a while (especially the August heat!). Going up there fits my definition of "getting away from it all" with no electricity, cell phone service, running water, sewage system...hehe :lol: I love every minute of it!
I did buy it primarily for this reason, with the investment potential there, but trailing in importance. It's a great place to go relax and enjoy the starry skies. Our biggest problem is that it takes 4 hours to get there, so we don't get to visit too often.
I think you speak the truth about finding happiness. Too many people seem to be tied up in working harder and harder for the sole purpose of upgrading to the next model car or house. We (me included) are all working for this month's house/car/cellphone/utility/etc. bill. Don't get me wrong, I like having nice things and a place to live. But at the same time, I hate feeling that I am a slave to the stuff. I'm probably not alone there, hehe.
I just heard a quote from Jim Carrey (of all people) that went something like this: ” I think everybody should get rich and famous and do everything they ever dreamed of so they can see that it’s not the answer.”
I once complimented my old friend Rob (an even more unlikely philosopher) after getting a new job and big raise. His reply went something like this: "Thanks, but we'll still be broke...just with nicer stuff!".
I'm glad you've found what works for you. This thread (now officially way off track) has motivated me to think a little bit more about the reason why I put in those 50 hours a week. I think I need to start by finding a way to bring those acres of mine closer! :grin:
Russ
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Stormi, home run! You and your husband should consider the Southwest. Acreage is still a great price in rural areas and a great investment as it is expected to grow faster then any place in the country, why I invested out here and planning more for my kids future.
We were discussing that the other day! Based on what Zen had to say a little earlier in the thread, we could sell this house, and buy something like his for cash! Living expenses sure get easier without a mortgage payment!
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:clap:
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We were discussing that the other day! Based on what Zen had to say a little earlier in the thread, we could sell this house, and buy something like his for cash! Living expenses sure get easier without a mortgage payment!
Now you're talking, Stormi! Try this... sit down and crunch the numbers. Figure out how much you'd have left over if you liquidated everything. Then use that number as a guide to the price range of rural property to look for.
Then figure out how much you'd need to get by every month on a farm... groceries, gas, phone/internet, electricity, etc... you'd be suprised how little you actually need.
Mortgage payments are doable if you make a large down payment, like at least 50% of the total. We did that because we wanted some cash to make improvements and buy a truck, tractor, equipment and tools. Our payments were around $250/month. Double payments take huge bites out of the principal, you can get out from under it in no time.
Another thing to remember is on a farm, you have a LOT of room. You can grow a big garden, keep chickens for eggs, rabbits for meat, one good milk goat will give a gallon a day. Put a wood stove in, the windfall and thinning from just a few acre wood lot will keep you warm. Put some solar panels on the roof and hook up a battery/inverter system to supplement part of your electricity needs.
All this stuff saves you money! The more you work on your homestead, the less you have to work for somebody else. The possibilities are amazing, really!
I recently bought 40 acres out in northeast arizona. I just wanted a place to escape everything once and a while (especially the August heat!). Going up there fits my definition of "getting away from it all" with no electricity, cell phone service, running water, sewage system...hehe :lol: I love every minute of it!
This thread (now officially way off track) has motivated me to think a little bit more about the reason why I put in those 50 hours a week. I think I need to start by finding a way to bring those acres of mine closer! :grin:
Russ
Russ, your 40 acres sounds like a little piece of heaven! I'd be tempted to move up there for good. Drill a well, get some solar panels, propane tank, satellite uplink, generator backup... who needs the grid, anyway? :bandit:
And as far as this thread hijack goes, what better topic shift than this? It's great to see folks talking about changing their lives and realizing their dreams. I highly recommend it to all my friends! :bigok:
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I am going to pick up ZenMan's twin #97 on Friday.
It looks like I will have to trailer her home. The temps are going to be in the 40s. It's a little too cool for a six hour ride home. I will ride to work even if it's down in the 20s, but that's only a 20 minute ride to work. I rode the wife's B4 to work this morning and it was 31F when I went past the bank.
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That was EXACTLY our plan too when we moved from California to Arizona a few years ago. We got a 1/4 acre lot with a nice house in our little Phoenix suburb. Once we got a feel for the area, we had planned to move to something with at least an acre. Well, between then and now, property values have shot up around 250%! Great if we want to sell and move someplace else (we don't). Not so great if we want to buy that house on 3 acres a block away.
I don't want to sound like the whiner whose property values have more than doubled. We've got a nice house (with...neighbors). Just kicking myself, because it's going to be a lot harder/impossible to get that acreage nearby when it's going for a minimum of $350k/acre. :shock:
That's exactly the same as here. The area we bought in is booming right now. Our house has doubled in "value" since March of 2005. But we have exactly the same problem. Sell it, and where do you go? Apparently to Missouri. My dad was saying tonight, what's in Missouri? I told him green grass. He goes, OK,.. that's enough, you sold me. ;)
The "value" of a house, in some ways is bogus. There's not a lot of "real" value, because you can't realise the profit, without leaving the area you're in.
I agree!!! What's not to like about 330+ days of sun/riding? You just have to trade the snow plow and jacket for cold beverages and sunblock! And yes, land is still very reasonable in rural areas. Less than $500/acre in some areas.
Russ
You know,.. I could happily leave my snow plow, jacket, and winter tires behind, and never see them again. I had a friend up from Texas,.. he couldn't believe how much we used natural gas for,... and I think he said he didn't even have a furnace... I could live like that.
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We bought 26 acres with a small but new farmhouse, shop, well, pond, and outbuildings 9 years ago for $40,000. Since then we added another 10 acres adjoining for $12,000. We just had the whole thing appraised for $86,000. Not that we're planning on moving.
8 years ago, I bought a house in a small town for $42k. My first house. I'd intended to flip it. Not so much. When I sold it 3 years ago, granted, with some upgrades, I got $81K for it. I suspect that today, at the inflated values, it's worth abotu $105K. Sold a little too soon, but I couldn't live there anymore.
Today, I could sell this house, and move to Missouri mortgage free. That's sounding nicer and nicer,.. expecially, since it's @$#!$ snowing AGAIN!
Raw land goes for $600 to $1000 per acre. You can find plenty of small farms (less than 40 acres) for under $100,000 around here.
That's lots for a couple of horses, and a couple of bikes...
Of course, jobs are mostly labor and don't pay much, but you don't need much with the cost of living so low. Taxes on our farm are less than $200/year.
Well, the other half is a DHL relief driver, that counts as labor, and if he works, and the house is paid for, I could become full-time mom to the Alley. ;) GOD! We pay nearly that a MONTH in taxes...
An internet business is an ideal way to make a living here. I restore old trucks and tractors and sell them for a good profit, and my partner/girlfriend is a medical technician part time at the residential care facility in town. We do just fine, enough left over to buy toys and have lotsa fun.
Well, if we become neighbors, then the first order of business is to get you to help fix the other half's truck. *oops,.. don't tell him I said that. :stickpoke: Gremlins suck. I would love to slow life down. That was the goal when we refinanced the house, but then I bought a new car, instead of a 5yr old car. :embarassed: One more year of working for me.
There's not much growth or development going on, but that's exactly why we moved here... peace and quiet. If you want investment property, go somewhere else. If you want an idyllic, peaceful lifestyle, you can't beat it. Nearest neighbor is 1/2 mile away.
Man! That's exactly what I've been looking for. Though some days I feel too young to be wanting that.
All our kids are grown and have their own careers, kids, homes... We'll never live the noisy, smelly, high-stress city life again. :wink:
We tried city living for 9 months. It was awful. We picked a bad area to live in, but still, drunks throwing up on the lawn, stolen cars, noise, garage fires, and always the fear of my dogs getting out of the yard and getting hit by cars on the two busy streets that were a block away from us. Reminded me of why I'd been looking for an acreage to begin with.
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You must buy low and sell high, you cant run with the herd because by then its too late. <snip> I'm waiting another year as the market will be at its lowest and listing at their highest and will be investing in north New Mexico making multipal low bid offers, someone always sells at that point.
A great situation for someone with cash in their pockets from a previous sale, and not too picky about location!
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It's not that hard, it doesn't take huge sums of money or years of preparation. I think the biggest thing that holds people back is the uneasiness of letting go of the seemingly secure steady job/urban environment to take on a radical change in lifestyle.
Or waiting for the kid(s) to move out. I think she'd mightily choked at us if we picked up and left the country her friends were in... 5.5 more yrs... that's only 65 more months... 286 weeks,... 2002 days.... Which is about 800 - 1000 days of snow... Oh HELL!! She'd get over it eventually!!
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Now you're talking, Stormi! Try this... sit down and crunch the numbers. Figure out how much you'd have left over if you liquidated everything. Then use that number as a guide to the price range of rural property to look for.
Everything? :sad: Including Blue and Dita?
Then figure out how much you'd need to get by every month on a farm... groceries, gas, phone/internet, electricity, etc... you'd be suprised how little you actually need.
Well,.. I figure that on a farm, if it's not already run, the way to go is propane. No monthly "delivery" costs,.. I bet we could live for around $1k/month. More would be gravy.
Mortgage payments are doable if you make a large down payment, like at least 50% of the total. We did that because we wanted some cash to make improvements and buy a truck, tractor, equipment and tools. Our payments were around $250/month. Double payments take huge bites out of the principal, you can get out from under it in no time.
I'd be most likely to have no mortgage if possible, and just pay for the toys as we went along. That's the way I prefer to do it. :) Housing is a necessity... toys are not. Better to have the housing firmly in hand, so no one can take that away from you, and "mortgage" the toys if necessary.
Another thing to remember is on a farm, you have a LOT of room. You can grow a big garden, keep chickens for eggs, rabbits for meat, one good milk goat will give a gallon a day. Put a wood stove in, the windfall and thinning from just a few acre wood lot will keep you warm. Put some solar panels on the roof and hook up a battery/inverter system to supplement part of your electricity needs.
I've been looking at some of those options already. No eggs for me though, one of the many allergies I found out I have. And I doubt I could manage to "do in a chicken", much less eat dinner afterward. I'm guessing a garden would grow there. Here, the season is so short, my zucchini's are 3 " long at the end of the season, and the carrots are 1". I wouldn't know about the strawberries, or raspberries, cos the damn dog ate them before they matured. *sigh* My fault for getting an "intelligent" dog.
And as far as this thread hijack goes, what better topic shift than this? It's great to see folks talking about changing their lives and realizing their dreams. I highly recommend it to all my friends! :bigok:
Well,.. the Bike, for me at least, was a shift in thinking to try to manage life a little better, and enjoy myself. Warmth of location seems a logical extension :grin:
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I am going to pick up ZenMan's twin #97 on Friday.
It looks like I will have to trailer her home. The temps are going to be in the 40s. It's a little too cool for a six hour ride home. I will ride to work even if it's down in the 20s, but that's only a 20 minute ride to work. I rode the wife's B4 to work this morning and it was 31F when I went past the bank.
Woo hoo! :congrats:
Glad it worked out for you, and it's good to see ol' 99's twin is going to a good home.
If I can, I'll try to ride up there on friday and meet ya. Like to see #97 get loaded up and off to her new home! :motorsmile:
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Now you're talking, Stormi! Try this... sit down and crunch the numbers. Figure out how much you'd have left over if you liquidated everything. Then use that number as a guide to the price range of rural property to look for.
Everything? :sad: Including Blue and Dita?
Naw, not everything everything!
Then figure out how much you'd need to get by every month on a farm... groceries, gas, phone/internet, electricity, etc... you'd be suprised how little you actually need.
Well,.. I figure that on a farm, if it's not already run, the way to go is propane. No monthly "delivery" costs,.. I bet we could live for around $1k/month. More would be gravy.
We have a 500 gal. propane tank... get it filled once a year. Free lease as long as we buy from that company only. Everybodt around here has their own tanks.
Mortgage payments are doable if you make a large down payment, like at least 50% of the total. We did that because we wanted some cash to make improvements and buy a truck, tractor, equipment and tools. Our payments were around $250/month. Double payments take huge bites out of the principal, you can get out from under it in no time.
I'd be most likely to have no mortgage if possible, and just pay for the toys as we went along. That's the way I prefer to do it. :) Housing is a necessity... toys are not. Better to have the housing firmly in hand, so no one can take that away from you, and "mortgage" the toys if necessary.
A truck, tractor, equipment like a chainsaw, posthole digger, brush-hog, and tools like welders and radial-arm saws aren't "toys"... on a farm, they're necessities.
Motorcycles, Jeeps and Quadrunners are toys. :bandit:
If you're serious about properties in this area, may I suggest contacting as many real estate agencies in small towns as you can and have them send you brochures to drool over. Southern Missouri and northern Arkansas are full of places like ours. United Country is a good company that leans toward rural farms and land. Just specify what you want and most agencies will have properties with your requirements and in your price range. Then this summer you can take a ride down this way and check 'em out.
You're always welcome to hang out here for the weekend... get a taste of the simple life. :wink:
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A truck, tractor, equipment like a chainsaw, posthole digger, brush-hog, and tools like welders and radial-arm saws aren't "toys"... on a farm, they're necessities.
Motorcycles, Jeeps and Quadrunners are toys. :bandit:
An arguement could be made that a Jeep could be a necessity and along with a utility trailer could replace the truck and tractor.
(http://www.willys-overland.com/misc/Popular_Mechanics_January_1943_photo8.jpg)
Up through 1971, all CJ's were equipped with a PTO port on the transfer case and had an available drawbar for attaching farm impliments. If a Jeep is too small, you could always use a Unimog as your truck & tractor - and it'll haul a bigger horse trailer than any 1T pickup. Since they're built by Mercedes, they aren't exactly cheap though... but they come in tons of different cab & wheelbase configurations and can take a front loader, backhoe or just about anything you can think of.
(http://lkw-infos.net/images/lkw-hst/mercedes/unimog/MB-Unimog-rot-100904-1.jpg)
(http://www.redcougar.ca/images/Inventory/Unimogs-ASO/1450Doka-crane-1.jpg)
The optional tilt bed is really cool... it'll dump off the back or either side.
(http://lkw-infos.net/images/lkw-hst/mercedes/unimog/teil-2/MB-Unimog-U-1000-gruen-Eischer-140305-01.jpg)
(http://www.redcougar.ca/images/Inventory/79-U1500-425-green/unimog-1500-3s.jpg)
Just look at the ground clearance those portal axles afford! :bigok:
The tall bed height might make loading motorcycles in it a PIA, but then you might not need a dirt bike anymore with one of these... they'll go just about anywhere they'll fit - and with a front loader, you could make your own trails. :wink:
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Everything? :sad: Including Blue and Dita?
Naw, not everything everything!
Whew! I've spent too much time with DIta getting her running to want to get rid of her. And Blue was the deal of the century according the the Honda dealer we usually deal with.
We have a 500 gal. propane tank... get it filled once a year. Free lease as long as we buy from that company only. Everybodt around here has their own tanks.
I really do think that's the way to go. That "delivery charge" is a real scam.
A truck, tractor, equipment like a chainsaw, posthole digger, brush-hog, and tools like welders and radial-arm saws aren't "toys"... on a farm, they're necessities.
Motorcycles, Jeeps and Quadrunners are toys. :bandit:
I figure motorcycles are cheap therapy,.. therapy is a necessity for some, right? :wink:
We already have some of that, and we don't live on a farm. I drew the line at "tractor" though. The other half is like "oooh lawn tractor" and I said "nope,.. we have two dogs, we don't really have a lawn anyway..." :roll: What the hell is a brush-hog?
If you're serious about properties in this area, may I suggest contacting as many real estate agencies in small towns as you can and have them send you brochures to drool over. Southern Missouri and northern Arkansas are full of places like ours. United Country is a good company that leans toward rural farms and land. Just specify what you want and most agencies will have properties with your requirements and in your price range.
I spent way too many hours on google earth last night, looking for the places that I've always wanted to visit, and could see myself visiting and photgraphing day after day after day. You know what areas popped up? Arizona, New Mexico, and Ireland. I could live in a castle...
Then this summer you can take a ride down this way and check 'em out.
I think it might have to be a drive, rather than a ride. I'm more than 1900miles from you! My ass would never forgive me!
You're always welcome to hang out here for the weekend... get a taste of the simple life. :wink:
We have a few friends on acreages,.. and man do I like going there. I have been biding my time,.. trying to figure out how we can afford the acreage life. Looks like it might take a country change to do it,... but it looks a lot more doable now than it did last week. :bigok:
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A truck, tractor, equipment like a chainsaw, posthole digger, brush-hog, and tools like welders and radial-arm saws aren't "toys"... on a farm, they're necessities.
Motorcycles, Jeeps and Quadrunners are toys. :bandit:
I figure motorcycles are cheap therapy,.. therapy is a necessity for some, right? :wink:
We already have some of that, and we don't live on a farm. I drew the line at "tractor" though. The other half is like "oooh lawn tractor" and I said "nope,.. we have two dogs, we don't really have a lawn anyway..." :roll: What the hell is a brush-hog?
"Lawn tractor"? :lol:
This is a tractor (backhoe attachment on left):
(http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q13/ZenMan33/MF30.jpg)
And these are toys:
(http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q13/ZenMan33/JP4W.jpg)
The Jeep is almost finished, I just did some welding on the frame and it's getting a paint job next.
Oh a brush-hog is a big mower deck that goes on the back of the tractor for cutting heavy brush, thick cover, even small trees. You need one if you don't want your place getting overgrown. 36 acres is bigger than you might think. :wink:
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Red, I'd love to have a UniMog... those things are freakin' awesome! Thanks for the pics. :wink:
But unless we win the Lotto, I reckon I'll have to make do with the ol' Dodge pickup and the Massey-Ferguson. :bandit:
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"Lawn tractor"? :lol:
This is a tractor (backhoe attachment on left):
Well,.. you have 36 acres,.. I have a large lot,.. it would stand to reason that the tractor size would increase as the terrain does. :stickpoke:
The Jeep is almost finished, I just did some welding on the frame and it's getting a paint job next.
Looks like you're having a ball!
Oh a brush-hog is a big mower deck that goes on the back of the tractor for cutting heavy brush, thick cover, even small trees. You need one if you don't want your place getting overgrown. 36 acres is bigger than you might think. :wink:
OK,.. so not unlike what I think of as a thresher,... but smaller
(http://hydrolab.arsusda.gov/ope3/slideshows/gish02/thresher.jpg)
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Stormi, this is a brush hog:
(http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q13/ZenMan33/BH1.jpg)
I use it to clear brush, trails, powerlines, pastures, even mow the huge lawn (except for around the house).
Wow, this thread should be called "Everything and Anything"!
Just to get a bit back on topic, I'm going up to West Plains to meet Katamaniac tomorrow... he's coming down from Kansas to pick up his new Bandit 1250, Number 97... sister to #99. We both want to get some pics of our two bikes together.
I think he's bringing the trailer... it's gonna be a chilly ride in the low 50's, been having an unusual cold snap the last couple days... :roll:
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Stormi, this is a brush hog: <snip>
I use it to clear brush, trails, powerlines, pastures, even mow the huge lawn (except for around the house).
OK<.. so there are blades under the flat portion there? Or it's all about brute force?
Wow, this thread should be called "Everything and Anything"!
Yeah, sorry about that.
Just to get a bit back on topic, I'm going up to West Plains to meet Katamaniac tomorrow... he's coming down from Kansas to pick up his new Bandit 1250, Number 97... sister to #99. I want to get some pics of our two bikes together.
So only one more sleep for him, eh? ;)
I just looked,.. the last 6 digits on the Vin for the 919 are 000099 as well,.. what are the odds?
I think he's bringing the trailer... it's gonna be a chilly ride in the low 50's, been having an unusual cold snap the last couple days... :roll:
We've had the same. Old man winter just won't leave us alone!! I took the batteries back out of the bikes. :annoy:
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Stormi, this is a brush hog: <snip>
I use it to clear brush, trails, powerlines, pastures, even mow the huge lawn (except for around the house).
OK<.. so there are blades under the flat portion there? Or it's all about brute force?
Yep. The driveshaft connects the PTO (Power Take-Off, a spinning shaft on the back of the tractor for running equipment) to the differential on the brush hog and spins the big blades underneath. Cuts through almost anything.
Wow, this thread should be called "Everything and Anything"!
Yeah, sorry about that.
Hey, I don't mind if you don't. :wink:
I just looked,.. the last 6 digits on the Vin for the 919 are 000099 as well,.. what are the odds?
Wow, no sh!t? That's really cool. You have a Number 99 too! Maybe we'll introduce them someday. :bandit:
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(http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q13/ZenMan33/JP4W.jpg)
The Jeep is almost finished, I just did some welding on the frame and it's getting a paint job next.
Let me guess...
It's a CJ-7 somewhere between '76 & '79
Engine is either a 258 I6 or a 304 V8 (I'm leanin' towards a V8)
TH400 automatic trans
Transfer case is a Borg-Warner Quadratrac
Rear axle is the dreaded AMC Model 20
Front axle is a Dana 30
And both axles were originally equipped with rediculously tall gears, like 2.72's.
How many did I get right? :trustme:
Here's my Five before I tore it apart:
(http://www.jeep-l.net/images/WeitlauP.gif)
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All of the above! :clap:
It's a '78 CJ7, 258 inline six with Quadratrac.
I have a complete frame and drivetrain same year, but with the 4-sp tranny, Dana 30 and lock-outs. When I get that frame restored and rebuilt and Rhino-coated, I'll switch this body over to it.
In the meantime, the Q-Trac is great in the mud and hairy trails (just put it in low and crawl!) but terrible gas mileage on the street. :roll:
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Which 4spd? T-18 or T176? Bet that's not mated to the Quadratrac, but a Dana 20 instead.
Gas mileage was never a Jeep forté.
Even when they put freeway flyer gears in 'em.
My Five would get 16-18 mpg with it's 225 V6, 3 speed and 4.88 gears... granted, it has a 25% aftermarket overdrive pugged into the Dana 18 t-case, or it'd been worse... my Comanche manages about the same mpg with it's "semi HO" 4.0L, 5 speed and 3.07 gears... my Cherokee got ~13 mpg with a 2.8L V6, 3 speed auto and 4.10 gears and it didn't seem to change any when I swapped in 4.56's... but turnin 33" Swampers with that little motor don't help. Don't think I've ever heard of a 2.8L Cherokee owner getting any better gas milage than a newer 4.0L version - and the 4.0's have them beat 12 ways from Sunday in the power dept!
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The other frame has the T-18 4-spd. It's a Dana 20 rear-end, but center differential, not offset like the Q-Trac rear-end. I'll be upgrading the axles.
Well I'm off to West Plains to meet Katamaniac. 46 degrees out, but the sun is shining! :motorsmile:
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One thing I noticed when I fired it up to park it under the deck tonight... The tranny is a bit noisy when cold. When the clutch is pulled in, all you hear is a slight valve ticking, like a swiss watch. But when you let out the clutch in neutral, you can definitely hear some spinning/whirring in there.
This is probably partly due to the thin break-in oil, but I bet it's inherent of the new "stacked" transmission. I haven't seen any exploded views yet, but I think in order to make the engine more compact, the gear shafts are arranged vertically. It would explain what I'm hearing... definitely something I will keep an "ear" on, and do some research on too.
Shifting was crisp and positive going down the road... but the engine is so quiet I found myself looking at the tach a lot to estimate what gear I was in. Mostly I just left it in 6th, there's so much torque you hardly need to downshift even when passing cars. :motorsmile:
Its a spin off of the Busa trans so don't worry! Shift it like you mean it and no missed gears or false ones will show up! And it will let you know when the oil needs changed it will start to shift kinda clunky! 1k to 1500 on reg dino 15w40 or close to 3k with 5w50 synthetic. I use Rotella "T"
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Yep. The driveshaft connects the PTO (Power Take-Off, a spinning shaft on the back of the tractor for running equipment) to the differential on the brush hog and spins the big blades underneath. Cuts through almost anything.
So,.. like a glorified lawn tractor... :stickpoke:
I just looked,.. the last 6 digits on the Vin for the 919 are 000099 as well,.. what are the odds?
Wow, no sh!t? That's really cool. You have a Number 99 too! Maybe we'll introduce them someday. :bandit:
I think that would be great. It'll take me a little to work up the endurance to manage 3800 miles to work out the introduction though,.. or you may have to meet me half way ;)
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Well, it was a chilly 80 mile round trip, but I just got back from West Plains awhile ago.
Katamaniac, proud owner of a brand new B1250:
(http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q13/ZenMan33/97BR.jpg)
After taking his new toy for a little spin, that big grin was still stuck on his face as I rode off. :bandit:
Two sisters, #99 and #97 together for the last time... (well, hopefully they'll get to ride side-by-side someday!):
(http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q13/ZenMan33/9799.jpg)
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I just looked,.. the last 6 digits on the Vin for the 919 are 000099 as well,.. what are the odds?
Wow, no sh!t? That's really cool. You have a Number 99 too! Maybe we'll introduce them someday. :bandit:
I think that would be great. It'll take me a little to work up the endurance to manage 3800 miles to work out the introduction though,.. or you may have to meet me half way ;)
Sure! After around July 4th, I'll be healed up and making up for lost time. I have some friends up north in Minnesota I may ride up and visit, I'll let ya know when. Maybe even swing by through Kansas and snag Katamaniac on the way up... :motorsmile:
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Sure! After around July 4th, I'll be healed up and making up for lost time. I have some friends up north in Minnesota I may ride up and visit, I'll let ya know when. Maybe even swing by through Kansas and snag Katamaniac on the way up... :motorsmile:
Well,.. that would shave 1200miles off the total trip! :wink: Depending on the time of the summer, I may be willing to hit the states and do a little shopping. :lol: (Gotta be a little female sometimes! )
I'd been looking to do a little shopping in Billings, MO, or there abouts, so I might be able to manage a little further. :)
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I am going to pick up ZenMan's twin #97 on Friday.
Way to go, Katamaniac !!! Say isn't there a song about ol' 97
(which was a train, I believe) ???
Glad to see you guys hooked up for the "delivery"......
Pics to keep forever, fer shure....
:grin: :grin:
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I'd been looking to do a little shopping in Billings, MO, or there abouts, so I might be able to manage a little further. :)
:stickpoke: I think you mean Billings, MT (Montana), not Billings, MO (Missouri). :lol:
...and yes, there is a Billings in Missouri. It's a little SW of Springfield, MO, in the SW corner of the state. If you DO plan on going there for shopping, you'll be within easy commuting distance of Zen's place.
The two-letter abbreviations are frequently the first two letters, but not always, as evidenced in this example. If you really care, you can see all the official two-letter abbrevations for US states & territories at the US Postal Service site here (http://www.usps.com/ncsc/lookups/usps_abbreviations.html) or even on the Canada Post site here. (http://www.canadapost.ca/tools/pg/manual/PGaddress-e.asp#1389548)
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Man, nice looking bikes. I've hread the torque is right there.
I hope we can rig a ride to the Ozarks with you and Katamaniac soon.
When need another Ark / Mo trip.
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cute siblings. too bad it's so cold there, you guys gotta be iching to ride...
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I am going to pick up ZenMan's twin #97 on Friday.
Way to go, Katamaniac !!! Say isn't there a song about ol' 97
(which was a train, I believe) ???
Glad to see you guys hooked up for the "delivery"......
Pics to keep forever, fer shure....
:grin: :grin:
I'll tell you what, that B1250 really pulls like a train. I have never ridden a B12, but I have a GS1100S that is no slouch, but this Bandit is Tourquey (is that a word) as all get-up.
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this Bandit is Tourquey (is that a word) as all get-up.
No, I don't think it is a word, but Torquey is. :wink:
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cute siblings. too bad it's so cold there, you guys gotta be iching to ride...
How do you think I got my bike there? :motorsmile:
It wasn't so bad, at least 10 degrees above freezing. A little brisk at 80 mph, though. :roll:
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:stickpoke: I think you mean Billings, MT (Montana), not Billings, MO (Missouri). :lol:
Geez! You're getting all my mistakes lately! :lol: I think I knew that somewhere, but I didn't feel like typing the whole state name, and stopped there.
...and yes, there is a Billings in Missouri. It's a little SW of Springfield, MO, in the SW corner of the state. If you DO plan on going there for shopping, you'll be within easy commuting distance of Zen's place.
Oh good grief,.. there IS a springfield in every state, isn't there?
The two-letter abbreviations are frequently the first two letters, but not always, as evidenced in this example. If you really care, you can see all the official two-letter abbrevations for US states & territories at the US Postal Service site here (http://www.usps.com/ncsc/lookups/usps_abbreviations.html) or even on the Canada Post site here. (http://www.canadapost.ca/tools/pg/manual/PGaddress-e.asp#1389548)
You know, I used to know a lot of them,... I used to "Wander" the states via things like Streets and trips, and google Earth. (You should see my bookmarks in GE!) YOu see the names and abbreviations there sometimes.
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Oh good grief,.. there IS a springfield in every state, isn't there?
No, but it sure seems like it. There's "only" 36 states with a Springfield - and 71 in the country. Washington is one of the 14 states without one. What's ironic is there's 14 states that have more than one. Georgia has 9 of them and Virginia has 8! Springfield isn't the most common city name in America though. Fairview beats it, with 275 Fairviews in 42 states (and Puerto Rico).
This bit of trivia brought to you courtesy of:
http://www.snpp.com/guides/springfield.list.html#realspringfields
You can see the entire list of states with a Springfield here and how many they have.
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No, but it sure seems like it. There's "only" 36 states with a Springfield - and 71 in the country. Washington is one of the 14 states without one. What's ironic is there's 14 states that have more than one. Georgia has 9 of them and Virginia has 8! Springfield isn't the most common city name in America though. Fairview beats it, with 275 Fairviews in 42 states (and Puerto Rico).
OK,.. the judges give no points for originality. Zero,.. zip. 275 in 42 states? How do you get mail to the right one?
This bit of trivia brought to you courtesy of:
http://www.snpp.com/guides/springfield.list.html#realspringfields
You can see the entire list of states with a Springfield here and how many they have.
:roll: either the people naming fairview and springfield were obsessed, or without imagination of any kind! I wonder how badly Street and trips would freak out if punched in "fairview" as a destination... :lol:
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That's why we had to come up with ZIP codes... I have no idea what they did before that!
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That's why we had to come up with ZIP codes... I have no idea what they did before that!
I bet there's still a huge ratio. I wonder what the ratio of misaddressed mail to someone in fairview is vs someone in minnesota...
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The Fairview in Minnesota? :stickpoke:
Or one of the ones in Ontario? :banana2:
Fairview, Peel Regional Municipality, Ontario
Fairview, Elgin County, Ontario
Fairview, Perth County, Ontario (on the Oxford County line)
Fairview, Renfrew County, Ontario
Fairview, Brant County, Ontario
Fairview Heights, Ontario
Fairview Island, Ontario
Fairview, Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry United Counties, Ontario
OK, so the last one isn't a town and the two before it only have Fairview as part of their name...
...may be why Canada had to adopt a postal code system, too. :crackattack:
:btw: There's a Fairview in Alberta, too... but only one. It's near Grande Prairie.
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The Fairview in Minnesota? :stickpoke:
fairview VS minnesota. ;) :iddi: this time.
Or one of the ones in Ontario? :banana2:
Fairview, Peel Regional Municipality, Ontario
Fairview, Elgin County, Ontario
Fairview, Perth County, Ontario (on the Oxford County line)
Fairview, Renfrew County, Ontario
Fairview, Brant County, Ontario
Fairview Heights, Ontario
Fairview Island, Ontario
Fairview, Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry United Counties, Ontario
OK, so the last one isn't a town and the two before it only have Fairview as part of their name...
...may be why Canada had to adopt a postal code system, too. :crackattack:
:btw: There's a Fairview in Alberta, too... but only one. It's near Grande Prairie.
Hey,.. at no time did I say we were smarter. :roll:
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I didn't say you did.
In fact, based on this little learning experience and what I learned while I was in France, I'd venture to guess if Canada had the same population as the US, you'd probably have 275 Fairviews, too.
The French have a habit of multiple towns with the same names, too. They also have postal codes. Given how old France is and how different areas have been part of various and sundry rule/flag, it's partly understandable for them... we North Americans have no such excuses though.
:lol:
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I didn't say you did.
Oops,.. sorry,. I thought you were busting me again.
:wink:
In fact, based on this little learning experience and what I learned while I was in France, I'd venture to guess if Canada had the same population as the US, you'd probably have 275 Fairviews, too.
The French have a habit of multiple towns with the same names, too. They also have postal codes. Given how old France is and how different areas have been part of various and sundry rule/flag, it's partly understandable for them... we North Americans have no such excuses though.
:lol:
More than likely. It also may have to do with the same explorers covering some of those territories. For instance, you'll see certain names pop up all over the place, because they were in some way significant to the person who first put it on the map.
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The Fairview in Minnesota? :stickpoke:
fairview VS minnesota. ;) :iddi: this time.
I knew you typed "VS."
I figued I'd play on it anyway since you were comparing misdirected mail to a town VS a state.
At least when we gave states duplicate names they added North, South or West to them. :clap:
What else can we throw in this thread?
What was this thread about originally? Oh ya! :duh:
Zen's new bike... Speaking of Zen, I hope his surgery went well!
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I knew you typed "VS."
I figued I'd play on it anyway since you were comparing misdirected mail to a town VS a state.
Oh good grief. That does it,.. I'm gonna start sleeping again,.. then I'll be coherant. ;)
At least when we gave states duplicate names they added North, South or West to them. :clap:
There was forethought... :wink:
What else can we throw in this thread?
What was this thread about originally? Oh ya! :duh:
Zen's new bike... Speaking of Zen, I hope his surgery went well!
+1 on that!
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Yep, the surgery went well. :wink:
Who cares about the new bike anyway, when there's so much more interesting "Springfield" trivia to talk about? :roll:
So, anybody know which Springfield "The Simpson's" are from? :lol:
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Yep, the surgery went well. :wink:
Who cares about the new bike anyway, when there's so much more interesting "Springfield" trivia to talk about? :roll:
So, anybody know which Springfield "The Simpson's" are from? :lol:
Funny - Reading what this thread has become... I was thinking of Springfield, too. There are actually two Springfields in suburban Philly. Any time one of them is in the news, they have to specify which county. And of course, the Simpsons..
So, did they just scope the shoulder to clean up the cuff or did you have a major tear? I had the frayed edges of mine cleaned up when they went in to reattach my labrum a few years ago. FUN!!!!!!!!!! :annoy:
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Hey Hey!! We were just tryin to keep the thread near the top so Zen could find it in his drugged state. :stickpoke:
Welcome Back, Zen,...
reading all of this,.. I'm really good I haven't had a major injury to date! (*stormi knocks on wood and considers sacrificing a rubber chicken for that comment*)
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Good job, I woulda never found this thread again in my oxycodone fog if it wasn't for ya'll... :roll:
Pitter, the cuff was torn completely off the bone, he drilled a screw in to hold it on. And yep. there was the shaving off of the spur also. Not fun.
I've got matching Frankenstein scars on both shoulders now... like epaulets. :wink:
My guess for the Simpson's would be either Springfield, Illinois, or Springfield, Ohio.... looks like a midwest town from the cartoon. :lol:
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Yep, the surgery went well. :wink:
Who cares about the new bike anyway, when there's so much more interesting "Springfield" trivia to talk about? :roll:
So, anybody know which Springfield "The Simpson's" are from? :lol:
I know you're in a drugged state, so you may not have noticed the link I posted -
http://www.snpp.com/guides/springfield.list.html#realspringfields
- takes you to a specific area of the web page. If you would have scrolled UP, you would have noticed the page discusses where the Simpson's Springfield is... or actually where it isn't.
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Yep, the surgery went well. :wink:
Who cares about the new bike anyway, when there's so much more interesting "Springfield" trivia to talk about? :roll:
So, anybody know which Springfield "The Simpson's" are from? :lol:
I know you're in a drugged state, so you may not have noticed the link I posted -
http://www.snpp.com/guides/springfield.list.html#realspringfields
- takes you to a specific area of the web page. If you would have scrolled UP, you would have noticed the page discusses where the Simpson's Springfield is... or actually where it isn't.
Jeezus, Red, you're a real stickler for details, huh? I saw your link, I just thought it was fun to speculate anyway, that's all. Lighten up! :stickpoke:
Stormi... is he always like this? A real hoot at parties, I bet... :roll: :lol:
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I'm not that bad... :bandit:
I just figured you missed it.
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I'm not that bad... :bandit:
I just figured you missed it.
Hey, every board needs a resident trivia freek, no problem bud. :bandit:
Now, supposing that there was no link proving the nonexistence of Bigfoot, do you believe it really exists? :lol:
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You're asking a Northwesterner is Bigfoot is real? :lol:
:pop: We even have "Bigfoot Crossing" signs on the highways. Not as common as "Deer Crossing" signs though.
Where do you think they get those "cavemen" for the new GEICO commercials? They're Bigfoot critters with haircuts. :wink:
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You're asking a Northwesterner is Bigfoot is real? :lol:
Now see, Red, if you're gonna jump on other people for the slightest slip-up, then you really oughta pay more attention yourself. :annoy:
I didn't ask you if Bigfoot was real, I asked "Do you believe they really exist?" :stickpoke:
I already know they're real. :bandit:
When I had property on the penininininsula (near Quilcene) we had a whole family of Bigfoots living in a cave down the hill from us. It was ok except for they were always borrowing a cup of sugar or some honey at 3-4:00 AM... they made the porch creak really loud when they walked across it. :shock:
I wonder what they were doing with all those sweets at that time of night, anyway? :roll:
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Now if I believed they were real, wouldn't I have to believe they exist... or vice-versa? :bandit:
I haven't had any come borrow things... maybe because I'm too close to the salt water?
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Now if I believed they were real, wouldn't I have to believe they exist... or vice-versa? :bandit:
You may believe something is real, but it doesn't make it so.
Vice-versa, something can exist even if you don't believe in it.
That's why I would never ask anyone if something was real, like you said I did, only whether they believe it exists.
"I reject your reality and substitute my own!" ~ Adam Savage, MythBusters
I haven't had any come borrow things... maybe because I'm too close to the salt water?
Yeah, you may be on to something there... slugs don't like saltwater either. :bandit:
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You may believe something is real, but it doesn't make it so.
Vice-versa, something can exist even if you don't believe in it.
I agree with that 100%... but you said:
I didn't ask you if Bigfoot was real, I asked "Do you believe they really exist?" :stickpoke:
To which I still say, if I believed they were real, wouldn't I have to believe they exist? :monkeymoon:
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You may believe something is real, but it doesn't make it so.
Vice-versa, something can exist even if you don't believe in it.
I agree with that 100%... but you said:
I didn't ask you if Bigfoot was real, I asked "Do you believe they really exist?" :stickpoke:
To which I still say, if I believed they were real, wouldn't I have to believe they exist? :monkeymoon:
Yes, but that's your question, not the one I asked.
I asked you what your belief is concerning the existence of Bigfoot. You still haven't answered me. :roll:
Your question addresses the rather obvious... that if one believes in the existence of a thing, the logical belief that it is real must follow.... and vice-versa. :clap:
Now if you really wanna open up an existential can of worms, how about this one:
Someone gives you a fossil of a dinosaur. You're holding it in your hands. Do you believe:
A. It exists, therefore dinosaurs are real.
B. It doesn't exist, someone is playing a trick on you.
C. It exists, but it is not really a dinosaur fossil.
D. It exists, but dinosaurs did not, at anytime in history.
E. It exists, and so did dinosaurs at one time, but not anymore.
F. It exists, because God created it to test your faith.
G. It doesn't exist, and neither does anything else, because everything is a figment of your imagination.
H. It exists, but you don't, because at some time in the future you ride a time machine back to the past and kill your own grandfather before your father was born.
I. There are an infinite number of answers to this question.
If you chose "I", then you realize that belief and reality are two different things... but of course that is only what you believe. :motorsmile:
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OK... I nominate this as the all-time weirdest BA thread! :lol:
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All this seems like circular thinking to me and it's giving me a headache. :wink:
I'll make it simple. Here's the original question again:
Now, supposing that there was no link proving the nonexistence of Bigfoot, do you believe it really exists? :lol:
My answer, yes.
Just how would you prove the nonexistence of something though?
Reminds me of when I got audited by the IRS some years ago. The IRS agent wanted me to prove my wife's ex, who had been deported when they divorced and we had no contact with, didn't give us any child support. When I asked him how I could do that, he said, "Nevermind, I see your point."
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All this seems like circular thinking to me and it's giving me a headache. :wink:
I'll make it simple. Here's the original question again:
Now, supposing that there was no link proving the nonexistence of Bigfoot, do you believe it really exists? :lol:
My answer, yes.
Thank you. :bandit:
Yeah, it's a convoluted web we've woven (hmmm, say that real fast 5 times) but if you were hurtin', short on sleep, and high on pain pills then you might be typing whatever is rattling around in your melon just to help pass the time, too.
"I swear, it was the DRUGS that made me do it!"
Thanks for playing along. :motorsmile:
Just how would you prove the nonexistence of something though?
Exactly! Good one. :wink:
I just threw that in there as a joking reference to your Simpson's/Springfield link, which basically debates the whereabouts of a two-dimensional cartoon family that doesn't exist... or does it? :lol:
Reminds me of when I got audited by the IRS some years ago. The IRS agent wanted me to prove my wife's ex, who had been deported when they divorced and we had no contact with, didn't give us any child support. When I asked him how I could do that, he said, "Nevermind, I see your point."
Wow, the IRS conceded a reasonable point? Amazing. :roll:
Oh yeah, Bigfoot. I wonder why there have never been any bones recovered? I mean, we're digging up dinosaur fossils millions of years old (if you answered "E", that's for you) yet not one scrap of physical evidenced confirmed as from an unknown giant biped. We even have fossils from that "Austro-something Gigantus" giant ape that lived in China thousands of years ago.
You'd think that a large enough population needed to support itself all this time would leave behind something of itself besides footprints.
If a bigfoot exists on this planet, the most likely candidate would be the Yeti in the Himalayas. That's a very harsh and remote environment where something that big and well-adapted to the conditions could possibly hide from the curiosity of man.
The Pacific Northwest is also a vast wilderness, I've hiked and backpacked miles and miles in Washington, Oregon, and NorCal, and there may be enough room to hide... but for a whole species of large mammal? They must be very meticulous about where they poop, and how they dispose of their dead. And they must eat a lot of slugs... :roll:
If a race of Bigfoots exist, I hope we never find them. The mystery would be gone. And most rare species or remote cultures don't fare too well once us humans start "helping" them. :annoy:
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OK... I nominate this as the all-time weirdest BA thread! :lol:
Seconded. :bandit:
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We even have fossils from that "Austro-something Gigantus" giant ape that lived in China thousands of years ago.
If a bigfoot exists on this planet, the most likely candidate would be the Yeti in the Himalayas.
The Himalayas extend into China, so maybe they found a Yeti.
The Pacific Northwest is also a vast wilderness, I've hiked and backpacked miles and miles in Washington, Oregon, and NorCal, and there may be enough room to hide... but for a whole species of large mammal? They must be very meticulous about where they poop, and how they dispose of their dead.
If they kept to the most remote areas, you may never run across their poop, or maybe their poop looks like some other animal we're familar with, or like my dogs, they eat each other's poop, or they're using the campground outhouses when no one is looking, or something I haven't thought of. See, there's possibilities.
If they are more humanlike than apes, perhaps they're civilized enough to have rituals and bury their dead and we just ahven't found a Sasquatch burial ground yet.
If a race of Bigfoots exist, I hope we never find them. The mystery would be gone. And most rare species or remote cultures don't fare too well once us humans start "helping" them.
We haven't seemed to help nor hinder the aquatic monsters like Nessie, Ogopogo & Champ. They're still sighted from time to time, but they don't seem to be bringing a bunch of their kids around either.
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:bigdrink: Cabin fever?? :lol:
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Or bored at work. Excessive rain hasn't help matters any.
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My excuse? Can't ride. Recovering from surgery due to excessive stupidity. :roll:
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What the hell, thought I'd revive this ol' thread and see if it'll take a few more punches... :bandit:
Started my physical therapy last week and the main exercise I'm doing is this simple rope & pulley with a handle on each end. The pulley hooks over the top of the door, and I sit in a chair with my back up against it. Then I use my good arm to pull up the rebuilt arm, and see how high I can get it to stretch above my head. 5 minutes 3 times a day.
Man it hurts like a summabubbobbabitch I tell you what... and it's so freakin' sore at night I have to take two of those dang pills just to sleep.
But when I do sleep. I can hear this sexy voice calling to me from down below... calling like a siren from ancient mythology, calling for me to come to her, to follow her down, down...
I get up in the morning and go down to the shop and there's this beautiful, sleek, powerful black motorcycle sitting there looking as if she's poised to leap forward and run like the wind... and I realize where the voice is coming from. "Soon, baby, soon" I say as I lovingly stroke her shapely tank with my one good hand...
Ok gotta stop now! Yikes! :nuts:
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Wow, the IRS conceded a reasonable point? Amazing.
A-ha! Caught ya with your pants down! This statement is perilously close to humor that might offend someone on this board!
(You *do* know I'm a "government braniac" don't you?)
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Yeah, you sure got me that time, Columbo. :roll:
My sincere apologies to any IRS agents, bureaurocrats, or "braniacs" that may have taken offense at my irresponsible and thoughtless comment. :lol:
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Heck, I'll raise ya one:
If you think IRS is good at squeezing blood out of the taxpayer, wait until they give the former IRS Commissioner access to needles...that should make it a lot easier!
-------------------
From: *Commissioner Everson
Sent: Wednesday, April 18, 2007 12:02 PM
To: All Employees
Subject: A Personal Message
I am writing to share with you the news that I will be leaving the Internal Revenue Service in coming weeks to become the President and Chief Executive Officer of the American Red Cross. I look forward to continuing my career in public service in this new and exciting role.
I look back over the last four years with great pride and satisfaction. Together, we have rebalanced the organization, bringing to life the equation: Service + Enforcement = Compliance. This has been no small feat, and I thank all of you for doing your part to restore credibility to our enforcement programs while continuing to improve taxpayer service over this period. We have also made significant strides in modernizing the IRS.
Building on the work of Commissioner Rossotti, this has been a successful phase in the IRS’s history. I believe the agency is poised to continue progress on a variety of fronts. I have faith in the strong leadership of the IRS; my confidence extends to you, the employees, who have demonstrated tremendous dedication and hard work.
It has been a singular honor to lead this organization; I will always regard being Commissioner of Internal Revenue as a highlight of my career. I wish you and your families all the best.
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Well, not much to do waiting to heal up, so I've been thinking about mods and playing with photoshop. What to do about that big muffler?
Here's one thing I came up with...wouldn't be too hard to fabricate, I'm guessing.
The original can:
(http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q13/ZenMan33/ExMod.jpg)
And about 6 inches chopped off:
(http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q13/ZenMan33/ExMod1.jpg)
Looks a lot better, be a little louder and less restrictive... but wouldn't cost a dime.
What ya'll think? :bandit:
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Looks a lot better, be a little louder and less restrictive. What ya'll think?
Not sure it looks ANY better, much less "a lot" better. Am *against* making the exhaust louder. No interest in changing the power of the bike. In other words, leave it the eff alone!
Hey, you axed!
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Well, I think it looks better than the original, but still has a heavy look to it.
I'm guessing by the time you're healed, there'll be more than one option from the aftermarket. Especially if those things are flying out the door.
(Though the one my local dealer got 3 weeks ago is still sitting there.)
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Looks a lot better, be a little louder and less restrictive. What ya'll think?
Not sure it looks ANY better, much less "a lot" better. Am *against* making the exhaust louder. No interest in changing the power of the bike. In other words, leave it the eff alone!
Hey, you axed!
So I take it that's one vote "nay", then?
Sheesh! :roll:
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I like the the hacked off exhaust...I doubt it'd be much louder but would likely drop a couple of pounds...go for it!
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Well, I think it looks better than the original, but still has a heavy look to it.
I'm guessing by the time you're healed, there'll be more than one option from the aftermarket. Especially if those things are flying out the door.
(Though the one my local dealer got 3 weeks ago is still sitting there.)
Oh yeah, there'll be plenty of aftermarket cans out there sooner than later... but the key words here are "wouldn't cost a dime". :wink:
Hey, I'm bored, can't ride, and it's only photoshop... and I happen to like fabricating my own one-of-a-kind stuff. :bandit:
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I like the the hacked off exhaust...I doubt it'd be much louder but would likely drop a couple of pounds...go for it!
Thanks. :wink:
I wouldn't want it to be much louder, just enough to hear it. I'd have to pull it apart first anyway, see what all's inside... just an idea so far. :bandit:
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Two Bros Exhaust (http://www.twobros.com/cgi-bin/shopper?search=action&sku=005-18304&searchstart=0&template=Templates/TBRSearchResult-Simple-Suz-Bandit1250-SO_2007.html) These guys make a nice slip on...
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Two Bros Exhaust (http://www.twobros.com/cgi-bin/shopper?search=action&sku=005-18304&searchstart=0&template=Templates/TBRSearchResult-Simple-Suz-Bandit1250-SO_2007.html) These guys make a nice slip on...
Thanks for the link. :wink:
Good to see aftermarket stuff coming out so soon. Two Brothers makes a great product... and for $500 bones it better be! :duh:
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I think it would look better if you cut alot more then that off, how about 1/2 or more, like to the mount bracket! Stubbies look better then gaint cans . . me thinks.
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Thanks for the link. :wink:
Good to see aftermarket stuff coming out so soon. Two Brothers makes a great product... and for $500 bones it better be! :duh:
Heheh...my full Muzzy was only $195 new from the factory :wink:
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Two Bros Exhaust (http://www.twobros.com/cgi-bin/shopper?search=action&sku=005-18304&searchstart=0&template=Templates/TBRSearchResult-Simple-Suz-Bandit1250-SO_2007.html) These guys make a nice slip on...
Thanks for the link. :wink:
Good to see aftermarket stuff coming out so soon. Two Brothers makes a great product... and for $500 bones it better be! :duh:
Well, they do have one model for under $400... :wink:
And Yoshimura (http://www.yoshimura-rd.com/07_GSF1250.asp) has four selections out now, too. :bigok:
TRS in carbon fiber or stainless:
(http://www.yoshimura-rd.com/07%20PN/07%20GSF1250/GSF1250_TRS_CF_side.jpg)
(http://www.yoshimura-rd.com/07%20PN/07%20GSF1250/GSF1250_TRS_SS_side.jpg)
And the RS3 in carbon fiber or stainless:
(http://www.yoshimura-rd.com/07%20PN/07%20GSF1250/GSF1250_RS3_CF_side.jpg)
(They don't have a pic of the RS3 in stainless up yet though.)
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Thanks Red. Glad to see Yosh is on top of things with the new B1250. I like the carbon fiber. :bigok:
I guess my thing with modifying the stock can is my stubborn frugal side showing. :roll: I'm a decent fabricator, I have the equipment and tools to do it, and I can even build a whole exhaust from scratch if I wanted to put all the hours of painstaking labor into it. It's a balance of how much $$$ I want to spend versus the loss of riding time by building something.
A good compromise is modifying the existing components. For instance, I could buy a smaller diameter stainless or aluminum tube, use the existing internals out of the stock can with some fabricating, and come up with a good performance exhaust mod for under $50 bucks and about 10-20 hours of labor. And it would look good too. :bigok:
It's a great sense of accomplishment... if I can get similar performance specs from the fruits of my own skills, and minimal investment. There's not that much "secret magic" when it comes to increased exhaust and intake flow... if you understand the principals. Of course it sure helps to have a dynamometer... I wish! :bandit:
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No Zenmann, I am afraid that it is not the break-in oil. I have done my first oil change already and it still makes that noise. I guess I'll start worrying when it stops making that noise. I'll have to check out my vin# and maybe I can come up with a name for mine to. It's identical to yours except for the vin # of course. I hope any way!!!! Ha Ha Ha !!!!!!! Banditone1250s
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MAN! That RS3 in carbon fiber is sweet! gonna make me spend more money!LOL
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No Zenmann, I am afraid that it is not the break-in oil. I have done my first oil change already and it still makes that noise.
Yep, I did mine too and it still "whirs" in there, but it's quite a bit quieter with 10-40w in it. And a LOT quieter than when it only had 1 mile on it!
But it goes away when I pull the clutch in. I'm almost sure it's the transmission, and it will continue to get quieter as the gears wear in.
Someone told me the new "stacked" tranny is based on the 'Busa tranny, and it does the same thing. Sure does shift real slick though, aye? :bigok: