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Glorious Reprieve


40MILERUN
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What a remarkable difference in the weather today from the passed couple... bright sun, no wind, clear skies. I got out for a totally unexpected hour and a half run along the twisties.

The youngest daughter climbed atop her dad's bike, so I snapped a few.

It's not enough she's got her own. She'll be wanting mine soon. I know that look.

40MR

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Maybe so, or maybe I can buy her off with a new trinket for her Gz250. With daughters it’s all about strategy… not that you stand a chance of winning, you just keep negotiating until they move out.

40MR

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Nice pictures,

question........being in the States, how are you percieved riding a Yamaha cruiser as aposed to a Harley? The states always seems so very patriotic and Harley is pretty much seen as the pinnicle of the cruiser style (whether it can live up to the status mechanically is in doubt) and yet you choose to ride a Japanese model. Do you get any heat for that decission?

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Leatherrat,

The heat really depends on what crowd happens to be around or what the circumstances are. If you’re riding in a fundraiser or such, everybody stays pretty neutral (vocally anyway). Saturday night in a rider’s pub you might catch the odd barb, but it’s rare that there’s a need to shoulder-up with your buds in a show of fierce unity.

Usually the patriotism objection comes up when they don’t have anything else to lay on the table. Most riders see it as a pretty hollow prejudice and misplaced love-of-country. I think the HD ‘pinnacle’ perception exists largely in the minds (and advertizing hype) of those who have a vested interest. I’m sure it’s a well exported Hollywood-Americanism (like cowboys). There is a minority of people (as vocal and visible as they may be) who place looking or feeling special ahead of demonstrating intelligence. Frankly, if they don’t like my scooter, scr@#’em... I can buy my own beer.

I’ve one fello-rider who owns a Yam Raider 1900 so customized as to not be recognizable. The obviously superior power and sound (to anything Harley builds) usually draws a circle of admirers in the parking lot. Once the Hog owners are in awe, he tells them it’s a metric and asks to see one better. Occasionally he’ll endure a hail of explicatives and gestures, but more often they wander off in silence… that kind of thunder leaves very little room for argument.

40MR

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Hey 40MILERUN,

Nice pictures and nice looking bike.

I know where you are coming from. I have two daughters. My oldest daughter is looking at a new bike to keep up with her husband's new Triump Street Triple and my youngest daughter is trying to get me to buy her a Ninja 250. I have offered her my Virago but that isn't cool. Obviously she is confused!

Rocky

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Rocky,

What size is the Virago? The 250 is a nice starter bike for a young girl. Vic (Victoria) tried a V-Star 650, but she wasn’t ready for it. We got her a 2007 Suzuki GZ250 (3 years old with less than 600 miles) for a really good price. She only weighs about 105lbs, so it’s been a good match… solid bike too. My wife rides it sometimes, but we can only ride back roads together… the GZ won’t do highway with any kind of style.

There’s definitely a confusion factor at times with daughters, but I’m glad to see that both of mine have the self confidence to ride. I think European and perhaps Canadian women are more accustom to riding motorcycles. The American preoccupation with big bikes has been an impediment for women riders, but manufactures are beginning recognize them as a consumer market. My wife rides more for the economic benefits than as a hobby or recreation.

40MR

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40MR

My Virago is only a 535 but it is in great shape. Years ago I used to ride but had to give it up to go to university. Getting another bike always came second to everything else and finally I just didn't think about it anymore. A year ago when we were in New Brunswick, my wife suddenly said she wanted to get a scooter. She bought a scooter last May and we were back in the bike business. I bumped into a guy who wanted to sell a XV535 that had been sitting in his garage for the last 12 yrs. I took a look at it and bought it for $2,200. It had 2700 km on it...basically brand new, no scratches or dints. I've had some minor carb problems but for what I pd its a great bike.

In Sept my wife bought the XVS 250 which is a nice little bike. For her it was a big move up. She spent $800 to take a professional riding course. It was a great investment as it taught her bike basics and built up her confidence. She just loves it. She rides it constantly and now I have to do my own dishes.

I've been looking for a bigger bike...around a 1000 cc's and I thought the 535 would be great for my youngest daughter but she wants a street bike similar to a 250 Ninja.

I agree with you about the ladies riding...we need more lady riders. It is good for the sport and it is great for their self confidence when they participatie in a predominantly male sport.

Rocky

PS .....We won the hockey game! :P

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Hey 40MILERUN,

Nice pictures and nice looking bike.

I know where you are coming from. I have two daughters. My oldest daughter is looking at a new bike to keep up with her husband's new Triump Street Triple and my youngest daughter is trying to get me to buy her a Ninja 250. I have offered her my Virago but that isn't cool. Obviously she is confused!

Rocky

Good Luck with that, the Street Triple is a mean bike. Not that I'm biased or anything :)

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Hi John

I see that you ride a triple and I assume you really like it. My son in law traded his '07 Ducati Monster fo it. He thinks the triple is one of very the best bike he has ever rode. Have fun on it,eh.

Rocky

ps..nice pistol. 9mm w 13 cartrige clip or 10 round .45 acp?

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Hey 40MILERUN,

Nice pictures and nice looking bike.

I know where you are coming from. I have two daughters. My oldest daughter is looking at a new bike to keep up with her husband's new Triump Street Triple and my youngest daughter is trying to get me to buy her a Ninja 250. I have offered her my Virago but that isn't cool. Obviously she is confused!

Rocky

Get the Ninja 250. I've just got one - and it's the best decision I have ever made. It's the fastest 250 around, exactly on 33bhp, but pulls 0-60 in 5 seconds and tops out at around 110mph. I was easily keeping up with my friends CBR600 yesterday. Saying that, I too am a bit confused, which Is why I kept my Dragstar!!!!

It's not too high, it's not too heavy, but it still flies!

Chris

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Hey Chris

Thanks for the comments on the Ninja. I have a feeling that that is what she will end up with. We are going to take a trip to either Calgary or Vancover in the next month to look at bikes. There is no sales tax in Alberta so that is where we will look first.

I see you drink Guinness...pop one for me! :)

Rocky

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Hi John

I see that you ride a triple and I assume you really like it. My son in law traded his '07 Ducati Monster fo it. He thinks the triple is one of very the best bike he has ever rode. Have fun on it,eh.

Rocky

ps..nice pistol. 9mm w 13 cartrige clip or 10 round .45 acp?

I love the Triple, I only ever had one complaint about the bike and that was the turn signals. I really hated the look and they didn't seem to go with the styling on the rest of the bike. I rectified that with some Rizoma Zero 11's. Otherwise she's fast, nimble and FAST!!!

As for the pistol, it's a .40 S&W with a 14 round magazine.

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Yes, John… nice Berreta 40S&W. Your Santa needs to talk to my Santa.

I did get a pint of ‘Lump of Coal’ ale in my stocking… good brew, but not quite Guinness. Either way, I’ve gotta talk to the jolly elf before 12/25/2011. You must have been a real good boy!

40MR

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Yes, John… nice Berreta 40S&W. Your Santa needs to talk to my Santa.

I did get a pint of ‘Lump of Coal’ ale in my stocking… good brew, but not quite Guinness. Either way, I’ve gotta talk to the jolly elf before 12/25/2011. You must have been a real good boy!

40MR

My Santa was the "rents." They asked what I wanted for Christmas, and bam...there it was, or rather bam the check for it arrived in the mail.

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:offtopic:

Sir Dave of Cardboardshire is loving the whole biker babe/secretary look.

Sir Dave! You cannot say that about someone's daughter! Regardless of it's pertinence!!

Guinness is god!

Anyway yeah, I wish I lived in gun-slingin' USA. I've fired a few military guns/rifles before - SA80, Minime, GPMG, and Shotgun (of which type I was unsure of!) But never just shot a hand-gun/pistol. Would love it I reckon.

YOC tour to America?!?!?! haha.

Yeah 40MR, she's looking way to comfy on that bike of yours! What bike(s) did you say she had? Post some pics of em.

Chris

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Right now she has a 2007 Suzuki GZ250 K7-Black. It has an interesting little engine… single cylinder 4-stroke with a double dome piston and dual intake and exhaust valves and dual exhaust pipes. It’s only rated at 20hp, but the one piston produces surprising low-end torch. We‘re just finishing up on a general refurbish.

The yak that had it before her drilled holes in the muffler and took all the stuffing out. He blued the pipes up pretty bad as well, so we’ve pulled them off and ordered new ones.

A ladder in the garage slid down the wall and landed on the rear fender (plastic), and took a 2-finger chunk out and split it, so we’ve ordered a new classic cruiser fender as well. The previous was a kind of bobbed off affair. The rest of the bike is in very nice condition (<1000 miles) and it should all be back together in a week or so. I was really surprised how affordable the factory parts were… we usually fabricate what we need, but this one is supposed to come out like scaled down version of mine.

No doubt we’ll take some pictures then. I should probably reduce the size of the next ones… didn’t realize how huge the ones I posted turned out.

Hopefully the shiny new muffler & pipes will take her mind off my ride. I’m thinking she should graduate to a 500 or 650 in a year or so after she builds up her skills. I’m looking forward to cruising with her this Summer… should be a real kick, which is what I’ll probably have to do to the herd of froth’n young billy goats she’ll attract.

Oh, Sir Dave, the biker babe/secretary look is totally calculated like the Spikes & Goth was a year ago. As a Dad I prefer the current softer presentation, but the knee-high black boots, torn fishnets and skull chains are still hanging about… part of the fun of having girls I guess.

40MR

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