Brief Central Alabama PET

Goober McTuber · Post by **Goober McTuber** » Tue Mar 06, 2012 6:54 pm

Sudden Sam wrote:
Roach wrote:I just hope all those different colors of watercraft don't push some of the clones into a racial frenzy. Good thing there are no dogs in the pics.
Isn't it amazing how so many different colors are able to stand together in that pic? In Alabama, no less!

I don't see any black ones. Shocking.

smackaholic · Post by **smackaholic** » Tue Mar 06, 2012 6:57 pm

Cool pics, Sam. Looks like the SE drought is over, finally.

I'm in Gulfport till the end of the month. Gonna spend about 10 days playing in the woods at Camp Shelby. See if I can throw together a shitty cell phone cam PET while I am there.

BTW, I heard The Shed burned down. I was looking forward to going back there. Do you know if they are going to rebuild it? Not that "build" is really the proper term for that place.

Goober McTuber · Post by **Goober McTuber** » Tue Mar 06, 2012 9:48 pm

Sudden Sam wrote:Tethered spinal cord. All the nerves in my spine are entangled in that mutha.

That sounds like something that a good friend of mine had to deal with. He died.

BSmack · Post by **BSmack** » Thu Mar 08, 2012 5:42 am

Goober McTuber wrote:
Sudden Sam wrote:Tethered spinal cord. All the nerves in my spine are entangled in that mutha.
That sounds like something that a good friend of mine had to deal with. He died.

I had one above the spine. The docs took no chances. They carved out an area 10""x10" and 2" deep in the middle of my back to get that fucker out for good. That was 15 years ago. They done good. No relapses.

R-Jack · Post by **R-Jack** » Thu Mar 08, 2012 1:30 pm

Sudden Sam wrote: We've got folks in here dealing with a lot worse shit than I'll ever have to go through.

No shit. I didn't sleep as well as I wanted last night.

BSmack · Post by **BSmack** » Thu Mar 08, 2012 6:57 pm

Sudden Sam wrote:This isn't life-threatening.

That's all that matters Sam. Keep on keeping on.

smackaholic · Post by **smackaholic** » Thu Mar 08, 2012 8:08 pm

Does that shit keep you off the bike?

smackaholic · Post by **smackaholic** » Thu Mar 08, 2012 8:40 pm

Have you tried bikes other than cruisers?

I have only riidden a few cruisers in my life, but, I was never comfortable because the upright seating position means your spine gets a pretty good jar over bumps. My FJ's slight forward leaning position suits me perfectly. Especially at speed, where the wind drag counteracts gravity so that I feel as though I am floating.

Van · Post by **Van** » Thu Mar 08, 2012 9:27 pm

Yep, smackie. There's a reason long-distance bikes are never configured as cruisers. It's the same reason motor cops don't ride feet-forward.

The cruiser seating position is all wrong for, well, everything.

Van · Post by **Van** » Fri Mar 09, 2012 1:26 am

Sam, I highly doubt you could take your VTX1300 and a BMW R1200RT on the same 1000-mile weekend and come back saying the VTX was the more comfortable bike for you.

Hell, forget a 1000-mile weekend. I highly doubt you could ride both bikes for twenty minutes without coming to the conclusion that the R1200RT is vastly superior in every way, including comfort.

Seriously, you need to get your ass on a bike that's purpose-built for comfort, which means sport tourers and tourers. Jeez, many standards are far more comfortable than any cruiser, especially for someone with a bad back.

smackaholic · Post by **smackaholic** » Fri Mar 09, 2012 2:47 am

yeah, I just don't get feet forward riding. It may be comfortable for your legs, but, when you see some rough stuff coming up, it's nice to be able to take the jolt with your knees rather than your lower back.

there is one thing that bugs me with extended rides on the fj. the seat is low, the pegs are high. the result is a knee that is bent a little too much. so every hour or so, i have to hop off and take a walk. have actually considered rigging a small set of highway pegs, just to be able to stretch my legs now and then. would look like shit though, on the fj.

Van · Post by **Van** » Fri Mar 09, 2012 4:05 am

Instead of pulling over, why don't you just stand on the pegs and stretch every so often?

Carson · Post by **Carson** » Sat Mar 10, 2012 2:26 pm

Goober McTuber wrote:
Sudden Sam wrote:
Roach wrote:I just hope all those different colors of watercraft don't push some of the clones into a racial frenzy. Good thing there are no dogs in the pics.
Isn't it amazing how so many different colors are able to stand together in that pic? In Alabama, no less!
I don't see any black ones. Shocking.

They're in the Chattahootchee River.

Sin,

Wayne Williams

smackaholic · Post by **smackaholic** » Sat Mar 10, 2012 3:14 pm

Van wrote:Instead of pulling over, why don't you just stand on the pegs and stretch every so often?

Yeah, I do that as well, but, still feels good to hop off every hour or so.

Part of the problem is I have a Corbin seat and have been told that it sits a bit lower than stock. The fukkin' thing sure is comfy though.

Left Seater · Post by **Left Seater** » Sat Mar 10, 2012 4:19 pm

I know this will go over like a fart in church, but I don't get the appeal at all of riding a bike.

I have gone on a couple of long rides back in the day with friends and also had a buddies bike at my house while he was overseas for three years. I rode that weekly for him. It just doesn't agree with me.

Then again I don't like car trips either. What do you guys enjoy about it?

smackaholic · Post by **smackaholic** » Sat Mar 10, 2012 4:21 pm

Left Seater wrote:I know this will go over like a fart in church, but I don't get the appeal at all of riding a bike.

I have gone on a couple of long rides back in the day with friends and also had a buddies bike at my house while he was overseas for three years. I rode that weekly for him. It just doesn't agree with me.

Then again I don't like car trips either. What do you guys enjoy about it?

Doing it.

Different strokes for different folks, lefty.

The world's a little more interesting that way.

Van · Post by **Van** » Sat Mar 10, 2012 4:35 pm

Lefty, for starters, cars lean the wrong way in turns. Beyond that, grab a handful of throttle in third gear on something like a GSX-R1000. As a pilot, I'd imagine you'd come to appreciate the appeal of that sort of thrust right quick.

Diego in Seattle · Post by **Diego in Seattle** » Sat Mar 10, 2012 7:49 pm

Even rolling on the throttle of my Nomad 1600 will quickly push you away pretty quickly (although nothing like a zip-splat).

LS;
It's a combination of things. It's being able to take all the scenery in (well, assuming one resides in a state with nice scenery). It's going somewhere without being in a sterile environment. It's having your mind occupied by what you're doing instead of being on auto-pilot in a cage. It's being able to move around in traffic like a cage can't (and I'm not even referring to lane splitting, which is illegal here - although in most cases I wouldn't do it anyways). It's being first on & first off the ferry. :D It's riding in a group & being able to share stories when you stop about the stupid things cagers are doing.

There's lots of things that make riding enjoyable, but I guess it's a case of to each their own.

I had a mustang seat on my old bike that was pretty comfy, although it also had a backrest. I don't know if one could get such a seat for SS's bike.

Van · Post by **Van** » Sat Mar 10, 2012 8:20 pm

Exactly. It's the difference between being in a beautiful place while strapped inside a metal box vs actually being in that same beautiful place. It's why convertible cars have always carried so much appeal.

Put it this way, Lefty. When was the last time you hopped in your SUV, minivan, Camry or whatever and simply went out for a joyride, irrespective of the destination? I'm not talking about taking the family to a pretty locale. I'm talking strictly taking a drive to enjoy the drive, with no other agenda.

Motorcyclists do so all the time, often as not leaving the house for a weekend ride with no real destination in mind. See mountain...head towards mountain. Good enough.

And splitting lanes absolutely kicks ass, especially for ripping through jammed up freeways and heavy stop-and-go city traffic. Getting somewhere in fifteen minutes that would've taken forty-five in a car never sucks.

Diego in Seattle · Post by **Diego in Seattle** » Sat Mar 10, 2012 8:59 pm

Of course, your bike doesn't weigh upwards of 900 lbs, either. Handling that much bike in tight quarters (especially rolling over bots dots) is a different proposition.

Van · Post by **Van** » Sat Mar 10, 2012 9:25 pm

My fully fueled ST1300 weighed a good 700 lbs and wasn't a problem, nor were any of my bikes with the full-on Star Trek-lookin' Givi hardbags. Those things made my bike wider than a Goldwing. In close quarters motor cops routinely make tugboat Harleys dance like Shakira. The size of the bike really doesn't matter all that much, not in terms of lane splitting. Keep an eye on your mirrors, and you should be fine.

This is particularly true with your bike. With all that bottom-end torque and dead linear throttle response complementing an ocean liner-stable wheelbase, that thing would be a total breeze to navigate between lanes. Would a 320 lb DR400 be easier? Sure, but your bike has such a low center of gravity that it makes for piece-of-cake low-speed manuevering.

Its main drawback is that it sits so low to the ground, so you don't have nearly the commanding field of vision enjoyed by someone on a taller bike. Your Nomad is literally beneath the mirrors of many larger trucks, so that'd be my one area of concern. Still, as cruisers go, the Nomad 1600 with its medium-side windshield and backrest is a reasonably upright, visible bike...especially in Kawi's nuclear green finish.

Left Seater · Post by **Left Seater** » Sat Mar 10, 2012 10:06 pm

I understand we all enjoy different things B, I just wondered what it is I am missing out on.

I have never taken my car out for a drive just to drive. Nor have I ever wanted to do it on a bike. Agree most vehicles are stale boxes, but they are a means to an end, they get us from place to place.

Diego in Seattle · Post by **Diego in Seattle** » Sun Mar 11, 2012 12:57 am

Left Seater wrote:I have never taken my car out for a drive just to drive. Nor have I ever wanted to do it on a bike. Agree most vehicles are stale boxes, but they are a means to an end, they get us from place to place.

I'm sorry you don't have time to smell the roses. I pity you.

Van · Post by **Van** » Sun Mar 11, 2012 1:45 am

Lefty, that's just it. A bike isn't merely a means to an end, with the end being the ability to get you from place to place. No, a bike is the "end." Simply riding is enough. Getting from here to there and back is a bonus. (Especially if you're on a Harley.

)

Think of it like this...

There's procreating, which is a means to an end.

Then there's fucking...fucking, say, Adriana Lima, just for fun. Sure, you could also procreate with her, but that ain't the point.

Left Seater · Post by **Left Seater** » Sun Mar 11, 2012 1:52 am

Diego,

I have plenty of time to smell the roses. Maybe you missed the PET from last week. If the goal is to be out with nature and to smell the roses, I would much rather hike than be on some sort of transportation.

Van,

That's just it, riding is loud, hot and dirty.

Diego in Seattle · Post by **Diego in Seattle** » Sun Mar 11, 2012 3:27 am

Left Seater wrote: Van,

That's just it, riding is loud, hot and dirty.

And your point is?

And as far as hot & dirty....only during summer months in some states. Rarely is it ever hot here, and unless it is hot I don't arrive home any dirtier than if I were in a cage.

Left Seater · Post by **Left Seater** » Sun Mar 11, 2012 6:30 pm

Is it to get away from your family?

Van · Post by **Van** » Sun Mar 11, 2012 6:48 pm

Sometimes the best rides are the ones that include the family.

Diego in Seattle · Post by **Diego in Seattle** » Sun Mar 11, 2012 7:26 pm

Or to family.

Why only enjoy the time with the family...why not enjoy getting there? All the while paying considerably less for gas.

Goober McTuber · Post by **Goober McTuber** » Mon Mar 12, 2012 1:28 pm

Van wrote:Then there's fucking...fucking, say, Adriana Lima, just for fun.

Left Seater wrote:
Van,

That's just it, riding is loud, hot and dirty.

Fag.

Van · Post by **Van** » Mon Mar 12, 2012 5:33 pm

I had an advantage. Most dogs haven't seen Adriana Lima, and fewer still post on message boards.

Derron · Post by **Derron** » Wed Mar 14, 2012 4:38 pm

Sudden Sam wrote: but I can walk and screw, so it could be a lot worse.

A busted up old concrete worker told me he would quit when he could not fish, fuck or golf anymore. You claim bode on the screwing, so as long as you can fish and golf, you are good to go.

Dinsdale · Post by **Dinsdale** » Wed Mar 14, 2012 7:23 pm

Derron wrote:You claim bode on the screwing, so as long as you can fish and golf, you are good to go.

Done all 3 in the last week.

I must be good to go.

Caught suckers not steelhead, didn't make a birdie putt... but white goo did squirt out of my tallywhacker, so I'm kinda 1-for-3.

Derron · Post by **Derron** » Wed Mar 14, 2012 7:34 pm

Sudden Sam wrote:
The feel and sound of a good engine rolling power to the ground is intoxicating. When I ride the bike to Tampa, the trip is ten times more fun than driving. I meet more people. Someone is always going to come over and ask about the bike.

I don't ride bikes, but on a nice recreational trip in good weather of under about 100 miles, I take my 72 Mustang coupe. Part of the fun is HOW we get there. The 72 is a great cruising car, Hurst shifter in your hand, 300 hp under the foot, almost full blast runs at stop lights, nice cornering, windows down, no ac, nice Pioneer deck putting out some good rock and roll...makes the driving fun. Longer trips, I take my 94 Mustang..a bit better ride and comfort, still plenty of performance and certainly not one of the mirror image sedans and SUV's that every one drives.

The 72 gets comments and conversation from other gear heads..good to talk to people that way. Go to a cruise in every Friday night in summer, that is always fun.

Derron · Post by **Derron** » Wed Mar 14, 2012 7:58 pm

Sudden Sam wrote:Mustangs were a big part of my teen years. My dad had a 66. 68, 70 Mach I, 72 Mach I, and either a 73 or 74.

Fun, fun cars. I have had a 65,66,67, 68 Fastback GT and now the 72 coupe and 94 GT.

The 68 Fastback was a lot of fun..the back seat folded down and there was some fun times with young ladies in that ride. Hi Pro 390 made it get down the road as well.

Hope to get one again some day.

Left Seater · Post by **Left Seater** » Wed Mar 14, 2012 8:36 pm

Here are my cars in order:

None are mine, I just googled them.

1986 Chevy Suburban (hand me down from my mom)

1990 Ford Bronco (was my dad's)

1998 Chevy Suburban

2004 Ford Excursion

2009 Chevy Tahoe (first new car I ever had)

Also had to drive this a few times just after getting married. That didn't last cause it would have been easier to remove the front seat and let me drive from the second row 1991 Toyota Celica We only had a one car garage at the time so if I left first and this car was in the driveway, I either had to shuffle cars or take this one.

Derron · Post by **Derron** » Wed Mar 14, 2012 8:42 pm

Rack you Lefty.. I like it when some one says " Fuck the gas mileage" in their choice of rides.

I don't commute, so I don't give a shit really about gas mileage. I have a 98 Ranger for around town and when I might care about gas mileage...I also have a 71 F 100 pickup with a 351..sometimes it just has to be driven to the hardware store instead of the Ranger.

Dinsdale · Post by **Dinsdale** » Wed Mar 14, 2012 9:05 pm

Sudden Sam wrote:Was hoping to find a pic of one looking like our '68, but no luck. Got some B&W shots at home. It was navy blue and had the driving lights/fog lights (?) in the grill and a white 'C' stripe around the side indentation.

In 68, that would be the GT model.

I still have my 78 Mach I, kinda moldering away outside... keep telling myself I'm going to jump on it. Unfortunately, Mustang II parts are really hard to come by.

Looks just like this, but without the (non-factory) front airdam, same color, except with the proper white rally rims:

Sure, it's a Mustang II, but at least it was the coolest II they made (screw the King Cobra, same car with the airdams, and stupid paint job... although Farrah drove one). 302, C6 (later model, weaker version of the old C6), leaked-since-new T-Tops.

Left Seater · Post by **Left Seater** » Wed Mar 14, 2012 10:38 pm

I had no idea the Pinto and Mustang looked so similar in the late 70s.