On Tuesday, November 22, 2016 at 10:56:31 AM UTC-8, Keyser Soze wrote:
On 11/22/16 12:19 PM, wrote:
On Tue, 22 Nov 2016 10:55:10 -0500, Poquito Loco
wrote:

On Tue, 22 Nov 2016 10:20:56 -0500, wrote:

On Tue, 22 Nov 2016 08:30:44 -0500, Keyser Soze
wrote:

I got rid of my first motorcycle after a bizarre accident in Kansas that
left both me and the bike uninjured, thanks to a quickly falling
snowstorm. Traded the Honda for a nice, safe, used Chevy.

One of my best sources for rice burning motor cycles was from people
who bought them thinking they were the perfect commuter vehicle. All
it took was the first wisp of snow or a little black ice on the road
and they were real cheap but they usually needed a little work. ;-)
I put them back together, shined them up and sold them in the spring.
One year I threw a Honda 350 in my van, took it to Florida and paid
for my trip. It sold in a day.

Going down on ice usually doesn't do any severe damage...few scratches, turn signals, maybe brake or
clutch lever.

Experience talking...luckily with a small Honda 125. I was in uniform going to work at Ft. Belvoir.
MPs stopped and told me I wasn't allowed to ride a motorcycle when there was snow on the roads. I
didn't challenge him, but I still wonder if that 'law' really existed!

That sounds more like a base restriction.

As for damage, you do OK unless you hit something. The RD350 Yammy I
got cheap had 2 bent fork tubes. I thought I would be truing the front
wheel but it survived OK.
I had to paint the tank on a 125 I picked up and replace some stuff
missing from the right handlebar.
I learned how to paint with rattle cans in those days. The Yamaha
paint job was a 3 step process. The trick, as with any spray painting
is never stop moving and pulse the valve.


I wonder if "survival" of bike and rider is as true today, what with the
much more massive bikes and faster speeds and plastic parts...

I don't know, My GS is a 1000cc bike, but I managed to break my tibia riding my 250cc dirtbike 3 yrs ago down in Baja with much more protective gear including wearing trials boots. Hurts about the same if you ask me.

On 11/22/16 2:25 PM, wrote:
On Tuesday, November 22, 2016 at 10:56:31 AM UTC-8, Keyser Soze wrote:
On 11/22/16 12:19 PM, wrote:
On Tue, 22 Nov 2016 10:55:10 -0500, Poquito Loco
wrote:

On Tue, 22 Nov 2016 10:20:56 -0500, wrote:

On Tue, 22 Nov 2016 08:30:44 -0500, Keyser Soze
wrote:

I got rid of my first motorcycle after a bizarre accident in Kansas that
left both me and the bike uninjured, thanks to a quickly falling
snowstorm. Traded the Honda for a nice, safe, used Chevy.

One of my best sources for rice burning motor cycles was from people
who bought them thinking they were the perfect commuter vehicle. All
it took was the first wisp of snow or a little black ice on the road
and they were real cheap but they usually needed a little work. ;-)
I put them back together, shined them up and sold them in the spring.
One year I threw a Honda 350 in my van, took it to Florida and paid
for my trip. It sold in a day.

Going down on ice usually doesn't do any severe damage...few scratches, turn signals, maybe brake or
clutch lever.

Experience talking...luckily with a small Honda 125. I was in uniform going to work at Ft. Belvoir.
MPs stopped and told me I wasn't allowed to ride a motorcycle when there was snow on the roads. I
didn't challenge him, but I still wonder if that 'law' really existed!

That sounds more like a base restriction.

As for damage, you do OK unless you hit something. The RD350 Yammy I
got cheap had 2 bent fork tubes. I thought I would be truing the front
wheel but it survived OK.
I had to paint the tank on a 125 I picked up and replace some stuff
missing from the right handlebar.
I learned how to paint with rattle cans in those days. The Yamaha
paint job was a 3 step process. The trick, as with any spray painting
is never stop moving and pulse the valve.


I wonder if "survival" of bike and rider is as true today, what with the
much more massive bikes and faster speeds and plastic parts...

I don't know, My GS is a 1000cc bike, but I managed to break my tibia riding my 250cc dirtbike 3 yrs ago down in Baja with much more protective gear including wearing trials boots. Hurts about the same if you ask me.


When I got into motorcycles, the popular Japanese and Brit bikes were
mostly 125-250 to maybe 500 cc's, and pretty lightly built. With some of
today's bikes, you'd need a crane to get them upright if they tipped
over. I don't remember what the top speed of my Honda was back then,
probably because I never hit it. I know the speed limit back in the day
on the Kansas Turnpike was 80 mph, but I never did more than 60 or so.

On Tuesday, November 22, 2016 at 11:41:30 AM UTC-8, Keyser Soze wrote:
On 11/22/16 2:25 PM, wrote:
On Tuesday, November 22, 2016 at 10:56:31 AM UTC-8, Keyser Soze wrote:
On 11/22/16 12:19 PM, wrote:
On Tue, 22 Nov 2016 10:55:10 -0500, Poquito Loco
wrote:

On Tue, 22 Nov 2016 10:20:56 -0500, wrote:

On Tue, 22 Nov 2016 08:30:44 -0500, Keyser Soze
wrote:

I got rid of my first motorcycle after a bizarre accident in Kansas that
left both me and the bike uninjured, thanks to a quickly falling
snowstorm. Traded the Honda for a nice, safe, used Chevy.

One of my best sources for rice burning motor cycles was from people
who bought them thinking they were the perfect commuter vehicle. All
it took was the first wisp of snow or a little black ice on the road
and they were real cheap but they usually needed a little work. ;-)
I put them back together, shined them up and sold them in the spring.
One year I threw a Honda 350 in my van, took it to Florida and paid
for my trip. It sold in a day.

Going down on ice usually doesn't do any severe damage...few scratches, turn signals, maybe brake or
clutch lever.

Experience talking...luckily with a small Honda 125. I was in uniform going to work at Ft. Belvoir.
MPs stopped and told me I wasn't allowed to ride a motorcycle when there was snow on the roads. I
didn't challenge him, but I still wonder if that 'law' really existed!

That sounds more like a base restriction.

As for damage, you do OK unless you hit something. The RD350 Yammy I
got cheap had 2 bent fork tubes. I thought I would be truing the front
wheel but it survived OK.
I had to paint the tank on a 125 I picked up and replace some stuff
missing from the right handlebar.
I learned how to paint with rattle cans in those days. The Yamaha
paint job was a 3 step process. The trick, as with any spray painting
is never stop moving and pulse the valve.


I wonder if "survival" of bike and rider is as true today, what with the
much more massive bikes and faster speeds and plastic parts...

I don't know, My GS is a 1000cc bike, but I managed to break my tibia riding my 250cc dirtbike 3 yrs ago down in Baja with much more protective gear including wearing trials boots. Hurts about the same if you ask me.


When I got into motorcycles, the popular Japanese and Brit bikes were
mostly 125-250 to maybe 500 cc's, and pretty lightly built. With some of
today's bikes, you'd need a crane to get them upright if they tipped
over. I don't remember what the top speed of my Honda was back then,
probably because I never hit it. I know the speed limit back in the day
on the Kansas Turnpike was 80 mph, but I never did more than 60 or so.

My 1st bike for a whole day was a Honda Cub, if you could call it a bike.
I bought it from a neighbor friend.
The very next day as I got off the school bus I noticed a fire truck in front of our house, When I got to the driveway there was my Cub burnt to a crisp, and my Mom standing off to the side next to a empty gas can.
Thats how I found out my Mom didn't like motorcycles.

wrote:
On Tuesday, November 22, 2016 at 11:41:30 AM UTC-8, Keyser Soze wrote:
On 11/22/16 2:25 PM, wrote:
On Tuesday, November 22, 2016 at 10:56:31 AM UTC-8, Keyser Soze wrote:
On 11/22/16 12:19 PM, wrote:
On Tue, 22 Nov 2016 10:55:10 -0500, Poquito Loco
wrote:

On Tue, 22 Nov 2016 10:20:56 -0500, wrote:

On Tue, 22 Nov 2016 08:30:44 -0500, Keyser Soze
wrote:

I got rid of my first motorcycle after a bizarre accident in Kansas that
left both me and the bike uninjured, thanks to a quickly falling
snowstorm. Traded the Honda for a nice, safe, used Chevy.

One of my best sources for rice burning motor cycles was from people
who bought them thinking they were the perfect commuter vehicle. All
it took was the first wisp of snow or a little black ice on the road
and they were real cheap but they usually needed a little work. ;-)
I put them back together, shined them up and sold them in the spring.
One year I threw a Honda 350 in my van, took it to Florida and paid
for my trip. It sold in a day.

Going down on ice usually doesn't do any severe damage...few
scratches, turn signals, maybe brake or
clutch lever.

Experience talking...luckily with a small Honda 125. I was in
uniform going to work at Ft. Belvoir.
MPs stopped and told me I wasn't allowed to ride a motorcycle when
there was snow on the roads. I
didn't challenge him, but I still wonder if that 'law' really existed!

That sounds more like a base restriction.

As for damage, you do OK unless you hit something. The RD350 Yammy I
got cheap had 2 bent fork tubes. I thought I would be truing the front
wheel but it survived OK.
I had to paint the tank on a 125 I picked up and replace some stuff
missing from the right handlebar.
I learned how to paint with rattle cans in those days. The Yamaha
paint job was a 3 step process. The trick, as with any spray painting
is never stop moving and pulse the valve.


I wonder if "survival" of bike and rider is as true today, what with the
much more massive bikes and faster speeds and plastic parts...

I don't know, My GS is a 1000cc bike, but I managed to break my tibia
riding my 250cc dirtbike 3 yrs ago down in Baja with much more
protective gear including wearing trials boots. Hurts about the same if you ask me.


When I got into motorcycles, the popular Japanese and Brit bikes were
mostly 125-250 to maybe 500 cc's, and pretty lightly built. With some of
today's bikes, you'd need a crane to get them upright if they tipped
over. I don't remember what the top speed of my Honda was back then,
probably because I never hit it. I know the speed limit back in the day
on the Kansas Turnpike was 80 mph, but I never did more than 60 or so.

My 1st bike for a whole day was a Honda Cub, if you could call it a bike.
I bought it from a neighbor friend.
The very next day as I got off the school bus I noticed a fire truck in
front of our house, When I got to the driveway there was my Cub burnt to
a crisp, and my Mom standing off to the side next to a empty gas can.
Thats how I found out my Mom didn't like motorcycles.



Yikes! My mom only wanted to do that to a couple of the girls I dated!

--
Posted with my iPhone 7+.

On Tue, 22 Nov 2016 13:56:29 -0500, Keyser Soze
wrote:

On 11/22/16 12:19 PM, wrote:
On Tue, 22 Nov 2016 10:55:10 -0500, Poquito Loco
wrote:

On Tue, 22 Nov 2016 10:20:56 -0500, wrote:

On Tue, 22 Nov 2016 08:30:44 -0500, Keyser Soze
wrote:

I got rid of my first motorcycle after a bizarre accident in Kansas that
left both me and the bike uninjured, thanks to a quickly falling
snowstorm. Traded the Honda for a nice, safe, used Chevy.

One of my best sources for rice burning motor cycles was from people
who bought them thinking they were the perfect commuter vehicle. All
it took was the first wisp of snow or a little black ice on the road
and they were real cheap but they usually needed a little work. ;-)
I put them back together, shined them up and sold them in the spring.
One year I threw a Honda 350 in my van, took it to Florida and paid
for my trip. It sold in a day.

Going down on ice usually doesn't do any severe damage...few scratches, turn signals, maybe brake or
clutch lever.

Experience talking...luckily with a small Honda 125. I was in uniform going to work at Ft. Belvoir.
MPs stopped and told me I wasn't allowed to ride a motorcycle when there was snow on the roads. I
didn't challenge him, but I still wonder if that 'law' really existed!

That sounds more like a base restriction.

As for damage, you do OK unless you hit something. The RD350 Yammy I
got cheap had 2 bent fork tubes. I thought I would be truing the front
wheel but it survived OK.
I had to paint the tank on a 125 I picked up and replace some stuff
missing from the right handlebar.
I learned how to paint with rattle cans in those days. The Yamaha
paint job was a 3 step process. The trick, as with any spray painting
is never stop moving and pulse the valve.


I wonder if "survival" of bike and rider is as true today, what with the
much more massive bikes and faster speeds and plastic parts...

If you have a road bike with crash bars and you can just lay it down,
stay tucked in and you will be OK as a general rule but hitting
something head on is always bad.
The only time I ever laid a bike down or even got hurt was dirt
riding. My Benelli was fun out in the woods but I did crash a few
times

On Tue, 22 Nov 2016 15:57:33 -0500, wrote:

On Tue, 22 Nov 2016 13:56:29 -0500, Keyser Soze
wrote:

On 11/22/16 12:19 PM, wrote:
On Tue, 22 Nov 2016 10:55:10 -0500, Poquito Loco
wrote:

On Tue, 22 Nov 2016 10:20:56 -0500, wrote:

On Tue, 22 Nov 2016 08:30:44 -0500, Keyser Soze
wrote:

I got rid of my first motorcycle after a bizarre accident in Kansas that
left both me and the bike uninjured, thanks to a quickly falling
snowstorm. Traded the Honda for a nice, safe, used Chevy.

One of my best sources for rice burning motor cycles was from people
who bought them thinking they were the perfect commuter vehicle. All
it took was the first wisp of snow or a little black ice on the road
and they were real cheap but they usually needed a little work. ;-)
I put them back together, shined them up and sold them in the spring.
One year I threw a Honda 350 in my van, took it to Florida and paid
for my trip. It sold in a day.

Going down on ice usually doesn't do any severe damage...few scratches, turn signals, maybe brake or
clutch lever.

Experience talking...luckily with a small Honda 125. I was in uniform going to work at Ft. Belvoir.
MPs stopped and told me I wasn't allowed to ride a motorcycle when there was snow on the roads. I
didn't challenge him, but I still wonder if that 'law' really existed!

That sounds more like a base restriction.

As for damage, you do OK unless you hit something. The RD350 Yammy I
got cheap had 2 bent fork tubes. I thought I would be truing the front
wheel but it survived OK.
I had to paint the tank on a 125 I picked up and replace some stuff
missing from the right handlebar.
I learned how to paint with rattle cans in those days. The Yamaha
paint job was a 3 step process. The trick, as with any spray painting
is never stop moving and pulse the valve.


I wonder if "survival" of bike and rider is as true today, what with the
much more massive bikes and faster speeds and plastic parts...

If you have a road bike with crash bars and you can just lay it down,
stay tucked in and you will be OK as a general rule but hitting
something head on is always bad.
The only time I ever laid a bike down or even got hurt was dirt
riding. My Benelli was fun out in the woods but I did crash a few
times

You do realize that a bike sliding on its side has less traction than an upright bike with the
brakes applied. Laying a bike down looks good in the movies, but the bike will stop faster with the
brakes.

3:06 PMPoquito Loco
- show quoted text -
You do realize that a bike sliding on its side has less traction than an upright bike with the
brakes applied. Laying a bike down looks good in the movies, but the bike will stop faster with the
brakes.
.....

Nope. I disagree. I laid down my cb450 Honda just moments before it slid and slammed into 88 yr. old "grannie blue-hair" who had just pulled out in front of me. She was driving a 1972 Buick Electra 225 and I swear she couldn't see over the steering wheel!

On 11/22/2016 12:00 PM, wrote:
On Tuesday, November 22, 2016 at 5:44:54 AM UTC-8, Poquito Loco wrote:
On Tuesday, November 22, 2016 at 7:50:54 AM UTC-5, wrote:
On Tuesday, November 22, 2016 at 4:18:55 AM UTC-8, Poquito Loco wrote:
On Mon, 21 Nov 2016 21:59:31 -0500, wrote:

On Mon, 21 Nov 2016 20:04:10 -0500, "Mr. Luddite"
wrote:

On 11/21/2016 7:09 PM, Califbill wrote:
wrote:
On Mon, 21 Nov 2016 15:35:28 -0600, Califbill
wrote:

Keyser Söze wrote:
wrote:
On Mon, 21 Nov 2016 12:11:59 -0800 (PST), True North
wrote:

.
It's registered as a truck and the insurance company rates it as a truck.

I had a VW based dune buggy with a 36HP motor and no bumpers and it
was titled as a 1/2 ton truck in Maryland so that does not mean much.


Maryland and Nova Scotia/Canada share vehicle definition criteria or is
this just more of your "same same" delusion?


How do you rate a closed SUV as a truck? Where is the load bed? In
California, if was rated as a truck, would pay extra for commercial plates,
unless all you hauled was suitcases.

Same way you call a van a truck.


If you have a van without side windows in the back, then is a commercial
plate van.


I think the difference in modern vechicles is body on frame versus
unibody construction. The 4Runner is body on frame, which is a truck
chassis. Small vans are usually of unibody construction ... car chassis
basically.

I did a little looking at the CFR that regulates the MCO and they
separate the vehicles as Passenger car, Multipurpose vehicle (SUV)
Truck, Motorcycle, Trailer and incomplete vehicle on the MCO. (and in
the VIN)
There may also be an indicator of body style but that is not defined
in the CFR. It ends up in the manufacturer defined fields of the VIN
if it is there. (position 4-7)

I've done some checking of my own. My Moto Guzzi is definitely a motorcycle. Krause's Ducati is a
dream.

I've been looking online at the MG Stelvio, Had a getoff on my BMW last month, Looks to be totaled from what I've heard, Stuck in wheelchair for now so haven't been able to get out in the garage to give it a look yet.

Damn, the least I could have done was express a bit of sympathy! Sorry to hear about the crackup. How bad are the injuries? Who proclaimed the bike totaled? Could be you could buy it back and fix it with used parts. My Dutch friend did that with a new Guzzi a few years back. Got his check from the insurance for $18K, or so, then bought the bike back from them for about $4K. The bike needed a whole new front end, but that was it. He had it up and running again for about $2K.

Thanks, The bike is a 30yr old airhead GS Paris Dakar, I was riding with friends on a gravel fireroad an biffed it into a tree, Smashed the bars, tank, and tore up the starboard jug, along with a broke leg, foot and separated shoulder.

The bike is insured, but I'm not going to make a claim since it was all my doing, That and the fact insurance wouldn't give me much for it anyway.
I'm a pretty good wrench so will do a rebuild this spring. The hardest part will be finding a new tank.



Hope you and the bike heal 100%.

On 11/22/2016 12:19 PM, wrote:
On Tue, 22 Nov 2016 10:55:10 -0500, Poquito Loco
wrote:

On Tue, 22 Nov 2016 10:20:56 -0500, wrote:

On Tue, 22 Nov 2016 08:30:44 -0500, Keyser Soze
wrote:

I got rid of my first motorcycle after a bizarre accident in Kansas that
left both me and the bike uninjured, thanks to a quickly falling
snowstorm. Traded the Honda for a nice, safe, used Chevy.

One of my best sources for rice burning motor cycles was from people
who bought them thinking they were the perfect commuter vehicle. All
it took was the first wisp of snow or a little black ice on the road
and they were real cheap but they usually needed a little work. ;-)
I put them back together, shined them up and sold them in the spring.
One year I threw a Honda 350 in my van, took it to Florida and paid
for my trip. It sold in a day.

Going down on ice usually doesn't do any severe damage...few scratches, turn signals, maybe brake or
clutch lever.

Experience talking...luckily with a small Honda 125. I was in uniform going to work at Ft. Belvoir.
MPs stopped and told me I wasn't allowed to ride a motorcycle when there was snow on the roads. I
didn't challenge him, but I still wonder if that 'law' really existed!

That sounds more like a base restriction.

As for damage, you do OK unless you hit something. The RD350 Yammy I
got cheap had 2 bent fork tubes. I thought I would be truing the front
wheel but it survived OK.
I had to paint the tank on a 125 I picked up and replace some stuff
missing from the right handlebar.
I learned how to paint with rattle cans in those days. The Yamaha
paint job was a 3 step process. The trick, as with any spray painting
is never stop moving and pulse the valve.


While attending ET school in GLakes I rode a Honda 350 back and forth
from our apartment because my wife needed the car. During the winter
the base would not allow the bike "on base", so I had to park it outside
the main gate. Wasn't fun riding it in snow and I would never recommend it.

On 11/22/2016 4:41 PM, Tim wrote:

3:06 PMPoquito Loco
- show quoted text -
You do realize that a bike sliding on its side has less traction than an upright bike with the
brakes applied. Laying a bike down looks good in the movies, but the bike will stop faster with the
brakes.
....

Nope. I disagree. I laid down my cb450 Honda just moments before it slid and slammed into 88 yr. old "grannie blue-hair" who had just pulled out in front of me. She was driving a 1972 Buick Electra 225 and I swear she couldn't see over the steering wheel!


Ha! That's what riding in Florida was all about. I used to head for
the roads less traveled.