What a Great Day!!

[RWEST]

Temperature in the low-mid 70's here in SW PA today, so a bunch of us headed out. My V-Strom (M1 10-40HM), brother Stan - Goldwing (Rotella 15-40), his wife Kathy on a 250 Honda "Reflex" scooter (just changed last night - Honda 10-40) they picked up yesterday, friend Steve on a Goldwing (Rotella 15-40), Steve's son Dustin on a brand new CBR1000RR, two guys on Yamaha R6's, and another guy on a 1200 Sportster.

The guys on the crotch-rockets hung out with us old fogies for a while, then couldn't stand it any more and took off on one of the twistier roads; we never saw them again...

Kathy just loves her scooter, and had no problems keeping up with us on the hills, although, as noted earlier, we aren't 10/10th guys anyway. That little bugger will run 60-65 pretty much all day, with little muss/fuss, all while getting about 80 MPG!!

The roads are in decent shape, although there still is enough anti-skid out there to make the first guy in line (me!!) more than a little nervous entering the turns!! We got in about 150 miles in Cambria, Bedford, Blair, Huntington and Somerset counties.

Just one of those days that make one glad to be alive.

 

[daves87rs]

Sounds like a great time!

 

[ThirdeYe]

A CBR1000?! I love Fireblades, one of my dream bikes. Must be a heck of a fast ride.

 

[boraticus]

Yeah, there's still lots of winter control material on the roads. That's for sure. Trouble is that it's often hard to see if it's on faded asphalt.

I'm building a '74 RD350 form my nephew and have been tuning/test riding it. This is a stock machine with what looks like original rubber on it. There's plenty of tread there but the rubber composition must be made mostly of recycled Tupperware containers. It's more like the rubber on the casters of a shop dolly. I was taking a bit of a corner at fairly low speed and gave it a handful of throttle once on the straight section of road. The thing was squirming around pretty good. I looked back and saw the tire marks in a thin film of fine sand. Have to be pretty vigilant this time of year for that.

Sounds like you had a great ride. Enjoy!

 

[RWEST]

And we had a repeat today!!

This time it was myself, brother Stan, his wife Kathy (she just LOVES that scooter), and nephew Nate (Goldwing 15-40 Rotella) with wife Jen riding the pillion. Got another 100 miles +/- on the beautiful rural roads of Bedford county.

The weather was only in the mid-60's, but still enjoyable. I could do this for a living, I think...

Quote:
This is a stock machine with what looks like original rubber on it. There's plenty of tread there but the rubber composition must be made mostly of recycled

Yikes, sounds like an accident waiting to happen!!

 

[boraticus]

"Yikes, sounds like an accident waiting to happen!!"

Yeah, I knew the rubber was marginal when I took it out. That's why I kept the speed below 70 mph and only briefly. I was just testing out he suspension and brakes that I had refurbished. Everything worked well and new tires await the bike before anymore riding is done on it.

 

[RWEST]

Had a similar incident my own self one time with 10+ year old rubber on a Suzuki GS1100E many years ago. Fortunately, young reflexes saved the day - today I think I'd be in the E.R. if that were to happen.

 

[boraticus]

The GS1100E was a great bike. Smooth, powerful and a respectable handler in it's day. Would that have been a 1984ish machine?

 

[RWEST]

"Would that have been a 1984ish machine?"
Yep, it was. The "Champagne" color. I bought it in late 83 or 84; had a Kerker pipe, Lockhart cooler and Dyna ignition. Amazingly smooth/powerful!!

I still think that may have been the most comfortable naked bike I ever rode. After that, it seemed like every bike had the footpegs mounted higher and further to the rear, and my old football knees just didn't (REALLY don't, now) enjoy that at all. After 50, we really pay for our youthful follies, it seems..

The V-Strom I have now is maybe even more relaxed, ergo-wise.

Sold the 1100 to my brother when I started building my house and didn't have time to ride. He offered me a ride one day in '92 or '3. Never occurred to me that the OEM tires would have the consistency of concrete, until I cranked it up a bit and just about went over..