phpaul

Friend took pity on my and volunteered to run down with me to pick it up today versus waiting until Saturday when my daughter was available. 100-ish mile drive back went off without a hitch. Noticed a couple of little niggles like a shimmy at 56-58MPH and the rear window in the convertible top is pretty cloudy. Other than that, ran like a watch and the dash reported a hair over 20MPG average which is WAY better than I expected. I'll have my mechanic check the balance on the tires and I need to put some new wiper blades on it, but other than that it's gas it up (Owwww....I put $70 worth of mid-grade in it...) and drive it!

Got that Vette bought. Exactly as advertised, 20,435 miles on the clock, immaculate inside and out. Some very minor paint issues by the driver's side headlight which he mentioned when we were texting back and forth. Test drive was brief due to lack of gas and rain (he said he was pretty sure that's the first time it had ever been rained on...) but ran good, clutch was good, shifted well and no squeaks or rattles even on a rough dirt road on the way to pavement. Got insurance and tags taken care of, going back Saturday to pick it up.

Going to look at a 1990 C4 Vette, 350/6 speed tomorrow. Price is right, car SOUNDS good but the Mark I Eyeball is the final test.

A 'vette is on my shopping list, but access issues place it down the list a ways. Not to mention my limited budget...

I swung by 3 used car dealers today and gave them my requirements. Nobody had anything on the lot or in inventory, but they took notes and my cell number and will let me know if anything comes up. I have seen several likely candidates on Craigslist but they're all half a state away. Spending a day to go look at something and finding out they lied, OR liking it and then figuring out how to get it home is going to be a lot of work and I'm in no particular hurry so we'll let things simmer for a while and see what floats to the top.

Funny you guys should mention it... A Miata is a no-go, can't get my fat carcass in/out of it. I know, I test drove a friend's. Thought I wanted a Jeep CJ/Wrangler until I drove one. ZERO plans for non-pavement driving, so the other drawbacks aren't worth the trouble. Going to go look at some Gen4/5 Mustangs over the next few days. First step is to see if I can get in/out of THEM. No ragtops tho, never saw the attraction. 8 cylinders and a clutch are mandatory, everything else is optional.

I'm 73, and I've been riding for more than 55 years. Developing (minor) health issues and other factors have led to the decision that it's time to hang up my leathers. My younger Grandson (26) just paid for and rode off on my 2016 FJ09 this morning and has already fallen in love with it. He's a careful and responsible young man and I hope he has as much fun with it as I did for the last 8 years. The Powers That Be may wish to remove me from the Moderator's list as I won't be around much, if at all. Meanwhile, it's been a fun few years, I have enjoyed this forum and I have no regrets.

You betcher bippy it will! Be DARN careful in 1st, and whack second with caution. When riding with unrestrained exuberance (my preferred mode... ) I've been known to get "bunny hops" in second with the TC on...

The FJ and the Ninja are mine, the V-star belongs to my grandson and the Beemer belongs to a friend. The Beemer is for sale, I just spiffed it up a bit and I'll put it out there April 1st and see if we get any bites.

Been a pretty mild Winter but my interests are all indoor this time of year. March is obviously a Winter month and in Maine, April usually is too. REALLY looking forward to warmer weather and plan to get more seat time this year than I did last.

Just turned 72 last Friday. Been riding since '67 or maybe '68 (Don't remember). I'm glad to know I'm not the only one what would rather ride solo. I occasionally rode with my daughter and grandson just for the family time, but other than that I dislike riding with others for reasons others have already addressed. It's been a long time since I've done more than 200-ish miles for any reason. Virtually all of my riding is day rides, usually around 100 miles. Combination of discomfort and no real reason to go further. Plus, while my wife supports my need to ride, being gone overnight would not set well without a VERY good reason. I don't have any major issues with back pain, mostly my bony butt lets me know it's time to get off the bike for a while. One of the reasons I love the FJ is the upright riding position. I feel like my skills are still more than adequate and I do ride...um..."exuberantly". In fact I had a little chat with Smokey just the other day... Like anybody that's aging, I'm slowing down a little here and there, but I'm watching carefully for any deterioration in balance or reaction times serious enough to affect my ability to ride safely. Pretty sure I'll know when it's time to hang up the helmet.

My wife is...ummmm...more chronologically gifted than I am and is counting on me to be her nursemaid. Therefore her parting words when I decide to go for a ride are "Come back in one piece and NOT in a body bag!" Cheerful, that's what she is.

Your's too?

Center stand "cowboy mount" (I like that!) is my preferred method. Problem is getting off as I have to put it on the side stand, get off and then put it up on the center stand. Once, while parked on the grass at a motorcycle show, the side stand dug in, I hooked a boot lace on the tail bag and the whole works landed on top of me. The crowd in the parking area was considerate enough to turn away before they started laughing... Using the "put your foot on the tang, grab the luggage rail and lift while pushing down with your foot" method makes it easy to get on the center stand, and I can still rock it off the stand after mounting without tipping over. No odd noises that I can't attribute to knees...

Yeah, pretty much. The XS was fun 40 years and as many pounds ago. Not so much now... I relived that for several years around 2010 or so, but the FJ, modern suspension, fuel injection and ABS pretty much took the shine off the Nostalgia Bike thing... And Sweet Mother of Pearl, that CP3 engine... I've been riding that bike for 7 seasons now and I still giggle like an 8 year old girl at a pajama party when I grab a handful of that thing!