maximo

Oh, I wasn't arguing that 3 wheels is a bad choice - point in fact, I'm actively looking for a Vanderhall Venice - I was simply observing that with 3 wheels, one in each track, avoiding potholes is probably difficult. It's just a consideration that should be in the mix.

I've often thought that 3 wheels means that your chance of hitting a pothole increases dramatically!

Yes, this stuff is magic! Start with the #2 to see if it will be enough (it usually is). This is where I would start, if stock screen functioned well. This is a good product to have on hand regardless, so you won't be out anything.

yeah, no one wants someone else's pit-stained T's. As for the stickers, until the quarantine is over, not a single one of us can talk about fat anyone. Not even Albert.

Sweet jeepers, is this really necessary? Can we keep the banter more lightheartedly? I'd say normally that's a good idea, but especially now with all the tension and unrest, I think it's critical for us all to be a little kinder. <<<steps off soapbox>>> (also, I threw in the improper use of an adverb just to provide an opportunity to see past a grammar mistake and to simply read the meaning) LOL

You'd get permanently banned from **Some Boards** for saying this. You'd have to turn in your leather vest, too.

I used to belong to the n+1 philosophy, and that's how I ended up with 5 in the garage. I soon realized that for me there was a serious diminishing returns. Each bike has a certain overhead to it, cleaning the chain, tires inflated, battery on tender, periodically run to keep the fluids fresh, oil changes, post ride bug scrapes, etc. With one bike you hardly notice these because they're all part of the routine. However, with many bikes, if you don't ride them equally, you end up doing doing a lot of these things just because you have to. I realized that I was eating into my riding time because I had to take out bike #4, since it hadn't been ridden in a month (or worse). It really got to be a chore just keeping them all in riding condition. That's how I landed at 3 being optimal. It's the best ratio of variety and maintenance.

I've had at least one bike in the garage since 1978, and often more than one. I've fluctuated on the number over the years, with 5 being the most I've had at once, and I have found that for me 3 bikes is the perfect number. Adding one more throws everything out of proportion, and suddenly it becomes more of a chore than a joy. What about you? Where does it switch from being great to too many?

Call me an oddball, but I've always loved the look of the PC800. In fact, that was part of the reason I got the ST1100, it's because it reminded me of the PC.

Sweet cheeses!!What design school flunkie thought that would be a good idea??? You're right, there's no way to fill up that thing with our gas nozzles unless you're skilled in Moroccan mint tea pouring.

I've never owned one, but have had the chance to ride one a bit. My impression that it was a great bike, as long as you didn't need to turn or stop. I'm also curious as to what it was like to live with one.

"Nevertheless, he persisted"

I've had at least one bike in my garage since 1979, and they each has a distinct claim to my heart, but my very first road bike that I bought with my own money and owned it myself was this beauty from 1975. Despite a potpourri of frankenbikes and mopeds that my brother and I cobbled together before I bought this, I consider this my very first bike. And like other notable firsts, you never forget your first bike.

The master of the understatement. My '15 tried its darnedest to kill me with the lurching, over and over again.

This is the route I took. Now it sits as ballast in my saddlebag, right next to the cycle pump and puncture repair kit. I always figured I'd get warning, and/or be able to bump start. Hard lesson.

100% out of the blue. I keep it on a trickle charger and it fires up every time. Except this time. I had hastily put together an overnight ride, so I loaded up and took off, trying to get out of the valley before it got too hot. I stopped for gas still in the heat, 100 miles from home, and after filling up it just went "wawawaaaaaaaaa....." it got about a half crank in. Zero indication before. I was at a smaller gas station in a busy intersection, and after a couple of failed attempts at bump starting it (it was 110 and climbing, I wasn't going to keep trying), and getting none of the locals to help me jump start it (who could blame them at those temps) I just called AAA. It was miserable sitting in the heat for two hours waiting for them to show up. The local bike shop didn't have the right battery in stock, so I ended up scrapping the trip and riding back home. Not the finest of motorcycling moments.

On a side note, I have a daughter who lives in Utah, so I'll periodically ride out there to visit. I like to go on 50 instead of 80, and on the non-mountain pass sections between Fallon, NV and Delta, UT I also like to set the cc at fast speeds. I've yet to take the FJ on the trip, I always do it on my K1200GT. I tell you, there's something magical about sustained high speeds (I set mine at 110, as the big German missile settles into her own at 100 MPH) in the vast, open desolation. Also, there's lots of praying that the NHP isn't using LIDAR because the only function my radar detector serves with laser is to tell me that I'm already screwed... LOL

Same here. The end of battery #1 came at a very unfortunate time LOL

That makes 3 of us. My first one was a taller one and it kept wiggling out. The flush mounted one isn't going anywhere. I've put lots of miles on it without it ever becoming loose. FWIW, I paired it to a pigtail charger, that way it reduces the amount of tugging at both ends. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07PG5X2HY/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I didn't see Seth Laam mentioned in the thread, so I'll throw his name in the mix. He did my saddle on my touring bike, so when I got my fj-09 the first mod I did was to have Seth build a saddle for it. His work is spot on. Laam Custom Motorcycle Seats

I'm a big fan of this kind of set up. Back in the day I had an ST1100, whose stock windshield was akin to stepping into the ring with Sugar Ray Leonard. I heard of the Laminar Lip, got one, and after much fidgeting with it I found the setting that miraculously calmed the air stream. At first I was mad, because I put it on and nothing changed. Then I started playing with placement, until I found The Perfect Spot for my height and riding position. It was magic!

I see lots of waves, including riders by their parked bikes. In fact, this weekend I was out on the Feather River Canyon and I stopped with my wife for a picnic lunch. There was another biker couple on the next table over, and we got and gave lots of waves as we lunched.

To me it looks like Dean Creek on the Umpqua Highway (38 I think).

I had a little bit more time today so I took the bike out for a spin in the twisties. I went on Hwy 70 in the Feather River canyon, and I finally got why so many of you are so high on this bike. I've said before that I like the bike, but still learning to love it. Clearing up the snatchy throttle did the trick. A mode is now spot on - it is buttery smooth across most of the RPM range, with no grabby throttle that threatens to mess up my line and squirt me into the other lane. I was able to trail brake deep into the corner with no problem with opening up the throttle leaned over. After about an hour of riding I realized that I was spending zero mental energy on managing how to open/close the throttle, and my shoulders were relaxed, instead of being tense from the anticipation the bike would lunge out from under me. Std mode still has a little bit of the snatchiness, but it is reduced to an annoyance rather than impactful. But honestly, with A mode being so good now, Std mode becomes redundant. It almost feels like I have a completely different bike.

Has anything new happened in the back rest department in the past 3 years? Any other options people have tried?