ugatha

South Louisiana. Five hurricanes this year, but nice fall weather!

Fully serviced, Farkled like I want it and 75 degree weather tomorrow to ride!

Added red rim tape and a beak. Installed rack for Shad side cases. Cases are coming in next week.

Changed oil & filter and flushed brake fluid. Cleaned and lube the chain.

You have to elaborate a bit about accidentally buying a V-Rod on eBay... This was 2010. There were margaritas involved. After margaritas, I browsed EBay and saw a 2008 Bud Light giveaway V-Rod VRSCD with 600 miles on it about to end and the high bid was around $7800. I thought the bidding would get up above $10,000, so I thought to myself that a bid of $8250 had no chance of winning. I sobered up quick when it said “You are the high bidder”. Then I watched the clock tick down thinking SURELY SOMEONE would outbid me. Nope - the timer hit zero, and I was congratulated for being the high bidder. So - I had to arrange a loan and shipping and tried to figure out the best time to tell my wife. Fast forward a couple of weeks, the bike is in the separate garage, we’re drinking margaritas, and I told her I had gotten a great deal on a bike that I would make money on, and with the profit, I would build her a covered deck! She looked at me and asked where the bike was. I told her. She asked what if she had gone in there to get the mop and bucket. The stupid margarita answered that there wasn’t much chance of that happening, was there? Two weeks later I sold the bike and made enough money to buy the materials to build the deck. Fast forward a month, and 30 days of my hard labor built the covered deck. She was so pleased with the deck, she asked when I was going to buy the next bike so I could do more home improvement projects. I quit drinking margaritas. True story.

Picked it up today and rode it home. I’m a happy camper. It’s definitely a different beast from anything I’ve had before- Previous rides: 1965? Suzuki 80cc Hillbilly Honda CB500 Twin 1975 Gold Wing Suzuki Volusia 800 (same bike twice) HD V Rod (accidentally bought on EBay) HD Sportster (3 of them) HD Dyna (2 of them) Aprilia Futura Honda Magna 750 (3 of them) Honda 750 Nighthawk Triumph America Triumph Thunderbird. Triumph Speedmaster BMW R1150R (2 of them) BMW F800ST BMW K1200RS (2 of them) BMW K75 Yamaha 1100 Cruiser Suzuki SV650 Suzuki 650 Wee-Strom Yamaha 1900 Roadliner

Sold a 2002 BMW K1200RS (628#) after tipping it over in the freakin driveway. Decided to get something lighter as I grow more and more decrepit. Looked around and found the FJ weighs 462# and doesn't have a fatal flaw ABS like the BMW. I owned a 2000 Triumph Thunderbird 900 Triple a while back and the FJ seems like a modern version of that. Picking it up this weekend and looking forward to scooting around south Louisiana this fall. This will be bike #31 for me (one at a time) over the past 50 years or so. Laissez le bon temps rouler!

Going to look at a 21000 mile candidate to replace the 07 Roadliner I just sold. My next bike will be my 29th in 50 years of riding.