Hello from Texas

I'm new.... sort of. I registered a long time ago, but didn't post much. Plus, I got involved in a local riding group that had its own internet forum. Well, I'm back.

I’m currently riding a new '06 Suzuki SV650. I tend to be a bit fickle, and look at possibly trading for something new every year or two. I know that most people don’t do that, but it’s my only extravagance. I don’t own a car, so I also tend to put more miles on the motorcycle than most riders do.

Personal info. I’m an old fart (42). I grew up in Virginia, and then spent 12 years in the Army. My wife is still in the Army, and that’s why I live in Texas (yuck). We are planning to move to southern Illinois this Summer. When I got out of the Army, I attended the Motorcycle Mechanic’s Institute in Phoenix. Since then, I have been working (off and on) in the motorcycle industry. I have spent time as a mechanic as well as a Service Manager. I’ve worked at Harley dealerships, multi-line Japanese dealerships as well as aftermarket shops. I’m kinda considering opening my own parts and accessories shop in southern Illinois.

I’ve owned a bunch of motorcycles. Here is the list of bikes that I’ve owned (roughly in the order that I owned them):

1984 Kawasaki LTD 550
1985 Honda Rebel
1991 Harley Sportster 883
1976 Yamaha XS360
1996 Harley Dyna Wide Glide
1999 Ducati 750 Supersport
2000 Kawasaki Concours
1999 Ducati ST2
1999 Ducati Monster 750
2000 Harley Sportster 883
2002 Suzuki SV650
1981 Suzuki GS750L
2004 Buell XB12S Lightning
2003 Ducati 999
2004 Suzuki SV650
2003 Honda Metropolitan scooter
1981 Suzuki GS450E
2005 Yamaha FZ6
2006 Suzuki SV650 (the only one I still have)

Some of these I only owned so that I could fix them up and sell them. Some I owned simultaneously. Some I woke up the next morning and felt like my arm was trapped under a fat chick (if you know what I mean). But, my trend has been to favor Suzuki. I’d probably be a Ducati guy if I could figure out those darn freaky valve adjustments. I'm on my third SV, so I'm guessing that this is the bike that best defines my tastes.

I’ve done a couple Iron Butt Association rides, and I do enjoy traveling long distances. I have also done frequent weekend blasts with my local sport bike club. But, I suspect that most of my motorcycle needs are more along the lines of pragmatic transportation; like commuting.

I'm a huge fan of the Bay area. I try to make it there at least once a year for a short vacation. The only time I ever came close on the motorcycle was last Summer. I rode out on a Yamaha FZ6 to see the MotoGP races at Laguna Seca. On the way there, I linked up with friends in LA, and rode up the PCH. The only ride I've ever done that compared to that was in '97, when I rented a BMW F650 and rode around Europe.

Anyway, that’s my story and I’m sticking to it. Great to be here.

ClodZuki

to again

maybe you should come back for motogp this year too

HKSRR said:

maybe you should come back for motogp this year too

Click to expand...

You know, I had a good time, and I'm glad I went last year (overall). But, the crowds and traffic were horrible. I know they're doing something to address that; but I might prefer to give them a year or two, to perfect it.

The other thing that sort of turned me off was the exclusivity of the pit-pass. They were sold out before I could buy one. At most of the AMA races, one ticket gets you everywhere. You can rub shoulders with the stars, and see how the team operates. You can get up-close photographs of the bikes.

So, it may be a year or two before I forget the parts that sucked.

ClodZuki said:

You know, I had a good time, and I'm glad I went last year (overall). But, the crowds and traffic were horrible. I know they're doing something to address that; but I might prefer to give them a year or two, to perfect it.

The other thing that sort of turned me off was the exclusivity of the pit-pass. They were sold out before I could buy one. At most of the AMA races, one ticket gets you everywhere. You can rub shoulders with the stars, and see how the team operates. You can get up-close photographs of the bikes.

So, it may be a year or two before I forget the parts that sucked.

Click to expand...

Very true about the crowd. Especially the bridge where there's a line just to get on the bridge.

HKSRR said:

Very true about the crowd. Especially the bridge where there's a line just to get on the bridge.

Click to expand...

True, the Dunlop Bridge was a goat screw. You also had to stand in lines to... take a crap, buy souvenirs, buy food, or use an ATM. The sidewalk/foot-bridge that led from the infield to the outfield (at the Start/Finish line) was another bottleneck. It could take nearly a half hour to go a couple hundred yards. They expected 60,000 people, but you got the feeling they were capable of only dealing with half that.

But, I don't want to sound like a whiny ass. It's good to have a MotoGP event back in the States. I think it would be neat to have them run at another track as well. Road America is a beautiful facility, and I think it would work well for a MotoGP race.

Okay, I guess this would be a good excuse to test out the picture posting feature. This one is along the PCH (obviously). The two guys in it are my buds from LA. I was on the Yamaha. One of them was on a Bandit that's not pictured. We were on our way up to Monterey for the races. They didn't have tickets for the event, and ended up heading back south later in the afternoon.

welcome to barf clodZuki....I am sure you can contribute a lot to this forum with your experience and learn from here too

Wow, some resume! Hope you'll contribute in the Garage Forum with your expertise!

Yana