off for a long ride

[45 Bravo]

Good Joke..

Yea, If i was to wear a regular speedo, and if i sat down, it would look like i was not wearing a suit at all.
and everyone near me would be in need of therapy for years...
(some things just can't be un-seen)...

I used to PLAY AT golf, 1000 ways to hit it wrong, and only 1 or 2 to do it right and when you get a clean straight hit, you feel & hear it.
but the key is doing the EXACT same thing the EXACT same way every time,

But I gave it up for Competitive shooting ( I was better at that, and had been doing it since i was 15), and riding motorcycles more...

45 Bravo

[CDNRatMan]

  Good Story, and I too like the old style, the Sqn had a Welcome to the Sqn pool party last summer for new members and the joke going around was I was going to be wearing a speedo.....so I went to the local recycle clothing place and in fact found a speedo...brought it home and removed the label, went on line to the Historical Emporium and ordered the bathing suit for men with the straw boaters hat, and once it arrived I attached the speedo label to the leg...lol it was a huge hit.
Also when I play golf I do in fact wear knickers and the socks over the calfs, just thing some of the older things look really nice and classy.

[45 Bravo]

Cool, my old pocket watch story is, my grandad had a old pocket watch he had had since he was a kid, I ended up with it, I had always wanted to get it fixed, but never found a watchmaker that could get the parts, FINALLY in Colorado Springs a local watchmaker said he would try.

About 3 months later, he called and said it is ready, We talked for a while, he said the movement that is inside the body is not the factory movement.
He said that all the parts west of the Mississippi river that fit that movement is inside that watch.
So don't break it, I asked him the approximate value of that watch, and was told $200 - $250, he only charged me $70 for parts, and no labor.

He said he likes working on the old swiss movements, and not the newer chinese ones he normally saw those days.

I like old stuff.

45 Bravo

[CDNRatMan]

 ;)your moving back up on my good list there 45 ....lol.....

many years ago in Switzerland I bought a pocket watch for $10.00 CDN.....never thought about it again till like 20 years later and had it appraised, it is a 1940 to 50 they could not pin point it much closer and it is worth like $500.00 now...

when you ride up here I'll let you sit in my 1950 Barber chair.......lol...

[45 Bravo]

Sorry, It was never my intention to get on your "bad" list.

I see several cool items there, i am a pocket watch nut, has to be a skeleton watch (see through), hand wound or self winding.

I see they have a few surplus items too, also neat..

In an earlier post i mentioned flipping the Light Bezel below the speedo on my drifter, here is a photo.

You undo the 3 screws, remove the assembly, remove the lights from the plate, flip the plate, push the lights back through, put the screws back in.

You now have a black plate with out the Kawasaki staring at you all day.

(the bottom screw was lost by the P.O. and I have not replaced it with an allen head..

Just a quick idea, I would not really call it a "mod"

45 Bravo

[chief]

Very cool site... links are fine... as long as they aren't spam!

[CDNRatMan]

Thanks, she had to look up I was taller......

goggles were bought at my favorite site to get clothing and "stuff"

hope I don't get into trouble posting a link to them here.....but this is a cool site ....us older people like it...64 still a child........lol

http://www.gentlemansemporium.com

but you are back on my ok list now...lol...

[45 Bravo]

Sweet, I have got to get me a set of those goggles..

I am glad you had a great time with the family, I hope she responds positively to the chemo.

I think that all Harley riders secretly wish they could own a Drifter,
(they just don't want their friends to see them doing it).

The photo of her being swallowed by the coat is precious.
I bet she has always looked up to her big brother..

You are an earlier issue than i, I was hatched in 64(with brothers in 58, 54, and sisters in 52 and 51)
I am the baby of the family and the largest.
Growing up my brother and i took school pictures 2 weeks apart, wearing the same shirt, (he is 6 years older than I) he used to call me "Baby Huey" then run real fast before i beat his ass..

Great times with the family..

Later.

Ian

[CDNRatMan]

  ok they just sent this to me of a group shot ...I also was remiss in letting peop[le know that my die hard and cast in forever ..nothing is better then a Harley Brother-in-law.....was in one simple sentence...BLOWEN AWAY....lol
Both he and my sister said that the bike was totally me..and with the coat and goggles it was really me, even the neice and both nephews said it was me to a tee......

B-I-L (Brother in Law) was itching to try it out so nice guy I are I let him take it for a ride around the block.......the bait was cast...he was impressed thet the ride and handling.....kept saying how light it was and how easy to ride it.....
sister was feeling tired she said we could go for a short ride......now we are trying to understand short ride.....any way after a 4 hour ride we came home....but during the ride my B-i-l kept asking me if I wanted to ride his glide...lol...

So we swapped for a short ride....lair....he tried to keep it.....I am sure if they made a 500 cc version my sister would be buying one for sure but even the 800 is too big for her ....

[CDNRatMan]

WO how cool is that ......all the nice people I know were born in the last week of March...28th for me...so you are 3 days older then me....lol...I was dropped in 1955.....

my waif of a sister was in tears she was laughing so hard when I rode up in the pictures you can not see them but I have old fashioned black Gauntlets on.........she liked the coat and goggles so much she had to try them on.....

please remember I am 5'11" and 240 lbs and bought the coat at 3XL so I could wear something under it in cold weather which we have lots of here......my sister is 5'1/2" and like 100lbs......

I told her to keep the goggles and wear them when she went for chemo so she can see the good that will come next summer when we are out riding along...that was after she called me a bear in a circus when I rode her 250 Virago around the black at her forcing me to.....and way here are the pictures...

[45 Bravo]

My birthday is in march also (25th).

I will keep an eye out for a solo seat, miracles happen.

I am sure i speak for everyone when i say we cant wait for the period photos, it sounds cool.

ride safe.

45 Bravo

[CDNRatMan]

  Well I arrived at my sister's at 0930 after calling them ans telling them to be outside in the drive way and wait to sse what happens.....I arrived via my 1999 drifter 800, dressed in my 1930's Canvas Gunners Trench coat, and my old fashioned black leather gaunlets and my WWI aviator goggles...

....oh yes 45 I also had my pants on.......lol

My sister all 100lbsa nd 5'1" of her rides a 250 Virago, and hubby has the 05 Electra Glide Classic.....lol

Both were tickled pink and said it was so me and theey were really surprised I had not told them about the bike.......

Brother in law took it for a ride....loved it thinks it is really cool......so sister told us to go for a 2 - 3 hour ride so she could nap......no second request........about 5 times I was asked if I want to ride the big bike.....lol he so wanted to ride the drifter......lol it was funny.....
I'll need to post some of the pictures that they took once I get them from them....
Heading home tomorrow and just going to take it easy and enjoy the ride home.....

my fat postierer on my stepping stairs seat......lol....

45 if you find me a solo seat and want to get it for me and ship it my birthday is in March...but xmas is coming soon......lol....

[45 Bravo]

This is what i saw at the service station.

If i had it and he had a feather,,, we would both be tickled..
45 Bravo

[45 Bravo]

I am glad yo had a great ride, nice scenery too. to go with a nice bike.

When i said it looks wrong, i mean it is just the design kawasaki put on the 800's with that 2 up seat, it looks like it goes up like stairs, and the 800 without the shocks has too much open area between the engine and fender, it just looks odd to a 1500 driver.

It just hovers there.
maybe a sissy bar, or luggage rack may flatten out the illusion.

I don't know who told you i can sit on a small seat, I am 6'1", and 337 lbs., i can't sit on ANYTHING small.

Here is a photo of my 1500 with the 2 up seat on it.
the angle is different than the 800's i think. but it just may be me..

45 Bravo

[CDNRatMan]

and some more from the lake area I stopped at

[CDNRatMan]

thanks Chief,

49 I am not liking you ....I did arrive all nice and safe. the country side is still  fantastic to ride through, a hockey sock full of hills and curves to keep you awake all the way. I got 188 kms before I had to hit the reserve. But I was running along at 120 for a bit then kept it at 100 for the rest of the day.

now what is wrong with the original seat, I kind of like it, it fits my rather large and wide buttocks comfortably, at 5'11" and 240lbs I can not sit on a small seat like you can. Only issue was I put my pack too far forward and it put me on the wrong part of the seat, thqat will be corrected on the ride home.....going to try to up load some pics now...bear with me....

[45 Bravo]

I hope you have a safe ride, enjoy the weather, even if it rains, (it's all part of the game)  I like the backup plan you have.

We have got to find you a different seat than that one, it just looks ....  wrong....

Other than that, that is a nice looking 800...

I hope everything continues to go well for your sister, .

Later.

45 Bravo

[chief]

Enjoy... did about 200 miles today myself.

[CDNRatMan]

   ok so got in touch with the original owner of my new bike (new to me) he said he never changed the chain nor sprockets, but the chain was adjusted everytime he took it in for servicing, and he is going to send me all his bills since he bought the bike....he has them all...cool......
So I am off to visit my sister who is recovering from major surgury, and will use this as an excuse to ride down and visit her. About 600 kms (372.8329 miles) from door to door so a decent ride for a day. Not sure how far I can get on a full tank I have a couple of old camp bottles filled with gas as a back up and part of the highways I'll be on the service stations are far and few between, so it is my back up plan for now. Just hopeing for decent weather, I'll stop and take a few pics along the way .....cheersmy bike all loaded and ready to go