Just wanna cry...

[madmax-im]

No bike and all this awesome weather..the whole month of July was hot n sunny and DRY..just like i like it..BUT I have no bike..and WHY is it that when i have no bike the weather has been excellent for riding?...All the previous years having a bike but the weather has sucked for riding....GRRR..just needed to vent..
Pictures of my next bike are all i have but that isnt nearly enough.....The VYR cant get here soon enough.....I'm tempted to go down to the local Honda powersports dealer to take something out for a demo ride....ONLY...They dont do those anymore...WTF???? cant 'effing win....

 

[madmax-im]

How do they expect to sell bikes without demo rides???? Beyond me..back in the 1990s my local Mom and Pop Honda dealer was awesome..They would let me take a bike out for the weekend..bring it back tues a.m. they did that when i bought my 1995 honda ST1100(used) Took it for 3 days and came back with a pocket full of cash and bought it...Nothing sells a bike better than an extended demo ride....sadly these days you either get an escorted pre planned route ride or you dont get anything at all...
Sad but true...

 

[Gator xs2]

No more demo rides? Really?

 

[madmax-im]

Team Powersports in Raleigh..will take you on an escorted pre determined route..you never get out of town and you never go above 40 mph..if that..another honda dealer ..nothing...

 

[Gator xs2]

In 1977. My best friend. Who had never been on a bike before.... Bought a bike. A RD400. The salesman taught him how to ride in the parking lot. He put it on the ground in less than a week. I got to ride it first. It was the nastiest, scariest bike I ever rode. Looking back.I can’t believe the dealership would let a kid ride off on one of these.

 

[madmax-im]

If you want to take thier demo ride you need to sign up..online first..If you just go to the dealer without signing up first you'll not get to take one out..They wait until they have enough people wanting to demo ride..or else the twirpy kid salesboy wont go anywhere...

 

[59Tebo]

Great weather and no bike? Don't feel bad. I've been dealing with that very situation going on 10 years now. Having recently retired, I thought I'd have all kinds of time for "The Basketcase". Seems I only have time for the "honey-do" list, and when I cut loose from that, it's been too damned hot to work on the bike. It'll happen, in its own time. It's not going anywhere, and neither am I. Stay the course, brother.

 

[Downeaster]

When I bought my '16 FJ, I actually went to the local (multi-line) dealer looking for a completely different bike. They didn't have the one I wanted to check out so I was wandering around looking at other bikes (seeing as I was already there and all...) and I threw a leg over the FJ. I immediately liked the ergos and apparently it showed.

Saleskid sez "Wanna go for a test ride?"

No escort, no time limit. In fact when I got back the Saleskid said "Quick, ain't it? Didja get the front wheel up?"

I was sold just because the riding position was so comfortable. That incredible engine really sealed the deal tho.

 

[kshansen]

No bike and all this awesome weather..the whole month of July was hot n sunny and DRY..just like i like it..BUT I have no bike..and WHY is it that when i have no bike the weather has been excellent for riding?.WTF???? cant 'effing win....

madmax-im, too bad you aren't closer to me I have three bikes just sitting in the garage! One is even an XS650 along with two Sportsters, one the Sporties has a sidecar that would give you a thrill if you never rode one of those!

I spent the last three days with a sore wrist so bad I could not even think of working the throttle on a bike, to day it seems all better, not sure what the problem was!

 

[CBJamie]

madmax-im, I have been there too, till I learned if your going to own a vintage bike and acutally want to ride it and not just work on it you have to own several. I take it to the extreme as I have 13 and counting, 7 project bikes 6 that run, and 4 that are road worthy. I love working on these old bikes but I like riding them more. I will never be without at 3 road worthy bikes.

 

[peanut]

No bike and all this awesome weather..the whole month of July was hot n sunny and DRY..just like i like it..BUT I have no bike..and WHY is it that when i have no bike the weather has been excellent for riding?...All the previous years having a bike but the weather has sucked for riding....GRRR..just needed to vent..
Pictures of my next bike are all i have but that isnt nearly enough.....The VYR cant get here soon enough.....I'm tempted to go down to the local Honda powersports dealer to take something out for a demo ride....ONLY...They dont do those anymore...WTF???? cant 'effing win....

I'd have lent you mine for a blast if you were a bit nearer lol

Surely there must be a member near you that would help out ?
You could go and try out all the bikes for sale on craigslist locally

 

[gggGary]

Tell me about it! madness, resto and 3 or 4 other Xs650's have left recently, I'm down to riding period piece or god forbid the ersatz Indian! Well the buell, EBR and Allisons Radian when she's home. But hey the selection is getting small. . I'm even missing the freight hauler Venture that would hold almost as much as the Prius.

 

[Downeaster]

I'm currently resisting (barely...) the urge to make an offer on an '02 Sportster 883 EVO XL.

Not too hard at the moment as it needs quite a lot of love, including tires, battery, carb work and a LOT of cosmetics. Plus the owner is about $500 too high on the price.

If it sits there long enough for him to get a dose of reality, I may not be able to resist it. Never have owned, or even ridden, a Harley.

 

[peanut]

madmax-im, too bad you aren't closer to me I have three bikes just sitting in the garage! One is even an XS650 along with two Sportsters, one the Sporties has a sidecar that would give you a thrill if you never rode one of those!

I spent the last three days with a sore wrist so bad I could not even think of working the throttle on a bike, to day it seems all better, not sure what the problem was!

mmmm ..........sorry to hear about your wrist. Funny that as mine are both playing up a bit and a neighbour has just gone to the Doctors with his wrists ?.....

 

[madmax-im]

Thankyou all for you kind offers..Am retired but not with any real plan or living off a pension. I was always one for living in the moment ..thus i never thought or planned for retirement. Now that I am there..it isnt so great...but it is what it is..Thank God our house is paid off and our property taxes are dirt cheap down here.. So I have to save from my limitied monthly checks..But I am happy to no longer have a stupid assed boss...LOL

I wrecked my '07 Bandit last Oct. ..At first(for a few months) I quit riding..my mentality was.."i'm done it was a good ride but its over"
After several months of thinking this way..I realized I wasnt done..my passion cooled a little but now its has heated back up. I would love to have multiple bikes and maybe one day i will again.

If you all recall i started a thread here a while back about wether or not an XS650 would be appropriate for me..The consensus was that if i didnt really enjoy tinkering or working on bikes..or if i didnt have the skill and ability to do more than basic maintenence then an XS650 would not be a good choice for me.....
And then I saw Cafefill's bike...it was brought to my attention by gggGary and Maxpete..
I recall the discussion about it being turnkey..when most everything here is not turnkey...The 1980 Special Two is..I know Phil did an excellent job on it..so here we are...The clincher for me is that the bike is going to be brought to the VYR..which is here in my state of NC.
So the plan is one bike..and to slow down my riding quite a bit...I will want another more modern bike but that will prolly take me another year to save for...but as of now it isnt really high on my list of priorities...
I feel i am in the right place for the XS650..if i should encounter any issues..y'all will be there to help me..I cannot express to you all how reassuring that is...
I pale in comparison to the true gurus here but i am thankful you all are not elitist snobs..I like being here too...
I have momentary lapses of my will and patience and i may lose sight of the big picture..but it all comes back into focus..
I am focused now...Thanks for letting me vent a tad...

 

[madmax-im]

I'd have lent you mine for a blast if you were a bit nearer lol

Surely there must be a member near you that would help out ?
You could go and try out all the bikes for sale on craigslist locally

No one nearby has an XS650..that i know of...One of my friends has lent me his 2008 Kawasaki Concours..but i only took that out 1 day..it was an awesome ride..and you cant argue with 155 hp...yet its a easy or hard edged as you make it out to be..The fat ninja was much easier to ride and handle than i thought...But its still too fat and heavy for my liking.I had similar issues with my ST1100s. They were actually worse for weight and top heaviness than the big fat ninja..Go figure....Thankyou for your kind offer...

 

[madmax-im]

madmax-im, too bad you aren't closer to me I have three bikes just sitting in the garage! One is even an XS650 along with two Sportsters, one the Sporties has a sidecar that would give you a thrill if you never rode one of those!

I spent the last three days with a sore wrist so bad I could not even think of working the throttle on a bike, to day it seems all better, not sure what the problem was!

Thanks.. It is appreciated..I have a bad case of Arthralgia..in my neck..shoulders arms and hands...it gets progressively worse the longer i go between cortisone shots to relieve the pain and discomforts... I also take a drug that is very effective..90% of the time..Indomethacin 50mg..1 pill per 24 hours..sometimes 2 pills ..but it works very well when most other meds do not. Perhaps you should inquire about it with your Dr.

 

[peanut]

Thankyou all for you kind offers..Am retired but not with any real plan or living off a pension. I was always one for living in the moment ..thus i never thought or planned for retirement. Now that I am there..it isnt so great...but it is what it is..Thank God our house is paid off and our property taxes are dirt cheap down here.. So I have to save from my limitied monthly checks..But I am happy to no longer have a stupid assed boss...LOL

..

I think many of us are in the same boat drifting up a river with no paddle lol.

My old man saved and scrimpted all his life and went without everything . At the end of his life he had missed out on so much ... he had a few thou £ put by and owned his own house but he had forced me ,my Mother and Sister and his second Wife to go without most of our lives too.

Like you,.... I have lived in the moment all my life so I have nobody to blame but myself for being stuck on a monthly State pension but I do not regret a moment of my life . i have worked hard and played hard and I wouldn't trade a day of it for a few extra dollars in the Bank .

You never know what the morning will bring when you reach our age so we count our blessings and make the most of what we have .

I wanted some parts for my bike and scooter and the kitchen needed upgrading so in the past 4 months a have sold a load of stuff on ebay, stuff that i haven't used in years .. Its amazing how much stuff we accumulate in our lives that we store away and never use . Its great to turn that unused item into something useful and put a little by for a rainy day .

 

[madmax-im]

So very true Peanut...I have no regrets either..just living in the moment grounds my realitites... Just trying to enjoy my life and what time i have left on this good earth...

 

[madmax-im]

Tell me about it! madness, resto and 3 or 4 other Xs650's have left recently, I'm down to riding period piece or god forbid the ersatz Indian! Well the buell, EBR and Allisons Radian when she's home. But hey the selection is getting small. . I'm even missing the freight hauler Venture that would hold almost as much as the Prius.

I dont really know you that well or the bikes you have so your references to them are somewhat vague to me..But it sounds like you still have something to ride...so thats a good thing...