Mods on my Vulcan 500

[alanmcorcoran]

Well sort of but not really. Since I started riding the bike, I only use a car when it's raining or when I have to get something that won't fit in a saddlebag. Sometimes this is frequent, but I've gone weeks without driving a car. So I'm putting a lot less mileage on the car which means less insurance, less services, less tires, less brakes and less mileage (depreciation.) In fact, I traded cars with my daughter last September and gave her the more reliable one since I have alternatives. If you seen those bumper stickers that say "My other car is a piece of shit, too!" well, that would apply to me. My current car is my daughter's old '95 Camry coupe. Neither window goes down, the radio was ripped out of the dash, there are white butterfly decals all over the body and over 200,000 miles on the odometer. No suspension left to speak of and I think I can hear a pinhole in the exhaust manifold. I gotta jiggle the auto tranny handle to get the ignition to catch and the passenger window is yanked out of the door frame, so rain and wind can get in. Moonroof works fine, but I don't dare open it, cause you never know when it won't close anymore. But I hope to hold onto it until the Chevy Volt comes out and I see if I want to pay 40K for a potentially no gas vehicle.

Also, dh, if you have a crotch rocket (like a 1500cc Kawa) MC insurance in California will cost you a lot more than a KIA. It's damn cheap on the Geezer though.

[dhgeyer]

It's fun rationalizing our toys, isn't it Alan? I guess if you try hard enough, you can convince yourself that owning two (or three) vehicles is cheaper than owning one.

Your car sounds like the old beat up '63 VW Bug I had in my early 20's. Ah, those were the days!

I'm pretty sure that if you didn't have 2 motorcycles (including a very large one), you'd probably have a better, if not a fancier car, and less total expenses. But nowhere near as much fun. And, as you point out, you, like most of us, can't quite give up the car because there are times when you need one.

Of course, if World and national trends continue as they have been, we'll all have to give up our cars and trucks and big fancy motorcycles and consider ourselves lucky to have anything as functional as a GZ250 to get around on. You know, like about half the World is now. The rate of our descent so far has been quite impressive!

[Water Warrior 2]

Originally Posted by alanmcorcoran

Well sort of but not really. Since I started riding the bike, I only use a car when it's raining or when I have to get something that won't fit in a saddlebag. Sometimes this is frequent, but I've gone weeks without driving a car. So I'm putting a lot less mileage on the car which means less insurance, less services, less tires, less brakes and less mileage (depreciation.) In fact, I traded cars with my daughter last September and gave her the more reliable one since I have alternatives. If you seen those bumper cars that say "My other car is a piece of shit, too!" well, that would apply to me. My current car is my daughter's old '95 Camry coupe. Neither window goes down, the radio was ripped out of the dash, there are white butterfly decals all over the body and over 200,000 miles on the odometer. No suspension left to speak of and I think I can hear a pinhole in the exhaust manifold. I gotta jiggle the auto tranny handle to get the ignition to catch and the passenger window is yanked out of the door frame, so rain and wind can get in. Moonroof works fine, but I don't dare open it, cause you never know when it won't close anymore. But I hope to hold onto it until the Chevy Volt comes out and I see if I want to pay 40K for a potentially no gas vehicle.

Also, dh, if you have a crotch rocket (like a 1500cc Kawa) MC insurance in California will cost you a lot more than a KIA. It's damn cheap on the Geezer though.

Sounds like the Camry has a very secure future.......no one will ever steal it.

Money wise I am sure I would be $$ ahead with only the Ranger to feed and maintain. It is safe, newer and reliable. However there is absolutely no fun factor to driving it anywhere. The bike puts a smile on my face till it hurts. The added cost of ownership is well worth it. I feel younger, happier and ride almost everyday in the summer and as often as possble in winter. I ride for pleasure only and use the Ranger for grocery getting and the like. The Games begin today and will end eventually. Then Spring and more daily rides to wherever I want.

[alanmcorcoran]

Originally Posted by dhgeyer

The rate of our descent so far has been quite impressive!

Yeah, I'm really hoping the third world discovers toilet paper before we level out.

As far as toys go, some day I will share the obscenity that is my musical instrument collection. Suffice to say, I have spent considerably more on that than I have on the bikes... and most of the cages. There's maintenance on those too, and if you want to talk about overpriced farkles, hoo-boy!

[alanmcorcoran]

Originally Posted by Water Warrior

Sounds like the Camry has a very secure future.......no one will ever steal it.

Used to think that about the piece of shit JVC radio that was in it until some a-hole popped out the window to pull it out of the dash. Right in front of my effing house! And, while not swanky, I don't exactly live in the hood.

WTF can you do with a fifteen year old crap radio that couldn't have gone for more than $70 new? Antique Road Show for Meth Heads?

Even more bizarre: When my wife called the cops they sent out CSI: Car Audio to (I am not shitting you) DUST FOR PRINTS.
More Bizarre Still: Got a perfect palm print where dickhead had pressed against the glass to flex the window.
The Capper: They caught the guy about two months later from our print.

Sadly our radio was neither returned or re-installed and we didn't even get to kick him in the balls or anything which I had thought was the least justice we ought to get.

"Um, are those fuzzy dice hanging from the rear view?" "Not exactly..."

[dhgeyer]

Originally Posted by alanmcorcoran

Yeah, I'm really hoping the third world discovers toilet paper before we level out.

Ya, No Shit! :retard:

Originally Posted by alanmcorcoran

As far as toys go, some day I will share the obscenity that is my musical instrument collection.

Let's see, some of my past foolishnesses: Guns - I mean, does anyone really need 4 Colt Single Action Army Revolvers, and about a dozen assorted Smith and Wessons? In 50 years I've owned close to 200 guns of various sorts, although never an "obscene" amount at any given time. I have a system for that one. I have a fairly small but very secure safe, and when they won't all fit in it, something has to go.

I have over a hundred yoyos. Um, 4 digital SLR's in less than 2 years? Antique woodworking tools - why exactly do I need 3 Stanley combination planes? There was a perfectly logical reason at the time, I'm sure, but I can't remember what it was.

If I had the money, it would be biplanes - you know, WWI fighters - I want a Fokker DR1 soooooooo bad. That ain't gonna happen!

[Maggie]

"Um, are those fuzzy dice hanging from the rear view?" "Not exactly..."[/quote]

Spew warning next time, please!!! :lol: :lol:

<wiping screen>

[alanmcorcoran]

Forgot there were ladies on this thing. FYI, you got to keep both ends of the quote HTML marks for it to display properlike.

"Not exactly..."

Did I mention I have a Yamaha Stratoliner? It's currently missing its right eye, but I have a lens on order.

[Maggie]

Originally Posted by alanmcorcoran

FYI, you got to keep both ends of the quote HTML marks for it to display properlike.

Did I mention I have a Yamaha Stratoliner? It's currently missing its right eye, but I have a lens on order.

Okay, trying the proper quote thang. Hoping it worked.

As for the Stratoliner, have you posted a pic somewhere? I sure would love to see it. Fell in love with the Silverado the minute I saw it on Craig's List. I really got a beauty.

[alanmcorcoran]

This one makes me appear to be, shall we say, intellectually disabled, but at least the bike doesn't look like a douchebag. Hopefully it will be good chum for audience participation. Flame on!