Thinking about life after GZ..already..

[vikz250]

thanks northsidegz for the link..

[PG tips]

Originally Posted by vikz250

Pg tips I am also hoping I can just keep GZ when the time comes for me to get a bigger one bit that will take a lot of convincing to my wife for me to have 2 bikes..I can only imagine how beautiful the ride there where you live, my wife's mom is from scotland and maybe someday we can visit there..

To be honest, maybe its to do with being from here, I think the views are better elsewhere, Washington State sounds much better and Scotland too, the later is certainly rugged in places, I travelled up part of the west coast of Scotland, but never really got to the Highlands, a lot of that is like Ireland, but the mountains seem bigger,wetter,colder, maybe the Scots and the Irish personality stems from the terrible weather, mostly bloody raining .
Views not always visible when on a bike, in a small road surrounded by hedges, but more likely for me as im concentrating on the road and while relaxed,i have not relaxed that much that I take in the scenery as i've only been on bikes since start of last year and only had my GZ less than a year. It's not all hedges and laneways, lot of motorway and big roads around me and its a built up urban-suburban area, some nice views nearby but I can [strike:eferpjcx]image [/strike:eferpjcx]imagine views in the States are a bit more impressive, when i say a bit i mean a lot!

The GZ is good for the local roads around me, not so much on the motorway as i cant really match the speed and I dont like being surrounded by trouble when i cant get out of it, some nice views nearby but to get where the nicer views are would take a long ride.

[Water Warrior 2]

The view is always better somewhere else. Not really, they are all great. Have lived on the Canadian prairies and now the West coast. I've travelled across Canada, to New Mexico and Alaska and enjoyed all the views. In October Lynda and I will drive to Los Vegas in her car. On the list of views are the Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon(again), Zion National Park.
Elsewhere, the Pacific Coast highway is a head turner for scenic ocean views. Ask me my favorite scene and I will undoubtly say Montana. Montana is Big Sky Country. Nothing in my memory compares. The sky is special, I can't describe why but it just is.

Now after all that. We are going to visit Ireland next year. Never having left this continent we are looking forward to Ireland and it's folks. It should be fun and maybe I'll even rent a righthand drive car for a bit.

[alantf]

Wish you folks wouldn't keep going on about the long scenic rides Over here I can get anywhere on the island in around 70 miles, plus, it's just a giant volcano, so if I don't want to ride up and down mountains, I have to use the autopista that runs round the coast, then short rides on the scenic routes.

If I could afford a bigger bike (and keep the GZ for everyday riding) my ambition is to take the ferry to mainland Spain, then ride up through Spain & France, take the ferry to England, then ride up through England to my daughter's in Yorkshire........Oh well...... I can dream, can't I?

[PG tips]

Originally Posted by Water Warrior

The view is always better somewhere else. Not really, they are all great. Have lived on the Canadian prairies and now the West coast. I've travelled across Canada, to New Mexico and Alaska and enjoyed all the views. In October Lynda and I will drive to Los Vegas in her car. On the list of views are the Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon(again), Zion National Park.
Elsewhere, the Pacific Coast highway is a head turner for scenic ocean views. Ask me my favorite scene and I will undoubtly say Montana. Montana is Big Sky Country. Nothing in my memory compares. The sky is special, I can't describe why but it just is.

Now after all that. We are going to visit Ireland next year. Never having left this continent we are looking forward to Ireland and it's folks. It should be fun and maybe I'll even rent a righthand drive car for a bit.

Them sounds like some nice trips on a bike, especially the prairies.
I drove (car) from Phoenix to Las Vegas some years ago, it was high 90's in Phoenix and people were telling me thats not hot, it was snowing a blizzard a few miles up the road in Flagstaff, or at least it seemed like a few miles, as I said its been a few years since I was there, personally i think the views were great. I'm pretty sure I drove across the hoover dam at the time, that was back about 10 years ago, I know there is an alternate bridge now but I dont think they even started building it when I was there.
Funny, I always had an inkling to see Montana, cheesily, I think it was a film, " A river runs through it" that got me thinking like that, corny probably.
If you are coming here, If you want I will try point you in the right direction, a car makes things convenient, a train can give a nice view but I havent been on one in years. I believe automatic car rentals are widely available, maybe you can drive a manual (stick) but added into the roads here, it can make for an added distraction. It was the thing I found about driving over there, I had to overcome my natural tendency when going around a corner to go the side i was used to, but only on cornering and only when i got there initially, it just meant I stayed more focused than i usually am when driving.
I even like driving an auto here the odd time, someone I know has one.

edit, do you mean "now after all that" you want to plan to come to ireland or you already have a plan to come to Ireland.
If you are give me a shout, if things change no worries.

[PG tips]

Originally Posted by alantf

Wish you folks wouldn't keep going on about the long scenic rides Over here I can get anywhere on the island in around 70 miles, plus, it's just a giant volcano, so if I don't want to ride up and down mountains, I have to use the autopista that runs round the coast, then short rides on the scenic routes.

If I could afford a bigger bike (and keep the GZ for everyday riding) my ambition is to take the ferry to mainland Spain, then ride up through Spain & France, take the ferry to England, then ride up through England to my daughter's in Yorkshire........Oh well...... I can dream, can't I?

That also sounds like a nice trip too, up through Spain, but only on a much bigger bike , its a small world really, I believe part of my family history is in Yorkshire. I'd like to go through UK, go by the west coast of France, it sounds a bit dark, but I'd like to see Normandy.
You could always get a trials bike, go up the side of a volcano
If the big one goes off make sure to send us an email, so get my surf board out for the biggest wave ever, kidding, I cant surf

[PG tips]

[quote="vikz250"]Thanks WW and you are right I have been lurking in the HD forums and one thing I noticed is they all have to upgrade something! If I do get one It will be stock period!!

That 883 HD looks nice, I was going to say it looks very GZ like to me, but it seems people have said similar, i am not an expert, nor do i claim to be, it probably looks totally different in person (sizewise). Still it looks nice.
I've seen a few HD's around on the road, not big ones, they look nice but I'm not sure how much they cost, i haven't particularly seen second hand ones available, maybe people buy them and keep them. I didn't realise till I started looking around this forum, it seems the whole upgrading of HD's is a thing? that HD promote?
I prefer the idea of having a bike but maybe adding or changing only a few things, not completely changing it.
Some people probably think totally different and thats ok. What Ive heard here (and I've really heard very little) is how people prefer this jap bike make over some other jap bike make.

each to their own

[Water Warrior 2]

Originally Posted by alantf

I can dream, can't I?

Dreams are good for your soul and mind. All too many folks have nothing left but dreams to keep them going from day to day. The trip to visit your daughter could be a great ride/adventure.

[Water Warrior 2]

PG tips, all of the trips I mentioned were on 4 wheels in the past. I have done a few rides across the Rocky Mountains to Alberta to visit old friends since getting the Vstrom. Once half way across Canada with Lynda when she had her GZ to visit her brother in Manitoba. A very pleasant ride for us was in 2009 when we took 8 or 9 days to ride South across the border and wandered about in Washington. That was a shake down cruise for Lynda after she got her M-50 and she was very happy with the results. 2 years later(2011) she rode to Manitoba again but by herself on the M-50. It was sort of a personal test of metal and was a complete success. Who said grandmothers can't have adventures.
Our planned trip to Ireland is still in the planning stages. We have tossed around the idea of trains for some of the transportation needs and maybe a car for exploring certain sights that are not close to rail service.
Dublin is of course on the list. Probably that is where the plane will land.
Lynda did find an excellent tourism book about Ireland that has tons of info and tips for the uninformed tourist trying not to get lost. That will be a good guide and info source in the initial planning.
I know for a fact I will have trouble learning to speak and hear Irish. I have a terrible time catching on to different accents. I suppose that goes 2 ways. The Irish folks may not understand me either.

[Water Warrior 2]

Originally Posted by PG tips

H-D sells a life style. They do make good bikes but the real money is after the sale of the bike. There are literally thousands of ways to spend your money on upgrades to the bike and your wardrobe to be a real H-D rider. It is good business and it works wonderfully for H-D. Image is everything to some folks and H-D cultivates that to the maximum for assured profits.
Think of it this way. If you were going to sell me a new H-D for $20,000 and could sell me another $10,000 in upgrades and clothing, would you do it??? H#ll yes.