This is good

Hi All,
Went to the bike shop I've been using for years to order more parts for the Turbo money pit and was told this:
Guy comes in to buy a TL1000, goes off for a test ride, comes back in 20 mins or so, decides he likes the bike and would buy it, but was a little concerned that it was overheating, guy in the shop says ok leave it with us and we'll sort it out, come back in a couple of days, anyway shop checks out the bike in the shop ,much head scratching,checking of connections and things then they take it out for a test ride to see if it would overheat, 30 mins later its back in the shop,temp normal,running fine, they ring the guy up tell all is ok and he can collect the bike,guy comes in,pays for it,rides off.
Shop gets a phone call today, bikes overheating,shop says whats the temp,guy says 125, shop says dont ride it in any circumstances,and start to ask him questions, all the awnsers dont add up,until the guy says he's been riding around town in moderate traffic, fine, and he has'nt got out of first gear, turns out he'd ridden the thing home at speeds up to 30mph in 1st not bothering to change gear, thats why it overheated.
R some people stupid or what

 

I bet he thinks he looks real cool on a bike ( weekend warrior).

 

There was a kid who plunked-down the coin for a new Yamaha Rocket and never made it 100 yards out the gate before running it right off the road and nearly killing himself.

His first wheelie was the last one the bike did until he totaled it!

It took less than 30-seconds for him to find-out that the bike was more than he could handle.

 

and this is why i bought a XJ first cause i figure if i do lay it down scratch the hell out of it. 1) it will prolly still run and not look much worse than it does now, and 2) when im experienced enough for a newer bike i can still sell this one for just about what i payed for it.

 

A friend mentioned the other day that one of his frat buddies went out and bought a bike in college and totaled it on the way home from the dealer.

I love the people that think "It's just like riding a bike, right?"

 

Was in the local shop talking with the sales guy (while the parts guy was searching down my parts) and he tells me about an older gentlemen that wanted a new motorcycle now that he is retired he wants to start riding again. He is interested in a new Vstar 1100, he takes one for a short spin in the parking lot and is convinced this is the bike he wants. Pays for the bike and leaves. He goes 100 yards down the street and stops at the traffic light. While stopped at the light he cannot hold the bike up and it falls over onto its side. He gets up, let's the bike sit in the intersection and walks back to the dealer, and tells them he no longer wants it. Needless to say the guy took a bath in the costs of the dealership buying the bike back and repairing it, but they did.

 

This is exactly why I started with the 650; I didn't want to go too big for my first bike. I planned to learn how the right way, then maybe upgrade after I gained some experience and confidence. After a year, tho, I still don't feel like I need a bigger bike. I'm still happy with my XJ.

 

When I was in high school a friend's dad decided he'd get a motorcycle. This dude was about the same size as his son that I hung out with, and that's not very big at all. Probably about 5'2" and all of 120 pounds. Naturally his first bike needed to be a 1600cc Vulcan.

You can figure out the end for yourself.

 

This is how I got back into road bikes a few years back. My brother-in-law had never ridden before. Some schmuck dealer sold him a 1991 Vulcan 1500 ("88 cubic inches"). He almost got killed on it. So he gave me the totalled wreck and I rebuilt it to be road worthy and then sold it after I rode it for a while.

I felt very bad for not paying more attention to what he was doing, even though I didn't even own a bike at that time and hadn't owned one since '86 or '87. When he told me he didn't ride, I thought he MUST have SOME experience. I mean, we're country boys! I was always riding SOMETHING as a kid, even if it wasn't mine (which it never was since we were dirt poor). But listening to him tell the story, then seeing the "corner" (barely perceptible sweeping curve on a nice, 55mph paved road) where he laid it down.....I just didn't know. He didn't have a chance. He should never have been out riding around with his buddies, two of his fellow cops on crotch rockets. They had gone a couple miles before they even realized he wasn't behind them anymore.

I'll post some before and after pics of THAT project (the bike, not my bro-in-law) a little later when I get a chance to get my jumpstick and go on my son's computer to upload some pics. It wasn't a customiziation, but more of a rebuild.

 

Alot of guys in here are having fun riding somebody's troubles. I guess that's one of the Common Threads that bind this group so well.

We're not afraid to grab what somebody elase couldn't handle and tame it into being our best friend!

Worked for me.
Sweat equity has a way of making you appreciate your ride more than the next guy appreciates his!