KonAaron Snake 

OK - I don't get the box of crap game. I have it on good authority by witnesses that the box of crap is, truly, a box of crap. Is it really worth the $$$ to ship a box of crap? The whole thing makes me think of people saying smell my finger.

Edit - I figured it out...if you're an IGH guy, it makes total sense as a box of crap is likely to contain many parts for IGH bikes

lostarchitect 

If GP was a motorcycle guy, he might promote bikes like these--and make ones like the Ducati. They're practical, affordable (especially used) and do the job well. If I was you I'd be looking for a used SV 650 in good shape. It's an excellent all around bike and they can be found for good prices used.

KonAaron Snake 

I'll keep that in mind. One of these days I'll get one, I just don't know how I'd store it. I've heard stories about people picking them up and tossing them in the back of pickups, so the ease of theft scares me a bit.

calamarichris

I don't really care about waving, but that episode was memorable.
That dog has been riding with me to work every day for the last 12+ years. She rode on the motorcycle with me before she was even my dog; she was my sister's.
After visiting my niece & nephew (and the dog), I was waiting at a stoplight on my motorbike. Just as the light turned green, I faintly felt something touch my boot. I looked down and the little dog was scratching my boot, apparently wanting me to take her home. Thing is, there were cars behind me and if I hadn't felt her scratching my boot when the light changed, she would surely have been run over!
I scooped her up, threw her on my gas tank and rode her back to my sister's place. Sis was peeved that her dog had chased me down the street, but she was busy with two small children, so she just told me I should keep it. She's been riding with me ever since--probably close to 100K miles now. Now the dog is going to be 14 in August and both of the toddlers are driving.

And a few thousand on the bicycle now too.

photogravity

When I last rode a motorbike in around 2000-2001, I'd never get a Harley rider to wave back to me. Surely, you aren't saying that has changed and they now are eager to wave at guys on non-Harley motorcycles are you? You've piqued my interest now.

On another note, there was a point at which I would have loved to get a Ducati ST2 or ST4 but maintenance costs were high with them because the desmo valve system as you need to use shims on both sides of the camshaft "follower", and that required grinding your own shims and whatnot. One of the reasons I got the CBR1000 was actually because it had a screw and locknut type setup and I could do all the maintenance myself. I even got to a point where I was levering and balancing my own tires because the shops charged more than I was willing to pay for mounting and balancing tires, an approach that I believe even Grant Petersen would support.

iluvnoise

That's what I heard. Gotta get past 50 so I can send PMs.

iluvnoise

Ha. Definitely not. I plan to stay far, far away from anything described as a Box O' Crap. I generate enough of that all by myself.

calamarichris

The stories are true and you're wise to be scared. My Harley above was stolen and I know several other guys who've had bikes stolen as well. Fortunately by the time it was stolen, it had 75,000 miles on it, the rear cylinder head was cracked and weeping oil, the vibrations kept cracking oil reservoirs & battery mounts, and I was ready for a faster bike. Harleys are like the fat crayons they gave us in preschool: very user-friendly and safe. But after you've learned enough, fat crayons seem kinda limiting.
Overall, motorcycles are more flexible than bicycles. I rode my crotch rocket from Carlsbad, CA to Philadelphia and back, averaging 550 miles per day, and it was perfectly comfortable.

photogravity

Actually, you have it all wrong. I participate in the BOC game for two reasons:

1. I crave getting my hands on some little piece of drillium from DD.
2. I use it as an opportunity to pull out the derailleurs and replace them with internal gear hubs.

It helps me live up to my stated purpose of "Ridding the world of derailleurs, one bicycle at a time."

calamarichris

You'd love the BMW Boxer engine then. You can do the valve adjustments on the side of the road with the tools in the underseat toolkit. I really tried to like the Boxer bikes, but I've been ruined by sportbikes and now they feel like a rolling pile of assemblies.
And I enjoy doing valve adjustments.

Amesja

Why would anyone steal a Harley these days?

The way the economy is going and people dumping them on CL for 1/10th of their purchase price it'd be just plain dumb to steal one illegally when you can steal one legally from someone going through a foreclosure and selling everything for pennies on the dollar.

Harley, the original fixie craze!

noglider 

Hey, iluvnoise! Reply to this.

photogravity

I'm not sure I agree. I've seen your Peugeot (it is a Pug isn't it?) and it's not crap by any means! Methinks your Pug might even meet with GP's approval.

Flying Merkel

I'm using Candy C pedals on the MTB & tourer. Work well for me. Thanks for info- will come in handy.

iluvnoise

BOOM! I'm at 40.

photogravity

Whuh? You don't consider that a lot of miles in a day do you? On several cross country trips I made, it was common for me to do 1,000 miles in a day! It keeps the hotel expenses down. I'd be a natural for the Iron-Butt rally believe it or not. There's nothing like putting down some serious miles on a bike.

KonAaron Snake 

I think Harleys are beautiful, but I don't think that's the route I'd go. I've always pictured myself on something more like what Lost posted - or the BMW roadsters.

photogravity

BOOM! You need 50 to PM. Get with it, man. You can't PM Grant until you achieve that milestone!

calamarichris

I've done plenty of 1Kperdays, but that was a pleasure cruise with my (now)ex-wife, siteseeing, and seeking out the best restaurants, Blue Ridge Parkway, Jack Daniel's distillery, etc.
If you ride for numbers or for impressing people in cocktail party conversations or internet forums, you might disagree with GP's "velosophy".

-holiday76

making posts just to increase your total post count is against for rules. You have to make it into something useful, such as this post from yours truly.

-holiday76

In 2006 I purchased a 1986 Yamaha FJ1200 made it ride-able, and drove it from Philadelphia to San Diego, Ca.

photogravity

Ah! It looks like you just might be my kinda guy! Actually, I rode really long days to get to my destination quicker because of the cost of getting there! In 1999, my total family income was under $20,000 so everything was done as inexpensively as possible. I've slowed down a lot over the last few years so as to enjoy my travel more, instead of rushing to make a destination. It's definitely a more GP-ish approach.

photogravity

The FJ was a pretty nice bike in its day. It was a decent sport-tourer and held its own when compared other bikes of that era. GP would approve of a bike like the FJ, you can rest assured!

-holiday76

he would. probably because it was a pig that handled like a piece of poop unless you were going in a straight line, similar to a US made sports car of the same era.

iluvnoise

Pontiac Fiero?