Is it worth considering purchasing from a private party and shipping cross country? How would you inspect the bike to be reasonably sure it was in the stated condition? Do you put the money in escrow until the bike arrives and is inspected on the receiving end? Any experiences or insights appreciated. Again, this is private party, not from a dealer.

A couple of years ago my friend and riding buddy Jnor came down from his home in mid Ohio to spend a night at my place and ride some sw Ohio and n KY roads with me. One evening after dinner, I took him on one of my favorite loops. Jnor is the fella I rode to California with last summer. Same age as me, retired a few months before me. Rides like me, eats like me, keeps the same hours. We get along pretty well. After he got back from Cali he decided after 50 years he was done riding, sold his bike and all his gear and bought a drag race car which was his other passion. Since then, he has sold the race car, bought a used FJR (although he really wants another Kawasaki Versys) and is enjoying life on 2 wheels again.

Anyhow, after he had quit riding I named the loop I took him on "Jnor's Loop", in his honor. It incorporates 65 miles of curvy roads and visits a covered bridge and 2 lakes in this area, Stonelick Lake and Wm Harsha lake known locally as East Fork.

When I woke up this morning it had finally quit raining, the wind quit blowing, and the sun came out, but it was still only 55 degrees so I fixed a thermos of hot tea, grabbed an energy bar and rolled out the CB to ride Jnor's loop.

Covered bridge

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Stonelick Lake (leaves as seen above seat are just beginning to turn)

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I pulled over by the lone pic nic table and set up to eat breakfast

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After breakfast I headed on the second part of the loop. Here I did deviate from the loop a bit. There are 2 roads that parallel each other and end up in basically the same place. One the one I took Jnor on is real technical, sharp turns, off camber turns, deceiving turns. The other the state route is full of sweepers including one long that drops in elevation from the top of the ridge to the valley below. I prefer sweepers to technical so I took the state route

Big Sweeper on state rt

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Ran into some traffic in the little town of Owensville where our county fair was going on. Some of the "classics on display" as I drove past

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and on their way there. Normally this road looks like the way I am going traffic wise lol

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Back into the curves

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and a stop at East Fork lake on the dam

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Headed for home I come thru this series of downhill, uphill curves, then a hard sharp left and a run on this roller coaster section. Hard to see but it's down, up, down, up then into a right hand turn. With proper speed you leave the ground at the hump in the middle which always puts butterflies in the stomach.

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3 more miles and I pull into my driveway. A great day and ride on Jnor's loop. Wish he had been here to ride it with me.

Again,
3'rd glass of the turn signal is out over last 3 months. Everytime thesome. It went's out. By a broken plastic bridge beetwin a front glas and mount whole. Without any ingerention of me. 2 times I gave it to the sevice, last time on August. And again. Wire line is made in china. Lamps too? I decide to buy Honda for a quality. Last my bike, was a Ducati and bad opinion about a Ducati quality was wrong. On my Honda, I got: first rust on front forks, i had a broken fuse box, and last time in service I had to ask for a re-instalation of the front brake line, near the master cylinder, because it by a uncerfuly assembly...
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Check out the mob of wild kangaroos in the background only a few miles out of town.
Great day for a ride up through Ferguson Valley and down to the coast.

Ever since these came out, I have wanted to ride/drive one. I know most of the people that work at the local motorcycle/atv dealers and one invited me to test drive this last weekend. It was too close to their closing time and I didn't have my helmet (dealer requires it, but I technically don't have to wear it per state law). So, I decided to drag my dad with me so he could check it out and he brought my nephew along who rode shotgun with both of us when we tested it.

These are an absolute hoot! I think that Polaris has done a great job making a fun vehicle for a somewhat reasonable price. I saw somewhat reasonable because I think there are better things on which to spend your money. I feel like the novelty of driving it might wear off after a while. I think a Can-Am Spyder would be interesting to test ride to compare. I have a feeling I would prefer it as it is closer to a motorcycle. This is too much like a car for me to deal with the compromises in usability (no roof, little storage, lack of climate control, takes up as much space as a car).

This is a great effort by Polaris to make something unique. I am certainly not even in the market for something like this. If I was, and if I had the money, I would have a hard time overlooking something along the lines of a Mazda Miata.

Does anybody know if the DLX dual exhaust system will fit a 2013 single exhaust CB?

I'm getting restless.

Long time ago, I **ALMOST** pulled the trigger on a V-Strom 650.

I have logged high mileage this year. MOST of it was touring. With jerry-rigged duffels, strap-tied to the luggage rack.

I was a bit disappointed in the not-so-smoothness of the Honda four. Although pleased no end with its fuel economy.

Now, I'm hearing from satisfied Wee-Strom riders. What does it for me...Cycle Ergonomics shows that the V-Strom 650 will fit me better.

I can spend money and invest frustration in dropped pegs, and raised seats - or sell and buy and have one that fits.

I love the retro look. If I were a rich man I'd keep it forever. But I'm far from rich.

I'm also far from the most logical. Trading...would, now, give me a net ZERO. What I owe is what it's worth. Big goose-egg.

Hanging on, is the smart plan. I had the expensive miles. The cheap miles are next year; and the following years.

But lust calls!

It was supposed to get up into the mid 90s today, so I decided to take a ride to the mountains and soak up some cool riding weather before it starts getting cold.

The route was Phoenix->Payson->Camp Verde and then back to Phoenix on the slab. It was about 250 miles of fun. Not much traffic on the back roads and even the dash home on I-17 was pleasant.



Leaving Payson and headed for Strawberry. I grabbed the lanyard cam and took some pics Ferret style!



Stopped along the road for a leg stretch and the obligatory CB11 photo op.



Descending out of the high country into the Verde River valley.



It was a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon.

BTW, I made two gas stops and got a "What year is that?" each time.

Did what will probably be my last run to Mount Baker for the year. Awesome weather all the way, low traffic and great roads.

Wish I could have gotten some photos of the tree covered roads on the way up. Leaves are fully changing and the whole drive up is like riding through a never ending HDR photo.

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Found this in Knoxville today.

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