Tea and a Honda

[Ulvetanna_imp]

Thank you. What an extraordinary posting. It is an ideal that I aspire to. Judging from the posts I’ve read and the demographic of the members, what you have written likely applies to all of us in one way or another. As I’ve aged, I’ve dialed back my risk quotient, and the CB and I are comfortable in the current regime. That is not to say I won’t occasionally explore the triple digits, but thinking about the last time I checked the tire pressure and other similar thoughts usually keeps those wild moments fairly brief. By the way, tire pressure and handling performance are more pronounced with the CB than most other bikes I have ridden. A few psi makes a difference. It is something to know. The Zero was an extraordinary aircraft. Even more so were the Japanese pilots prior to the outbreak of hostilities. To fly one, you had to be able to see a star in daylight. The training and proficiency were at levels typical of the Japanese love of extremes. As the war progressed, pilot training and capabilities degraded due to the non self-sealing fuel tanks you mentioned as the old guard expired. The final outcome was due to disproportionate asset piles. If you are giving as good as you get, in the end, the larger pile always wins.

Good post; let's not forget the F6F Hellcat and P-38 Lightning, the Thach weave, and just the general cussedness of American pilots. Always looking for a fight.



Dick Bong, 40 credits...and killed testing Lockheed P-80 jets in Burbank! Go figure.

Anyway, yep, the bike is really cool, and pretty responsive to changes. You have got yourself a very nice machine there!

[emptysea]

Ahh.. Dick Bong (Although I think he went by "Ira"). From Wisconsin. In the 50s, The US was going to build a strategic defense air base in southern Wisconsin to serve Chicago and Milwaukee. There's still remnants of a runway there and some other structures, but it was decided to move things to Strategic Air Command and the Bong Air Force base eventually became the Bong Recreation Area -- My favorite of ALL recreation areas and the site of more state park sign thefts (presumably by college students) than any other state park in the U.S.

[Ulvetanna_imp]

Ahh.. Dick Bong (Although I think he went by "Ira"). From Wisconsin. In the 50s, The US was going to build a strategic defense air base in southern Wisconsin to serve Chicago and Milwaukee. There's still remnants of a runway there and some other structures, but it was decided to move things to Strategic Air Command and the Bong Air Force base eventually became the Bong Recreation Area -- My favorite of ALL recreation areas and the site of more state park sign thefts (presumably by college students) than any other state park in the U.S.

Did not know about the Recreation Area but the thefts of the signs are no surprise!

[emptysea]

They eventually changed all the signage in the area to "Richard Bong Recreational Area". I think they added the first name to deter the thefts and left out his middle initial for the same reason. Heck, I'd steal a sign that has "I Bong" in it. LOL

[the Ferret]

Ichi-go ichi-e

I like it. So cerebral those Japanese. Love their culture. Love seeing pictures of their country, and archirecture. And love riding the motorcycles they build.

Ichi-go ichi-e.

[Ulvetanna_imp]

They eventually changed all the signage in the area to "Richard Bong Recreational Area". I think they added the first name to deter the thefts and left out his middle initial for the same reason. Heck, I'd steal a sign that has "I Bong" in it. LOL

Ichi-go ichi-e

I like it. So cerebral those Japanese. Love their culture. Love seeing pictures of their country, and archirecture. And love riding the motorcycles they build.

Ichi-go ichi-e.

Lol, other than the migraine headache I got from a stay in Tokyo (it was either the pudding-thick smog or the endless diet of Udon and coffee drinks, not sure which), I did enjoy my brief week in Nippon. Toured around with some Asian acquaintances, went to the temples in Kyoto and elsewhere.

Also visited "Motorcycle Row" in Shinjuku, took the subway, ate endless amounts of shaved ice and fermented who-knows what at underground malls, which are everywhere.

Tons of motorcycles and scooters but very few big bikes. Tokyo was lit up like a Christmas tree gone crazy, looked like "Blade Runner" cubed.

Learning to use the "toilet" was an experience. They called it the "Asian squat" and you better be flat-footed or expect some extra hygienic effort.

Never goin' back again, though.

[Slow Poke_imp]

I like the concept of Ichi-go Ichi-e. I have always loved Japanese vehicles, bikes and cars. They have a vibe to them that I find comforting. Some insight into the culture and mindset of the engineers and designers who made them connects the dots for me. Good post.

[tuareg]

Thank you. What an extraordinary posting. It is an ideal that I aspire to. Judging from the posts I’ve read and the demographic of the members, what you have written likely applies to all of us in one way or another. As I’ve aged, I’ve dialed back my risk quotient, and the CB and I are comfortable in the current regime. That is not to say I won’t occasionally explore the triple digits, but thinking about the last time I checked the tire pressure and other similar thoughts usually keeps those wild moments fairly brief. By the way, tire pressure and handling performance are more pronounced with the CB than most other bikes I have ridden. A few psi makes a difference. It is something to know. The Zero was an extraordinary aircraft. Even more so were the Japanese pilots prior to the outbreak of hostilities. To fly one, you had to be able to see a star in daylight. The training and proficiency were at levels typical of the Japanese love of extremes. As the war progressed, pilot training and capabilities degraded due to the non self-sealing fuel tanks you mentioned as the old guard expired. The final outcome was due to disproportionate asset piles. If you are giving as good as you get, in the end, the larger pile always wins.

"The Wind Rises(Kaze Tachinu)", an animation film by Hayao Miyazaki's Ghibli Studios is based on the life of the Japanese aviation engineer Jiro Horikoshi (Hideaki Anno), whose career includes the creation of the A6M World War II fighter plane. Quite an emotional film to watch.

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