When it rains, it pours

[rboe]

Many Moto Guzzi's used/use linked brakes and it generally works better than unlinked brakes. Cars have used them for decades. Designed, built and maintained properly I see only an upside to them. But it helps if the owner/rider is aware of them.

Last weekend at our Guzzi Not-A-Rally I got a nasty (nasty as in an ugly V cut, not a round puncture) flat on the rear tire of the Griso about 8 mile into the Perkinsville Road going east out of Chino Valley. The gravel part. After much fiddling I was able to limp back into Chino Valley were I used the air pump at the Safeway to re-air the tire. Made it another 8 miles where it ran flat again. I was out of rope plugs. While I sat there waiting for Sue to pick me up with the truck and trailer SHE suffered a massive flat on the freeway and needed AAA to get her going again.

I'm rethinking this touring bit on a bike. Maybe truck or trailer the bike to where I want to go then scooter around once I get there.

Then I see ads (and checked out in person) the new Goldwing and I start to drool all over again.

Post script. Bike tipped over while trying to get the center stand hooked up and I broke the right hand guard and scratched the valve cover - all this while trying to remove the rims for new tires. Truck got new tires on Monday - a wee bit earlier than expected. So 6 new tires for me this week. Meh!

[the Ferret]

Only plan on riding bikes a couple more years. Ok... I'm going to be completely honest with you guys. Please forgive me. I turn 68 this Friday. My goal has always been to ride until I am 70 (given that my family history indicates 78-79 for the end of the line). That will be 55 continuous years of riding on the street and 10 years of racing motocross. It's been a GREAT time on 2 wheels. but.... I am having some medical issues. Of course the arthritis in the knees, but that is minor. A knee replacement can fix that. More importantly I have been battling Microscopic Colitis for just under a year now, ever since I returned from last year's rally in Arkansas. It's an incurable disease from what I understand, and it's kicking my butt. Sick every day. Stomach cramps 24/7, diarrhea 6-8 times a day starting about 3 am. Can barely eat. Can barely sleep. I've gone from 184 pounds down to 168 pounds. Have zero energy. Depression is starting to set in, and the thoughts you have when you are depressed, are downright scary. I'm seeing a Gastroenterology, and on meds, but, as you can tell, they are not getting the job done. My family doctor (a motorcycling friend of 35 years) is considering sending me to the Cleveland Clinic, or to a hospital at the University of Indiana to see if anything can be done. I just want the misery to be over with. It wears on you when you are miserable every minute, of every hour, of every day...day after day after day. Trying to stay upbeat through all of this.

I am NOT looking for sympathy, I have had a GREAT motorcycling career, and a wonderful life. My wife and I have toured this country, Canada and Europe for 45 1/2 years. We have had GREAT adventures, ridden to some of the most beautiful places on earth on the best roads available for motorcycling on some truly great motorcycles. I am not regretting one minute. Sometimes, other things in life just catch up with you. Things you can't avoid and have little (if any) control over .

I'm still going to try and ride 2 more years, but right now, that's a day by day decision. I'm going for a CB ride in 1/2 hour. I love riding. I actually feel my best when I'm riding, and not thinking about things. I have 6 more states to hit to have ridden to all lower 48 states and have my dealer trying to find me a left over FJR so I can try and get that done in the next 2 years. After that, who knows. Probably pass the FJR on to my son. In the meantime I will figure out what to do to the ST and determine what I want to do with it after that.

Sorry to lay this all on you guys, but if you can't talk to your friends, who can you talk to eh? No Boo Hoo's for Ferret please!

BUT... if anyone knows anything to help with microscopic colitis, or know someone else that's battling it with success, please PM me. I'd be VERY interested in the info.

[Rocky_imp]

Wow, that was a heavy hit ferret! I had no idea it was so serious.
I've always said that when you reach 70ish, and more with no health problems, it's worth all the gold in the world.
I'm one of those lucky ones as I see age 81 not that far down the road. On Saturday I rode my antique BSA 189 miles with some friends and never felt better.
Fight the good fight and my very best wishes to you for the future.

[emptysea]

"I love riding. I actually feel my best when I'm riding, and not thinking about things." -- You wrote your own prescription for at least the depression portion of your trouble. Can't help you with the colitis issue, but at least you're willing to see a doctor (doctors) about it. Too many people, particularly men, avoid doctors and deprive themselves of the opportunity for relief. My advice is to throw yourself into the search for relief with the same passion you apply to hunting and motorcycling and you will get better.

[SportsterDoc]

Ferret
Understood.
At 71, I have a floating target of age 74.
No apparent health issues, yet and my reactions still seem good, but I can tell that my balance is not as good as yesteryear. When I stop on a shoulder for photo ops (wish this forum hosted photos), I take extra care that I do not have an extensive drop off with no footing on one side.

The question is do I then sell the bike or keep it for an occasional ride?

As for end of the line, my paternal grandfather died of a massive heart attack at age 66, the year he retired while on vacation in Washington state.

Thus my dad expected to not survive into his seventies and retired at age 58. He passed away in March at age 91...so, do not sell yourself short...and meanwhile, enjoy all you can.

Should have 7700 miles on the clock by this afternoon.

[suhawk305]

Well said MTC. I try to live life one day at a time, but sometimes that is a tall order. In a resent thread, I stated I plan to ride my CB to at least 100k miles, but realistically, there is no way I can project that! I understand the depression part. Like a lot of us baby boomers, I too have certain health issues (degrading arthritis, etc) but God willingly and the skill of the medical professionals, I will have more motorcycling left in me. Before I put a for sale sign on my CB1100, I will take one ride at a time.
And yes, a ride is a great stress reliever!

[Cormanus]

Ferret, I'm so sorry the colitis is causing you such grief. The consequences of such conditions are never simple and, as you example attests, affect so many other areas of our health and life.

I'm sure you're all over it, but it may be worth finding a support group—something men (me included) are bad at as MTC notes—that may be able to help you to find relief in things like diet. Trawling the internet can often provide some help, although one has to try to distinguish between the sensible and the lunatic.

I hope you're able to find some way to make your day more comfortable. Meanwhile, MTC is right: if riding helps your state of mind, keep doing it as much as you can. I know about depression. It's endless and corrosive and doing whatever you can to keep it at bay is only sensible.

Best wishes.

[twood_imp]

Ferret, I have Crohn's disease. I've had most of the symptoms you list and a few more I will not mention. I know very little about microscopic colitis, but hang in there and get yourself to the best possible set of doctors to assess and treat your condition. For me that was the Mayo Clinic and it can make a real difference. At one point I couldn't even walk comfortably. I'm back to racing post vintage mx. I sincerely hope you get a similar outcome.

[the Ferret]

Thanks George (and everyone else). Like Suhawk said, live it one day at a time lol.

Thanks twood. Yea. MC is a milder version of Crohn's, as I understand it, an issue with the colon and large intestines. So sorry to hear that you have that. Why not pm me and we can chat.

Many Moto Guzzi's used/use linked brakes and it generally works better than unlinked brakes. Cars have used them for decades. Designed, built and maintained properly I see only an upside to them. But it helps if the owner/rider is aware of them.

Last weekend at our Guzzi Not-A-Rally I got a nasty (nasty as in an ugly V cut, not a round puncture) flat on the rear tire of the Griso about 8 mile into the Perkinsville Road going east out of Chino Valley. The gravel part. After much fiddling I was able to limp back into Chino Valley were I used the air pump at the Safeway to re-air the tire. Made it another 8 miles where it ran flat again. I was out of rope plugs. While I sat there waiting for Sue to pick me up with the truck and trailer SHE suffered a massive flat on the freeway and needed AAA to get her going again.

I'm rethinking this touring bit on a bike. Maybe truck or trailer the bike to where I want to go then scooter around once I get there.

Then I see ads (and checked out in person) the new Goldwing and I start to drool all over again.

Post script. Bike tipped over while trying to get the center stand hooked up and I broke the right hand guard and scratched the valve cover - all this while trying to remove the rims for new tires. Truck got new tires on Monday - a wee bit earlier than expected. So 6 new tires for me this week. Meh!

Geez Rboe, missed this due to my own issues. That stinks. I don't think there is a worse feeling in the world for a touring motorcyclist than being stranded and have to wait for someone to come rescue... And then you're wife gets a flat..knowing she's worried about getting to your side to help you. Had to be harrowing.

Tipping the bike over on top of it all is a bummmer and fitting to end the lousy experience. Like I said in the title of this thread, when it rains, it pours.

Dianne and I have towed twice to a location ( once Montana, and once Arizona) and then toured from there, and have talked about doing that again this year. It really worked out well. We weren't exhausted when we arrived, we didn't use up the meat of our tires getting there, and we didn't have to endure a long ride home after we were tired. Also an emergency like you had would be so much easier to handle by using my AAA 100 mile free towing back to a waiting trailer. If I didn't like riding long distances so much it would be a perfect option.

[3rdbike_imp]

There's a lot of us on this forum that are of the age for aches and pains, and worse yet, debilitating disease. We can identify with our comrades and sympathize with them, but we can only guess what it's like for our buddy, even if we have identical circumstances. Everybody is different, and even the same condition will affect each of us differently.

Riding is great therapy for whatever ails us. A year ago I was diagnosed with a squamous cell carcinoma: throat cancer. With radiation treatment for 33 days straight, and chemo every Friday, we beat it! Recovery is going well.

Buying the big CB was a 'present' to myself, sorta. I don't have much for mileage yet, still working on strength and endurance. It'll come, I just have to be patient.

We all have a lot to live for: God and family, and the love of riding. Hang in there, a day at a time!!