[Paraquat]

Hi everyone,
I'm still around. When the motorcycle app stopped working it really killed my forum experience.

Then I fell out of a truck and I don't bounce off the asphalt the way that I used to. Severed my Achilles tendon. It retracted over 3 inches. I was still riding though, up until my surgery. My body rejected the deep tissue sutures, I developed a 45 day infection as the sutures rose to the surface of my skin. They had to open the entirety of the incision and pull that noodle out. Soft cast. Hard cast. Crutches, prosthetics, PT. A lot of PT. I'm able to walk but haven't been clear to run or hike with my pack. Some say I walk with a limp. I don't notice it.

Blew my fork seals in the C50 in the fall and parked it.
I was still riding the CBR but a coworker backed into it, despite a backup camera and proximity sensors in her new F150. 🙄
I tore into the the front end of the C50 tonight. The seals look good but the bushings are worn. I'm suspecting there was a bit of axial movement and that's why the seals started to leak. I ordered new seals and bushings.

I'm at the end of life of the bike and I know it. The oil consumption is starting, the jugs leak.
I kind of want to tear it down and not do a full rebuild, but at least address the jug gaskets. I have another cross country trip in July/August to collect all the flyover states I missed on my first trip.

I did look at a 2018 Street glide with a 120 engine but my hours were cut from 54 to 36 and I don't like the taste of payments right now.

I miss all of you and still think of you.
Beezer, Ken, Skrapiron, Leanne and Sean, Captain and Michelle, Bearbait, Carl. Anyone else whose name isn't jumping out at me at the moment.

 

[Whiskey]

Oh man! You've had a heck of a time lately. Prayers that your luck turns around soon.

 

[Mr. Johnny...]

Hey Steve, been wondering where you disappeared to, especially on some of these local lunch rides. Sucks about your injuries and falling out of a truck. Hope you get back to where you can ride again soon. My C50 still holding up well, but it only has 25k on it. I have a whole set of some fancy new fork springs, seals and everything (can't remember the brand) but I didn't put them on the bike. Probably won't either, as I don't want a stiffer ride. Yours if you want them.
Maybe see you at Capt's thing in July.
Take care,
Jeff

ps. maybe join us in VT in Sept??

 

[DCinCT]

hey steve...been a while and sorry to see life has not been kind to you...hope for the most part your health has returned to a liveable stage...things here are pretty much the same, folks come and go and the gatherings seem to have gotten smaller....but the loyal still show for the lunches and coffee meets and with another riding season upon us, hopefully we'll get to share your company again even if you just cage it to our lunch meet spot and break bread and share some laughs w/the gang. Good to hear from you.

 

[the_snake1201]

Welcome back! Even if you can't ride by then, you should come up to the Yankee Rally. Plenty of trails up there you may be ready for by then.

 

[Skrapiron]

STEVE!!!!!!!!!! Welcome back, buddy!

 

[BigBert]

Steve, nice to hear from you. Hope you heal fast! We must hear more about falling out of a truck... Hope it was not the cab while it was going. You know, they make seatbelts for such occasions. Come on up for Christmas in July or for the rally. It would be good to break bread and just catchup.

 

[scorpion46]

Welcome back and heal quickly.

 

[Woodswoman]

Hi, Steve!!! <<Hugs>>

--Chris

 

[beezer]

Holy moly Steve! Stop in more often. We miss you.

 

[Paraquat]

Dennis - I can't believe I neglected to mention you. Your name comes up from time to time; some guys were just complaining about a ride from Rocky Hill to Windsor, straight down 91, that only took them about 20 minutes and I replied that they should've taken Dennis' route.😂

Chris, for the life of me I couldn't recall your screen name. Hiiii

I was doing a custom project, I took a 1986 Chevrolet C20 cab and bed and put it on top of a 2000 frame. The engine, transmission, transfer case, differentials, everything is all 99-07 Silverado 2500 vintage but it looks like, is insured as, and most importantly taxed as a 1986. I get contemporary suspension geometry, a plastic gas tank, nearly doubled my fuel economy, tripled my horsepower, and parts are easier to come by. I was able to keep a manual transmission and manual select transfer case. I don't have to get out and lock hubs to engage 4wd, and I don't have to retune a carburetor every 6 months (or less, in New England).
The truck is great and rides like a dream, compared to the old 86 chassis.
I had to shave 2 inches off the wheel base though so I cut the frame in half and welded it back together. The bed was on tree stands and elevated four feet in the air to keep it off the frame while everything was leveled and aligned. I had been keeping all the extra parts contained to the bed so it didn't look like a scrap yard in my driveway. I used a plastic stool to get up and down. In retrospect there were a lot of things wrong. This is a plastic step stool that I had since I moved in, so about 15 years old. Then I left it outside to use to get in and out of the hot tub, so chlorine, bromine, UV damage. I climbed up and down to get parts out of the bed of the truck twice, climbed up a third time, had my toes extended down feeling for the step stool and it shattered underneath me. I went to the ground full tip toe and when I hit, it was enough force to snap and retract the tendon. The worst part was that I spent about 14 months building this truck and then I couldn't even drive it because I couldn't step on the clutch pedal.

 

[BigBert]

Ouch! Glad you are doing better.