nogear

As I sat here this morning I looked threw the "New Member" list and I noticed that in the past 6 months we've had a lot of people join the forum.  Most of the names I couldn't even remember having seen before. Then I looked at the post count beside the names and I noticed a lot of the names never even made one post. OK, so some of them may be spammers but I haven't seen any spam messages. Of the other names most have only made one or two posts then nothing.

All this made me wonder "why join then not participate?"  Did they not like the discussion? Was someone rude to them? Were they afraid other people might ridicule what they said?   Glancing through the posts some of them made I didn't see any evidence of the first two happening, some it must be that they were afraid of being ridiculed.  But, I don't understand that one either because if they would of lurked for awhile they would of noticed that we only ridicule people AFTER we get to know them and know they can handle it and it is always done in good nature and is never mean spirited.

So, I still don't have an answer. Why join a forum only to not participate in it?

Alright, I'm giving you enough warning so no excuses will be tolerated!   I don't have an exact date when I'll be back in the World again but after having done some backwards planning I can say with almost certainty that I will be home by the 1st of September.  Actually it should be by the 25th which would make it just a little over 1 year after I left home, but in the interest of being always right I pushed it back a week.

What does this mean? Well first it means I'm getting rid of the ball and chain   that I've worn for the past 3 years.  BUT WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO Y'ALL????

It means you are coming to my house and we are going to go riding. After riding we are going to grill out , drink some adult beverages   (that actually have alcohol in them!)  and then we are going to tell lies about how great a rider we are (well some of you will be lying and some will be telling the truth)

Once again, you've been given enough warning so excuses will not be tolerated . Don't smell like a

I know some of you will be coming up from a little bit further. Here is the bunking arrangements that I have to offer:

Bedroom 2:  Queen size bed
Bedroom 3:  Queen size air mattress and futon that sleeps two
Bedroom 4:  Fullsize bed
Bedroom 5: My office but there's room on the floor!
Reclining large sofa
Reclining love seat
Chase
Plenty of floor room or if you bring a cot plenty of room to set one up.

Master bedroom off limits for sleeping purposes unless you happen to be female. If you are female then you are welcome so long as the missus OKs it.  Please don't involve me in the negotiating process as I like my manhood where it is but if negotiations are successful I will gladly partake.  (Honey if you are reading this it was only injected to add humor)

First come, first serve.

If you like cheap beer you'll have to bring your own. I'm  a bit of a beer snob (blame living in Bavaria for over 10 years) so I only stock the good stuff.


So show up on the 1st and ride ( or Friday evening if it's better for you. You're welcome to stay 2 nights).  Sunday wake up and go home.

I know this isn't a ride section but it didn't seem to fit in the "Regional Rides" because it transcends ( I like this word, it makes me feel all spiritual like) regions.

Here's the link: http://mapq.st/J2n1Xx

This would be a 3-4 day trip depending on if we spend a day in Asheville to tour the Biltmore Estate.

The first day would find us in Bristol at the end of the day.  The first part of the ride would be a bit boring until we reached Moreheard but from there south we should have some good roads. If anyone has any experience with KY 7 I'd like to hear it.

Day 2 We start off with a short ride before we are on "The Snake". Of course we'll have to stop in Shady Valley to buy the obligatory stickers for Gail and the patch etc. Then it's heading a bit more south to jump on the Blue Ridge Parkway. The ride south to Boone, NC isn't technical but it is very scenic and I enjoy it.  The section of the BRP that we are riding is some of the best in my opinion.  Before we get to Little Switzerland we'll hope off of the BRP for a short detour ons some good roads. NC 226 will take us further south before we turn north west on NC 80 to take us back to the BRP.  The BRP will take us on into Asheville.

Day 3 We'll tour the Biltmore Estate, do a little wine tasting, and see the sites that Asheville has to offer.

Day 4 Saddle up and head north! Not much in the way of technical riding till we get north of I-81 except in the vicinity of Greeneville.  If something does go wrong in while in Greeneville, I know a good Doc to call. He just left us a few days ago to head home. Doc Nickle was our flight surgeon over here for 3 months.  This will be my first time riding TN 70 over the mountains into KY but I've heard it is a good route with lots of twisties.   Once on the other side we'll eventually be on US 421 which we'll stay on till Berea.  This is going to be our longest day of riding while on the trip.  Hopefully some of you might be able to meet up with us along the way and maybe for dinner in Berea

Day 5  Wake up, hopefully without a hangover, and head to the house!


Now I know the first question some of you are going to ask "When are you going to do this ride?"  As of right now I don't have a clue.  I know when I should be back in the States (but I can't tell you because of OPSEC)  and it's dependent on a few things. Like I just found out I screwed up my knee and my require surgery if so then the whole timetable is out the window for me.

This is the kind of riding that I like to do which is why I bought a sport-tourer.  The FJR is great for this kind of riding. It can pack everything I need and still be able to have fun in the twisties.  The longest trip I've done so far was 11 days on the road.  On that trip we didn't even have a rest day in there and the last day involved me starting out at 0600 in the morning with it drizzling at a temperature of 25 degrees so I could make an eleven hour ride to get back home.   I wouldn't of done it but I had to be at work the next day.

Typically, when asked "What should I get for my first bike?" The answer is usually a 250 or 500cc bike.  While I do agree that these tend to be very good sizes for a first bike I think some more thought needs to go into it.  For someone who exhibits a good deal of sound judgement and the strength to hold a bigger bike up a 250 or 500 may not be the best starter bike for them. "Why not?" you ask. Well, because they may be able to handle a bigger bike responsibly, or their finances may not be able to handle buying a smaller bike only to turn around to sell it a year later and buy a bigger one.  Let's be realistic here. IF they can handle a bigger bike they WILL outgrow the smaller bike pretty quickly.  I do agree that a smaller bike is the best option but there is other good options out there.  

Some of those options are: FZ6r, Ninja 650r, gsx650f, Bandit 600s, Versys  Triumph Bonneville. These bikes are mild enough that new riders can still be comfortable on them if they "fit" them otherwise, but they aren't going to out grow them in a year. I do feel strongly about new riders staying away from true sport bikes. I've seen too many 19-24 year old, especially in the military, go out and buy a 600cc sport bike for their first bike and end up hurting themselves, hurting others, or both because they lacked the skills and experience to handle a sport bike. People always think that a 600cc sport bike is a beginners bike because it has a smaller engine. They know nothing about the engineering that goes into a sport bike; the rake and trail. Today's sport bikes tens to have a rake of 23 degrees. A typical cruiser has a rake of 32 degrees!  This is what helps sport bikes turn much quicker and sharper than a cruiser, but it also means they aren't as stable in a straight line. The quicker it can turn also translates into easier to lose control of.   Let me repeat myself  a 600cc IS NOT A BEGINNERS BIKE!

When you first start riding you shouldn't be worried about the performance capabilities of your bike because I'll guarantee you no matter what bike you have you will not be able to ride it to it's performance limits. Riding a bike to it's limits is a skill that comes with years, yes years, of practice and training. 99% of riders never get there.


Now how to choose which bike is best for you:



  "Buying your first motorcycle”

You’ve been dreaming about riding a motorcycle for some time, but you don’t know what kind of motorcycle to buy. Purchasing your first motorcycle can often end up becoming an odyssey trying to figure out what type of motorcycle you want versus what type you need. When choosing your first motorcycle you want to look at the type of riding you are going to do, the performance of the motorcycle, the size/comfort of it, and lastly you, the rider. Hopefully using this guide will help in the acquisition of your first motorcycle.

   The first thing you want to do is think about what type of riding you want to do. Motorcycles, like automobiles, come in a lot of different shapes and sizes. Many of them are designed for a specialized task. Do you want to ride all day in the dirt or do you want to stick to the road? Are you only looking for a bike to tour the country on? The type of riding your interested in pretty much dictates the kind of bike you should be looking at. Be aware that even within groups there are sub-groupings. For example you decide you want to ride off road. Within off road motorcycles you have: motocross bikes, trail bikes, and dual-sport bikes. When you nail down the then type then you actually start looking at motorcycles themselves.

  You’ve decided on the type of motorcycle now let’s talk about performance. The biggest single mistake new rider make is buying a bike with far more performance than he or she can handle. A new rider should shy away from any true sport bike. Today’s sport bikes are nothing more than race ready bikes that have had headlights and turn signals added. New riders need a bike that they can safely learn to hone their skills on. Once you have the experience you will appreciate the performance of those bikes more.

  Having a bike that fits right for you is important for a new rider. A bike that isn’t sized right for you is a distraction that new riders don’t need. Having one that is comfortable allows you to concentrate more on learning to ride better. If it’s too tall, and your feet can’t touch the ground you are going to drop it. Same thing goes if it’s too heavy for you. Sit on a bike. Can you reach the handle bars without stretching? Put your feet up on the pegs. Are your knees comfortable? If there is any inherent discomfort, it will be magnified after spending an hour riding.

Often first time buyers are hung up on whether to buy a new or used motorcycle. In a word, used. Just like cars, motorcycles depreciate, and entry level bikes depreciate the most in the first year of ownership. No matter how much you want to ride now you might discover that motorcycles aren’t for you, so don’t be the one to incur that loss. Another reason to buy used is because you are going to drop your bike or put some dings on it. You would feel a lot worse if you dropped a new bike costing a whole lot more. Take your time to do the research and find the one that is right, financially, for you to purchase. Make sure it is reliable and has been well maintained. Have it checked out by a qualified mechanic. You don’t want to make a rash decision.

Now you have decided on the bike you want and spent a sizable amount of money it’s time for the last step in the process, you. You are at one with the bike. You need to invest in the proper riding apparel and safety equipment. If you crash, wearing the proper gear could prevent or reduce the severity of injuries. Take a training course to learn to ride safely, then get out there and ride.

Yesterday it hit a high of 108. I know that is hot by the standard back home but that is just starting to get hot here.  The worse part was the wind. It was coming out of the western desert most of the day. It was blowing up sand, just short of being a sand storm. When it's coming from the west it feels like you have a hair drier blowing in your face and when you open the door to go outside it's like the first moment when you open the oven door and get the blast of hot air in your face.

you can just make out the blood on the front of the turret from the Gunner's face impacting the .50 cal


By 5 pm the wind had shifted to the East and a storm rolled in off of the gulf.  It brought sustained rain for the next 4 hours and sporadic rain till early in the morning. We had more rain last night than all the other rain storms put together.  It might not sound bad to you back home but for us it meant flooding in the tents and buildings. The ground here doesn't absorb the water like back home.  All of our power here comes from huge generators that run night and day that are positioned all over the post.(When I was home on R&R the first thing I noticed was how quiet it was because of the lack of generators running)  As you can imagine the wiring isn't protected against  a lot of moisture so we were losing power all over the base also. This morning you could see people working on generators trying to get them up and running again.



There is still large pools of standing water right now.  By 8am we were already in Heat Category 2. With the temperature going over 100 again and the high humidity it is going to be a miserable next couple of days.  I feel sorry for all the guys (and girls) who have to 'suit up' in all the gear.  Adding 60 pounds of body armor only makes it suck that much more.

All I can tell them is "Embrace the suck" in a few more weeks it the temperature will be in the 120s till we go home.  On the positive side, when we get home no matter how high the temperature is it'll feel cool to us.


NoGear - middle of the Udairi Desert


Our motorpool - we finally got a tent for our mechanics to work on vehicles in.