How not to excercise motorcycle safety:

[IDemo]

Idaho State Police troopers are investigating a motorcycle crash on Highway 30 that sent one man to the hospital on Saturday.

ISP says 44-year-old Joseph Houston from Twin Falls was on a Harley Davidson motorcycle that was being towed by a Chevrolet Avalanche.

Investigators say Houston lost control while trying to negotiate a curve and then went into oncoming traffic, hitting the side of a large pickup.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

1. Was the rope tied to the motorcycle? Or did the rider just hang onto it?

... In case I need to have my motorcycle towed someday.

Lucky that nobody got killed.

[IDemo]

2. You know, the article doesn't specify,

but he may have been holding onto the rope with his teeth.

Having a motorcycle towed *usually* refers to having it placed on a trailer, not using your bike in the fashion of a two-wheeled water ski.

[edgineered]

3. Well, IDemo, there's a bunch of crazies down here

in SW Florida. Moses, Skip, James, Squally, and several other swamp critters have never left the county so it wasn't one of them - I'll ask how they do it and get back to you.

We don't have a lot of teeth around here either, so most of them couldn't do the rope thing, but that doesn't mean anyone has to use a stinking trailer!!!

Geeeeeeezzzzz!!!! Damn, gotta go, the dogs are chasing the kids again. (just kidding)

[IDemo]

4. This here's Ideeho, Edgie

You'all wouldn't be tryin' ta claim the Crazies Crown, with all the one-tooth wonders we have?

[edgineered]

5. Nah,

we've got lots of good people here, there too.

It sounds like you know that well enough. I work on bikes but currently don't have one (gave it to SIL). What are you riding?

[IDemo]

6. 2008 Kaw Vulcan 900

seen here at the Snake River Canyon south of Boise

[edgineered]

7. Nice, they respond well when piped

and opening up the jets a bit. Have a Vulcan 1400 that came in on Friday. The guy changed out the ignition switch and put it on the panel below the gas cap and couldn't get it running again. He tried everything himself, changed out the box, the pick-ups, sidestand switch, starter interlock, etc, etc. Could have saved him a bunch of trouble for a five minute fix.

[IDemo]

8. No money for any kind of mods, unfortunately

And if something doesn't happen shortly on the job hunt, I may have to Craigslist the bike.

I have enjoyed the ride for the most part, but the 900 could use a few things: a bit more power, a sixth gear, better suspension and definitely more cornering clearance. Oh, and the factory seat was a torture device and has been replaced with a gel-seat, but even that isn't great. It's not what I would consider an all day ride as is. I would probably opt for a sport tourer in the event I got into the money again.

[edgineered]

9. What ever you do, good luck. Wrenching on bikes is okay when

the kids are all grown, the wife is gone, the house is gone, etc, etc, and it doesn't matter if you make any money from one week to the next. Around here the 900's are good because its mostly urban. For any highway time, if you want to stick with the Kaws, the Intruders are what you might look for - they're geared higher. Doing 45 to 50 is possible in 5th but the motor's turning so slow that you would want to be in 4th. On a sport tourer you turn higher r's and will still wish you had another gear, its just their nature because they're designed to wick up higher. I'm just guessing, but at 75 mph you might be looking at up to 4,500 rpm still.

I'm trying to spend less time on DU, but if the need ever arises you can always pm me before taking your bike somewhere. Ed