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2006 Honda 919

my 06 VSTAR 1100 and 96 KLX 650

03 SV: Racetech springs, 07 ZX10R rear shock, 10k+ miles since February


By mikesundrop at 2011-08-01


By mikesundrop at 2011-08-01

92 XJ600S Seca II "Dirtfighter" (this past winter's project)


By mikesundrop at 2011-05-25


By mikesundrop at 2011-05-25

75 RD350B, the latest acquisition. All original, in storage since 1986


By mikesundrop at 2011-07-20


By mikesundrop at 2011-07-20

10,000 miles since February, dang.



I thought I was doing good, roughly 6,000 miles since January, however not 1 single trip over 75 miles, & only a couple of those 60 or so mile trips, most of mine have been put on riding back & forth to work, 60 miles a day round trip. not really had the money to go anywhere or do anything. already had 2 vacations & worked around the house, when I wanted to be out riding.



right now I am running a front tire thats on the tread indicators, & has a slow leak, it started a little over a week ago, not sure what I ran over, its a very small leak, 2 to 5 psi a day, oh well, I cant afford a new tire, & I will pick up a new tire in a couple weeks whan I get a little overtime. probably around the 18 or 19th of August, my tire will probably have another 600 to 800 miles put on it before I replace it, maybe a little more. saw some cheap used tires on several different craigslists, but I have not really had time to go after a used tire as they were at least 60 miles away. 1 guy had 2 very cheap ones with great tread my size, but was 100 miles away.



Randy

Yeah, I commute about 60 miles/day (going the longest possible way everywhere I go) and then I'll go out for 200+ mile rides on the weekend. Throw in a few trips to the beach and the miles pile up. A lot of people talk crap about the SV for being a girl's bike or whatever but if you get the suspension set up right, it's heavenly.

I am getting ready to put my second rear tire on since February. Price you pay I guess.

Rode the bike to Va Beach last week, here I am at the Back bay on the VA NC line just south of Va Beach.





She's an 06 Sportster (883), which I bought late March and have put about 4,000 miles on since then.

I had an SV before this one and had a blast on her, but my old joints and muscles couldnt take the sportier riding position so have now gone over to the Dark Side (and lovin every minute of it).

never been to VA beach, not been to Myrtle beach in a few years either, thats something I would love to do, but with critters, both of us cant take off together more than 1 day. no fun to go on vacation far away alone, unless there is some big meet.



was up that way today, took old lady up to Galax for a few hours & went across 221 to Floyd & back home, nice 140 mile ride.



still need to get a tire. lol



Randy

I'm in VA beach (Sandbridge, Back Bay) right now on the SV. 380 miles out here, then 150 down to Hatteras yesterday, 150 back.

The ride to the outer banks was completely worth the 300 miles I rode in the pouring rain coming out last Saturday.

mikesundrop wrote:

03 SV: Racetech springs, 07 ZX10R rear shock, 10k+ miles since February


By mikesundrop at 2011-08-01


By mikesundrop at 2011-08-01

92 XJ600S Seca II "Dirtfighter" (this past winter's project)


By mikesundrop at 2011-05-25


By mikesundrop at 2011-05-25

75 RD350B, the latest acquisition. All original, in storage since 1986


By mikesundrop at 2011-07-20



By mikesundrop at 2011-07-20

Wow my first bike was a RD250, loved that bike!! rode it everywhere,
swear it had as much power as the 500 shadow I have now, atleast it was
as quick. but it did not look that good!!!

I need to get some pics of the left side now that i have the left side cover installed and it does not look stupid

crappy camera

black or chrome fender? the paint was peeling so I finished taking it off, it is supposed to be chrome on this year but think it looks better black, what do you think?
Oh yeh and the Kury grips were a ebay steal at 40 shipped new

I like black, lol, black bikes with polished stainless fastners, & very little chrome.



if the bike was mine & what I would do with it, paint the engine case black wrinkle, heads & cylinders semi-gloss black engine paint & then polish the fins:) either powder coat or use bbq grill black paint on the pipes & leave the shields chrome, paint the lower legs black, & then switch to a round headlight, then use a small more tucked in signal light. remove the reflectors, redo the wheels with black & just have a small polished ring around wheel with the spokes also polished. in my past I have disassembled shocks & had the springs painted black.



anyway just my ideas, my tastes, take it for what it is worth, nothing...



Later,

Randy

I believe the 85 or 86 went back to a round headlight, they only had square for a year or two. I was thinking the same thing bout the pipes, especially since they are bluing from heat but only front cylinder anyhow another topic. I have noticed on other forum sites that deal with these bikes that everyone likes to blackout all the polished stuff, which I kinda like, but like the polished look to, I think cause of the age and the work involved in bringing it back to better than original. I do want to black some stuff out like you suggest, ie: pipes, front fender, other parts yet to be determined, but want to bring back better than stock the polished stuff.
In the vinyl extrusion stuff I do am also a die polisher and can bring a polish to just about anything that has a base.
I have seen other bikes on forums with the grill paint look does that hold up on the hot stuff?

if you remove the chrome, or etch the chrome for the paint to "bite" 1 example is glass bead blasting the pipes that would give a base, & I do happen to have a glass bead blaster a small table top model in back of a junk stationwagon. if humidity hasnt made beads useless, & even so, just have to dry them out with heat.



I also think there is some chemicals that can be applied to promote adhesion, plus powder coating can be done & seems to hold up from my experience.



if you paint over chrome, the paint will chip easily, or scratch very easy.



if you want to look into powder coating, there is a place in Asheborro, they took a strip mall & made it into a powder coating shop, yeah its that huge, 2, 20' or larger ovens, he knows his stuff, & better than small shops, trust me & usually cheaper than small shops because he does soo much volume, & hundreds of colors available, he also tests all his colors once a year to make sure quality is up to snuff, & disposes of any that is not up to his quality standards. I was there for a whole day for a seminar on it & how he does it & all the process, it puts to shame everywhere else I have ever been.



for Chrome work, there is an individual in Archdale NC, one of best I ever seen. but not sure if he is still at it, last time I spoke he had an accident, a bumper slipped while polishing & hit him in back of head & slashed his head open.



personally I like Black Chrome, but it is not common & most people done care for it, & my friend just laughs, he doesnt have the stuff to do it, but has in the past, it really isnt used much, & doesnt hold up as well as normal chrome, but has a polished look. similiar to if you put black candy paint over a chrome or copper base if you could imagine something like that?





Randy

personally I like Black Chrome, but it is not common & most people
done care for it, & my friend just laughs, he doesnt have the stuff
to do it, but has in the past, it really isnt used much, & doesnt
hold up as well as normal chrome, but has a polished look. similiar to
if you put black candy paint over a chrome or copper base if you could
imagine something like that?

Now that sounds cool but sure it is expensive, it's an old bike with a little nostalgia but do not want to get to rad with it. I have seen it somewhere??? and it is nice.
One of the other owners of this bike painted the front fender black and it started peeling at all the edges, I am sure they did not prep it well cause it was not hard to bring it back somewhat, there is still some old age oxidation showing but it is an old bike that I will ride for a couple of years and probably upgrade i hope, just like to detail some. When I bought it I almost did not cause it looked kinda rough, but then started to look past the ugly and then could see that it was ok so then handed over the money.

the main things are to have fun, be yourself, & be safe.



holler anytime, we can try to go for a ride if interested.



eventually a few other members may chime in, lol.



as for Sat, as far as I know we are not planning to attend, unless she changes her mind at the last minute.



Later,

Randy

I just suggested this site to a friend at work, we never get to ride together either but talk about it just have not done it yet, talked of the dragon, but not ready for the long haul yet i believe, i just have to do it!!! He has a 883 but is open to any bike and is not a HD only person so that is cool. He said he would check this site out, and I asked him to pass it around on his other local sites he said he would.

That is a picture of my new to me ride 2005 Ultra Classic

Sharp looking bike. nice long distance touring, mmmmmmmm....... lol



Randy