Going to Minneapolis MN, August 1st and 2nd.

[don_vanecek]

I will be riding my Vision up to Minneapolis on 07-31-2008 and then leaving on 08-04-2008.  My son Chris is up there and we are going to get together for the weekend. He is currently in the AmeriCore program and his unit works at the Three Rivers Public park system. It would appear from the map that we have several Vision's in that area, if any of you would like to meet up let me know but I realize that's a pretty big area. We plan to camp at Baker park Thursday night, have dinner with a cousin in Plymouth Friday, my son has to work during the day Saturday, then we have tickets to the Riverboat show on Saturday night. He lives just north of the airport in the area of the VA med center and Ft Snelling.

On another subject, I of course of crazy going on a trip like this as I know  my neck pain will eventually come back, anyone have a suggestion as to a better pain killer then just using isopropanol (but me and the Vision sure love it out on the open road!).

[Lucky]

seems to me that neck pain would really be muscle related, so i'd go with Motrin...
Have a blast!

[Night Vision]

Don, what kind of bucket do you put on your head.... a heavy non-aero lid could add to your neck pain

where does the wind hit you with the shield you use?  take your left hand and move it up and down in front of your torso and see where it hits.... chest? neck? face? top of helmet?

I use ibuprofen for muscle aches... anti-inflamatory

[h2olawyer]

Motrin or Alleve (or their generic equivalents) are best for muscle & joint pain.  You might try finding some neck exercises to strengthen those muscles.  I wouldn't start them until after the trip, since they might make your neck sore before you even leave.

Have a fun and safe trip.  I'll be in Steamboat Springs that same weekend, enjoying (?) my 30th HS reunion.  Going to do Snowy Range Road one direction and Gore Pass / Trail Ridge the other.  Riding the V since I can't afford to drive my truck up there anymore.   ;D

H₂O

[Brian Moffet]

I'll be in Steamboat Springs that same weekend, enjoying (?) my 30th HS reunion. 

Oh lordy, did you have to remind me that mine is coming up?  Before you go, Watch "Grosse Pointe Blank", and think if your reunion was that exciting...

Brian

[h2olawyer]

I've seen Grosse Point Blank - funny movie.  I may have to rent it again - even though that's much more urban than my high school was.

They've changed things this year.  It's an "All 70s" reunion.  I guess the classes from the '60s have been doing it like that for years.  It's just that there are some people from the other classes I'd rather NOT see.   :D  Guess there's going to be a country rock band, food & libations.  Sure hope my $40 gets me something!  It's being held at one of the local ranches outside of town, so we shouldn't be too much of a disturbance to any neighbors.

Anyone know how to attach a lawn chair to a motorcycle?  We've been requested to bring one if we want a place to sit.   ::)

H₂O

[don_vanecek]

NV, my helmet is an HVC CL-14 and it is maybe on the heavy side.  The wind hits the helmet at the top pretty much just above the shield. For many years I rode with a Carrera Lemans (were talking late 80's), sure liked that helmet but I would still get the pain. I rode to CO last year with my bars adjusted in the low position, I think I did MN two years ago in the upper position, I am now using the middle position.  Frankly I think it's just me but I'm open to suggestions (afraid I'm not in a postion to buy a different helmet at this time however).

On the light side, I notice that I no longer get numbut like I used to, perhaps the JR pants help on that.

Any thoughts?

[h2olawyer]

I didn't find my CL-14 to be too heavy.  My Shoei is a little lighter, but we're talking a few grams - not likely enough to really matter.  What I have noticed, though, is how much smaller the exterior dimensions of the Shoei are compared to the CL-14.  It is also much less affected by the turbulence of the fairing.  It is quieter, too.

I still say you should try some neck exercises to strengthen those muscles & increase flexibility.  Nothing heavy before this trip, but if you find a few good exercises & do them on a regular basis over the winter, your stiff / sore neck issues may ease for next summer.  I know it's not a real help for this ride, but it could be a substantial part of future riding comfort.

It's surprising how good proper riding clothes are.  They are cut for the riding position, so you aren't fighting them while riding.  It seems like a small thing, but it makes a profound difference - as you have found.  With the addition of "Anti Monkey Butt" powder, you can eliminate numbutt even for very long rides.

H₂O

[don_vanecek]

Well spent a couple of hours Saturday getting the Silver V ready for my trip, took off the tank, cleaned my air filter and air box area, inspected my carb restrictors-the new ones I made a year or so ago fit better then my first creation from way back in the 1980's and have not moved. I put in two new spark plugs and learned something. I had gotten champion plugs instead of NGK's, You may NOT want to do this as the champions use a smaller size tool-the Vision plug tool is too large for them-unless you have a decent collection of tools as I have, you could have (and I may still have) a very difficult time taking the plug out of that front cylinder in the future! I noticed that my front plug was abit fouled and had deposits, the rear plug looked great (but I wasn't having any running problems-not sure what to think of this). I then adjusted the carbs with my manometer, they were just abit off-only took a wee turn of the adjustment rod.  I then changed the oil and changed the rear end fluid. Last, I followed the instructions in the Haynes Manuel to adjust the clutch. If you are have to fight the bike all the time to find neutral-advise you to do this adjustment, now it clicks in there with no trouble and shifts better too.

Well double check the tires yet and then on Thursday I am off!   

[Rick G]

Your welcome to the champion plugs ! I wouldn't put those things in my lawn mower!

[vadasz1]

Your welcome to the champion plugs ! I wouldn't put those things in my lawn mower!

You have lawns in AZ? ;D :o ;D

[h2olawyer]

You should see all the water storage and diversion projects (canals) to allow not only lawns, but even golf courses in Arizona, Nevada & So Cal.  Lake Powell & Lake Mead (at either end of the Grand Canyon) are huge, very inefficient water storage facilities, making sure that the lower basin states get their share (and then some) of Colorado River water.  The evaporation rates off those bodies of water is tremendous.  Real smart - build huge reservoirs where the daily temps in summer are 120F.  The only good that comes out of those places is the hydroelectric power.  They're also responsible for turning the Imperial Valley into one of the largest & most productive agriculture areas in the world.  Not bad, either.

Lake Powell is filling up with silt carried by the Colorado River.  That's the same silt that used to make nice sand beaches in the Grand Canyon.  There is talk of building a large pipeline from the upper end of Lake Powell to below that dam (Glen Canyon Dam) to carry the silt downstream.  Then Leake Mead would suffer the same fate.

The Colorado River carries the most heavily used water in the world.  Every drop in the river is estimated to be used at least 6 times.

I'm in favor of eliminating Lake Powell and building a bunch of smaller reservoirs at higher elevations to make up much of that storage capacity.  Less evaporation and the Grand Canyon would be a little more natural.  (Hayduke Lives!)

Sorry about the thread hijack.   ;)

H₂O

[don_vanecek]

That's OK, just so long as your State is sending all the water it is suppose to send to Nebraska!  Just kidding, I really enjoy hearing your knowledge on these subjects.

[h2olawyer]

Actually, the Republican River - whose headwaters are in NE Colorado, has forced several farmers in that corner of the state to give up farming.  There was one ditch project taking water from the river before it crosses into Nebraska & the amount of water left in the river was insufficient to meet the interstate agreement between Colorado & Nebraska.  The thing about that ditch is that it actually irrigates more land in Nebraska than Colorado.  However, because the diversion is inside Colorado and it does diminish the actual river flow at the state line, Colorado was deemed to be in non-compliance with the agreement & the Colorado users of the ditch water had to stop using it.

The main argument Nebraska has - at least for the panhandle is with Wyoming & the North Platte River.  There are two canals supplied by the No Platte - one North of the river & the other South.  A good friend sold his ranch outside Steamboat about 10 years ago & bought a ranch about twice as big North of Scottsbluff (in Sioux County).  He is right on the Northern canal & has a full section of corn under a pivot irrigation system.  He also has many acres of both grass & alfalfa hay which are flood irrigated.

There is also some concern with the South Platte - which flows from the central CO mountains, through Denver and then NE out of Colorado at the NE corner of the state (near Sterling).  After the two branches meet to form the Platte River (the main tributary to the Missouri), there are several National Wildlife Refuges along the river.  These refuges are to protect migratory waterfowl.  It is now the Feds seeking to augment Platte River flows to protect the wetlands in Central Nebraska (on the route of the Central Flyway).  In order for them to get more water, they will have to buy water rights from farms & ranches clear back to the headwaters of both the NO & SO Platte.  Going to be very expensive.

On the South Platte, East of Greeley, many wells that had been punched over the last 25 years or so were shut down a couple years ago.  They claimed the deep wells were diminishing the flow of the South Platte.  The geology of the area is not that well understood and you can find equal numbers of geologists who back either side.  The area in question is the far western reaches of the Ogalala Aquifer - thought to be one of the largest supplies of fresh water in the US.  It reaches from Northern Texas up into the Dakotas, through Eastern Colorado & Wyoming, and East through most of Oklahoma, Kansas & Nebraska.  There's lots of water there - even after all the circle pivot (well) irrigation.  Levels have dropped and wells are deeper, but that's only in some areas.  At my friend's place near Scottsbluff, after the irrigating stops in late summer, a low section of road near his house becomes a mud bog until the following irrigation season.  That part of the aquifer is getting a full recharge every year - even in drought years.

Sorry to be boring to some, but I find this stuff fascinating.   ;D

H₂O

[Rick G]

Your welcome to the champion plugs ! I wouldn't put those things in my lawn mower!

You have lawns in AZ? ;D :o ;D

Not many, at least around here. I have one , because the weeds are so tough they take far too much line on the weed eater. Its an old hack from the thrift store ($5.00  that I removed all the safety crap from to get it running  (sound familiar?)
There are only maybe 2 lawns on our street, but Phoenix is all grass. I'm not in favour of lawns in desert areas, just rocks and cactus.

[Brian Moffet]

the Republican River

They have their own River!!!!  Geez.

[don_vanecek]

Well; gang, I am here in Minneapolis and the Vision ran perfect all the way up here.  Yesterday I was on my own for a few hours while my kid worked and only wasted about an hour getting lost.  I went to a real neat model railroad museum yesterday. It is in O gauge and built from scratch, the guy manning the place that day said it would most likely cost well over a million dollars to rebuild the set up today.

Some rain in the area today but we don't think it will get us (its all north) so we are off shortly to a festival of some sort on the Vision and one of his roommats 250 cc scooter. Bye.

[Rick G]

Don you brought back a few memories, I have visited that O scale display many, many times!
Its located in an old RR shop building , the rails are still in the floor.