Missing the Experience

[Anonymous]

After Retireing from the Navy, 1992, I settled into my old farm house and worked on my 1974 Camaro. considering we live on a gravel/dirt road it is never clean. I never gave a thought to getting another bike till after I was hurt at work and had surgery and have now lost the feeling in both my feet and legs. Now the Dr's keep sending me to Physical therapy every 6 months. IT took me 3 1/2 years to get 100% Socoial Security Disability so Although we were literally on paperwork foreclosed upon my SSDI check came through and we saved the house and 10 acres. Now, I can't afford a bike and I need one. I have a 1974 Camaro Type LT worth an estimated $7,800.00, and can't drive it...In fact I can't even trade straight across for my buddies wifes Brand new Harley because I can't set up for any length of time without major lower back pain. I did go set on a GSX600R...and it felt great, then I borrowed a buddies Kawasaki Ninja 500R and it was awesome to be free and feel the road under me once again. I ended up riding for about 20 minutes and I was only supposed to go to the end of town and back, so my buddy was very concerned...but pulling the helmet off said more than words could have at that point. So I,m looking for a decent bike to go to appointments with and to use for alternative transportation. I had a 1982-3 Suzuki GS450S brand new in R.I when I was stationed there and I went everywhere on it from canada to NYCity even. Weekend trips were very common for a couple of the group. With custom work from a racing mechanic (raced at Louden), I was told to get Kerker headers, and he tricked out my motor and carbs. The bike would hit redline in 6th gear...ALthough I very seldom ever hit redline I rode all over the east coast. Now I'm on a fixed income, have a car that I can't drive and NEED a bike...and it has to be a sport bike because of my posture. Leaning over the tank is a must. My Camaro, is worth every penny that I am requesting ($7,800.00) as it is not completely stock. It is built for the road, not drag racing, but more for Autocross, or just cruising across the old US HIGHWAYS and enjoying the speeping turns and such. Please call if you need a great car, and have a bike that could work for me. I need the extra money to pay bills with, as during the SSDI decision I had to sell everything just to provide for my family...
Lindsey J. Angell
Gardner, KS. (south of KC Kansas 35 miles)

[Hoomgar]

Good luck with your hunt.
How about posting some pics of your car so we can see it

I hope you heal up!

It's good that you can at least ride.

[Anonymous]

DIGITAL CAMERA

I'll have to check around for a digital camera...I'm so broke..it's hard to pay attention!

[Anonymous]

Take pictures of the car, put it on Ebay and set a minimum for it. You should be able to get pretty close if it is a good as you say it is. As for a motorcycle, man make sure you understand the risks. You already have a very bad back, get pegged on it could mean you never move again. But if you insist, often there are a great selection of bikes on Ebay, check motorcycle dealerships for recent trade-ins and if there is a Cycle Trader publication in your neighborhood, they often have some good solid leads. You should easily be able to pick up a used sportbike for half of what you want for the Camaro.

[Anonymous]

BAD BACK

With 3 vertabrea messed up, lamenectomy and hemi-lemenectomy, and now the scar tissue growing back, I'm going to lose complete feelig in them anyway...right now I can still do some walking...have ghost legs and feet, but they get me around, only problem is the back pain. Dr and therapists agree that the bike (sport bike-leaning over) will increase/prolong my feeling through Physical Therapy. I get pretty upset staying at home most of the time, and trouble shooting bikes is at least something that I can enjoy and stay current with. IF I can only find the money now ($1,400.00), I have a 2002 Ninja 250R setting at OZ Cycle Salvage (PLUG) 785-242-0600, and Brad Peterson is a great guy to work with. I have stripped a couple of bikes to get all the pieces in one crate. They have rows and rows of tanks, fenders, sideplates, headlights and seats... all on shelves, then they have a couple of buildings and a couple of yards of bikes... My back is toast whether or not I use it...Therapy is better than just going to the DR and having him fill out a perscription an dgoing to the hospital to toss medicine balls at a net and walk on a treadmill...I'd much rather find the money somewhere, to ride. I'm going to end up in a wheel chair...but I may be able to prolong that a very long time (or shorten it) by riding. I have about 20 years of riding on my 30 year "M" endorsement. I could trade my car right now for a Harley all cusotmized from a buddy (his wifes), but the bike is to heavy and I can't set over far enough (It's to much weight on my lower back)...anyway, I haven't given up. As depressed as I am, and frustrated, I still have HOPE. Karen, my wife, is losing her only and defective kidney in six months, and for a period of three to six weeks she will be on dialysis every other day...before the donor kidney is installed...so things could be worse for me. The www.thegsresources.com/_forum and the Kawasaki Forum (Beartooth Kawasaki.com) is my outside world right now. Sure I'm on the Gardner Historical Board of Directors, the Local chapters of the VFW and America Legion, Masonic Lodge, but I'm only active on/in the Board of Directors at the Museum. I spend much of my time researching, advantages for motorcycles, and relaying them to www.studebakermotorcompany.com in hope that someday that an AMERICAN built 250 Class motorcycle will be built that will better the Apirila and Kawasaki. That I may have to do from the sidelines, but I want to see it before... I'm seriously rambling...sorry

[Anonymous]

No problem about the rambling, none of us here are perfect either. I shouldn't be riding either with the number of medical problems I have but I love it and if you can't do what you love then what is life for? Feel free to rant here or the General forum anytime. There are a lot of ears who don't mind bending.

[Anonymous]

Miss the road

Having a bad back, the bike would be perfect Physical therapy...I'm also being treated for PTSD and Severe Depression...BUT My councilors agree that I'm dangerous to myself or others, so they want me into group activities and even both of them and my Dr agree that a bike would be perfect for the depression. I SERIOUSLY MISS riding. I know that this isn't my own sounding board and I'm doing the ECHO thing...Thanks for allowing me to ramble...I'll knock it off...for a while and concentrate on FORUM stuff...

[Jay B]

Something you may want to consider is a trike. You dont have to hold the darned thing up as it supports its own weight. You could get someone to modify the seat so you could still have the forward leaning seating that you need. I know that you are having money problems but I bet theres a way to work it out. You didn't spent 20 years in the Navy and not be able to work things out.

Also check Cruiser Magazines and Roadbike Magazines web site. I recently read in one of them where a Vet (minus both legs) triked a Busa. If I can find the mag I'll post the article. Again I know money is tight but maybe you can get some ideas on how to do a low buck modification.

[Anonymous]

TRIKE

Thanks! I have a serious stack of magazines: American Iron, Hot Bike, Cycle World's Power & Performance...and I'm fortunate enough to have several hot bike custom shops in the area. I live 2 miles from a salvage yard (OZ Cycle Salvage, Ottawa, KS) so I haven't given up. I'm still able to walk, although I decided to walk home (5 miles) during a cool spell last fall, it was about as far as I could walk. The last .6 mile seemed to take forever and I was drenched in sweat. Absloutely numb from the waist down. Balance seems great though. I'm trying to hang onto the house and 10 acres here in Kansas for another 2 years to buils some equity and get the step-son through his Junior College, then I want to move to someplace like Sierra Vista, AZ. Just north of there and slightly east of Phoenix is some serious secondary roads and some old US highways...that I'd like to know every inch of. Living should be cheaper and we won't be paying taxes for a house and 10 acres and trying to mow 4 acres and all of that... I 'll be able to take Senior Classes at the Junior College and only pay for consumables, so Welding is on top of my list..TIG/MIG second...so that I can make something WORK if I need to. Training wheels???/Side car??? Meanwhile, we have several trikes in town too. IF I can start pulling bikes out of hte Salvage yard and getting from Salvage Title to my own Kansas Titile and sell them then I'll have some funds built up for a serious road bike. Right now, I'm working on tring to get my first one out of salvage. Tough at this point. I'm on SSDI and even with my Navy Retirement it doesn't quite cover ALL the bills. My wife, Karen has only one kidney and it is diseased functioning at 13%, so she's on some serious meds for the next 6 months and then they will remove the bad (only) kidney she has and do dialysis every other day for 3-6 weeks then slip in a donor kidney, and hope for the best. I'm excited about building a nice performance bike out of a Kawasaki Ninja 250, maybe several of them, they seem to be very plentiful...anyway changing the gearing, doing some carb work, and changing exhaust systems, doing the paint...Doing it right for each bike...building a reputation...and making up some money to play with...yeah, I may end up with a trike, nothing wrong with that, I've seen some great designs, including a Tadpole two front one rear, almost a racer...then we have the Corbin trikes...the old chopper Trikes, none of which to sneeze at. IF you find something to pass along, I'd appreciate it. I read everything that Borders Bookstore has to offer each month and I even purchase several magazines just to not feel guilty about reading everything that they have. I hope to met you on the road or to see you in a BIke show sometime...on the quiet side of things...I've been researching and chatting with the President of www.studebakermotorcompany.com in Texas, about designs and changes things that will work and or work better, mostly motor related, dry film lubricants, thermal barrier applications, treated piston an dcylinder walls, oils, greases, Metals and chemicals, titanium valves, treated springs, EFI, ECU's, suspension, belt drive (although the hottest thing may be the new hydraulic drive system)...
Right now I'd settle for a running 250Ninja, just to have some transportation and get away from the house...

[Anonymous]

the trike idea is an excellent one and im sure that you could get one of the custom trike companies to help give you some ideas on what you would need to build one out of any sport bike you choose.

[Anonymous]

Undersood

I'm sure that things will eventually work out...it's just that now things are all out of sorts. Suspension is all air now, making things easy...I just read about a couple of guys in the hydraulics business driving the rear wheel thus eliminating all the rotational masses, and I guess a lot of heat. I'm getting to old (just turned 51) for all the high speed nonsense, but I'm still into precision driving. Getting my 250NINJA out of the graveyard and onto the road will help me, in many ways. I still like the driveshafts of the Suzuki Motorcycles. I've never in my short lifespan ever heard of one going bad on its own. Since I have access to OZ Cycle Slvage in Ottawa, KS to roam all the salvage yard there I've found several projects that I'd like to work on. I think that I need to get a Welding class MIG/TIG class or two out of the way and then I can start working seriously on my project. Bets thing about it is that I could have the class assist IF I pay for the materials...most of the people taking the courses are just taking them for fun, some for company upgrades...but still...it all works to my advantage... Thanks, for the email... I'm down right now, but not for the count!

[lhanscom]

[Anonymous]

AWESOME TRIKE

Yeah, that IS a trike! I think that I could be seriously happy on something like that...only, I'm thinking of changing my name to "pothole". We just managed to arrange things from Foreclosure on the house, but may still have to file bankruptcy to keep above sinking financially any further. My medications for Depression have been increased...seems that the Dr. and councilors all agree that a bike would be great for me..just the medical insurance wouldn't pay for one (darn). My 1974 Camaro LT is for sale appraised at $8,200.00...but I've spent way more than that, I'm taking the first $7,800.00 that is solid. Karen, my wife, is set for a tentative kidney operation in September to remove her last kidney. Then from 3-6, maybe 8 weeks dialysis every other day till they put in a kidney, then we'll see about things as they progress. Sometime in this area of time they will also work on a heart problem...So, I have a further reason to be depressed, and worry about things... I found a Kawasaki 250 in the salvage yard for $1,600 and have $200 on it, but I'm probably going to lose it too, now that things are down to real "Change" from month to month. I SUPPOSE that as time continues that I will only become further excited by motorcycles and their changes. The GSX600R, and I guess the only 750, the GSX750R have swapped over to Titanium valves and have improved their motors all the way...Fuel injection continues to improve, brakes, suspension, tires, even the ECU resolution (speed) has increased...It's all very interesting, and I enjoy it...only I'm Still "Missing the Experience." Missing the Experience of riding...I know that there are no Magic Trees of Money out here on the farm, but I can't even get to-from places with out one. Karen is using our van, and she has to, to get to her appointments and do what little work that there is to do at the Law office, for her boss. IF you live in this area, somewhere near Gardner, Kansas and you have to many bike to ride at once, and you could use some help cleaning and riding them all, then PLEASE give me a call. I'd love to ride, and I'm detail oriented to go through a machine and tell you anything that I find that needs replaced, cleaned or repaired. I would love to ride with you and help you to clean your bikes. I'm 51, have had an "M" endorsement for over 30 years, and have ridden most everything that you could imagine ( I was part of the MSF riding Instructors and facilitators in the Military.) Meanwhile, back at the ranch, should you find a sportbike that someone wants hauled away, because they're tired of it collecting dust an dit would take to much money to replace all of the stuff on it...I'm right here on line...