Recent content by Gary856

  1. Gary856

    Welcome BETA BARFers!

    I see. I just posted a couple of photos in the Moto Photos forum here and noticed they don't show up on barf. Forum contents here are not up to date, and new posts are not linked to barf. Questions: 1. Photos can now be directly uploaded from my desktop, right? This means we no longer need to...
  2. Gary856

    Photos of your bike on location

    Test photo 1 - uploaded from my desktop Test photo 2 - linked to Imgur
  3. Gary856

    Random thoughts on bikes and riding

    We all have random thoughts that may not warrant starting a new thread, but collectively they should be interesting to share and discuss. So, why don't all street bikes come with wide-ratio gear box with a tall top gear for freeway cruising? If a bike could cruise in 6th gear under 60 mph...
  4. Gary856

    Weird things you've seen while riding

    Heading down Mt Hamilton Rd this afternoon I caught up to 3 riders near Grant Ranch. I waited for the straight section in front of Grant Ranch to pass. Passed the last rider (a woman riding a R1200GS), no drama. The next rider (wearing a dual-sport helmet with goggles, on some kind of...
  5. Gary856

    What bike accessory do you want to buy?

    I want to get a Puig touring screen for my GS. I normally don't mind some wind and like the clean air on naked bikes, but that's just because the stock windscreens aren't that great. The least enjoyable aspect of a long day-ride is the freeway ride home at the end of the day, after dark...
  6. Gary856

    Best of Craigslist

    How come we don't already have a thread showing Craigslist finds, those screaming deals that pain you to not be able to jump on for one reason or another? Post the original link and a screen shot of what you consider an incredible deal. This clean looking 2007 Bandit with 15k mi for $2.3k...
  7. Gary856

    Craigslist ads - why not provide phone number?

    I always include my mobile number in my CL ad, but it seems many don't. Why not? You want buyers to be able to reach you easily, right? I'm looking to buy another used bike. One seller didn't provide any phone number, and I tried contacting him twice via e-mail but got no response. When using...
  8. Gary856

    Explain how much recreational riding is enough for you

    This is not about commuting to work or stores. It's about fun rides on your free time. Between work Mon-Fri and family time on Sun, I usually ride for fun on Sat. When I started riding in 2009 I couldn't get enough of it. I wanted to ride until I got hungry, cold and exhausted, up to 8-10 hrs...
  9. Gary856

    Uncomfortable riding situations

    On two wheels it’s a contant battle against gravity. Some people turn around and go home when they feel something is off; I tend to push forward because my curiority (can I make it thru) is just a bit stronger than my fear (would I drop the bike). The fear mostly comes from two unknowns – is...
  10. Gary856

    Trophies or tools?

    Last Saturday, as I took pictures of my Multistrada against two beautiful red barns in the background off Hwy 1, its kickstand sank into the soft dirt and the bike flopped over. The left handguard and the hydraulic clutch reservoir got torn off, but I was able to ride it home. I’ve managed to...
  11. Gary856

    The adventures of buying used bikes

    Checking out privately owned bikes and meeting their owners is usually interesting - hearing about their riding and bike ownership experiences, how they liked the bike and why they decided to sell, seeing where and how they live, etc. The logistics of transporting a bike home can be challenging...
  12. Gary856

    Dropped bikes

    I've heard a shop owner say, “what bike hasn’t been dropped?” My own record bears that out – out of the 14 bikes I’ve owned in 10 years, only 4 have not been dropped by me. So while it’s possible to “never drop” a bike (4 out of 14), it’s very likely. How’s your record? At 55 years old, 175...
  13. Gary856

    What’s the manliest bike you owned?

    Manliest means physically heaviest, longest and largest, like in the 800 lbs range and above. I’m curious about owning a Gold Wing or a Valkyrie-sized bike for long distance rides, but the thought of taking hairpin turns on steep roads on those beasts makes me nervous. Like, can bikes this...
  14. Gary856

    Selling high mileage bikes?

    How do you sell a bike that has over 50k mi, 70k mi, 90k mi or more? How do you price them – next to nothing? Who would buy them, and why did they buy them?
  15. Gary856

    Mishaps on the road

    Last Saturday, on the return leg from Patterson on Del Puerto Canyon Rd, my Multistrada 1200 handled badly. I stopped and found the rear tire soft and visibly sagging, probably had less than 20 psi in it. I turned around and headed back toward Patterson, about 7 miles away. I rode at around...
Top