TOPIC:

Gee's it's been -27 for over a week. Can't get enough heat into the shop so not much being done on motorcycles.
Got me thinking. Grass roots motorcycling has always been the mainstay of the hobby. As an interest it still has pretty small numbers. The vintage /classic scene is even smaller and if some creative people don't get behind it soon and change the landscape/format , once us old guys have gone , there wont be much left.

These folks have found one answer that is working for them. Put the video thru your hd tv.

www.stuff.co.nz/motoring/110463578/spiri...burt-munro-challenge

I hear ya. My 30 year old son and family are in Lloydminster and he's been talking about the cold. It was -23 here in Southern Ontario last week as well. -8 today in Bobcaygeon Ontario. I'm out of here this Friday flying down to Fort Lauderdale and catching a cruise to the Panama Canal for 11 days. I'll be bitching about the heat. Anything over 18 C is too hot for me and it's suppose to be 30+ C. I prefer 10 C and short sleeve shirts all day long. Must be a real Canadian Eh ??

Kawboy:

I'm out of here this Friday flying down to Fort Lauderdale and catching a cruise to the Panama Canal for 11 days.

I had to comment on this as it makes me go back to Panama in my memories. Good for you! I crossed the Panama Canal on a ship a couple times, and later after many years, traveled and lived around Panama for 2 months. One of my favorite countries on the list to live. Very humid! You'll sweat a lot if not used to tropics and go to places like Bocas del Toro off the Caribbean coast. The Balboa beer, named the same as their currency, is $1 at a bar or a restaurant. If nothing has changed. Don't get overcharged like tourists are!

I just have to share one of my photos and one of my best experiences in life - hanging out with the leatherback turtles in Soropot, Panama.



Cheers!,
Stan

Cool pic Stan. Thanks for sharing.Pray to God that the heat doesn't give me a heart attack. It hit 40 Cel here last summer for about 5 days and we all hid indoors. Tasmania is the place to be. Never more than 25C never less than 12 C. Purrfect !!!!!!!!

I definitely want to see some photos from you after coming back Kawboy! Jealous of your trip - in a good healthy way. I'd be doing it again if not for the Kawasaki! hahaha Well, my time will come again.

Thank you. Not to flood here with too much (and I have about 30 thousand photos) but to put you in tropical paradise mood - another one. What would be a better for sweat in tropics than having a monkey service! Well, it wasn't mine, but a local resident at a wildlife rescue around Iquitos, Peru. Very ticklish!



For the ocean - dolphins. These are actually a part of a large mural I painted back in '96 - size about 2 x 3 meters. The whole piece was about 22 x 22 meters (75 x 75 feet) with manta rays, corals etc. Not exactly my style, as I don't like realism much when doing art, but it's something I've done and right on the subject. I did it for the money



Travel is what I love. It brings me a sense of freedom.

I’ve got the shop heated to 65. No problem here!

On the “no young ones to take over”. There are a few. My son is 19. He rides a 1982 Yamaha XZ550. It was a non-runner for 10 years when he got it. He has done all the work, including ditching the problematic factory carb, casting a manifold and converting to a Weber. He goes to uni in Lubbock and the old fart at the local motorcycle shop loves him. Someone that does his own work and doesn’t have to have the latest and greatest.

He also does the wrenching on his race car when he’s in town and at the track. Along with his “hot rod” which is a Lotus with more electronics than any factory Lotus.

I blame the lack of interest in young people on the Dads. To many have gotten in the habit of either paying someone to do everything, or they do it themselves and don’t teach. I’ve always been happy to let the boy do the interesting bits while I cleaned up or fetched tools.