tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6428154721977251894.post3284987074000755041..comments2023-12-11T03:32:58.722-05:00Comments on Twisted Roads By Jack Riepe: When Biker Instincts and Reflexes Pull You Down...Jack Riepehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07531160098262862027noreply@blogger.comBlogger32125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6428154721977251894.post-53526500975542948012011-08-23T13:45:48.188-04:002011-08-23T13:45:48.188-04:00What is this windshield you speak of? The Germans ...What is this windshield you speak of? The Germans that built my bike felt it was unnecessary.MattPiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13478095197681336275noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6428154721977251894.post-24847170206216086852011-08-23T09:09:33.889-04:002011-08-23T09:09:33.889-04:00Dear Bobskoot:
As you are aware, I ride within th...Dear Bobskoot:<br /><br />As you are aware, I ride within the parameters of a certain Teutonic lifestyle. If you own a GS machine, it is perfectly acceptible to show up at breakfast or a lunch with a machine covered with bugs and dirt. But your opening line must be something like, "The mayflys were hell on the Haul Road this morning." <br /><br />Otherwise, you must show up on a motorcycle that does not have a fleck of dust on it and say, "I really have to clean this bike today... It looks like shit." I don't make the rules. I just play the game.<br /><br />Thanks for reading Twisted Roads, and for writing in. <br /><br />Fondest regards,<br />Jack/reepJack Riepehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07531160098262862027noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6428154721977251894.post-24264434174225047022011-08-23T09:04:01.022-04:002011-08-23T09:04:01.022-04:00Dear Steel Cupcake:
Minor scrapes in the paint fr...Dear Steel Cupcake:<br /><br />Minor scrapes in the paint from flying rocks, road debris, sand and that soert of stuff are perfectly acceptible an never need an explanation. But the obvious stuff, like a dent in the gas tank, or a lateral crack in the windsceen, or a huge divot in one of the sidebags, often seems to imply lack of maintenance, or worse, the absence of competence. <br /><br />In which case, the inferences are worse for the operator. I believe it is more important to spend the money and feel stupid, as to leave the imperfection, and look stupid.<br /><br />Thank you again for reeading Twisted Roads... The biker blog that tells it like I think it should be. <br /><br />Fondest regards,<br />Jack/reepJack Riepehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07531160098262862027noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6428154721977251894.post-19903625292040990562011-08-22T21:37:01.371-04:002011-08-22T21:37:01.371-04:00I have a love/hate relationship with stuff like th...I have a love/hate relationship with stuff like this. I don't want to spend the money to fix something I stupidly did. I sigh when I look at the defect and then remind myself NOT TO DO IT AGAIN!<br /><br />And I hope it becomes a talisman. If I leave this little thing I won't invite something worse to happen.<br /><br />I have a friend that fondles his Harley daily to keep every speck of dust off of it. It drives him nuts to see blemishes. And I don't want to be like that. I have too much fun laughing at him.<br /><br />Steel CupcakeBeemerGirlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15239761274177026636noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6428154721977251894.post-49529363587753303362011-08-22T14:20:10.412-04:002011-08-22T14:20:10.412-04:00Mr Jack rIEPE:
I consider scratches like a Badge ...<b>Mr Jack rIEPE:</b><br /><br />I consider scratches like a Badge of Honour. My Vstrom is like a Jeep, with caked-on dirt from last year still evident on the bodywork. I still have bugs from the Montana trip, so I am going to try your hot, wet facecloth technique this weekend on the windscreen. Once cleaned I am sure the aerodynamics will greatly enhance my speed factor, along with the subsequent weight loss factor of the missing bugs<br /><br />bob<br /><a href="http://www.wetcoastscootin.blogspot.com" rel="nofollow">Riding the Wet Coast</a>Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05258612401956399482noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6428154721977251894.post-69135838422900620702011-08-22T13:35:15.622-04:002011-08-22T13:35:15.622-04:00Dear Charlie6 (Dom):
BMW "K" bikes come...Dear Charlie6 (Dom):<br /><br />BMW "K" bikes come with everythingf. And I always parked Blue Balls, and now Fire Balls, on the centerstand if I am going to be any length of time. In this story, I simply dismounted, leaving the rig on the side-stand, as I was in hurry to go into swagger mode. <br /><br />My "K" bike was built in an era when the toolkit, the sidestand, the flashers — and a proper cooling system — was included. Of course, there will be a liquid cooling system on the "R" bike of the future.<br /><br />Thanks for reading my stuff this weekend. <br /><br />Fondest regards,<br />Jack/reepJack Riepehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07531160098262862027noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6428154721977251894.post-45145739444332500592011-08-22T13:30:01.664-04:002011-08-22T13:30:01.664-04:00Dear Nikos:
When confronted with leather-wrapped ...Dear Nikos:<br /><br />When confronted with leather-wrapped derriere-perfection, the pegs of a bike would have to be solid gold or on fire to get a second look from me. Then again, those who do not learn from history are destined to repeat it.<br /><br />Fondest regards,<br />Jack/reepJack Riepehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07531160098262862027noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6428154721977251894.post-74249032980647566622011-08-22T13:25:51.447-04:002011-08-22T13:25:51.447-04:00Dear Gary France:
I was more or less ambivalent b...Dear Gary France:<br /><br />I was more or less ambivalent bout the Parabellum "Scout" fairing on the K75 when I first got it. (I have written a number of times that the K75 is an acquired taste, even within model changes.) It came with a 16" tinted windscreen, which I decided I hated; for no particular reason. So I ordered a clear 16" replacement. <br /><br />The replacement arrived about five days later... Abnd by that time I decided I really loved the tinted one. But I have a head like a screen door, and never got around to exchanging the clear one, and so it sat in the box in the garage for three years.<br /><br />Moving stuff around in the garage, I hit the windshield with my gloved hand, and cracked it at one of the mountings. The crack is 3/16ths of an inch long. <br /><br />I can't stand it. I dream about it at night. I am going to mount the clear windscreen this week. I really preferr the tinted one, but money is tight and I might as well see what the hell "Fire Balls" looks like "in the clear." <br /><br />Someday, I hope to sit alongside you in a bar, and share a snort. Then ask me how I spent $1500.00 on a .22 cal rifle because of a scratch on the stock.<br /><br />Thanks for reading Twisted Roads, the biker blog of last resort. <br /><br />Fondest regards,<br />Jack/reepJack Riepehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07531160098262862027noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6428154721977251894.post-19046866467646743462011-08-22T13:12:59.844-04:002011-08-22T13:12:59.844-04:00Dear Camilla Jessop:
The legendary K75 that was &...Dear Camilla Jessop:<br /><br />The legendary K75 that was "Blue Balls" was named after the period in my life between "Blondie, the emotional sink-hole (1993) and "Lulu" (1995), who were about as different as the plague and saving grace. Not that I didn't have a good time then, it was just different. <br /><br />Lancaster County is one of my favorite short rides. Yet there are times when I get Intercourse confused with Paradise, depending upon the nature of the ride.<br /><br />Thank you for reading Twisted Roads, and for leaving a comment. <br /><br />Fondest regards,<br />Jack/reepJack Riepehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07531160098262862027noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6428154721977251894.post-62766062779615688152011-08-22T13:06:08.864-04:002011-08-22T13:06:08.864-04:00Dear Canajun:
In states lage enough to have commu...Dear Canajun:<br /><br />In states lage enough to have communities where the closest house is still a mile away, like in Upstate New York, and in Elk County, Pa, it is still possible to wander off into the woods and not see another person for three days. That's the kind pf place I like to fish in.<br /><br />I read a story about a guide who drove a client three hours to a stretch of river in the middle of nowhere. They crested a bluff, and found a solitary angler, the first person they saw in 20 miles. The guide said, "Damn... There's somebody here."<br /><br />That's how I feel about fishing.<br /><br />Thank's for reading my tripe today. <br /><br />Fondest regards,<br />Jack/reepJack Riepehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07531160098262862027noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6428154721977251894.post-5023615262223414382011-08-22T13:01:34.788-04:002011-08-22T13:01:34.788-04:00Dear Classic Velocity (Wayne):
I remember riding ...Dear Classic Velocity (Wayne):<br /><br />I remember riding my bicycle through Branchville, NJ, when I was 15. That was pretty. Sussex was pretty. Lake Mohawk was pretty. It still is in many regards... But the traffic. Oh my God... The traffic. <br /><br />Fondest regards,<br />Jack/reepJack Riepehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07531160098262862027noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6428154721977251894.post-31567896663679088412011-08-22T12:59:22.985-04:002011-08-22T12:59:22.985-04:00Dear BlueKat:
Do you love your windshield? I love...Dear BlueKat:<br /><br />Do you love your windshield? I love the Parabellum "Scout" fairing on my K75 and bugs on the windscreen are the number one cause of micro-scratches. Simply fill a bucket with very hot water, soak an old towl in it, and drape it over the windscreen. A good hot soak get's those evil, acid-filled bug carcasses good and loose. Sometimes you might hsve to do this two or three times. Think of it as a massage for the windshied. <br /><br />Some believe it helps to talk to the windscreen or fairing, as you gently smush the deceased vermin from the plexiglas. (I recite poetry to my bike. It especially likes "Ozymandias." I think it places me in the poem.) <br /><br />I'm sure you are quite familiar with bug removal from delicate surfaces... But your comment gave me an opening... And that's always dangerous. <br /><br />Thank you for reading Twisted Roads.<br /><br />Fondest regards,<br />Jack/reep<br />Twisted RoadsJack Riepehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07531160098262862027noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6428154721977251894.post-21451353452033932652011-08-22T03:08:29.584-04:002011-08-22T03:08:29.584-04:00If there are scratches on my windscreen, I can'...If there are scratches on my windscreen, I can't find them under all the bug gutts. Maybe it's better that I don't know. <br /><br />Nikos has a good point about the passenger foot pegs :)Bluekathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13485258388887249275noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6428154721977251894.post-39288764114049915612011-08-21T21:15:43.540-04:002011-08-21T21:15:43.540-04:00Dear Jack,
There are parts of west central and no...Dear Jack,<br /><br />There are parts of west central and north western NJ that are so nice, they should really be annexed by PA. It's only fair.....Classic Velocityhttp://www.classicvelocity.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6428154721977251894.post-82520852136644982582011-08-21T20:29:24.881-04:002011-08-21T20:29:24.881-04:00Personally I like to fish on lakes where it's ...Personally I like to fish on lakes where it's so quiet you can sometimes hear the fish laughing at you. And that's NOT 50 feet from an interstate.Canajunhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17529505799866207528noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6428154721977251894.post-29548434919402315092011-08-21T07:32:30.421-04:002011-08-21T07:32:30.421-04:00I do like name of your BMW, Mr Riepe. Is it becau...I do like name of your BMW, Mr Riepe. Is it because it was first registered in Blue Ball Pa?<br /><br />I remember Lancaster County very fondly, for we stayed in Lancaster when my Stepfather, the Count, took Mama and I on a trip to visit the nearby New Holland plant. Although she like agricultural tools, tractors weren't really Mama's interest, so she went off on her own - and got lost! We eventually found her just off the Old Philadelphia Road, in the middle of Intercourse.Camilla Jessophttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11415244967611122503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6428154721977251894.post-37350026196006672322011-08-21T06:00:30.772-04:002011-08-21T06:00:30.772-04:00I can relate to the “Because nothing aggravates th...I can relate to the “Because nothing aggravates the motorcycle purist like scratches on the gas tank or the windscreen” comment very well. Ever since buying my Road King, the ‘Leading Ladies’ new, the height of the top of the windscreen has bugged me, as it sits right on my sight line when looking at the road ahead. On all of the miles I rode across the USA last year, I wished I had changed the screen beforehand, but in order to save money, I didn’t. Right at the end of my tour, I think in Nevada, the screen developed a tiny crack when I hit a bump and as soon as I returned home to the UK, I noticed the crack every time I went within half a mile of the bike – it just glared out at me, so I changed the whole screen just for that small crack, but I did take the chance to get a lower one. <br /><br />I laughed at draining the lizard – never heard that before!Gary Francehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05163380727432573785noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6428154721977251894.post-10393105867801849452011-08-21T03:35:15.739-04:002011-08-21T03:35:15.739-04:00Jack
Take heed of the old Greek proverb:
If pass...Jack<br /><br />Take heed of the old Greek proverb:<br /><br />If passenger foot pegs down, rider is peeing behind bush<br /><br />All the best from a pseudo mental institution in Kharkiv, N whose GS has more scratches, rust ,peeling paint, dents, pointless farkles than Chris'Nikoshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03119901226987582553noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6428154721977251894.post-43532526832199296882011-08-21T00:03:21.524-04:002011-08-21T00:03:21.524-04:00Jack, did Blueballs not come with a centerstand? ...Jack, did Blueballs not come with a centerstand? Such devices are standard on R type Beemers, the epitome of Teutonic engineering and enlightened design.<br /><br />One simply dismounts, places one's trust R Bike on its center stand and there's no worries about the sidestand failing to hold it up in "iffy" terrain.<br /><br />Cheers....<br /><br />dom<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://redlegsrides.blogspot.com" rel="nofollow">Redleg's Rides</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.examiner.com/x-14097-Colorado-Motorcycle-Travel-Examiner" rel="nofollow">Colorado Motorcycle Travel Examiner</a>redlegsrideshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10927757855921321097noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6428154721977251894.post-89602295165921092182011-08-20T21:56:11.318-04:002011-08-20T21:56:11.318-04:00Dear Chuck:
I am looking forward to reading your ...Dear Chuck:<br /><br />I am looking forward to reading your account of riding through the streets of Guam on a shot-glass bike with great anticupation. You will find me a regular commenter, or heckler.<br /><br />Fondest regards,<br />Jack/reep<br />Twisted RoadsJack Riepehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07531160098262862027noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6428154721977251894.post-37122162266536344892011-08-20T19:20:10.164-04:002011-08-20T19:20:10.164-04:00Jack,
Your commitment is exceeded only by your pe...Jack,<br /><br />Your commitment is exceeded only by your perspicacity!<br /><br />I'll save you a seat . . . <br /><br />Best to you,<br /><br />DougBobDougBobhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18210511109932621536noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6428154721977251894.post-21176431418441330172011-08-20T19:18:43.402-04:002011-08-20T19:18:43.402-04:00Jack -
Your motorized appliances are growing on ...Jack - <br /><br />Your motorized appliances are growing on me. I wonder if one can be stripped down morphed into a proper street fighter. <br /><br />Off to Ebay for a study session, <br /><br />Chuck. <br />PS - did a half day tour around Guam on a shot-glass displacement bike - first installment up Sunday, with enough material to last a week.Chuck and the Pheebshttp://dangerboyandpixie.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6428154721977251894.post-57470238758637167462011-08-20T19:14:58.655-04:002011-08-20T19:14:58.655-04:00Dear DougBob:
I'd be thrilled to give it a sh...Dear DougBob:<br /><br />I'd be thrilled to give it a shot, but I am compelled to ride intomorrow, and the "Arthur" is bad enough to preclude riding in a car. <br /><br />Fondest regards<br />Jack/reepJack Riepehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07531160098262862027noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6428154721977251894.post-40765787138985257812011-08-20T19:11:16.567-04:002011-08-20T19:11:16.567-04:00Jack,
Well, alright . . . how about if I give you...Jack,<br /><br />Well, alright . . . how about if I give you half of my home fries and a sausage link?<br /><br />You drive a hard bargain!<br /><br />DougBobDougBobhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18210511109932621536noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6428154721977251894.post-2723666093720122762011-08-20T18:52:31.512-04:002011-08-20T18:52:31.512-04:00Dear Doug:
Threats and slides? Did you say someth...Dear Doug:<br /><br />Threats and slides? Did you say something about incentive?<br /><br />Fondest regards,<br />Jack/reep<br />Twisted RoadsJack Riepehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07531160098262862027noreply@blogger.com