Where did you ride today?

Friend of mine and I went to Garvis Honda in Des Moines, IA for test-ride. He has BMW 1200RT and wanted to test Africa Twin, I wanted to try XR650 and NC750X. Since somebody tested AT right before we arrived to the dealership, my friend didn't get any problem to get AT. When I asked for XR, the lady at the front desk said it doesn't have battery?!?!? Then I asked for CRF250 Rally - no battery either. Then I asked for NC750 - it's not ready for test ride. Already very pissed off, asked her what $%#$$!#@ can I test then at all?!? She offered me Kawasaki Versys?!? Then, really pissed off, told her "thank you, I'm going to test ride my own bike".
And, when we are leaving the building, she told to my friend to not go to far. "To the bridge and back, because we don't want to put a lot of miles on bikes". The best way to explain the distance is to show you on the Google map. My friend asked her does she really think a bike can be tested for that distance?
I just know that I'm not going to use their service any more. For sure.
 
Nowhere! My tip-over last week that I thought I had got away with was not to be - went to hospital yesterday due to constant nagging from SWMBO and she was right! One diagnosed badly busted and newly plastered ankle later...…! Motto of the story is get it checked out if it hurts!! The problem I had was that it wasn't that sore as I have limited feeling in my left leg due to previous damage, so wasn't aware of the true situation...… Blast it! That's most of the rest of this summer out for riding......
 
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@Afan , I've known that dealership to be really hard to get along with. Mainly the sales staff are a real pain. Last bike I bought there was my wife's Metropolitan scooter back in 2004. Worked with a friend who worked on the sales staff, but he was the ONLY person I would work with there. I did test ride my CTX1300 there. 2 different CTX bikes in fact. They didn't tell me not to go far but I've always used their service department for what I didn't do myself so they kind of know me. I took each test ride about 6-7 miles including a run on the Interstate. But then I went elsewhere to buy. They are also known for offering NO discounts from MSRP on new bikes.

Their service department is good though. And their parts department is acceptable even when I have to "educate" the guy behind the desk about a part I'm looking for. I just really don't care for the sales staff.
 
rjs987 said:
@Afan , I've known that dealership to be really hard to get along with. Mainly the sales staff are a real pain. Last bike I bought there was my wife's Metropolitan scooter back in 2004. Worked with a friend who worked on the sales staff, but he was the ONLY person I would work with there. I did test ride my CTX1300 there. 2 different CTX bikes in fact. They didn't tell me not to go far but I've always used their service department for what I didn't do myself so they kind of know me. I took each test ride about 6-7 miles including a run on the Interstate. But then I went elsewhere to buy. They are also known for offering NO discounts from MSRP on new bikes.

Their service department is good though. And their parts department is acceptable even when I have to "educate" the guy behind the desk about a part I'm looking for. I just really don't care for the sales staff.
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Bob,
I use their Service too. And they are ok. Even though last time, couple months ago, when they replacing my front tire, the guy didn't balance my tire. Just mounted on the rim. I realized it later because I was there, with him, all the time, watching, and I don't remember he balanced it. Although, since replacing tire wasn't big job, he "squeezed" me in, and it was done very fast, didn't wait almost nothing. Actually, my idea was, while they replacing my tire, I'll test-ride new NC750X, as possible upgrade. But "it didn't have battery, not ready for the test-ride". The same response when I asked for the Africa Twin. I gave up and went back to the shop and watched the guy is fixing my bike. So, it wasn't first time.
From now on I'll definitely going to Cycle Clinic.
 
Haven't been on the bike since a 1K+ mile ride in June. So I dusted it off and took it to work today. 28 miles 1 way of the most uninspiring roads. Maybe a half dozen turns. LOL But at least I was on 2 wheels for a change. :thumb:
 
Black Canyon of the Gunnison, north rim is still in my top 3 rides. Crawford just isn't the same without Joe Cocker, the Mad Dog Cafe was empty.

Tom

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I rode 3/4 of the way across northern Wisconsin today. This is the first time I have visited this state - it is very nice. Not too many people, and all the people who are here are very friendly.

I can't figure out where the "America's Dairyland" slogan comes from - I have not seen a single cow on over 200 miles of riding on secondary roads. Maybe the cows are on vacation and have gone somewhere else.

Michael
 
Bikeric said:
Nowhere! My tip-over last week that I thought I had got away with was not to be - went to hospital yesterday due to constant nagging from SWMBO and she was right! One diagnosed badly busted and newly plastered ankle later...…! Motto of the story is get it checked out if it hurts!! The problem I had was that it wasn't that sore as I have limited feeling in my left leg due to previous damage, so wasn't aware of the true situation...… Blast it! That's most of the rest of this summer out for riding......
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Now that is one giant PITA.
Sorry Eric. Keep smilin.
Upt'North.
 
CYYJ said:
I rode 3/4 of the way across northern Wisconsin today. This is the first time I have visited this state - it is very nice. Not too many people, and all the people who are here are very friendly.

I can't figure out where the "America's Dairyland" slogan comes from - I have not seen a single cow on over 200 miles of riding on secondary roads. Maybe the cows are on vacation and have gone somewhere else.

Michael
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Did the coyotes eat all the cows. You be careful, they may take a liking to a manageable sized Canadian.
Upt'North.
 
I have not figured out why they call it 'dairyland', ...........................
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Years ago (around 1998) when I went through Wisconsin every restaurant we went in to served non-dairy creamers with their coffee. I remember finding that amusing as we were in a state that heavily pushed the use of dairy products.
 
I have seen some of Mr Bishops scaffolding in the past and it does not meet OSHA standards. You might say he leans a little toward anti-government?
 
Took my recently acquired ST1300 on a 125 mile shakedown ride. Rode from Brunswick to Waterville on the backroads getting used to the bike and hitting the m/c shops along the way. Bought a mesh jacket and a pair of summer gloves as I’ve been out of riding for a while and need all new gear.

The bike totally blew me away! A perfect mix of the power and handling prowess of a sport bike and the cushy comfort of a touring bike. I love the adjustable windshield, played with it all ride. Slow for traffic-down for breeze, open road riding-up for quiet. The bike haz 61K on it but you’d never know unless you looked at the odometer, it seems every bit as tight as many other bikes are when new. The whole bike just oozes quality and refinement, perfectly focused for long distance sport touring. I’m looking forward to a long and happy relationship with my new ride. Now if can just get my old body up to the task....

P.S. A shout out to Starting Line motorcycle shop in Waterville. A great selection of riding gear and parts, a busy repair shop and friendly and helpful staff. If you find yourself in the area, stop in and check them out. Highly Recommended!
 
Uncle Festive said:
I love the adjustable windshield, played with it all ride.
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Welcome to the ST club!

Adjusting the windshield while riding "at speed" is known to contribute to failure of the adjuster mechanism. There are some fiddly plastic parts that don't like to be stressed. And good luck finding replacements.
 
ibike2havefun said:
Welcome to the ST club!

Adjusting the windshield while riding "at speed" is known to contribute to failure of the adjuster mechanism. There are some fiddly plastic parts that don't like to be stressed. And good luck finding replacements.
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Thanks for the heads up! I thought I saw in passing that there are metal gears to replace the plastic ones. These are no longer available? Should the shield only be adjusted at rest or only below some maximum speed to prolong adjuster life? School me!
 
Yeah, I went off into the windshield threads to read up, what a can of worms! Looks like I’m only going to use it at low speed and I’ll be pulling the mechanism out for preventative maintenance this winter. 400 bucks for replacement, Yikes!
 
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