Last Rides

[Fatfatboy]

whatarush wrote

Nice!!!  Is that Oak Grove Church Rd just before Mill Hill?

Yes.

[oldironnow]

whatarush wrote

Fatfatboy wrote

Nice!!!  Is that Oak Grove Church Rd just before Mill Hill?

How many vehicles hit that overhang ???

[Fatfatboy]

Fortunately it’s in a rural area with not much traffic.

[oldironnow]

No riding for the last week or so.

Back into the pickup, and it's starting to grate on me already.

Ratana's tires were shit when I bought it earlier this year and continue to BE shit today, and though I just can't stomach the thought of not riding, the thought of tire failure while commuting at 3 a.m. is making my soul itchy.

A Metzeler Roadtec 01 set is on order.

One tire is on the East coast and one is in Reno.

I asked the shop to please not buy me tires that are over a year old, and the owner said she never receives tires that are over two years old.

"I send them back. They can send a call tag or whatever they want to do. But they know I won't accept them."

So two years seems to be a good point to draw the line.

[oldironnow]

The Buell had to be parked on suspicion of worn steering head bearings,
But when i pressed Ratana into service,
I fell in love with its handling and midrange.

[oldironnow]

That’s a 10-year-old Metzeler Lasertec on the front.
The rear is a 10-year-old Shinko, oversize and fairly worn…

[Fatfatboy]

Wowsers! That is a really cracked tire.
A couple cracks don't scar me but, yeah, I wouldn't ride on that one.

Motorcycle tires have become a challenge to get. Certain models aren't discontinued they are just on indefinite B.O. Another words,, "We have no idea when we will see that model again."

The problem from what I have discovered is there is a rubber shortage and it can't be completely the fault of covid and shipping bins floating in the ocean waiting for an open dock.

Pestalotiopsis is the reason. It's a fungus that is killing trees that produce natural rubber. It's already hit Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia which produce 70% of the worlds natural rubber.
This has caused tire hording by folks who when finally find the tire of choice they buy as many as they can so that they will have that tire next time around.
If you are eating up tires at a couple pair a year I get it but if your tires last a few years it doesn't make much since to put a old tire on.


     

[Mad4TheCrest]

I vaguely remember back in the early 80's predictions that natural rubber would be long gone from tires by the 21st century; we'd be riding along on long-lived buns made of carbon nanotubes or something. Don't we actually make most tire compounds from petroleum sources? I'm so confused 😬

[hacksaw]

All a bunch of crap. Tyres with cracks I won’t ride. But if the tread is good and the tire isn’t fossilized I ride them . Depends how you store your bike and how you race. Dealers make a lot of money on tyres. And disposal is a environment issue. And how you ride, of course . I just putt around and crack the throttle on straightsways. I would end up spending more time replacing tyres then riding . How many people have old tyres on their cars!?
Buell shyt.

[motogrady]

Thomas Edison had a house, it's a museum now, down in Ft. Meyers Florida when he was really into his work.

Taking the tour years ago took us thru this massive greenhouse/laboratory there.
They had this piece of rubber, about the size of a soccer ball, that you could actually
hold.  

It was the result of his efforts to find a replacement for rubber trees as a source for tire rubber.  Apparently the government was concerned, this was right after WW1, that if another War came about, we could get into a jam if we were denied access to Africa,
tire wise.

Like the light bulb filament problem, Edison tried just about every tree, bush and plant
he could find to replace the rubber tree and it's latex, as a source for rubber.

The best he came up with was the sap of the Goldenrod plant.
It grows like weeds pretty much all over here in America.
Cultivated, it would be easy to raise in a very large quantity.

Thing was/is, the best he could get out of the Goldenrod was a rubber that was very, very soft.  That soccer ball size of rubber, yeah, it felt like rubber.

But it was so soft you could peel a piece off it with your fingernail.  

[hacksaw]

edison. well thats nothing to sneeze at.

[Mad4TheCrest]

Damn - my last ride was a brief excursion ahead of the rain (and snow) in LA, on the ZRX. My Tiger and Daytona haven't been ridden in over a month. Good news is I have officially retired and will be "free" about the time I hope better weather will return and the Crest (or at least the lower roads) will be rideable.

Could be a while though based on this picture of Newcombs Ranch taken by a former employee today:

[hacksaw]

congrats on retirement.
just like edisons goldenrod, its nothing to sneeze at.

we are supposedly hit with our first real snow here in southern Ct tonite. as it exists at this moment. almost 1am. i still dont have a reason to look for my snowblower.
i do hope to get some kind of riding in this season. not sure exactly how. its suicide now around my place.

[hacksaw]

Fid is done. still writing but never to be riding.

[hacksaw]

lets just hope this wont be Last Rites.

[Fatfatboy]

Man, congratulations on the retirement Mr. Mad.
First Oldiron, then you and Hack as been for some time.
I hope to hear of some great ride trips. Let the good times roll.

[hacksaw]

retired for
16years and what did i get? a little bit older and deeper in debt....
lol. well the 16yrs is correct.
but then again, what is retirement? i became mr mom.
so another year and a half i will actually be retired.

hopefully i will get some riding in. everything i am afraid is in flux.
i am trapped in this house with home improvement projects i am just sick of.
oh well.

[oldironnow]

Mad4TheCrest wrote

Damn - my last ride was a brief excursion ahead of the rain (and snow) in LA, on the ZRX. My Tiger and Daytona haven't been ridden in over a month. Good news is I have officially retired and will be "free" about the time I hope better weather will return and the Crest (or at least the lower roads) will be rideable.

Congratulations !!!!!
I missed this news !!!!
Yay !

Some good adventures to be had !!!

[Mad4TheCrest]

oldironnow wrote

Congratulations !!!!!
I missed this news !!!!
Yay !

Some good adventures to be had !!!

As long as I don't outlive the $$$ 😉

[hacksaw]

that happens by design. health care to wipe out your estate. make you, and by that token, your family , wards of the state.