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Whilst I agree with much that has been written, before all you guys get your hopes up that things are all that different in the land of Oz, let me just set the record straight;
Kevin Rudd or Krudd, as he is well enough known, is a typical politician! He is good at delivering lot's of "Spin" and popular vote winning "Rhetoric" but is lacking in any substance. Sadly he is a "Gunna" always shoots with his mouth but lack
Hello from Africa, Vancouver and Iceland.
I work in Africa, live in Vancouver but born and raised in Iceland. I have to admit I don’t have any nickname but because my name is Gunnsteinn Jónsson I really should get one. People have a very hard time pronouncing my name, so every time someone calls out a word that starts with a G, I always answer in case they might be talking to me.
Many of the stories I have read here are very interesting. After reading how many of you got your
Hung Chow calls his work and says, 'Hey, I no come wok
today, I really sick . Got headache, stomach ache and legs
hurt, I no come wok.'
These are three of about a hundred bikes in total ... (the middle one is my Magna prior to some of the customization on it) ... during the staging proceeding the participation in the Breast Cancer Awareness Poker Run sponsored by the local Tallahassee Chrome Divas. Notice that the "trike" parked next to my Magna is not a "trike" at all. It's set up with the Voyager Outrigger System that allows a normal bike to be converted to a "trike" in about five minutes. Using this system, one can haul a small trailer behind the bike, and when you get to where you're going, "poof!" five minutes later you can pull off the outrigger and have a normal bike again. The gentleman standing there had broken his back, and using the "trike" system, he was sill able to ride and be a part of the biker community. If you look closely, you can see that the rear end of the system consists of he regular bike rear wheel and two "outrigger" wheels ... so there's a total of four wheels on the road.

Happiness is over, cant ride my bike anymore. Passing summer was super and 10.000 miles on gauge, its more than i never have rided during the past summers. Now i have time to customize my new VN2000 with some lovely chrome parts from CC, there`s few orders in and the first delivery came here today.
I cant stand this darkness during this time of the year, its so cold and when leaving the work its dark and coming to work its dark again. We had snow allready few inches, but it all melted after two weeks showers.
Something must be done and fortunately i have bowling, which is my number one hobby on winter time. I started that hobby the same time than my riding in 2004. My scoring averige is 192 and have told to everyone when reaching M-level (highest ranking) i stop the whole thing. My age maybe is obstacle to that dream, but people must have dreams to gain success, no matter what it is.
I will introduce my bike to you after attaching the new parts on it.
All the best to all of you and safe rides
-Olli-
Had a pretty rough day..... a great friend of mine that i went to church with and always had a happy face was Killed on his 6 Month old Royal Star yesterday. He was recently back into the two wheel scene and was loving, he road everyday. A person ran a red light and he never saw it coming. I am not going to get down completely because i know he is with Jesus tonight and i will take a ride for him tomorrow..... Lot of Love for him and his family...... Just thank God everyday for the joys we have here on earth and the freedoms we have and feel when we are on two wheels.
Jake
Day 3: Road Trip - Albury to Canberra
We woke to a beautiful day, 32c degrees. Headed out from Albury, across the Hume Weir across a huge girder bridge. Absolutely awesome road along the Murray River (pic on right of page) to Jingellic, where we crossed back over the border into NSW.
Then headed from Jingellic up to Tumbarumba, all bitchumen with big sweeping curves which Dim really loved. Except for one spot where we came around a corner and had a 5 foot long Red Belly Black Snake sunning itself in the middle of the road!! Adam went to the right of it (on the wrong side of the road), it lifted it's head to look, and Dim passed it on the left side, right in front of it's raised head. (No pics of the snake, didn't really want a closer look!!)
Got to Tumbarumba and checked out their Information Centre / Museum which had a lot of information on a famous 1930's plane crash called the Southern Cloud. From there another fun ride up through Batlow to Tumut where we had lunch, beautiful food from a run down looking little milkbar.
We asked some rangers about different roads through to Yass, one road we'd been told about was very rutted and dirt and wasn't advised even for 4WD vehicles. So they sent us on a back road from Tumut through Brungle, then to Gundagai which was a really good ride! It was on this strip of road, that Adam spotted a massive Goanna on the side of the road... (He must have scared him off cos he was gone by the time I passed by).
Pulled in to Gundagai and took some photos with the Dog on the Tuckerbox (pic right of screen). Got back onto the boring Hume Highway and droned on to Canberra. So boring Dim's average speed crept up to 120km p/hr to avoid falling asleep. (Will that defence work with the cops?) 
Booked into a nice Country Club in Canberra who were very good by letting us park the bikes under cover
and even gave us sponges & a bucket to give them a wash the next day.
Day 4: Road Trip - Canberra
This is where Adam ran into some trouble, his bike refused to start after the wash.
He'd had a regulator / rectifier replaced just before we left and this had died again. One in a
million chance, faulty part failed. We searched out a local Yamaha Dealer (Canberra Motorcycle Centre, Mitchell). They checked out the bike and confirmed it was the regulator again. They ordered the part in after our local Yamaha guys from home (City West Yamaha) faxed up the paperwork to do a parts claim through Yamaha and we went off to do our sight seeing at the Canberra War Memorial and Parliament House.
Cruising around Parliament House we were approached by a security officer on a bicycle, and we were expecting to be told off for going in so close, but he just suggested a good spot for taking pictures. Then we cruised to the War Memorial down Memorial Drive, which is a long stretch of road between the two buildings and
the middle of the road is divided by red gravel and on the sides of the road are monuments the whole way down, which represent each of the wars Australia has been a part of. All the while expecting Adam's bike to die at any minute, because it wasn't charging.
The Australian War Memorial is well worth a visit. A huge place and very interesting. Adam loved it and could have stayed there overnight looking around. Some amazing interactive video, light and sound displays and the most amazing exhibit of the Japanese Mini Sub which was sunk in Sydney Harbour.
Took the bikes back to the country club and did a 'once over' on the bikes before Adam's bike goes in for work & hopefully we can leave town!
Stay tuned for the next episode... will Adam's bike ever be fixed or is he stranded in Canberra while Dim galavants off into the sunset? LOL
Dim & Adam
Sunday 1 November 2009
Day 1: Road Trip - Werribee to Albury
Our bags pre-packed from the night before, we strapped them onto the bikes in the morning and headed off to fuel up on day one of our riding adventure. 
We're ready!!
We headed off towards Hurstbridge on a typical Melbourne spring morning - lovely drizzling misty rain which started just as we got on the bikes! Stuck on the freeway until we got out of Hursbridge, where the road started to improve. But as we headed up to Kinglake, we rode into a massive fog bank so thick that it engulfed us and you couldn't see the bike in front of you. We crawled up the hill averaging 15-20km the whole way. It was very spooky with blackened trees looming through the fog like burned match sticks standing on either side of the road.
Scariest ride I've ever had (at this stage of the trip), with hairpin bends and steep cliffs dropping away on one
side of the road, the road was barely two lanes wide and because of the fires there earlier this year, there were no armco or marker posts showing the edge of the road.
Stopped at Kinglake for breakfast (or really to change underpants), and met some other riders out front and had a chat.
As we headed out of Kinglake, through Kinglake West and towards Flowerdale, the fog got thicker and thicker. As we passed through Flowerdale, the weather changed. All of a sudden we were looking into massive sunshine and incredibly hot weather! The ride through to Yea was beautiful fast flowing roads and let us make up some time from our slow trip up the hill earlier.
Stopped in Yea for lunch and caught up with Adam's (aka "Rent-A-Hubby's") parents (pic right), then headed up the Maroondah Highway through Merton & Eildon. Crossed over Lake Eildon, but it's almost nonexistent (no water to be seen), then on to Mansfield. Found a brilliant road from Mansfield through Tolmie to Whitfield. That put a smile on the dial. Up and down the mountain, very twisty & enjoyable riding. Dozens of "high risk area for motorcycles" signs to put the fear into you. But we did good.
Continued on through King Valley to Wangaratta (pic of King Valley on left). Stopped for drink and to check out a local street festival, and within 5 minutes of being there, the heavens opened, a massive heavy thunderstorm downpour hit us and drenched everything. Talk about 4 seasons in one day! After this weather, not much could surprise us now.
Found another brilliant riding road, hilly and twisty, through Beechworth and then on to Albury where we stayed for the night (actually two nights).
After breakfast we cruised out to the Ettamogah Pub (Table Top, NSW). It was a nice, warm 32c day. Didn't realise we were there so early, and nothing was open yet, so we got to look around outside the place with no distractions. The Ettamogah Pub is based on an Aussie cartoon strip, by Aussie artist Ken Maynard. It's basically the comic come to life, with lots of Aussie outback humour.
After enjoying a drink at the pub (when it finally opened), we headed back to Albury and found a nice park on the banks of the Murray River and relaxed on the grass in the shade of a Coolabah tree. (singing...)Then down came a Jumbuck to drink at the Billabong... (oh wait, that's another story)
Well Adam relaxed, because I was being stalked by a pack of vicious killer ducks. One of which was faking a limp to try and get close to me with sympathy. It didn't work! (My fear of ducks is a LOONNNGGG story!!!)
Had a late lunch in Albury at The Burger Bar (on Dean Street) and the burgers were great, highly recommended (and the best crunchy beer battered chips we've had anywhere). Took a walk around Albury after lunch and explored the Albury Art Gallery (quite interesting & it was free).
Stay tuned for the next episode in our travels... Will Dimitra make it down the mountain to the Janolan Caves? Only one way to find out... LOL
Dim & Adam
2004 Honda Indian Scout 745 ......; The Indian Scout Motorcycle was born in 1920 and was the brainchild of Charles B. Franklin. In 1927 the Indian Scout Motorcycle, initially with a 596 cc (37ci) engine was bored out to 745 cc (45ci), and was Indian's most important model. The 1928 Scout 101 was and is regarded as Indian's best handling if not best-ever motorcycle. The Scout 101 won many races and it and the later Sport Scout which came out in 1934 and Standard Scout in 1936, were often hopped up for racing and street-fighting. Models of 1934 featured Indian's famous head-dress logo on the gas tank. Indian's huge Springfield, Mass. factory was known as the Wigwam, and native American imagery was much used in advertising. The Indian Scout went out of production after 1945. Ironically, Soichiro Honda rode a 101 Scout for a number of years and it inspired him to build motorcycles. The theme for this Honda Motorcycle is (Honda Indian Scout 745) it has a 745cc (45ci) 52 degree V-twin motor with, 3-valves and 2-plugs per jug, a single pin crank, single 1.34in. carb, two into one headers. The part's put on this Honda motorcycle follow the Scout theme, and are as follows / Indian head-dress, Scout and 745 logo decals / 5-coats of clear paint / Mustang studded seat / River Road T-bag / Custom made 6in. air intake with Spectre air filter and chrome top / Accel 8.8mm plug wires / muffler punched and drilled 7/8in. / Nelson Muffler Corp. plate on muffler / air injection on exhaust removed / custom tag bracket with LED light / custom chrome left engine cover / custom copy of a 1949 Indian speedometer / red neoprene vacuum hose / 5in. Retro mirrors / chrome Vintage horn cover / custom stubby passenger pegs / Indian points cover / chrome master cylinder cover / 45-70 Govt cartridge on chrome fuel shut off switch / Oversize Dunlop tires / Dark Candy Red is Honda's name for the bike's color, but it is very close to the Vermilion that would later be known as Indian Red. The Bikes nickname is Indian Joe !!!!!!!
2004 Honda Indian Scout 745 ......; The Indian Scout Motorcycle was born in 1920 and was the brainchild of Charles B. Franklin. In 1927 the Indian Scout Motorcycle, initially with a 596 cc (37ci) engine was bored out to 745 cc (45ci), and was Indian's most important model. The 1928 Scout 101 was and is regarded as Indian's best handling if not best-ever motorcycle. The Scout 101 won many races and it and the later Sport Scout which came out in 1934 and Standard Scout in 1936, were often hopped up for racing and street-fighting. Models of 1934 featured Indian's famous head-dress logo on the gas tank. Indian's huge Springfield, Mass. factory was known as the Wigwam, and native American imagery was much used in advertising. The Indian Scout went out of production after 1945. Ironically, Soichiro Honda rode a 101 Scout for a number of years and it inspired him to build motorcycles. The theme for this Honda Motorcycle is (Honda Indian Scout 745) it has a 745cc (45ci) 52 degree V-twin motor with, 3-valves and 2-plugs per jug, a single pin crank, single 1.34in. carb, two into one headers. The part's put on this Honda motorcycle follow the Scout theme, and are as follows / Indian head-dress, Scout and 745 logo decals / 5-coats of clear paint / Mustang studded seat / River Road T-bag / Custom made 6in. air intake with Spectre air filter and chrome top / Accel 8.8mm plug wires / muffler punched and drilled 7/8in. / Nelson Muffler Corp. plate on muffler / air injection on exhaust removed / custom tag bracket with LED light / custom chrome left engine cover / custom copy of a 1949 Indian speedometer / red neoprene vacuum hose / 5in. Retro mirrors / chrome Vintage horn cover / custom stubby passenger pegs / Indian points cover / chrome master cylinder cover / 45-70 Govt cartridge on chrome fuel shut off switch / Oversize Dunlop tires / Dark Candy Red is Honda's name for the bike's color, but it is very close to the Vermilion that would later be known as Indian Red. The Bikes nickname is Indian Joe !!!!!!!
In 1972, Exxon was unveiled as the new, unified brand name for all former Enco and Esso outlets. At the same time, the company changed its corporate name from Standard Oil of New Jersey to Exxon Corporation. The rebranding came after successful test-marketing of the Exxon name, under two experimental logos, in the fall and winter of 1971-72. Along with the new name, Exxon settled on a rectangular logo using red lettering and blue trim on a white background, similar to the familiar color scheme on the old Enco and Esso logos.
My older brother Jim's best friend when he was a Junior in High School was a guy named Thomas M. Thomas owned the Honda Super 90, and my brother and him would pop all over Las Vegas, (where we lived at the time), to do different errands and just run around town and be teenagers. Many times my brother would head off by himself on the small Honda, and I was TRULY envious! I was a year behind him … a sophomore in high school … and the year was 1968. At that time in Nevada, a minor could own and operate a motorcycle at 14 years of age providing the cycle was less than 100 CC. Once the kid reached 16 years of age, he could purchase any bike regardless of the size of the engine. Because the regular Honda 90 had a square tank rather than the more streamlined tank of the “Super 90”, I thought it made the bike look bigger ... and I wanted one with all of my heart. My dad was dead-set against any of us owning a motorcycle for he had almost been killed on an Indian just prior to WWII. (He was in a gang at the time before he was drafted and, (more or less), he was kind of wild and crazy at the time.) He was absolutely ADAMENT that no child of his would follow in his wild ways ... and to him the way to protect us was to refuse to ever let us own motorcycles. The only argument I ever had in my life where I caused my father to cry was over that desired Honda 90 when I was in my early teens. The day I purchased my first motorcycle, I was a grown man with children of my own, and owned my own photography lab and one hour photo. My Pop was retired at that time, and “worked” at my little place of business helping customers and flirting with my female employees. I pulled up on my “new” motorcycle and proudly showed it off to my employees and my dad … but he just looked at it, quietly took his car keys from his pocket, got in his vehicle and drove away. I understood his fear and disapproval … but it still hurt. My Dad passed away about thirty years ago … my Son Christopher was killed in an auto accident in 1995 six weeks before his 19th birthday … my Mom died almost ten years ago … and my brother Jim passed away almost three years ago. I miss all of them with all my heart, and loosing most of my personal family has been the hardest thing I’ve ever had to deal with. Over the years being a “biker” has evolved from just being a “cool” thing for me to be to being a very important part of my life. I would have never believed that this “sport” could, (and did), become all consuming at times. Like Cruiser Customizing founder Uwe, for several years I didn’t even own a car at all. If it was raining, I wore a rain suit. It was freezing, I layered my clothing. (I never felt the “need” to purchase the electrically heated garments.) If it was storming with wind and lightning, I just “hunkered down” and kept on going. I even drove through a hurricane once … a wild and crazy ride to be sure! As I’ve grown older, I’ve hopefully matured a little, and now at least own a sweet 2005 Trail Blazer that I bought brand new out-of-the-box with all the buzzers and bells. I enjoy my car, and find myself driving it more and more as my health continues to deteriorate … but my first and greatest love and choice for transportation will always be motorcycles. As I was riding through yesterday’s beautiful weather, I found myself feeling sorry for the “cage trapped” people riding along around me … for they don’t even have a clue of the constant rush of “freedom” and joy I feel every time I ride. There is so much sadness in this old world. Loved ones die and are gone forever. In a very real way, “escaping” on one of my motorbikes or the other is the one “bestest” way to keep me sane sometimes. I have a sticker on one of my brain-buckets … (stickers’ are one or two line truths that we sometimes plaster on our helmets) … and one of my favorite stickers states simply, “You will never see a motorcycle parked outside a psychiatrists’ office”. That is so true! We are coming up on the Thanksgiving holiday. Perhaps it would be a good thing to add this thing we are grateful for ... this simple little thing … to the list that we are thankful for. “Dear God, thank you so much for this sport that enables me to keep a modicum of my sanity … and to in small little way to help me deal with my life.”
I recently bought my wife a GPS since she can get lost going around the block. The first time we used it we were going to visit a co-worker of hers so I programmed it to show her how it worked. Guess what, it has a mind of it's own!! Because of where we were going had two routes and the one the GPS wanted us to take had too much traffic, I went the opposite way it told me to. That womans voice programmed into the GPS is aggravating to say the least and kept insisting I turn right, over and over. Finally when we were almost at her friends house the voice said "turn left", the house was directly on the right, I think I pissed off the GPS lady. My wife noticed the wrong direction turn and asked why did that happen so I told her the GPS was sitting upside down on the dash. Guess what, she believed me and turned it over!!! I laughed so hard I actually missed the turn and had to go around the block. I reprogrammed the voice to be a male one because my wife said she doesn't trust the female one. Lucky my wife is sexy as hell and puts up with me cause she sure can be ditzy somedays..
A GPS is obviously not made for guys, we already have a woman telling us where to go and sometimes it entails road directions. A second female voice giving directions, especially wrong ones should be deemed cruel and unusual punishment!!!
A biker late for work is captured going over a bridge by a cop with a laser on the other side. Whats your hurry asks the cop. I am late for work replies the biker. Ok so if you are in that much of a hurry you must have an important job what is it. I am a rectum stretcher says the biker. Oh says the cop what does that entail. Well says the biker i start with one finger.then to two until it is six feet wide. What do you do with a six foot wide rectum asks the cop. Ah says the biker we put it on a bridge wi