Thunder Beach

  • Thread starter wfooshee
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wfooshee

Rather ride my FJR
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United States
Panama City, FL
Well, my ears hurt are still ringing.

Twice a year we have a motorcycle rally here in Panama City Beach, and thousands of "loud-pipes-save-lives" cruiser guys trailer their bikes here to see and be seen.

OK, not all of them trailer, but probably a quarter of them do!

While not the world's most avid fan of H-D style bikes*, the gathering is fun, the venues have lots of vendors doing lots of things, there are stunt shows, rock bands, food, and my favorite part, bikespotting in the parking areas.

* To me, spending the money it takes to put one's self on a Harley is like taking Corvette money down to the Army surplus store and getting a 40-year-old one-and-a-half-ton truck. It won't go, it won't turn, it won't stop. But it's noisy!

Anyway, on with the pics.

All the pics can be clicked to open a window with a 1024x768 version, if interested.

I got my jacket (damaged in this crash) repaired at one of the sewing vendors, stitched the seam above the elbow pad back together and sewed an 8-ball patch over the tear on the back of the wrist. How cool is that? :rolleyes: (OK, so "cool" may not be exactly the right word, but it was 20 bucks all told, and good to go!)

Before:
DSC_0003.jpg


After:



A choppered VMax getting a custom cover for the seat.




Kwak's '80s era version of the Goldwing, the Voyager XII.




What can be done with more dollars than sense, V8 power, automotive drivetrain and rear end.




Just a chopper, but had something I'd not seen before: used the sprocket as the rear brake rotor.
(Closeup of rear is out of focus, sorry. I'm so stupid. . . .)






Some bikes in the "contest." First, if you want that color, just get a Ninja!




But this one apparently didn't like the green. Thunderbirds, baby!




Painted V-Rod.




Old bikes! (The reflection of self in the second one was intentional. But not naked.)






Another dollars vs. sense item. The front cowl just makes the whole thing work.






Spotted aroung the parking areas:

1098!!!!




Saw 5 of these over the weekend, none on fire.
(A reference to final-drive failures experienced by some long-distance riders on recent BMWs.)




Triumph Daytona Triple.




First one of these I've seen in person with the swoopy top case.






A pair of triples.




And another Triumph. Monster motor that this is (2.3 liters!!), I was surprised at how small the actual bike is!






One of many bikes parked at a place selling these stands.




Way cool fringe!! If you like gay-ass fringe stuff.
(Oops!! Did I say that out loud?)




Not afraid to mix it up with the big boys!

 
Well, my ears hurt are still ringing.


Just a chopper, but had something I'd not seen before: used the sprocket as the rear brake rotor.
(Closeup of rear is out of focus, sorry. I'm so stupid. . . .)




They call them sprotors (sprocket/rotor) Pretty common for the HD guys. Really cool idea.
 
Hmmmm. I wonder what a little chain oil does to the braking performance?

So, think this through with me: Cruiser guys (the ones that tell you the weight of a helmet will break your neck) don't like the front brake ('cause they don't know how to brake in the first place - if you stop your bike while leaned, yer gonna fall!) and you get oil on the rear brake. No wonder they won't go faster than 10 under the limit anywhere they go!

OK, I'm maybe generalizing just a tiny bit. Maybe.
 
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