1st Post: Bertha's New Boyfriend

[rickbnsa]

Hi folks,

I'm Rick, the fellow who bought Doug's LT "Bertha" earlier this week. Would've posted sooner but the grin has made seeing the monitor kind of difficult.

I'm still gathering up info lurking here and reading the pile of great info Doug passed on to me. His reason for naming this bike Bertha is appropriate I realized when I saw the wide butt wedged in behind the Sporty in the garage.

Left riding for several years after getting stationed in San Antonio in '93. Caught the fever and started w/ an '01 883 Sportster in '03 and discovered we live in one of the greatest places for riding.

It seems I went right across the spectrum in getting this bike, Riding the Sporty w/ ma's little rebel hung on the back might get close to matching the weight. Then, there's the height...whew, what a difference.

Sounds like I'm finding problems here, not a bit. I had read all day about the tippy nature of the LT when we went to pick it up the other night, so Doug's comment about "timid" was an understatement! LOL. After realizing that nothing I did was going to make the windshield move when I turned and finding the left turn signal was real close to a very loud horn button, I started doing much better. The last "dumb" thing I did was think I needed my seatbelt on as I got in the interstate, it felt so much like a car coming from the other bike.

By the time we got her home, I was confidently able to do quick, full, no feet stops and manage to ride slowly. And, I also realized that if going slow was a problem, there's a very fast remedy in the throttle. Man-o-man! What a difference! And the handling.

Finally, Doug speaks highly of everyone here I hope to meet you guys around pretty soon. I'm the cable guy and work Wed-Sat so my riding time is usually Mon-Tues when the roads are pretty empty. I think that nice ride to Luckenbach just got to be a couple of hundred miles too short for a day ride.

And that Hogwylde character...well, he's a hoot. You Texas folk want a laugh on one of our really cold days? Just ask him about the weather in Mass.

rickbnsa
Honestly, I am going to miss the sporty though.

[Dick]

Howdy, Rick - welcome to the menagerie. Glad to have ya aboard and on Bertha. She's a sweetie, and I know personally that Doug took real good care of her while she lived over on the other side of IH-10. She's been up on my table lift several times while he did such thangs as fluid changes; checking the vitals; and general shop work --- he's a pretty good wrench, btw. So, enjoy the ride, Rick - yell toward Boerne if you need anythang. 'Tween Doug and I, we prolly gotcha covered.

Oh yeah, Doug is out in Big Bend this week-end with the Concourse group, so we can talk about him!! ;) And we will - at the Leon Springs Starbucks tamale morning. As I mentioned in another thread by Hogwylde, several folks grab a quick cup out there on Friday mornings, during their commute to work. We usually take over a corner inside starting around 0600 and by 0800-0830, everybody has split. So, if you ever find the time and have the inclination, would love to have you join us any Friday.

Take care, Rick. Hope to meet you sometime soon.

[tjc]

Hey - there's a reason we refer to it as a "light truck"! Welcome & Congrats!

[Texas42]

Congratulations, Hope to see you at a RTE sometime, maybe we can have one on a Sunday afternoon. Don't forget to wave. :bmw:

[K1200LTryder]

Give it another month, the kind words about the sporty will no longer find a way into your vocabulary.

Instead if missing it, you'll be saying ( in a low tone of voice ), " oh, I had one of those things once"

LOL

Congrats on the LT !!!! :bmw:

[Montycs]

Welcome to the group! Enjoy the posts and soak up the knowledge

[rickbnsa]

Thanks folks!

Dick, schedule change may be coming in a couple of months to make it on a Friday morning.

I think I'll miss the Sporty less but it has been a great and dependable bike, even w/ me doing the maintenance. Forgot to mention, Doug left some Cds in the Changer and I was stunned to find a Harley Road Songs CD in the mix. That got me to thinking, I'm collecting V-Twin sound files now to put in there and play at the right moments. Still have to find a lengthy file of a Harley running up through the gears.

1200LTryder: we sere stationed over there many years ago. I had a Suzuki GT 550 over there in '82, stayed on the beach. There wasn't enough Mother's Aluminum Polish anywhere to keep the rust off that bike from the salt spray.

Back to reading and learning.

rickbnsa

[K1200LTryder]

You had a GT-550 ????

I bought mine in 1977 , watched the guys at the zucchini dealer open the crate and put it together, the $1265 price was not so bad ! ...considering I had a 3 cylinder, two stroke motorcycle, that had electric start, a digital gear indicator, and could beat ANY 750cc 4 stroke bike in a drag race, and handle better than my old '74 H2......115MPH was the to end, but once you got to 110, there wasnt much point...

I let it go once I got my CBX, I still have pics of it, but they have to be scanned.......

*sigh*

...it has been a long and fruitful road leading to the LT...
:dance:

[K1200LTryder]

Sorry to seem like a post whore, but,


WELCLOME RICK !!!


You and me, along with countless others on this forum.......are brothers.

[Montycs]

I had a red GT550 once too. I graduated up from a Honda 360. So the 550 was a big change in ride. Didn't like messing adding the oil, at least it didn't have to be mixed. I would really enjoy seeing your scanned photo, I remember is was smooth and fast, but the sun sure fogged the instrument glass. Thanks for the memory

[dwsdad]

Hey Rick, glad to see you finally got a chance to sign on and post. I'm still out in Alpine. Just finished a ride to Terlingua to have lunch with Dave Moore and his sister. Stopped the by ghost town and did the tourist thing and bought a t shirt.

See ya at lunch Mon, Rick!

[SanMan]

Hello,

I also came from the Sporster. I do miss her every now and then but the Lt is IT. You have moved on up. Congratulations.

Scott

[rickbnsa]

SDanMan,

Thanks. I managed to get in 40 too short mjiles after work this evening. One thing: Lights! I can see at night now. Came home and parked behind the soon-to-be sold XL. Will hate to see it go but I have a feeling it would spend more time than I originally thought just parked at home.

Regarding the GT-550. Mine had a gunked up center carb. Thing ran like a scalded dog and you better have it pointed straight and be hanging on when that third carb caught. Kind of an early nitrous simulator. In '82, I blew past the base main gate there on A1A at 0230 doing around 110. I hid it in quarters that night just in case.

One more day of work and finally a couple of days tinkering with this new bike. Started reading at the earliest of these threads, only 211 pages to go.

Be Safe.

rickbnsa

[hogwylde]

Is that what it is, Rick? Ya'll are laughing at my expense?! LOL All I can say about the weather here is, at least here it is.....is....umm.....shit! It's still cold!

Actually the weather is getting real nice. Unfortunately with today being first decent day to ride I got called in to work. I am only on call through next Tuesday night and then it's going to be all about me (if the wife lets me)! :rotf: