Wilsons Sandbox

I am finding myself in a strange emotional state. Please pardon my rambling while I explain my feelings. I hope some of you will tell me if my feelings are normal or not. I have found a great A9 to buy and I have been eagerly waiting for this moment for some time. I have wanted a motorcycle since I was 16 and almost bought one twice, but other priorities like college, marriage, kids and home came first. Now, finally, many years later (I am 43) I have some cash saved up (from some big boy toys I sold) so that this purchase won t make a severe impact to my families budget. You would expect that I would be excited that this time has come. Well, the fact is, my feelings on this purchase cycle from excitement to fear. Every accident or close call I read about in this newsgroup makes my chest tighten up with apprehension! And those poor people who have been killed, they could have just as easily been me. Why do I want a KLR? I have asked myself this endlessly. Is it to fulfill a childhood dream? Well, that might be partly it. But I tell myself I am a good back yard mechanic, I drive automobiles very conservatively, and I feel that bike riding and ownership would be enjoyable, fun and challenging. I am approaching this purchase seriously in that safety is the number one issue I don t want to leave my children fatherless and my wife with only my memory. I plan to acquire all the safety gear: helmet, gloves, riding jacket and pants and boots. I am scheduled to take the MSF class in September. Some of you may have even noticed my postings of late emphasize safety wheel alignment, tires, gloves, helmets etc. Preparing for this purchase has been very sobering. Well, I didn t want this to be a therapy session but I was hoping that some of you could share your thought or feelings on this with me. My wife is not real excited about this purchase but knows I ll be careful and is glad about my safety concerns. Thanks Everyone. Brad __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get Yahoo! Mail - Free email you can access from anywhere! http://mail.yahoo.com/

Brad, You will learn quite a bit in the MSF course. It will be well worth your time. I took it before I ever rode. I started riding this year at 37. I view it as a real increase in risk, but that is what life is, a series of risks relating to our ultimate inevitable end. As far as you know, that tight feeling in your chest may be a greater threat to you than your KLR. I try to hedge my bets by wearing all the armor and riding defensively. I NEVER ride with alcohol on board or when I'm in a hurry. I accept the fact that I'm less stable and more vulnerable than when I'm in a car. I ride because the enjoyment I get out weighs the increase in risk. Good luck. There is no right answer, but there are few things that give me the perma-grin like riding my bike does. M

--- In DSN_klr650@egroups.com, Brad Davis wrote: > I am finding myself in a strange emotional state. > Please pardon my rambling while I explain my feelings. > I hope some of you will tell me if my feelings are > normal or not. > > I have found a great A9 to buy and I have been > eagerly waiting for this "moment" for some time. I > have wanted a motorcycle since I was 16 and almost > bought one twice, but other priorities like college, > marriage, kids and home came first. Now, finally, many > years later (I am 43) I have some cash saved up (from > some "big boy" toys I sold) so that this purchase > won't make a severe impact to my families' budget. You > would expect that I would be excited that this time > has come. Well, the fact is, my feelings on this > purchase cycle from excitement to fear. Every accident > or close call I read about in this newsgroup makes my > chest tighten up with apprehension! And those poor > people who have been killed, they could have just as > easily been me. > > Why do I want a KLR? I have asked myself this > endlessly. Is it to fulfill a childhood dream? Well, > that might be partly it. But I tell myself I am a good > back yard mechanic, I drive automobiles very > conservatively, and I feel that bike riding and > ownership would be enjoyable, fun and challenging. I > am approaching this purchase seriously in that safety > is the number one issue I don't want to leave my > children fatherless and my wife with only my memory. I > plan to acquire all the safety gear: helmet, gloves, > riding jacket and pants and boots. I am scheduled to > take the MSF class in September. Some of you may have > even noticed my postings of late emphasize safety > wheel alignment, tires, gloves, helmets etc. Preparing > for this purchase has been very sobering. > > Well, I didn't want this to be a therapy session but I > was hoping that some of you could share your thought > or feelings on this with me. My wife is not real > excited about this purchase but knows I'll be careful > and is glad about my safety concerns. > > Thanks Everyone. > > Brad > > > __________________________________________________ > Do You Yahoo!? > Get Yahoo! Mail - Free email you can access from anywhere! > http://mail.yahoo.com/

Brad, As you can see, everyone here has their philosophies. Here is mine. I got on my Y2K KLR 650 after having been bike-less for 8 years. I trucked the bike home to my garage, and later in the day, after the traffic died down a bit, went for a short ride around the neighborhood to get the feel of the thing. The more comfortable I got, the more I rode. I always keep my act together, use good old common dog, and ride defensively. Accidents happen, and sometimes there's dick you can do about it. Some drunk could park their car in your bedroom room tonight, who knows. There are ten million ways to die everyday, and biking is just one. If you are that anxious about the whole thing, maybe you shouldn't buy the bike yet. Take the MSF course (do they provide the bikes?) and get used to riding first, THEN buy your bike. Borrow a friend's bike, find a parking lot and practice the basics. You're off to a good start, knowing that you need helmet, gloves, etc. Build on that. With experience will come comfort. Remember, never allow comfort to turn into complacency. Do this and you'll have many years of safe riding ahead of you. Cheers, D. GBG eh14

--- In DSN_klr650@egroups.com, Brad Davis wrote: > I am finding myself in a strange emotional state. > Please pardon my rambling while I explain my feelings. > I hope some of you will tell me if my feelings are > normal or not. > > I have found a great A9 to buy and I have been > eagerly waiting for this "moment" for some time. I > have wanted a motorcycle since I was 16 and almost > bought one twice, but other priorities like college, > marriage, kids and home came first. Now, finally, many > years later (I am 43) I have some cash saved up (from > some "big boy" toys I sold) so that this purchase > won't make a severe impact to my families' budget. You > would expect that I would be excited that this time > has come. Well, the fact is, my feelings on this > purchase cycle from excitement to fear. Every accident > or close call I read about in this newsgroup makes my > chest tighten up with apprehension! And those poor > people who have been killed, they could have just as > easily been me. > > Why do I want a KLR? I have asked myself this > endlessly. Is it to fulfill a childhood dream? Well, > that might be partly it. But I tell myself I am a good > back yard mechanic, I drive automobiles very > conservatively, and I feel that bike riding and > ownership would be enjoyable, fun and challenging. I > am approaching this purchase seriously in that safety > is the number one issue I don't want to leave my > children fatherless and my wife with only my memory. I > plan to acquire all the safety gear: helmet, gloves, > riding jacket and pants and boots. I am scheduled to > take the MSF class in September. Some of you may have > even noticed my postings of late emphasize safety > wheel alignment, tires, gloves, helmets etc. Preparing > for this purchase has been very sobering. > > Well, I didn't want this to be a therapy session but I > was hoping that some of you could share your thought > or feelings on this with me. My wife is not real > excited about this purchase but knows I'll be careful > and is glad about my safety concerns. > > Thanks Everyone. > > Brad > > > __________________________________________________ > Do You Yahoo!? > Get Yahoo! Mail - Free email you can access from anywhere! > http://mail.yahoo.com/

> > Not to worry, the major buildings built here at Hanford were built to > > withstand fire and earthquakes. > > ROTFLOL!! > I hope that you don't work for Fluor Hanford.... But I worked for a small > nuclear waste remediation company that bid on one of the tanks out there

so I

> have some intimate knowledge of the site, most specifically the tanks.

We'll

> just leave it at I don't think their deteriorating single shelled tanks

could

> withstand anything more than a swift kick, much less rapid heating,

cooling and

> earthquakes. I hope that you wrote that comment in jest... If not I'll see

if I

> can get ahold of some of the scariest footage I've ever seen (you ever

been able

> to see _through_ a tank because it had decayed so much? Or witness a

maintenance

> worker throw a 2 foot cresent wrench into a waste tank simply because they > didn't want to decon it? Talk about wrecking havoc with remediation > technologies, try fitting that one into your system requirements). > > Zack

Yeah, I whole heartedly agree about the old tanks, but the fire threat was to the 300 Area lab buildings, not the tank farm. They have a lot of equipment, parts and tools out there that they don't want to decon, easier to just leave it out there I guess. I guess there are a couple of big Cats out there too that they don't want to decon. I spoke to a guy telling me about installing one of the pumps to pump the waste out of the single shells, and testing that pump. Hard to work in a bunny suit, and if they dropped anything, bolt, tool, whatever, they'd just get a new one and leave the old one on the ground. The real fun is going to be when they start building and operating the vitrification plant. I might get an engineering job for that if I decide to stay in this area. It's going to be a huge job. BTW, they've been pumping all the waste out of the old single walled tanks. (Actually, they might have all the liquid waste out all ready, I don't remember.) My friend, who's an analytical chemist and tests the vapors from the tanks would know, I'll have to ask. Funny story; he quit his job because he was sick of all the office and Hanford politics. He was out of work for a week, resting. His third tier boss came to his house and offered him anything he wanted to go back to work. It seems that his job was critical to the number one priority mission for the entire Hanford Area (clean up and shipping the waste out to the WIP), and nobody else could do it. He basically works whenever he wants now, wears whatever he wants at work, writes his own procedures, and no longer has to put up with his previous supervisor and some of his slacker co-workers that he was responsible for. (I guess in four years working there, he passed people by in his lab that had been there for 10-15 years, and was then responsible for their work, and they were constantly trying to sabotage him. Typical Hanford SOP) (One of his conditions, besides a VERY healthy raise, to going back.) I heard from another friend of mine from church (who is a manager in a different area) that the management couldn't be happier with his work, especially since he's come back, and were willing to give him much more. This is such a small town that I hear all the office gossip even though I don't work there. Jeff