tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5706025512517012572011-07-30T18:58:25.669-07:00Mo·tard·ed - Pronunciation[moh-tahr-did] –adjective 1.The state of being obsessed with motorcycles and motorcycle riding. --- The blog isn't always motorcycle related, but may often be.Troyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12387743192671564282noreply@blogger.comBlogger441100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-570602551251701257.post-22533283384785302312010-02-10T22:55:00.000-08:002010-02-11T07:32:44.798-08:00

I have a confession to make. I sold my motorcycles and bought a VW Vanagon Westfalia. You know, the hippie camper vans. I suppose the 'real' hippie vans are the older air-cooled ones. This model wasn't produced until the '80s, well after the height of the flower power crowd.Mine is a 1984 Wolfsburg edition in two-tone brown and beige. I've upgraded to larger wheels and tires, and installed a 2.5L

Troyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12387743192671564282noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-570602551251701257.post-32137176048848227762009-08-28T18:43:00.001-07:002009-08-28T18:49:22.630-07:00

Here's another really cool single-cylinder roadbike.It's available as a kit to owners of CRF450s. You use the engine and various parts of the CRF, along with the kit and build this 240 lb, 55hp fun-machine. This would be so ridiculously fun to rip around town and tight country roads on.Check out the link and read the full story. It's pretty much exactly what i was talking about in my previous

Troyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12387743192671564282noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-570602551251701257.post-90054002288142974082009-08-26T21:40:00.001-07:002009-08-26T21:50:09.974-07:00

Saw this concept over on Motorcycle Daily; it's inspired by a '60s model Benneli scrambler. I think a bike like this with an engine from a modern 450-650 single off-road bike, good suspension and brakes in a very compact package with unique style like this would be a ton of fun and maybe a good seller. I would definitely like it but i'm not sure how much of a market is actually there.Anyhow, i

Troyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12387743192671564282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-570602551251701257.post-75282588279038731922009-08-16T14:29:00.000-07:002009-08-16T14:31:37.194-07:00

I thought i might as well post this here. It's pasted in from an email i just sent out"Hey everyone, I just want to put out the word. I have a decent Dell computer that I would be happy to give to anyone in need of a computer. It's a desktop computer, has 20 GB or so of free hard drive space and has a monitor and keyboard. All that is needed is a mouse.I just deleted the whole hard drive and

Troyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12387743192671564282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-570602551251701257.post-39054803943369656262009-08-14T22:52:00.001-07:002009-08-15T08:16:15.872-07:00

I've been wanting to put together a "ride report" for the 17-day ride that Burl and I took through California in June. It's a lot of work though! I have over 1,500 pictures to sort through. Well I made some progress today and sorted it down to 530 pictures from the 1,500. I need to narrow it down quite a lot more still.Here is a sample of some of the fun motorcycle-y pictures.

Troyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12387743192671564282noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-570602551251701257.post-58242389521905664462009-08-04T21:47:00.000-07:002009-08-04T21:59:04.371-07:00

I hate inflammatory political emails. Unfortunately, that seems to be the only kind there are. Political emails are almost always false. Sometimes entirely false. Usually they twist some small kernel of truth around so bad that it becomes entirely misleading and implies a totally false principle, even though based on some piece of truth. This is a perfect example: Subject: NO TERM LIMIT FOR

Troyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12387743192671564282noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-570602551251701257.post-68362362857704221552009-07-27T20:17:00.000-07:002009-07-30T07:05:43.498-07:00

Some of you who know me know that i am sometimes an obnoxious grammar snob. If you read much of this or listen to me talk, you know that it's fairly ridiculous for me to be a grammar snob because i really don't know that much about grammar! There are some things that bother me though, because i'm just that way; what can i say?So i was looking at my passport and i think i see a grammatical error.

Troyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12387743192671564282noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-570602551251701257.post-19306143687031323002009-07-26T21:38:00.000-07:002009-07-26T22:10:20.328-07:00

(Note: Picture from this guys blog post. He endorses waving, but it sounds like he hasn't been riding long... give him a few years.)I don't generally do the motorcycle wave. You know, how there's some universal courtesy that all motorcyclists wave at all other motorcyclists. I could understand it if you lived in a time or place where there were very few riders, and seeing another one was an

Troyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12387743192671564282noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-570602551251701257.post-91939690775172712692009-07-20T21:22:00.001-07:002009-07-20T21:45:37.401-07:00

Came across this one over at XS650Chopper.com. Most of the bikes over there are more chopper / bobber than I'm really into (which is fine, it's called XS650chopper after all); I'm more into the street trackers and cafe racers or just UJM style. Anyway, I think this bike is exceptionally well done and I wanted to share it here.I especially like that he's retained the fenders, added dual discs up

Troyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12387743192671564282noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-570602551251701257.post-86055485141304413482009-07-19T21:41:00.001-07:002009-07-19T21:41:48.005-07:00

Finally rode some trails today that I've been wanting to ride for a long time. My friend Raym and I dropped my truck off at Shevlin Park, then took his truck up to Dutchman Flat (next to Mt Bachelor). We rode from Dutchman up a trail that I believe was marked as Flagline, but isn't named at all at my map and that I was told later in the day was probably Windigo Trail. Anyway, we rode from

Troyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12387743192671564282noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-570602551251701257.post-42862572567918890262009-07-17T21:06:00.000-07:002009-07-17T21:07:27.446-07:00

Troyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12387743192671564282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-570602551251701257.post-27089197796450000592009-07-17T21:03:00.000-07:002009-07-17T21:05:36.886-07:00

Because shouting it is old school I guess. I'm currently waiting for water to boil on top of lookout mountain in the ochocos. Im partly excited by the fact that I can blog from here and partly disgustedthat I am doing it.Ok, well ive done it so now I'm goingback to the mtn sunset!(from iPhone)

Troyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12387743192671564282noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-570602551251701257.post-77317661771911871842009-07-11T11:26:00.000-07:002009-07-11T12:29:57.398-07:00

This site is full of beautiful motorcycles and it seriously reminds me of why I love motorcycles and why I'm sure they will always be a passion of mine. If you think these bikes are cool then you should bookmark and/or subscribe to BikeExif.com's feed.Here are some of my favorite posts:Thursday 12th February, 2009 Firestarter Garage Moto Guzzi Since 1998, Firestarter Garage has been

Troyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12387743192671564282noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-570602551251701257.post-47358027891999449992009-07-11T11:09:00.001-07:002009-07-11T11:12:32.111-07:00

...go to Santa Barbara. This is from our motorcycle trip last month. Ithought it was kinda funny.

Troyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12387743192671564282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-570602551251701257.post-74414244586891743672009-07-11T11:04:00.001-07:002009-07-11T11:04:08.459-07:00

I've been meaning to build a backyard shed since last summer. I saw this one at Lowes yesterday and it reminded me. I don't really know how exactly to get started. I guess the real problem is that I need to take a couple trees out first and one of them is bigger than I know how to deal with.

Troyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12387743192671564282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-570602551251701257.post-91160025599937969972009-07-11T10:30:00.001-07:002009-07-11T11:14:42.690-07:00

Norton Ala’Verda 850Posted using ShareThis

Troyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12387743192671564282noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-570602551251701257.post-38472545852918505872009-03-15T19:54:00.001-07:002009-03-15T19:54:41.711-07:00

REIAn epic climb to basecamp, a rigorous day of alpine touring, a fast push on snowshoes—REI Shuksan jacket with eVent™ fabric provides ultimate comfort.REI Shuksan Jacket with eVent Fabric - Men'sI was skeptical, but it delivers TroyOn2Wheels Bend, OR 3/15/2009 4 5Gift: NoFit: Feels true to sizeSleeve Length: Feels true to lengthChest Size: Feels true to sizePros: Breathable, Windproof,

Troyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12387743192671564282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-570602551251701257.post-36968673864570332762007-03-26T17:41:00.000-07:002007-03-26T17:44:41.797-07:00

Whoa, now this is a bit freaky. Sheep that are 15% human. From Slashdot.org:"Professor Esmail Zanjani and colleagues at the University of Nevada-Reno have created sheep that are 15 percent human at the cellular level. Half the organs in the sheep are human. The idea, of course, is to harvest those organs to transplant into human patients."Holy cra-a-a-a-p! Oops, it's already starting, i think

Troyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12387743192671564282noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-570602551251701257.post-82844022136541713852007-02-10T15:40:00.000-08:002007-02-08T00:08:06.926-08:00

Well, i did it, i broke down and got cruiser! I wanted something comfortable to putz around town on. I decided i don't need all the speed and high-tech features, I just want something that looks good and i'm not that concerned about how well it performs. I'll be slow, but it's all about style and comfort...Yup, i got a cruiser. It's a Schwinn! Did i scare ya? Haha, not a cruiser motorcycle, just

Troyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12387743192671564282noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-570602551251701257.post-36042011790481608532007-02-06T20:58:00.000-08:002007-02-06T21:10:36.462-08:00

I'm about half way through reading 'Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance' by Robert M. Pirsig and i came across a section that i find particularly interesting. Much of the book is philosophical thoughts/ideas and this is one of the more concise ideas. I'm actually just going to type it out word for word. I'm curious about opinions. I think it sounds like an idea with a lot of possible

Troyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12387743192671564282noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-570602551251701257.post-6396385101394985502007-01-21T11:36:00.000-08:002007-01-21T21:34:04.370-08:00

Well, I did manage to do a little riding yesterday, despite the fact that i don't have either of my bikes within 100 miles of me. The local Ducati shop, Bend Euro Moto, is super-cool and has demo bikes. I went by there a couple months ago to check out the DS1000 Multistrada. The weather that day was pretty lousy, but they told me to come back another time and try the bikes out. So yesterday, I

Troyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12387743192671564282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-570602551251701257.post-20251712686488493252007-01-20T10:14:00.000-08:002007-01-20T10:21:24.690-08:00

I'm not sure of the exact date that I began riding motorcycles, but I know that 2007 is my twentieth year. As a passenger, i rode motorcycles both in the womb, and within a month of being born. I'm quite sure that i'll never stop, so long as it's within my power to continue. My grandfather is about 85 years old, and although he had to give up motorcycles a couple years ago, he still rides 4-

Troyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12387743192671564282noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-570602551251701257.post-47957070614874390162006-12-15T08:06:00.000-08:002006-12-15T08:07:15.594-08:00

Facing me from across the street, while i was waiting for a traffic signal last night, was a pet store. As i sat there staring at it, i began to wonder where the pets come from. Do they come from the humane society? If so, why would anyone buy from the pet store instead of just going to the humane society directly?If not from the humane society, then where do they come from? Do the employees go

Troyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12387743192671564282noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-570602551251701257.post-89539916755340063552006-12-12T17:57:00.000-08:002006-12-12T18:20:16.903-08:00

So the 1098 images and write ups have been out there for a little bit; what does everyone think? I like the 999 better myself. Of course i said the same about the 998 until i saw the 999 in person, so who knows what may happen when i actually get a chance to touch one.My main beef with the 1098 is that it looks just like everything else. If it had tuning forks on the gas tank, I'd assume it had

Troyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12387743192671564282noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-570602551251701257.post-90533629201580145422006-12-12T17:22:00.000-08:002008-12-08T19:08:59.838-08:00

Sent off the check for my most recent ticket today. Not particularly happy about that, of course. I hope they get the point. Of course the only person to see it will be some clerk who has nothing to do with the policies that resulted in my ticket, but it makes me feel better!I have a proposal that most of my friends have probably been subject to during one rant or another. I think i'll now expose

Troyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12387743192671564282noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-570602551251701257.post-60597156345385812632006-12-08T19:43:00.000-08:002006-12-08T20:06:34.269-08:00

Ha, i got carried away in the last post and wandered off topic before i even got started on the topic i had intended to write about. The post was supposed to be about traffic signals. Specifically, about the red left turn arrow.There are very few times when that red arrow is necessary. The protected left turn--indicated by the green left turn arrow--serves a useful purpose by allowing left turns

Troyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12387743192671564282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-570602551251701257.post-39693525189841805262006-12-08T17:23:00.000-08:002006-12-08T18:00:06.093-08:00

I wish big brother wouldn't try so hard to protect me.The Man has got to try so hard to make this world fool-proof. It can't be done, why does he have to keep trying. Doing so only makes life more frustrating for those of us who aren't fools, or at least are willing to accept responsibility for our foolish actions. By The Man, I mean of course the government, but also much more than that,

Troyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12387743192671564282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-570602551251701257.post-40940355838463875132006-12-07T21:38:00.000-08:002006-12-07T21:42:09.871-08:00

A rather profound thought struck me tonight on my drive home from work (what was going on in my brain, maybe i should stop working so late!).Two wrongs do not make a right, but three rights make a left.See if you can get your head around that!

Troyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12387743192671564282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-570602551251701257.post-16883972299160769262006-12-05T22:14:00.000-08:002006-12-06T10:12:13.721-08:00

I went snowboarding last saturday for the first time this season. The snow was mediocre at best, but the sun was shining and i had new gear to try out, so it wasn't too bad, apart from being separated from my friends and stranded at the bottom of the not-quite-operational Northwest Express lift for over an hour.At one point during the day, I rode up the lift with two very young kids. I overheard

Troyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12387743192671564282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-570602551251701257.post-11378732444474578782006-11-27T17:36:00.000-08:002006-11-27T17:58:57.216-08:00

Dang, I almost got another ticket today! This time I was coming back from the valley and was a few miles from Sisters when i passed a group of about 3 cars. It was snowy, but perfectly straight road and no oncoming traffic for quite a while. The snow was very cold and actually made for pretty good traction (relatively speaking).As i was passing the cars, i noticed (too late) that the front car

Troyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12387743192671564282noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-570602551251701257.post-34551928687808031512006-11-25T18:15:00.000-08:002006-11-25T22:30:54.364-08:00

I got popped again today. Heading south on the Bend parkway this time. All i got was 2 little chirps out of the radar detector. A glance at the occasionally helpful device confirmed my fear--the "L" light was blinking at me; "L" as in laser. For the most part, if your radar detector picks up a laser signal, it's basically just telling you that you're already screwed. Sometimes the detectors can

Troyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12387743192671564282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-570602551251701257.post-49425093994875789872006-11-09T18:07:00.000-08:002006-11-09T20:51:27.561-08:00

It's been relatively cloudy and showery here for the last couple of weeks, nothing like in the valley, but still plenty of clouds. As a result, it's been a while since I've had a clear view of the mountains. Normally, on my drive to work I can see Mt. Bachelor, Tumalo Mountain, Broken Top, each of the Three Sisters, Mt. Washington, Mt. Jefferson and Black Butte. It's pretty spectacular and is one

Troyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12387743192671564282noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-570602551251701257.post-54911187197580704292006-11-08T14:24:00.000-08:002006-11-09T19:20:54.246-08:00

I have a Bonsai Tree! It's a Hawaiin Umbrella tree. My lovely girlfriend gave it to me in honor of our having been together for a year. There'll soon be snow outside the window whose sill it sits on, but it will remain my tiny little piece of the tropics. It makes me think of the "no bad days" window stickers with the pictures of palm trees. I like those stickers, they calm me and remind me not

Troyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12387743192671564282noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-570602551251701257.post-65075480968048494242006-11-07T18:35:00.001-08:002006-11-07T18:35:49.949-08:00

Don't vote if you don't know.Everyone is promoting voting, which is great, as long as you know what you're doing. BUT, if you don't feel that you understand what or who you're voting for very well, don't vote. I'm not so sure that a low voter turnout is necessarily such a terrible thing. If the only people participating are those who take the time to properly research the topics and candidates

Troyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12387743192671564282noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-570602551251701257.post-53134402907599955402006-11-05T21:44:00.000-08:002006-11-08T20:18:26.702-08:00

I just spent a weekend in Portland and hit a couple new (to me) spots. Tops--literally--for the weekend was the Portland City Grill. It's in the 30th floor of the U.S. Bancorp Tower on SW 5th Avenue. Happy hour is 4.30 to 6.30 and there are a bunch of great appetizers at very inexpensive prices--drinks are still full price and we still ended up spending over $50 without getting a meal. But it was

Troyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12387743192671564282noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-570602551251701257.post-56666567153660102752006-11-03T07:58:00.000-08:002006-11-03T07:59:51.586-08:00

Some of you know that I currently employ an SUV as my primary mode of transportation; a Honda Passport to be exact. It’s a pretty good rig, hauls all my crap and even pretty reasonable sized trailers. It’s great for trips and gear and stuff, and it’s pretty quiet and comfortable inside. It’s even got pretty good power. But it’s failing in a major way to scratch my itch right now. I’m

Troyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12387743192671564282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-570602551251701257.post-28747540388676089622006-11-02T08:14:00.000-08:002006-11-02T08:20:21.972-08:00

Well, not exactly; Nicky was already the American Hero. He has now achieved what has been his goal probably for longer than he can remember. Nicky Hayden—southern drawl and all—is the new MotoGP World Champion. For those of you who aren’t motarded, MotoGP is the pinnacle of two-wheeled motor sport. It’s the highest and most respected form of motorcycle racing. It is the series in which the

Troyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12387743192671564282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-570602551251701257.post-29562057626226555472006-10-30T18:29:00.000-08:002006-10-30T18:30:44.464-08:00

Schools are prohibiting children from playing tag because it's too dangerous.LINKThis makes me furious. Not just because kids are not being allowed to play tag, but the whole mentality that has resulted in this. It is so ridiculous and outrageous, I don't even know what to say about it.Who are the wimps who keep making outrageous decisions like this, and how is it that they exist when clearly

Troyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12387743192671564282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-570602551251701257.post-34316223567508963522006-10-20T07:40:00.000-07:002006-10-20T07:43:31.883-07:00

I feel like that last post comes through with a different tone than I intended. I don't feel bad, or apologetic about the situation. I do feel like i need to prove myself worthy. There is a difference.

Troyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12387743192671564282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-570602551251701257.post-55909067646668340902006-10-17T20:48:00.000-07:002006-11-07T09:50:03.210-08:00

It almost doesn’t register. It’s been a goal of mine for a very long time; and I think I’ve always known (or thought I knew, anyway) that I would someday achieve it. I didn’t see it coming. I did not think I would be a business owner within nine months of finishing school. I had no idea what kind of business I wanted to operate, and no particularly promising widgets to market. Aside from

Troyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12387743192671564282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-570602551251701257.post-13616584326953438672006-09-28T23:11:00.001-07:002006-09-28T23:11:52.493-07:00

Listening to: Radiohead Drinking: Water Disaster Movies. Aptly named, because every single time I decide to (or more likely, am coerced into) watch one, it turns out to be a complete disaster. They are horrible. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a natural disaster (earthquake, flood, volcano, spontaneous ice-age), out of this world disaster (asteroid) or human-caused disaster (fire,

Troyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12387743192671564282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-570602551251701257.post-92005185697785831282006-09-21T22:13:00.000-07:002006-09-21T22:15:33.410-07:00

Date: September 21, 2006 Listening to: Sufjan Stevens : Illinoise Drinking: Cockburn’s Special Reserve Port It is the question that has consumed the mind of intellectuals for all the history of man-kind, the focus of ponderment (yup, made that up) for professional ponderers, the riddle that has ruffled the feathers of every revolutionary rastafarian ever to think revolutionary thoughts…

Troyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12387743192671564282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-570602551251701257.post-60833822046272370572006-09-04T15:31:00.000-07:002006-09-04T15:35:14.973-07:00

No time to blog lately. I'm moving to a new town, trying to find a place to live, taking over a business, and learning a new industry--so I've got a little bit to do right now. I do have some potential topics to write about when I get a chance though, including: my reactions to An Inconvenient Truth, stories from a four-day motorcycle ride, how Oregon is the greatest state in the union and my

Troyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12387743192671564282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-570602551251701257.post-23974018611566020152006-08-15T21:26:00.000-07:002006-08-15T21:51:35.475-07:00

I'm coo-coo for... motorcycles. If you know me, this is not news; I've been riding since i was in the second grade. Lately however, I've been feeling like my moto-excitement level has been rising. For a while I've just been in situations where it hasn't been as easy/convenient to ride as I'd like. I can't lie, it hasn't been that tough, mostly i just haven't been riding much and I'm not entirely

Troyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12387743192671564282noreply@blogger.com0