Pointman’s Page

I have bought a lot of motorcycle parts from a lot of manufacturers and there are those that stand out and those who do not. One that does is Rivco who’s customer service is outstanding. If I need a part this is one of the first manufacturers I check.

I don’t often go out of my way to recommend vendors but today re-affirmed my sincere appreciation of Direct Line Parts not only as a primary sponsor of the VTX Owners Association but also as a customer centric business.
As is their custom for holidays Direct Line offered the VTXOA members a 10% discount on […]

So I finally get around to calling about ordering the Tsukayu Jumbo Strong hard bags for the VTX only to find out they are shipped from Japan and it takes 6 weeks go get them… I guess it’s not a terrible hardship having to wait until mid May to get them but I had hoped […]

There are only a few places I spend my money for motorcycle accessories. it is typically only after I’ve shopped HDL that I look elsewhere - J&P, Cruiser Customizing and an asorted half-dozen others for specialized VTX parts.
In my recent search for an exhaust system for my VTX I ultimately decided on […]

The number of bikes I passed today as I enjoyed the 40 degree temps with a 60 mile trek. The Missus was certain I’d be the only idiot out on a bike today but I knew better! And after passing a pair of Goldwings within 15 minutes I was less than surprised (the other […]

Though not sunny it was 62 degrees here in central Indiana today. As long as it isn’t pouring rain I can handle the dreary overcast day, wet roads, drizzle and road spray for an opportunity to spend a bit of quality time with the VTX. As usually happens when there are other places to […]

I use Sea Foam and Techron (fuel injector cleaner) in rotation in my VTX, each for their own purposes. The problem I have is measuring and transporting the right amount. These products, as most automotive fuel system products, come sized for a 20-25 gallon tank. The VTX has a 4+ gallon tank…
So I have been […]

After purchasing Nitro Racing’s cold weather gear I finally got a chance to test it in todays weather mix. The good news is that I was plenty warm and toasty where the Nitro gear is concerned. The First Gear gauntlet gloves aren’t as warm as I’d like but my polyprop liners add enough extra warmth […]

After the VTX tech session today in Darlington we conducted on a tour of the Ropkey Armor Museum by Mr. Ropkey. What an awesome collection.

There are worse ways to spend a beautiful sunny day. By the time I filled up the last time and made it back to the casa I clocked 302 miles. I was fortunate to catch gas at $2.26 at 10AM (BP at I-70 and SR267) but it was back to $2.68 by the return […]

I have finally uploaded the pictures of the Damaged VTX 1800 Retro wheels. Feelers are out for replacements but no luck so far.

Speaking of the Nanny State there it is in all it’s glory. I doubt many remember the calls for wearing helmets in cars. Instead we built new technology like air-bags because of the huge opposition to driving around in a Rambler with a crash helmet on.

With all the bravo sierra nanny stuff going around I found the post on Motorcycle Crash Statistics rather interesting.
72 percent of fatalties(sic) in [motorcycle] operator age group 40-49 involved alcohol.
It is typical to blame the motorcycle for the accident just as it is typical to blame a firearm for the actions of a criminal. […]

Spoke with the shop owner Tuesday and without any welshing owned up to it being the shop’s responsibility. He indicated that if he were to find a set of used wheels for me as replacements if I wasn’t happy with them then he’d be in the same boat and out $300-400. He’s right. So he […]

I just got back from the shop and swapping out for a good set of used wheels isn’t an option. Seems the shop is broke. But at least they let the mechanic go, seems he was new. I hate to think this way but the fact they let him go that quickly improves my chances […]

I dropped the wheels off my VTX today and took them to a local independent shop a few miles down the road to put on the new Avon’s from Direct Line. I came back in a couple hours to pick them up and the edges of the rims are beat to hell like the guy […]

With the high cost of gasoline many including myself have been using motorcycles to take advantage of 40-60mpg. But as I hit 9k on the VTX and order a set of tires I started crunching a few numbers.
Motorcycle tires have incredibly short lifespans compared to car tires. So taking the average cost of a […]

For the first time in nearly 3 weeks I actually drove the car today due to the forecast of rain and heavy storms. I can drive through my local agricultural countryside and see huge waves of withering beans and corn starting to turn well short of its growth potential, ears with little on them. […]

Today marks one month with the VTX and I find that I have logged 3,302 miles in those 31 days. In the last 10 1/2 months I have put 14k miles in on two wheels and if I continue at this rate by the end of September that number will be well over 18k. […]

I’ve known for some time the Shadow’s tires are ready to be replaced. As I my original plan was to replace the Shadow in September I had to ponder what to do. Three-hundred and seventy five dollar ($375) tires for 2 months seems a less than desirable use of my mone. […]

One of our favorite motorcycle trips is out through the Shades and Turkey Run and specifically state roads 47, 234 and 236. From twisties to sweeping curves and beautiful scenery its an all around worthwhile area to spend some time in the saddle. I’ve often thought about writing up some of these trips and […]

The Oakalla Covered Bridge is just west of Greencastle, Indiana and like most covered bridges in Putnam county it is over the Big Walnut. We had attempted to visit this bridge last fall when several other bridges were added to my Covered Bridges gallery but we turned around when the road turned to gravel. […]

Punxsutawney Phil did not see his shadow which according to lore means an early spring rather than 6 more weeks of winter. It’s Feb 2nd… the difference between 4 and 6 weeks of more winter isn’t much. Though just to be on the safe side I’ll start prepping the motorcycle for the […]

January in Indiana is what we Hoosiers refer to as “cold”. Now you folks up further north such as the Dakota’s would consider our “cold” rather balmy in comparison but to Hoosiers it’s still “cold”.
So here it is the 5th of January and as you can see by the timecode on this […]

One of the “Last Last Harrah” days (Thanksgiving thru the seven days) I made it down to Cataract Falls. It’s been many years since I’d been to Cataract but it hadn’t changed much, though the water was a bit higher in the lake below making the lower falls appear lower than they are during the […]