New member, old bugger.

[philharmonic]

Most of you who visit other FJR forums know me as either Philharmonic {the name is not about music but trying to get along with people} or Philter. I started riding at 14, got a job and bought my first bike, a 90S Bridgestone, Rotary valve, rotary shift, 90cc speed demon that put me in front of all my friends with honda 90's, Yamaha 80's. Until Yamaha came out with the two cylinder Twin Jet 100 and my days as fastest guy in my group were finished. I had a few other bikes and then started having babies, five of our own and two adopted, 40 foster kids over a ten year period, and innumerable babysitting kids and daycare kids and ETC ETC. Did I mention my wife liked kids?

Fast forward 35 years and I am in a pawn shop in North Palm Beach, Florida, and right in the middle of the "showroom" is a 1985 Yamaha RED FZX700 with a genesis engine {5 valve}, and I was smitten, love at first sight. I got the pawnshop guy to take the price of rebuilding the carbs {400 dollars} off the 1800 dollar price tag and I was back in the motorcycle business. I was SO SCARED. First time I was on I-95 I stayed in the right lane and actually did the speed limit. {everybody else was doing 30 mph OVER the speed limit of course} all the way home. After dragging it on a trailer for 3 years in a row, up to Helen, Ga. where we vacationed every year, I was in Blairsville, Ga. {the place where I would live if I could afford a place there, and my daughters would move there with my grandkids} and I stopped in a local bike shop and there was the harlot that would cause me to divorce my beloved FZX700, a 2003 Silver FJR1300 with 62,000 miles on her. I immediately went back across the mountains to Helen and spent the next two days researching the FJR, driving the guys on the FJROwners forum nuts, and begging my boss to send me 4000 dollars. When I went to ride it, {had to give the guy the 4000 first}, I immediately realized they were right it was HOT, and I don't mean the engine or the top speed, I mean my balls were roasting. I stopped as soon as I could and filled the empty gas tank and that was better, but I knew I would have to find some way to make that situation a little better.

Three years later we retired, and moved from West Palm Beach, Fl. up here to Laurens, SC. The tenants that were living in the house my mother left me when she died, burned down the shed out back {they said it was an accident} when I evicted them for non-payment of rent. The nice insurance man gave me 6000 dollars to rebuild that shed, put a new roof on the shed next to it that almost burned down, and pay for the pump house roof. So I got a friend to rebuild the shed and roof, paid him 2400 dollars and "upgraded" my silver 03 to a Dark Cherry 07.

That is where I am today. Because I am so poor. {living on our SS checks} I have become a Darksider, and LOVE it. Very comfortable with everything about the CT, and especially not having to buy used tires and cheap tires, and riding them till the white strips show. I am near two prisons, where I can volunteer to my hearts content, doing Kairos Prison Ministry, and teaching classes etc. etc. I put a couple of flags on the back of my FJR and go to every Patriot Guard funeral that doesn't conflict with Prison Ministry, and now and then go up into the mountains, {1 and a half hours away toward Ashville, or 2 hours toward Morgantown} and scare the crap out of myself pretending to be Kenny Roberts. {yeah, I know, I am dating myself. LOL}

I did get to take ONE long ride, a couple of summers ago, I hooked up my Combi Camp camper to my FJR and rode up to Massachusetts, {by way of the Blue RIdge Parkway, and the Skyline Drive and 700 miles of Interstate highways} to say goodbye to my Aunt who was my last living "ancestor".

So I am the happiest guy you know, living large. My youngest daughter, and prodigal son both decided this year that Mom and Dad shouldn't live in that big house alone, so they moved back in. Nobody asked, they just moved in. LOL This brings a little more drama and stress into our lives but it also brings in their "rent' money, which means me and the wife have a little money on which to vacation, so all is good.

I hope none of you were bored enough to read all through this drivel, I did it mostly for my own enjoyment, and therapy, If you did, you maybe need to get a life, or go riding. Phil

[rbentnail]

Yo!

[Cav47]

Great recount of the path to where you are today. Welcome to this sandbox.

[wheatonFJR]

Well Phil...on my lunch hour so I read the whole thing. real interesting...cept the part about the critters moving back. You obviously need to drop in some big nasty spiders in their living apartment and get them to see the light for themselves.

I've never ridden with you, but I live up in Travelers Rest...and I believe you may have ridden with griff...but don't know for sure. 1911 lives in Laurens...but he's a local/native. I ride with him sometimes so he can be my interpreter if the guy at the lunch counter can't unnerstand me if I try to order a sammich.

[Uncle Hud]

Welcome, Philter Philharmonic. Very familiar with your territory, having grown up in Due West. You don't have to go to Asheville or Morganton; even I can find fun roads in the Upstate.

[philharmonic]

Wheatonfjr, yes, I rode with Griff a couple of times with the Carolina Old Farts Sport Touring group. They are ALL too fast for me and I kept scaring myself so I decided to quit making them spend 20 minutes on every ride waiting for me at a stop sign. They were all, especially Griff, very good to me and patient. 1911 is the guy who told me about this site, for some reason I had not been aware of it. He has done the ride that is my only "bucket list" item, which is to spend a couple or three months out in the western USA and see everything. {If you haven't read his post about the trip, you are missing a great ride report}. Now, to Uncle Hud, are you going to share some of those roads with me? I am new here, and so if I want to lean my FJR over, I either go to the onramp at I-385 or go to Ashville. LOL Phil

[wheatonFJR]

Welcome, Philter Philharmonic. Very familiar with your territory, having grown up in Due West. You don't have to go to Asheville or Morganton; even I can find fun roads in the Upstate.

I95, I85, I26...Laurens Road.

[wheatonFJR]

Phil,
Duane/1911 has absolutely one of the best most awesomest RRs out there. I love his dry humor...that and he does know how to ride...and the right roads to get there.

Griff is up in greer and is a gentlemen who assists me in all things FJR mechanical. When he isn't kicking ass on his motorcycle rallies he can be downright nice.

[wheatonFJR]

Wheatonfjr, yes, I rode with Griff a couple of times with the Carolina Old Farts Sport Touring group. They are ALL too fast for me and I kept scaring myself so I decided to quit making them spend 20 minutes on every ride waiting for me at a stop sign.

Yes...they are pretty fast. I rode with them one time....and it was definitely a rush of adrenalin. I will ride with them again...when I have decent tires that I don't mind burning up quickly.

I'm sure you don't need help finding roads to ride...but in case you do. Call griff and we'll set up a time...we'll see if we can get a time that Hud can't make. But since yer retired, you and griff can go when the rest of us working stiffs can't.

[1911]

Another FJR from LAURENS.....and they let him on the forum? A guess choosing the best FJR of all time-a 2007, offsets the darksider part.

Welcome!!!!

Since I don't know how much you've explored upstate SC yet here's a few to check off: Qucina 100, Henry's smokehouse, Anita's Mexican, Southern Smoke, Wade's, Midway BBQ, Bubba's BBQ, Griffs Garage (pending) .......

Since you are retired and I work nights, lets do some weekday lunch runs... soon

[raYzerman]

OMG, Phil's here...... the place is going downhill

[Uncle Hud]

Philharmonic, don't let Wheatie kid you: he's way faster than Griff.

[wheatonFJR]

Philharmonic, don't let Wheatie kid you: he's way faster than Griff.

I'm not sure who the "he" is in your statement...but I know griff smoked me going down and up the rattlesnake grade in Oregon/Washington. I couldn't keep him in sight....so I gave up.

[0face]

Welcome! Watch your cornhole around Wheaton and any pets around Bust.

[philharmonic]

By the way, I have a FJR fork seal tool, a morgan carbtune, and an HF tire changer if anyone needs any of those things.

[wheatonFJR]

Welcome! Watch your cornhole around Wheaton and any pets around Bust.

Effen chitown bastard. No thoughts of homosexual sex coming from this part of the internet...Evanston, not so sure.

[1911]

By the way, I have a FJR fork seal tool, a morgan carbtune, and an HF tire changer if anyone needs any of those things.

ALL RIGHT! Tools to mooch without going all the way to Greer or TR!

[1911]

Welcome! Watch your cornhole around Wheaton and any pets around Bust.

Didn't I see something about prisons and ministries in the original post? Keeping an on on 6:00 may already be second nature to the new member.

[griff]

Griff's Garage RTE is still on the schedule---------------sometime.

[Bugnatr]

Welcome fellow Darksider. I'm running my fourth run flat on my Hondapotamas. Nice to get 18k out of a tire as my other bikes eat too many too fast. Happy riding!