Vetter Fuel Economy Challenges; Hollister CA 7/2/16, Mid-Ohio 7/10/16

[gregsfc]

I'd love to come to the 2017 challenge at AMA Vintage Days if I can get permission from the "boss". I laid it down in Columbus riding home in 2014; had a chance to total it, but decided to get it fixed; finally got it back around October. Then on about the third time I had ridden it since getting it fixed, a cager pulled right out in front of me and another cager (we were side-by-side) going about 58 mph; it was not commuting but a short trip up to see some friends in Kentucky. When this happened on the way back home, I laid it down again to miss a T-bone collision.

I then tried to sell it on consignment for a year-and-a-half, but couldn't get any kind of real money for it. Now I'm riding again and am excited about achieving even better mpg with the new P4s, as I figured the mpg I was getting with the over worn Battlaxs' would be the best I'd ever see.

So it's sort of a sore spot with my wife me riding again, and especially with regards to going up in to Ohio again.

But these days I've got a pickup truck. So maybe, we'll ride up there hauling the bike for the event in 2017. I'll have to build that idea up slowly, but she'd be more inclined to not get upset if we hauled it up there, and even more so if she came with me.

Sorry to everyone reading about the rant. I am grateful for the Vetter Challenges as the only game around. I'm just sort of stoked right now about riding with some fuel mising folks but don't like the idea of building something on my bike that can fit that much stuff. If I could come up with some kind of tail for mine, which I'd love to do but mine would be ugly if I built it, I'd show up with the CTX700 with tail and maybe I could at least replicate that amazing feat I achieved in 2014 that was 14 mpg above my all-time best. I have zero interest in changing my frame or the bodywork of my bike, but unlike Scott's, mine has forward controls and an extreme upright position, sort of like a scooter with regards to the riding position. So I'm thinking I need to mess with a different windshield solution to bring the air up at the same angle as the fairing but farther back than it comes now (it's very far forward of my body) maybe smaller mirrors; maybe have to adjust the handle bars farther back just a touch, so the windshield misses the bike parts; maybe figure out a way to lower the seat via a thinner pad (can go only 1/2" or so); then maybe a tail but it has to look decent; and it has to have an easy removal so as to lift the bike for chain maintenance. As far as gearing, 5th gear is very useful right now for in-town riding. Sixth gear puts me at or about 3300 RPM @ 60 mph, so my RPM is already pretty low, and I'm not a lugger type of person. So if I change the sprocket size(s), I wouldn't want to adjust it very much.