rlpnva

and herding cattle.  However, when we "came of age" (about 13 or 14) we began to ride his bikes to do the same thing.  He rode an off-road bike and I rode a Honda 350 Scrambler (off / on, but a bit heavier).

There is nothing quite as memorable as flying out across a field and having a foot peg get caught on an old corn plant stub.  It tosses you (and the bike) across the field - luckily there were all of those fresh cow patties to cushion the fall - LOL.

It is now years later, and it had been years since I last rode.  So, I decided to take a Safety Rider Course and get my license (going through my 2nd childhood, I guess).  Got my M-Class in Sep '08 and rented motorcycles from Eagle Riders until '09, when I bought a 2005 Yamaha V Star 1100 Custom on eBay.  I was shocked to learn that I had won the bike for $2,750 and wondered if it was even driveable.

The owner assured me he'd be willing to take it on the road without concern, so I took the risk, flew to Rhode Island, handled the transaction, hopped on the bike and rode it all the way back to Richmond, Virginia without a hitch.  It turned out to be a beautiful black custom with no scratches and in great condition - kept in his garage.

It had a KJS 2-to-1 carb and Cobra 2-to-1 pipes.  Call me crazy, but I prefer the stock configuration, and so I had the carb and pipes replaced with the OEM equipment, which the owner had retained and given to me.

I now have the carb and pipes that I am going to want to sell to offset the labor costs of swapping them out for the OEM equipment at the local Yamaha shop.

I added engine guard, Kuryakyn grips and shifter / brake pedal covers.

less