************************************************* KEEP ON THUMPIN' ...
NOTE: ALL CONTENT OF THIS WEBSITE IS PRESENTED FREE OF CHARGE TO THE VIEWER AND IS TO BE CONSIDERED SOLELY AS ENTERTAINMENT. - FSSNOC, INC. UPDATE: 02-04-26 NEXT EXPECTED UPDATE: 02-11-'26
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HELLO, THUMPER FANS ... IT'S WARMER NOW!!
FINALLY!! AND, WE ARE PLANNING TO DO A RIDE ON THURSDAY, PERHAPS THE DAY YOU ARE READING THIS ... THE WEATHER FORECAST PROCLAIMS 61 DEGREES! WE'LL TAKE THAT...
HOPE YOU ARE HAVING BETTER WEATHER NOW AS WELL. IF SO, ENJOY YOUR OWN THUMPER RIDE...
PHOTO ABOVE IS OF AN ANTIQUE THUMPER FROM YESTERYEAR THAT IS ON DISPLAY AT THE KANSAS MOTORCYCLE MUSEUM IN MARQUETTE, KANSAS ... ABOUT 40 MILES FROM MY SHED.
IT'S A NICE RIDE AND IF ONE TAKES THE RIGHT ROUTE IT CONTAINS SEVERAL CURVES, CORNERS, EVEN A FEW HILLS ... AND JUST DOWN, OR I GUESS IT WOULD BE "UP", THE STREET (SOUTH), THERE IS AN OLD STILL OPERATING "DRUG" STORE WITH AN SODA/ICE CREAM BAR.
AFTER A STROLL THROUGH THE MUSEUM, WE OFTEN STOP THERE TO ENJOY A CHOCOLATE MALT MADE WITH HOMEMADE ICE CREAM AND OF LATE, WE SOMETIMES GET A CHAI TEA, SHOULD THE WEATHER PROMPT SOMETHING WARM IN HAND AND TUMMY.
WHILE CHAI TEA ISN'T ANYTHING NEW TO SOME OF YOU VIEWERS, IT WAS NEW TO US. IT IS MADE WITH MILK! YEAH, TEA MADE WITH MILK, BLACK TEA, SEVERAL SPICES ... IT IS YUMMY.
OF COURSE, WE LEARNED OF CHAI TEA FROM ITCHY BOOTS. SHE SAYS THE BEST CHAI TEA IS IN INDIA AND IT IS WORTH THE TRIP. I THINK FOR NOW, WE'LL BE CONTENT WITH A "THUMP" TO NEARBY MARQUETTE...
AND, SPEAKING OF ITCHY BOOTS, WE, THAT BE CARRIE AND I, HAVE VIEWED ALL 8 SEASONS OF VIDEOS OVER THE LAST YEAR, MAYBE YEAR AND A HALF, SO WE ARE UP-TO-DATE WITH HER NOW. SHE IS CURRENTLY IN CHINA. VERY INTERESTING STUFF, FOR SURE...
SO NOW WE ARE LIMITED TO JUST TWO VIDEOS PER WEEK, WHICH LEAVES US "WANTING" FOR MOST OF OUR EVENING VIEWING.
YES! WE HAVE GOOD NEWS. WE FOUND ANOTHER RIDER WHO IS EXPLORING ASIA, AND THEREABOUTS ... AND IT IS ANOTHER FEMALE RIDER FROM WHERE?
YUP! THE NETHERLANDS. WHAT MOTORCYCLE DOES SHE RIDE? AND THIS REALLY WARMS MY HEART ...
A THUMPER ... MAYBE A 400CC OR A 500CC, NOT SURE ... MADE BY FANTIC OF ITALY. IT IS BADGED THE CABALLERO ON THE GASTANK, IT MEANS "GENTLEMAN" IN ITALIAN OR SPANISH, SO WE'VE LEARNED. AND BE SURE TO CHECK OUT THAT AMAZING AFTERMARKET EXHAUST MADE BY ARROW!!
THE BIKE APPEARS TO BE A WATER-COOLED FOUR-STROKE SINGLE WITH A 19" FRONT WHEEL AND PERHAPS A 17" REAR, BUT I HAVEN'T CHECK THAT OUT, AND I SHOULD HAVE BEFORE GIVING THIS REPORT, EH? CHEAP HELP, HUH? (GRIN).
SHE, HER NAME IS MICHELLE, GIVES IT CREDIT FOR HAVING EXCELLENT SUSPENSION, COMFORT, AND A LIGHTWEIGHT OF 330 POUNDS ... AND THE SEAT HEIGHT APPEARS TO BE QUITE DO-ABLE FOR US RIDERS WITH HIGHER MILEAGE, IF YOU GET MY DRIFT.
AN UNRELATED SOURCE REVEALED THAT A COMPANY IN THE USA IS SLOWLY BEGINNING TO IMPORT THIS BRAND FROM ITALY SO WATCH FOR IT IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD ... THE FANTIC, MADE IN ITALY SINCE 1968.
OH, HER "HANDLE" IS ... CHECKPOINT CHASER. SO WE WENT TO CHECKPOINT CHASER, S-01, EP-01 AND "BOOOM" ... THERE SHE WAS, AND DON'T SKIP THESE EARLY VIDEOS AS THEY GIVE HER RATHER INTERESTING BACKGROUND PLUS SOME GOOD INFO ON THE BIKE AND ITS PREPARATION FOR THE EXPECT ADVENTURE.
ONE THING WE ENJOY ABOUT THIS TRAVELER, SHE APPEARS TO PRESENT A LONGER VIDEO PRODUCT THAN ITCHY BOOTS, AND WE LIKE THAT.
SHE STARTED HER ADVENTURE IN AUGUST OF 2024, SO SHE IS KIND OF A "NEWBIE" TO THE GAME AND WHILE THERE ARE SOME SIMILARITIES TO ITCHY BOOTS VIDEOS, SHE DOES PRESENT HER OWN PERSPECTIVE AND IF YOU HANG WITH HER AWHILE, I THINK YOU'LL DISCOVER THAT SHE DOES HAVE A UNIQUE HUMOR ... WHICH WE LIKE, AND HERE'S A HINT: TRY USING THE CAPTIONS WHILE WATCHING THE VIDEO, IT ADDS YET ANOTHER LEVEL OF UNDERSTANDING.
I WOULD BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T COMMENT ON THE SCENERY ... IT IS FLAT AWESOME ... AND SHE DOES HAVE A DRONE TO HELP MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
SO THERE YOU ARE ...
AND THE PHOTO ABOVE ... IS OF A 1909 THIEM MOTORCYCLE. DON'T EXPECT TO SEE ONE OF THESE AT YOUR LOCAL BAR AND GRILLE ANYTHING SOON.
A RENOWNED SOURCE FOR ANTIQUE MOTORCYCLES PROCLAIMS THAT THERE ISN'T A "SINGLE" KNOWN EXAMPLE OF THIS RARE MOTORCYCLE IN EXISTENCE.
I GUESS WE KNOW BETTER, EH? HISTORY TELLS US THAT THEY WERE MADE IN ST.PAUL, MN. FROM 1900 TO 1913. ME? I'M JUST PASSING ALONG SOME OF THE INFORMATION ON DISPLAY WITH THIS MACHINE AS IT IS FEATURED IN THE MUSEUM.
KANSAS MOTORCYCLE MUSEUM
120 N. WASHINGTON ST, MARQUETTE, KS. 67464
785-546-2449
KSMOTORCYCLEMUSEUM.ORG
WORTH A TRIP? OF COURSE, AND DON'T FORGET THAT CHOCOLATE MALT JUST A FEW DOORS SOUTH! - #000
GIVE US A "THUMBS-UP" AND HIT THE "JOIN" BUTTON IF YOU ENJOYED THIS REPORT: (we don't have a "join" button but you can go to the "member application" page and make it happen. You'll never do it any younger... )
Talk to us: [email protected]
BE SURE TO CHECK OUT THE OTHER PAGES ON THIS SITE, IN FACT, I'M HEADED FOR THE HISTORY PAGE NOW, YOU CAN RIDE PILLION IF YOU LIKE...
...#000/JACK
******** Posts below this line are from an earlier date *********
MILES RIDDEN IN 2025 REPORT...
Hello Jack and fellow club members...
I decided to total my riding mileage for the year:
2023 Honda Rally 1483
2019 Honda PCX 150 1150
2012 Kawasaki KLR 650 1264
2024 Triumph Speed 400 2737
2022 Honda Africa Twin 4534
2015 Triumph Tiger 3481
14649 total for the year of 2025.
( 6634 were Thumper miles )
"If I would have made it to the ThumperCafe in Kansas like I planned the Thumper miles would have been better... "
Thanks!
Dave from North Dakota, #2585
COMMENT: Wow! Pretty impressive, Dave, both your miles ridden and your stable! You live in the North Land of the lower 48 so to me, you have a shorter riding season than most of us ... Great job!
And, as for the ThumperCafe in Holton, Ks last August, we did miss you!
Thanks for the post, good stuff! - #000
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ANYONE SPEAK DUCATI?
SKY POWERSPORTS in Sanford, Florida ... Thank You, Dwain #5174 and Ro #5357.
There was so much sunshine there that I had to zoom in on the motor to get a clear focus, sorry, Dwain!
( Dwain was posing with the Ducati MX in the original photo... )
See more DUCATI on the History Page screen and the Event Page screen ... Ducati appears to be in the THUMPER business once again, albeit in the high performance arena!!
The above photo featured the motor of the competition model. My suggestion would be to go to their website and feast your eyes on all that is posted there ... it is an EYE-OPENER!
I went to DUCATI.com and it came right up - amazing!!
I'll be right back, I'm going to the bank (grin)...
"Carrie, get out the Jeep, we need to go downtown!..." (ThumperVille is snow-locked for now from a motorcycle standpoint. Progress is being made, supposed to get above freezing today, but then back into the locker until next Sunday ... B-B-B-Bummmerrr!
I better finish this task first, meet me at the History Page?
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... RIDIN' THE SINGLE TRACK ...
..................................................................................... by Vic Force, FSSNOC #3701 - North Carolina
Hello JR and club members,
Some years ago, I rode lots of single track and off-road stuff. My old body just isn't up for that anymore. Just as well because most of the areas where we were able to ride has been closed off.
This picture (above) is of a sad Super Sherpa at a gated riding area ... this is just one example. This area belonged to a paper company and had miles of fun riding, but no more.
Mileage ways, 2025 wasn't a record breaker for me, but it was better than 2024. My 2025 miles were 3987. My personal goal at the beginning of the year was to average 10 miles a day, so that did happen with a few extras as a bonus:
Kymco GTi 300, 1870 miles (thumper)
Kawasaki Super Sherpa 1130 miles (thumper)
Yamaha XT350 3 miles (Thumper)
Suzuki GS450E 275 miles (multi)
CF Moto 450NK 708 miles (multi)
My total for 2025 was 3987 miles ...
I first started logging mileage in 1988 and have recorded 285,522 miles since then. Prior to 1988, I had 22 years riding but no record of miles. Those years did include twice to Alaska from Michigan and numerous other shorter trips. Guessing I'm close to 400K for my lifetime but will never know for sure.
Goal for 2026 is simple, I'd like to do better than 2025. I am planning to give it my best effort.
Much credit to Carrie on a *milestone year
(Note: *As posted in last week's update, see insert paragraph below, see entire post on last week's History Page update - #000).
"I had my highest mileage in a year that I have ever done. 11,638 miles. All on my beloved Honda ADV 160cc Scooter. I believe riding this scooter has given me my confidence back and also have helped me become a better rider due to the miles I have put on it and being aware of just being on 2 wheels." - Carrie R, #000.5
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Ride when you can and stay safe.
Vic Force, #3701, NC
(REPLY TO VIC... )
GREAT JOB, VIC!! GOALS CAN MAKE IT INTERESTING, SOME TIMES WE ACCOMPLISH THEM, AND SOMETIMES WE DON'T ... THANKS FOR THIS POST, VIC ... AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR POSTS THROUGHOUT 2025. WE ALWAYS ENJOY YOUR STUFF, MY FRIEND! BEST WISHED FOR 2026, MAY YOUR SMILES BE WIDE AND YOUR MILES BE MANY. - THUMP ON! #000.
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