FSSNOC THUMPER GARAGE
**************************************************************** THIS WEBSITE UPDATE IS FOR ... 03-21-19
OUR NEXT ANTICIPATED UPDATE IS ... 03 - 28 - 2019
See "Website Details and Instruction" section at the bottom of all this great conversation.
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WELCOME ... TO THE THUMPER PAGE!
WHAT A BEE-U-TEE-FULL DAY HERE IN THUMPERVILLE!
HOPE YOUR DAY IS EVEN BETTER!
THUMP WHEN YA' CAN! - #000
OKAY, HERE WE GO...
**************** LATEST UPDATE IS BELOW ********************
Just got TN #134 today.
A GB500 on the cover---the same one currently displayed on my FSSNOC calendar! Carol and I are the proud owners of both a 1989 (hers) and a 1990 model (mine). Pic attached. (SEE ABOVE) Life is good.
Photo above ... and as always, Honda's GB500 is definitely moto-eye candy! - #000
I guess it's time I chime-in with an update again---it's been awhile. I started riding my Moto Guzzi sidecar outfit about 3 weeks ago and "graduated" to 2 wheels on Monday. 3/11. My recovery from killing that deer with my 1990 Honda NT650 back on September 3rd has been slow but I'm still making progress!
Glad you are progressing! That was a HARD hit! - #000
Monday, 3/11---Rode my Suzuki Van-Van 200. Back on my Honda CBR250R on Tuesday. Took the BMW F650GS out for a ride on Wednesday. Today (3/14) I started with a "big" bike---my 1983 Suzuki GS850G. I was worried that my shattered left leg & ankle might collapse like a rickety "Jenga" tower but they held-up OK. So Carol (#661.5) and I rode her CBR 250 (her on the back, of course!!!) 35 miles into town to pick-up a new bike that I ordered way back in November.
(GRIN) You are so-o-o-o sensitive! - #000
Off on a seemingly unrelated tangent---I was glad to see a pic of Alan Smith and all 4 cylinders of his "Vetter Mystery Ship" on "Thumper Thursday" a couple of weeks ago. Myself, Carol, and a gaggle of friends are riding out to Montana in July to see friends, relatives & the bee-yoo-tee-full scenery.
The bad news? We may NOT be on Thumpers for the "ThumperCafe. I have a brand-new Yamaha Niken GT that Carol and I will most-likely double-up on for our 2019 ride out west (too soon to tell for sure). That's why I was happy to see Alan's Kawasaki---a multi-cylinder bike--- on "Thumper Thursday". Does this mean that there is an expanded tolerance for the wrong bikes at events?!?! Howzabout I promise to pull 2 of the 3 plug wires on that Yamaha triple prior to arriving at the event in Wisdom, MT?!?!
Time does that ... it rubs off the sharp edges. A clump of coal becomes a diamond.
Get to the ThumperCafe however you wish, the important thing is to be there, Grasshopper - #000
The good news? I've told the guys riding out west with me that they need to be FSSNOC members to attend the Thumpercafe' in Wisdom, MT on July 17th. So you'll be hearing from them sometime later this year. They are: Stu (SC), Jim (MD) and Brian (VA). I've also told them that members with higher numbers have to buy milk for members with lower numbers. Please remind them of that when you send them their new member materials!
Will do, Joe and Carol ... Encourage those newbies to get onboard early so that they will have a shirt to wear at the ThumperCafe ... and forgive me for not putting on the new Yamaha Niken GT, we do give THUMPERS some priorities (grin)... - #000
We've booked a room in Wisdom and we'll see you in July!
Joe Gilmore #661
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AND - SPEAKING OF WISDOM...
Reference Scooter Bill and Miller's questions in Thumper Garage about lodging for the Wisdom, Montana ThumperCafe, I'd be pleased to talk, email, text, smoke signal, drum beat, sheep bleat, whatever, with them or anyone else about some suggestions.
Since I feel partially responsible for the site selection, and know Montana pretty well, I'll be happy to share any information about good routes, cool back roads, ghost towns, historic sites, etc, and can suggest nearby towns to stay overnight before or after the event. If I don't have individual motel names/numbers, I'll defer to Google.
I'm sure Wisdom will be a fun event. If it's a roaring success, I'd even be much obliged to take a small amount of credit. If not, well, let's just say it was Jack's decision... grin.
I have made up some, ah, "appropriate" awards that I'd like to present to the lucky individuals at Wisdom who will have earned the recognition. As Forest Gump would say, "That's all I have to say about that".
So, here's my email address: kcaf47@gmail.com.
If I can give a short answer via email, I will. If not, I'll reply with my phone number, and feel free to call me. In fact, I'd actually prefer to visit on the phone rather than via email. Simpler, more personal, less chance for error. Way too many buttons and keys and stuff on these computers, much more than my two fingers can run efficiently. That way we can both be looking at the map at the same time too.
Larry (a pen name for Ken Conrad, FSSNOC #4800 - Montana)
Yo Larry/ken ... as ONLY me and your mother would say, "YOU'SA GOOD BOY!" - #000
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P.S. As you, dear members, locate and/or discover accommodation options at or near either of our 2019 ThumperCafes, please share with us her on the Thumper Garage, okay? Thank You, #000.
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A long-lost nephew ... with a riddle:
Two stores have:
1. A 350-mile 2015 RE Continental GT, red one.
2. A 7,000mi Suzuki DR650 with an Acerbis tank and a nice luggage rack, ready to have a centerstand installed. I had a DR650 years ago and liked it fine.
3. There's also a tempting Moto Guzzi 750 Sport with all kinds of cool aftermarket stuff on it, but it's in New Jersey, so it's a total long-shot and a long drive to pickup.
Could you live with the RE as an ONLY bike? Of course! I feel sure you could live with the DR. Of course! There's only a few dollars difference in the prices of the first two bikes and we would enjoy the trip up there in the car. I've come to you for guidance, Uncle Jack...
Good to hear from you, LLN (Long Lost Nephew)! No pun intended with the subject above, well maybe ... Anyway, here is a bit of "Wisdom" :
Many of us have learned a long time ago that we can live with whatever we need to live with, "What you sow, so shall you reap", etc ... My 2014 Pickup is literally half the size of a modern day Pickup, my house only has three bedrooms and two of those are used as offices for Carrie and I. I bought my first self-propelled mower last summer, my hair is thinning, my fastest bike is slow, you get my drift...
The ideal solution (and the cool thing is, it is likely possible) ... buy them both! "Variety is the spice of life", so it is written. The two bikes, though both Thumpers, have totally different skill sets and they would compliment one another. But, perhaps I am evading your initial question...
Take yourself back five decades ... that is the Enfield.
Take yourself back two decades ... that is the DR650 Suzuki:
Both bikes will hopefully give good service, but the pendulum would theoretically swing toward the DR650. If you ride in a variety of terrain/conditions ... the pendulum would swing toward the DR650.
If you enjoy riding a historic motorcycle and/or should you enjoy others around you noting that you have arrived on a motorcycle or that you have arrived, period ... we all know which way the pendulum would likely go there, definitely (for me) toward the heart-stopping awesome beautiful Royal Enfield Continental GT.
Fuel Economy ... the RE by a mile or as a "lane" as they say in jolly ole England, sometimes 100MPG, the DR maybe 50+. Which one will never need the valves adjusted? ... the RE. Both use the lower octane fuels. Both are relatively simple garage-serviceable machines, the pendulum swinging toward the DR650 here because of the ease of changing the counter-sprocket, which, incidentally, the RE has a huge 18 tooth beauty that only rotates twice for every rotation of the rear sprocket, meaning 1/3 less wear and way better lube retention that the DR650 which rotates three times per one rotation of the rear.
Instant grin factor ... of course, the RE. Long day grin factor ... of course, the DR650 if you've changed the seat to a Corbin or a Sargent or a Seat Concepts (not a fan of the Suzuki gel-seat!). I've ridden a DR650 some 42,000 miles (and that same bike now has 82000 miles on it via FSSNOC #4570, Ron Bontrager, who lives a mile or two east of my house) . My RE experience is somewhat limited to the 18,000 miles on my own RE Conti.GT.
I could go on and on ... but knowing you, dear nephew ... IF (big IF here) you have your HEAD and your HEART in the game, the Royal Enfield is more than a motorcycle, it is a MOTORCYCLING EXPERIENCE which NO OTHER brand can legitimately offer (again in my opinion) with the possible exception of Harley Davidson and (again in my opinion, they've gone in another direction of late) and to forgo an opportunity to take that trip down memory lane, if you will, might haunt you for the rest of your days. There remains a difference in a dining experience and stopping to eat, there remains a difference in spending time with a loved one and just hanging out, there remains a difference in running with the ball and a season ticket to a really great seat in the third balcony.
I'm going to stop short of advice here, 'cause everyone knows that we don't give advice here at FSSNOC, we are for entertainment only. I sometimes compare myself to Will Rogers from Oklahoma when I say, "I've never met a motorcycle I didn't like..." ... but for some reason, I've had somewhere south of 200 different ones in 63 years of riding, go figure?
See you at Christmas, Nephew... Uncle Jack, #000
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A LONG-TIME FSSNOC FRIEND RETURNS...
Just wanted to let you know I will be attending the (EAST) ThumperCafe on August 21st. I checked it out and it's only about 85 miles from my house in GA. I've ridden right by the park several times. Real nice back roads with very little traffic. I haven't been to a FSSNOC event since the event in western NY that Big Ed helped out with. I spoke at the event about muffler packing. Must have been in the 90's. I don't even think I was a member then. Ed asked me to come and speak. Anyway it will be good to see you and looking forward to the event.
Ride Safe,
Gary Latimer
Vee Rubber America, Inc.
National Sales Manager
1-585-261-1711
"Like" us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/veerubberthailand
AWESOME, GARY! SEE YOU THERE! You have an excellent recall ... it was Big Ed's event, FSSNOC #342, and he is still an active member, stills chats on the phone with Thumper headquarters once in awhile, still loves those XT600 Yamahas, too!
It was 1999 when we were in the Finger Lakes area of New York and mention of that FSSNOC event still brings back memories of the good times! Maybe you can talk to us about tires at this event, eh? I still use and love those two tri-socket wrenches that you put me onto, plus all the other good things you've done for the club! - #000.
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Check out this site hosted by our friends at the NATIONAL MOTORCYCLE MUSEUM, specially if you like Norton Commandos, and who doesn't? I rode a Norton Atlas for awhile and my brother had a Norton P-11.
https://www.nationalmcmuseum.org
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SOUTH OF THE BORDER...
Hey Jack, Kevin and I would like to start taking some adventures south of the border like Dr. Dirt graciously tells us about. I am in the information gathering stage and was wondering if it would be possible to email him and ask a few questions? I have been looking online and it sounds like we would need temporary vehicle tags, and I'm not sure what else. He seems like they guy to ask. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks ... Logan LeMaster #5316 - MO.
Hey. Logan - I tried to contact the good Doctor to no avail ... he is, no doubt, in some remote country to the south of here basking in the sun or resting in the shade of a tree reading a book, his Yamaha XT250 waiting patiently a few feet away...
so don't give up, I left word and he will eventually surface and we can hook you guys-up as per your request. Thanks! - #000.
********************** DON'T MISS THE OTHER PAGES OF THIS SITE,
GO UP TO THE MASTHEAD AND CLICK TO VIEW ------and sign up a friend to the club this week? - #000.
******************* UPDATES BELOW ARE OLD NEWS, BUT GOOD NEWS, IF YOU'VE MISSED THEM *************************
ROYAL ENFIELD BULLET FOR SALE:
Enfield Bullet https://ebay.us/hWNrcT
I hope this comes through. There's this eBay listing and a post on RoyalEnfields.com about this lovely bike!
...Maynard, FSSNOC #1196 - COLORADO
Howdy, Maynard ... thanks for the heads-up. Hope you are getting a few more sunny days out there in big D these days. Rainy here in ThumperVille, again today. We have had a wet winter season this year, the backroads have never completely dried out and every section of farm ground seems to have at least one area of surface water, something I haven't noted for a couple of decades or so it seems.
For those of you who are unfamiliar with what a "section" is, in Kansas our ground is divided up into a huge grid pattern by an ongoing series of plots of ground measuring one mile by one mile or 640 acres. Generally these sections are sub-divided into four 160 acres plots, and often these 160 acre plots are divided once again into 80 acre plots.
When I was a kid, our "farm" was only 320 acres, which now days would be considered sort of a joke. Our farm had lots of things going, things like a big garden, milk cows, beef cattle, sheep, hogs, chickens, and kids and a dog. We grew various crops like oats, sedan, wheat, corn, maize, alfalfa, sorghums, rye, etc ... and we burned wood to keep us warm in the winter and we slept outside on a hayrack wagon pulled into the middle of the yard to stay cool on a summer night.
One learned very quickly just where to position the hayrack wagon so that those sleeping there weren't the ill-fated target for a mischievous or wayward bird who had just eaten his fill of fresh mulberries!
It appears that I have meandered a bit off subject, as memory lane often takes one, but after all, we were talking about a Royal En"field", weren't we? - #000
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"THUMPING IN THE USA"...
Hello Jack,
A few weeks ago I entered a restaurant in Virginia for breakfast. Two men were sitting at the counter, one said "Hey, I like your sweatshirt", so I started explaining what a Thumper was. He looked at me funny, then replied "Oh, I thought it said Trumping in the USA".
So, there you go, Jack, get some new shirts made with one letter change, and get rich. And, these days, possibly assaulted.
Danny #2613, WEST VIRGINIA
Hi Ya, Danny ... Funny story and I can certainly understand! And, THANK YOU, Danny ... for wearing our club shirt!! I so appreciate that...
I often ride a loop ride that takes me around a local reservoir. About halfway around the loop as I ride by a particular rural residence, not sure if it is a farm or not, but anyway, there at the end of a long drive that apparently leads to the house and keeping daily company with a weathered mailbox, is a modest flagpole.
On that pole are two flags, the top one being the Stars and Stripes, and from the seat of my moving Thumper, the bottom flag, flapping in the Kansas wind, can sometimes appear to say "Thump" ... (grin)
Our current FSSNOC shirt is "GOT TORQUE" ... I have occasion to wear a club shirt nearly daily and I've came to realize that not only do some viewers not know what a "Thumper" is, I'm finding that many do not know what "Torque" is, or for that matter, even what "cylinder" means ... what I do know is that the old days are retreating at an amazing pace, guys and gals! Let's enjoy them while we can... - #000
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WHEN IS THE DEADLINE FOR SUBMITTED MATERIAL FOR THE SUMMER ISSUE OF THUMPER NEWS?
JR, what is the deadline for the next TN? Just need to know since I've added some more information to my upcoming Honda CB300 vs BMW G310 article and will send it to you soon but will wait, just in case I want to add more.
Later, Vic, #3701 - NORTH CAROLINA
Vic ... I so appreciate you doing an article for THUMPER NEWS.
The deadline for submissions for the next issue of our newsletter/magazine is TN#135, with a deadline of April 30th ... so get hot everyone, this magazine is to be about our club members, let's make that happen?
So break out the pen and paper, the tablet or computer, whatever, and do an article, share with us what you are up to these days, Thumper-wise...
E-mail it via: FSSNOCthumpers@yahoo.dom
Mail it: FSSNOC P.O.Box 1809, Hutchinson, Ks. 67504-1809
Questions: 620-663-1869 (or the above media)
I am so proud of our recent issue, TN#134 ... as most of the content is made up of submitted material from our FSSNOC membership ... and I for one thought it was an awesome issue and the comments I've heard from the membership echo that as well! Well done, People, well done! - #000
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ANY NEWS ON POSSIBLE LOCATIONS FOR MONTANA LODGING?
Hey Jack
I’m going to try to ride to Montana with Dad (Scooter Bill) this year. Where are you planning to stay in Montana? Thanks, Miller Scott ... FSSNOC #5418 - ARKANSAS
Uhhhhhh ... nothing yet in the pipeline, Miller. Guess I'm waiting on Spring, maybe? Perhaps someone reading this post has a suggestion? This query is in regard to the upcoming ThumperCafe #48 that is currently scheduled to be in the tiny hamlet of Wisdom, Montana on July 17, 2019. I have Scooter Bill's texting number, I'll try to remember to fire him a text when I know more. Glad to hear that you guys are making plans to attend, Miller! Always fun to see you... - #000.
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1957 BSA GOLD STAR DBD34 FLAT TRACKER... (in the photo above)
The Gold Star 500 cc OHV Single cylinder engine did not have the raw power of the Harley Davidson KR750 of the day, but its lightweight and excellent handling made it a frequent winner on the half-mile, TT, and occasionally on the mile tracks in American Grand National Championship Racing...
The basis for the above information came from reading a card attached to the BSA above when I viewed it at the National Motorcycle Museum in Anamosa, Iowa. My most recent visit, I had earlier typed, "my last visit", didn't want it to be my last, so I changed it up a bit ... (no green banana jokes here, please!)
I'd go back in a heartbeat! Great place! It, the Museum, is in a building that began life as a WalMart store and was vacated when they went to a "super" WalMart store just a stone's throw away.
The folks that set out to make a basically big, square, uninteresting, and empty utilitarian-type building into a gem of a motorcycle museum had their job cut out for them! Did they succeed? Does a bear ride a Thumper in the woods?
Sure, to be honest, there is still work to be done on the outside, as granted, it literally screams "Old WalMart Store" when one rides into the spacious parking lot, no argument there.
Off the bikes now, even as Carrie and I went through the familiar-feeling glass and alloy doors, the same ole entry area is still there, though now it was jammed with mostly modern era bikes of limited historic aura, could almost have been motorized riding lawnmowers and flat-black and chrome barbecuers. The sign outside says National Motorcycle Museum, but the experience to that point felt like I was out of WD40 and toothpaste. I fully expected to be greeted by an aging, silver-haired citizen in a red vest ...
That familiar feeling was about to change. We were one door away from entering into a magical place filled with two-wheeled historic machinery, well ... make that two doors, really. We were now in the foyer/gift shop/ticket purchasing area. In that area are a few nice examples of what we were destined to see behind that last wall, and one can get some idea by peeking through a provided window to whet the motorcyclist's appetite. And don't expect to see bikes rowed-up side-by-side like in a dealership. Once we cleared that last wall, that rectangular building became a, as I said earlier, a magical kingdom of two-wheels from the past. It did not disappoint ...
See more about the National Motorcycle Museum on our History Page. And that reminds me, our ThumperCafe #49 at Cheaha State Park is only about an hour away from the Barber Motorcycle Museum, another banner facility not to be missed. #000.
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(Website Details and Instructions: )
Hello Thumper Enthusiasts...
I'm Jack Robinson (FSSNOC #000), your club Director. It is an honor to introduce you to THE THUMPER GARAGE. This mini-venue is in addition to our legendary hard copy THUMPER NEWS quarterly magazine. After enjoying this page, please visit our other pages on this site. Go to the masthead above to make it happen...
You are encouraged to thump by the THUMPER GARAGE weekly. This is a FREE site for you and your friends.
Members may contact us anytime 24/7 with comments, conversation, stories, or questions via a mailed letter, a phone call or an e-mail. When you E-mail, please give us your first name, your FSSNOC member number, and your state. You'll receive a courtesy confirmation E-mail back. Our actual response to your E-mail will generally be posted on the following Thursday's THUMPER GARAGE posting so be sure to tune back in then... (Address-phone number-email address is below... **)
We encourage you to join our club: Complete the application found elsewhere on this site (click on "more" above) and mail it to us with $40 dues for a 12 month membership or save a few bucks by sending $75 for a 24 month membership. Include your shirt size so we can gift you a FREE club t-shirt if this is your initial membership.
A subscription to THUMPER NEWS magazine, mailed to your mailbox, is included in your membership as well.
Our U.S. POSTAL address is: FSSNOC P.O. Box 1809, Hutchinson, Ks 67504-1809.
To call our club, phone 620-663-1869 or you may send an E-mail: FSSNOCTHUMPERS@yahoo.com
NOTICE: Please understand that your E-mail will likely be reproduced on this site. Any/all subject matter and information may be used in-part or edited and will become the property of the Four-Stroke Singles National Owners Club and FSSNOC,INC. All included content in Thumper News or The Thumper Garage is solely for entertainment, not advise....
THE CLUB STORE ... CLICK ON IT WHEN YOU ARE DONE HERE?
The Autumn season means awesome riding for many areas ... time to get some new club gear, eh? Order yourself a bright new yellow and black club cap, a couple cotton t-shirts, and at least one sweatshirt to wear under your riding gear. Remember, every day is FSSNOC gear day. Tell the world about our club ... Thanks!
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YOU'VE JUST VISITED THE THUMPER GARAGE. PLEASE CLICK ON THE "MORE" ON THE MASTHEAD ABOVE ... AND CHECK OUT ALL THE OTHER PAGES OF THIS SITE. PLEASE CONSIDER BECOMING A MEMBER OF THE FOUR-STROKE SINGLES NATIONAL OWNERS CLUB (FSSNOC) TODAY ...Thank You! - Jack, FSSNOC #000/Director
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