Hello all!

I'm Patrick46 from the Oregon Coastline.

A good many of you already know me from the ADV board, and maybe even a few from the Jockey Journal as well...so hey to you'z guys too!

I'm a long time lurker, and a long time rider, so thought I'd finally make joining this site official.

I'm back riding on an air-compressor again, after a many year hiatus, and it's still fun like I remembered. (this is a H-D for those scratching their heads right now.)

I design and build my own bikes. (I've been a custom painter, builder and fabricator for over 30 years) This seems to be the only way for me to be able to ride something that not only fits my frame, but feels the way I want it to in my hands.

Also, as I'm an artist, I like to ride something that doesn't quite fit into a box. No off the showroom floor rides under me. Forget it.

and I've riden alot of different sleds too. (I'm NOT a Harley guy....I'm a MOTORCYCLE GUY.) Yes, I've had many different Harleys over the years, like the Softail chopper I'm on now, a shovel, a pan, and a knuckle I rode cross -country for over 17 years.
oh....but I also put a ton of miles on Yamaha Ventures (4 of 'em), GoldWings, XS and XL Yamahas, and a Z-1 drag-chopper (my own design of course!) I've also had the usual assortment of dirt bikes as well, and still have a few of those hanging around too.

I also pull trailers behind my bikes too, for those of you that like motorcycle campers. We had a Trav-Lite first, but now we're pulling a Kwik-Kamp....and we LOVE IT!!!

My latest monstrosity is an EVO/Twin Cam Hybred Softail Chopper.
Now, many of you are probably not into choppers so much...but if they're set up correctly, you CAN put serious miles on 'em. (Unfortunately, the majority of 'em are just used for stylin' & profiling on sunny days)........but NOT MINE! This one was built for the long haul.

OK...maybe I'm not gonna cross the Sahara on it...I'll leave that to Doug. But it is set-up to put long days in the saddle on. If you can't jump on a bike and ride it from coast to coast tomorrow, then I'll loose interest in it real quick.

It's a 'real' Frankenstein of a machine in many ways, so that's what my wife named it.
The engine runs an EVO lower end, with a Twin Cam top end, giving me 100.3 ci. The trans is a 5 speed, and I'm running a rocker-clutch set-up with a cop-style frame ratchet-shifter. The frame has 8" in the down-tubes, 6" in the backbone, and runs a 10" over late model wide-glide. Rake is about 38*

This thing is fast, pulls like a Mack truck, handles incredibly well, and rides wonderfully! Oh...and it'll pull wheelies all day long. It is so much fun to ride!!!







Well....now that my kids have grown up, I may finally get the chance to do some SERIOUS touring......WOO-HOO!!!!! So I'm actually considering switching over to a GSA.

I've heard from quite a few who are knowlegible on the subject, that a GSA would better suit my needs of riding 2-up and pulling a trailer...over a GS. And a 1150 may be better for me than a 1200.....so the learning curve is in full-on mode!

Another reason for possibly switching rides, is that I live on the Oregon Coastline. There are 10's of thousands of miles of BLM and logging roads out here, that are simply beyond my grasp with the chopper. The chopper is a phoenominal road bike, but it doesn't have the correct frame geometry for going off-road...and I'm wanting to push more and more into that direction.


I love reading all the ride reports from you good folks who are out there making it all happen, and I invite any and all comments about my choppers, and about my potential switch to the "Dark Side".

Y'all be safe out there!!

__________________
"Good Times & Good Friends Make Life Better"

Hi Paterick,
Welcome to the Hubb.
Some bike !
Well named.

Look forward to reading about your adventures.

Rory

Thanx Rory!

(oh....and it is Patrick)

my adventures, well I have had a few.

did alot of long solo trips when I was young, so those were all fun...but in more recent years, my wife and I did 7 states and 8 National Parks and/or monuments in 10 days 2 years ago.

Moab, Arches, Bridges, Mesa Verde, the 4 corners, rode UP the Moki Dugway...pulling our trailer, Capital Reef, the Escalante Staircase, Bryce, Zion, the Extraterrestrial Highway, and home through Yosemite. WOW...waz THAT a trip!!!


and in 5 of the locations, we went on major hikes too, so it's not like we just rode through and took a few pictures.


We also rode out to Bonneville Speed Week 3 years ago, and took the scenic Northern route on the way home. Now that was REALLY COOL!!!!




on the slate for this coming summer, is a ride out to Boston from here on the Oregon coastline. From sea to shining seas...literally!!
I'm hoping we can swing down and do the Eastern seaboard while we're out there...and maybe even spend some time at the Smithsonian Institute!! I've been dieing to go there since I was a kid!

(oh wait....I STILL AM a kid!!)

__________________
"Good Times & Good Friends Make Life Better"

Hi Patrick,

You are a custom builder. Why don't you build a Harley that is capable to do more off-road. That would be interesting.
By the way, you should look what Peter and Kay Forwood did on an standard ElectraGlide: Peter and Kay Forwood on a Harley-Davidson motorcycle. World's Most Travelled Motorcycle.

Here in the Netherlands, where I live, I have seen a Sportster with knobby tires, long shocks and some more modifications to make it an all-road.

Just my two cents......

__________________
Jan Krijtenburg

My bikes are a Honda GoldWing GL1200 and a BMW R1200GS

My personal homepage with trip reports: https://www.krijtenburg.nl/
YouTube channel (that I do together with one of my sons): motormobilist.nl

How-d Jkrijt!

first...oh YES.....I know all about Peter & Kay! I'm a big fan of their work!!

There are a growing number of folks who are building some very off-road capable Harleys, which is very cool...but frankly, I'm getting very 'tired' of the whole "Oooooo....you ride a Harley" thing!

(I pulled into a gas station/market the other day, and as I walked through the store a couple of bozo's came right up to me and said "NICE BIKE MAN!!!"...but I knew that there waz no way possible for them to have even seen my bike from where they were in the store...they could only hear it. Sooooo......just because it makes a Harley noise...it's a cool bike????? idiots!!! )

I've been building and riding Harley's since the late 70's, and I just don't relate to the guys that ride 'em anymore. Too many of them are all excited about their new Harley-Davidson brand underoos, and about trailering their bikes to Sturgis and strutting around in their ill-fitting chaps. (frikken sheep.)

My wife thinks that I make too much about all this, and I should quit worrying about what others say and think....but this crap is seriously EVERYWHERE!!!!! I simply can't stomach it anymore. I don't relate to these clowns, nor do I even want to.

Riding bikes is a very spiritual thing to me. I'm not doing it to please anyone but myself. and I definately don't do it to be 'impressive' or cool.
(kinda odd what I do for a living, huh?)

so.....I'm ready for a change.

and as I said earlier...I've got certain things my new bike will hafta be able to do...
...and still have off-road capabilities.

oh, and I kind of a big guy too, so we gotta keep that in mind, especially for the long miles.

Do you know of any other bikes that could fill those shoes??? I sure don't!


Thanx for your kind greetings. Time to go riding!!

__________________
"Good Times & Good Friends Make Life Better"

I know what you mean. Some time ago I had an old Shovelhead TourGlide and went to a HOG meeting. I think most bikes where not more then two years old and most people had Harley jackets, Harley hats, Harley shirts and I did not feel at home there.

In my opinion, the GSA is not a bad choice. I did some testrides on a R1200GS and liked it. It is a big bike but easy to ride and with the GSA you have plenty of fuel capacity for long rides without gasstations.

__________________
Jan Krijtenburg

My bikes are a Honda GoldWing GL1200 and a BMW R1200GS

My personal homepage with trip reports: https://www.krijtenburg.nl/
YouTube channel (that I do together with one of my sons): motormobilist.nl

WOW Jan...I checked out your page, and you've had quite the assortment of bikes!! (many of the very same ones I've had too!!)

Had an '88 1500 GoldenWingy. Wonderful motorcycle. (by far the nicest thing I've ever owned) Every option possibly available for the 1500...all the bells and whistles. LED's in the bags and box's, reverse, passenger armrests, etc...


but it just didn't ride like a motorcycle...to us. Just wasn't me. Went back to our old beater Venture.
the Ventures were great too, but definately not something I'd ever wanna take off-road.

I've still got my SR 250 Yamaha, altho mine's been converted into a dual-sport typea thingy. Fun little bean bike.

Had a CB 100 (my very first street legal bike.)...and a CB 750/4 too.


I know what you mean about the HOG riders.
And I cannot stand the word 'BIKER'! I'm a motorcycle rider....NOT a 'biker'. (and here I used to be a patch holder too!)

Hmmmmmmm.......maybe I've changed.

goin' riding!!

__________________
"Good Times & Good Friends Make Life Better"

Welcome to HU Patrick!

You'll find there's a HUGE range of ideas on "the perfect bike" so enjoy the discussion

BTW - in many other parts of the world "biker" doesn't mean the same as here in NA. ALL "motorcycle riders" are "bikers" in the UK for instance. And yes I hate it too - here - but adjust when overseas

I just ride, and have fun!

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Grant Johnson
Seek, and ye shall find.
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Inspiring, Informing and Connecting travellers since 1997!
www.HorizonsUnlimited.com

Hiya Grant!

yeah....the 'perfect motorcycle'....hmmmmmmmmm


so, is there the perfect tool in yer toolbox too???





....depends on the job you're trying to accomplish, huh?

in other words.......NOPE!

__________________
"Good Times & Good Friends Make Life Better"