Khunajawdge
Toto El Mundo!
Here’s my story;
In February of 2012, Mis Tres Amigos including meself (2 Fjr’s and one FZ1), went on a sojourn to Arizona in March O’ Dat year. After our return via “interesting” and sometimes “tintilating” roads we made it home. Our route beginning in San Luis Obispo, CA. and included such places enroute as; Bakersfield, Barstow, Indio, and Banning, CA. We also passed through Yuma, Gila Junction, Phoenix, Prescott, and Kingman, Arizona. Finally Laughlin, The Hoover Dam, Las Vegas, and Beatty, Nevada. Across Death Valley then home across the Valley of the San Juaquin through Paso Robles to the coast near Morro Bay. I was fine when I got off the bike but the next day it felt like I had a hot poker jabbed into my right shoulder. Was having trouble sleeping, waking up every few minutes to turn over to keep my right arm from numbness and pain.
I set up an appointment to see my chiropractor and visited him a day or 2 after my return. Over the next few weeks he managed to work the stabbing pain out of my shoulder and down my right arm until it finally fixed itself as a numbness in the two bottom fingers of my right hand. When I tried to ride my bike for more than an hour the shoulder pain would return and I’d need to re-visit the chiropractor (who happens to be a rider himself). He finally said he would take an Xray to see if something else was at play and found a couple of collapsing discs in my neck. He said I needed to go visit a specialist and sent me to get a Cat Scan and take it to a nuerologist for tests. The nuerologist suggested an orthopedic surgeon = Yikes!
The surgeon I went to was highly recommended by many of my friends and colleagues so I saw him. He suggested a voluntary (on my part) surgery to open the vertebrae on 3 discs without fusing them using a bridge technique called a laminoscopy. I had it done.
OK, so my neck, shoulder and arm are no longer on fire, and I am back to sleeping nights. I even hopped back on my older V-Strom and did a couple of 3 day trips through the Sierras. But then…my right hip began to give me trouble. I was having a very difficult time throwing my right leg over a bike. So now, after more testing, X Rays, doctor visits etc. I am scheduled next month for a hip joint replacement. Hopefully(?) I’ll be able to get back on the bike again after that.
My 2 bikes
Last year, I had decided to put my FJR up for sale and let a local MC shop handle the publicity and sales. Not a bite= Nada! It didn’t seem like $4K was a lot to be asking for an ’05 galaxy blue FJR with 64K+ miles on its clock? Didn't seem all that long in the tooth for a sport touring bike in almost flawless shape, but c’est la vie. So this year, I decided to offer my ’02 Suzuki DL 1000 steel blue with 67K+ miles on the clock, and it went in minutes. Maybe with gas prices hiking, the economy factor is beginning to creep up on the performance factor as the preferred way to go = Dunno?
But, during my 2 years off my bikes other than a few runs to the local market etc. I took up another sport that has been taunting me for years to get into. So, here it is;
My New Ride a 14 foot Cobra Fish and Dive Kayak (a yak for Big Guys)
Buddy Brian and me getting ready to launch our Cobras near Big Sur.
Brian in his Cobra on the water
Spooner’s Cove is our local launch spot closest to home.
This fish was caught off Spooner’s and is a local rock cod called a Vermillion for it’s bright red color. Basically, this is what is called a West Coast red snapper.
Down near Carpinteria I caught this Baracuda launching from La Cochita Beach
Here’s another local fish caught out from Spooner’s Cove = 34.5 inch Ling Cod
Oh, and on the water there are Leo's also. Here we are having our catch and licenses inspected by officers of the California Fish and Game.
By the way, when I’m on my new to me fishing boat, I don’t have to throw my leg over or keep my wrist on the throttle, I just paddle out and toss lures and jig with a rod. Somehow(?) those motions don’t bother me (yet?). So far, It’s a completely different ball game including launching and beaching in some (usually small) surf. There is the occasional capsizing, and subsequent water re-entry. A lot of paddling with or against a wind or current. BIg swells and the dreaded visit from the landlord = the great white shark, make this an exciting sport. Note; If there is interest?, I can post a hair raising story about a buddy’s great white encounter on his kayak about a month ago.
Sorry this wasn’t so much about the FJR, but I just thought I’d try to stay live on this Forum a little longer in case(?) I get some of my current physical issues sorted out. Am now planning to keep the FJR a little longer and have begun to slowly re-farkle the ’05 after selling many of my after market extras to riders on this Forum. I’m still living at the base of the Big Sur coastline in CA. so there’s lots of good riding and fishing to be had within a days range.
In February of 2012, Mis Tres Amigos including meself (2 Fjr’s and one FZ1), went on a sojourn to Arizona in March O’ Dat year. After our return via “interesting” and sometimes “tintilating” roads we made it home. Our route beginning in San Luis Obispo, CA. and included such places enroute as; Bakersfield, Barstow, Indio, and Banning, CA. We also passed through Yuma, Gila Junction, Phoenix, Prescott, and Kingman, Arizona. Finally Laughlin, The Hoover Dam, Las Vegas, and Beatty, Nevada. Across Death Valley then home across the Valley of the San Juaquin through Paso Robles to the coast near Morro Bay. I was fine when I got off the bike but the next day it felt like I had a hot poker jabbed into my right shoulder. Was having trouble sleeping, waking up every few minutes to turn over to keep my right arm from numbness and pain.
I set up an appointment to see my chiropractor and visited him a day or 2 after my return. Over the next few weeks he managed to work the stabbing pain out of my shoulder and down my right arm until it finally fixed itself as a numbness in the two bottom fingers of my right hand. When I tried to ride my bike for more than an hour the shoulder pain would return and I’d need to re-visit the chiropractor (who happens to be a rider himself). He finally said he would take an Xray to see if something else was at play and found a couple of collapsing discs in my neck. He said I needed to go visit a specialist and sent me to get a Cat Scan and take it to a nuerologist for tests. The nuerologist suggested an orthopedic surgeon = Yikes!
The surgeon I went to was highly recommended by many of my friends and colleagues so I saw him. He suggested a voluntary (on my part) surgery to open the vertebrae on 3 discs without fusing them using a bridge technique called a laminoscopy. I had it done.
OK, so my neck, shoulder and arm are no longer on fire, and I am back to sleeping nights. I even hopped back on my older V-Strom and did a couple of 3 day trips through the Sierras. But then…my right hip began to give me trouble. I was having a very difficult time throwing my right leg over a bike. So now, after more testing, X Rays, doctor visits etc. I am scheduled next month for a hip joint replacement. Hopefully(?) I’ll be able to get back on the bike again after that.
My 2 bikes
Last year, I had decided to put my FJR up for sale and let a local MC shop handle the publicity and sales. Not a bite= Nada! It didn’t seem like $4K was a lot to be asking for an ’05 galaxy blue FJR with 64K+ miles on its clock? Didn't seem all that long in the tooth for a sport touring bike in almost flawless shape, but c’est la vie. So this year, I decided to offer my ’02 Suzuki DL 1000 steel blue with 67K+ miles on the clock, and it went in minutes. Maybe with gas prices hiking, the economy factor is beginning to creep up on the performance factor as the preferred way to go = Dunno?
But, during my 2 years off my bikes other than a few runs to the local market etc. I took up another sport that has been taunting me for years to get into. So, here it is;
My New Ride a 14 foot Cobra Fish and Dive Kayak (a yak for Big Guys)
Buddy Brian and me getting ready to launch our Cobras near Big Sur.
Brian in his Cobra on the water
Spooner’s Cove is our local launch spot closest to home.
This fish was caught off Spooner’s and is a local rock cod called a Vermillion for it’s bright red color. Basically, this is what is called a West Coast red snapper.
Down near Carpinteria I caught this Baracuda launching from La Cochita Beach
Here’s another local fish caught out from Spooner’s Cove = 34.5 inch Ling Cod
Oh, and on the water there are Leo's also. Here we are having our catch and licenses inspected by officers of the California Fish and Game.
By the way, when I’m on my new to me fishing boat, I don’t have to throw my leg over or keep my wrist on the throttle, I just paddle out and toss lures and jig with a rod. Somehow(?) those motions don’t bother me (yet?). So far, It’s a completely different ball game including launching and beaching in some (usually small) surf. There is the occasional capsizing, and subsequent water re-entry. A lot of paddling with or against a wind or current. BIg swells and the dreaded visit from the landlord = the great white shark, make this an exciting sport. Note; If there is interest?, I can post a hair raising story about a buddy’s great white encounter on his kayak about a month ago.
Sorry this wasn’t so much about the FJR, but I just thought I’d try to stay live on this Forum a little longer in case(?) I get some of my current physical issues sorted out. Am now planning to keep the FJR a little longer and have begun to slowly re-farkle the ’05 after selling many of my after market extras to riders on this Forum. I’m still living at the base of the Big Sur coastline in CA. so there’s lots of good riding and fishing to be had within a days range.
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