Recent content by rlbowers3

When I deployed the first time, back in 2004, I left my wife at home with all these monsters, there is only a ten year spread between the youngest and the oldest. That deployment was from June 04 to Dec 05, almost 20 months. My wife handled it like a champ! As soon as I returned we packed up...

Yes, the crash was difficult. But what's REALLY hard? How about 7 kids? Yup! My wife and I have raised seven children. Here they are at my eldest sons wedding three years ago My eldest daughter there was due with our first granddaughter. Second granddaughter was just born last Friday. So...

So, the accident was bad. I already posted a few pics. I even did a news interview from my hospital bed a week after. https://www.ktvb.com/mobile/article/news/local/nampa-man-recounts-potentially-fatal-motorcycle-accident-im-so-thankful/485814133

Just imagine the looks you get on the freeway, snow pelting down, as you pass Soccer Mom in her minivan! Priceless!!!

Thank you all for your kind words. I can tell you that renewing my account here has had a direct effect on my Craigslist searches for a new 'Busa The Versys is a great bike, mostly based on the return on investment. 100,000 miles on a $5,000 bike. But it also FEELS like a bargain basement bike...

Another Versys, of course

So, for now I am sticking with Versys #4 I have since painted it Tan (homage to the vehicles I drove in Iraq), put on larger off-road tires, and I have put some new hard bags on it. It's not quite where I want it, but slowly, it will get there. It's just great to be able to ride.

I don't get to ride much anymore. Before I was hitting as much as 20K in a year. I have only ridden about 6K this past year. I did have a chance to try something different. A friend of mine needed a place to store her ZX-10 for a while. I got a chance to ride it a few times. Mmm..........not...

When the 1 year anniversary started drawing near I knew what I had to do. I started combing Craigslist for a new bike. I found one exactly like the one I crashed. I even found a jacket identical to the one they cut off me. I ordered a replacement helmet, same model and color. You can't see...

In March of 2018 I started physical therapy. It was late May, early June before learning how to walk again. After regaining some mobility I started to venture out on my own. My first Solo trip in the car...? You guessed it! The motorcycle dealership! I had to ask them to help me lift my...

I flew over the car, landing feet first about 30 feet beyond. Broke toes on both feet, bones in both feet, both knees, pelvis, a few vertibre, my left elbow and right thumb (both minor). I spent the whole rest of October in the Trauma ward, all of November in Rehab, and the next three...

I didn't own a car from 2010 until 2017. I rode my Versys everywhere. 12 October 2017 was a Thursday. I went to a Combat Vets Support Group in Boise. I was heading home at about 8 pm, just a few miles from home, when a lady made a fast Left turn in front of me. I never saw it coming. My...

At 100,000 miles I figured that I should start looking for a replacement. They don't last forever, right? I flew up to Spokane WA and bought #3 and rode 7hrs back home. That one took me on a fantastic trip to Milwaukee and the Harley Davidson Museum. What a great bike!!! When I bought...

When I got to 87,000 miles on "El Burro" I started having problems. My stator was going bad, forks needed to be rebuilt, and all the normal maintenance that I had never done, well...it was time. So I bought another one to ride while the old one was in the shop. Checked the valves, all good...

And I found it hard to keep up with maintenance while riding, and I paid a heavy price! My chain broke! ☹️ When it breaks it takes out a small external oil pipe and all the oil leaks out. I have found that I can get roughly 11,000 miles on a chain if I severely neglect it. I know that...