Wisconsin Tacomas and bad financial advice

I know it's a long shot being so far away but would you be interested in shipping this? I know shipping may be expensive with it being a big and heavy item so I'm just kind of spitballing the idea. I'm in Hartwell GA 30643

 

No, don't fell like shipping it.
I was kinda thinking for one of of the WI folks I camp/offroad with.

 

I had no idea that this was a recovery group lol. I guess it’s in youth that we figure out what limits are…even if we’re not quite imaginative enough to visualize the consequences.

Hi, my name is McSpazatron and I bought a KLR650 after high school in the mid 90s (it’s kinda like the 4runner of motorcycles lol). Rode that thing everywhere all through college, and put a ton of miles on it back road bombing throughout the kettle morraine area, driftless area, even rode to wyalusing way back in the day lol. It was the perfect bike for rough curvy hilly backroads, so maneuverable, comfy, perfect amount of torque to almost always be full throttle out of of backroad curves. It was the embodiment of the saying “funner to ride a slow bike fast, than a fast bike slow”. I was a responsible kid…if I had a bit of speed demon in me, I was in control, yes sir. Made it through my early youth without even a speeding ticket, and a ton of road riding experience to strengthen my judgment.

So basically that means my dabbling with speed was out of pure stupidity. By the time I was 25, I wanted to ride other bikes. Bought a suzuki gs500 for shits and giggles cuz it was cheap. Not the fastest bike by a long stretch. Got pulled over on loomis in franklin when I was ringing her out. Ran it hard all the way through 5th. I had been in 5th for a while when I got curious about these weird reflections bouncing off the signs in front of me. You guessed it…I thought I was going to jail for sure, on my first speeding ticket lol. Pulled over and got the “do you have any idea how fast you were going question”, and I gave the most sincere “I have no idea sir.” He basically said he had no idea either lol. Being polite, and acknowledging my stupidity is probably kept me out jail that night.

A few years later, a secretary at work told me her husband was selling his Yamaha FZ1. Yes please! I had been in love with naked bikes for a while, and in my dreams, the fz1 was second only to the Eddie Lawson zrx1100. I was over the moon when I bought it. No speeding tickets, but this was the first time that Ive ever experienced acceleration that was beyond my ability to process. Again, pure stupidity…. Rode it about 8k miles, fastest was 140 indicated (132 on the gps). In keeping with the stoopid theme, it was on the narrowest bumpiest empty farm backroad …God that was stupid. In fairness, it was not that narrow or bumpy at 55mph lol. Put about 10k miles on it, and sold it because it was a pig on the curves. Glad to be rid of the temptation.

Several years after that, it was a mint 99 Zrx1100. I honestly could write poetry about that bike. It handled so perfectly on the back roads. Comfortable. Less power, but sooo much more torque than the yamaha. But it lead to more “responsible guy” temping fate in the stupidest ways. Over a couple of years of ownership, I survived a few moments that should have taught me better. But my problem wasnt lack of knowledge anyway…nope, just stupidity lol. Thankfully, I eventually missed a full throttle 3rd gear shift, which bent a shift fork or something. Sigh, third gear was my favorite gear. I sold it off. That one hurt, such a good bike.

Still had my KLR, always kept it in good riding condition, I just rode it less and less. Guess I finally got bored, and I think I became better at imagining the consequences of a mistake, especially the ones where you don’t die.

Finally sold it off a couple of years ago when I decided my adventures would become 4runner based. I had 55k miles on it, and still got 1700 bucks for the thing lol. What a good bike that was. That money funded my sliders lol.

 

looks like @Larry Dangerfield is getting some new parts!

 

My first bike was a 1980 Kawasaki KZ100R1R with an after market RC engineering turbo kit. With the boost dialed down to 14psi it made 150hp at the rear wheel. I used to open it up on H between 6 mile and hwy K. That bike taught me that it's more fun to drive/ride a slow machine fast than a fast machine slow. On ramps were a blast but not much opportunity to open it up otherwise.

I always wanted a Smoking Joe CBR600f. Those were so cool when they came out.

 

Agreed! I've had tons of fun pushing cars right to the limit. I don't know if I'd ever want anything really fast. I was saying a few years back, before I even bought the Tacoma, that I wanted 300 horsepower, manual transmission, and rear wheel drive. I'd probably settle for two of the three, lol. I was hoping to be in a position to buy a Nissan 370Z after the 4Runner is paid off. But, who knows...

 

I've noticed I am a man of extremes. After I sold the Kawasaki I bought a Buell Blast. 500cc single. Not fast but amazing torque on the bottom end, it was the perfect city/commuter bike.
I also went from a gas guzzling 1 ton Chevy contractor van to a Fiat 500 that got 36mpg. This was back in 2014 when gas was $4+ a gallon. That car while it only made 100hp was a blast to throw into a corner at stupid speeds as it weighed 2500lbs with me in it.
Ultimately it was the poor performance in snow that made me get rid of it. Even with dedicated snow tires it had too much tire for the weight to handle nice on snowy roads.

All that said I am much happier with the Tacoma and it is definitely more "me" and does everything I need and so much more.

 

I had a '73 Nova SS. Not a muscle car by any stretch. Turned it into an airplane one night on an icy curve and wound up in the plowed up cornfield. Hit the bank doing 70ish, (which launched the car) through the barb wire and ended up 100' ft from the road. Took it into shop class on Monday to have a good looksy underneath. Dented hood and some really nice scratches told the story. Some smart ass commented that if he had a car like that, it would last him his lifetime.

I told him, "The way I drive, it probably will."

 

While talking to my best from high school many years back, we were both surprised we made it to our 30s.
We had many very bad habits when we were younger.

 

Can't agree more with Larry, the addition of the Ultra4's has been one of the best add's in years!

 

So all this reminiscing about old rides made me go dig for some pictures-real ones-from the past. This was my first love. 1955 1st Series Chev 1/2 ton. This was my Dad's farm truck until I was about 14 or so when it got put out to pasture. When I turned 16 I drug it over to my brothers shop and did a frame off restoration. That time slip is from one of the few times I was able to keep everything intact for a full 1/4 mile! 1983 I think: 12.98 with a built 250 straight six. That fooker was a handful to drive-bump steer and everything bad about straight axles and leaf springs. Loved that truck. Lost it to a divorce back in 1990...

But, then I discovered a BMW... 1976 2002 to be specific. Loooots of stupid happened with that car. Oh, and for the motorcycle contingent I dabbled with a CB750F that made me smile a lot back in the mid-eighties... Bought it new in 1984. Sold it with 5k miles in 1989... Was very dangerous for me to own as I didn't come with that little blinky light in the corner of your eye that says: Too Fast Stoopid!

 

I can relate. I always thought it was funny that I had separately modded and tuned my old 2003 V8 F150 and my little 2006 2.0L turbo Audi A3 to be very close to the same advertised HP and torque specs. The F150 never saw 100mph. As for the A3?

As others have said, it was punished by a younger me, but the car kinda scares me now.

 

Not sure about how it would fit around the bumper cover but the 2nd and 3rd gen, I believe, have the same mounting points and the center valence are similar in profile.

Sucks that someone couldn't get a sale posting correct, they should make it right.

 

Funny story to go with this. I believe it was the last time I got a speeding ticket...

I was working 2nd shift (7pm to 7am) and we had a meeting of some sort, which ran late. I had to go out for lunch and damn if I got to the drive-thru just as they closed. So, I went to the nearest 24hr grocery store to get something frozen that I could nuke back at work. When I got out of the store, I was still pissed about the meeting running so late, blah blah blah and when I hit the on ramp to the highway, I let 'er snap. Was doing over 120 when I hit the merge area, upshifted to 6th and idled back down. Then, as I'm rounding a curve, I see reflectors in the median. Damn, a cop. Look at my speedo, 82 in a 65. As I approach the cruiser, the headlights come on and I put my hand up to let him know I was stopping.

Cop pulls up behind me...damn, two heads. Cop has a rookie trainee...I know I'm getting written up, so let's have a little fun. By the time they get to me, I have my helmet off, the rookie asks me if I know how fast they clocked me. I reply: around 80. He says: don't you think that's a little fast? My reply: well, I'm just glad you weren't a half mile back when I was doing a buck twenty. The rookie almost swallowed his tongue! The veteran cop turned away before he started laughing. Rookie says: I can't write you up for 120 because I can't prove it but 80 is too fast. I replied: at 6am, if I'm not doing 80 on this stretch, I'll get run over. Besides, in all of this time we've been here, there hasn't been one car gone past. Who was I going to hurt? What, was a tree going to jump out in front of me? I don't ride like that when there's traffic.

Rookie goes back to the squad to write me up and the veteran cop comes over and starts talking to me, says I'm getting written up because he couldn't have his boss find out he let me go with a trainee. I told him I understood. He says he almost busted out laughing when I told the rookie I was going 120 back up the road. Then he goes: 120, really? I nodded. He asks how fast the bike goes and I told him the bike mags say about 155. He asks if I ever had it up that high and I tell him I saw 142. He goes: 142?!...what's it like? I've only had a cruiser to 120 and that was fucking fast. I told him that after 120, every 10 mph feels like double what you were going. You're looking a mile up the road for something that would make you think you had better be slowing...any thing...and I pre-ride the stretch of road to check the pavement and sight lines.

We talked a little more before his partner comes back with my ticket and lectures me to slow down. I apologized for jerking his chain and we all had a laugh. Overall cool guys. Wrote me for 74, caught a big break.

Didn't slow me down though.

 

Who knew we all had so much in common? It should figure, I guess...

 

I was just thinking that too!
I rode trail bikes a ton growing up, my only street bike was a 71 BMW R75/5. I knew with certainty that if I’d had a fast bike, I wouldn’t be here today… lol

 

I originally got my MC license because I was afraid I'd get caught riding without. A buddy had a KZ1000 and would throw me the keys if he knew he was going to drink when we were at the bars (just about every night...). That bike was fast, way faster than it handled! Or stopped!!

 

I thought about buying one of those, glad I didn’t!
A few years later, a good friend bought a CB1100f. It was his second bike and he’d only been riding a couple years. I’m amazed he lived. That thing was crazy fast.

 

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This!

. Smart on the pre-ride. And that focus a mile ahead…I think thats part of the sense power that comes with “inadvisable” speeds, that you are changing the scale of things completely. It’s like being given complete control over time and space lol. I can understand the rush!