Motorcycles

Hi, Phil,

Thanks for the warm welcome to this forum.  It's much appreciated.  I love the HP2.  It's a great bike.  I like your idea of putting street tires on it...it'll do it ALL!  I guess that's why I got my R1200GS...I love it.  I recently rode it down Baja and back and had a fabulous time on it.  The new "baby" GS, the F800GS, looks fantastic.  I just wish it had a bigger fuel tank on it because there are a couple of places in Baja where fuel is more than 200 miles away!  I'm sorry to hear that you don't get to the track much.  It's where I do most of my riding, although I do a little sport-touring with my wife on the ST3s, and some road trips on the GS.  My sportbikes are for the track.  My passion for track riding is the real reason why I want to get a toyhauler.  It'll make my wife a little more comfortable at the track while I'm out there spinning around pretending that I'm Nicky Hayden.  Plus, having a coach at the track will allow us the flexibility of staying at the track vs. spending big bucks at local hotels.  I think the biggest reason why we're looking at a toyhauler is so I don't have to pull a trailer (I stress out when hauling a trailer).  These are just a few reasons why a toyhauler appeals to me.  Of course, the purchase cost, storage, insurance, depreciation, fuel costs and potential frustration over breakdowns and shoddy workmanship are things that scare me about buying a toyhauler.  So, I'm still "undecided" and "un-convinced" that a toyhauler is the way to go.  I'm taking a few days "off" from my research to noodle the decision a bit.  I'm sure that whatever decision I come to will be fine...things have a way of working out!

I do ride quite a bit at Streets of Willow.  I've come to like it a lot after first hating it after my first few visits.  But I now like it for its technical complexity and convenience (it's less than 2 hours from Camarillo).  It does eat up tires though.  The track surface could really use a new coat of asphalt as there are dips and potholes in some places, and the transitions from old sections to new ones have small lips that can launch the bike if not ridden correctly.  It's a challenging track, but I like it a lot.  My favorite track in CA is Infineon Raceway, up near Sonoma.  It's very challenging, and high speed.  It's  a bit far from home so I don't get up there that often.  I've come to like Laguna Seca too, but Infineon still tops it.  Laguna is famous for its "Corkscrew" but it's not really that challenging once you figure out your marker in making the left turn into it at the top of the hill.  The rest of the track is pretty boring actually.

Thanks again for the great welcome to the forum!  By the way, I agree with you that Gulf Stream gets big kudos for innovation.  Unfortunately, all of my research (lots) has revealed that Gulf Stream's products are not too reliable.  I hope your RV Wanderlust leads you to the best decision for you.  It's crazy...once we buy something, you know something better and cooler will be introduced to the marketplace...kinda like motorcycles!!  Good luck!!

Best,
wooleeboolee

I understand about the track and a coach.  Are you doing track days or competing?  When I was on the track we never had anything organized for racing locally but it has grown and is now organized.  Got as far as Wisconsin at Blackhawk, did some Pueblo CO, and the bulk of riding in Deming NM and some in Alb NM.  My favorite was Deming due to its small, very technical track with forever run off.  When I saw a retirement window beginning to open I had to close down the money pit on track riding.  I do miss it but have substituted the need for speed with distance inline skating and bicycling.  There is nothing more exciting than going to a track and camping next to the pits.  Good people and good times.  I used to Flat Track in NC many years ago and we would ride to the track on our bikes, disassemble them for the track and then race.  We slept in the infield and prayed for no rain.  Different times. 
I wish you the best of luck on the track and in your search for a coach.  We found our Beaver, got a great deal and have sold the digs to fulltime.
Just as a footnote, I am considering selling the HP2 and replacing it with a sportbike and scooter.  Still in the planning stages though.
Ride Safe, Phil   

Hi, Phil,

Sorry I've been AWOL...my wife's dad had a minor heart attack so we've been dealing with hospitals, tests, etc.  He's fine now, and life is somewhat back to normal for everyone.  It was a close call for him, sort of a warning, I guess.  He starts cardio therapy this week, which is a neat name for exercise under a nurse's supervision at the doctor's office.  Insurance pays for it.  Frankly, I'd rather be a local gym watching all the cuties working out in their spandex rather than having some ugly nurse barking at me to do ten more minutes on the treadmill!!  hah hah.

Wow. It looks like you've done your fair share of riding!  Good for you!  I've not ridden any tracks outside of California although I was invited to go along with Reg Pridmore and his CLASS Schools to some track in Texas for a couple of days of school this week.  I passed on the opportunity due to my dad in law's situation.  Now is not a good time to leave the state for a couple of track days.  Wifey will never let me hear the end of it should Pops have another heart attack or worse. 

I don't race because I'm too slow and old.  Plus, my wife will finish the job if I should hurt myself too badly while riding a bike and such injury was due to my own stupidity.  Worse, she'll make me sell all the bikes, and I can't let that happen.  Therefore, I'm a pretty conservative rider on the track and on the street.  I have a lot of fun w/ CLASS since I know all the guys and the instructors.  Reg is a good friend (his school HQ is in Santa Paula, which is just a few minutes from my home in Camarillo) and we've become more like family over the years.  If you've never been to CLASS, let me know and I can help make some arrangements for you to attend.

I'm surprised that you want to get rid of the HP2.  It's a great bike as you know, but maybe it's just a bit too specialized for you?  if you got a sportbike, what would you want?  By the way, having a scooter is a lot of fun.  We have a little Honda Reflex which is a blast to ride.  You can throw it into the corners and hoot and holler while having the throttle pinned to the stop!  My wife rides it around the neighborhood while I work on my other bikes.  She loves it.  It's fast enough for me to commute to work on from time to time and is freeway legal.  If I ever get a MH/toyhauler, I'll take it to the track with me so my wife can use it as a pit bike.

I think the perfect sportbike right now is the new Honda CBR600RR.  It's truly the best 600 out there.  It's balanced, fast and comfortable.  It's perfect for the track and the street.  They're indestructible and easy to work on.  My bike tuner (here in Camarillo) is one of the crew chiefs for Erion Honda Racing.  He strongly recommends the new 2008 600RR for me.  I have a 2005 600RR but it's the older generation.  The new generation has better mass centralization and better turn-in handling.  So, I'll ride my 2005 for this season, and in November, when the AMA season is over, I'll buy one of this season's Supersports bikes from Erion (most likely the spare bike).  I can't wait.  I won't have to do a thing to it.  It'll already come with a race-tuned motor, exhaust, suspension and all the other race bits and farkles.  My wife will be happy with that since I tend to blow another $3000 to $5000 on modifying my bikes to suit my needs.  With an Erion bike, I won't have to do a thing since everything will have already been done by the race team.

Let me know what kind of sportbike you're interested in.  the new BMW HP2 Sport is an awesome looking bike!  Too bad only a few hundred will be coming to the U.S. so if you want one, you need to place your order now!!

cheers!

Hey Woolee, Good to hear from you.  Sorry to hear about the father-in-law.  Seems like misfortune afflicts the best people.  I am sure he would rather be at the gym with the cuties but Nurse's can be be nice and be glad they are there.  I can sure appreciate your wife's concerns.  She sounds like mine and keeps me on the path.
The RV fulltimer's problem with toting a motorcycle is a headache.  There are many approaches from what I have seen.  Having a stick house does make a difference.  I had a little insulated workshop to work in and keep my stable.  Now it is a little 6X10 trailer I used for the track. When we leave Albuquerque for good I will have a Ford E150 to put the toys in.  Floorplans which have a garage with a real bedroom above it sure is appealing to someone like me.  The emphasis of my life had been motorcycles for years and as I make this transition they take a less prominent role in my life.  Never thought I'd see that day!  Keeping the motorhome where I want it is almost akin to the old Brit bikes in the PM department.  Racing and track time were some of the most exciting days of my life but it is, sad to say,  slowly becoming a part of my history rather than my present.  That is OK by me as I have a lot of Country to see and explore.  You are very fortunate to live in CA with all of the great tracks, motorcycle culture and for that matter a great RV culture.  I ride at 70%, maybe 80% when I want to kick it.  The 90% and 110% days are gone, well sort of!  I'd hate to work all of these years to retire into a wheelchair although I'd hope it had a great motor. 
I have admired Pridmore's accomplishments over the years.  Even bought, and still have, the AMA Superbike Championship Mug put out by Butler and Smith.  The track venture I initially had doubts about as RPM seemed to be pretty safe for a racer.  He did it and it works, very impressive. 
My HP2 is a really hard choice.  The HP2 has the two sets of wheels giving it the ability to competently off road and with the other set it is a great road bike/motard.  A wet weight of 430lbs is also very nice considering it is a BMW.  Its failing grace with me is its height, pretty high for a 5'9" guy like me.  I am not a hardcore dirt rider but do enjoy passing the jeeps in their supposed element.  If I keep it I will get rid of the continental air bag suspension and go to an ohlins or wilburs for the rear.  Only made 600 of them so indeed it is in rare air.  It will fit well with our full time life but 105 hp vs 180 hp, well you understand.  Many folks think it is a dirt bike and have jaw drop when it rocks by them with wherewithall 8).  The new CBR 1000 has the same great technology you were referring to in the RR.  It would be on my shortlist..
Well I'd better jump off.  I suspect the RVer's are tired of all this motorcycle talk.
Ride Safe, Phil     

Hi, Phil,

Hauling a bike around is a pain, especially with a trailer.  I have a 6 x 12 Haulmark enclosed trailer for taking the bike to the track.  It's fully decked out for bike gear, tools, etc., but I want something that is a little more secure and a "home away from home" when on the road and in the pits.  Hence, my interest in a motorized garage such as the ones that you and I are salivating over.  I want a Safari Simba but my wife has put me on a Thor Windsport budget.  Oh well.  I'll sit tight for now until I can justify the $145K out the door for a new loaded Simba.  I find the quality is so much better than any of the other motorized toyhaulers I've seen out there.  The Jayco Seneca is nice too but it's a Class C and I don't want to feel like I'm driving a bouncy truck after a long day at the track.  The other reason why I'm favoring the Simba over the Seneca is that Monaco's dealer network and customer care seems to be better than Jayco's.

OKay...some bike talk...(my apologies to all the RV'ers who don't care about motorcycles).  The HP2 is an awesome bike, but remember, "it's all in the wrist", so you can choose to ride it as you wish.  The seat height is a bit high, but I have a R1200GS, and I'm 5'8" with only a 28" inseam.  The smartest thing I did with the bike was to replace the stock suspension (which was really poor) with Ohlins that were manufactured 1" shorter than stock.  The shorter suspension helps out tremendously in the height as well handling departments.  It's the best $1350 I've ever spent.  The bike handles so much better with the Ohlins.  If I buy another GS, I will not go with the new electonic suspension just so I can go with Ohlins.  I have Ohlins on all of my other bikes (except, of course, on the scooter).

I'll tell Reg that you have one of those AMA mugs.  He'll get a kick out of it.  I have to tell you that Reg's teachings have been instrumental in keeping me safe and sound on the street and on the track.  I am 52 years old, so I don't ride at 100% at the track; I tend to keep around 75% most of the time...just so I can return another day and have more fun!

Take care, Phil!  Good luck with the Beaver's handling issues (I've seen some of your other posts about its handling).  I hope you get them sorted soon.

Hey Wooley, You are absolutely right about the throttle hand and the use of track schools for safety.  I am sure Reg's school can only improve the breed.  He is one of the most talented riders in my memory.  I used to have an H2 Kawi as a young man and remember its speed and just being awesome.  A friend races them and he let me take a ride on the track.  Very scary compared to modern bikes and it reflects the skills riders of that era had to have.  I eventually want to get into an RV driving school.  I have watched some of the pro's put them into places I would be weak at the knees trying to do.  Like motorcycles I have figured out my limitations and at 59, almost 60, I recognize it is all too easy to over ride/drive ones skill level.  Like you said, it is all about fun.
The mid-engine class A's have a lot of potential in my book as a comfortable, fulltiming rig capable of carrying a bike(s), tools and gear to a track or an area one would like to visit. I have no objection to a well made 5th wheel toybox that is well made.  Excel is the only one I would consider in light of the fulltime requirement.  The Carriage G Force is also well made but lacks the floorplan.  One rig, the Raptor, had a nice floorplan, reasonable quality, but lacked the fulltime capability.  It had the garage split in half with an indoor room on the one side.  I have had one toyhauler and felt the space over my head in the garage was wasted.  Put a walk in room over it and you have something there.  The FREDS have that potential and I found some of the floorplans interesting.  Gas versus diesel.  The cost of fuel today and the differential between diesel and gas sure is thought provoking.  If fuel reaches $6.00 per gallon my fulltime days will be limited as things are now.  A hybrid diesel would be most welcome in a MH and or pickup.  We are in for some exciting times in the RV and motorcycle industries as technologies are going to go bump and then wow!  Well, rambled enough.  Have a great Good Friday and Easter.
Ride Safe, Phil

Hi, Phil,

It's funny you mention RV school.  I'm thinking about taking one with my wife when/if we get a MH.  There's one in Palmdale/Lancaster, CA which is about an hour and a half from us (right near Willow Springs)!  Maybe I can borrow my brother's brand new Fleetwood Evolution LE (that has been in the shop for 3 of the 6 weeks he's owned it).  He's at the end of his wits with it.  The dealer won't stand behind it (shrugging their shoulders "we don't know how to fix it") so my brother has had to deal with Fleetwood factory to mess with the problems with it.  Poor guy...he's getting into Porsche racing and wanted the coach to go to various race tracks to watch and participate, but he's been grounded with a dead new MH that he paid some pretty good money for!  I told him to get a Monaco but he wouldn't listen.  He found the Fleetwood at an RV show out in Pomona, and bought it on the spot from a dealer (a big dealer) located in Montclair, CA.  The dealer delivered the MH in filthy condition and lost all the manuals.  My brother still doesn't know how to work half the stuff in the coach.  Unfortunately, he too lives in Camarillo, which is at least an hour and a half from Montclair (in good traffic).  If he had bought a Monaco from Simi Valley RV, all he would have to do is drive about 15 minutes from his home.  Plus, Simi RV is a good dealer that caters to the local community.  If I buy a Safari Simba, I will purchase it from Simi RV.

Thanks for the tips on motorized toyhaulers.  I'll do some more research!!  I hope you're doing well.  By the way, I've spent some time in ALB, and I like your city a lot.  Great food, great sites and great country music!!

I wish you and yours a wonderful Easter.  He is RISEN!

best,
Leeton (aka "Woolee")

Hey Leeton, Happy Easter and Happy Spring, the MC/RV window opens, at least for the rest of us.  Dinner with sis and mom and on to a great week.  The Revolution I looked at and wondered about.  Guess that question is answered.  Well the HP2 question is 90% answered.  Found a K1200R, 2007, with goodies added on and new for a decent price.  Seems like the best of all worlds though a bit heavy.  Has the juice, 163 hp @ the crank.  Sort of a Busa from BMW but lighter.
My friend bought the 888 SPO, reminds me a lot of my old 851, a bike I should have never sold.
Catch you later, Phil 

Hi, Phil,

A K12R, eh??  Nice bike, but, as you said, it's a bit heavy.  Lots of juice to carry the weight though.  I almost bought one but then I took the GS out for a test ride...I never looked back!  The 888 SPO is an awesome bike but so is the 851.  I would love to have either.  My friend has many low (some #1) S/N plate Ducatis and Bimotas in his collection.  He has one of the best/biggest private collections on the west coast (outside of Jay Leno's).  The crazy thing, is that my friend lets his buddies ride any bike he has in the collection.  He says "hey, I bought them to ride, not to be garage queens!!".

We're off to my brother's house for Easter brunch.  There should be some good food there.  Unfortunately, I picked up my new custom-made Vanson race leathers yesterday from Pro Italia, and they're a little snug.  I guess the 6 boxes of Girl Scout cookies I've eaten in the last couple of weeks are to blame.  Therefore, i'll have to take it easy today and go to the gym tomorrow.

Keep me posted on the K12R!!

best,
Leeton.

WhenI was going to HS in Elkhart IN, learning the foundational knowledge of RV's before I worked for Starcraft amd Coachmen, after grad school, I also learned about sport cars , Formula 1 racing and from some college guys, bikes.

I was working at a hotel on lake Webster for two summer and two of the guys were college buddies from Huntington area, breaking in a Volvo foe a former HS teacher. She knew they'd do it right while she was working on her Masters somewhere she flew off to.

One of them  i heard, went on to make a name, not in sport cars of F-1's but bikes. His name was Phil Schilling. Both Roger and Phil were smart, but Phil was very math smart and thought faster than Roger. Did he make it big?

Hi Bob,  Happy Easter! I think Phil Schilling made it big.  The 750SS was a bike I would have died for in the late 70's and Schilling was the reason.  He got Ducati on the Daytona map.  His influence is still felt to this day, yes I'd say he was successful.  That is so cool you knew him in the day.  I do not know much more than I have mentioned but he sure got my attention focused on Ducati's although Pridmore's win at Daytona, I think the year before, got me into BMW's as well.  Both bikes in that day handled whereas the Japanese stuff had the power but would put you in a ditch.  I believe that to be the history as best my old memory allows me.

Leeton, Have some more Girl Scout Cookies and spend the day at the gym.  I tell them I can no longer buy them since I live in a MH and have no room or cannot afford to enlarge my girth..  The inline skating keeps my reflexes fresh, keeps my visual tracking from target fixation and I get to wear armor and a helmet while doing it.  I do about 15 miles on a local trail, the Bosque Trail, (You may know the trail Bob), here in Alb.    It sure burns calories and the sights along the Rio Grande are exceptional.
That 888 has my heart as well.  He said he would let me ride it so it will be very cool.  I like the simple things in life.  The K12R, at 522 wet pounds may or may not be the bike.  Motorcycliist voted it Bike of the Year in 05.  Having never ridden one I will have to see.  If there are problems loading and unloading in the van it will be a no go.  Few BMW's appeal to my sporting side but there overall capability is awesome.
Phil 

Hi, Bob,

Phil Schilling indeed made it big in motorcycle racing in the 1970's.  In fact, he was a top race bike builder who tuned the famous Ducati 750SS that won the Daytona race in 1977.  His partner in crime for that famous race was a guy named Cook Nielson, who was also a well-known racer/tuner of that era.  The bike that won the Daytona in '77 was named "Old Blue" because it was painted in blue and silver.  In 2007, Ducati, in partnership with a company named NCR (which was Ducati's race works shop in Italy back in the '70's), made 50 bikes in commemoration of "Old Blue", using Ducati's modern engine and chassis and one-off titanium and carbon-fiber bits made by NCR.  It was gorgeous and all 50 units sold out within hours of release.  Schilling spent several years as a professor at the University of Wisconsin before going to work as an editor of "CYCLE" magazine, which, at the time, was the country's biggest motorcycle magazine in distribution.  I believe the modern day version of it is Cycle World Magazine.  

Schilling  was always fascinated with Ducatis and had loved them from riding them around Indiana in the 1950's.  He loved the marque so much, he raced Ducatis throughout the 60's and 70's, and came in third place in the 1976 Daytona race behind Reg Pridmore and Steve McLaughlin (on BMWs).  For the next year, he bored out the 750 into an 883 machine and won the race!  It was all Ducati needed to get a push into the U.S. "superbike" market.  As I mentioned in an earlier post, I'm friends with Reg Pridmore and I'll ask him about Phil Schilling in a day or two when Reg returns from a track school in Texas.  I'll let you know what I learn.

Getting back to New Blue, Cook Nielson was at the bike's unveiling in NYC, but Phil wasn't.  I'm not sure if he's alive or not.  Also, I'm not sure what happened to Roger.  But Phil did make himself very famous for his contributions to Ducati and its "entry" into the U.S.  Furthermore, he was at the forefront of American motorcycle racing and helped forge the way for what is now known as the American Motorcycle Association.  

Many people say that Ducati's success in selling motorcycles in the U.S. were due to Phil's race bike that won the Daytona.  The old adage "win on Sunday, sell on Monday" is so true!!  You didn't know back then that Phil was going to be so famous, did ya??!!

To make sure that we keep this thread in the "RV" mode, I wonder how many Ducatis will fit in the garage of the Bounty Hunter?

cheers,
Leeton.

Leeton and Phil,

I always expected to see one of their names in conection with Watkens Glen or Road America at Elkhart Lake, WI.  I'm not a bit suprised as Phil was brilliant. I hope he is still alive and if anyone finds a URL to contact him or is in touch withhim, I'd love to touch base after all these years. . .  He just might get a kick out of knowing I became a priest serving in the Episcopal Church.

And amazingly he is now on a list with a number of other notables that this poor country parson has been privileged to know.

Hi, Bob,

I see we moved this thread to a new area...it's just as well as we were getting afield from the main topic!!

Anyways, I did some research to try to track down Phil Schilling.  The most current bit of news that I found was that he was invited to the World Ducati Week in 2007.  WDW is held in different locales every year and it's a gathering of Ducatisti (tens of thousands of Ducatis and their owners) for a week of fun, food and Ducati motorcycles).  So, it looks like Phil was still kicking as of summer of 2007.  I'll do some hunting and will let you know if I can find out anything more.  Maybe Reg Pridmore knows.  He called me this afternoon while on the road from Texas but I forgot to ask him about Schilling.  I was in an electronics store looking for a new big screen TV.  I'll ask him tomorrow when he gets back into town.

It would be great if you could make contact with Schilling.  How great would that be!!

best,
Leeton.