Higgy
XS400 Member
Hi everyone. New guy here with a couple of questions an a quick little bio.
In 1967, for my ninth birthday, my dad brought home to me a brand new Rupp Roadster. It was red and the tank was silver. I was in love. I road that thing to the ends of the Earth. From there, I graduated to a Honda Mini-Trail 50, then to a Trail 70, and a Trail 90. Then I became a teen and worked in a bicycle shop and a shoe store after school, and got and SL100, SL125, and an RD400 in succession. I enlisted in the US military in 1976, and while I was at my first two assignments I had a CB350F, a CB400F, a CB750F and a Suzuki 250 Savage. I went to Germany and a BMW R65 followed me home one day. When the new Kawi GPZ1000 Ninja came out, I bought one of those and realized how easily I could be a bug-splat on the Autobahn. Frightening!
Anyhow, I retired in '96, and came home to a Sportster, and a lineup of un-exciting Harleys and dual-sports until I had a pretty serious crash in 2007. Forty years of riding, shot all to hell. 13 broken bones. Traumatic brain injury - of which I am now disabled for. I mean its ironic that I rode in Germany, France, PARIS and ROME, and never had any trouble, not even a close call, and one night riding home from the Harley dealership I worked, I ate it bigtime.
No idea what happened and no recollection of the crash. The police say it was a single-vehicle crash. I was found in the middle of the road, and my bike - a new Street Glide - was found 200+ feet over a rock wall and into a field. I woke up a week later, after being comatose. Broken ribs, shoulder, hip, and collarbone. No abrasions, and not a single cut at all. I was wearing full HD leather road suit, boots and full-face helmet. Lucky! No doubt that is what saved my life.
40 years of riding came to an abrupt stop. I haven't ridden since 2007. Doc says if I do take another hit to the skull I'm fucked. Wife is seriously pissed I got these shitty bikes off Craigslist, and she is way-against me riding again.
But now here I am with two XS400s. Both are big piles of crap. Wife understands my need to express myself artistically. I'm a second-generation machinist - I grew up in my dad's shop. Anything I have ever wanted I built myself. I'm a schooled welder, and I've done a ton of fabrication on bikes and cars and stuff. I was a custom knife maker, and actually doing quite well until I had that crash. I got some skills, but I have never built a chopper or bobber. I made a café once out of my CB400F, but that was back in 1979(?). Been a while. So as soon as I get some summer remodeling projects done, I'll be embarking on my winter bike build. My plan is to make a bobber or two.
Sorry for being so lengthy and wordy. I promise not to be so verbose in my future posts, but I heartily thank any of you who have read all of it. I'm glad that I found this site, and I hope to learn a lot, but I also hope that I can share a lot of my knowledge too! Good to be here!
Oh, and sorry for the "Twin Sisters of Evil" thing. Its only meant to provide something interesting to catch your attention, and not the typical, "Hello from BF Egypt post," or new guy this and that post.
In 1967, for my ninth birthday, my dad brought home to me a brand new Rupp Roadster. It was red and the tank was silver. I was in love. I road that thing to the ends of the Earth. From there, I graduated to a Honda Mini-Trail 50, then to a Trail 70, and a Trail 90. Then I became a teen and worked in a bicycle shop and a shoe store after school, and got and SL100, SL125, and an RD400 in succession. I enlisted in the US military in 1976, and while I was at my first two assignments I had a CB350F, a CB400F, a CB750F and a Suzuki 250 Savage. I went to Germany and a BMW R65 followed me home one day. When the new Kawi GPZ1000 Ninja came out, I bought one of those and realized how easily I could be a bug-splat on the Autobahn. Frightening!
Anyhow, I retired in '96, and came home to a Sportster, and a lineup of un-exciting Harleys and dual-sports until I had a pretty serious crash in 2007. Forty years of riding, shot all to hell. 13 broken bones. Traumatic brain injury - of which I am now disabled for. I mean its ironic that I rode in Germany, France, PARIS and ROME, and never had any trouble, not even a close call, and one night riding home from the Harley dealership I worked, I ate it bigtime.
No idea what happened and no recollection of the crash. The police say it was a single-vehicle crash. I was found in the middle of the road, and my bike - a new Street Glide - was found 200+ feet over a rock wall and into a field. I woke up a week later, after being comatose. Broken ribs, shoulder, hip, and collarbone. No abrasions, and not a single cut at all. I was wearing full HD leather road suit, boots and full-face helmet. Lucky! No doubt that is what saved my life.
40 years of riding came to an abrupt stop. I haven't ridden since 2007. Doc says if I do take another hit to the skull I'm fucked. Wife is seriously pissed I got these shitty bikes off Craigslist, and she is way-against me riding again.
But now here I am with two XS400s. Both are big piles of crap. Wife understands my need to express myself artistically. I'm a second-generation machinist - I grew up in my dad's shop. Anything I have ever wanted I built myself. I'm a schooled welder, and I've done a ton of fabrication on bikes and cars and stuff. I was a custom knife maker, and actually doing quite well until I had that crash. I got some skills, but I have never built a chopper or bobber. I made a café once out of my CB400F, but that was back in 1979(?). Been a while. So as soon as I get some summer remodeling projects done, I'll be embarking on my winter bike build. My plan is to make a bobber or two.
Sorry for being so lengthy and wordy. I promise not to be so verbose in my future posts, but I heartily thank any of you who have read all of it. I'm glad that I found this site, and I hope to learn a lot, but I also hope that I can share a lot of my knowledge too! Good to be here!
Oh, and sorry for the "Twin Sisters of Evil" thing. Its only meant to provide something interesting to catch your attention, and not the typical, "Hello from BF Egypt post," or new guy this and that post.
We need pics.
