Want to ride on my 60th birthday, need help locating spokes!

Help please! Turning 60!

Okay, I know you can't help me with that. That's up to me to suck it up. However,....

Is there anyone out there that knows Honda Africa Twin CRF1000 motorcycles that would know where I can get a set of three spokes for the rear wheel? My local dealership ordered the wrong spoke and I have to wait a week and a half before I might/maybe/hopefully will get the CORRECT part.

With such a sh_tty year and turning 60 early next week, I thought well since we can't socialize, why not do something fun where I can be safe. (Okay, a lot of you might not think riding a motorcycle at this time is safe, and I'm open to discussing. But not until after the bike is fixed. )

If you, or someone you knows has such a bike, please let me know. I am willing to drive several hours to purchase the parts.

Please help an aging man who still thinks he's much younger and wants some fun on his 60th birthday.

Please share and let's see if we can use social media to connect me with a stranger that likes the bike as I do.

Hey Craig, I can't help yeh, but I salute you with two thumbs up for using the bike the way it was intended to be used. Too many don't get that dirty or do anything that would wreck spokes.

Now you need to share with us what did you do to break 3 spokes? Of all the shenanigans I have seen or been part of, never seen spokes wrecked.

Happy 60th Birthday!

Michel

Well @tricky55+ and @michel mondou here's "the rest of the story"...

tricky55+ - some day I hope to be able to take credit for getting the bike that dirty, however, this particular picture is from the day after I bought the bike and my partner in crime took us two up into unfamiliar territory. He a long time rider, but hadn't ridden in a long time and I brand new to this sport and motorcycling had no idea what we were doing. He now admits being rusty and it was a stupid thing to do, but he rode us straight into the middle of a massive puddle. The spot we got stuck in was perfect. Perfectly fit the wheel span of the AT, and was up to the axles. We couldn't get it out, however a side by side with a wince did. Well, with some effort and once we figured out that the rear had to be lifted straight up before we could drag backward out of the mess.

Michel - the short story is I believe when I crashed a pointed rock hit the spoke just above the nipple and snapped it

The full story.....as mentioned above, I am brand new to motorcycling, so you can imagine where I am going with this. One the Friday of the Aug-Sept long weekend I went for my first ride with another ODSC member @Brian Helliwell . I am eager to learn and hadn't found anyone to ride with yet, so Brian was kind enough to take along for my first gravel ride. And although I was somewhat okay, I didn't realize how much work it is to ride, plus not having any training or technique, I am sure I used up a LOT more energy than a veteran. Well as I was climbing a curved hill the bike understeered (meaning I didn't know how to lean and counter steer) into the ditch on right hand side. I wasn't deep, maybe 6" to 12", but the right side was a steep bank.

As much as I can "DanDan the Fireman" deconstruct the crash, one I was tired, two I didn't know enough about handling gravel, three I looked where I shouldn't go and four I tensed up. So after driving thru the ditch for a while the steep embankment grabbed my right foot off the peg (or I put my foot down?) and the bike I and when for a tumble. I dislocated my ankle majorly and broke the tibia at the ankle.

I have now spent the majority of the last 3.5 months recuperating from surgery watching 100s of videos from Ryan FortNine, Bret Tkacs, DanDan, MotoJitsu and others. Reading Total Control by Lee Parks and two books by MotoJitsu and started practicing five days ago.

The plan is to take Clinton Smout's course as soon as he opens again, practice anything I can read, watch or learn and be ready to ride with members here in the Spring. Fingers crossed.

Having difficulty posting pictures. Hopefully this isn't a duplicate. These are the pictures that show how I got the bike so muddy. Or should I say, my buddy got it so muddy.

My partner in crime assessing what we've done:


We tried lifting the bike and putting in wood for traction. Didn't work.


Our saviors, husband and wife with a wince. Honda, rescuing a Honda.

If anyone has alternate ideas how to get out of the stuck above, please feel free to share and educate a newbie.

BTW, I now carry utility shovel, hand winch, many "come alongs" and synthetic rope. Oh, most importantly, I don't go on these trails.... yet. Hopefully I will be able to resist them until taking Clint's off road course.

Other than Clint's course and Gopher Dunes, does anyone know other courses I could take?

Come on ODSC rides and get real world advice. We're all in it together.
Bruce

second that!

OKAY, sign me up! When is the next one? I'm free boxing day, the 27th, 28th, 29th, .... you get the idea.

Happy holidays, hope Santa brings lots of new toys.

Craig

Two things...the AGM is imminent and you can hang out and meet some of us, virtually, there. Also, the Falls Tour is usually first up in the spring when the meltwater is really running. A full ride schedule is in the works and should be revealed about the time of the AGM.

Bruce

Hi Bruce,

I'm new member, so just learning the ropes. Do we get notice of the AGM, or do I need to log in often to find announcements?

Cheers

I would say put a tire on, looks kinda bald in this pic. unless it full of mud

@toslow it was full of mud, however the rear tread is low. Frankly it probably shouldn't of passed the safety when I bought in June, but I got a great deal.

I always love getting new rubber (winter or summer) for my four wheeler transport. Looking forward to putting new shoes on in Spring. Just exploring what I can get away with during my first winter on a M/C.

I appreciate your input for my safety. Be well.

How are you liking the africa twin?

Well, I don't have anything to compare it to, except riding a mini bike with a Briggs and Stratton lawn mower when I was six.

I know NOW, I would have been better off with a smaller bike, but the deal was too good and I made the typical emotional and logical decision. "Well if I got a smaller bike, I'd be upgrading next year." Not too sure that would be true now. A 500 to 700cc probably would have been fine.

Can't go back in time, but I did look at trading it in for an older more klicks BMW GS700. But dealer wanted even money. Didn't make any sense to me, so I stayed with AT.

I am getting more comfortable with it. I wouldn't have got the DCT if I had known better... man, the lessons I keep learning...

So I just keep learning, hopefully at a steep learning curve.

What do you have and how do you like it?

We just saw the AGM details this afternoon. It will be posted to all members very shortly.

Bruce

I got a 2011 KLR 650, thats my dirt road and cow path bike, i also ride it on the main roads but not much on the 400 series hwy's. It's everything everyone says it is. i like it for the ease of riding. it's light and nimble.

Also i ride a 2017 Versys 1000. it was badged as a adventure touring bike. More like a sport touring bike if you ask me. The thing eats up hey in a hurry. very comfortable to ride and loads of thrills if you want them.

plus i got a couple other bikes.

Anytime you want to ride and i'm available shoot me a PM. Plus there are a bunch of great guys and rides on this forum. stay tuned as often as you can.