Wow! It’s been a long time since I blogged about my life and times with Max.  I'm going to try to do a condensed edition to get caught up and hopefully stay caught up.  The weather has been too amazing to spend it sitting at home in front of the computer and work has actually had me busy enough that I haven't had time to do my personal stuff there either.  Damn work!  How dare they!?

Let's see, what happened after my ride to Globe?  I don't remember very well.  Everything is a blur…kind of like going 120mph on Max.

I finally got my 'repainted' side panel and to me it still looks like crap.  I'm pretty sure I'm the only one that can see the imperfections though.

A friend and I rode up to Payson a couple of weeks ago.  He's a casual rider with a Honda VTX1300.  He rides VERY safely and takes the curves and corners with extreme caution.  I followed him because he had a specific destination he wanted to show me and it was my first time to Payson.
I went ABSOLUTELY NUTS!!!!
We cruised the entire trip at 5mph below the speed limit and slowing even more for any curves in the road.  I blew past him a couple of times but eventually gave up on that because I just had to slow way down and wait for him to catch up.  I have decided that maybe he and I won't ride together anymore because our riding styles are far too different.  Meaning=I am too reckless.

Payson was beautiful!  There was still some snow in the road ditches and in the shade of the forest.  I will be going up there again soon though because I really would like to spend some time taking pictures.  I saw a lot of views that I think would work as great backgrounds to have Max in front of.  I took the camera but this guy never stopped.  He just kept chugging along like the little engine that could.  It was a nice trip but DAMN my butt hurt.

I left a huge black snake on the long empty road going toward my subdivision.  Right next to one of my old ones but about twice as long.  I grin real big every time I see it.  My wife scowls at me and says that every time she sees a black mark on the road she figures I did it.  She's just plain crazy.  There is just no way I could have done ALL of them.  I can blame some of them on desertmax.  I don’t think she’ll buy it though.

I've been practicing my power sliding and wheelies.  I love the power slides but sometimes she kicks out a little too far and a little too quickly which makes her snap back into line when I let off.  Those scare me a bit.  I think that means I need more practice.

The wheelies are a little more difficult for me.  I can get her to come up but I think I pull too hard which makes the front end shake when it comes off the ground.  I had a couple of awesome ones when I forced myself NOT to pull at all.  I managed to keep the wheel up for a while and set her down nice and easy.  Then there was that one time leaving work with a friend on his Harley…of course I had to show off.  Just out of the parking lot I crept up to 6000rpm in first gear, let off and then hit it hard real quick.  HOLY CRAP!!!  Max stood straight up real fast and even smashed into my family jewels hard enough to make me gasp and drop her back down hard.  He said “Man that was AWESOME!  You had that front wheel 5 feet off the ground!”  I grinned sheepishly, feeling like a moron, and said “Yep, and it scared the shit outta me.”  Note to self: Stop trying to show off idiot!

I finally got my garage door opener installed and put a button for it on Max’s handle bar.  I think it looks pretty damn good, almost like OEM, and the best thing is that it actually works.  Also got my new tires from Dennis Kirk the other day.  Two rear and one front.  Just in time too.  My 4000 mile service is on Monday and that back tire is looking pretty smooth.  So I guess that means I can spin the tire even more now.  I mean why not!?  I’m getting a new one put on soon anyway so I just as well burn this one off.

I got new neighbors this last weekend and I think he has a Harley.  At least my son says that’s what he saw in the garage but it could have been any cruiser.  I haven’t seen it yet.  Heck, I haven’t even said Hello to them yet.  I may just have to spend a lot of extra time detailing Max out in front of the house this weekend.  I just love to watch people drive by real slow with their heads turned, staring at Max and trying to figure out what the hell kinda bike she is.

Also last weekend, I got together with BigAl, his wife, vmaxbrad, and desertmax.  We had a nice lunch and a good long visit.  I actually wish we could have visited even longer but it was getting really hot outside.  It was really cool finally meeting other people with an obsession for the V Max.  I was beginning to think something was wrong with me.  I mean geesh, I STILL get butterflies in my stomach whenever I even look at Max.  I just can’t believe she is actually mine.  It’s a dream come true for me.

Oh yeah!  A guy I work with is starting a guitar business on the side.  He has asked me to be his webmaster and reluctantly I said yes.  But the best news is that he has recruited some ladies from the local gentlemen’s club to take some pictures with some of his guitars when he gets a few built and to my surprise, he also offered to let me get some pics with the nice young ladies on Max.  I’m kinda looking forward to that.  And to go along with all that…the first ‘production’ guitar he is building is for me.  It’s going to be a black flying ‘V’ design and of course it will be properly named ‘Max’.

Wasted a couple of punks in a new Challenger on my way to dinner tonight.  I honestly don’t think they expected a race or anything but as usual, I just had to show off.  I was riding behind my friend on his Ultra Classic.  They met us, did a U-turn, and quickly caught up.  They slowed down beside me and gaped out the window staring at me.  Then they sped up and cruised beside my friend and stared at him for a few seconds.  Then I heard the engine roar and they took off.  Well, that was enough for me and I immediately downshifted into 3^rd and went WOT.  I think I was doing 110mph when I went passed them and shifted into 4^th.  I still can’t get over how fast Max can get from 45 to 110mph.  It’s got to be something like -2.4 seconds.  It makes my grin bigger every time.  Their headlights kept getting smaller and smaller until they eventually turned into a grocery store before we got to the speed trap that evidently both of us knew about.

I’m going on a ride in the morning with a bunch of the local guys, BigAl, desertmax, and others.  We’re going from Tucson out to Kitts Peak observatory and back to BigAl’s for a BBQ.  I’m really looking forward to it because it will be my first real ride with other V Max riders.

Max’s everywhere and nothing but Max talk in the air.  It’s going to be a great day.

Damn I love this bike!