TOPIC:

A lot of time and planning has gone into this, it may not go as smoothly as some would like but it is the spirit that has gotten it this far and the spirit will carry it farther. It was mentioned by a member and took off from there with little organization for such a large task, that's where some stepped up to the plate big time. Thanks to ALL who have contributed thier time. A comment as negative as this one

"Perhaps should consider just cutting losses, and drop it for now - possibly for another time"

is a ball buster to read. Nothing like getting deflated at the first hiccup. As Joe stated it was said earlier in the thread that it might take more than one season to make this happen, it was also mentioned that it may have to be mailed a time or to. Don't let this get you down guys it is a hurdle that can be conquered, and will. Negative is for grounding the battery, not this relay.

Gary - K7GLD wrote: WELL, as sad as it may seem or be, and especially in view of the fact we're well into June, and the flag has a LOOooooong way to go to final destination - quite likely causing a substantial loss of other riders anticipating a faster travel...

PLUS other pretty large holes in the travel map ahead YET to be filled one way or another...

AND the fact that this neat idea envisioned that the flag be physically carried and handed off by RIDERS/OWNERS of the vintage Kawasakis it all revolves around - ALL the distance, without interruption or "substitutes"...

Perhaps should consider just cutting losses, and drop it for now - possibly for another time?

For sure, I don't see likelihood of the flag getting from the right coast to the left coast before adverse Fall/Winter weather conditions add their delays and stoppages to progress. Washington state and Oregon see cold/wet/icy weather pretty early in the Fall - and other northern states and BC do even more so.

Perhaps time for either an adjustment to expectations as to time frame - or a reality check as to whether we just bit off more than we can chew - to ME, substituting non-vintage bikes and USPS or FedEx for the originally planned carriers, sorta defeats the purpose, and dilutes the final outcome.

Sorry for the negative thoughts, but just sayin'...

I've had the Idea to try to get it on the national news to maybe help get the word out but I know no one who can get this accomplished. Any one know someone who can get the media to do a little piece on the relay?

We're not dropping anything. A group like this that pours their hearts and sweat into heaps of 30 year old plumbing and creates rideable works of art can do better than crying and running home when things don't go perfectly.

Suck it up, stick a smile on your face, and get it done. We're not curing cancer, we're doing something special for ourselves and the people that we might touch and inspire along the way.

I get excited when I check my email and see a new post on one of the relay threads. Hell, my homepage is the relay page. You know why? Because it's special and it's fun. And it's a damn sight better than most of the crap I deal with every day. When I picked up my beater a few years ago I didn't know shit about motorcycles. I've sunk every spare penny I had into parts and gear and books and beer. And with this economy it's really sucked, but it's better than sitting around giving myself a stroke over the steady work I can't get, the house I can't afford, and the girl I can't get the ring she deserves. I learned. I adapted and overcame. And I know a lot of you have had the same journey.

This right here is the payoff. Enjoy it, don't sweat the small stuff. Enjoy the bikes and the pictures, and if you're lucky enough to participate, enjoy the ride and the people that you're going to meet. This is a special thing that we've created and done ourselves. Kinda like our bikes.

So let's mail that f**ker if we have to. No big deal, things go pear shaped with the best-planned projects everyday. The important thing is the journey here guys, not the scorecard.

Killman wrote: We're not dropping anything. A group like this that pours their hearts and sweat into heaps of 30 year old plumbing and creates rideable works of art can do better than crying and running home when things don't go perfectly.

Suck it up, stick a smile on your face, and get it done. We're not curing cancer, we're doing something special for ourselves and the people that we might touch and inspire along the way.

I get excited when I check my email and see a new post on one of the relay threads. Hell, my homepage is the relay page. You know why? Because it's special and it's fun. And it's a damn sight better than most of the crap I deal with every day. When I picked up my beater a few years ago I didn't know shit about motorcycles. I've sunk every spare penny I had into parts and gear and books and beer. And with this economy it's really sucked, but it's better than sitting around giving myself a stroke over the steady work I can't get, the house I can't afford, and the girl I can't get the ring she deserves. I learned. I adapted and overcame. And I know a lot of you have had the same journey.

This right here is the payoff. Enjoy it, don't sweat the small stuff. Enjoy the bikes and the pictures, and if you're lucky enough to participate, enjoy the ride and the people that you're going to meet. This is a special thing that we've created and done ourselves. Kinda like our bikes.

So let's mail that f**ker if we have to. No big deal, things go pear shaped with the best-planned projects everyday. The important thing is the journey here guys, not the scorecard.

Agree with Killman, Kawickrice and KZJOE900.
We started so will finish it. I just passed a flag along but there are many guys who are doing more than that so this thing gets done. Like Topper. Many guys are waiting to do their part. may need to ship it or may not finish till 2013. But let's finish it till the end. And If we want a perfect run, let's do it again in the future.

That's my thought.

Thanks for all the positive thoughts and encouragement. What I've suggested to the East Coasters is that Squadrider take the flag up into Maine and mail it from there to Heyst across the border in Canada. Heyst could then connect with T_Dub and finish the East Coast Leg.

I never expected us to complete this entire relay ride in one year. I think it'll take a miracle to complete it in two. Shipping between the first and second legs has been part of the plan since almost the beginning though I was hoping we wouldn't have to ship within the East Coast leg. But I'm a pragmatist at heart and we gotta do what we gotta do.

elfmagic17 wrote: I've had the Idea to try to get it on the national news to maybe help get the word out but I know no one who can get this accomplished. Any one know someone who can get the media to do a little piece on the relay?

I've got some interest from "Riders of Kawasaki" the official Kaw owners group. They'd like to do a story for their magazine, but I think they want to wait until it comes through Ohio where the reporter assigned to this lives.

is a ball buster to read. Nothing like getting deflated at the first hiccup. As Joe stated it was said earlier in the thread that it might take more than one season to make this happen, it was also mentioned that it may have to be mailed a time or to. Don't let this get you down guys it is a hurdle that can be conquered, and will. Negative is for grounding the battery, not this relay.

Don't be TOO hard on me guys!

I'll admit that I have not read thru each and every post in this LOOoooong thread - so if mailing and use of non-vintage equipment was considered and accepted somewhere early on, I missed it. I had pretty well accepted that this could easily involve more than a single riding season - no problem - but had NOT considered that the flag MIGHT be carried by USPS, UPS or FedEx - or an old guy sitting on a Harley or Gold Wing being towed on a trailer...

To me, this has been a vision of getting the flag ALL the way across the nation, ALL by vintage Kawasaki bikes, no matter if it took 1, or 3 years - not a race, but a relay using old vintage bikes PURELY to show what these bikes - and rider/owners are capable of - NOT what the postal service is capable of! Obviously, my assumptions were NOT those of many others here...

On the very nice KZRider T-shirt I bought just FOR this "event", I don't see alternative bikes, or delivery methods mentioned, ANYWHERE!

BUT, all that said, still count me in - I'm ready to plug the "hole" out here between eastern Washington state, and the Bend Oregon area - and promise to NOT use anything but my '83 KZ1100 LTD to get the job done!

650ed wrote: Trianglelaguna’s “does anybody here actually ride” posting spurred a thought. Is there at least one KZR member with a running KZ in each of the 48 contiguous states? If there is, would folks be interested in organizing a relay ride in which some token would be passed from rider to rider from state to state throughout all 48 contiguous states? There could be more than one rider in any one state, and they could split up the ride within their state or ride together as they desire. No one rider would need to go much beyond their own state’s border; just far enough to meet the first rider in the next state. The relay could start in one of the states in a “corner” such as Washington State, Florida, Maine, or California and wind its way to the next adjacent state then the next, etc. until at least one rider in all 48 states had passed the token. I left Alaska out because it might be a bit much to ask for someone to make that ride, and Hawaii would present a rather difficult challenge. If there are folks in Canada or Mexico that are interested their provinces could be added as well.

This would not be a race, so there would be no time limit to accomplish it or any pressure to rush. The time schedule for each pass of the token would be coordinated between the riders involved with that “pass.” The token that gets passed from rider to rider could be anything, but it might be cool if it was some document that each rider could put his/her name, state, & date on.I don’t know if anything like this has been done before, and it may be just a screwy idea that has no merit; it would not be the first of mine that fall into this category. But I thought I would put the idea out there to see if there is any interest. Ed

just sayin

???????????

Just a little bit of levity Gary . Nothing more. Certainly not directed at anybody. I seen a earlier post here somewhere here with a clip from Kelly's Heroes having to do with positive waves. That was pretty hilarious too. But the intent is for a morale booster. And not to loose faith. I'm sure this won't be the only bump in the rode. Hang in there. Keepthat nice ride of your ready. It will be worth it.

Had me wondering if I had slipped even further out into left field than I thought...

Topper wrote: I wanted to give everyone and update on the East Coast leg. We're in a bit of a bind trying to find a rider for Maine so we can connect up to Canada and get this to Cape Spear Newfoundland.

We've now had four individuals sign up or express interest who have fallen through for one reason or another. In some cases bikes broke down or got sold, in others people just seemed to vanish after initially saying they could help.

What we've done so far to find a rider:

• Posted two ads on Craigslist for Maine
• Emailed every Kawasaki dealer in the state asking if they know anyone that rides a vintage bike
• Emailed half a dozen people in Maine selling vintage Kaws on Craigslist in the hopes they could help out (or would know someone)
• Posted to the Maine Motorcycle Network (www.mainebiker.net)

I'm at a bit of a loss of what else to do and would appreciate any suggestions. We got a response to one of the CL ads, but that person hasn't responded to any subsequent emails.

We're in a bit of a crunch. The relay is in Massachusetts with a rider willing to ride up Maine. We've got a rider from Newfoundland who has to take a ferry and already booked his ticket for the 23rd to get to the mainland. If we miss the window on the 23rd it'll be a couple weeks, maybe a month before he can make the trek again.

If you have any ideas for locating a rider in Maine, please let me know.

Thanks!

Anybody here on eBay these days? Maybe something could be posted there....
As for mailing, I have no problem with it - let's just keep it moving!

Can we send it to a Kawasaki shop in the area? I agree with keeping it moving. We will have the same types of challenges in my area also. It looks like my trip may be much longer than anticipated in MT. If it even gets here on time for our riding season.

Gary - K7GLD wrote:
I'll admit that I have not read thru each and every post in this LOOoooong thread - so if mailing and use of non-vintage equipment was considered and accepted somewhere early on, I missed it. I had pretty well accepted that this could easily involve more than a single riding season - no problem - but had NOT considered that the flag MIGHT be carried by USPS, UPS or FedEx - or an old guy sitting on a Harley or Gold Wing being towed on a trailer...


On the very nice KZRider T-shirt I bought just FOR this "event", I don't see alternative bikes, or delivery methods mentioned, ANYWHERE!

BUT, all that said, still count me in - I'm ready to plug the "hole" out here between eastern Washington state, and the Bend Oregon area - and promise to NOT use anything but my '83 KZ1100 LTD to get the job done!

"or an old guy sitting on a Harley or Gold Wing being towed on a trailer..."
I agree 100 percent, I must have missed that post. It was discussed about a ZRX carrying the flag but that is a bike with KZ roots. NO other make is to carry the flag as far as I know, but I could have missed a post or two.

Either way when it makes it up there have fun with it and take lots of pics.

I'm a lurker. Got a decent $50 bike that I just got running (thank you, Dutch Z) thinking maybe I could help with a stretch here in Nebraska... sounds like the relay is stuck somewhere back East.

Send me the flag. I'll fly it to Dallas and borrow a car and drive it to Santa Monica Pier.

OK I'm late to the party but this sounds like a hoot.
I'm in Central Alabama, is there a coordinator for the South East? How do I get in on the action?
Basically I'm in....if needed.

Its prolly easier to catch me via email so here it is.
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Wildh2oskier wrote: OK I'm late to the party but this sounds like a hoot.
I'm in Central Alabama, is there a coordinator for the South East? How do I get in on the action?
Basically I'm in....if needed.

Its prolly easier to catch me via email so here it is.
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

check out leg 2 or im KZ_rage he is heading up our part!

www.kzrider.com/forum/13-bike-related/49...can-relay-ride-leg-2

Just a quick East Coast update. We've still not been able to find a rider for Maine and our final rider (T_Dub) who was going to go all the way to Cape Spear Newfoundland has had to bow out due to electrical problems.

The relay is currently with Squadrider in Massachusetts. He's going to finish up the East Coast of the US riding through VT, NH and into Maine.

The East Coast leg will then be complete and we'll move on to leg two, which I believe starts in Alabama.

This leg had a rough start and I'm not surprised it's had a rough finish. I'm disappointed we won't make it all the way to Newfoundland but proud of getting from Miami to Maine in three months.

I know you guys have organived the east and leg 2 but I want to throw this out there why dont me move it west and back down the reason for mailing it back south was that it was gonna make it to newfoundland since it didnt make it that far yet we just move a little west and back down and end this whole thing in newfoundland? kust a thought I havent looked at the map lately but if we kept it this side of Canada til we covered most of the east and midwest then either take it north and let our northern friends do what they can or complete the US and then let them take it for next season?

Where there is a will there is a way this relay does not have to finish anywhere in particular if we skip a spot now doesnt meant it stays skipped

I just hate to see the spirit of this journey compromised by our eagerness to do our part. if that makes any sense

ramtough_63 wrote: I know you guys have organived the east and leg 2 but I want to throw this out there why dont me move it west and back down the reason for mailing it back south was that it was gonna make it to newfoundland since it didnt make it that far yet we just move a little west and back down and end this whole thing in newfoundland? kust a thought I havent looked at the map lately but if we kept it this side of Canada til we covered most of the east and midwest then either take it north and let our northern friends do what they can or complete the US and then let them take it for next season?

Where there is a will there is a way this relay does not have to finish anywhere in particular if we skip a spot now doesnt meant it stays skipped

I just hate to see the spirit of this journey compromised by our eagerness to do our part. if that makes any sense

I agree. It would be nice if we could just move it west on BIKES and not have to mail it. After all we are just doing this by the seat of our pants anyway.