Date: Sun, 24 Dec 2006 09:17:43 -0500
Reply-To: Joy Hecht <jhecht@ALUM.MIT.EDU>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Joy Hecht <jhecht@ALUM.MIT.EDU>
Subject: Re: Come out of the closet, all
In-Reply-To: <vanagon%2006122408362201@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
I don't think there's a typical vanagon owner, nor do I think, from the
people I've met, that there's more artsy types in the vanagon community than
anywhere else.
I do think the ages are higher than the average of society - a lot of
retired folks. Though of course that's who can get to vanagon events or go
on the road for long periods. Them and those of us with odd work
arrangements.
As for bikes - I've ridden one since I was a child, but the human-powered
kind. However I'm starting to think a motorcycle sounds rather interesting,
of late! More fun than a four-wheeled vehicle, and much better gas mileage.
Is this what happens after one passes the big five-oh? How hard is it to
learn to ride one, at my age?
Joy
****************************************************************
Joy Hecht
now living in a real house in northern Virginia
and Matilda, 1989 Burgundy Vanagon
now living in the driveway and resting after two and a half years
lugging Joy and her stuff around...
For musings about life traveling in the van or living in one place:
http://www.joyhecht.net
****************************************************************
:::-----Original Message-----
:::From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM] On Behalf
:::Of Benny boy
:::Sent: Sunday, December 24, 2006 8:35 AM
:::To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
:::Subject: Re: Come out of the closet, all
:::
:::Indeed, interesting thread, mostly because this list feel a bit more
:::human
:::now...
:::
:::I see many peoples driving Motorcycle, many of my customers also have
:::some,
:::is it an art form, i don't think so but still! i have turned 40 this
:::year, i
:::have owned 19 bike's, so i can relate. I still have one,
:::http://www.benplace.com/moto/sv1000s16.jpg
:::now heavily modified.... (of course it's a V-Twin)
:::
:::Good to know about Nevada, next time i'm there with my Bike i know what
:::to
:::do :-))) i like that about the USA, each states have a... different
:::taste.
:::
:::Now, for that "assault rifle" stuff, i will never understand... if you
:::would
:::owned such a thing in Canada you would be shot on the spot by the Police
::::-)))
:::
:::Last thing about VW owners, and i see a lot... let me tell you that the
:::only
:::thing they have in commom it's the outdoor, for the rest, very very
:::different peoples, all classes, different taste, some are VERY esthetic,
:::some are more practical/mechanical, some cool dudes, some stange one...
:::relax, hippies, upper class, poor, family oriented, loner, exotic couple,
:::group oriented folks, some travel far, some just locally... and the list
:::could go for ever.
:::
:::I just had a discussion with my girlfriend on the subject yesterday,
:::about
:::all the campout i go and our customer's.... and we had NO conclusion
:::about
:::who is the typical Vanagon owner!
:::
:::The one that i can relate the most are the one that buy the van to
:::travel...
:::travel as far and as long as they can....and those who do care about the
:::van
:::being as much reliable as possible.
:::
:::But i don't judge the other one... not anymore :-)))) they are the one
:::that
:::want a beautiful van, to look good, the one that want a complete paint
:::job
:::and esthetic stuff (well over 7K to 9K$ sometime) installed on their van,
:::they have money, pay well, so with those folks, i can live! They are very
:::nice people also, they are just different.
:::
:::One day, we should do a poll here, something like:
:::What kind of Vanagon owner are you?
:::Choice would be:
:::
:::A-My van as to be the nicest one, mechanic, bahhhh...
:::B-Beautiful and mechanically sound
:::C-I want a very good engine and to be as reliable as possible, nice body.
:::D-All my money goes on the mechanic side, maybe some on the esthetic
:::side...
:::one day.
:::E-I will fix it when it break, when it take more oil than fuel, OR when
:::rust
:::will make the van structurally unsafe and i have more mouses than human
:::inside :-)))
:::
:::This is a time of joy, enjoy!
:::
:::Ben
:::http://www.benplace.com/
:::
:::
:::
:::
:::-------------------------------------------------------------
::: I raced roadrace bikes for a while. A Honda Hawk NT 650 was my main
:::track
:::bike, run in the middleweight twin class. But after a few crashes I
:::switched
:::over to sports cars and a Porsche 928..Doesn't hurt so much (only the
:::wallet) to go off track in that. I did a few of those Nevada Open Road
:::races, too, before going exclusivly track. These are timed events where
:::they
:::close a section of highway and let you go as fast as you want for a given
:::distance. I recently re-drove one of those race courses (the Pony Express
:::100) in the van, Battle Mountain to Austin, a distance of close to a
:::hundred
:::miles..We did the distance in a bit under 2 hours in the Van..In the
:::Porsche, at our target speed of 170mph, we were right at 33 and change
:::minutes to cover that distance..The car with the closest finish to each
:::target speed was declared the winner. Often the interval between
:::finishing
:::positions was measured in 100ths of seconds. Pretty different trip in the
:::two vehicles.. Don Hanson
:::
:::Ya gotta love Nevada...A state where the Cops will close the roads for
:::you
:::to go 200 mph for a hundred miles, where prostitution is state
:::supervised,
:::where the mainstay of the economy is gambling and you can own an assualt
:::rifle or a VW with a small block Chebby motor...
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