Popping my head back in for a quick message.  My uncle reached out to me on August 13th and wanted to let all of those involved know he again thanks you for your support that day and you are still in his thoughts.

It's been 11 years now believe it or not.  Mike - we''re still waiting on those pics.  haha.

Bump for the 5 year anniversary.  Must be taking Mike a long time to find those pics. 

Love my USAA!

You know, I still think about that day quite often. It was a good feeling that we could get a few people together and go down there to help out the ones in need during a devistating time.
You got another quad yet?

That was a hard days work I'll never forget.  The heat and humidity certainly helped make it memorable.

Nope no quad yet, if/when I do I'm sure you'd see a lot more of me.  I'd like another just not in the current financial state.  The new home in the country has been a very expensive proposition.

Hey! Thanks Mike!  He mentioned you in particular.  I think his statement was more "that crazy guy 2 and half stories in the air working like a mad man".   You were defiantly the man of the day, out worked all of us.

Good to see you still around.  I miss riding with you guys.  It was a good time.

Hey guys old member here.  I'm hoping those of you who were around in 2004 can help me out.  I'm in need of some pictures from the 2004 cleanup we did for Hurricane Charley.  I know quite a few pics were snapped that day but they seems to have fallen off the forums at this point.  My uncle (one of many people we helped that day) is putting together some articles and was hoping to have some pictures of the work we did.

He's still overwhelmed by the support this group showed that day and is eternally grateful.



Thanks,
Jeff

Wow talk about impeckable timing.  So much for the republican's keeping riding land for OHV'rs.  Some how the recreational use woln't be what we see from this.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2005-05-05-forest-roads_x.htm

mark my words: there will not be a war with China.  Far too big of a conflict and there would be SUBSTANTIAL global intervention before it was allowed.  But hey, we could always have bi-lateral talks between China, North Korea and the US while at the same time allowing China the freedom to deal with N. Korea on their own    didn't make sense when Kerry said it either.

What intervention, from whom?  It would be the only two major powers in the world at war with one another, noone would step in the middle of that.  North Korea's issues seem everything to do with us (demorocy) and nothing to do with China's communism rule.  I wouldn't hold out hoping they are going to come to our rescue.

Um...Bill Clinton, February 1993.  What did he do afterwards to thwart terrorism?  He arrested 6 people, wiped his hands, brushed his shoulder and went on patting himself on the back...and what did he do after the attack on the US embassy in 1998 (august i think)?  Bin Laden was held responsible but did we search and search?  Nope.  If we had, maybe 9/11 would be nothing more than a nightmare that we never had.  That right there is quite frankly the reason I am RELIEVED we have a republican president in this time of crisis...one who knows hte importance of protection and one who has a patriotic flame that will never die.

What did Bush do to stop 9/11?  My point being it's easy to bash someone after the fact.  How many people will bash Bush if we get hit with another terroist attack after all the US lives have been lost?  After all 9/11 was 10 years in the making.

the tax cuts were an attempt to jumpstart the economy.  If you cut taxes for the wealthy (typically the business owners), that money gets recirculated down to the employee's, the company itself and advancements in the company.  If you impose more taxes on big business, then you end up with decreased wages and tighter spending.

I know exactly what the tax cuts were suppose to do.  The top 1% aren't buiness owners but rather CEO's of major corporations or the like.  The tax cuts they took on thier income would have very little if any play on the employment situation.  Now tax cuts for businesses I would agree with you on.

10 years is jack sh*t with SS...sorry but its true.  We could have one huge orgy in the US and that 10 year surplus turns into a 2 year overdraft.  Bottom line is SS sucks and it should be privately invested if they want to.  The tax cut theory is irrelevant and would end up doing more harm than good.  The conservative may look out for big business, but who do you think watches out for the little guys (employees).

I don't know who is watching out for us?  We are the first to get laid off, the least likely to have excess savings if we are let go, and see the least benifit from income tax cuts.  I've yet to see any president yet who has put any substantial money in my pocket.

Bush doesn't restore morality and values??  Gimme some of the sh*t you're smoking!!

I sure don't see him spending time with his family or embarcing american's to put family first.  If family and moral values were high on his list you would see him talk more about it.  Not that Clinton was a good role model for american citizens.  He was real for the times but not a  example of what a family man should be.

i agree with you 100% here.  I love the southern lifestyle where everyone is friendly with everyone...and god do i miss it.  SW Ranches is the closest thing down here and even that is a distant second to a majorly populated 'southern' city.

LOL at least we agree 100% on some level.  It's alright though as americans we have the right to our opinion and not be critized for it.  I certainly respect your opinion and hope you do mine.

Jeff

Holly cow this thread is setting a record.

I love Bush for some of the things he's done and in the same stroke think he's a blooming idiot for other issues that have come about.

I worry his bullying metality isn't going to get us to much further.  We are facing war possiblities against China if Tiwian is invaded.  We face a real threat with North Korea and Iran with Nuculear weapons.  He's not a good negoiator and lets face it we don't have the troops to go into battle against them.  Where does that place our future?

I do like the fact he's addressed the terriorism threat but after 9/11 I'm not sure any other president wouldn't of done the same for our country.   I like the fact he says something to the nation and see's it through, he is a standup guy in that respect.

His ability to help our economy on the other hand sure hasn't been anything to write home about.  Record high deficites and more tax breaks for the wealthy.  Mentioned in USA Today just last week was if he would of withheld the tax breaks for the top 1% of the weathy it would of carried Social Security for at least another 10 years.  That sounds like a pretty easy short term fix to me.  Why give 10 billion in tax cuts when we are strugling with SS and deficits?  It just doesn't make scense.

While on this subject where's a president that can restore morals and values to this country?  What happened to good old family values and common courtesy?  It seems american's have become so consummed with money and greed that everything else has fallen to the side.  

People seem to hate one another instead of help one another.  It seems as though the population at large is just not as friendly or helpful as they were 20-30 years ago.  Even in my neighborhood people are to 'good' to waive as a polite jesture and certainly to busy to help a neighbor out just because.  To busy waxing the new BMW they just purchased.

Speding time with the family and the kids because you enjoy it seems to be a rare quality to find today.  Again our society is to busy making the big buck to think about that.  The only time this country is united is for short periods of time after a crisis.  After that it's back to the norm.

I've certainly noticed the difference from the country life where I'm moving and where I live now in the suburbs.  The people out there are much more friendly, willing to help out at the drop of the hat, you don't have to ask for help with something they just come over and help.  If you need something and they have it they offer it up to help make things easier.  This use to be common almost everywhere but is obviously a lost trade among society.

Sorry for the rambling it's just observations I have noticed lately and really been a sore spot with me.  I think it's something most everyone can relate with.  It would be nice to have a president in the future that could bring some of those qualities back out in Americans.

I've certainly run across some people on here that fit the "old school" way of thinking and still have values that made this country so great.  It's to bad there's just not more of you out there.

Jeff

I used Laskers to do my quad.  I think most everyone on here can vouch he did a great job at a excellent price.  No regrets using him and will use him again in future.

That dude is sportin some serious wood!

daddy whats that nice police officer doing to that little kid?  

here is a very interesting story about the hurricane andrew cover up.
http://www.nexusmagazine.com/articles/hurricane.html

The same thing happened during Charlie just last year.  The body count was grossly understated in print from the reality of lives lost.  I suppose it's to minimize the impact it could have on residents as well as the Florida economy.  But who knows really.

A little off topic I know but it just goes to show don't believe everything you read or see from the media.

I see your location is still in tampa, But I find it kinda hard to belive that theres 12,000 acres of trails in tampa So where did you move too

Land O Lakes.  Building a home up there now.  Woln't be finished until sometime around Christmas.  There's a ton of untapped land up there.  Same guy owns another 14,000 acres in Citrus county all undeveloped.

but whats most depressing is I'm right across the street from this.

yes there are 12,000 acres of open trails and land not even 1/8th a mile from me.  To give you an idea the property is about 11 miles long and 2-3 miles wide.  Just when I thought I wouldn't have any place close buy to ride.

and this

and this

Well I'm still alive and browsing the forums wishing I still had my Z400.  But I needed the money to buy this.

hmm

Classic Chrome 14835 49th St N Clearwater, FL (727) 531-2000

I've talked to these guys they seem like a good shop.  He can not do aluminum products but any type of steel that can be chromed he will do.  They do a lot of bumpers and what not for classic rods and the work looked good.

There's also a guy in Tampa that does chroming on aluminum but he's pretty darn slow because he has so much work.

Guess I should mention I have a nice Muzzy full exhaust I'm selling as well.  $275.  The headpipe has been Jet Hot Ceramic Coated for additional protection and performance.

Jeff

HMF is a better pipe by far.

i never said i was stock. thanks mike for clarifiying that for him

Go back and read your post.  You clearly stated you had stock gearing.  I stated speeds for a Raptor with stock gearing.  I don't care if it makes 300hp if your running stock gear ratios thats still the top speed.  More HP just gets you there faster.

Yeah but he's been ATP'd

Still slower then JeffP'd

i have a trail tech compu calibrated right and i have have my raptor with stock gearing at 91mph with a little to go on 573 in ocala by big scrub. it will robally run close to 100

Hate to be the bearer of bad news but a raptor tops at 76.89 in 5th gear with stock gearing.  Unless you've bumped the rev limiter or are running larger tires you can't argue physics.  Even with 22" tires it would only hit 84.53 top of 5th.

Jeff

There's a science behind the speed.  Simply drop in your sprocket setup and max rpm you can pull and whalaa you have top speed.  Of course if you can't redline your top gear your not hitting the top capable speed.

http://home.earthlink.net/~gellett/raptor02.htm