Peoria, Illinois

[ckangaroo70]

Dave

I live in London Mills if you are familiar with that very little spot on map. I work out of the Peoria bricklayers local...so I am over your way quite often and pretty familiar with the area. The first two weekends of October is when we participate in the Spoon River Scenic drive. Always thought it would be fun to get some guys together during one of those weekends for a motorbicycling cruise down some country blacktop?

Catfisher

Other then messing with motorized bikes, flying RC airplanes and Go Kart racing......Catfishing is one of my favorite activities. I have a 17ft Lowe Hustler boat that is my Cat gettin machine. I catfish the Illinois River at Liverpool and also like to catfish the Mississippi over at Burlington. However...I live right on the Spoon River and fish it the most. In fact, I am frying catfish on the 4th of July and then plan to run over to Peoria for the Big Bang Boom fireworks display. Always a good show and I even saw a couple motorized bikes there last year, but didn't see there owners so I could talk there legs off. Going to be a great summer and fall!

 

[DJnRF]

Dave

I live in London Mills if you are familiar with that very little spot on map. I work out of the Peoria bricklayers local...so I am over your way quite often and pretty familiar with the area. The first two weekends of October is when we participate in the Spoon River Scenic drive. Always thought it would be fun to get some guys together during one of those weekends for a motorbicycling cruise down some country blacktop?

Catfisher

Other then messing with motorized bikes, flying RC airplanes and Go Kart racing......Catfishing is one of my favorite activities. I have a 17ft Lowe Hustler boat that is my Cat gettin machine. I catfish the Illinois River at Liverpool and also like to catfish the Mississippi over at Burlington. However...I live right on the Spoon River and fish it the most. In fact, I am frying catfish on the 4th of July and then plan to run over to Peoria for the Big Bang Boom fireworks display. Always a good show and I even saw a couple motorized bikes there last year, but didn't see there owners so I could talk there legs off. Going to be a great summer and fall!

ckangaroo70, I am definitely familiar with London Mills. I have
spent a good bit of time at Ingersoll over the years. I used to
get out that way fairly regularly.

My uncle was a bricklayer, and died on the job when he fell
from a 12' scaffold some years ago now. When he fell he was
in his 60's, and was at retirement age where he had been
considering that.

I still don't have a motorized bicycle yet. I have a couple of
old Schwinns that I have wanted to mount with motors, but
my SS just has not been enough most months to do that yet.
I do ride, though. Have been riding motorcycles since 1956.
Before that I had ridden a MoPed, Cushman, Doodlebug, and
a bicycle that I had a motor on also. I have a friend that has
an old one that I have been trying to talk him out of for the
past year. I might get it yet. It needs only a little work to get
it going. I think it is an older model MoPed. At present all I
have is an 81 Honda Goldwing Interstate GL1100i motorcycle.

My truck only gets 10 mpg highway, or city; my car only gets
17 city, and about 28 highway; But, my motorcycle gets about
40 mpg city and 60 mpg highway. Need I say more about what
I drive most?

What time might you be arriving in Peoria on the 4th? If early
enough, and possibly after we could meet for coffee, or something
for a visit a while. I dearly love to meet up with those I meet
online in these forums, and am always up for coffee shop chats.
(Definitely the coffee part, anytime, anywhere.)

You can always contact me by email at:
[email protected]

Take care,
Dave.

Hi Cat!
I don't recall having the pleasure of meeting you in here
when I was on before. Good to see you here.

Dave.

 

[ckangaroo70]

I am a coffee junkie myself and hopefully sometime we can get together for a cup of joe. However on the fourth I will be with the whole tribe and their enthusiasm for my motorized bike ventures is very low. LOL So perhaps a time when I don't have a load of wife and daughters with me.

Sorry to hear about your uncle. Construction can be dangerous and I have had my share of near misses over the years. I always said just as soon as I can retire...I am throwing my mason tools off one of the bridges as I cross the Illinois river never to be used again! Perhaps in another 10 years or so.

I have done quite a bit of masonry work over the years out at the Ingersoll camp. I also do water rescue training out there since I am a fireman. Real nice out there.

If you ever get a engine kit...just give a holler if you need help getting it together. Always happy to help a fellow rider if I can. I have built a few bikes for myself and a few for others and have learned a few things in the process.

 

[2door]

You Illinois guys have got me thinking. I'm due a trip to St.Louis and then Collinsville. Maybe late July, maybe August. Would be good to meet up. I might even throw a bike on the back of my Ranger and bring something to ride.

Ray, Are you a mode one or mode two flyer? Only R/C guys will know what that is.

Tom

 

[ckangaroo70]

Would love to meet up for a cruise Tom. We have lots of good blacktop to help make for an enjoyable afternoon of cruising.

I fly mode 2 Tom! Those on the other side of the pond are the ones that have there sticks reversed!LOL

 

[2door]

I was taught R/C by an old pattern guy who also flew formula one racers. I can fly mode two but I have to 'think' about what I'm doing.

Just talked to Char about July. Looks like the third week might be a good choice. I'll start working on details and get back to you. That bridge trip sounds like a lot of fun. 40 miles is nothing actually. A few of us Denver guys have done several 60 and 70 plus mile runs in a day. And that was on busy city steets and bike trails. Illinois black top sounds like a good run.
I'll keep you posted.

Tom

 

[DJnRF]

I have done quite a bit of masonry work over the years out at the Ingersoll camp. I also do water rescue training out there since I am a fireman. Real nice out there.

What a coincidence! Your mention of being a fireman I now read
just after returning from running one call of the three we just
had in our district, all of which were due to the severe storm
going on now.

As for water rescue, we sure don't need that here. As a matter
of fact, we don't have any water for firefighting other than what
we have in our trucks, tankers, portable tanks, which all comes
from the river. In all of the 47 square miles of this district we
have not even one hydrant. I have been in several departments
over the years, and chief of one, but always had much better
water sources, and hydrants.

I spent forty-one years as a licensed medic, and a few more as
a fireman, with about ten total years also as a police officer, but
gave it all up when I retired a few years ago. This year I made a
temporary move into this district in Woodford County, and saw
that they needed help. I had known the chief here from the
days when he was a firefighter with this department, and I was
a chief. We met quite a few times each year at various schools.
Now, I am one of his men. I have tried to act as just the man
with the broom to clean out the truck bays, but he always makes
mention of his knowledge of me being able to do all of the jobs,
including his. For a time I had most of the other guys believing it.
Now, I might have to work. lol

We only have 35 people on our department. We have an average
of 450 calls each year, and also run two ambulances. Many of our
calls come in pairs so often that if one ambulance is called for, we
always get the second one on the road as well. So many calls with
so few people is difficult to cope with every day and hour of each
week. We are preparing to try some direct mail recruiting.

Two weeks ago we had a house fire where we had to call in for
mutual aid, which required ten departments for enough people
for a fire that lasted all day, and to haul in enough water. Our
own tanker is only 3,000 gallons. Two other departments with
2,000 gallons each also hauled two loads each.

I would like to get that friends MoPed, as well as a motor kit for
one of my bikes. My wife used to ride a motorcycle, but with
her health today she can't hold up any but the very lightest. A
bike would be better for her. I have seen a couple of 80cc ones
that I have been considering. I know that as an officer I never
concerned myself with the size of a motor on a motorbike.

I did like that bike that is called the 50 mph bicycle. It does do
that kind of speed, and it is electric. To build one is just too much
money for me.

Take care,
Dave.

 

[ckangaroo70]

Tom

Third week of July sounds great. Hope you can work it out.

Dave

We have had some storms roll through as well, but fortunately my pager has been fairly quiet. I am Dept. Captain and try not to miss many calls, but I also drive the ambulance fairly often for the EMS side...so surprised I have not got called out for one or the other tonight with all the bad storms that rolled through our area tonight. Water used to be a bit of an issue in years past in some rural areas of our district, but we have a few dry hydrants installed in some area farm ponds and we also have easy river access. Our town has hydrants and we have a 2500 gallon tanker as well as another 1250 gallon truck we use sometimes to truck water.

The 80cc kits can take a bit of patience to get setup and get everything broken in, but once they are dialed in an everything gets seated in...they are a heap of fun!

 

[DJnRF]

We have one truck (465) that we use as a rescue unit. It is one we got
from Bollingbrook. As such, it is set up more for cities as it can handle
just about everything as a fire department vehicle. It also carries 1500
gallons of water along with the 1500 gpm pump for firefighting, fast dump,
fast/ heavy draft (with extra hard suction 5", 4", and 2.5" hoses), hose
lays of 1 3/4", 2.5", generator and air systems, and just about everything
one can think of for rescue and firefighting other than a kitchen sink.

All total we have six trucks, and two ambulances with two stations six
miles apart. Unfortunately, my temporary home is right in the middle
between those two stations so that I have a three mile drive on Rt 26
to get to either on a call. I usually take my motorcycle on a call. I can
go much faster than with my car. I don't much care for the fast driving
at my age these days, but I usually must move at speeds of 85+ mph.
On this narrow Rt 26, the motorcycle can move much better to get there.
But, I will be 75 this October, and I thought my fast driving/ riding days
were long past. Some people hate me when I am doing 45 or 50 in a 60+
zone with my normal auto driving. lol

We just finished our helicopter ground school training. (My umpteenth time
now.) Due to the weather of the time our helicopter flight training was
postponed to be on some later date. I have flown many times so I am not
really concerned about it. I will let the others who have little to none handle
that as long as I can. I have been a medic for 41 years. I think it is time I
let the younger ones do that now. Heck, when I have to lift anything, or
climb into a truck with all my gear I have a real problem these days.

I have had both elbows reconstructed a few years back, heart surgery in
2011, and back surgery to implant two Titanium Coflex devices to replace/
repair two bad vertebrae just before Christmas six months ago. I still have
not yet regained all my strength and flexibility as of yet. Last week at my
three month checkup the doctor gave me two orders; I am not to pick up
my motorcycle (850 pounds) if I drop it; I am not supposed to bend to
pick up something on the ground. Both of which are frustrating to me. If
I do drop my motor, it isn't always convenient to find help, and if I have
to pick up something on the ground the arthritis in my knees does not
let me squat unless I have someone, or something to help me up again.

I have to face the fact that the ole bod isn't working the way I am used
to even though most guess me at being only in my mid-forties due to my
youthful looks. (Appearing younger than actual age has run in my family
on my fathers side.) I am pleased with the fact that the 50 pounds I put
on when I stopped all of my projects when I diagnosed myself with the
heart problem in 2010 is almost gone now. I want to lose the last few
pounds yet, and also would like to lose about ten more than that. That
means I need to yet lose about 15 pounds. That does cause some problems
with my clothes. My old pants will fall down if I am not wearing my belt.
My 17 1/2 size shirts are down to a point between L and M now. I can
taper them to fit better in the chest and waist, but it is a much more of
a chore to take in the neck and shoulders. Having owned the uniform store
here for many years I am a qualified tailor, but just don't care to sit at
a sewing machine these days.

Well, while the weather is clear and nice, I am headed into town to get
a few things. I hope we don't get any calls while I am away. Ten miles
is too far to run for a call.

Take care,
Dave.