Norm
Wizard
Thank you Lee. I agree! Nothing like an FZ1 in the garage.
Opinions Please
- Thread starter Norm
- Start date
FZ1inTX
Adminstrator
Ok, the FZ1 is now home. Name?
I am glad you took advantage of this deal Norm. Now I cannot wait for spring to come! BTW, if you happen to find yourself putting miles on in my area, I'll be out in the garage tomorrow working on Briana's car. Feel free to stop in and show it off!!!
BDazzler
Wizard
Congratulations Norm. I'm very happy for you and your Cobalt Blue 2007 FZ1. I picked up a used (1600 mile) blue 07 FZ1 this October (my first). Mine came with a Corbin seat which my butt tells me it likes. I have added the T-Rex sliders and the Pazzo knock-off (Fire Dragon Brothers $35) in full length gold. I was going to suggest an FZ8, but there aren't any used ones around and I'm sure they are a bit pricey for what you are looking for, and of course, they aren't an FZ1 either!
I'm very moved by your story and pictures. It all makes me appreciate my children all the more. I have battled some depression myself and it's so hard to not find joy in anything and not really know why. I can tell that your son found joy with you, just from your posts and pictures. You'll always have that. Thank you for sharing. I hope these threads help you as much as they help me.
Now, take advantage of some above freezing weather and crack that FZ1 over 9,000 RPM! :eek5: I don't know if your '09 was blue, but I've heard the blue is the fastest, so be careful! :tup:
I'm very moved by your story and pictures. It all makes me appreciate my children all the more. I have battled some depression myself and it's so hard to not find joy in anything and not really know why. I can tell that your son found joy with you, just from your posts and pictures. You'll always have that. Thank you for sharing. I hope these threads help you as much as they help me.
Now, take advantage of some above freezing weather and crack that FZ1 over 9,000 RPM! :eek5: I don't know if your '09 was blue, but I've heard the blue is the fastest, so be careful! :tup:
Norm
Wizard
Thank you for sharing that and I very much appreciate it. It helps more than I can say. I believe it is only people like yourself that has battled depression or a very close and loving relative of such a person that can truly appreciate that disease. I was as close to Jake as anybody in this world was. He barely spoke to his mom, my wife, because she was always trying to get him to work himself out of it. She took somewhat of a tough aggressive stance and I let him be what he wanted to be and for the most part do what he wanted.
She would insist he help me with snow shoveling, bringing out the garbage, putting out or away the summer furniture, etc. Many times I just did it myself because I knew how much he was struggling. I only asked of him that he did well in school and that he did in spades. Who was right or who was wrong I don't think anyone knows for sure. As a physician, I have to be honest with you: it's a rare psychiatrist that I respect. It seems like a lot of voodoo and the medications seem to help the mild cases but the serious ones like my son, as I said before, just made him feel bad in a different way.
One of the members here told a beautiful story about his cousin and his fight against depression and his ultimate taking of his own life. He said two things that showed me remarkable insight, even something I, as a doctor didn't appreciate. One was that he wished he had given his cousin his blessing for doing what he had to to end his pain. In other words, allow his cousin to divulge his plan and say he understood and he was OK with it since nobody could ease his pain. The second thing he said was "this cancerous disease we call depression."
When my son first had his big attack of depression he could barely move out of bed. He was nearly catatonic. Knowing my brother died of a brain tumor at 11 years old I used my contacts to get an MRI of his brain within 2 hours of me deciding I wanted to rule that out. The radiologist, a good friend of mine, came out and said "Norm it's perfect. It's probably 'just' depression." In retrospect it might well of been a big brain tumor because what he turned out to have was something more deadly, more untreatable, and more mystical for the doctors and he was dead within 2 years.
I did everything I could to keep Jake afloat but despite perfect health and all the material advantages we were able to offer, Jake only was able to see darkness. My wife and I don't have the perfect marriage (that would have to be Eric and Michele: they're terrific) but we still raised the kids in a loving environment. We'll yell at each other and argue over the stupidest things (in the past) and we value things differently, have different hobbies, don't like each other's families but we were both committed to making the marriage work and mostly pulled in the same direction. As I said before: my daughter grew up the happiest kid in the world, and still is, but my poor son seemed unhappy from day one in this world.
The key I believe is not suicide prevention. First of all, you can't stand watch over someone 24/7 for their whole life. The key is curing depression, especially the kind that Jake and a lot of other kids and young adults have, where they are so tormented that they take their own life. Simply keeping them alive to be tormented is inhumane, IMO. I don't know if I mentioned this but on our trip across the country this summer I watched as Jake stood, perched over the edge of the Grand Canyon. I went to the edge and nearly fainted as it was a full mile to the ground, with nothing to stop you till bottom. Jake had his toes over the edge and was tossing stones into the canyon. He had that look of misery on his face, which he mostly tried to hide from me (but I saw it often enough) looking as if he was hoping a stiff wind would blow him over the edge.
I wanted to tell him to move back and I was afraid to even grab in his direction for fear of spooking him over the edge. I decided to walk away and said to myself: this kid must want to live on his own without my interference or he won't make it. I'm not real religious but I said a prayer to God that he walk away from the edge. He eventually came back to me and I thanked God but little did I know he was just biding his time. He loved me too much to do this in front of me or at home. He waited till he got to school. I'm sorry for going on so much and again hijacking my own thread but your response was very moving and Jake and the disease of depression obviously has a lot more meaning to me than it ever had before.
Norm
Wizard
Now the FZ1. I put 60 miles on her today and was in absolute heaven. I loved this bike before and now I appreciate it more than ever. The C14 is awesome but it could never keep up with this bike in the twisties and the engine sound is so sweet I just smiled all day long, I am mega-happy to have this bike again and don't plan on ever giving it away again. Eric I almost came up to you but Rollie and I were meeting my friend John at Nault's in Windham to help him pick out a bike. And to answer the above question, the 2009 FZ1 I had was cobalt blue, just like this one, and I put 13,000 happy miles on that one.
Did I mention how I love this bike? Riding this bike again reminded me it kicks the Triumph Speed Triple's behind. I had taken a test ride on one a little while ago and thought it was comparable to the FZ1 but now I'm convinced I like the FZ1 better. The dealer/owner at Nault's looked the bike over and declared it "Minty Mint." He said I got it for a steal and he'd have it on his showroom floor for 6 grand. So I guess I even out perfectly: I took a $1500 hit on the KLX and got the FZ1 for $1500 cheaper than a dealer would have charged me.
Did I mention how I love this bike? Riding this bike again reminded me it kicks the Triumph Speed Triple's behind. I had taken a test ride on one a little while ago and thought it was comparable to the FZ1 but now I'm convinced I like the FZ1 better. The dealer/owner at Nault's looked the bike over and declared it "Minty Mint." He said I got it for a steal and he'd have it on his showroom floor for 6 grand. So I guess I even out perfectly: I took a $1500 hit on the KLX and got the FZ1 for $1500 cheaper than a dealer would have charged me.
lee36
Well-Known Member
Great for you Norm ... and how about this "gift" of a day today ? ... all week in the 20s and teens and yet you got a great day to get familiar with the new ride...
Regarding the price ... you really walked into this deal. I was looking for quite some time and the lowest I found on an 07 FZ1 was for $6499 at Parkway cycle.... one of the reasons I eventually bit the bullet on my 09 leftover...
You got a DEAL
Regarding the price ... you really walked into this deal. I was looking for quite some time and the lowest I found on an 07 FZ1 was for $6499 at Parkway cycle.... one of the reasons I eventually bit the bullet on my 09 leftover...
You got a DEAL
Norm
Wizard
Thank you Lee. It was a "gift" day. And since you are in MA I must make my way down to you at some point, or you are welcome here of course.
thepopularjock
Wizard
Would it be possible to wait for a few months before you sell your bike? It is the season to buy right now. If you could buy the bike you want right now and sell in the spring you would get a much better sales price. I understand that means you have to front several thousand but I have always gotten MUCH better prices buying in the winter and selling in warm weather.
Whatever you do please consider the dealership a LAST RESORT! They will give you the absolute lowest price!!! I got in a jam one time and had to sell a bike in 2 days and got absolutely prison raped on the deal.
HAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!
Sorry Norm. I just noticed that there are 7 pages to this thread!! LOL I'm sure you have things in hand by now (and probably already knew what I posted anyway).
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Norm
Wizard
No worries. I appreciate your candid and good advice. I took a $1500 bath selling it to the dealer but I believe I made out on the purchase of the FZ1 by saving about that much. This bike is mint and rides exactly like the '09 I traded in. I just love having an FZ1 again!
Oh yea, Eric, a name. I'll dedicate the bike to Jake like crazy biker suggested (thanks Crazybiker!) but I think I'll name it the same name as the '09: "The Professor." I really like that name for some reason.
BTW, I'm also glad to be a legitimate member of this forum again because I felt a little like a poser once I got rid of the FZ1.
Blavenia
Wizard
Norm, after reading your post above about depression and the psychiatrists who treat it, I can honestly share a bit more of my own perspective.
I suffer with depression and to a greater degree ANXIETY. So much so that I have sought out every kind of assistance I could to remedy the problem. I try very hard not to get into too many details on public forums, but I can honestly say that there are a few meds that can help a little. Sometimes psychiatrists are constantly trying to find some concoction that will eliminate the symptoms entirely and that always seems to lead to a path far worse than the one I was simply dealing with.
For me, this world we are in and many of our Eastern approaches to psychological problems only try to treat the manifestations we create. I'm far more interested in understanding the "why", not just the "what".
I will say there was a time that I never believed I could make it. Now I have a wife and daughter and couldn't be happier, and will never allow myself to become some psychiatrist's guinea pig again. It's all trial and error for them, but with someone else's body. I've never found one that "healed" anything. I appreciate many of their efforts, but I'm content living with the way I feel and managing the more difficult times and all the rest with some proven medications and in my own way.
I have looked into the eyes of my family when I was sure they all knew how much I was suffering. It is hard to imagine how much of my grief they shared, or how helpless they felt. I equate it with holding my daughter's hair back when she's throwing up. I'm so helpless but it's so painful to not be able to take it away.
Many times in my life I have prayed for others, asking God to take away their pain and give it to me since I believe I'm strong enough to take on what others may not. At least that way I would know I suffered for a reason...in order to learn to help others manage the same issues. I have been somewhat successful in helping those who could be helped, and learned to accept the many who are out there like Jake who were always going to endure life and could not find a way out.
Honestly, it sounds to me like despite you and your wife's different methods of helping Jake, he certainly had a balance of perspectives on how to get out. Yours, as well as your wife's, both offered him an opportunity of thinking another way, and you'll personally always know whether you agreed or not, there were several options available for review.
Sorry for going on, but I've held a lot of this back during your period of grief for your son, but I thought this might help. Know there are MANY, and some of us, just like Jake, believe we have perfected our "mask" to protect those around us from our pain. It does seem he thought it out and protected the ones he loved right to the end, even knowing he had to sacrifice himself in this life.
Stay strong.
Brian
PS-- The RETRO KIT bikes are the FASTEST of them all! It can't be the stock blue ones. Why else did I pay so much for the look of Wayne Rainey?
I suffer with depression and to a greater degree ANXIETY. So much so that I have sought out every kind of assistance I could to remedy the problem. I try very hard not to get into too many details on public forums, but I can honestly say that there are a few meds that can help a little. Sometimes psychiatrists are constantly trying to find some concoction that will eliminate the symptoms entirely and that always seems to lead to a path far worse than the one I was simply dealing with.
For me, this world we are in and many of our Eastern approaches to psychological problems only try to treat the manifestations we create. I'm far more interested in understanding the "why", not just the "what".
I will say there was a time that I never believed I could make it. Now I have a wife and daughter and couldn't be happier, and will never allow myself to become some psychiatrist's guinea pig again. It's all trial and error for them, but with someone else's body. I've never found one that "healed" anything. I appreciate many of their efforts, but I'm content living with the way I feel and managing the more difficult times and all the rest with some proven medications and in my own way.
I have looked into the eyes of my family when I was sure they all knew how much I was suffering. It is hard to imagine how much of my grief they shared, or how helpless they felt. I equate it with holding my daughter's hair back when she's throwing up. I'm so helpless but it's so painful to not be able to take it away.
Many times in my life I have prayed for others, asking God to take away their pain and give it to me since I believe I'm strong enough to take on what others may not. At least that way I would know I suffered for a reason...in order to learn to help others manage the same issues. I have been somewhat successful in helping those who could be helped, and learned to accept the many who are out there like Jake who were always going to endure life and could not find a way out.
Honestly, it sounds to me like despite you and your wife's different methods of helping Jake, he certainly had a balance of perspectives on how to get out. Yours, as well as your wife's, both offered him an opportunity of thinking another way, and you'll personally always know whether you agreed or not, there were several options available for review.
Sorry for going on, but I've held a lot of this back during your period of grief for your son, but I thought this might help. Know there are MANY, and some of us, just like Jake, believe we have perfected our "mask" to protect those around us from our pain. It does seem he thought it out and protected the ones he loved right to the end, even knowing he had to sacrifice himself in this life.
Stay strong.
Brian
PS-- The RETRO KIT bikes are the FASTEST of them all! It can't be the stock blue ones. Why else did I pay so much for the look of Wayne Rainey?
You could never be a poser!! FZ1 in the garage or not, you pass on the knowledge.
Norm
Wizard
Brian, that was beautiful. Thank you my friend! You indeed have tremendous insight and I'm sure your personal fight with this disease has given you the ability to feel for other's pain. Even when they don't say a word you probably can see it on their face, like I saw it on Jake's face without him even speaking.
Yes, we all tried to ease his pain, every way possible. An anesthesiologist friend (who actually gives the anesthesia to my patients for their procedures, colonoscopy, etc.) wanted to help me. I had picked him up by car two separate days and then driven us both to the hospital and then back to his car to get it serviced after we finished our cases and he was so touched by me doing him this favor he confided in me that he had very bad manic depression, so bad that as a teenager he spent a year locked in some kind of institution. He had heard about Jake's struggles and wanted to come to my house and talk to Jake; not so much to tell him to take his meds but to find some therapist who could help him. He believed very strongly that when he himself had found the right therapist it really helped.
So I let him come talk to Jake and Jake listened to every word but still did not want to see any more psychiatrists, psychologists, therapists, etc. He had seen one psychiatrist and one psychologist (the latter I actually thought was very kind and insightful) and felt they did nothing for him. Thank God you have your wife and daughter. I prayed every day Jake would make it far enough to realize there is something in this world worth living for but he didn't make it. Now I pray that there is an afterlife and he is happy. Thank you again Brian. These personal stories help me immensely. I'm missing him pretty bad today. Maybe because it's winter and it's raining and I can't ride. Yesterday was good though.
Yes, we all tried to ease his pain, every way possible. An anesthesiologist friend (who actually gives the anesthesia to my patients for their procedures, colonoscopy, etc.) wanted to help me. I had picked him up by car two separate days and then driven us both to the hospital and then back to his car to get it serviced after we finished our cases and he was so touched by me doing him this favor he confided in me that he had very bad manic depression, so bad that as a teenager he spent a year locked in some kind of institution. He had heard about Jake's struggles and wanted to come to my house and talk to Jake; not so much to tell him to take his meds but to find some therapist who could help him. He believed very strongly that when he himself had found the right therapist it really helped.
So I let him come talk to Jake and Jake listened to every word but still did not want to see any more psychiatrists, psychologists, therapists, etc. He had seen one psychiatrist and one psychologist (the latter I actually thought was very kind and insightful) and felt they did nothing for him. Thank God you have your wife and daughter. I prayed every day Jake would make it far enough to realize there is something in this world worth living for but he didn't make it. Now I pray that there is an afterlife and he is happy. Thank you again Brian. These personal stories help me immensely. I'm missing him pretty bad today. Maybe because it's winter and it's raining and I can't ride. Yesterday was good though.
Norm
Wizard
You're too kind!:tup:
Dustin
Moderator
Congrats Norm, she's a beauty
Norm
Wizard
Thank you my friend. I'm loving having an FZ1 back.
sloppy
Well-Known Member
Norm:
I have a question. I will need tires very soon and am very much considering Michelin PR2s. Like I mentioned in my first post this bike is my first street bike and I won't push it hard (at least for a while) Whadya think about the Michelins?
I have a question. I will need tires very soon and am very much considering Michelin PR2s. Like I mentioned in my first post this bike is my first street bike and I won't push it hard (at least for a while) Whadya think about the Michelins?
Norm
Wizard
I love the Michelins. I've been a fan of those on my cars and my bikes. My absolute favorite tire so far is the Michelin Pilot Power. I've been through two sets of them. They are very sticky and for me very confidence inspiring. The new Michelins on this bike, as far as I can tell just say "Michelin Radial." They feel fine but when they need replacing I'll go back to the Powers.
I think the ones you are referring to are more for touring and will probably last longer than the powers but I personally haven't felt anything beats the Powers for varied riding. But if you know you are mostly going to do touring and not twisties so much then the PR2s are probably the way to go.
Dustin
Moderator
Norm: Based on the tread design in your blurry photos, I'd say that is a Pilot Power on your bike (at least the front is).
And +1 to the Pilot Powers being great tires. I honestly don't think there is a better tire for the money than the single-compound Pilot Powers right now. A set of 120/70-17 & 180/55-17 can be had for very cheap now and they are fresh tires, still being produced! When I ordered the set for my FZ1, I paid $180 and they rolled off the line a month before I ordered them.
And +1 to the Pilot Powers being great tires. I honestly don't think there is a better tire for the money than the single-compound Pilot Powers right now. A set of 120/70-17 & 180/55-17 can be had for very cheap now and they are fresh tires, still being produced! When I ordered the set for my FZ1, I paid $180 and they rolled off the line a month before I ordered them.
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Norm
Wizard
Holy Magoly Dustin, you are right! They are both Pilot Powers! And the guy just had them put on recently. I've been so busy cleaning the bike, waxing it, and cleaning and lubing the chain I never looked close enough to see that. And you were able to see it with my crappy photos, lol!
sloppy
Well-Known Member
Thank You all