2 Blade Ground Adjustable Warp Drive Prop

1981 Honda Silverwing Interstate GL500

I thought I should "restart" with something a little smaller than what I ultimately wanted, to build up a few hundred miles - (at least that's how I rationalized the impulse purchase at the time).  It was the end of the 2008 HD model year, and anything other than "black" looked like I was going to have to wait 6-8 weeks for an '09.

Hmmmmm.

I ended up acquiring this "little" (450 pounds) gem from a chap in Edmonton.  It runs very nice and seems to be excellent mechanically.  It's actually pretty rare for one of these to have "all the dresser parts" still aboard - and this one does - both side bags, trunk, 2 up seat, and the fairing.  Trunk will hold a full-face helmet, but just, and it is a tight fit - better for a 1/2 or 3/4 helmet, but it does have two helmet locks as well.  It has just over 49,000 km on it, and I added a few hundred before  a local HD dealer happened to find me a Candy apple Red Ultra in his northern store.  It was fun while it lasted - I was having a blast dodging off a couple of hundred clicks for a coffee, and even road it to work a couple of times!  Seems to get awesome mileage if that matters although I haven't calculated it yet.  I am guessing about 65 mpg.   Cost me $239 to insure it for a full year (liability only).

Here she is:

Below are "stock" photos of Interstates

Honda Silverwings were originally marketed from 1977 to 1983 and were a little brother to the Honda Goldwing. They're actually a pretty nice little bike for shorter trips, or commuting.  I'm sure someone has ridden across Canada on one, but I prefer an Electra Glide or a Wing for a trip like that!  EVERYTHING works, and even has a friction style cruise control, stereo, cover, lots of lights, decent tires, recently serviced, etc.  Road ready.

Anyways, I don't need two Bikes, and my new Harley has arrived, and I'm on it every day, so I'd like to find this bike a good home. 

I paid $2,250 (Cdn.) for it.  It lacked decent road boards (required for long miles in the saddle), so I put a couple of hundred bucks into some clamps and chromed steel, and a day of my time into machining some mounts, so the custom running boards are there now - no small task I might add!  All in all, I think $2,250 is still a fair price, for a really great mid-size bike, but I'll entertain offers below that as "domestic pressure" about why I needed it in the first place has now risen with the arrival of the new FLHTCUI, and I need the room back in my shop as I seem to be forever moving it.  I've ridden it a bit since the HD arrived, and while it is a great little bike, well, it's not quite as great as the new one!  mike@challengerwest.com  780-985-4231.

PS,  I can now confirm that you can have a 503 Challenger Deluxe that will go more places on a tank of gas for less dollars than a Harley!  Both are nice, but the Harley doesn't float so good!  Of course, the Challenger doesn't fit in the parkade at work either.  But there is the Muni....only 10 min from the office.  Hmmm.  Xpndr???  ;))

1997 Triple E Empress Diesel Pusher

Mint condition 37' 1997 Triple E Empress Class A, Diesel Pusher.  Like a Challenger, this one is good in the Canadian winters - we've had her out to -30 and been toasty.

Sorry - Recently Sold, but  this is how the following Travel Trailer came to be!
We took it in partial trade for the Empress.

Click the picture for more information and photos.

$10,900 (Cdn.) O.B.O.  Private Sale - NO GST!
Make an Offer - It's cute and very clean, but we don't need it!

If somebody doesn't make us an offer soon, I will be forced to cave in to domestic pressure and haul the thing to our place in B.C. for a bunk house when the kids bring their friends camping. 

Think about your own place in the woods - and a way to get there fast - this trailer and a new 503 Challenger Kit for only about $36,000!!

PS . It's not winter anymore, but I like to leave this picture up here to remind myself that we're officially into the "5 months of bad ice fishing" that we get here in Alberta.  As you can see, we've had it for a little while, but the picture will shortly be in season again!

A long story, about small birds, a big Bird, and how the Travel Trailer came to be for sale ...

We've been avid RVers for many years, starting with backbacks and climbing gear, and progressing through worn out truck campers and Winnebagos, and then on to diesel pushers, and now to our ultimate and probably last coach.  We've found motorhoming at airshows and car races to be a lot of fun, and have enjoyed our coaches as ground support bases when we fly our Challengers to airshows for a weekend.  They come in handy for chasing trains as well.

If we look a little frazzled, it's because it's about 113 degrees Fahrenheit in the shade and we'd been driving pretty much non-stop, switching each other off in our coach.  Imagine building airplanes in that heat.  The QC team have been doing it flawlessly for 25 years.

 Mike and Tracy at Quad City

We got to Nashville a day or so later, saw the Bird, fell in love with it (perhaps it was the built-in altimeter?) and started the proceedings.  She's a bit newer, a fair bit longer, and a lot heavier than our Triple E Empress, and almost everything runs on air - just like an airplane.  We like airplanes, and the BlueBird is a fine machine, built just like a jetliner. 25 tons of stainless from stem to stern,  and a 500 HP Turbo 60 Series Detroit  - kind of like a Hercules!

We had a few days to kill so we toured the country side a bit, saw a couple of Challengers at a local airstrip (although no one was around flying in the heat wave) and even got to the Grande Olde Opry where we saw Little Jimmy Dickens, Porter Wagner, and Loretta Lynn among others.

So, now this Bird is our home away from home for fly-ins and vacations.  You may see our Bird if we deliver your Challenger to a far away place, or if Tracy or I are running ground support for a far away fly-in or airshow.  We're likely to  play "Up, Up and Away" through her musical airhorns when we deliver a Challenger, so warn the neighbours.

Yellowstone is absolutely fascinating.  Regulations permitting, we hope to fly over it in Challengers some day not to far in the future.  For those contemplating RVing, we know of no better way to travel with kids than in a motorhome (of any size).

And just in case anyone is wondering, "No, the airplane  business is not this profitable."  We do this for fun.  We have other business interests that subsidize our airplane and RV habits!

12/18 x 40 Gap-Bed Metal Lathe

Sorry - Sold for $1,500 to a nice guy from Saskatchewan

(I left this up here with the selling price up for all the fence sitters who called but didn't want to drive a few miles!)