Thanks for asking.
Doing better, but I have a big grey splotch in my peripheral vision and it doesn't seem to be going away. Have to see the optometrist lady again to see what's up.

I hope you dont have to live with it but count your blessings that you still have the eye and it functions. I am glad that it did heal up grey spot or not.

I had an eye scare three weeks back I think that's around the time you got blasted. I had my visor up thinking it was too cold for bugs. A huge one called a Kubuto mushi hit my helmet so hard it took paint off!

Holy crap! You got hit by a rhinoceros beetle!? That's almost like getting hit with a baseball. Damn. Those big, ugly things could really do some damage! The biggest thing we have around here are June bugs, which some get about the size of a half dollar. In my younger days, riding a motorcycle, no helmet, just glasses, I got hit in the face by two June bugs. One hit my cheek, the other hit my forehead and actually cut me. When I pulled over, the goo from the June bug dripped into my eye. Was pretty disgusting. If those were rhinoceros beetles, you'd be knocked out! Haha

Hows anything? The eye the bike exct.

I am back on the bike and finally got my first weight reduction on and man does it make me grin!




By the way I dunno if I said this before but the kid I now have as a riding buddy almost lost her eye to a kid playing with scissors in my class. Somehow it hit the corner and did zero damage. Makes me think we need saftey glasses on all the time.

Hey Crux,

Is the bike finished?

yeah, I just read through most of this thread!

Any more progress to show us??

:rolleyes:

Crux kinda went off the map after that. I'm still kinda around but I am getting a lotus esprit .my Bikes on long hold. I only ride it in emergency and on weekends when its cool as I dont have my true liscence for this country I just carry my us card and I dunno man... Any questions start a thread or send a pm

Where is Crux ?

What happened ?

Would love to see and hear his bike !

I just checked and he hasn't logged in since Dec '16. Anyone have a personal # or contact? We'd like to hear everything is ok...

I PM'd him about a month ago just to ask how it's going as we hadn't heard from him on the board for so long. Haven't heard anything back. Hope all is well and he just got tired of our bullshit.

Yeah,

Same here !

Grux's build was inspiring.

Hey man. Nothing I can do from here but a MOD ... Maybe Wolverine. (Poke Poke) should see if hes Dead/ In prison.

We are all curious about Crux,

A valuable member that disappeared of the radar without any explanation.

Strange but true !

I realized I had an email address for him and shot Mat an email yesterday. Hope to hear something back, though I would assume he would have received an email notification from my PM two months ago as well.

Hey fellas. Sorry it's been a while. Been going through a bit of a rough patch. Main things are, my Superhawk was never finished, I didn't even ride this year, and I am seriously thinking about parting my bike out. I miss riding. I really miss riding.

If you're curious about what's happening with me and not the bike, feel free to read on.
Some health issues have been keeping me down. The short of it is, I now have one of three things wrong with me. Doctors are having difficulty figuring it out. It's either ALS, BFS (Benign Fasciculation Syndrome), or Lyme's Disease. Did you know that Lyme's Disease tests are only 40% accurate? To get a test done that's at least 89-90% accurate, I need to have a $900 blood test done in a lab in Palo Alto, California, or the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota.
One day my legs started to cramp up (charlie horse) very badly. Violently cramping is a good way to describe it. For example, my calf would cramp, so you try to stretch the muscle out, then your shin cramps up, and it just goes back and forth for hours. The first time this happened, the pain made me, a 6'-3" 230 lb. dude cry. The cramping was so bad, I couldn't walk, drive, or get around. I was forced to Uber it to a doctor. Medication helps with the cramping now. Then, my muscles started twitching. Each individual muscle fiber would twitch (fasciculations). The twitching persists 24/7, non-stop. The twitching feels like you literally have something slithering around under your skin. It's a bit freaky honestly. Still haven't got used to it. All this is happening from my waist down. Nothing above my waist. Not yet anyway. Since the twitching is non-stop, my legs are always tired. My legs always feel like I just ran a few miles, because the muscles are constantly moving.
I had an EMG test done for ALS. The doctor said I was in a bit of a grey area. The test wasn't bad, but it wasn't good either. He couldn't say for certain that I had ALS, but he also couldn't say that I didn't.

I work...well, used to work for myself as a Building Contractor. I haven't been working and money is a huge problem. Hence why I'm thinking about parting my bike out. I have so many great parts on this bike and would like to see them go to you guys.

I wanted to come back and post about what happened, but then say, "I'm all better now and I can ride", but it's looking like this may not be possible.

I wanted to make this post, because of you guys. I have received so many emails and private messages, which I ignored. I guess I just didn't want to bother you guys with my problems, and I also didn't want to lie and say everything was fine. I hope all you guys that reached out to me accept my apology. I wanted to say thank you to Steve for reaching out more times than once. You're a good guy Steve.

So, if I have ALS, well we know what could happen. If it's BFS, then I just keep living with what I'm dealing with now, because there is no cure. If it's Lyme's Disease, then if caught early enough, it can be cured. Just a real pain, because insurance companies won't pay for the more accurate test. And doctors won't just give me drugs to cure Lyme's when my test came back negative, even though the drugs do zero harm to me.

I'll let you guys know what I decide to do with my Superhawk.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

Who else wants to go in on this $900 test so Mat can stop talking this part out foolishness? I'm in.

put me down for a contribution....

you have no need to apologize for anything. I truly and sincerely hope your problems are temporary and curable. Keep your chin up and know that you are in our collective thoughts

I am not rich anymore but for you man.
 

I could spare something. I know your not a scammer. You need to get unemployment and disability. You cant walk. Dont be proud. Also man. My legs have been F*** up a long time cramping I am tired they are tired ect but no twiching. Finish your bike with that time off. Hate to put it like this but its worth more finished. Also... My best friend just beat cancer. Theres money out there. Forpeople with health issues. Get you some man! What I am saying is many of us have really bad health. Dont let it halt your life. But dont let your shit insurance screw you. You need help. I am sure many of us can chip in.

Daggum, this sucks. We are here for ya man. If you need to vent or just b.s., stop in, send pm, ANYTHING. Don't keep it bottled up.
About the part out, toys come and go. If finances dictate it needs gone, do what it takes to get your situation figured out and the ship set on course. Nothin is more important right now.

:thumbsup:

Run with it brother!

Guys, I've been here three times now and wasn't sure what to type. Honestly, I don't know how to handle this. I hope you guys didn't think I came here asking for money. Yes, getting a Lyme's Disease test done that is more than twice as accurate would be fantastic! But...what if the 40% accurate test that was already done, was correct? Not only that, but it would take a while to pay you guys back. I appreciate the thought Steve and I appreciate those that wanted to contribute, but I just can't. Be it pride, or what, but I never accepted money before, and I just don't know how my conscious would deal with it.

I love this small community of ours. You made me tear up a bit.
Happy Thanksgiving guys.

Mat

I can't speak for anyone else (though I suspect most feel the same way): any offer to help is just that, an offer to help another human being, a decent guy and fellow VTR enthusiast. I would not expect, nor would I want, to be reimbursed. The mark of a person is his/her desire and ability to step up and help others in need.

If we figure out a method for donations LMK please.

Mat,
My most visited forum is one related to firewood. In the past few weeks, we had a member come upon some hardship with a storm that rolled through and severely wiped out the electrical connections to his home. He's been running a generator for electric. A bunch decided to help him out and next thing you know everyone donated something like 1300 dollars. I contributed a small amount and let me tell you, it felt great doing so. This isn't a loan, it's some friends extending their want to help, no strings attached. Less than a week later, one of the matriarchs of the same forum had his gall bladder explode. Once again, we're up to 1400 and currently collecting. This is something that we chose to do to help a fellow out. It might be $100, it may be $500. It's not a dollar amount that counts, it's that there are people who have come to know you in this VTR community that simply want to help. That's all.

yessir.... a Paypal address and the money will come...

I am not independently wealthy by any means, but put me down for $40 US.... it's a start.....

Brother. I said the same up until I got on the ropes real real bad like you. Dont have to see someones face to be friends. Its not a damn loan. So what if it did come back negative then you can relax on that. Shoulda told is sooner. Dont wait it out. And maybe giving a donation is my way of being selfish. I wanna see that damn bike run! Right now I could part with 50$ to whoevers collecting. I can give more a later date. And crux f you bought your kids as I think you have presents with it I wouldnt be one bit mad.

Sheeit Crux,

Great to hear from you and I'm sorry I chimed in so late.

I share the same sentiments as those that have responded.

Get the Test done mate.

Send us a Pay Pal request and keep us up to date on what happens.

Are you fit enough to finish the VTR ? Post some pics of the state it's in.

Don't dilly dally, we wouldn't offer if it wasn't warranted.

Merry Christmas mate, and good to hear from you.

If Steve doesn't take the ball, I will... calling @VTR1000f PM scent. lol

So, what does a PM smell like Wolverine?

Well, Go Fund Me seems to take 7.9% between their cut and fees. If I handle this, I would have to take my normal 35%, so that's getting into real money down the tubes.

I see no reason in this instance why Go Fund Me is necessary. If Mat is willing to accept our collective gift, one friend to another, then if he would just provide his PayPal email, we could all simply send him a little something individually.

Mat would get 100% of our love and my questionable character would have no opportunity to sour our efforts.

I do have a PayPal email for Mat from 2014, but I don't know if it is still valid and I don't think it's proper to provide it without Mat's OK.

So Mat, if you're willing to accept the hand of a friend, please post your PayPal email so you can move forward with whatever treatment you need.

So what if this more accurate test simply confirms the results you already have? Then you know something with a greater degree of confidence and know better how to move forward. What if it determines you do have Lyme disease? I would think you could rest a bit easier and you would certainly know how to proceed with treatment to improve the quality of your life.

Mat, you didn't ask for anything but forgiveness for which you never needed to ask. Some of us just want to offer what we can to a friend to make their life a little better. A hand up, not a hand out and no one is expecting anything in return.

And, while this $900 test prompted all this, I for one feel anything we all give should be used as you see fit. You may decide you have another need greater than this test and I certainly have no expectation that I can determine what's best for you.

Get your head out, Mat. Give us your PayPal info.

Of course, if you do part it out, I want dibs on your +4 advancer.

I'm absolutely floored guys. As of this morning, I still didn't know what to do, so I called my family. I was reminded that when I could, I helped people, be it with my skills, knowledge, or money, because I believe in Karma. But, until now, I have never put myself in the other person's shoes. If I offered someone a little something to help out and they didn't take it, I guess I would be a little offended. My Mom said, "Embrace it and accept it. You'll find a way to pay it forward". (I'm sending her the link to this.)
I had a nice long letter I was going to write, but the words escape me at the moment. Now that my health issue is out in the open, I'll be more active, and I will keep you guys updated to what's happening with me. I'll also let you guys know what I plan on doing with the bike. Unfortunately, a bike like mine is worth a lot more in parts than it is finished.

It feels weird putting this out there, but here's my PayPal address:
triphopin at yahoo dot com

I'll find a way to thank you guys. I promise.