Talk is cheap, Kelly. I read the same posts as you do and I never saw IFT make a single lie, never saw him claim to owning 3 Rockets nor do I think that Art ran out to buy his R3 to satisfy you or anyone else but himself. He had been working closely with Bob Carpenter for some time before he bought his own R3, in conjunction with developing the best, most bulletproof, go-fast mods available for this bike anywhere, period. IFT alluded to working on or with multiple Rockets belonging to others, but, correct me if I'm wrong, he never claimed they were his own. He possesses a deep and detailed familiarity with the Rocket's motor and there are very, very few others who can rival his understanding of it.
Just because you believe something to be true, doesn't necessarily make it so. That's one of the beneficial aspects of forums like these. Ostensibly, it is a place to share and/or thrash out new ideas or differing viewpoints on all matters related to the R3. There are still plenty of arguable subjects, off-based opinions and disagreeable threads that come up here, but, so what? You don't like what's said, challenge it, run up your BS flag and have at it. Although there are thugs on all the MC forums I've ever participated in, Hell, many of them are operated and administered by actual criminals, we're all supposed to be adults, right?
Show me one thread where Art lied and I'll shut up. Show me one post that merited Pig9R's banning him! IMO, that was the result of a kangaroo court decision, pure and simple. Some people's skin here is waaaay too thin. What on God's green earth would merit anybody to make physical or even death threats against the man, simply because they couldn't handle being teased or held up to scrutiny?
I think that Art, with a bit of hindsight, has learned to get along with the animals in this type of zoo more civilly and I also think that not having his well informed view here is a real detriment to this site. He has concurrently been active over on the .com site and, although he is not exactly Mr Congeniality over there, he's still a member in good stead there and he has never fomented the kind of rancor that we saw occurring here. Are the admins and members over there that different from here? I don't think so, other than that they seem to be
alot more tolerant.
I hope that our own admin, P9R is reading this. As a LEO, someone who should know a little bit about justice and administration of rules and regulations, I would appeal to him to reinstate Art. Certainly, his offenses were no greater or more egregious than those of some others on this site. Almost everyone deserves a second chance. Besides, it would be appropriate to allow IFT to defend himself against what appear to be outright fabrications and malicious innuendo. Although, Pig9R needn't be accountable for his actions as administrator, it would be better for this site, in fact, distinguishing in an important way, if he were.
