Author Topic: motorcycles!  (Read 27979 times)

DanvMan

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motorcycles!
« on: December 08, 2011, 02:14:12 PM »
so, how many bikers are out there?

ive been riding for 2 years on a CBT license on a yamaha dragstar xvs 125, 2000 model, absolutly love her to bits but due to bad timing with foot surgury etc my CBT has ran out so im not road legal.

Well having a bike isnt really practical as i have a family so we have set aside some money to get my drivers license after xmas, i can drive but the license part is crucial, ofc lol

I was going to sell my bike to fund the driving but i just cant bring myself to do that, i love the freedom that comes with the ride, so im gonna be storing her next week until the weather is better, do the work that needs to be done and get her into tip top shape ready to ride again. Cant wait if im honest, as much as i do need a car i absolutly love my bike and its something i wish to continue with for as long as possible!

The main reason i got my bike was due to getting a better job position at work and needed it to commute, its cheap! Used to do 24 miles a day, wind, rain, snow you name it ive rode in it! had many a good days aswel as bad lol

Share some of your experiences good and bad!

I dont know many bikers around my area so would be nice to share some stories!



Offline buddha

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Re: motorcycles!
« Reply #1 on: December 08, 2011, 04:09:15 PM »
Started with a Honda CB550, then sold that and got a Honda 1100 Shadow. From there I got a Harley Electra Glide Classic, sold that and ended up with a 2000 Ducati Monster (904 cc), fastest bike I was ever on. That beast could go from 60 to 120 in no time. I used that to put some distance between my a$$ and the "Buy American" rednecks that love to tailgate foreign bikes in their rusty old Ford pick-ups. I ended up selling that a few years back after too many of the blue haired old ladies in the northwoods tried to kill me.
If I was ever to buy another bike I would get something along the lines of the Kawasaki KLR-650 Dual Purpose. It's an enduro bike (on and off road), liquid cooled with a 5 speed and a 5.8 gallon tank. The estimates I've read say that it gets about 50 mpg. I would get hard bags on it for transporting my stuff and probably no other mods. It's a pretty tall saddle so that would be a plus for me. I'd probably also get on/off road tires so if I did go boondocking I'd have traction but it would also have a smooth ride on the road. And the 650 is plenty big enough to keep up with traffic on the highway.
If you ever get the opportunity to go to Sturgis take it! The first time I went they estimated half a million bikes and it was fairly crowded everywhere we went. The last time ('04) the estimate was 1.5 million and it was gridlock everywhere. Still, it's something that every biker should do at least once just to say you did.
One year during the rally, it was '99 or 2000, I was riding with a group on Needles Highway and we found the wreckage of one of the tour choppers that crashed the day before killing the pilot and his lone passenger. I'm a retired cop and the group I was riding with was all LEOs as well. So we're all walking around the site snapping photos of the blood, etc. Other people who were watching us must have thought we were cult members or just plain nutz.
On that same trip we were riding through Custer State Park on the wildlife loop and stopped to let a herd of buffalo cross the road. The herd was bigger than we thought and pretty well spread out so they were walking in and out among the bikes. I thought they were all pretty big animals and then the Alpha Male came along. He walked right in front of my bike and that dude was ENORMOUS! I'm 6'-5" and I could not see over him. It wasn't until he was about 30 yards away that I remembered that I had a camera with me and I got a really nice pic of his hind quarters but that photo does not do justice to his size. I was never that close to something without a fence or a wall between us and I have to admit to being intimidated to the point of being surprised that I didn't need to change my pants afterward.
If you ever do make the Sturgis trip try to find out when the rally is in Hulett, Wyoming. As much as the cops crack down on nudity and fighting in Sturgis they have a strict hands off approach in Hulett. I've been told that Hulett today is the way Sturgis was years ago. Lots of nudity, lots of drunkenness, lots of flying fists. Never been there but I hear it's unforgettable.
OK, I'll stop now.
"Certainly there is no hunting like the hunting of man and those who have hunted armed men long enough and liked it never really care for anything else thereafter."
Ernest Hemingway, On The Blue Water.

Offline TheSlyBear

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Re: motorcycles!
« Reply #2 on: December 08, 2011, 04:42:27 PM »
2005 Yamaha V-Star Classic Silverado.


Offline outsider82

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Re: motorcycles!
« Reply #3 on: December 08, 2011, 05:17:46 PM »
I started with a Suzuki GS500 (the naked version). In Australia we have learner restricted bikes so you can't ride a Litre bike on your learners permit.

My current ride is, 2009 Kawasaki Z1000...

Love riding it, have Leo Vince SBK pipes on it now instead of the massive OEM pipes. Had it from new and done 23,000KM on it so far.

I generally ride with a big group of mates, do the odd trip away. My favourite spot to ride is in the Australian alps. Beautiful place to ride.



A few more pics to tease you with :)

Twisties for the next 105KM mainly 35Km/h corners.


This is up in the fairly tame aussie alps



Offline mrzed

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Re: motorcycles!
« Reply #4 on: December 08, 2011, 05:33:24 PM »
Ok, you'll probably think it's a whimpy bike, but it serves my purpose. I ride a moped/scooter on country type roads the five miles to work and back. Eaton Beamer I.  I like the 70-80 mpg it gets.  I run to the store and just fun local rides. Yes, it does not go too fast, but out here we're far enough away from the city that a little bike like this is nice. Put on about 4000-5000 miles per year scooting around. Can ride about 10 months of the year.



Offline Mikekoz13

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Re: motorcycles!
« Reply #5 on: December 08, 2011, 06:22:55 PM »
I learned to ride when I was about 12 years old. My first bike was a 1982 Yamaha 400 Maxim. I moved up to a 1982 Yamaha Virago a few months later. I stopped riding for about 6 years and then bought a used 1986 Yamamha 920 Virago in Spring 1994. About 4 months later I sold the Virago and bought a brand new 1994 Harley Fatboy. Sold it about 15 months later after almost getting killed by cars twice in one week.
Thought I'd buy another bike a year later. Then I met an amazing woman, got married and had a couple of great kids. Bikes went on the back burner for about 13 years. Then in 2009 I bought a 2009 Harley Road King brand new. I LOVED it but it wasn't good for long rides with the wife. In November of 2010 I traded the King for a 2011 Harley Ultra Limited.... truly a Cadillac of Bikes.

The Ultra Limited is my current ride.... 9000 miles this past year.... I love that Bike.
« Last Edit: January 03, 2012, 09:55:44 AM by Mikekoz13 »
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Offline Mikekoz13

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Re: motorcycles!
« Reply #6 on: December 09, 2011, 04:55:43 AM »
And though he'd never tell you, Mikekoz13 is a great advisor on getting back on bikes after you've left the real world for a while--thanks again Buddy! C#)P

Thanks Paul....... I'm still up for planning that North Carolina BBQ bike trip whenever you are ready.
"What contemptible scoundrel stole the cork from my lunch?" W.C. Fields

DanvMan

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Re: motorcycles!
« Reply #7 on: December 10, 2011, 03:44:40 AM »
Always nice to see what other people ride around the world, im from the UK so getting to sturgis would definatly be something to remember!

Wish i knew people to go riding with but i do enjoy it just as much on my own.

I remember one day on the way back from work a huge group of riders caught me up, must have been going on there own cruise, the bikes were massive and easily passed me, felt really awesome just riding next to them for tgat short while as there must have easily been 30 of them or more!

heres a pic of me and my little lad on my bike, get em started young lol!:


Offline oldbaldguy

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Re: motorcycles!
« Reply #8 on: December 10, 2011, 02:51:49 PM »
2004 Sportster Brilliant Silver, Blue Pinstripes, Screamin Eagles

Offline BillOnBass

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Re: motorcycles!
« Reply #9 on: January 02, 2012, 06:32:03 PM »
I've been looking into buying my first motorcycle at some point in the future.  After having done some research for an optimal beginner's bike, I've found what looks to be a great choice: the Yamaha Virago 250.  I'm just concerned about how well I'll fit on the bike; would someone that's 6'3" and 210 pounds be comfortable on a bike this size?

Also, what should I be doing about applying for a license and preparing for the test?  What are some things I should be looking for when test driving a bike?

Thanks
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Offline Mikekoz13

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Re: motorcycles!
« Reply #10 on: January 03, 2012, 10:03:29 AM »
I'm just concerned about how well I'll fit on the bike; would someone that's 6'3" and 210 pounds be comfortable on a bike this size?

Thanks

Bill-

That bike is WAY too small for you. Even as a beginner it's a bad choice as a purchase. Ergonomically you will be squeezed onto the bike and the bike won't have any get up and go with a guy your size on it.
I'd recommend you do what SaintC said and take a beginner rider's course. Many offer bikes to learn on. Once you learn on one of their small bikes, you will be ready for something bigger. If you are goong to buy small, buy used...... because I guarantee you that in a VERY short time you will belooking to move up.
I wouldn't recommend anything smaller than 750CC for a guy your size. If you're going to eventually have a passenger, even this size will be too small. You're also going to be squeezed onto a bike this size too..... You'll more than outgrow that quickly enough too.

I think one of the biggest mistakes new riders make is to buy a bike that is too small.

PM me with questions or if you just want to talk.
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Offline oldbaldguy

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Re: motorcycles!
« Reply #11 on: January 03, 2012, 06:08:55 PM »
Yeah at age 61 when I decided to ride I took the MSF course at the local Harley dealer. Rode in sun, rain and wind during the course. Once course was completed I found a good deal on a bike, a Brilliant Silver 2004 Sportster, with just a little over 6000 miles on it.

Take the course. I feel a lot more confident riding now.

Offline Baldstu

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Re: motorcycles!
« Reply #12 on: March 24, 2012, 02:42:50 PM »
Ifailedmy cbt 3 times , the instructor would not allow me out on the road , oh what a pity , but did not want to become a statistic

Offline Blitzed

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Re: motorcycles!
« Reply #13 on: May 01, 2012, 08:26:51 AM »
Was taught to ride at my home in Cape Town 45 years ago. Bought a BMW then and that's what I still ride. 1200. Over the years I've ridden across Africa, Up and down as well as across South America (The ride form Buenos Aires to Santiago through the Andes is spectacular) and-this one was a mistake-across Australia. I've never once regretted having and riding one but I think part of my pleasure comes from the fact that, up front, I was taught to ride by the Police Training School in Kapstaad. You were treated just as a rookie officer and had to perform to their standards to be licensed if you chose to go that route. I'm very concerned about young guys who get a bike, haven't mastered the skills and, if they're really lucky, only get road rash. When you see a young man on crotch rocket wearing only jogging shorts, sun glasses and flip flops, it's best to start praying then. I"m of two mind-or perhaps I should say heads-about helmets. I'll wear one more often in the city than on a cross country tour. On the other hand, as a bug catcher, a helmet is better-and more cleanable-than your teeth or your mouth. PJ

Offline tomgallagher

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Re: motorcycles!
« Reply #14 on: May 01, 2012, 08:54:04 AM »
Our brother from South Africa speaks wisely.
« Last Edit: May 01, 2012, 09:58:27 AM by Tom Gallagher »