The bike's bak

[SlideMeister]

Hey I just got "Maddie" (my old 85 Suzuki 1200 Madura) back on the road. Took it apart last year to paint and sure enough, never got around to it. I suppose the fact that it was gunna cost over 200 bucks might have had something to do with it. Aaanyway, She's all back together, the carbs still need to be synched, and it's still way too fast.

http://SlideMeister.com/gallery/main.php/v/-path-?g2_itemId=678
http://SlideMeister.com/gallery/main.php/v/-path-?g2_itemId=664


Hopefully I'll get it plated and insured soon and Barbara and I will go out and collect a few flies in our teeth.

Anyone else out there ride? And if so, what?

age

[jonkip]

gee, suzuki makes bikes AND harmonicas? Cool....I bet they're too smart to rivet the air filter and spark plugs to the chassis so you can't replace them yourself...

[S.o.S.]

Aw you know what I ride. Honda VTX 1800C or 110 c.i.

http://SlideMeister.com/gallery/main.php/v/-path-?g2_itemId=391
or here for real crazy obsession http://riffster.com/vtx/main.htm

After winter I forget how to drive a car as the bike becomes my primary means of scootage. Plus at 35-40 mpg, it's a bit cheaper to get around. Don't need no stinking cars...

[Ziggy]

Anyone else out there ride? And if so, what?

age

I Use ta... but my eyes pooped out on me. (Bad vision and motorcycles... bad combo)

Started on a '75 Honda CB 360T then graduated to a '76 CB 750 F.
I was about 110 lbs. back then.... man could that F go!

The 360 was a great stoplight stormer...not much could touch it in 1/8 mile.

Now I ride shotgun in my wife's Mini Cooper convertable. Not the same... but not bad either.
Ziggy (Chuck)

[toddo]

Nice looking bikes guys. In the late 70s I rode a Yamaha 650 Special. I bought it new and only put 3000 miles on it and sold it to my uncle. I preferred cars. The motorcycle messed up my hair.

Todd

[Larry C]

I so badly wanted a bike when I finally got the money (one of my brothers and I raced dirt bikes as kids-- Hondas).  But Connecticut roads scare me too much - tight, windy, blind curves with lots of trees, no shoulders, and terrible/rude/aggressive drivers.  I have young kids.  If I was still in Chicago and/or suburbs I would not be so afraid - nice flat straight roads, great visibility.

But if I got one it would not be a cruiser - I hate that sitting back position (tried my brother's Harley and did not like it).  I'd get a Japanese sport bike.

I must confess I think these new large engine scooters are kind of cool-- Piaggio has neat ones.  My brother would harass me, though...     

[SlideMeister]

I so badly wanted a bike when I finally got the money (one of my brothers and I raced dirt bikes as kids-- Hondas).  But Connecticut roads scare me too much - tight, windy, blind curves with lots of trees, no shoulders, and terrible/rude/aggressive drivers.  I have young kids.  If I was still in Chicago and/or suburbs I would not be so afraid - nice flat straight roads, great visibility.

But if I got one it would not be a cruiser - I hate that sitting back position (tried my brother's Harley and did not like it).  I'd get a Japanese sport bike.

I must confess I think these new large engine scooters are kind of cool-- Piaggio has neat ones.  My brother would harass me, though...     

Now you've managed to confyooze me!    Somehow your choice of what you would get doesn't match up with your reasoning for not riding in Connecticut.  The very reason for riding in the first place (unless you live in Jakarta) is the excitement, as in "doing something despite any perceived danger" Excitement can come from anything from a flirtatious look in a restaurant to snowboarding straight down the face of a mountain; riding a motorcycle falls somewhere in between.  If the Connecticut roads scare you, why would you want a "sport bike" in Chicago as opposed to a "cruiser?" Sport bikes are made for (to quote your term) more aggressive riders, no?  Sounds like your trying to split hairs here, bro!   Bottom line: Forget your brother! Just get out there and buy something with two wheels and enjoy yourself. 

age

[Ziggy]

I must confess I think these new large engine scooters are kind of cool-- Piaggio has neat ones.  My brother would harass me, though...     

My brother is a Harley head too. We use to store our bikes in our Dad's garage. Saturday we would both wheel out our bikes. He would jump on his starter a couple of times to prime the engine, then jump on it with the key on. Kick, kick, kick, kick,. It would sputter a few times and eventually foul out the plugs. So he would spend the next hour or so working on the thing while it dripped oil on Dads driveway.

I would get on my Honda, turn on the gas, turn on the ignition, press the starter button and go riding. And thats all I ever did sans tuneups and oil changes for 73,000 miles!

Let him talk.
Chuck (Ziggy)

[Larry C]

Age,

I don't need to look to motorcycles for excitement...because I play harmonica!! ha!  OK...I do get my fix of "excitement"...snowboard, ski, kayak, scuba diver, karate (33 years still training and a former boxer)...I have enough opportunites to get injured.

I know sportbikes are for hyper speed, but I really just want the riding position as opposed to leaning back on a cruiser.  What is the alternative-- a Gold Wing?       

[S.o.S.]

What is the alternative-- a Gold Wing?       

Naww, my choice would be sport-touring, behold *angelic background song* http://powersports.honda.com/motorcycles/touring_sport_touring/model.asp?ModelName=ST1300+ABS&ModelYear=2006&ModelId=ST1300A6&bhcp=1

Speed, handling AND room to carry your stuff.

[Larry C]

Yes, Gabe, that ST1300 is sweet....but what about this one?-http://powersports.honda.com/scooters/model.asp?ModelName=Metropolitan&ModelYear=2007&ModelId=CHF507   

But why not go for a bit more thrust-- Triumph Rocket III?

[timw]

I've got a 1977 Yahama XS650 and a 1982 Honda CB900 Custom.  Both of these bikes need to be fixed before I can ride them.  I should try to get started on that next week.

I agree with what you guys were saying about Harleys.  My brother used to have one and I rode it once.  I am tall with long legs and my knees were way up in the air.  I think they are designed for the short fat guys you usually see riding them.  I don't like having my feet way forward either.  That is OK on a long straight highway in Kansas, but if I was going around curves on a mountain road I would want my feet under me.

Lately I have been skateboarding for excitement.  I am rethinking how much of this I want to do though because I fell hard at the skateboard park about a month ago and my ribs are still a little bit sore.  I still go longboarding on bigger skateboards that are more like surfboards.  These are more stable and easier to control and I don't fall very often.

Tim W

[S.o.S.]

Yes, Gabe, that ST1300 is sweet....but what about this one?-http://powersports.honda.com/scooters/model.asp?ModelName=Metropolitan&ModelYear=2007&ModelId=CHF507   

But why not go for a bit more thrust-- Triumph Rocket III?

No joke, I have considered getting one of the scooters out there. Hey at 70-90 MPG it's awefully tempting. Of course I would ride backroads so no one would see me!

The Rocket III is a bike that will be on my list when the time comes for me to get another bike. 2400 cc's is whole lot of grunt. Here's a shot of me on a Rocket at a bike show in 2005.

[Grizzly]

You'd look cute on a scooter. FTR, my last foray into motorized 2 wheelers was in college: a lamebraina (oops—Lambretta) 200; and a Cushman, which one repairman said they were good for something, he just wasn't sure what.

I'm glad I don't still have them.

Tom

[simon]

Like riding motorcycles.  Have had my motorcycle license for 32 years. First two scooters I had (roadbikes) were one harley from the 50's, and one from the 60's, both of which I ran from and went right to BMW.  Haven't looked back since.  Have had many BMW's, and currently own one that sits in the barn.  I know AJ plays his while he rides, but I can't give up the car and harmonica.  The two go hand in hand.  I even thought about riding my bike over to Danny G's party in July, but I won't.  Harmonica comes first. (So do a lot of repairs before the bike in the barn) I even looked at brand new BMW's last weekend, but the harmonica won (honestly).

[pmelissakis]

Gabe,

How come you got hair ?
Were you adopted ?

Pete

PS,  WOW!  misspellings are underlined in red now.

[SlideMeister]

Here's a cute little scooter my brother Jimmy's been building. It's almost done. Any guesses on what the components are?

age

[John Broecker]

Hello, Slider-Bikers. I'm not a motorcyclist. It's too dangerous for me.
(chicken sounds).

But in the early 1970s one of my friends had a motorcycle. I don't know what brand or size. I only saw it once.

We played in a drum & bugle corps together. One summer day, as I was playing in an outdoor concert band, I looked out to the audience and saw him there, next to his bike.

At the intermission, he came over to say "hi," and to catch up on news. We were talking only a few minutes when, out of the blue, his motorcycle started on fire. I told him, and he said, "yeah, sure."

When I turned him around to see his bike, he was shocked, and ran to his motorcycle, and started beating the flames with his leather jacket.

Then, the jacket started flaming, too.

He finally put out the fires, and asked me for a ride home after the concert.

John "Mr. Chicken" Broecker.

[toddo]

That's not a V8 engine in that thing is it?

Todd

[Grizzly]

Hello, Slider-Bikers. I'm not a motorcyclist. It's too dangerous for me.
(chicken sounds).
8<
John "Mr. Chicken" Broecker.

Check out the Dull Men's Club <dullmen.com>

Tom

[SlideMeister]

Are those oil stains on the garage floor?
Z (C)

Of course they're oil stains; it's a machine shop!  (that's the law!)

age

[SlideMeister]

That's not a V8 engine in that thing is it?

Yep, but what kind of V8?  C'mon, You're suppose to guess

age

[toddo]

Ok. Flat head Ford.

Todd

[SlideMeister]

Actually a rare Flathead ford. A tiny 32 Ford V8-60 (60 HP) Modified (a lot) including Offenhauser heads, a special cam and throttle body EFI and a bunch of other Fedor-isms like a home made frame, A Zundap tranny, a Guzzi rear end and wheel, handmade Springer front end, Honda 450 triple tree and front wheel, Harley bars and controls, a (cut down the middle) Honda 750 gastank. and a bunch of other stuff I don't even know about. Got a ways to go but it's gunna be neat when it's done. 

age

[pmelissakis]

Why drive the bike when you can drive the

Couch-mobile

[S.o.S.]

pmelissakis, apparently that's one thing I didn't get from my dad!

John Broecker, now that was a funny story. I actually had a similar situation where I had left a rag on my primary side cover to catch oil dripping from a newly oiled air filter. Next day I fire the bike up & hit the freeway, thinking I'm smelling smoke I get to the exit and noticed I had left the oil enriched rag there - of course it was on fire. What a sight it must have been to others.

Good guess toddo. That bike is sweet. Looking forward to seeing the radiators covered. Still thinks he needs a nice fatty 200 or 240 on the rear however that would require considerably more work to swap out the swingarm, etc.

[Ziggy]

pmelissakis, apparently that's one thing I didn't get from my dad!

John Broecker, now that was a funny story. I actually had a similar situation where I had left a rag on my primary side cover to catch oil dripping from a newly oiled air filter. Next day I fire the bike up & hit the freeway, thinking I'm smelling smoke I get to the exit and noticed I had left the oil enriched rag there - of course it was on fire. What a sight it must have been to others.

True story.
My brother had a 1967 XLCH (Harley Davidson Sportster) with the shortest pipes I had ever seen. They dumped out right under the foot pegs. Man, it was loud!

Anyways, while driving down Stoney Island Ave. on the south side of Chicago, he pulled up to a stop light. A black guy, in a Electra 225 "low Rider" pulls up on his right and is pointing at my brother. Being the rampent racist that he is, my brother gives him "the finger."

The  guy rolled down the electric window of his Buick and said "Don't be giving me the finger you stupid honkey, I'm trying to save your life! Your pants leg is on fire!"

Chuck (Ziggy)

[pmelissakis]

Well, my new neighbor must have just purchased a new bike.

I am listening to him rev it up for 2 or three minutes, then
he takes off and must just drive it around the block and
comes back and revs it another 2 or 3 minutes before
Turning it off and a couple minutes later the entire process
starts over. I have been listening to this for the last 2 hours.

My previous neighbor had a teenage daughter who had a bike
riding boyfriend.  He wasn't quite so bad.  Whenever he showed up
he would rev the bike about 2 minutes before turning it off.
And when he left there was another 2 minutes to rev it up
before leaving.

Is there some rule that a motorcycle has to rev up prior to
riding it and prior to turning it off ?

Pete

[SlideMeister]

Yeah, the younger you are between your ears, the more revs required before and after every ride as well as every time the clutch is pulled in. (at a traffic light, etc.) Mature drivers treat a bike a "fun vehicle," while snot-noses treat it more as a toy. 

age