Nate, congratulations on the new bike. Are you going to transfer the shopping basket off the front of your old one, or does the new bike already have one fitted?
Cars R OK, but what kind of motorcycle do you have
The thread about what AudiogoNers drive is fun to see, but I was wondering what kind of motorcycles are represented by the crazy people here? I know this has been discussed a little on other threads, but If we can slip this by the censors, it might be fun.
I have a Victory V92C. It's a few years old now, but it still a fun cruiser!
What about you?
I have a Victory V92C. It's a few years old now, but it still a fun cruiser!
What about you?
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77 Sportster, 74 Commando 850, 73 Commando 750, 57 Dominator 600, 66 Triumph Daytona 500, 67 BSA 441, (2) 70 Triumph TR25Ws, 68 BSA B25, 51 BSA C11 250. Half of them actually run! Good thing I have a decent stereo in my shop: Dual Mono PS2 160W blocks with the voltage rails raised from 25V to 46V. I don't know how they keep running like that; they must be pushing over 250W, PSIII Linear Control Center, and Rega speakers. |
1970 T-100C Triumph Trophy, less than 9,000 miles but it looks more like 90,000. My dirt bike that only goes on dirt roads, and my road bike that only takes the road to town, and back to the cabin. I've owned it since 1979, bought it for $500. I've had 3 other bikes, all gone. I refuse to sell the Triumph. |
First bike was a 1972 Kawasaki H2 750 two stroke. Goodgawd it was a monster off the line. Next was a 1975 Bultaco Alpina dirt bike, then a 1978 Bultaco Pursang that I raced motorcross on. Finished up with a 1982 Suzuki GS1100E. Rented a BMW 1150 on a two week adventure through the ALPS - check out www.beaches-mca.com and click on the alpine adventure slideshow. Your on the sides of the tire more than the bottom, what a epic trip! |
Cwlondon. commuting everyday from NYC will surely pucker your keester! when i rode NYC i ended up on the sidewalk several times & even got into a fight at a friggin toll booth because i didnt know what a speed pass was. on a good note ridin the bridges was very memorable for us especially the brooklyn bridge. you got balls of steel my friend :) |
I learned to ride, and rode for seven years in NYC. I actually enjoyed it quite a bit till my bike was stolen (with the heavy duty lock on it). I lived in the city so had only to commute over the Brooklyn or Manhattan Bridge to get into town. It's changed a lot since then (80's). I wonder what riding is like there now. Congrats on the Speed Triple - a buddy of mine has an old one and has a blast with his. Ditch the useless radar detector (since when do they have speed traps in NYC?) for a damn good alarm that hooks to your cell phone, and a GPS locator for when the alarm doesn't deter the thieves. Marco |
Bigjoe, Marco, Edesilva Wow great to hear from you guys re bikes! The 675 Triple is a brand new bike. Their has been huge anticipation for it and the very first ones are just being delivered now. More specifically, the DAYTONA 675 Triple. According to the buzz and new reviews, it is a groundbreaking sports bike, surprisingly small and narrow, and gets around tracks within tiny fractions of seconds distance only behind Yamahas new, screaming R6. But of course with a lot more personality and style, the howl of a triple, and more torque lower down in the rev range. You can read and see everything you want to know here: www.triumph675.net I am disappointed that they have dropped the classic "Racing Yellow" and replaced it with a metallic, golden "scorched yellow", but this will be my third Triumph Daytona and I have always had yellow. Thinking I might have a custom shop respray it in Racing Yellow for me or at least jazz it up a bitm perhaps with a bit of Ducatiesque white on the tail. Marco I agree that you dont really need the radar in the City, although once in a blue moon I believe there are traps on the FDR or Harlem River Drive, where you can easily hit 100 MPH zooming down to midtown in the morning. More importantly, I need it for the relentless radar traps on the Palisades Parkway and Route 17. On a slow day, I will see at least two cars pulled over for speeding during rush hour, particularly towards the end of the month. It is such a shameless money machine that I have no compunction about declaring war with detectors and hope to integrate at least one, permanently onto the new bike. The Speed Triple? I prefer the more raw, naked speed Triples from the mid 90s which to my eyes are gorgeous classic bikes. Looked very cool in black and also the dull orange. The newer ones are also very good bikes, but I didnt like the exposed frames or the bug eye headlights as much. Good luck, ride safely. |
. It's a matter of personal taste, I guess, but having owned an earlier generation Speed Triple, I perceived it as being pretty dull looking, and certainly more sluggish than the newer generation! And the chrome "bugeyes" are one of the defining characteristics of the newer iteration. Love 'em or hate 'em, they're unique! :0 :) :) |
Cwlondon exaust are you kidding me,nothing but drag pipes for this kid :) have you ever been to the harley dealership(bergen county) off of route 17 in rochelle park ? great service & super nice people too. when we were riding NYC & NJ i had to get a tire replaced there & the mechanic told me that the stretch of route 17 they were located on was nicknamed DEATH HIGHWAY due to all the accidents. btw,the parkway was where i got into a fight at the toll booth,other than that we had an excellent time riding NY & NJ & were going back this summer hopefully. |
More specifically, the DAYTONA 675 Triple. Suweeeeet, CW! Looks like a cross between a Ducatti and an R6. Very nice. Yeah, my bud's bike is a late 90's buck naked Speed Triple with the bug eyes. Quite a bit less refined than this I'd say...more of a rat bike. I can't do the sport bike thing anymore. After twenty years in the saddle, and at 46, my back and knees can't take that riding position for very long. I like long-distance riding, and camping, hence my choice of bike for the past eight years has been a BMW GS (currently an 1150GS). Makes for a great urban assault vehicle as well, and has plenty of low-end grunt to pull out and pass. Triple digits don't thrill me no more, though I still ride rather briskly. They used to when I was younger, but too many scares and slower reflexes, and some really stupid cagers have all caused me to slow down. Can't imagine doing that stuff in NYC...too much debris about, and my memories of the roads that would allow enough room for that speed would cause me to prefer a GS with Ohlins and plenty of travel over a sport bike. Perhaps they're in better repair now(?). That said, my first bike was a 82 Yamaha Vision with full fairing (that's what I learned on in the city). Had a Ninja for a while too. Fun stuff! I rode 12 months out of the year there. I recall riding in the snow and dropping it real slow getting on the Manhattan Bridge. Managed to pick it up as quickly as I went down and get home safely. Ah, those were the days. Marco |
So we are now into the musical portion of the program. My ride is a Honda VTR 1000 sportbike which is just a clone of the basic Ducati design (same bore and stroke--but not the exotic valve arrangement). I used to be a Honda V-4 man and that beast was quite musical. The V_4 had a rather pleasant mellow attack with a beautiful resonant soundstage. Most people would comment on the excellent midrange but I am the kind of guy who likes a liitle more authority and attitude so the VTR (V Twin)fills the bill quite nicely. Now I have serious bass and very fast attack and well the imaging is beyond anything you can imagine. Color me crazy but that big savage beast can really sing. As a drummer I quite appreciate the thumpa thumpa cadence that exits the tuned exhaust (no black diamonds here!) Indeed I have been known to drive for hours while working on beats----HEY it sure beats practicing with a metronome! As anyone who enjoys riding will tell you having a partner to ride (with) can be a lot of fun. My partner (wife)couldn't stand me having all the fun so -----you guessed it she found her own twin which is identical to MY!! twin. So much for being manly. So there you go a little story about Mike and Barb two twin biker folk. Oh I almost forgot to mention that she likes tubes, Miles Davis, plays a mean Fender bass and has absolutely no fear of cueing up our Rega P-25 turntable. How bad is that? |
Marco Very impressed to hear that you drove year round in NYC. Since moving out of the City in 2004, I have been driving 40+ miles in and out of midtown, every day I need to be there, in all weather conditions barring snow and ice on the road. The sand, the salt, the freezing cold, the pouring rain, high winds over the bridges, fog etc. I really love it. It has also improved my riding immensely because, as you know, you have to learn to ride very, very smoothly, with every downshift perfectly matched in its revs, and very defensively in order to stay alive. I cant wait to get the new, bike, tweak the radar detector, and enjoy some sunny, dry weather. Everyone looks at me like I am a total nutcase. Now I can't deny that, but deep down, I know they are secretly envious. |
Very impressed to hear that you drove year round in NYC. Aw' shucks, that was just a walk in the park. I still ride year round here in Seattle, though I've been slacking off these past two years since we've been working on the never-ending house renovation. Every Martin Luther King Day weekend, a group of fellow hard-core two-wheelers go on a little snow-camping weekend trip out to the mountains. Here's a favorite picture of me (left) and two of my friends up at 5400 feet back around this time of year in 02'. The next year we attended I went down on some black ice on the way up so we turned back at around 4200 feet that year. The last two years it's actually turned out to be Rain-Camp. Still well attended, but not by me. The last one I attended had about 75 folks show up. Some come with four wheels, but the vast majority are on two, and most camp in tents. There's been all kinds of creative traction solutions two, from ropes, to chains to actual studs. I think someone actually bought one of those stud inserting guns (not cheap). Some culinary highlights are the turkeys fried in oil (there are usually two or three), pancake breakfast, and the alter of whiskey. It's called "Snow Camp" and it's been going on for over ten years as I recall...I think there was a birthday cake a few years back. Open to all makes and models, as well as to those who just love to ride but are not crazy enough to risk it in February at high elevations. Too late for this year, but hey, if you're in the neighborhood of Mt. Rainier around MLK Day, come join the party! Marco |
Marco I was already a fan but now you have my total respect. Re "studs" yes, an excellent idea. I have been thinking on the trickier days this winter, that perhaps I also need a winter bike, in addition to the sports bike. Although I love the sport bike on the clear, cold days, I really do hate it when I have to submit to public transportation. I have told my wife and and friends that my risk of an anxiety or claustrophobia induced heart attack on the bus or train is far greater than the risk of death driving a motorcycle in the winter. Then I thought, hey - if bad guys can drive motocross bikes down ski slopes while shooting machine guns in James Bond movies, why cant I get through a little snow and ice? So any more info on studded tires, Mr Rainier trips, motcross winter setups etc greatly appreciated. Could I get one of the old school GS Beemer bikes and put studded tires on it? Any idea how long they last? For the others, the new Triumph 675 Triple seems like a killer bike and I will report more upon delivery, hopefully in 1-3 weeks. best cwlondon |
So any more info on studded tires, Mr Rainier trips, motcross winter setups etc greatly appreciated. Could I get one of the old school GS Beemer bikes and put studded tires on it? Any idea how long they last? Stud Insertion Tool (that one's too easy, isn't it?)...and lots of other great stuff. If you are asking about longevity of studded tires, don't know. Call Aerostich and find out. I don't use them, but have seen others at SnowCamp who do, and tell me they are very effective. For more GS and Dual Sport jewelry, some very useful, the bible is Touratech (this is the US distributor, but the company is based out of Germany). Everything you wanted to know, but were afraid to ask about The BMW GS Evolution. Lots of folks love the older airhead BMW's for their lightness, simplicity and reliability, and ease of maintenance, as well as greater prowess off road when the going gets tough. They retain their value very well too. But, coming from a sport bike background, the newer Oilheads (identified as the Telelever Generation) are sooooo much more fun on the pavement. Virtually everything about performance has improved, but with it comes the added weight and complexity of technology. You may be bored with the 50hp on tap of the older bikes. Another bike I'd consider for those purposes is the newer KTM Adventurer, either the 950 or 980. If you want to read some real-world experiences in a forum format of these types of bikes, and that style of riding, check out ADVRider. They are not as restrained as on this forum, and moderator is a different species altogether over there, so be prepared. There is a big GS list at Micapeak, but it is a subscribers list, and will generate a whole lot of unwanted bandwidth in my experience. If you want to watch a couple of goofballs actually do a bit of good in bringing some legitimacy and respect, to this realm of our sport, into the public eye, check out the "Long Way Around" series that is recently on DVD. If you want to check out someone whose done that kind of thing on a more serious level, without the benefit of support vehicles and TV crew, check out my friend, [http://www.globeriders.com]Helge Pedersen's Site[/url]. If you want to see some very serious talent on two wheels, watch a Trials competition. Those guys rule! Speaking of James Bond, as you did, I saw the guy who did all the stunts for that recent Bond film with the BMW...French stunt rider Jean-Pierre Goy - He did several lenghty demo rides that were just not to be believed at BMW's 80th B'day bash in Tahoe. I'll see if I can find some snapshots I took of him, but they won't do the experience justice. Marco |
Whoops, screwed up on the markup tags on Helge Pedersen's Website. If you are ever interested in going on some really amazing world tours, this is the man to go with. Check out his book, 10 Years on Two Wheels. They also occasionally do some great multimedia presentations at the major bike shows (Daytona Bike Week & BMW National are both pretty regular if he's in the country). Marco |
Marco Thanks for the links - there is nothing better than a world tour on a bike. I dont have a lot of experience beyond my usual riding but do have fond memories of: - driving from London to Brussels on Christmas Eve, 1997, in POURING rain the whole way. Realized, upon reaching the border, that I left my passport (??!?!) on the kitchen counter and they actually let me through. Best dinner ever when I finally arrived. Cold lobsters, foie gras, Sauterne, champagne - wonderful. - driving from London to Nice, on to Portofino, to Florence to Rimini and then down to Siena on my newly delivered Yamaha R-1, Summer of 1998. - driving my Triumph Daytona 900 up towards Ireland, and taking a ferry to Belfast, after which I drove across the country stopping at the cliffs on the Atlantic side. Spectacular! One of the most amazing things I have ever seen. Even better, managed to snag a ferry ticket, last minute, to stop off in the Isle of Man and watch the TT races on the way home. My recent adventures are simply battling my way in and out of Manhattan every day, but I will check out the links. Thanks again. |
started with a kawi 400 a long time ago. went to a '78 moto guzzi 1000sp and then to a '80 zuke 1000e when it was top of the heap. I still have it in a 1075 cc pro-street format. I also have a Kawi Nomad...best all round bike i've ever owned.. and a pro street 96 inch custom harley. Included in the mix in rough order of appearance has been a H-2 750 Kawi, a 78 naked gold wing (a 100 mph sewing machine there), 2 kawi zx-11s, a 1260 kaw that ran 9.70s all day long, a 1150 es zuke, a turbo GS1100 punched out to 1325 that wound up being converted to a 7 sec top gas car tire bike, an 00 zuke TL1000R redone in a tricolor candy red, and an 01 kawi ZZR1200 that i piped, grafted a zx-12 inverted front end onto it and redid it in black and candy red. |
1968 TriumphTR6. Single carb 650. Unrestored mint. Doesn't leak. Always starts. 2003 Honda F4i. This is a terrific commuter bike. I've logged 12k miles on I-95 on this bike. Probably the best all around bike I've had. I've had BMW's--R1100RS (nice bike as I recall), K100RT (crap), R60/5 (nice in its sluggish way). I've also been the frustrated owner of a Norton Commando Fastback. It no doubt could be a sweet ride, but damn if it didn't always act up. Not sure if there is other bikes in my future. I think bike money has turned into amp money lately. |
Strictly speaking, I don't "have" it yet, but I am now # 11 on the waiting list with my dealer for the new Ducati 1098 with expected delivery to take place in sunny February. I have never been so wild about Ducatis, but this bike to me really looks gorgeous and specs suggest it won't be hard to pass SUVs. For me, the perfect commuter car. |
I stopped riding in the late 1980's due to kids, wife, and a corporate job which kept me traveling most of the week. Prior to that I owned a Honda 350, Harley Sportster, and Harley SuperGlide. However, the most thrilling motorcycle I ever owned was a 1973 Kaswasaki 750 H2 from 1973-1975. At that time, the fastest (and most unpredictable) production motorcycle. 0-60 in 4.0 seconds and 1/4 mile under 12 seconds. Going straight and fast it was fine, but that's about all it did right. |