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!
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!
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.
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?
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.
Big Guzzis are some of the coolest sounding bikes I've heard! I'd like to get an older Lemans, but there aren't so many for sale anymore. Really unique bikes!
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.
T7279mw: Awesome another Guzzi Owner! I hope you have cans on it! Nothing sounds better than a Guzzi with Minstral pipes on acceleration! 1100cc of twin love!
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!
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.
Moto Guzzi Sport 1100 - Lots of mods to the mechanicals which finally unleashed some serious grunt, accompanied by the occasional fireball between gears...
cwlondon, you have a triple too? Damn. Thought I was the only one with an odd number of cylinders... I have a Triumph Sprint 900... Kind of old, but kind of fun...
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.
1977 HD Police Special. Purchased new in 77 and has remained stock ever since. Lots of miles but never stranded. Unlike my components, I will be keeping this. Hope I get to the same point with my stereo. A side note: The bike is worth 5 or 6 times what I paid new. Is there a lesson here????
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!
Oh,my son just managed to ride the Husqvarna Husky Boy Junior 50 (6kw/9hp) for the first time.He is extremely pleased with himself....Bought the bike two days ago and after some intensive coaching and many tears,he overcame the fear of the unknown.He will be 5 on the 30th of August.
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.
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.
Don't forget the red, white and blue streamers on the bar-ends, and the 'ringer-horn' with the picture of Popeye on it! You can transfer all of that stuff too.
Congrats on the new ride Nrchy! Mufflers? We don't need no stinkin' mufflers!
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?
I just came home this afternoon with a 2004 Victory Kingpin. I don't know how it happened. It is faster, gets better mileage, and is more comfortable than the V92C. The only problem is, it isn't as loud! I gotta have loud pipes!
Elizabeth: I see people riding these things on 45 MPH streets ALL the time now. I'm talking about guys in their 20's on these little "pee wee" bikes. I don't know whether to run them over or laugh : )
One of these days, i'll fix my scooter. Stretched a rod from riding well above redline for several miles. She still limps along if i really wanted to, but i'm not wanting to do any more damage than is already done. When i do her up, she'll be nice. I've already got the motor planned out courtesy of a computer program that i have, but i don't know what to do with the forks & frame. Probably rake it a few degrees and stretch it a bit, but i'm not quite sure of how much. Won't make for much of a long-haul bike, but i don't get much of a chance to do that anyhow. I just wish it ran now... :( Sean >
PS... It's an old Harley in case you're wondering.
Elizabeth, the classic one was the Yamaha ysr-50, which was actually large enough to be comfortable for a full size person, but cost a couple grand or so. It was a real blast to ride even with that tiny motor. And there`s all kinds of aftermarket parts to soup them up. What makes them dangerous, is that they`re so tiny, they`re almost invisible in traffic.
I sold mine after some yahoo in a pickup almost killed me. I was flying along with traffic and came up to a dead stop. This is extremely common in the bay area. I had an extremely bad vibe- kind of butterflies in the back of my neck, and a pulled over to the shoulder. Joe monstertruck shudders to a stop a good, long five seconds later. "It was a ggod thing you saw me-" yahoo yells; " I couldn't have stopped in time!" Fact is, I didn't see him. Safety gear wouln't have helped... leathers and a helmet would have been wafer thin- and blood red. I also have friends going between cars who have had people try to cut them off. You need a good ball peen hammer as safety equipment these days. I MISS MY BIKE!
A stylish and razor sharp 600 that still feels comfortable to ride. Hey if it's good enough for James Bond, it's good enough for me! Excellent bike.
I am now thinking seriously about splashing out for the new MV Augusta F4 1000 -- the one item that might make me part with some audio gear to top up the toy fund.
In the past, I have ridden:
1998 Blue Yamaha R-1 with carbon exhaust, an insane beast of a bike,
and my first bike a 1995 Racing Yellow Triumph Daytona 900, lovely sounding triple, great torque, British style and comfy to ride but a bit soft -- more of a sport/tourer.
I love bikes. And Ruebent, I agree -- always wear safety gear.
Honda st1100 and a 1970 cb750. The 750 is really custom, I built it up in '82 with lotsa neat bits. Very fun to ride. The st is a great rider, it does everything sooo well it's a little boring...
A highly modified '94 Harley Sportster 1200. Lowered 2.5", 33 degree raked inverted mid-glide front end w/ 21" rim, ported dual plug heads, Andrews N-8 cams, modified electrics, custom carb, 10.3:1 compression ratio, North County Customs step-tuned exhaust, custom paint, way too much to list...I think the only original Harley parts remaining are the frame and motor cases. If anyone thinks an audio obsession can get expensive, don't even think about getting into custom bikes. They sure are alot of fun, though!!!
1. 1962 Honda 250 dream 2. 1965 Norton Atlas 3. 1987 HD Sportster 4. 1988 HD Low Rider 5. 1947 Indian Chief, my pride and joy for over 10 years,sadly I had to sell it. Foot clutch, tank shifter, left hand throttle, right hand spark advance, flathead motor......sigh. Favorite roads: US 6 thru northern PA on a crisp fall day with the leaves in full foliage, and the byways of the Maryland eastern shore
I have been looking at the American Iron Horse cruisers lately. I don't like the choppers, but their other bikes are amazing. There is a dealer here who has several including a Slammer. They ain't cheap, but they sho is nice.
I'm with Marco... Favorite roads were Highway 49 in northeast CA thru the Mother Lode country from Plymouth all the way down to Twainharte; Highway 89 over to Nevada, 32 out thru Whiskeytown and into the Trinity wilderness. Used to enjoy 84 in SoCal over to Lake Elsinore and rides thru Topanga but too many wanna-be cafe racers and newbie Harley riders these days...now in NW I'd like to ride Hwy 2 over Stevens Pass and 12 over White Pass...
I'm not at all fond of riding straight lines for long periods of time no matter how pretty the landscape. Bike or car, it's a drag for the most part. If I'm crossing hundreds of mile of blacktop most of which is straight it's a good argument for a cage in my mind. Bikes are most fun on twisty roads, and in the dirt where your body and the machine become one and your mind has no time to take in anything other than the joy you experience in that moment. You can keep your straight roads...I'd rather walk, read a book or listen to music.
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