Bike (motorcycle) Riders?

[nutmegchoi]

Vstar, Vmax are all in that category.
I'm not crazy about Harleys, but I don't mind Iron 883.

I used to ride all four seasons.
I did 5 hour endurance race in 103F, rode frozen lake in Fargo below -20F.
Now, I don't even take my bike out if it's higher than 40% chance of rain.
What happened to me???!!!

[ACH]

What happened to me???!!!

You found better things to do in cold weather?

[nutmegchoi]

You found better things to do in cold weather?

That is true.
Also I found golf this year...

[Tippster]

Now, I don't even take my bike out if it's higher than 40% chance of rain.
What happened to me???!!!

The only time I don't ride (well, other that the above mentioned heat and obviously snow) is when it rains. Not that I'm worried about sliding out or the discomfort (had a great rainsuit for a long time) but everyone else on the road turns into a drooling windowlicker. Only times I've ever gotten close to being hit by another driver was in the rain.

Fuck that.

Maybe you're starting to feel your mortality due to aging and having more shit to stay alive for.

[guroo270]

As documented earlier in this thread, I've had an '04 FZ6 for 2.5 years now and enjoy the hell out of it. Its a fourth vehicle and I only ride when its 70 degrees plus, and I've stll managed to put about 7k miles on it so far.

I'm thinking hard about the next bike. I'm older and just not real wild about the...aestic of this bike, though it really does just about everything I want to do (maybe could use some more storage space). The FZ came up really close and cheep to me, but had been looking at shadows forever before that. I cipher any shadow below 1k cc, I'm gonna regret/chick bike, right? anything specific I need to be thinking about ? somebody once said that "shadows drag x" bad (can't remember, foot peg or something)...any similar bikes I should consider? Vstar etc?

Not sure what your budget is, but if I was going that route at all my list would include in order

Ducati Diavel
Yamaha VMax - pretty damn ugly, but the riding will make you love it
Harley (and only harley I'd ever recommend) V Rod
BMW R nine T - did you ask for a bike like this? No. But just look at it!

[garyfromterrace]

What about the Triumph Thunderbird? Sat on one this summer and it felt nice. Good looking ride too.

[Mazderati]

Big fan of the VMAX so another vote for it. V-Rod is also a good suggestion. Add in the Honda VTX and Yamaha Raider. Ran across a 2004 V-Rod with 4,000 miles on Craigslist the other day. Guy was asking $5k which didn't seem like a bad place to start.

[Marshall Tucker]

Not sure what your budget is,

I'm a cheep ass tax accountant. Hence honda shadow.

[guroo270]

I'm a cheep ass tax accountant. Hence honda shadow.

Cheap asses do well with Honda VTX 1300's. There's nothing to scoff at with the older VMAX's either - still a potent machine. Used to sell all the brands except for Harley, though, and even brand new the 1300 was the bee's knees deal for cruisers. The 1800 was something like 13,999 while the 1300 was something like 9,999 for almost the same bike, really. I think the 1800 was fuel injected while the 1300 was carbed.

The Yamaha star cruisers though definitely had a more appealing after market offering and are very solid machines. Just stay away from all the Suzuki Boulevards and shit like that. Mechanics hated them.

[jackstraw]

Maybe you're starting to feel your mortality due to aging and having more shit to stay alive for.

That would be me...years ago when I was young.

My last bike was an RM465 for the dirt, and first was a mini-trail 50. My last road bike was an FJ1100. If I ever buy another it will be a Triumph TR6 vintage just to take to the beach on back roads.

[Marshall Tucker]

Thanks for the suggestions / feedback, I like the VTX "look" and was unaware of it! several close by and at extremely reasonable prices.

[Viva]

Joining the club. Found a nice deal on this Kawasaki...Honda...whatever, they all look alike, and couldn't resist. Could use a new clutch, and a few other items, but runs great!

[nutmegchoi]

Viva, that's German??!! lol
You upgraded yourself from Japanese.
You can make fun of us now.

[Viva]

Well, I just bought another Toyota truck, so it's all good- I've got 2/3 of the major Axis powers covered.

[guroo270]

Joining the club. Found a nice deal on this Kawasaki...Honda...whatever, they all look alike, and couldn't resist. Could use a new clutch, and a few other items, but runs great!

Congrats on what I think is an F650 GS, but I've never seen one look like that. If you start jonesing for an aftermarket part I highly recommend race tech suspension with gold valves, but for that application I'd try to talk to a specialist about what is most suitable, but that probably would make it exceptionally more enjoyable.

[Viva]

F650 GS

F650 Funduro

[2FUNKY]

Joining the club. Found a nice deal on this Kawasaki...Honda...whatever, they all look alike, and couldn't resist. Could use a new clutch, and a few other items, but runs great!

Nice! I had an F650 for a while. That bike will come alive with a new jet, exhaust, dump the can and drill the air box. After that it would pull Wheelies in 3rd gear. I also went down a tooth on the front sprocket for intown and dirt riding.

[Alaskan Rover]

Where has Beemerchef and his dog Spirit been? Hasn't posted in like forever. I miss his postings.

[hutash]

What year is that 650. My brother has the new one and upper grader to the Dakar suspension and it is a killer machine. A friend has what looks real similar to that except in red It is a '95 I believe and still going strong.

[Viva]

What year is that 650.

1997. Yeah, these guys have a pretty solid engine. Mine has less power than the later 650s, but that's OK for now, as I haven't done all that much riding in my life.

[MakersTeleMark]

Those rotax engines are anemic, but pretty bulletproof. I refuse to believe a 3rd gear wheelie.

[2FUNKY]

Don't give a fuck what you believe. I have no reason to embellish that fact. After those mods and regearing the front sprocket it would pull full wheelie in 3rd gear. Not just by throttle, dropping the clutch of course. 1st and second gear was by throttle though.

[guroo270]

Those rotax engines are anemic, but pretty bulletproof. I refuse to believe a 3rd gear wheelie.

I wasn't gonna say it, but I rode an '04 Dakar on a month long trip and had it for a year, and I'm of the belief that anything with two wheels is fun, but almost not with that bike. I thought my rebel 250 was more fun. I never modded anything but body armor for it, though, but that thing was a dog. Didn't want to rain on a parade.
I traded my dad for his R1200gs on that month long trip for a stint and he got off the 650 and scratched his head - "how the hell have you been riding this thing the whole time?"
The lack of wind protection and cruising at 80 for 500 mile days with the vibration was pretty brutal.

The new 800 (and I think the 650, too) twin is where it's at.

[Timberridge]

The lack of wind protection and cruising at 80 for 500 mile days with the vibration was pretty brutal.

10,000 Harley riders would disagree.

Why you all ragging on Viva? He's stated he's not a very experienced rider. A 650 anything street bike is never a rocket ship or miles eater. Its a fine bike to commute to work on or take out to the canyon fire roads on the weekend. Enjoy it Viva.

[guroo270]

10,000 Harley riders would disagree.

Why you all ragging on Viva? He's stated he's not a very experienced rider. A 650 anything street bike is never a rocket ship or miles eater. Its a fine bike to commute to work on or take out to the canyon fire roads on the weekend. Enjoy it Viva.

Nah, not hating, and you're right that it is a wonderful bike for getting back into it. Like I said, I never woke mine up with mods either so I don't know what they can be. It was also my 4th motorcycle and I was coming off a kawi 636 that I tracked, so.... yeah. Single piston bikes just shouldn't be ridden for really long durations. First gear wheelies were fun, but short lived, and hopping curbs was fun. I'd throw caution to the fire road adventuring though. We rode quite a bit of the continental divide trail and while the 650 is capable of doing them, they are simply too heavy to do it with the aplomb of a drz 400. I got into a grassy rut on my ride that really wasn't very deep and I stomped on it and bounced on the rear and pulled up and it couldn't get out of it and tossed me to the ground. A better rider probably could've gotten out of it, but it did struggle with things I didn't think it would struggle with. There was one time the 650 was preferred though when the forest rangers put boulders up to block the road. I was with 2 engineers that couldn't figure a solution out, so I just grabbed a bunch of tailings and stacked em for the boxers to ride over.



Great trip.

Safety-wise the only thing I'll say is that I prefer to ride bikes that have enough power to just leave a sketchy situation with a big ol' gob of throttle, and the times I didn't feel safe on this bike it was always because it didn't have the cajones to do so.