Motorcycle Discussion Thread

[KG4CGC]

This is the place to discuss brand and style preferences in bikes.
I have nothing on a personal level against the Harley Davidson brand. I like a bike that has the agility of a crotch rocket but prefer the looks of a cruiser.
Each brand has its pros and cons.
For my purposes, I like reliability and low maintenance the way Honda has given us. Stylewise I like the cruiser lay out with a low seat height. I'm only 5'6" so that's a must. If a crotch rocket with an understated style was built then that could work. By that same token, a Harley that could be slapped around and abused (not in a bad way) and not have to be treated like a China doll could work too.
That's just me and I know that a Honda will always be a good decision.
What about you?
I want to know why you like your bike.
If it's not just about style then what else should a potential rider know?
Be honest and remember not to degrade the poster.
Thanks Everyone ;)

[N2RJ]

I need a new bike. Used to ride a HD 1200 (custom) for a couple of years but sold it.

Still have my class M active.

[KC9KHG]

I have owned several bikes. Now I have an old 1974 Yamaha and an 1994 H-D Sportster.The H-D being my main ride. Before the H-D was an 1978 Honda 750 four.

I prefer the Sportster most of all.I've always loved the looks.Mine has the small peanut gas tank which I think gives it that old time hot rod bike look.The Sportster is the one that seems the most solid going down the road to me.I've owned it for 12 yrs. and have put over 40,000 miles on it with nothing more than tires and normal maintenance.

[KG4CGC]

Welcome to The Island Randall.

[KC9KHG]

Welcome to The Island Randall.

Thanks! But please...drop the all and replace with a y. Only time I get called Randall is when I'm in trouble

[KG4CGC]

Welcome to the Island Randy.

[KC9KHG]

Very good...Thank-you! You make me feel right at home!
I'll have a Rum and Coke,hold the Rum.

[KA5PIU]

Hello.

I like bikes but find the biker scene is just too plastic today.
A part of that is the sheer expense of a bike now.
For what it costs to buy anything H-D now one can run out and buy a nice car.
That and society itself has changed.
Years ago, the drug scene was much quieter.
Now, that is the scene.
A biker bash in the past was an event where somebody got his butt kicked.
Just a week ago some biker got popped.
The guy who did it was beaten, stabbed, and finally, run over.
The pickup is the new "bike".
Sinaloa Cowboy is what I run.
And, yes, I play Coca-Cola cowboy, but no snow on that martini.

[N7RJD]

Speaking of bikes and biking, about three months to Sturgis.

I sure wish I had a chunk of property about a mile outside of Sturgis, SD. I could charge folks for parking their trucks and trailers before riding their bikes that last mile into town.

It was real funny one year when we had a guy stop in for gas. He was wearing a T-shirt that pretty much tore up the guys that trailer their bikes. When he walked out he went to his pickup. It was the one with the trailer full of bikes. I actually joked with him about it.

[WØTKX]

I've been to Sturgis twice... on RICE! :shock: Nobody cared much...

Never owned an HD, but I've rented some nice ones on vacation. Couple of Victory bikes too. But they are $pendy.

I love cheap bikes. I've never spent more than $2500 on a bike. I've owned a pile of UJM's... the Universal Japanese Motorcycle. I like the upright standard stance. Mild cruisers and a couple of crotch rockets. More mid size than big.

Favorites...

1978 Honda CB-360. This silly bike got amazing gas mileage, never broke, and handled well with upgraded shocks and decent tires. I rode it for 6 years, paid $475 for it.

1983 Yamaha FZ-750. Wildest ride I've ever owned. Genesis 5 valve motor design is really slick. Just ate the miles up, difficult to stay legal on. Seat surgery with gel pads required, handled as if under telepathic command. Brakes like suction cups. Tiny front tire wore out really fast. Found it with only 18,000 miles on it, rotted tires. A steal for $1000.

1982 Yamaha Maxim 750. Mild cruiser, shaft drive, kind of a pig in the corners, but really comfortable. Rode this bike all over CO, AZ, UT, WY, and NM. Reliable, and trusty. Picked it up for $600, it had 33,000 on it, and I sold it with 78,000.

1976 Yamaha RD-400. Till I got the Genesis, this was the craziest corner diver I ever owned. Just tons of power, light and nimble. Wicked chainsaw on steroids sounds. I traded straight up for it... Honda CL-450 basket case I got for free and fixed up.

1980 Honda CR-500. I tried to break this thing. Repeatedly. It almost broke me a few times. Had it for a long time, and we both got very, very dirty. I miss dirt biking. This was $1400, but it was only 4 years old when I got it, and had a butt ugly paint job from a silly local racing team. Friends who raced wanted me to get into it, I was too mellow to race.

1969 Honda XL-350. Hey, this was my first bike. Cool scrambler pipes, I went camping all over MT and BC Canada with it. Annoyingly buzzy over 60, but it was fantastic on crappy back roads. I put an over sized tank on it, which I kept painting in butt-ugly ways. $600.00 and a Dual turntable thrown in.

I'm checking out a 1996 Seca II and a 1982 Kawasaki 454 LTD right now. Both are cherry, under $2000, and under 15,000 miles. I just missed out on a KLR-650 for $2200.

My right hand is twitching in an odd rotary fashion when I sleep. Must get this fixed. :drool