Motorcycling

[rkrcpa]

Shovel head 'till I'm dead!

[MrWolf]

I comutted to Topeka daily for a while on a 2003 Suzuki Dl 1000 V-Strom. Also did week long trips for work to Fort Knox and also Great Lakes Naval station, both just over 600 miles. That was a great bike for putting miles in on the slab, fast and powerful and I could carry a lot of stuff. I have some back issues now plus a left knee that really sitiffens up on a long ride like that now. Can't see spending more than an hour in the saddle anymore, but my drive to work now is maybe 15 minutes of some nice rural road and that Bonneville is perfect.

Kind of funny how your interets do change, I was really passionate about it a few years ago, now would a lot rather just sit home and reload and plink. Used to bowfish every day too, went out about a year ago during the gar spawn and found myself more interested in watching them than shooting them. Guess I'm slowing down.

That XR1200 is nice. Never really was a Harley besides that one that had any real interest from me, but I bet that thing will just flat out rock on the open road.

The back issues will only get worse. I can't sit, stand, etc for more than about 45 minutes without pain. My gf and I both have licenses, but nowadays not worth it especially in the mountains where I am. People just don't pay attention driving anymore. We talked about it and figured just not worth it. I am 61and she will be 56 soon.

[richhodg66]

inline fours for over forty years.

can't muscle around a heavy bike anymore but still remember what a big four cylinder bike can do.
(i mean the gravel floored garage and 2.25 miles of crappy gravel road to get to the asphalt. riding itself is near effortless)

this keeps me from buying anything smaller.

Inline fours. The bike I learned how to ride on was a 1983 Kawasaki KZ 1100. Big machine to learn on, but being slightly intimidated by it made me respect it.

When you get down to it, the inline fours, Honda's introduction of the 750 four in '72 and Kawasaki's intro of the Z1 the following year really, really raised th bar at that point for motorcycle performance and reliability. Especially the Z1, I know they changed the head on them at some point, but the Z1 and improvement, the KZ1000 set the standard. They didn't stop proiduction of the KZ1000P until 2005 when the tooling in their Omaha plant wore out. What other motorcycle has had the same basic engine for 32 years?

[Butzbach]

Well, truthfully, that Bonneville is probably what I need, just take short trips when I feel like it. Good commuter, easy and fun to ride and British twins just look so classy. No shortage here in the Flint Hills of nice rolling country two-lane either. Another thing I lost along the way is a desire to travel much, so the joy riding will likely be the extent of my biking from here on.

Be sure to get spares of the major electrical system components, especially the coils. My brother had a ‘68 back in the day.

[slim1836]

Been riding a friends Moto Guzzi (he has 3 of them) when I visit him in East Texas, much less traffic there. I'm getting used to them but it's not what I've ridden in my prior years.

For the last years I've only had HD big twins, my current one is a 2010 HD Ultra Glide. It's got more stuff on it than I know what to do with, plus at my age and strength level, it's just too much weight (881 lbs. dry).

Might get my sons 883 Sportster since he laid it down last week and it needs extensive work, all of which I can do myself. He's sore but will be ok. Wouldn't mind riding it out east on the back roads.

Attachment 286971

Slim

[Nazgul]

Bought my 2016 Indian Chief Dark Horse when I retired. Quit riding 40 years before when I started a family. Ride it every minute I can.

Don

[GregLaROCHE]

I parked my Moto Guzzi in my barn thirteen years ago. It is a California model, but I had taken the windshield and a lot of extra stuff off of it. Anyway, a young friend convinced me to get it out a year ago. Unfortunately, some rodents had decided to taste test some of the wiring harness. It can be repaired and I once enjoyed doing such things. Now however, I’ve been thinking about taking it to a shop. I’m sure it will be expensive, because there will probably be a more to be done. New tires etc.

[Lloyd Smale]

had many bikes through the years. Mostly motocross when young. A couple jab bikes a 900 kawasaki and an 1100 suzuki. then i went harley. last one was a 2015 heritage. My back got to the point that i suffered even on a 100 mile ride so the bikes and snowmobiles went down the road being driven by someone else. Favorite one was my 2009 fat boy. Mostly because i was retired and had time to ride and still could.

[beemer]

I sold both my bikes two weeks ago, a 1974 and a 1976 BMW R90/6. I haven't rode in over 10 years but will always miss it. Ageing parents, job loss and some health problems forced me to park them. I decided not to take it up again due to slow reflexes, heavy traffic, people with their head up a cell phone and the fact that I don't bounce well anymore. Did I say I will miss riding.

Still have other things to do, turn bowls, dulcimers, longrifles and the ever present honeydew list. Casting and shooting of course.

Dave

[richhodg66]

Be sure to get spares of the major electrical system components, especially the coils. My brother had a ‘68 back in the day.

This one is a 2002, so a bit more modern. Lot of fun to ride and I love the way they look.

It always has been cold blooded, though. The dealership I brought it too has a young guy (kind of surprising, usually it takes an old mechanic to really fix stuff and not just be a parts changer) who was a whizz with carburetors. Hoping that Bonnie comes back a little more forgiving when it comes time to start her up.

[Thundarstick]

I'm 58 now and put 16,000 miles on my Honda NC750X last year. You do have to watch for other drivers and never"zone out" while riding, but the deer scare me worse than any driver on the road! I'm definitely not going to have near the miles this year between work, selling a house, and keeping up my place have taken all my free time! Add to that, we have had an exceptionally wet late spring and summer its spent more time parked this year. The way people drive and riders ride I'm shocked we don't have more carnage on the roads than we do.

[Hickok]

At 66, I am still throwing my leg across the saddle. Sometimes after a ride i have aches and pains, but heck, I have aches and pains from everything nowadays.

At present I have a 2018 Indian Scout Bobber and a 2013 Yammie FZ6R Sport bike. I have always loved the 4-cylinder engines since owning a 72' Honda CB750 I bought back in 1973.

I still dig the sport bikes, as I am on my third one. This Yammie 600 is a little milder and has better manners for the street than some of previous "crotch rockets" I have owned. The 600 cc 4-cylinder still screams up to 11000-12000 rpm, and easily does the "ton"!

Indian Scout after changing the rear shocks for a set of Progressive shocks, and a new Mustang seat is nice and comfortable to ride.


Attachment 286996

[gwpercle]

I intensely Loved riding a motorcycle . A Kawasaki Mach III 500 cc triple cylinder two stroke was the fastest and most exciting . My only form of transportation from 1974 to 1987 .
Lost the sight in my right eye (detached retina) and then after two bad wrecks and a third close call it made me realize you need two good eyes to survive on the streets and I gave up riding .
Some of my High school buddies were still riding and taking long road trips up into the mountains , up until the Pandemic ... but those guys were insane to begin with !
Gary

[Ural Driver]

Been riding since I was a kid. Haven't yet made time to count them all....but its been a bunch. Did 26 years in Motors on 2 Kawasaki's and 4 BMW's. Bought a new Ural in 2007 which I still have. This is a photo of Mom and I a few years back.....she did NOT like it when I flew the chair.

[Bulldogger]

Shovel head 'till I'm dead!

Here here! I have a 1975 Super Glide myself. Doesn't get ridden much now, since I work from home and it was primarily for commuting. Not ready to let it go yet though.

Bulldogger

[Finster101]

Well heck, I might as well show mine too.




Don't know why it's upside down but if you click on it, it comes up correct in the new window.

[725]

Rich, My first bike was a '73 Bonneville. The first year it came out in 750. Worked all summer for enough money to reach the price. ( I was the second highest paid man in the factory at the time and I was just a kid!!!). Rode like it had claws.

[gwrench]

My brother had an XR1200 for a while a few years ago. My impression was a great look, nice brakes but power quit about 4500rpm. I guess I'm geared more to inline fours and more horse power. I don't always want to use the power but a bad impression is hard to get over. I didn't like it.

On the other hand my most recent bike was a Triumph Tiger 900. I really liked the bike but I found I rode it way too fast. My body is feeling the results of age and hard use already so I sold the Tiger. Sometimes I feel some remorse but it was the right decision. I picked up a 4 wheeled toy to replace it.

[Lloyd Smale]

My brother had an XR1200 for a while a few years ago. My impression was a great look, nice brakes but power quit about 4500rpm. I guess I'm geared more to inline fours and more horse power. I don't always want to use the power but a bad impression is hard to get over. I didn't like it.

On the other hand my most recent bike was a Triumph Tiger 900. I really liked the bike but I found I rode it way too fast. My body is feeling the results of age and hard use already so I sold the Tiger. Sometimes I feel some remorse but it was the right decision. I picked up a 4 wheeled toy to replace it.

i did the same. Had to get rid of my snowmobiles and bikes because of back problems but always had fast cars too so when i sold my harley i bought a 392 hemi challenger. Love the thing. still have a 4 wheeler and side by side but about the only time i use them is at camp in hunting season. Even sold my boat this summer. I rarely used it and it was a money pit. Seems like every time i did use it it was taking friends and family for a cruize or inviting someone to go fishing and i ended up footing the bill and twin 200hp outboards did use some fuel. Then im not even factoring in the maintenance it required. Id like to get a smaller boat. Maybe something around a 19 footer with a single motor. But right now my money is going into building the house.

[higgins]

I've never owned a motorcycle, never really wanted on even at the age when I was supposed to want one. Having said that, if I were to suddenly decide I wanted a motorcycle, especially one that would be reliable and go about anywhere, I would seriously consider the Yamahas that two Germans rode from Germany to India in Himalaya Calling on Amazon Prime video. About the only preparation for the trip was a skid plate under the engine and oil pan and side bars to protect the rider and engine if the bike fell on its side. When you see some of the places they bought gas, you also realize those Yamahas will run on anything resembling gasoline.

Incidentally, this is one of the best travel shows I've ever seen for scenery in places that don't get exposure on many travel shows. Worth a watch if you like either travel shows or motorcycle adventures.