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[Flo_Evans]

Great pics! looks like you had allot of fun Im still waiting for my bike to be fixed, threw a new cdi on this week and it still wouldnt start, turns out the part we bought was faulty as well just wating for the replacent bit to arrive from austria now.

Will have to post some pics and vid's from the first ride out when its finally running

That sucks. KTMs are rad machines but my brother has problems getting parts for his too.

Oh I forgot to post these from the sportbike hangout gas stop down in the middle of the mark twain forest. The roads are some of the best in missouri so all the fast dudes meet up at this gas station.

We tried to get this guy to follow us but he was with his friends on street bikes. :lol

LC8 superduke FUCK YEAH!

I try not to post peoples plates but this one was too awesome.

CBR 1000RR

Buell 1125R. This was a chicks bike! She said she blew the motor on her SV650 trying to keep up with the previous 2 bikes. She had this shirt on that said "If you can read this the bitch just passed you" I was in love. :lol

 

[Damaged]

Yeah parts can be a real pain, im in the uk which is a bit closer to austria than you so i can imagine the troubles your brother has. Just wish they would put better electrics in the damn things as the rest of the bike is bullet proof, done 23k on mine now since oct 03 (includes 8 months in 07 when i couldnt walk, lol)

That superduke looks like great fun, would love to have a proper go on one of those on the right road

 

[Fallout-NL]

Buell 1125R. This was a chicks bike! She said she blew the motor on her SV650 trying to keep up with the previous 2 bikes. She had this shirt on that said "If you can read this the bitch just passed you" I was in love. :lol

:lol That's awesome.


That Superduke is gorgeous as well.

 

[Mengy]

How about some inspirational shots?!
...
New Zealand?...

Wow, beautiful picture. That kind of reminds me of Crater Lake in Oregon:

 

[daw840]

I put a new 4 into 1 exhaust on my 84 Nighthawk 700S, but apparently the studs on the header had been heated and cooled so many times over the last 25 years they were really weak. Two of the just twisted right off with next to no torque being applied. :/

I am going to have to take it into the shop and have them replaced...

 

[Damaged]

Gutted, how much of the stud is proud after the head has sheared? would you be able to grind a notch into it and get a big screwdriver in there? failing that just tap an arc welding rod to the end of it so you have a bit of leverage?

 

[Flo_Evans]

I put a new 4 into 1 exhaust on my 84 Nighthawk 700S, but apparently the studs on the header had been heated and cooled so many times over the last 25 years they were really weak. Two of the just twisted right off with next to no torque being applied. :/

I am going to have to take it into the shop and have them replaced...

That sucks! I am pretty sure I bent my front rim. When I got on the highway to go home I got a mad speed wobble at 80mph+ I hear its pretty easy to true laced rims if you have the proper rig so I need to find someone that does. :lol

Wow, beautiful picture. That kind of reminds me of Crater Lake in Oregon:

Dang I need to trailer my bike out west. We have some great roads (all 100+ miles out of the city though) but there is nothing to really see when you get all the way out there. :lol

 

[daw840]

Gutted, how much of the stud is proud after the head has sheared? would you be able to grind a notch into it and get a big screwdriver in there? failing that just tap an arc welding rod to the end of it so you have a bit of leverage?

There is quite a bit of it protruding, but I am not sure if I will have to drill it out and re tap it, which is a problem since I don't have a drill or the know how. I would hate to crack the block or something. I think I will just have it done by a shop, that way if they fuck it up they fix it. Plus, I think there is a problem with the cam-tensioners (I think) that is making an awful clicking noise while the engine is running. So I am going to take it in for that, while it's there I am just going to have them fix the studs.

 

[Damaged]

There is quite a bit of it protruding, but I am not sure if I will have to drill it out and re tap it, which is a problem since I don't have a drill or the know how. I would hate to crack the block or something. I think I will just have it done by a shop, that way if they fuck it up they fix it. Plus, I think there is a problem with the cam-tensioners (I think) that is making an awful clicking noise while the engine is running. So I am going to take it in for that, while it's there I am just going to have them fix the studs.

Makes sense if your getting some work done already then, hope it doesnt cost you too much

 

[daw840]

Makes sense if your getting some work done already then, hope it doesnt cost you too much

Yeah, me too. The bike itself is only worth ~1500, so if it's going to cost more than a couple hundred bucks I won't be fixing it at a shop. I may try to do it myself, or just buy another bike....

 

[daw840]

So I finally took some pics of the bike. Here they are.

 

[Stinkles]

Holy shit balls. While perusing that video, this one came up.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cV4HdsDZX6c&NR=1

A smart car with a Hayabusa engine!

:lol

 

[Flo_Evans]

Some other people uploaded thier pics.

Me bullshiting around the campfire. :lol

It almost felt bad to tear up this peaceful stream with motorcycles. Almost.

Accent/decent hills. They look steeper than they are in this pic.

It's actually really easy to climb hills on these bikes. Just have to stay out of the ruts.

Testing the KTM. The suspension on this thing is just amazing. Looks somewhat like a super mario squid from the front though. :lol

Small mud pit.

This guy was looking sweet.

I think he might make it...

nope! :lol

:lol

You are supposed to try and land on the back wheel. I think these beasts are a bit front heavy. :lol

Cone slalom. Notice the head, looking where he wants the bike to go. Good Form!

My big mud pit attempt for the tiebreaker. A little timid. :lol

The other guy. I still think I should of won dammit.

Another KTM adventure deep in the woods.

 

[Damaged]

More great pics there, will have to try and post some old pics later on from when my bike was working.

 

[Fallout-NL]

My bike's still at the dealer. Had a whole bunch of things to be taken care of. It hadn't been properly serviced in quite a while sadly. But I hear it's going to be alright. Can't wait to get it back though, the 998.

I'll get out a little more and try to take some pictures to post here.

There wouldn't happen to be any Dutch gaf bikers around here huh? Sucks to ride alone. I had two friends that rode for a year or 2, but they sold their bikes sadly. It just wasn't in their blood I guess.

 

[Damaged]

Testing the KTM. The suspension on this thing is just amazing. Looks somewhat like a super mario squid from the front though. :lol

Now that you mention it i can see a slight resemblance...

 

[Flo_Evans]

There wouldn't happen to be any Dutch gaf bikers around here huh? Sucks to ride alone. I had two friends that rode for a year or 2, but they sold their bikes sadly. It just wasn't in their blood I guess.

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=411761

I've meet up with a few random people from that forum and had a great time. We where mostly doing DS rides but there are allot of sportbike owners there too. Not sure how active the NL thread is but I am sure you could find some riding buddies.

 

[Damaged]

Not got any new photos yet so ill post a few old ones untill i get the bike working again

Not long after i got the bike up in snowdonia north wales (just before my hair started to fall out as well, not sure if the bike is to blame tho, lol)

Again up in snowdonia, some of the best roads for supermotos up there, on one road alone you can get the bike airborne four times in about 3 miles :lol

Fun though this bike is its probably the worst touring bike in the world, took this pic in devon after spending six hours riding down the few hundred miles on b roads. Had to stop every 70 miles for fuel and to get the feeling back in my legs

This is why it pays to have a good helmet, it was like this after coming off at only 15mph

 

[Ollie Pooch]

finally took delivery of my new scoot, a Derbi GP1 250 today. stoked, it's been a long time waiting for it. looking forward to getting out on it tomorrow. just sucks i have to start work at the other end

 

[Damaged]

Cool, looks like a stealth bomber

 

[Material541]

I just spend a couple of hours reading through this thread, and it has almost inspired me to buy a Ninja 250R. Not sure if that would be the best idea though. I think I only want it because I have just gotten bored of driving a car. I want to experience something new, and have been desiring to get a motorcycle for a couple of years now (I am 20 years old). I live in Southern California...and i would mostly use it to commute to school, which is about 10 miles (20 minutes), though I rarely ever encounter traffic.

However, I have almost no knowledge of motor vehicles. My current car is an automatic Camry, and I have never driven a manual car. From what I understand, motorcycles operate differently than cars in respect to gears. Is it complicated, or easy to pick up?

Also, do motorcycles get stolen often? Is there any type of security used when you park it?

I sound like such a noob.

 

[Damaged]

Everybody has to start somewher bud Im sure plenty of people in here will be able to offer you advice and encouragement if you do decide to take the plunge, we were all learners once

Yeah the gears work quite differently on a bike, it is operated through a selection lever by your left foot (or right on old british bikes), and with a clutch on your left hand. To engage first gear you pull in the clutch with your left hand, flick the gear lever down one notch with your foot then slowly release the clutch while gently increasing the revs with your right hand untill the clutch is fully out and you are moving. To change up to second simply pull in the clutch again and move the lever up one notch and gently release the clutch.

Most bike gear boxes are sequential so they will go in the following order, center = neutral, down one = first gear, up one = second gear, up another = third, ect... the only main exception to this is race bikes where the selector is reversed (up for first, down for the remaining gears). I think a few cruisers have a different way of working but im not too sure about that style of bike. Sorry to make this sound so complex, its really very simple and will become second nature after enoght time

Bikes are prone to being stolen as they can easliy be lifted into a van by a couple of people, best bet is to buy a decent chain (i spent about £150 but you can spend allot more) and fit an imobiliser kit (about £300 for a decent one), always try to chain your bike to something solid and make the bastards life as tricky as possible, the harder it is the less likely they are to bother trying. Im not sure how america is for bike theft but its fairly common here in the uk

A bike is about the most fun you can have on the roads in my opinion but its also pretty dangerous, id see if there are any local training places that you can go to for a day where you can use there bike and protective gear to give you a taste

Hope that helps

Edit: I have the typing skills of a retarded chimp

 

[NomarTyme]

finally took delivery of my new scoot, a Derbi GP1 250 today. stoked, it's been a long time waiting for it. looking forward to getting out on it tomorrow. just sucks i have to start work at the other end

How much?

Edit: NVM, look like its not sold in the US of A anyways.

 

[thesoapster]

I just spend a couple of hours reading through this thread, and it has almost inspired me to buy a Ninja 250R. Not sure if that would be the best idea though. I think I only want it because I have just gotten bored of driving a car. I want to experience something new, and have been desiring to get a motorcycle for a couple of years now (I am 20 years old). I live in Southern California...and i would mostly use it to commute to school, which is about 10 miles (20 minutes), though I rarely ever encounter traffic.

However, I have almost no knowledge of motor vehicles. My current car is an automatic Camry, and I have never driven a manual car. From what I understand, motorcycles operate differently than cars in respect to gears. Is it complicated, or easy to pick up?

Also, do motorcycles get stolen often? Is there any type of security used when you park it?

I sound like such a noob.

If you are interested in motorcycling, the best way to test the waters is to sign up for the MSF (Motorcycle Safety Foundation) BRC (Basic Rider Course). Around here we can do the classes at either the DMV or at some local community colleges. They'll put you on a 250 (less powerful than the Ninja) and you'll get to learn the basics with riding.

Yes, motorcycling can be dangerous. I've been in one accident on a bike and I can tell you it is not an experience worth repeating. The best skill a rider can develop and hone is that of accident prevention. Most people are morons, therefore expect the same on the roads. If accident prevention fails, your next line of defense is the gear you wear. A DOT/Snell or DOT/ECE (or DOT/SNELL/ECE if you can find one for you) helmet is paramount. You should have armored pants, jacket, gloves, and over-the-ankle boots. As a general rule, leather is more effective than textile. Before purchasing any gear, I recommend you contact the testing place/MSF to find out what gear they provide to you to take the class. Mine provided full face helmets and gloves. However we had to have a long-sleeve shirt and long pants (jeans for me) with over-the-ankle boots.

The MSF course will cover shifting quite well. It helps to have a working knowledge of a manual transmission, but certainly not required, as it still is a good bit different than a car. One tip I can offer is to be smooth and not too fast with clutch operation.

edit: Good video demonstrating how the shifting works

Bike theft is an issue, especially with lighter machines. If you are going to be storing it out in the open (as in not in a garage) and you are worried about bike theft, there are things such as LoJack, heavy duty chains, alarm systems, etc. LoJack is a device installed in your bike that's hidden (usually from you, also). If your bike is stolen you can report it and police will be able to track its location based on the transmitter. So, it's essentially a theft recovery system. And of course there is always theft coverage with your insurance. While it does add a bit to the bill, I certainly carry it.

I'm also 20 years old. I started riding at 18. If you really are looking to get into it, it's a good time

 

[Flo_Evans]

Theft is always an issue but I read some interesting stats.

Most Likely to be Stolen: 1. Suzuki GSX-R; 2. Yamaha YZF-R; 3. Suzuki Hayabusa; 4. Honda CBR; 5. Kawasaki ZX-R.

Least Likely to be Stolen: 1. Suzuki Savage; 2. BMW R1200C; 3. Yamaha Virago; 4. Honda Nighthawk; 5. Triumph Bonneville.

Most Likely to be in a Crash: 1. Suzuki GSX-R; 2. Suzuki TLR; 3. Kawasaki ZX-R; 4. Honda CBR; 5. Yamaha YZF-R.

Least Likely to be in a Crash: 1. Yamaha Virago; 2. Honda Rebel; 3. Honda Nighthawk; 4. Suzuki Savage; 5. Harley-Davidson Tour Glide.

There are 684 different makes of motorcycles identified in the report, but just five makes account for 150,183 – 80.4 percent – of the total thefts. The top five makes are: Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, Kawasaki and Harley-Davidson.

Pretty much hogs and sportbikes. No one wants a muddy adventure bike with knobbies on it. :lol

 

[Monroeski]

Looking for some advice on a potential motorcycle purchase.

I recently had my car totaled in a wreck, so I'm on the hunt for a new one. I really don't want to rush into anything just because I need a car, and honestly my wife and I have been doing more or less just fine with only the one car for the last week and a half, so I'm thinking about picking up a bike as a stop-gap measure of sorts until I have the proper time to devote to a car search. I had thought of getting a bike before, to save on gas and such, but I never ended up doing it for some reason or another, so this isn't exactly a totally spur of the moment idea or anything, but I'll admit that it is sort of a rush idea.

I only really need it for getting to work and back (more accurately, driving 4 miles each way to the train station) and random other errands around town. I don't ever really plan on taking it out on a highway, because as a general rule other drivers are morons and the thought of driving one on a highway at 70 mpg terrifies me (due in no small part to me seeing a biker get totally jacked up by someone on a highway who didn't see them at all a few years back).

I figure it would just be a better idea to spend a couple grand on a used bike + a few hundred (a thousand?) on protective equipment than to rush into dropping 5 figures on a car I may not really want.

Any recommendations for a good, used beginner bike to look for? Maybe even a scooter of some sort since I'll mostly just be using it for commuting? Seems a lot of the talk in this thread (though admittedly I've mostly just scanned it at this point so I may have missed it) is on the price points of new bikes, without much talk concerning the used market (outside of things like 20 year old bikes, which I'm not particularly interested in).

This is all just me pondering the options at this point, of course, so I don't know if I'll actually follow through or not.

::edit::
Mostly suburban driving, though it's fairly high traffic suburbs. Don't know how much that really matters.

How does insurance work? More or less just like a car, or is it a separate type of policy for bikes? Would make sense to be a different type, since they're so different/riskier.

 

[Damaged]

Well i just had the best phone call in a long time, answered it and all i could hear was my bike being warmed up nicely! My friend has finally finished the wiring and its running perfectly! Just in time for the Northwitch Thundersprint!!

http://www.thundersprint.com/first_timers_guide.html

Its a sprint race run in the centre of a small town in cheshire every year so there will be loads of classic bikes running and i think James Toseland (Moto GP Rider) is going to be there this year as well

Edit: crap, looks like the recitfier may be off, the voltages coming from it are a bit odd. Cancel the weekend trip

Just when id got the camera mounted to my helmet as well...

 

[daw840]

Looking for some advice on a potential motorcycle purchase.

I recently had my car totaled in a wreck, so I'm on the hunt for a new one. I really don't want to rush into anything just because I need a car, and honestly my wife and I have been doing more or less just fine with only the one car for the last week and a half, so I'm thinking about picking up a bike as a stop-gap measure of sorts until I have the proper time to devote to a car search. I had thought of getting a bike before, to save on gas and such, but I never ended up doing it for some reason or another, so this isn't exactly a totally spur of the moment idea or anything, but I'll admit that it is sort of a rush idea.

I only really need it for getting to work and back (more accurately, driving 4 miles each way to the train station) and random other errands around town. I don't ever really plan on taking it out on a highway, because as a general rule other drivers are morons and the thought of driving one on a highway at 70 mpg terrifies me (due in no small part to me seeing a biker get totally jacked up by someone on a highway who didn't see them at all a few years back).

I figure it would just be a better idea to spend a couple grand on a used bike + a few hundred (a thousand?) on protective equipment than to rush into dropping 5 figures on a car I may not really want.

Any recommendations for a good, used beginner bike to look for? Maybe even a scooter of some sort since I'll mostly just be using it for commuting? Seems a lot of the talk in this thread (though admittedly I've mostly just scanned it at this point so I may have missed it) is on the price points of new bikes, without much talk concerning the used market (outside of things like 20 year old bikes, which I'm not particularly interested in).

This is all just me pondering the options at this point, of course, so I don't know if I'll actually follow through or not.

::edit::
Mostly suburban driving, though it's fairly high traffic suburbs. Don't know how much that really matters.

How does insurance work? More or less just like a car, or is it a separate type of policy for bikes? Would make sense to be a different type, since they're so different/riskier.

To be perfectly honest you are safer on the highway than on city streets. There is no one turning in front of you, no one running red lights, no one pulling out from parking lots and side streets, etc.

To answer your question, though, a Ninja or Rebel 250cc or 500 cc would be just perfect.

edit: Take the MSF course before you buy a bike to see if you will actually like riding a motorcycle.

 

[Flo_Evans]

Looking for some advice on a potential motorcycle purchase.

I recently had my car totaled in a wreck, so I'm on the hunt for a new one. I really don't want to rush into anything just because I need a car, and honestly my wife and I have been doing more or less just fine with only the one car for the last week and a half, so I'm thinking about picking up a bike as a stop-gap measure of sorts until I have the proper time to devote to a car search. I had thought of getting a bike before, to save on gas and such, but I never ended up doing it for some reason or another, so this isn't exactly a totally spur of the moment idea or anything, but I'll admit that it is sort of a rush idea.

I only really need it for getting to work and back (more accurately, driving 4 miles each way to the train station) and random other errands around town. I don't ever really plan on taking it out on a highway, because as a general rule other drivers are morons and the thought of driving one on a highway at 70 mpg terrifies me (due in no small part to me seeing a biker get totally jacked up by someone on a highway who didn't see them at all a few years back).

I figure it would just be a better idea to spend a couple grand on a used bike + a few hundred (a thousand?) on protective equipment than to rush into dropping 5 figures on a car I may not really want.

Any recommendations for a good, used beginner bike to look for? Maybe even a scooter of some sort since I'll mostly just be using it for commuting? Seems a lot of the talk in this thread (though admittedly I've mostly just scanned it at this point so I may have missed it) is on the price points of new bikes, without much talk concerning the used market (outside of things like 20 year old bikes, which I'm not particularly interested in).

This is all just me pondering the options at this point, of course, so I don't know if I'll actually follow through or not.

::edit::
Mostly suburban driving, though it's fairly high traffic suburbs. Don't know how much that really matters.

How does insurance work? More or less just like a car, or is it a separate type of policy for bikes? Would make sense to be a different type, since they're so different/riskier.

I see a scooter in your future! For running around town, short drives and no highway driving a scooter is the best option. Plus, most come with some built in storage under the seat for errands. You can get bikes with luggage or just wear a backpack but for what you want to do I would get a scooter. Not sure where you are, but in most places a 50cc scooter does not need to be licensed or insured. Plus 100mpg! And you will not have to spend as much on protective gear because you wouldn't be going that fast. I would still recommend a good helmet and gloves, and at least leather shoes.

Motorcycle insurance is generally cheaper than a car unless you have a SS bike or a $40k harley. But yeah it's more or less like a car policy.

I would get one now though before gas shoots up again. Scooter prices are always $++ in the summer.

 

[daw840]

I see a scooter in your future!

CALL ME NOW!

 

[thesoapster]

:lol

 

[LiveFromKyoto]

I just finished my M1 safety course. 4 hours in the classroom, then 16 hours of riding in 2 days culminating in the driving test for the M2 at the end. I nailed everything on the test except for the very beginning, there was a track for a sharp turn and since I was just riding a 125cc Honda CRF I literally picked it up and put it in the ideal position to start the curve. The only problem is that I'd been riding it with the choke on for most of the day and the fuel was low, and when I put it down I must have sloshed the gas over to the other side of the fuel tank because it sputtered & died, and I couldn't restart it until I put it on reserve. Just that alone was nearly enough for me to flunk the whole test, I was lucky that other than that, I got everything right, which is pretty cool since I only got my license on Friday afternoon and had only ridden once before Half my group failed, too. I felt bad for them but I think it's fair to say most of them weren't ready yet.

I want to go out and apply what I learned to my own bike, but I am so beat right now I think I'm just going to collapse.

 

[krypt0nian]

I think I've caught the Harley bug.

I love my first bike (95 Honda Magna - 750cc - 20k miles - yellow -not a scratch) and I've put over 1000 miles on it since last Summer. Not a ton but its Chicago weather and I only got my license in July.

But I lust after a bigger bike. I'm thinking of putting one more season on it then going for a HD.

My partner just got one, and now has a sunburst red 09 HD Electra Glide Classic. After riding it, I'm in love.


I still love the Japanese cruisers, but I'm feeling the hooks that the HD has in me now.

 

[Dragona Akehi]

One word of warning about scooters: they're even harder to see than a motorcyclist, and people don't tend to wear enough protective gear with them. If you're going to get a scooter you have to be even more careful.

It's so nice to be back out on the road, you really take it for granted until something prevents you from enjoying it. Anyone get caught by rain yet? I got absolutely soaked taking a package earlier. My god I didn't think it was possible to get that wet. Haha, had to dry out and wait in a coffee shop. Was a little adventure.

 

[thesoapster]

I just finished my M1 safety course.
...
I want to go out and apply what I learned to my own bike, but I am so beat right now I think I'm just going to collapse.

Congrats! Let us know what you're looking at, what you get...pictures and all that

 

[C.Dark.DN]

I think I've caught the Harley bug.

I love my first bike (95 Honda Magna - 750cc - 20k miles - yellow -not a scratch) and I've put over 1000 miles on it since last Summer. Not a ton but its Chicago weather and I only got my license in July.

But I lust after a bigger bike. I'm thinking of putting one more season on it then going for a HD.

My partner just got one, and now has a sunburst red 09 HD Electra Glide Classic. After riding it, I'm in love.


I still love the Japanese cruisers, but I'm feeling the hooks that the HD has in me now.

My first bike is a Honda cruiser. I appreciate all cruisers, but my second bike definitely will be a HD. The sound is so yummy.

My dad's all into the electric glide's. I'll probably get one in my 50's, but I'll take a v-rod since i'm in my early 20's

 

[Ollie Pooch]

One word of warning about scooters: they're even harder to see than a motorcyclist, and people don't tend to wear enough protective gear with them. If you're going to get a scooter you have to be even more careful.

It's so nice to be back out on the road, you really take it for granted until something prevents you from enjoying it. Anyone get caught by rain yet? I got absolutely soaked taking a package earlier. My god I didn't think it was possible to get that wet. Haha, had to dry out and wait in a coffee shop. Was a little adventure.

froze my hands off this morning riding to work, colder than i expected and i'm still waering my ventilated summer gloves.

its true about most people wearing less safety gear on a scoot, i always shake my head when i see some girl on a 50cc scooter in rush hour traffic wearing just a skirt with regular shoes and a work shirt with an open face helmet and no gloves. you're still on the road, still going pretty fast and it's the same bitumen that's gonna beltsand your face if and when you fall off. crazy.

my GP1 is larger compared to many scoots and i'm quite high up so its easier to see me - and for me to see over traffic - but i still make sure i wear an armoured jacket, helmet, gloves, and good shoes (and my backpack has 3m reflective tape on it). i don't trust any car drivers around me

 

[Damaged]

Well im starting to think my bike is cursed, finally got all the electrics sorted and went out for a quick ride at the weekend. One thing led to another and pretty soon im about fifty miles from home when all of a sudden the throttle response goes seriously odd coming out of a corner and the exhaust note jumps up a few db, I quickly kill the engine and pull over onto a grass verge to find this:

The small exhaust header from the left side of the engine has rusted away inside the main manifold and finally given way, had to ride home really carefully with a bike that sounds like a spitfire New exhaust part is on its way from austria and im another £60 down...

 

[daw840]

^

That sucks man, at least its just the exhaust. Fairly easy to replace, just hurtful to the pocket.

 

[thesoapster]

its true about most people wearing less safety gear on a scoot, i always shake my head when i see some girl on a 50cc scooter in rush hour traffic wearing just a skirt with regular shoes and a work shirt with an open face helmet and no gloves. you're still on the road, still going pretty fast and it's the same bitumen that's gonna beltsand your face if and when you fall off. crazy.

??

 

[Damaged]

^

That sucks man, at least its just the exhaust. Fairly easy to replace, just hurtful to the pocket.

Yeah, wish i had more money as this is the perfect excuse to go full titanium but i just cant afford it right now (£400 just for the headers, already have the endcan). Will have to make do with a new steel header till my injury claim comes through.

 

[Ollie Pooch]

??

:lol

 

[Mengy]

I think I've caught the Harley bug.

I love my first bike (95 Honda Magna - 750cc - 20k miles - yellow -not a scratch) and I've put over 1000 miles on it since last Summer. Not a ton but its Chicago weather and I only got my license in July.

But I lust after a bigger bike. I'm thinking of putting one more season on it then going for a HD.

My partner just got one, and now has a sunburst red 09 HD Electra Glide Classic. After riding it, I'm in love.


I still love the Japanese cruisers, but I'm feeling the hooks that the HD has in me now.

If you liked the Electra Glide, and you want to buy one, do yourself a favor and test ride a Road Glide first. The fixed fairing takes some getting used to, but some people really prefer the RG (I do). Plus, it has been proven that the RG is more fuel efficient in the wind and generally seems to be more comfortable on long rides (the fixed fairing reduces wind forces on the forks, so your arms get less tired).

My next Harley will be a Road Glide, or the rumored Tour Glide that is coming out next year.

 

[Damaged]

This is kinda off topic but have you guys ever seen On Any Sunday? Its a great bike documentary fom the early seventies and its the one film guaranteed to get me out on the bike

http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0067527/

Granted it can be a bit cheesy sometimes but some of the footage is stunning (especialy considering the cameras they were using) and it really catches allot of the great feelings riding motorbikes gives you

 

[krypt0nian]

If you liked the Electra Glide, and you want to buy one, do yourself a favor and test ride a Road Glide first. The fixed fairing takes some getting used to, but some people really prefer the RG (I do). Plus, it has been proven that the RG is more fuel efficient in the wind and generally seems to be more comfortable on long rides (the fixed fairing reduces wind forces on the forks, so your arms get less tired).

My next Harley will be a Road Glide, or the rumored Tour Glide that is coming out next year.

I think I'm actually wanting a Road King Classic. Not really a fairing guy.

In reality, the Crossbones do-up of the Softail model is calling my name. Especially with the matching pinstriped bags.

 

[krypt0nian]

I swear I get the best thinking done while I'm riding. Its like some sort of zen experience.

Things just get clearer.

 

[Kabuki Quantum Lover]

I'm getting withdrawals. My bike is at a (ridiculously busy) local shop and isn't expected to be done until the beginning of June. I'm losing my wits!

 

[Alivor]

Well, got this for my birthday yesterday. Needed something small to learn on. Had a blast riding it, can't wait until I get a bigger bike.

 

[krypt0nian]

Well, got this for my birthday yesterday. Needed something small to learn on. Had a blast riding it, can't wait until I get a bigger bike.

Congratz! I rode something like that bike during my MSF course last year.

 

[daw840]

Congratz! I rode something like that bike during my MSF course last year.

Really?!? They had you riding dirt bikes?