Thread: Motorcycles

I'm driving a Suzuki SV for 3 years now:

My dreambike must be a Triumph Daytona 675:


the most spectacular moments are the ones where you almost get driven off the road by semi-blind car drivers.
The nicest thing is to get up early on a summer morning, and head for the "Ardennes" in the south of Belgium, where things are hilly and curvy. Pure joy!

I've been riding in the dirt for years, but have only had my road license for 3 years now. I absolutely love my '86 Yamaha Radian. Small, nimble, easy to throw around in traffic. That being said, I'm ALWAYS in the market for something newer...

Love the stories guys! Nice to see some scooter trash around here.

I ride a 2005 Harley Electra Glide Police (FLHTPI). For some reason police bikes just seem to handle a little better than a standard Harley. Go figure...the boys in blue always seem to have the best toys.

As a member of the Boozefighters Motorcycle Club there are plenty of opportunities for good rides but I think the best of all time was a trip from Lexington, Kentucky back to Huntsville, Alabama. It's only 350 miles or so but on the Sunday morning I left Lexington it was 23 degrees F and snowing. Well, ok, there was some ice mixed in there too. But by the time I realized that I was about 10 miles into the ride and there was no way in hell I could quit then. Testosterone...it makes guys do strange things.

The first stop to thaw out was 50 miles into the ride. The temperature had dropped to 19 F and it was still snowing. At that point I peeled a sheet of ice off my chaps that went from knee to ankle on both legs. To make a long story short, nine and a half hours later I pulled into my dirveway and couldn't even get my clothes off. The girlfriend at the time had to undress me and put me in a hot shower. The temp stayed at 19 F or below the whole way and it never stopped snowing. Did you know two wheels and ice are a BAD combination?

That was my one and only polar bear run. Next time...I'll take the cage with heat and a radio! Like an old grey beard 1%er told me after he heard that story..."There's a fine line between hardcore and stupid." Amen.
-AJ

I have a 97 Harley Electra Glide, love the bike . Its real comfortable and just a great bike.
My first bike was a 90 fatboy, I loved that bike too, but it would beat you to death on longer rides. I like ridding in the foothills around Sacramento and up in the hill towards Reno. You can ride the Electra Glide all day and feel great the next day.

Favorite bike was an 03 Honda CBR 954RR. I had a Ninja ZX6, it was OK, but not in the same class as the RR. Best story: A few days after lowsiding my CBR in a little old lady + curve + crossing center line = me off the road incident, I was sitting at a stop sign behind an Expedition with ANOTHER old lady driver. She felt like she was too far forward, and reversed right into my bike. Her insurance wrote me a check for 4K, and I really fixed up the bike super nice.


Beside Dad's Bike

Hey Americans,
how about you country's bike regulations? Are they very strict overthere?
Like open pipes for instance?
In Europe they're quite strict about it, especially in Holland and Germany.

Originally Posted by chief

Hey Americans,
how about you country's bike regulations? Are they very strict overthere?
Like open pipes for instance?
In Europe they're quite strict about it, especially in Holland and Germany.

It really depends on where you go and the mood the police officer is in. Loud pipes are completely ignored in most places but in others...well it's a fairly expensive ticket.

Helmet laws are enforced in every place that has them. There are still quite a few states that don't though. And in many states the regulation is vague about what constitutes a helmet. Here in Alabama I can wear a simple beanie style helmet that offers zero protection but it's a helmet. In other places you have to wear a helmet that passes DOT (Department of Transportation) or SNELL standards.

Getting a motorcyle license is really no tougher than getting a regular drivers license.

Each state is different. It's a lot like Europe was before the EU. Each state passes ad enforces their own laws.
-AJ

Originally Posted by chief

Hey Americans,
how about you country's bike regulations? Are they very strict overthere?
Like open pipes for instance?
In Europe they're quite strict about it, especially in Holland and Germany.

Like BFMC AJ said, it varies from place to place. In California, there are a host of laws in place; most of which are not enforced. It mainly depends on the officer's mood and the rider's attitude (or lack thereof). If you're riding like an idiot, then there's a good chance you'll get a ticket. If you're not, then you probably won't.

I like big 4-stroke singles. My first bike was a new 1979 Yamaha SR500. I finally sold it 2 years ago. It was a street bike, and I found myself washing and waxing it more than riding it, so 15 years ago I added a 1984 Honda XL600R Dual Sport. It became my main ride. Tall, red, plastic fenders, kick start, 350 lbs. Lots of low end torque. Light and nimble. I never washed it. It looked good with bugs on it. I put street rubber on it since I don't ride off-road. It was getting pretty tired and parts kept shaking off it. A friend talked me into replacing it with a Sportster. I guess for me, 2 cylinders is bad luck. I had 2 accidents in June, the second one totalled the bike. I just picked up another Dual Sport, a 2007 Kawasaki KLR650. What a beast! Liquid cooled 650 single that only weighs 340 lbs. I feel like a pussy on an electric start bike, but nobody makes a kick start dual sport anymore. My 50 mile ride to work each day is heaven!

I've been riding since 1967. Yamaha, Honda, Triumph, Harley. Current bike a 2004 HD Road King is my favorite but my current bike is always my favorite. My scariest moment was going around Kansas City passing a semi at about 80 MPH in the rain and I see a barricade that says lane ends. I made it but it slowed me down after that. I still don't know how I missed the original sign warning about the lane closing.