New Group : Scooter Trash - For all of you Bikers, Bikies, Motorcyclists, 1%ers, Citizens and Independants
I've started a new group dedicated to motorcycles and the lifestyle that goes with them. Scooters, Mopeds, Trikes, Sportbikes, Choppers, Bobbers, Cruisers, Tourers: They all count. Feel free to join if you have something to add, or if you're interested in bikes.
To me, motorcycles represent freedom. Freedom to go. Freedom to be. Freedom from convention. Freedom to live. Freedom to ride. When you're on a bike with the breeze in your face, bugs in your teeth, and wind in your hair, nothing else matters. Bills, ills, drought, loss, death, strain, stress: all gone while that engine is pounding, and those wheels are rolling.
My parents treated them as if they were evil, and I agreed, FOR A WHILE. When I was 17, while they were out of town on vacation, I bought my first bike. It was a beat up 20 year old Harley. It almost never ran, (so Mom and Dad calmed down) but it started a permanent love-affair with cycles. I've owned nearly 50 bikes over the last 20 years, and still own 11 of them. Note: I just went over the list, and I've owned 41 complete bikes, and 17 parts/project bikes, not to mention a barn full of miscellaneous spare parts.
So tell me, What do you ride? What do you want to ride? Why do you ride? How long have you been riding? Good/Bad experiences?
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Aug 13, 2010. 12:10 PModavidson
says:
Recently I got a 27 year old yamaha yb100. It's great and I love it to pieces. Im waiting on my next mcpay check so i can get my CBT and insurance. I can't wait to hit the road and just ride. Riding off road I've already fallen of it, smashed my knee into the petrol tank denting it, and grazed up a lot. But I can't wait to ride on the road.
YB100! I learnt to ride (and learnt to love bikes) on my parents' old YB100. They eventually gave up on it when it started to cost more than the bike was worth to get it through an MOT, but my petrolhead friends and I kept it running until one day it just stopped sparking... we took off the engine cover and it turned out there had been moss growing in the air filter for some time O_O
My current ride is its younger, sexier brother the YBR125 which is about to cost me the best part of £500 in repairs after some (censored) decided to try and abscond with it for a saturday night laugh. Still- the police caught him and I have a compensation claim form so maybe it will turn out ok :)
My current ride is its younger, sexier brother the YBR125 which is about to cost me the best part of £500 in repairs after some (censored) decided to try and abscond with it for a saturday night laugh. Still- the police caught him and I have a compensation claim form so maybe it will turn out ok :)
Aug 16, 2010. 6:18 AModavidson
says:
that sucks about your YBR125, thats a lovely bike. I hope your claim comes through in time to help repair it. Last night I took my YB100 to an empty car park, and had a ride around with a friend, up to about 35mph, which can be terrifying, but I loved every second, She even pulled a wheelie in first and second, not bad for a 27 year old bike :P It has such great acceleration, when you step up into second and open up the taps she goes like grease lightning!
If you don't fall occasionally, when riding off-road, you're just not trying hard enough!! But be careful on the pavement. It's awesome when someone puts one of those old bikes back on the road. SOme of those old bikes draw more attention than very expensive new bikes. It takes "character" to ride a classic.
Aug 14, 2010. 5:57 AModavidson
says:
Haha, thats true, I was doing 25mph on a very bumpy chalk lane, had to replace the front and back brake levers, and the headlamp bulb, but even for such an old bike found all the parts for under £20 on ebay. But It's such a great bike, and such fun to ride.
Jul 29, 2008. 5:08 AMFireBAT
says:
Ahh, the passionate conversation about our first loves- that rusty old two-wheeler! I've been riding on my own for 12 years, but I grew up on the back of a '66 Honda 305 Scrambler. My dad was a motocross racer until I was about 5. He rode that 305 to work almost every day, until he was run off the road. Bent fender, torn pants, not much damage, but it shook him up. the 305 developed an oil leak soon after, and he garaged it. it took him 12 years, when I bought my first bike (a '76 Honda CB360T that is "resting" in the barn now) to get bitten by the bug again. He bought a '79 Honda CB750K, and hasn't looked back. Now, at age 66, he's riding a '95 VFR Interceptor. My current commuting vehicle is a 2001 Triumph Sprint RS, but I have 3 '70's Goldwings, the CB360, a 1984 Nighthawk 700SC Shaft-drive, and several others. One of the 'Wings (Probably the '75) is going to be a Steampunk monster, with copper and brass fittings! One of the '78s is stripped, because it had no title when I bought it, so I might use the front to make a Trike out of a 1995 Astro Van. Hopefully the Instructable won't be as difficult as my "Chicken Tractor" one!
Aug 5, 2010. 3:48 AMabadfart
says:
you need to just send me one of your bikes hahaha im still looking for a first bike
Awesome! I'd like to see a trike project. I have a Taurus SHO with a Hi-Perf 6cyl. Yamaha engine. I thought about using a Yam front end and making a 150mph+ trike out of it. I could definitely get hurt on that one!
Ah skunkbait, you are a nuisance, you're making me more and more anxious and itching to get back on a bike... Soon I'll have that bit of paper...
Then I'll get that other bit of paper...
btw pretty much decided on the Suzuki GZ125 for pre-license
Then I'll get that other bit of paper...
btw pretty much decided on the Suzuki GZ125 for pre-license
Awesome. My oldest boy is going for his cycle endorsement soon. We're waiting on his bike's title, and then he'll taste a bigger bite of that freedom.
Nice one, I'm really chomping at the bit to get my car license out of the way... Just so I can get my bike... At this point someone could hand me the keys to the biggest piece of junk and I'd be over the moon...
KJ: Join the club... stupid DVLA didn't get their s*** together on time so I won't get the reg. for my bike until tuesday :(
But to answer the question, from tuesday onwards I will have a YBR125. I would love a Suzuki GS500 and/or an electric Vespa (just because). I ride because I enjoy it, even riding at sensible speeds, it doesn't have to be all tearing up twisties- just getting around on two wheels does it for me.
Add to that a friend's brother killing himself coming off a wet road while pushing his "personal best" speed around a corner, another friend breaking several toes decking his shiny new KTM in the road outside my house, and my mum's broken spine (suffered in a car accident before I was born) and you have a recipe for one cautious, responsible rider. I'm not a fan of the under-experienced weekend warriors with crotch rockets who give the rest of us a bad name.
But to answer the question, from tuesday onwards I will have a YBR125. I would love a Suzuki GS500 and/or an electric Vespa (just because). I ride because I enjoy it, even riding at sensible speeds, it doesn't have to be all tearing up twisties- just getting around on two wheels does it for me.
Add to that a friend's brother killing himself coming off a wet road while pushing his "personal best" speed around a corner, another friend breaking several toes decking his shiny new KTM in the road outside my house, and my mum's broken spine (suffered in a car accident before I was born) and you have a recipe for one cautious, responsible rider. I'm not a fan of the under-experienced weekend warriors with crotch rockets who give the rest of us a bad name.
Yep, the worse thing about them is the richer they are the more dangerous they are... I truly admire the guy down the street, he rides a Harley to a desk job every day, for years he was my house alarm clock... Ugh the DVLA are best explained by that reaper show... Honestly the biggest thing I want is the ability to go do things I can't as it stands now, like visiting some of my further out friends, even witha car that'd be too costly in petrol (1.21p at the pump in a few places, diesel has hit 1.38 somewhere)
The DVLA finally got their sh*t together :D hence no postings by me earlier this evening, was out laning until about 9:30... did 50 miles on under half a tank, about 3 litres. Did I mention I love fuel injection? The stupid thing's running in, though, so self-imposed redline at 6,000 means a top speed of 47mph. Oh well- it beats pedalling, certainly :) How's your license going?
I wouldn't have bought new but that's because I want a bike to tinker with after I get a bigger one, by the time I'm done the thing may be twice as powerful, at least four times more interesting to look at and if all plans work, be capable of mach three flight at sea level, mach five at 60,000ft... Note to self, don't keep bike after buying a new one...
Note to Killerjackelope: Buy bike after bike, sell as few as possible. Then make monster creations of the leftovers. I'm getting spoiled. I have a few running bikes, and then my best friend went out of town (helicopter recovery work). He has a Goldwing and a Lifan he wants me to ride (mostly to keep them away from his soon-to-be Ex). I've been riding the Goldy for a couple of days, and it rides like a yacht.
That would be the point of a goldwing, to emulate a yacht as closely as possible, which it does well...
There's one near me that has been retrofitted with old tassel chair covers and stuff, I think it has a kettle or maybe a teasmade on it...
I will get my hands on a few junkers once I have a place to work with them, I plan on stripping the panels, adding some very special components, then completely restyling, that is, if I get a chance...
On the other hand I do hope to have one nice bike, once money troubles are fixed I'm taking the plunge and getting a nice second hand suzuki gz...
The freak ones will be for fun, the nice one shall be for taking to girl's parents, so they don't set fire to me, and the bike doesn't while I'm arriving, or maybe I'll sneak a bigger engine in, need to be a fast getaway vehicle and the 125 has no hope, the 250 wouldn't have the torque at motorway speeds in the case of a rich dad with a merc...
You know what, I'll just get myself a proper crotch rocket, as long as it tops 155mph I'll be safe from the german makers, hopefully...
you'd be just as paranoid, if you'd had the experience I've had...
There's one near me that has been retrofitted with old tassel chair covers and stuff, I think it has a kettle or maybe a teasmade on it...
I will get my hands on a few junkers once I have a place to work with them, I plan on stripping the panels, adding some very special components, then completely restyling, that is, if I get a chance...
On the other hand I do hope to have one nice bike, once money troubles are fixed I'm taking the plunge and getting a nice second hand suzuki gz...
The freak ones will be for fun, the nice one shall be for taking to girl's parents, so they don't set fire to me, and the bike doesn't while I'm arriving, or maybe I'll sneak a bigger engine in, need to be a fast getaway vehicle and the 125 has no hope, the 250 wouldn't have the torque at motorway speeds in the case of a rich dad with a merc...
You know what, I'll just get myself a proper crotch rocket, as long as it tops 155mph I'll be safe from the german makers, hopefully...
you'd be just as paranoid, if you'd had the experience I've had...
...adding some very special components...
The old racing boat fire extinguisher, perhaps?
The old racing boat fire extinguisher, perhaps?
I did have an ex-girlfriend who's drunken hillbilly father came after me with a shotgun. I think it was all in fun and everything, but yeah, it still induces paranoia! Fortunately for me, the booze made him pretty slow.
Yeah I've had three ex's with dads like that, one was proper scary the other did put a gun to my head and one hit me in a jeep, in the driveway then said he didn't see me, it was kind of funny when he realized my belt had put scrapes from the bonnet to the bottom of the bumper which had cracked on my shin... Never had the drunk hillbilly attack but one did get drunk and decided he needed to punch me...
I've got the biggest peice of junk (stripped down- but running, flat black '79 Yamaha XS 1100), and I'd hook you up, but shipping makes it not-so-practical!
Ah don't worry figure of speech... I'm applying for a new jobs this week anyway...
Jul 5, 2008. 2:34 AMRishnai
says:
Excellent idea! I don't ride much lately (except for offroad; all of my road-legal bikes are completely inoperable, and have been for a couple of decades), but ah, I have to agree, there's nothing like it! Nobody in my immediate family has ever owned a Harley. Nope, we're Indian boys through and through. We've got something like 7 or 8 separate Indians hanging out in the garage right now, but most of 'em aren't complete. Therefore, nobody has an excact count of how many bikes they'd add up to. But we've still got the Chief that my grandpa bought my dad back in the 60s, and at least a few odds and ends from the '31 Four Gramps bought new and wrecked into a tree in '39. Got some period custom bits and peices, too, in one box or another. They're pretty interesting.
That's awesome. I've never owned an Indian, but always wanted one. Price has always been a problem. I've always wanted one of the "real" Scouts. The little British and Italian "Indians" are cute, but it just seems wrong. It's a shame the company was so mismanaged, as their product was usually as good or better (and more diverse) than Harley's.
Jul 5, 2008. 3:19 AMRishnai
says:
We'd never be able to afford 'em at today's prices, but my parents always had a talent for accumulating junk dirt-cheap and then just waiting for that rusty old "investment" in the corner of the garage to "mature". It'd be nice to see the brand and originality revived. The Kiwi Indian reincarnation lately seems to be doing well with their parts business. I'd like to see about sourcing any missing parts from them, once I find the cash and the time to put all the incompletes together. Have you seen any of the latest "Indian" production bikes, from some other company? I nearly walked into one parked on the sidewalk in the local nightclub district last night. Looked like a showroom Harley with skirted fenders.
Yeah, a guy here at work has one. Your'e right: flared Harley. Didn't the new ones go with the S&S motor? If so, that was a good choice. If (the new)Excelsior had done that, it might've saved the company!
Jul 5, 2008. 3:32 AMRishnai
says:
I'm not sure. S&S has some great motor design and parts support, though, so at least that would mean one less part to worry about having break. But I'd still like to see them take their motor design in-house if it were feasible.
That would make it more "Indian", but going with S&S is playing it safe till they're properly re-established.
Jul 6, 2008. 12:32 AMRishnai
says:
True. The latest "Indian" company that I know of will start production this fall, so the ones we've seen out and about must be of a different origin. I was curious, so I googled it, and apparently the '09 Chief is going to have a completely reengineered 105-inch EFI Powerplus. And Denver is getting an Indian dealership. I think I'm going to have to do a couple of test rides... and try not to wreck anything I can't pay to fix...
I hope they keep it simple. The beauty in the old iron is the simplicity. Simple updates are fine, but who wants to wrench on an super-fueled-turbo-rotary-plasma-injection engine. Give me an old carbuerated twin or single anyday. I like to ride the techno-monsters, but just can't work on 'em, much less afford to pay someone else to!
Jul 6, 2008. 2:16 AMRishnai
says:
Each part (especially ones that move!) is a potential failure point; EFI always seemed like a few too many parts to me, but I guess it's getting to be par for the course nowadays. And leaf-springs sure took a lot less maintainance than modern shocks. I'd like to see them figure out a Four without the rear-cylinder heat problem. I suppose ofr all things, time will tell.
EFI has gotten so good these days, you almost never have to mess with them. But try telling that to a guy with a phillips and a pair of pliers, on the side of the road 100 miles from nowhere. He'd be missing his old bike with a simple Mikuni. The four will be doable if they go with liquid cooling, but aircooled might require some unusual engineering.
Jul 6, 2008. 4:02 AMRishnai
says:
Ah, yes, I've had that sort of experience a couple of times, like the first time our new-ish car broke down and I got to stand with the hood open, holding a screwdriver and a crescent wrench, looking stupid. Oh, goody, the computer is malfunctioning. That answers everything.
I want to get my motorcycle endorsement. I want one of those tall dirt bike looking cycles. Right now I just want to find a cheap moped
Hey, nothing wrong with a cheap moped. I still own an old Suzuki Shuttle 50cc. It won't impress anybody, but that's not why I ride anyway. Just to be out on 2 wheels (getting 80mpg!) is enough for me.
Actually a cheap one is better. You don't risk a big amount of money if it crashes or gets ruined. You also are reusing adding to it's green factor
I agree. I've shamelessly ridden "ratbikes" for years. I've owned a few pretty bikes too, but the ugly ones gave me more satisfaction. When you drop a $400 bike, you can only do so much damage (improvement?). WHen you drop a $10,000 + bike, even a scratch makes you kind of sick!
Just wait till I get my hands on the right old junker, it'll never be the same again, I want something old and crappy, as long as it's kickstart and turns over, gonna make a mutant out of it...
Oh it also has to be four stroke for this project, I suspect a 250 or so is the biggest displacement it could have for it to work, a lot of factors come into play here...
Oh it also has to be four stroke for this project, I suspect a 250 or so is the biggest displacement it could have for it to work, a lot of factors come into play here...
We've had motorcycles around here my whole life. My dad fixes them and we have quite a few at the moment. In a photo album I was looking through there's a picture of my dad and I when I was about 4 or so on a 50 that I think is mine now. I'm not sure though... I love riding with my dad places on his new motorcycle :D. It's only the second street legal one I've ridden on on the road though.
That's cool. Some of my earliest family memories are of riding with my uncles and cousins. I'm trying to make those same memories with my kids. When my boys were very little (and my wife and I were smaller) we used to all go for rides together on my old XS1100. Then as we all got bigger, everybody learned to ride their own (although my wife is still uncomfortable on the road).
My dad and I used to be able to fit on my 50 but definetly not anymore. I think my dad and I are the only ones around my house that ever ride motorcycles at all. My brother rides his friends moped sometimes though. But my mom won't get on a motorcylce, I think because when she was riding with someone they wrecked. At least that's what I over heard, no one ever tells me anything important directly.
My mom hit a stretched-out cable, on a 50 when she was young. SHe tried to keep me off them as long as she could!
I don't think my mom minds if I ride them at all. She wouldn't be able to stop me because my dad would probably let me ride them anyway though.
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