What are some great bikes you've ridden?

Hey!

Lately I've been thinking a lot about a new bike. I'd like to turn my XJ into some sort of a project and move into the current century! A lot has changed, and need something much more reliable. I like bikes that are unique, but ride-able. Need something with some more power, and definitely like to tour. I don't need anything with too much storage because I tour just fine on my XJ, and I'm fairly tall.

I really like HD's V Rod. I really like the look and the heritage behind the bike, and the motor is very reliable. Although I love the 240mm rear tire, I know it will not handle as well as many other bikes, especially with forward controls. I also heard that there is a risk of dragging exhaust around the corners.

Another bike I like is the Ninja 1000. Still a sport bike at heart, but the pegs a lower, and the handlebars are higher for a more upright seeing position. There's a bit more technology on this bike than the Harley, and it's highly rated. I worry about comfort on this one. I love the hard bags.

BMW k1200 RT is also pretty cool. I'm not a huge fan of it's styling but it seems to be a great bike, offers more storage and comfort that the ninja. Much less unique and it is pretty expensive.

So what have you ridden that is sweet? I'm completely open minded!

Thanks,
Gato

 

Gato
If its out there, I've rode it!
I've been fortunate as a Racer to have a local reputation that gets me rides on just about anything I ask to ride, a great relationship with the Dealershipe doesn't hurt either.
Now you looking for "whats sweet".
That's going to be different for every Rider because of, use, size, ego, ergo's, and yes finance. So here is my standard advice package to those asking before buying a new bike:

Are you a LICENSED Racer?
If not the difference between this years fastest and second or third fastest is going to be beyond your abilities to use. Even on the track it's going to take a Pro Racer pushing hard to reveal the differences. So on the street, performance is irrelevant anywhere but in a straight line.
Ditto brakes and cornering clearance.
Is Bike A cheaper than Bike B? Apples to apples pricing runs relatively close on MOST bikes of similar design.
So, how do YOU determine what to buy?
List these:
Intended uses
Most common to least common
1 Commuting
2 Touring
3 Track days
4 style accessory
Now narrow that down to cost. Seriously, what can you afford? What's out of your budget?
Cut that down to what's attractive to you(seriously! Who wants an ugly bike?)
Now, go look at the bikes you like, and sit on them. For like a 1/2 hour! See if it's comfortable, if it fits you. Now go home and do research for potential problems with that model.
Realize that in the last 10 years there has'nt been a single bad Bike built. The worst Bikes being built now are fantastic. Buy a mix of what you need, can afford and what you want.

Or

Do what I did,,,
Ignore the above advice and blindly buy what moves your soul! Damn the logic full steam ahead!


I haven't regretted either a single time(although my wallet still aches) if it moves your soul, money isn't important!
Now to your question, I love the two above for different reasons although they are very similar. But you can't travel on either. I rode a 600 Burgman, that traveled very well, but would ruin your street cred. Love both of our GSXR's for comfort AND traveling. The Seca is a great commuter as I think some of the restorations will be. But if I had to pick one bike ever, for an all around, maybe the Suzuki SV-1000, comfortable torquey roomy dead solid reliable.
Or maybe,,,,

 

Cushman Eagle, two speed transmission, centrifugal clutch, suicide shift and hi/lo foot clutch, one cylinder.......pure class

 

Notoriusfastguy Love that Ducati and the RC51!

Honestly I really like my 03 gsxr. I love leaning way into turns on a sportbike and having more power than my maxim.

The older sportbikes are fairly comfortable, all of my friends with newer bikes are jealous of how comfortable my seat is and the massive amount of storage under my passenger seat. I can go 150 miles before I start to feel uncomfortable.

 

1931 550cc New Hudson, side valve & tank shift. (field tracks only)
1931

 

2006 GIXER 1000R. Seemed comfortable enough for me for the short ride I took below. You can see the riding stance is not too bad. Not as comfortable as my KZ or XJ, but they don't go 200 mph either . Having said that, I think I only took it up to 60.

 

Sorry about the photo quality - it came from the negative. I was 17 when I owned the Gt550 triple. The expansion chambers very VERY noisy!

 

Still riding it. My had-it-since-new, all original 1974 Norton Commando 850...

 

I have a couple of bikes that fit the bill for modern confort, brakes, Handling etc. There are so many good choices out there and these bikes can do almost anything from commuting to mild scratching to touring. I currently have a first gen Fazer 1000 and 600 which are terrific all round bikes and hard to fault. I also have a Kawa ZRX1200 which is a terrific musclebike that can do pretty much anything the Fazer 1000 can do, though it has a little less wind protection and no centerstand. Bullet proof motor which I have taken all over the USA when i lived there with his bike. Another superb sport tourer is my `86 FJ1200. Its like a big Seca 750 with far better wind protection and tons of torque. These are great value and go forever. Handling and braking are more than good enough for most ``normal`` road use. My final bike is more focused, an `08 R1, but I did put higher bars on it and lower pegs, and its fine for trips where I live, but its a bit too focused for more all round duites, though it can do them if required. Its happiest going fast and its all too easy to get carried away. !!!

 

Hey everyone, the GIXXER in my above post is for sale and heading down my way and should be here by the end of next week. My nephew is sending it down to sell it here instead of Wisconsin. If anybody is interested let me know and I shall get you the particulars. I know he just spent mucho bucks having it serviced at his local Suzuki dealer. I shall post sale info in the "Other Motorcycles" section once I find everything about it. I don't want to post in the "For Sale, Trade/Swap, Wanted" section since I don't want to clutter it up with no-XJ postings. Hey elGato, maybe this is a good fit for you, LOL.

 

Best modern bikes I've ridden? Tuono or Speed Triple, both are brilliant machines, no question

 

I have not ridden anything newer that 83... So with that said, I like my XS11oo and the XJ1100's. Plenty of power and handles OK (it's lacking compared to sports bikes) once you get used to them. I an ride them long distance or just commuting to work. For really long rides My Venture is very comfortable and handles well for a big bike. Once you go through the bikes reliability is not a problem, just regular maintenance is all that is needed.

 

My brother has a Ducati and I have two - one Yamaha and another Harley. I love all the three bikes. Different bike, different styles is what I experience.

 

The most grin factor: The 97 Buell S1 which I rode for 15 years
The most stop dead and stare at: The 92 Buell RS1200
The happy commuter: The 02 Triumph Trophy 1200

 

Hey Markie, I tried to clean up your pic in "paint" a bit, for your archives. I'm not a wiz with computers but I tweeked it a bit to try and enhance it. So many of our old photos disappear or get destroyed over the years. Some pictures clean up better than others... I gave it a shot.... At least you can screencap and save this to your desktop to hold you over until your grandchild or a neighborhood kid gets on the computer with more skills and does a better job of repairing the image.

 

Great idea for a thread Gato.
We all come from such different backgrounds and experiences here with the hub of the wheel in our lives being our XJ's.
For me bikes have always been for traveling. Drinking in as much of the countryside as I can before I shuffle off. lol I'd rather go far than fast.
I drifted and painted for years along the way. When the cold winds came I'd find a job ... any job and hunker down for the winter. Save my bread,
fix up the bike for the next season and paint a few canvas's. Then I'd quit and go ride again. I've had just about every job. lol
Garbage man, dish washer, factory worker, truck driver, roughneck, high steel, grain elevators, construction, demolition, zoo keeper, etc etc.
I would just make enough to survive so I could live, ride and paint. This also goes a long way in explaining why I struggle with motorcycle mechanics
so much. Art is on the opposite lobe of the brain from mechanics so doing a complete rebuild for me would be like you guys trying to paint a portrait.
Still, I learn fast if I can see the work being done in person so I'll be watching any XJ repair tutorial videos that pop up here.
Yes BMW's are ugly bikes but they go and go and go. lol
My 69 R 600 was a blast. Top speed 63 mph. Yes it was scruffy but so was I. I rode it to the arctic one summer many moons ago.



Bigfitz ... Love the Snorten Norten. I'll bet it's your pride and joy. My old 72 Bonny




My eyes are too fuzzy these days to turn out any art work but I use to make the brushes dance the way you guys
make the wrenches dance!
A different life.

 

Check out the new scrambler ducati. I only test rode it but would have traded my current bike for it in a heart beat.
My all time favorite that I owned is the Buell xb. Small and nimble, lots of power and easy to work on. Should I find a buyer for my MV, I'd buy one the very next day.
I also had a 250 CBR. Loved how easy it was to ride but it lacked the power and I sold it after only 200 miles. And having to constantly shift gears was annoying. This being said, it makes a great second bike for small errands.
I currently own an MV Agusta. Love love love it, but it is not a commuter bike and the area I live in I not the best environment to have a bike like this.

 

Good choice http://scramblerducati.com/en

 

Yeah, I so want one

I also saw that yamaha is bringing out a similar bike, but not certain if it comes to US:
http://www.asphaltandrubber.com/bikes/2016-yamaha-xsr700/

 

Honda Z50.
It was the fastest thing on two wheels in 1974 ( I thought so anyway).

 

Great to just throw in the trunk of your car.
Think I'm going to check out the honda grom next year. Should be a fun toy as well.

 

Suzuki T500 2 Stroke Twin

My first mode of independent transport. Through rain and hail and sleet for 2 years. Bought it used at the time for a few hundred dollars in the early 1970's. Loved that bike. Don't see any around, even restored etc., but every time I see a photo my mind is transported back in time. The T500 was fast enough but the frame at the time was rock solid and she handled beautifully. Apart from the FIXED footpegs (whoever thought THAT was a good idea?!) that scraped around corners this boy racer leaned into it was a great, simple machine. Here's to the memories that bikes give us.

 

I know this is an old post but my god a 500 two stroke that's just tooo cool

 

Yep...2 strokes were a common part of the motorcycling landscape back in the early 1970's. And I kick myself for not holding onto my T500. They made great donor bikes to modify into something a little racier as per the attached pics. Let's not forget that MotoGP bikes were around 500cc 2 strokes up till the early 2000 's from memory.

 

What I loved most about the 2 strokes of the 70"s they all had a stance that screamed PLEASE CAFE ME......I wish I had had my H2 again this is not 2 stroke but my current cafe

 

When I was in my 20"s I didn't own a car.now,remember this was before you could buy decent winter Riding gear with out spending more than you paid for the bike.I had a used snowmobile suit and a 500 bsa single thumper with on/off road tires would pass cars on snow covered roads.cops pull you over just to tell you that you were nuts... Man......... .....Thanks for the memories

 

Memories indeed. And many good ones...it's almost as if you can't remember how cold and wet you got while riding your only means of transport.

My current bike was a staid old very tired looking 1985 XJ900F. Decided last year to strip it down and rebuild and fix all that needed fixing along the way and turn her into a sharp "little" 900 café (see pics).

The 900 fought back on many occasions during the build but now is ready for the paint job. A more detailed post of the build will be put up in the near future.

Here's to the future memories!

 

http://www.curbsideclassic.com/cars...ifetime-1990-yamaha-rz350-two-cycle-terrific/
Didn't write the article, but I agree! My buddy had one in that blue color when we were in high school. He tricked his mom by saying, "Come on, it's only a 350, it isn't fast!" Got stolen and trashed. No Razz around to save the day. I still want one, but don't think I'll ever buy it. Too dangerous, insurance too high. sigh

 

Cafeblack, awesome bike!!this is my everyday back and forth it's an 85 kawi with a newer motor.its a great little bike the hard bags are new to it going to paint em some day.it Gets about 55mpg if you ride sensibly I get around 38 or so.... But the triumph.is for the weekend when all I have to carry is a smile

 

Looks like you've got both bases covered there. The sleek café for the weekend and then the daily ride.

It's kind of like having a little sports car for the country drives and a Reliant Robin for the short city/traffic drives.

Reliant Robin I hear you ask? A picture is worth a thousand words of the 3 wheeled wonder. And if you haven't seen it Google Jeremy Clarkson Reliant Robin Top Gear segment. In fact I think you're doing waaaay better than a Reliant Robin owner!

 

That is something I have came to realize,one bike that does everything you want it to is tough to find.you know,sometimes you just need storage or a windshield more than you need to drag a foot peg....

 

I looked up Reliant Robin .......Wow!
Accident waiting to happen doesn't really cover that thing.someone gave me one of those old honda big reds,got it running pretty easy, definitely wasn't for me.you could lean out as far as you wanted to and it just kept going straight!! I guess I'm not a three wheel kind of guy.

 

Yep. The Reliant Robin... Apparently they sold very well because in the north of England the not so well off coal miners could buy one and I think it was considered more a motorcycle than a car and therefore attracted lower registration costs plus you only needed a bike licence to drive one (cheaper I guess too).

There's also the van version!? For delivering bread I guess. Anything heavier could tip it over in a corner!!

 

My donkey, Edna...