Poll: Motorcycles

[Ron Wenrich]

Poll ends 5/21/07

Spring is here and they're rolling out the bikes.  Are you a biker?  Check all that apply.

[Haytrader]

I wasn't sure if mine was a highway cruiser or a sports bike.
What is the difference?

[Ron Wenrich]

Highway cruisers are what I would call a heavier bike, while the sports bike is a nice name for a crotch rocket.   

[Haytrader]

Ron,

That clarifies it for me. I definately DON"T have a crotch rocket.
 
Mine is a Harley FXR.

[limbrat]

Ever see someone hauling a bike on a trailer on the kick stand? (and you just wonted to scream)
Ever tie a bag on the front tool box and boots on the back and go to work for the week?
Ever gone back to the wood to find pieces that you lost?
Ever choose hotels by ease of getting the bike in the room?
Ever left the bike up on the road and stood in the mud under a bridge cause it was hailing?
Ever kick a car door cause there pulling in on you, they dont see you and you have nowere to go?
Ever dressed till you sweat standing still and figure thats about right?
Ever carry a ice chest to bring your deer back in?
Ever had a dog that loved to ride as much as you?
Ever turn a mirror so you can soak up the smile beaming from the kid your giving the first ride to?
 2000 Victory SC

[Raider Bill]

Ever see someone hauling a bike on a trailer on the kick stand? (and you just wonted to scream)
Ever tie a bag on the front tool box and boots on the back and go to work for the week?
Ever gone back to the wood to find pieces that you lost?
Ever choose hotels by ease of getting the bike in the room?
Ever left the bike up on the road and stood in the mud under a bridge cause it was hailing?
Ever kick a car door cause there pulling in on you, they dont see you and you have nowere to go?
Ever dressed till you sweat standing still and figure thats about right?
Ever carry a ice chest to bring your deer back in?
Ever had a dog that loved to ride as much as you?
Ever turn a mirror so you can soak up the smile beaming from the kid your giving the first ride to?
 2000 Victory SC

Ever mount a petcock on the bottom of your downhill saddlebag?

72, 79 & 84 Shovelhead's
01 & 03 Twin cam's
At least enough parts for 2 more....... maybe 1.8 more

[sawguy21]

I over boogied into a corner and did a face plant with the Suzuki water buffalo on top of me. Kinda lost my enthusiasm after that.

[Mooseherder]

Traded my 1992 Fatboy for a 1959 Chevy Fleetside Pickup with a rare wrap around back window 5 years ago while in Daytona.  The Bike had 28,000 thousand miles on it. I sold the truck 3 years later. The guy wrecked the bike. I keep trying to buy the truck back from the guy I sold it to.

[Handy Andy]

.I had motorcycles when I was young.  Then got a 175 enduro and used it to chase the cows till I got a 4 wheeler in '95.  Always got the fever every spring, used to go down to the mc shop and sit on them and look at prices, would think about it for a couple days, and decide I wouldn't have time to ride it and it would just be in the garage taking up space.  Now I have a bandmill, skidloader, 4 tractors, 5 trucks, and don't need one so bad.  Oh and I go scuba diving, get the fever for that.  Jim

[Raider Bill]

I'll probaley be trading a bike for a tractor. I got's bikes but no woods equiptment .... yet...

[Dave Shepard]

I had a '96 Suzuki DR650, which I really liked. We parted company one night in august of '04 at a rediculously high rate of speed. This was the beginning of the end for my landscaping business. I was able to work a little that winter, until I got sick and ended up in the hospital march of '05. This was the end of my landscaping business. I think about riding everyday, when the weather gets like this.


Dave

[DanG]

I always wanted one when I was a kid.  I finally got an old Honda 350cl when I was about 30.  It didn't last long, and I was glad when it was gone.  What a miserable way to get about!

[Jeff]

DanG, ya shoulda bought them Indians....

[Gary_C]

What a miserable way to get about!

I agree. I can still remember cars without air conditioning where the wind pounded on you all the time.

Couple of years ago I met a logger from Wisconsin that took two weeks off one spring to ride out thru Yellowstone with his dad on their Harley's. After two weeks and over a thousand miles on the road, they were 30 miles from home when a small black bear jumped out in the road right in front of his dad. Hit the bear dead center and almost killed his dad and did kill the bear.   

[Dave Shepard]

A coworker of mine almost met his end after hitting a woodchuck. The woodchuck did. Squirrels are the worst, with dogs not far behind


Dave

[sawguy21]

I rode without a visor... until I met an oncoming bee. Thought I had been shot.

[woodbowl]

Got my first motorcycle in 78, it was a 250 enduro trail bike. Then it was a Kawasaki 500 street bike. I seemed to get away with taking chances on the trail bike, but not on the street bike. I was leaning into a left curve in the other lane when a car met me head on. I had to over correct to the right to miss the car and it whipped me off the road and straight toward a big pecan tree. The only choice I had was to lay it down on the left side and when I did, my left hand was between the handle bar and the ground. It broke two metacarples and twisted my back. Thank goodness I had on a helmet. I decided it was too dangerous for me so I sold both bikes and got an ultralight aircraft.

What I don't understand are these Florida laws. An adult can ride a motorcycle without a helmet, but a child can't ride a bicycle without one.  

Question: Who knows which side of the road a chicken wants to be on just as you pass by on a bike?

[Daren]

This is a very timely thread for me. After 10 years of not really wanting my wife to get a bike, I relented. The first picture is her new bike (5/4/07). The second picture is after her first solo ride (5/5/07)...and trip to get stitches. That is all I have to say about this subject really.


 

[Daren]

That is all I have to say about this subject really.

I said that is all I have to say on the subject...but I have been saying that for 10+ years and it didn't work . My wife Lisa's middle name is Evette, she really has never liked the name. She does laugh now when we call her "Evette Knievel". I will have to say her wipe out was an impressive site (if it was not so horrifying, I had bad dreams for 3 nights). She freaked out and climbed a pretty decent pile of logs on a street bike, it was the coming back down that got her. The bike was almost totally unscathed, one itty bitty dent on a back shock.
This saga is not over I have a FOR SALE sign already made for it. She insists the tetanus shot was the only part that hurt and she claims "I am good there for a few years, you only need them once in awhile"
I have the keys to the bike, at least till these stitches come out.(which by the way don't really match her business suits. She had meetings all day yesterday and everyone would glance, then look away. She offered no explanation, just to make them uncomfortable I think) What is a guy to do  . She is crazy as a pet 'coon, she was walking around the house this morning going "Vroom, Vroom" and cranking back an imaginary throttle. My stomach hurts now, I am done typing on the whole subject.

 

[tomboysawyer]

This is a very timely thread for me. After 10 years of not really wanting my wife to get a bike, I relented. The first picture is her new bike (5/4/07). The second picture is after her first solo ride (5/5/07)...and trip to get stitches. That is all I have to say about this subject really.

This is why my hubby doesn't want me to ever ride without a full helmet.

I've been riding for 18 years. I bought the first bike. Learned to ride it first, but hubby was never far behind. I'm not that great driving a car, but scored perfect on my motorcycle test (a point I love to rub in when I get jabbed for my poor driving skills). Now we have our own bikes. Him: '04 BMW R1200CL. Me: '93 Guzzi California III.

Guess its all about life choices. Dropping trees is very dangerous too - or many of the other things talked about here on FF. But if I'm doin' what I love, death is always a possibility.

I'm more likely to die from the fat behind I develop with not exercising and working on the computer all day than on my bike.

[Raider Bill]

What I don't understand are these Florida laws. An adult can ride a motorcycle without a helmet, but a child can't ride a bicycle without one.  

Question: Who knows which side of the road a chicken wants to be on just as you pass by on a bike?

Actually this is something I know about unlike most topics posted here. The Florida helmet law was repealled due to legal dealings that originated right here in LA [Largo Area] A local cop went to motor school and when he got out decided he was going to wage a one man war agianest bikers so he started giving out tickets for shorty helmets. I got one along with 2 others. I belong to a Motorcycle righs orgainization [MRO] who has a Attorney as a member. He took the tickets and started fighting them. Eventually he won based on legal rulings concerning the DOT stickers on the helmets.
He then told us that he thought he could beat the whole thing if we brought him tickets for no helmet at all. this was back in 98 or 99. Several of us went out one sunny Sunday and after several attempts we got 3 tickets for no helmets. He took those to court even getting to the 2nd district cout of appeals where he also prevailed. July 2000 Jeb Bush signed off on the helmet law in Florida.
Basically the whole reason was that the law said you had to wear an State approved helmet but the approved list was last revised in 87. Non of those helemts were available anymore and nobody wanted to for 2 reasons 1, spend the $$$ to make a new list and 2, nobody wanted to accept the liability for the list.
That said, I ended up with 2 tickets and a bunch of court time to beat the Florida Helmet law but
I WEAR MINE ALL THE TIME. Let's face it they work. It's my choice and I chose to wear a real helmet not a shorty.
Knock on wood but the only times I have gone down was due to over indulgeance and stupidity on my part. Locally we have had a rash of biker deaths this year alone. Most would have been averted if they had been wearing a helmet.
Stats say the 80% of bike accidents result in injury or death while only 20% of car accidents result in the same.
For the record I bought my first Harley in 74.

[Daren]

Guess its all about life choices. Dropping trees is very dangerous too - or many of the other things talked about here on FF.

Where have I heard that before  She was a cigarette smoker and quit last year and even presented me with statistical data on smoking death/ailments vs. motorcycle death/injuries. Along with the $ numbers she saves by not smoking a pack a day, showing it was cheaper/safer to own a bike than smoke. Of course my argument was run the numbers on not smoking AND not riding a bike, I bet they are better all around  .
I have always had everything I wanted (a few fast drag race cars mainly that would pull wheelies) with 100% support from her. I have no right to tell her no. I just worry about her, I think that is understandable. The title is in her name, I can't do anything about it anyway. She is signed up for a safety class, there is just a waiting list. I feel partially to blame. I have ridden some over the years and was riding "her new bike" and she wanted to do the same. I should have left it parked until she took the course. The doctor did a real nice job on the stitches so the scar will not show, she is laughing about the whole deal...but gained a TON of respect for motorcycles. I reckon learning even a small bike and one little lapse of good judgment can hurt you is a lesson best learned right off the bat.

[Raider Bill]

She is signed up for a safety class, there is just a waiting list. .

Those saftey classes rock! I took one a few years ago on a whim [the basic class] and learned many things I use everyday that I wouldn't have known about.
Here in Florida I ride the scoot more than I drive my pickup on a daily basis. It is getting bad here though, too much traffic which brings me to my decision to move to Tenn.
The pix I posted was taken last year in Columbus Oh while I was on a 5 week 6000 mile bike ride. I'm itching to go again.............. We live in such a beautiful country and to me it's a thrill to enjoy it from the back of my American made bike.

[Weekend_Sawyer]

 Those safety classes are the BEST. Biased opinion, I used to teach the Maryland Motorcycle Course.

 I have been road riding since I was 18, 29 years now, and I have never dropped a bike on the street. Part good luck, part good riding skills, part watching out for the other guy. I have had some pretty good wipeouts in the dirt tho.
Jon

[OneWithWood]

Like Jon, I used to teach the Motorcycle safety courses.  Great experience and I know I saved some folks some hard lessons.  Saved some of my own hide too 
I have had many motorcycles in my life.  A couple Hondas, Yamahas, Kawasakis, Indian Scouts, but mostly a whole lot of British iron - Triumphs, BSAs, Nortons.  I had a bike shop for a few years concentrating on the British iron.
Of the dozens of bikes owned the only one left is my wife's 1966 Triumph Tiger.  Every year I say I am going to ride it some, but every year the insurance and plates expense just does not seem worth the small amount of time I would actually ride. 
I have aged a bit and become accustomed to the air conditioned soft ride of my truck and cars.
I checked sport bike even though I logged thousands of miles on my Triumph Tridents and Bonnevilles. The bikes were still light weight compared to the big cruisers.  After a few 600 mile days it got harder to get off and walk!  I won't even mention what a stiff wind can do to your body alignment 

[Tom]

I think that, rather than discouraging motorcycle riding, the youth of the country should be encouraged to ride.  They should be started off on dirt bikes in a big field of soft sand, piles of rocks, holes and told to go fast.  They should learn what is like to have to put a bike down.  They should learn what is like to have a bike put down when it wasn't their aim.  They should be on a dropped bike, in a situation that isn't life threatening for the realization of just how quickly loss of control can happen.  It's a great teacher of loss of control in slow motion, before the same thing happens on a paved surface where the time line is decreased to thousandths of seconds.

My sons have given me flak about riding without helmets when they were young.  "We're not going fast", they would say.  My response was "walk briskly into that wall with your nose stuck out".

Kids can be trained in an entertaining environment and have an experience to remember for the rest of their life.    We adults already know it all and start at the top of the learning curve.  You really have to watch that first step, it's a long one.

[tcsmpsi]

Let's see...my first owned scooter, was one of those 3 cylinder, 2 stroke Kawasakis.  I had come in off the road for a while,  was working 'local' loads (N.Dak, Wyoming, Montana, S. Dak) and living in Spearfish, SD.  I had gone in to the dealer, made the deal, then had to take a load up to Montana.  I had one of the packers go and pick up my bike and leave it at the agency.  I got back around 4am, pushed out the bike, found the owners manual (utilizing my trustworthy zippo), and versed myself in the basics of how to ride the thing.  Fortunately, back in those days, Spearfish was pretty dead that time of day.     Those things were pretty radical.

Since then, have had and/or ridden most things available.  Waited six months for California Side Car to build me a side car once.  Had a LOT of fun taking folks for a ride in that rig.   

Flipped a Bultaco down a mountain in the high desert out around the old mercury mining settlement of New Idria, CA.   I remember kicking the bike away from me somewhere in the air, and when I hit the ground, being puzzled I was conscious, then the bike hit me, bounced on down the mountain.  Seems I had managed to stay on a ledge...or, was it, ground into the ledge?  One of the times a helmet helped.  A lot, as it was in several pieces.  There were some folks watching it.  Said it was all quite impressive, but weren't in any hurry to get down to me.  No way I could have possibly been alive.

Unlimited time road trips, day to day commuting to work, rain, hail, sleet, snow, etc.
Been broken, lacerated, etc.  I've built them, rebuilt them, zoomed them, even worked on them for a living.

Sold my last one around '90, and haven't been back aboard since.  And, have gotten quite used to enclosure vehicles.  I've put over half a million miles on the two (three) wheelers.  With today's traffic/drivers....not the proverbial chance.

I remember when I went to get my license for my newly acquired bike up in Spearfish.
Actually, had to go to Belle Fourche for that.  The motorcycle driving test, was in a parking lot full of thick, small gravel with pylons set up.  One had to maneuver the pylons, turn around, come back through the pylons.  Without touching ones' foot to the ground.  Would have been challenging enough, but the throttles on those 3 cyl 2 stroke 750s were....exciting.  If I remember correctly, they redlined around 12,000 rpm.

OWW

I had a Tiger.  Also, when I lived out in CA, I had a '56 650 BSA Wasp mountain climber, that I put a detachable seat on for riding on roads.   

[TexasTimbers]

Ron you must sit around all day hinking about the next poll you are going to post. Are you sure you don't work for Gallup and are getting paid to collect all this information?

In 80 and 81 I rode a CX500 (Honda) sort of a touring sport bike and a Kawasaki KZ1300 a purebred crotch rocket. I mean I had an image to uphold I was the drummer for probably the most popular rock band in north Texas I had to be cool.

I have too many stories from just that short time but siffice to say I have not and will not buy any of my kids road bikes. My wife is an accomplished dirt bike rider and can ride circles around me, and on our first time to ride dirt bikes together in 1976 she did exactly that literally. i had only been on a dirt bike at that time (no road bike experience at all yet) a couple of times and her family was a dirt biker family, and she was like a cartoon action hero on her 250 riding wheelies and terrorizing me while I was just trying to stay on the silly thing over hills and bumps and bottomless pits.
Women have an edge dirt bike riding they don't have certain things slamming against the seat when they take a hard landing.
We have talked of getting a few dirt bikes but I don't want to be himiliated all over again. I want another crotch rocket. She says no. I have never had the penchant for a Harley. I have always been a fan of rice burners. Un-American I know but speed is my thing. 150MPH with my hair on fire as they say.

[Daren]

  We adults already know it all and start at the top of the learning curve.  You really have to watch that first step, it's a long one.

I couldn't agree more,and not just about this situation because it is topical for me. I am guilty of "knowing it all" more than I care to admit even to myself some times. It is safe to say I feel I know it all most of the time. Quite often to find out if I did really know it all I would have known that I didn't know it all 

[johncinquo]

Not enough spaces to vote!  Currently I have a 2001, Kawasaki ZRX 1200.  Kinda old school, naked street bike. Fun to blow out the kids on their 600s all decked out like power rangers.  1998 Honda Valkyrie 1800.  Big fat monster cruiser, rides like a barca lounger.  Great for rolling burnouts in 2nd gear.  Big comfy seats and windshield.  2002 Yamaha YZ 125, that I am probably more danger to myself than anything else.  Its up for sale.  Just sold a KTM 250 EXC.  Again, dirt and 2 wheels is bad for me.  Though, I am looking at getting a KDX, or KLX, or maybe a TW200.  Something I can take down some dirt roads and 2 tracks, and whip to the store for a gallon of milk. 

I've gone through about 18 bikes in the last 3 years.  Buy em in the fall or winter, fix em up, ride em a few times and sell them in the spring for a few extra coins.  Keeps me out of the taverns, sometimes... 

Ones I want to own, GPZ 750 TURBO, light and fun.  RZ350, 2 stroke, blue smoke, and ring-a-dding-ding fun.  Late 70s- early 80's honda 750 or 900, chopped, soft tail, stretched, raked, straight pipes.  No chrome, just blacked out.   I also want to take a goldwing, strip everything off, and make a cafe racer out of it.  Extremism is kinda fun.  An 1800 cc giant beast, with nothing but a engine, seat, and set of wheels. 

Helmets and gear, all the time! 

[crtreedude]

I have own so far 3 motorcycles which I have never driven (ridden as a passenger a few times though). On our rocky roads, dirt bikes (or a bit stronger) are much better than a SUV. One of these days I will get my license.

[Engineer]

I stopped riding my Honda 700 Sabre after I hit a Deere..... 

[Raider Bill]

I gotta admit, for the long road trips, them Goldwings are hard to beat.

[tomboysawyer]

I stopped riding my Honda 700 Sabre after I hit a Deere..... 

Really? That kinda Deere?

After a cold, grueling, spring ride (2 hours from Rutland), I drove our BMW K100 into our Jeep (tight turn on a grassy uphill - a little throttle and the rear wheel spun and made me go straight instead of right) at about 5mph. Never put in a claim though - and years later we found the head bearings were shot in that bike.

But you get back on and ride again. Even if your spouse does grumble the entire time he's doing body work to both vehicles.

(Yes, I do wear a helmet. This was a promo photo I took in my driveway for my publisher.)

[jbeat]

Old bones couldn't take the Harley anymore. Now ride a Kaw. 1500 Nomad Cruiser. Been taking 100 mi. rides the past month to get the backside toughened up for the trip to Sawlex. Hope the weather is favorable.

[jon12345]

Had a moped and mini-bikes when I was younger, they were fun but couldn't ride the moped after it rained 

I wanna get a crotch rocket but I kinda wanna be around at least til my son gets a little older.   Yes there is the confidence I need 

[sawguy21]

tcmpsi, I scared the everliving crap out of myself on one of those Kawi 750 triples. Nothing like being on the centerline scraping the pegs and facing a Kenworth at over 100mph. Life was grand when we were young and bulletproof.

[Corley5]

I had a 125 Yamaha Enduro as a kid and traded up to a Honda CR125 Elsinore dirt bike as an older kid.  It blew up when I was a young adult.  Probably a good thing.  I think I'd like a Harley but a 4 stroke Jap street legal trail bike of 500 or so CCs would probably be more practical considering where I live.  On the other hand toys that move things, process things, etc are more my style right now 

[Don_Papenburg]

Tomboysawyer , The way He spelt it the Deere had to be Green with Yellow wheels.

[Justin L]

My tools have taken up the money I could buy another bike with... But after splitting a deer in two (on an 1100 Sabre- coincidence ?), then missing a curve going over 100mph(also an 1100 Sabre) with no helmet. Should I buy another bike?

I grew up on dirt bikes so I knew how to ride, and crash evidently...I just had trouble following the rules. With three boys and a girl maybe they can learn from my mistakes.

[tomboysawyer]

Tomboysawyer , The way He spelt it the Deere had to be Green with Yellow wheels.

The way he spelt and capilalized it... yeah. I know.

But deer move much faster than Deere and a Deere/motorcycle accident usually happens in a driveway. I knowd engineer has a Deere of his own, but now I'm wondering whose Deere his Honda hit.

[tcsmpsi]

tcmpsi, I scared the everliving scrappola out of myself on one of those Kawi 750 triples. Nothing like being on the centerline scraping the pegs and facing a Kenworth at over 100mph. Life was grand when we were young and bulletproof.

You know, I never did find the top end on that thing.  I quit SD, and took an unlimited sabatical in the desert southwest.  It would peg the speedometer fairly early in its power band.
It was pretty wide-open territory on I-10 after 10pm back in those days.

I do remember leaving Tucson right at dusk one day, and arriving in Houston before dawn.   

[Carries-Mom]

my hubby and I ride when we can.  I get my sister to watch Carrie and we go to the flea market or something.  We own a 2005 midnight roadstar yamaha.  When we bought it, it aleady had all of the chrome you could handle.  It is very relaxing as long as you're watching out for the other people that don't pay attention.

[Engineer]

I was wonderin' who was gonna ask first.  

I was out for a Sunday morning ride.   This was seven, eight years ago, one of those rare times when I didn't have to be "somewhere", just decided I'd cruise.  I was not half a mile from home, came over a little rise in the road, and there was a guy on a fairly large 4wd Deere tractor, in the middle of the road, backing up.  He was mowing both sides of the road with it, I had no way of knowing which way he was heading after he was done backing up, and I had no room to get around him anyway (small rural gravel road).  I wasn't even going fast, but the idiot gave me no time to react.  He's just lucky a truck wasn't flying over that rise, he would have gotten nailed hard.   I went down with the bike and managed to wedge it under his rear tires just as he stopped to move forward again.

There's even a more fun part to the story.  I got up, had it out with the moron for a few minutes (he of course thought he was perfectly justified backing a farm tractor up the center of a public highway), got back on the slightly dented bike and rode to the ER.  I had somewhat turned my left elbow into hamburger.   So I got there, helmet in hand, got into a treatment room, and this ugly old moose of a nurse came in.  She sat down and started cleaning me up and proceeded to tear into me, full blown lecture, about the evils of riding a motorcycle.  I got mad, told her to stop what she was doing, get the %(&^ out of the room and send in someone who knew how to do their job in a professional manner.  The look I got was, as they say, priceless.  

I rode for quite a while after that but I eventually sold the bike, had better things to do with my time.

[johncinquo]

You don t have to go big, or fast to have fun, really.  My son has a XR "50" with a 125 in it, and I am putting together a 110.  We chase each other around the yard and back through the orchards, and have more dang fun than you can shake a stick at.  I enjoy playing tag with him on bikes more than the 45 minute ride into work.

[Fla._Deadheader]

  I'm sorry, I just GOTTA do this. 

 

She sat down and started cleaning me up and proceeded to tear into me, full blown lecture, about the evils of riding a motorcycle.

  Sounds like the little old lady that had GareyD by the butt, in the Cafeteria, at the Sawlex show. 

  It got so bad, for a spell, that Jake "Customsawyer", beat an exit, stage right, and diddied outta there. 
  Poor Garey, he had that "Deer in the headlights" look. 

  I'm laffin so hard, I gotta wipe the tears outta my eyes. 

 
  But MAAM, we only did 100 MPH for PART of the trip" 

[Fla._Deadheader]

  Ahhh yes, Murdercycles.  Used to ride with a buddy, on his Dads '47 Harley. Never would let ME drive    He used to see how fast he could go, before I  tapped out    No helmets back them.    Lots of bugs at night, along the Jersey shore. 

  One night I had enough, and, when he wouldn't drive sensibly, I grabbed both his elbows and started shaking as hard as I could. Scared HIM way more than me. 

  He quit taking me, and about a month later, he had a road rash from ankles to ears.

  I recently bought a Goldwing suspension swingarm, and plan, one day, to build a Diesel Cruiser. 

[sawguy21]

Hmmm, that would be an interesting project. 

[james]

lets see me and a buddy , back when we was young and stupid(er) took a pair of 1100 Honda's and raced a porsche 911 from mount vernnon wa to okanogon wa 175 miles of twisting two lane he took 1hr 45 min we took 1 .5 hrs or so  like i said dumb i remember hitting 175 mph on a couple of straightaways that couldn't have been a mile long
james

[tomboysawyer]

There's even a more fun part to the story.  I got up, had it out with the moron for a few minutes (he of course thought he was perfectly justified backing a farm tractor up the center of a public highway), got back on the slightly dented bike and rode to the ER.  I had somewhat turned my left elbow into hamburger.   So I got there, helmet in hand, got into a treatment room, and this ugly old moose of a nurse came in.  She sat down and started cleaning me up and proceeded to tear into me, full blown lecture, about the evils of riding a motorcycle.  I got mad, told her to stop what she was doing, get the %(&^ out of the room and send in someone who knew how to do their job in a professional manner.  The look I got was, as they say, priceless. 

I had Marsden in North Bennington pull me over for my first and only time in 18 years of riding claiming I had run the stop sign at the Old First Church. He nearly hit me. Pulled me into the museum parking lot and started lecturing me on the dangers of motorcycles - how his son had died, how he nearly died hitting a piece of retread while he himself was speeding. I was SO POed at him for being a dang jerk (not how I usually describe him). Mark didn't believe me what a jerk he was - but he happened to have the day off that I had to go to traffic court. Judge Mook tried to get us to both delay and get a different judge. Marsden made up a story about where he first saw me - traveling west on Elm I think he said.

"Your honor. I was riding at a very leisurely pace on this 90 degree August day from SVC to my pool hall downtown. As you know, there is no way that would have me traveling west on Elm Street."

I had photos of five different spots on Monument with Mark's Jeep sitting at the stop sign where all you could see was his spare tire - in October with no leaves. Marsden said "there are only two or three trees in that triangle - I could see her."

Then his evidence that I had not stopped for the stop sign was that his radar (as he was going 40 mph around that right hand corner from the church) read 8, 10, then 11, then 13 mph.

"Judge Mook, all that means is that I accelerated away from the stop sign. We all know I did that or I'd still be sitting there!"

Judge Mook: "Officer Marsden, you really aren't going to submit that as evidence are you?"

Anyway, of course my ticket was dismissed, because I had stopped for the stop sign. With my car it is a different story, but with my bike, I just don't take any chances.

I feel for your nurse story. I really wanted to say that kind of line to Marsden.

[sgtmaconga]

2006 yamaha V-Star Silverado for now. it's for sell if anyone around my area wants it.

[Carries-Mom]

Just read in the local paper about an accident that happened only about a mile or two from the house.  Last Friday night, I was going to get pizza and saw an accident, but wasn't sure what happened.  The only thing I saw was a girls pink bicycle.  Come to find out in the paper, a man, on his motorcycle was headed west, had the right of way.  Two kids decided to cross the busy road, and did not see the guy on the motorcycle.  The guy on the motorcycle saw the kids and had to lay the bike down and hit his head on the pavement.  The motorcycle slid into one of the teens.  The kid had a few scratches and bruises.  The guy on the motorcycle is listed in fair condition.  It happened right at dusk and the kids crossed without waiting for the pedestrian sign to change to let them go.     That kind of thing happens all of the time.  I wish the kids around here would pay attention.  that could have easily been a semi coming at them.  Kids around here do that all of the time.  They think they can beat the oncoming cars.

[Robert R]

I've never been on a motorcycle.  Rode a four-wheeler once for about 5 minutes and that was all I cared to.  When I crash, my ride comes back and waits for me!

[thurlow]

Hey Bobby R.................you riding English or Western or some combination?   

[Woodcarver]

Never owned a bike.  Used to ride occasionally as a passenger.  Years ago I talked about buying one to commute to work during the warm months.

The subject came up over coffee at work one day.  One the fellows I was having coffee with told me there were two kinds of bike riders: those who had had an accident and those who were going to.  A week or two later on the way home from work I happened on to the scene of a fatal accident.  A cyclist had laid his bike down and slid into a tree.  The road was perfectly straight where the accident occurred.  A motorist who happened to be following the bike rider said he was avoiding a deer when the accident happened.

I had no interest in buying a bike after that. 
 

[Robert R]

You have a very good eye, sir.  That is a western Big Horn saddle but an english D-ring snaffle, he isn't dependable on the neck reining yet.  I ride him english bridle and leg wise. the posture is also english.  I have an english saddle but I am to fat and it hurts his back and I prefer to not look like a sissy.  We are training for endurance racing and ultimately will wind up in something akin to an Australian saddle or a dressage saddle.  Still trying to see what fits him best but most likely a hornless western-style Australian.  Basically, a saddle big enough to distribute the weight without being to hot and horse friendly enough to allow me to stay up off his back.  That picture is at the end of a ride and I am kind of just sitting there like a sack of taters.  I should have my heels lower and be up in the stirrups.

[Max sawdust]

Never owned one.  Dirt bikes can be lots of fun.  Motorcycles are good for fuel economy, then again so is Robert's horse 

See I got a problem, with the bikes with excessively loud tailpipes.  If I drove around in my truck with tailpipes as loud as some of those Harley's I would have the heat on me writtin me a ticket

I live in about 1/2 mile from pavement, so I do not hear log trucks or gravel trucks or any sound from vehicles, EXEPT for some DanG wacko with a really loud bike that likes to leave the bar 3 miles away at 2:00AM.  This wakes me up from a sound sleep   You can hear that bike for miles

I got a problem with that 
Max

[Ron Wenrich]

I live about 1/3 mile from the pavement and can hear the jake brakes from the big trucks, and when they pull out from a stop.  I can hear the motorcycles when they're just cruising.  What is the most fascinating is that I can hear the bass of some of the kids' car stereos...and they're windows are rolled up.   

[Max sawdust]

That low frequency Bass is something else    The volume does not even need to be high for that sound to carry through windows and walls and a long distance.

Guess that is why the Navy used to use it to communicate with Subs around the world.  Northern WI has something called an ULF antenna in the national forest.  Transmits Ultra Low Frequency signals right through the planet to Subs on the other side

Max

[Raider Bill]

Loud pipes save lives! Nobody see's us so maybe they will hear us.

[sawguy21]

Car drivers generally don't hear those loud pipes until the rider cranks the throttle after he has gone by. I hate sitting beside one of those DanG straight pipe Milwau Harleys at a light. I guess disapproval is better than no attention at all

[beenthere]

Maxsawdust
  The ULF was an ELF in Wisconsin. For Extremely Low Frequency. Caused a lot of controversy from the people who just wanted something to get excited about, and for a cause to protest something.

Here is  the Low Frequency site in Wisconsin

[bushhog]

Been ridin' since I was 5 started with a mini bike, then 100cc Hodaka, 250 Triumph, 350 Kawasaki, 93 Fatboy, 95 Roadking, 620EXC KTM, 660 Grizzly (currently), and also ride a 2003 Roadking.

I love to ride any and all - bikes that is 

Have had plenty of learning experiences and close calls, hit dogs, road rash (gravel & pavement), used to thread the needle between cars and occasionally two semi's, but now ride alot more defensively and sensibly 

Gotta watch out for the deer and everything else when out ridin'.  People either don't see you or don't understand that a motorcycle handles alot differently than a car.  It is nice also to be able to choose when you want to ride too.

I am a lucky man as my Dad (68) still rides too and he and I try to take a week long trip on the bikes every year. 

I figure when it's my time to go - then it's my time to go - I'd rather go out doing something I really like doing if that's what the Good Lord has in mind

Ride On!

[tcsmpsi]

I like bass.

I have found it works well catching them with lures using treble hooks.

                                               

[Frank_B]

Started in 1968 with a Honda 175; decided trail riding was fun in '73 on a Kawasaki 100; graduated to a Honda 350 to take the wife along; bought another  Kawasaki 100 to ride to work sometime in the '80's; Had a long dry spell, then just two years ago got a '79 Yamaha XS650 that needed a whole lot of work; And finally, after getting the XS 650 running, decided we were too old to be vibrated if not in bed so bought a 2007 V-Star 1300 Tourer - rides as smooth as a baby's bottom.

Yes to all the above about driving foolishly as a youngster and then finally realizing there is death after life somewhere around 40.  Bikes are more dangerous than cars simply because you don't have the iron cage surrounding the victims.  When riding a bike, you generally arrive quicker at the scene of the accident.

This past weekend drove about 600 miles in a car - bad weather - and made note of the number of times folks turned left in front of us.  Car, truck, bike - it doesn't matter - there are folks on the road that just don't pay attention.  Sad fact of the matter, as stated above, you're more inclined to injury when on a bike.  Period.

Oh, BTW...  If anyone would like a really sweet XS650 let me know.  One bike at a time is enough.

Frank

[leweee]

Loud pipes save lives!

    If so there are a lot of immortals at Bike Week in Daytona.     

[BW_Williams]

Here's my current ride, 2005 KTM MXC 525, aka "Katy",  I've had dirt  bikes all my life

 

Ride hard, BWW

[Raider Bill]

Loud pipes save lives!

    If so there are a lot of immortals at Bike Week in Daytona.     
(Image hidden from quote, click to view.)

We live on!

[derhntr]

Been a dirtbiker all my life ride KTM's and Suzuki's. I had a Yamaha 850 shaftdrive once that thing was scary fast 90mph in 2nd gear. Cars just scared me so I sold her.

Ride safe

[Stump Jumper]

 i would like to build a vw trike as my father did, someday.thats me at 14 helping dad, was better than homework 


here it is finished and i have my drivers license dad would let me drive it 10 to 15 miles max but it was fun. pics are not the best sorry

[IndyIan]

I've only owned dirtbikes and have played around on a street bike a couple times.  I do agree with Tom, no one should start on a street bike on the street, its better to make mistakes a 20 mph that 60....  I started with a 81 honda CT110, never really had a bad crash on it but climbed a tree once...
A buddy and I were 17 when we got fooling around with his uncles old bike, a late 70's honda 750 super sport, one with 4cyl and 4 big carbs...  It boggled my mind how a bike that was so heavy could accelerate so fast! 3rd gear was all I needed to see, 90 mph or something silly. 
I do like to push the limits when I'm riding so I've decided never to get a street bike, all it takes is coming into a corner quick and a patch of sand...
I can see how a nice cruiser would be fun too though, for nice rides through the countryside

[sawguy21]

I do like to push the limits when I'm riding so I've decided never to get a street bike, all it takes is coming into a corner quick and a patch of sand...

That is exactly how I bruised myself on the Suzi 750.

[Carries-Mom]

Here's a picture of our toy!!!  2005 yamaha roadstar midnight.
 

[Ianab]

I ended up doing a bit of self teach motorbike work yesterday.... 

One of our clients is a bike and accessory importer and has bought some new bikes into the country, and the diagnostic software to tune them. But he couldn't talk to the bikes onboard computer from his laptop. Instructions had been translated from Italian so they weren't all that clear. We got it sorted in the end though 

Nice bikes he's selling too.

http://www.motomorini.com/lemoto_corsaro.asp

Cheers

Ian

[sawguy21]

Those look good but I no speaka da italiano either

[Ianab]

Ahh... It was in English when I first looked at it 

Try this page.. get you in with English version.. hopefully..

http://www.motomorini.com/default2.asp?lang=en

Ian

[sandmar]

I ride a Honda F6 Valkyrie. I just putt putt around like the old fart I am,even though it would fly low if I desired. Most importantly,it makes me smile 
Sandmar

[sandmar]

Was it something I said? Did I kill this thread?  I was enjoying it.
Sandmar