# Who owns and rides motorcycles?



## AC_Pilot (Jan 31, 2005)

It seems the martial arts attracts a lot of motorcyclist types...

So, what kind(s), how long have you been riding, why do you ride?

I'll start, been riding since I was 8 years, have owned at least 20 bikes, I ride because it's a very liberating and demanding activity, kind of like riding a high speed metal horse :ultracool The wind and fresh air is invigorating, and in the dirt you can go places you cannot access with a 4 wheel vehicle (unless it's a quad, sometimes)

I currently have a customized Yamaha 1200 V-4 VMax power cruiser: www.vmaxoutlaw.com 
And what mine is steadily morphing into:  www.madmax.com 

And  Suzuki DR650E enduro dual sport, on off road bike. I use it for local errands and off road use, and it will be great for attaching to the back of a motorhome for travel.


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## OUMoose (Jan 31, 2005)

I'm fairly new to riding.  Just got my endorsement last season.  

I have a '97 Kawasaki Vulcan 1500A.  Not sure what drew me to riding, though peer pressure did have a little to do with it.   Can't really see myself doing long trips with it, but puttering around town and short trips is pretty fun.


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## shane23ss (Jan 31, 2005)

I'm a lot like *AC_Pilot*, been riding a long time. I have had SEVERAL bikes. I currently have a 1200 Custom Harley.


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## Colin_Linz (Jan 31, 2005)

Ive been riding for about 27 years. Ive had a number of bikes, mostly sport or dirt bikes. These days I enjoy sports bikes more, although Ive moved backwards in time. I found the newer sports bikes to be great, but they are only fun to ride on Track Days or well over the speed limits. They started getting expensive too. I would use a front tyre in 2000 kilometres and a back in 3000. My current bikes are a 1978 Ducati 900ss replica, 1987 Yamaha RZ350, RD350LC, and a Kawasaki ZXR250A. I have another Ducati 900 Desmo engine that Im currently using to construct another bike for Post Classic Racing, but this is taking some time.


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## psi_radar (Jan 31, 2005)

I've been riding for 28 years, started out on a 70 cc Benelli mini bike and have owned a bunch, including a '73 yamaha 360 two-stroke enduro, a tricked-out '74 CB750, some scooters, and now a 2001 Suzuki SV650s which is just a blast to ride. It's a v-twin sportbike with medium displacement, so it trades the high-end horsepower that a lot of the I-4's have for low and mid-range torque. With a few modifications (heavier fork oil and a GSX-R shock) it handles great too. 

I believe martial arts, motorcycling, surfing, skiing and a bunch of other sports all hold similar appeal. They're sports that require fast decision-making, coordination, and awareness of your environment and skills--getting into "the zone".


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## shane23ss (Jan 31, 2005)

psi_radar said:
			
		

> I believe martial arts, motorcycling, surfing, skiing and a bunch of other sports all hold similar appeal. They're sports that require fast decision-making, coordination, and awareness of your environment and skills--getting into "the zone".


Excellent point sir.:asian:


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## AC_Pilot (Jan 31, 2005)

Great points, PSI.. I bet we see a lot of posts on this thread due to this truth.

 Most people do not know it but *Bruce Lee* owned and enjoyed motorcycles..


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## Rich Parsons (Jan 31, 2005)

Well I rode Mini bilkes and dirt bikes as a kid, but nothing really past 11.

April 2003 I bought a bike and started to ride. I bought a Honda Shadow Sabre 1100. I really like this bike. Lots of fun. I have about 12,000 miles in two years on it, and I hope to put a few thousand more on it this summer.

As to why do I ride, it is a Zen state, of a person being at one with a machine and on the rode. You cannot be a sleep or day dreaming, you have to be paying attention and adjusting for everything coming down the road. Lots of fun to me, and I hope to make a visit this summer to some people in MA community as well.


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## Cryozombie (Jan 31, 2005)

I ride an '03 Vstar 650 Classic, but I am goin to the dealership tomorrow to look for something... "more meaty"


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## OULobo (Jan 31, 2005)

I've been riding for about 9 years and I own a Kawi. 250cc lil' Ninja. It's a fun little bike to tool around town in, and it looks nice for being so small. I figure riding too fast will just get me killed too fast. I'm in the market now for a Suz. SV 650.


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## OUMoose (Feb 1, 2005)

Technopunk said:
			
		

> I ride an '03 Vstar 650 Classic, but I am goin to the dealership tomorrow to look for something... "more meaty"


Honda VTX 1800...   That's a happy place.


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## psi_radar (Feb 1, 2005)

OULobo said:
			
		

> I've been riding for about 9 years and I own a Kawi. 250cc lil' Ninja. It's a fun little bike to tool around town in, and it looks nice for being so small. I figure riding too fast will just get me killed too fast. I'm in the market now for a Suz. SV 650.



You won't regret an SV650. Love, love, love mine.


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## Rich Parsons (Feb 1, 2005)

Technopunk said:
			
		

> I ride an '03 Vstar 650 Classic, but I am goin to the dealership tomorrow to look for something... "more meaty"




Not trying to get you away from the Vstar Family, but check out the VTX 1300 and 1800 form Honda


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## Drac (Feb 1, 2005)

Been riding since I was 16...Started with a Honda 50. Remember them? Currently riding a Harley Ultra Classic


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## AC_Pilot (Feb 1, 2005)

My first bike was a "Tote Goat" my dad owned, which was a off road forestry type bike with, basically, a lawnmower motor..remember this was the 1960s :uhyeah: 


Then my brother's Honda 70 

Then my own Honda 90 2 speed rear gear bike.


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## Colin_Linz (Feb 1, 2005)

Technopunk said:
			
		

> I ride an '03 Vstar 650 Classic, but I am goin to the dealership tomorrow to look for something... "more meaty"


Ever thought about a Triumph Rocket or a Yamaha Warrior. The Yamaha is a great handler for this type of bike, it also stops well. It has mostly R1 brakes and suspension.


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## psi_radar (Feb 1, 2005)

Techno:

The Yamaha Warrior's a really good recommendation. Gotta replace that exhaust though--ugly and constrictive. 

If you're set on cruisers and want high performance, the v-max is a great choice.

If you're not set on cruisers, there's tons of options, naked and faired. Triumph has some great retro bikes as well as the Speed Triple.


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## psi_radar (Feb 1, 2005)

If I won the lottery, I'd buy this Norton...


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## AC_Pilot (Feb 1, 2005)

The V-Max is faster than the Triumph Rocket or the Yamaha Warrior, by a good margin. it outhandles them too, stock. For most people the Max is in the *very scary* zone as far as power. It will wheelie at low speeds if you roll it on all the way. If you get one you had better be experienced, very experienced. And be careful, it takes time to dail in your riding skills on this beast. It's not called *Mr Max* for nothing. Respect it or die. The price is very appealing but the current anniversary edition is no doubt sold out, so you'll have to look at the next year, or a used Max.

About the only negatives to the stock V-Max are:

The very uncomfortable seat. You can buy after market or do like I did and have a custom leather gel insert seat made.

And the forks are old technology.. you will need to change the soft springs to Progressive types, use a heavier fork oil, and possibly change your rear shocks at some point.. I went with air shocks. There's also a thing called a "Furber fix" which is simply replacing the rubber fork triple tree washer with a steel washer.

It's a whole different animal now, and can run with the very fastest 600 sport bikes, and indeed even the fastest bikes are not more than 1 second faster in the 1/4 mile. And the sportbikes are way uncomfortable for longer hauls. 
I also have a mini fairing, padded upholstered sissy bar and sport rack, changed the jets and the exhaust, (sounds *mean* now, like a loud Maserati) and I am planning a Mad Max motor install with about 180 rear wheel HP, vs the stock 120. The usual way to get this is a 2400 cc built-up Max engine. And a new front slightly raked fork and frame braces and the swap to radial tires to fix any remaining handling problems. The only reason the Max cannot use radials is it's 15 inch rear rim, no radials are made for this size.

Here's more on the Max
http://www.vmaxoutlaw.com/tech/magazines/index.html

I also want a sport tourer in the future, something like the 4 cylinder BMW or the Yamaha FJ1300, for longer rides. With no fairing the Max is about a 2 to 3 hour ride.


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## psi_radar (Feb 1, 2005)

I've ridden a Hayabusa set up as a sport-tourer with Heli-bars, corbin hard bags that screamed. I'd be tempted by one of those, too.

Any motorcycle I've had has been made better with a few modifications. Typically factory seats stink, too hard with oversized, poorly angled foam. You can go to an upholstery shop and get 1" high density foam, cut it to size and reinstall it under the same cover for a cheap, sensible fix. Factory exhausts also tend to be constrictive, and full or slip-on upgrades enhance sound and performance noticably. Bargain bikes like the SV650 usually suffer from more primitive suspensions, but with a little research and help from ebay, most of these problems are easily rectified.

+1 AC Pilot on matching experience level with the bike. The Vmax is quite a bike even for the experienced. And except for some racers, the typical out-of-the-crate 600 sport bike has more performance than any rider can make practical use of.


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## AC_Pilot (Feb 2, 2005)

That R1 is definitely not a beginner's bike.. lots of newbies go straight for one of these dangerously powerful _rockets _ and end up in the _hospital_ or the _morgue_. I can certainly handle one but I would take an entire season just to learn it before trying any spooky full-on stuff.. and even then I would rarely do so. Be careful out there.


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## Colin_Linz (Feb 2, 2005)

You just need some throttle control. Ive had a number of them high side in front of me on the Track. They werent going any faster than me on my CBR900RR, but they just seemed too aggressive on the throttle coming out of the corners. With my Blade you could be fairly hamfisted with the throttle, it only made about 130hp, while the R1s make from around 160 through to 180hp depending on model.

Interestingly the 600s are faster than the larger bikes for most people when riding them on a Track. I just prefer the larger bikes because they have a better mid range, this makes them not so demanding on the road.

There are some really interesting bikes out now. I would like to have a go on the new KTM 900 V Twin Supermoto styled bike, it looks like a lot of fun.


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## TChase (Feb 4, 2005)

I started riding dirtbikes as a kid.  I'd steal rides on whatever my older brothers had at the time.  In high school my friend got a Honda CBR600 F1 Hurricane and I would take that out on occasion.  My first bike was a 99' Honda CBR600 F4.  I never really felt comfortable on it and a year later I ended up getting a 99' CBR900 RR.  Now that was a great bike!  I had that until I got my 02' Honda RC51...the absolute best bike I've ever ridden!  Unfortunately I had to sell it when I bought my house last October.  I'll try and post pics tomorrow.

If I were to get a new bike I'd go for the new Honda CBR600RR.  Can you tell I'm a Honda guy?


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## dsp921 (Feb 5, 2005)

I've been riding motorcycles more years than I care to remember.
In the garage right now are a CBR1000 and two CR250Rs.
Since I got into dirt riding the street bike sits a lot.


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## TChase (Feb 6, 2005)

Here she is in all her v-twin glory.


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## Colin_Linz (Feb 6, 2005)

Very nice Tom. How do you like the Dunlops? I used to run Michelin Pilots on my old Blade, I liked them a lot.


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## TChase (Feb 6, 2005)

Colin_Linz said:
			
		

> Very nice Tom. How do you like the Dunlops? I used to run Michelin Pilots on my old Blade, I liked them a lot.


Thanks.  The Dunlop 208's were very good.  My favorite tire though is the Metzler Sportec M1.  As good as the Dunlops were the Sportecs blew them away in every possible catagory.  Well except one...tire life.  They performed great at the track as well as the street.  I've heard many guys say they could never get their knee down until they put on a set of Sportecs.


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## psi_radar (Feb 6, 2005)

That Ducati makes me drool...


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## Colin_Linz (Feb 8, 2005)

psi_radar said:
			
		

> That Ducati makes me drool...


It gets a lot of good comments from people. Whenever I stop somewhere I usually get people coming up wanting to look at it. I'm in the middle of adding some improvements to it. I am fitting new 40mm Delortos in place of the 32mm ones, a Tomiselli quick action throttle, and a competition clutch. It will still be comparatively underpowered, but I like ridding it anyway.


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## K Williams (Mar 22, 2005)

psi_radar said:
			
		

> I believe martial arts, motorcycling, surfing, skiing and a bunch of other sports all hold similar appeal. They're sports that require fast decision-making, coordination, and awareness of your environment and skills--getting into "the zone".



...and unfortunately sometimes a high pain threshold! Trust me on that one...

I ride a 2001 Kawasaki ZX-12R.


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## OULobo (Aug 4, 2005)

Just picked up another bike yesterday. '03 Suzi GSXR-600. Let's sww how long it takes me to wreck it J/K.


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## Rich Parsons (Aug 4, 2005)

OULobo said:
			
		

> Just picked up another bike yesterday. '03 Suzi GSXR-600. Let's sww how long it takes me to wreck it J/K.




We can talk after you have it for two weeks


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## Cryozombie (Aug 4, 2005)

OULobo said:
			
		

> Just picked up another bike yesterday. '03 Suzi GSXR-600. Let's sww how long it takes me to wreck it J/K.


 Dont joke man...

 I wrecked my New '05 in under 3 months...


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## Rich Parsons (Aug 4, 2005)

Technopunk said:
			
		

> Dont joke man...
> 
> I wrecked my New '05 in under 3 months...




I read in one of the trade mags, that the first two weeks is the most likely to have an accident on sport bikes. Wish I would have kept it or remembered which one so I could look it up again.


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## OULobo (Aug 4, 2005)

I'll play it conservative and try to stay in one peice.


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## silatman (Aug 5, 2005)

Western Australia has a stupid rule of size restriction for 12months of 250cc for a road licence then an entirely new licence after that if you want an open class. This means two learners permits, two lots of drving instructions (mandatory regardless of ability), then two practical tests, then two licencing fees. Not much change from $600 and twelve months of time, oh and I nearly forgot two different bikes.
For this reason I bought an XR600R and use it exclusively on dirt.
For me the best bit is sliding out that backend into a corner, if that wheel is spinning my face is grinning. :uhyeah:


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## kik (Aug 5, 2005)

Well, I've been riding for around 30 yrs, I've had numerous bikes, but my 2 favorite was a 1947 knuckle head (Harley) and a 1967 Triumph tiger 500. I currently own a 1982 Honda CB 900 Custom a 1977 Harley Ironheah and a 2001 Suzuski Velusia 800. I have been hit 3 times so far and have been lucky enough to walk away from all of them. That's the great thing about Martial arts and bikes, you get knocked down on both of them and still you get back up and go back for more. Seriuosly though if it werent for TKD I'd proabably be walking with kanes and parking in hanicapped slots. I've been doing TKD for close to 20 years I'm a 3rd degree and I'm in no hurry for my 4th heck it took me over 5 yrs to recieve my 1st dan. Anyway Happy motoring everyone. Keep the rubber on the ground and your kicks to the head.


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## tradrockrat (Aug 26, 2005)

Hello all!

 I have been riding dirt bikes since I was 9.   Got my MC liscense at 17, and have been rding to this day.  In fact, I sold my car to get my first bike, and have only owned bikes ( with the exception of a truck from 99-03) ever since.

 Streetbikes I have owned:

 250 ninja
 500 Shadow
 1100 magna

 Still own:

 1978 Yamaha SR500 (my fathers bike - first bike I ever rode on)
 1996 XL1200S Harley Davidson

 PS do I need to put pics on a website in order to post them here?


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## searcher (Aug 26, 2005)

While I don't ride on the street I have been riding off-road and motocross starting at age 5.   I just got rid of my Baja XR and I am looking to get something else, but have not decided what.   I have had several MX bikes as well as ATV's.


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## OULobo (Aug 26, 2005)

Here's my babies.


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## Kenpoist (Feb 8, 2006)

I have a 2004 Suzuki Intruder - I will probably be selling it to move to an American V-Twin that I can customize.  Looking at H-D, but I really like the Victory Kingpin.  I have been riding for 2 years and like the freedom I feel when riding.

Anyone on this site do any customization - something in the martial arts realm (paintjobs etc..)?

I would like to design a kenpo theme bike at some point - dragons/ fire/ tigers etc..


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## stone_dragone (Jul 5, 2006)

2002 yamaha FZ1 and love it.  I'll be trying to post some pics later.


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## CTKempo Todd (Jul 6, 2006)

Hi Guys...

I ride one of the most underrated, underappreciated bike's in the world..
Which is why I like it so much.

The Honda ST1300
It is almost as fast a sportbike (relax sporties..I said almost)
Yet I can go as long as I want in all day Goldwing comfort...

Some of its features:
I have a range of 280 - 325 miles on one tank (no not a typo) My max range was 327
0-60 in 3.4 seconds..
Electrically adjustable windshield than can lower or raise over 7 inches..
Wind in your face? push down on the button of awe..Cold or raining? up she goes..
Don't want the trunk or side bags..off they come
She can be leaned way over...If she falls over (don't ask me about this one LOL) the built in crash bars hit the ground and nothing else..

Its really a great all around bike..Very much unde the radar...I get so many 'what is that' comments..makes me smile
You cruiser types if and when you get over the 'cool' or 'chrome' factor, owe it to yourself to jump on a 13 or any sport tourer for that matter.FJR, RT (frankly the power fo the Busa freaking scares me)..you'll never want to go back..
Hell I've had mine for a year and have 21,000 miles on her...

However whatever you ride, be safe and I'll wave no matter what you got..


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## tradrockrat (Jul 6, 2006)

I love those ST's!  Really cool bikes, but I'll never get over the "cool" factor of my cruiser - I'm getting a Roadking soon for touring - then your gonna see a sporty (my current bike) that eats other bikes for breakfast... after the customization and engine work.

I love the under appreciated true performers out there, but the need soul.  The ST has it, my SR500 Yamaha has it, and of course Harley's have it in spades.


BTW - chrome sucks.


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## Colin_Linz (Jul 6, 2006)

I read an article recently on an ST here in Australia. It had been done up with cosmetically and performance wise, it was reported to have in excess of 200 hp! Now that sounds scary.


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## Colin_Linz (Jul 6, 2006)

I no longer have my old Ducati. I sold it a few weeks ago and bought a VTR1000F. As much as I loved the Ducati my changing needs dictated a change of bike. When I bought the Ducati it was just a toy to have fun on. Due to one of my sons writing off one of our cars I now need to use the bike as regular transport. The Ducati with its kick start and aversion to rain was just not a practical choice. The VTR is a great bike, and even though it is practical it certainly doesn&#8217;t lack in the fun factor. I took it for a good thrash over a couple of local mountains last weekend and while its performance could be improved, mainly the front end, it was by no means slow and proved to be a very competent bike in this environment.


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## Cryozombie (Jul 6, 2006)

I just added a Stereo to my VStar.







Whaddaya think?  It sounds pretty good, up to about 60.  Over 60... it depends on the MP3 Im playing and what volume level I ripped it at.


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## Monadnock (Jul 6, 2006)

I picked up an '06 CBR1000RR in black back in Feb. (I think we had another thread around here somewhere, but I like bikes a lot so the more threads the better.)

This is my first liter sportbike, and all I have to say is 'these things are sick!'

I've put on 3600 miles on it this year already. No real mods yet, except some flushmount signals up front. I'm thinking of a slip-on exhaust to change the sound a bit, but honestly, I don't think I need to give it much more power. Where else can you spend 10k and go 180mph? Not on a Vett, or a Lambo, or a Porshe...hehehe.


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