Random thoughts on motorcycles

[churchmouse]

Been riding since I was 10. That was 1960. Uncle had a Harley topper. In the wind and free. Next a 250 Harley (euro) sprint and on from there. Sold all the bikes in 2003 to go racing again. Lost interest as the city is no fun at all to ride in anymore and buried too many friends. I miss it but life moves on.
Pics are the last 2 we had. The Dyna Wide Glide was the wife's and the Springer mine.

 

[churchmouse]

I <3 bikes.

As far as enjoyment goes, I've yet to find anything that surpasses moments like this:

FWIW, that bike wasn't plated, insured, never saw city traffic, and sure as heck got ridden in the rain. Motorcycle racing doesn't cancel for rain! (unlike some wimps )

They ain't for everyone, but my personal heaven is a bike and a racetrack.

Puttering around town or droning out miles on the superslab, I can live without though.

I lack the sack for your racing. Found out very early on I was a lot faster than I was good. Terrible combo.
I built this from scratch and ran the snot out of it for a few years and loved it. Time, money, energy and age let me sell it.

 

[DownByTheTracks]

Awesome springer!

Been riding since I was 10. That was 1960. Uncle had a Harley topper. In the wind and free. Next a 250 Harley (euro) sprint and on from there. Sold all the bikes in 2003 to go racing again. Lost interest as the city is no fun at all to ride in anymore and buried too many friends. I miss it but life moves on.
Pics are the last 2 we had. The Dyna Wide Glide was the wife's and the Springer mine.

 

[churchmouse]

Thanks. It was like owning 1911's...never knew when it was done and done was never enough. If you look close the Dyna was not "Stock" either.

 

[hoosierdaddy1976]

have always wanted one, never had any free money to speak of as a kid. now, with three kids under the age of 8, a mortgage and two car payments, not much has changed. maybe someday.

 

[et_aruba]

Love riding, love my bikes! I don't think I will ever sell them, even though I have not had time to ride them in a while. I think I put 9000 miles on my CBR600RR the first year I had it. Several speeding tickets later (yes, that little bike is FAST), I acquired a VTX1300C. Now I get to choose my riding style depening on my mood. Either riding style is very therapeutic. Like someone said, it's not IF you go down, it's when. On my way to my road test, I got rear-ended by a soccer mom with a van full of kids who was not paying attention and let her foot of the brake at a traffic light. I was pissed, but understanding and forgiving. I almost felt bad for her, she had her hands full with all those kids... SIPDE every day! Scan, Identify, Predict, Decide, Execute!

 

[et_aruba]

DownByTheTracks,
What a GREAT looking R75/6! GLWS! You should cross-post, that looks like a very collectible bike.

 

[churchmouse]

Love riding, love my bikes! I don't think I will ever sell them, even though I have not had time to ride them in a while. I think I put 9000 miles on my CBR600RR the first year I had it. Several speeding tickets later (yes, that little bike is FAST), I acquired a VTX1300C. Now I get to choose my riding style depening on my mood. Either riding style is very therapeutic. Like someone said, it's not IF you go down, it's when. On my way to my road test, I got rear-ended by a soccer mom with a van full of kids who was not paying attention and let her foot of the brake at a traffic light. I was pissed, but understanding and forgiving. I almost felt bad for her, she had her hands full with all those kids... SIPDE every day! Scan, Identify, Predict, Decide, Execute!

Modern vehicles are so comfortable to drive and full of distractions. Add a bunch of kids to the equation and disaster lurks nearby. Point...if I distracted my mom or dad there was a stern warning...next infraction was accompanied by the appropriate level of pain. That was enough to keep us quite. I see kids bouncing in the seats, screaming at DVD players and rocking the the
Beeber" while mom attempts to navigate through traffic at a high rate of speed as she is running behind. Add twitter and texting to this mix, Just to many distractions. City riding is just for the young and the brave.
You all stay safe out there.

 

[aronhubbard]

I find where you live influences how much you love to ride. When I lived in southern Indiana, and fantastic, well maintained, low traffic roads were a dime a dozen, I was clocking 10k mi/year. Now that I live on the east side, where the roads are flat, straight, and have stop signs every mile, I'm down to about 1000 mi/year, and most of that was a trip down to Deal's Gap.

Very few feelings compare with what it's like to skillfully work your machine down a challenging stretch of road. I've been down twice in my younger days, got a new wrinkle in my @#$ each time, and I'll probably go down a time or two before it's my time to suffle off. But I ride sober, within my limits, always wear my gear, spend lavishly on tires, and every time I lean into a corner, my bike is there for me. It's beautiful.

 

[Hammer]

see my sig line.

Now this is fun. No traffic, no blue haired women pulling out in front of you, no dogs, no kids and no texting.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDHYtcBAr7w&feature=g-upl&context=G26d4c02AUAAAAAAAAAA

 

[boonedock]

Sold My electra glide last November Because.......well don't know why exactly? Little brother bought a new Street Glide today...I'm gettin the itch!!

 

[joshua_xdm]

I <3 bikes.

As far as enjoyment goes, I've yet to find anything that surpasses moments like this:

FWIW, that bike wasn't plated, insured, never saw city traffic, and sure as heck got ridden in the rain. Motorcycle racing doesn't cancel for rain! (unlike some wimps )

They ain't for everyone, but my personal heaven is a bike and a racetrack.

Puttering around town or droning out miles on the superslab, I can live without though.

Agreed, heading out some country roads with a couple of friends hitting the corners is a far better day then stop and go. State Road 45 heading towards bloomington is a good road for it. Nice clean road and very little traffic

 

[Rob377]

I lack the sack for your racing. Found out very early on I was a lot faster than I was good. Terrible combo.
I built this from scratch and ran the snot out of it for a few years and loved it. Time, money, energy and age let me sell it.

...]

I dunno about sack, just a healthy disregard for one's personal safety and well-being!

Each one of the scuffs on those leathers represents when I had a "faster than I was good" moment Win it or bin it!

 

[churchmouse]

I dunno about sack, just a healthy disregard for one's personal safety and well-being!

Each one of the scuffs on those leathers represents when I had a "faster than I was good" moment Win it or bin it!

My age set me on bikes that did not corner or stop anything like the rockets you are riding. KZ-900's and 1000's, 1100 Suzy's from the early 80's. 750 Kaw triples all stupid straight line fast but will get you "Binned" when pushed. That is why I am at home on a Harley I guess. The Springer would run 10.96 as pictured on the motor. Spray it and 10.30's. The wife's Dyna in the pic was a low 13, high 12 runner. Sleeper for a Harley.
I have many friends that did the road rocket track thing but I was just never up to the high speed get off after a round or two on my KZ's....Drag racer at heart anyway.
Hold your efforts in high regard.

 

[ATOMonkey]

Time is drawing near to get the bikes out of mothballs.

I'm looking at new gear too since my pants and boots I bought were a compromise when I bought them.

I'm looking at some tourmaster Venture Air pants and Icon or TM boots. Anything with laces and buckles. Velcro on boots is a great idea if you don't ride twice a day.

 

[ATOMonkey]

see my sig line.

Now this is fun. No traffic, no blue haired women pulling out in front of you, no dogs, no kids and no texting.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDHYtcBAr7w&feature=g-upl&context=G26d4c02AUAAAAAAAAAA

Do you ride out at putnamville?

 

[indysims]

Then there are the rides where you've got the same song stuck in your head for miles and miles and miles (including songs by the Who). ...is that just me, or does it happen to anyone else???

Had the bike out yesterday for the first ride of the year.

I've gone on a couple multiple day rides (6 days) with a buddy out west. We ride all day, stop for gas, food, pictures, sleep... each time we would stop we would talk about the songs in our head (Brain Song of the Day). Crazy how a song you haven't heard in a long time will just pop into your head and stay there while riding...

 

[Phil502]

Riding in the right conditions is very relaxing to me, not to say I don't have fear but I love being in the wind on a country road. I can't see quitting bikes until I can no longer safely handle one.

 

[savage308]

Loved my wide-glide. Will buy another when the kids get older. Can't justify getting mom and dad plastered on the highway when they are still so young.

 

[Landon]

I'm looking at some tourmaster Venture Air pants and Icon or TM boots. Anything with laces and buckles. Velcro on boots is a great idea if you don't ride twice a day.

Check out the Tourmaster Flex pants. I have them and love them. They have removable panels that unzip, they are nice for when the day starts out cool, when it warms up you just unzip the panels and take them off and you have mesh pants that still have the armor protection.

I also wear Tourmaster Solution boots and would highly recommend them. Road in many rain storms and the things are water proof and comfortable for riding. They have a zipper up one side with velcro that covers the zipper to keep them water proof.