View Full Version : What motorcycles are in our group
I'm an avid two wheeler, having owned a little of everything over the years, Hondas, Suzuki s Harleys ,Gold wings ,and currently a Moto Guzzi California touring. I ride about 10,000 miles per year. My latest Moto Guzzi has been a great bike, real cruise, comfortable, lots,of power. My all time fav is still my 85 gold wing...put 90000 miles on it before I sold it,,,,other than electrical problems it was a great bike. I lived with the throttle lock and becoming a master of the wiring harness. so what is everyone else throwing around or what was you favorite bike.
Why do I think Roadkingtrax is going to say Ducati Monster or Triump triple 7
free1954
10-27-2017, 02:27
2005 Honda vtx 1300s. bought it brand new.
Major Tom
10-27-2017, 05:01
No motorcycles for me! I suffered a spill riding my '74 Kawasaki 900 back in '75. 3 weeks in the hospital. Then my Father-in-Law got hit by a car while riding. Now he has steel rods in his legs.
Clark Howard
10-27-2017, 06:26
After my road encounter with the little old lady in the Spring of 1975, I sold the Trumpet and have not straddled one since. Regards, Clark
Ducati 650 in 1972, last bike for me! Riding in NJ is deadly!
Have a now-derilict BMW R100. Good memories on that. Not a screamer at the top end, slow out of the hole with the dry clutch and heavy flywheel, but a low CG and lots of torque for working through hairpins.
aintright
10-27-2017, 08:48
Had a 650 maximum , for a small bike that thing would scat . A 900 sportster , it was a milk shake maker , nothing really great about it . Have drove a few soft tails , they are pretty cool bikes . A 1000 cc Kawasaki , it was a screamer . Got my license on a full dresser .
Kenneth
I have a 1975 Honda CB 550 setting in the back of my garage. I purchased it because it looked like my first Honda (1972 CB 500). I drove past as the owner was pushing it out with a for sale sign. He wanted $400 for it and I had $400 with me. After I purchased it I upgraded the lights, brakes and ignition. The Honda had 13,000 miles on it when I purchased it 15 years ago. I haven't broke 14,000 on it yet. I keep it licensed and insured in case my son in law ever decides to take out the 1941 Indian four cylinder his grandfather gave him.
I stopped riding in 1981 when my 1981 Suzuki GS 1100 was stolen in the early morning while it was parked at work. I decided I would never buy another bike just to have someone else ride the crap out of it after I had babied it. The Suzuki was recovered with the case ground away on both sides from extreme cornering. The police chased the bike for tearing up a bunch of stuff but they never caught them. I received a letter from DMV that my license would be suspended if I did not show proof of insurance or a police report of the theft. The police report was filled out three days before the chase. The only good to come out of this was the insurance adjuster wrote the Suzuki off with possible engine damage and after a little negotiation I was given back most of the purchase price of the bike.
In the 70s I rode a motorcycle all that I could whatever the weather until it got too cold to ride. I never regained the passion to ride.
ray55classic
10-27-2017, 10:13
Currently completed a 1955 H-D FLH ,& a 1968 H-D FLH , also a 1964 Duo Glide in boxes
Have owned other H-D's, Norton Commando's , Triumph Bonneville's, BSA single's and a MotoGuzzi SP1000
JB White
10-27-2017, 10:16
No motorcycles for me! I suffered a spill riding my '74 Kawasaki 900 back in '75. 3 weeks in the hospital. Then my Father-in-Law got hit by a car while riding. Now he has steel rods in his legs.
1974 for me on a 750 Kow. My buddy was killed on that very same bike in 1978. I had no qualms doing 150+ on four wheels while strapped inside a roll cage, but a bike at 30 in Chicago traffic... no, thanks. I've only been on a couple of dirt bikes since.
No motorcycles for me! I suffered a spill riding my '74 Kawasaki 900 back in '75. 3 weeks in the hospital. Then my Father-in-Law got hit by a car while riding. Now he has steel rods in his legs.
That will ruin the mood for this hobby for sure. I stop riding mine for anything but in town trips October 1st. Too many deer throwing themselves in front of vehicles during the rut here.
Had a 650 maximum , for a small bike that thing would scat . A 900 sportster , it was a milk shake maker , nothing really great about it . Have drove a few soft tails , they are pretty cool bikes . A 1000 cc Kawasaki , it was a screamer . Got my license on a full dresser .
Kenneth
Those 900 and 1000 KZ S are in big demand here. There's a speed shop that makes drag bikes down the road out of them. They don't look like KZ S once he gets done with them.
Currently completed a 1955 H-D FLH ,& a 1968 H-D FLH , also a 1964 Duo Glide in boxes
Have owned other H-D's, Norton Commando's , Triumph Bonneville's, BSA single's and a MotoGuzzi SP1000
That's an Iconic list there.
No motorcycles for me! I suffered a spill riding my '74 Kawasaki 900 back in '75. 3 weeks in the hospital. Then my Father-in-Law got hit by a car while riding. Now he has steel rods in his legs.
A '74 Kaw 900 would have been a Z1, probably the fastest cycle made during its time. A friend of mine had a new one at the time. He could shift into 2nd, stand it up and pull a wheely all the way through TOWN while shifting. He would usually put the nose down at around 120mph with plenty of throttle left and maybe another gear to go. He later became a motorcycle cop and was issued a Moto Guzzi. He tried pulling that stunt with that heavy bike and just blew the clutch.
I still ride street bikes, and use to have a nasty dirt bike habit. Unfortunately air time kept resulting in injuries and broken bones....more the landing. The last RM 250 I had had a 310 big bore kit that ran on race gas and a full race tech suspension. Some times I passed it while skidding on the ground, some times it rode me. Eventually I realized it was taking a lot longer to heel and the wife was getting pissy so I sold it. It was known for kicking back when kick starting and throwing the rider about half way over the handle bars.
My brother used to be a cop. He bought a used police cycle for his own use, a Harley Electroglide. One day while driving, the sun was setting and blinding him. He pulled out in front of a Chevy pickup and was hit. He was thrown clear and escaped major injury as a result. The frame, gas tank and other stuff was replaced on the cycle and made good again while the truck was totaled. Don't know if it was a C-10 or S-10 since I wasn't there. Anyway he would not drive it again after that so I did about once a week to keep the battery up. I had to keep it on the back roads though because it had a full set of blue lights on it. I didn't like it. It reminded me of balancing a school bus on 2 wheels. As much as I despise foreign cars I prefer the Japanese bikes over the Harley's for my personal preference. I can drive them most anywhere. Great on the pavement and dirt roads. See something interesting out in the middle of a field?---run through the ditch and drive out to look at it (try that with a Hog). Also, they're easier to work on. In my younger day I had a Yamaha RD350 and drove my bothers Honda 305 SuperHawk. Both of which we wished we still had.
During my cycling days I discovered just how many idiots are on the highways. I always used my headlight so they knew of my presence, they just didn't care. Many would pull right out in front of you some would make deliberate dives at you to see if you would wreck. Then, while cruising residential areas you had to watch out for dogs that would chase you. Hitting one would most certainly cause you to flip. Then there is the rain--you drive slow you get soaked. You drive fast and the rain feels like needles hitting you and while driving down wet highways you can't see the pot holes. If they are full of water then they disappear. Not a good thing to hit.
I still love cycles. I think it is something that doesn't go away once you've owned one. If availability and $ had been present in my cycling days I would have bought a Triumph Bonneville, a Z1 Kaw, Yamaha 1100, or some of the larger Honda's.
To me (.02 worth) the best looking cycle ever was the Honda CB450 with the bombardier fuel tank made back in the mid '60's. They were as hard to find then as they are now and best represented the Jap bikes of the times.
At 64 years of age, very crowded highways, most of the motorist not being from here and other experiences, my cycling days are over. If I ever get the "hankering" for the open air drives again I will get a nice convertible.
barretcreek
10-27-2017, 11:51
73 Duc 750, 74 Laverda 750, 75 Duc 500 vertical twin. Lady on her way to church tried to use my Triumph TT600 for a hood ornament while heading north out of Augusta. I was lucky to walk out of the hospital 3&1/2 weeks later. And that was before texting and driving. Haven't ridden much since.
The Laverda looks like a Honda Dream 305 and doesn't even become alive until 85 or so.
ray55classic
10-27-2017, 12:03
That's an Iconic list there.
You go thru a few bikes when you've rode for 50 years .
I've been riding since I was 13 and I'm 63 now.
Gary and Karen
10-27-2017, 12:10
I started out on mini-bikes with my Dad and two brothers. Graduated to dirt bikes. Had a Honda 55 and then a Yamaha DT1. Damn thing tried to kill me a time or two.
Fast forward to age 19. Got married and one of the first things we bought was a Honda Scrambler. My MIL thought I was a Hell's Angel (sure...brown leather jacket with fur collar and an orange helmet). Once the kids came along, there went the bikes.
Second marriage...Gary had owned a Honda GoldWing. Got rid of it just before I came into his life. We decided to start riding again and he got me a small Honda to practice with until I felt comfortable. Then he got a Honda Magna V45 and I got a Honda Shadow V45. Did a bit of riding here and there. Had a short riding season living at Lake Tahoe. Eventually sold both of the bikes and gave up riding for a while.
Then we got a Roketa scooter. It was supposed to be for me to ride to work. Gary was riding it when it had a front blowout. 9 broken ribs, a broken finger and a (thankfully) minor head injury along with a bit of road rash. I declared that to be the end of our 2 wheeled adventures.
Now that I live in Bend, Oregon, there is just too darn much traffic to feel safe on 2 wheels.
Do I miss it, yes! Do I want to get another bike, no! Lots of good memories.
Karen
A '74 Kaw 900 would have been a Z1, probably the fastest cycle made during its time. A friend of mine had a new one at the time. He could shift into 2nd, stand it up and pull a wheely all the way through TOWN while shifting. He would usually put the nose down at around 120mph with plenty of throttle left and maybe another gear to go. He later became a motorcycle cop and was issued a Moto Guzzi. He tried pulling that stunt with that heavy bike and just blew the clutch.
I had a 74 Z1 (Fastest Production Bike at that time) for a while but I found a Rickman CR chassis with a ATP turbo 1015 Kawasaki engine. The Rickman was a great bike but it required a lot of maintenance. I got tired of working on the motor more than riding. I purchased a 81 Suzuki GS 1100 which was the fastest production motorcycle at that time. The GS 1100 had a lot of torque even at low rpm and it returned gas mileage in the 40 to 50 mpg range. It was the best motorcycle I have ever owned.
65 flh, 66flh and 1980 fxs lowrider, older bikes are stock.
free1954
10-27-2017, 02:53
did you ever notice motorcycles are like toothaches, you tell someone you have one and they want to tell you about all the bad things that happened when they had one.
like LEO's won't talk about partners who were shot while on duty, bikers don't talk about bad ending rides, at least not around here, and I've been riding since 1964.
and you never ever say the F word. [flat]
barretcreek
10-27-2017, 04:43
A guy offered me his 275 GTB back in the '70s. I had the money but fortunately for me and the car he backed out of the deal.
aintright
10-27-2017, 06:21
Those 900 and 1000 KZ S are in big demand here. There's a speed shop that makes drag bikes down the road out of them. They don't look like KZ S once he gets done with them.
I lived at the top of hill in a country bumpkin town , about a block down a steep grade . Friend of mine came by and wanted to take it for a spin . Hey drank a lot and I told him it would get away from him , went back to working on my car , next thing I hear it crank , down the hill the dam fool goes slamming gears . I don't remember if he got out of second or not before he tried braking . The road teed at the bottom , the other side was a ditch about eight ft or so wide and three , four feet deep lined in rip rap . He didn't get stopped and hit the ditch pretty hard . Needless to say it made a mess out of my bike and Ricky . Bent the frame as you can imagine , pretty severe , busted the crank case and he had I forget , but a lot of stitches , a few clamps , really buggered up arms and elbows and a few fractured ribs . He also got a DUI and lost his CDL . Life was pretty rough for him for some time . I lost a nice bike and a half assed friend . He never learned anything from it and never offered anything toward the bike , so I figured he was one I could do without .
Kenneth
clintonhater
10-27-2017, 06:36
Then, while cruising residential areas you had to watch out for dogs that would chase you. Hitting one would most certainly cause you to flip.
Problem on my 5 HP Cushman was less about being chased then passed & circled like Injuns around a wagon train. One of my "flips" put me in the ER with a concussion and a goose-egg on my forehead that lasted over 10 yrs.
I have a Yamaha 2008 650 vstar, and a 2008 Kawasaki 1500 Vulcan. I rode then daily until I got this cotton picken osteo arthritis in my left knee. I would ride more than just stir up the oil and keep the batteries up some but I have trouble with the kickstand and my knee. I really struggle with this part of riding. Stopping I can do, kick stand is a b#tch. I'm 73 and I'm sure I'm going to have to give them up completely pretty soon due to age and co-ordination. Such is life.
I have an old GS1000 Suzuki somewhere in the back of my shop that hasn’t seen sunlight in over 15 years. Guess I should get rid of the thing since at my age I have no intention of ever riding it again.
You go thru a few bikes when you've rode for 50 years .
I've been riding since I was 13 and I'm 63 now.
I'm sure of that, but that list made me drool...
I started out on mini-bikes with my Dad and two brothers. Graduated to dirt bikes. Had a Honda 55 and then a Yamaha DT1. Damn thing tried to kill me a time or two.
Fast forward to age 19. Got married and one of the first things we bought was a Honda Scrambler. My MIL thought I was a Hell's Angel (sure...brown leather jacket with fur collar and an orange helmet). Once the kids came along, there went the bikes.
Second marriage...Gary had owned a Honda GoldWing. Got rid of it just before I came into his life. We decided to start riding again and he got me a small Honda to practice with until I felt comfortable. Then he got a Honda Magna V45 and I got a Honda Shadow V45. Did a bit of riding here and there. Had a short riding season living at Lake Tahoe. Eventually sold both of the bikes and gave up riding for a while.
Then we got a Roketa scooter. It was supposed to be for me to ride to work. Gary was riding it when it had a front blowout. 9 broken ribs, a broken finger and a (thankfully) minor head injury along with a bit of road rash. I declared that to be the end of our 2 wheeled adventures.
Now that I live in Bend, Oregon, there is just too darn much traffic to feel safe on 2 wheels.
Do I miss it, yes! Do I want to get another bike, no! Lots of good memories.
Karen
At 48 I know one day I will have to had it up. Like you hopefully the memories will be enough to get me by. My wife loves to ride but does not want her own bike. When we had the gold wing she called her seat the "tractor seat" When I bought the Moto Guzzi she said, "As long as it has a tractor seat"
I lived at the top of hill in a country bumpkin town , about a block down a steep grade . Friend of mine came by and wanted to take it for a spin . Hey drank a lot and I told him it would get away from him , went back to working on my car , next thing I hear it crank , down the hill the dam fool goes slamming gears . I don't remember if he got out of second or not before he tried braking . The road teed at the bottom , the other side was a ditch about eight ft or so wide and three , four feet deep lined in rip rap . He didn't get stopped and hit the ditch pretty hard . Needless to say it made a mess out of my bike and Ricky . Bent the frame as you can imagine , pretty severe , busted the crank case and he had I forget , but a lot of stitches , a few clamps , really buggered up arms and elbows and a few fractured ribs . He also got a DUI and lost his CDL . Life was pretty rough for him for some time . I lost a nice bike and a half assed friend . He never learned anything from it and never offered anything toward the bike , so I figured he was one I could do without .
Kenneth
Reminds me of another Kawasaki owned by a friend. It was a KX250 all tricked out like my RM. It got nick named the green weenie but I can't remember why. Doug let a couple guys ride it when it was first built. One broke a collarbone the other his wrist. After that he wouldn't let anyone ride it.
The stupid things we did when we were young. I remember a 12 foot wash. Went straight up. We spent all day climbing it and trying to drop the back wheel on the top and ride on. Most of the time we didn't make it and would push the bike off allowing it to fall on top while we fought gravity to the bottom of the wash. No broken bones clutch or brake handles, statistically impossible.
I retired in 1997, then over the next 10 years rode my 2001 FLHTP through every state in the continental US. All good trips and good memories.
Roadkingtrax
10-28-2017, 04:27
Why do I think Roadkingtrax is going to say Ducati Monster or Triump triple 7
You'd lose that bet. :) Naked bikes don't much appeal to me. I'm too friendly and cheap to ride a Ducati. LOL
I haven't found anything that really catches my eye the last few years...plus financially my interests have been directed to more "adulting" than I would prefer. I've had the same ST1300 (Pan-American for the Euro types) for several years. Its paid for, and spends a lot more time being unappreciated and holding down the garage floor than when I first fell in love with sport touring.
ray55classic
10-28-2017, 07:57
The 55' FLH
42317
The blue unrestored lo mile 66' FLH sold last year
the red 68' FLH is under the cover
42318
just recently sold a '77 honda cb750A hondamatic to fund a '72 honda cb750 build
42321
John Sukey
10-29-2017, 04:13
1944 BSA WM20, Cushman Airborne, Cushman Eagle. Haven't ridden for years
hyrax222
10-29-2017, 05:48
1966 HD FLH. 1998 HD Road King.
jon_norstog
10-29-2017, 08:06
I started out on a Honda 150, rode that thing coast-to-coast and must have laid it down 30 times. Next was a BSA A-7, a 500 cc just dripping with rich chrome. Ropde that one cross-copuntry too and all through the years I was in the USCG. Then I got a Matchless 500 CSR - a road bike. The thing would do wheelies! After I got out of the CG I worked as a mechanic in bike shops in Washington State and North Dakota, and bought a Honda 750 K-1. Gold color! That was a hell of a bike. I put at least 80K miles on it - rode it over 1,000 miles in a day a couple times, did 975 between sunrise and sunset once. Last year I had it I rode cross the US 4 times. That bike, I could take off on a 1,000=-mile trip and just bring what was in the tool kit, whereas with the Limeys I would pack every tool I owned for a day trip.
After I wore out the 750 I had a BSA Spitfire for a summer, and then picked up a Triumph Trident. That last one was a guy's dream chopper, he screwed up everything except for the wiring. His wiring was perfect! He sold me the bike when he got out of prison ... I unchopped it, fixed what was wrong and rode it around. Raced a Russ Collins Honmda 750 once, the guy blew his engine trying to beat me.
The bike I have now is a dead Yamaha 650 twin, I've been meaning to make a frame for it and get the engine runing ,,, oh well.
I noticed a couple of you have bikes that you are thinking of selling. PM me!
jn
free1954
10-30-2017, 05:33
I started out on a Honda 150, rode that thing coast-to-coast and must have laid it down 30 times. Next was a BSA A-7, a 500 cc just dripping with rich chrome. Ropde that one cross-copuntry too and all through the years I was in the USCG. Then I got a Matchless 500 CSR - a road bike. The thing would do wheelies! After I got out of the CG I worked as a mechanic in bike shops in Washington State and North Dakota, and bought a Honda 750 K-1. Gold color! That was a hell of a bike. I put at least 80K miles on it - rode it over 1,000 miles in a day a couple times, did 975 between sunrise and sunset once. Last year I had it I rode cross the US 4 times. That bike, I could take off on a 1,000=-mile trip and just bring what was in the tool kit, whereas with the Limeys I would pack every tool I owned for a day trip.
After I wore out the 750 I had a BSA Spitfire for a summer, and then picked up a Triumph Trident. That last one was a guy's dream chopper, he screwed up everything except for the wiring. His wiring was perfect! He sold me the bike when he got out of prison ... I unchopped it, fixed what was wrong and rode it around. Raced a Russ Collins Honmda 750 once, the guy blew his engine trying to beat me.
The bike I have now is a dead Yamaha 650 twin, I've been meaning to make a frame for it and get the engine runing ,,, oh well.
I noticed a couple of you have bikes that you are thinking of selling. PM me!
jn
had a Honda 77 cb750k, that bike would run right out from under you if you didn't hang on. sold that and bought a 1980 cb900c with shaft drive and vetter fairing. had shoei hard bags that rattled like machine gun fire, and the dual range trans. great bike but the gas station attendants knew me by name and the tire dealers sent me a Christmas card every year. I was lucky if I got 3500 miles out of a rear tire. now I have a vtx 1300, great bike butit's getting too heavy for anything but highway riding. time for something lighter.
You'd lose that bet. :) Naked bikes don't much appeal to me. I'm too friendly and cheap to ride a Ducati. LOL
I haven't found anything that really catches my eye the last few years...plus financially my interests have been directed to more "adulting" than I would prefer. I've had the same ST1300 (Pan-American for the Euro types) for several years. Its paid for, and spends a lot more time being unappreciated and holding down the garage floor than when I first fell in love with sport touring.
I really like the ST1300s. The dealership I bought the Moto Guzzi from sells several brands. I looked hard at the ST1300s but the wife wanted a more conventional ride. Never had owned a Guzzi and the California got good reviews. I figured you were going to say you owned a Road King lol
I started out on a Honda 150, rode that thing coast-to-coast and must have laid it down 30 times. Next was a BSA A-7, a 500 cc just dripping with rich chrome. Ropde that one cross-copuntry too and all through the years I was in the USCG. Then I got a Matchless 500 CSR - a road bike. The thing would do wheelies! After I got out of the CG I worked as a mechanic in bike shops in Washington State and North Dakota, and bought a Honda 750 K-1. Gold color! That was a hell of a bike. I put at least 80K miles on it - rode it over 1,000 miles in a day a couple times, did 975 between sunrise and sunset once. Last year I had it I rode cross the US 4 times. That bike, I could take off on a 1,000=-mile trip and just bring what was in the tool kit, whereas with the Limeys I would pack every tool I owned for a day trip.
After I wore out the 750 I had a BSA Spitfire for a summer, and then picked up a Triumph Trident. That last one was a guy's dream chopper, he screwed up everything except for the wiring. His wiring was perfect! He sold me the bike when he got out of prison ... I unchopped it, fixed what was wrong and rode it around. Raced a Russ Collins Honmda 750 once, the guy blew his engine trying to beat me.
The bike I have now is a dead Yamaha 650 twin, I've been meaning to make a frame for it and get the engine runing ,,, oh well.
I noticed a couple of you have bikes that you are thinking of selling. PM me!
jn
My first street bike was a Honda 650 then I got a Yamaha 650. The yammer was a good bike then one day she started using oil. Finally blew the motor at the end of riding season. Time to move on to the next one
1944 BSA WM20, Cushman Airborne, Cushman Eagle. Haven't ridden for years
I'd loved to have take that 44 BSA for a spin....
The 55' FLH
42317
The blue unrestored lo mile 66' FLH sold last year
the red 68' FLH is under the cover
42318
Is the 68 a low mile bike to. Sure looks nice
just recently sold a '77 honda cb750A hondamatic to fund a '72 honda cb750 build
42321
Nice old square seat Hondas. Giant motor in those days
I retired in 1997, then over the next 10 years rode my 2001 FLHTP through every state in the continental US. All good trips and good memories.
Now that's a story I want to tell some day....
I have a Yamaha 2008 650 vstar, and a 2008 Kawasaki 1500 Vulcan. I rode then daily until I got this cotton picken osteo arthritis in my left knee. I would ride more than just stir up the oil and keep the batteries up some but I have trouble with the kickstand and my knee. I really struggle with this part of riding. Stopping I can do, kick stand is a b#tch. I'm 73 and I'm sure I'm going to have to give them up completely pretty soon due to age and co-ordination. Such is life.
Knee knocked my dad out. He had the funds to buy a goldwing trike. Put him back on the road and he puts some miles on it for sure
jon_norstog
10-30-2017, 08:39
had a Honda 77 cb750k, that bike would run right out from under you if you didn't hang on. sold that and bought a 1980 cb900c /// the tire dealers sent me a Christmas card every year. I was lucky if I got 3500 miles out of a rear tire. now....
Tell me about it. I bought the old Arco 15" rim kit for my 750 and ran Metzeler radials. They were a $40 VW Beetle tire at the time/ I'd get 15-18K miles out of one. The Metzelers always felt goose-ey on a twisty road, but they did grip. Nowadays MC road tires are all radials.
jn
free1954
11-03-2017, 11:25
Tell me about it. I bought the old Arco 15" rim kit for my 750 and ran Metzeler radials. They were a $40 VW Beetle tire at the time/ I'd get 15-18K miles out of one. The Metzelers always felt goose-ey on a twisty road, but they did grip. Nowadays MC road tires are all radials.
jn
they call that DARKSIDE now. running a car tire on the back of a bike. a know I few guys that do it, but I've allways been a little leary of the sidewall strength.
those Honda 4's were some of the fastest bikes ever made.
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