[NA] Motorcycle Riders

Rob Schaffer

Rob Schaffer

Cleared for Takeoff
Joined
Nov 27, 2007
Messages
1,371
Location
Green Lane, PA
Display Name
Display name:
CLR2TKF
I know some of you also ride motorcycles from some discussions at Windwood a few weekends ago. Its been about 15 years since I ran dirtbikes slowly on some trails near my high school, and even then I wasn't a racing around jumping type of rider. Our local community has a motorcycle show every September that we go to just to have a walk amongst the crowd and to have a night out of the house. This year, my wife mentioned going riding sometime,... :eek: Well,.. before she knew it the seed was planted and I was off reading.

A few weeks later, permit in hand and I'm in the Motorcycle Safety course this week. Reading online and stopping in at 4 cycle shops, I ended up going with a Honda Shadow Aero 750. Rides nice and smooth, with a low seat height for a mid-size cruiser. I'll be able to add the backrest for her when we are ready for some short 2-up rides away from town. I put 10 miles on it this weekend repeating the first day of the MSF course myself at the local church lot and getting familiar with the bike and it's handling. A few early morning laps on the backstreet blocks, and it's coming back to me from riding years ago.

So, what do you ride? Post some pics! :thumbsup:
 

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Rob Schaffer said:
I'm in the Motorcycle Safety course this week.
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You already took my suggestion. I took the class because Mass lets you get a license through them, and the RMV wouldn't let me take the road test on my bike (I paid $100 for it). I was amazed at how much I learned in that class.

My only other suggestion is to ride like

  • You are invisible so people will drive right into you
  • You are visible but everyone is TRYING to hit you


We lost a 25 year old kid from my town this weekend. From the reports, he was going straight, and an 83 year old turned left into him.
 
Congrats on the bike. They're tons o fun. Shadows are nice riding as well.

1993 Honda VFR 750
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And the main reason for buying her, other than sporty but comfortable and the sexy, sexy white color: the single-sided swing arm :D
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Congrats, nothing wrong with a Shadow. Just remember, those who drive automobiles are now Cagers. They are evil beings who will act like you are invisible if you're lucky, and actively try and murder you if you are not. Keep this in mind at all times and you will ride forever. Forget, and you will surely die.

Remember to get a good helmet, a solid jacket, and some good gloves.


1978-GL-main.jpg
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Neither of the photos are of my current bikes (don't have any) but a Honda 1983 Gl1100 and a 2003 954rr. My Wing isn't purple, but you get the idea. My Fireblade is red, but has a solo cowl amongst other goodies. Neither bike is versatile, but the 954 is the best sportbike ever made by Honda (I don't do wheelies either), and the Goldwing is the best Tourer ever made by anyone. These days they have 2 liter engines, ABS brakes and airbags. Mine is smaller and harkens back to a simpler time (for bikes at least).
 
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2001 Suzuki Bandit 1200S. It has proven it self to be a very versatile machine.

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I don't do wheelies. I'm too old for that ****.

I have a sport bike for newbies. 600hp Yamaha FZ6R.
 

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flyersfan31 said:
I don't do wheelies. I'm too old for that ****.

I have a sport bike for newbies. 600hp Yamaha FZ6R.
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Wow, when did Yamaha start selling THAT?! :eek:
 
flyersfan31 said:
I don't do wheelies. I'm too old for that ****.
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Neither do I.

I've got a CBR1000 that I got cheap from my brother (he bought a Goldwing so he could ride around with his soon to be ex).

The speedometer on my bike goes to 185. I believe it, but I'll never find out for sure.
 
Oh right, bikes.

I've had a bunch. Started with an '84 KZ700. Bought it for $400, rode it 500 miles (it had 100,000 on it when I bought it). Dropped it one, fixed with duct tape. Sold it for $600. Bought a '97 Bandit 1200S (the older version of Jesse's bike). Rode it a couple thousand miles, sold it for what I paid for it. Bought a Yamaha VMax. It's basically like strapping a JATO rocket to a Model T. Really fast, but didn't have anywhere near the suspension or brakes to handle it. Sold it for what I paid for it.

Sold that, swore off motorcycles, bought a 2000 VFR800i Interceptor. Got old, back started hurting, sold it for what I paid for it. Swore off motorcycles again.

Decided I wanted a Harley. Bought a Honda VTX1800R instead, since it has more power and still has a V-twin but won't overheat on a hot day in traffic. Owned it for 2 years, loved it, put a ton of miles on it, sold it for less than I paid for it because I had a mid-life crisis and wanted a sportbike again.

Bought a Honda RC51. 4 months later took delivery on it... about 3 days before I started on a several-month business travel period. As such, I'll likely have owned it for a year before I ever ride it.

Have fun! :)
 
I have a little Rebel 250 that I got 3 years ago. I might get something bigger at some point, but I really have fun riding this little bike.
 
1977 Yamaha XS650D. It's been sitting in the shed for quite a while. Always say to myself that I need to get it back on the road, but for some reason the desire isn't there anymore. Do have lots of good memories of riding it. My neighbor had a 2005 - 1200 Honda Shadow, that he would trade riding time for mechanical work. That was a cool bike.

Gary
 
Ted DuPuis said:
Oh right, bikes.

I've had a bunch. Started with an '84 KZ700. Bought it for $400, rode it 500 miles (it had 100,000 on it when I bought it). Dropped it one, fixed with duct tape. Sold it for $600. Bought a '97 Bandit 1200S (the older version of Jesse's bike). Rode it a couple thousand miles, sold it for what I paid for it. Bought a Yamaha VMax. It's basically like strapping a JATO rocket to a Model T. Really fast, but didn't have anywhere near the suspension or brakes to handle it. Sold it for what I paid for it.

Sold that, swore off motorcycles, bought a 2000 VFR800i Interceptor. Got old, back started hurting, sold it for what I paid for it. Swore off motorcycles again.

Decided I wanted a Harley. Bought a Honda VTX1800R instead, since it has more power and still has a V-twin but won't overheat on a hot day in traffic. Owned it for 2 years, loved it, put a ton of miles on it, sold it for less than I paid for it because I had a mid-life crisis and wanted a sportbike again.

Bought a Honda RC51. 4 months later took delivery on it... about 3 days before I started on a several-month business travel period. As such, I'll likely have owned it for a year before I ever ride it.

Have fun! :)
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Hooray for another VFR! Even if it's in the past. Don't see many outside of the VFR forums.

I rode a VTX 1800 once, I was cruising along the highway at a nice, comfy feeling speed, then I looked down to see myself going 105 mph and didn't even realize it on the quiet monster.

If you ever need anyone to keep that RC51 broken in for you, give me a call B). That's what I'd have if I didn't love my VFR so much.
 
Rob Schaffer said:
I ended up going with a Honda Shadow Aero 750. Rides nice and smooth, with a low seat height for a mid-size cruiser. I'll be able to add the backrest for her when we are ready for some short 2-up rides away from town. I put 10 miles on it this weekend repeating the first day of the MSF course myself at the local church lot and getting familiar with the bike and it's handling. A few early morning laps on the backstreet blocks, and it's coming back to me from riding years ago.
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I have a 2005 Shadow Spirit 750.

fyi - a couple of people I know that had a Shadow Spirit 750 ended
up upgrading to a bigger engine because they couldn't keep up
with fellow riders when having a passenger.
 
My guess is one would feel the presence of a passenger (I certainly did on my Nighthawk 750) but would still be able to easily do freeway speeds. The V-twin delvers power differently than the in-line 4 the powered my Nighthawk, but it still delivers plenty of power. Might struggle a bit going up hills, though. Still, a very good bike for starters, and you can probably get plenty of money back if you decide to upgrade.
 
I've got an '08 1200c Sportster. It's an alright ride around the block...not much more. Really pretty bike though if you like the style...
 
I've got about a quarter of a million miles on road bikes, most of that is on my 1974 BMW R90/6 which has 172,000 miles on it. I rode the hell out of it for years. Haven't used it in a while but I'm starting to get the bug again. Time to get it out and refurbish it. :cornut:
 
Here's my current ride -- a 2008 (just purchased in June, new from the dealer) Suzuki GSX650F:

It rocks! :thumbsup:
 

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Currently on a 2010 HD FLHTCU (otherwise known to non HOGheads as an Ultra Classic or "road couch")..

Before that was a 2006 Yamaha V-star 1100..

I do/did charity work on both, which explains the vest in the bottom pic.
 

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Hi Guys,

Thought you would like to see one of my bikes. I have several bikes for different missions, but this is one of my favorites.

2004 Suzuki Hayabusa stage two Turbo, 330 HP with all the goodies. Makes high triple digit runs down the runway lots of fun.

DSCN0820.jpg


Thanks for looking,
Mike in NJ
Motor Sgt (Ret)
 
Old School meets New School
1980 Kawasaki Z1R Turbo and 2004 Hayabusa Turbo

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Mike
 
One more for your taste buds.
1972 Kawasaki H2 750cc three cylinder two stroke.

72H2.jpg


That's enough for now,
Mike
 
Turboz1r said:
Hi Guys,

Thought you would like to see one of my bikes. I have several bikes for different missions, but this is one of my favorites.

2004 Suzuki Hayabusa stage two Turbo, 330 HP with all the goodies. Makes high triple digit runs down the runway lots of fun.
Click to expand...

Dude, what's it like when you crack through Mach 1?
 
Turboz1r said:
Old School meets New School
1980 Kawasaki Z1R Turbo and 2004 Hayabusa Turbo

Mike
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Geez, not many of those left. I got one wrecked on an insurance bid for $20 when I was 17, we salvaged the engine for a go cart, that was a wild ride.
 
steingar said:
Depending on the year and what's been done to the engine and powertrain, it can come close. The things are scary fast.
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It's a bone stock 93. I did 185 once, but it was in my Cherokee with a heck of a tailwind.
 
Turboz1r said:
Hi Guys,

Thought you would like to see one of my bikes. I have several bikes for different missions, but this is one of my favorites.

2004 Suzuki Hayabusa stage two Turbo, 330 HP with all the goodies. Makes high triple digit runs down the runway lots of fun.

DSCN0820.jpg


Thanks for looking,
Mike in NJ
Motor Sgt (Ret)
Click to expand...

Holy crap. How on earth do you keep that thing from launching skyward!!!:hairraise:
 
bigred177 said:
Hooray for another VFR! Even if it's in the past. Don't see many outside of the VFR forums.
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Which I've never understood. The VFR is a wonderful motorcycle, and has a lot of plusses to it. I suppose a lot of people either want the full on crotch-rocket or something that's more of a sport-tourer or full dresser kinda deal. My only issue with the VFR was that it needed a bigger engine. Put a VMax motor in a VFR and you'd have one awesome bike.

I rode a VTX 1800 once, I was cruising along the highway at a nice, comfy feeling speed, then I looked down to see myself going 105 mph and didn't even realize it on the quiet monster.
Click to expand...

That wasn't uncommon for me, either. It would happily tick away at triple-digit speeds all day long. I made it from Oshkosh back to PA (830 miles) in 13 hours, with stops.

If you ever need anyone to keep that RC51 broken in for you, give me a call B). That's what I'd have if I didn't love my VFR so much.
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First I have to get it un-broken so I can break it in!

flyersfan31 said:
Mid life???? "Hope I die before I get old" sort of thing?:D
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More like a tongue-in-cheek thing. If you counted the number of mid-life-crisis vehicles I've bought in the course of my life, I should be dead about 27 times over by now. ;)
 
I commute to work on a 2002 Shadow 750 Spirit. I bought it 3 years ago with 8000 miles on it and knew all of the previous owners. I now have 35,000 miles on it. One of the previous owners sold it becuase he could only do 90mph with him and his wife on it.

I don't know about the newer Shaft drive models but mine was geared a bit low meaning it seemed like it could use a higher gear on the Freeway. I put a larger front sprocket and smaller rear sprocket on it which helped this a lot. My gas mileage went from 55MPG to 61MPG for my commuting when I did this. On the Freeway at 70mph I get about 50mpg, but the bike is much more comfortable below 65mph.

Brian

Edit: rather than make a separate post to say so...
I do have a windsheild on it also.
 
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Cruisers can be very uncomfortable at high speeds due to the wind blast. A windshield can help, but cuts down the mileage (and acceleration, to a degree).
 
Ted DuPuis said:
Which I've never understood. The VFR is a wonderful motorcycle, and has a lot of plusses to it. I suppose a lot of people either want the full on crotch-rocket or something that's more of a sport-tourer or full dresser kinda deal. My only issue with the VFR was that it needed a bigger engine. Put a VMax motor in a VFR and you'd have one awesome bike.



That wasn't uncommon for me, either. It would happily tick away at triple-digit speeds all day long. I made it from Oshkosh back to PA (830 miles) in 13 hours, with stops.
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It is a little low on the power side. Especially mine being a 750cc and carbed. But for what you get it seems worth it. It's comfortable but still handles the twisties well, and you can take it on a road trip. I've watched a lot of well ridden VFRs out perform super sport 600 and 750s. I know for a fact I wouldn't want to take an R1 on any of the 400mi days I've been on the VFR. Plus the VFR pulls as hard as I need and will go faster than I will ever see, even at 95hp and 600 pounds.

And that is moving for a road trip. I'm impressed, no tickets?
 
Rob -- be careful. You're in a fairly congested part of PA and you have little ones depending on you.

I rode alot when I was young and gave it up for a while. Have a Liter bike now (FZ1) but our kids are all grown.
 
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