Motorcycles; whats your pleasure?

[kraut-60 10]

Seeing as how a thread went astray over the subject of motorcycles, I figure to start one just for us "motorsickle-scouters". So, please post what you are riding, have ridden and/or hope to ride/own. Do you ride your bike to scouting events?

 

I'll start. Currently I'm riding a 2007 Ural Gear-Up, its painted desert camo, has a memphis shades windshield and is named "Lotta" as in 'lotta fun'...Riding a bike with a hack is a challenge but it is worth the effort as this bike is WAY different.

 

I learned to ride 2 wheels on a buddys Vespa back in '77. Bought a new Harley SuperGlide in '78...had it 5 months before it was stolen. Rode a '77 HD XLH for the next 6 years. Got a '77 FX 1200 SuperGlide in near basket-case/barely ridable condition in '84 in CA. Rebuilt it to FXS standard and got left-turned 8 months later...re-did it again, this time to FXWG model spec...rode it for 42000 miles in 6 years and sold it.

 

Well, thats my story..whats yours? Oh! I'd dig to ride a Vincent Black Shadow some day.

[GernBlansten 10]

Ok, I'm game.

Had an old AMF Harley 175 dual sport as a teen. Then upgraded to a pure trials bike. Took a twenty year hiatus from bikes until I bought a HD Heritage Softtail from my brother. Also picked up a Honda XR100 for the kid and an XR650 for myself for trail riding. Sold the HD and moved up to a Honda VFR800 Interceptor, my first sport bike. I'll never go back to an HD now. Maybe a Buell but not a Hawg. Maybe a GW when I become a grumpy old man.

 

So now in my quiver, I have the 650 dirt and 800 street. Son has outgrown the 100 so will probably trade it up to a 250 this spring. If I start racing this spring, I might pick up a used Suzuki SV650 just for track stuff. Wouldn't want to scratch the Interceptor. Its just too purty.

[le Voyageur 72]

 

 

Been a while since I've ridden one, but I started off with a Norton, moving to Guzzies, BSA's, and an Indian...

My last one was a tourer, A 1200cc Yamaha Venture which I logged 75 000 miles in the first year of ownership...awesome ride, and at the time a better ride then the Wing..

[Gold Winger 9]

" at the time a better ride then the Wing.."

 

Heretic! Burn him at the stake!

[Eamonn 61]

Back in the day I used a 750 Norton to go to college.

Not sure it was ever a real pleasure?

At that time petrol was expensive in the UK (It still is!!)

Cars and car insurance was expensive and I was poor.

 

Riding a motorbike wasn't very cool at that time!!

I really liked the music of The Who and a Vespa with a very long antenna with a few dozen Tiger tails would have been cool.

Still I looked good in my two tone suit!!

Ea.

 

[Gold Winger 9]

Riding a Norton wasn't cool but riding a Vespa would have been. Strange country you're from. :-)

[Eagledad 2777]

I'm riding a Harley Road King Classic. Had a bunch of bikes when I was younger but took a break to raise kids and do scouting stuff. Now two of the three are on their own and I wanted to get back on the road. I have lived on HW66 most all my life and still do. So while this part of Oklahoma is flat, the riding is good.

 

Barry

[le Voyageur 72]

Sorry Goldwinger. But the truth is the truth. At the time I was an outrider with the Gold Wing Road Rider Association, Chapter C in San Diego (late 70's, early 80's).

The Yamahauler had more torque, better handling, better breaking and a top end that allowed me to hit 140 mph. Also, I didn't need after market products to up the comfort level for long distance touring....most Wing riders were using Vetter's farings and saddlebags with a mix of saddles. Back then the basic Wing was a very different ride then it is today.

[GernBlansten 10]

Kraut asked if we rode to scout events.

I rode my Interceptor to a scout meeting last fall as I was going straight from work and commute on the bike. I wear full riding gear, all in black. Like a ninja. I pulled up as a large group of boys were playing hacky sack in the parking lot. All heads turned as I came into the lot. They encircled the bike as I dismounted and removed my full face helmet. "Gosh Mr. Blansten, you ride this? How fast does it go?" Unzipping my jacket revealed my scout uniform underneath. I guess my cool rating with the boys was ratcheted up a notch after that.

[OldGreyEagle 5]

Surprised no one mentioned Birmingham Small Arms Company. As a youth we had an older scout ride on to meetings. Nothing like a motorcycle with a BSA on it

[frankj 10]

In order: Kawasaki 350 Street Scrambler, Kawasaki 500 Mach III, BSA 441 Victor, Triumph Daytona 500, Triumph Bonneville.

[April-D 10]

OOOOH... me luff motorcycles. One of my best friends on the planet races Ducatis for CCS and CMRA. I'm a race junkie!

 

I, myself, had and sold a Honda CB-1 -- she was awesome. little 400 and I named her Smurfette (yes, she looked JUST like her). I had her customized, dropped her a little...rode like a charm. Had a better offer come along and she got dropped (to a new owner, not as in crash-bam-boom).

 

I've got my eyes on a Ducati Monster dark -- I have a soft spot for the stripped down street bikes... but after riding a Ducati 999 around the track once or twice... I'm telling you... never thought I'd be a big fan of them but boooooooooooooooooooooy that was schweet!

 

You guys outta go check out some of the CCS races that come your way!

 

There's one in Houston, TX tomorrow ... www.ccs-south.com I think is the website. Those are a fun time to watch.

[DanKroh 11]

A 1995 Suzuki 550GS. This is my first bike; I've only been riding for about 6 years now, so it's time to start looking. I just decide at this point if I want to stick with a sport bike and get a Katana, or go with a cruiser and get a Boulevard. The guy I ride with has a Marauder (precursor to the Boulevard), and I must say, it does look comfy for long rides (sorry Gern). But I think I'll stick definitely stick with a Suzuki.

 

I don't generally ride to scouting events, since I've always got a 8 year old in tow, and I'm still a bit nervous about even trying to carry him as a passenger.

[Eagledad 2777]

Have you'll looked at Triumphs lately? I've a got a friend who took me to look at the new Rocket Tour he is thinking of trading for. Very nice bike, big and fast. But all their bikes have a romantic old school flair about them.

 

I do remember the BSAs. Havn't seen one in a long time. Of course I haven't seen a Datsun Roadster like I had in high school in several years either.

 

le Voyageur, did you get the zeros wrong? 75000 in one year? Very impressive. I drive 60 miles round trip to work each day and can't rack up that kind of mileage.

 

Barry

[packsaddle 753]

Honda 50 at college. A friend had a Triton (part Norton and part Triumph) and I'd ride that beast once in a while. Then bought a Bultaco 100 (for motocross) but not enough oomph. So traded up to Suzuki 185 enduro (had enough of jumping whoop-ti-doos). Later a 250 Bultaco trials bike - destroyed and replaced with an Ossa - also destroyed while coming back down a really, really, high, nearly vertical hill climb. Then, riding a trail, someone had stretched a line of barbed wire across the trail at low level. It caught my foot and sliced off the end of my boot just missing my toes. Also was a very sudden stop - that foot was on the brake - moral, time to go on the road. Then I was given a Honda 305 Dream (loose parts in a box which I reassembled) and rode that thing for a couple of years. That leading-link suspension always gave me the willies though so I dumped it for $50 to someone who is still alive, thank goodness. Then my brother-in-law gave me an old Gold Wing as a loaner. I never dreamed a ride could be so quiet and comfortable.

So now I go online and dream about how nice it will be. I still have that old 1972 TS185 Suzuki, can you say, 'ring, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding?' Still fun on the back roads too but my hands tingle afterwards from the vibrations.

I've seen this joke all over the place but it sums up my predicament:

http://www.jibjab.com/view/62704

 

Don't lean too far in those turns....