Who else here rides motorcycles? - Page 4

drait · 01-12-2005, 10:43 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by Red GTi VR6

I don't think I would want to be on a track in jeans....

Yeah no doubt. Jeans are hardly good enough to prevent abrasions on a low-speed get off. Can't imagine knee dragging with them

Quote:

no matter how good of a rider I thought I was....which is why I haven't been to a track day yet....well that and if I go down on my bike i'm out of an easy method of transportation right now for going to and from school and work.....waiting till I graduate, then it's ON!

There's nothing saying you have to go balls-out at a track day :P If you go on local rides with groups or by yourself in the canyons/mountains or what have you in TX, it's nothing compared to the peace of mind that a track can give you. After the first few track days, I no longer feel the need to ever ride aggressively on the street or up in the mountains.

JC-S60 · 01-12-2005, 11:08 AM

I own currently:

- honda CB 650 form '79, almost 100% ok (need to attach the new exhausts)

- yamaha TT350 from '87, in pieces, but would still run if put together

- BMW R75/7 from '76, in pieces, but with revised block and gearbox

- yamaha XT600E from '92, my city- and funbike (that I also take with me in the van when I travel sometimes)

- kawasaki ZZR1100 from '93, my highway and travelbike, which has yet to prove its capabilities

I also owned a suzuki DR800 Big, but I sold that one

RedGTiVR6 · 01-12-2005, 11:18 AM

I don't ride aggressively on the street....but there is nothing out there that can ensure that you don't go down, no matter how careful you are....other than simply not riding, and that's not an option....

it's not like you PLAN on going down on purpose anyways...lol

xcntrk75 · 01-12-2005, 11:38 AM

I ride...

Did a little bit of electrical work so far with some Blue LED’s

Looking into a handle-bar mounted GPS system…

Now if I can just find room for a micro PC…

RPI Geek · 01-12-2005, 12:04 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by SAScooby

I must say that the Suzuki is way smoother than the Triumph but it does not feel as planted in the corners, the Triumph has a very comfortable ridign position, the Triumph also outbrakes the GSXR with ease, even though I am really proud of the Triumph and find it amazing, I think the Suzuki represents a better bike.

From the point of view of someone who's ridden very few bikes, it's interesting to hear about another Triumph handling so well. When I rode the Daytona 955i, I couldn't believe how well the thing handled. It just glided around the corners and I hardly had to do any work to take them exactly like I wanted to: I usually describe its steering as subliminal.

drait · 01-12-2005, 12:14 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by Red GTi VR6

it's not like you PLAN on going down on purpose anyways...lol

Heh, very true, but actually, after the few times that I have been down, it's definitely an experience I think everyone should undertake (preferably under safe conditions where there's soft stuff to land on). It's almost a euphoric experience; time seems to stand perfectly still while you're flying through the air, 1000s of thoughts go racing through your head in the split second before you hit the ground, the adrenaline that fills your body makes you aware of all your surroundings. Not to sound like I'm sugar-coating crashing or anything... but I think in my own experiences, it's made me a better (safer) rider and possibly even a safer car driver (in regards to other motorists/motorcyclists).

For those that have been down, which of the following thoughts crossed your mind while you were flying/sliding/tumbling:

a) Oh ****, my bike's gonna be thrashed!
b) Oh ****, I'm gonna be thrashed!
c) Oh ****, now my insurance is gonna go through the roof!
d) Oh ****!

Me personally, a) came up during my two get-offs.

Phythorian · 01-12-2005, 12:20 PM

Hi,

This is what I rode through the years(10 years now...)

1st Honda cb400 completely shopped
2nd Honda VF500 magna
3rd Yamaha GTS 1000
4th Triumph T595
5th Honda 1100xx superrrr Blackbird
Now I drive an '92 gsx-r1100 with 165 hp!! Hell of a bike!

The GTS is an awesome touring bike with absolutely NO handling at all when you're going fast...

So I bought the T595 because I liked to go some faster...
Beautifull bike, with very good handling, and awesome brakes. But it had its good and bads...

i traded that one in for the Blackbird, which was extremly fast and unbelievable good of handling. I rode 295km/h with it!!
But the bike has no caracter at all, did everything it suppost to do, with no minors.But it was no thrill...

The GSX-R is all caracter, you have to learn the bike, and then it goes like hell!
Sounds also like Hell!!

I've put a dyno stage 3 in it, with an open BOS carbon exhaust system, had it test,and it's good for 165 brake HP on the wheel, and a top of 289 real km/h!

This is defenitly my kind of bike!!

tj!2k4 · 01-12-2005, 12:38 PM

Got a 99 CBR 600, picked it up in mint condition last June.

In Sept I let a buddy take it around the block and he dropped it, and then couldn't get it started again, so I had to go pick up the bike. When I got there, I saw that the left-side engine cover was scratched up despite the frame sliders I had installed, but I was extremely heated about the whole thing.

Turns out he had hit the engine kill switch, and then let the battery go dead. I push-started the bike and took off - wheelie and everything - down the road. Unfortunately this was not my neck of the woods, and I was unfamiliar with the roads, and came up on a curve that I was going way to fast for. Applied the brakes, locked up the rear, and dropped from ~70 down to 25 before I went off the road onto someone's front lawn. And then I noticed the telephone pole and the stabilizer wire dead ahead - went right through inbetween them - and then saw the driveway and house dead ahead.. I laid the bike down on its left side while still on the grass, came off the bike, and tumbling to a stop.

I escaped with a couple of nasty bruises, and the bike just sustained a broken left mirror, and a barely-visible crack to the fairing on the left side.

Lesson learned. Actually, I learned a couple of lessons:
1.) Don't let anyone else ride your bike.
2.) Don't ride without a clear head.
3.) Don't **** around.
4.) Don't **** around, especially if you don't know the roads.

Anyway, the bike is resting for the winter.. I can't wait for nice warm spring weather!!

RedGTiVR6 · 01-12-2005, 02:26 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by drait

a) Oh ****, my bike's gonna be thrashed!

Most definately....that and the second time I went down...OH ****!! How far are the cars behind me and do I have enough time to roll out of the way before they run me over?

RedGTiVR6 · 01-12-2005, 02:31 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by tj!2k4

Lesson learned. Actually, I learned a couple of lessons:
1.) Don't let anyone else ride your bike.
2.) Don't ride without a clear head.
3.) Don't **** around.
4.) Don't **** around, especially if you don't know the roads.

Yeah - I can't tell you how many people I have heard come up with 1.) after going through the same type of experiences.....guess it's a squid thing...lol

driving a car while you are irked is one thing, but doing so on a bike is a Suicide wish.....

glad that you weren't all that injured in the grand scheme of things though!

DallasCamaro · 01-12-2005, 02:57 PM

I actually got into internet forums through motorcylces... R1-forum.com. Hmm....let me think back and reminesce on the bikes I've owned (I've loved em all, and I'll ride anything on 2 wheels, just cuz it's a bike)
1964 Honda CA-102 50cc Supercub
1975 Honda CR250-M1 Elsinore
1979 Suzuki RM250
1982 Suzuki RM400
1993 Yamaha FZR-600
1999 Honda CBR 600
1998 Kawa Ninja 250 <it was $100, and we had tons of fun on that piece of ****>
1998 Yamaha YZF-R1
2001 Suzuki GSXR-600
2000 Yamaha YZF-R1
2002 Blata Castrol Minimoto
2002 YZF-R1 <the current ride>
and, coming soon.... 2005 Yamaha YZF-R1

Oh, and then there were some random homebuilt dirtbikes and four wheelers, I'd have to say my favorite POS to go beat up and pound on was a homebuilt bike with a late 70's RM250 frame and an 81 RM400 motor, I still got that beast in the back of the shop, got street tires on it, and we take it out just for stunting and f-ing around on -- got the polished forks and polished dual-shock swingarm with krylon flames on the tank and a whole bunch of duct tape and zip ties -- but still starts in 3 kicks max, and still scares ya to get on it, no matter how much time I spend on the literbikes.

DallasCamaro · 01-12-2005, 03:08 PM

Hey RedGTI, I see you're in College Station, so now I plan on seeing ya out at Texas World sometime. I race with CMRA, we'll be down there April 23-24th, and I think it'll be time to see ya out on the track. That gives ya almost 4 months to go get some leathers ... we got a riding school on the saturday of almost every race weekend, and I'm about 100% sure there's one that saturday. So get some leathers, go to www.cmraracing.com or e-mail chris -- chris@racetex.com -- to get signed up for the school, then just be at TWS by 6:00 on the 23rd. We'll get ya on the track, and if ya pass the school, you can actually get in on the racing when we come back to college station in july.

Prindle19 · 01-12-2005, 03:22 PM

i rented a vespa in key west once, drove it around the island a bit, then crashed it into an explorer....i'll stick with 4 wheels

tj!2k4 · 01-12-2005, 03:31 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by drait

a) Oh ****, my bike's gonna be thrashed!
b) Oh ****, I'm gonna be thrashed!
c) Oh ****, now my insurance is gonna go through the roof!
d) Oh ****!

For me, I'm gonna say "most of the above".. in the following order:
D - as I realized I wasn't going to make the turn
B - as I saw the telephone pole and wire, and then the house in front of me
A - after I hit the ground and rolled and the bike kept going

and C never came to mind because I was so thankful that nothing seriously bad happened.. it could have turned out a lot worse for me.

jjh221 · 01-12-2005, 03:37 PM

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