'Cause I needed more hobbies

[King Of Dirk]

Took (and somehow passed) a motorcycle safety course last weekend. The figure-eights inside a narrow blue box on a 450lb bike are harder than they look.

Also, I'm used to panic stops = handful of left lever. Somehow it ain't the same effect on the powered versions...

The course and subsequent driver license office tests are far too easy. Much like cars, we don't seem to care too much who pilots these (poorly) guided missiles.

Anyone else got an internal-combustion powered two wheeler? (Take it easy, Fabian, I'm not making accusations).

[christian]

I've been riding street bikes since I was 18. Mopeds and dirt bikes before that. Be careful and ATGATT!

[devlin]

I have been on two wheels for ever. Motorised for the last 10 years. I am currently piloting a Yamaha TRX850, parallel twin 1996 vintage.

Here in Australia, likewise, the testing is woefully lacking and we have the same issues of a lot of bad pilots. You will find that cycling and motorcycling compliment each other and what you learn from motorcycling you will take back to when you are oedalling. The two main things I learned once I received my license was counter steering and scanning. The first I did without knowing I was doing it and the second is life saving. As christian said ATGATT!!!!!! It's just not worth the consequences. (says, he who loves plummeting down the nearest pass at break neck speed covered in only enough threads to stop people sn!ggering)

[SteveP]

they are fun. be careful, theya re also dangerous.

[prcrstn8]

I have an '06 Vespa (200GT), big enough to cruise at 65mph, small enough to get knocked over when parked on the street. It ate into my cycling mileage for a couple of years. Even riding it as fast as possible there's no physical satisfaction at the end of the ride, only the empty feeling that I could have ridden my bike instead. I met a few scooter people that I'm still friendly with but by and large they are the shallowest and most ignorant people on the face of the earth. Probably gonna regret saying that, but it's true.

(Seen on the street, NYC ATTGAT - black helmet, black boots, black gloves, black leather jacket and black miniskirt.)

[Hindmost]

Moto and bici are complimentary. As pointed out, moto can be very fast. I took this same drug about 10 years ago. I now have several vintage motocrossers and three road bikes that I can't support with my time. Older motos can be a cheap entry drug. I found that I couldn't reconcile my need for speed with doing the right thing on the open road. It was also a weird internal conflict: the youthfull me wants to take it to the limit; the mature me is risk adverse. It became clear that high performace moto is a young man's sport, while when cycling I could go to my max and most likely not get arrested. I moto'ed many of the same roads that I cycled and found that I really missed the physical effort, the sense of topography, and the immediacy of a styrofoam helmet and lycra pajamas.

Pursue the skills.

[prcrstn8]

ps, read Proficient Motorcycling by David Hough if you haven't already. And go find a big empty parking lot where you can pratice panic stops.

[XR2]

Been riding almost as long as bicycles. Didn't own a car from high school 'til about 10 years ago and it snows here. Remember one thing. They really are out to kill you and it's your decisions that keep that from happening. Enjoy the ride.

And a gratuitious image of my commuter.

And yeah take the MSF course. You have some habits to unlearn. Doing it on someone else's bike is cheaper and less discouraging.

[devlin]

+1 on doing course where they really teach you how to ride. Worth their weight in gold.

[al415]

I just sold my Triumph speed triple to a guy that works at a local bike shop. I've been eyeballing supermotos and enduros ever since

[Zimmermanbicycle]

I'm down to seven motorcycles and have been riding since I was five (1968!)
Here's the current list

'73 Ducait 750 sport
'64 Ducati 350 cafe special
'64 Triumph T100SC
'68 Triumph Daytona
'68 BMW R69S
'95 BMW R100R cafe racer beast/thing
'08 Ducati Hypermotard S

Please be safe.
-Eric

[maunahaole]

I looked at a Speed Triple before I picked up the current bike. I loved the sound and the urgency with which it pulled.

[al415]

I'm down to seven motorcycles and have been riding since I was five (1968!)

'08 Ducati Hypermotard

Please be safe.
-Eric

Is that bike as fun as it looks? You obviously have some history with ducks; do you find the modern bikes as maintenance intensive as they're said to be?

I looked at a Speed Triple before I picked up the current bike. I loved the sound and the urgency with which it pulled.

The Triple is a really multi dimensional bike. You can ride it around the city like a docile moped all week and then take it to the country and let it loose on the backroads come the weekend.

[christian]

'64 Triumph T100SC

Desert sled or stock(ish)? Nice list of bikes. I'm chasing down a monolever R100RS at present.

[dashDustin]

Been wanting an R6 since I was a sophomore in high school. was on the verge of getting one when one friend killed himself and a month later another friend went down and suffered a compound fracture of his lower leg (he still isn't the same mentally or physically). Granted they were both doing something stupid, but it still freaked me out a little.

[XR2]

The Triple is a really multi dimensional bike. You can ride it around the city like a docile moped all week and then take it to the country and let it loose on the backroads come the weekend.

The Aprilia pictured above can do anything you can do. 80K miles on it and reliable as a rock. And just like the bicycles it's Italian and they understand something about building vehicles no one else does.

[xjoex]

I had a scooter, I could never imagine having a real motorcycle. The power in that little scooter was seductive...


I never commuted by bike when I had it tho, I had to sell it to get back in the saddle .

-Joe

[Zimmermanbicycle]

[QUOTE=al415;310628]Is that bike as fun as it looks? You obviously have some history with ducks; do you find the modern bikes as maintenance intensive as they're said to be?

The Hypermotard is actually quite versatile and loads of fun in the canyons,far more reliable than the '80s and '90s Ducs were and not so maintenance intensive but then again if you saw my list you probably can guess I've got a pretty high pain threshold when it comes to bikes.

[Zimmermanbicycle]

Desert sled or stock(ish)? Nice list of bikes. I'm chasing down a monolever R100RS at present.

dead stock except for tires,still has the stock ET ignition,sweet to ride,nice and light.

[christian]

500cc unit bikes are the best. I am jealous of that one for sure, not to mention the R69S, though having done the slinger job on a R60/2, I'm not sure I'd want that as a daily rider.