Any bikers here?

[amiga92570]

I agree, except the part about getting laid. I know some guys at work that bought Harley's and could get laid if they were the last guy on earth. As for me, I like the way cruisers look and owned a couple in the past(yes Harley's) but was never really comfortable riding them. I am much happier on a sport type bike as I likes the twisties. I mainly ride the Bmw's lately because maintenance is so easy and the shaft drive is a necessity if you ride 25-30,000 miles a year commuting like I do. On the weekend I can pop off the trunk and bags and its a fun sporty ride. NOTE: I like all bikes, I am just noting my particular need or preference. If I had enough money I would have one from each manufacture and several styles.   :-D

Just realized.  Mine looks an awful lot like a Harley Dynaglide.

Wayne

[amiga92570]

Wayne does this qualify as a bike? 35cc Four Stroke. 235MPG



Here is my Cruiser. :-o

[Damion]

Wayne wrote:
Just bought one myself.  First bike in about 15 years.  Bought a Honda VTX 1300c and I'm just getting started and waiting on the MSF course for beginning riders to remind me of the minor details.  Just don't know when said courses hit $225.00 USD..  Last time I took one (1990), it was $20.

Any suggestions?

Wayne

Oh yeah, and btw, http://flickr.com/photos/segwayne/sets/72157602213401798/

Congratulations! If I remember correctly, I believe I was one of those "encouraging" you to ride a few years back. Glad you decided to get a bike!

I also ride daily (2001 Suzuki Bandit 1200), weather permitting. In fact... Amigas are only my second preferred hobby to motorcycles. ;-)

That Honda is an excellent bike, BTW. My pops bought a Shadow 1100 way back in 1987 (a similar engine design), put over 60,000 miles on it and it still runs great. Eats most Harley's at a fraction of the price. :-) (Although, he did pick up a new Street Rod a year back. Nice bike in many respects, though the handling and braking characteristics are a little unsettling IMHO.) Keep them serviced and they'll last forever.

As far as a few "refresher" tips,

* Look where you want to go! Probably sounds like common sense (and something I'm sure you already know), but it's all too easy to "target fixate" in an uncomfortable situation. Many bike accidents are of the "rider failed to navigate corner" type... so in the event a corner sneaks up on ya, just look through the turn, push the bars and chances are you'll be fine.

*Pay extra close attention to cars turning left in front of you. This is another common bike accident. Watch the drivers, try to make eye contact, etc... and another thing -- waggle your bars a little when you see a car which may be turning left in front of you. There's a scientific reason why this action (essentially the headlight "flickering") can alert a driver who otherwise might have missed your presence and darted out in your path.

*If you can, stay either ahead, or behind other vehicles in lanes next to you... never beside.

*Stay relaxed on the bars, and try to constantly monitor yourself for signs of tension. Much easier to steer the bike (or make quick actions) when you're relaxed.

Sorry, I realize this is all basic, common sense stuff... I just want to share some of the smaller things that I believe have kept me safe on the road.

There are a few excellent books out there, which I *highly* recommend. "Proficient Motorcycling" by David Hough, and "Twist of the Wrist II" by Keith Code. Even though I had already been riding for years, both books were a tremendous and valuable aid -- as I see it, you can never learn enough.
 
Have fun!

Ride safely...

Damion

[Damion]

@amiga92570

I've been salivating over this beauty (in blue metallic please) for quite a while now. Problem is (outside of the price tag), though in my imagination I'd be blazing through the Arizona desert at 100mph, the reality is I mostly commute to and from work, with the occasional weekend duty in the twisties... so the K might be just a bit excessive for that kind of riding, LOL. I *have* been eying the FZ1, though.

Hey D,

Thanks very much for the tips.  The MSF course spent two days (21 hours total on a Kawasaki 125 "Eliminator") drumming those very basics into us, and grading us (on a very steep curve) for little things like "where are you looking" even more than how well we made the turn.

It was a grueling 10 miles over those two days, but I had a GREAT time.  Can't say I learned a lot (if anything) because I had ridden before, but the consistent practice and feedback was invaluable.

Wayne

[rossi46]

Hi this is me at Knockhill Scotland on my Honda VTR1000 SP-1 (or RC51 in the US) in the red leathers/bike



Sadly the bike is no longer with us. I sold it to buy my latest mountainbike!!!

I'm looking at buying the gixxer 1000 in spring '08

Paul

[miles]

1984 Yamaha XJ750 D, fuel injected, reliable, 22 Km/litre, 130,000 Km on the clock.  The Amiga of Bikes