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Motorcyclists Corner.....

PostPosted: Sun May 25, 2014 10:12 am
by Fozzer
Hello fellow Bikers!

Just got back from my usual Sunday afternoon ride-out on my Bike...
...cold, and soaking wet in England, as is usual, at any time of the year!

...just in time to enjoy the sort of thing my lucky American cousins enjoy at any time of the year.....

..... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XZYgNkU-pQ

You don't know how lucky you are!

Don't I wish I could experience that sort of scenery...and weather, over here!

Any more Sim V Biker enthusiasts out there?... ;) ...!

Lots of Harley/Cruiser rides, and scenery, on U-Tube!

Paul....US West Coast and Route 66 traveller!....Meep-meep...!

Re: Motorcyclists Corner.....

PostPosted: Sun May 25, 2014 10:32 am
by ozzy72

Re: Motorcyclists Corner.....

PostPosted: Sun May 25, 2014 10:56 am
by Fozzer
ozzy72 wrote:This is more my style ;-)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWZG1nhgwgg


Certainly more dangerous than your usual practice of flying inverted under Golden Gate Bridge in a Spitfire.... ;) ...!

I never was one for "speed" on a Motorcycle....

Pain/death was always a reminder for me!

The older I get, the slower I go!... :lol: ...!

"Slow" and "longevity" go together... I reckon!...

Paul.... :D ...!

Re: Motorcyclists Corner.....

PostPosted: Sun May 25, 2014 4:54 pm
by Tug002
Call me an old fool but i'm riding a 2008 CBR 1000 RR. it gets me where im going in good time and all the police do is just flash thier lights at me as im going by. But not too fast. :?

Keep smiling
Tug :)

Re: Motorcyclists Corner.....

PostPosted: Sun May 25, 2014 9:06 pm
by jcj78
I ride an old ('93) BMW K75S that is slowly but surely being converted into a cafe racer. Before it I had a 750 Nighthawk. Before it I had a 650 Nighthawk, and before that I had a GN125.

Re: Motorcyclists Corner.....

PostPosted: Mon May 26, 2014 1:45 am
by Fozzer
With my ride-out with the Bikers Yesterday ( Sunday), I found out, yet again, that Biking Leathers and torrential rain don't mix!

Having got a real drenching in the pouring rain, my Leather Jacket took on the appearance and feeling of a soaking wet Chamois leather (used for cleaning my bike).

My water-proof Cordura* Jacket and Trousers would have made much more sense....

...but I wanted to look the part of a Hells Angel at the time...

...and suffered for it.... :lol: ...!

I'm going out for another blast today, (Bank Holiday Monday), but this time I must be prepared for the inclement weather (more rain), which is already forecast, and don my (Cordura) jacket and trouser waterproofs beforehand.....

...and not look like a dangerous Hells Angel on a Fat Boy Harley!... :lol: ...!

Paul....Potato-potato-potato!... :D ...!

* Proper stuff!... :D ....>>> https://www.google.com/search?q=Cordura ... 54&bih=786

Re: Motorcyclists Corner.....

PostPosted: Mon May 26, 2014 6:32 am
by boromir125
My ride is a '96 Gold Wing. Comfort, not to speedy but veerrry smooth. Rode one of the (many, I hope) Thunder Runs yesterday in honor of those who have given their all. No matter how old I get, I still get teary thinking of all those who have died fighting for freedom. Yesterday, we were honored to have Canadian war vets join in. Everyone from Viet Nam (like myself) to Iraq and Afghanistan. Those of us who ride just got lucky, and we all remember someone who didn't make it back. To all who have served, no matter which country, Thank You so very much for your service.

Steve

Re: Motorcyclists Corner.....

PostPosted: Mon May 26, 2014 11:49 am
by mustangaroo
I always assumed that HD noise went Patty-Duke, Patty-Duke.....etc. I suppose that would depend on the cam and pipe length and of course spark timing. The best all round sound I believe emits from vintage brit twins. :dance: :dance: :dance: :dance:

Re: Motorcyclists Corner.....

PostPosted: Mon May 26, 2014 11:59 am
by OldAirmail
mustangaroo wrote:I always assumed that HD noise went Patty-Duke, Patty-Duke.....etc. I suppose that would depend on the cam and pipe length and of course spark timing. The best all round sound I believe emits from vintage brit twins. :dance: :dance: :dance: :dance:

The British twins - John and Edward????

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Well......

Eveyrbody to their own tastes, I guess.

Although I wouldn't call them "vintage" by any means, & didn't know that they had anything to do with motorcycles.???

Re: Motorcyclists Corner.....

PostPosted: Fri Aug 01, 2014 11:38 am
by Rifleman
Seems I've been away too long.....what, with Sean now riding his own SilverWing and Foz putting up threads about bikes in a new forum specific for surface travel, I will have to check in more frequently. Seeing the claims of more riders in here gives me hope that we can see some images from upcoming or even past rides. Wendy and I will be doing an Okanagan Ride next week and I hope to bring you all along with our images of this part of the world......stay tuned...

:auto-sportbike:

Re: Motorcyclists Corner.....

PostPosted: Fri Aug 01, 2014 2:59 pm
by Fozzer
What makes the Harley-Davidson vee-twin-sound unique, is the fact that the two cylinders are very closely spaced at 45 degrees apart, which gives 2 firing interval sounds very close together, followed by a very long silent gap, resulting in the special "Potato-potato" sound!

Similarly constructed vee-twins from other makes have the cylinder spaced more widely apart at 50, 52 (Vincent HRD), 60, 70, and 90 degrees (Ducati), this results in a slightly different sound to the classic Harley-Davidson sound!

If you want the classic Harley-Davidson "sound", then you have no other choice than to buy a Harley-Davidson!... :dance: ...!

Harley's are far too expensive for me, so at the moment I rather fancy a nice Yamaha XVS Dragstar 60-degree, vee-twin...not quite the same sort of sound, but close...and at least it looks like a Harley!... :D ...!

After all my different sportster bikes over the many years, I fancy a nice vee-twin Cruiser now, for some gentle, comfortable, arm-chair, cruising around, admiring the the countryside as I go....
...I'm getting far too old for racing around now!.... :lol: ...!

Off to Abergavenny next Sunday to spot some more collection of various vee-twins...and listen to the sounds, and feel the ground shaking under them!

Paul...Meep-meep... :mrgreen: ...!

P.S...something else..... Vee-Twin riders are a very close-knit family, with lots of ride-outs together!

Re: Motorcyclists Corner.....

PostPosted: Sun Aug 03, 2014 9:20 am
by Fozzer
Just returned back from a 55 mile round trip to Abergavenny (Wales) and back, on my Trusty Steed, to meet up with fellow Bikers, all with big grins on our faces, due in part to the glorious, warm sunshine, fluffy clouds, and a gentle breeze!
Took some cheese sandwiches with me, to go with a mug of hot tea at the Bus Station car park Café!
Lots of different bikes; super-sport singles, twins, and fours, and big vee-twin Cruisers, which gave me a chance to have a chat with some of the Harly Davidson riders, in anticipation of me getting a Yamaha Dragstar cruiser, as a change from my usual sports bikes!
A fantastic trip, and now its time to get my Sunday Dinner on the go...Steak and Kidney Pie, with spuds, assorted veg, and lashings of gravy!
...and a glass (or three) of Vino...now that its safe to do so!

If the weather keeps fine, I will be off again tomorrow, into the wide blue yonder, caressing the throttle with my right hand!.... :dance: ...!

Paul....Meep-meep.... :mrgreen: ...!

Re: Motorcyclists Corner.....

PostPosted: Wed Sep 10, 2014 7:40 pm
by beaky
My 32-yr-old baby, as she appears at the moment... a bit scruffy, and needing some new odds and ends, but the eccentric "twisted Vee" engine is strong, shifts great, stops on a dime, goes straight, all the electrics work just fine, and she has some lovely sticky new shinko 712s on her now. Been riding her every day for the last week: commuting, beer and grocery runs... and gobbling up twisty country roads just for the hell of it.

Image

Re: Motorcyclists Corner.....

PostPosted: Thu Sep 11, 2014 2:32 am
by Fozzer
You are getting into the lovely old; "Motorcycle feeling", Sean!

It very quickly becomes addictive!

Paul.... :D ...!

P.S...The bike is looking very nice...Just watch out for those infamous New York Potholes!... ;) ...!
(Henry Cole on his "Worlds Greatest Motorcycle Rides; Route 1, Boston to Florida" (TV Travel Channel) mentions them!)... :shock: ...!

What I am looking out for at the moment...Yamaha Dragstar......>>>

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..so much shiny chromium plate!.... :dance: ...!

Re: Motorcyclists Corner.....

PostPosted: Thu Sep 11, 2014 7:37 am
by E-Buzz
How I long to ride again!

Nothing like to feeling of going down the road sitting ON your mode of transportation rather than sitting IN it. Even a convertible doesn't quite come close - especially if you're wearing a half-helmet.

I started off learning how to ride on a 1984 Honda Interceptor in Manhattan.

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Learned how to ride "aggressively defensive" on the streets with taxi cabs who don't look for anything on the road except their next fare. Had to learn how to illegally lane-split as well... Might as well take advantage of the fact that my bike can fit in between the long lines of cars during rush-hour (I don't know why they call it "rush hour" as no one, except bikers, can rush anywhere during that time). Travel to and from work in Manhattan on my bike was a fraction of the time it took to either take the subway or drive my car.
I was so enthusiastic to hone my riding skills that, unless it was actively snowing, I was riding to and from work everyday.
The Interceptor was a V4 and had a fairly distinctive exhaust note, and was really agile - point and squirt and I was there! God, I miss that bike!

When it was stolen (that's NYC for ya!), I went for a brand new (at the time) 1992 Honda CBR 600.

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It was ranked the best middleweight sportsbike at the time. Now, that thing was so fast and agile, it probably should've been illegal for use on the streets! On my way to work on a Sunday morning around 7am, there weren't many cars on the FDR drive (Franklin D. Roosevelt). The CBR was so confidence-inspiring, that I brought her up to 140mph before I lost my nerve. I found that there is a reason for that pulled-forward, chest-to-the-tank riding position! Had I tried to sit up straight at that speed, I would've been blown off! When I arrived at work, my knees were knocking! What a rush. This was also the bike where I first experienced the dreaded "tank-slap" at 75MPH on the Long Island Expressway. I ran over a large iron plate that was placed over a huge pothole and the handlebars went full-turn, side-to-side a number of times. I thought I was going to die, or worse, live with the worst road rash and lose a couple of body parts. I don't know how I righted myself, but I did and kept on riding. I learned to look far down the road, keep my head on a swivel, and avoid anything on the road.

When that bike was stolen (yes, NYC again!), I decided to get a less-flashy bike and picked up a 1980 Suzuki 1000G.

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It was called a UJM (Universal Japanese Motorcycle) and you sat upright on it - a big difference from what I was used to, and it had shaft-drive so no lubing up the chain or adjusting for chain-stretch. Nowhere near as fast nor agile as my previous bikes, but it still was a good runner, and still good enough to lane-split. A bit more comfortable on long rides, though. I found out quickly that this was a bike that you really couldn't drag a knee on turns - mine had pegs, not the floorboards as pictured, and I made quite a bit of a show with all the sparks!

I missed the sportbike feel, so I traded it in for a 1998 Honda CBR 600 and felt at home again!

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Had it for a couple of years and when I had a great job offer, I had to move to Louisiana and sell the bike. I sold it to a guy in Connecticut, but he had no way to pick it up. He offered to pay a bit extra if I were to deliver it to him. I offered to ride the bike to him from NY. He was fine with that and I had the nicest time riding that bike on that trip!

Now that I'm much older and less flexible, I want a Harley! I want that easy-chair feeling and that sound. Ain't got the $$$ for that now, but maybe in the future... Oh, wait, I have to get some new siding for the house first...
But I can dream, can't I?

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Keep the shiny side up and I hope you never have to lay it down!

E-Buzz