Motorcycle enthusiasts? Lots of pics.

Ziggy

Original poster
Member
Feb 8, 2015
207
One of the reasons I bought my TB is to have the ability to tow a light trailer and further enable my two wheeled addiction. I've been riding for years, all types of bikes, and am really looking forward to spring and summer so I can pull my old scooter out of the garage and get my knees in the breeze! Currently, I've got a '94 Heritage Softail that I love! That being said, I truly believe that a person only needs one more motorcycle than he's already got to be happy with his riding options. I've owned several over the years, and can't say that I wouldn't jump at the opportunity to have any one of them back. They've all got positives and less positives, but they all put a smile on my face!

Here's a pic of my current ride, like I said, '94 Heritage Softail, 80" Evo, lightly modded with a Mikuni 42mm carb, Forcewinder intake, and Vance and Hines Short Shots.


Previously, I rode a hotted up Sportster we called "Grizzly". That one started life as an 883 Hugger, but was modded with HD 1200 jugs, Buell Thunderstorm heads, Andrews N4 cams, Crane Hi4 ignition, Mikuni 45mm carb, Cycle Shack drag pipes, and a custom set of Rhino-lined tins. It was obscenely loud, and a hoot and a half to ride! I dropped it on some loose gravel last March, took the insurance money, and with full disclosure, sold it to a buddy of mine that loves it like I did.


I played with a few VStar 650s (3 of them, actually). I really liked the simplicity of the air cooled engines as compared to the Vulcan 750 I swapped motors on for my uncle.


I traded my second VStar 650 to my mom for her '93 Shadow 1100. The Shadow was really just too big for her, and she was never able to get comfortable with it. Owned it for 8 years, and probably only put 5000 miles on it. After getting it from her and riding it for a while, I decided I really just didn't like it. 1100cc, and only 4 gears. My 650 custom would run circles around it, and it really just felt like it lacked any kind of soul. I really like it when I get to the end of a ride, and can't wait for the next one. This bike didn't do it for me.


This was my second VStar, and the only 650 Custom I owned. My mom's still got this one...


Here's the first one


My first, and probably best all around bike that I've owned was this SV650n. Great bike, recommend to anyone looking to get into riding or return to riding. It is a very forgiving of ham fisted throttle applications, but still had far more capability than any reasonable person *should* ever access on the road. The only reason I sold this bike down the road was that my wife didn't find out how much she likes to ride on the back until after I'd had it for a while. I needed to get a bike that was better suited to two up riding.


Growing up, my dad pretty much always had bikes. He'd go to the local used motorcycle consignment auction and buy a handful of cheap UJMs that weren't running, or needed this or that, bring 'em home, get 'em running, slap on a quick paint job if it was needed and sell them to their next owners, usually at a loss after figuring time, parts, and labor. There were quite a few, and I rode most of them. Couple that stick out in my memory though are; '86 Honda Interceptor VF500, Honda 400-4 Super Sport (Loved that bike, broke my heart when he sold it. It was perfect, probably sitting in a museum somewhere), Yamaha Seca 750, Yamaha Seca 500, Kawasaki KZ750, and a Honda Hurricane 600. The Hurricane is the only bike he owned that scared me. He bought it as a basket case from a guy that raced it at Summit Point Raceway in WV. He thought it'd be fun to put the race-prepped engine back on the street with street plastics. It was pretty tame by today's standards of performance, but I'll tell you what, that dude would wrap the tach from idle to 13k RPM faster than you could say DAAAAAAAANG! LOL!

So, I've taken you through my two wheeled hobby, I'd love to see yours!
 

SirRobin53

Member
Apr 27, 2014
118
Excellent read.Takes me down memory lane. :ok:
100 Bridgestone
125 DT Yammie
125 Suzuki RM
250 Suzuki PE
Heritage Classic
In that order i think. Lot of beers ago and blinked a LOT.
 
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Ziggy

Original poster
Member
Feb 8, 2015
207
I forgot to list my dirty bikes! When I was a teenager, my dad bought an '86 Suzuki LT230 QuadRacer. 2wd, 4 stroke 230cc hooligan machine! It was a lot of fun, right up until we noticed the rear sprocket getting worn, and we started looking at what it would take to swap it out. In order to swap the sprocket, we needed to remove the hubs, in order to slide the axle out of the swing arm. At some point in its life, someone had welded the hubs to the axle shaft, making the whole endeavor more costly than the initial investment in the bike. I ended up trading straight across for an '86 Kaw KX80. It was the small wheel variety, but it was more than enough bike for my 120 lb. butt! The KX80 had been race prepped with a high compression piston, and a bunch of other stuff that I didn't really understand at the time. All I knew was that little bike could lift the front wheel 3 feet off the ground, and if you had the nerve, you could hang it there through all 5 gears! I developed the nerve... Had a friend with a Honda CT90 trail bike break his ankle trying to follow me through a ditch too fast one day, and decided then that I needed to sell that bike before I got hurt myself. I realized that I'd lost respect for it, and became WAY to comfortable on it. It was tough too, because I lived in the 'burbs, and just getting someplace to ride in the dirt was a big ordeal. It wasn't too long after I sold the Kaw that Dad took me to get my Motorcycle endorsement, and we started riding on the street together. Of course, that came after I took my mom's bike and wrecked it while they were out of town... But that's another story for another time.
 

Ziggy

Original poster
Member
Feb 8, 2015
207
I can't believe there aren't any other "biker" types on here! In the way of an update, spring has finally sprung here in SW Ohio, and I'm about a week out from owning the black and green Vstar again. Mom's selling it back to me, wired the funds on Monday, meeting my mom in Tennessee next weekend to pick up the bike. :cool:
 
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danj

Member
Sep 29, 2014
264
I can't believe I didn't find this thread until now.
Here is the one I just picked up


After it was unloaded


I didn't like the stickers, so I removed them


Here is what it looks like now


And here is my boy (I think I'm going to have some trouble with this one in the future)


I have quite a few other bikes as well, but mostly projects

If you can't tell by the state of my shop I've got many projects going on all the time.
 
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Ziggy

Original poster
Member
Feb 8, 2015
207
You like your Hondas, huh? I saw what appears to be a naked Goldwing in the back of one pic, and if I'm not mistaken, either a Sabre or Magna in another one. Then of course, there's the V-Star in the foreground of the last pic... Can't tell what's up there in front of the Shadow in that last one.
 

danj

Member
Sep 29, 2014
264
The foreground of the last pic is the same goldwing in the second pic. It has some carb issues that we've been dealing with. There are a few bikes under the deck in the fourth picture. There is a 1979 Kawi KZ1100, A 1979 Kawi KZ750, and an 85 V45 Magna 1100. The Vstar in the last photo is an 1100. The 98 shadow is an 1100 too. I do like my Hondas :thumbsup:
 
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Ziggy

Original poster
Member
Feb 8, 2015
207
My dad had a KZ750 many years ago. He actually had it in pieces in the attic over the garage for years. When we were getting ready to move to VA when I was a kid, he pulled it down and started piecing it back together. I remember it had a weak starter, and using the kicker was the only way to reliably get it to fire. It was really something with the Kerker open header when that thing lit off! I think I was about 12 or 13 when he got it back on the road, and it scared the crap out of me!

Mom had a V45 Magna 750, and a Magna 700 too, before that. I wrecked one of them. I think it was the 750. Those V4s will scream if you wind 'em out!
 
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Decado

Member
Sep 16, 2013
88
Bumping this thread. I have been fascinated with motorcycles since I was as little kid. I decided that it was not smart for me to get into riding while I was young and reckless (so I bought the Trans Am instead, hah!) so I waited for the right time to get into riding. When I sold my Trans Am this past spring it was because I knew that it was time to move forward on a long term goal/dream. A couple weeks ago I took the MSF Basic Riders Course and was in love immediately. I passed the course/tests and had such a blast while learning a lot; I highly recommend that class to anyone who has the time as I feel it made me a better driver in my other vehicles too.

I did a lot of research and decided that my first bike was going to be a Suzuki SV650. Last night I bought a 2001 SV650s with only 5475 miles, a full Micron exhaust, and brand new Michelin Pilot 3 tires. Since I'm still so green in the saddle, I had a friend with more experience test ride it and bring it home for me. I can't wait until this coming weekend because I have Thursday-Sunday off and will get some good seat time in. I'll be practicing in my neighborhood and parking lots first, until I am comfortable with getting into busier roads with traffic.

It looks a lot like Ziggy's in the OP of this thread, except I have the front fairing and clip on bars instead of the naked version. Here she is!
aeWBPjx.jpg
 

HARDTRAILZ

Moderator
Nov 18, 2011
49,665
Congrats! I really like that look and esp the color
 
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Darkrider_LS

Member
Jan 25, 2013
9,332
Current bikes:

'85 Honda VF750F Interceptor
'76 Yamaha DT250C
'10 Gio X33 dirt bike

Past bikes:

'88 Honda CR500
'90 Suzuki Rm250
'93 Honda CBR900RR
'01 Yamaha R1
'94 Kawasaki Ninja Zx7R
 
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Ziggy

Original poster
Member
Feb 8, 2015
207
:celebrate:Thought I'd come back and give an update. I sold my Heritage down the road, and in a moment of weakness, as I was shopping for a bagger, came across a deal on a 2002 V-Rod that I couldn't pass up. Naturally, the wife doesn't like it... Ah well, I'll have some fun with it until the spring, and I'll try to make a little money with it, and renew the hunt for a bagger.
VRod01_zpswqhsiufo.jpg

Took my son out for a ride on Thanksgiving day, and had him snap a couple pics for me. This one is my favorite!
20151126_154809_zpsfte8gyrv.jpg
 
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xavierny25

Member
Mar 16, 2014
6,323
Staten Island, N.Y
IMG_31521.jpg IMG_31571.jpg IMG_19671.jpg
My brothers pride and joy 2005 Kawasaki zx10. 80+% powder coated and custom painted plastics. All done by him. The down time was over a yr but we'll worth the outcome. I can't wait to take it for a ride.
 
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Ziggy

Original poster
Member
Feb 8, 2015
207
2016-02-28%2015.36.51_zpswdv2shyi.jpg

Traded my VRod for a Geezer Glide. Picked up a 1990 Ultra Classic Electra Glide about two weeks ago. Gotta do some stuff to get it fully ready to ride, but I've had it out locally a couple of times. I'm pretty excited. This is the bike that I've been working my way up to.
20160306_172215_zpsegttyjqa.jpg
 

gmcman

Member
Dec 12, 2011
4,656
Well, what are you waiting for? Craigslist a starter bike, and get your knees in the breeze!

Actually I rode before and up until my daughter was 2, then I opted to change hobbies for awhile many because my duties as a dad far outweighed the risks of an occasional joyride since my work schedule kept me from riding as much anyway.

(Edited for content)

I will get another for sure and this thread definitely gives me the itch.
 
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northcreek

Member
Jan 15, 2012
3,310
WNY
I wish I had this bike when I picked my wife up for our first date long ago, her parents were freaked out by my Knucklehead chopper but, this would have blown them away...
Motor Bike (2).jpg
 

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