Who has a motorcycle?

[Headwind]

Paid for my first (Honda) as a mewspaper boy in 1965. First Harley in 1967 (250cc Sprint) Triumph Bonneville in 1969, Sporster in 1970 & 1972, Kawasiki 900 Z1 in 1973. Still riding today (Harley Ultra) and like all brands.

HEADWIND

 

[Herculeus]

Flyin Tony do you ride desert or motocross?

 

[52Vincent]

Any British bike riders out there? Gotta love those leaky Brit. bikes.
This is what I ride.
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[CandlerWun]

I've owned 7 bikes over the past 13 years. I started out with a GPZ550.

I also started with a GPz550. It was a fun bike, and it had no fairing. Anyway, how about a 'standard' or 'naked' bike as opposed to a cruiser or full-on sport bike? These bikes are great, handle well, are generally less expensive, and don't have lots of expensive plastic bodywork to replace when you drop it (you will--it will probably be in a parking lot or at a stop sign, but it'll happen). I currently ride a 1989 Honda Hawk and that thing is a blast, but it's kind of a rare bike and a little hard to find. If I had the money, I'd go for an SV 650 (either the S model or the standard...I like naked bikes but I also like low handlebars). My wife has one.

If you like the looks of airplane engines, how about a Moto Guzzi? I had one that always reminded me of a radial engine. Josh M.

 

[flyguy75000]

Anybody out there riding a Suzuki M109R?

I'm seriously contemplating putting up the Honda on Craigslist and buying one of these. They look pretty sweet and from what the reviews say, this 1800 cc engine will leave a "Hardly" in its dust. I've seen some pictures with 280mm and 300mm rear tires, and the thing looks like amazing. The only thing I dont like is the headlight fairing looks ridiculous. Hopefully there is a way to change it out.

Just wondering if anyone has one, and if they have have any feedback.

Thanks

 

[UndauntedFlyer]

Harleys

90% of all Harleys are still on the road. The remaining 10% made it back.

Buy a Honda. You meet the nicest people on a Honda.

 

[oops!]

I ride a 1999 CBR 900rr... I love it but it was my first street bike and like the others have said "don't get something fast first"
I wrecked it the second day I had it doing wheelies in a big parking lot. helmet saved my life and I walked away with a broken collar bone and one hell of a big bill to fix my bike.. I have much more respect for it now and don't act so stupid while riding but I could never have anything other than a sport bike. being on call all the time doesn't leave me with enough time to go for a long cruise so I prefer the canyons

 

[Flyin Tony]

Flyin Tony do you ride desert or motocross?

Both, it was good times I won some big races but had 1 to many bad crashes

 

[Daytonaflyer]

Double post

 

[Daytonaflyer]

I bought a Suzuki M109R Limited Edition

Anybody out there riding a Suzuki M109R?

I'm seriously contemplating putting up the Honda on Craigslist and buying one of these. They look pretty sweet and from what the reviews say, this 1800 cc engine will leave a "Hardly" in its dust. I've seen some pictures with 280mm and 300mm rear tires, and the thing looks like amazing. The only thing I dont like is the headlight fairing looks ridiculous. Hopefully there is a way to change it out.

Just wondering if anyone has one, and if they have have any feedback.

Thanks

Hey Flyguy75000,
I just bought a brand new Suzuki M109R Limited Edition yesterday. It's an amazing bike; it'll leave a VRod in the dust.
I got the 2007 because of the awesome deep blue color with racing stripe, and I got a pretty good deal too on a brand new one. It's really powerful. The 1800cc engine is more powerful than Suzuki's 2000cc engine on their other bikes.

I've only ridden it a few miles, but so far, it's awesome. It's incredibly smooth and handles bumps and vibration great. It gets warm fast, so your butt will be hot.
Turning radius is a little wide compared to my 650 cruiser, but it rides low, so you don't really notice the 700 lbs much; even pushing it into the garage was pretty easy. Shifting is good, neutral was easy to find. Braking was very good too.

The passenger rear seat is included when you buy...and it changes out easy so you can take a girl riding. There is also a gas gauge, which is nice.

It has a slightly forward-leaning seat position that turns out to be incredibly comfortable. If you're less than 6' tall, it will probably be too long of a bike for you. I'm 6'1" and 265lbs, and it fit me perfectly. I didn't notice my rear getting sore at all like my smaller bike.

The only thing I really didn't like was that the ignition is located on the left side of the engine, so you can't turn off the key without releasing the clutch. Therefore you must turn it off using the kill switch if it's parked on a hill and want to leave it in gear. Also the key gets really hot!

I got insured through Progressive for $410/year (about $480 without multi-bike discount). Which includes their mid-level coverage. Interesting thing: when I listed it as the M109R limited edition, insurance quote was $760/year, but when I listed it as the VZR1800, which is what the owner's manual says, and what came up when I typed in the VIN#, the price was only $410.

I'll let ya know more when I ride it longer.

My bike:
http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn157/daytonaflyer/IMG00122.jpg

 

[Daytonaflyer]

thanks for all the great info guys.

are kawasaki sport bikes any good?

My roommate just bought his first bike, a 2008 Kawasaki Ninja 650R, two days ago (I decided to buy a new Suzuki M109R when I was helping him look for his first bike, LOL). He's never ridden before, but seemed to catch right on yesterday when we were practicing. He had no problems handling the bike at all.

It's a nice sport bike with enough power to keep you happy for a while, but not so much that you'll get into trouble. It's probably a better starter bike than a GSX-R600 or the CBR600RR.

His bike:
http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn157/daytonaflyer/IMG00123.jpg

 

[UndauntedFlyer]

A big problem with Harleys is the image. It just reeks of a rider/owner who lacks intelligence. After all look at it for a minute.

The stereotypical Harley rider:

1. Has a Tattoo,
2. Smokes
3. Drinks and rides his bike from bar to bar, and finally
4. Doesn't wear a helmet.

All of the above show a person who just lacks good judgment and/or is just plain stupid.

On the other side:

No other motorcycle rides and sounds like a Harley. I do like to ride a Harley but for serious riding give me a Goldwing any day.

One time I took a 2,000 mile trip with a friend. He had a Harley Ultra Classic. We traded bikes half way through the ride. Before the ride was over, he wanted to stop at a Honda shop. Before we left that shop he had traded his Ultra for a new Wing. The Wing compared to a Harley is like comparing a B777 to a DC-6. Yes, the 6 is romantic to dream of, but would you really want to fly a transcon in a 6 or a 777?

 

[Daytonaflyer]

The stereotypical Harley rider:

1. Has a Tattoo,
2. Smokes
3. Drinks and rides his bike from bar to bar, and finally
4. Doesn't wear a helmet.

All of the above show a person who just lacks good judgment and/or is just plain stupid.

On the other side:

No other motorcycle rides and sounds like a Harley. I do like to ride a Harley but for serious riding give me a Goldwing any day.

The sad part is that 90% of Harley riders are just guys like you and me who want to look cool. There is absolutely nothing better about a Harley than any other major cruiser on the market. You're basically paying for the name. At least when you buy a BMW and Mercedez car you're getting a nicer car with extra features; with a Harley, you actually pay more to get an inferior bike.

And yes, any bike can sound just like a Harley or even better. There is no hidden secret, you just have to get loud pipes put on. Shouldn't cost more than $500 for most bikes.

 

[UndauntedFlyer]

And yes, any bike can sound just like a Harley or even better. There is no hidden secret, you just have to get loud pipes put on. Shouldn't cost more than $500 for most bikes.

This part of your post is really not correct. An 1800 Honda VTX V-twin for example will never sould like a Harely no matter the pipe. Only a Harley will really sound like a Harley.

 

[flyguy75000]

Actually, Harley's aren't really that loud either....until Vance n Hines/Screamin Eagle/Kuryakyn, etc. pipes are installed.

Anyone that wants to soccer-mom proof (or at least attempt to) their cruiser is gonna put aftermarkets on their bike. Most, but not all, cruiser-riding types want their machine to sound loud. The real reason stock pipes are quiet in nature is because of the EPA and the noise pollution regs. Remove the baffles or have straight head pipes on a Shadow 600 even and it'll be pretty loud.


Daytona......nice choice. There is a dealer up here advertising a new M109R LE for $8,888. Almost 4 grand off the msrp. As soon as I unload my Honda....I'm headed up there with a cashier's check, after I try to get a little more knocked off. As far as being tall, I'm under 6'0 but am planning on getting 2.25" lowering bones and 1"risers for the handlebars. Probably at the same time I put on the Cobra Swept Exhaust and new fuel management. The charts show it dyno'd at over 135 torque and 102 hp. Most Harley's dyno in at around 80-85 hp. I'm dying to get this thing in my garage.

Are you on m109riders.com? Ton's of good info...especially when you start performing the mod's.

PM me with pics when you get a chance.....

 

[MaxTorque]

I highly recommend all new riders take a Motorcycle Safety Foundation course. They offer a basic RiderCourse and their Experienced RiderCourse is a great refresher.

I recently bought a Kawasaki 250 Sportbike for my daughter and it is a blast to ride. 60-70 mpg doesn't hurt either.

I also have an on-off road bike. It is great to ride to and from the trails without having to trailer.


MT

 

[Daytonaflyer]

This part of your post is really not correct. An 1800 Honda VTX V-twin for example will never sould like a Harely no matter the pipe. Only a Harley will really sound like a Harley.

A little clarification...In the 80's, Harley Davidson trademarked (not patented like most Harley owners claim) their V-twin sound. For 6 years the Japanese bike makers fought them in court over the trademark, claiming that most Vtwins sound relatively similar, depending on the exhaust pipes installed. Eventually Harley Davidson caved and admitted defeat. Thus, almost any bike can sound like a Harley. Almost.

Before I bought the Suzuki, I was rolling a 2006 Hyosung GV650 Avitar, a smaller 650cc cruiser from South Korea. It's a nice starter bike, and I put a new pipe on it and it sounded just as good as most Harleys. But of course, a bigger engine usually sounds better.

 

[UndauntedFlyer]

A little clarification...In the 80's, Harley Davidson trademarked (not patented like most Harley owners claim) their V-twin sound. For 6 years the Japanese bike makers fought them in court over the trademark, claiming that most Vtwins sound relatively similar, depending on the exhaust pipes installed. Eventually Harley Davidson caved and admitted defeat. Thus, almost any bike can sound like a Harley. Almost.

Harleys all use a single pin crankshaft but for various reasons Honda with the 1800 VTX uses a split crank that results in a different sound. The Harleys all sound like "potato, potato, potato," whereas the Honda VTX and many other Jap bikes sound different with a less pleasing sound, more of a “bang, bang, bang” sound. Also, even another V-twin that may even have a single pin crank like the Harley will probably sound different because of a different angle of the cylinders. The Harley sound can be imitated but the clones never seem to really sound the same.

Now don’t get me wrong, I still think Harleys are no where as good a motorcycle as any typical Jap bike, and I don’t like the image of the Harley rider as I have previously described, but they do have the right V-twin sound. That sound is often imitated but it is never duplicated exactly.

Would I buy a Harley? No, it’s the hi-tech touring bike for me, like the Honda Goldwing. I like my XM radar, CB, dual GPS's, cruise control, CD, auto-tuning radio, WX channels, reverse gear, anti-lock linked brakes, tubeless tires, hydraulic clutch/brakes, and 2-up rider comfort at 100 MPH.

If Harley made a jet, would anyone fly it? NO way! So there is your answer as to engineering and quality control. The Honda Jet will be flying soon. There is no Harley jet.

Ride safe! Live to ride! Ride to live!

 

[Daytonaflyer]

Daytona......nice choice. There is a dealer up here advertising a new M109R LE for $8,888. Almost 4 grand off the msrp. As soon as I unload my Honda....I'm headed up there with a cashier's check, after I try to get a little more knocked off. As far as being tall, I'm under 6'0 but am planning on getting 2.25" lowering bones and 1"risers for the handlebars. Probably at the same time I put on the Cobra Swept Exhaust and new fuel management. The charts show it dyno'd at over 135 torque and 102 hp. Most Harley's dyno in at around 80-85 hp. I'm dying to get this thing in my garage.

Are you on m109riders.com? Ton's of good info...especially when you start performing the mod's.

PM me with pics when you get a chance.....

Man, that is by far the lowest price I have ever heard of anywhere in the country for a new M109R. The one I bought was on sale for $10,900...down from $13,000, and it's was a brand new 2007 model (I like the 2007's color better).
After sales tax it ran me an extra grand though. They wouldn't budge on price one bit, and I even walked out on them once.

Good luck negotiating, but I'd be really surprised if you can get it out the door for anywhere near $8888. My guess is that's the price that gets you in the door, but they have absolutely no intention of selling it at that unless it's used. Probably closer to $12,000 to take it home. Maybe you'll get lucky.

 

[Daytonaflyer]

Hey flyguy75000,
If you don't like the look of the M109R headlight, you might want to look into the M109R2. It's new for 2008 and is basically identical, without the large headlight fairing. It's the same price too.

Personally, I dig the headlight.

Here's a pic.
http://www.suzukicycles.com/Products/M109R2K8

 

[Say Again Over]

When I was young had the two stroke Kawi someone mentioned, model H-1 500cc, then stepped up to the 750 two stroke, this bike was king until Kawasaki 900 came out, what a fine machine Z1 or R1, now I have the Honda Hornet (naked bike) 919cc, fantastic machine, in the states there's an R-6 in the garage, I love it.

 

[landlover]

http://www.ducati.com/en/bikes/my2008/ModelPage.jhtml?family=Superbike&model=SBK848-08

this is my ride!

 

[UALX727]

Just the other day I mentioned to the wife about "someday" getting a bike again (recalling my "glory years") and she surprised me and said cool....so now I am thinking about a cruiser-type bike, preferably a Honda.

I used to own a 1980 Honda CM-400T in college and sold it at 49,000 miles. That bike made 2 trips across the country, never had any issues at all. This sold me on Honda's.....we now have an Accord and an Odyssey for our family cars.

Anyway, anyone have any ideas on a good Honda cruiser type bike? I'm open to other manufacturers but Honda's I'm partail to. I haven't ridden in 16 years or so, but I'd like to be able to haul someone on the back comfortably. Thx. great thread.

 

[Say Again Over]

Not sure about what model to recommend for a cruiser, depends on your definition of a cruise, I find that one bike isn't enough, I will say that you can't go wrong with Honda, enjoy.

 

[414Flyer]

I am considering getting an early 90s Honda Hawk. Heard its actually a rather good bike

 

[Daytonaflyer]

Yeah, Honda makes a nice bike. Massively underpowered compared to almost every other cruiser manufacturer, but nice and reliable.

 

[waka]

Harleys all use a single pin crankshaft but for various reasons Honda with the 1800 VTX uses a split crank that results in a different sound. The Harleys all sound like "potato, potato, potato," whereas the Honda VTX and many other Jap bikes sound different with a less pleasing sound, more of a “bang, bang, bang” sound. Also, even another V-twin that may even have a single pin crank like the Harley will probably sound different because of a different angle of the cylinders. The Harley sound can be imitated but the clones never seem to really sound the same.

Now don’t get me wrong, I still think Harleys are no where as good a motorcycle as any typical Jap bike, and I don’t like the image of the Harley rider as I have previously described, but they do have the right V-twin sound. That sound is often imitated but it is never duplicated exactly.

Would I buy a Harley? No, it’s the hi-tech touring bike for me, like the Honda Goldwing. I like my XM radar, CB, dual GPS's, cruise control, CD, auto-tuning radio, WX channels, reverse gear, anti-lock linked brakes, tubeless tires, hydraulic clutch/brakes, and 2-up rider comfort at 100 MPH.

If Harley made a jet, would anyone fly it? NO way! So there is your answer as to engineering and quality control. The Honda Jet will be flying soon. There is no Harley jet.

Ride safe! Live to ride! Ride to live!

No No No No. The real difference in sound between a Japanese crotch rocket and a Harley;

Crotch rocket; "Geeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeettt-outtta-mywaaaaaayyyyy"!

Harley's just go;
"F*ck You F*ck You F*ck You F*ck You F*ck You F*ck You"

 

[CFIcare]

I highly recommend all new riders take a Motorcycle Safety Foundation course. They offer a basic RiderCourse and their Experienced RiderCourse is a great refresher.

MT

MaxTorque is right on. I got my first bike at 17 and did their basic rider course. It was an extremely well run program that taught defensive riding and good road strategies. A year and 7,000 miles later, I did the Advanced course which was every bit as good. These courses ought to be required for anyone looking to get a motorcycle endorsement.

Here's a link: http://www.msf-usa.org/

 

[jergar999]

I'm on a Yamaha R6. It's my seventh bike since I started riding. GEAR GEAR GEAR. Helmet and jacket are important (full face helmet that meets both DOT and Snell) but equally important is heavy pant material and boots. Shoes just come off, trust me. Someone recommended a Suzuki SV650 and I couldn't agree more. It's like a miniature Ducati except you don't have leather belts, and valve coatings and all that fun to deal with. It has plenty of power but is still forgiving enough to learn on.

 

[CFIcare]

Ditto that on the gear. Dress for the crash, not for the ride. Gloves come off too so get ones with a wrist strap and knuckle guards. Speaking of good bikes to learn on, the Kawasaki Ninja 500RR is pretty cool for a first bike.

I know a lot of people jump on a 600 to start, but the 600's of today are still high performance machines that are not so forgiving to the newb. It's a good idea to get a starter bike which you WILL drop, ding, and learn on, then trade up after 6 months to a year.