Spring and Bikes thread

I've been bad about riding as well. Just a few short rides this year! We've had the busiest year ever and that had a lot to do with it. I used to ride about every weekend and some times during the week too. I ride a Ducati Monster and it's great but I'm also eyeing Honda VFR's. They've been a fav of mine since the '93 models. I put bar risers on the Monster and that gave me a slightly more upright riding position and helped my wrists on long rides. Then I installed a Corbin seat (look at those when you look at Sargent) but it put me more to the rear making me lean over again to reach the bars comfortably! I question getting a new (used) bike when I'm not riding that much, but I also may ride more on a sport-touring bike. Oh well, we'll see how this year pans out money wise!

What pants are you wearing in your pic above? And is that an airbag jacket or does it have armor plates in there? Or, just a lot of turkey from T-day? /emoticons/default_wink.png Nice bikes you have!!

Rodney (jettster), we'll get out there and ride again eventually, and play guitar! Nice bikes you have too!

 
jettster said:
We are really lucky, 45 minutes from the north Georgia mountains and nice back roads to get there, some of the best riding in the US. Not too much further away, we have the Tail of the Dragon and the Cherohala skyway.

My Triumph isn't too fun either on the slab, hell for that matter any naked bike can get old pretty quick on the freeway cruising for any length of time. It's so much fun in the tight twistys though. Those FJR's are pretty sweet, had one catch me off guard coming home on the freeway a month or so back on the Triumph. I didn't think he was going to play and at the last minute he showered down and I downshifted into neutral instead of 2nd. lol He had full bags with a passenger and that thing was still pulling pretty damn hard.

I've done 350-400 miles in one day on the Triumph but when you get off it feels like you've been that far or further. The K on the other hand can do that and then some 2up without breaking a sweat. Definitely something to be said for a touring style bike. Bikes are so much more specific than cars, depending on what you are using them for.
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I am kinda hoping I can find a way to keep the NH. The insurance on it costs next to nothing, and it IS a fun bike to bomb around town and backroads on. Like the FJR it runs best on REGULAR. It also gets 45-55 mpg, which is really handy on group rides. Some ride the dual sports that have like a 2 gallon tank and they are ALWAYS stopping for gas.

 
ZR said:
What pants are you wearing in your pic above? And is that an airbag jacket or does it have armor plates in there? Or, just a lot of turkey from T-day? /emoticons/default_wink.png Nice bikes you have!!
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the pants are BMW City jeans. They're awesome. I had a nasty highside in 2012 and I landed on my knee first on the road at over 60mph. I was wearing those pants and you can barely see the scuff, not to mention all I got was a bruise on my knee!

I'm wearing a vest over a leather jacket with back and chest plates, plus I was about 20lbs heavier during the summer. Tennessee diet ya know? /emoticons/default_smile.png When I was no longer able to fit into my one-piece leathers for that trackday in October, I knew I had to cut back on the ribeyes and ribs /emoticons/default_sad.png

 
tobereeno said:
tobereeno, on 19 Dec 2014 - 03:14 AM, said:tobereeno, on 19 Dec 2014 - 03:14 AM, said:tobereeno, on 19 Dec 2014 - 03:14 AM, said:tobereeno, on 19 Dec 2014 - 03:14 AM, said:tobereeno, on 19 Dec 2014 - 03:14 AM, said:tobereeno, on 19 Dec 2014 - 03:14 AM, said:tobereeno, on 19 Dec 2014 - 03:14 AM, said:tobereeno, on 19 Dec 2014 - 03:14 AM, said:oh! re: thoughts on Goldwing-esque riding. I'm sure I'll get there, but I don't want to admit I'm that old quite yet. I did seriously look at and test rode the BMW K1600GTL, but it just lacked that visceral excitement and feel. Too much like a luxury car (which I understand is exactly the point of the bike).

so in late June I picked up the Multistrada and it's sporty enough to be thrilling, yet can carry almost as much as a Goldwing (my wife and I tested this on several occasions!) Not quite as comfortable though; I may look into some Sargent seats or whatever the hell them Iron Butt riders like to get.

We did about 5000 miles of two-up touring this summer, and it was some of the best times I've ever had with my wife. Attached pic is of us on the Tail of the Dragon.
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If you are looking for a comfy, 2up bike that provides plenty of excitement, check out the K1300S or K1200S. BMW also makes some killer expandable sport panniers for them. I don't remember it being this hard to embed a video?? lol

http://youtu.be/LGVOOsuKIaY

 
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ZR said:
ZR, on 19 Dec 2014 - 12:12 PM, said:Rodney (jettster), we'll get out there and ride again eventually, and play guitar! Nice bikes you have too!
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Thanks John. We usually ride most every weekend, weather permitting. Give us a call bro

 
jettster said:
If you are looking for a comfy, 2up bike that provides plenty of excitement, check out the K1300S or K1200S. BMW also makes some killer expandable sport panniers for them. I don't remember it being this hard to embed a video?? lol

http://youtu.be/LGVOOsuKIaY
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if I didn't already have an S1000RR and could only have one bike, I absolutely would have gone for a K1300S. Although even the K1600GTL comes slightly shy of the Ducati Multistrada Granturismo's luggage capacity which is cavernous. I've put in some saddle time on both the K1300S and K1300R which is available overseas and in many ways I love the K1300R more - it's lighter and feels nimbler, and the higher final drive gearing makes it feel peppier than the K1300S. You would have to give up rideability over 120mph as on any true naked bike however.

As it stands though, I'm poised to end ten years of continuous BMW ownership next year when I trade in the S1000RR for a Ducati 1299 Panigale. I love BMWs but I'm really getting into the Ducati thing.

 
These guys got funded on Kickstater. Looks like fun!

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2097071998/motopeds

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mc2 said:
Cool or lame?

Anyone have any experience with motorized bikes or light use motorcycles?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Indian-Boardtrack-Racer-Replica-/121509238881?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2047675.l2557&nma=true&si=tx1AmzM2z6j0w1j%252BhqAQWHHX4zI%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc

There was even a brand built in New Orleans for 50+ years and they pop up for sale on occasion from $1000-4500, depending on condition. Came across a really nice green one a month ago for $2200, restores an sitting as a showpiece in a restaurant for the last decade.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/SIMPLEX-AUTOMATIC-1953-SERVICE-CYCLE-/121502589466?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2047675.l2557&nma=true&si=tx1AmzM2z6j0w1j%252BhqAQWHHX4zI%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc
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tobereeno said:
tobereeno, on 19 Dec 2014 - 9:19 PM, said:
jettster said:
jettster, on 19 Dec 2014 - 7:28 PM, said:

If you are looking for a comfy, 2up bike that provides plenty of excitement, check out the K1300S or K1200S. BMW also makes some killer expandable sport panniers for them. I don't remember it being this hard to embed a video?? lol

http://youtu.be/LGVOOsuKIaY
Click to expand...
if I didn't already have an S1000RR and could only have one bike, I absolutely would have gone for a K1300S. Although even the K1600GTL comes slightly shy of the Ducati Multistrada Granturismo's luggage capacity which is cavernous. I've put in some saddle time on both the K1300S and K1300R which is available overseas and in many ways I love the K1300R more - it's lighter and feels nimbler, and the higher final drive gearing makes it feel peppier than the K1300S. You would have to give up rideability over 120mph as on any true naked bike however.

As it stands though, I'm poised to end ten years of continuous BMW ownership next year when I trade in the S1000RR for a Ducati 1299 Panigale. I love BMWs but I'm really getting into the Ducati thing.
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Those Granturismo's are nice for sure, didn't realize they had that much capacity. Makes for a great sport touring setup I'm sure. I've always like the way Ducati's looked but have never been drawn to the twin motors. We test rode an Aprillia Caponard and hated it, I'm sure it doesn't compare to the Duc though. My favorite configuration is a triple but there doesn't seem to be any big motor, high output examples of those other than maybe MV. The dealer had an 08 K1200R up there my last visit. Had never seen one of those before, looked kind of funky but I bet it would be a fun bike. The Panigale is a beautiful bike, have seen a few of them where we normally ride.

 
i didn't get to go on any long trips in 2014, but its a 45 minute twisty backroads ride to work, so i still get to ride a fair amount in warmer weather. last year i bought some heated gloves from gerbing;

http://gerbing.com/collection.html#!/products=32&order=price&no_cache=true&p=clear&activity=45

they are located in the county i work in, and a coworkers bro-in-law works there, so i got tipped off to their parking lot clearance sale.

got these heated gloves for $99 (reg $179) w/ rechargeable batteries, makes a huge difference in a cold ride. i can usually deal w being a little chilly for 45 minutes, but my hands used to really hurt when riding any colder than 55 degrees. i rode to work one morning and it was 35, no problem from my hands, but my coworkers almost had to treat me for hypothermia, haha

 
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I got some new motorcycle boots, kevlar/padded riding blue jeans, new helmet, one of those plastic crampbuster grip attachments (anyone else use one?), [SIZE=14.3999996185303px]and also a Ducati coffee mug from my daughter[/SIZE]. Getting a new power relay for the Ducati and I'm trying to get out there more this year.

 
I have a crampbuster but could never get comfortable with it. I put a Throttlemeister on my Multistrada and a Go Cruise on my S1000RR. I've ridden bikes with electronic cruise control and man, that really is the shiznit! the 2015 versions of both my bikes have cruise control. Damn /emoticons/default_sad.png

 
I've used the crampbuster and found it provided a remarkable amount of relief to my aging, arthritic hands. I used it on a BMW RT in conjunction with the Throttlemeister Toby mentioned. The Throttlemeister was great for touring, but it provides no relief in situations with speed fluctuations.

 
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Love the Crampbuster. I found that the one with the wide palm surface was unusable. It got in the way when I wanted to back off of the throttle and tended to cause me to "goose" the throttle in neutral.

I switched to the model with a narrow surface and placed it at the outside edge of the grip. Works perfectly for me now.

 
Alright, I've been in the same boat as you folks further north have been. Haven't been able to ride for a few weeks now and not liking it at all. looks like the low 50's is the best for this weekend and it's significantly colder in the mountains. Mid 40's... Too damn cold.

 
Too cold?

-3 this morning; there was point of -15 this week as my son drove to work.

My bike is up on blocks for the duration. I plugged in the trickle-charger last week. It will be April at best before I swap her parking-spot out with the snow-blower.

 
Hey now, we never got above freezing freezing for a few days this week. It was around 10 degrees a few mornings and -12 with the wind chill one night. That's cold no matter where you are and definitely cold for us southern dwellers. /emoticons/default_laugh.png

 
It won't be seeing the outside of my garage for at least two months, but here's a shot of my recent acquisition:

P2080073.JPG


Ducati ST3s. I've been looking for one of these for about two years. Only made between 2005 and 2007 in my preferred wet clutch version. This one is a 2007 with only 4,000 miles.

Had to drive to Nashville to pick it up, break U-Haul rules by putting it in the back of a van, and finish the last 100 miles of the trip in a blizzard that dropped 20" of snow in my way.

I also had to sell four really nice guitars to fund the purchase, but it was worth every bit of the effort.

C'mon Spring!

 
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