Spring and Bikes thread

[Toadroller]

It's spring after a long winter for most of the country.

In Maine where I live, despite the fields still covered in snow, our local golf driving range opened today in what we call wahhhhm, 45 degrees and sunny.

But the V-Strom is still in the garage; I couldn't get it up the ice on the driveway or ride it on the sand-covered roads if I wanted to.

So help a fella out and post a pic and tell a story of your ride this spring!

[tbonesullivan]

The weather has been so up and down, and potholes are everywhere. I was planning on riding this weekend, but it just snows, and it's gonna rain now. Next week is supposed to be really warm though...

[jettster]

Rode about 260 miles today from Georgia to NC. Except for maybe 60-80 miles all twisty back roads. Still some snow on the side of the road in a few places and a little gravel or whatever they happen to put down in the roads.

 

[DNight]

Beautiful picks Jettster.  Still several weeks before I hit the road.  We need a good rain to wash the salt away and a nice day here in WI that falls on a weekend.

Ride safe

[tbonesullivan]

 Right now there are still giant piles of salt everywhere. We got a LITTLE snow and they BOMBED the roads with it. At least the highways are mostly clear.

[carfish7]

Got almost 100 miles in so far this year since my season gets shut down for at least 2-3 months post-surgery next week. Sure did have fun though! Started up eagerly from our non-winter.

Pic from last season, where after a 10-year snooze I flogged my machine for just over 5k miles - many of them with the same orange monstrosity seen here chasing me!

 

 

 

[ZR]

Nice pics Rodney. I love all the protective guardrails around that open pit to hell!

Love the KZ. My first bike was a Kawi ZR750, kind of a like an updated version of yours with some Ninja parts here and there...hence my boardname ZR. Still miss it. Stock pic...

I just got my rear brakeline in for my Ducati Monster, and need a little wrench time on it to get it up to speed, but should try to get out there soon. Now, what's holding me back is tennis elbow! Hurts too much to operate the front brake!

 

 

 

[Toadroller]

I was going to take the V-Strom out for a ride this week, but went to AZ for work (and golf! 83!) and now the weather won't participate with me.

Looking to upgrade to a VFR, FJR, or Concours this year.

[ZR]

I've always loved VFRs and am seriously thinking about about one as my Monster is kind of small for me. I noticed this especially after replacing the stock seat with a used Corbin seat which seems an inch or so lower making my legs feel cramped and makes it uncomfortable to operate the foot controls...and I often get cramps in my legs because of it. That's not fun running into some twisties! Even though the Ducati should be a better handling bike I seem to remember riding the Kawi better! At least I felt more comfortable and confident on it. The ergos on the VFRs are great. I don't really like the newer space-age looking models but several from years back. 

[jettster]

On ‎3‎/‎19‎/‎2016 at 9:34 PM, Toadroller said:

I was going to take the V-Strom out for a ride this week, but went to AZ for work (and golf! 83!) and now the weather won't participate with me.

Looking to upgrade to a VFR, FJR, or Concours this year.

FJR if it's one the last few years, 2016 is really nice and finally a 6 speed.

[Toadroller]

They're all different beasts.

VFR is the sportiest of the crew, and yeah, I'm partial to the generation from early 200os, the VFR 800.  That single swing-arm and the tucked tailpipes and the googly-eye headlights.. just dead sexy:

 

But an FJR is more touring, more than enough power (even with 5 speeds) and a mid 2000s is fine with me.  I'm partial to 4 cylinders, be it in V4 form or inline like a true UJM:

And the Connie? even more speed, even more touring, which is fine, 'cause I'm getting to be an old man:

 

I'm in the range of $3000-$5500, and these fit the bill.  I enjoy the V-strom; sport-touring, upright and tall, but miss four cylinders and the smoothness that comes with it.  I do want windscreen protection and the V-Strom without another 200 in replacement shield doesn't quite do it.  It was a great "get back in the saddle" bike.  Now I want more.

 

[Toadroller]

Of course, I grew up on the back of one of these:

 

And a few of these:

 

And one of these:

 

And these:

 

Man, my dad liked weird bikes and weird engines.  This isn't half of them.  And he makes fun of me for liking Audis that used to have inline fives?