Motorcycle thread

[ShortRAM]

I took my Zero out yesterday. It wasn't as bad as the guy in this picture, but I did cut the ride shorter than I had planned when I first left my garage.

 

[Wahrsuul]

The Spyder takes a lot of getting used to if you've been on two wheels all your life. The first test ride I took, I was about to turn back within half a mile or so. It felt twitchy which didn't make an sense.

What I found is that you "drive" a Spyder - more like a car than a bike. It likes a light hand on the controls and with the power steering, that's all it takes. Of course counter steering is gone as is the front brake and the clutch if you get an SE model.

There's two engines out there - the earlier 990/998 Rotax twin and the later 1330 Rotax triple. The twin is a screamer, it doesn't like being below 5K. The triple is more leisurely - it's good around 3-3.5K, lots of low and mid range torque. Better MPG and less maintenance too.

I've got a '14 RTS, bought because the wife was afraid to get on the bikes anymore. She's got some knee troubles and usually got on first and started to be afraid of tipping the bike over while getting on. Now she pretty much doesn't ride at all, so I use it for commuting, and I'm considering just getting out of riding altogether.

Over all, it's a fun ride once I got used to it, but it sits more than I ride it anymore just due to her not going.

 

[runamuck]

I have seen folks on those and often wondered about driving one. I am at the age where some of my fellow riders have quit or have bought trikes..I live in a metro area where there is plenty traffic and most people in cars seem to be texting while driving. not safe or relaxing to ride around here so the wife and I do mostly cruising. like from ft. worth to colorado or northern n.m. or down to the hill country of central Texas. loaded up with gear and the wife, my ultra is getting to be a lot for me to handle if we were to drop the bike or have some trouble on the road so am pondering the next step. I have 2 harleys..a wide glide and an ultra and not putting many miles on each lately.

 

[Wahrsuul]

I know of several people that tour on the Spyder. You can get a trailer hitch and tow about 400lbs with it. If you were closer, I'd let you try mine. Like I said, I like riding it, but with the wife's health issues, I just can't get out and ride on my own enough.

 

[Fatbob Frank]

I kinda like the Spyder F3 and that Rotax triple is a beast!
But I do think the Ryker 900 looks pretty fun.
Still, the downside is they take up a full spot in the garage unlike my 2 wheeler that I can shoehorn in a much tighter space during the winter months.

 

[Wahrsuul]

I love the F3, but the wife didn't like the passenger seat/backrest as much as the RT. If I was riding more, I'd consider trading mine in for an F3. The Rykers are OK, and lots of fun from what I've heard. But I like having the big windshield and carrying capacity of the Spyders. Also, the Rykers use a CV trans, so there's no gears - just twist and go.

 

[Doug Ram]

I particularly like the Ryker version that's for dirt. That would be a blast. I've leased one for a week. Hated it the first 200 miles..... It took about 3 hours and I loved it. But wife is not thrilled...

Actually she wants a snowmobile...

 

[Bandit517]

My Kawasaki Z1000 nicknamed "mistress" because the ex girlfriend thought I loved the bike more than her. (Seeing as she's now an ex she may have been right lol)

Custom fitted ninja 1000sx hardcases because no one offers a bike specific set for the Z.

 

[Bandit517]

Forgot to add that I ride Trials also. Not a very common sport, however it is VERY fun. Currently 3 generations of my family riding. Waiting on my kids to get a little older so we can get 4 generations.

2018 GasGas 300GP

 

[Fatbob Frank]

At 72 we finally got my old man off the ZX10 and onto a nice " slow" Harley...

A 2006 Nightrod stage 2 that was a former drag bike.
We had to rewire it for turn signals to make it street legal again...

 

[Nick_rp]

Every bike ive owned. Some people have gambling problems, i had a craigslist trading problem. Last pic with the harley is my dads, my current one is parked next to it. 2018 honda africa twin and its my first brand new bike

 

[ShortRAM]

I feel your pain. You are young and can make the decision to stop before it destroys your life.

My name is ShortRam and I have a Craigslist problem.

 

[Alien Spyder]

I've had a lotta bikes throughout the years.
I've gone from this Honda to this Harley.
The Harley is nice but I think I had more fun with the Honda!!

​

 

[rocket]

thats only because you care about the Harley,lol.....j/king of course.

 

[GTyankee]

The first powered bicycle that i had a chance to ride, i guess i was about 14, my cousin somehow ended up with 2 similar to this, i think he got them when he was cleaning up a barn in New Hampshire. A guy he knew got them running, but that was it.



Then i went into the Navy & i ended up in San Diego, just about every payday, i would go a Rental Shop & get a different bike to go sight seeing .

After i left the Navy, i stayed in San Diego County & bought a VW Trike, it had the 1200 cc engine that i rolled over sideways while going through a Jack in the Box drive through, i had done a wheelie & the right tire climbed a tree. I had help setting it back on its wheels & drove it home, it needed a bit of welding on the foot rest bar & some fibreglass patching, i kept it long enough to go through 2 engine rebuilds & then one early morning, a guy was making a left turn right into me, the Sun had blinded him.
I patched up the trike & put it up for sale, for one thing i didn't care for riding with my butt about 8" above the pavement, bumpers look different from down there.
The other thing was, i commissioned a guy to build me a Harley trike.
It was so close to being finished & i didn't have room for 2 trikes

It started as a 1979 HD FLH, then someone had chopped it & made it into a show bike, I gave him a good for me deal,

The frame was chopped down in the back & a swingarm setup with shocks as welded on.
The narrow forks were taken off & i had purchased a Wide Glide set up that was tweaked from an accident, it was sent up to a place in Los Angeles that was able to straighten them out,
The huge Weber carburetor was taken off & replaced with an S&S.










I have enjoyed riding it, to bad that it has to go sometime in the near future

 

[Fatbob Frank]

I've had a lotta bikes throughout the years.
I've gone from this Honda to this Harley.
The Harley is nice but I think I had more fun with the Honda!!

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View attachment 240561

Nice! Night Train?

 

[rocket]

gazing at the clamshell.....soon, very soon.....

 

[Alien Spyder]

Nice! Night Train?

Yeah, it's a 2003 Night Train.
I wanted a Standard but I didn't want the gray motor so I went with the Train.
I did all the mods myself. I got the paint job on Ebay for $1,200 bucks.
It's #00 of 50.

Back in 2008 I went to Daytona bike week and found out that Harley Displays all the new 00 paint jobs in the Ocean Center so I know that back in 2004 these exact tins were there on display.

​

 

[rod from md]

had alot of two wheeled toys over the years.. raced enduros and hare scrambles until my 50th...trees somehow became bigger and more hostile
this is one of my winter projects a few years back and my fav of all the builds ive done ..not sure which category it falls into

 

[rod from md]

being a kid in the 70s, my dad got me hooked...trials was one of the aspects he got me into

now, vintage trials is a thing and i occasionally got out when time allowed (ty250 as it was easy for parts)

the biggest one is the 247 of my dads( farthest in) ..restored it a fewyears back

then had to get the rest of the collection