Your favorite motorcycles

[736cc]

(12-20-2013 10:41 AM)The ferret Wrote:  A dozen sandcasts????? Last I hear they were bringing close to $ 30K each...wow

Well, that's nowadays. I was into them 10-15 years ago when hardly anybody knew how much they'd be worth someday, or before internet made them go viral. I haven't played w/ them lately, the cats out the bag.

[TINK]

Seeing as I’m entering that “older than dirt” phase of life (I’ll be 60 next April) I’ve saddled a lot of bikes in my 45+ years for motorcycle riding. In no particular order the following bikes come to mind:

Honda VFR750/800; I owned a 1992 VFR750 for about 10 years. It was my weekend race around the canyons bike. I said I would never sell my VFR750, but, a friend was selling his 2002 VFR800 and asked if I wanted to upgrade… one ride and I was hooked. Better brakes, fuel injection, same VFR V4 linear power band with a little more pull than the 750, did I mention the AMAZING brakes!


Honda CB700S/CB750; I rode the 700S to work daily for 10+ years, put 98K miles on her. I started having trouble finding decent tires for the old 16” front and decided to upgrade to a CB750. The 750 did not have the RPM range of the 700S and was down on HP too. But all in all the 750 was a good dependable commuter bike for many years. I sold the 750 with 70K on the clock to a nice kid who continued the ride the bike daily, for all I know that bikes still racking up miles and miles.


ST1100/ST1300; I bought the ST1100 in Texas, sight unseen, and rode her back to California. A rock sold road burner. After some modes I used the ST11 for mostly long distance road trips. The ST1300 came along just after I had put a bunch of money into the ST1100 after 78K, but the deal on the ST1300 was too good to pass up. I still miss the ST1100 for its stability and comfort on the highway, but, the ST1300 has an amazing ABS brake system (the non-ABS ST11 always seemed to not have enough brakes for its bulk), fuel injection and much better low speed handling that the ST11, did I mention the AMAZING ABS brakes!



Suzuki DL650 V-Strom; this is my current commuter bike. One of the most comfortable, ride-able motorcycles I’ve ever owned. It sounds like a tractor, pulls like one too, a great all around bike. Easy on tires, flawless fuel injection, gets nearly 50mpg (when I’m not pinning the throttle all the time), what’s not to like.


BMW R100S; My current “retro” bike. She’s a 1979 R100RT that I covered to an iconic “S” model. I spent two years taking her apart and putting her back together again. She’s “old school” BMW Airhead technology with 1960’s brakes that require you to plan your braking events in advance. I love the old BMW and will likely keep her for a long time, She’s my Sunday morning ride for coffee bike, nothing more. http://www.photosbytink.com/project-s/


CB1100; I do not own a CB1100, yet. I will be retiring in June 2014 and will sell the V-Strom then and look for a CB1100. The CB1100 to me is the perfect retirement present. I love everything about the bike and can’t wait to get one of my own.

Honorable mention, other bikes I’ve owned and loved:
1965 Harley XLCH Sportster
1969 Triumph Bonneville
1954 Triumph T110
XR400 (dual sport)

TINK

[Pauley]

Sweet pics, Tink. Thanks!

[The ferret]

Nice Tink, Nice

Love looking at the Beemer..just can't handle riding the old ones

Are you photoshopped into that same corner? Lol

[TINK]

(12-20-2013 01:15 PM)The ferret Wrote:  ...Are you photoshopped into that same corner? Lol

Actually it's the guys from http://rockstorephotos.com/ that took the road pics of me on my bikes.

TINK

[The ferret]

Ahhh kinda like the Dragon photographers. Gotcha.

[ride4now]

(12-20-2013 04:56 AM)The ferret Wrote:  Still can't believe someone turned an H1 into a tourer ..... Lol

I was cold!! And my vinyl (couldn't afford leather) jacket didn't do a good job keeping me warm! It does look pretty goofy...

[bubblerboy64]

One of my favorites is the 1995 to 2003 Honda Magna (750cc) Four cylinder water cooled. Major power, perfect fit for me and I've owned three of them over the years. Bought a new one in 1999 and it was the best running of the three I've owned. Sold the last one after buying the CB1100 because well ???? I don't know seemed like the thing to do.

Some times the perfect bike is too perfect. Does that make any sense? A fellow needs a little drama and if they are perfect you seem to be missing something.


I believe the water cooled 4 like what is on the Magna is a better engine then the engine on the CB1100. Both good and it might be splitting hairs but if Honda ever re-introduced the Magna I would certainly be a buyer. I'd want a better styled bike with fuel injection and better brakes maybe but that engine is a sweet and very reliable power plant.

By the way love that BMW R100S. I've owned Bmw's and they've been a bit of a love hate deal. Expensive and quirky but I keep coming back. They are like old Porsche automobiles. The German's what can you say.

[davidsargee]

My first bike was a '71 (I think) Yamaha 175 enduro. I bought it used from a guy at our church, paid $400 for it. I was 14 years old when I bought the bike, I lied about my age in order to get a job, (at 13), to buy a bike.

I rode the wheels off, (literally), of that 175, went everywhere on it, roads or no roads, didn't matter. I had the bike for a year before I even had a license, I was raised in backwoods Louisiana, and the local deputies didn't much care as long as you were reasonably safe,(right !)

I then purchased a used '73 model Yamaha RD350, that bike was a jet. Installed expansion chambers, jetted the carbs, loved that sound.

My best friend was riding a '72 model Kawasaki H2 750, and we sounded like a pack of hornets going down the road when we rode together, he had chambers as well. He eventually moved up to the Z1, and I bought the H2. I loved that bike to this day, even considered buying one recently, but the guy just wanted too much coin.

Got married, had kids, couldn't afford bikes for a while. Later I had a Kawasaki KZ750, a Honda CB900 Custom, "retired" again for a while, and now I have the CB1100.

My all time favorite is probably the H2, simply for the sound, and of course performance, that bike just had a personality that is unmatched to this day, (lucky I survived that bike). There are now much quicker and faster bikes, of course, but I don't think I have ever seen a bike that was just plain nasty like the old H2.

The CB1100 is my current favorite, and may well end up my all time favorite, I will let you know in a couple of years.

[Mick65]

ust found this thread,
So wish I had'nt sold this about 6yrs ago, oh well.