[immtbiker]

I have 2 bikes. My loyal ride for the last 15 years has been a '93 Katana 1100 which was the last year that they made the 1100 then Suzuki made a big mistake substituting the higher end Katanas for a RF900...very uncomfortable). Here is my Katana1100:

Last year, I went for the fastest production ride on the streets (in direct competition with the Hyabusa) and although it's a monster, it handles like buttah. 200 HP, top speed of 220 with limiter removed, and a 0-60 rated at 2.28 seconds (even 2-up which I ride most of the time):

Last year I took level I with California Super Bike school at NJ Motorsport Race Track in southern NJ with the man himself, Keith Code. It was a life changing experience. This year I am taking Level II.

 

[jax]

Quote:

Originally Posted by teds headfood /img/forum/go_quote.gif I ride almost everyday unless its under 30 degrees. 2002 yamaha 1600 roadstar,v&h pipes(must be heard),corbin seat(must be comfortable/best seats on the market imo),cycleport full airmesh kevlar suit(must be protected),carbon fibre HELMET!!!!!!!. going for ride in an hour as soon as it hits 30 or warmer,need some silicone for ue cable end molds. been riding since 1965= 5 hp minibike thru dirt/enduro/cruisers.

A big thumbs-up for MotoPort/Cycleport kevlar mesh. I wear their pants and they are practically 'transparent' as far as airflow, but provide some very serious protection. Great for hot-weather riding (don't get black though), but make sure to carry a rain suit if there's a risk of getting caught in a downpour as they are 'transparent' in more ways than one. Great gear though...highly recommended. For colder weather I use Aerostich., and Gerbings heated clothing, and have a heated seat and heated grips. 30 degrees is certainly a sane limit, though I've been out in colder and have ridden through snow and been down on ice. I don't recommend the latter! We have a yearly event where I live (Seattle) called, Snow Camp, where a group of hard-core crazies go riding and camping out near Mt. Rainier on MLK weekend (January). It's always a whole lot of fun, though I haven't been in a few years.

 

[jax]

I searched my drive for SnowCamp pics and came up with this one from 2002. This was a ride up to Paradise Lodge, which they try to keep open year-round, after a night of camping at around 1500 feet. I think the date is wrong, it should be January 16, not February. Me and my ride are on the left. I've had that bike for ten years now...longest I've ever held onto a bike. It's a keeper. I prefer it to the newer version because it's easier to service and there's less computer-dependent systems on it. I do all of my own servicing and tuning. If I break down I at least want a fighting chance of doing a roadside fix rather than using my AAA membership. This bike has been as reliable as a tractor, but the only thing that once did stop me in a remote location was a hiccup in the ABS (so much for computers) that caused the rear brake pad to compress and wear down to metal. I stopped on a steep downhill to take a snapshot and wanted to hold the bike with the rear brake to have both hands free - it was a rude awakening to find no rear brake at all! I managed to make it home (about 200 miles) on just the front brake, and that's the one single time I've had any problem with the bike in ten years. It was repaired by BMW under warranty.

 

[plaidplatypus]

I would suggest a smaller bike to start with: 2010 Yamaha XT250 Home, information

Plus, you can take it places you can't take your Vespa or Ducati.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wmcmanus /img/forum/go_quote.gif Kind of an odd combination, actually. I've got a Vespa GT 125 in Cayman. It serves as Santa's sleigh, among other things. I bought it new in '07 and really enjoy it's smooth and gentle ride, but don't put all that many miles on it. It's nice to have when I want to feel the breeze. I've also recently bought an '08 Ducati monster S4RS Tricolore, but haven't ridden it yet. I've had it in storage in Florida since early November in the trailer that I pull with my motorhome. It's not registered or insured yet, nor I have taken the MSF course or obtained my motorcycle license in Florida at this point. Those are all projects for this Spring and Summer. That's just a stock photo. I forgot to take pics of mine when I picked it up in Connecticut. It's way more bike than I'm ready for at this point, in all honesty. I've been thinking about mothballing it for several more months and in the meantime buying an older, lower powered Duati monster (probably a 2 valve air cooled) for this spring/summer to be used for training wheels in terms of the MSF course, getting my license, and more importantly, getting my "legs" on street bikes. Being a bit older and more sensible than I was years ago, I'm not so worried about crashing the thing due to having an urge for speed, but I don't want to be driving the S4RS (4 value, liquid cooled) like an old granny either. That's why I think it would make sense to take my time and graduate up the line. I might even keep a lower powered Ducati for a couple of years and split my riding time between them. The S4RS is apparently much more difficult to ride at slower speeds (in stop and go traffic around town), but it's a lot more fun on the open road than the air cooled monsters. I dunno. I guess the main thing is that I love the S4RS, but know that I need to respect it.

 

[jax]

Quote:

Originally Posted by plaidplatypus /img/forum/go_quote.gif I would suggest a smaller bike to start with: 2010 Yamaha XT250 Home, information Plus, you can take it places you can't take your Vespa or Ducati.

That's the current version of the Serow, yes? Great suggestion!

 

[autonomous]

My third and probably last bike; 2004 Moto Guzzi Breva 750ie. She's a keeper!

 

[KevDo]

Riding since 1999. Had several bikes, 2x Bandit 400's (still got one), 2x ZXR750's, 1x GSXR600, 1x FZR250, 1x XJ650 cafe racer project, 4x 125's (before passing my test). Along with the Bandit 400 I now have 2x KLX650's, one with off-road gear and the other with Supermoto wheels etc. Just bought a van and taking them both off the road though. Roads over here are just getting worse, and so are the drivers lol.

 

[drewfus420]

My toy...
1978 Honda CB750 Hooligan/Cafe Racer
I have had it 3 years and refining it is an ongoing process. Very little of the original bike is left and it is just under 400lbs right now. It keeps me busy winter nights and keeps me happy all riding season. I need to snap some more recent pis, but you get the idea from the pic above.

 

[drewfus420]

these are a little more recent

 

[krmathis]

drewfus420. How about hosting the pictures somewhere we can see them without joining the sohc4 forum?
Would like to see the CB750 Hooligan/Cafe Racer... Tempted to go something like that myself.

 

[Andy80F]

For a couple of years now it's been a 1150GS adventure but in al honesty it's not as good as the F650GS Dakar I had before. It's bigger, faster and probably more capable but it's size robs it of so much of that flickable cheekyness that the Dakar had in spades. Will probably look at an 800GS later this year when the mortgage ends and money loosens just a little. However even a mediocre bike beets the best car when the weather is halfway decent and there is always the chance of one of those "Wow" rides that happen on a bike.

Andy

 

[jax]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andy80F /img/forum/go_quote.gif <snip> However even a mediocre bike beets the best car when the weather is halfway decent and there is always the chance of one of those "Wow" rides that happen on a bike. Andy

Amen! Not only that, but you tend to meet more interesting people along the way. I've found people are far more likely to approach me when I'm traveling on two wheels than if I'm traveling in a cage.

 

[immtbiker]

Hey jax, which model is yours? I had a '71 R60/5 for 10 years. 3 speed.
I put 133,000 miles on it. Use to hit the Finger Lakes Rally every year.
Honed my own cylinders at 75K.

 

[jax]

Quote:

Originally Posted by immtbiker /img/forum/go_quote.gif Hey jax, which model is yours? I had a '71 R60/5 for 10 years. 3 speed. I put 133,000 miles on it. Use to hit the Finger Lakes Rally every year. Honed my own cylinders at 75K.

Mine is a Y2K R1150GS (per the OP). I've primarily ridden/owned an 11XXGS since '96. Before that I had an Airhead R100RS, and then a mess of different bikes befor that, mostly Japanese. I'm probably approaching 175K on BMW's now. The new BMW's chassis (since '94) is a world apart from the old BMW rocking-horse chassis. If you haven't been on one recently you should take a test-ride...I think you'd be astounded in contrast to your '71. Great bikes, regardless....classic teutonic design. As I said, my 1150 has been pretty much trouble free for ten years, and I've done most of the service.

 

[drewfus420]

Quote:

Originally Posted by krmathis /img/forum/go_quote.gif drewfus420. How about hosting the pictures somewhere we can see them without joining the sohc4 forum? Would like to see the CB750 Hooligan/Cafe Racer... Tempted to go something like that myself.

Do the pix I put in the post not show up for you?
I will photoshop down the pix I have tomorrow so I can post them here.