[4zpeed]

Originally Posted by MarkS57

But, are they numbers matching?

Bwahhaha!!! You have quite the memory, they are as far as I'm concerned.

[srmmmm]

Rode over 40,000 miles between a pair of Yamaha 650 Maxims with shaft drive. I always rode with the assumption that other drivers did not see me though and that I was the only person responsible for my safety on the road.

Never failed to enjoy being on them until I moved into the DFW area and had to cope with obscene traffic levels and "blind" drivers oblivious to bikers on the road. My insurance policy went from $360 a year to almost $900 a year moving from Norman, OK to DFW. Another indication of the perils of the metrolplex.

[locomotivebreath]

No worries boomers ! Doo-rag not included

[dataway]

What's weird is Europe has millions and millions of people that ride two wheeled transport of some kind. Large scooters ( think 500cc) are everywhere, on every road, buzzing down every side street. Often you'll see an equal number of cars and bikes on the road in cities.

But, their death rate for motorcycle riders is far lower. Big factor is you actually have to know how to ride on two wheels to get a license there. It's a tiered system, you can't just go out and buy a 1000cc bike, you have to start small and work your way up.

And it helps that their auto drivers actually pay attention.

From the 50's - 90's the US produced many world champion motorcycle road racers .. now there is not a single American even competing in the premiere classes. The mini-van, helicopter-mom basically put an end to young people learning to ride and race motorcycles.

World wide the US is a motorcycle anomaly. Worst bike riders, one manufacturer, pathetic level of road racing and the most bizarre attitude towards two wheels and the people that ride them. The whole portrayal of a motorcycle rider as a "rebellious", manly man, tough guy etc. ... just doesn't exist in Europe with the exception of the very small percentage doing their imitation of US "biker gangs"

I love having dinner in some alley in Naples and watching the heavy set 50 year old Grandma's buzz by on their scooters with a grandchild on the back holding a box of groceries on the way home to the family.

[KS circutguy]

Originally Posted by locomotivebreath

No worries boomers ! Doo-rag not included

Depends

[KS circutguy]

[locomotivebreath]

Jorts & white socks ! Man I hope that doesn’t happen to me .

[ta6point6]

I work in Ortho and see plenty of people who have been injured on bikes every year and it is usually not their fault. Lower leg injuries from bike accidents become a puzzle for the Ortho Docs to put back together and even then it may not heal.
I do not get why older folks ride bikes with the straight pipes, you lose hearing as you get older anyway why speed up the process. Not to mention older guys riding hard tails that put every road bump through the spine not to mention the stress on the knees. My cousin had a truck pull out in front of him and he fractured his femur and his pelvis, he still lives with pain to this day.

[TAKerry]

Love the original post, I about peed myself reading the list. The only exception is #12. It has been a couple of years since I have been to a HD dealer. On our recent trip my wifes best friend had us stop at all along the way and get t shirts for her family. The new bikes have a bigger screen above the tank than a couple of tvs in my house! IMO absolutely ridiculous. My bike still has a carb. A few years ago I needed some parts for my 01 Roadking (they mustve made a zillion of these things). Parts were no longer available but you can find any kind of baby booty, bib, dog leash or bandanna with Harley Davidson branding. I will keep my old ride chugging along as far as I can, and will stick with my antique brit bikes. NO new Harleys for me. I have been riding since 1973, starting with dirt bikes, my first street bike was 'the widowmaker' (mach III), bought my first kick start only harley in 1982. I have ridden all over the country.

[george kujanski]

I had a MachIII also back in the day. Bullet with no brakes. When the RPM hit 3000, it was like being shot out of a cannon. Scary stuff. The 750cc flavor must have been even worse.

George

[Half-Inch Stud]

Dumbass MGMT has everything they need to make a 60 MPG "smartcar" with 400+ mile range.

[RocktimusPryme]

Ive ridden twice and crashed once, so Im good. It always astounds me the number of people who ride without helmets. Its like, dude you know your brain is inside that head right? I guess Im technically a millennial. Most of the time when the old guard complains about millennials they are actually complaining about a later generation. I mean I turn 40 this year. I somehow get lumped in with children.

I would wonder if sportbike sales are down too or just Harley. I know the price tag is way steeper. ( I just looked, a new R6 is around 13k and a new Electraglide is double that)

[dataway]

I just sold my sport bike a few months ago. It was never comfortable (owned it 23 years), and I no longer feel the desire to go 180 mph

Soon as we settle in the new place I'll get a new dirt bike, and a "SuperMoto" style street bike with a much more upright seating position.

For all you wimps ... here is some photos from my wife's racing career ... I taught her everything I knew and she ended up with a lot bigger trophy case than I had

This is what it looks like when you actually KNOW how to ride a bike. Although ... she hates riding on the street.

[b-man]

Wow, now that’s hot!

Especially the shot of her riding monkey on the sidehack.

Can she cook?

[KS circutguy]

Can she kick you a$$ as well?

[poncho-mike]

I started riding motorcycles as soon as I got my driver's license. At the time, I had a CL125 Honda that I rode on our property (15 acres). I got my license in summer 1973, and two months later the Arab Oil Embargo hit. After being adamant I wasn't going to ride a bike on the street, my dad tagged the bike and put a luggage rack on back. Dad ran a garage on our property, so the bike was used for trips to the parts store and pretty much anything else I could tie down in a milk crate. I live in the south so there was rarely bitter cold, but I rode it year round for probably a year. I later bought a Suzuki GT380, then a Kawasaki 750, and finally a Suzuki GT550. I'm partial to the 2-strokes. I sold my bikes after my wife got pregnant with our first child.

I would love to have a GT750 (Water Buffalo). I do FB Marketplace and Craigslist searches for a nice 550 or 750 occasionally.

[Stuart]

Originally Posted by poncho-mike

I later bought a Suzuki GT380, then a Kawasaki 750, and finally a Suzuki GT550. I'm partial to the 2-strokes. I sold my bikes after my wife got pregnant with our first child.

I would love to have a GT750 (Water Buffalo). I do FB Marketplace and Craigslist searches for a nice 550 or 750 occasionally.

My brother bought a GT550 in 1975, I took my license test on it. They were nice bikes, a lot more civilized than their Kawasaki competition. I sold most of my Suzuki collection a couple years ago, including a GT750 - these days they can be difficult and expensive to restore, so it went to a guy who's braver than I.

[Half-Inch Stud]

...i had the GPZ550 and liked it alot. But same deal in selling to best the odds with crouded roads.

[KS circutguy]

Had a Kawasaki H1 and a H2 I bought in Japan while on a West Pac Cruise,
Sold the H2 after uncrating it and setting it up for much more than I paid.
They were fast in the 70's but nothing compares to the GSR-GSX 1100-1150's of the mid late 80's to me.
And now they seem slow.lol

Also I always felt safer on my bike at track days than on the street cause most of us knew our limits.

[dataway]

Originally Posted by b-man

Wow, now that’s hot!

Especially the shot of her riding monkey on the sidehack.

Can she cook?

She can cook fine when she wants to. She's always cooking great stuff for family gatherings, parties at work etc. .... but not nearly as often for just me.

Racing she took full advantage of being 50-100 lbs lighter than the male racers on bikes that had about 30hp or less. But she was precise and methodical in her racing, very rarely crashing.

Not sure how she managed it but right now she has a dirt bike and a street bike and I have none.

PS. She's dying to get moved down to TN next year ... why? Because she wants a Kubota skid steer.