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Post by twowheelinjim on Apr 25, 2014 23:27:59 GMT -5
When I was five years old, my older brothers taught me to ride a bicycle. It was mostly to humor themselves watching my mother stare in agony watching the baby peddling. After peddling while balancing became second nature, I tried my luck on my older brother's Puch brand moped. I was barely able to negotiate peddling while balancing the extra weight of of the moped. Of course I couldn't actually get the motor started; at least not for a few more years. That moped left a passion and a desire to ride under power that is still going strong today. Folks sometimes look at me funny when I stroll down the road on my scooters since they don't understand me or my passion. I feel scooters are the bare essence of motor biking. It doesn't matter if you ride a hog or a crotch rocket. most of us started on a small displacement vehicle and it was a thrill.
Since I was young I have been dragging home everything I could find on two wheels. This brings me back to the subject of this thread. I have recently sold off three of my last motorcycles. They were Yamaha XS-650's of various years. I really needed room in my extremely small workshop and I had a friend wanting them. These days life has me down to one bike. I have a 1961 Harley FL that will probably go to the grave with me. I grew up in the bay area of California watching choppers of every kind rumbling past me taking my breath away with just the sound of the pipes.
My question to you is:
Do you ride?
What kind of bike(s) do you own?
Although I tell myself I don't need anymore bikes, there's a 1998 KLR-650 just begging me to bring it home....
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Post by Upgrayedd on Apr 25, 2014 23:36:38 GMT -5
ohhhhh i like the KLR650s! theres a hundred mods just waiting for it! yea i ride, been riding all my life. i started out on dirtbikes, moved on to more dirtbikes, then my first street bike was an 800 special. i always liked them old xs kickstarts too, they make a nice looking custom bike. my current big ride is a honda vt1100 (shadow) thats pretty ratted out. i got 16 inch apes on her, front and rear fenders off an old FLH, drag pipes with homemade BCT baffles, buncha other little stuff. flat black paint. lotta miles on her... lotta miles. maybe time to move on to something else before long. ive been thinking about a KLR myself  |
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Post by aeroxbud on Apr 26, 2014 2:48:54 GMT -5
I started on dirt bikes too. Then had a Yamaha DT50 when I was old enough to ride on the road.
Have owned mostly sports bikes and a few trial bikes, TZR125 and 250 Fazer 600 GSXR 600,1000. Sold the bikes a few years ago the wife was not happy with me doing 90mph wheelies.
Owned the TZR 250 for about 12 years and sold it in a moment of madness, loved that bike.
Only bike I own now is a Honda hornet 600. The wife did not want me to have another sports bike, told me "it was time to grow up" lol. Made me promise no more stunts!
It certainly slows you down not having a fairing, which is a good thing.
Got any pictures of the Harley twowheelinjim?
THe KLR is a good bike, used to love all the old 600 trial bikes.
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Post by 90GTVert on Apr 26, 2014 7:03:19 GMT -5
I've only owned small engine little stuff like scooters and pocket bikes. When I was young a friend bought a brand new Honda Magna 750. We had a tight-knit group of friends and we all looked at bikes at that point. Most of us wanted one, but couldn't afford them without selling a car or something. One other friend did get a Suzuki Marauder and rode for I guess a couple of months before my friend with the Honda was killed by a drunk that turned in front of him. We had never lost a friend before and this hit us hard. The guy with the Suzuki sold it not long after and the rest of us gave up on bikes for a while.
A few years later a friend showed up with this little pocket bike that at the time I thought was stupid. Then he got me to ride it. I had a blast. Bought my own little 2T cateye and we used to race in parking lots. A group of us bought 50-110cc 4T pocket bikes (midbikes) and couldn't wait for a Friday night to meet up at my house and go out riding. We eventually got pulled over because they aren't street legal. That lead to myself and another friend buying scooters. One gave up and went back to spending all his time on muscle cars. Another bought a CBR600RR. Another friend bought a scooter to ride with me and he later ended up with a 600RR as well and his 150cc scoot sits in my garage collecting dust.
I love two-wheelers now. I've rode big bikes a very small amount and practiced for motorcycle tests on them, but I've never got my M endorsement. I would absolutely own a bike right now if I could afford it. Even if I got a used bike though, I have to work on everything so it would get ridiculous in a hurry. I have opened up a friend's 600 and I could easily get addicted to that feeling. I have a hard time with restraint if I'm driving or riding and make bad decisions so putting me on something really fast may not be a great idea.
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Post by 2TDave on Apr 26, 2014 8:09:38 GMT -5
I rode dirt bikes as a kid. Love my scooters and I always will have one or maybe more. Going to look at a project scoot later today. But the bug has bit me and I've been looking at CB599's(600 hornets overseas) I'm not in a hurry and it'll be a project as well. I recently joined a 599 forum for ideas. My wallets already wincing and I haven't even purchased a big bike yet. Lol
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Post by oldgeek on Apr 26, 2014 9:31:44 GMT -5
Bicycles were my start, funny though, for some reason, I don't remember learning how to ride a bicycle.
In 1978 my neighbor offered me a choice of either a 1973 honda trail 70, or a 1972 honda XL70 both of which needed work. I chose the XL70 cause it looked more like a dirt bike. My dad had it fixed at the shop for $180.00 which was a lot of money for us at the time. I rode that bike all over the place until I was about 16, then car fever got the best of me for quite some time. I always wanted 2 wheels to ride, but starting a family took priority. Today I am VERY happy riding 2T scooters, though around here there are Harleys and sportbikes everywhere, scooters too for that matter.
Harleys are nice, but If I had the funds, I would LOVE a RD400 or similar street bike. I also like the older metrics.
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Post by Upgrayedd on Apr 26, 2014 9:37:39 GMT -5
The scooters have a permanent place with me now  |
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Post by aeroxbud on Apr 26, 2014 13:35:46 GMT -5
I rode dirt bikes as a kid. Love my scooters and I always will have one or maybe more. Going to look at a project scoot later today. But the bug has bit me and I've been looking at CB599's(600 hornets overseas) I'm not in a hurry and it'll be a project as well. I recently joined a 599 forum for ideas. My wallets already wincing and I haven't even purchased a big bike yet. Lol There are a lot of parts available to bling up and improve these bikes. I am trying not to mess about with mine, but fancy some lower Renthal's. I would try and get a 2003 model onward as they have the 17" front wheel. Makes tyre choice easier, but can get some good 16" tyres like S20's |
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Post by 2TDave on Apr 26, 2014 13:58:09 GMT -5
Yea I was looking for an '06 with the newer style forks although I love the '04 in the asphalt color. First things will be exhaust, bars and mirrors. The 3 things that bug me most.
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Post by 2stroked on Apr 26, 2014 14:40:22 GMT -5
I used to. My last bike was an 89 Honda Ascot 500R. I loved that bike, but almost killed myself on her one night. After recovery, which took 3 months, I started wanting to ride again. I could not hold or balance a big bike anymore though. So, I bought my first scoot, an 02 e ton beamer 50 2t. I fell in love. That one was stolen shortly after I traded for a couple junkers to build. Now, I have most of a beamer, that flys cuz of the great people here.
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Post by scooterpimp on Apr 26, 2014 14:49:45 GMT -5
My very first 2 wheeler was a 63 lambretta tv175. Then onto dirtbikes , then streetbikes , back to dirtbikes now back to scooters. Ran the H-D, s , & Trumpets ( triumph) chopped & hardtailed all of them. But always liked my scooters .vespa, lammies , were a favorite for years .Thats how I earned the Scooterpimp name. Now it doesnt matter if its from Italy, japan, china etc. Scooters are my hangup. |
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Post by aeroxbud on Apr 26, 2014 18:03:51 GMT -5
Yea I was looking for an '06 with the newer style forks although I love the '04 in the asphalt color. First things will be exhaust, bars and mirrors. The 3 things that bug me most. Mine is an 06 model, The 05 CBR forks give it a bit of bling Always used to fit race pipes, but quite like the standard sound now. Must be getting old! |
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Post by 2TDave on Apr 26, 2014 18:11:47 GMT -5
I don't want anything crazy loud. It's a style thing for me. I just don't care for the looks of the stocker. I'm breaking the wife into the idea slowly but I probably screwed up by telling her I was going to look at another scooter. I pretty sure she didn't believe the "it's a fix and flip" story.
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Post by Sitticuss on Apr 27, 2014 0:58:06 GMT -5
I've always preferred two wheels. I had my first mini bike at 10. During the winter it was a snowmobile. Two wheels was my life until i was 20 and had a serious accident doing some off road stuff. I'd had numerous spills growing up like everyone I guess. The doctor showed me some x-ray's of my spine etc. He asked if i liked walking. I sold all motorcycles and cut myself off from that world for over twenty years. Now i'm older and the family is gone so i figured why not. Been messing around with scooters for almost two years now. I still don't ride much but my new wife loves it. I have no desire to go faster than a 50cc will take me. And neither does she.
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Post by craisin on Apr 27, 2014 5:38:43 GMT -5
i started riding my older brothers James 90cc in the horse paddock. First bike i bought was a TS250 broke 3 pistons about one per year.
Got given a RD350 it ran like a dog till i got a dial indicator and timed the ignition and carbs
Then a YB125 the coil would get hot and not start. I put a ballast resistor and GT40 coil
Got a RM125 and put 4 speed 72cc china motor in reg as a scooter for 3 years. No speedo no tach
i have 3 scooters and a 85 CB250rs that needs TLC
In 1987 i fractured 5 vertabrae my pelvis and 2 screws in my knee and broken bones in my feet in a parachute accident.
Friends thought it funny that i could still ride a bike so i got to ride over 1000cc bikes and it was a blast.
But the scoot is slow in comparison but if i got a 1000cc bike i would never have a licence.
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