Which was your best motorcycle ?

[Riverumbbq]

OK, this is meant to accompany the excellent 1'st car thread brought to us by @-X-.

I learned to ride a street bike on a Honda 450 in 1969, and it actually was a great ride :

In 1979 both my best friend and I purchased two '79 Harley 'Lowriders' from Glendale Harley in So.Cal. with the express intention of riding cross country during the summer of 1980. We were both fortunate to live within a few blocks of a VP for Jammer Magazine/catalog, a subsidiary of Jammer Motorcycle Accessories, the second largest aftermarket Harley parts dealer after PoughCo. The below picture is what my Bike looked like leaving the dealership, but our friend EZ tricked out both bikes and published the pictures in his magazine at absolutely no cost to us for the customization. I paid shortly before for a custom paint job, but the pictures were destroyed in a house fire and only remain now in some obscure 1980 Jammer Magazine Parts Catalog. I also provided a few models who were only too happy to pose for Jammer to try to jump start a career.
Anyway, we went on our tour and it was without doubt the very best trip/vacation of my life, even if cut short in the Canadian Rockies due to mechanical problems with my buddy's bike which cleaned us out financially. Some of the stories I could tell are so fantastic you wouldn't believe me, but we really did have the time of our lives packed into less than a month.

Eleven years earlier my dad and his best friend died on a BMW, and they had ridden for well over 20 years together on both Harley's and then later with 1959 R69 BMW's. They once rode with a group of near 50, only 4 or 5 of them lasted into their 50's and beyond. Dad sold his last bike about a year prior to the accident at 44, they were riding double on his buddy's bike for that final short excursion. Drinking did them in.

While young at the time, I still got bit with the bug, but rode for just a few more years time after they passed the helmet law in California.
If you don't count the 'baja' bug, I haven't owned a car since the late 70's, only trucks for me since. My diesel F350 tows my big utility trailer and boat, and that's all I need any longer, ... unless a great vintage Triumph should fall into my hands somehow, someway.

So guys, who else had a ride they loved, ... street or off-road ?

 

[norcalramfan]

1975 Yamaha XS 650. Bought it for $1300 a model year late in ‘76 new from Berkeley Yamaha when they were on University Ave. from Carl. Eventually bored it out to 750cc. I used to go to the U and I Oasis across from the C & H sugar plant in Crockett. It was a biker hangout and on Friday and Saturday nights there’d be maybe 15 to 20 Harley’s and my Yamaha parked out front. I took some good natured ribbing “ Is that thing running “ after I’d kick started it type stuff. Loved that bike, went everywhere on it. Didn’t have to wear a helmet back then and got caught in a hail storm on the freeway once. That hurt.

 

[Riverumbbq]

1975 Yamaha XS 650. Bought it for $1300 a model year late in ‘76 new from Berkeley Yamaha when they were on University Ave. from Carl. Eventually bored it out to 750cc. I used to go to the U and I Oasis across from the C & H sugar plant in Crockett. It was a biker hangout and on Friday and Saturday nights there’d be maybe 15 to 20 Harley’s and my Yamaha parked out front. I took some good natured ribbing “ Is that thing running “ after I’d kick started it type stuff. Loved that bike, went everywhere on it. Didn’t have to wear a helmet back then and got caught in a hail storm on the freeway once. That hurt.

That hail storm had to hurt. I was wearing a helmet in Oregon and the hail bounced up off my fuel tank and tore up my neck & throat.

 

[norcalramfan]

It wasn't real big stuff, between BB and pea sized, so it didn't shatter much but it sure stung at 65 mph.

 

[VegasRam]

My third Harley, ‘05 Road Glide, which I still ride.

 

[-X-]

I laid my 93 VFR down at 50 mph and saw the bone in my ankle for the first time. That was fairly gross.
The bike looked like this one.

Sold it and stopped buying street bikes after that.

Prior to that I had a great dirt bike. Kawasaki KX 125 with a powerband. A bunch of us would take our bikes out to Parkland (a then developing city in Florida) and just jump giant dirt hills all day. Loved that bike. Same as this one.

 

[DaveFan'51]

I never owned a Bike because I figured I would Kill myself if I owned one! But, If I where to Buy one it would be Lie my nephew Jordan has, this is his BABY!

 

[…..]

Suzuki Boulevard.

 

[Riverumbbq]

I laid my 93 VFR down at 50 mph and saw the bone in my ankle for the first time. That was fairly gross.
The bike looked like this one.

Sold it and stopped buying street bikes after that.

Prior to that I had a great dirt bike. Kawasaki KX 125 with a powerband. A bunch of us would take our bikes out to Parkland (a then developing city in Florida) and just jump giant dirt hills all day. Loved that bike. Same as this one.

Ouch !

In all the time i'd been riding I only witnessed two motorcycle accidents. When we rode as a group, we maintained formation except for this one squirrley dude who would annoy everyone with his antics, eventually spilling his bike all on his own. He was a good guy, but we wouldn't ride with him any longer and told him to get rid of the bike before he killed himself. Another time was in the middle of the night when a large owl flew directly into a friends face at speed and took him off his bike. Luckily (or not), his bike was more damaged than him.
The biggest problem i've found is clueless automobile drivers who will attempt left turns in front of our right of way, or people who are likely intentional with their dislike of motorcycle riders and will go out of their way to cause harm. The one simple reason I hated the helmet law is because it reduced my ability/visibility to see behind me as you really need eyes in the back of your head to avoid the idiots. The best part was having the throttle capacity to escape a potential problem. jmo.

 

[Angry Ram]

I made my own revving noises.

 

[RedRam]

I made my own revving noises.

What, no old baseball cards in the spokes?

 

[RedRam]

1978 Honda CR125M Elsinore

1990 Honda CR250R

 

[Mackeyser]

I get vertigo from time to time, but I miss my cycling days (not motor, I was training for triathlon)

So my jam, if I could, would be to have a Newmar King Aire and tow this bad boy in a trailer.

I love my wife so much, I'd even ride bitch (every once in a while).

But yeah, I really, really, really dig the Can-Am trikes.

Also, living in Florida, any trust I might have had in drivers is COMPLETELY GONE. That and with how rapidly the weather changes, I'd hate to be on two wheels and in the middle of a Florida downpour which, if you've never experienced one, is NOTHING like rain in any other part of the country, even Hawaii.

Thought about a Slingshot (pic below), but wife and I, if we could ever do it, both want a motorcycle feel and used to longingly look at the Honda Goldwing Aspencades (well, I did and she concurred. That's the same, right?

Looks more like a trike go-cart than a trike motorcycle. Has some nice doo-dads, but my neighbor has one and while it's totally a hoot, it's not what we're looking for experience wise.

On a side note, there is an alternative that I've been watching for YEARS!!! It's the Lit Motors C1 electric motorcycle, but it has a stability gyro among some other amazing tech.

With the gyros spun up, it is basically as stable as a car with protection from the elements. If they start manufacturing, I could see going for two of those as opposed to the Spyder just because...by the time we might be able to do it, riding in the elements might not seem as fun.

Plus, it's electric, so they can be fully charged at the campground or any number of places.

Anyway, looking forward to reading the stories. Oh and @Riverumbbq I would totally believe you, so you have to find a way to share those epic stories!

 

[RamFan503]

My first real dirt bike. Looked very much like this one. My brother tricked it out a bit an then sold it to me. And yes... my hero was Roger Decoster.

 

[1maGoh]

I get vertigo from time to time, but I miss my cycling days (not motor, I was training for triathlon)

So my jam, if I could, would be to have a Newmar King Aire and tow this bad boy in a trailer.

I love my wife so much, I'd even ride bitch (every once in a while).

But yeah, I really, really, really dig the Can-Am trikes.

Also, living in Florida, any trust I might have had in drivers is COMPLETELY GONE. That and with how rapidly the weather changes, I'd hate to be on two wheels and in the middle of a Florida downpour which, if you've never experienced one, is NOTHING like rain in any other part of the country, even Hawaii.

Thought about a Slingshot (pic below), but wife and I, if we could ever do it, both want a motorcycle feel and used to longingly look at the Honda Goldwing Aspencades (well, I did and she concurred. That's the same, right?

Looks more like a trike go-cart than a trike motorcycle. Has some nice doo-dads, but my neighbor has one and while it's totally a hoot, it's not what we're looking for experience wise.

On a side note, there is an alternative that I've been watching for YEARS!!! It's the Lit Motors C1 electric motorcycle, but it has a stability gyro among some other amazing tech.

With the gyros spun up, it is basically as stable as a car with protection from the elements. If they start manufacturing, I could see going for two of those as opposed to the Spyder just because...by the time we might be able to do it, riding in the elements might not seem as fun.

Plus, it's electric, so they can be fully charged at the campground or any number of places.

Anyway, looking forward to reading the stories. Oh and @Riverumbbq I would totally believe you, so you have to find a way to share those epic stories!

There's a guy in my neighborhood with a covered bike that looks similar to that. His looked older, not all shiny and new like that one. I saw him driving it down the road one day.

 

[CGI_Ram]

Yeah... that’s pretty much it.

 

[Angry Ram]

What, no old baseball cards in the spokes?

You don't get that tingly feeling on the lips.

 

[BonifayRam]

Hard for me to say in my long ago era motorbike history ...

1970 Suzuki Red TC 90 Dirt Mountain dual range Trans. Most fun:banana:
1971 Yamaha Yellow 125 Enduro Tough hard nose :lifting:dirt bike
1972 Suzuki 350 Red Rebel street Best overall rating!:yess:
1972 Suzuki GT Purple 750 J 1972
1975 Kawasaki Red 350 triple street:rant::deadhorse:
1982 Suzuki Black GS650 street
1994 Yamaha 225 Green/White Mountain:sleepz:

In recent yrs I have become very happy with new purchased Honda motor products outside the motorbike era with 3 Generators & a 2017 650 white 4x4 Foreman ATV

 

[bubbaramfan]

503, I competed with Roger DeCoster at Ascot Park in the late 60's and early 70's in Motocross, 250cc class. He also rode in the 400cc+ class, a BSA 441 Victor I rode a CZ 250 and a Bultaco Pursang. Roger was amazing, I couldn't hold a candle to that guy.

My best bike was a 1952 Harley "K Model" side valve. I Raced flat track with it at Ascot

My fastest bike was a '70 Kawasaki Mach III 2 stroke. I pulled the oil-gas mix pump and blended my own fuel and 2stoke oil. 3 expansion chambers. Turned low 9's at Lions Drag Strip.

1st bike, 1961 Honda "step-through" 50. was like a girls bike, had to lift the seat to get to the gas tank.

Can't believe I lived through that time in my life.

 

[Zaphod]

I've only had two, a 95 sportster was my first bike and now I have an NC700X. As much fun as the sporty was, the Honda is a faster, better balanced, more reliable and more fun, albeit less cool all the way around.

Now I'm getting older and I just want faster, which is weird because everyone else I ride with is looking for the next best cruiser to roll on.