SlushboxTeggy

Recently I've been looking into bikes and I hope to pick one up by next summer. All this research seems to lead to the same questions when I talk to other bikers, so I figured I'd ask them on here just to get a survey of a slightly larger group.

1)What do you ride?

2)Have you ever been down? If so, explain the situation.

3)Add any cool stories or anything you feel other riders should know or hear about.

The three guys I know the best that have bikes have all been down.
Friend #1-Wrecked while stunting on his Buell. Walked away fine but the bike was toast. Replaced it with a Busa and rides it like he has a death wish.
Friend #2-My best friend. CBR 600. Rides like an ass when he's with my first friend. Never actually been down. Lost control after hitting a pothole and clipped his foot on a telephone pole. 6 broken bones. Surgery, rehab, and such. He plans to be back on before the season ends.
Friend #3-The sanest of the 3. Rides a Harley Sportster. However he's been down twice. Also the weakest rider of the 3, but that's fairly obvious.

I'm thinking of a Triumph Bonneville. Don't want a sport bike and I don't feel right being on a Asian cruiser. And I hate Harleys.

So let's hear what you had/have and some stories to go along with it.

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E_SolSi

had a sport bike
crashed it in 2000
was doing about 40mph on a straight flat road, guy in a dodge ram didnt see me and took a left, T-boned him at 40...broke pretty much everything... spent about 18 months recovering...
its been posted on here before, i dont feel like typing it all out or searching to link to it

recently have gotten the itch to ride again
if i do get another bike i will be getting a supermoto
either the Suzuki DRZ 400SM or the Husqvarna 610SM

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double0Si

1)2007 GSX-R600

2)Once when I first started learning. Turning right out of a dead stop hit some gravel. Got a little tail wag, corrected and began to give it more throttle. It kicked out again. Minor fairing scrapes.

3)No really cool stories. But the all around riding experience is just awesome. When I'm bored, I ride. If it gets too hot to sit around, I ride. If I wanna get away and think about things or nothing at all, I ride. I've felt that my motorcycle was the best purchase I ever made.

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There are no stupid questions, but there are a lot of inquisitive idiots.
TWIN Turbo V8 CRX

Quote:

Originally Posted by 93civicracer I'm a real enthusiast for Japanese cars, I like the small things here n there that are different on jdm vehicles like lips, foglights, and the tiny differences especially the emblems for some reason.

B

everyone always says... it's not a matter of if, but WHEN you will go down... and how bad.

I can't name one person i know who rides who hasn't been down...
some, a simple drop in a parking lot
others in the woods on dirt bikes
others very serious

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phyregod

'07 CBR 1000rr

Yes, several years ago. I had a piece of shit Yamaha 650 special that I had purchased for $150, not running. Got it running good, repaired everything that was wrong with it (or so I thought). Was riding down a dirt road around 40mph when the front brake decided to lock down and not let go. Luckily the front wheel slid in the gravel/dirt and the bike didn't just immediately go end over end.. I rode it in a sliding holy shit stoppie kind of a move as long as I could, but it did finally go over. I jumped over the handle bars, and landed in front of the bike, came to a running stop. Then the bike came sliding up behind me and took my feet out from under me.. Minor bruises, busted a bunch of stuff on the bike. I had to bleed the pressure off of the front brake because it was still locked up, master was fried I guess. Started it up, rode it home at 3mph and parked it. Sold it to a guy for $150.

I spoke with a bunch of people back in the day, about riding.. and a couple of bits of advise/wisdom have stuck with me.. These are from old salty riders who had been riding for 40+ years...
1: Its not IF you go down, its WHEN you go down, and how hard.
2: If you have a bad gut feeling about getting on your bike one day, take the car.
3: If you ever lose fear/respect for the bike, stop riding.

Things that I've picked up in the last couple of years:

4: "Don't dress for the ride, dress for the slide."
Meaning, don't dress to be "comfortable" or "cool".. Always wear protective gear, always be ready to go down. Sometimes its hot and it sucks. Wear it anyway.

5: A movie line I stole, and it works well for riding.. "Have a constant state of suspicious awareness". Always know everything about your current situation. Always have an exit route planned, always scan the driveways, beside you, behind you, side streets.. Always assume that the asshole that is sitting at that stop sign is about to pull out in front of you, and know in your head exactly what action you will take when he does. Because sometimes, he really will. Assume everyone is out to get you. Everyone wants to pull out in front of you, people driving beside you will just merge right into your lane.. Its like bikers are invisible. Keep a safe distance in front of and behind you, and never ride beside a vehicle.

6: When you are alone on a road, practice your emergency stops and swerves. Practice practice practice!! Get to know your bike and exactly what point your brakes will lock up. Do this often! Learn how to stop it at the very edge of its ability. You will use this gained knowlege and it will most likely save your life some day. If you don't practice and someone pulls out in front of you, its easy to lock em up and lose control. If you practice alot, you will know how hard you can mash those brakes and you will know what your bike is going to do. This goes for the front and rear brakes. Always use both. Don't get lazy and use one or the other, because in an emergency, you want to be trained to use both. Same with swerving. practice!

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double0Si

^ great advice. Every one of those things has happened to me in the year I've been riding. Hell, probably in the 4 months I've been riding in chicago!

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Si vis pacem, para bellum
There are no stupid questions, but there are a lot of inquisitive idiots.
TWIN Turbo V8 CRX

Quote:

Originally Posted by 93civicracer I'm a real enthusiast for Japanese cars, I like the small things here n there that are different on jdm vehicles like lips, foglights, and the tiny differences especially the emblems for some reason.

NissanNiNjA2nd

Currently... nothing. I've owned 17 bikes in 5 years and ridden many more.

Yes, many times. From old ladies pulling out in front of me, to drunk rednecks trying to run me over.

Worst one..... I was 21 years old and started out from home to head to school, roughly a 20 mile ride. I had just entered the city and was sitting at a stop light behind a red sunfire. The light goes green and I begin to pull through behind the sunfire, half way through the intersection the sunfire stops at almost exactly the same moment I see the brake light come on a elderly woman in a lincoln runs the red light to my right. The front passenger side of her car nailed the swing arm of my bike so hard it ripped it out from under the bike and she took it with her. I rolled/spun/slid down the passenger side of her car. From the force of impact and the way she spun me I ended up head butting her windshield, but as if I was coming from the other direction. After it was all said and done, my ninja ended up under the sunfire, I was laying behind where I started and the lady in the lincoln made it almost a mile down the road before her radiator puked enough out to over heat the engine and smoke enough for her to stop driving. As I was laying there I literally kept hearing bells. After a little bit I picked myself up and realized the bells were people in the intersection honking their horns for me to move.... somewhere in the neighborhood of 100-150 cars.

I ended up with a single spot of road rash on my left arm and my jeans were torn.

You are invisible, no matter what color, how loud, how you ride, or any other reason.... you are 100% invisible. People WILL pull in front of you, cut you off, merge into you, and generally try to run you over. You have to be 100% aware, 100% of the time. It's not that it take people a long time to ride.... it takes most people a while to realize how terrible of a driver everyone around them is and how much you have to concentrate while riding. Everyday is a battle to get to your destination alive.

That being said, there is nothing like it.

SlushboxTeggy

Great advice from all. Any opinions on Triumph. I've never heard anything bad but then again I might just be talking to the wrong people.

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B

you never see triumph riders on their bikes.... they have t-shirts that tell you they are owners, but the bikes never run. lol

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SlushboxTeggy

I've heard the same stuff about Harleys too. And frankly I'd rather a Triumph then a Harley any day. It will never be my main mode of transport and I doubt I'd ride it more than an hour or two from home anyway. Still not decided though. May even still get a sport bike, who knows.

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Battle Pope

I don't care what people say, when I get a bike it will be an import cruiser.

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SlushboxTeggy

Maybe I'll just do that and flat black it and de-badge it. Haha.

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double0Si

My friend has an 04 Daytona. He seems to like it a lot. And before I got my bike I almost bought a 69' Triumph that was given the chopper treatment back in the day but it got sold out from under me. But as far as their new cruisers I've got no idea. Id love a Honda Fury but they're as expensive as a new litre bike or Busa/ZX14.

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Si vis pacem, para bellum
There are no stupid questions, but there are a lot of inquisitive idiots.
TWIN Turbo V8 CRX

Quote:

Originally Posted by 93civicracer I'm a real enthusiast for Japanese cars, I like the small things here n there that are different on jdm vehicles like lips, foglights, and the tiny differences especially the emblems for some reason.

SlushboxTeggy

Daytonas look sweet, but I'm pretty sure I want a cruiser and the Bonnevilles just look awesome.

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Battle Pope

These caught my eye out of all the bikes at the local shops.

Suzuki Cycles - Product Lines - Cycles - Products - Boulevard M50 - 2009 - M50

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E_SolSi

im pretty sure thats what neonmike rides

he loves his

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double0Si

Friend of mine has a Suzuki Velusia (bouelevard pre fuel injection and a name change.) He has his badges stripped and people think its a Harley or at least not Japanese all the time. He too loves his bike. They look good especially with the sporty tail.

__________________
Si vis pacem, para bellum
There are no stupid questions, but there are a lot of inquisitive idiots.
TWIN Turbo V8 CRX

Quote:

Originally Posted by 93civicracer I'm a real enthusiast for Japanese cars, I like the small things here n there that are different on jdm vehicles like lips, foglights, and the tiny differences especially the emblems for some reason.

SlushboxTeggy

That Velusia/Boulevard is damn sexy...

EDIT: A few on craigslist. Like this one but WTF is with that sidecar?
http://cnj.craigslist.org/mcy/1321736071.html

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Battle Pope

It looks pretty retarded, but you might be able to resell it.

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92stoccord

I have my blast. It's... a blast. doesn't go fast enough to speed, doesn't do anything really. Just a starter bike. Never been down.

How old of a triumph are you talking here?

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Phyregod The big goal of the cafe racers back in the day was to hit 100mph. If you put a 600rr engine in one, you're going to hit mach 3 and then get spokes and brake fragments lodged into your torso.

SlushboxTeggy

To buy and ride, fairly new. If I was to tinker with one, pretty old. Older than me. Probably 70s.

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efhondakid

Im with E for the supermoto, my friend had the Suzuki DR-Z400SM and it was a really fun bike.

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jeffie7

GSX-R1000

Nope, not yet, (handful of times on dirt) but that's not your question.

Many stories. Bottom line, no one sees you, even if they're looking straight at you, never assume anyone sees you. Ride like that and you'll lower your risk of crashing a good bit. But... shit happens, its a risk and its worth taking.

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95b16coupe

i live like this this. always, ALWAYS trust your gut. trust any other 'signs' too.

you could have a neon bike with neon bulb helicopter propellors and people wont see you. hell, even if they see you, wave to you, and give you a wink and smile, don't expect them to follow the law or yield to you. cagers HATE bikes. they don't care if you are following the law, they will cut you off, not yield, and act opposite to any type of brain usage.

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neonmike

Yep thats exactly what i have and i love it the only thing that i had changed that made it more comfortable is the seat. the stock one blows. other than that it has great power and handles great.