Are you getting old when...
 

you sit on bikes at the dealer and imagine how nice it would be to have a big fat comfy seat versus a narrow plank of rubber? or an upright position versus laying on the tank?

Or when cruising down the interstate at 80mph on your SS and think how lovely it might be to have a windscreen big enough to block a little bit of the wind so you arent buffeted off the bike?

i dont even know you anymore.

if so, then call me old. I caught myself looking at a bike based on those same attributes the other day...

Actually I find laying on the tank quite comfortable, But I sometimes wonder if people think I'm a dweeb when I'm doing it in 25mph zones :rockwoot:

Well, I am your "momma" rae after all...:wink:

I just find myself kinda wishing for a nice comfy but still sporty ride for the street, Vstroms are rather attractive currently to me...and cheap...and then I could track my GSXR out...

:lol: Well, I dont so much mind laying on the tank, and Im known to do rather odd things while moving down the road (hey, I get bored easily) but well...:shrug:

but then you'd loose all that street cred u've earned over the years.

I only call u momma rae to ur face, cause then i get to cally u milfy rae to ur back.

snort

Cant wait to see ya babe, been too long! You got any heart attacks in store for me this year?

gosh, i dont think so. i've still got a week to whip something up though.

How about when you are thinking of selling your sportbike for a BMW GS? Touring is becoming more appealing to me and the track is starting to get less exciting.

touring requires time though. U've been married less than a year, and if u ever plan on having kids that'll put a nix in ur plans.

I do love me some some 800gs though
http://www.motorrad-news.com/wp-cont..._f800gs-12.jpg
thats the bike i'd want to take through europe.

The uncomfortable bikes are meant for the track.

That is how I use them.

I have no use for a sportbike on the street where I live.

:dribble:

F800GS FTMFW. I'm thinking a bike like that may be the next acquisition.. but not until after I get back from Iraq (and maybe not until after the wedding).

It's just not as comfortable as the big GS though. Getting the big GS is with being married in mind. We don't plan on kids anytime soon. We test drove a GS and she really enjoyed riding on it as opposed to any of the other bikes I have had. It is something we could take trips on.

can you convince my wife that SHE wants a GS as much as I do??

I've been having those exact same thoughts lately.

JC

You convinced her to marry you, how hard could it be? :lol:

JC

For me, I love the track, and since I'll be living on top of it when I move this summer I am sure I'll get plenty of track time!

The hubby is learning to ride now, and while he is loving it, both he and his dad are more laid back, into the more touring type stuff (we'll also be right near his parents). As much as I love the speed and twisties, I too want to see some of what I am riding past other than "look, butterfly"! :lol:

And that damn bug that got Ebbs got me too, I want to see the world from my bike, and the more comfortable ride I get, the less aches and pains and the further I go.

I dunno, nothing in the works as of right now for a new bike, but im thinking on it...

Take her to the dealership and let her ride one with you that has all the luggage (especially the tail case with the back rest) If she doesn't like riding that, than I think you are out of luck convincing her to ride with you.

Yeah, I been thinking about it a lot since last season. I started off wanting the 800, but that wouldn't fix the can't take the wife along issue. I have progressed as far as I really want to go street and track wise. One bad wreck could put me down for awhile at the speed I can go now. Reached all the goals I wanted out of it. Think it is time to back it down. I also have been starting to ride dirt and really enjoying it. It's a new challenge.

See, we've had touring in the back of our mind all along. We've never thought "Oh one day we'll graduate to cruisers..." We've always said "I wanna grow up to be a Bimmer geek." :lol:

I look forweard to being old, retired, and having a nice faded Aerostitch suit.

Yeah, I've often wondered about that :lol:

She likes riding on the back of the SV, figure that out :lol:

Tracy has a running head start on you. :rofl:

Yeah, I think it's the natural progression for the locals around here too. You reach a certain speed at the gap, where you either decide to move on from that rush by finding dirt or touring or you take it to the next level of stupid. I think I am at that point and I don't have any interest in uping the stupid. So it's on to slower stuff for me, I think.

I have no interest in cruisers.

are you calling him old? :zowned: :lol:

:whistle:

im at the point were i almost have too many miles to think about selling the rc, if i did it would be almost like giving it away, so i think i will almost always have a SS in the garage...

but a klr 650 or versys would be a nice addition

Yeah I'm thinking the big bmw is in my future... Though I like the 800 a bit more...idk

He has scars older than her :rofl:

Once I can ride again I want to get a motard and hooligan it up a bit. :lol:

But I'm young and dumb. :shrug:

I'm hoping getting old means a Kawi Concourse in the garage.

Touring plus 160mph. Seems right to me! :)http://www.schnitzracingstore.com/pr...1014002341.jpg

You know Honda makes a nice little thing called an Interceptor. Still sporty but is also very comfortable, you just have to get used to that heavy beast. SM's are pretty comfy too and you can still track those.

After owning the DRZ, I have gotten less interested in motards/supermotards. They aren't a practical street bike. You have to be in tight corners for them to be in their element, any sweepers and say goodbye to your friends on sportbikes. The supermotard not so much, but the range of them also makes it not much fun on the street. Filling up 80 miles is not the best.

The DRZ is not comfortable in the slighest if you spend all day on it, the test ride of the supermotard I did would make me think it would be along the same lines. The point of going GS is to leave the fast stuff behind too.

Yeah well for me the rr would probably become track only.

Strongly looking at doing this in the next year or two.

track only and you haven't even tried the track yet. :lol:

Hey I didn't say for me.... Lol.

making the move from a sport to a cruiser last year seems like a great move still. I miss the speed but not the tickets. I looked and drove a couple of the bigger tour bikes but I still like commuting to work on the bike and the big dogs just don't like to be flung around stupid cage pilots who turn in fornt of you. the cruiser has a nice ride and yet decent response to maneuvering. I easily rode to Carolina on a sport so traveling on this thing is a dream.
Yeah the first thing I noticed riding it on the same old roads is the nice scenery.
Guess I'm old. I used to say at 35 I'd sell the sportbike and get a wing. I'm quite a bit passed that and still haven't quite gotten the tour bike yet. I'm getting closer though, maybe at 55.

I doubt ill ever get a wing... Not really my thing. The bmw is nice cause it'll soak up gravel in stride.

If I ever hit the lotto..(probably need to play first) ill do a trip like long way round...

I've never ridden on a cruiser (other than a short trip as a passenger last year) but I definitely wonder about it.

I'm not crazy though....I wonder what it'd be like to have a second (or third, or fourth, etc. :lol:) bike. My first love will always be a sportbike. Maybe when I go to the track I'll get a cruiser though. :idk:

Mmmmm :drool: I saw one of those the other day, big bitch, but sposed to be light and great to ride...

I always say my last bike will be the bimmer. Save the best for last right? Only problem is they are very tall bikes.

I think I am on my way. I have not rode my Duc since I got the GS in November but the weather here has not been real Duc worthy until recently. :lol: This thread is making me feel a little old since I was just at the Sergent site looking for an update on the F800/F650 seats. They don’t have them yet. I have to do something before our trip in June but Cobin’s are fugly.

That's why I'm looking for something like a ZRX1200R for the next ride- my knees are really getting too old for the supersports. I love the riding position of the ZZR, but I want a lot more torque and less bodywork. I spent a day demoing the '09 ZRX out in Okinawa and loved the hell out of it. It's really too bad they stopped bringing those to the USA- they're fuel-injected now. ;)

I know, I'm jealous! :lol:

Same here.

And they are fun; V-tec just kicked in yo! :lol:

My girlfriend had a Versys until her husband totaled it. (He is fine even after she got a hold of him) She loved that bike!

I love VERSYS!! Unfortunately it is ridiculous tall!! They had a green one at the dealer I got to sit on (he almost died when I hopped on it tippy toe), but I cant see it as a regular ride for me.

I was thinking that you know you are getting old when you look at the centerfold in Playboy and she is the same age as your kid.

ouch...

it can be lowered. ;)

exhaust and a PC really wakes those bikes up.

:rofl: My maintenance guy was in my office a few minutes ago and it dawned on him tha he's old enough to be my dad...he was floored!


No way, now how. I prefer not to lower anything Im riding. Im not saying I couldnt ride the Versys, I could without a problem, it just wouldnt be preferred. Not as comfortable as I'd like TBH.

They are! She is 5'9" and has some ridiculous inseam. I hate bike shopping with her. She was my Femmoto buddy. :damn: She rode it down there, came home and purchased one.

im the same way honestly. especially since i OWN my bike, title in hand, i really dont ever see a reason to try and sell it for an upgrade. I'll buy more sportbikes down the road, i know it, but not at the cost of giving up one thats already served me so good over the years. I just dont see the point, especially considering i'd be looking to get the best profit, which would mean ripping off some young jerk-off who would end up making parts for the scrapyard out of it. I'd much rather keep it around for somebody close that would be able to use it or for just plain tinkering. garage space is really the only limiting factor.

I would like to start trying to follow in OTB's steps though. This summer i'm going to start looking for projects for next winter (assuming the project is not going to be my own bike again) to re-sell in the spring and see how much of a profit i can make.

Light is relative with those Chi ;) They are super easy to ride and balance even at low speed but it's not a light bike if it starts tipping with ya! It is a sweet ride

You could just get a 650R, basically the same bike though it is the "sport" look and a lower seat hight. They're fun, and they really are light, and nimble.

It's funny reading through this thread. I'm bored with my cruiser because I have pushed mine to it's limits, with suspension upgrades, raised forwards etc to gain all the ground clearance I could. I found myself running a road with lots of fast sweepers a couple summers ago at the absolute limit of the bike, dragging everything up to the hard points and realized I had no room for error at that point. I was looking under a Suburban going past in a right hander and when I got to the end of the road it hit me I was running stupid fast especially on my VTX. Now I want an FZ1 so I'll have a comfortable riding postion with as much sport handling as I'll need and a big enough bike for long rides. I'll miss the comfort of my VTX but I want something sporty again!! :lol:

The Versys chassis is very different than the Ninja 650R chassis. The engines are the same but tuned slightly different.

Yep... getting old. Welcome to my side...

Same for you slick.

And why can't BMW make any bike that looks half way decent? Don't they have designers on their team? Suit cases for side and trunk bags? WTF

Get in line boys and girls... realize the truth.

http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l3...ic/Mods083.jpg

I love the GS looks. Would you want to take your bike on a gravel roads? I would have no problem doing that with a GS.

ya know I was never a big fan of the looks of the GS... till I saw one coming down the road to prudeho bay... (the road that goes to the most northern point in alaska)... and saw another come off a ATV trail from the back woods in AK... both guys were from the lower 48... just something about being able to ride just about any distance or terrain that makes them look good to me now :idk:

This thread has got me back into the GS itch. The DRZ just ain't scratchin it. I may sell all three of my bikes and buy a true dirt bike (4 stroke 250) and a GS. I am seriously considering it. The right offer would drive me over the top.

My husband loves his Electra Glide but it never would have made it to Prudhoe Bay and back. For that he took the 1150GS.

I have two uncles with Goldwings they both did the whole trip to alaska thing. rode through creek bottoms pulling trailers etc. Although they are a little on the outside of sanity. When I sold my '97 truck one of them sold his 97 wing. he had more miles on it then my truck had.

he used to have a pic of him on the bike on one of those swinging bridges out west, yeah no thanks. you'd be amazed what a Goldwing can do if you're willing to push it.

Your reasoning is pretty much spot on why I bought the Tuono. I like the performance of the SS bikes, but hate the aching back. I'm only 30 and can't see my back getting any better!

I can do 600 mile days touring, keep up with the 600's in the twisty bits, and have relatively good power. After 17k she is running strong, and almost paid off :rockout:

Nope I would prefer not to. But seriously, how many times are you going down dirt roads?

A lot recently. I got a dual sport DRZ now. The forest service roads down here are awesome.

Some people actually enjoy doing both... there's actually a category for it.. "adventure" riding. I have some friends who do it (but they ride Buells.. the Ulysses is their choice bike).

hell there is a huge ass forum that is devoted to it. advrider.com

Aren’t those belt driven? That might concern me out in the middle of nowhere. Does not matter anyway, that bike is way too tall for me.

Why would a belt drive be any better or worse than a chain drive when it comes to being out in the middle of no where? As far as if one breaks/carrying a spare is concerned, I imagine replacing it is just as easy (though I've never had to replace a belt, so I can't say with any certainty). :idk:

It's not like there aren't Harley dealers EVERYWHERE... even abroad. :lol:

Yeah.. my friend Chadley has an ADV sticker on his Uly's hardbags. :lol:

Honestly the uly is pretty attractive to me... Idk

I have heard bad things from locals, but people here seem to like them.

I have an ADV sticker on my laptop ;)

I guess :scratch:


No shit. I have a tourbook from my hog membership that lists every dealer in every state. Its crazy!

belts are endless, chains are not. pretty sure you have to pull the swingarm to replace a belt.

depends on the bike. Some bikes you have to pull SA other you don't.

I haven't replaced a belt before but have seen kits that you could change from chain to belt and you had to do some cutting somewhere with a piece added in with the kit to replace the cut out part. thought that was just that kit that allowed you to do it that way with it being a mod.

I'm not sure... you lost me.

I love that site.

Pictures of laptops going over Saharan sand dunes, laptops being chased down the road by little village children, laptops sleeping under the stars in exotic South American jungles...

I was going to put an ADV sticker on my laptop, but I was afraid it would ask me to wire it money for parts.

JC

ok, the kit I seen to convert to belt drive said that you had to cut a section out (can't remember if it was frame or swingarm), the kit had a piece that replaced the cut out part. it bolted in like the piece of frame that unbolts when you pull the motor (hoop frames). it's been like 5 years since I looked at it so not real sure.

it would make sense to have it set up so you didn't have to pull the SA to replace the belt. make it cheaper for the owner.

She's on a BMW, she's got shaft drive. Wait, the 650's got a chain doesn't it?

You should only have to pull the rear wheel to change a belt :idk: That's all I've done on the ones I've worked on. But it does require dissasmbly that a chain doesn't.

She mentioned the belt drives in her post.. that's what I was referring to, not the bike she owns:

Yep.

JC

Some do, some don't. At least for cruisers. On the BDMs it seemed like the 250mm rears need the swingarm removed, however the 300's not so.

My ole chop
http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l3...ld/Day2016.jpg

The belt went between the frame and the swingarm but had the pivit bolt thru the belt.

All I meant was that if you are prepared you have a chance in hell of putting a chain back together on the side of a trail. Not so much with a belt.

Mine is a chain drive.

I *thought* I was getting old, bought a cruiser, then realized I ride for the thrill of a good curve, not just to be on a bike. So I got a SS and found out it's my wrists that are getting old. Now I ride the cruiser to work, the SS for fun.

And I love Adventure bikes. I can't watch Long Way Down or Long Way Round without getting the itch.

NO DOUBT! that shit gets me going like crazy... infact... I'm gonna watch the series tonight... :D

fuck I wanna do that shit

bring it with you, i want to burn em

they're on my computer... I'll just transfer them to my external.

Hey adam!!!

The more I read about and see ya'll talk about, the more interested I get in the ADV riding. :drool:

have you watched the Long Way Round series? fuck'n awesome.... perfect to watch before a road trip

Nope, heard ya talk about it but havent seen it...dont even know what its about honestly...

two friends ride around the world on GSs

Charlie Boorman and Ewan McGregor (yeah Obie Won) rode from London To New York... going East... 20k miles...

then rode from Charles O'Groats (tip of Scotland) to Cape Agular... in South Africa.

another good one is Race to Dakar... where Charlie Boorman rides in the Dakar Rally

nice, I'll bring my external and steal'em from ya...

I am going to get my GS soon, if you think '11 will be the date you get one. We need to plan a cross country ride for a week or so in '11

Can i be the token tomboy lil sis that tags along? :lol:

yeah I think 11 will be the soonest... but I may opt for the 800... :idk: I'll see how I feel that day :lol:

sure... I'm sure Jason will have a GS you can ride bitch on... :lol:

2 words. Guess what they are man.

F
U
C
K

Y
O
U
.

sure, who knows, andrea may like riding on this one and be on the back of mine.

well have you sat on a GS? those fuckers are tall... I have to stretch... and can barely flat foot.


that'd be cool... I say we run to AK and back if we do... maybe up to prudeho bay. :idk:

I want to do through Arky, through colorado, and into Cali to the coast, that will be a heck of a trip right there.

Na, you can do it in about an hour with only a few tools on the 1125. No remval of the swingarm.

Heres a link to badweb where a memeber shows how it's done with minimal tools.

http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buel...31/440981.html

I'm thinking more along the lines of this for a more comfy ride.