I just bought my first motorcycle today, a Suzuki Intruder 800, and already logged 115 miles on it doing the entire I-270/I-255 loop around St. Louis (among other things).
Wow! I shoulda done this back in '00 when I really wanted to (but let someone talk me out of). More fun than should be allowed by law.
I’ll be heading for the Johnson Shut-Ins State Park this weekend, and I’m already planning on riding the bike down there.
So, gear up, mount up, and RIDE!
I’ve been riding the R-1 since the weather’s been good. This week I’ve been driving the Jeep, since I’ve been intending to emply my storage unit. I think it’s a better plan to pay for another month of storage and ride while the riding’s good!
“Johnson Shut-Ins State Park”? I get an image of a trailer park full of people who don’t go outside, and the place being invaded by “bikers”.
It used to be, until the state police and park rangers cleaned up the place in the mid-80’s; now it’s very family friendly, as they come down on miscreants like a hammer.
My Dad’s been taking us there since the early 70’s, and it’s kind of grown up into an annual family get-together for the 4th of July weekend.
It has a campground, and there are plenty of camper units (towed and self-propelled), but going there and not swimming is kind of like going to Niagra Falls and not seeing THE Niagra Falls.
People may not realize it, but Missouri is just silly with natural beauty and park attractions; Lake of the Ozarks probably being the most well known.
A great state with plenty of winding country roads (“over hill and dale”) and 19th century history to ride a motorcycle on.
Oh sorry, thought this thread was about bikes, as in bicycles.
Nevermind.
After a minor setback, I am now back out on the road on my baby.
The temperature is 70 degrees, the leaves are turning, my bike is back…
Life is sooooo good! 
So where are the fat-bottomed girls?
I actually had someone else in mind in selecting my thread title.
And it is a great time to be out on a motorcycle; the weather is near-perfect.
I like to ride up to the outer road around Lambert Airport and watch the planes come in and take off.
I missed an opportunity yesterday. I drove up to Vancouver to pick up an original red tonneau cover I won on eBay for the MGB. I almost rode the R1, but I changed my mind at the last minute. It was a beautiful day that would have been perfect for the ride. The seedier parts of Vancouver reminded me of L.A., too.
Took the Volusia out last weekend for a couple hundred miles; now I just have to get the FJ1200 ready for next month’s annual FJ Rally in Boone, NC!!!
ExTank , are you familar with the Intruder Alert board? There are a number of members in your area…
Same here.
A thread for people who provide their OWN horsepower. I got the hog up to about 44 mph yesterday.
Sure am, TheInterruptingCow, but thanks for putting it up there anyway, in case any other bikers are interested, as it’s not an Intruder-exclusive board.
I don’t know if I have the words to convey the sheer joy my motorcycle has given me so far; the purring-rumble of the engine, the wind blasting past me, the appreciative looks (the Intruder’s a sharp looking bike), the ice-breaker and conversation piece that it is, and the general camraderie and slight exclusivity you get with other bikers.
Even the pain of my crash, and rehab and physical therapy was (and still is, as I’m still working on getting my right arm/shoulder back into shape) worth it.
A couple of friends and myself are leaving in the morning to go to the Laughlin, NV bike rally.
Just got back from Bellingham. Nice ride. It’s a warm, sunny day. 
Picked up my spare regulator/octopus and put it in the backpack, did my banking, visited a friend, then the ride back. Got fuel, and I’m getting about 40 mpg. Twice as good as the Jeep, and much more fun!
I bought a new (to me, at least) Kawasaki Vulcan 800 Classic last weekend… then promptly left town for work and to visit my family… then it snowed when I got back… and it’s probably around 45 degrees right now… I just want the sun to come out!
Me too!
Congrats! Long may you ride it without a hitch!
And I second TheInterruptingCow’s advice in the other thread: Dress for The Drop.
That comes from painful experience.
I’m trying to get back into it.
I’m a dirt biker at heart though. At 11 years old, a Yam 100 scalped me. 130 stitches. Rear fender went right up between my helmet and forehead. Nearly lost my left ear too.
I’ve ridden lots’ of dirt bikes since (Yam IT490 is my favorite), but will not ride alone anymore. When I was 11 and I had that dirt bike accident, if my brother was not behind me, I would not be here today.
I bought a ’79 Yam xs650 a few years ago. It took two summers to get it running again. I think I had more fun working on it than I have riding it.
For one, I’m too big for the 650 (6’3” 210lbs). http://www.cogearhead.com/CoGearHead/xs/ This is it, except mine is purple.
After I bought it. My brother bought a HD (‘03) 1200 sporty. The 650 weighs more. Yep.
I bought the 650 because I have a little bit of history with it. My brother had a ’74, I Used to ride it to high school.
They’ll be riding today. So look out for those beauties, oh yeah.
