# SDMB motorcycle poll
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-motorcycle-poll/162414
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [March 19, 2003, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-motorcycle-poll/162414 "2003-03-19T00:53:27Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@unclviny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/unclviny)
#### Post date: [March 19, 2003, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-motorcycle-poll/162414/1 "2003-03-19T00:53:27Z")
Dopers,
I can’t be the only one who plays with bikes, tell me about your bike(s), I will start:
1966 BSA a65h that I am building into a “modernized period” cafe racer.
1952 TRIUMPH trw that I am almost through restoring as an RAF dispatch bike (Catterick 1952), here is a sad story for you, my engine guy in San Diego (finally, it was like 2 years) finished the engine and sent it to me UPS, it got to Houston and was “damaged in transit” so OOPS sent it back to SD and I was offshore so I could not stop it from being returned!, my engine guy is a totally honest, honorable guy but, he is the king of the procrastinators.
1936 BMW r2, that I am still searching for parts for so I can restore it to it’s former glory (all 200cc of it).
I moved last year and before the big move I trimmed the herd from 5 bikes to these 3, this is the first time in a while that I have not had anything to ride and I am going through withdrawal!.
unclviny
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### Author:  [@samarm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samarm)
#### Post date: [March 19, 2003, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-motorcycle-poll/162414/2 "2003-03-19T01:20:46Z")
_…paging Coldire… paging Coldire…_
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### Author:  [@mishaa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mishaa)
#### Post date: [March 19, 2003, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-motorcycle-poll/162414/3 "2003-03-19T01:21:19Z")
Well, hubby has 2 Ducatis
1991 907 ie Paso. Red, with a custom seat. Very fun 2-up sport touring bike. I love this bike! When hubby was thinking of trading it in, I talked him out of it…
2001 Monster S4. Yellow. It is a beast that I dread riding on. The first time we took it out together, hubby hit the gas, the front wheel popped up (not really balanced well for 2 people) and I almost came off the damn thing. But it is a beautiful bike.
I just wish we had better places to ride here in Dallas. I really miss the mountains and such of Phoenix.
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### Author:  [@samarm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samarm)
#### Post date: [March 19, 2003, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-motorcycle-poll/162414/4 "2003-03-19T01:26:19Z")
Hmm… I somehow managed to misspell Coldfire, and screw up the coding! D’oh!
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### Author:  [@Turbo\_Dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turbo_Dog)
#### Post date: [March 19, 2003, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-motorcycle-poll/162414/5 "2003-03-19T01:27:13Z")
I’m too modern and limited to be very interesting. '94 Honda Pacific Coast. Only real modifications are added halogen driving lights, Kisan Tailblazer brake modulator, and Hyperlights for additional braking visibility. Also, the occasional installation of a higher than stock Rifle windshield (spring and autumn bad weather times).
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### Author:  [@Berkut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Berkut)
#### Post date: [March 19, 2003, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-motorcycle-poll/162414/6 "2003-03-19T02:05:44Z")
[1994 Honda Magna for me.](http://www.mtsu.edu/~aerodept/scooter.jpg)
I would love to have a PC800, Turbo Dog. Along with a Beemer R1100S.
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### Author:  [@stuyguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stuyguy)
#### Post date: [March 19, 2003, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-motorcycle-poll/162414/7 "2003-03-19T03:31:53Z")
1990 Yamaha YX600 Radian
Best bulletproof little bike ever made, IMO. I had it sitting uncovered on a NYC street all friggin winter without being ridden. Just put in the newly-recharged battery this afternoon. The Rad cranked right up and ran as smooth as the last day I rode it – back in, like, September!
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### Author:  [@unclviny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/unclviny)
#### Post date: [March 19, 2003, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-motorcycle-poll/162414/8 "2003-03-19T05:22:27Z")
TURBO DOG,
I work part time in the bike business and the first time I saw a Pacific coast I laughed!!, then I rode one for a day, what a machine!, I loved it!, I had a customer who had installed a car alarm on his and the remote trunk release always drew a crowd, just push the button on the remote, toss your stuff in, slam it and ride away, too cool!.
MISHAA,
I was riding a 1973 NORTON in the eighties and the guy who owned the local DUKE dealership really liked it, he kept offering me a better and better deal on an F1 (a new model at the time), but I passed, I love the older DUKES though, I have every intention of owning a 900 SS one day.
right now the only “modern” bike that really winds me up is the BMW R1150 GSA, I had some modern bikes but I decided that I was having as much fun at lower speeds so I decided to stick with the vintage stuff, to quote Dick Mann “I’d rather go fast on a slow motorcycle than slow on a fast one”.
unclviny
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### Author:  [@Freyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freyr)
#### Post date: [March 19, 2003, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-motorcycle-poll/162414/9 "2003-03-19T06:47:32Z")
Kawasaki ZN700, '84. Nice bike. A view [here](http://briefcase.yahoo.com/bc/freyr58/vwp?.dir=/My+Photo+Album&.src=bc&.dnm=me+and+my+motorbike.jpg&.view=t&.done=http%3a//briefcase.yahoo.com/bc/freyr58/lst%3f%26.dir=/My%2bPhoto%2bAlbum%26.src=bc%26.view=t)
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### Author:  [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)
#### Post date: [March 19, 2003, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-motorcycle-poll/162414/10 "2003-03-19T13:27:45Z")
We have a '74 Harley Sportster with custom flame paint on Cadillac Black Cherry. My husband built it from four boxes of parts he purchased for $400. Schweet, eh?
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### Author:  [@Edward\_The\_Head](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Edward_The_Head)
#### Post date: [March 19, 2003, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-motorcycle-poll/162414/11 "2003-03-19T13:36:27Z")
I’ve got a 2000 Kawasaki Concours and a 96 Honda Shadow VLX.
The Shadow needs some work, new chain and sprockets, mirrors, new cans. The Connie I have to figure out why my driving lights keep blowing the fuse.
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### Author:  [@roadrunner70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/roadrunner70)
#### Post date: [March 19, 2003, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-motorcycle-poll/162414/12 "2003-03-19T13:52:10Z")
'95 Heritage Softail, '90 Sportster, '84 Goldwing, '03 Yamaha 125, '98 Yamaha 100, '74 Kawasaki G100.
I just overhauled the Sportster last year for the wife, and the Goldwing is currently headless, due to a shattered cam pulley and a shitload of bent valves.
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### Author:  [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)
#### Post date: [March 19, 2003, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-motorcycle-poll/162414/13 "2003-03-19T13:58:51Z")
I ride a 1994 Yamaha XJ600, and I’ve but 72,000 miles on it since new. Unfortunately, [it’s unrideable at the moment](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=170169). :mad:
The Seca II has got to be the _perfect_ commuter bike! It cost less than $4,000 new. It’s small enough to get through the heavy L.A. traffic. It’s quite maneuverable for a standard-class bike. It’s not fast (I’ve had it to 125 mph, but only 120 sustained), but it’s fast enough for the freeway. It _looks_ cool, like a CAFE bike or semi-sportbike. It gets 50 mpg. It’s not a sexy Duc or a speedy Yamaha R1, but it’s really, really practical. 🙂
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### Author:  [@Misery\_Loves\_Co](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misery_Loves_Co)
#### Post date: [March 19, 2003, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-motorcycle-poll/162414/14 "2003-03-19T16:33:17Z")
On my first bike, a 1984 Honda Shadow 500VT - A good starter bike, IMHO, with something like 2 months (maybe 15 hours) riding time under my belt. (Started from scratch with a training course).
I’m not going to do too much by way of modification; rather I’ll save the money for future bike purchases. I basically plan to graduate from this to a 750 - 1000 CC honda cruiser-typein a few years (whatever I can find in the $5000-$7000 range) and eventually end up on a Softtail Standard, Deuce, or Fatboy.
With this bike, I’m going back to the basics of doing all the maintenance myself, as well as all the repairs I can manage without a real shop at my disposal. It’s stupid not to, given that bikes are still pretty simple machines with easy access to most of their bits. And if I want a Harley, I’d better learn how to maintain it! 😃
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### Author:  [@Saintly\_Loser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saintly_Loser)
#### Post date: [March 19, 2003, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-motorcycle-poll/162414/15 "2003-03-19T17:49:36Z")
I’ve got a 1996 BMW R1100RSL. It’s the best bike I’ve ever owned. I bought it in 1998 with 1,500 miles on the odometer. It had been a demo model at the dealership that sold it to me. Since then I’ve put 60,000 miles on it, with really minimal trouble (a flat tire, a broken throttle cable, little stuff like that). I fully intend to get 100,000 miles out of it without any trouble or expense.
Edward the Head – how are your driving lights wired? With heavy-gauge wiring and a relay? If they’re just wired into the headlight harness, well, that might blow fuses pretty easily.
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### Author:  [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)
#### Post date: [March 19, 2003, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-motorcycle-poll/162414/16 "2003-03-19T17:55:17Z")
'80 Kawasaki Z-1000 Classic which I stupidly sold several years back. Damn, I miss that thing.
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### Author:  [@Ol\_Gaffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ol_Gaffer)
#### Post date: [March 19, 2003, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-motorcycle-poll/162414/17 "2003-03-19T18:44:56Z")
1981 Honda CB 650 Custom. Mechanically, it is pretty sound but it needs a lot of cosmetic work. But, I am currently working on a 1978 FJ55 Land Cruiser so the bike will have to wait!
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### Author:  [@Edward\_The\_Head](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Edward_The_Head)
#### Post date: [March 19, 2003, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-motorcycle-poll/162414/18 "2003-03-19T19:02:51Z")
LMM, I have a set of PIAAs so I have the entire harness wired straight to the battery. They worked fine for over a year then blew the first fuse. I had to replace the entire relay and it lasted for a month, now they are blowing every 15 minutes or so. I haven’t had a chance to pull the wiring yet but will in a few weeks. The only other thing that I just now thought of, but shouldn’t do it, is the switch wire which is hooked into my wire so they are off when the headlight is off.
I’m also thinking about getting another bike, maybe a KTM 650. I plan on taking a trip in Europe in the fall of 04. Unless Coldie wouldn’t mind me using his bike, I’m sure he will not mind me putting 10,000kms on it!
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### Author:  [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)
#### Post date: [March 19, 2003, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-motorcycle-poll/162414/19 "2003-03-19T19:03:26Z")
I’ve got two right now:
2002 Yamaha FZ1–nice and fast, but comfortable enough to ride back and forth to work. It’s a really good compromise between an all-out sportbike and a standard.
2001 BMW F650GS–dual-purpose bike, heavily biased toward street riding, comfortable as heck and fun to ride on twisty roads (which I normally don’t like on heavier bikes). I was going to sell it after getting the FZ1, but they have such different purposes I decided to just keep them both for now.
The spousal unit has a 2003 Buell Firebolt, which he loves but thinks might be a bit small for him (after riding my FZ1 🙂 ), so now he’s looking at the new Kawasaki Z1000 that’s due out in April.
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### Author:  [@casdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/casdave)
#### Post date: [March 19, 2003, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-motorcycle-poll/162414/20 "2003-03-19T19:29:59Z")
Honda CBX 550.
Spares cost a fortune, the enclosed brakes are utterly bollocks to maintain, but quite torquey for such a small bike and very reliable.
Only does 110 though, but its enough since it didn’t have a screen.
Anyway its gone to the ratbike salesman don the road.
Honda CB750F2. Very similar to the Nighthawk but with better brakes and slightly better geometry, only does 120 but without a fairing more would be too much, plenty of torque, very easy to ride, wish I’d kept it but it had to become money.
Honda CB350SG, superdream engine, Magnum style frame, only does 95 but it’s so scary it might as well be 200mph, its well beat up but I’ve got a spare engine which I will change to 400cc which will make about a third more power, it’ll do to pass the time until the finances improve.
Bikes I’d like,
Laverda 750SFC, indefatigable old twin, better made and handling than other Italian machines of the era.
Yammy RD400, 2-stroke zinger, easy to work on compulsory hooligan nature due to power band.
Aprilia RS250, race bike 2-stroke with number plates fitted, costs a fortune to run due to the need for top quality oil, and eats brake pads for fun, horrendously uncomfortable, but if you’ve got the bottle(and I haven’t) you can get you elbow down on hairpins.
I’d like to see the Harley V-Rod engine in a lightweight hooligan chassis, maybe Buell will sort one out.
For complete excess the imiminent arrival of the new Triumph 2.3litre down-the-frame in line triple looks interesting.
The 1000cc Fazer is a nice machine but running costs in tyres and insurance are just way too much, same goes for the any of the Hyper tourers like the CBR1100XX Blackbird, the GSXR1300 and the ZX1200.
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