I can’t stand crotch rockets. Soooo icky. Actually, the only bike I’ll respect is a Harley. About the sexiest thing I ever saw was a young-ish woman in tight blue jeans and a red t-shirt, sporting a long blond pony-tail, riding one of the lighter, sleeker model of Harleys. Of course, I grew up in Milwaukee, the home of Harley Davidson, so that may have shaped my attitudes.
Gah, not the crotch rocket. It always makes me think of 20ish guys with more testosterone then brains, and usually a death wish. None of the above are turnons for me.
Try this one .
i just signed uo for this and I’m not sure how everything works yet. Let me know.
chicks dig these yes really.
If it can be ordered with the .50 cal. mounted on the sidecar I’m in!
Needs straight pipes IMHO, but very nice.
They pretty much are. They are upswept fish-tails with no baffles.
Thanks for the confirmation and the compliment. 
Can someone explain the appeal of the ‘crotch rocket’ to me? I mean, I’d love to have one in the same way I’d love to have a Z06 Vette, a Viper, or a Lotus Elise. Looks like a gas to take out on a Sunday afternoon and tear up the roads when you really want to go fast.
But I see a lot of people drive them as daily transportation, and I just don’t get it. They look horribly uncomfortable. Hunched over a gas tank with my neck cocked back to see where I’m going is not my idea of how I want to spend an hour commuting. It just looks wildly impractical. If I wanted a commuter bike, I’d be looking for something with comfortable seats, a big windshield to keep the bugs out of my teeth without having to hunch over, and saddlebags so I can carry some stuff like a briefcase and a lunch.
The same can be said for this big goofy choppers with the high handlebars, like the Orange County Chopper guys build. They look wildly uncomfortable to drive. I don’t want to spend a six hour road trip with my hands stretch out straight and above my head. In fact, I see a lot of guys driving those with one hand, presumably because they switch off to give their arms a rest. I just don’t get it.
I’m thinking of getting a ‘starter’ bike to use for cruising around and perhaps commuting in summer, and this looks like the kind of bike that is a good match for that: Honda Shadow
Can’t go wrong with that one. I like the delux version. A bit more meaty or somethin’. Did you look at the Yamaha VMax? It’s got a shorter wheelbase for quicker handling but similar styling to the Honda.
As for me, I’m leaning more towards the Ducati ST4S. It’s got the looks of a cafe racer but a more comfortable position and some hard sadle bags to carry the rental movies and takout Thai. No worries about getting the food home before it cools with this ride.
Sweet. What color is that, black or deep blue? I love old Harleys. My buddy just bought an '80 ex-Shriners bike for him & the old lady to putt around on.
How easy are the old bikes to maintain? I already have my Suzuki (Link ) and I’m tempted by a classic bike to do up and take to shows, etc. My brother and mum both have Triumph Spitfires, would they be as easy to maintain as these or are they a bit of a pain in the arse?
Righto. Typo. AMF. The bowling ball people.
My husband has always been fond of motorcycles – pretty much all motorcycles, but with a Wisconsin-boy’s particular affection for Harleys. He started out on Japanese bikes, because that is what he could afford, and bought his first Harley (a '79 ElectroGlide) in 1982 for $2800. At that time he also owned a brand new Suzuki, which he tried to sell after he bought the Harley, but couldn’t. So he kept both. The Harley had some minor electrical problems (which is why he got such a good deal), which he fixed. In 1984, he got orders to Sicily, and decided to try again to sell the Suzuki, since he couldn’t take both bikes overseas. Again, he couldn’t find a buyer at a fair price. So he sold the Harley instead. For $5000. Cash. He put that money into a certificate to buy a new Harley when he came back to the US. He bought this in 1986. It’s a Heritage Softail – the first model year for that bike. We paid $8000 for it and have put another $4500 into it in customization – paint job, obviously, new carburator, lots of chrome… Too much stuff for me to remember. He just put new pipes on it this last weekend. We could (we believe, we haven’t actually tried) sell it for what we have in it, or a bit more. We also have a '96 ElectroGlide, that we are basically storing for a friend who’s stationed overseas. Once he comes back and takes his bike home, we’ll probably buy another big touring bike – we’re leaning towards the Road Glide, but we’ll see.
All that said, it’s (like so many things) a matter of taste. My husband loved all his bikes (he’s owned, in addition to the Suzuki and Harleys, a Honda and 2 Kawasakis – he bought his first bike at age 15) and has an appreciation for European bikes as well. If he hadn’t fallen in love with the FLHT in 1986, he was seriously considering a Moto Guzzi or BMW. Probably his least favorite style of bike is the crotch rocket – but, even those he can see the attraction for. If he had unlimited funds, he would own a BMW, for sure, in addition to his Harleys. He would also really really love to buy a basket case to restore ('40s or '30s, probably). One of the reasons he prefers Harleys is that you can tinker with them, which he loves to do. But, as with all hobbies, you have to prioritize. Although, I definately think the resell is going to be best with a Harley (based on our experience, at least), I don’t think that’s the best way to judge what kind of bike to buy – you should buy what speaks to you. Let us know what you decide and post a picture.
Thanks for the compliment. It’s just black. With all the “Factory Custom” elaborate paint jobs around I deceided to go back to a good ol’ fashioned black & chrome style. This picture is a little old as I have since changed to a wide glide front end with stock 16" dual disk front wheel and a chrome spoke rear wheel, replacing the old LowRider mags and narrow glide front end. I just haven’t got any pic’s on the deck with the changes.
Tuco-I have little experiance with these. I have had friends with them however. The Triumph is a good bike but the factory electrical systems suuucckkked! I used to help them strip the wiring harness out and build a new one. I’ve done this with all my Harleys but don’t know enough about these to help you with any advise.
In a time were everyone has factory custom store-bought complete, I enjoy having an older bike that I built. I say, find a nice basket-case and set up a work area and go for it. 
Well, that’s pretty much the appeal right there – except motorcycles are more maneruverable than a Lotus. 
Yup. Unlike people who ride certain bikes whose main advantage is ‘image’ and sit on top of the machine, sportbike riders ‘integrate themselves’ into the system and get their jollies flicking through the twisties.
They’re not very uncomfortable. Certainly my (standard-class) XJ600 or a (sport-tourer) FJR1300 is more comfortable than my YZF-R1. And the XJ600 is nowhere near as comfortable as a a Honda GoldWinnebago. But it feels ‘natural’ to ride in a crouch. When I’ve ridden an upright-bike (as opposed to an upright bike ), I’ve always felt as if my torso was a ‘sail’. I like the wind to flow smoothly over me. Incidentally, different marques are comfortable for different people. When I rode a Suzuki GSXR750 I felt I was sitting on a perch. To me, it was not as comfortable as my Yamahas.
The windscreens on sportbikes are designed not to shield the wind, but to divert it over the rider. You still get bugs on your visor if you sit upright on a sportbike, as when you’re riding through low-speed stretches. Still, the windscreens are very effective at speed.
As for saddlebags, it’s surprising how much you can carry on a bike without them. I rode my XJ600 from L.A. to Lake Havasu for a camping trip. There is a small (about 8" or 9" trapazoid) rack behind my seat, and large bundles can extend onto the passenger area of the seat. I habitually wear a small daypack when I ride. For this trip I had my tent, a sleeping bag, change of clothes and other items that I carried with no trouble at all. When I went to the market on the bike, everything I needed (well, except for toilet paper or paper towels) would fit in my pack. For your daily commutes you can carry your lunch in your backpack and bungee your briefcase to the seat. No need for saddlebags.
So sportbikes are not impractical at all for commuting. You can nearly always carry everything you need to, the seating position is not uncomfortable (YMMV), they tend to have gobs of power, and they’re maneuverable enough to get through city/freeway traffic. I think they’re more practical than big, wide bikes like a Harley. Many is the time when I’d be stuck behind a Harley driver whose bike was too big to negotiate the gaps between lanes (lane-splitting being legal in California). The R1 is better at lane-splitting than the XJ600 because its mirrors are lower and less likely to clip cars’ mirrors.
I’d like one of these, very practical, shedloads of torque, a very easy ride if you’re used to bikes but not a beginners machine, too much weight and the torque would get the inexperienced into trouble.
Then there is Triumph,
http://www.cmgonline.com/bikes/buyers_guides/NMBG/2005/Triumph.html
The Speed Triple is basically a sports bike without a fairing, and a complete hooligan, but steady evolution has improved this bike over its production run.
The Rocket III is something else, I took one out for a test run, it hadles better than any bike its size has a right, its very easy to ride and the low down stomp is just great fun, you can outdrag nearly every crotch rocket from the lights, actually you’d likely beat everyone from the lights as its so easy to just wind that throte around, no need to worry about keeping the front wheel down, or which gear to select.
I second what Johnny LA said.
Here’s my current bike, http://www.bikez.com/bike/pictureonly?id=873 except mine is all black. No chrome to bother cleaning, oodles of ground clearence and a nice riding position.
My friend is a professional bike tuner, this thing runs better than when it left the factory. Comfy enought to ride all day across country and quick enough to keep up on my friends on the sportbikes.
Now I’m all confused…am I:
A. A douchbag…
B. A Periodontist Wannbe…
C. A hopeless poser…
I didn’t know I had to choose…
Just like my Road King-black and chrome. No pinstripes, no detail. The only place it says Harley Davidson is on the air cleaner. It’s clean if you catch my drift-no gawdy bullshit.
My problem I had to have brain surgery about 10 years ago and my doctors really weren’t sure whether I’d walk again, much less ride (fortunately, I can do both now, still have a little trouble chewing gum ) but I don’t have any fine motor control of my right hand. Of course I’m right handed. Over the years I’ve learned to use my left hand, and I can do a lot of things with one hand(tie shoes, button buttons, etc.) but building bikes is something I can’t do (not that I ever could, but I would have liked to try). I change my own oil and shit, which it takes me twice as long to do,but I enjoy doing it. Everything else I get a friend to help me, taking it to the shop is a last resort.
Sounds like me. Would you mind if I emailed you directly, or you me, so as not to bore everyone with our tales?