Favorite Motorcycle Discussion and Poll

[Pumpkin_Man]

Hi Again, Folks:

Since we're talking about cars & trucks, I thought it would also be nice, since I am very much into motorcycling and am planning on taking a trip to Canada this summer on the bike, that it would be nice to have a discussion about all the various motorcycles that are out there and take a poll on which one you all like the best.

I'll start by tooting the Honda horn since I ride a 1991 Valkyrie, put over 75,000 miles on it and am still loving every bit of it. I've been to Baja Del Sur, Mexico, Los Angelous, New York, San Francisco, Orlando, St. Petersberg, and Boulder Colorado just to name a few, all by motorcycle, and out of all four motorcycles I owned, the Valkerie was not only the best looking, it was the best handling, most dependable, and most powerful. 110 horses to be exact, generated by a horizontaly oposed 6 cylender engine, married to a 5 speed manual transmission with a shaft drive. My next motorcycle, provided that I don't have to give up the Valkyrie, is going to be a Gold Wing. That does not mean that I don't Like Harleys and other makes, but my experience with Honda was so great and I litteraly fell in love with the Gold Wing when I test drove one in the Summer of 05.

I owned a 1982 Yamaha Secca 750, a 1988 Yamaha Venture 1200 touring Bike, a 1989 Yamaha Verago 950, which I gave to my nephew after I bought my present mount, which is the 1997 Valkyrie.

So do we have any other Honda people here? How about Harley Davidson, BMW, Suzuki, Yamaha or Kawisacki people?

Feel free to take part in the survey.

[TK421]

HA! I just answered your other post regarding cars and put some motorcycle info there, too.

I love my Hondas. I own the greatest sportbike ever made, the Honda CBR1100XX Blackbird. She's my pride and joy. I've riden all over the Northwest on my Blackbird. Very comfortable, extremely repsonsive, and fast-fast-fast.

I also own a Honda VTX 1300C. It's a great cruiser. Not as nice as the Valkrie, but it's a good motorcycle for just rumbling along on a Saturday. I like it because of the backrest. It's great for when I ride with my daughter, or need to carry stuff.

Long ago I had a yamaha 1983 XJ900. It was the early version of the seca, before they started calling it that. That was my first shaft final drive. I loved it! It had some electrical problems, but nothing too serious. It was a great college bike.

Let's see, I had a little yamaha dual-sport for a while, a Kawasaki LTD (my only belt drive bike) and I had a great little Honda CB200 that was a "learn to ride" bike for some of my friends over the years.

[Pumpkin_Man]

That XLJ900 was quite a rugged little bike. I'm more of a touring or cruiser fan, but I'm totaly with you when it comes to motorcycles. Hondas are the best, will go for ever with simple maintenence, and they look cool to boot. My brother drove an 84 Gold Wing for a number of years before he bought a Harley Davidson Heritage Softail Classic. I have to admit that as much as I love Honda, that Harley is truely a sweet looking ride.

I also can't complain about any of the Yamahas that I owned. I really love and evenm iss my 88 Venture. That bike was 'put out of comission' by a woman in a Buick Skylark while I was waiting at a stop light.

Mike

[TK421]

Ouch! Never a good experience on a bike. Friend of mine had a Virago until some lady couldn't stop in time (on a cell phone) and knocked the bike out from under him at a stop light. He wasn't hurt (thanks to his helmet and leathers) but he left a huge impact crater on the hood of her car and smashed in her whole windshield.

My friend was happy about the event because it was so painfully clear who was at fault. He used the insurance money and bought a Valkerie -- which he's still riding.

I love the 2-tone Valkeries. Stunning looks. Great chrome and paint.

My brother-in-law has a HD Heritage and he let me take it for a spin over the summer. I gotta say, compared to my VTX, I didn't much care for the Harley. It felt small and it rattled. It was an odd experience and I was happy to come home to my Hondas.

[litemareb4xmas]

Hmmm, Right now I run a Kaw Vulcan 900, my wifes on a Vulcan 500, soon as she gets some more experience she'll move up to mine and I'll find something bigger.
I started riding at about 7, my dad put me on a Yamaha 750, stuck it in first and off I went.
I bought a 1968 Honda dream 300 a few years later, didn't make a good dirt bike but it taught me how to avoid cops.
Then I turned to a yz125, beat that bike to death racing and adventuring in northern Az, I loved that bike.
Next a yamaha 175 enduro, was prebeat to death but still had fun with it.
Went without a bike for a long time, then bought a 1985 Yamaha 700, great bike til it caught fire doing 80mph down a florida freeway, I must have looked like the Ghost rider for a minute.
I love our Vulcans, I am looking forward to her moving up, I'm looking at either a Meanie or a Nomad next, we'll see though.

[TK421]

The Nomad is a great looking bike. Reminds me of the VTX 1800F.



No idea what a Meanie is?

If I were to sell both my Hondas right now, I'd probably do it just to buy a Triumph Rocket III Classic (two tone)

[Pumpkin_Man]

I read the specs on that Triumph. According to those specs, you can actualy catch a few G forces on that bike. I allways wanted tot ry it out, but there's no way I would ever drive or own one without a windshield. I'm an olf fromp, and all that wind resistance just wears me out. I learned that the hard way when I test drove a reather large Honda V twin cruiser. I don't remember which one it was, but it had a huge V twin engine, at least as big as the 6 cylender Valkyrie engine, and just a 5 mile ride had me about ready to collapse just trying not to get blown off the bike.

I also want to test ride a Bodd Hoss in the worst way.

Too bad Honda stopped making the Valkyrie. They also came out with the Room a few years back, but that too was discontinued becasue of the sales not being so great. I think they more or less screwed the proverbial pooch by overpricing them.

Mike