Let's See Your Motorcycles!

Got the old VMAX out of the barn and took my boys for a spin in the pasture.

 

I have@ couple VFRs and an ST1300A

 

I was driving a stripped down '77 GoldWing (Vetter fairing only) back in the day and ALWAYS drooled over the VMAX.

 

The Red/White/Blue VFRs will always be iconic classics!! Just like the R/W/B XR600.

 

Got a photo of the GoldWing?

 

Oh man....will have to find the print and scan it in. Will do that tonight.

 

2017 CVO Ultra

 

We have a diehard,
Nothing to do with me, but this dude has to be freezing his nutz off!! 36°f and traffic is clipping along at about 75. No leathers or riding gear to speak of.

 

The grey one is a 2013 Yamaha FJR1300 with 96,000 miles currently on the clock. It's taken me over most of the lower 48 and to Nova Scotia. I retired March 1, 2013. I picked this bike up new on March 2.

The green one is a '99 Kawasaki ZRX1100 with 84,000 miles. I bought it new in '99, but I don't do much traveling on it, thus the low mileage.

Motorcycles have been a very important part of my life. I've ridden for 56 years and even met my wife at the motocross track. At last count I think I've had 26 of them if I didn't forget any.

 

DIEHARD !!
Is right

 

Right? As in gonna DIE because that pavement is HARD.

 

Well, life is kinda funny. I've sort of issued myself a personal challenge to get back on a motorcycle, but to do it smarter. A smaller bike, and not pushing myself to try and get it all down right off the bat.

My bike search kinda went like so.

1. I need it to be an all rounder. Living a mile down a dirt road means that there will be at least two miles of potholed, washboarded, dirt and gravel road in every single trip, so it has to be good on that kind of surface.
   • This pointed me at things like dual sport, enduro, and adventure bikes.
2. I'm staying off liter bikes for now. I'm a newbie and I don't have anything to prove to anyone.
   • Had to be 700cc or less for me to seriously consider it.
3. I'm fat, so itty bitty bikes won't hit highway speeds for me.
   • Had to be at least a 450 cc, but 500 would be better.
4. I'm not a mechanic.
   • Bulletproof brands are preferred!
5. Budget (I'm cheap)
   • Terrible luck with used things means I want to go new, but I want to keep the price sub $8500 for the bike and starter gear if I can.
6. I'm short, so seat height and weight are a concern.
   • Most dual sport, enduro, and adventure bikes are tall, so this limited my options.

Going through all that I have arrived at what I think will be a good beginner bike, because in reality I'm starting over. Clean slate. The Honda CB500X seems to check all the boxes for me. Mild enough for a beginner, but enough oomph that I can ride it forever if I choose. I started shopping for the 2020-21 models, just to get an idea of where they are and such, about a 2 weeks ago. Then I found out that the 2022 is getting a refresh with some nice additions/upgrades. If they don't jump the price a ton I'll gun for the latest greatest because of the suspension and brake upgrades, but I don't know if I'd pass on a killer deal on the outgoing model once the '22s hit the lot.


TLDR: I'm giving myself another chance to love motorcycles! Once I get my bed rack and RTT ordered, the pennies will be pinched to put toward a Honda CB500X. Pics for fun! (Really want the green, but don't know if they'll even do that color in the US.)

 

The best kept secret to riding year round is quality heated gear.

I have heated jacket, gloves, grips and FF helmet. With the proper set up, riding in cooler/colder temps it's like summer time year round.

Actually my Rig runs better in cooler temps.


O.S.T.

 

And now I'm craving butterscotch pudding! That thing looks massive.


Heated stuff would be great for lots of the year, but where I am you'd still have to contend with deep snow come winter.

 

This is a bike I built in our garage a few years ago. If I would have built that as a soft tail I probably would still own it. A buddy of mine who was in his late 70s early 80s used to ride together. Custom frame from and welding done by CutThroat Customs. Never did paint it I didn’t want to take it apart again!!!!! A short lady LEO bought it,, she always said that once she gets going she is fine. It was stretched out and she had troubles reaching things. I didn’t want to sell it to her but she begged me and I wrote down everything she needed to know and made her promise to go to a safety class!! Don’t remember if I ever posted this,, if I did?? Here it is again!! It was a beast!!!!

 

I dont have heated stuff, but i do have winter gear. Insulated waterproof ski pants were a game changer.

@AzureNightmare a buddy of mine has been looking real hard at those cb500x’s. i test rode one, but didnt like having to cruise at 6krpm at 70 or so.

 

Nice to know somebody on here has had experience with it at least. I know it has to rev up to run at freeway speeds, but all reviews I've seen on it say the motor does fine with it. Some have swapped sprockets to drop it 500ish RPM at the higher speeds. I'm starting slow, and likely won't be doing much over 55 for until I feel comfortable on the bike. Still going to be a while before I buy.

Do you know what year the one you test drove was? I know that there was some updates around the 2018 or 2019 model year. Whichever it was I know they went to a larger front wheel for better offroading, and I think they even did some minor adjustments in 2020.

 

I'm a bike noob, so you're gonna have to tell me what that is. I can see it's a Honda, but that's it.

Is it as fast as it looks?

 

It was a 2020. I told him it’d be better on the road than an xr650, and better off the road than a cbr. Tried talking him into a versys 650, but he bought a vstar 1100 that got kinda boring, so he’s back to looking at the cb’s. Just sent him a link to a euro article about the ‘22 updates.

 

Hah yes, it's a piss-missle. It's a 2009 Honda CBR1000RR Repsol edition. Vin checked #1132 of 1500 made that year. It's a 1000cc bike. Has a Power Commander V, Power Commander Auto Tuner, Akrapovic titanium headers/slip on, and a Woolich track flash on it (limiter remover, GP shifting, etc).

 

Yeah, that's way too manly for me. I'll stick to my kiddy bike, thank you!

 

Haha all bikes are cool man. What do you ride?

 

I've been reading and researching, and it just seems like a solid beginner bike. Not too tall, not too heavy (relatively speaking), tame enough to not scare the shit out of me *looks right at @Ckatz53's bike*, but capable enough that I can go anywhere I'd reasonably want to.

 

Nothing at the moment.

https://www.tundras.com/threads/lets-see-your-motorcycles.242/page-22#post-2471096

 

Haha I'm not very familiar with Enduro style bikes. Been a 600 track/1000 street guy my whole life. But I'm sure you can find something within those parameters. I'm looking at buying a Honda Grom here shortly lol. They're just fun little mess around bikes.

 

@Sirfive how experienced is your buddy? Is he after a faster, beefier bike, or is he just hunting for a cheap but capable one? The reason I ask is because if he's not going to go off road at all, or doesn't need the new brakes, he could possibly hold out for the 2022s to hit the lots and then dicker down the price on a 2020-2021 model. I'm considering this myself, honestly.