Let's see your past bikes...

[keithu]

3 hours ago, nhchris said:

 

Coolest bike of the thread thus far.

[magnatic]

1. 1982 Suzuki GS400T (stock photo) - it was already 20 years old when I bought it to learn on and it was perfect for that
2. 2002 Honda VF750c Magna - probably my favourite bike. The V4 made all sorts of power and surprised everyone I rode with
3. 2003 Honda RR600 - too much fun but I could only take the riding position for a few hours
4. 2008 Honda GL1800 Goldwing - an absolutely incredible machine that was a dream to ride on long trips yet handled well in slow-speed maneuvers 
5. 2019 Yamaha Tracer GT - it's a great bike and the support from this forum has helped me tweak it to make it more enjoyable but the jury is still out on whether it's going to be a keeper

Edited May 29, 2020 by magnatic

[magnatic]

43 minutes ago, keithu said:

Coolest bike of the thread thus far.

Agreed.  Possibly one of the coolest bikes I've ever seen.

[stumpy]

this was my dream bike. i was finally able to get one and i loved it...my hip didn't.  

don't have many pics on my computer for some reason of my most recent.  and all of my old bikes are on photos

[rodb47]

5 hours ago, maximo said:

Call me an oddball, but I've always loved the look of the PC800. In fact, that was part of the reason I got the ST1100, it's because it reminded me of the PC. 

I still have it, but it's in bad shape. Sat in a shed for 12 years. This was a practically maintenance free bike. Great commuter. Always got comments and questions about it. Especially after the yellow paint job. I saw a low mileage one for sale near me. Thought about it.

[rodb47]

2 hours ago, keithu said:

People criticized Honda because by their own admission the Pacific Coast was designed to attract non-motorcyclists into the showrooms. Well why not? Who do you think the "You meet the nicest people on a Honda" campaign was aimed at? One of the most practical motorcycles ever made, too bad more people didn't buy it.

I see them around still. There is quite a rabid following of this bike though it's small. Practical is the word. This is the Civic or Accord of Honda bikes. If I ever get it running, I'm going to pimp it out. Lol

[Zach26]

I don't have pictures of my first two bikes so I found some stock photos.

My first bike was a 1982 Honda XL250. This bike was given to me by one of my dads friends when I was about 12 years old. It was in very rough shape but my dad and I got it running and I rode it around in the mountains for a few years. If it weren't for this awesome gift I would probably have never got into riding. 

My second bike was a 1989 Suzuki RM 250. I bought it for $1,000 from a guy that raced motocross. He had done some performance mods to it and it was pretty fast. I had a blast with that bike until the transmission blew up a few years later. Then I didn't ride for a few years after joining the Air Force and being stationed in alaska. 

My third bike is a 2012 Harley Dyna Wide Glide which I still have. I bought it new in 2012 and have put 30,000 miles on it. That number would be much higher if it weren't for four deployments since I bought it.

And then I bought the FJ-09 as a second bike last September. 

Edited May 29, 2020 by Zach26

[keithu]

12 hours ago, rodb47 said:

I see them around still. There is quite a rabid following of this bike though it's small. Practical is the word. This is the Civic or Accord of Honda bikes. If I ever get it running, I'm going to pimp it out. Lol

A friend of mine owned a motorcycle salvage yard in Eugene. He said the PC800 was the one bike that almost never came through the salvage system. They don't die on their own, and the people who buy them don't tend to wreck them. 

[keithu]

14 hours ago, magnatic said:

1. 1982 Suzuki GS400T (stock photo) - it was already 20 years old when I bought it to learn on and it was perfect for that
 

That same basic motor lived on for another 30+ years in the GS500. Wikipedia says they still produce it for Latin America. 

[fr8dog]

All stock photos except for the FJ. Colors are the same. The 2 Hondas had Kerker pipes and the H1 had expansion chambers.

Learned to ride on one of those Honda step throughs in the orchards by my Grandfather's house.

.1. 71 Suzuki TS90 - First bike. I was 12.

2. 72 BSA 650 Lightning - Dad gave it to me when I turned 16. He stripped it down to the frame and painted. Loved that bike. I beat it up pretty good. Two speeding tickets the first 6 months. Mom wasn't too happy. I was on her insurance.

3. 76 Honda 750 SS - Hit by a car. I was fine, bike totalled.

4. 78 Honda 750 SS - Kept for a couple of years. Sold when I went into the Air Force.

5. 72 Kawasaki H1 500 - Fast and fun going straight. Sketchy in the twisties. Sold to a friend. He was high and crashed.

6. 78 Suzuki GS 750 - Should of bought one of these instead of the second Honda. Bought from a friend. He repo'd it from another friend of ours. Crashed. Daydreaming on Hwy 49 Mokolumne Hill Presidents Day 1985. Laid it down in gravel and hit siderail. Repaired and repainted.

7. 86 Yamaha FZ600 - Loved that bike. Had it and the GS at the same time. Didn't ride either very much. Kids starting popping out and the second crash was still on my mind.

8. 16 Yamaha FJ-09 - Love this bike. After a 30 year break I'm back at it. 34k plus miles. Making up for lost time.

 

 

[Toddtr]

In order 1985 Ninja 900, 1987 Gsxr 750, 1990 Katana 1100, 1993 Gsxr 750..worst of them all, 1999 Cbr 900, 2000 929, 2002 R1, 2006 750, 2009 Aprilia 550. I hate to say this but the Katana was probably the best handling bike in the turns. The R1 had many track days and at that time was a beast and I had a great time with it. The Aprilia was awesome but finicky, now I’m on an old man Tracer GT

[rodb47]

50 minutes ago, keithu said:

A friend of mine owned a motorcycle salvage yard in Eugene. He said the PC800 was the one bike that almost never came through the salvage system. They don't die on their own, and the people who buy them don't tend to wreck them. 

Yeah. I basically killed mine by letting it sit. I couldn't ride for years because of a medical issue. It needs a complete rebuild top to bottom. I want to do it but have never attempted such a thing. I would love to ride that AND my FJ.

[keithu]

41 minutes ago, Toddtr said:

In order 1985 Ninja 900, 1987 Gsxr 750, 1990 Katana 1100, 1993 Gsxr 750..worst of them all, 1999 Cbr 900, 2000 929, 2002 R1, 2006 750, 2009 Aprilia 550. I hate to say this but the Katana was probably the best handling bike in the turns. The R1 had many track days and at that time was a beast and I had a great time with it. The Aprilia was awesome but finicky, now I’m on an old man Tracer GT

 

That's almost the History of Sportbikes right there. What didn't you like about the '93? Obviously we've all read that they were overweight, but this sort of thing is always more important in magazine comparos than in the real world. 

A friend of mine racked up serious miles on a Katana 1100, well over 100k I think. Here is Tom being arrested on his Katana in 1997. The officer kindly allowed Tom to ride his bike to the jail so it wouldn't be impounded.

[duhg]

On 5/28/2020 at 10:03 AM, duhs10 said:

 I loved my FZ-6. The engine was SO SMOOTH.

I rode a friend's FZ-6 and enjoyed it very much.  It's a badly underrated bike IMHO.

[texscottyd]

1 hour ago, fr8dog said:

...the H1 had expansion chambers.

72 Kawasaki H1 500 - Fast and fun going straight. Sketchy in the twisties.

Every time I hear some one complain about the abrupt on/off throttle response of the FJ, I think back to my H1 and chuckle...    

You’re being very generous in your summary of the handling.  To me, it was almost diabolical.  And for added entertainment value, the brakes were occasional, at best.   But it didn’t kill me, so the memories are good.