Bikes I have known and loved (maybe)

Since R6chase was nice enough to ask, I'm starting a thread about some of the bikes I've owned.

A couple of warnings. First, I got my first digicam in 2000. So pics from before that are scans of old photos. A few are quite embarrassing, so I might have to redact a few details so I don't get laughed at the next time I show up at the Lookout. Others reflect some of the best 'bucket list' experiences you can imagine.

Let's start with some of what's in the garage right now. '98 MuZ Skorpion Traveller, '05 SV650 (with wifey), '68 Velocette Venom 500, '51 Velocette MAC 350.

One more today, these are bucket listers.

Wifey on her '51 MAC on top of Pikes Peak (yes she rode it up there).

Both of us on a borrowed Velocette MAC at the Isle of Man, during closed road 'parade' at the Manx GP. Floating the valves on the way down to Creg-ny-ba was electrifying! The memory still gives me goosebumps.

Me on my Venom, heading south to Sedona, AZ a few years ago - sorry about the baggy jacket, I had just lost 30 pounds. I should mention that my Dad bought this bike new in 1969, I've had it since 1970. Has 43k miles on it now.

This is fun, it's making me go through a lot of old pics. Here is a pair I took in 2001. Note that we had close to parity in the garage; one each Velo, tourer, and sport bike. Plus my daily driver.

My tourer was a '95 Triumph Trophy 900 and that's my '98 R1. My in-town commuter (most of the time) was a '93 XR650L motard conversion. Ended up with a full XRsOnly treatment - big fin head, HRC cam, even got it onto the racetrack once. Passed my buddy's DR650 in the first corner and never saw him again!

Wife's Hawk GT was pretty trick by then - 5 gallon CF tank, 70 RWHP (thanks again Kiyo), Kosman front wheel and rotor, Fox shock, Targa, custom paint. I still miss this one, but I just got tired of cleaning the carbs.

I did pretty much all the maintenance, repair, and mods on these bikes. There are virtually no shops that work on Velocettes! It has been said that they are usually owned by engineers...

This is a photo thread, guys...

C'mon guys, what is this listing of bikes? Mine is 50 bikes long. Pics or it didn't happen...

a few more

Jamemoto said:

Very cool! Love the description of the first picture: "Z on top". Missing one Z and a big beard!

Click to expand...

Z is the wifey's first initial. The title is an off-color joke...c'mon!

Okay, here's a bike I sold to make room for the Strada. 2006 Buell XBSs Lightning Long. Loved this bike, but I hit the rev limiter way too often and it would roast my legs in the summer. The fuel in the frame is constantly circulating and heats up a lot. Note total lack of chrome...no wonder HD riders didn't like them.

If/when Eric comes up with a naked version of the EBR 1190 I will very likely find room for one.

And then my '09 R6, note custom mirrors. A young neighbor has it now, it's his "dream bike." We'll do some track days later this Summer.

Aaand, one that got away. 1968 Velocette Thruxton; decided that the low bars and rearsets weren't for me. Had it for three years; it's now worth more than double what I got for it seven years ago. This is the full-on racing version, available with full fairing, and won the Production TT in 1965. It's the Velo that most enthusiasts want. I repainted the tank, fixed that crooked logo.

You might have noticed by now that I like black and gold.

Yes, the progression is obvious. In our garage, the first V-twin was the '91 HawkGT bought new. That was followed by our first Suzuki, an '05 SV650 bought from a guy who had race stands for it so he could clean the wheels every night! It was like new. Both deserve 'classic' status in my mind.

But after several fours and triples, I try to keep the cylinder count down in our garage. Much simpler, really.

it's tiddler time!

Sometimes less is truly more. Here are a few pics of the tiny ones that I have loved.

First, my '83 XL200R. I rode this for several years on dual sport rides in the desert and mountains. It was no powerhouse, but light enough to pick up easily and would go up any hill that I was willing to ride down. Here she is in Titus Canyon, Death Valley NP. The sign says "When rocks bend." Spectacular place!

Unfortunately, not long after I took this pic a buddy went down and ended up on a four hour ambulance ride with a cervical collar on his broken collarbone. I had to ride his Husky 610 out, so I gave my XL to a total stranger to leave at a certain intersection - key in - while I picked up our trailer back at Furnace Creek. Took a while as the 610 stalled a few times and the compression release was broken too. But I got it loaded up and headed back.

When I got the intersection there was no bike. I figured oh well, it was not worth that much anyway. But a few miles later I found an accident scene, where someone had rolled their SUV across the desert - and the guy with my bike had stopped to help. Turned out that the ambulance that had been sent for my buddy was there immediately and saved the driver's life.

Some folks assume that other people are basically good, some think that most are bad. I am firmly in the former camp.

And one more vanity pic. That's me on my YSR50, at a local kart track. That little thing was a hoot, and I even won a few. But the next year I highsided it and broke my collarbone and nine ribs - worst injury in my life. Sometimes it's the stuff you don't respect that bites!

Last for today.

First, Mr. Dan Gurney on an early Alligator prototype. He hates the 'head first' riding position (well, he did race F1) so he developed these 'feet forward' sport bikes. And he let me ride three different ones. Tell you what, I wanted hip sliders on my leathers! You sit very low indeed. The last one was powered by a giant S&S v-twin, that yanked my arms harder than anything I've ever ridden.

Second pic is a bunch of his buddies' similar bikes. They finally went into a limited run, search 'All American Racers" for more pics.

One more riding story, perfect for today. On Easter week of 1997 I joined a group of riders on a trip from Tecate to San Felipe, Baja California. I was on my XR650L. We left in bright, warm sunshine. By the time we got to Osos ***** the snow was thick enough to make finding the trail difficult. I was following two more experienced riders and we turned east on Hwy 2. The falling snow got thicker and thicker, and the guys up front left me. A few miles later I fell on black ice. Took me 15 minutes to manage to get it back up on the icy road; no shoulders and cars going by at 50 mph.

My buddy Charlie then came up on his DR650. Look closely at the pic, I've not seen a rider more poorly prepared for the weather. Not only is his helmet packed with snow, but you can't see the soaked-through work shoes and cotton socks. We were both miserable.

Then a little white Corolla pulled up. The driver's window came down, and out came a camera. Now, I was not in the mood and thought he was being an *** so I flipped him off. The camera came down and he asked "do you need help?" I told him no, and he took this pic.

Charlie and I then retreated to Ensenada, found a place to stay and I stood in the doorway of our room while he went for a six pack. Lo and behold, there was the guy from the Corolla in front of the room next door. I apologized for my previous behavior, and he offered me a copy of the pic. I hesitated, wondering if I should give him my address, but did so.

The next day Charlie and I rode in perfect conditions to Mike's Sky ranch and had lunch. Rode back to the truck, loaded up and made it home.

Now, my camera with the pics from this trip was stolen in New Orleans two weeks later. But when we got back, this was in the mail. See previous post for my take on this. In the immortal words of the Dalai Lama, "There are no coincidences."