have been wanting one for awhile but the wife won’t be happy. Might wait until kids are over. Not planning on much highways just backroads. Anyone else?
Anyone here ride a Motorcycle?
- Thread starter SquinkY5786
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Can I talk you out of it? Boy they’re fun. Just too many idiots driving cars out there. Just not a safe way to go no matter how great of a rider you think you are. It just takes once and that’s it. Whether you’re permanently injured for life or dead, it’s just not worth it. Get you a boat!
I rode back in the early eighties for about a year and just recently started riding again. Not sure if I'm going through a mid-life crisis or if I just decided that you only live once and said what the heck 'let's do this'.
Ya I’m probably a little of both. As purkey said it’s definitely dangerous. But I am not interested in the highway. Pretty much just backroading on a nice day. I love the Indian motorcycles but may just get a cheap enduro to play around on right now as I have some land.
I've had a motorcycle pretty much non stop for the past 35 years. I sold my last one about 2 years ago. Cell phones killed it for me. Every single time I went out, I almost got hit by people texting or fiddling with radios, etc. I still look at cycles often and have almost got a dual sport I'd ride around the ranch and on back roads, but it just seems like such an investment for what little use I'd give it with small children. I have a 6 passenger side by side for my family to goof off on, instead.
That being said, I love bikes. I'd ride one A LOT if it wasn't for funds and other traffic. It's just a wonderful way to travel.
FYI- I left after school was out in college on a motorcycle and didn't come home for about 45 days. Drove from Stillwater to Newport, Oregon and back. Live in a tent and had 3 pairs of clothing. That was back around 95 or so and I think the trip cost about $500 and I drove over 5000 miles.
That being said, I love bikes. I'd ride one A LOT if it wasn't for funds and other traffic. It's just a wonderful way to travel.
FYI- I left after school was out in college on a motorcycle and didn't come home for about 45 days. Drove from Stillwater to Newport, Oregon and back. Live in a tent and had 3 pairs of clothing. That was back around 95 or so and I think the trip cost about $500 and I drove over 5000 miles.
One of the best times I ever had was a solo overnight trip on my KLR650 a few years back. Made a big loop from Jackson over to the Bighorns and back home through Yellowstone. Just a great ride.
Although I did nail a young quail with my left thigh at highway speed. Mother quail had the chicks on the center line and everybody flew left as I approached. Except one. Poor little bastard paid dearly, but he left his mark.
That bike was pretty decent, although it needed a seat upgrade if you rode on longer trips. A dual purpose bike, it really wasn’t geared for highway speeds. At 55 miles per hour, I got around 50 miles per gallon. That dropped to 25 or 30 when I was going 70 MPH. Also, it was too light. Crosswinds were brutal. A lot of vibration as well.
I never really worried about my safety until one day, I was riding on a 2 lane highway and a tractor trailer was approaching from the opposite direction. I couldn’t see the car until the last second because it was tailgating the semi. When the car driver saw me, he swerved slightly in my direction. Of all things, it was a highway patrolman and he was trying to get enough of an angle to get a radar reading on my speed. Scared the living shit out of me. I wasn’t speeding. I never speed. But I thought I was a dead man and I couldn’t have made any evasive maneuver had it been somebody else who was crossing the center line.
After that, I rode with extreme paranoia. Took all the fun out of it for me. I sold it a couple years ago. There are times that I want back in. Maybe one of these days, I’ll go to Arizona in the winter and rent one for a few days. Who knows.
Anyway, if you do get one and don’t like it, you can always sell it. Good luck!
See I’m thinking of starting with an enduro to ride around my land and some gravels backroads as I am in the country. Have no desire to ride highways
XR 650 is a helluva ride for that. Been around 25+ years. Price is better, too.
Rode dirt bikes often as a kid and have wanted a Harley for a long tmie but it's one thing the wife has always held a hard NO on. She had a cousin get in a wreck on one and he's never been right physically since.
You have to pick your battles I guess, she puts up with a lot of stupid stuff I do and spend money on. Post pics if you pull the trigger so I can live vicariously through you.
You have to pick your battles I guess, she puts up with a lot of stupid stuff I do and spend money on. Post pics if you pull the trigger so I can live vicariously through you.
I loved riding mini-bikes when I was young. Had a Honda XR-75 when I was in junior high. I’ve owned two Harley’s in the last 20 years. Took a road trip from Mexico City to Acapulco on a BMW 20 years ago. Getting the itch again but wife is a strong no on getting a bike.
“Loud pipes save lives”... and cell phones kill motorcyclists. Both can be (and are) true.
For me, riding is enjoyable, but a lot more work than it used to be. Living in the overpopulated suburbs has made finding those beautiful car-less winding backroads difficult.
For me, riding is enjoyable, but a lot more work than it used to be. Living in the overpopulated suburbs has made finding those beautiful car-less winding backroads difficult.
I predict that will change as you learn and gain confidence!
Probably. Where I’m at there are some really nice back roads. If I ever got a road bike would love an indian bobber.
Generally I'm a less government person. But here is where I make an exception.
In Oklahoma there should be a law that if you want a motorcycle license or endorsement then you must also be an organ donor.
In Oklahoma there should be a law that if you want a motorcycle license or endorsement then you must also be an organ donor.
My only real crash was a low speed deal while entering a back road. Was making a right turn from a highway onto a forest service road. Too much loose gravel and too much lean. Down I went. Broken right collarbone (which makes sense), but I didn’t expect to get a broken right foot.
But if you think about where your foot pegs are located, it makes more sense. When the bike lays down, your foot is between the motor and the pavement and it’s going to get sandwiched. The reason I mention this is because if I had been wearing something more sturdy, like boots, I may not have broken my foot.
Something else worth mentioning while I’m at it. Even on that stupid little crash, my helmet took a pretty good ding. At minimum, I saved myself a concussion by having it on when I went down.
Please don’t think I’m lecturing. That’s the last thing I want. There’s an old saying: A smart man learns from his own mistakes; a wise man learns from the mistakes of others. If you can pick up a nugget here and there by our discussion here, you will be a better and safer rider when the time comes.
you see the guys ridin' harleys wearing jeans, short sleeve shirts, and sometimes no helmet. You see guys ridin' bmw's and they are covered in leather with a helmet.
broken ankles are the #1 motorcycle wreck related injury. Good leather boots are really important for motorcycles. Even better are motorcycle specific boots with serious armor around the ankle and shin. They won't prevent all ankle breaks, but most of the slow speed ones they will. You won't want to walk far in them, though.
