Cars & Motorbikes The motorbike thread

There's plenty of threads kicking around here about cars so I felt it was time there was a motorbike thread. So to those of you who love bikes, what do you ride? Or if you've parted ways with a special ride then what was it?

After years on crutch missiles I've spent the last 5 years very happily on a 2008 Triumph Sprint ST 1050 ABS. Still got plenty of grunt but I find it doesn't egg me on like the Gixxer and Fizzer before it did. Only wish I had more time to ride it.

 

Any one that says harley.... banned!!

Sold my wr450 a few years ago, ktm next maybe the 300 2banga. See what happens.
And no road riding for me its dangerous enough in a car! Have you seen those bloody cyclists!

 

I've gotta tell a great story about one of "those" types... a guy I used to work with is a massive poser and finally after a few years of buying substitutes he finally bought himself a Harley... Two of us from work dropped him off at the bike shop for his proud moment and followed him back to the office after he picked it up. In a 15 minute ride he managed to run 2 red lights, narrowly missed a couple of traffic islands while wobbling around everywhere. We get back to the office and we're gobsmacked from what we just witnessed and you can guess what the guy had to say when he made it back to the office... "How's my jacket look?!!" Yep, ban them all!

 

Motorbikes are simply the best!!! As much as I love cars (especially high performance current model German cars of which I have a few of them), nothing beats riding a bike.

Just spent the day on the South Coast doing hard enduro training on my KTM 350EXCF.

Next week I have another track day to sort out my Ducati 1299 track bike, plus also have a Ducati 1299S road bike.

Harley's aren't bikes. They're simply rubbish. Most other motorbike riders are generally friendly however Harley riders seem to develop a 'tough guy' attitude. That's interesting because Harley's are slow, heavy, unreliable, don't handle, don't stop, and are expensive to purchase and maintain.

 

Started on a 50cc Gilera DNA, great little bike. Whole week in and out of the city for €8
Automatic, fairly fast for its size and no mechanical issues for the whole 1.5yrs.



Moved to Aus and couldn't believe that learners are allowed 650cc for their first bike so naturally went and bought a brand new Kawasaki Ninja 650r. Another great bike that rode well without any issues. Though still wish I'd chosen the Ducati Monster instead...



Then had a few too many close calls with Syd taxi drivers so sold it.

Wonderful feeling flying through the Friday arvo traffic jams on Anzac Pde and anywhere else

 

Love bikes, history as follows: Honda 50 -> Kawasaki klr 250 -> Suzuki gsxr 1000 -> Honda xr600 -> Suzuki Boulevard M109R -> Ford Territory with 2 child seats

 

Bikes are great now that lane splitting is legal.

Whenever I was on a hot bike it was ironic how I used to feel guilt when splitting lanes.

 

Next thread can be the harley story thread!
Few years ago on parramatta rd in syd there was a bikie affiliated hero on his harley trying to split lanes and push his way through the traffic.. he was built like a rake and was struggling to keep it up let alone weave through traffic. My bad ass camry slowed him up a bit more . Later that arvo talking to a firey mate in the city, he said he went to a job where a bikie ended up under a 4wd, game over.

 

That counts me out

 

Started with a few RD250LC's, moved on to a ZZR1100D, then a RZ500 that I still own, then purchased a RD250LC for the wife who has ridden it once in 11yrs (is a 350 in 250 clothing at the moment), another RZ500 that lives in boxes, a RG250 yamagamma, a few that were purchased to make a quick buck on including a $2k CBR250RR sold for $4k, a ZXR750 for $800 and sold for $2k within the week, a GSXR750 for $1500 and sold for $2500 in about 2 weeks and a crashed Hayabusa that I have just picked up for $900 including one of those hydraulic lift work benches. Not sure what I'm going to do with the busa yet.

 

Had my Suzuki GSX650F stolen 19 days ago. Yes I am counting the days. My only form of transport and gutted its gone.
When I replace it I will probably go bigger but not sure what yet.

 

My first and current road bike which doubles as a track bike also. Has been sitting in the shed unregistered and unused for about 12 months now
Unfortunately my PPOR has been sucking the life and $$$ out of me while renovating so the track days had to stop!



Phillip island - Lukey heights before I basically turned it into a dedicated track bike.

 

Had a few but unfortunately don't have any right now! Soon fix that ..

List from first to last:
88 Kx250
2001 YZ125
2004 YZ450
2006 YZ250f
2005 YZ250
2007 YZ250f
2010 KTM400 exc

Road:
Postie bike!
99 Aprilia RS250
2007 GSXR750
88 GSXR750

Race:
2001 GSXR600
2009 R6
2011 CBR1000

 

I started on the dirt bikes out in the paddock at my uncles place when I was around 10. Since then have got around on a Yamaha IT200, Ducati Monster 696 (sold to fund IP deposit) and now currently a Kawasaki Z750.

 

Sexiest thing I've ever owned and was lucky enough to have it on my l's before the power/weight rules came in

 

Half the police don't know what bikes are within the power to weight ratio anyway. I used to ride an r6 on my L's and no police ever said anything

 

Looks like there's a few of us who are into track riding. That's great to see.

P.I. is an amazing circuit! I absolutely love the Southern Loop - how you're looking at Bass Straight and accelerating hard out of there. Then again T1 at SMSP is also a fun corner.

 

Elsie's! i had a RZ250 with a 350 motor in it on my L's and P's. Hideously unreliable but I loved it. It lunched itself for the last time idling out of the bike shop driveway with a new rear tyre freshly fitted for rego, that was the last straw. But I'd own an Elsie in a heartbeat if I had the room in my shed just for the nostalgia. Ringa-ding-ding-ding...

 

I did a track day at Eastern Creek back in 2006 when I had the gixxer. Great fun but I feared if I kept doing it I'd keep trying to push harder and harder and throw it down the road. I'd cut a few laps of PI if I had the chance, that'd be spectacular.

 

Just bought this for the boy


Thinking I might get myself a dirty, haven't had one for a while