Are you a Biker....

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S

Small Block

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....or are you just some guy that owns a bike(motorcycle) and rides it? Myself, i own and ride a 1500 Goldwing. I do all my own maintenance but i don't get into the mechanical part like i do the cars. I really don't need to, it's a Goldwng. It will run down the road at 80 MPH with the trailer behind it set on cruise. Anything above 80 and the cruise will not engage. They made it that way. I guess a biker, IMO, is one who can and does work on there own bike even overhauling it themselves and maybe having a bike as their only mode of transportation. I don't consider myself a biker but as above. Just a guy that loves and rides a bike. Your ideas on this folks.
Small Block
 
I don't fit the traditional biker image. I have always ridden Hondas and did most of my own maintenance when possible. But I wasn't accepted by the true bikers because I didn't ride some peace of **** Harley that leaked all over the place or was constantly breaking down because of some small electrical problem. I ran around with them, but was never allowed into their inner circle because I was not a member of the brotherhood.

Now I work with a lot of upper middle class men and women, who ride their Harleys while wearing all the HD gear, and they really assume the role of Badass. Don't get me wrong, I respect the fact that they enjoy riding. I just don't like people who dress up and try to be something that they are not, in any form, not just bikers.
 
maybe not maybe so. bikes never been in the shop you decide

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I think the difference between a biker and someone who rides motorcycles is the reasons as to why you ride. If you truely love motorcycles, love to ride, ride just to releave stress or whatever else than your a biker. The banker however that decides not to shave 3 weeks before sturgis and goes out and buys a brand new electra glide with full head to toe outfit of harley davidson licesesned clothing and a coffee mug for his is desk with a bar and cross.....you get the point, not a biker. Some people are acually out there not for the love of motorcyles but because they are trying to prove something to someone else. The whole HOG riding group thing im not quite sure about either, mabe there are some posers in there too, im not sure, at least they go out and ride thier bikes instead of letting them collect dust. I do any work needed to my own bike, I think thats part of why I love motorcycles, taking care of it myself is what I like to do, but I dont think weather or not you work on your own bike makes you a biker.

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theres my scoot, yea I know its yellow and its a skirtster....however I dont care if you want to make fun of it because I love to ride it and Im sure it gets more miles put on it than alot of big twins. 8), btw im not knocking on big twins I want a softail deluxe with 96 twin cam.
 
Card carrying member of the Goldwing community! Have been working on motorcycles for myself and others for most of my life. Never thouhgt I'd love a Goldwing as much as I do but, I'd give up my Mopar before I'd give up my Wing!! Looking forward to our trip to Tulsa, for WingDing, in July. May not stay at the rally long 'cause there's ridin' to be done!
 
its not what you ride, its that you ride.

that being said, i've got a 74 honda cb200t. granddad bought it new after the kids were gone. grandma didn't like him riding, so after a few months it got put in the back of the garage. 34 years later, and its mine. rebuilt the top end cause the rings weren't doing their job anymore. now i just adjust the valves every so often, check and adjust timing. just like a car, only smaller. so i've done all the work on it myself, but definitely dont consider myself a biker, just a gearhead who has a bike.
as an aside, everyone who enjoys wrenching should definitely read 'zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance'.
 
Hey S.B.It,s a coensidence you ask,I just bought a 750 Honda Magna from a friend with the leathers for $1200 for all.I,m by no means a biker,but love to ride with some friends that own Harleys.I,m into cars to much!LOL!Here,s a pic of my bike and the leather jacket and chaps that came with the purchase.I,ll do as much matinence as I can on it myself!Pics..
 
pettybludart said:
Hey S.B.It,s a coensidence you ask,I just bought a 750 Honda Magna from a friend with the leathers for $1200 for all.I,m by no means a biker,but love to ride with some friends that own Harleys.I,m into cars to much!LOL!Here,s a pic of my bike and the leather jacket and chaps that came with the purchase.I,ll do as much matinence as I can on it myself!Pics..
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I rode a honda V65 sabre, very similar to the magna, i believe it was either 1100 or 1200cc's, man did that thing move. It was the fastest production bike for 1985.
 
thanson_mopar said:
I rode a honda V65 sabre, very similar to the magna, i believe it was either 1100 or 1200cc's, man did that thing move. It was the fastest production bike for 1985.
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I,m happy with just cruising,there,s to many immigrants that don,t know how to drive around here.I,m terrified of getting hit from behind!Yikes Raggy!
 
Good response guys and then theres CB. It doesn't mater to me what you ride and will and have talked to all of em. Funny how when riding down the road some riders wont wave at a rider on a particular type of bike. That's a head problem. If a biker is spoted on the road and down i'm the first to stop and help out. Dont care what they ride either. One thing i will say. If you ride you will eventually figure out that you are not bullet proof. For those that think they are, it's been nice knowin ya. Maybe some haven't ridden in several years but are considering getting back on a bike. Do it, BUT, swallow some of that big big pride and spend $100 for a 3 day rider safety education course and maybe save your life. It's a great thing that even the best can benifit from. I sent the wife and my 16 yr old son to a course and i took it with em. Best $300 i ever spent. I learned a lot and you will to and you'll be around here to tell about it. We rode to Greenville, SC. for the Wing Ding several years ago and my son rode one of my wings. He was awarded the youngest Wing rider out of 11,000 people when he was 17. Needless to say Mom was a nervous wreck.
Small Block
 
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My ugly mug and the 79 Honda CB400TII that I ride. I ride because I love the feeling. So far I've experienced nothing like it. It's amazing when your doing 100kph and you can feel yourself get lighter and start to lift off on the highway. Lol wish I had a photo of myself last week I brought my Quicktime bellhousing home on the bike. Right now I'm looking at a 1990 HD FLHT that a guy wants to trade for my 92 diesel(Regretting buying a diesel I don't really need it but I bought it anyways)

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My only bike was an old beat up, well loved '73 Honda 4 stroke trail bike when I was 16. I never had to work on it. It lived at my boyfriend's house unknown to my parents. But I DO admire them still (and work on their parts nowadays) ..............

daredevil said:
maybe not maybe so. bikes never been in the shop you decide
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Great picture Pete! It's a whole new day my friend ... glad to see you're here enjoying it. Sending you a big hug just cuzzz [[[[[[[[[[[[[ PETE ]]]]]]]]]]]]]

thanson_mopar said:
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theres my scoot ...
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Beautiful! I love the color. Now I see what you were telling me about on the phone ... definitely something to be proud of!

pettybludart said:
OOPS!Here they are.
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mmmmmmmmmmmm leatherrrrrrrrrrrrrr :eek:ccasion:

[in Mary's voice from Zappa's Crew Slut]

Yeah I'm ornery like that.

Keep the great pics coming guys!
 
man id ride that lol j/k i have had 3 bikes yamaha 650 maxim and a 98 ninja zx6r and a 01 zx6r. now on the 11th im trading my belvedere for a 03 superglide but its gona need alot of changes for me to like it. like foward controls and spoke wheels and later on a wideglide front end. but o well i would realy like a roadking. anyways it will be a daily rider weather permiting.
 
Small Block said:
Funny how when riding down the road some riders wont wave at a rider on a particular type of bike. That's a head problem.
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Years ago when I first started to ride on a Honda 500cc V-twin, it was the H-D riders that wouldn't wave to anyone on something other that a H-D. Then it was both the H-D riders and the GoldWing riders that seemed to be caught up in their own make and exclusive in their greetings.
Now, it's only the GoldWing riders in my area that won't acknowledge anything other that another GoldWing. I get waves from everyone else. Younger, older, H-D, rice-rockets, doesn't matter. Only the GoldWing guys wear blinders to other makes.
Here's my 30-year old Kawasaki KZ1000ST. I'm the original owner and it's just as much fun to ride as it was when I first got it. It sat in the garage gathering dust for a bunch of years as my old boss wasn't thrilled with me riding the bike back and forth to work every day. Then I went through a divorce and thought it best to park it since I was raising my kids and was sole support to them. Kids are grown now and on their own, different job, so the bike came out of the garage a couple of years ago and I'm back to having fun on my daily commute. And I get a lot of looks, 'thumbs up', and positive comments riding an older bike.
Biker? Rider? I don't care what you want to call me. It's fun either way.

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73goldduster said:
its not what you ride, its that you ride.
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I'll change that to "It's not what you ride, but how you ride".

I rode 4 seasons a year in Chicago and was a professional motorcycle mechanic. I even rode the ice on the lake in N. Wisconsin without studs. I don't have a bike now and it kills me. Once a month I dream that I'm riding again and when I awake, my heart aches.

Smallblock,

Does riding make your heart smile? Can you sit there, read these words and feel the change of temp and smell the green dusky smell of the lake, river or swamp you just rode past? Have you felt the sting of the rain at 60 mph on your face while your girl laughed all the way home from an all day ride? Can you close your eyes and "countersteer" through your favorite road? Can you feel the rush of a full throttle gear shift "snick" from 2nd to 3rd at redline? Have you ever taken a 400 mi trip that started in hot sun, then watched as the clouds darkened and heaven opened up, but just enough to cool you off and you were dry 30 miles later?

These are just a few of the things that a true biker holds close to his (or her) heart. I've tried to explain some of these things to some people and they don't get it. Neither does the R.U.B (Rich Urban Biker). These are the guys that trailer their bike to Sturgis and play dress up that Thanson speaks of.

Smallblock, It's not about being a patched member with a rocker or wether or not you work on your own bike. It's about how you feel when you ride. Only you in your heart know if you are a true biker my friend.

Joe
 
Here's my old '81 GPZ1100 fuel injection......great bike and I love the styling. I wrench on it, and I rode it today up to Wrightwood and Newcomb's Ranch. It's a pig, but it's built well.

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cudavert said:
Here's my old '81 GPZ1100 fuel injection......great bike and I love the styling. I wrench on it, and I rode it today up to Wrightwood and Newcomb's Ranch. It's a pig, but it's built well.
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Very nice bike and I know them well. :read2: They are heavy but sturdy. :)
 
I started out with Yamaha dirt bikes at about 12 or 13. My first road bike was a 1978 kz1000 Kawasaki(death bike) that turned into a new 82 Honda V45 Magna, my legs were to long for that, so in 84 that turned into a V65 Sabre.That same year I was on my way to work one morning and spotted a black 1980 Honda CBX I-6 in a used car lot. I stop to look at it then thought about it all day and stopped and bought it on the way home(the wife was P.O.). Well 25 years later and 2 wifes later, I am still riding my slant 6 bike, and that and the Dart will go to my son when I check out. But with over 40 years of riding I have never been consitered a biker,I always had the wrong kind of bike, JUST A RIDER!
 
ramcharger said:
I'll change that to "It's not what you ride, but how you ride".

I rode 4 seasons a year in Chicago and was a professional motorcycle mechanic. I even rode the ice on the lake in N. Wisconsin without studs. I don't have a bike now and it kills me. Once a month I dream that I'm riding again and when I awake, my heart aches.

Smallblock,

Does riding make your heart smile? Can you sit there, read these words and feel the change of temp and smell the green dusky smell of the lake, river or swamp you just rode past? Have you felt the sting of the rain at 60 mph on your face while your girl laughed all the way home from an all day ride? Can you close your eyes and "countersteer" through your favorite road? Can you feel the rush of a full throttle gear shift "snick" from 2nd to 3rd at redline? Have you ever taken a 400 mi trip that started in hot sun, then watched as the clouds darkened and heaven opened up, but just enough to cool you off and you were dry 30 miles later?

These are just a few of the things that a true biker holds close to his (or her) heart. I've tried to explain some of these things to some people and they don't get it. Neither does the R.U.B (Rich Urban Biker). These are the guys that trailer their bike to Sturgis and play dress up that Thanson speaks of.

Smallblock, It's not about being a patched member with a rocker or wether or not you work on your own bike. It's about how you feel when you ride. Only you in your heart know if you are a true biker my friend.

Joe
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I've never heard it put better Joe! I would add but one other ride that sums it up, being in the saddle of a bike, dont care if it's a 77 Honda or a brand new Harley, out on the open road seeing the sun's first rays of light out on the horizon where the earth meets the sky, and there's nothing between you and freedom, thats another moment where only you know how your heart feels and whether or not your a biker...

Ryan
 
Incidently here's my first street bike, a 1983 Yamaha Seca Turbo 650 and my current ride, a 2002 Harley Nighttrain...I do all my own work except major engine work (havnt needed to yet, big bore kit and hot cams next winter)

Ryan



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