OT - not more motorcycle stuff!

[Doc B.]

Yeah I know, I'm off for the week and shouldn't be posting. I'm just checking in after finishing my motorcycle endorsement class. Not having been on a bike in almost 30 years it was quite a challenge, but I passed! Hopefully I'll have my bike done in the next month and then back for more training on my own scary bike instead of the school's idiotic baby Japanese cruiser with pegs by the front tire and a rear brake pedal that points straight up.
(https://forum.bottlehead.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fpowersports.vanwall.com%2Fimages%2Fbrands%2Fyamaha%2Fyam09-vstar250.jpg&hash=206ad6bc45d8b852b04dad5eac92db728750c275)
Why anyone wants to ride a motorcycle sitting like they are f**king a hippo is beyond me.

Remember, don't burn the place down while I'm gone.

[mcandmar]

(https://forum.bottlehead.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.suzuki-ireland.ie%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2012%2F01%2FBlack16.png&hash=e1290a002790de766f0a1902242e713cf8dae1b2)

Ugh cruisers.  Over here we get 125cc versions, seriously why would you?  You would look less of a prat riding a scooter.

[Natural Sound]

I ride a 1999 Kawasaki KLR-650. I call it my "Swiss Army Knife" of motorcycles. It does everything but nothing particularly well. That said, I've been all over Oregon, Colorado, Utah and New Mexico on one. It takes one hell of a lot of abuse. 

(https://forum.bottlehead.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fkenadams.org%2Fequip%2Fklr650.jpg&hash=e6ff5ea668ea5b2e3a4048723a5b1678244df6d4)

[Doc B.]

Nice!

[RayP]

Out of curiosity, what factors go into making a motorcycle look good? What makes one look bad?

ray

[Doc B.]

I presume that's in the eye of the beholder but I would guess it centers around the love of things mechanical. I was talking about the control layout. Those forward pegs and that vertical pedal have my medial quads barking like chihuahuas this morning. Rising out of the seat was awkward too. I don't recall that being an issue with my old bike that had a more conventional layout - that old 70s two stroke didn't hurt my quads, it just felt like I had been riding on a blender full of rocks after half an hour. Maybe I was harsh in my description of the seating position. It's more like sitting on the toilet reading your iPad.

Ow, my quads.

[Paul Birkeland]

When I took the class, they had a bunch of these that looked pretty easy to ride:
(https://forum.bottlehead.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fpictures.topspeed.com%2FIMG%2Fjpg%2F201308%2Fyamaha-tw200.jpg&hash=d25d68302e87056ed1235464be23391b94a75514)

I bet you're feeling some soreness this morning!

[Hank Murrow]

Always in my eye is this Ducati Diana Mklll Desmo 5-speed, whose sister was my ride in the 60's in Los Angeles. It made any ride a Joy! Sold it to finance 'Gradual' School in Oregon. Shame.... on me.

Cheers, Hank in Eugene

[mcandmar]

Only the Italians could make an engine that pretty..

[JamieMcC]

I ride a 1999 Kawasaki KLR-650. I call it my "Swiss Army Knife" of motorcycles. It does everything but nothing particularly well. That said, I've been all over Oregon, Colorado, Utah and New Mexico on one. It takes one hell of a lot of abuse. 

(https://forum.bottlehead.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fkenadams.org%2Fequip%2Fklr650.jpg&hash=e6ff5ea668ea5b2e3a4048723a5b1678244df6d4)

Nice I miss my single cylinder thumper, being able to just pootle about without lots of revving and gear changes. Kind of makes me want one again.

[Doc B.]

When I took the class, they had a bunch of these that looked pretty easy to ride.

I bet you're feeling some soreness this morning!

They had just one of those and a young sailor who had done a lot of dirt bike riding nabbed it as soon as we got to choose. There was one other normal looking bike and eight of those cruiser things. Lifting my legs is like OW, but I did manage my 3 mile run this morning so I guess I'll live.

Just got back from Licensing. Had to watch an 80 something woman argue with the very gentle and understanding DOL clerk for 20 minutes after she had failed the driving test three times and was demanding an appeal. She couldn't hear the guy, had to try three different pairs of glasses to read the paperwork and couldn't even find the door out of the place when she was done. Scary - thank you DOL for keeping her off the street! Glad my mom listened when we told her it was time to let someone else drive her.

That Duc is lovely and the KLR looks like a blast.

[2wo]

Not to rub it in too much but I am on a 2 week trip up and  around the Great Lakes.

Here is a shot of my bike at the north west corner of superior...John

[Doc B.]

Nice vacation! That seat looks really comfy.

[2wo]

I am having a blast. The seat is a Mike Corbin...John

[pdxgrampa]

Here is a 2009 CBR600 RR Track day bike which now belongs to an ex-racer family member.

You can read about it here:
http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/371/3770/Motorcycle-Article/2009-Honda-CBR600RR-Project-Part-I.aspx
http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/371/5094/Motorcycle-Article/2009-Honda-CBR600RR-Project-Bike-Part-II.aspx

And here is his wife on her shifter kart.It gets racy about 4 min. in.