Motorcyclists, Check In Here!

[Hozzie]

Those Chinese bikes are interesting.   I have a buddy who has talked about wanting something for around his farm.  For a couple of thousand, could be an interesting and fun way to do it without breaking the bank and they do have have pretty good reviews (well except the one Greg linked to ).  With anything like this I think it would be keeping your expectations reasonable.

Edited March 13, 2022 by Hozzie

[Smith]

2 hours ago, Erik88 said:

Having a motorcycle helps your insurance? 

 

 

It's far less than a vehicle and doesn't count as a vehicle in the total number of vehicles in the household. So, yes ;

[Erik88]

I can now officially say I can ride a motorcycle. I passed the MSF at Pellissippi State today. It was a great two day class and definitely worth the $250. A few of the people in the class already have motorcycles and said they still learned a lot. 

 

 

 

 

 

[gregintenn]

56 minutes ago, Erik88 said:

I can now officially say I can ride a motorcycle. I passed the MSF at Pellissippi State today. It was a great two day class and definitely worth the $250. A few of the people in the class already have motorcycles and said they still learned a lot. 

 

 

 

 

 

Proof of passing this course also gets you lower insurance rates with many carriers.

You chose a beautiful weekend to do it. I took it in August, and it was friggin HOT standing around that parking lot waiting on your turn to ride.

Edited March 20, 2022 by gregintenn

[Erik88]

2 hours ago, gregintenn said:

You chose a beautiful weekend to do it. I took it in August, and it was friggin HOT standing around that parking lot waiting on your turn to ride.

I thought the same thing. I asked the instructor and he said it's miserable to teach in the summer. It was only 38 this morning when we started riding but I layered up and the only thing cold were my hands in my Harbor Freight gloves.  By 1000 everyone was shedding layers and it ended up being a perfect day. 

[Capbyrd]

4 hours ago, Erik88 said:

I thought the same thing. I asked the instructor and he said it's miserable to teach in the summer. It was only 38 this morning when we started riding but I layered up and the only thing cold were my hands in my Harbor Freight gloves.  By 1000 everyone was shedding layers and it ended up being a perfect day. 

 

I took mine in April and it snowed on us. 

[Darrell]

I rode for many years without a MC endorsement; the entire time I was in the Marine Corps and for a couple years after. I finally decided I really should go take the test and get legal, so I rode my Harley Lowrider down to the local California DMV to take the riding test. The instructor came outside, took a look at the bike, asked me if how much I'd ridden it, and then signed off on the test without me ever starting the bike. By that time I'd been road-racing for several years and had owned quite a few bikes. 

But since then I've taken a number of riding classes, mostly high-performance classes on the track. I've learned things (and ignored things) in every single class. The most fun class of all was a trials riding class taken from a former world champ. That one was eye-opening.

Edited March 21, 2022 by Darrell

[gregintenn]

[Darrell]

Yeah, there's something wrong with my trials bike, as it just won't do stuff like that!   

[gregintenn]

Just now, Darrell said:

Yeah, there's something wrong with my trials bike, as it just won't do stuff like that!   

I tried to load my dirtbike in dad's truck without ramps when I was a kid. It seemed simple to just ride a wheelie and stop when I got to the tailgate. Then I could pick up the rear end. When I stopped, it resulted in a bent tailgate. Dad said it was time I bought my own truck and quit using his.

[Trekbike]

19 hours ago, Erik88 said:

I can now officially say I can ride a motorcycle. I passed the MSF at Pellissippi State today. It was a great two day class and definitely worth the $250. A few of the people in the class already have motorcycles and said they still learned a lot. 

 

Based on our recent motorcycle discussion in the knife thread, I thought buying a bike was a no-go with your wife.    I'm guessing you wouldn't go to the trouble of taking a class if a potential purchase wasn't a possibility with the wife.    

[Erik88]

8 minutes ago, Trekbike said:

Based on our recent motorcycle discussion in the knife thread, I thought buying a bike was a no-go with your wife.    I'm guessing you wouldn't go to the trouble of taking a class if a potential purchase wasn't a possibility with the wife.    

I already had the class scheduled and paid for so I wasn't going to skip it. She's not thrilled about it but I'm trying to sell the idea that I want to buy what is essentially a street legal dirt bike and ride it mostly off road.  

Here's where we are in the negotiations. She says if I spend $5k on a motorcycle, she's buying this $5k purse she wants. So I have to decide how bad I want a bike. 

Might need to buy some self help books on negotiating. 

 

[gregintenn]

10 minutes ago, Erik88 said:

I already had the class scheduled and paid for so I wasn't going to skip it. She's not thrilled about it but I'm trying to sell the idea that I want to buy what is essentially a street legal dirt bike and ride it mostly off road.  

Here's where we are in the negotiations. She says if I spend $5k on a motorcycle, she's buying this $5k purse she wants. So I have to decide how bad I want a bike. 

Might need to buy some self help books on negotiating. 

 

Tell her if she can ride that purse to work, it’s a deal. 
 

I guess I’m a lucky man. There’s a lot better chance I’d buy a $5k purse than my wife.

Edited March 21, 2022 by gregintenn

[Trekbike]

30 minutes ago, Erik88 said:

I already had the class scheduled and paid for so I wasn't going to skip it. She's not thrilled about it but I'm trying to sell the idea that I want to buy what is essentially a street legal dirt bike and ride it mostly off road.  

Here's where we are in the negotiations. She says if I spend $5k on a motorcycle, she's buying this $5k purse she wants. So I have to decide how bad I want a bike. 

Might need to buy some self help books on negotiating. 

 

I know based on some of your posts, you guys like the outdoors, camping etc. so go with the dirt bike route to start.    Take it along on some suitable camping trips and do some double riding with her on some fire roads and easy two tracks.    Bet she'll have a good time and then you'll have an easier time going forward.      

[gregintenn]

My wife finally just said “Screw it! You’re getting one anyway. Might as well buy me a helmet.”

Edited March 21, 2022 by gregintenn

[gregintenn]

A bit of music for my two wheeling friends.

[OilheadMike]

Erik88, max congrats.  I taught the MSF Basic and Advanced courses for 11+ years, I have logged almost 600,000 miles riding, currently own a 2016 BMW R1200RT and a 1995 BMW R100RT.  Iron Butt Association with 1000 and 1500 mile 24-hour certificates.

Safe riding, keep at least 5 to 15 seconds scan ahead of you in normal traffic, two seconds scan in traffic and busy sections.

I grew up in east Tennessee, now live in Athens, AL.

[Darrell]

I just added bike #6 to the stable. This one's a 2006 Ducati 999 with just 6000 miles on it. But it's been sitting for several years and needs a bunch of things done before it can be ridden.  I'm looking forward to it, though.

[gregintenn]

1 hour ago, Darrell said:

I just added bike #6 to the stable. This one's a 2006 Ducati 999 with just 6000 miles on it. But it's been sitting for several years and needs a bunch of things done before it can be ridden.  I'm looking forward to it, though.

I’d love to take a ride on one of those!

[Darrell]

The deal with this bike is that I found it for sale on CL almost a year ago, made a low offer, and the seller accepted. But the day before I was scheduled to go and get the bike, the seller backed out, claiming that he'd decided to keep it and do the necessary work himself.

Fast forward to a week ago and the owner contacted me and offered the bike again, this time promising not to back out. Yesterday I drove to NC to fetch it, four hours each way. 

The bike is in excellent cosmetic condition, dirt, dust, and the odd spiderweb aside. But mechanically it's a pig in a poke. With no battery I couldn't even verify the claimed miles, but the fact that the previous owner changed his mind on the original deal tells me that he wasn't lying about the bike being a runner. It needs all three calipers and both master cylinders to be rebuilt, a new battery, and full desmo service. But I enjoy tinkering with bikes, and I REALLY needed this one! The last photo is its barn-mate, an 08 1098S. The 999 is a 2005.

 

Edited March 27, 2022 by Darrell

[gregintenn]

Is some decent riding weather too much to ask for? It’s frigid here! The weatherman says warmer weather two days out. He’s been saying that for a week now.

[Hozzie]

Agree, ready for my fair weather riding.

[gregintenn]

It felt great to get out and ride a bit today. Have to go to a baseball game after while. I’d ride to it, but not sure my wife would like riding that far at night. Baby steps with her cause she still isn’t real sure about all this motorcycle business.

[gregintenn]

I put some miles on it today. It is windy, but still very nice. I got over 48mpg on the last tank of gas. That’s pretty cool! I’m sure hoping to wear out a set of tires this year.

[JeffL]

23 minutes ago, gregintenn said:

I put some miles on it today. It is windy, but still very nice. I got over 48mpg on the last tank of gas. That’s pretty cool! I’m sure hoping to wear out a set of tires this year.

48mpg is pretty good! My Rocket is more like 25mpg.