ST Member Motorcycle Appriciation Thread

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Tattooed 1

Trad climber

Sebastopol, Ca

Dec 23, 2010 - 04:33pm PT

I built this one in 05 before I started climbing. This is at Bonneville on the way home from Sturgis.
I would have put the pics in from the Easyrider issue it was in but I didn't think naked chicks were appropriate for this site.

Norton

Social climber

the Wastelands

Dec 23, 2010 - 05:14pm PT

atcha,

What year is your airhead Beemer, looks 80s ish? R100?

davidji

Social climber

Dec 23, 2010 - 05:48pm PT

"Custom Sportster '91' Harley...(Was an 883 beefed up to a 1200... Changed heads did NOT "bore it out")"

Changed barrels? Changing heads doesn't affect the displacement.

Norton

Social climber

the Wastelands

Dec 23, 2010 - 06:01pm PT

Had to buy new 1200cc barrels.

Would his 883 head bolt right on?

How could the larger bore pistons line up with the stock smaller combustion chamber?

I never could figure out on Harleys what went with what....

Norton

Social climber

the Wastelands

Dec 23, 2010 - 06:06pm PT

Here's a shot of the Norton motor with the new PWK flat slides carbs!

Bikes are so much cheaper and faster than cars to fall in love with!

atchafalaya

climber

Babylon

Dec 23, 2010 - 06:23pm PT

Norton, 1995 R100 RT converted to an S with the cafe fairing and straight bars. Your Norton is sweet.

dee ee

Mountain climber

citizen of planet Earth

Dec 23, 2010 - 09:41pm PT

OK, here is a ride/climbing story.
In 1975 I rode my 175cc Kawasaki enduro up to Idyllwild to climb. It was barely fast enough to ride on the freeway but it got me there.
Went climbing but it was the weekend of the old Idyllwild Bluegrass Festival. Matt Cox and I wanted to check out the music as well as climb. On Sunday we headed over there riding double up. Cash was low, we couldn't afford the entry fee. We worked our way around the back side of county park where the event was happening, found the barbed wire back fence and tugged that bike under the fence. We were in!
We enjoyed the show and headed back for Humber where Matt's ride was (Randy?).
As we were leaving through the park entrance gate the rangers grabbed and detained us. Somehow they knew we hadn't entered in their approved fashion. We had to confess the details of our transgression. They threatened to bust us but, thankfully, they did not...WHEW!
16 year olds live charmed lives.

Norton

Social climber

the Wastelands

Dec 23, 2010 - 09:50pm PT

Atcha,

Is 95 the last year of the airheads?

I bought one of very first "oil" heads, an RS, when they came out in 94.

Being a new model then, I had the clutch and gearbox replaced under warranty
but at around only 20K miles.

Mighty Hiker

climber

Vancouver, B.C.

Dec 23, 2010 - 09:56pm PT

I would have put the pics in from the Easyrider issue it was in but I didn't think naked chicks were appropriate for this site.

Try us. You might be surprised.

FRUMY

Trad climber

SHERMAN OAKS,CA

Dec 23, 2010 - 10:11pm PT

Peter Haan

Trad climber

San Francisco, CA

Dec 23, 2010 - 10:22pm PT

My most recent one: R1200GS 2008

Three years ago: R1200GS 2005

R90S, similar photo, owned 83-92

R69S, similar photo, owned 1974-1978. This was the roller bearing crank model!

Norton

Social climber

the Wastelands

Dec 23, 2010 - 10:29pm PT

Peter, everything I have been reading lately says the all around best

sport touring bike is your GS.

A close friend just bought a 2011 GS, couple more horsepower from the new head.

Rode it last week, wow what a motor and great handling bike.

Yours is beautiful

Are those Jesse bags?

the Fet

climber

Tu-Tok-A-Nu-La

Dec 23, 2010 - 10:38pm PT

I'm jealous Peter. That's the ultimate all around bike.

I had about 10 bikes when I was younger, but I haven't owned a bike for about 20 years, ouch. I'll be getting a dirt bike come spring though.

Not a bike but like having a motocross bike on the waves:

Norton

Social climber

the Wastelands

Dec 23, 2010 - 10:40pm PT

This thread should never die.

Take a fast ride on a motor bike.
Freddy Mercury
Queen

Peter Haan

Trad climber

San Francisco, CA

Dec 23, 2010 - 10:59pm PT

Although the R1200GS is a completely wonderful bike and insanely capable with a good record of service, if it turns out that all you really actually to-be-honest ride is roadways, you might want to take a look at the current K bikes instead which are 4 cylinder (inline) designs. They are even more powerful than the boxer-style R, bikes and the torque curve is really noticeably better within 2 seconds of getting on one, all the way down to 1000 rpm. Ridiculous. Wonderful. Little or no feathering and dithering around with the clutch, I tell you! The R1200GS bike is also a jumping bike, although kinda heavy, like 460 lbs (I remember) dry. The forks have something like 8” of travel but still at high highway speeds, it is tight and secure and feels solid up to about 120 mph. Its turning circle is excellent to compared to any high speed road bike, including the K’s. Jumping the GS is really really fun and the bike really comes alive then.

And now, in a few months, BMW has a 6 inline coming out, the K1600GT. It is largely redesigned from its predecessor K-4 inline bikes. Initially, the most dramatic new aspect of this bike is the headlamp. It articulates towards the curve you must ride rather than away as all other bikes on earth do with countersteer. Further it will also automatically tilt downward and upwards as well; all of this is about the road you must ride. You can't see one yet; I think April. But their website has tons of info and pictures you can enjoy.

One last thing, one of the greatest features of modern, better bikes is ABS---the automatic braking system. If you snatch the handbrake as ALL riders will do sometimes in panic, unable to balance with front and rear brakes, hand and foot levers, you won’t break the front wheel loose having locked it up and then be injured or killed. Instead the system decides how to brake the fastest, using both wheels and in some cases the suspension as well, depending, all with the plan of keeping the rubber under you. A huge lifesaver. I won’t have a bike without it any more.

Mighty Hiker

climber

Vancouver, B.C.

Dec 23, 2010 - 11:03pm PT

So it looks like Peter will be Mighty (Motor)Biker. Who will be Mighty Biker? Pedal people, come in!

Gary

climber

Desolation Basin, Calif.

Dec 23, 2010 - 11:04pm PT

Nortons didn't come with Amals? Did you replace the Lucas parts?

I don't have any pictures of my bikes. Started with a Yamaha RD250. That thing was super quick, not fast, but quick. Fouled a lot of plugs.

Then I got a '74 Triumph Trident. Sweet, sweet, sweet. Should've kept it after the wreck. Here's an example:
Smiths Instruments, three Amals, oil cooler, Dunlops and of course, Lucas, Prince of Darkness.

Then the '76 Bonnie. Very fast, none of the Jap bikes could take it off the line. Of course, they all blew by it soon enough. Leaked oil, parts literally fell off. (When the front bumper fell off, that hurt.) However, on those rare occasions when it all came together and it actually ran, it was like a dream, everything a motorcycle should be.

Then the shovelhead, but it all got to be too scary.

Norton

Social climber

the Wastelands

Dec 23, 2010 - 11:16pm PT

Gary, yeah all Norton Commando came fitted with Amals.

I took the original Amals off 15 years ago and ran with a single Mikuni.

But this spring I pulled the motor out and had a complete rebuild right down
to new camshaft, pistons, etc.

Wanted to complete the performance upgrade so bought a pair of 32mm flat slides.

Boy do they make a difference, along with fitting a new TriSpark electronic ignition!