The General Motorbikers Discussion Thread

[shad_68]

Originally Posted by Blind_Io

The B-King just looks hideous compared to the VMAX, but where I start to disagree with Shad is when it comes to the Italians. I actually like the Aprilias, in fact I spent an entire day test riding most of their lineup. They aren't quite as good looking as the Ducati line, but they are certainly not ugly.

Eh, what irks me most about that Aprilia is the headlight mask, which is similarily overstyled compared to the Japanese ones, and just drags the whole front down for me. I admit, the rest of it is alright, certainly nowhere near the uglyness of, say, the B-King.

[bartboy9891]

Sorry if this is a very useless question, but what are people's thoughts on Moto Guzzi's? I'm not looking to buy one or anything, but I don't hear too much about them on a day to day basis. I saw my first Moto Guzzi yesterday (it was a Griso I think) and it was beautiful. I might be crazy but that Griso was probably the best looking bike I'd ever seen. Why are they so uncommon?

[Spectre]

They're Italian and aren't made in huge numbers. They also don't sell all that well in the US due to the weird transverse V-twin layout. Not even Honda could make that setup sell well here.

[BlaRo]

Old Guzzis are worth a ton and are romanticized as the same level of Harleys, new ones are apparently reliable but parts are expensive (they are Italian, after all), but with more personality than your typical Japanese big 4 (again, not a surprise, Italian bikes).

There's a Moto Guzzi dealer near my house and I have to say, the Griso is a pretty sweet ride. I love the V-twin layout because I'm weird like that.

[hansvonaxion]

Originally Posted by Blind_Io

The VFR is just more busy than the 748. The Italians have made simple beautiful. What I would have liked to have seen on the VFR is those two large side vents to echo the shape of the front fairing and the smaller vent by the clutch cover to simply be removed since it doesn't do anything. Then I think the VFR would have been a real looker.

Agree.

[bartboy9891]

Originally Posted by Spectre

They're Italian and aren't made in huge numbers. They also don't sell all that well in the US due to the weird transverse V-twin layout. Not even Honda could make that setup sell well here.

I see, apparently they only recently started selling more than 10,000 bikes per year.

Originally Posted by BlaRo

Old Guzzis are worth a ton and are romanticized as the same level of Harleys, new ones are apparently reliable but parts are expensive (they are Italian, after all), but with more personality than your typical Japanese big 4 (again, not a surprise, Italian bikes).

There's a Moto Guzzi dealer near my house and I have to say, the Griso is a pretty sweet ride. I love the V-twin layout because I'm weird like that.

I don't know if it's just me, but the Griso is extremely attractive:

[Jon]

That is a very sexy bike

[freeferrarisdonotexist]

Forgot to say it earlier- I've been offered to ride my dream bike today! I was in the parking lot of a Walmart and saw a pristine-looking Goldstar and of course took a moment to stare at it. Then the apparent owner walked over to it so I complimented him on the bike, he asked if I had a bike then invited me to a ride. It's in two days, just outside of Austin, and I'll be able to switch my old BMW for the BSA, at least for a few minutes- bike swap, if you will. Looking very much forward to it.

[Blind_Io]

Honda to Michael Bay: Suck it! We built a real transformer!

[shad_68]

Originally Posted by Blind_Io

Honda to Michael Bay: Suck it! We built a real transformer!

And as is the way with the Japanese, they just had to make it something practical!


But seriously, that's quite At least that'd be my face when I'd drive past get towed by one of those.

[Twerp128]

My brother just got a '93 GS500 E Suzuki with 3,000 miles for $2,000. The thing is mint, some guy bought it for himself in '93 new for sliming down 100 lbs. to 280 My brother doesn't know how to ride, so we taught him and did great for a half hour until he dropped it. He's pretty gutted. He was practicing in a fairly tight parking lot and just took a slow turn and lost his balance, the good thing is it didn't slide, just sort of fell. He damaged a mirror, an end weight, the Suzuki emblem on the engine, and the exhaust.

In other news my cousin was given this. . .

[BlaRo]

GS500E is a great beginner's bike. Is that a Moto Guzzi?

[Spectre]

Yeah, that's a Guzzi.

Looks like it might be an ex-LAPD 850 California or T3 from the mid-70s. It's not an Eldorado because the frame is wrong for one of those (along with the headers, valve covers, etc).

I'd forgotten a variant - the V1000 Convert, which was a larger and more touring-oriented version of the California (built on the same chassis). It was made from 75-82, and is notable for its two speed automatic transmission.



The seat is unique, and while it could be fitted to the regular Californias as well, it usually wasn't. And there's an awful lot of stuff behind the engine which leads me to think it could be a Convert.

[Twerp128]

Yeah, it's an ex-LAPD 850. My cousin's husband in Arizona is getting rid of a lot of his bikes and bike projects, he has 8-9 functioning bikes, which he needs to get down to 2-3, you know new kids and all. So he shipped this in pieces to Michigan to his brother in-law. The electrics need run through, and there are some plastic bits here and there he needs but overall it's not too bad for a 40 year old Italian bike.

[Spectre]

Okay, that makes more sense. The white-topped seat was original for some of the LAPD 850s. Someone's fitted a V1000 Convert seat to it, which is unusual.

Your cousin may find this company to be of great aid in restoring it: http://www.cyclegarden.com/

Your cousin will also need to make sure whatever service manual he gets has a special section or coverage for the LAPD models. Because the Los Angeles Police Department ordered so many of them, they were able to get many non-standard modifications made at the factory (such as the stuff under the seat) - most of which never appeared on the civilian models and therefore won't appear in a manual strictly for them. There are manuals out there that cover the LAPD models though, so no need to despair.

Those ex-LAPD bikes have turned up in some surprising places.

[Jon]

Originally Posted by BlaRo

GS500E is a great beginner's bike.

I can vouch for this! More kick than you'd think too.. Great bike.


PS: Almost 100 pages lads ('n lasses) ..well done!

[hansvonaxion]

Originally Posted by shad_68

And as is the way with the Japanese, they just had to make it something practical!

Those pics aren't from Japan... but then they still could've been made by the Japanese. Haven't seen one but if I do I'll take a pic.

Can't imagine towing a car with a bike.

[jetsetter]

If you've never driven a motorcycle with a sidecar (otherwise known as a 'hack' or an 'outfit'), you're in for a major surprise when piloting the Ural. Since the sidecar's wheel isn't powered, the entire bike lists to the right when accelerating and to the left while braking. Thankfully, it didn't take long to get used to the odd motions and sensations, and by the end of our second day behind the bars, we were completely at ease with the see-sawing, eventually using it to our advantage around the streets of Seattle. Long, sweeping, uphill left-handers with a passenger in the hack proved to be the only occasion when the sidecar's effects were truly tiring to cope with, but beyond that, the Ural tracked confidently, delivering a measured amount of feedback that was both confidence inspiring and relaxing.

In the past, Ural offered some sidecars with powered wheels working through a differential. While this arrangement allowed the bikes to traverse nearly any terrain with nary a concern and reportedly did away with the constant adjustments required to keep the machine pointed in a straight line, the system wasn't exactly bulletproof and has been nixed as an option. A lockable two-wheel drive system is currently available on the Ural Patrol and camouflaged Gear-Up model and is reportedly quite stout. Although our bike lacked a powered sidecar wheel, we were quite content without it in the urban setting that Ural considers the new T's perfect environment.

Interestingly, Ural chose to name its new lower-cost sidecar after the classic Model T from Ford. Just as that automobile was intended to provide transportation for the masses, Ural hopes the T's reduced price point can introduce sidecar motorcycling to a new generation of riders. Plus, the factory is keen to recycle Henry Ford's classic quip, "You can have it in any color you'd like, so long as it's black." As such, the Ural is only available with a matte black powdercoat that should prove extremely durable, although we were less than convinced about the mandatory maroon pinstriping. However, there's no denying the bike's presence strikes a chord with passers-by. Hence the so-called "Ural Delay Factor."

It's nearly impossible to go anywhere without playing 20 Questions about the 2009 Ural T. "What year is that?" "Did you restore it yourself?" Or, the most frequently asked question when rolling to a stop: "What is that thing?" We had trouble convincing many of our interrogators that the Ural was a brand new motorcycle and that anyone with visions of sidecar motorcycling can order one right from their nearest dealer. Our advice for riders in a hurry: Carry pre-assembled pamphlets or feign a lack of English skills.

Once underway, other than the aforementioned right-to-left weight transfer, the biggest sense that you're riding something completely different comes when it's time to take a turn. Frequent motorcycle riders will need a quick mental reboot to clear any memories of countersteering as it will undoubtedly send you off in the wrong direction. Instead, turning right requires a firm push on the left grip and plenty of body-english if there's no extra weight in the sidecar.

As you can see from our accompanying photo gallery, it's rather easy – not to mention extremely entertaining – to send the sidecar's wheel northward in tight right-hand bends. Turning left requires an equally hefty push on the right handgrip, and we've been told it's entirely possible to pivot the whole operation on that sidecar wheel if the rider doesn't shift his buttocks to the left rear in fast corners. As you can imagine, we happily assumed the position.

Once right- and left-hand turns have successfully been negotiated, it's time to practice the art of shifting. Changing gears on the Ural's four-speed gearbox (plus reverse) requires a hefty stomp on the heel-toe shifter. We also strongly advise patience when releasing the clutch, especially if there's a passenger mounted in the sidecar. Reach down to the right of the gearbox and you'll find a handy lever that allows the rider to engage reverse as long as the machine is in first or second gear. We also found the lever to be an ideal way to force the somewhat recalcitrant shifter into neutral. The entire process of rolling through the gears mustn't be hurried, which lends itself well to a casual pace.

That's not to say the Ural T isn't capable of highway speeds. We had no problem keeping up with traffic, even with a passenger and luggage aboard. Top speed is somewhere past 70 mph, but we found the sweet spot to be somewhere between 55 and 65 mph. According to Ural, the bike's 750cc air-cooled horizontally-opposed Boxer engine, which is shared with every bike across Ural's lineup, makes 40 horsepower. We don't doubt that figure and found most of its tractor-like power to be accessible very low in the rev-range, though there's certainly no need to lug the engine when putting around.

We'd love to be more specific about RPMs, but the lack of a tachometer makes it impossible to know exactly how fast the twin-cylinder mill is spinning. In any case, we found it easy to judge our shifting patterns based on the sound of the engine, and suffice it to say, there's plenty of noise coming from under the rider, though it's never an alarming amount.

Perhaps the most modern aspect to the Ural riding experience is the front brake. That Brembo full floating disc proved more than capable of hauling the 700-plus pound bike (along with rider and passenger) down from speed with ease. We dabbed at the rear brake lever (which actuates drums on both the bike's rear wheel and the sidecar wheel) from time to time just to be sure everything was working properly and sometimes used it when idling on uneven surfaces, but it's not essential to slow the machine.

In reality, riding the Ural is an adventure, even more so than most other two-wheelers. Specifications don't seem to matter nearly as much on a machine such as this (as opposed to the typical sportbike from Japan Inc.). Horsepower, torque, suspension and braking bits – on a Ural, all that just translates to 'go', 'stop' and 'turn'. We found it rather cathartic but could certainly understand why it wouldn't suit everyone. If you fancy yourself as a Ural rider, we think you'll find plenty to like in the new T, especially with its low base price of just $9,999.

http://www.autoblog.com/2009/07/15/r...ro-as-it-look/

[shad_68]

Hey guys, especially the ones in Japan (hansvonaxion and KaJun, right?), do you know anything about the Suzuki 250 SB? Only thing I could find out is that it's apparently JDM only, and every other website I found was in japanese.
]I found one in Germany recently, 2500km, for 4k€. I guess I'd be all over it if only the price was lower.
Small and very light bike with decent power? Do want! And it looks awesome too.

[klutch]

Sigh...it was fun while it lasted. She was such a young, beautiful virgin; I hadn't even the chance to ride her hard. Now she's a washed-up mess that only a salvage yard owner could love.