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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
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Silver Kawasaki ZRX1200R, I should have never let go but I'll have another!
I should have bought the new on floor '79 RD400 Daytona, what was I thinking... You're a man after my own heart. The ZXR1200R Eddie Lawson Replica gives me the cold sweats. I had the hots for the GPz1100 Lawson Replica back in the '80's too. Then there's the RD400 Daytona Special; oh what a bike!! That would eat up anything on up to and sometimes over 750 CC, and would eat the ALL up in the twisties. There was a kid in high school who had one, and I walked by it every day...and every day I would stop and drool. Most of the Dayton Specials you see today have aftermarket exhaust, I want one that's original. Even the non-Daytona RD's were bad azz bikes. The regular RD's can still be found in original condition from time to time, they make for a nice little city commuter.
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Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
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Mcy's I have loved:
Harley XR1200 (currently own)
Triumph TT600
Honda FT500 Ascot (thumper)
Harley FXDX
Triumph Speed Trip
Mcy's I am not sad it's gone:
Honda VLX600
I'm still in search of the perfect bike. The big ones are so much better on the interstate/highway. The small ones are so much better around town and on backroads.
I've got about the least use for a foot-forward cruiser, but I love the sound and feel of a harley.
Uber Demanding Rifle Aficionado
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
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Hondo64,
Your Suzuki GS550E...I raced the ES version of that at Laguna Seca back in '82 or '83 (can't remember exactly when) for a local Suzuki shop. I had the Yamaha Seca 550 which was a little faster in the straights, but the Suzuki handled significantly better than the Seca or the Kawasaki GPz 550; yet for some reason the GS550ES was never all that popular...too bad, it was one heck of a bike.
I like your FZ6; that's a great bike.
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
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I had a few wore out bikes in the 70's. then graduated to a Seca 550 when I was in the Air Force. Had it a year then got a V45 Sabre. Rode the wheels off that bike. A lot of fond memories of trips I took on it. Hey, the only other guy I know who had a Seca 550. That was one hell of a bike.
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Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
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Then there's the RD400 Daytona Special; oh what a bike!!......Even the non-Daytona RD's were bad azz bikes.
The non-Daytonas typically ended up like mine - stripped and pumped up to the point that they made the Daytona look pretty mild in performance. The Daytonas were to cool looking to customize, so I doubt if they often (if ever) reached their full potential. But the real deal was when Yamaha brought out the water-cooled RZ350. THAT bike was essentially a street-legal track-ready club racer, and it would run circles around any of the RD bikes.
Lunatic fringe....we all know you're out there.
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Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
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I had a few wore out bikes in the 70's. then graduated to a Seca 550 when I was in the Air Force. Had it a year then got a V45 Sabre. Rode the wheels off that bike. A lot of fond memories of trips I took on it. Hey, the only other guy I know who had a Seca 550. That was one hell of a bike. Ahem.....
Lunatic fringe....we all know you're out there.
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Joined: Jan 2012
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 26,537 Likes: 3 |
Tom [/quote]I put water once in the crankcase because the oil was low. I was also an abusive teen on my first bike. A 69 honda 90 in Canary yellow. ![[Linked Image]](http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b307/cartod/Motor%20Vehicles/BweCmQB2kKGrHqYOKm4EvyFnkT3BMJEYWi9.jpg) [/quote] There were a couple of Trail 90's and 70's in my neighborhood, a few Mini 50's too along with some QA25's?? and even one Hodaka. I started out on a XR75 at the ripe age of 9. Waaay more minibike than I needed at first! I adapted! The guy I bought my Elsinore from owned many dirt bikes over his teen years including a couple of Rickman's and Husquvarna's. I saw a yellow Trail 90 sitting at my local repair shop last spring. guy's said they were struggling to get parts for it.
FJB & FJT
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Campfire Outfitter
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Hondo - as I'm sure you remember, the XT350 and the XT650 were introduced the same year. After spending three years on my XT550, I was ready for the upgrade - mostly for the disc brake, but also the better suspension. My biggest complaint about the 550 was always the front brake. When riding aggressively on the backroads, that front drum would heat up and fade.
Anyway - I test-road both the 650 and the 350, and left the shop with the 350. After all the tire-chewing and chain stretching of the 550, I guessed that the 650 would be even more expensive to feed (in my hands, anyway) and the added power - while extremely fun - was not practical for off-road, and not needed for a guy my size riding solo. I always wondered just how much difference it would have made. Aside from the obvious power difference, what do you remember about the differences between the two?
Lunatic fringe....we all know you're out there.
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
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Back in the day, we had to build our own crotch-rocket. Mine began life as a Yamaha RD 250. Guy I bought it from had trashed the top end, so it was replaced with the 350 top end (with DG high-compression heads). Everything about the bottom of the motor was the same for both, except for the cylinder size stamped into the case cover. Over the course of a winter, the neighbor and I stripped every unnecessary part off the frame, added tuned pipes, K&N intake, Boysen 2-stage reeds, clip-on bars, rear-set pegs with linked speed shift, aluminum rims and swingarm, electronic ignition, and probably a few things I forget right now. That bike was too much fun. Light and quick. It was meant to be a canyon racer (which it excelled at), but did a lot of street-drag as well. Guys in muscle cars and bigger bikes just couldn't get their minds around why they lost to a little 250cc ring-ding.  Yes - that bike was parked in my living room for a time. What the heck - it was small and light enough to run it right up the front steps. Second favorite bike was my '82 XT550. I put the Michelin DP tires that were developed for the R65 GS on that bike and chewed up a lot of canyon roads on it. Spent most of '82 in NorCal with only that bike for transportation, and learned what riding fast on paved corners is really about there. I eventually replaced that bike with the XT350 when it came out. That was (and still is, IMO) the single most versatile and practical bike made. It actually handled better in the dirt (although heavy) than any of the motocrossers I raced on in the late '70s, but still did very well on the street. That is the bike I miss the most. Kevin - I had a Seca 550 too - just like that red one you posted. It was a fun bike, but I never really warmed up to the transverse four. My love has always been for singles and twins. Always had the wants for a BMW Boxer after riding a friends, but never laid out the cash. I'm pretty much done with motorbikes now, having turned to boats for my leisure time. Can't enjoy riding for transportation....to much like work, dodging the idiots in cars trying to kill me. But I do have a soft spot for the old Honda CX500 (I can't explain why), and a co-worker has hinted that he might sell his that is in excellent shape...... Wow a 3rd Seca rider. I'm the opposite, I absolutely LOVE the power ans smoothness of an inline 4. But the singles and twins are torquey which makes them very responsive for city riding. The Seca was fine in the city, but if you wanted power, you had to rev her up and get into the power band; then she'd go like a scalded dog. My first V-Twin was the Honda Pacific Coast which I liked and didn't like. Basically I liked EVERYTHING about the bike but it's lack of power. It had a very good V twin engine, but at 800cc it lacked power. After having the Seca 550 I found it's lack of responsiveness. But the Pacific Coast was just perfect in every other way. The trunk was just AWESOME!! If it had a different engine, I'd buy another one. In general that's my main complaint with most V-Twins, the lack of horsepower; well, and the vibration. But these days there are more and more V-Twins with sufficient horsepower, and they have great torque. And the metric V-Twins have much less vibration than the Harley's. Much more ride-able. The BMW's boxer engine is pretty smooth and has decent power for when you have a passenger. My ZZR is kind of the best of both worlds. Just over 100ft lbs of torque so it's nice with a passenger. And if anything, it probably makes too much horsepower at right around 175 HP. But that makes for nice cruising, you have good roll on power in any gear at any speed. In fact, it has enough HP & Torque that you can actually start off in 6th gear and roll on all the way up to to 195mph.
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Campfire Ranger
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I've got about the least use for a foot-forward cruiser, but I love the sound and feel of a harley. That's so funny, that's exactly how I feel about Harley's. They vibrate like crazy, they're not nearly as reliable as a Japanese bike, they handle like crap, stop like crap... But they're so damn cool...and yeah, the what a great racket they make. There's a great compromise bike from Harley, the XR1200 ![[Linked Image]](http://www.motorsbros.com/images/Harley-Davidson-XR1200-07.jpg) Pegs are underneath you, it has ground clearance, decent suspension, good brakes, and although a little under-powered, it has great torque. I think this would be a great go anywhere do anything bike. It just looks so fun.
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Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
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I have owned a dozen motorcycles but the one I loved the most was the first one. A Honda Super Hawk.
"Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much" Teddy Roosevelt
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Campfire Outfitter
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You may have guessed that I am partial to Yamahas. A good friend of mine's parents owned the local Yamaha shop. They tended to give me some really good deals.
The old Virago 750 got a lot of bad press for it's lack of power. But I found that to be one of the most relaxing and comfortable bikes for long-distance riding. Pretty much trouble free (for a time) and great fuel mileage for a 750. Too bad about the starter motor problem they developed with age....
Lunatic fringe....we all know you're out there.
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Campfire Outfitter
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I've got about the least use for a foot-forward cruiser, but I love the sound and feel of a harley. That's so funny, that's exactly how I feel about Harley's. They vibrate like crazy, they're not nearly as reliable as a Japanese bike, they handle like crap, stop like crap... But they're so damn cool...and yeah, the what a great racket they make. There's a great compromise bike from Harley, the XR1200 Pegs are underneath you, it has ground clearance, decent suspension, good brakes, and although a little under-powered, it has great torque. I think this would be a great go anywhere do anything bike. It just looks so fun. Back in the '80s, one of the bike mag crews (can't remember which) took a Harley XR750 and street-legalized it. They made a few subtle refinements in the process. Had a big write-up on the project and how it performed on the street. It was a roaring success. In my mind, that was the bike that Harley should have been offering - and if they had, I would have bought one. Anybody else remember that article?
Lunatic fringe....we all know you're out there.
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Campfire Ranger
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Hondo - as I'm sure you remember, the XT350 and the XT650 were introduced the same year. After spending three years on my XT550, I was ready for the upgrade - mostly for the disc brake, but also the better suspension. My biggest complaint about the 550 was always the front brake. When riding aggressively on the backroads, that front drum would heat up and fade.
Anyway - I test-road both the 650 and the 350, and left the shop with the 350. After all the tire-chewing and chain stretching of the 550, I guessed that the 650 would be even more expensive to feed (in my hands, anyway) and the added power - while extremely fun - was not practical for off-road, and not needed for a guy my size riding solo. I always wondered just how much difference it would have made. Aside from the obvious power difference, what do you remember about the differences between the two? I feel your pain, dual sports are always compromise bikes. With the exception of the new KTM 520, I think I have the best Dual Sport ever made; but it's not without it's issues...KTM's just lack the reliability of the Japanese bikes. But they do have performance. The KLX-650 was Kawasaki's attempt to make a bike like the KLR more dirt worthy, and they succeeded. The KLX has a completely different frame and suspension. It's a steel box tube perimeter frame, inverted forks, and a gas charged rear uni-track with more travel. Much the same suspension as you'd find on the KX motorcrossers of that era (mine's a '94). Horsepower was upped by 6 HP. 20 years later, it will still eat up any Japanese Dual Sport on or off road. On road it actually handles better than the KLR, again, thanks to the much stiffer frame and beefed up suspension. BUTT...The perimeter frame means it will only hold 3.1 gallons of fuel, which means you're filling up at around 100 miles every time. And since it's road worthy, it's geared a bit too tall for serious off road riding. Still, I think the Japanese bike makers ought to be ashamed of themselves that a 20 year old Kawi will still out-do anything in the single cylinder thumper category they produce now. The KLR, XR & DR's are essentially the same bikes that Kawi, Honda, and Suzuki were making 25 years ago...Time to get with the program. Yamaha has the WR 250 which is a truly updated Dual Sport and very capable. It has a perimeter aluminum box section frame, inverted forks and MX rear suspension. Not to mention that magnificent YZ 250 engine...But it's a 250, not a 450.
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Campfire Outfitter
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Kevin, the demise of the once booming dual-sport class is certainly a bit depressing to me. The buying public just doesn't seem to be all that keen on the class - so the producers aren't putting money into R&D for them, and the options available are painfully limited. At a time when I was really wanting to upgrade my ride, there was actually nothing in the new market to satisfy me. It really is a shame, when you think of what the DS bike with today's technology could be.
If I ever get seriously back into riding, it will likely be on another big-bore DS single.
Lunatic fringe....we all know you're out there.
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
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have you paid your dues, can you moan the blues, can you bend them guitar strings
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Campfire Outfitter
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I'd wager that a lot of us began our motorbike riding career on one of those. 
Lunatic fringe....we all know you're out there.
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Campfire Ranger
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You may have guessed that I am partial to Yamahas. A good friend of mine's parents owned the local Yamaha shop. They tended to give me some really good deals.
The old Virago 750 got a lot of bad press for it's lack of power. But I found that to be one of the most relaxing and comfortable bikes for long-distance riding. Pretty much trouble free (for a time) and great fuel mileage for a 750. Too bad about the starter motor problem they developed with age.... About 6 months ago Consumer Reports released a 3 year study on motorcycle reliability and Yamaha came out #1...which surprised me, I thought it would be Honda (which came out as #2) Another big surprise, Harley Davidson was above BMW. BMW was well down on the list. I've been a Yamaha man my whole life, and Yamaha's have been VERY good to me. Just by chance I find myself with two Kawasaki's, and while I'd prefer Yamaha's I have to say both of these Kawi's are very good bikes. My '94 KLX has had a hard life and it just keeps going like the Energizer Bunny.
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My first and current ride. '73 CL350. Rebuilt the engine last winter and it runs great. Perfect backroad rambler: ![[Linked Image]](http://i1243.photobucket.com/albums/gg547/salsola/070.jpg)
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
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Kevin, the demise of the once booming dual-sport class is certainly a bit depressing to me. The buying public just doesn't seem to be all that keen on the class - so the producers aren't putting money into R&D for them, and the options available are painfully limited. At a time when I was really wanting to upgrade my ride, there was actually nothing in the new market to satisfy me. It really is a shame, when you think of what the DS bike with today's technology could be.
If I ever get seriously back into riding, it will likely be on another big-bore DS single. If Yamaha would just build a street legal WR-450 they'd OWN the single cylinder Dual Sport category. The KTM would still have it a little out-classed, but the KTM doesn't have Yamaha reliability. Dual Sport bikes are just so much fun. Ride on the road and if you see a dirt trail, then have at it. My dual sport hasn't been registered for the street in about a decade, but I'll probably break down and change that this year. I'll have to put turn signals back on it, and fix the tail light. And get some dual sport tires, right now it's just pure knobby; those can be a little more exciting than I prefer on wet pavement.
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