oh yeah, let's go for a ride - show me your bike

[Gail O'Rourke]

I did a 2 day training a few weeks ago and then applied for my motorcycle lisence - this week, I got my license in the mail and put my new bike on the road... a big week!!! Today - I had my first out of neighborhood experience - bike on the road...

I am hooked... show me yours... oh, and here's mine 2005 Triumph America - 865 cc -

[Gary Keedwell]

No siree Gail....too dangerous for me. I think I would rather free hand on the TS then ride on a 2 wheeler.

Gary K.

[Joe Chritz]

How about this one??

They saw me in a parking lot letting a young girl sit on it and I got in BIG trouble because they hadn't had a turn yet. This was the next day.

Joe

[Gail O'Rourke]

Oh yeah, that's what I am talking about...

[John Schreiber]

Shiny side up.

[Joe Chritz]

I like the Triumph's.

If you get a chance to take a class on riding go for it. My class was 80 hours with about 70 riding. Absolutely brutal. They have a civilian version that is shorter but still very good. I highly recommend it.

I've been riding for 20 years and didn't realize how little I really knew.

Saturday I and two other motor officers are leading a motorcycle ride for a scholarship fund set up in honor of a deputy killed a few years ago. I knew him and I consider it a great honor to be the front of the pack.

Stay safe

Joe

[Gail O'Rourke]

The local rides are great! My husband is a Leatherneck, so I have been on the back of the bike for years. I took a 2 day class which was great, but plan on taking the advance rider when I am reader. Have a good scholarship ride, those are the best.

[Brad Schmid]

Hi Gail,
I like your Triumph! I don't see many around here. Congratulations! It was a great idea for you to take the training too. I did about 30 hrs myself a year ago and it was worthwhile.

Here's my everyday, back and forth to work ride ('06 1200 Stage 1 HD Sporty w/ D&D pipes). The only thing that keeps me off is deep standing water or bad lightning here in "flatland". Otherwise, rain or shine, cold or heat, I'm riding.

Be safe, and stay alert

[Brett Baldwin]

I like the style Triumph has. It really does have it's own look. Good for you for getting your own ride just watch out for all those yayhoos who are oblivious to anything but themselves.
This is my fourth bike and my daily driver. 4000 miles on it since December and I haven't even gotten to take it out of the valley yet.
street glide.JPG

[Rob Russell]

I got all excited based on the title of this thread and then saw the pictures. This is basically the bike I'm riding to work these days. My 1-way commute is about 8 miles, which is nothing for even a fairly casual cyclist. I do need a new backpack, though.

[Jason Roehl]

You guys are killing me here. I sold my last bike about 7-8 years ago due to the arrival of my little ones. I've been itching to ride lately...I do have a friend who may be getting deployed to Iraq again soon, last time he offered to let me "store" one of his bikes for him...

I'm not into loud, though. At one point in our last house, there were probably 8-10 Harleys within a one block radius. That got old real quick. My last bike was a '94 Suzuki GSX750F Katana with a few performance mods. Very quick. Now I would just want something that was comfortable to cruise on for hours at a time.

[Art Mulder]

My 1-way commute is about 8 miles, which is nothing for even a fairly casual cyclist. I do need a new backpack, though.

Ditto, Rob. Except my commute is a back breakingly humongous 4km. I don't like wearing a backpack, as it makes my back sweat in the summer. Instead I have a rear rack and a pannier to hold my lunch and change-of-shirt.

I fantasize about one of these
trike.jpg

or maybe these
amigo.jpg

But for now I stick with this
222.jpg

[Jeffrey Fusaro]

wow! a motorcycle thread! cool!

here's one of my rides (1993 honda goldwing), being modeled by my 18 month old daughter tia. i was washing the bike, and she just had to climb on. never showed her what to do, but she instictively reached for the handlebars.

i also have a yamaha tdm850 parked in the basement (sorry - no pic available). it needs some work and the time and money just aren't in the budget right now. with two little ones at home, there isn't much free time to ride any more. i had four bikes at one point, but it became too much to keep them all going.

good to hear that you took a rider course. best investment that you can make, as a new rider. i taught the safety course for about ten years. we used to perform the state licensing exam and issue licenses immediately after the class. trained and licensed a lot of novice riders in that time.

the experienced rider course would be a good next step.

after you get some experience and confidence with your ride, you should look into taking a "track class". it's not a racing class. but, it allows you to ride your bike at a "brisk pace" in a controlled environment without having to worry about automobile traffic. no stop signs. no speed limits. and everyone's going in the same direction. more fun than can be put into words.

woo-hoo!

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

Nice bike Gail~!!

I L-O-V-E-D my triumph~!!

Then one day while racing with a guy on a BMW in Route 178 traffic outside Woburn Mass there was an accident.
A biker has lost his leg and the air lift was still in the road.

My race partner and I only saw the stopped cars.

Undaunted I walked my bike in between the stopped cars over to the breakdown lane. Back then there was only a minimal fine for riding the breakdown lane. ( Hey~!! I was a stupid 20 something)

I got up as high as I could to check for traffic in the breakdown lane - - nope nuthin. So I walked my bike into the lane.


!!~~WHAMMO~!!

A drunken (yup stank of booze) sheriff in his own car, out of uniform, off duty, with no lights, no siren, and no horn was howling down the breakdown lane at gawd knows what speed.

I don't recall the impact. I do recall looking up as my body cartwheeled in the air and saw my bike cartwheeling right above me.

!!~~WHAMMO~~!!
I hit the ground cracking my helmet and shattering an elbow. I wasn't feeling it just yet.

!!~~WHAMMO~~!!
The bike hit the ground glancing off my helmet.

The car skids to a stop oh say 80 feet down the road.

I stagger to my feet.

The guy on the BMW is off his bike and heading my way.

The idiot sheriff is yelling at me and shaking his fist.

I have my helmet off and am running full tilt at the guy swinging my helmet at his head when the guy on the BMW tackled me.

I found out he was a deputy sheriff when his buds made statements for the insurance inquiry that they were there with him (he was alone~!) and how he was exercising all manner of due caution.

That was the last time I rode my bike.

Watch your back - and sides and avoid rush hour traffic. People in cars can be really weird.

[Jason Boushard]

hey ART this is what I ride its great no back or numb hands after a ride I can go all day on it if I want, I want a trike too but cant see spending the cash for it.