Your Rider Resume

[FZ1inTX]

This worked out well on the FZ6 forum so I thought I'd bring the concept over to here. This is where you can tell us about your riding experience, where you started, what you've ridden and any other important rider resume items. Are you a racer? MSF instructor? Accidents? This gives all members a good "read" on who is answering their posts... is this person really qualified to give out advice? Good place to come look up a person's "salt" and see if they've ridden around the block more than once, if you will.

I'll do my best to keep this OP edited to reflect each rider resume. Please limit this to ONLY the resumes and comment to each person in either another thread or in their profile visitor messages. Non-resume posts will be removed to keep it tidy. Thanks!

Resumes as posted:
1. FZ1inNH
2. Bandit
3. BroHay
4. FZ1riderNY
5. Norm
6. wrodz2003
7. BigB_EOD
8. Oldschool
9. eaglefrq
10. folma
11. Hail
12. fastchariot
13. mikeswe
14. AndrewM87
15. Adrenaline Junkie
16. efzed1
17. pilot8127
18. yamahajim
19. Ally House
20. Drainfade
21. Pyrogenic
22. Hellgate
23. mathprof
24. TimeBombAZ
25. pjspin0331
26. qviking
27. cos_fz1
28. Mr scotto

 

[FZ1inTX]

I started riding when I was 11 years old. I am now 44, however, there was a 14 year gap in there to raise three kids. I sold my last ride when the oldest was six and had no toys for the next 14 years. The kids came first. Now that they are responsible for themselves, we are back into toys again!

At 11, my parents bought me a Honda CT70 trail bike. It was a little 70cc 3-speed automatic (no clutch). Shift and twist! After bombing trails for a few years with this, Honda introduced the ATC90 and I got to try a friends. After some pleading and pitching in my money saved from odd jobs, I got one of the first ATC110 3-wheelers. FUN! That lasted a couple more years and I got a Yamaha DT175 bike. I tore down this dual-purpose and make it a strictly dirt machine. I took apart the engine, had it bored and stroked, send the head out for porting and polishing, and changed out the sprockets for more low end dirt riding/hill climbing. During this time, I aquired a Honda XL175 which I used for some off road but mostly onroad. I drove this for two seasons on the street without a license or permit. (This was central Maine... You know.... "Hey! Nice TOOTH!" )

My first true street bike was a 1977 Suzuki GS 400. That one had some issues and didn't last long. I then got a 1981 Honda CB750F Supersport. This bike was the ride of it's day. I bought it used almost two years old. I had it for about 4 months and totaled it when I was stunting. Doing a wheelie at about 55 mph and lost it over backwards. Geared up, I hit the road and slid watching the bike do several endo's, front, tail, front, tail, etc.... There was no saving it, crumpled mess! Paid cash, no insurance, total loss out of pocket. Lesson learned!

After getting out of the Army, I bought a used Honda ATC 350X three wheeler. This was only put out for 20 months by Honda and then pulled because it was too fast and dangerous. I kept mine until my oldest turned 6 and sold it. It wasn't until May 2006 that I picked up the '05 FZ6 holdover. This was sold to a young man in '08 and I picked up a 2008 FZ6 in April of that year. I modded the bike up and really enjoyed the heck out of it. After a year, I finally got to take a trip to Deal's Gap and see what this Dragon was all about. NICE!!!! Well, the FZ6 didn't perform so well, so after returning, I decided something better was needed in the suspension department. Rather than mod any further, I traded in the FZ6 for the bigger sister, the FZ1, same colors thus an EASY transition!

I never had formal training for working on these but learned on my own with Chilton or Haynes manuals along the way. I still work on most of my stuff by myself and prefer it that way. Especially with the bikes because I have a trust issue with someone else working on my ride and me feeling 100% safe afterward. I've also performed a lot of work on bikes for others. The rest of the kids in the neighborhood always came to me to help them fix and repair their machines.

As for street miles, I am guessing at about 85k miles. Off-road on bikes and 3-wheelers, probably 80k because I was ALWAYS on something with less than 4 wheels for 12 years out of my life.

I've done the MSF twice and think everyone should take it every few years as a refresher. It reminds you of bad habits you need to break! I also scored a perfect 100% both times!

I've crashed many times with all but one(See "stunting" above) in dirt. I've always worn gear and even after all these crashes, I've never broken anything. Most crashes were from pushing the ride to the extreme. I was one to always try something new. I'm glad that it's out of my system now that I am on the FZ1!

I commute every possible day with the FZ1. Even if rain is called for, so long as it isn't raining for the ride in, I take the bike and a rain suit. We're not doing a lot of joy riding these days for two reasons, too many items on the Honey-Do list and the price of gasoline. I'm looking at about 6k per season on the bike at this rate.

I have never done a track day but fully intend to next year. I need to pick up some good gear for the track first. I'd really like to buy another bike to run on the track. Maybe I'll get lucky and score an older FZ6 to convert to track-only! Pull all the plastics, lights, etc... Truly naked! I'm too old to ride the true racers... the ergos of the R6 kill me as much as I would love to track one!

I try to always post based on facts but have been wrong and admit when I am. I'm always welcome to constructive criticism. If I do not know, I either do not comment or try and point you in the right direction for an answer, be it another forum member or a web link. I really like to be helpful. If I offend someone, I would hope they let me know. I'd feel really bad about it as it's not my style.

Regarding advice, there are a lot of gray areas when we meet to discuss things online as we've seen with the oil, gas, tire, etc... threads. Most people who tell me they're an expert at something, well? I tend to find it unbelievable. I know a little about a lot of subjects but I cannot ever say I'm an expert at anything. As the wife says, I'm a "Jack of all trades, Master of none." I can do it all until it comes to plumbing but I think I might be able to do that now that PEX is out there! *EDIT* Done plumbing! (with PEX, LOL!)

I do value to the advice of a great deal of members here but everyone needs to quantify that advice with some responsible research of their own. Do not simply take another's advice... You owe it to yourself to make sure the words of wisdom are sound!!

 

[Bandit]

Resume

I rode my first motorcycle by myself when I was 3 years old. It was a green cycle cat minibike that my dad cut the frame way down on so I could ride it. By the time I was 5 Dad cut the back of the frame and put Koni shocks on it along with forks w/about 3" of suspension int he front and a hopped up the motor. I won my first dirt bike race on it that same year. For my 7th birthday I got a new 1976 Yamaha YZ 80. Talk about heaven! Mom and Dad would have to pull over and unload my bike once we got near the desert so I could ride. While they where driving on the highway to the entrance and to the camping spot I would ride in the desert pacing them (well, I would like to think I was pacing them). If we didn't do this I would just get sick from the excitement of getting to ride. By the time I was 8 I had won 4 desert races and 2 motocross races (at the old Saddleback in California). I have been riding and racing ever since. Here is a break down of my riding mileage (approximate) and bikes:

030,000 miles 1971 Honda CB 750 K (which I still have fully restored)
025,000 miles 1982 Suzuki GS 1100
005,000 miles 1971 Kawasaki 350 Bighorn
Dad built this bike for desert racing and won on it, beating many factory riders in the 70's This bike handled like crap, but the motor is stronger than my KX 500! The motor was designed by Kawasaki to be used as a road racing motor. (I still have this bike - fully restored)
005,000 miles 1983 Suzuki RM 250
002,000 miles 1984 Suzuki RM 125
135,000 miles 1987 Kawasaki 750 Ninja
(at 75,000 miles the motor was bored out to an 860 w/a Byron Hines ported head, Muzzy cams and 35 mm Keihin flat slides. I raced this bike at Willow and took 4th place, starting from the last row in my 1st race (and first time on the track). It also had Performance Machine wheels in conventional 17" sizes. An awesome bike all the way around and as durable as they come!
110,000 miles 1989 Suzuki GSXR 1100
I crashed this bike (my only crash) at Willow going through turn 2 after owning it less than 2 weeks. Everything except the frame and engine case was destroyed. When I was done with the rebuild it had a 1216 kit, yosh stage II cams and a Byron Hines ported head. Works performance suspension and PM wheels and brakes. I went slower on it at Willow than I did on my 750 Ninja which was really disappointing. 1m31sec on the 1100 while I did 1m30secs flat on the Ninja.
005,000 miles 1992 Kawasaki KX 500
030,000 miles 1993 CBR 600 F2
025,000 miles 1993 ZX7 RR
Aluminum tank, Flatslide Carbs and Close Ratio tranny from the factory. It ran like shit until the exhaust, cam and ignition timing where changed and the carbs re tuned. The first bike to get me into the 29's at Willow.
1995 - I quit riding streetbikes because I was scared from seeing so many people die on them. I rode dirtbikes every weekend all over California. From 1993 to mid 1996 I probably logged over 30,000 dirt miles give or take.
010,000 miles 1995 Kawasaki KX 500
rebuilt twice
005,000 miles 1998 Kawasaki KX 500
040,000 miles 1996 GSXR 750
060,000 miles 1998 TLR 1000
Until I put the Lindemenn linkage with the Penske shock this was turning out to be the biggest pile I had ever owned. With just the suspension change this bike turned out to be one of my favorites. Back into the 29's at Willow with one drop into the 28's
050,000 miles 1998 Suzuki 1200 Bandit
One of my favorite bikes ever. I still have it! It's the total sleeper.
045,000 miles 2002 Yamaha R1
Brilliant on the street - a handful at the track! I did a track day every month for two years on this bike.
035,000 miles 2004 CBR 1000
Worst bike I ever rode on the street. But it was brilliant on the track. I did a track day every month on this bike.
035,000 miles 2001 Suzuki 1200 Bandit
1216 kit, yosh cams 145 hp. Major fun
017,000 miles 2006 Suzuki Hayabusa
My favorite bike of all time. Does it all w/ease.
015,000 miles 2007 Suzuki GSXR 1000
Currently up for sale. Brilliant bike.
001,600 miles 2008 Yamaha FZ1
Just bought it several weeks ago. Two soon to pass judgment, but so far I really like it. The seat sucks and the suspension is way too soft though.

There you go, a whole lot of miles, a lot of money, one accident one ex wife and and priceless memories. I have met many amazing people as a result of this "lifestyle" and I wouldn't change it for the world. Motorcycles are the reason I stayed out of trouble as a kid, and the reason that I was motivated enough to get into a college and actually graduate. Now I have 3 daughters and an Autistic son, all riding motorcycles. Spending the weekends with them (even when I don't get to ride because I am tending to them) is what really makes life fun. Motorcycles have brought my family and my friends together in ways that I don't think could ever be achieved through another format.

 

[BroHay]

Most of my life I've been into bikes -- the kind with two pedals and you are the engine. Since I was a freshman in High school, it seemed that I was always pedaling somewhere and if it did not matter how far I had to travel, as long as I could get back in the evening.

I had friends with dirt bikes/3 wheelers/4 wheelers, but never really hooked up with them to go ride in the hills and push the limits, other than some dirt berms and some wide open fields that were in the area (but then you are hard pressed to find areas with much change in elevation in the state of Kansas.....). As for street bikes, nobody was into them that I was running around with at the time.

So, my bike experience has been limited to mountain biking with urban riding/downhill/single track/trial riding and from pt. A-B and then back again.
It was not until March of ’08 that I stopped into a dealer and saw the FZ sitting there. I was paying close to 4.50/gallon in gas and not doing as much with the truck for I had gone from the field into more of an electronic paper pusher of plans and files (General Contractor/Consultant if you didn’t know already). Got the dealer to come down in their price 2,800.00 and walked out the door with MY very first bike for 4200.00.

Now, being that I don’t have a long resume or a lifetime of riding bikes (with engines) family was questioning my purchase. I have since proved my worth to them as to my skill set, but I do no way take that for granted and always wipe the slate clean each day of successful riding that something else is waiting in the wings. I spent the better part of nine months just developing a comfort level, and it was not until the first of this year that I actually begin seeing what this bike can actually accomplish.

Most of my riding is commuting anywhere from 30-65 miles in a day, depending upon where and what I have going on that day. As I go to all my meetings and such, if I’m not carrying gear/backpack, people ask “did something happen” or “what I’m I doing to the bike this time”. I have been working pretty much solo on my journey to motorcycle nirvana. My only regret is that it took almost 34 years for me to realize its true potential.

I’m by no means the most technically savvy when it comes to the inner workings/mechanics of a small combustible engine, but I’m getting a bit better with each day. Eventually, as my boys get older, I’m going to do a different take and allow them to explore the possibility of taking a lawnmower engine and seeing what they can do to make it propel them in some fashion.

So, I’m just someone who picked up a liter bike one day and here I am – no real riding experience just trying to save some money over feeding the F-350. Roughly 8,000 miles later, and I still have that same feeling I did when I drove off the lot back in March of ’08. Although that first ride was an experience in itself! I still have the ear to ear grin while my wife shakes her head at that which she does not understand.

 

[FZ1riderNY]

I was 15 years old the first time I threw my leg over a motorcycle. I remember the day as if it were yesterday. Me and two friends were at Ferry Point Park by the Whitestone Bridge in the Bronx. My friend Joe had just gotten a new Honda 250. I think it was a CB model, not a dirtbike. My other friend Steve asked to take a spin and came back slow and unscathed. Joe asked me if I ever rode and so I immediately said what any gearhead would say....OF COURSE I HAVE, ARE YOU KIDDING ME! I took off and never touched the clutch lever after first gear. I just headed off, shifting through the gears, having a ball. On the way back I was running about 35-40mph when I came to a turn which happened to have a very fine layer of gravel unseen by the untrained eye. I came in HOT, a trait I still have to this day, leaned her over, hit the front brake and HELLO!!! Sky, ground, sky, ground, sky, ground, sky etc, etc, etc. When the dust settled, there I was in the grass, looking at my friend's trashed Honda. It wound up not being as bad as I thought and after handing over my grass cutting money, he fixed her up but would never let me ride it again. I was BANNED!

I however, had been bitten by the two-wheeled bug, and have been infected ever since.

Yamaha DT360 3 Wheeler- Next ride which I became very proficient at jumping pretty long distances at the dirt trails, longest measured at 38 feet. I was pretty much not afraid of anything back then. I used to ride that trike on two wheels, with one hand, wheelies on the rear wheels, and sick pavement burnouts. Boy I missed that thing. They soon deemed them off limits on the dirt trails so I sold it. Being from the city, I didn't have the means to travel upstate to ride on private land.

Kawasaki 125 Dirtbike- What a wheelie machine! Tons of fun was had by me on that baby. I used that through the 80's mainly for the dirt trails.

Honda Rebel 250- My first endeavor onto the pavement. I bought it brand new, took it home, drilled holes in the baffles, and quickly realized that I needed something with a little more spunk. 72mph just wasn't cutting it! I had that bike for less than 6 months. I did however learn alot about riding in the street. Countersteering, sole use of the front brakes, leaning without sticking your leg out forward, etc.

Suzuki 1985 GS550E- My first inline 4 and the first bike with any power. This started my "Hooligan" years. Donuts, rolling burnouts, wheelies, and high speed runs was the norm for me on my Suzuki. I rode that bike throughout the year. Rain, snow, sleet, hail, you name it. I rode that bike pratically every day. I remember that it was a great bike to wheelie on. I used to practice all the time, day and night. At work I wouldn't eat lunch. Instead I was outside trying to pull off the longest wheelie I could to the mocking of my co-workers. I didn't care one bit. After realizing that the GS would only go 135 tops, and all the guys I new were riding 750's and 1100's, I started feeling the urge to go bigger.

Suzuki GSXR750- This was my baby. It made the GS feel like a snail. I really matured on this bike. No more nonsense in the streets, just pure joy knowing that I had all that power whenever I needed it. I started riding up at Bear Mountain on this bike and learned to respect the fact that a sportbike could jump up and bite you anytime you got out of hand. I had that bike for quite a while and stopped hanging out with the wild, stunt crowd. I rode solo much of the time with my Gixxer. The day it was stolen was probably one of the worst days of my life. I never saw it again.

Adventure 150cc Scooter- After a long layoff period, I felt the urge after getting my son a new 2000 Honda XR50 when he was five, to start riding again. He was having such a ball on his Honda, I just needed to get back to riding. I bought the scooter new, hopped up the hell out of it, and put a ton of miles on it. I rode with my son everywhere. People 120 miles away were amazed when they found out that I had just rode in from the Bronx. That scoot would run 64-66 GPS verified mph with my son aboard and got 65 miles per gallon doing it. But you know what happens after a while. There's that need for speed again! Scooter For Sale! Like New Condition!

2005 Honda 750 Spirit- I picked this bike up from my friend wo bought it new, put a ton of chrome and upgrades, then parked it in his garage. He asked me if I had wanted to take it for a ride one day to at least keep it from growing cobwebs. Me, my son, and CanonFuji, took a ride up to Orange County Choppers that day, and I put more miles on that bike in one day than the owner had put since he bought it. He got tired of it and sold it to me with 700 miles on it. After 7,000 miles after only 8 months, it was either the bike or my back that had to go. The forward controls and all the potholes and lousy roads in NY were killing me. I sold it to a woman for more than I paid for it. Virtually unheard of for a Honda Shadow! I know, I'm quite the salesman:yes:

2001 Yamaha FZ1000- At my age, probably the best bike I've ever owned. Maybe I'd disagree if I were 20 years younger but I'm not, so I won't. You know the story on this one. Sick power, upright riding position, comfortable, and sporty, all at the same time. Unless I hit the lotto, this will probably be my last bike so I am keeping it cherry. This bike will eventually go to my son whe he is ready for a bike this size.

As for me, I have been fortunate after all these years of riding and all the idiotic things I have done on a bike, to only have been down that one time back in 1976 at Ferry Point Park in the Bronx. Knock on wood!!

 

[Norm]

Bicycles were my thing. Racing bikes and mountain bikes. Between those I've logged tens of thousands of miles, which I feel strongly contributes to skills on a motorcycle, especially mountain biking.

My parents didn't have a ton of money. I started out in Coney Island but spent much of my childhood in Haverstraw, NY (near West Point Academy on the Hudson River and 30 miles north of NYC. My dad ran the house like the army. He was a master sergeant. He also liked to mess with our heads. He told me if I kept straight A's through high school he'd get me a car. I did. No car. He told me if I got into an Ivy League college he'd buy me a car. I did. No car. He said if I got into med school he'd buy me a car. I did. No car. He did come home with a brand new Motobecane moped however and said "Here's your wheels." When you're a private you don't argue with the sergeant. I rode the hell of that thing though, and that's when I knew I like motorized bikes just as much as bicycles.

Most doctors are taught to dislike motorcycles. There's no course titled "Motorcycles Suck", its just that rotating through the ER's, every attending (full fledged doc) tells you how dangerous they are every time there's an accident involving one. Marrying a doctor wife made motorcycles that much more distant. But time is a funny thing. There are few always and nevers over the course of decades and the attraction returned strongly when I rented a Yamaha Zuma on vacation in Key West in 2003. I returned home and told my wife I wanted to buy one. She thought it was a dumb idea. I bought it anyway. Put 7000 miles on it on a motorcycle permit. Permits here in MA are good for two years and can be renewed twice, although at the time I thought you could only renew it once. The only restriction is you can't ride at night and you can't have a passenger. You can't leave the state either I imagine but how far do you want to go on 50 cc's anyway.

So just before 4 years were up, and what I thought was the maximum amount of time on a permit I scheduled the road test. Since I had to register the Zuma as a motorcycle (it was under 50 cc's but because it went faster than 30 MPH the MA Registry of Motor Vehicles made me register it as a motorcycle.) I got to take the test on it and passed. The trooper was a super cool guy though and I think the only way he was going to fail me was if I rode over his foot or into his cruiser.

Now here I am with a motorcycle license that entitles me to ride a Triumph Rocket III and I'm on a Zuma. That doesn't make much sense. So I think. And I think. And it goes something like this: "I could buy a motorcycle but I'll have to learn to shift and handle a powerful 2 wheeler on all kinds of road and traffic (as the Zuma limited me to small roads and the shoulders). I do know how to shift and use a clutch though since I've been driving standard cars since I was 16. But on a bike the clutch is by hand and the gear change by foot, opposite a car. I'm kind of old. Can I learn to switch things up like that? And watch out for cars and stay safe while I'm fiddling with all that stuff? So then it comes to me! Can I get a bigger scooter? I also know that my wife won't get too pissed at a "scooter" even though I know full well, after reading about them, the big scoots are basically motorcycles.

I talk to my wife. She says no. I get a 2007 Suzuki Burgman 400 anyway. She says that thing looks too big to be a scooter. I say check the web, it's a scooter. It's got little wheels, a step through, it's automatic, and storage under the seat. She's skeptical but the internet says it's a scooter. There's peace at home till the knucklehead insurance woman calls when I'm not home and talks to my wife. I specifically told her not to talk to my wife...well let's not bring that up again. So the conversation goes like this:

Insurance Woman: Mrs. Miller, I have the quote for your husband's motorcycle.
My wife: Oh it's not a motorcycle, it's a scooter.

IW: Maam, 400 cc's is a motorcycle.
Wife: No. I have the brochure my husband brought home and it says it's a scooter.

IW: Maam, that "scooter" will go 100 MPH. You need a motorcycle license to ride it. If you check near the engine you are going to see a metal tag that says "motorcycle." It has to be registered as a motorcycle and the insurance companies classify it as a motorcycle.
Wife: Well it really doesn't matter what we call it then, does it?

IW: Why is that maam?
Wife: Because no one will recognize it after I run it over with my car.

Wow, this thing's a rocket is what I think when I take it for a spin. Turns out its a perfect segue to motorcycles. No shifting or clutch, just a CVT transmission. Low center of gravity, but at over 400 lbs it begins to teach me how to handle a "heavy" bike while not under power and it moves quick enough and fast enough under power (top speed in the 90's) to respect what a real bike can do. After only 2000 miles I've been bit hard. I want more.

Still not willing to consider an outright motorcycle I decide on a Honda Silver Wing 582 cc's, parallel twin cyclinder. I mention it to my wife. She says I don't need it. You guessed it. I got it anyway. A 2007 ABS model. Weighs in the mid 500's lbs and top speed is 110 MPH. I put on nearly 10,000 miles in just over a year. I've taken it everywhere. NYC, Vermont, country, city, highway, and twisties and I'm beginning to push it to its limits. I'm scraping the centerstand on turns and I begin to think I can handle shifting. I try some friend's bikes and it turns out it's second nature. Shifting is shifting. A clutch is a clutch. Yea, you got all that leaning to worry about but I've smoothed that out on the scooters. My nephew had even left his Yamaha dual sport XT 225 with me for a few weeks and I put a thousand miles on that.

So I settle on the FZ6. No sense even mentioning this to the wife. She'd beat me up before and after. I'll deal with just the after if it's all the same to you.
I go on the FZ6 forum to propose my thoughts. I ask "Do you think an old guy with a lot of scooter miles can handle this?" A resounding yes. So I bring home a 2008 FZ6. The house is very quiet for a week but I'm digging my new ride and the thing is I just can't stop riding this thing. No ride is too big and none are too small. I even ride it down the driveway to get the mail. I practice often. I find the steepest hills to challenge my clutch use. I practice racing off from a start, leaning harder, riding with more experienced riders and I ride and ride and in 11 months I have over 10,000 miles.

I don't need much convincing but when Eric comes home with a brand new FZ1 I decide to check one out. Looks fast just sitting in the showroom. I ride to "check the mail" (wink wink) and come home with a 2009 FZ1. My wife's so numb at this point she just checks to make sure the life insurance and disability policies are paid up.

And now I got 2000 miles on the FZ1. So to answer Eric's question, I have no formal training. I'm just an old guy (52) who took up riding later in life and became totally hooked. I've read a lot of books and spent too much time on forums and inside magazines but I'll tell you the way I see it from my experience. Maybe it'll mean something to you, maybe not.:cheers:

 

[wrodz2003]

Started riding late at 43... now I am 50.
Almost crashed my trike (Delta wing ultralight) over the Pacific Ocean close to San Diego CA and decided to get a safer hobby. So I went for mountain bike but it was too slow and blew my right knee... Next hobby:
Got an 03 KLR650 to learn how to ride and dropped it twice at a parking lot and at stop sign. Too tall for me, so I lowered it and everything was perfect. It became and it still my preferred motorcycle...
I learned to ride by-myself with a video... and them got the MSF BRT and learned I did not knew what I thought I knew...
So after 5kon the KLR I upgraded to a Red Ducati ST4, beautiful and sexy. I loved that bike, but I hurt my back and was not able to ride the DUC for too long so I sold it thinking I was not going to recover. Big mistake my back started feeling good this year (09)... ahhhhh
Bad back, bad knee and a lot of white hair so after the Duc I got a Victory Kingpin Cruiser. Awesome looks and good straight line rides. But boring, too d heavy and unstable a parking lot speeds so this year started searching for a conformable sport-bike, good at slow walking pace speeds and fast speeds and got into the FZ1 and sold my Kingpin to pay for it...
So far I have about 2000 miles on it with my longest trip on last weekend 476 miles. It is exactly what I was looking for!
All in all I have only about 20k miles of riding experience. I still have my KLR650 and the FZ1.
Going to the Team Oregon IRT training this weekend to continue learning. No interest on racing, just touring..
And BTW I want to fly again, but the flying hobby is too expensive.
Waldo

 

[bigB_EOD]

I started riding the year I graduated H.S. (1983) on a Honda XL 185 on/off road bike. I loved it and rode everywhere on it until I joined the Air Force in 1986 and sold it. I didn't have a motorcycle again for awhile. I rode a Suzuki four wheeler while stationed in Alaska. In 1997 I bought a new Vmax and like the XL 185 rode it everwhere. I'm not sure how many miles, I laid it down in Cheyanne Wyoming in 99 and never had the odometer set right. I've had two low speed accidents on the Vmax, the first was a month after buying it.

In 2002 while working in Oceanside California I bought the FZ1. I had flown out to California for work and wasn't able to bring the Vmax. My first day I was sitting in my hotel room with the door open and a group of about 20 sportbikes went by. I knew I couldn't take a summer without riding so I bought the FZ1. That summer of riding around southern California was incredible. I rode the bike to Ohio at the end of the job. It wore me out but it's the best ride I've taken yet. That trip is the only time I've laid the bike down. It was in a hotel parking lot, I forgot to take off the disc lock and lost my balance in front of a full audience.

In my former job as a contractor I've taken my bikes all over the US and been lucky to have rode some of the greatest roads. I still haven't made the trip to Deal's Gap yet though. I live in Colorado and if you've ever had the chance to ride here you know it's got some of the best roads in the country.

I took the MSF basic course in 04 just to lower my insurance and to do it with a friend just starting out. I had read all the books I could get my hands on and didn't really pick up anything new. I'm hoping to take a good riding school course sometime.

The FZ1 has 27,049 miles on it, which would have been more but I spent a summer working in Puerto Rico. It was beautiful but I always feel like I wasted a riding season (I'm not getting any younger). I consider myself a mid level experienced rider. Every once in a while I'll stumble on to the right way to do something and it changes the way I ride. I tend to ride alone so I don't really have anyone to compare myself to. I'm happy with my skill level and usually ride a little on the safe and sane side.

 

[Oldschool]

resume with pictures

The first bike I rode was back in the Seventies, not exactly sure the year, a Honda 50 owned by my cousins. I still sport a scar from my elbow to armpit from a barbed wire fence. I spotted the fence in the bush just in time and managed a sliding turn, bike and most of me under it and right arm over it. Spent time on a few other assorted dirt bike over the next decade. Always other peoples machines as I was not from a family with spare money. Rode Can-Ams, Kawasakis and Hondas. When I started working full time at the end of highschool, and before college, one of my co-workers and friends had just bought a 1983 RZ 350. I lusted after the bike and when another co-worker decided to sell his XS-400, I bought it. He upgraded to a 1982 RD-350. I had opportunities to ride it as well. I was lucky as many of the guys working at the hotel were riders. One came from a weathy family and so he always had the latest,greatest machines. He also had no qualms about allowing other riders to sample his toys. I rode his 1984 limited addition (#008) Katana 750, Then when he traded it the next year, His 750 GSXR.
Meanwhile I had sold my XS-400 and bought a XJ 650 Maxim that had next to no miles on it for a song. I got married in 1985 and my wife and I went on our Honeymoon on it, as I did not own a car yet. I racked up 15,000 km. that season, and the learning curve was steep riding with my experienced peers. I decided it was time for a sport bike since I was beginning to grind off chrome every time that I went riding. I also began to spend time as an observer at the racetrack 2, 1/2 hours north of town.
In 1986 I bought my first NEW bike, traded in the XJ -650 getting considerably more than I paid for it . I watched the dealer uncrate and assemble my RZ 350, I was hooked for life! I put huge miles on it the next two seasons, spending more time at the track, and worked on a pit crew (volunteer), I probably would have paid them. I was signed up for the RZ Cup, but reluctantly backed out under heavy protest from my wife, that I am still married to 27 years later.
The next year after buying a house, our first, that needed lots of work and more money than I had, I sold the RZ. My wife actually cried the day the new owner picked it up and drove away.
I ended up buying the 1986 FZ 600, (that as of February 2012 I sold to Dustin on the forum.) a few years and one new city later. Once again I got a ridiculous deal from my best buddy's brother, as he had bought a BMW and did not ride it much. I flew two provinces east and rode it home. I had intended to ride the 12 hours straight back but just couldn't do it. I stopped at a truck stop along the way and slept on the ground for a couple of hours(in full gear, helmet and all, as it was chilly). The truck stops up here are much smaller and not all are open 24 hours. When they opened I went in, had a shower and breakfast and finished the trip. I was working as a long distance trucker at the time and did not have a chance to rack up miles on the FZ, riding every chance that I could. Age was taking its toll and I was finding the more recent long trips were taking days to recover from. 2002, 2003 I went out to B.C. for "sportbike west", google it and you will see many of the pictures from 2003 that I took, ( beautiful GPZ 750 for one). I had always kept up with the bike magazines and went to the yearly bike shows, deciding back in 2001 that I wanted an FJR when money allowed. Of course I really never met a bike that I didn't like, and had sat on the FZ's every bike show. The Gen 2's really turned my crank and I had added them to my list, ( How to fill a garage when I won the lottery).This year in May my trusty FZ 600 began having electrical problems, and after months of on again off again riding and limping home a couple of times on battery power alone, (removed all the non-essential fuses), with my wife's blessing, (her idea), I bought a new bike. My 2008 FZ1(Grey). It fit my decided budget were as the FJR did not. I had sampled an FJR, ( gen. 1) at "sportbike west" and loved it ! My FZ 1 is much better in my opinion, (butt comfort aside) and now with the hard bags, every bit as usefull as a touring bike.

I have travelled from Manitoba to Vancouver Island, and all through British Columbia many times. Have been caught in a weird mid-August snow storm (6" of heavy wet snow on the road with my FZ 600) and have ridden every month of the year in Alberta. For those of you familiar with Canada that might impress you. Recently I added a third bike to the stable, a 2010 KLR 650 so that I can get back to riding in the dirt and don't have to buy a trailer to get to the dirt. Having both the FZ-1 and the dual sport KLR adds a new perspective to just how great the FZ really is. It should help improve me as a rider using skills developed by riding the other bike.

A season and a bit later and I replaced the KLR 650 with a much higher end and capable off road mount in the KTM 990 Adventure. It seems the off-road bug has bit hard. Now after 3 seasons on the KTM, I know I have the bike that keeps me interested and have put on an average of 20,000 km a season. It has taken me as far south as Utah and as far west as Vancouver Island, seeing country that no paved-road-only bike ever could and I am hooked on dual-sporting.
So for what it is worth there you have it.

I have included photos from before the digital and 35 mm era's, including one of Reuben McMurter's 1986 FZ 750 from one of my stints at Gimli, Manitoba Racetrack. That's the track that the airline pilot glided a passenger jet to a safe landing with no fuel during a drag race.

 

[eaglefrq]

I got my first motorcycle in 1989, a Kawasaki 450LTD. I rode that bike for approx. 2 years before selling it due to a military transfer. I had my first wreck on this bike when I was in the left lane on a 4 lane divided road. I was in the blind spot of the car in the right lane when the car started to change lanes into my lane. I panicked and locked up the rear tire. I suddenly remembered my MSF instructor who told us that if you lock up the rear tire, just stare straight ahead and you will skid straight. I was skidding straight when the car suddenly changed lanes again back into his lane. The movement caused me to look to my right and suddenly I lost the rear end and the bike low sided. I was traveling at approx. 60mph when this occurred and I was probably still doing about 50-55mph when I hit the ground. I slid and tumbled for about 150-200 feet. I walked away with no injuries because I was wearing full gear. I had never worn full gear prior to the accident, usually tennis shoes, jeans, t-shirt, driving gloves and a helmet were my normal gear. For some reason, I put on everything that day and I am so glad I did. From that day on, I never got on my bike without full gear.

I got married shortly after my transfer and I didn’t own another bike until 2006, when I bought a 2005 Harley Davidson Sportster 1200 Custom. While I enjoyed the cruiser style, I didn’t like the HD and sold it in 2008.

I got my next bike in 2008, a 2005 Suzuki SV650S. This was my first sport bike and I really enjoyed this style of riding. I spent a lot of time and effort modifying the bike to make it more enjoyable for me and my style of riding. The bike was a “budget” bike that used low end suspension parts. I put a ZX-14 shock and changed the fork springs and oil to help the suspension. I had modified the bike about as much as I could except for a Penske or Ohlins shock or go with a GSXR front end (common mod). The bike was fun to ride, but it wasn’t worth it to invest that type of money in the bike.

I finally got my FZ1 and have had a blast riding and modding the bike. I have taken the FZ to the Dragon and the Cherohala Skyway and learned a lot about the handling and power. I then did two track days at Summit Point (Summit Main and Shenandoah Circuits). I learned a lot more about the bike and found the max I could push the bike. Unfortunately, that resulted in a lowside at Shenandoah because I let my ego get in the way and pushed it beyond my abilities. I walked away uninjured with mostly cosmetic damage to the bike. I am planning on continuing my track day experience and I am thinking about getting a dedicated track bike so I don’t damage my baby.

 

[folma]

My name is Mick, i'm close enough to fifty, been road riding ever since I was 17 and 9 months, and it's been an addiction that I can not, will not, and don't want to kick. I live in the Yarra Valley, east of Melbourne in Oztralia.
I'll run the list of bikes backwards, it helps the memory that way.
ZRX1100. 2000. 90 odd thousand k's
Bandit 600. 1996. 145 odd tthousand K's (Courier Bike)
Across 250. 1992 130 odd thousand k's (courier bike)
FJ1200 1992. 380 odd thousand k's
FXWG H.D. 1980. 500 odd thousand k's
Z650. 1981 120 odd thousand k's
RD250LC 1981 50 odd thousand k's
RD250LC 1980 30 odd thousand K's
XS650 ...................................
Z1R ....................................
XL250S..............................
Truimph Bonnie....................
Suzuki T20 250ss 1964
Only 1 major get off touch wood, but made a major mess of my left leg, but still was unable to put me off riding.
I've worked as an electrical lineworker a welder, in spare parts in a bike shop, in the workshop of another shop, as a mad assed motorcycle courier, and a van courier driver for our own business, which we have just sold off in the last couple of months. And have just undertaken a shyte load of retraining to go back to my first trade as a lineworker.
I'm married for the second time round,(Yes I'm a slow learner) I have twin boys now 15 to the first ball and chain. And the newest dearest has 2 girl to a previous a 20 yo and a 13yo, then there's the new we've had a 3 yo boy and a 18 month old girl. No we are not the bloody brady bunch, there's no Alice, but there is the live in father in law, but it hates being called Alice.

The good wife rides, and now rides a mint 2005 FZ1S.
And my new ride, is just the ducks guts, love it, does everything nicely and at the end of the day, I can still walk, my arms still work, kind of, and it takes a hellva lot to wipe that shyte eatin grin from my dial.

 

[Hail]

My love for two wheels, like most young boys, started in childhood. I loved BMX bikes. I liked riding wheelies, bunny hopping and endos. I can honestly say I have had far more injuries and incidents on two wheels under my own power than on motorcycles.

As a child every weekend my friends and I would construct a new ramp of some sort and do something to make it seem like we were dare devils. Most often our daredevil efforts involved setting a bunch of logs on fire to jump over or through. Other times we would build ramps to jump over the Bayou near our home. This Bayou had a concrete spill way with about a 6’ span and walls about 5‘ high. That jump was an initiation of sorts for my group of friends. One of my accidents happened here when I had my mother come watch me jump. When I did my front tire hit the top of the wall and I flipped end over end. Fortunately, my mother was very much a “boys will be boys” type of mother. She just shook her head started to walk away and said “do the bunny hop thing at the top of the ramp next time.”

In high school I started riding mountain bikes. All those earlier skills definitely paid off here. I never did anything competitively. Just weekend rides with friends along the bayous and in the local parks.

Immediately after high school I began my love affair with motorcycles. My best friend’s mother was dating the manager of Stafford Kawasaki. He was a very philosophical and wise man. We spent many a weekends up there at his shop gaining every bit of knowledge we could about motorcycles. The more time I spent there the more I had to have a bike. I was even having dreams about proper shifting even though I had not ridden yet. Yes, I taught myself how to drive a motorcycle in my dreams.

My first motorcycle was purchased at that shop in 1990. It was a 1989 Kawasaki EX500 with full after market fairing. Since I had not actually ridden before I had it delivered to my home. From there I hoped on and never stalled it once. My dreams paid off. I will be the first to admit that I was very “squidish” back then. I was that guy in tennis shoes and shorts with no jacket. Fortunately, the helmet was something I was always adamant about wearing but mostly because I thought I looked cool.

I had that bike for about 8 years. For most of that time it was my only form of transportation. My first wreck was on this bike. I was just leaving my girlfriends office and pulling on to a three lane street. It just started to rain. About 100 yards down the road a large METRO bus made a U-turn right in front of me without yielding. It took up all three lanes. I grabbed my clutch and brakes and my rear started to slide. I got it back under control but by the time I did I was so close to the bus I just locked the brakes and went down. Cagers everywhere jumped out of their cars and started banging on the door of the bus as it attempted to take off. Big scratches all the way across my visor convinced me that day, that the helmet did much more than make me look cool.

After selling the EX500 in 1998 I went about 5 years without. I never stopped renewing my motorcycle magazines and knew I would eventually get another. My wife and I were just starting our lives together and financially another bike was not in the picture.

In 2003 I finally felt like I could afford another bike. This time it was a 2003 Honda CBR 600 F41. I loved everything about that bike and never made any performance mods to it. Never laid it down or dropped it. I sold it in 2006 with only 6K miles on it. This time it was because I had hardly anyone to ride with and I had an itch for a Ski Boat. I scratched that itch. I had thought the boat would give my wife and I something we could do together. Seeing it sit in the stall all but 2 weekends a year made me decide I get much more use out of motorcycles.

So in the market again I was looking this time for a sport tourer. I was considering a Honda Interceptor or ST1300. A friend suggested I look at the FZ1 as they claimed it was one of the best all around bikes out there. I never liked naked bikes. There was, however, something about the FZ1 that I was very attracted to. The more I looked at it the more I loved its muscular appearance. It looks like it is ready to attack. I liked more and more that I could see the machine and still it looked sporty. Then I compared the price to that of the VFR or the ST1300 and the decision was made for me.

Most of my miles have been commuting over the years. I still enjoy frequent fast weekend jaunts through the country side. That is where this bike truly shines.

 

[fastchariot]

Like most of us here, my experience with 2 wheels started with a bicycle. I got one when I was 8 years of age. I am from India so my experience with motorcycles may be differ. Bicycle was my mode of transport to school for 4 years before I graduated to a Bajaj Scooter. Motorcycles in India are considered a family transport (as you can see from Image 1). They are small (100 – 175 cc) with 8 to 16 horse power. We do have the Royal Enfield brand (350 cc bikes) but they are hard to find.
In collage, I borrowed my friend’s bike. It was a 100 cc 8 bhp Honda. No power but gave great mileage. The kind of bike you need when you have little or no money in your pocket but still want to get around places.
The first bike that I purchased was a Honda. A 156 cc engine with 12 bhp. This bike had the power that I needed to ride on Indian roads. It was the craze around that time. I rode this bike for years before I moved over to US. I still have this bike back in India.
Currently I own
2006 R6 – One beast of a machine. Every time I take it out on the streets, it just does not want to go slow. I have be really careful with my speeds as it only comes to life when you have it revved up high and speeds that exceed the legal limits. I now take this out only on weekends when I have the craving to ride the twisties.
I had one experience on the R6 on my first trip to the mountains. No harm to rider and bike. I learnt a lot from it and I think I am a little better rider now (know and ride within ones limits).
2007 FZ1 – This is my second bike. It is for the streets for two up riding. It’s a great bike when you want to take it easy and stay within limits. I love everything about it - sitting position, throttle response, wind protection. I have taken it to the mountains and it responds just as well as my R6.
I took my MSF course before getting myself the R6. For me the right riding gear is very important. I have invested in my gear and never ride without them. I have done a couple of demo rides organized by Yamaha. Yamaha demos are on Tracks in collaboration with NESBA. You get 15 minute sessions to try out their bikes. It is a good experience for those who are unsure about riding their own bikes on track. I must say, Tracks are the safest places to be if you want to exploit the true potential of your sport bikes.

 

[mikeswe]

I have owned 17 bikes up until now. Current bike is a -08 FZ1-S and I also have a -02 CBR600FS. Couple of pics of my previous bikes:

 

[AndrewM87]

I have wanted a bike pretty much all my life and finally bought a bike in June of 2008. I have ridden every single month since then even through winter. I ride as often as I can. I have loved the pure joy out of riding since first learning. I received my permit and within a few months I took a STAR course here in Boise on base and received my endorsement.

The first bike I bought was a 1983 Honda Shadow 750 and I put a couple thousand miles on it before selling it. After that bike I purchased a 1999 Suzuki Intruder 1400 and loved the upgrade in power on the smaller framed bike.

After trying out the cruisers I tried out sport bikes and bought a 1996 Honda CBR600F3 for a grand and fixed it up. It was my first sport bike as well as my first project bike. I put a few thousand miles on that one and sold it for a 1999 Kawasaki ZX-9R.

I started missing cruisers for some reason and sold the ZX and picked up a 2000 Shadow Aero 1100 and that was a big mistake. My 750 shadow had more power than that thing. It was a gorgeous bike though. I sold that one and picked up a 2002 Suzuki SV650 1st gen and customized that bike to my liking.

Shortly after getting it where I wanted I went down while going about 55 through a 20mph switchback. We normally do that speed through them but for some reason my rear tire just didn't stick. My fault for probably over riding my shitty tires at the time. They were some crappy Shinko Stealths or something. I wasn't banged up very much but had to get new gear and fix the bike up. I fixed the bike back up and went on a ride with my gf up a road I have never been on and going up it was sandy as hell so we were really taking it easy and just enjoying the scenery. One turn on the way back down we hit a patch of sand I didn't see and it slid out from under me. Rode back up to the lodge for their first aid kit to clean up our wounds and got on the bike and went straight home to relax. That was the scariest moment I have ever endured in my riding experience. I was so afraid for my gf, of whom I love, and I will never put her in that situation again.

I sold the SV650 and picked up my current bike and love this thing to death! It is a 2003 Yamaha FZ1 in the silver color. This bike is the cherry of them all. This bike will take me places and I will ride much safer on it and still have a blast.

I have owned quite a few bikes and I do A LOT of riding when compared to others. For some reason when I first got into riding I could not hold onto a bike. I would just get bored of the bike and want something else. This FZ1 is my keeper and the only way I would get rid of this one is to get a newer version that is injected. This is a great all around bike! Thank you Yamaha!

When the weather permits I love tearing into the canyons and getting as close to dragging the knee as possible without going down. Here in Idaho we have some amazing roads for riding but also a lot of dangers if you don't pay attention to those roads. Probably like every other state. I plan to do a lot of long trips on my bike. Come March/April I plan to do a trip down to Yellowstone with my gf and friend for a week. There are plenty of trips like this in my future as I can never see myself NOT owning a motorcycle. I commute to work as well but prefer tearing into the canyons. I plan to do some track days in the future but I need some more money for that.

Best piece of advice I can give is to never commit to a turn if you can't see all the way through it and by commit I mean drag knee :sinister:

 

[Adrenaline Junkie]

I guess we start in the beginning. I was 12 years old in the spring of 1978 I bought a slightly used 1978 Yamaha DT100 with money I saved from allowance, birthdays, working hayfields, mowing grass, etc. We lived on a farm (woods mostly) in central West Virginia. Dad took me out in the bottom and led me around laying out a path I could ride to my hearts content. It started with about a 150 yard straight away followed by a u-turn that led into 3 or 4 S-turns. After the S-turns was a long left hand sweeper that ended with a short straight and a hard left hand 90 back onto the original straight away. By the end of the first day I had the grass beat down. After a week most of the grass was gone. By fall the "track" was 3 to 4 feet wide covered with about 1/2 inch of red clay dust the consistency of talcum powder. We moved off of the farm 1-1/2 years later but I doubt if any grass is growing there yet.

Shortly after moving from the farm to the Mid Ohio Valley I aquired a 1973 Suzuki TS185. We didn't have enough un-used ground for a new track but I was allowed to ride the back roads as long as they didn't have any stripes painted on them. You can go a long way in WV on twisty little one lane back roads, some paved, some not. I still ride these same roads a few times every year though many more of them are paved now than they used to be.

Somewhere between that little TT track that Dad layed out and the thousands of miles I logged on back roads in southern Wood County I developed a passion for riding crooked roads. When I was riding the 185, my riding buddy had a Yamaha DT250. I couldn't accelerate as hard out of the turns as him so I learned to carry more speed through the turns in order to keep up.

Then it happened. Somebody gave me a blown up Honda XL250 basket case. I wanted to put it back together but the rod was poking out of the case and I no longer had any money as it all went for motorcycle gas and tires. But I had all these parts. The forks were longer than the forks on my 185 and bigger around also. The rear shocks had to be 3" longer. If I could get this suspension on my 185, landings would be much more pleasant when I did my Evil Kniefel imitations. But those fork tubes wouldn't fit in my triple trees and the tripple tree stems were different so I couldn't just change the hole tripple trees but I really wanted that suspension. I took the two top trees with the stems and went to neighbor who had a machine shop. I don't remember how the stem was held in place on the Honda, but the Suzuki was a press fit with a bead of weld to keep it that way. Short version. Lathe, press and TIG machine and I had XL250 tripple trees with a TS185 stem. I was back in business the next day. The 185 was lighter than the 250 had been so it was a little stiff but it looked good, sat higher and it did much better when jumping off the spillway down at the lock and dam. To this day, I hardly blink before I start modifying a motorcycle. Drives my wife nuts. Brand new motorcycle and I've got the saws-all out trimming the tailpiece the day I bring it home.

This is getting long winded. I've also had the following:

1970's Honda CL350 (vertical twin)
1970's Honda CB?450 (vertical twin)
1982? Honda XL 200 (lame)
1986 Suzuki RM 125 (not lame)
1980's Honda CB?450 (vertical twin with drum brakes, they mad a version of this with an auto clutch but mine had a regular clutch)
1990-1995 no bike :frown:
1995-2001 Yamaha 750 Virago (Very good bike for what it was)
2001-2005 no bike :frown:
2005 DR-Z 400 S (bought this the day after I saw Supermoto Racing on TV the first time. The DR-Z 400 SM was not out yet so I decided to build my own. It was January and 17 degrees F when I rode it home. BRRRR)
2005, Sept. DR-Z 400 Stolen, Very bad day
2005, Oct. Bought 2006 Buell XB12Ss. Had this bike until Spring 2009 when pay cuts at work forced me to trade it for a 883 Sportster. I spent about 10 grand for the bike and probably had 3-4 grand worth of mods when I traded it. Put deposit on FZ1 today, 2-1-10 so that Sportster can go down the road.

Additional bikes owned since 2005 (in addition to the Buell):
Suzuki M50
Suzuki S83
1981 Maico 250 Mega II (Unbelievably good motorcycle, should have kept this one)
Suzuki GZ 250 (trying to teach the wife to ride)
Yamaha TTR110E (Again, trying to teach the wife)
DR-Z 250
KLX 250
DR 650 SE (still have this one)
H-D Iron 883 Sportster (going away)
1981 Yamaha 650 Special (the YamaDawg). This is a half a$$, half complete Street Tracker conversion that I may finish someday and then again I may not)

That should be a lot more than anyone wanted to know. If not, I'm 44 years old, married, 2 step kids (grown), and I currently design Poop Sucking trucks for a living. I'm sorry, Industrial Sewer Cleaning Equipment.

 

[efzed1]

Rider Resume efzed1

Like the idea of this - you get to know complete strangers real quick (sort of anyway)
My old man won a competition when I was about 5 - he bought home a Bombardier mini bike - ( i think it was a 50 but not too sure - it was 1976) he would give us kids 2 up rides (we call 'em dinks in Australia- oh yeah did I forget to mention I grew up in the land of Oz) anyway - I was infected from that time on with motorcycles - didn't buy my own until 15 though - we were pretty poor and the folks couldnt afford one so I rode my mates KX-80 for along time - the first bike I bought was a KL-250 - what a beast - you couldnt kill it - a mate of mine and I went partners on it to save money we rode that thing every where at 15 with no licence - it finally had its demise over a cliff LOL.
From the KL I moved to a TT 250, from the TT I moved to an IT - 250 - rebuilt it and learned alot (talk about Demon 2-stroke power), from the IT - I moved to a DT - 200 (water cooled 2 stroke, nice smooth power) I rode most of these bikes (and others , like a friends GPX-250, and his GS-250, which is a 4cyl 250 - Google it) on and off the road in rural Australia over a period of 6 years - ( I put in some hours on an RZ-250 as well a very quick 2 stroke street bike back in '92 also some hours on a GSX-1100F) I then headed to the US in 1995
Moved out to Coloarado and bought another IT - then got married and laid off bikes until 2002 - finally had saved enough money between having kids so I bought a TT-350 from a guy in STL..the bug was back - I stripped it down - and did a cosmetic rebuild and sold it to the neighbor and bought a ZR-7s - I enjoyed this bike for about 2 weeks - it was fairly quick - but it was boring, twist the throttle and she went sort of quickly - but no surprise and the buffeting from the screen was awful, In between all this we moved to a farm, so I sold the Z after a year and bought a 4-wheeler - talk about fun, great jumps and climb anything - but just not a street bike, so I kept it for a few years taught my 3 kids to ride it and sold it - enter the FZ-1 - bought it new in 2009 - it was a left over '07 with 9 miles on it - to date I love it - has more than enough pwer - its comfortable - handles well and can pull a two - up - my 11 yr old son loves to hop on Pillion -
All up I really couldn't begin to add up all the miles and time on bikes - but I learned most of my skills in the dirt or on a dirt bike - some will say it's different to a street bike, but I disagree - you learn to lean, countersteer, slide with your feet ON the pegs - all on a light, slower bike..you learn brake control, gearbox control, and you learn to pay attention and MOST of all you learn the limts of your ability (if your smart)
Anyway Im 38 now so that puts me over 20+ years on a bike...Ive been down a few times in the dirt and had a few sprains but only once on the road (once is enough)
You also learn how to tinker and fix things - if you love riding it's usually 2nd nature to tinker..so I am no mechanical expert but I know enough usually to get me out of trouble - a combustion engine is pretty simple, air, fuel, spark, if one is missing it aint gonna go!
Cheers to you all - oh the latest addition is an electric dirt bike that runs 14mph for my 5 yr old - ah the circle of life!...I guess that trumps the air, fuel, spark theory

 

[pilot8127]

Geezer-resume

Yes, I'm a geezer. Recently retired (at age 55), now age 58, I'm still a child at heart. I started riding motorcycles at age 14 and a half and have never ever quit. It all started in 1967. All you needed then was a learner's permit to ride on the street. I have owned, rode, and raced 35 motorcycles through the years. I can't remember them all now. But the first one (you always remember the first one, ,, right ?) was a shiny black Honda Super 90. The other choice back then was RED, and I wanted that, but of course, they were all sold out. I just couldn't wait. Bought the shiny black one. Got married in 1970 to gal who let me do everything I want. So, off to the races then for me. My father also raced karts back then. He never rode motorcycles tho. They just never interested him I guess.
I proceeded to race go-karts and motocrossers all through the 70's and early 80's. Most of my motorcycles were dirt bikes, trail bikes, or moto-x racers of all sizes. I've been run into, ran over, and dumped off countless times. No serious injuries however. I have been very lucky through the years. I did without fail, keep at least one street machine in the stable at all times. I did a lot of the work, and most of the wrenching on my bikes, and still do. I have a 45 year collection of parts and tools and I am always thinking of ways to improve my present ride(s). Currently, I have three in the heated and air-conditioned shop/garage. A sweet Cobalt Blue and Pewter Silver 2006 Harley Heritage Classic with a 95" big-bore kit, gear drive cams, HC-pistons, etc. At 95HP and 97 lbs torque, she is a screamer as Harley's go. Also, there is the cherry 2003 Silver Suzuki 650 Burgman with 3500 mi. on the clock. The 2001 FZ1 I just picked in January is black in color and rounds out the fleet for now. It is heavily modded, of course, and reminds me (as it should), of the 2006 Yellow and Black Kenny Robert's Special Anniversary Edition Yamaha R1 that I just sold last fall. The R1 was awesome but, the riding position was killing this old man after only 30-min. of hanging on. I also just recently sold a 2000 Honda Gold Wing SE with 11K. mi. on the clock. It rode great, but, alas, not enough action. Enter the FZ with the upright riding position and that all important SPEED ! Now we're talking.
I also RACED experimental airplanes up until last year. But, that' s another story. . . . .

 

[yamahajim]

Well, it seems like bikes have always been around, from sitting on the petrol tank of Dads Tiger cub (Triumph!) while he rode up the street...me maybe about 3 years old. Then riding up back on his Triton when a youngster. (Triton= Norton featherbed frame with TriumphBonneville motor, they were interchangeable)
My 1st bike was always inevitable, if not too exciting, but hey, it had 2 wheels and a motor! A Garelli 49cc step through with motocross bar conversion. Wow!! But a great learning curve as 14 year old playing on waste land. Countless bruises and offs but great fun.
At 16 a Honda SS50. A bit slow, so a visit to amates bike shop saw a 72cc top end fitted. Much better, lol.

After that I was seriously misled (cars!)

But the bug never went away and 1990 saw me with Kwak kh125 learner legal bike and L plates. Soon followed by Z550 kwaker with Yosho 4-1 pipes. It sounded awesome.
My wife, being young and easily persuaded in to things (those were the days!!) agreed to a bike holiday. Bril. So the next purchase was a monster Suzuki gsxr1100f with elec screen and full givi luggage. A well used but good example, stonking motor...stinking handling!
After the France trip my wifec wouldnt get back on a bike so the hunk was sold and a VFR750 purchased. Bright red on an F plate. Never forget the numbers (F)666---. Seriously I never even noticed until the missus pointed it out one day.
Cant remeber how it came to be sold but that was followed up by a fzr600 genesis.
Then sold and a short lay off....but the bug never left. Every summer day when out in the car or in earshot of an inline 4, I was thinking about bikes. And for once, a little while later.... the tax man was nice, with tax rebate cheque for £2500. It didnt have enough time to clear at the back before a used fzr1000 was bought, pre exup. By fek that thing was quick. Too quick. Frightened me to death the speed it hit bends at, and me not having the skill to get that old barge around corners. It ahd to go.
And that was that. Again, for a few years. So I thought.
Then the bro in law asked if he could keep his newly aquired vfr400 (around year2000) in the garage while he worked on it as he was short of space. Why not? Of course once the bike was sorted it would be rude not to accept the offered test ride...right? Like I said to him it would be boring, being a 400 and all. Hmmm. Never been more wrong. I didnt need to speak when I got back from the ride, not with a smile that wide! Soooo, a 2nd hand imported VFR in red, white blue was purcased. What an amazing bit of kit. It gave so much control and confidence. From a timid wont lead rider to a wtf was that noise, oh, the pegs!!? Defo a bike to learn to go quick on. Ran that bike for a year, scrubbed a set of tyres off it then found my ride outs always seemed to have an incident of some sort. and after looking at a photo I had just taken of my 4year old son sat on the bike thought; What if? So again the bike was sold, for good this time. Heard that before?
Another tax rebate in 06/07 saw money in the pocket again, dont worry, the tax man has made up for it! A visit to the local bike shops to just browse may not have been the best idea, ahem. Anyways, you can work out now what was going to happen; a loveley, mint, low miles SRAD gsxr750 in black/red/silver was up for silly cheap money. Complete with carbon can. Boy was that thing was mad. So mad that I sold it. and bought an R6.
But the R6 struggled to stay with the big boys on ride outs unless screwing the kn#####s off it. Mechanical sympathy (excuse) meant that the only thing left to do was change the bike for an R1. hehehehe.
The R1 was used to tour France in 08 and all told I racked up 12k miles on it, the most I had ever put on a bike. But an old car crash injury meant severe pain in the shoulder after only 4 days in france. By the end of the week sheer agony. So another change was due..
Which brings about the Fz1s in late 08. Used to tour Austria and done 10 k miles on it last year. The best bike ever owned? Maybe, depends how you judge it. The R1 could be quicker, once up to prison speeds, was maybe slightly more stable at insane speeds as well BUT, get on a country road or unkown road the FZ1 is more useable. + I can do 10 days in row of 200-500 mile days and not be in agony. Looks like I have finaly found my long termer. And it looks like biking and me will be long termers to.:tup:

 

[Ally House]

Aways wanted to ride, never had friends/family that did. When I was 45, my mother-in-law died at the age of 61 with WAY too many of her life's ambitions undone, and we decided to learn to ride, and not have "always wanted to."

Took the MSF course in 2003, and bought an 86 Honda Shadow 500, and a Honda Shadow Spirit 1100. Very shortly bought a 03 Yamaha V-Star for my partner (who is inseam challenged, and the V-Star lets her flat foot at stops) and sold the 500. We rode those machines for about 4 years, putting 20K miles on the Shadow Spirit. When Karyn said I needed a bike with more power (!) I bought a Yamaha V-Star 1300. YAY!!

After our second long (2K mile ride) Karyn wanted to know why some other riders had easier times on some of the roads, and a long discussion about bike dynamics, styles and the like ensued. The long and short of that was we bought the FZ1 last October, and Karyn loves it.

I love riding; it gives me a freedom and an experience that brings everything that I thought that it would. We travel, camp, and have some longer trips scheduled later this year.

10-21-13: Karyn has bailed on the FZ1, forsaking it for an FJR. I now ride the FZ1 full time, and love it. I have put about 9K miles on it in the past couple of years, and have plans for many, many more!