Anyone else ride?

[Bonknuts]

Or used to ride?

I don't have a car, so this is my daily commuter; Zx6r 636.

I just finished repainting the bike..






This was the old color scheme:

 It's a 2004.. old by nowadays standards, but it feels like a completely new bike. Pretty much took me two weeks total to disassemble, patch and sand, paint, and reassemble. It's the first time I've ever shot automotive paint and automotive clear coat (the curved surfaces are tricky). I also did a -1 front sprocket to get a little more pep (I don't need the 170mph top speed of this bike, so the trade off was worth it). I still need a GP muffler (hate the one that's on there).


 Ride? Used to ride? Post pics!

[SignOfZeta]

I'd like to live in a world where motorcycles weren't suicide machines, but until we ban cars that isn't happening so I'll just go half way; a Miata. Once you've seen a pick-up guy pass you on the right at 90mph eating a bowl of ramen with both hands...a person with a working sense of self preservation just can't ignore that.

[Bonknuts]

 Riding a motorcycle is quite the liberating feeling. I guess it's not so liberating when you're permanently disabled from an accident, though. It's not just the cars; when wildlife runs out in front of you on the highway... no good. But I don't want this thread to be a debbie-downer. We all know the risks of riding.

[wildfruit]

A bike would probably save me at least 30 mins each way on my commute. But I cant really afford to run 2 cars and a bike and I couldn't ditch either car cos kids & wife make them necessary. Also doing the licence would not be practical right now. Maybe when kids grow up.

[Opethian]

[elmer]

That's a great paint job you did, she looks much more stylish now! 

Haha ... you think 2004 is old? Mine's a 1991!  Bikes get better with a little age. 

I'm not, personally, a great fan of how you have to lean that far forward on a sport bike, so I ride something a little more upright. I avoid freeways (twisties are more fun than speed), and so don't need a windshield.

[crazydean]

I've been riding for about 13 years now. I worked two jobs, at the time, to be able to afford this one. This was my third time painting so I know how much of a PITA it is to do. It's really easy, just tedious and boring. There's some gold flake in the paint which looks great in the sun, but it's also really difficult to photograph. I don't have any original pictures, but it was black and completely stock when I bought it. These pictures are about two years old, and I have since added nitrous and orange brake/clutch lines.

[Necromancer]

My bike is the kind you peddle.  Methinks a motorcycle would be lots of fun, but I've no room in the garage and it'd probably end badly anyway, what with my two left feet, ten thumbs, and lack of impulse control.

[BigusSchmuck]

Thought about getting a bike for my 45 mile commute everyday, but went ahead and got a prius last year. Before anyone makes any smelling my own fart jokes, I got it as I needed something reliable and not prone to take to the shop every few months.

[csgx1]

Used to ride a Honda Spree 50cc scooter when I was 15.  Commuted to high school with it.  Top speed on that bad boy was 35mph. 

[Bonknuts]

That's a great paint job you did, she looks much more stylish now! 

Haha ... you think 2004 is old? Mine's a 1991!  Bikes get better with a little age. 

I'm not, personally, a great fan of how you have to lean that far forward on a sport bike, so I ride something a little more upright. I avoid freeways (twisties are more fun than speed), and so don't need a windshield.

 My first ride was dual sport, and was much more upright. I swapped in some clipons for a more aggressive feel and ended up loving it (felt like a cafe racer). But I've seen the exact reverse for Zx6rs; it's popular for people to convert it into street fighter style and put actual handle bars for a more upright position. I always have that option if I get tired of the supersport setup.

 Nice Bike. That tail looks familiar. What model is that?


crazydean: That zx14 is a beast. I already get crappy mileage when I open mine up, I can't imagine what the zx14 drops to at WOT. On a normal commute, I get about ~45 mpg (lot of stop and go traffic here). Fooling around, I get about ~20 mpg. 

[DragonmasterDan]

Used to ride a Kawasaki Z900.

Was actually my primary vehicle many years ago when I didn't have enough room to park a car where I was living but had just enough garage space to sneak it in there. Was fine to drive when not on highways in nice weather but in winter, rain or long distances it wasn't so fun.

[crazydean]

crazydean: That zx14 is a beast. I already get crappy mileage when I open mine up, I can't imagine what the zx14 drops to at WOT. On a normal commute, I get about ~45 mpg (lot of stop and go traffic here). Fooling around, I get about ~20 mpg.

On the highway, I get about 42mpg @ 90mph. In town it's normally high 30's. The thing about the 14 is that you rarely get the chance to run WOT. With the bigger bikes, you have to be a lot more respectful of the throttle, it's VERY touchy. Give a little too much throttle in first or second and you're on your ass.

[ClodBuster]

This is my bike



 :-"

[elmer]

Nice Bike. That tail looks familiar. What model is that?

Suzuki VX800. There aren't many left on the road these days.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suzuki_VX_800

It's a nice bike for an old-fart ... classic styling, fast enough for the freeway, but not fast enough or twitchy enough to get into much trouble.

And NOT ridden by lawyers pretending that they're dangerous outlaws!