How many....

[AndyRAC]

How many of you on here actually ride a motorbike? I have to be honest, I don't, well not yet. I hope to shortly do some training, and take the test before October. What about everybody else?? And what bikes do you ride??

[maxu05]

Before coming to China, (nearly 7 years ago), I rode a Kawasaki ZZR 1100. I have also owned a Kawasaki GT750 shaft drive,a Kawasaki GPZ600, a Yamaha XJ 550, a Suzuki GSX 250, a Honda CB250, a Suzuki RM125 and a Yamaha YZ80. I currently ride an 80cc scooter, as I am not really allowed to ride a bike here in China, but I get away with it. I miss my 1100, but will soon be back in OZ, and looking for a new bike. I will most likely buy another ZZR, maybe the 1200.

[jim mcglinchey]

Oh yes! 2007 Suzook 650 Bandit and Ive always a few projects on the go. Im going to have a go at making a frame for an old Yam 850.

[tha_jackal]

Not me! Hope to be one day soon though...

[MrJan]

I often think about getting a bike license but firstly I still live at home because I can't afford to move out, getting a bike would mean being chucked out whether I like it or not.

Secondly I wouldn't want 2 years on a low poer bike so would have to do direct access which along with CBT comes to almost £1000 plus getting the bike and then getting it insured and taxed etc. etc.

In short I can't afford it and cars are better anyway because they are warm, dry and you can take some mates with you :p :

[ChrisS]

I dont ride a bike at the moment, I used to ride a 49cc Honda Chaly moped as a teen and also an R1 almost 10 years ago. I plan to buy a bike in the future

[maxu05]

I would surely lose my license if I rode an R1, It took all my will power not to speed on my Kwaka :D Is that why you are not riding now Chris ?

[T-D]

up until a couple years ago, i owned 2 zooks. sold them prior to moving to nyc and now back in chicago am bike less.

i would like to own a dl650 one day however.

[ChrisS]

I would surely lose my license if I rode an R1, It took all my will power not to speed on my Kwaka :D Is that why you are not riding now Chris ?

I didn't really speed and I was always careful but I had a lowside. it wasn't much of a crash the bike wasnt damaged but I broke my arm and had to spend a month in the hospital and have a medal plate in my arm. After that my family started pressuring me to sell the bike and eventually I did. :(

[patnicholls]

Nope, I don't ride.

Am 50/50 on whether to give it a try one day - pretty much everyone I've met who's ridden a bike has trashed themselves and/or the bike whilst riding, which puts me off somewhat!

Generally prefer to leave it to the professionals...

[Mach24]

I have had a few, my favourite being the Triumph Daytona 955 as a road bike, good torque and long wheel base made for a very useable weapon, not so good in the really tight twisty stuff however.

My last bike was a GSXR600 which I used firstly as a race bike and then converted back to road. I really enjoyed the 600 coz you had to ride the thing where as with the larger capacity bike you simply took it easy in the corners and opened the throttle hard on exit.

Just bought a house and had a daughter..... No longer have a bike.

[fatman]

I used to have a bike but had to sell it the last time I moved ( 3 years ago ). My wife says I'm allowed to get another bike, but the insurance for a bike is more expensive than car insurance and our riding season is only 4 - 6 months long. Sooo I'm torn if it's worth it or not. I might get a dirt bike for off-roading. If I get a bike for the road it will probably be something small and light for booting around the city. Like maybe the Suzuki DRZ400 Motard (http://www.moto-station.com/ttesimages/motodivers/Suzuki_DRZ_400_SM_Speciale_France06_stpz.jpg).

[MrJan]

My last bike was a GSXR600 which I used firstly as a race bike and then converted back to road. I really enjoyed the 600 coz you had to ride the thing where as with the larger capacity bike you simply took it easy in the corners and opened the throttle hard on exit.

Always thought that if I do get a bike it'd be something like a Gixxer 6 or R6. I'm a big fan of thrashing the t**s out of things (I drive a Honda Civic which you can rev to about 6700 if you want to give it some). Also I like the idea of something that is very nimble.

[The Phantom]

Started on dirt when I was 13, got my first roadbike when I was 27 - am about to hit 39 so what's that, 26 years?

Current bikes are a highly modified 1994 VFR750 (2004 R1 forks/radial brakes, Ohlins shock, full race exhaust with dual underseat exhaust and so on) and a 1996 XR400 for the dirt. I also have a 1956 Sunbeam S7 which is going to be a 20 or 30 year restoration, based on the current rate of pace :rolleyes: and a VFR400 racebike which is destined for trackdays, if not actual racing one day. The 400 needs a new motor, the old one was making 74hp which is huge for that model, but it seems that 70hp is a safer upper limit :(

My wife rides too - she had a 2001 Triumph TT600 sportsbike when we met :)

[NinjaMaster]

Well, I've always been into bikes since I was a little tacker. My Dad has pretty much always had bikes (he used to race a Kwak Z1 back in the dark ages! :D ) and I've been a keen Kawasaki fan since seeing Mat Mladin punting around in the early 90's.
I got my bike licence when I was about 19 and the first bike I bought was a crappy 1990 Kwak KDX200. Then all my mates sold their dirt bikes so I got rid of mine and after getting my car written off by being arse-ended at the traffic lights, I used the insurance money to buy a 1998 Kawasaki ZX6R. Had that bike for about 3 years and now have a 2006 ZX6R. I'm a fairly sedate rider and really have no desire (or need) to step up to a litre bike but I would love it if team green would bring out a ZX8R.
I also have a Chinese thumpster minibike (Atomik RS125) that I have rec reg'd (recreational registration) to take bush with a bunch of mates.

I highly recommend riding to nearly anyone, so long as you have an ounce of restraint. If you don't, then take it to the track! It is great fun (way better than cars) and you don't have to be fast to enjoy it.

And I understand where you're coming from on the restoration 'issues' Phantom. My old man is trying to restore a ye olde Ariel 600 with a Dusting side car but in the 5+ years he's had the thing, he's got it pulled apart and the tank chromed. :) One day though...

[leopard]

I found it interesting, people like watching bike racing while they themselves do not ride.

I ride various japanese bikes, so character of each of them is pictured. Despite the fact that seems we will not be able to ride two stroke anymore as all manufacturers stop its production, like Ninja is now going bigger to the 4 strokes 250, I like riding 2 strokes.

Oh yeah, a friend had over all of his ninja chromed. I think chrome is sort modification when the owner failed to find the better idea.

[Kneeslider]

I have been riding on the road since I was 18, which is way too many years ago now. I started out on a CB100N, which was really nice to learn on, and had the added bonus of regularly doing over 100mpg, just a shame that it topped out at around 60mph with me on it.

Interested to hear that maxu05 also had a Yamaha XJ550 I had mine between '94 and '97, and turned it into a sort of streetfighter, with flat bars, a four into one exhaust and a braced swinging arm, only because I was too broke to be able to afford a sportsbike. A very underrated machine, and I can't remember the last time I saw one.

I still keep my '91 Ducati 750ss, the homologation job built just for that year, but for track days, a little more go is required, so I have built a 904cc engine to go into it, with a pair of JE 11:1 compression ratio pistons, a bit of mild porting work. Ideally I would like a pair of Keihin FCR41 carbs to top it all off, but that little lot should see 85 ish BHP at the rear wheel, which is plenty when the whole bike only weighs 175kg! :)

[maxu05]

That is really spooky Kneeslider, as I bought my XJ550 in 94 and sold it in 97. It was my first road going bike actually. I was able to ride any sized bike I liked, as I got my Sergeant, (I was in the Army Transport Corps) to print me an army bike license, then transfered it to a civilian license. I never had "L" or "P" plates, but went straight to a full license. That's when I bought the XJ, It was a great bike, reliable, quick, (for a heavy bike) and fun to ride.