Motorbike riding season woohoo!!!!

[TAPtech]

Weather is looking good for us New Englanders! Finally got a chance to use the new seat on an hour long ride with the girlfriend. Getting geared up for some great weekend camping trips on the bike.

Great to do service calls with the bike too I think I need to get some saddlebags to carry more gear.

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

Yup...it's finally here! Have had mine up on the lift in the garage for so long, did a ton of work on her this spring, fired her up last night. A buddy of mine that is doing a rat-rod restoration on an old shovelhead hates chrome, likes the brushed metal look. My Shovel had brushed aluminum front end, forks, cowbells, headlight shroud, and a project bike he picked up had a sweet chrome set. (about a 2 thousand dollar value...what a trade!) He said he was doing to take the grinder to that...I said "Wait..let's trade front ends!" So we did that. Taking the paint off my front calipers too....as well as drilling out my forward head where the exhaust stud broke off, my house was a racket of compressor driven tools all weekend!

Was great to fire up the old girl last night though. Granted...been riding the wifes Sporty a bit just to take care of the fix!

Picking up new lower fork studs for the axle cap today, and the rest of my work on her is just more cosmetics but she'll be on the road full time now.

What did you get for a new seat?

 

[acscva]

I got 4000 miles on my spyder already this year Although wished that I lived further south as the weather has been pretty crappy here this past couple weeks.

 

[MichaelBits]

Looking forward to some long rides this summer.

If my plans work out, will be doing about a 1000 mile ride this year. Starting here in Iowa going south to Arkansas then over to Mississippi. Will end up hooking around through Illinois on way back to make a big circle..... Actually that may be more than a 1000 miles.
That's my plan... see if I can make it happen hehe.

Need to pick up a luggage rack and a drink holder yet this year. Put a sound system on the Bike last year.
I ride a 2007 Suzuki Boulevard.

Ahhhh, I love summer.....

 

[wardoursecure]

We were out at the Kawasaki Day at The Ace Cafe in London yesterday. Not the biggest turn out nor warmest of days, took my wife 3 hours to warm up after we got back.
Also Chris Walker (British Superbike racer) opened his Kawasaki garage here in Grantham at the weekend. Popped in for a mooch around on Saturday, it was like a British Superbike paddock with alot of riders there, had a look at the new H2R but £22000 is out of my price range.
Funnily enough I was there again today to collect a laptop for repair from his old engine tuner so might get some ongoing support business there

 

[wavey]

My 9 year old Aprilia SL1000 Falco still sat in the garage, unused since Feb.

Just got no time lately :-(

 

[TAPtech]

Alright gents, let's turn this into a picture thread!

This is my VTX1300C, love it to death! So does the gf.

and then this is my project frankenbike that I'm hoping to get back on the road, but may just turn it into a gokart or something.

 

[MichaelBits]

Blah.... don't have any decent pics on me....
Managed to pull this one from my home server...

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

Alright gents, let's turn this into a picture thread!...

My Shovelhead FLHS without saddlebags.


Yup...antique plates!




With current saddlebags...


And a closeup of the best sounding motorcycle engine out there, "The Shovelhead 1340" with Paughco pipes. Hearing the cadence this makes on the highway, pure music to my ears....no need for a stereo.

 

[TAPtech]

My favorite part is the big coil spring on the kickstarter. Is that 1340cc? Must be a joy to kickstart!

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

And my wifes bike.....an '04 Sportster 1200 Custom, loaded with options including Stage 1 kit. This bike is BRUTALLY fast.
Here are some pics from the day I brought it home...don't have many others yet...

..observant eyes will notice a 3rd horse in there....the garage pics, there's an old '73 Honda CB200s....I had that for the summer. Fun old bike.

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

My favorite part is the big coil spring on the kickstarter. Is that 1340cc? Must be a joy to kickstart!

Yup..the 80 incher.
And yeah kick starting her, you can drop a nut and get catapulted up over the roof of your house, or some tree, if you're not careful. Although at least once I was happy to have it....you know those genius moments you leave a light on and come back to a partially dead battery...usuall beer involved...LOL.

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

My daughter loves hopping on the back and going for rides...she's been riding since she was old enough to tough the pegs, around 8 I think when I started letting her on.
Here's some pics from a few years ago, up until a winter ride last December.

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

My prior ride, an '06 Dyna FXDBI "Street Bob"...that I stripped down and sort of retro'd to a classic SuperGlide style. Sold this bike to fund the Shovelhead purchase.


Gettinjg read for a new years day run several years ago.

 

[acscva]

This was from my trip to Daytona Bike Week in March. Did over 2500 miles that week

 

[TAPtech]

Nice! Your motorcycle comes with a spare tire.

 

[Moltuae]

Nice! Your motorcycle comes with a spare tire.

And a spare wheel too!

Ah!, So THAT's what's under these things.


Serious though, some very cool bikes on this page! Would love to ride any of them.

 

[TAPtech]

I worked in a bike shop and the guys always made fun of the Spyders. Then one came into the shop and they all went for a ride. They stopped making fun of them after that. Then for Christmas, the owner of the shop got his wife a nice red one!

 

[cmonova]

First One…

New One..

 

[acscva]

Nice looking trike Dan! We need to get together and do some riding soon!