LATS... other people prone to riding contraptions with only two wheels...


Raskolnikov
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Raskolnikov
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02/09/2006 12:47 am
I just signed the paperwork for this:





Should be in my possession within a week.

I am one happy bassist right now.
Raskolnikov
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Careful what you wish for friend
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# 1
Hammurabi
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Hammurabi
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02/09/2006 3:33 am
That's a beautiful bike.

I would probably save up for a motorcycle if I lived somewhere warmer.
"If one has realized a truth, that truth is valueless so long as there is lacking the indomitable will to turn this realization into action!"
-A.H.
# 2
6strngs_2hmbkrs
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6strngs_2hmbkrs
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02/09/2006 6:20 am
I'm with pony, I'd take some kind of japanese bike.


*spontaneously orgasms*
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# 3
acapella
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acapella
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02/09/2006 4:36 pm
Why not get BOTH!?!?!?!? Hells yes!
You go outside and practice screaming. We'll play music while you're gone.
# 4
earthman buck
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earthman buck
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02/09/2006 4:40 pm

That's what I'm talkin 'bout.
# 5
acapella
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acapella
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02/09/2006 4:43 pm
Woah Momma! I'm tempted to make a Napoleon Dynamite reference, but I think I'd vomit on the keyboard. Great movie, but it's been DONE to DEATH.
You go outside and practice screaming. We'll play music while you're gone.
# 6
Hammurabi
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Hammurabi
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02/09/2006 6:11 pm
If I were to get a bike I would probably buy something American-made out of patriotism. I also strongly suspect that policemen are more likely to ticket crotch rockets than cruisers.
"If one has realized a truth, that truth is valueless so long as there is lacking the indomitable will to turn this realization into action!"
-A.H.
# 7
rockonn91
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rockonn91
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02/09/2006 9:17 pm
yeah, id definatly pick a cruiser over a racer. just a personal opinion tho.
JK :cool:

-Agile Guitars Enthusiast
# 8
Cryptic Excretions
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Cryptic Excretions
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02/10/2006 12:07 am
Originally Posted by: earthman buck
That's what I'm talkin 'bout.

Do that have that one in pink?
The Gods Made Heavy Metal, And They Saw That It Was Good
They Said To Play It Louder Than Hell, We Promised That We Would

Hulk Smash!!

Whatever you do, don't eat limes. A friend of mine ate a lime once and BAM!! Two years later. Herpes.
# 9
elklandercc
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elklandercc
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02/10/2006 12:12 am
I hope it doesn't use a drives shaft cause my dad has one on his bike and its really loud and annoying when it winds out, you can hear it over the exhaust. Then again his may need to be oiled and thats it. Either way congrats, you'll like it either way.
"During this line, the kid acted like he was pushing buttons on a calculator in the air. The kid played ******* air-calculator!"

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# 10
Raskolnikov
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Raskolnikov
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02/10/2006 12:31 am
Originally Posted by: HammurabiIf I were to get a bike I would probably buy something American-made out of patriotism. I also strongly suspect that policemen are more likely to ticket crotch rockets than cruisers.[/QUOTE]
I used to think that way until I realized that the $8,500 Yamaha is going to out-perform and be more reliable than a similar displacement Harley Davidson which I wouldn't be able to even look at for less than $20,000.

Then I said to myself "you know what... this situation only exists because people will shell out any amount of money just to own a HD and how well it works is a very distant consideration... I think I'll spend my money elsewhere."



[QUOTE=elklandercc]I hope it doesn't use a drives shaft cause my dad has one on his bike and its really loud and annoying when it winds out, you can hear it over the exhaust.

It's a shaft drive but I don't think it's going to be a problem: Neither of my friend's Yamahas have shaft noise problems; one of them is an 1100 like mine and the other is a late 70's 750.

Also, I have every intention of keeping this bike VERY well maintained.
Raskolnikov
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Careful what you wish for friend
I've been to Hell and now I'm back again

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# 11
Lordathestrings
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Lordathestrings
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02/10/2006 3:46 am
Ayaaah, I likes Yammies....




.... n' size does matter.

That looks like a good ride, Rask. :cool:
Lordathestrings
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# 12
Raskolnikov
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Raskolnikov
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02/10/2006 3:59 am
Come this spring time, I think my friend, Carl and I are going to have to line up all of our Yamahas so I can take a picture of them for you.

I think you'll appreciate the view.
Raskolnikov
Guitar Tricks Moderator

Careful what you wish for friend
I've been to Hell and now I'm back again

www.GuitarTricks.com - Home of Online Guitar Lessons
# 13
6strngs_2hmbkrs
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6strngs_2hmbkrs
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02/10/2006 6:05 am
who wants to watch some bike stunts?

EDIT: ok, I posted this while I was only halfway through watching it (it's really long) apparently someone thought it'd be funny to throw like 2 seconds of porn in the middle.. so maybe it's not GT friendly.. if anyone wants to see it still, despite the two seconds of porn, they can pm me.
If you like cars see mine here
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# 14
aschleman
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aschleman
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02/10/2006 12:22 pm
Gixxers do it better... haha... thats my death wish right there...

# 15
acapella
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acapella
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02/10/2006 8:45 pm
I have a motorcycle, really! :o
You go outside and practice screaming. We'll play music while you're gone.
# 16
Lordathestrings
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Lordathestrings
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02/12/2006 5:26 am
A 'beginner's bike' isn't a matter of engine size.
Lordathestrings
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# 17
Lordathestrings
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Lordathestrings
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02/12/2006 6:16 am
Originally Posted by: PonyOnewhat is it then? the way it rides and how easy it is?

i figure the engine size isn't all of it... i just don't like the thought of accidentally letting loose on a bike that has 150hp when i should be stopping...

So, sign up for some lessons. You can usually get a big enough reduction on your insurance premiums to cover the cost. Here in Canada you can get lessons from the Canada Safety Council, where you get to learn on bikes that are donated by dealerships on closed courses away from traffic. Riding skills are very different from driving skills, and the co-ordination requirements are much higher. The last thing you want to do is start out on a new, expensive bike that you're going to be afraid of dropping. And you can't possibly know what you really want in a bike until you've spent some time riding a few. This is like picking out your first guitar in that respect. Ducati makes some wonderful bikes, but that doesn't mean you're going to want to spend a lot of time sitting on one. They may be totally unsuited to the kind of riding you find yourself doing. Buzzing around a major population centre like LA calls for a very different set of design parameters than doing deep knee bends on canyon roads. And frankly, you aren't in a position yet to assess either set of conditions. Your car-driving experience and skills only contribute some of the road-savvy you will need while riding a bike. Things like road surface conditions and even wind gusts suddenly take on an importance that a car driver can't comprehend.

So, park your lust for a Duck. They are possibly the worst choice you could make for city riding. And there's a lot of city between Venice and anything remotely resembling the kind of roads they were designed for. Sign up for some lessons. And get some old non-pretty bike that is mechanically sound, but is not going to cause you to cringe every time it gets a bug splatter on it. Trust me on this. You'll understand what I'm talking about after you've got a year or so of riding behind you.
Lordathestrings
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# 18
Lordathestrings
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Lordathestrings
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02/12/2006 8:48 am
The Suzi Might be OK, if it didn't get bent when the guy dropped it. Note why he's selling. Bikes are for skilled riders only. You either get good, or you get hurt. Sometimes you get hurt anyway.

The Yamaha would be fun for scooting around on, but I think you would be seriously frustrated by the lack of power, poor handling, and weak brakes. Oh yeah, and it's seriously expensive in terms of bang-for-the-buck compared to something newer and stronger. A 500 or 600 Japanese twin or inline four is probably good. Be aware that a 2-stroke is roughly equivalent to a 4-stroke with twice the displacement. So a Yamaha RZ350 is actually a very strong bike. Then again, I think the CARB rules make them illegal in California. ~sigh~

Once I got my 1986 FJ1200S, I pretty much stopped looking at new bikes, so I'm not current with the new stuff. Even back in the 80's we were mourning the disappearance of the UJM (Universal Japanese Motorcycle) that provided such all-round utility and fun. Newer bikes seem to be either street-squid repli-racers, or rolling-armchair cruisers. Neither style can 'do it all' the way a UJM could. Early-to-mid 80's Honda CB series, Kawasaki EX series, Suzuki GS series, and Yamaha XS series are all good candidates. By the late 80's, specialization and market fragmentation had eliminated any trace of the UJM from the lineups. A 400cc 4-stroke used to be a good machine to start out with. No more. Case in point: Suzuki Bandit 400. Very light, very powerful, and squirrelly enough to spit off any newbie fool enough to push his luck.

I went from a 1948 NSU 125cc Superfox, to a 1982 Honda CB750F to a pair of 1983 Suzuki GS1100ES's, to a 1986 Yamaha FJ1200S, with a 1981 Suzuki GS1000G and a 1973 Yamaha RD200B for backup. The RD is in a buddy's shop for a rebuild, and I gave the GS1000G to a ladyfriend as a wedding gift. :cool:

I think you're in the right price range. If you scrap it, you're not out much, and when you're ready to move up, you can get most of your money back on resale.
Lordathestrings
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# 19
Lordathestrings
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Lordathestrings
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02/12/2006 9:04 am
I think a 500 or a 750 would suit you well. The old 350's were fun, but they don't have enough power for highway use. When I get my RD200B back from the shop, it'll be strictly for putting around town off major streets. It tops out at 45 or 50 mph, so it's not going anywhere near a highway.

Don't shy away from the old 750's. Either my '82 CB750F or '81 GS1000G would have been good bikes for you. They are heavy machines by today's standards, close to 600 pounds, but they are solid, dependable rides. My biggest knock on the newer bikes is that even the smaller-displacement machines are tricked out with lots of expensive features, and to justify the cost, their engines are tuned within an inch of their lives to make lotsa power.

I put 96,000 km on the big FJ, and then had to decide whether to rebuild it or replace it. I looked around for a couple of years while I rode the ol' GS. I ended up putting $8000 into a complete rebuild of the FJ rather than drop close to $20,000 on a new machine that didn't suit me as well.
Lordathestrings
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# 20

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