Re: Which bike if you could only have one? The perfect fleet?
Posted: Wed Apr 09, 2008 1:09 pm
Hmmm. That's a tough one. Just 5? At one point in my life I had 13 bikes concurrently...
Over the years, I've owned a HUGE variety of bikes, and there were a couple stand-out favorites, but all things considered, the bike I have is the bike I love to ride.
I have always had Jap bikes, with one excursion into Spanish territory with a Derbi GPR 50 with a 75cc kit. What a fucking hoot -- an indicated 63mph downhill in a full tuck, I felt like Max Fucking Biaggi on the last year of the 500s. You think you can ride a bike until you get on one of these things and they barely lean when you go around a corner at "crazy fast" speeds, you have to re-calibrate you head. It takes a hero to get a knee down on one.
I assume this is an "OK, so I just won the lottery" list. My list, subject to change:
** A sport touring bike, the new Concours 1400 looks tight, so does the BMW K1200, maybe a FJR 1300. Something big, fast, good wind protection, with luggage.
** An adventure touring bike, I'd start by looking at a KTM 990 Adventure. I hate BMW boxers, I always hit my shins. Maybe an 800 GS.
--- those two might actually be similar enough I could combine them.
** A sport bike/trackday bike, the GSXR 1000 is more or less a no-brainer for me, although I'd probably kill myself. I have nothing but respect for guys that can run in the low-teens at Summit on a big bike -- talk about throttle control. I'd be smarter to build an SV650 track bike, although I understand that the BMW R1200S is pretty hot shit, I could just wear tall boots.
** A city/commuter/hooligan bike, the DRZ is fun and all, but I'd like something faster - a street-legalized Honda XR650R would easily be my first choice, maybe a KTM 690 SMC, maybe if I'm feeling like a complete wild man, a plated Service Honda CR500 SuMo, just like this one.....
** A project bike. It has to be something unique, funky, entertaining, and preferably FAST. Lately, I've been thinking about building a euro-style racing side hack rig. Street legal, of course. The euro racing hacks are limited to 600ccs because they're so freakin' fast. Of course, mine would use a Hayabusa motor or something retarded like that.
And I'd like to keep/finish building my ZRX11/1200.
And, yes, a Ural would be cool too.
And an SV1000
And a Lead Wing
And more project bikes.
Over the years, I've owned a HUGE variety of bikes, and there were a couple stand-out favorites, but all things considered, the bike I have is the bike I love to ride.
I have always had Jap bikes, with one excursion into Spanish territory with a Derbi GPR 50 with a 75cc kit. What a fucking hoot -- an indicated 63mph downhill in a full tuck, I felt like Max Fucking Biaggi on the last year of the 500s. You think you can ride a bike until you get on one of these things and they barely lean when you go around a corner at "crazy fast" speeds, you have to re-calibrate you head. It takes a hero to get a knee down on one.
I assume this is an "OK, so I just won the lottery" list. My list, subject to change:
** A sport touring bike, the new Concours 1400 looks tight, so does the BMW K1200, maybe a FJR 1300. Something big, fast, good wind protection, with luggage.
** An adventure touring bike, I'd start by looking at a KTM 990 Adventure. I hate BMW boxers, I always hit my shins. Maybe an 800 GS.
--- those two might actually be similar enough I could combine them.
** A sport bike/trackday bike, the GSXR 1000 is more or less a no-brainer for me, although I'd probably kill myself. I have nothing but respect for guys that can run in the low-teens at Summit on a big bike -- talk about throttle control. I'd be smarter to build an SV650 track bike, although I understand that the BMW R1200S is pretty hot shit, I could just wear tall boots.
** A city/commuter/hooligan bike, the DRZ is fun and all, but I'd like something faster - a street-legalized Honda XR650R would easily be my first choice, maybe a KTM 690 SMC, maybe if I'm feeling like a complete wild man, a plated Service Honda CR500 SuMo, just like this one.....
** A project bike. It has to be something unique, funky, entertaining, and preferably FAST. Lately, I've been thinking about building a euro-style racing side hack rig. Street legal, of course. The euro racing hacks are limited to 600ccs because they're so freakin' fast. Of course, mine would use a Hayabusa motor or something retarded like that.
And I'd like to keep/finish building my ZRX11/1200.
And, yes, a Ural would be cool too.
And an SV1000
And a Lead Wing
And more project bikes.