Prius Owners and Motorcycles

I currently have four bikes in the garage:

2000 Honda VFR800 (66,000 miles)
2002 Kawasaki Ninja 250R (36,000 miles)
1985 Honda XL600R (basketcase given to me for free)
1995 Yamaha XV1100 Virago (My neighbor's bike. She needed some help working on it)

Before I bought the Prius, I would average 35,000-50,000 miles a year on a bike. This is the first car I have owned since 1997. Besides the commuting I would do, I would also attend several track days a year, one-up or two-up, plus at least one multi-day multi-state ride.

While I love the car, the bikes are my mistresses, making me do bad things...

 

No moped option?? :huh: I have a Honda 350 motorcylce but don't like driving that cause it's to hard on my foot with all that shifting.

 

I'm sure we all use air bags.

 

Yes BUT not registered as such with the DMV. So I would say they can't be in the same category. (I'm sure many would agree for other reasons )

 

Jeneric,

For my all-year riding needs, I have four different sets of gear:

Track days: Tecnik 1-piece leather suit
Summer: Firstgear Leathertex jacket and HT overpants, Held Profi gloves
Winter: Belkin Voyager Jacket, Belstaff pants, Held Hawk gloves, silk gloves liners, Schampa Warmskin Balaclava
Rain: One-piece rainsuit
Helmet: Shoei Z-II / Icon Mainframe Maniac

I always ride in full gear. I have walked away from a 75mph crash, after sliding for over 130 ft with only a quarter-sized mark to show for it.

Plus, wearing armor is sexy.

 

Pics please

I wish I could drive my moped year round. I don't think it would ride to good in the snow though!

 

94 Harley softail heritage classic, bought it new, 67K miles, ride it every chance I get, my idea of ideal riding gear is blue jeans, tee shirt, head wrap (I'm a skin head), I usually cruise at 80mph and above, 2 major accidents, several broken bones, RIDE ON!!! I have no fear and make no claim that my elevator goes to the top floor. Sex, snow skiing, jet skiing (60mph and above) and biking. It doesn't get any better than that.

 

I'm amazed that people will pay or be paid to put their life in danger.

I suppose you say you only live once BUT that's the point!!

Hey to each their own! Wave at me when you pass me by in the slow lane

 

OK dating myself here...

Have a 1973 Honda CB450 that I bought new. Great bike and a bit of a classic.

As for safety gear...

Got to share a helmet story, back about 74 or 75, I'm crusing down the road and went by where a semi (grain truck) came out of a farm field, about a half mile later I was catching up to the truck and was pulling out to pass him and saw something dark come out from between his rear duals, too late to miss it, so I ducked to avoid and heard a LOUD bang and felt my head jerk. Thinking I caught a hunk of mud in the side of the helmet, I kept on going. When I got to my destination and pulling the helmet off, it felt different, looking at it, the right side of the helmet had no more resin on it, only the fiberglass matting! For me not even the slightest of bruses!

The next day I went to get a new helmet, the guy in the bike shop was showing me all the pretty Lexan helmets that could be had for less than $20. I related my experience from the previous day, his response "Oh, the Bell helmets ore over here...".

Moral of the story, when you buy a helmet, be willing to spend what you think your head is worth. And for riding without one...

 

so heeled boots aren't that much of a necesity? I mean, I was taught it was. I never intended to ride one, but the teacher (he did more than just Drivers Ed) pushed that if we ever rode, it was a minimum of heeled boots and a helmet/leather jacket that we wanted.

I'm not saying I see a lot of motorcycle accidents. Accidents in general. Like what almost happened to me on thanksgiving day. I went downtown to chicago to pick up two 5'tall 36" wide disassembled cages in my prius. I come home and I'm sitting in the turn lane at another expressway (I'm on a surface street about to turn left onto it) someone from the on coming traffic turns OFF of the highway and LOOSES A WHEEL! and now... this thing is flying at my car at probably 25 mph as he was accelerating up a ramp before a turn, and well about three inches before it was going to hit, it turned and did a curve.

But that doesn't mean I have had my fair share of accidents-- I've never caused any, I was hit in Oct of '04 nearly totaled my Ford, and guess what! the guy took off.

sorry If I'm hijacking the thread, just wanted to explain myself.

 

you know, I learned the same thing, but I mountain bike a lot. The Des Plaines River Trail is within 5 miles of my home, so its easy to reach the DRT from here.
I've ridden that a few times, off road, tree roots, hills, and muddy sections. complete joy.

I now ride a Boulder Giant SE(2003) aluminum Frame. I don't go anywhere without my helmet. I mis calculated where I was going and I hit a tree. I not only shattered my helmet but I messed up my gloves something fierce as well. More or less I Glazed by the tree hitting it on my right side. I'm lucky nothing else happened.


(no trail riding that day, I was recovering from another injury and had to run to the store for something quickly)

Oh yeah, I've also ridden in Maui down a volcano... you stay as far right as you can there!

 

yes. It is.

But thats me in Maui. We (myself and my dad-- the old guy!) were going down very steep roads, with winding turns.




See the sign? We were at a couple of points, going faster than the posted speed limit and passing traffic on our bikes. And yes, thats me, it wasn't raining when we started, but proceeded to rain on us for a half hour while we stopped for a break and power bars/energy drinks. All in all a fun and well enjoyable trip!

 

Used to have a Buell Firebolt XB12R. In Red. It was awesome half the time, a pain in the nice person the other half. Had a stalling problem that Buell couldn't fix. Dealer bought it back for the full price I paid 6 months later. Thought about getting a BlackBird (Honda CBR1100XX) but it's been discontinued. I haven't found a bike I like as much, and won't settle for just anything.

The 'bolt would wheelie on every shift. Truly amazing.

I hated dressing for the crash. Plus, my commute is crazy, so the risk of death was getting higher. I prefer to ride "naked", that is, whatever I'm wearing plus sunglasses. Not a pretty picture if I were to high side it...

I got the same mileage in my Buell as I do in my Prius! Funny how that works out!

Nate

 

I have a Harley Davidson 2005 Sportster 1200 CC Custom. I have owned many bikes since agr 18. All of them were Jap bikes until this Harley.

This Sportster is everything I expected & more. I will keep this bike indefinately as I'm 55. I ride locally, which makes the Sportster a perfect machine for me. Plus it has big HP and gets an honest 50 MPG.

I would not sell my Harley.

 

Thats what I have except a '95, got it when I was about your age, still have it. Took it around the country several times, what a great bike!! And like you I finally graduated from the Jap bikes, which I liked but no comparison to a Harley!