Topic: The Motorcycling Thread

[Gurgie]

Before I started riding, if someone had suggested a 500 km round trip just to have lunch, I'd have laughed pretty hard.    But a blast up to Muskoka Lakes for lunch this past Saturday made perfect sense.  Gorgeous weather must be an opportunity seized!  Highlights were a 33 km stretch of uninterrupted twisties at the very top of the route - which we naturally rode both ways - and briskly.    And the bacon / cheddar / jalapeno burger in Bala.  Kinda sore the next day, but still smiling.

Looks like a great day!!

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[quadzilla]

Looks like a great trip but that burger, OMG!   

[Bubba]

Looks like a great trip but that burger, OMG!   

 

[PJungnitsch]

Before I started riding, if someone had suggested a 500 km round trip just to have lunch, I'd have laughed pretty hard.

It's a different way of thinking for sure. Driving isn't just the shortest most efficient distance between two points (unless you are hauling eggs in Vietnam on a scooter or something)

[Jaeger]

Looks like a great day!!

Cheers Gurgie, it sure was.

Looks like a great trip but that burger, OMG!   

Not a trace of it was left behind.

 

Emoji is accurate!

Before I started riding, if someone had suggested a 500 km round trip just to have lunch, I'd have laughed pretty hard.

It's a different way of thinking for sure. Driving isn't just the shortest most efficient distance between two points (unless you are hauling eggs in Vietnam on a scooter or something)

Exactly correct.

[No H2O]

Highlights were a 33 km stretch of uninterrupted twisties at the very top of the route.

And which route number would that be? Just a guess looking at your map, Southwood Road #13?

[Jaeger]

Highlights were a 33 km stretch of uninterrupted twisties at the very top of the route.

And which route number would that be? Just a guess looking at your map, Southwood Road #13?

Correct!

[aquadorhj]

Dropped by local motorcycle dealer to sit on few potential next year bikes.

Like the trident 660.  Speed 400, like that too..
Bonneville t120, lovely.
Ktm 390 I actually fit ok…
Honda rebel 1100 was very nice too.

Ducati scrambler looked decent too.

Tried on few helmets too.  Still like my last choice.  Shoei gt air 2 fit pretty good but rf1400 did not.
If I buy new helmet, most likely going to be agv k6s.

Saw carbon fibre Schuberth c5. Gorgeous and so light.. and expensive.

According to my airbag vest, I have about 50 hours of riding so far.  I rode little bit before I got the vest so probably approaching 80~ hrs total.

Doesn’t seem a lot, but much more comfortable on bike now.

Gonna go for ride.  Safe riding people!!

[Jaeger]

Dropped by local motorcycle dealer to sit on few potential next year bikes.

Like the trident 660.  Speed 400, like that too..
Bonneville t120, lovely.
Ktm 390 I actually fit ok…
Honda rebel 1100 was very nice too.

Ducati scrambler looked decent too.

Tried on few helmets too.  Still like my last choice.  Shoei gt air 2 fit pretty good but rf1400 did not.
If I buy new helmet, most likely going to be agv k6s.

Saw carbon fibre Schuberth c5. Gorgeous and so light.. and expensive.

According to my airbag vest, I have about 50 hours of riding so far.  I rode little bit before I got the vest so probably approaching 80~ hrs total.

Doesn’t seem a lot, but much more comfortable on bike now.

Gonna go for ride.  Safe riding people!!

Nice bike choices!  I never really loved the Ducati Scrambler - I kind of feel it gives you the Ducati downside of reliability and service costs without the payoff of drop-dead-gorgeous looks and hair-raising performance.

I think the Triumph Speed 400 is probably king of that weight class.  Trident 660 is a bike I nearly bought, but availability issues (then) and the fact that it felt jst a bit more cramped than my CB650R conspired against it.  Love the new yellow colour for 2025.

On the helmet front, I have an AGV K6S - Light weight and aerodynamics are its strengths.  A shoulder check at extremely illegal highway speeds won't snap your neck.  But it doesn't vent exceptionally well (not bad, just okay) and same goes for quietness.  GT Air 2/3 or the HJC RPHA 70/71 would more likely be my choice for a hot, humid mid-summer ride.

[JohnnyMac]

Dropped by local motorcycle dealer to sit on few potential next year bikes.

Like the trident 660.  Speed 400, like that too..
Bonneville t120, lovely.
Ktm 390 I actually fit ok…
Honda rebel 1100 was very nice too.

Ducati scrambler looked decent too.

Tried on few helmets too.  Still like my last choice.  Shoei gt air 2 fit pretty good but rf1400 did not.
If I buy new helmet, most likely going to be agv k6s.

Saw carbon fibre Schuberth c5. Gorgeous and so light.. and expensive.

According to my airbag vest, I have about 50 hours of riding so far.  I rode little bit before I got the vest so probably approaching 80~ hrs total.

Doesn’t seem a lot, but much more comfortable on bike now.

Gonna go for ride.  Safe riding people!!

You were the new rider who bought that used cruiser as your first bike right?

[blur911]

Took my DRZ to NB, it didn't even make it out of the trailer

[JohnnyMac]

Took my DRZ to NB, it didn't even make it out of the trailer

That sucks.

[bridgecity]

Put the dirt bikes away for the season. I put less than an hour on mine this year, and Junior put maybe two on his. The last two years have seen less than 5 hours on each bike. Junior works full time in the summer, attends university, has a girlfriend, and so on, so his spare time is limited. I just don’t have a strong desire to ride much anymore, and my riding buddies are the same. Other priorities get in the way. They’ll likely go up for sale in the spring.

[ktm525]

Put the dirt bikes away for the season. I put less than an hour on mine this year, and Junior put maybe two on his. The last two years have seen less than 5 hours on each bike. Junior works full time in the summer, attends university, has a girlfriend, and so on, so his spare time is limited. I just don’t have a strong desire to ride much anymore, and my riding buddies are the same. Other priorities get in the way. They’ll likely go up for sale in the spring.

That's too bad but it's pretty obvious that it isn't a priority. I would sell them. Perhaps a dual sport like a DR650?

I bought a Husky 300 TE last fall, made it street legal and put about 50 hours on it so far this season before I got sidelined by a back issue. The 501 saw about 50 hours as well. Currently I am toying with the idea of building/restoring a DR650 this winter  to add to the fleet. As they say, priorities and for the first time in awhile I have lots of time. Just need to get the back addressed.  If I didn't live near the foothills/mountains I doubt I would be on dirt oriented bikes either.

[Jaeger]

This new for 2025 Tiger Sport 800 is surprisingly tickling my want. Surprising in that most adventure-ish style bikes are compromised in some some way for road use, and I have zero interest in riding on anything but pavement.  And they are by far mostly taller than I prefer.  This is generally a consequence of long suspension travel for off-road ground clearance which, again, is not something I would need.

This one has 17in wheels front and back in standard sporty-bike tyre sizes - so no road-handling compromise from a 21" or 19" front wheel.  Michelin Road 5 tires are standard - again signifying that this one is for the road, not the woods.  And it is quite compact, being based upon the Trident / Tiger Sport 660 chassis.  Available hard luggage is integrated into the seat frame, so no scaffolding left visible when the bags are not in use.

800 cc triple produces ~ 115 hp, which is a nice bump up from my bike without getting crazy.

Only problem is I think it will be bloody hard to get a hold of in the first model year. And it HAS to be yellow for me. 

[ktm525]

Nothing wrong with that bike!

Better to ride that than some quasi dirt looking thing that never leaves the pavement.

[WP v3.32]

 Those Triumphs are nice.

[Jaeger]

Nothing wrong with that bike!

Better to ride that than some quasi dirt looking thing that never leaves the pavement.

Those Triumphs are nice.

  gents.

[WP v3.32]

Nothing wrong with that bike!

Better to ride that than some quasi dirt looking thing that never leaves the pavement.

Those Triumphs are nice.

  gents.

MY neighbor has a speed twin 900.  It's a nice bike,  not my style, I would rather have a modern engine like this 800 but I think Triumph has a very good selection.   The Trident being one of my favorite for looks.

[Jaeger]

Nothing wrong with that bike!

Better to ride that than some quasi dirt looking thing that never leaves the pavement.

Those Triumphs are nice.

  gents.

MY neighbor has a speed twin 900.  It's a nice bike,  not my style, I would rather have a modern engine like this 800 but I think Triumph has a very good selection.   The Trident being one of my favorite for looks.

Trident was a win in terms of design from day one.  Very premium-looking in person, too.