I was riding my Goldwing when it was in the 20's a month ago. GW keeps the wind off very well so it's not that bad.I actually saw a guy here in the Twin Cities on a Gold Wing today. Snow on the ground and 30 degree temps! I ride a Honda VFR800 but not until atleast 40 degrees.
I ride every day unless there's ice.
Find a mid point
A Harley XR1200 or a Suzuki Vstrom 1000 looks like your style, and would do a little better for the long haul.
I actually saw a guy here in the Twin Cities on a Gold Wing today. Snow on the ground and 30 degree temps! I ride a Honda VFR800 but not until atleast 40 degrees.
I have a Buell Ullysess for goofen around and commuting.
TB
As long as your inseam is about 36" or longer.
I've always had bikes since I was 13 years old. I'm on the third Suzuki Hayabusa that I've owned since late 1999 (when I never saw another one for almost a year after buying a new 2000 blue/silver one). I wrecked the first two which is about as many crashes as I've had on 20 or so OTHER bikes in the last 30 years (I'm 55 years old now, btw) I crashed more often when I was younger but at much lower speeds.
The Busa is the best bike I've ever owned, it handles great for its size (as it's the biggest of the sport bikes), its very comfortable without being in a crouched position (I have bar risers and have lowered the pegs) and its super smooth when riding distances. It also has huge amounts of torque so you don't have to downshift to scoot away or ride in town at almost any speed.
Mine has custom paint ("Tru-fire" its usually called, with about 9 different colors from dark orange to yellow giving it an appearance of looking like real flames), a Racetech suspension, "top gun" tail piece and mods to everything from the clear lenses, footpegs, and braided brake lines, to the engine, power commander, different sprocket and chain, etc. etc. It's not stretched, and is so fast that its really hard to keep down in the front at full throttle at anything under 120 or so.
It accelerates hard enough that, at best, your front wheel only touches down when you shift until you get into third gear. Even when stock they reach 60 in as little as 2.2 seconds, and 100 in less than 6, but still go on to 200mph+, so you can get the performance of an Indycar for about 10-12 grand!
To put it in perspective you are as much faster than a Viper, than a Viper is to a Dodge minivan. I use every defensive driving trick I learned at UPS- and ones I knew before being hired because of riding bikes!- to stay alive any time I ride a bike around all the inattentive drivers out there. I always wear jackets with hard and soft armor, Kevlar jeans, motorcycle boots, special gloves, and I have a great Arai helmet, all of which have saved me, and almost certainly my life, on more than one occasion.
I don't understand the folks who don't wear a helmet at all times even though they aren't required in my state if you're an adult. You wouldn't want to hit your head coming off even a bicycle at speed, and I remeber road rash from bicycles that took weeks to heal.
How could you expect to ride on a highway, or at any other speed for that matter, and then expect to never go down? That's simply denying the inevitable. And without protection you will be shredded. My friends and I ride most often out in the country to get away from traffic, and all the poor drivers.
Riding a sportbike is as close to flying as you can get while on the ground, but if you are getting a motorcycle and haven't owned a lot of bikes and/or raced them, you should buy a cruiser first and get used to that, or a dirt bike, of course, to help learn how 2 wheeled machines handle and are different from cars in an emergency situation. I can't tell you guys how many people, almost always young men, who pop up every summer with their paper tags still on the back, and then don't even last a month before they destroy their new purchase, and usually hurt themselves.
I personally know at least 4 people who have died in the last decade on their motorcycles, so it is serious business to ride any kind of motorcycle, much less liter size sportbikes. There is nothing closer to pure race machines that you can buy at any price, and they are wonderfully fun as long as you ride smart. Sportbikes handle and stop so much better than something like a Harley type bike, or a chopper, that I don't feel safe at all on big opposed twins with their almost "car like" stopping distances, and terrible turning abilities.
I know that many people enjoy them, and I have owned several myself, but that lack of control and heavy weight makes me stick with the ones with all of the modern technology and the incredible reliability of the Japanese sport machines. I have never had to fix anything on my three different Suzuki's while covering about 21,000, 18,000, and now, 33,000 miles on my present one.
I've always had bikes since I was 13 years old. I'm on the third Suzuki Hayabusa that I've owned since late 1999 (when I never saw another one for almost a year after buying a new 2000 blue/silver one). I wrecked the first two which is about as many crashes as I've had on 20 or so OTHER bikes in the last 30 years (I'm 55 years old now, btw) I crashed more often when I was younger but at much lower speeds. The Busa is the best bike I've ever owned, it handles great for its size (as it's the biggest of the sport bikes), its very comfortable without being in a crouched position (I have bar risers and have lowered the pegs) and its super smooth when riding distances. It also has huge amounts of torque so you don't have to downshift to scoot away or ride in town at almost any speed. Mine has custom paint ("Tru-fire" its usually called, with about 9 different colors from dark orange to yellow giving it an appearance of looking like real flames), a Racetech suspension, "top gun" tail piece and mods to everything from the clear lenses, footpegs, and braided brake lines, to the engine, power commander, different sprocket and chain, etc. etc. It's not stretched, and is so fast that its really hard to keep down in the front at full throttle at anything under 120 or so. It accelerates hard enough that, at best, your front wheel only touches down when you shift until you get into third gear. Even when stock they reach 60 in as little as 2.2 seconds, and 100 in less than 6, but still go on to 200mph+, so you can get the performance of an Indycar for about 10-12 grand! To put it in perspective you are as much faster than a Viper, than a Viper is to a Dodge minivan. I use every defensive driving trick I learned at UPS- and ones I knew before being hired because of riding bikes!- to stay alive any time I ride a bike around all the inattentive drivers out there. I always wear jackets with hard and soft armor, Kevlar jeans, motorcycle boots, special gloves, and I have a great Arai helmet, all of which have saved me, and almost certainly my life, on more than one occasion. I don't understand the folks who don't wear a helmet at all times even though they aren't required in my state if you're an adult. You wouldn't want to hit your head coming off even a bicycle at speed, and I remeber road rash from bicycles that took weeks to heal. How could you expect to ride on a highway, or at any other speed for that matter, and then expect to never go down? That's simply denying the inevitable. And without protection you will be shredded. My friends and I ride most often out in the country to get away from traffic, and all the poor drivers. Riding a sportbike is as close to flying as you can get while on the ground, but if you are getting a motorcycle and haven't owned a lot of bikes and/or raced them, you should buy a cruiser first and get used to that, or a dirt bike, of course, to help learn how 2 wheeled machines handle and are different from cars in an emergency situation. I can't tell you guys how many people, almost always young men, who pop up every summer with their paper tags still on the back, and then don't even last a month before they destroy their new purchase, and usually hurt themselves. I personally know at least 4 people who have died in the last decade on their motorcycles, so it is serious business to ride any kind of motorcycle, much less liter size sportbikes. There is nothing closer to pure race machines that you can buy at any price, and they are wonderfully fun as long as you ride smart. Sportbikes handle and stop so much better than something like a Harley type bike, or a chopper, that I don't feel safe at all on big opposed twins with their almost "car like" stopping distances, and terrible turning abilities. I know that many people enjoy them, and I have owned several myself, but that lack of control and heavy weight makes me stick with the ones with all of the modern technology and the incredible reliability of the Japanese sport machines. I have never had to fix anything on my three different Suzuki's while covering about 21,000, 18,000, and now, 33,000 miles on my present one.
Was just easier to read this way.
Amphibious tour bikes?A friend of mine has a BMW tour bike that I am quite fond of.
Also, for you bikers, there's two shows on the Sky One channel (UK) with Ewan McGregor (Obi Wan) and Charley Boorman, who ride tour bikes from the top of the UK to NY, top of UK to South Africa. It's a great show. Google it: Long Way Round and Long Way Down.
*Edit* Those premiered a while ago.
Amphibious tour bikes?
lolThat would be quite interesting, I think.
They just put the bikes on the plane from Russia to Alaska.
Amphibious tour bikes?
I got 2000 Kawasaki Ninja ZX12 that I love. I feel that the super-sport bikes are the safest bikes made, but always respect the amount of power they have. I thought about getting the new ZX14 but really had no good reason to get it. The ZX12 has all the power a really need and if I wanted more I would put a big bore stroker kit on it. I did gear it down because I could go 80 MPH in 1st gear, and never would take it to it's top end. I've rode a busa once and it nice, but I thought the kaw had more leg room and looks nicer. It's personal choice and have nothing against Suzuki's.I've always had bikes since I was 13 years old. I'm on the third Suzuki Hayabusa that I've owned since late 1999 (when I never saw another one for almost a year after buying a new 2000 blue/silver one). I wrecked the first two which is about as many crashes as I've had on 20 or so OTHER bikes in the last 30 years (I'm 55 years old now, btw) I crashed more often when I was younger but at much lower speeds. The Busa is the best bike I've ever owned, it handles great for its size (as it's the biggest of the sport bikes), its very comfortable without being in a crouched position (I have bar risers and have lowered the pegs) and its super smooth when riding distances. It also has huge amounts of torque so you don't have to downshift to scoot away or ride in town at almost any speed. Mine has custom paint ("Tru-fire" its usually called, with about 9 different colors from dark orange to yellow giving it an appearance of looking like real flames), a Racetech suspension, "top gun" tail piece and mods to everything from the clear lenses, footpegs, and braided brake lines, to the engine, power commander, different sprocket and chain, etc. etc. It's not stretched, and is so fast that its really hard to keep down in the front at full throttle at anything under 120 or so. It accelerates hard enough that, at best, your front wheel only touches down when you shift until you get into third gear. Even when stock they reach 60 in as little as 2.2 seconds, and 100 in less than 6, but still go on to 200mph+, so you can get the performance of an Indycar for about 10-12 grand! To put it in perspective you are as much faster than a Viper, than a Viper is to a Dodge minivan. I use every defensive driving trick I learned at UPS- and ones I knew before being hired because of riding bikes!- to stay alive any time I ride a bike around all the inattentive drivers out there. I always wear jackets with hard and soft armor, Kevlar jeans, motorcycle boots, special gloves, and I have a great Arai helmet, all of which have saved me, and almost certainly my life, on more than one occasion. I don't understand the folks who don't wear a helmet at all times even though they aren't required in my state if you're an adult. You wouldn't want to hit your head coming off even a bicycle at speed, and I remeber road rash from bicycles that took weeks to heal. How could you expect to ride on a highway, or at any other speed for that matter, and then expect to never go down? That's simply denying the inevitable. And without protection you will be shredded. My friends and I ride most often out in the country to get away from traffic, and all the poor drivers. Riding a sportbike is as close to flying as you can get while on the ground, but if you are getting a motorcycle and haven't owned a lot of bikes and/or raced them, you should buy a cruiser first and get used to that, or a dirt bike, of course, to help learn how 2 wheeled machines handle and are different from cars in an emergency situation. I can't tell you guys how many people, almost always young men, who pop up every summer with their paper tags still on the back, and then don't even last a month before they destroy their new purchase, and usually hurt themselves. I personally know at least 4 people who have died in the last decade on their motorcycles, so it is serious business to ride any kind of motorcycle, much less liter size sportbikes. There is nothing closer to pure race machines that you can buy at any price, and they are wonderfully fun as long as you ride smart. Sportbikes handle and stop so much better than something like a Harley type bike, or a chopper, that I don't feel safe at all on big opposed twins with their almost "car like" stopping distances, and terrible turning abilities. I know that many people enjoy them, and I have owned several myself, but that lack of control and heavy weight makes me stick with the ones with all of the modern technology and the incredible reliability of the Japanese sport machines. I have never had to fix anything on my three different Suzuki's while covering about 21,000, 18,000, and now, 33,000 miles on my present one.