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Your bike A vs bike B comparison

The mileages tell a story. My mileage by bike this year so far:

R1150GS: 2516 mi
R1200GS: 2044 mi

690SM: 1716 mi

SuperDuke 990: 1415 mi
Speed Triple: 1250 mi


I got a bit tired of riding in the Santa Cruz Mountains, and started to go farther out. I do a spirited pace but not extremely fast, and like to explore twisty, rough roads, and easy dirt roads. The two GSs fit this type of riding extremely well. They're not very powerful, but they are long legged, handle twisty rough roads beautifully, and very comfortable for long distance.

When I want a quicky (1-2 hr) after work I grab the 690SM. It's awesome going up/down Mt Hamilton. Its agility is great for night rides on goat roads where visibility is poor and time to react is short. Like spicy food, the 690 satisfies the craving to ride very quickly, but it gets tiring on longer rides, while the more bland tasting GSs allow me to want to keep riding.

If I could have only one bike it'll probably be the SuperDuke or the Speed Triple, but with 5 bikes (too many, I've found), these two sport standards aren't being used as much. They're more comfortable than sportbikes, but a 5 hr ride on the Speed still made my legs/crotch sore for days, while a 8 hr ride on a GS feels better than than sitting at work all day. They're great on higher speed sweepers, but they don't handle steep, rough roads as well as adventure bikes or SMs.
 
Gary856 said:
The mileages tell a story. My mileage by bike this year so far:

R1150GS: 2516 mi
R1200GS: 2044 mi

690SM: 1716 mi

SuperDuke 990: 1415 mi
Speed Triple: 1250 .
Click to expand...

Thou shalt not covet another riders garage.... :drool
 
I have 3 versions of this in my garage plus an alternate.

Option 1: Street
2002 Aprilia Futura with 88,000 miles vs. 2004 Tuono Factory with 14,000
Futura was my commuter for 4+ years. Love that bike. If I am doing any miles it wins.
Smile factor Tuono. If I can take a bike out into the hills, this is the bike. Also track days.

Option 2: Dirt
2000 KTM LC4e with 13,000 vs. 2007 KTM 400 XC-W with 137 hours.
The 400 is the new kid on the block and is not street legal. I am now using it for all dirt stuff. I am working on getting lights, tank, suspension, and other stuff to make it "street legal enough." Then I get to find a rear wheel with a cush and the LC4 might get stuck in motard mode.
LC4 has been to Baja, 30 track days in motard mode, countless trips to the dirt. It is old, big, strong, and still running great. I am going to be 100% ready to take either bike to Baja in January.

Option 3: Old stuff
1972 Honda CL350 vs. 1971 Honda SL100
The SL100 is my "newest" motorcycle, so it is parked right at the front door of the garage and is the first one I take out. 45 year old 9 horsepower and lots of smiles. Still a bit of a fueling problem when I get it over 40mph for an extended period of time. Probably float level.
CL350 is leaking oil through the valve guides. It needs some lovin so it is parked in the back of the garage. When it is fixed it will become my short range bike.

And the alternative:
1980 BMW R100T with a sidecar.
Wife LOVES it. Just fun to ride and love the looks / thumbs up.
 
There is no comparison.

My Softail is a big heavy road bike simulating a 1940s ride, but with a lot more comfort and amenities.

The Sportster is an around town bike with slightly chopperish vibe. It's a lot lighter and handier than my other machine.

Both are a lot of fun. :thumbup
 
Each one of my bikes has its own ups and downs. They all feel different on the same set of roads. They all have unique stories to tell. Sometimes i dont ride one of them for a time, then when i do ride it, i fall back in love with why i got it to begin with. For a while, my blackbird sat because i dont commute anymore. Now i ride it hard in the hills and enjoy what it feels like slamming a 580lb beast around little roads fast. The romance reignited.
 
I confess owning both the RC30 and RC45 is like having kids, you hate
to show favoritism when it comes to HRC's hand built exotic
homologated racers but here goes...

The RC30 with its standard forks, carburetors, and no tune flex fame is all about
experiencing the analog age... whereas the RC45 with it's flip forks,
programmable fuel injection and a GP tune flex fame is all about experiencing the
digital age... It's hard to improve on the near-perfection that was the 1988
RC30, But HRC have done it without a shadow of a doubt with the 1994 RC45...

[youtube]lyyeCS40fXU[/youtube]
 
I'm all over the place with bikes recently. 6 bikes in the garage currently, and that number will most likely go up this coming year as I am still shopping for a pre 71 vintage street bike and possibly a large adventure bike. For me, I am not trying to find the perfect bike, but the perfect mix of bikes and what that number of bikes might be. Ideally, I like to keep it at 6 or under... but still trying to figure it out.

I can tell you that when I picked up my Street Triple both my Daytona 675 and Husky 450 with Sumo wheels sat neglected in the garage... eventually they were sold. For the city and around the Bay Area, the Street Triple became my "A" bike hands down. :thumbup :ride
 
It's like hanging out with best friends. They all bring out something about life to love. Why overthink it, just pick the friend you want to hang out with and brappp! :teeth
 
Initially I wanted to keep my FZ-09 and relegate her to 'B' position, unfortunately it wasn't in the cards.

I am happy I didn't keep the FZ-09. I haven't had one time where I wished for it. I have ridden more since I got the RR in three weeks than I did in 3 months with the FZ-09. The RR is a better bike for me in every way and I am firmly in the honeymoon phase at this point :D
 
It's a well known scienterrific fact that you need a minimum of 5 bikes in your garage.
Dirt bike
Sport bike
Track/ race bike
Dual sport/ SM
Touring bike.
 
I've always had but one bike at a time. Love my e-bike (Brammo Empulse R) as a daily commuter for many reasons. Often said I'd never wanna go back to an ICE bike again.

Recently got the hankering for longer range machine so picked up a used FJ-09. Very competent and fun bike, but I gotta say, riding electric in traffic is just so much easier: no clutch for stop and start, 0-30 mph in 1.5 seconds.

Having both for local and longer distance needs seems about ideal for me.
 
One is for me and the other one is for us.





:twofinger:ride:ride:ride
 
I have a drz with both sets of wheels and a 990 superduke.love both equally,the drz for trail riding or with the 17's love the super tight ,bumpy twisties.
The Duke is more for more open roads like 25 and such but it still is fun on the tight stuff too.
Love them both.:thumbup
 
Usually a one bike rider. Found the Busa a great all around ride. Can do errands and haul limited stuff. All day on the twisties or long distance getting point A to point B. Its comfortable all be a bit cramp on the legs, hourly stretches helps.

I tried a Supersport bike for a bit and favored the Busa. I'm not that much of a race like rider. I'll get there a few minutes later. :laughing

Currently second ride is a Piaggio MP3 500cc Scooter. Reviews say it has phenomenal handling, just like a regular motorcycle. Its got two front wheels with a sophisticated suspension system that mimics motorcycle like leaning characteristics. I haven't pushed any limits, but yes it does lean like regular motorcycles, counter steering and all. In fact it's response to input is as sensitive as a Supersport. One little input and bamm it leans instantly.

Idea of the scooter is a around town and local ride. It has more storage than the Busa and easier to get on and off when loaded. Heh trying to kick a leg over five foot hieght of packs was like doing high kick karate. So its easier to haul stuff.

The two front wheels allow it to park without using a kick stand. Can stop at signals without having to put a foot down. At signals not having to hold a clutch is nice. Its difficult to break the habit of using the clutch every time when slowing. There isn't any clutch its a rear brake lever now.
Two very different bikes, one is more for recreation the other for errands.

:laughing Fun question which weighs more the Hayabusa or the Mp3 ?

Answer - The MP3 by over 25 lbs. :wtf
 
'05RT and '16GS

The GS is superior in every way save wind protection and fuel range, and there are remedies for both.

But LargeMarge the LandBarge(05rt) and I have a lot of miles and hours together, so whenever the thought of selling her surfaces I just go for a little ride in the hills, feel the connection, and come to the same conclusion: NEIN! Ich meine liebchen nicht verkaufen!!
 
Ninja 300 vs V-Strom 650

I've had the Ninja for about a year now, and it's a pretty capable little bike. I originally bought it as a cheap commuter, but quickly learned that it's an absolute blast in the twisties. I replaced the stock seat and windscreen and threw a top case rack on it to make it a budget touring bike, and it serves that purpose well enough.

I ended up buying the V-Strom because I do a lot of 10+ hour riding days. I also needed something that was a little more comfortable for the passenger (Ninja's passenger seat is small and uncomfortable) since my girlfriend doesn't have a vehicle and my bike is our only form of transportation. It definitely delivers in the comfort department, and I love the torque of the v-twin. It's surprisingly nimble for a bike it's size, and it makes for a well balanced "main" bike.

I still commute on my Ninja most days since it's much easier to lane split in the narrow streets in downtown SF on it, but the majority of my non-commute riding is now done on the Wee. I am a bit faster on the Ninja since it's more nimble, so if I want to haul ass, I'll grab it instead of the Wee.

Overall both bikes are awesome, each have their purpose and I ride the snot out of both of them. :thumbup :ride
 
ZX9-R vs. ZRX1200

I was madly in love with the ZX9, but I knew that I needed to get rid of a 2 vehicles, I car and 1 bike. I choose to get rid of my beloved ZX9-R, because it is the MUCH Quicker of the two. The ZRX is plenty powerful, but it feels like driving a really fast p/c truck, while the ZX9 was like being in the fastest sports car.

I decided to keep the one that I would ride slower on.

I get misty-eyed when I think of my ZX9-R, but I still get excited whenever I look at my ZRX!!!
 
Had a 2014 Ninja 300 and a 2013 Triumph Street Triple R, at the same time.

There was almost nothing I liked more about the Ninja. Was slow and I felt cramped on it. Did not feel faster or more fun in the mountains.

Better for scooting around town, but I don't really do that.

Was a perfectly good bike though. Hope the new owner is enjoying it.
 
2007 Bonneville/2006 Duc Sport Classic/2006 Wee-Strom nakedized

Feeling like a mellower ride-Bonneville
Rowdy ride-Ducati SC (with GT regular handlebars though)
Longer distance-Wee-Strom

BTW, all bought used/crashed, total of money under $10K.

I would sort of like to get something new but these three really cover all the bases for me.
 
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