Ok, so when I got my KLX - it was my first street legal bike and when I started riding on the road and passing other bikers coming in the other direction I was surprised that nearly everyone waves - like I was inducted into a secret club that no one but its members know about. I thought that was pretty cool - of course, I quickly learned to wave back.

You mentioned that moped - the other day I was riding home from work and passed a moped going 10 MPH under the speed limit from the other direction and my newly found instinct kicked in and I waved. Well, the poor dude nearly fell off his bike trying to wave - probably so surprised because no one actually waves to the guy on the moped.

Hey, I figure two wheels is two wheels right? Everyone gets a wave from me!

 

That's funny and your right two wheels is two wheels although in all honesty I usually dont wave at mopeds. But yes were All against the cagers So Harley or Moped or V-Strom we ride together. Welcome to the club...



LV

 

I figure we're all out there in the same traffic, taking the same risks - maybe even moreso for them since they have a little, ah, trouble keeping pace. We're getting wet by the same rain, and the same damn deer that jump out in front of us jump out in front of them, too. [:@] Try waving at a moped, especially if you are on your Harley - that'd be cool, IMO - you might be surprised at the enthusiastic wave you get back.

 

Only problem with the Toyota truck is that the fenders will rust off before the motor stops. I have a 98 Tacoma and noticed a little spot of rust peeking through the paint the other day. Upon futher examination I noticed the seams on the botom of the bed were starting to rust badly aslo. Its a good thing Toyota went to the composite beds in the new Tacomas.

 

Where did you find the graphics kit for your KLX? It looks sharp!

 

The FL400 was built by Honda in '89 and '90 only. Because of lack of market demand and cost they quit making them. You can still find used ones around but they bring a higher price than they did when they were new. They have a water cooled 2-stroke 400cc engine with CVT clutch, and forward and reverse. Top speed is between 60 & 70mph. They are truly a blast to ride!

search for the graphics posts'. I have posted the information for it several times.

 

LordVngr,

I don't want to continue on with a "which is better" urination competition. I ride the bikes I like to and you the ones you want to. Matter of fact, I look forward to when we can get together and do some burning up of the roads and trails in the Ocala National Forest. Heck, I'll even ride with you over to Bike Week on whatever you want to ride.

After working with and around the H-D crowd for so many years, comments like, "BUT I dont see any Harley's. Totally different Animal dude. Your collection isnt Complete without a Harley in there." is something that just sets me off.

I've watched firsthand, people walk into the H-D deaership that I helped put the Rider Education program together at with a look in their eyes like someone on drugs. "I need a Harley, only a Harley will do!" was what was coming out of their mouths.

Hey, H-D makes a very well made product. They should since it is basically the same thing as they started making in 1936 with the EL. 74 cubic inch V-Twin with overhead valves. The same case design with a few tweaks has been used up through the Evo motors. Oh, head design changed somewhat, Knucklehead, Pan, Shovel, Blockhead, but the main engine has not. If it wasn't for the magic marketing folks at H-D, I don't think they would be able to compete in today's marketplace, but for some reason, they certainly do.

I have overhead salesmen telling the customers, "Hey, it's a Harley-Davidson - kind of like an investment, you will always be able to get your money back on resale!" Then I've watched the same salesman explain to the customer about the $5000 in "accessories" that has been added to their original purchase and installed at the dealership, why it does not increase the trade-in value of their bike. "We can transfer all those accessories to your new bike." and the customer look at them with the same look as I described above simply say, "Okay."

Then I read ads in the paper. Have you ever noticed there are more Harleys for sale in the newspaper than any other brand? Why is that? But your typical ad is something like . . . . . "1992 FatBoy, original owner, 4200 miles, never ridden in rain, garaged, chromed out, lots of accessories, $22,000 obo." So, we have a 15 year old bike with 1936 technology, that has been ridden an average of about 300 miles a year since purchase. Do those folks actually consider themselves as riders, or bikers? Also heard a comment one day from one of our students . . . . "Heck, I ride my bike. Why last weekend I rode almost 100 miles on Sunday!" I average 100 miles a day on my bikes. I don't think anything about jumping on and heading off for a 1000 miles in 2 days, just to ride.

Next you have the mentality of just about every Harley biker here in Florida - where there is a helmet law (you really need to read the law as it is very obscure, but it is there) - that ride without a helmet on. These are the same folks that ride the 300 to 600 miles each year! These are the very riders that have been lucky enough to survive on a motorcycle for this long! I cringe each time I go to Bike Week or Biketoberfest. I see the folks riding that push their bikes around a turn from a stop light! Heck, that's like cutting down a tree with a chainsaw, but not starting the motor on the chainsaw! I saw one guy that was stopped on Main Street on a brand new H-D product that wanted to pull into a parking spot. He held the clutch completely against the grip while he straddle walked the bike into a parking lot on the left side of the street. I mean he was pushing this bike across traffic into a parking lot. Don't these folks know that there is the ability to put the clutch in the friction zone and use the power of the engine to make the bike move as a slow speed?

Perhaps it is the mentality I see out there with the H-D crowd - not all of them attempt to hone their riding skills. I saw a rider lose his life one day because they did not know how to safely stop their motorcycle when a car pulled out in front of them. They locked the front brake up, lost control of the bike when they tried to turn the handlebars to avoid hitting the car and went down - under the car. I was talking to the LEO that investigated the crash. We talked about it afterwards and he told me it was what I saw - a rider that did not have adequate riding skills to avoid a situation that a trained rider would have simply slowed the motorcycle down without locking the front wheel up and had been able to manuver the bike around the person that pulled out in front of them without incident. Oh, I also found out that the rider did NOT have an endorsement for riding a motorcycle.

Please excuse my time on the soapbox, but I spend a lot of time trying to train riders on how to avoid this type of riding. I am very passionate about the work I do, as I care about riders. I like to see them have the skills to ride a motorcycle properly, to be able to avoid crashes by possessing the skills necessary to do so. I just wish all riders would keep their proficiency up to the task. You can not do that by riding twice a year back and forth to rallies!

I don't have a problem with H-D, it's just the mindset of some of those that own the product - you know those that make comments regularly like, "when are you gonna get a real bike?"

Let's just put this to bed and when do you want to go riding?

 

wow.... very true... i wont elaborate on that subject.... just one question What work do you do? are u an instructor or something?

 

Yes, I teach the MSF rider course on a regular basis.

I find it very satisfying to take a person that has never ridden a motorcycle - some have never even started a motorcycle before - and at the end of the weekend have them riding around like they've been on a motorcycle for a long time.

The super scary part is that when they complete the course, they have more skills than many folks currently riding a motorcycle, with or without endorsements.

I do belive in rider education / training. I even take course myself on a regular basis. You can never be too good of a rider.

 

one of those classes are in me near future..