I've been bleeding this forum for information for some time - feel like I know some of the more frequent posters like 'ol buddies
My current infatuation is a 1977 CB550K that I picked up for a cool G from a widow whose husband was obviously passionate for motorcycles - right next to it was a mouth-watering CB750 that looked to be in the final stages of restoration when he passed. Everything was done and was in the midst of being put back together - I helped her carefully dust it off and cover it, and tried to clue her into to what it is worth.
Anyway, love the community here - never needed to join really, as every question I had someone else seemed to have already been asked.
Interests seem to vary between members: restoration, wrenching, modifying, cafe, etc.
For me, I mostly just like to ride.
I like these old bikes stock - just love the classic naked look - but I love seeing what others do with them. Don't get me wrong, I have customized a few bikes a long the way - and am sure I will in the future - but these look great as is for my purposes.
I grew up around these bikes - and back in the day always wanted a harley - but of course back then, harley were a lot more unique because you didn't see them a lot - they were also A LOT more expensive.
Now that I can finally afford one - I don't want one. These CBs (and other bikes, I am a two-timer
) are to me what motorcycling is all about - cheap, reliable transportation - brilliantly simple engineering - and yet they also weed out the posers. You can't own one of these vintage bikes without working on them - the honda shops aren't interested, or aren't able, to work on them anymore it seems about 8 out 10 times. And besides - if you had a shop do all the work, you'd be royally screwed anyway - too many little idiosyncrasies that an owner needs to know about to keep themselves from getting stranded.
Anyway, I've got five or six different bikes right now - and like any parent, I love each of them for their own unique personalities.
I've ditched a bike or two in my time - worse one was in 2005, when I decimated a deer at 80mph on my kawasaki nomad - wobbled and fishtailed with that SOB hanging from the front of my bike for almost a quarter-mile -- giving it gas to keep stable, then trying to slow, then having to throttle again - before I finally just laid it down and slid into the media on Interstate 90 between Billings and Miles City - cut short my trip to Madison, WI, for an outdoor writers conference. Crushed four ribs, broke a clavicle and got divorced (she was on back - oops) - but dragged my sorry ass up and rode one of my other bikes four days later just to prove I could
Glad to be here with the group - I'm on the hunt for a CB750 right now - love my 550 for around town, but I wouldn't mind getting one of the 750s just because I can
