Topic: What's your "other bike?" ISO a good SOHC4 stable mate

[Terry in Australia]

Anyway, you get the point. If you made it this far and have any input, advice or ridicule please send it my way!

I have to say, the mid to late 90's BMW bikes, like my dad's R1100R's, can be bought for a song and are truly great bikes.  He paid 2,800 for one with around 30K miles and I wouldn't hesitate for a second to head on a road trip to nowhere 2 up on that bike.  It seems like they (among other BMW's) fly under the radar and never get much publicity.

I absolutely loved my 1995 R1100GS, I paid $3K AUD for one with 30K miles, with an aftermarket exhaust and an ECU fixer to remove the flat spots common on early "Oilheads", crashbars, heated grips, etc etc. I rode it 1000 mile weekends a couple of times and it was also my shopping vehicle in Canberra, with it's big "Hepco and Bekker" top box, I could put a weeks worth of groceries and booze in it. I still kick myself for selling it...........

[alacrity]

Triumph street triple RS

[Just John]

Our newest bike is a 2019 CanAm Ryker 900.   

[Stev-o]

Our newest bike is a 2019 CanAm Ryker 900.   

No offence intended, but I dont understand the appeal of this trike?
I highly doubt it could handle as well as a modern bike.

[grcamna2]

Our newest bike is a 2019 CanAm Ryker 900.   

No offence intended, but I dont understand the appeal of this trike?
I highly doubt it could handle as well as a modern bike.

A wheelie would be awkward  A Stoppie:No Problem 

[Just John]

Our newest bike is a 2019 CanAm Ryker 900.   

No offence intended, but I dont understand the appeal of this trike?
I highly doubt it could handle as well as a modern bike.

Absolutely no offence taken.  All I can say is ride one!  It absolutely won't handle as good as a modern bike but neither will a stock 50 year old Honda or any of my Harley Davidsons.  No one makes a trike that handles as well as a two wheeler.  I didn't expect it to handle like a sport bike and it doesn't.  I have a Buell and a Ninja for that stuff.  It is just a fun ride.  PS I have done a wheelie on it!

[70CB750]

Our newest bike is a 2019 CanAm Ryker 900.   

No offence intended, but I dont understand the appeal of this trike?
I highly doubt it could handle as well as a modern bike.

Absolutely no offence taken.  All I can say is ride one!  It absolutely won't handle as good as a modern bike but neither will a stock 50 year old Honda or any of my Harley Davidsons.  No one makes a trike that handles as well as a two wheeler.  I didn't expect it to handle like a sport bike and it doesn't.  I have a Buell and a Ninja for that stuff.  It is just a fun ride.  PS I have done a wheelie on it!

Well, dont you have lawn mower for secure open face riding?

[Terry in Australia]

Well there's been a few changes of late, so I thought an update was in order:

2019 Royal Enfield 650 Continental GT
2007 Triumph Rocket III Classic (2300cc of ground pounding stomp that scares sports bikes and Harley riders alike)
2006 Triumph Rocket III (2300cc of ground pounding stomp that scares sports bikes and Harley riders alike)
2006 Honda VTR1000F
2000 Honda VTR1000R SP1 (RC51 in the US) x 2
1997 Honda VFR750 (the last, and best of the VFR750's, and still gear driven cams, unlike the last of the camchain tensioner fail prone VFR800's)
1994 Harley XLH1200
1993 Harley Heritage Softail (on it's way)
1989 BMW K100RS SE ABS1
1980 Yamaha XS650
1980 Honda CX500 (lovely engine, but horrible bike)
1978 Honda CB750F2
1978 Honda CB750K7 (going back to Spotty once he slips me the cash-ola)
1977 Kawasaki KZ1000/Arias 1428cc beast
1975 Kawasaki Z1B 900 (1100cc Moriwaki, ported head, GPZ1100 cams, 33mm smoothbores, etc)
1974 CB750K2 (we didn't get K3, 4 and 5 in Oz, we had K2's from 1972 to 1975, inclusive)
1974 US import K4 project,
1973 Harley Sportster 1000 "Iron Head"
1972 Honda CB750K2
1970 Honda CB750K1 (next build)
1967(?) Honda CL90 (just bought, awaiting collection)
1960(ish) Puch 250 "Twingle" x 2 (gift from my cousin, awaiting collection)
1959 Velo/Solex Mopeds x 2 (until they're sold, currently on Ebay)
1953(?) BSA C11G 250

Wow, if my drunken math is correct, that's 27 bikes! Hmmnnn, only 3 more for 30.........

[Just John]

Surely you can find 3 more to round it out to an even number.  At one time we had 29 Cushman Scooters.  All running/licensed!  We had enough parts to build 3 more but the cost of keeping the others legal ended that thought!  We had other motorcycles too plus a couple of old hot rod trucks, two cars and a jeep.  I was told both the tax collector and our insurance agent cried when we sold most of them in 82 to go back into the Army.

I have been riding for nearly 58 years and my wife for nearly 47.  We started married life with a 1966 BSA A65L chopper.  In my past life I was both a Honda Certified Mechanic and a Harley Davidson certified mechanic.  I was part owner of an independent shop from 70-72.  I also did part time work at local Honda and Harley shops until the late 80s. 
   
We currently have the following motorcycles in the garage of lost dreams.
1963 Honda CL72 250cc ex race bike
1966 Honda S65 65cc with 125cc Lifan engine
1966 Honda CT90 90cc but will likely get a Lifan 125 engine
1969 Triumph T25 250cc East Coast Enduro bike
1969 Triumph T120R 650cc an ASCOT TT replica built by me as a COVID distraction
1971 Honda CB750 project  it may be a never ending story
1973 HD Sportster XLH assembled this week from a parts pile 
1974 Honda CL360
1974 Yamaha TX650
1976 Yamaha Chappy 80cc
1974 Honda CB750
1977 Honda CB750 with a stuck engine
1979 HD Sportster XLS my long suffering restoration project.  I should have chopped it!
1982 Suzuki JR50
1982 Suzuki ALT50
1992 Honda CB250N
1998 Buell ST3 (We had two matching paint his/hers.  Her's got totaled by an inattentive driver)
2014 Kawasaki Ninja Z1000 (Accepted an offer today so will likely leave tomorrow)
2019 Can Am Ryker Ace 900 reverse trike

Bikes sold in the past year. We are actually downsizing or at least making some effort!
1953 HD 45 chopper  "G" motor in an OG solo frame built by me in the garage
1957 HD 45 chopper also a "G" motor but in a Paughco frame built by me in the garage
1963 Honda CL72 250cc
1966 Honda CL77 305cc
1972 Honda CB750
1973 Honda CB750
1974 Honda CB360
1977 Harley Sportster XLCH a Shortster with divorced transmission fit with a 4 speed BT trans
1984 HD FLHS Shovelhead
1987 HD Evo Big Twin rigid frame chopper built by me in the garage
2000 Buell Blast good riddance
2018 Special Construction replica of a 1951 HD Panhead also built by me in the garage 

Regards,
John
 

[Terry in Australia]

Bloody hell John, that’s one sweet collection! I want a Buell engine for my XLH1200 Sportster, but they’re pretty hard to find here. You’ve got a ‘73 XLH1000 too? I’ve gott pull mine apart and replace the crank assembly as the key has sheared on the output shaft side, which appears to be fairly common? I’ve got another crank with S&S rods in a box, so I’ll have to fix mine in between CB750 builds.

[Terry in Australia]

I picked up my 2007 Triumph Rocket III this morning after having new tyres fitted and a minor service, as it hasn't had much maintenance except an oil and filter change I did 2 or 3 years ago. (it's averaged less than 600 miles per year, since new)

Anyway, I dropped it off on Wednesday and they called me yesterday to say it was ready fo pick up, but then it started raining, and I thought, Hmmnn, wet roads and greasy new tyres are a recipe for disaster, especially in peak hour Melbourne traffic, so I asked if I could collect it this morning? "Yep, no problem" the service manager said, so even though it was cold and overcast his morning, I had a much more pleasant experience than I would have yesterday, except for the bill, $1300 (AUD, around $1000 USD) ouch!

Rocket III Friday 16 Apr 2021 6 by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr

Rocket III Friday 16 Apr 2021 by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr

[Just John]

That Rocket III is a beauty! 

[Terry in Australia]

Thanks John, for some reason I have two of them, my original 2007 R3 that's been in the family since new, and the 2006 model I bought for an absolute bargain in February this year. I put new tyres on it too (It had a car tyre on the back, which was just horrible) and it needs a little work, but will be a great "Hooligan Bike" when done.

Friday T350-Rocket III TINKERING 19 Feb 2021 4 by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr

Friday T350-Rocket III TINKERING 19 Feb 2021 2 by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr 

[Trevor from Warragul]

Do you have a leather bike jacket with arm tassles?  Would look good with the ape hangers!

[Terry in Australia]

Ha ha, don't blame me Trevor, that might be how I bought it, but not necessarily how it'll end up. I don't have a jacket with tassles, if you see one in size XL, let me know?

[MauiK3]

The one on the right with the large flat automotive looking rear tire, how does it handle?

[RAFster122s]

That was before he changed the rear tire to a motorcycle tire.

[Terry in Australia]

The one on the right with the large flat automotive looking rear tire, how does it handle?

That was before he changed the rear tire to a motorcycle tire.

Thanks guys, yes, when I bought the second one it had a car tyre on it. It's a "thing" apparently, called "Dark Siding" and several members of the R3 forums rave (like lunatics) about the (only, IMHO) benefit, far longer tyre life. How do I best describe how it handles? Like a bike with a flat tyre, basically. The theory is that you run the tyres at lower air pressure, and when you lean around corners, the tyre deforms so that you still have an adequate contact patch to keep you on the bike, and not on the road.

The problem with that is that you're essentially riding a bike with a semi flat rear tyre, the tyre can move around on the rim, so the handling is woeful, and you can forget about going around corners, roundabouts are a nightmare, and even in a straight line it doesn't feel stable at all. My other concern is that by constantly flexing that tyre out of shape, what happens to the steel belt that runs full width of the tyre? Does it eventually collapse, tearing the tyre apart from the inside out? I've spent too much time in hospitals, and  didn't want to find out.

Now when Triumph designed the R3 there were no readily available tyres for these monsters so Metzler developed the 240/50-R16 rear and 150/80-R17 front. Due to the limited numbers of these things and the lack of other bikes using the same tyre sizes, the tyres are expensive, (around $600 USD fitted and balanced for a front and rear tyre) so I could understand someone trying a low cost option, but to me, a car tyre is not an option, it just doesn't work, period.

It goes back to the old helmet ad from the 70's, that went "If you've got a 10 dollar head, buy a 10 dollar helmet", in this case, if you think your life is only worth 100 bucks, then put a 100 dollar car tyre on your Rocket III. I bought the bike, rode it to the storage unit, rang the bike shop and ordered new Metzler tyres, and rode it straight to the bike shop.

The ride over to the bike shop, and the ride home were completely different experiences, even with greasy new motorcycle tyres on a wet road it was way more confidence inspiring than it was with the car tyre on it. The other thing of course is that no insurance company here would cover you if you were involved in a crash, if they knew that you had put a car tyre on your motorcycle. Not a problem if you put a sidecar on it, but not on just two wheels. Even those "old school" square profile coker motorcycle tyres that kids are putting on their Cafe Racers and Bobbers etc would be safer, and I never thought I'd say that.....

Rocket III Tuesday 23 Feb 2021 4 by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr

Rocket III Tuesday 23 Feb 2021 5 by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr

Rocket III Tuesday 23 Feb 2021 6 by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr

Rocket III Tuesday 23 Feb 2021 7 by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr 

[Terry in Australia]

Oh and I took my original (two tone) R3 for a ride yesterday to scrub the shine off the new Avon Venom tyres I had put on it last week and even gave it a quick wash to clean all the dust in the pic, above off. Looks pretty good when it's clean!

Rocket III Saturday 17 Apr 2021 5 by Terry Prendergast, on Flickr

[grcamna2]

Terry,those are two nice looking Triumph '2-wheeled automobiles' you own there 

[Stev-o]

@ Terry...didnt know you had 2 Rockets, congrats. And kudos to you for changing tires straight away, that sounds like it would have been an accident waiting to happen.

Tires are so important, I dont skimp on those on any vehicle I am riding or driving.

[Terry in Australia]

Thanks guys, yep, good tyres are cheap insurance in my mind, I’d rather die poor than die early.

[Kelly E]

I've seen some people who are dark siders that are always trying to get others to do it. They also claim that it won't matter to the insurance company. Personally I think it is nuts, kind of like plugging a round hole with a square plug.

[ken65]

This Friday I'm getting the 2 broken fins on my beloved cb fixed. Been waiting years to do it.
The stablemates for it are ,
my second car  the 2007 1250 bandit. 01 busa , 06 busa and my 74 H1 500.

Last year I sold my 98 R1, 2 x rd350lc,  86  750 slabby and 2 x a/c rd350 both 73.

Its good only having 5 bikes.

[Terry in Australia]

I've seen some people who are dark siders that are always trying to get others to do it. They also claim that it won't matter to the insurance company. Personally I think it is nuts, kind of like plugging a round hole with a square plug.

Yep, they're full of sh1t mate, who in their right mind would install a big 10 inch wide car tyre on the back of a motorcycle? Madness...........