Topic: Howdy from Portland, OR

[magista]

Just picked up a '72 CB500F in a trade (and an almost complete parts bike). The kid didn't want to work on it anymore. I have a Ducati Sport Classic that I love but I've have fond memories of the Honda CBs. My first bike was a '69 CB160. Also, my lady wanted a bike so the CB500 it is. We've named her "Candy Panther".

The previous owner told me that it would run sometimes then die. Well, tonight after poking around I discovered why...there was a big old kink in the fuel line. Once I straightened that out she fired right up. She's rough around the edges but will make a great winter project.

I've already found some excellent info on this site and have been diggin' looking at all the nice CBs; stock and otherwise (some of the cafes here are sweet).

So here she is in all her ragged glory:



And just for fun here is my Ducati "IL Duce" aka "The Black Yak":

[joehardy]

Any tips on talking your lady into the 550?  I offered to build mine one with limited success...

Cheers,

Noel

[magista]

I just went ahead and got it. I brought it home and told her that if she wants it can be her very own bike.

Once she saw it and decided it was "cute" then stated that she will take the riders course I knew she would at least give it a shot. I also told her that if she decides it's too much to start with then I will sell or trade it out for something smaller.

She kept saying she wanted a scooter but I know that if she got one she'd be unhappy with the fact that she would not be able to go with me on real rides. The idea was to get something small enough but with enough balls be able to head out on some nice backroads. 

The trick is to not force the bike on them. They have to decide they want it. I didn't say I was getting it for her, I just brought it home and offered to set it up for her if she wanted. If not then I would have a sweet 500F to ride for myself. I'd cafe the crap out of it and call it, "Bacon Industry". For her I will set it up however she wants.

The other trick is to name it a good girlish name, hence, "Candy Panther". She loves the name and it's an old Honda color.

So that's my Jedi Mind Trick.

[Staggerlee]

You're over in SE, huh?

I recall seeing your Duc while on a stroll with the spousal unit; she's a pretty machine.

[coldright]

Hi there,
Welcome!  There are a lot of us here from Portland and we have the largest population of women riders here too, so your gal should feel right at home.  Have her join the forum too so she can start to feel her way around.  Look for the other Portland threads, http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=54554.0 and http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=12201.0, it'll give you an idea of who all is here.  It's good to say hello there, since most of us will get your notice that way. 

Carrie

[coldright]

The other trick is to name it a good girlish name, hence, "Candy Panther". She loves the name and it's an old Honda color.

I'd say that's all good advice, except for this part, it depends on the lady in question.  Mine is Phranc for Phrancenbike...   

[magista]

The whole 'panther' thing has a back story...Panther Man was this local dude who used to strut around South Berkeley (where she grew up) in nothing but tight pants and a leather vest; think ' 70s Blacksploitation movie. So anything with 'Panther' has special meaning. She originally named her bike 'Omar Little' but decided she liked 'Candy Panther' better...she named it, I only ran across the color code for 'Candy Panther Gold' and yelled out, "Hey, check out the rad name of this color..."

Thanks for the tips on the threads, I'll have her check 'em out. Nice to know there is a large PDX contingent here.

And yup, I'm in South Tabor (Woodward & 63rd-ish). My bike is usually parked in the driveway and occasionally on the street. Say "hi" if your walking by and I'm out there.

[Mediconi]

Welcome! I love your bikes! And how is OR? I can't wait to move there when I finish medic school.

[magista]

I like Oregon for the most part. I'm from the Northwest so it's all very familiar to me. Portland is a good little/big town. I've lived in Longview, Olympia, Seattle and S.F., Portland is pretty much perfect for me. It's really pretty here, lot's of great roads and outdoor stuff to do.

The pipes on my Duc are now black with chrome tips. Looks much nicer, that photo was really just a fitting session for my "Cheap Bastardo" re-packed and baffled Emgo Shorties. Me and some of the other Duc dudes did this (I may have a Duc but I'm not rich and $1,800 for Termis and an ECU is waay out of my range right now). Once repacked and baffled they sound pretty good.

Here's the link to the thread on the Ducati forum:

http://www.ducati.ms/forums/showthread.php?t=58356&highlight=goats+exhaust+reloaded

Here's a video of the bike fired up w/ the pipes on:

http://www.facebook.com/v/1217087029796