Safe, thanks to TBN

[EdKing]

Wow, this thread really took some twists and turns. Lets see, it started out with a member thanking TBN for the saftey tips that saved him from a possible overturn, then went to a disscussion of various lawn bowling games, followed by disscusions of rather unsafe childhood hobbies, then ended with motercycle riding. Talk about some wild tangents.

Ed King

 

[MossRoad]

77 RD400, bored, lightened pistons, milled head, bigger carbs and expansion chambers, lightened reed valves, dunlop R compound tires, took 2 teeth off the front sprocket, wheelie bars. Wouldn’t move under 6000 RPMS, but oh that power band from 6500 on up!

11.98 seconds @ 110MPH in the quarter mile in 6th gear somewhere over 11,000RPM. Not bad for a 25 cubic inch motor!

I'd take the wheelie bars off and put the shocks back on and ride it on the street. It would eat anything on the street except Kawasaki H2 500 triples.

I stopped riding after our first child was born. I took the bike apart so it wouldn't tempt me. It still sits in pieces in a storage shed. Every time I see it I can still hear that two stroke howl… I think it is possessed.

 

[Jeff396]

I went to a Suzuki dealership in 1983 to buy a dirt bike. Salesman kept pushing me towards the DR enduro bikes. I told him I wanted the RM125 motocross bike. They just shook their head. Problem was, there was just nothing like hitting the power band on one of those beasts and having all you know what break loose. That rush made it all worth the flailing you had to give it to keep it running while trail riding.

Jeff

 

[MikePA]

Wow, now that's a test! I borrowed my father-in-laws Yamaha 400 to take my test. I studied the book, practiced figure eights (can't put your foot down!) in my driveway so much that the tire rubber buildup could clearly be seen. Rode to the state police barracks and was extremely disappointed in the test. I don't think the trooper even watched me as I cruised through the course behind the building.

Jeff396 - The course I took also used the small motorcycles. Ours were the 100cc/125cc Harleys. Congrats on achieving Veteran status!

 

[RobS]

Started on a Kawasaki GPz550. Great bike! Had a bit of trouble keeping the speed down though. A friend and I put on 10,000 miles a year for several years straight. Lots of sport-touring weekends. Wrecked it, hit a pickup truck rounding a curve. Gravel=bad! Two screws in my wrist. I was lucky!

Recovered and got a Honda Sabre 700. Pretty dulll looks, and I never liked the shaft drive. Traded it on a Honda Interceptor 750. Another wonderful bike, but again too hard keeping the speed down. Went an entire summer without being passed. Accumulated lots of points on my license... those are not good /w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif

Finally got my senses about me and bailed on the motorcycles. Had lots of fun and was very lucky to have survived that period of my life.

Now perfectly content pedalling my a** off on a bicycle. Not as risky and better for my overall health /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[Jeff396]

<font color=blue>Now perfectly content pedalling my a** off on a bicycle. Not as risky and better for my overall health</font color=blue>

As long as you are a bit more picky on where you ride than some of the coffins waiting to happen that I come across.

Jeff

 

[RobS]

Yeah, I keep a real sharp eye to my backside (and all around) when I'm riding. Fortunately, I've got plenty of nice, rural roads to ride on. No problems yet... knock on carbon fiber /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[Wal]

<font color=red>I think it is possessed.</font color=red>

Hmmmm. I don't suppose it had a name like, say, Christine/w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif

 

[Wal]

David,

I never went to quite the extent you did with your RD400, but I did perform a few mods. J & R expansion chambers, K & N air filter, TC Red synthetic injection oil, aftermarket reed valves, platinum tipped spark plugs, and dunlop K81 tires. Looking back, you had to be pretty much out of your mind to have a bike like that as a daily driver. I am sure you can relate to the incredible satisfaction of having some "dude" in a "hot" camaro, firebird, mustang, etc pull up next to you at a stoplight /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif I can remember them creeping forward to get a good "holeshot" on the dork with the little Jap bike next to them /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif. As you know, the "race" was over almost before it began, with the "hot" car usually roaring past way after I decided to shut it down two or three seconds after the light changed. I'm sitting here chuckling about it now. Man, those were the days. Luckily, I survived that period and now just play with cool dudes in their tricked out "rice rockets" with the sound system that costs more than the car /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif The old Nighthawk ain't no slouch either. Course, it sure isn't an RD.

 

[MossRoad]

It was too evil to name. Had my wife on the back once out on the highway. Went to pass someone. Was going 55. Shifted from 6th to 3rd and lifted the front end off the ground pretty high. She starts punching me in the gut and screaming, but I couldn't understand her because of the noise. Took it up to about a hundred before I couldn't take any more hits. Boy was she mad. Ah, the good old carefree days....... Anyone know where I can get a bigger carb for my PT425?