Who rides motorcycles?

[IslandTractor]

I enjoyed route 14 along the Columbia River in southern Washington from Dalles to the end near Walla Walla.. Also liked 12 and 127 from Walla Walla north.

Route 191 along the Flaming Gorge in southern Wyoming is lovely though not very twisty.

Colorado has some very nice mountain roads though none I rode were nearly as twisty as Blue Ridge Parkway or any number of roads in the Ozarks.

 

[Garandman]

I'll have to see if they make one that would fit my Harley.

The Deka AGM batteries that HD OEMç—´ are excellent.

Had an EarthX in my Tiger 1050 and have other LiFeP04 batteries in other bikes. The way they rate amp hours doesn稚 really map well to regular batteries. The Tiger 1050 started great but the Trip computer would flatten it in a week or two. Gone back to AGM on that one.

How do you like the 250R? I currently have several road bikes but really miss riding the trails and am considering the Yamaha. I have a quad and side by side (kids and grandkids) but it just isn't the same.

A terrific all around bike that can keep up with highway traffic and ride legit trails. If I could only have one bike that might be it. Only downsides are a small seat and 1.8 gallon tank (they get 50-75 mpg so thatç—´ not as bad as it sounds). A lot f riders install an aftermarket 3 gallon tank that looks stock.

My wife on the Trailway 200, WR250R in back.

 

[the old grind]

Yeah, I've been talkin' the talk and being all jealous of you guys who are logging the miles. So, I got 'er out and rode to lunch today, then left it parked outside to clean the garage. I don't wash the bike every year , but I got a freebie on that tonight. :laughing:

Without a tripod and cable release, all I have is a iPhone 4 and a selfie stick, but I'm gettin' there with it.

 

[Piston]

I didn't get to go on those when I was out there recently (in a fun car not a bike) due to the fire.

But I did drive 245 up to Kings Canyon and would recommend it as a fun motorcycle road. Also: 36 from Red Bluff to Fortuna (not all of that is awesome and I can't remember which parts were good). 199 from Crescent City to the Oregon border. Highway 1 from the coast to 101 at Leggett. Highway 33 between Lockwood Valley rd and Ojai. Highways 9 and 238 in the mountains where I live, and other tighter goat trails.

The FI KTM sounds like it will be good. In 1996 when I was playing moto journalist I got to ride a Honda EXP-2 factory desert racer that had fuel injection and a unique system that used heat from the exhaust to ignite the next cycle's fresh charge, for low emissions. It ran so sweet, with a totally linear power band. The only open two stroke dirt bike I've ridden that was anywhere close to that good a powerband was a Maico 490. Honda made it easy to ride for Paris-Dakar and long desert races where fatigue is an issue. They eventually made a carbureted DP version for non US markets but never did the injected one. It's interesting that KTM's now carrying the two stroke torch. I wonder if it's clean enough to get a California green sticker.

Wow, looked up that Honda exp-2, that sounds real interesting. A 400cc 2-stroke, that must have had a heck of a hit!!!!

I think KTM/Husky will have a street legal enduro fuel injected 2 stroke before too many years.

 

[Kyle_in_Tex]

Too much going on in the 'cages' to ride much on the road, have an endorsement have for decades, but now dirt only and some dual sport in the mountains (dirt bike with a plate)
Ride single track and race MX and Vintage MX and building a track on the property.
In the shop now?
1973 Honda CR250
1981 Yamaha YZ465
1993 Honda CR250
1995 Honda CR500
2004 Honda CRF-250x (with a 270 kit)
2015 Husqvarna TE300

I recently thinned the herd.....dont ask.
I tell my wife just like firearms - when will you have enough bikes (firearms) my response is ALWAYS
"After the next one" and when the next one comes home I have the same answer...consistency is key!!

Scott

A bunch of nice bikes, and you got the makings of a dirt bike heritage museum too!

 

[oosik]

AH - IslandTractor - you are talking about my southern range with Hwy 127. I do a loop that goes south down to Starbuck and back north on 127 thru Dusty, then Endicott, St John & Ewan to home. I also enjoy Hwy 26 which goes from somewhere around Colfax to somewhere around Seattle. I have to be very careful on Hwy 26 - I tend to get a tad over zealous on that chunk of asphalt.

 

[3930dave]

Wow, looked up that Honda exp-2, that sounds real interesting. A 400cc 2-stroke, that must have had a heck of a hit!!!!

A downside of hanging out in threads like this is you end up learning about drool-worthy iron that you can't get in your home market

Recently I was reading on advrider about a couple who vacation on MC in a different country each year - the twist is they arrange to leave their bikes where they finish one year, and fly back to re-start there the next year.

Daydream ON - If I get enough time/money together, I'll have to check our MC importation laws.....Fly to another country, ride an exotic bike that we can't get here on an extended trip - that has to be the ultimate test drive !

Rgds, D.

 

[CobyRupert]

We all know how to ride a motorcycle.

Present company excluded (of course!), A LOT of riders have no idea how they turn.

I find that when I've mention counter-steering to other riders, about 25%-50% of the time I get a deer in the headlights / "what do you mean?" blank look.

 

[V65ozzie]

A downside of hanging out in threads like this is you end up learning about drool-worthy iron that you can't get in your home market

Recently I was reading on advrider about a couple who vacation on MC in a different country each year - the twist is they arrange to leave their bikes where they finish one year, and fly back to re-start there the next year.

Daydream ON - If I get enough time/money together, I'll have to check our MC importation laws.....Fly to another country, ride an exotic bike that we can't get here on an extended trip - that has to be the ultimate test drive !

Rgds, D.

Several guys on my riding list just got back from a riding trip through Europe, color me jealous, They had a blast. If I ever moved back to the UK, I'd be in Europe a lot......

 

[ericm979]

Wow, looked up that Honda exp-2, that sounds real interesting. A 400cc 2-stroke, that must have had a heck of a hit!!!!

The powerband was totally linear. It made about 50hp, which is what a modern KTM 300 EXC makes. Honda tuned the EXP-2 to be very easy to ride. Even though it was being ridden by pros. The Paris-Dakar and Baja 1000 races have the riders on the bike for very long sessions. A bike that's easy to ride tires the rider less. By the mid '90s Honda (and Yamaha) had figured that out. Even their road racing two strokes had fairly broad power bands. The EXP-2 would trickle along like a trials bike but when you revved it, it would move out. The guy that Honda sent to escort me on their expensive factory bike was a multiple time Baja winner. He clearly thought I was really slow but he was being nice about it.

There's been a lot of failed FI two strokes including the Bimota V-due, Orbital (who licensed tech to GM for big $$). I'd love to see an actual street legal two stroke again. I still have one RZ350, my former road race bike, that is awaiting restoration.