Back in 2001, after an approx. 20 year layoff from motorcycling, I purchased a Kawasaki KLR 650. At the time I was a committed bicycle commuter and told myself I'd commute by bicycle three days per week, and the motorcycle two. The very first week that flip-flopped and by the second week I was commuting by motorcycle fives days a week. My bicycle hung from the garage rafters for five years. For those of you who are not familiar with the KLR 650, it is a simple machine intended for roughly 65% road and 35% dirt. It's a cross bike. It's not fast, but can take you and your gear anywhere you like. I referred to it as my mule. I live in the country and had a blast on this thing camping and incorporating dirt fire roads into my commute to and from the city. Just like the bicycle, I rode year round and thirsted for the adventure it brought into my life. I made new friends and rode to places I hadn't been to since my previous motorcycling days 20 years ago. I loved every minute, but no longer ride motorcycles. It's a choice. I feel I'm too old. The eyesight and reflexes just aren't what the used to be.
BB - I think there is a correlation between the type of motorcycle one chooses and a bicycle. I say this because I now ride a Sam Hillborne and although I only presently commute, I plan to camp and do similar adventures I did on my motorcycle. And, I have friend who always rode crotch rockets. For those not familiar with this term, they are *FAST*. His last motorcycle was a Yamaha R1. He now, of course, rides a carbon fiber race bike. Matt On Saturday, July 20, 2013 9:02:17 PM UTC-7, Montclair BobbyB wrote: > > I know there are a few motorcycle riders out there... I'm curious what > kind of motorcycles do bicycle people ride? I'm fairly new to motorcycling > (within the last 2 years), and I honestly can say I got interested in > motorcycling because of my appreciation of bicycling (and therefore all > things two-wheeled). > > So forgive me for introducing motorized 2-wheelers into this forum, but I > think there are definite parallels between bicycling and motorcycling. > > My favorite bike in my stable is my Bombadil (with front and rear racks > and Bullmoose bars, lights, and a saddle bag). This is a go-anywhere, do > anything (albeit at-a-slower-pace) kind of bike. I also have a 1986 > Schwinn Cimmaron set up pretty much the same way as my Bomba... And I also > have other bikes for different purposes; a SimpleOne that's purely for > pedaling, mostly around town, a StumpJumper or 2, Rockhopper, (Dutch) > Gazelle, Raleigh Olympian, Nishiki Prestige... mostly lugged, Rivish-style > setups.) So my taste in bicycles tends to gravitate towards well-made, > practical and utlitarian bikes with a certain proven (and respected) > history. > > As for motorcycles, my tastes run similar. I have two motorcycles, both > BMWs. The first is an older 1977 R60/7 Airhead, which is just a beautiful, > classic bike. When I ride it through New Hope PA, which on a typical > Sunday is overpopulated with Harleys, I get all kinds of looks and smiles. > My other bike is a 1993 K1100LT, which I like to think of as a "Riv-ish" > workhorse of a touring bike... It's a go-anywhere bike with plenty of > storage to haul enough gear for a 1-2-week getaway. It's equally > comfortable on back roads or highways, and its upright position gives you a > great command of the road ahead. It's a real pleasure to ride, and its > exactly what I would expect the perfect touring motorcycle to be. > > Best thing about these bikes is that there are lots of them out there on > the used market for less money than many of us pay for bicycles, and these > classic motorcycles will (like our Rivendells) likely outlive us... I like > that... > > So what are YOU riding? > > Peace, > BB > > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
