New Toy for Sparky's X-mas!!!!!!

[Sparky Kronkite]

I do so love my big old cars - and only one thing can even get me to think of selling them - but that's just what I'm doing in order to wheel and deal for my new $9grand X-mas gift to myself.

I'm plunking it all down for a brand new Kawsaki ZRX1200R!!!! Can we say, "super fast!" It's essentially a 106bhp, current tech, re-enginneer of a late 80's Eddy Lawson racing Superbike. Only much, much better. Very European actually. Cafe/naked (you can see the motor)style of muscle bike. Wheelie king.

NNNNNNNnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnyyyyyyyyooooooooooooowwwwwwwwww!!!

Maybe I'll be screamin' an creamin' through your neighborhood someday.

Can't wait to get her in Manhattan traffic - the ultimate life and death video game - for real men. Besides war of course.

 

[Guest]

Hey Hirohito, get a Harley. Why settle for a girl's bike?

Don't forget the pink streamers and little tinker bell.

 

[KillerMuffin]

Who would want a Harley? Do they even make bikes anymore? It's a yuppie bike. My brother is purchasing one and he is the worst kinda yuppie. Frankly, I'd rather ride a tricycle than anything my brother buys. He's doing it to cash in on the biker image, one that he has not and can not earn himself.

Anyway, been to a Harley dealership lately? They have Harleys on display, all you can buy are parts and Harley tradmarked merchandise, like clothing. It's a freaking chain store for leather now. I'm rather disgusted.

Gimme a riceburnin crotch rocket for speed and I'll hit the junkyards and restore an old Harley. Why would I wanna wait 2 years for an overpriced new one?

Am I bitter? I sound bitter. When Shiaboji heard about my brother, he sold his Harley in disgust. I think he's going to by a BMW. Now there is a bike to drool over.

 

[Sparky Kronkite]

There's a reason people are always polishing their Hogs....

Because it's litterally a pain in the ass to ride one - when they're running.

I've had two. I actually liked them. A good investment. But not very fun. Just putter's. Just over priced macho bullshit with a beautiful sound.

This bike I'm getting weighs half of what most hogs weigh - it has over twice the horsepower of the most powerful stock Harley.

There's a reason you see old men and fat wive's on Harley's. There's a reason, up and down I-95 you see Harley rider's trailering their bikes to bike week.

Me - I've got to put my knee down in a sweeper at 80mph - I've got to torgue up the front wheel - in 3rd gear rollin' on at 45mph. No stock hog can even come close to that. And to build one that will costs $25K!!!!!!

Besides I live in Manhattan - you don't see any, not one, none, ziltch Harley's parked on the street here in NYC. I've got to have a bike - that folks don't want to steal.

Nope - I'll stick with my excellent rice burner and my secure manlihood.

All you hog riders can sit around like a bunch of hunter's and exhange stories and body fluid.

 

[Expertise]

Thumbs up for the rice burnin' wrist rockets

Harleys- Estheticaly pleasing, beautiful sound, great investment. Also over priced, high maintenance, low performance, seepin' and weepin' pigs.

I miss my FZR. Fun begins at 170mph.

Besides, I don't feel like I am truly in control of a bike unless I am bent over the gas tank like a dog fucking a football.

 

[Juliangel]

Re: Thumbs up for the rice burnin' wrist rockets

Besides, I don't feel like I am truly in control of a bike unless I am bent over the gas tank like a dog fucking a football.

There's an image to go with my lunch. My brother has always had a motorcycle and loves them.


Have fun Sparky

 

[Sparky Kronkite]

Bikes I've owned......

It all started in '66 with a 2.5 Briggs and Stratton on a Little Indian mimi-bike.

The Briggs blew so I went to a construction site with a buddy and stole a 4.5 Briggs from a concrete floor smoother.

We argued about riding that Lil'Indian and unbolted the motor, took it back to the construction site and threw in down the elevator shaft.

I bought the frame and had in guseted for a MuCullough 101 go cart motor. That Lil'Indian eventually did well over 80mph.

But I need to shift gears. A freind of mine conned his folks into buying him a mini-Bennelli - with six gears. I bought it after he trashed it. I was shifting by age 12.

Bought an Suzuki X-6 Hustler (another 6 speed) when I was 15. Nealy tore my arm off jumpin' it. Wrecked it.

Bought a BSA 250 thumper - didn't have it long - too slow.

Then it was a 350 Honday Twin.

Then an R5 Yammy - burned a hole lin the right piston at well over 90mph.

Then with military exit cash - I went for the gold and bought a '71 Norton Comando. Had it for over 12 years. One fucking great bike.

Then a heavily used '55 panhead - wouldn't do over 55mph when I got her. Too much work - goner.

Then a mid-80's Sportster - it was even breathed on rather heavily - still to slow and dragged metal in the medium hard right hand corners. Damn those stupid pipes.

Then a '92 ZR750 which is what I have today to trade for the more muscle of the 1200. Great all around bike and pretty damn fast too. But need more.

I've ridden many, many other bikes - Beemer's are a bit too car-like for me and a bit to slow. Guzzi's the same but cooler because their Italian. Duck's? Love'em but to expensive to buy and run. That leaves the Jap bikes pretty much. Oh, New Triumphs? Very cool too but expensive and big bucks to fix - and hey - they're really Jap bikes wrapped in a Union Jack.

You might ask, "What about a Buell Spark?" Great idea, very expensive but cobby in design, still a little slow and in my opinion - butt ugly.

 

[Guest]

 

[Sparky Kronkite]

Thanks LL.....

I am really a very good and mostly conservative, responsible motorcycle rider. Especially when I have a passenger aboard. I really only cut loose in the early morning or on a very well lit road at night. I do like to ride in Manhattan traffic but it's hard to get over 40 - most of the time you're under 30 - well under 30. In Manhattan it's not the speed that gets me going - it's the obstacles.

 

[Silverlily]

[Have fun and wear your helmet!

Sorry, but helmets don't help much at 200 mph, they're just something to carry the pieces home in.

Hubby and I are looking for a FZR for now, but I've been promised a Ducati. Yes, they're a little high maintainance, but I married a mechanic.

A friend has a Hyabusa, zero to sixty in 2.0 secs, topped out at 220, but he only took me to 180.

[Edited by Kitten Eyes on 11-28-2000 at 09:47 AM]

 

[Sparky Kronkite]

And speaking of obstacles.....

I've experienced a few - like the queens sized mattress in the middle of the Beltway. I actually pulled over, put the kick-stand down and helmet on - ran out into the traffic and grabbed the mattress and hauled it to the side - cars blocked up the road for a couple fo hundred yards. A guy in a mini-van got out and helped me wrastle it to the side. I got on my bike and took off like a shot - HiYo Silva!!! Away!!! Kids waving at me from their parents cars.

Another time - twilight, tightly packed traffic - again on the Beltway. I'm about 50 feet behind a car when - out from under it - it's, it's, it's - a big'ole pile of chain! Yes. chain - like snow chain, chain. Shit! No time at all! I held fast and went right over it. The big and I left the pavement about a foot high. No damage except to my heart.

The worst are dogs though! I've nearly been killed twice by bike chasing dogs. Ran one completely over once - it lived - again my heart severly damaged.

Obstacles. Ya gotta love'em. What life is all about. And when and if you actually live to tell the tale. That's living high.

 

[Expertise]

Juliangel

At anything over a mere 100mph the wind is not a noise it is a physical thing. A force that touches every exposed part of your body. I once turned off the engine at about 110 (clutch in) the wind was like god whispering.

And don't worry about the speed and life insurance to quote one of my friends father. "180 miles per hour hunh!? Well I suppose that after about 60 its not whether you live or die. Its about how far in to the trees they find your body"

The fatalism of people looms large sometimes.

 

[Silverlily]

Most insurance policies will have a clause that states if you are killed or injured while commiting a crime, your claim can be denied. Tripling the speed limit kind of falls in that category.

 

[Sparky Kronkite]

The Harley types........

Who tend to think helmets are for sissies - would ask me - "Boy, why you where one-O them damn full-face, rice burner helmets?

My reply: "It's my hope for an open casket."

You go down at any speed and you tend to go down hard - hell, most bikes worth riding will crush your leg falling over at a traffic light.

I did something stupid once - Armor All on my side walls - wiped it off real good - or so I thought. Took her out on I-95 and let'er unwind - got off at the Springfield exit, hit a light, stopped for a left turn - got the go from the light - hit on it a little bit making the left - SLIP! BAMM! Broke 5 ribs at about 5mph! Dented my tank with my knee - shit! Scraped the side cover - fuck! Damn Armor All had crept out of the bead between the tire and the wheel. Centrifical forced don't you know? Stupid shit - that's me sometimes.

 

[Silverlily]

Re: The Harley types........

Who tend to think helmets are for sissies - would ask me - "Boy, why you where one-O them damn full-face, rice burner helmets?

My reply: "It's my hope for an open casket."

Bugs are a pretty good reason, too. At that speed, they hurt.

 

[Sparky Kronkite]

Shit.... tell me about it......

Riding out Blue Ridge way one fine Spring day - got stung 5 times in an hour - stupid me...... again - just a ripped at the top T-shirt. Little bugger's would fly at me - whap! (the whap hurts enough!) then they sting you in the chest and the air pushes'em round to yer back where the fuckin' sting you again. All you can do is grab a left-hand load of clutch, let off the gas with your right hand, reach round back with it and as you coast to a stop - try to squish it with yer fingers. Then, once it's over and you kill it and start back up - Whap! - it happens all over again. Spoiled my day I tell ya.

 

[Expertise]

Never heard the "open casket" retort before Sparky. Damn funny.

Unfortunately that is one of the downsides of sportbikes lots and lots of easily breakable plastic and fiberglass.

I have never hurt myself on a street bike. I guess my dirtbikes got all the abrasions, contusions and fractures outta' the way early in life.

ArmorAll is a double edged sword. It makes things look soooo nice, but makes the bike (I used to do the seat and pegs too) like a greased pig for a couple of days.

 

[Silverlily]

This need for speed gives me a thread idea. Be right back.

 

[Sparky Kronkite]

You probably know this Exp.....

Most Paramedics call your everyday run of the mill crotch rocket - a doner bike.

 

[Guest]