Don't let the Old Bike In.....
Did I buy an "Old Man Bike"??
- Thread starter Nightmare
- Start date
I finalized the deal to buy my 09 and the PO rode my bike over to me the next morning
his wife brought the extras along in their car
it happened to be my 60th birthday and it happened to be a blue moon
I was going to use
"Cruzechev called him the most complete man that he had ever met " as the clue for his deposit but I thought no, he might think that's weird and not come over
Then he rides up with the bike and there's the iconic pic with the beret on the starboard side
I said you didn't tell me there was a picture on the bike
He said no I thought you might not buy it if you knew
I rode one from Carter Honda through Spanish Banks in rain twenty years earlier and thought
this is the most complete motorcycle I've ever seen and I'll probably never get one
What's the saying
some things only come around once in a blue moon
no bs
his wife brought the extras along in their car
it happened to be my 60th birthday and it happened to be a blue moon
I was going to use
"Cruzechev called him the most complete man that he had ever met " as the clue for his deposit but I thought no, he might think that's weird and not come over
Then he rides up with the bike and there's the iconic pic with the beret on the starboard side
I said you didn't tell me there was a picture on the bike
He said no I thought you might not buy it if you knew
I rode one from Carter Honda through Spanish Banks in rain twenty years earlier and thought
this is the most complete motorcycle I've ever seen and I'll probably never get one
What's the saying
some things only come around once in a blue moon
no bs
That would be 24
Almost bought a 82 from a Machinest friend of mine. Neil's idea of a tune up was a port and polish of the heads ,blue print and balanced engine.Bike fit me well , being married with two young Girls, didn't think It was wise to buy something that scared me how smooth and fast it was, not ready to die or get hurt. Other than the speed dang excellent Machine.Yeah, I was 57 when I bought my 2007 ST1300, and I sold it in about 2020 - not because it was too heavy for me, but because I could see a day when it would be too heavy (I have one artificial knee and one OEM unit).
I switched to a 1983 BMW R100RS, which is a 43-year-old equivalent to the fast, smooth ST1300 - except that it weighs 502 lbs wet and that is about 230 lbs less "stuff" to wrestle with in a parking lot or a sandy road shoulder.
Don't get me wrong, I loved my Honda ST1300 and rode the heck out of it for five years....but....
While the 1983 BMW does not have an electrically adjustable windscreen, EFI, or ABS, it is fast, quiet, and smooth. It has decent brakes and will do a "buck-50" all day (150 km/hr metric - that's about 93 mph for you old-fashioned folks), and it gets about 50 MPG - and I can fix it myself (no CANBus wiring or TFT displays that go all sh!tty in the rain, etc.). The beautiful RS fairing keeps me dry in the wet, doesn't cook my "equipment" in hot weather, and I can easily go 300 km (around 200 miles) on a tank of fuel. I usually run out of @ss before I run out of gas.
The boxer AirHead engine only has two cylinders, one chain-driven camshaft, and four valves. It has no radiator, hoses, hydraulic clutch slave cylinder, no balance shafts or variable cam timing, or valve lift or even valve shims - but it does have electronic ignition, a reliable alternator, and good instrumentation. This thing is about as simple as a big air-cooled garden tractor. If necessary, I could do a full top-end rebuild sitting on my bum in the gravel on the side of a road with the tools I can fit under the seat, but BMW AirHeads are so durable that such an event is.....unlikely. High-quality maintenance and replacement parts are plentiful and don't cost much, and everything is drop-dead easy to fix.
Finally, it carries all my crap, has a comfy seat and a riding position that befits my 68 years of "experience", and it doesn't sound like a kitchen blender.....and I like it a lot. Mine came with bags and two seats (dual plus the somewhat rare solo "seat-and-a-half") - and I paid less all-in than my cousin paid just in sales taxes for his 2021 Honda Gold Wing.
So, old man bike - who cares? I ride for me - not for what some twit thinks when he sees me.
Pete
Sadlsor
Site Supporter
Then you definitely wouldn't want a Blackbird, of any year.
Inline four vs. V four, but both are sublime engines and chassis easily capable of all-day touring - or for sporting.
(Hearkening to another thread, eh?)
But the 1100XX is lower and lighter, and either way you can easily do the Ton, with speed in reserve. Especially on the Bird.
IF I were to ever get another bike, Dos Equis will remain high on the list.
Always.
And as usual, dare I say even moreso, awareness and restraint will serve you in good stead.
Not every rider possesses both, to the degree required to regularly ride either.
Inline four vs. V four, but both are sublime engines and chassis easily capable of all-day touring - or for sporting.
(Hearkening to another thread, eh?)
But the 1100XX is lower and lighter, and either way you can easily do the Ton, with speed in reserve. Especially on the Bird.
IF I were to ever get another bike, Dos Equis will remain high on the list.
Always.
And as usual, dare I say even moreso, awareness and restraint will serve you in good stead.
Not every rider possesses both, to the degree required to regularly ride either.
Speed doesn't scare me now, when I road Neil's bike I had only been riding on the street for about three years. Kids are now grown up, but for me a BlackBird is to small for comfort, beautiful bike mind you. One of the con's of Having a 35 inch inseam ( blanking long legs) it limits what bikes and Cages are Comfortable for me. The RS100R was one and of course the ST1100 is.
ChucksKLRST
Team Colorado
I am going to be 77 in a few months and I ride a 2014 FJR (Red). Is that an old man's bike?
I have two 05 ST 1300's and a 1983 Suzuki GS 1100E. I am second owner of the ST machines. I bought my GS new.
At 79, I do not think of myself as 'an old man.' I am a Man.
My motorcycles ....wonderful steeds they are. Always properly maintained and serviced...by me.
The throttle...not an on / off switch. A rheostat. Simple.
Oh... we all know what an 05 ST looks like,right?
The GS is a treat to ride. Naked and all.
At 79, I do not think of myself as 'an old man.' I am a Man.
My motorcycles ....wonderful steeds they are. Always properly maintained and serviced...by me.
The throttle...not an on / off switch. A rheostat. Simple.
Oh... we all know what an 05 ST looks like,right?
The GS is a treat to ride. Naked and all.
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