SuzukiSavage.com - Why Ride?

pg Serious Thumper Offline Posts: 5273 In Transit	Re: Why Ride? Reply #15 - 05/07/14 at 18:39:07 It's been a long time since I've been back to western PA. I miss it quite a bit. I'm afraid to see what it may have turned into in 20 years.
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ToesNose Serious Thumper Offline Pardon me, do you have Hot Sauce? Posts: 1993 Mooresville, NC Gender:	Re: Why Ride? Reply #16 - 05/08/14 at 19:12:31 I just enjoy it, it's not even hitting nice curvy roads or a nice long 2 lane country road sometimes even just a short ride to work on the bike makes my day so much more satisfying then taking the SUV
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RatdogWillie Serious Thumper Offline Nostalgia isn't what it used to be... Posts: 854 Johnstown, PA. Gender:	Re: Why Ride? Reply #17 - 05/08/14 at 19:52:21 pg wrote on 05/07/14 at 18:39:07: It's been a long time since I've been back to western PA. I miss it quite a bit. I'm afraid to see what it may have turned into in 20 years. What part?
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Rembrandt

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Re: Why Ride?
Reply #18 - 05/08/14 at 21:40:40

I'm 47 and have been riding motorcycles since I was eighteen. My first bike was a Suzuki 250 twin, two stroke, kick start, six speed. It felt like a heavy, big bike to a five foot eight, 160 pound kid and although from what I've learned online in recent years, the speedo was likely off, it showed to top out at 110 miles an hour. My first bike happened out of necessity. I couldn't afford a car or it's crazy insurance. I've owned two small Yamaha 250 single cylinder Exciters, ridden a number of friend and family's bikes...my brother's 500 Yamaha Virago for one summer in the eighties. There's nothing like a bike...no way to describe it. Those who don't ride can't get it.
I left home at seventeen and have worked like an Egyptian slave since the age of ten. Most of us here are no strangers to work, but my first wife left me after three kids. I've worked two jobs, many times for weeks and months at a stretch with long hours and no days off only to still slide further into debt for, sadly but quite frankly, children and an ex who don't really appreciate my effort. My current spouse and I have an eleven year old son who I'm very close with. I'll stop soon; I promise. Usually when people say, "I'm doing such and such for me; sometimes something has to be for me", I want to slap them...hard. Sounds cliché and self-serving, but for me it's been too true. I haven't been on a bike in years. I've been tired and down. I reflected on the only time I've truly been happy--on a motorcycle. Last May I bought my 06 S40. I've put almost nine thousand miles on this bike. Tonight I just returned from a 120 mile ride through the beautiful towns and villages around Peterborough, Ontario, Canada...ran through Port Hope...the town where Farley Mowat lived most of his life. He just died yesterday...famous author. I ran on to Cobourg and Grafton and Colborne and Brighton and Codrington and Warkworth and Hastings and Westwood and finally home to Peterborough. Google these places if you like a frame of reference. I almost got caught in the rain...angry clouds spitting on my face because I have to ride with an open face helmet. Some riders mock my little ride. This forum, this site is great, but too tame for my liking sometimes. Right now I'd like to really share what I would like to say to the mockers of my little powerful ride, but I won't. I am old and too tired to fall out of line.
I have no radio on my bike, but Meatloaf's "Bat out of Hell" plays often in my mind.
Have a good night all.

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Serowbot YaBB Moderator ModSquad Offline OK.... so what's the speed of dark? Posts: 28660 Tucson Az Gender:	Re: Why Ride? Reply #19 - 05/08/14 at 22:16:28 Painted quite a picture there, Rembrandt... Riding a bike, creates a time when you don't have to account for anyone or anything... I do like when I get that feeling... ...
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pg Serious Thumper Offline Posts: 5273 In Transit	Re: Why Ride? Reply #20 - 05/08/14 at 22:20:13 RatdogWillie wrote on 05/08/14 at 19:52:21: pg wrote on 05/07/14 at 18:39:07: It's been a long time since I've been back to western PA. I miss it quite a bit. I'm afraid to see what it may have turned into in 20 years. What part? The Burgh, Laurel Mountains
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walterpump

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Re: Why Ride?
Reply #21 - 05/10/14 at 07:50:10

Why Ride!!!
Because I gotta. I'm 73 and every time I get on my Savage I feel like I'm 20. That's when I bought my first bike, a Honda 55cc - ha, ha. Then moved up to a Honda 175cc with a hammer head tank. Later came a Yamaha SR500 (great bike), then a Triumph Bonneville, then a BMW R75/6, then a Honda GL1000, then a a BMW 650 Funduro (single), and now the best - 2003 Savage.
I sold the Funduro when I was 71 and told myself that's it for riding. Nope. Approx one year later in September while browsing a local bike shop just for fun I bought the Savage. Great bike at my age being a light bike, single, simple, enough power, easy to mod a little, and FUN.
Riding keeps us slightly older fellas young Cool

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old_rider

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Re: Why Ride?
Reply #22 - 05/10/14 at 10:29:10

LOL... I fell into the savage a little differently, but in the future I see a scooter of some sort that I can "Tim Taylor" and run on the interstate with.
As it is some of the 300cc scooters are really small and can top out at 90mph!
Now I still have a few years left in me (hopefully) at 55 (this month the 15th) and I am going to take my savage to its lightest possible weight (health reasons) to make it my long time ride.

As for riding....if i'm not broken beyond repair and can still straddle a bike...I am going to ride!

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We are here to laugh at the odds and live our lives so well that Death will tremble to take us.

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RatdogWillie Serious Thumper Offline Nostalgia isn't what it used to be... Posts: 854 Johnstown, PA. Gender:	Re: Why Ride? Reply #23 - 05/10/14 at 11:57:23 old_rider wrote on 05/10/14 at 10:29:10: in the future I see a scooter of some sort that I can "Tim Taylor" and run on the interstate with. If you can find one, the Beverly 500 would be a good choice. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TIsDaUckuo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbIzdiCIcjk
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shorty Serious Thumper Offline be careful out there gentlemen Posts: 547 southern NM Gender:	Re: Why Ride? Reply #24 - 05/10/14 at 12:16:40 when all my buddies in High School were looking at used cars and trucks, I started looking at used bikes.. Not for price, for thrills. Now I got a truck, but only for stuff too big for the bike.. cars suck
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justin_o_guy2 Serious Thumper Offline What happened? Posts: 55279 East Texas, 1/2 dallas/la.	Re: Why Ride? Reply #25 - 05/11/14 at 09:47:20 I would agree, generally, cars suck,, if its got an automatic trans, youre just a passenger holding the wheel,, I THINK I could be happy driving a little 2 seater with a 4 speed.. otherwise, if I cant be on a bike, give me a pickup,,with a standard,,
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Paladin.

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Re: Why Ride?
Reply #26 - 05/11/14 at 13:44:34

old_rider wrote on 05/10/14 at 10:29:10:

... Now I still have a few years left in me (hopefully) at 55 (this month the 15th) and I am going to take my savage to its lightest possible weight (health reasons) to make it my long time ride.

As for riding....if i'm not broken beyond repair and can still straddle a bike...I am going to ride!

I am ... ah, what year is it? ... 67. Heart attack at 50. At 63 I was suppose to get a quad by-pass but the heart was partially dead so they only did a triple. I cannot walk at a normal speed for over 100 feet, I have Aphasia and hearing loss, but as Roy said in a OCS reunion: "We ALL have problems, deal with it."

I have the 245cc scooter so I don't need to swing over the saddle. When I can no longer put a foot down at a stop I will bolt on a sidecar. I have seen a motorcycle/sidecar with a ramp so the rider could ride his wheelchair into the sidecar, with controls in the sidecar, so he could continue riding.

As long as I can see, I will be riding.

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Oldfeller--FSO

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Re: Why Ride?
Reply #27 - 05/11/14 at 17:18:37

Why do we ride?

Same reason Why we group together and go on Mountain Rides together? Because life is daily and mountain riding isn't anything daily at all .....

Really, where else for the price of a tank of gas can you have just as many adventures and beautiful scenic spots and lots of good company all at the same time?

Only way you could top it would be to combine it with shooting and fishing and going to a motorcycle rally after touring a whiskey plant. White water rafting and zip lining and bungee jumping too, if you felt adventurous enough to go do it.

I mean really, let's go check us a couple of things off the 'ol bucket list while we are about it.

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rl153 Serious Thumper Offline S40 Just right! Posts: 906 Bloomfield,CT Gender:	Re: Why Ride? Reply #28 - 05/11/14 at 18:26:28 This forum is awesome!
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RatdogWillie

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Re: Why Ride?
Reply #29 - 05/11/14 at 21:31:11

I got my MC license in 1968 when I was 16. I took my test on a 1960 something Honda 50cc that I bought for $50 . The test consisted of the written part and the other part where I rode around several blocks in Hyattsville, Maryland by myself. The testing officer couldn’t see me for more than ¾ of the test….I asked the test officer if he was coming along, and he said that he wasn’t getting on that thing…. I passed.

At that time, I had a job as a busboy at a Rustlers Steakhouse in Laurel, Maryland making 1 dollar an hour.. I rode that little bike to and from work all year round…. even in the snow. Other times I would take it thru trails for miles in the woods even with the header pipe glowing red hot. Sometimes I would take the bike out on the highway and lay my body out flat across the seat to reduce wind resistance, trying to break my top speed of……if memory serves me correctly………..somewhere around 60mph. It was while doing this that I blew a piston. I then sold the bike to Heyser Cycle in Laurel, MD. for 25 dollars after pushing it there for more than 5 miles.

I then bought a 1961 Chevrolet Biscayne for $100…… Many years, cars and bikes have come and gone…..and now I have a Savage…. now I am happy. At first I didn’t like the silver color and I sometimes think of painting it and making a bobber…..but I still love riding it as she is.

I once had a 1978 Yamaha 500SR that I bought new in 78. I remember walking into the Yamaha dealer in Waldorf, MD. with cash in hand, and saying that I wanted to buy that black SR500. The dealer was hell bent on trying to sell a Yamaha 650 and even though the 650 was a good ride……I wanted the thumper.

The SR500 had a kick start……..a break your ankle if you didn’t get the piston at TDC (top dead center) before you pushed your foot down in a hard fast stroke motion…..don’t do it right…..the bike would kick back with such a force that it will slingshot you off the bike with foot damage……but…. it didn’t take much time to get the feel of how to do it right every time…..(there was a little window that let you know when the piston was at TDC and there was a compression release control on the handlebars…..but as I say…..you soon just got the feel of it and didn’t need to think about how to start the bike....or look at the little window…..you just did it.

Back then I lived near Rocky Gorge Reservoir lake. There was this fantastic curve at Scotts Cove picnic area. Most evenings I would make a few passes at it then bamboozle before the rangers would show up. Riding in one direction was more thrilling than going the other direction.

First let me describe the curve….. It went downhill…..then uphill to the right……and the road pavement was banked like a racetrack. Hitting this curve at 60 MPH felt like the forces of a roller coaster on my head. There was loose rock and gravel on the side….so caution was the rule….but darn if it wasn’t a blast.

Twenty five years later I still own a thumper (and a 1997 Chevy pickup, a 1993 Ford Tempo, and 5 dogs).

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What was the best thing before sliced bread?
Why is it called tourist season if we can't shoot them?
How is it possible to have a civil war?
What if there were no hypothetical questions?

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