Your Rider Resume

[chimneydoc]

I like to think of this site like going to a buffet. First I'll look over what there is eat, then go back to get what I need. Reading the posts several times, eating the meat and spitting out the bones. Thank you to all of you for making this such a great place for information.

Doc

 

[christod1]

As for advice or opinions on the forum you usually get a lot and sometimes different answers to questions asked. I believe that most questions are answered correctly and honestly based on experience. (Right guys?). I dont think that any body here is an expert (maybe some people come close, not me of course) so basically we are helping each other out. I believe that for serious issues a little research outside this forum also helps.

As for my experience, I have a total of about miles 160,000Km riding experience.

First bike was a Yamaha DT 125R. From 1992 to 1995.
Second bike was a Yamaha FZR 400RR. From 1995 to 2001.
Third bike Yamaha FZ6. From October 2007 till now.
Yes I like Yamaha.

I have done two track days on the FZR. I used all the bikes for nearly daily commuting. I do not consider myself a complete rider. I am very cautious. I have never been in a serious accident. I have dropped the DT and FZR twice each but at low speeds and I was wearing my gear ( wear your gear guys, always) so I got away with it with only a couple of scratches. I do not know a lot about mechanical things, but I am able to complete routine tasks on the bike from what I have learned over the years. And I'm trying to learn as much as I can about riding a bike either from experience or by reading.

 

[Raid The Revenge]

My first riding experience was by buddying up with the Iridium Terrorist on a stolen bike.

After he got caught by the cops on a black and rainy night, the bike was confiscated and he was sentenced for driving without insurance, which lead to a $5000 fine. In the meantime, we got our hands on another used bike (legally this time) and it was heralded as a GS 500. An air-cooled machine that locked up all the time. We took that engine apart and put it back together again ohh...say...3 times. He did a valve overhaul and found a small chip in a corkscrew pin that disrupted the timing of the engine enough to bend the previous valves.

We overhauled that GS 500 engine WITHOUT proper tools or a garage. It got us groceries and job interviews. The Iridium Terrorist paid off his $5000 fine. We overhauled the front forks on that GS 500, bought a Brazilian fairing kit and painted the whole thing black before selling it.

To this day, I don't know much about the Iridium Terrorist. Some say he drives a black YZF-R6, but I'm confident he could build any vehicle from the ground up. His mechanical skills could destroy mine.

Whenever I need help with a bike question, I ask the Iridium Terrorist or Claud. I relate that info back to here. Sometimes I'll read something from a professional motorcycle magazine, so I'll lend people that knowledge for people as well.

 

[GConn]

Don't really have a bright resume. I have been riding really small bikes forever. Yeah, illegaly too, maybe since I was around 10-11? :Flash:

I had problems with my parents, and still do, so the "big" bike thing came a year back. It had to wait untill I lived on my own and had enough money. These forums have been the main resource of information and they really offered too much.

I am in no way an expert on anything but I try to learn stuff all the time.

 

[Doorag]

Right.

My grandparents used to own a small place down in Mississippi by Sardis Lake where I rode an old Honda 125 (don't remember which model exactly) on the trails around the lake a few times when I was maybe 11 or 12. When I say, "a few" I mean under 10 times. My step-dad also had various mopeds and the like as I was growing up that I rode around but nothing long-term.

Skip 27 years.

Last year, a friend of mine who works in PR asked me if I'd like to have a Piaggio Carnaby 125 scooter to ride to work for a month for free. It was a yellow one like this.

They would pay for all the training and gear, all I had to do was keep a journal of my travel times and experiences. The idea was to compare it to 'normal' commuting for a big story. Anyway, I did my CBT (Compulsory Basic Training) so I could get on the road and I was off.

When the month was over, I was trying to figure out how to convince my wife I needed a bike because it was faster, cheaper, more reliable, etc... It was all those things but mostly it was just plain FUN and I didn't want to give it back. Imagine my surprise when she said, "You should get a bike." YES!

Anyway, that must have been around August time so I went out and bought a Honda XR125L to commute on.

I rode this from Richmond upon Thames into central London (about 25 miles round-trip per day) until March of this year when I got my Fazer.

I've had the Fazer a few months now, but my commute is now ~130 miles round-trip 3-4 days a week with the rest of the time still going into London.

Around the same time I bought the Fazer I got my TM 125 enduro racing bike.

I've been 'competing' (if you want to call it that) in a few enduro and hare & hound races since March as well.

So what?

So what all this means is that I have about 7K miles under my belt at the moment. Most of which is commuting in heavy traffic in London with a good bit of motorway miles under my belt now too.

I have no mechanical training on motorcycles, but I worked at my grandfather's bicycle shop for 10 years and am not afraid of getting my tools dirty. I've done all the work on my TM 2-stroke and did all the maintenance on my Honda XR125 as well. I'm planning on doing most of the basic stuff on the Fazer myself, but I will take it in for all its services to help keep up the resale value.

I haven't had a crash (on the road) yet, but am quite experienced at crashing off-road. Maybe learning to fall off-road will help when/if I ever come off on the road.

I wear all the gear 80% of the time.
I wear helmet, boots, gloves and jacket 19%of the time.
I wear helmet, boots and gloves 1% of the time.
I NEVER go out without a helmet, boots and gloves.

Generally, I don't know what I'm talking about but I'm never short of an opinion. I usually preface my comments with, "I'm sure someone who knows more than me will tell you different, but..."

I hope that wasn't too long.

 

[Wolfman]

Have been riding Bikes since i was 16 years old, am 39 now!

First ever Bike was a Suzuki FR70 step through! More a Scooter than a bike, but it opened my eyes toi the world of two wheeled freedom, and enabled me to learn the basics of riding bikes, without having too much weight, power, or technique required, so i did not kill myself!

Next was a Yamaha SR185...great first "bike"...simple single cylinder motor, reasonable handling, and a little bit of get up and go...dirt cheap to run.

Had my first accident on this bike....my fault, overtaking a car on the inside illegally, car decided to turn left, and cause he did not see me, or expect me to be there, he drove straight into me...bike and me bounced off his tyre, and slid for 30 metres...was at least smart enough to wear riding gear...only injury, bike & pride!

then some crappy beaten up Suzuki 185 trialbike...that promptly blew up after about 4 weeks of me buying it for $200...you get what you pay for!

Then my first bike with decent power, and real suspension for the time...a Honda VF400...Great bike, loved it to death, caught the modifying bug with it, rode it hard, sold it to partly fund a trip to the UK.

Then when i got to the UK at 20 years of age, in 1988, i bought a Yamaha XV750 Shaft drive...and travelled around Europe for 9 months on it with my Girlfriend, a tent, 2 saddle bags, and a tank bag of gear. Did 20000 km's on it in the 15 months i had it, and apart from petrol, it cost me one service, a pair of brake pad's, and 2 tyres....never broke down once, and when i sold it i got 100 pounds more for it, than when i bought it! the Yamaharley, as one english cop called it once, as i was lane splitting past him, rocked!

Then when i got back to Australia in 1990, i took a job that was 330km's from my girl, so i bought a Suzuki GS400, she was as plain as all hell, but got up and boogied ok, and handled the 660km round trip every weekend to and from my work to my girl, in her stride!

Never touched this bike, in terms of mod's, but i looked after it, and got what i payed for it, when i sold it.

Then it was the mighty Honda VF500, the VF 400 replacement, a little more power, but other than that, they were almost identical, until i painted it ferrari red, put a laser pipe on it, had the head polished, valves grinded, etc, etc...ended up shooting flames out the exhaust, going like the clappers, giving much bigger bikes the hurry up, and was incredibly noisy..this was definitely my Hooligan period! ended up blowing it up, and selling it for much less money than i put into it...but hey i have real fond memories of that bike!

Had the VF500 for a couple of years, then when she blew, i was doing ok with money, so splashed out on a Ducati 500 pantah, it was 10 years old when i bought it, but was still more expensive than the Honda, and was in real good nick! This bike became, and still is a passion of mine, whilst also being a harsh mistress at the same time....

In the 16 years i have owned this bike, i have ridden it all around Australia (63000 km's and counting), have rebuilt the motor, the gearbox, crashed it once, very badly, high side, lots of damage, which required the frame to be straightened, forks, front discs, front wheel, engine rocker covers, footpegs, handle bar's, instruments all replaced, plus a total re-spray including, powder coating the frame, and taking the wheels back to their original colour...basically a total rebuild.

Have also replaced ignition, all electrics, and upgraded suspension.

The ol girl is still in immaculate condition, but sadly, over the past 4-5 years, i have not ridden her much, as parts are getting very hard - read impossible to find, i have been concentrating on my kids, rather than ride for pleasure, and at some point i lost the motivation to ride...until recently!!!

Yes, after threatening to get back into the world of two wheels for about 2 years, rising petrol prices finally got me to pull my finger out and get back into riding again...

But seeing as my Ducati aint really an everyday bike for a 39 year old bloke, who aint as fit, or flexible as he used to, and due to the high service costs and lack of service back up for what is a very rare bike in Australia, i decided to let my Duc remain in a state of suspended animation, and decided to buy a bike with a more sensible seating position....enter the FZ6!!!

A couple of months ago i bought myself a 2006 orange fz6 naked. Have done 3000km's on it since, which has included commuting, both one up, and with my eldesty son on the back, and some decent sport riding through the twisty's and i enjoy it more each time i ride it.

Have already started modding the bike to my liking - De-baffled exhaust, new mirrors, screen, frame sliders, painted indicator mounts - front, & radiator covers. Am getting Braided lines for brakes this week, and will be putting a power commander, with a trip to the dyno after, soon.

At first i was buying this bike as a practical commuter, and since buying the bike, have found that the FZ6 is so much more, which in turn has re-ignited my passion for bikes, in a very big way...thankyou Mr Yamaha!

Sorry for such a lengthy post, but my renewed passion for riding bikes, has caused me to get all gushy about my biking experiences, by the way, this forum is dangerous to your hip pocket!

 

[Doorag]

...by the way, this forum is dangerous to your hip pocket!

Yes it is.

 

[FZ6 Tas]

Hey All,
Been riding for about 3 and a half years. First bike was a Kawasaki ZZR 250 for learning purposes only.
Once off my learner license I bought a Suzuki GSXF 750 which was a lot of fun and what seemed a massive step up from the ZZR. This was modded a little with gear rack and a staintune exhaust (big brand in Aus) etc.
Got sick of the whole touring thing and the 230 kg dry weight taking way the fun so a year ago I bought my Orange FZ6 fully naked. It had 200 km on the clock and so far I have done 7000 km on her.
All up in 3 and a half years I have done approx 30 000 kms and I really don't commute much especially since some half wit decided to stick a knife in my tyre at work. Most of my riding is on the weekend through this beautiful state I live in, seriously Tasmania, Australia has some of the best roads I have ever seen, you all must come visit.

 

[grommit]

Started at 16, been riding on and off since then, now 43. Did lots of miles when I was young through all sorts of weather, snow, wind, rain. Many hours spent thrashing my 2 stroke YB100. Go Yamaha go.:squid:

 

[Pete]

started at 16, got a CBT and hopped straight onto a 50cc peugeot scooter, once I hit 17 I got myself a Honda NSR125RR (good times) got my car licence a little bit after that and became a cage driver.

Did my UK A1 licence in 2005, didn't have a machine for a year or so, got the FZ6N restricted until my two years were up and they handed me my full A licence.

Don't get to ride much following an off the day after my friend died in November 2007. Currently finishing the minor rebuild but still don't have full strength in my left wrist.

Hold full UK A (motorcycle) and B (car) licences (+plus all those usefuld fkp ones, lol). Am a serving special Section Officer and have been trained to drive police cars, no chance they'll let me near the bikes :'-(

 

[madmanmaigret]

rode others bikes from when I was 8
got my first motorcycle (1973 honda cl350) when i was 14 learned street on that bike took it to school, play, everwhere (1993-1999)
rode many other peoples bikes in my bikeless years (2000-2007)
got the FZ in 2007 (never had any formal training just taught by dad who rode his whole life)

Dad is a mechanic, had his own shop for a few years, taught me to work on cars, bikes, lawnmowers, and anything with or without a motor.

Gearhead my whole life.

read alot, maintenece books, riding books, etc.


I will let you know if I am not sure of an answer but still say what course of action I would take if I were in you shoes.

 

[madmanmaigret]

Okay, here we go...

I've been a licensed since about 1981.

damn, Top. Thats the year I was born! :Flip::Flip::Flip:

 

[GConn]

damn, Top. Thats the year I was born! :Flip::Flip::Flip:

hehehe....that was what I was thinking too...same here

 

[Hellgate]

damn, Top. Thats the year I was born! :Flip::Flip::Flip:

Okay so I was born in 1964, I couldn't influence that event! I turn 44 this year and I still feel 18, well, on most days. 300 on the last PT test!

 

[Hellgate]

hehehe....that was what I was thinking too...same here

Hey, if you guys want to pick on us 40 years old, quite a few on this thread I noticed, pick in HavBlue, he's like older than Moses!

 

[FZ1inNH]

Okay so I was born in 1964, I couldn't influence that event! I turn 44 this year and I still feel 18, well, on most days. 300 on the last PT test!

Way to go Pete! I was a '65 baby and turned 43 in January. I couldn't agree more with the 18 comment. MY problem is my 18 year old mind tells me to do things that my 43 year old body isn't up to. WE pay the next day...

These young'uns!!

 

[Hellgate]

Way to go Pete! I was a '65 baby and turned 43 in January. I couldn't agree more with the 18 comment. MY problem is my 18 year old mind tells me to do things that my 43 year old body isn't up to. WE pay the next day...

These young'uns!!

Boy that is for sure, I can keep up with the younger guys, but man am I beat the next day! Good diet, exercise and lots of water helps a lot. I did give up basketball. That sport just kills my body. But man, we're all going to be like HavBlue one day....grumpy.

 

[madmanmaigret]

good job on that last PT test, Top! I guess im screwed when I'm your age cause I pay the next day now..... :don'tknow:

 

[bmccrary]

Reserving space to make mine up when I have more time tonight.

-bryan

 

[Ras Thavas]

Well here's my story.

My first bike was a 1974(?) Honda 450 DOHC. I think I bought it in 1981. I taught myself to ride on that bike.

I bought a 1984 Honda VF500 Interceptor in 1987. That year I also started riding motorcycles for work in the summer (cop at the beach.)

I bought a 1987 Honda Night Hawk S in 1991.

During 1987 and 1991 I rode either a motorcycle or atv during the 6 month tourist season.

In 1996 I took the advanced motorcycle riders course.

I have had three minor crashes during my riding career. Worst injury was a severe knee sprain.

I had not owned a motorcycle for about five years until buying my FZ6 last month.

Disclaimer: Some of these dates may be slightly off as I find my memory is less than perfect as I grow older.