Any Motörbike riders here?

luscombe

I've ridden & owned motorcycles for 40 years, and whatever else I've owned, I 've always had a BMW twin in the garage for the last 30 years. I think BMW's still make the best all rounders available anywhere. The current 800cc twin is particularly good, and isn't too heavy or too powerful for a first bike. I also have a Harley, but as much sas I LOVE IT, it's really just a toy. The BMW is a practticle means of transport that can be used instead of the car if the need arises. My current BMW twin is a 1971 750cc R75/5. as it's regarded as a classic bike, the insurance is very cheap (less than £100 a year), and as it was manufactured prior to 1972 it is also road tax exempt.

octatonic

luscombe said:

I've ridden & owned motorcycles for 40 years, and whatever else I've owned, I 've always had a BMW twin in the garage for the last 30 years. I think BMW's still make the best all rounders available anywhere. The current 800cc twin is particularly good, and isn't too heavy or too powerful for a first bike. I also have a Harley, but as much sas I LOVE IT, it's really just a toy. The BMW is a practticle means of transport that can be used instead of the car if the need arises. My current BMW twin is a 1971 750cc R75/5. as it's regarded as a classic bike, the insurance is very cheap (less than £100 a year), and as it was manufactured prior to 1972 it is also road tax exempt.

I like BMW's (I drive their cars) but probably not going to go for a BMW bike, at least not yet.

I was gurning over a Harley CVO Breakout earlier.

In fact, let me get a pic.

http://www.jamesrichmond.com/misc/breakout.jpg

Imagine owning that?

What Harley do you have?

Myranda

Harley's (most of them that is) have a LOT of chrome... They take a lot cleaning or the chrome falls off and they look poo...

That would be my Harley of choice... but too many money

You asked about photos of my bike - not taken any since it got beaten up by some diesel and the road...since then it got less and less cosmetically happy... Is why I'm after a new bike - just got to work out how to get credit to do that.

Phil_aka_Pip

@Myranda an un-cosmetic bike is less likely to get nicked. If it's reliable and convenient transport, leave as is

IanSavage

octatonic said:

Went shopping for bikes today, saw loads and made some decisions.

Definitely NOT buying a 125cc sports bike- they are tiny and slow.

I got on a Honda CBF and a Yamaha YBR- they were both a decent enough size for me.

Will do 6 months or so on one of those and then I'm getting this bike in that exact colour.

http://www.jamesrichmond.com/misc/bonneville.jpg

Bonneville T100.

My old man's got one of those in white, lovely bit of kit. 

p90fool

luscombe said:

 I also have a Harley, but as much sas I LOVE IT, it's really just a toy. The BMW is a practticle means of transport that can be used instead of the car if the need arises.

I don't disagree about the BMW, but my '58 Harley was my only transport for eight years. Underneath the chromey shite there's a tough, infinitely rebuildable utilitarian vehicle.

I'm tough on bikes, winters in the Welsh mountains are pretty harsh, and I use bikes for work and for holidays. Hondas have the best rep for finish quality, but I wear them out in an average of two years - I mean literally scrap them.

Harleys are only toys if you want the chrome to stay shiney, but if tinsel doesn't interest you they're much tougher than most others, including BMWs.

57Deluxe

Here is my cruiser...

luscombe

octatonic said:

luscombe said:

I've ridden & owned motorcycles for 40 years, and whatever else I've owned, I 've always had a BMW twin in the garage for the last 30 years. I think BMW's still make the best all rounders available anywhere. The current 800cc twin is particularly good, and isn't too heavy or too powerful for a first bike. I also have a Harley, but as much sas I LOVE IT, it's really just a toy. The BMW is a practticle means of transport that can be used instead of the car if the need arises. My current BMW twin is a 1971 750cc R75/5. as it's regarded as a classic bike, the insurance is very cheap (less than £100 a year), and as it was manufactured prior to 1972 it is also road tax exempt.

I like BMW's (I drive their cars) but probably not going to go for a BMW bike, at least not yet.

I was gurning over a Harley CVO Breakout earlier.

In fact, let me get a pic.

http://www.jamesrichmond.com/misc/breakout.jpg

Imagine owning that?

What Harley do you have?

Hi

my Harley is a rather special. it's an exact replica of one of the bikes in Easy rider (the Billy Bike, as ridden by Dennis Hopper). This is the film that got me into bikes when I was still at school, so I was really pleased to find it. It's absolutely beautiful and I love it to death. Steppenwolf's 'Born to be wild' plays in your head as you ride along. As it was built from scratch by a custom shop all the chrome is high quality English chrome, so it is far more durable than a new factory built HD. (the finish really is crap on those motorcycles).

 

http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m199/jeffsilvaire/100_1582.jpg

luscombe

The photo of my Harley appears to have become distorted when I tried to attach it. I'll try again

 

http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m199/jeffsilvaire/100_1582.jpg

octatonic

That is an amazing bike.

boogieman

Not my cuppa but still deserves a wow

chillidoggy

Now that is cool!

Jaden

I didnt own a car until I was in my 30's, I only rode bikes but then I had kids... and already having experienced my fair share of crashes, I chose to quit and nowadays, its strictly off road only

My ride !  its actually road legal but seeing as it dont have an ignition key or steering lock etc, I only use it to go from green lane to green lane etc..

luscombe

Thanks for the positive comments regarding my Easy Rider Harley. it really is a fantastic bike, and it's the only motorcycle I've ever owned that attracts non-biker women, who seem to desperately want a ride on it. However it is kickstart only (with an engine close to 1400cc!) and this does cause some problems. Here's a post I posted on facebook describing my problems:

Christine the Harley?

As some of you know, I have been having hours of fun trying to start my Easy Rider replica Harley Davidson. Like the bike in the film, it is kick-start only and is not fitted with one of those new fangled electric sta...rters. This is all well and good, but unfortunately Harley's are made for your typical, 16 stone, Big Mac loving American. I weigh 12.5 stone and to frank, the harley laughs at me when I try to start it!

I was watching the classic Stephen King film, Christine ,the other night. You know the one - the 1950's car that is possessed by evil spirits and does all sorts of dasterdly deeds while its speedometer runs backwards and the car gets newer the more it is driven. In one part of the film Christine won't start and is sulking because the hero has a new girlfriend. In the end Arnie talks sweetly to Christine and strokes the dashboard and Christine promptly starts!

Hmmm interesting... Christine is a 1958 Plymouth Fury. My Harley was made in 1958. Christine is bright red. My Harley is bright red. I bet you know where this is going! So this afternoon I started the bike and rode it down to Eccleshall. I should point out it will always start at home in the garage, but always refuses to start when it is warm - particulary if there is an audience. I parked outside the Bell in Eccleshall and sat at the bar and had a few pints of Peroni (my favourite drink at the moment!).

After a couple of hours in the pub I finally plucked up courage to go out to the bike and try and start it. Sure enough everyone in the pub came out to watch me (it's just that sort of bike). I did all the normal things, primed the carb by kicking it through with the ignition off, set the choke just right, set the throttle just open by one eigth, and finally brought the engine over to top dead cente with the kickstart. These are the things I always do, and the Harley normally refuses to start until I have sweated blood, swear & tears for half an hour and the audience is falling about laughing at me. This time I did something different.. As I was going through the usuall pre-starting ritual I was whispering to the Harley under my breath, telling it how much I loved it and how I was going to polish it when we got home. While I was saying these things I was lovingly stroking it's petrol tank. Well the big moment came and what do you think happened? It started!!! Oh joy - I can't tell you how pleased I was!

If the film is to be believed I guess that means my soul is lost forever. A small price to pay for looking cool when I come out of the pub methinks. In the film Christine also goes out on it's own to kill and maime the people that have wronged Arnie. Perhaps the Harley will go on a little ride tonight? I hope it goes looking for Simon Cowell?

 http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m199/jeffsilvaire/100_1231_zps38d57a06.jpg

p90fool

I don't think your bike is haunted, i think you may've just been mislead a little, the starting can be sorted, trust me

There's certainly not much from 1958 on it, maybe the rear hub? H-D stopped making wishbone frames in late '54, a '58 would have a swingarm with straight legs. That's not to say yours is an earlier frame, it's far more likely to be a recent replica by Paughco or someone similar, check the top motormount stamps.

The transmission maybe be a much later ratchet top, though the mousetrap is a good sign.

The engine is an '84-'99 Evolution engine, or possibly even a later crate motor from the factory. There's nothing 50s about it, it has Xzotic Cycle fake Panhead generator and rocker covers.

This is probably the crux of your starting issue. Evo motors are soft starters, but the stock electronic ignition needs a fast spin before it even triggers, and a kicker will barely do it. If it's not a stock module find out what it is, it may have a kicker setting on a micro switch.
If not, the cheapest way to sort it is with a '70-up points conversion, you'd need a new coil too.

I can't see what carb is on it, if it's a Keihin CV you might get away with kick-only, but they still need a tweak or two.

Unless you've built some kind of monster, most H-Ds (except magneto XLCHs) are pretty easy starters, if yours isn't, get it fixed, or you'll forever be cursed by the "same number of kicks as spectators" rule!

luscombe

luscombe said:

Thanks for the positive comments regarding my Easy Rider Harley. it really is a fantastic bike, and it's the only motorcycle I've ever owned that attracts non-biker women, who seem to desperately want a ride on it. However it is kickstart only (with an engine close to 1400cc!) and this does cause some problems. Here's a post I posted on facebook describibing my problems:

Christine the Harley?

As some of you know, I have been having hours of fun trying to start my Easy Rider replica Harley Davidson. Like the bike in the film, it is kick-start only and is not fitted with one of those new fangled electric sta...rters. This is all well and good, but unfortunately Harley's are made for your typical, 16 stone, Big Mac loving American. I weigh 12.5 stone and to frank, the harley laughs at me when I try to start it!

I was watching the classic Stephen King film, Christine ,the other night. You know the one - the 1950's car that is possessed by evil spirits and does all sorts of dasterdly deeds while its speedometer runs backwards and the car gets newer the more it is driven. In one part of the film Christine won't start because it is sulking because the hero has a new girlfriend. In the end Arnie talks sweetly to Christine and strokes the dashboard and Christine promptly starts!

Hmmm interesting... Christine is a 1958 Plymouth Fury. My Harley was made in 1958. Christine is bright red. My Harley is bright red. I bet you know where this is going! So this afternoon I started the bike and rode it down to Eccleshall. I should point out it will always start at home in the garage, but always refuses to start when it is warm - particulary if there is an audience. I parked outside the Bell in Eccleshall and sat at the bar and had a few pints of Peroni (my favourite drink at the moment!).

After a couple of hours in the pub I finally plucked up courage to go out to the bike and try and start it. Sure enough everyone in the pub came out to watch me (it's just that sort of bike). I did all the normal things, primed the carb by kicking it through with the ignition off, set the choke just right, set the throttle just open by one eigth, and finally brought the engine over to top dead cente with the kickstart. These are the things I always do, and the Harley normally refuses to start until I have sweated blood, swear & tears for half an hour and the audience is falling about laughing at me. This time I did something different.. As I was going through the usuall pre-starting ritual I was whispering to the Harley under my breath, telling it how much I loved it and how I was going to polish it when we got home. While I was saying these things I was lovingly stroking it's petrol tank. Well the big moment came and what do you think happened? It started!!! Oh joy - I can't tell you how pleased I was!

If the film is to be believed I guess that means my soul is lost forever. A small price to pay for looking cool when I come out of the pub methinks. In the film Christine also goes out on it's own to kill and maime the people that have wronged Arnie. Perhaps the Harley will go on a little ride tonight? I hope it goes looking for Simon Cowell?

 

Hi

I realise it's not really a '58 (this was just a little poetic licence to make the Facebook post more amusing!), although the frame is definitely a genuine HD wishbone frame. The bike was built to duplicate the Billy Bike used in Easy Rider - which was itself a collection of parts from many different bikes and also some custom made parts. The builders had to study stills from the film to obtain all the details.

The engine was a brand new Evo unit with a Panhead dress up kit. The ignition system is electronic, but is designed to function with a kickstart.

In truth, I though all these details would be a little too deep (possibly even boring!) for a guitar forum.

The bike is hard to start. I have owned many kickstart bikes in the past, including Triumph's, Norton's & BSA's, but the Billy Bike is definitely the hardest. The biggest issue is that I have had to learn to start it with my left leg as my right leg was injured twice in motorcycle accidents and is not strong enough.

p90fool

Lol that's a relief, I bet we've both seen this sort of bike in the hands of people who have never owned a "proper" before!
Left leg starting is an art in itself isn't it?I've had to start practising that myself as my right knee is pretty well knackered from 30 winters on bikes. If yours is ok when cold though I'd imagine a few carb tweaks should make it easier when hot.
Whatchya got on it? It is a cool bike btw, always preferred the Billy bike, that was the one which grabbed me when I first saw the movie too

luscombe

The carb is the standard Evo CV carb. The problem as I see it is the gearing of the kickstart means that each cylinder only comes on to compression once when you operate the kickstart, so You have to everything right (or be lucky!) to stand a chance of starting the engine. It's very satisfying when you get it right. (hence my tongue in cheek Christine story.  Despite the problems, I know it just wouldn't be the same with an electric starter installed.

octatonic

Went to the UK bike show in Brum today.

Man alive- it was amazing.

Highlights: Triumph & Harley Davidson stands. I was mightily impressed with the finish on the Yamaha cruisers though as well as the girls on the Dunlop stand.

I can has a new helmet:

https://scontent-b-ams.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc3/1487428_427179660745154_717964284_n.jpg

littlegreenman

octatonic said:

I can has a new helmet:

I can has NHD also, just not quite the same type

http://www.sportsdirect.com/images/products/75203701_l.jpg