[randayn]

Hey Folks, I was making a list of all the bikes owned over the last 40+ years. Over 150 motorcycles.
Honda, Suzuki, Kawasaki, Yamaha, Triumph, BSA, Harley...
EZ 1/2 a Million $$ spent and not a dime wasted = FUN.
I was just wondering? Are there others out there that have been or are as obsessed?
I must say every bike I have ever owned was special, a personality, all bikes are cool. I read all the forums and every one seems to think what they ride is the best of best, no BEST, they r all cool. Ride them all, Red head, blonde, brunette, they are all great.
OK my gist is you folks that have had em all, what do you THINK? Lets keep it real, if you have only had a couple of bikes or 5 and / or' are a new HD owner, yeah I know! HD is THE !
Let's be Objective. Most of us over 50 started on a su- ya- ho or sumthng... besides HD. Lets hear from You who LOVE 2 Wheels and a Motor.

 

[on2wls]

4 HD, 4 KAW, 5 Honda, 1 Suzi, 1 Yama,

Still have a 78 KZ 1000 stored
Ride a 09 Dyna Super G

40 years on2wls love them all

 

[ironhead smitty]

My first car was a new 1965 Suzuki 125. Rode it everywhere. Loved my Norton Commando and all the Triumph's and BSA's I had. No complaints about the Honda 450/4 or the Yamaha 650 Special either. First time I twisted the throttle on a new Kawasaki 900 I wondered if would die from fun. I have been riding Harley's for 30 years. Have been looking for a deal on a Busa. Love em all!

 

[Michael Psycle]

Here are the bikes I have own and ridden in my 45 years of riding. I tend to buy a bike and keep it for a long time.

1967 Suzuki X6 Hustler
1969 Kawasaki W2 SS (650 cc)
1975 Honda CB360
1978 Honda CB750K
1982 Honda Sabre (700 cc)
1992 Harley Davidson FXR which I still have with 96,000 miles on in it.

Last year I bought and sold a 1999 BMW K1200LT which I took on a 7,000 cross country ride. I didn't like the bike. I had a lot of trouble maneuvering it at low speeds.

 

[canadianroaddog]

1971 Yamaha JT1
1968 Harley Davidson Leggero
1969 Yamaha 100 Twin Jet
1972 Honda XL 250
1974 Husquvarna 125 WR
1975 Husqvarna 250 CR
1976 Honda 400F
1977 Honda 750 Four
1980 Honda CR 250
1969 Triumph 650 Bonneville
1975 Harley FX
1994 FLHTC
2005 FLTRI Roadglide
1980 Shovelhead chopper
2011 FLTRU Roadglide
Spread out over a 41 yr period

 

[Tequila SG]

3 Hondas
2 Suzukis 1400, 1500
1 Kawasaki GPZ1000 Eddy Lawson
2 HD Baggers

 

[ccraig]

Jawa Cz
Lambretta
Flathead 80
BSA Lightning
BSA Thunderbolt
BSA Spitfire
HD FXS
HD FLHTCU
HD FLHTCU

Craig

 

[filterless]

four with motors, all flavors. first one in 80. had an affinity for a
74 schwinn folks bought me new on my bday. put many miles on
it. me and buds would tie fishin poles to the top bar and head for
creeks and such, sometimes come home with fish. a different time,
no computers.

04

 

[6.5kev]

1964 iron, pushrod Honda 50
1961 Honda Dream 305
1969 Suzuki 125 twin
1970 rotary valve Kawasaki 250 twin
1971 Suzuki T350 twin
1972 Kawasaki Mach III 500
1973 Honda CB450
1975 Honda CB750 supersport
1970 Yamaha R5 350 twin
1979 Yamaha XS-11
1998 H-D XL 883
2002 Ultra
2002 Ducati ST2
2006 Honda GL1800 wing
1981 Kawasaki CSR650 (someone just gave it to me)

I'm enjoying recalling them. I still have the last seven. Wish I kept them all. Learned a lot wrenching on them. Put the pistons in backwards on the 125 once and broke a few head studs 'til I got a torque wrench!

The 250 was totaled in a rear ender. Only had it two weeks and put 1800 miles on it. That was the first bike I had that could keep up with traffic. The Mach II was fun but temperamental -- didn't like altitude.

Rode the 350 from the bay area, where I lived at the time, to British Columbia in two days. It was easy. Put 70,000 mi on the CB750. The Eleven was one of the first bikes with a transverse engine and a shaft drive. It was about the fastest bike back then.

 

[Nik00117]

My first bike I rode

a 1991 Yahama XYZ (or something like this)
I owned a 1999 Honda VTX 1100
And now a 2010 Road Glide Custom

 

[Tomanybikes]

Being a mechanic over the years, I always bought a used not running bike from someones garage. I would fix it, ride it a while and sell it for a profit. It has been a money making hobby that I get to enjoy the rides as well. I have 3 right now and am still doing the same thing. Making money on a harley is harder to do. You can buy a broken down rice burner for cheap and double your money pretty easy. Broken down Harley's are STILL expensive. lol

I bought 4 this year and probably have averaged 3 or 4 per year over the last 30 years.

Favorite bikes were the old goldwings. I've had 5 different goldwings. The worst part about the wings was that I would always hit my shins on the engine. Oh and all of the wings had the decel steering shake to some degree.

Most all of the v twins will put my butt to sleep after an hour. 1500 intruder, 1500 vulcan, yamy royal star, all put the but to sleep too.

The balanced engine on the heritage is pretty comfortable so far, but I bought it at a good price. When the mood strikes, I will probably sell it.

The yamaha xs 1100's were very quick and smooth as well. I had several of those.

I can't count the number of 800 intruders, vulcans, and around that size shadows I've had. For the small bikes the vulcans seemed like the best.

When you go to around the 1100 size the yamaha was my favorite. vstar's and virago's both.

Worst bike was probably a 600 shadow.

Best keeper bike didn't really exist for me as I wasn't looking to keep them for long.

Never had a brit and until now, never a harley.

When I first started riding in the late 70's on the road it was on dt, xl and xt enduro's. A recent klr 650 was a pretty good ride for an enduro even though it was VERY tall.

The xt500 I kept for quite a while. Fun bike, but every now and then when you were kick starting it.... It would kick back and put my knee into the bottom of the mirror mount. Man that $hit hurt.

This is kind of like a memory test.

 

[Vern1]

The present Harley is number 95.
I've had a sprinkling of Hondas, Yamahas, Suzukis, Kawasakis, Pentons, Bultacos, Triumphs, BSAs, Harleys, Hodakas,
Like the gentleman above, quite a few of them came to me in boxes, milk crates, sometimes complete sometimes a total mess.
Bought a few new.
Still have 12 or so of my favorites.
Keeps me sane but some folks will question that.....

 

[randayn]

Like TOMANYBIKES most of the bikes I bought were orphans, or abused and neglected. My pleasure is to bring them back to life. Clean and detail, enjoy the ride then pass them on to a good home.
I seek out the more rare models and any thing I once lusted after in my youth. Time machines. Pre 1980 are my faves, 1960 Hondas are some of the best made simple bikes, I do LOVE old Hondas and Harleys.
At one time I tried to collect but ran out of room. My first goal was to have a bike from each of my favorite makes. Then I wanted a different bike for every day. A different bike for every style. A bike of every motor type. Did that.
Bought my first Harley in 77 a 350 Sprint. In the last 35 years I have had about 50 different HDs. Many duplicates of certain models, 5 Fatboys every one different, 4 FXRs and one of every base model and configuration. I think the only post 80 HD I have not owned is the Road glide.
I am down to 3 or 4 at a time now, going to concentrate on quality vintage orientals. The one bike in my stable that may be a keeper is a 1977 GL 1000, Minty and runs perfect, bone stock and all original. No more full custom HDs, only the most rare of rare a bone stock, pipes and all Evo. I want my 1984 fxst 4 speed kicker back, had # 5oo or something. Enjoy the ride and the mamories Randayn

 

[dog155]

Since 1962 have owned near 3 dozen bikes except for one BSA Lightning,several Whizzers own one now,all have been Harleys.Bought 3 new ones in the 70's,since the 80's all have been strokers, the first a 93" Shovel,now own a 124" Evo,155" TwinCam and recently a 406" Boss Hoss,building an all aluminum Donovan 800hp SB2 topped 427"sbc.My oldest bike was a 1937 UL bought in 1962 for $35.00.
My wife is a Harley lady always was always will be the reason why we have been together for 43 yrs.

 

[2010 FLHX]

FIRST bike I owned was a Harley Davidson -- about 1965, a POS two cycle 175cc rig. Harely tried to enter the smaller bike market to compete with Honda. Thank gawd they decided to get out of that business, just like they decided to buy the company back from AMF/Voit. I left that one blown-up on the side of the hwy in AK on the way from Anchorage to Seward.

Second bike was a 1970 Triumph TR6R right after I got out of the Army. Never stopped leaking oil, mostly more apart than running. Fourth time the engine blew up I decided to get rid of it.

Third bike was a 1972 Honda 750cc 4 cylinder. Ugly brown, but I was into "brown" a lot back then. Only work I ever did on that one was check the valve clearance (0.002" and 0.004" -- never had to adjust, just check). My buddy was into dirt bike racing, owned a Maico 360 cc that he'd let me ride now and then, in the dirt, not street legal.

Seems like I sold that Honda so I could afford going to school. That was a nice bike, except for the stretched out chains.

"It's been a long, cold, lonely winter . . . "

2005 I bought a '96 Heritage. That was a nice ride, candy red w/ lots of custom bling. Sold it after 4 months because I wasn't ready for the expense. Last straw was blowing out a NEW Avon Viper tire. The shops were all closed, and it cost me $300 to get the bike transported home -- then the tire replacement.

Now I have a 2010 FLHX, bought it for Valentine's Day. We've decided it's a spendy hobby, but probably not as expensive (psychic and physical) as seriously drinking.

I have a wild hare up my butt for a Trike . . .

 

[WillM]

Wow! I feel like such a baby at this. I've been riding off and on for about 40 years...
only 6 bikes
I now ride an 02 Fatboy and have a Honda VTX1300R in the garage i'm trying to sell.
Maybe, when I grow up, I can at least pass the 10 bike mark; well, that's if I can sneak them by the wife!

 

[Tony216]

Here's what comes to mind:

1978 GT80
1979 KZ750
1994 CBR600F2
2000 GSXR750
2001 GSXR1000
2004 Monster S4R
2006 636
2006 SM510r
2006 DRZ400sm
2005 SV650
1988 FZR400
1990 FZR400
200X XB12R
2009 SR50
2000 R6
2008 Speed Triple
2001 Dyna

I think that's it. I've been riding for about 17 years.

I can honestly say, I enjoyed all of them, except my GSXR750, but I never missed one after it was gone.

 

[randayn]

It is a chore but fun to try and make a list, by make , by year, by size. When I was younger it was buy 1 sell 1, as I got older I could own 2 but try and sell the other, then I could have a couple to work on and make some money to buy up.
Then as my wife says I went CRAZY. All of my spare money went to the bikes. HD was my undoing. Way too many options, trying to be unique spend a fortune on add ons and chrome just to see another just like mine.
Then I started fabricating out of the box, chop, cut, rat, bob, blackout, one off. all fun. I once took a perfect black and chrome Sporty and used steel wool and buffed every inch of the bike , paint , chrome alum., even the rubber. made a thousand dollars on the deal. Long before Exile.
It seemed the more parts I took off the sooner it sold. I once spent 12,000 to chrome out a bike and lost my ass. Theme bikes, flame , skull, splash, grafix, and the next year, Common.
I went to Daytona every year for 20 +, Cool Concept , the next year, there it was, my Bike times 1000. Not much new under the sun.
Back in the day I hung around Beach street, Joker, Kury, JJ when it was all new and fresh, I remember when the big guys today were way out at the end of the street with 2 customs and now are icons.
Now I look back to the simple times, a nice quiet ride round the hood. Fresh air and slow pace. My first bike a Honda 50cc a smoke and $1. cruise all day. My Honda 350 a BIG bike. Triumph 650 a monster and my Honda 750 the king.
Today a Busa seems tame to the memories of riding a Yamaha xs 650 at 100 MPH. Climbing hulls on my Kawi 175. The first time I rode a Brand new Kaw 900, wow.
I remember the Yam RD 350 and the Mach III, oh yeah. The chopper that was 10 feet long and the mile high apes on my Honda 450. Just all a great rush. That's what I am talking about .
I don't look like a "biker" I still wave at 2 wheels, I can fix anything but fuel injection and ecu on the side of the road. I respect all brothers in the wind, Scooter to Trike. Harley D is a great bike but it is not the end all be all. Hey go ride a Helix, if you don"t think that is fun then you are not a real "biker"
randayn

 

[florida dyna]

I have had:

1- Suzuki
1- Yamaha
1- HD Street Glide

I currently own a Dyna Super Glide.

 

[Thermodyne]

The two I have now make it 6.