itchy mcgoo wrote: Spending as much time tinkering as riding when a long-delayed summer finally lands is crap.

I'm slowly learning this. The aforementioned 30 year old Vespa has been up on blocks for two weeks waiting for a new suspension and rear tire (which should arrive today). I got to ride it for a total of three weeks.

itchy mcgoo wrote:Everyone told me this before I bought what I did. They also told me I would want a bigger bike immediately. Everyone was correct! But we all have our own marginal utility of things and mine increases dramatically with beautifully-designed objects, so wtf.

I'm hearing the same thing, and yep, my desire to own something aesthetically pleasing is superseding practical considerations!

Zom-zom's tipping me back in favour of Moto Guzzi, however...

I don't put on high miles every year, and I pretty much drive cautiously, don't go very fast, easy on the bike and myself.

But every Spring I just roll it out of the garage, charge the battery, clean it up and it starts like it was running yesterday.

Easy to adjust the valves, parts are reasonable and easy to find, it's like a tractor. No chain either. I don't care much about comfort, it's a motorcycle. It feels fine.

zom-zom wrote:

the$inmusicisallmine wrote:
that happens to me every six months or so. It will pass once you realize that a japanese bike will be smoother, faster and, more reliable and more comfortable for less money. But then again, who says motorcycles should be practical? It is an irrational thing. buy what makes you happy.

I've had my Guzzi 850-T for 20 years now, I brought it into the shop once, three years ago, for a tuneup because I didn't have enough time to do it myself. It's more reliable than any of the Japanese bikes I've had, more comfortable and of course it looks and sounds cooler.

I don't know any other Guzzi owners who have had major problems, they're really good bikes.

every so often I get moto-lust for a Guzzi Sport 1100. The stories I have heard about them are legion.

I bet the old 70s ones are pretty stone ax reliable, tho.

Itchy: a nice R/65 or r/75 or R/100 would be a perfect ride-anywhere do-anything bike. Parts are easy to find, and they are built well to start with. You can't go wrong with an Airhead Boxer.

the$inmusicisallmine wrote:

tmidgett wrote:I got a friendly deal on a 'gay-ass Ducati' several weeks ago,

which one? the baby monster? the multi-strada? c'mon, more details please.

Monster 695. Stock, red. With Hello Kitty stickers on it (courtesy 3yr-old).

I like it a lot. It is not fundamentally different than riding a scooter. It sits lower to the ground than my old Kymco. Just as easy to maneuver, easier if by 'maneuver' you mean 'go forward with some urgency.'

Totally stripped-down, functional, reliable from what I gather, esp now that Ducatis are fuel-injected. Great-looking. Plenty fast enough, but not so much so that I'm getting myself in trouble.

I will probably put new pipes on it sometime in the not-too-distant future. But otherwise, it's my kind of thing among motorcycles.

I think if you factor out everyone who rides dumb, motorcycles are not as dangerous as a lot of people think they are. Not that they are exactly SAFE, but nothing that moves is safe.

tmidgett wrote:
Totally stripped-down, functional, reliable from what I gather, esp now that Ducatis are fuel-injected. Great-looking. Plenty fast enough, but not so much so that I'm getting myself in trouble.

I will probably put new pipes on it sometime in the not-too-distant future. But otherwise, it's my kind of thing among motorcycles.

nice bike and congratulations. i have had two small v-twins (a honda hawk and an SV 650) and they were fun bikes. I will give you my advice, even if you don't want it: don't bother with new pipes yet. Do the suspension first, revalve the forks and rebuild the rear shock, or replace it. Then do steel braided or kevlar brake lines and a brembo MC.

Salut Tim Midgett, Ducati motorbike owner!

tmidgett wrote:

the$inmusicisallmine wrote:

tmidgett wrote:I got a friendly deal on a 'gay-ass Ducati' several weeks ago,

which one? the baby monster? the multi-strada? c'mon, more details please.

Monster 695. Stock, red. With Hello Kitty stickers on it (courtesy 3yr-old).

I like it a lot. It is not fundamentally different than riding a scooter. It sits lower to the ground than my old Kymco. Just as easy to maneuver, easier if by 'maneuver' you mean 'go forward with some urgency.'

Totally stripped-down, functional, reliable from what I gather, esp now that Ducatis are fuel-injected. Great-looking. Plenty fast enough, but not so much so that I'm getting myself in trouble.

I will probably put new pipes on it sometime in the not-too-distant future. But otherwise, it's my kind of thing among motorcycles.

I think if you factor out everyone who rides dumb, motorcycles are not as dangerous as a lot of people think they are. Not that they are exactly SAFE, but nothing that moves is safe.

Also, now you can enjoy countless people putting you into a certain 'class' of riding, along with the secret gay-ass Ducati handshake! I enjoy my Ducati many times more than the negativity of being associated with the brand name though, they are great bikes.

Probably the most scared I ever was in my whole life was on a motorcycle, and it was just because once I got on it, it stroke me as the unsafest thing ever. Plus, you get wet when it rains, you freeze to death when it's cold and 99% of the times it looks like you're a douchebag just trying too hard.

If I ever decide to die while traveling at least I'll try to do it in a way I don't look like a douche.

CRAP

somewhere on the interweb is a video of a girl getting dumped off of one when the guy did a wheelie or something. she got messed up.

Jujyfruits wrote:Probably the most scared I ever was in my whole life was on a motorcycle, and it was just because once I got on it, it stroke me as the unsafest thing ever. Plus, you get wet when it rains, you freeze to death when it's cold and 99% of the times it looks like you're a douchebag just trying too hard.

If I ever decide to die while traveling at least I'll try to do it in a way I don't look like a douche.

CRAP

Be sure to stay off of bicycles as well.