# Been thinking about buying a new motorcycle.



## paratrooper (Feb 1, 2012)

Something with some color to inspire and motivate me to be the best that I can be.

I'd be very disappointed if the rear rim wasn't the same color as the front.


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## spongemonkey (Mar 4, 2019)

Are you GAY? Just asiking.


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## paratrooper (Feb 1, 2012)

spongemonkey said:


> Are you GAY? Just asiking.


You're still new around here! Give it a couple of years and it'll all come to you a lot easier and make more sense.


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## hillman (Jul 27, 2014)

May not be a rear rim; probably a track. Black. Goes with anything.


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## desertman (Aug 29, 2013)

My God that thing's hideous! Why would anyone do that? I think I'd rather have this one, now that's a how a bike should look.


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## paratrooper (Feb 1, 2012)

I wouldn't want to be out on the highway on either one. 

For me, m/c's have always had to serve a real, legit purpose......other than look like they were just designed / built to go from one bar to another.


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## paratrooper (Feb 1, 2012)

hillman said:


> May not be a rear rim; probably a track. Black. Goes with anything.


Naw......I'm willing to bet the farm (although I don't own one) that it has a rim. It's a low-rider bagger. It most likely has rear air suspension, and once moving, you can then pump up the suspension, allowing a few inches of ground clearance.

BTW.......bikes like this don't handle worth a damn. For the owner / rider, looks are far more important than handling, safety or rideability.


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## desertman (Aug 29, 2013)

paratrooper said:


> I wouldn't want to be out on the highway on either one.
> 
> For me, m/c's have always had to serve a real, legit purpose......other than look like they were just designed / built to go from one bar to another.


I wouldn't either, especially with all these maniacs out on the road. As far as going from bar to bar on one no way, you'd have to be out of your mind. Alcohol and vehicles don't mix. I do love the looks of those Harley engines though they're so mechanical looking. With their exposed push rod tubes, they look like rotary aircraft engines.

My motorcycle days were over when I sideswiped a moving car with one when I was 15. The motorcycle flipped up in the air and landed on top of the car, I ended up on the pavement. It was a Bridgestone 125. I was sitting on it in my friends driveway while it was running and it happened so fast I didn't know what I hit. I must have put it in gear and accidentally let the clutch out. All I remember was BOOM. Then coming to on the highway with all of these people staring down at me. Someone was shaking me. Are you okay, are you okay? An ambulance is on the way. I wasn't wearing a helmet and was damn lucky that I wasn't killed or seriously injured. To make matters worse the cops gave me a ticket for riding without a license. P**sed me off as it was an accident and I had no intention of riding that bike.

What I'd really want is one of these except it won't fit in my garage. At one time my wife and I wanted to go over the road as a husband and wife team. I went to school and learned how to drive and that was enough to know that I wouldn't want to do that for a living. However I do miss driving them, going thru all the gears and hearing the turbo's whine. It was exciting to say the least. Living out of one is another story.


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## paratrooper (Feb 1, 2012)

A long time childhood friend of mine ended up going into trucking. He drove for a few companies until he decided to drive for an owner / operator. He did that for several years until some of his health issues became problems.

My father was also an OTR trucker. I went with him several times when I was a kid. Back then, things were different and truckers were trusted individuals. He finally ended up just driving local until he decided to retire.


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## SamBond (Aug 30, 2016)

paratrooper said:


> Naw......I'm willing to bet the farm (although I don't own one) that it has a rim. It's a low-rider bagger. It most likely* has rear air suspension, *and once moving, you can then pump up the suspension, allowing a few inches of ground clearance.
> 
> BTW.......bikes like this don't handle worth a damn. For the owner / rider, looks are far more important than handling, safety or rideability.


Yeah, low rider / rear air suspension. They don't need a kick stand. Just let the air out and it sits on its ass. 
Saw one a few days ago on the side of the road that had lost its air. Poor guy was trying to drag it away.
Generally I try to help a rider on the side of the road. Couldn't bring myself to mess with that mess.
Besides, he was rocking an MS13 type of look. Not gonna mess with that mess....

Sam


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## spongemonkey (Mar 4, 2019)

paratrooper said:


> You're still new around here! Give it a couple of years and it'll all come to you a lot easier and make more sense.


Didnt mean anything personal. I just find that thing ugly with the colors used and the style of it.


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## desertman (Aug 29, 2013)

desertman said:


> I just love those things, they fascinate me. When I was a kid too, I had a friend who worked for a construction company driving dump trailers, they had both Autocar and Brockway tractors. I'd ride with him a few times. Two of my other friends were owner operators, lost everything and ended up driving for others. One wrecked his truck on Donner's Pass in Truckee, CA that ended his trucking career, he's lucky to be alive.
> 
> I just had to try it just to see what it was like and possibly make a career out of it. Most of my time was city driving. Which was a royal pain in the ass, you feel like a great big whale with all of these little fish swimming all around you. But out on the open highway it was fun. But you can't really learn on the open highway, there's less traffic and for the most part all you're doing is steering the damn thing. City driving you're constantly making all those tight turns, there's a lot more going on around you and you're constantly upshifting and downshifting. But it was the thought of living out of a truck 24/7 that I don't think I could deal with more than anything.
> 
> But I'd still love to have one just to take out for fun just as I do with my antique cars. The only other thing I'd like to try is operating a freight locomotive, one of those AC 4400's but obviously that's never going to happen. My wife and I made several cross country trips on Amtrak's Southwest Chief and Lake Shore Limited. Flagstaff to Chicago to New York and back. That was fun.


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## paratrooper (Feb 1, 2012)

spongemonkey said:


> Didnt mean anything personal. I just find that thing ugly with the colors used and the style of it.


I agree with you 100%. I was just kidding with you again. You'll get used to it.


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## paratrooper (Feb 1, 2012)

Here's a fine example of someone spending a ton of money and a whole lot of time and effort, to make the bike handle as badly as possible. It has to be a real nightmare to ride. And, to make matters even worse, it has a turbo-charger on it. Not sure why that is. It's not as if the bike needs more speed that it can't even utilize.

Then again, maybe that wasn't his intention. Maybe it's just to look at? Some guys like to build bikes strictly for m/c shows, and they never get ridden.


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## desertman (Aug 29, 2013)

paratrooper said:


> Here's a fine example of someone spending a ton of money and a whole lot of time and effort, to make the bike handle as badly as possible. It has to be a real nightmare to ride. And, to make matters even worse, it has a turbo-charger on it. Not sure why that is. It's not as if the bike needs more speed that it can't even utilize.
> 
> Then again, maybe that wasn't his intention. Maybe it's just to look at? Some guys like to build bikes strictly for m/c shows, and they never get ridden.
> 
> View attachment 17053


As gaudy as that thing is, you've gotta' look at it this way, it took a lot of skill and craftsmanship to build that bike. It keeps whoever built it employed. Not to mention all of the parts and accessories manufacturers. I doubt that thing ever gets ridden. It could be more of an advertisement for the builders skills.

One of my friends is building an entire car from scratch about the only thing he didn't make was the engine, tranny and rear axle assembly.


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## spongemonkey (Mar 4, 2019)

Neat and cool! What is the power train going to be? The rearend sort of looks like a Winter's quick change?


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## desertman (Aug 29, 2013)

spongemonkey said:


> Neat and cool! What is the power train going to be? The rearend sort of looks like a Winter's quick change?


That's a good question? I don't think he knows yet? I believe that's a 5.0 Ford engine in the car now but he's now tinkering with the idea of a DOHC Chevy V8 that he has. Indeed that is a quick change rear in the car I'm not sure of the make? He's even designing and making his own wheels. Check out the wooden "buck" that he uses to shape and fit the body panels. Pretty amazing stuff, huh?

Myself, I've restored four cars but that was from something that was already there. But designing and making things from scratch is a whole nother story. Out of my league that's for sure. What he's doing is essentially what coach builders such as Bohman & Schwartz, Brunn, Darrin, Dietrich, Le Baron, Rollson, etc were doing when designing and building the true classic cars of the 20's and 30's. Bugatti's, Cadillacs, Duesenbergs, Custom bodied Packards and such.


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## spongemonkey (Mar 4, 2019)

That thing would be bad with a Chevy V8 DOHC engine!


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## Goldwing (Nov 5, 2014)

paratrooper said:


> You're still new around here! Give it a couple of years and it'll all come to you a lot easier and make more sense.


I am not so optimistic.

GW


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## spongemonkey (Mar 4, 2019)

Goldwing said:


> I am not so optimistic.
> 
> GW


Aw come on, give me a break, a little leeway. I can learn and change if given a chance!


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## paratrooper (Feb 1, 2012)

spongemonkey said:


> Aw come on, give me a break, a little leeway. I can learn and change if given a chance!


You're good to go. Don't sweat it!


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## spongemonkey (Mar 4, 2019)

paratrooper said:


> You're good to go. Don't sweat it!


Thanks! Appreciate your confidence! GW is okay also! Just wanted to "rag" him a bit. I like to have fun posting sometimes.


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## paratrooper (Feb 1, 2012)

We all give one another a hard time at times. That's just what guys do. I find it difficult to trust someone that doesn't partake in that trait. 

If a guy is too agreeable, he's suspect. I read that somewhere on the internet.


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## spongemonkey (Mar 4, 2019)

paratrooper said:


> We all give one another a hard time at times. That's just what guys do. I find it difficult to trust someone that doesn't partake in that trait.
> 
> If a guy is too agreeable, he's suspect. I read that somewhere on the internet.


Dont believe everything you read on the "net" even though it is true!


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## Goldwing (Nov 5, 2014)

I first read the term ad hominem on this forum. I had no idea so I checked the meaning. It is an adjective that describes directing an argument against an individual rather than their position in an argument. 
Since Steve was so kind to enlighten, I have endeavored to not take it personally or get personal.. 
Steve M1911A1 sets a good example.

GW
I


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## paratrooper (Feb 1, 2012)

And, here all this time, I thought an ad hominem was a special cut of pork? 

No wonder all I got was a confused look when I tried to order it at a restaurant.


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## pic (Nov 14, 2009)

paratrooper said:


> Something with some color to inspire and motivate me to be the best that I can be.
> 
> I'd be very disappointed if the rear rim wasn't the same color as the front.
> 
> ...


Selling the BMW? BMW is stepping up their gay promos .

Your sexual preferences are nobody's business .lol


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## Indigowolf (Apr 9, 2015)

paratrooper said:


> And, here all this time, I thought an ad hominem was a special cut of pork?
> 
> No wonder all I got was a confused look when I tried to order it at a restaurant.


And here I was thinking they were some kind of funkie cheezie grits.


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## paratrooper (Feb 1, 2012)

Indigowolf said:


> And here I was thinking they were some kind of funkie cheezie grits.


For some odd reason, I kind of expect to see a plow behind it.


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

paratrooper said:


> For some odd reason, I kind of expect to see a plow behind it.


   

...And, it's in Farmall red!


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## paratrooper (Feb 1, 2012)

Steve M1911A1 said:


> ...And, it's in Farmall red!


And.....it's got a tractor seat.


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## spongemonkey (Mar 4, 2019)

paratrooper said:


> And.....it's got a tractor seat.


I noticed that as well.


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## Indigowolf (Apr 9, 2015)

I'd ride it ...
Does anyone have a guess what kind of a bike it is ???


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## paratrooper (Feb 1, 2012)

I can't tell for sure if it's a full-sized bike or a down-sized bike.

Anyone know anything about it?


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## Glock17 (Nov 29, 2017)

paratrooper said:


> For me, m/c's have always had to serve a real, legit purpose......other than look like they were just designed / built to go from one bar to another.


That real, legit purpose being to insure a supply of donor organs?


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

Indigowolf said:


> I'd ride it ...
> Does anyone have a guess what kind of a bike it is ???


Back when I was riding, we called 'em "thumpers."
Big single-cylinder, long-stroke engines revved slowly, even at full throttle.
We joked that the RPMs exactly matched the rate of passing telephone poles: One revolution per pole, at top speed.
"Thump, thump, thump..."

Mostly, they were British in origin. BSA? Matchless? AJS? Royal Enfield?
Some makers' cylinders were so long that they became the front down-tube of the bike's frame.


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## paratrooper (Feb 1, 2012)

Glock17 said:


> That real, legit purpose being to insure a supply of donor organs?


Motorcycling isn't for everyone. It is and can be dangerous. I've been riding dirt since age 8, and on the street since 16. I turn 65 in October.

At this stage in my life, I pretty much just ride local areas that I know very well. Out-of-state trips are no longer an interest to me.

When I ride, I ride as if my life depends on it. That's what makes a difference. The vast majority of riders are casual riders with limited experience. They're easy enough to recognize.

For me, the most dangerous thing I now do on a daily basis, is to get into my car or truck and drive somewhere. At least I'm well aware of that. Most aren't! They hop into their vehicle and assume they will get from Point A to Point B w/o incident.

As I've mentioned before, living life is a risk in and of itself. There's no guarantee that you will survive to see tomorrow. If you bear that in mind, and do what you need to do to remain observant, you just might make it to the next day.


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## Indigowolf (Apr 9, 2015)

paratrooper said:


> I can't tell for sure if it's a full-sized bike or a down-sized bike.
> 
> Anyone know anything about it?


It definitely is a thumper... It is a custom conversion of the 500cc Buell Blast.
I also have an affinity for thumpers with low end torque. I don't care about top end speed. It is all about the fun factor in riding the little bike that go's.
Oh, I have been "between" bike for far to many years...


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## LostinTexas (Oct 1, 2018)

Wood Ride.









It looks like Rick Fairless and Arlen Ness had a love child, not that anything is wrong with that.


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## paratrooper (Feb 1, 2012)

Indigowolf said:


> It definitely is a thumper... It is a custom conversion of the 500cc Buell Blast.
> I also have an affinity for thumpers with low end torque. I don't care about top end speed. It is all about the fun factor in riding the little bike that go's.
> Oh, I have been "between" bike for far to many years...


Thanks for the reply. I had a hunch it was a Buell Blast in a former life.

I used to have a 1986 Honda XR-600R. Had two of them actually, although at different times.

It had all the low-end torque you could use, and still do 100 mph when the urge hit.


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