IXLR8

Hey, I know those pipes.

Nothing like an MV!

IXLR8

I wonder how many of them are self-inflicted considering the age of the riders and the performance of the motorcycle they are on. At shops, I see far more sport bikes with the front wheel stuffed into the rad than all other types combined.

On the other side of the coin, I've seen car drivers who are totally clueless and our area is a good example (too many brain dead government workers). In some countries, the car driver is initially held responsible in a car-motorcycle accident till proven otherwise.

In my case, it took an 18 year old driver with a 17 day old drivers licence to take me out and write off my motorcycle. I was stopped in traffic; he was busy on his effing cell phone. If I survive the next idiot, I won't be very forgiving.

There is a reason my signature line on another forums reads:
What you won't find in my car is a coffee, cigarette and a cell phone. What you will find is a driver; imagine that, a driver in a vehicle. What an effing concept!

Robert993TT

Motorcycel riders is known as organ donors where I come from. There is a good reason for that I think. That is why I don´t use my bike on public roads that much anymore. Specially after buying my 993 Turbo. I still use the bike on trackdays and will keep doing it as long as I think its fun. It feels much safer in a controlled enviroment. A sportbike like the Ducati 748R is not that comfortable on the street anyway.

boulderbobo

If you have motorcycling in your blood you won't be able to give it up. Many have tried...unsuccessfully...

I say get both.

BTW cars lean the wrong way



Bob-

Rinty

Welcome.

I think many riders go through this, and I did, selling my bike after Lawrence Grodsky died, and after a number of close calls. I've been riding since I was 13.



But no car can replace a bike; they're too different.

I'm looking for another one.

User 52121

My motorcycle buddies will argue that I "gave up" motorcycling for cars but then it's rare that my motorcycle friends and my car friends inter-mix!

Been into motorcycles since about 8. Started off at a relatives farm riding little dirt bikes west of Chicago. Quickly moved into 125cc motocross racing, did that for a long time, then over the years graduated into streetbikes and eventually road racing (culminating with a pro license in 2003.)

But like most fun and financially irresponsible hobbies, life eventually got in the way. I wanted to move my career forward, so I quit racing in 2006 and moved to Seattle for a new job. I got married in 2007 and inherited a step-son (who was 2 at the time.) I picked up a street bike to ride ('05 CBR1000RR) after only owning track bikes for the prior few years, to enjoy the fantastic nearby foothills and mountain roads. But even then, spending time with the family was more important than taking off into the mountains for the day on the bike. My wife loves to ride with me, but shortly after getting married we wound up with full custody of my step-son and it became really difficult to get out and enjoy the bike. Just didn't seem fair to him to dump him off on a baby sitter on a rare warm sunny summer afternoon in Seattle so my wife and I could go ride. We found we preferred to instead take him to the park or go for a bicycle ride - something we could all do together.

So when we relocated back to the Chicago area last year, hanging on to the bike just didn't seem to make much sense. After riding in Seattle for 3 years, riding in the midwest just flat out sucks by comparison. And what few good roads I *did* have out here, most of them are gone thanks to the housing boom. What was once quiet country roads are now overrun with "country style living!" cookie cutter subdivisions.


So with all that said about my motorcycling history - I was a car guy first. Throughout all my time on bikes, I always managed to have some kind of toy or project of the 4-wheeled variety. My dad was a mechanic turn engineer so I spent a lot of time looking over his shoulder and learning from him. The cars I was always passionate about was Porsche. I've been a Porsche nut for as long as I can remember. My parents tell me that my favorite Matchbox toys were always Porsches. For as much as I love motorcycles - you can double that for Porsche. So after moving here, I picked up the 951. I can enjoy my toy now with the family. I can enjoy it while running mindless errands. I can just as easily spend the day cruising around for fun as I can enjoying a trip to the grocery store or picking my son up from school. We got involved in the Chicago region PCA and within a few months the PCA became a very large part of our social circle. It makes it easier to forget the camaraderie I had with fellow motorcyclists - I have just as much with the Porsche folks I know.

And now THAT said - I "inherited" my dad's '96 HD Softail last fall. He ran out of room in his garage (several bikes and several project cars) and needed a place to stash the HD since he never rides it. So on occasion, I put some miles on it. You know, just to keep it running.

So I think it all depends on what you get out of motorcycling. That will determine whether or not you'll be happy replacing it with a sports car.

If you like the camaraderie of motorcycling, then it's definitely possible to replace that. You won't have to look further than your local PCA chapter on any given weekend in the summer to find something to do with your car. Autocross, track days, rallye's, concours, driving tours, group dinners, etc. My wife and I do a little bit of everything and it's possible to have a PCA activity planned EVERY weekend - sometimes more than one to choose from.

If you have kids - then cars are much easier to share the enjoyment with. Not to mention, safer. I've taken my son for short rides on the bike before, he *loves* it, but I'm always paranoid that he'll get distracted looking at something, will let go, and wind up falling off. Then of course there is the obvious safety concerns with motorcycles in general.

You will miss the "out in the open" feeling. Nothing can replace that. Not even a convertible.

Obviously the car's performance won't match that of the bike unless you're looking at something like a new 997 Turbo. But even the slowest of Porsches are an absolute blast to drive.

And as I mentioned earlier - you can enjoy the performance of the Porsche on the way to the grocery store if you wanted to. It's not really possible to bring home a week's worth of groceries on a motorcycle unless you're riding something like a Goldwing. Hell - you can enjoy the Porsche year-round. Wind, rain, sleet, snow (though some might consider that sacrilegious... you CAN do it.) Can't do that on a bike unless you're one of those weirdo year-round BMW riders in Seattle with the heated suits, grips, seat, knobby tires, and death wish commuting to/from work in a snowstorm.

pstraub

Thanks Cactus, I thought you would appreciate it after seeing your GSXR. I have been working on it for 6 years, bought it new 3/05 (GSXR1000). I just 'finished' last summer, kinda like Porsche mods! Just to name a few, full Yosh system, PCIII, Sato rearsets, Ohlins forks, shock and damper, Brembo RCS19 MC and Brembo HP calipers, etc. It's the best sportbike I have ever owned. The irony is, it's an incredible track bike, but with so much money into it, I think I go slower now cause I don't want to throw it down! Here's a pic before I painted it all pearl white and a closeup. Cheers.

RedSled113

Similar story to most of you, I guess. I've had all manner of bikes in my 20 plus years of riding but just recently sold my last one a few months ago because it wasn't getting much use the last few years. I found myself wishing I was in the Porsche everytime I was out riding. Most of that had to do with the traffic in my town in NJ. You could get to some really nice twisties with a little effort and some spare time but there were a number of close calls from distracted "cagers" on most every ride. I'll almost certainly have another one at some point in my life, but I don't miss it currently. My last ride....

Cactus

I love how those brakes feel and remember comparing my stock 97 GSXR600 brakes to my buddies Aprilia Brembos and it was night and day! Never had the cahnce to ride on Ohlins shocks/forks but I guess the hype is legit.

dcdude

My dentist DDs his CBR1000 to work. He had a bad get off a couple years back, concussion, etc. Classic scenario, car turned left in front of him. His doctor friends and those that put him back together gave him a load of **** for being a doctor himself, "knowing better," etc.

His response is that it's amazing how no one complains about the deaths and injuries from "socially acceptable" sports like skiing, scuba or sky diving. Interesting perspective.

I've noticed that LOTS more people wear helmets for skiing now.

kiesan

Yah its an F4 750 Oro, #145/300. Never started or operated. It will be in the Bonhams Carmel, CA auction in May:

http://www.bonhams.com/usa/carsusaquailbikes/

#065/300 recently sold for $59k:

http://www.bonhams.com/cgi-bin/publi...aleSectionNo=2

Some more of #145:

600RR

PS (and cactus): Nice Gixxers. Nice mods. I did the Sato & Ohlins (nice shock and fork cartridges). The CBR stock damper and stock brakes are good. Best mod, though, was the STM Slipper (real peace of mind in case of a bad shift). Acumen gear indicator is pretty cool, too. Woodcraft case covers, R&G toe chain guard, Sato sliders, CRG roll-a-click levers, HIDs, leds, ...

silverporsche993

Bought this brand new in 1982. sold it in '84. bought it back again last year. real bikes (and 911s) are horizontal air cooled.

IXLR8

There is a pic of an MV on that site with what looks like Phil Read's signature on the fairing.

I met him in 2005 at the Eurotunnel parking lot in Folkestone while waiting for my letter to come up.



Oh, and three McLaren F1 were also parked there. I took a pic of the fastest color.

verhag

Sold the bike about 18 months after taking delivery of my 993. To date, I have not missed the bike at all and I had originally planned to keep the bike forever...it did everything I expected from a bike...sporty enough, comfortable 2 up, and suitable for long sport touring rides.....

The bike has been gone now for about 6 months...I never think about it. At 59, and never been down, I figure I got out at the right time, because as they say, it's not if, it's when.....

So, again, no bike can ever provide anywhere near the enjoyment I get out of this car.......

So....why the hell do I find myself watching "Cafe Racer" and browsing Craig's List for a suitable project bike.......