I suspect the best gear in sports* is the gear that gets you home alive. My dorky mini grigri works; it's small enough to carry, and I'm okay with that. So now worry about riding something that lets you live.
* "Of all sports, only bullfighting, mountain climbing, and motor racing really try a man, that all the rest are mere recreations; games that children play" -Ken Purdy
The questions asked to so many young men in the 80s and early 90s who unknowingly made a questionable clothing purchase, turned up at a gathering with a new haircut, or, yes, rode the wrong motorcycle. Was a great way to prevent purple hair, noserings and being a furry.
When did that stop being a thing? What decade? I feel like it was still kinda' there when my son played HS sports in the '00s. It feels like the pendulum swung really really hard in the last 20-ish years.
Great write-up. You took me back to hanging with the boys, and some girls, in the Clearwater Beach public parking lot in the early 80’s. I had a CB900F at the time. We spent a lot of time doing the back road run from Tampa to Orlando looking for a curve. Central Florida is like that. There were a few sweepers. You captured the attitude perfectly. My problem was I was 25 so I was an old dude even then.
I can't hear much traffic from my house, except the occasional big rig with no mufflers using their jake brake - and the unmuffled superbikes driven by the soldiers from the nearby Army base. You can indeed track their entire progress around town, including when the make a rip down the expressway (over a mile straightline distance from my house) at what are definately triple digit speeds, based on the rate at which the sound progresses from west to east, or vise-versa.
We live a stone’s throw from the Natchez Trace Parkway and hear those bikes often. Still do, which is interesting because that section is closed in order to make the “jump off” bridge less, um, jump off-able…supposedly.
I think that being scrawny in high school created a psychology in me that kept my friends list very short, I mostly kept to myself and was more isolated than not….that being said, I didn’t try inserting myself into group situations, I have never been to a concert even….
My first motorcycle was a 1980 honda 650 custom, and being scrawny meant that I could run with the 750’s, sport bikes were not really in vogue yet. My second motorcycle was a 79 XS elevenspecial, what a hotrod! Followed by an 83 GoldWing standard that I paid 3200 dollars for brand new in 85, I was happy…. And then I got married 😂🤣🤣
I like the Suzuki that Jack hilights here, I think it’s mostly a sensible machine that excels at travel. But many of these machines are too tall, I can ride my street glide comfortably, but these quasi adventure bikes are too far off the ground for me to get good purchase on the ground with even one foot, And the suspension geometry is for that ride hight, so changing it is not a great option.
Lovely article. And I relate very closely. My first bike was also an 86 Ninja 600. I'm not as tall as Jack (I'm 6' 1"), but I felt every mile in that "push up" position after 20 minutes. I was just not meant to be folded up so. My next bike was an 85 K100RS - which I purchased before I had ever seen one in person. It was so much more comfortable - but despite its wind-tunnel designed fairing was not a sport bike at all. A sport tourer I suppose. I went to school at the Military Academy in New York and spent the weekends discovering all of the twisty roads around me (illegally as cadets were not allowed to have bikes). Then I was stationed in Colorado and enjoyed all of the mountain roads the state had to offer. I even went to the top of Pikes Peak - which was a feat back in the day as carbureted bikes lost so much power at altitude. Fun at moderate speeds, but not a great handling bike at all.
After many years with various ADV bikes (and always dirt bikes), I returned to a sport tourer and had a 2006 K1200GT (with 160 hp). Wonderful bike that fit my body and was so much quicker. That motor loved to rev compared to the old, flying brick and the newer 6 cylinder 1600 engine.
I live in Texas now and sorely miss roads with actual curves. Highway interchanges are about the only chance to lean.
In any case, I relate to and approve everything in the article!
I rode dirtbikes as a young-'n-studly 'back in the day" -- 2 stroke motocross bikes in the woods.
In 1984 (which my friend Jack rightly references as "the year" when the 600 Ninjas were the archetype for all that was to come), I was 21 years old, self-supporting, and about 12 months away from being married. I owned what I could afford, which was a 1973 Z1900 made to look as similar to a GPz/Ninja as I could. Kerker pipe, cafe fairing, flat black engine/transmission -- one does what one can with the resources available. I rode that bike until I left for Papua New Guniea as a married man in 1987, and sold it when we came home in 1989. By then, I was the father of 2.75 kids (my wife and I had a lot of free time and not many hobbies when we were young and poor). In 1990, I bought a very clapped out 1984 RZ350 and did a way-too-expensive "engine out" full nut and bolt restoration. That too had "some things" done too it -- expansion pipes, reeds, reworked carbs, etc.
It was frenetic and insane, and I could not stop myself from living out my Kenny Roberts fanboy fantasies every time I kick-started it. Not wishing to leave my wife widowed, nor my children orphaned, I sold the motorcycle sometime around 1992 or 3. And that was that.
I'm about 8 years older than Jack, have a similar injury history, and I've told my entire family that if I somehow make it to 80, I'm going to buy the fastest bike I can still sling a leg over and ride it like I'm 16 again. There's not a single thing about living past 80 that looks good to me.
In the meantime, whereas I now have no one but my child bride financially dependent on me, and where further, that situation having been resolved by means of saving like a little beaver and a pretty alright "buy/sell upon the event of death" agreement with Right-Hand-Man-Brad, I bought a 2001 Road King a couple of year ago. If you would have told 1984 Stan that 2024 Stan would be purchasing an old man HD meant to go "low and slow", I would have probably spit on the ground to get the taste of it out of my mouth.
After 2 years, I'm getting my legs back and am really enjoying it -- enough that I've been looking at things that are a bit "sportier", but are not "the bike". I have a current hankering for S1 Lightning Buells, which I've never ridden, but which are surprisingly inexpensive. I'm looking at one on FB Marketplace right now, but am asking for the input of our host and the commentariat to help me walk in the paths of righteousness. I feel like a 1999-ish Sportster engine setup is likely to be more readily serviceable by more places than something like the Suzukis referenced in this piece... but that the Suzukis mentioned in this piece would be faster (which could be a problem), smoother, and significantly more refined than another paint shaker.
I'm not looking to kill myself on a bike (just yet), and while I still think of myself as a hardcase, I'm significantly softer than I was even 5 years ago. Comfort is pretty important -- I'm short of leg and long of torso, and haven't weighed less than 220 since the Obama administration.
"Ask Jack" is a thing, but I'll take any input from anybody here.
Postscript: Wonderful piece, for many reasons and also because you've come treacherously close to capturing the magic of the Harley-Davidson Big Twin.
I also couldn't care less about what people think, whether it's the "stigma" of the brand or the elitist disdain of the owners... beyond the noise of the rallies, the barbecues and beer-soaked camps, the stale dealership-run "parties", is just a Harley Big Twin on a long ribbon of American open road. Although you love it, I wouldn't say you really feel the love... more like a century of American heritage pushing you along, with that Big Twin thundering under the tank...
The sport bikes were bred from European road courses and Japanese mountains... the ADV's from muddy slogs between remote villages... but the Harley was bred from the American two-lane blacktop, the iconic spans of US-1, Rte 66, or the PCH. Vast distances in a vast land, and a great big American motorcycle to reach that eternal horizon. This is my love letter to the Harley-Davidson Big Twin.
After almost dying recently...
I suspect the best gear in sports* is the gear that gets you home alive. My dorky mini grigri works; it's small enough to carry, and I'm okay with that. So now worry about riding something that lets you live.
* "Of all sports, only bullfighting, mountain climbing, and motor racing really try a man, that all the rest are mere recreations; games that children play" -Ken Purdy
Not Hemingway??
And don’t leave that almost dying recently out there, please! -;)
"You're not a fag, are you?"
The questions asked to so many young men in the 80s and early 90s who unknowingly made a questionable clothing purchase, turned up at a gathering with a new haircut, or, yes, rode the wrong motorcycle. Was a great way to prevent purple hair, noserings and being a furry.
When did that stop being a thing? What decade? I feel like it was still kinda' there when my son played HS sports in the '00s. It feels like the pendulum swung really really hard in the last 20-ish years.
Roughly around 2010-2015
Great write-up. You took me back to hanging with the boys, and some girls, in the Clearwater Beach public parking lot in the early 80’s. I had a CB900F at the time. We spent a lot of time doing the back road run from Tampa to Orlando looking for a curve. Central Florida is like that. There were a few sweepers. You captured the attitude perfectly. My problem was I was 25 so I was an old dude even then.
I had one too. My favorite bike of all time.
I can't hear much traffic from my house, except the occasional big rig with no mufflers using their jake brake - and the unmuffled superbikes driven by the soldiers from the nearby Army base. You can indeed track their entire progress around town, including when the make a rip down the expressway (over a mile straightline distance from my house) at what are definately triple digit speeds, based on the rate at which the sound progresses from west to east, or vise-versa.
We live a stone’s throw from the Natchez Trace Parkway and hear those bikes often. Still do, which is interesting because that section is closed in order to make the “jump off” bridge less, um, jump off-able…supposedly.
Twins are cool but 15k rpm go brrrr
I suspect that Goldwing will be quite rewarding when the time comes.
I think that being scrawny in high school created a psychology in me that kept my friends list very short, I mostly kept to myself and was more isolated than not….that being said, I didn’t try inserting myself into group situations, I have never been to a concert even….
My first motorcycle was a 1980 honda 650 custom, and being scrawny meant that I could run with the 750’s, sport bikes were not really in vogue yet. My second motorcycle was a 79 XS elevenspecial, what a hotrod! Followed by an 83 GoldWing standard that I paid 3200 dollars for brand new in 85, I was happy…. And then I got married 😂🤣🤣
I like the Suzuki that Jack hilights here, I think it’s mostly a sensible machine that excels at travel. But many of these machines are too tall, I can ride my street glide comfortably, but these quasi adventure bikes are too far off the ground for me to get good purchase on the ground with even one foot, And the suspension geometry is for that ride hight, so changing it is not a great option.
Man and Machine, in the moment, both fit for purpose.
You might consider charging more?
Lovely article. And I relate very closely. My first bike was also an 86 Ninja 600. I'm not as tall as Jack (I'm 6' 1"), but I felt every mile in that "push up" position after 20 minutes. I was just not meant to be folded up so. My next bike was an 85 K100RS - which I purchased before I had ever seen one in person. It was so much more comfortable - but despite its wind-tunnel designed fairing was not a sport bike at all. A sport tourer I suppose. I went to school at the Military Academy in New York and spent the weekends discovering all of the twisty roads around me (illegally as cadets were not allowed to have bikes). Then I was stationed in Colorado and enjoyed all of the mountain roads the state had to offer. I even went to the top of Pikes Peak - which was a feat back in the day as carbureted bikes lost so much power at altitude. Fun at moderate speeds, but not a great handling bike at all.
After many years with various ADV bikes (and always dirt bikes), I returned to a sport tourer and had a 2006 K1200GT (with 160 hp). Wonderful bike that fit my body and was so much quicker. That motor loved to rev compared to the old, flying brick and the newer 6 cylinder 1600 engine.
I live in Texas now and sorely miss roads with actual curves. Highway interchanges are about the only chance to lean.
In any case, I relate to and approve everything in the article!
Do tell about the Rec W. This is relevant to my interests
YOU SHOULD HAVE BOUGHT MY STREET TRIPLE!!!!! I GAVE IT AWAY!
Carry on
I won't sell my 2006 SV650 (bought it in '08) until I'm too old to ride it.
Dang.
I rode dirtbikes as a young-'n-studly 'back in the day" -- 2 stroke motocross bikes in the woods.
In 1984 (which my friend Jack rightly references as "the year" when the 600 Ninjas were the archetype for all that was to come), I was 21 years old, self-supporting, and about 12 months away from being married. I owned what I could afford, which was a 1973 Z1900 made to look as similar to a GPz/Ninja as I could. Kerker pipe, cafe fairing, flat black engine/transmission -- one does what one can with the resources available. I rode that bike until I left for Papua New Guniea as a married man in 1987, and sold it when we came home in 1989. By then, I was the father of 2.75 kids (my wife and I had a lot of free time and not many hobbies when we were young and poor). In 1990, I bought a very clapped out 1984 RZ350 and did a way-too-expensive "engine out" full nut and bolt restoration. That too had "some things" done too it -- expansion pipes, reeds, reworked carbs, etc.
It was frenetic and insane, and I could not stop myself from living out my Kenny Roberts fanboy fantasies every time I kick-started it. Not wishing to leave my wife widowed, nor my children orphaned, I sold the motorcycle sometime around 1992 or 3. And that was that.
I'm about 8 years older than Jack, have a similar injury history, and I've told my entire family that if I somehow make it to 80, I'm going to buy the fastest bike I can still sling a leg over and ride it like I'm 16 again. There's not a single thing about living past 80 that looks good to me.
In the meantime, whereas I now have no one but my child bride financially dependent on me, and where further, that situation having been resolved by means of saving like a little beaver and a pretty alright "buy/sell upon the event of death" agreement with Right-Hand-Man-Brad, I bought a 2001 Road King a couple of year ago. If you would have told 1984 Stan that 2024 Stan would be purchasing an old man HD meant to go "low and slow", I would have probably spit on the ground to get the taste of it out of my mouth.
After 2 years, I'm getting my legs back and am really enjoying it -- enough that I've been looking at things that are a bit "sportier", but are not "the bike". I have a current hankering for S1 Lightning Buells, which I've never ridden, but which are surprisingly inexpensive. I'm looking at one on FB Marketplace right now, but am asking for the input of our host and the commentariat to help me walk in the paths of righteousness. I feel like a 1999-ish Sportster engine setup is likely to be more readily serviceable by more places than something like the Suzukis referenced in this piece... but that the Suzukis mentioned in this piece would be faster (which could be a problem), smoother, and significantly more refined than another paint shaker.
I'm not looking to kill myself on a bike (just yet), and while I still think of myself as a hardcase, I'm significantly softer than I was even 5 years ago. Comfort is pretty important -- I'm short of leg and long of torso, and haven't weighed less than 220 since the Obama administration.
"Ask Jack" is a thing, but I'll take any input from anybody here.
Yes! Like you, it took me a long time to figure out that it does not matter who is faster.
What matters is feeling fast, and happy with the dance partner. If it feels fast, it is fast enough.
Postscript: Wonderful piece, for many reasons and also because you've come treacherously close to capturing the magic of the Harley-Davidson Big Twin.
I also couldn't care less about what people think, whether it's the "stigma" of the brand or the elitist disdain of the owners... beyond the noise of the rallies, the barbecues and beer-soaked camps, the stale dealership-run "parties", is just a Harley Big Twin on a long ribbon of American open road. Although you love it, I wouldn't say you really feel the love... more like a century of American heritage pushing you along, with that Big Twin thundering under the tank...
The sport bikes were bred from European road courses and Japanese mountains... the ADV's from muddy slogs between remote villages... but the Harley was bred from the American two-lane blacktop, the iconic spans of US-1, Rte 66, or the PCH. Vast distances in a vast land, and a great big American motorcycle to reach that eternal horizon. This is my love letter to the Harley-Davidson Big Twin.