(first posted 2/12/2013) As with many young men, eventually the roving eye turns to that two-wheeled conveyance, the motorcycle. Mine was no different. Being at college 185 miles away from home had a big advantage: my mother was not in the immediate vicinity to put the kibosh on the plan!
An acquaintance of mine had the bike in question (Top photo, not the much nicer one immediately above), he let me ride it, and ten minutes later I handed over a couple of hundred dollars and it was mine! I have no recollection of having ridden anything besides a moped a couple of times previously, and am not entirely sure how it was that I was able to master the clutch etc. quickly enough to walk up to this bike, fire it up, try it, buy it, and ride it home. But I did and it was glorious!
The bike, however, looked anything but glorious. Obviously it was a bike that had been passed through a few hands, as it now sported a primered tank and somewhat faded color on the other trim pieces. Being a responsible sort, the first things I did was buy a helmet, take the motorcycle driving test, get motorcycle insurance and then visit the dealer to have them check the bike over. These four steps easily put me at least the same number of steps ahead of most of the other motorcycle riding students in town… The dealer recommended a new rear tire, chain, and sprocket, which I had them replace for not very much money. Motorcycle service departments were (and are) different from automobile service departments in that generally everyone in the dealership rides motorcycles, knows about them, and is interested. Also, the service and parts are generally less costly than for a car.
The Suzuki GS450 came in several variations in the U.S. , including a cruiser style (L) and a sport style (S, with a small front fairing/screen); mine was the base “E” model and looked similar to some BMW’s and Moto Guzzi’s of the era with squared off lines and an attractive design. The parallel-twin cylinder engine put out 44hp and the whole bike weighed about 380 pounds with a top speed of around 95mph. Suzuki sold this model for quite some time, replacing it with the GS500E in the early 90’s of which my brother had an example later on; its feel was very similar with a bit more of a “tucked” riding position. Basically, they were good, solid bikes that were a fair value and easy to ride. Electric start helped a lot as well for beginners and at one point there was even an automatic transmission available, although the standard 6-speed sequential gearbox was a nice unit.
It is amazing how different the motorcycle experience is relative to a car, even a convertible. You notice every slight temperature variation as you go up and down hills or even undulations in the roads, you experience many more smells and you are more attuned to the nature that you are riding through. You also notice the condition of the roads more than you would otherwise and you realize how shockingly bad some drivers are.
For a while this was my only transportation; I rode it everywhere and took others with me as well on back. San Luis Obispo is a small town at sea level with a generally mild climate, meaning year-round motorcycling is usually not a problem. At the beginning of the fall, there was a Motorcycle Safety Foundation training course being held, so I signed up for that; if nothing else, I might learn a few things and it also served to reduce my insurance premium.
It was a great course, they supplied bikes, and gave a lot of instruction involving correct cornering and threshold braking, etc. I did learn quite a few things over that weekend. On the Tuesday morning after the course I was dismayed to read that the instructor, after loading up the 20-odd motorycles into his trailer and towing them back to wherever he was based (not locally), had apparently been involved in a head-on accident about 50 miles outside of town, resulting in his death. Kind of ironic, having taught motorcycle safety skills to a bunch of us, then having an accident in an F-350 with a large trailer; an event that he very possibly could have avoided had he been on a motorcycle.
About a month later I had my own “encounter”. I was driving through town at about the posted limit when I began to go through an intersection (green light) and then realized that the car (red Triumph Spitfire) coming from my right was about to go right through his red light. He noticed me, locked his brakes and slid into the intersection. I applied my counter-steering skills, heard my left peg scrape as I attempted to get out of his way, felt a jolt and found myself in mid-air, disconnected from the bike.
Then I landed and rolled. It hurt, but as soon as I stopped rolling on the pavement, I recall lifting my head to make sure the dude was not fleeing the scene. I saw several people run my way and also some run to him and then I laid back down. Within a minute or two there were several police and then the paramedics showed up. They transported me to the hospital where I was released a couple of hours later with a lot of bruises and severely skinned knees. The doctor told me my helmet had received a large hit and without it I would not be leaving so quickly if at all. To this day I can’t/won’t go through a green light in a city without covering the brake and looking all around.
It turned out that I had almost avoided the car, but those huge rubber bumper over-riders on U.S.-market Spitfires jutted out so far that I nailed them, tearing them off the car in the process. The driver (uninsured, another student) claimed that I was at fault but there were several witness statements to the contrary. I ended up taking him to small claims court in order to win compensation for the damage to the bike and my injuries.
After that I shopped. The bike needed new mirrors, signals and one of the pipes had a hole in it, as did my helmet. In town we had an actual motorcycle salvage shop, I found the mirrors and lights that I needed and then ordered a new Vance&Hines single-sided megaphone exhaust pipe that I installed. It sounded great but still looked pretty ratty with that primered tank.
So for Christmas I rode it down to my parents’ house in L.A. The ride down was great; I left in the morning, got on the freeway and headed South. Gassed up around Santa Barbara after a few moments of panic trying to toggle the little switch to the reserve tank when it started cutting out while riding at 65mph (no gas gauge…) and just sort of kept up with traffic. It was a bit buffety, but warm enough and I had a set of thick gloves and my ski-jacket on. The bike just hummed along underneath me, the engine purring like the little Japanese sewing machine that it was…
Over the Christmas break our retired neighbor Warren was looking at it and said he had a spray set up and if I wanted we could repaint the bike. Uh, yeah! I spent the next two days sanding all the paintable parts and then went to an automotive paint shop and had them mix up a quart of “Mars Red”. This color might be immediately familiar to VW/Audi fans – It is the same color used on the 1983-84 Audi Quattro here in the US as well as on the 1985 VW GTI and Jetta GLI before those switched to Tornado red for 1986. Being a big Audi fan this was the color for me.
We painted the bike parts and the next day I put them all back on the bike. How’d it turn out? In hindsight OK, not great, no drips but a bit of a rough surface; looked good from five feet away, not so great when you were right up on it, but MUCH better than the primer tank look! I also took the opportunity to change the oil, a bit different than on a car but not much, except I had to take the new pipe off as it blocked all access. This was my first experience with a cartridge filter, which seem to be coming back into vogue in car applications nowadays as well.
Riding back up after New Year’s was not as good as riding down, it was cold and then it started to rain and I may have liked to have believed that I noticed a snowflake or two in the pass. Even with heavy clothing on, I got chilled quickly and stopped several times to thaw out. The bike did great (better than me) and delivered me back to school without a problem. Overall, that little bike showed me a great time and really opened my eyes to the joys of a different way of motoring. I kept it through the following fall and eventually sold it to another buddy of mine, for all I know it is still there in San Luis Obispo getting someone to and from class. But in the meantime I found another “opportunity” that took me in yet another automotive direction. Stay tuned…!
Just about every rider has his story of his handshake with Death.
Some are put off and hang it up; some laugh off the encounter and wear and sometimes show the scars. And then, a few…myself included…do both.
I had a similar experience in Michigan. A year earlier, I’d bought an old Yamaha R5C two-stroke…totally inadequate. Long story there, but that bike’s glory days were long gone. A local mega-dealer changed hands and the new owner was clearing out inventory, including (in 1986) a collection of new 1981 SR500s. $999…little did I know, that would have been one bike that appreciated greatly in value. Ah, but it didn’t have a chance.
I bought it in celebration of landing a new job. Which, three months later, I was unceremoniously sacked from. Not laid off – FIRED, drop-kicked out the back door. To salve my hurt feelings, I loaded up some clothes and a tent and headed off for a Broke Man’s Tour Of America.
Got as far as Roscommon County, Michigan. I was aiming for the Straits of Mackinac…roll thorough the Upper Penninsula and then head West By Northwest. But…another driver had other plans.
She planned to get the five little kids in her one-bench pickup-truck cab, home ASAP. While towing a boat. Crossing U.S. 27 from a gravel road, she: a) ran a stop sign; b) realized her goof and dynamited her brakes; c) forgot her trailer; thus d) laying down a barricade across the road for the oncoming traffic – ME.
I laid it down at 50. No other escape. I had a helmet on – that morning; the day before, crossing Ohio, where bareheaded was legal, I’d had it tied in with my gear. THAT..was a MIRACLE.
Because I hit my head hard enough to break the helmet. The EMT crew expected a head-trauma case, but once the helmet was off, all there was – THERE – were red marks from the padding. Unfortunately I wasn’t so well equipped elsewhere; no body-armor equaled a knee open to the bone. In addition to broken wrists and elbow and ribs.
Meantime, the driver – a family friend of the sheriff, as I later found – found lying and changing stories an acceptable way of dealing with the problem. I was too out of it to notice; but the guy following me was an off-duty Detroit cop. In their Motors unit. Yup…a trained cyclist.
He listened, said nothing, quickly checked me out and took private notes. The sheriff was all ready to “lose” critical data of the incident, but the cop/witness was quite “helpful” later.
All for naught. Michigan had no-fault liability law, which precluded awards for negligence for pain and suffering or for punitive purposes. I got nothing; my attorney got nothing; this woman got nothing retributive.
Anyway…I decided road-rash was not to my liking; so I hanged things up. From my hospital discharge, 1986, to 2008. At that point…getting older, I was waxing philosophical. I’ve had a full life, goes the thinking…if I get run over by a Mack truck tomorrow, it’s been good. Better than expiring in stages in a VA nursing home.
So I took it up…and while I’m no longer looking to pick up the chickies, I’ve done the cross-country tours I only dreamed of the first time. Colorado; Texas; Banff. The Pacific Northwest and the Smokey Mountains are on my bucket list.
Sometimes…older is better.
I don’t know the statistics, but I respectfully challenge the statement that “Just about every rider has his story of his handshake with Death”. I have been riding for almost 40 years and currently own and ride three bikes. While I’m still “intellectually” interested in cars (hence my addiction to CC) I’ve really lost interest in owning anything other than practical cars, and get a lot of transportation and all my motorized pleasure from my motorcycles. Anyway, despite hundreds of thousands of miles on two wheels, all over North America and some of it frankly at speeds well above the limit, including years of commuting in heavy Bay Area traffic, I have had few accidents and only one involving a car; the latter very minor but 100% my fault, and my only spill of any kind in the last 25 years. Take MSF training and wear All the Gear All the Time (ATGATT). I do agree that bikes aren’t particularly cheap to run. Our Prius gets about the same gas mileage as my bikes and does that carrying 4 people and luggage. Car tires last three or four times as long, and cost less per tire, etc. Anyway, great story by Jim Klein on a now mostly-forgotten Suzuki that was a great bike in its time. It’s sad that Suzuki cars came to an ignominious end here in the US, when their bikes continue to be superbly engineered and manufactured.
Your attitude mirrors my own – love cars, as I love bikes…but right now, all I want to own is a transportation appliance.
On four wheels, anyway.
I think, through luck or skill, you’ve just been very fortunate. There are bold riders; and old riders…but damn few old, bold riders. Road-rash is much more common than you perhaps think.
I would seriously beg to differ than motorcycle parts and service are any cheaper. Just ask Syke about that….
These were great little bikes a really tough design. The roller bearing crank was pretty much unkillable and it was bikes like this that put so many riders on the road back in the the 1980’s.
Oh, HELL YEAH, cycle parts are more expensive. The markup on them is incredible, and always has been. Robert Pirsig addressed that in his semi-autobiographical Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.
It was why he learned what he learned – the incompetence of shops out his way; and the high cost of parts. He found it fun to machine his own parts and do his own repair work.
The way I see it: A cycle shop figures you know nothing, or you’re rich and don’t have the time. Why else would you be going to a cycle shop? So they squeeze the teat as hard as they can.
Great story. JustPassinThru has a great story too.
I bought a new SR500 back in 1978. In 1983 I got a job as a motorcycle messenger. This was in Los Angeles. I was 22 years old and I rode that bike for 10K miles in 3 months. I then got a Yamaha Seca XJ650 RJ. That was a much nicer bike, and much more suited for the messenger job. 4 cylinders and a shaft drive really made a difference. I rode the Seca 30K miles in 7 months on the job. I fell down a few times but nothing really bad. I quit the messenger job in 1984. I sold the SR500 in 1988 and I sold the Seca in 1990. I did not ride a bike at all after selling the Seca.
Then I went to Turkey on vacation 6 years ago and decided to rent a scooter. Off I went down the road, no helmet, no gloves, no leather, no nothing. Of course I crashed that thing, twice in 15 minutes. I will have the scars for the rest of my life.
Now I know better than to go near anything with two wheels. I used up eight of my nine lives riding bikes, big and small, I need to hang on to this last life with both hands.
Older is better. Provided you make it to older…….
Good to see a couple bikes on here again. After a string of bikes that included the japanese quartet, ducati and who can remember what else, I hung it up when my Son was born. That’s now almost 35 years ago.
Now after broken back, broken neck, and a fused wrist that were caused by non motorcycle accidents I have another bike and wonder why I ever stopped. There is a little DT175 setting outside my door patiently waiting for us to make our vacation trip to Canada (leave tomorrow for 11 days) because I intend to get acquainted again when I get back. I owned it’s big brother the Yamaha DT250 and wrote about it here on CC. I think (and thought) the DT175 was a better bike for me then and now.
I rode it before I bought it and am convinced that it’s like a couple other natural things that sometimes lapse. You just don’t forget how. I think bikes are the best simple transportation a person can have. Now if you could just get the cage drivers off the road it would be an improvement but you already know that.
Btw,I think your bike started out less than a 450 and know it finished up as a GS500. It was considered by many to be one of the best bikes built when they stopped. They were using the same equipment they had used for years and sure had the kinks worked out. I wish I had bought one before they stopped but was still teaching and the commute across Houston wouldn’t have been smart at all.
Yes I think it was the GS400 in the mid/late 70’s, then bumped to the 450 with different styling and then the 500 with completely different styling and completely different frame and suspension as well.
Spent a year or two as the GS425 as well.
my friend used to have a similar model and he would always refer to it as the Su-sucki but he loved it. I think he was just intimidated by all of the Harley riders in upstate NY and it made him feel inferior in some ways. The darts people would throw like rice rocket, crotch rocket, saki-machine.
These are great pieces of transport for all but three months out of the year. Reliable, agile, relatively light and inexpensive to maintain. Always wanted one like these because, man, wind in your face, sun on your back, curving and winding on a beautiful fall day beats the hell out of the bus or subway. The problem with riding a bike is not if you fall but when.
I too rode when I was younger, on a Kawasaki S1 2-stroke triple. The day I almost took my buddy’s right kneecap off on someone’s bumper while weaving through traffic started me thinking about concentrating on cars, and soon I sold the bike. That was 1976.
For whatever reason, in 2006 I started getting the motorcycle bug again. I ended up buying a 1976 Honda CB200T. Not a very exciting bike, but a dead-reliable errand runner and occasional work commuter. I feel much more suited for riding now, in my mid-50s than I was when I was 20 and stupid.
That Suzuki is a sweet bike.
This is my Honda at Rockerbox, an annual bike event in Milwaukee. It started out as the anti-Harley 100th meet. If it was ever made, you are likely to see it here.
Ooh, that looks nice! If I ever get back into it again, that’s pretty much what I want, style-wise. Maybe the Honda CB400 though, but pretty much the same look. Just something nice for around town and light backroad riding.
Interesting. I’m sure there are many people who rode in their younger years, quit while they were ahead, but always wanted another bike. The thing is, I dont think many of those people, myself included, actually follow through. I’d also like to think I’m more suited for riding in my 50s than my 20s but I’d like to see some data on that.
Time to aim that headlight. (picture 1)
Haha, that pic is from the series the police shot after the crash. They stood it up and took a bunch of photos of it (and me on the ground and the car that hit me).
Oh, OK.
I thought maybe you were using the bike for raccoon hunting.
It’s Monday evening and I’m finally back on the computer after a two day absence (Sunday was the first test ride of the Pontiac Solstice that just replaced my Porsche 924S, today was finally getting my Harley FXR back after some carburetor work) . . . so, of course, what day do I miss the new posting.
Sit back folks, lots of comments to come.
You say 380 pounds and 44 horsepower? Sounds just like my ’69 Triumph Bonneville. Just ditch the electric start and pick up a bit more handling, and you’d be right with me..
Regarding the Handshake with Death: I’ve been riding damned near daily since the spring of 1976, and in that time have had only two serious accidents. Crazily enough they happened within ninety days of each other back during the spring/summer of 1998. The first one was in April and was totally my fault. I was pushing the Bonnie into the three way intersection, saw a truck coming in the passing lane (4-lane street) and did the right turn. Never expected him to change lanes and he crossed thru the intersection. One broken collarbone, and definitely my bad.
The second was in June, a week after I’d moved to the Richmond area. As I have no memory of the accident from being knocked unconscious, I can only go by the bike (’97 Kawasaki ZX-6R) damage. Best guess is that I was standing in line at a red light, and was hit and run from behind. Other than a 23-hour precautionary stay in the hospital, I was uninjured. The real damage was discovering that Anthem BC/BS had bobbled my health insurance transferring from PA, and I was uncovered at the time of the accident. And it was MY responsibility to see to it that it went thru properly, not the company’s.
Regarding the cost of motorcycle parts (and, for that matter, service). I’ll keep my specific examples with Honda, as that’s where I’ve been working for the last nine years, although I’ve got Ducati, BMW, Yamaha and Can-Am experience, too:
First off, the biggest factor working against the motorcycle is that, in America, a motorcycle is a recreational vehicle, not a daily mode of transportation. Which is why I learned decades ago that if you want to commute by motorcycle all the time, you have to own two bikes. Because there’s normally no way you’re going to get same day service on a bike like you do with a car.
This is because of parts supply. With the exception of Harley-Davidson’s, there are no equivalents of Auto Zone, NAPA, BAP/Geon, etc. Parts come from the manufacturer, period. And, say, you want valve springs for your 1982 CB900C – ordered today, assuming its at the closest warehouse (the one where the order number starts 80xxxxxxxxx) the part will be in on the Wednesday FedEx delivery. Which normally shows up around 1600 in the afternoon. And later, if I’ve got a pain in the ass customer who started calling at 1000 that morning to see if his part arrived yet – but he won’t pay for overnight delivery. Further out warehouses and cross ships can add anywhere from one to five business days to that order.
And why don’t we have that part on the shelf in the first place? If you’re talking a Japanese motorcycle, a major part of the problem is the manufacturer’s competitive practice of virtually obsoleting their entire retail line every five to seven years. A small block Chevy is something easy to rebuild. Made for decades, everybody and his brother makes replacement or hop-up parts for them, and retail outlets abound. And you can always stuff a 1985 engine in a 2005 chassis.
A CBR600F1 (aka Hurricane) of 1987-88 vintage has absolutely nothing in common with a CBR600RR of any vintage (we’re talking 2000 and up) other than the engine size. Nothing cross references, substitutes, or will fit in various frames of the supposedly same models of other years. The classic four cylinder CB750 (SOHC) lasted only from 1968 thru 1978. The replacement DOHC CB750 started in 1979 and lasted until something like 2005 (the 750 Nighthawk). Here again, two completely different motorcycles, noteworthy because they actually lasted – these were the motorcycle equivalents of a SBC. We’re talking an industry that prides itself on redesigning a bike every couple of years to keep ahead of the other three competitors.
Next problem: The age of the bike. There are days I wonder if anyone buys a new motorcycle anymore. Obviously, they do, because I’m still employed, but given the prices nowadays (a rather pedestrian Honda NX700 twin is about $8000 – a Gold Wing starts at $21,000) I’m not surprised to see people constantly coming up with 25 year old motorcycles long stored forgotten in someone’s garage and going ballistic because I’ve just quoted them $1400.00 in parts to get that $500.00 motorcycle running. Parts are parts, it costs roughly as much to make a valve spring for a 1988 CB750 as one for a 2010 CBR600RR. For some reason, customers expect that the price of parts should be in proportion to what they paid for the bike.
That is, if the part is still being made. Here’s the real failing of the lack of aftermarket replacement parts for motorcycles: All four Japanese manufacturers are interested in selling new motorcycles, not keeping a twenty year old model on the road. In their eyes, every person who insists on keeping his 2000 750 Nighthawk with windshield and three bag setup running is not a customer for a new ST1300. And there’s nothing that’s going to change that attitude. They make parts for a given model about 9-10 years (no, I don’t have a set date for how long they must make parts – I’m not even sure if that set date exists), after which “we have these new models you’d be much happier with . . . . ”
The Europeans aren’t as bad, only because they don’t make the insane plethora of models the Japanese manufacturers do. BMW, until a few years ago only made three different engines in their history: Airheads (opposed twins 1923-1993), Bricks (in-line, laid-over triples and fours starting in 1984 and I believe still in production), and Oilheads (the modern opposed twin). Recently they’ve started branching out in degrees that I’ve fallen badly behind in understanding. Planned obsolesce has started with the modern (Hinckley) Triumphs – I just found out that they’ve stopped making replacement parts for my beloved 1995 Trident (112,000 miles and running strong), and the entire T3/4 first generation are now orphans.
You want a reasonable long distance capable motorcycle at an inexpensive price with good parts support and (relatively) reasonable prices? You’ve got three choices. Two are BMW’s: Airheads and Bricks. BMW, alone in the industry, has realized that there is serious profit to be made in supporting the old models and will support everything starting with a 1946 /2. No, there are no cut rate parts, they’re all genuine BMW. But at least they’re available.
The third choice is the only place in motorcycles where you’ve got an aftermarket in replacement parts that rivals the American automobile scene. Harley-Davidson. Preferably Evolution engine bikes (1984-1998, aka Blockheads). Knucklehead, Panhead and Shovelhead support is just as good, but the bikes are vintage, and a bit of a pain to use as a daily rider. Modern twin-cam support is out there, but nothing touches what’s developed over the Harley Mania years for the Evo. Hell, S&S will sell you a complete Evo engine, with a better bottom end than the Harley version. And Harley Davidson, until the Twin Cam came out, made their bikes so you could swap engines and transmissions into different frames – like a brother of mine who had a ’71 Superglide with the boat-tail seat assembly and original red, white and blue paintjob . . . . . . . with a ’40 Knucklehead engine in it.
And that three week wait for the dealer to work on your bike? That’s the RV side again. Nobody, but nobody wants to bring a motorcycle in for service in February when we’ve got five mechanics sweeping floors and refiling service manuals because there’s no work. Yes, I know we need ten mechanics starting around 1 April when everybody suddenly they need some work for the first nice weekend coming up in four days . . . . . . but just try to hire five additional mechanics with the promise that they’ll be laid off 1 November. And we’ll want them back the following April. Nobody spends all that money on motorcycle mechanic school to work part time.
People have their cars worked on year round, so there’s a system of parts to support it. People don’t have their motorcycles worked on when its too cold to ride . . . . . . and come to think of it, that’s the core of the whole parts, pricing and aftermarket support problem.
So true. And the same can be said for the marine repair business, of which I have been in for 27 years. Everybody has to wait until 4 days before their planned vacation with the in-laws to even think about making an appointment to get their boat, that hasn’t run in 4 YEARS, in for service. And, of course, according to said owner, it only needs a “tune up”, something the owner thinks should only take 22 mins and require no parts. Because, (my favorite line from customers) “It ran great the last time I had her out” LOL
Isn’t the appropriate reply “Oh, then, you shouldn’t need us. I’m sure it will run great for you this weekend.” 🙂
Unfortunately not. You rapidly learn that there is nothing so optimistic in life as a customer who has determined that he needs you to do something for him. Of course you can. Impossible? Unattainable? Those words don’t exist in the customer’s mind.
And ghod help you if you don’t live up to his (unrealistic) expectations. There’s a reason why I was transferred from the service desk to the parts back room two years into my employment. I’m still amazed I held on to my job during that assignment.
I blame Orange County Choppers.
They’ve convinced the world that you can build a custom motorcycle in one hour (minus commercials) so people can’t believe that they’d have to wait three days to get a full exhaust and a SE race tuner on their FLHTwhatever letters H-D is using this year.
I have the same bike and love it!!! Getting older and not riding much would like to sell.
I have a 1981 SUZUKI GS450E for sale if anyone is interested. It has very low mileage (1298 miles). I am the second owner. It’s looks brand new and runs great; needs a battery.
I’m interested in a gs450, if anyone is selling. Located in Los Angeles. Thanks!
Always liked the GS series, so much so that I went out a few weeks ago and bought a GS850G. Back on 2 wheels after a 10 year break and really enjoying it. I’ve found myself being very careful this time round, never impatient, keeping my ego out of my riding and being very aware of other road users.
The bike is an old barge by modern standards, slow and heavy. But still has all the GS attributes of being easy to ride and easy to live with, just like yours.
I was also a Cal Poly student, but about 20 years after JK. Looking at those accident pictures, I recognize that location downtown. While I’ve never ridden a motorcycle, I bicycled everywhere in SLO. Young and dumb, I often did so without a helmet. Traffic in SLO has doubled or tripled in the last 25 years. I was constantly ducking it when riding in those days, and I can remember many, many near misses from preoccupied drivers. I was never seriously injured, but I do recall braking really hard to avoid a collision and eating it at the top of Higuera (not far from JK’s accident scene if I’ve ID’d it right). Luckily, I didn’t do any damage to myself. Always wear a helmet!
Yep, that was the corner of Higuera and Osos (just past Firestone Grill which was still a tire shop when I was there, and outside of Woodstock’s current location). And you are right, it HAS gotten much more crowded downtown since I attended. Sight lines are not good as the streets are narrow and tight with parked cars.
Go Mustangs!
I must have missed this one first time through. I had an ’87 GS550 ES for just about one year before totaling it on a barbed-wire fence in rural Newnan, Georgia. The accident happened at low speed (<40mph) on an unmarked sharp curve over a hill that I was not set up for properly – hit the gravelly shoulder and it went right out from under me. Thankfully was riding with a friend who came back and got me stabilized until the ambulance arrived.
The bike hit a fence post hard enough to bend the frame and I went in-between the top two strands of wire (still have scars on my legs, arms and across the faceshield of my helmet, now stowed in the attic). Earned a ten-day ticket to hospital due to a double compound fracture of my left tibia and fibula. They initially thought I had fractured a neck vertebrae, too, which got me my first-ever helicopter ride up to Georgia Baptist Hospital in Atlanta. Thank the Lord they confirmed there was no break after running a second set of x-rays.
I was dating my now-wife and it really upset her, to the point where she made me promise I'd never have another bike. Although I get the itch every Spring, I've kept that promise (I have made a few short rides around the block on other folk's bikes). She did let me get a pilot's license, so there's that!
The GS550 ES was a nice little bike – not so powerful as to easily get yourself in trouble, but fast enough to leave the guys being aggressive on their Harleys in the dust (is the Harley vs. 'rice rocket' thing still a thing?). As you see in the photo, I repainted mine and added Lockhart lower fairings.
I had to use the bike as a DD due to having lost my license the year prior to speeding points (I had to go to DUI school to get it back, and let me tell you, *that* was an experience). Riding in Winter was brutal, even with a heated vest and heated gloves – it would take 20+ minutes before I could use my hands effectively after arriving at work.
IIRC, my riding buddy had a Honda Nighthawk that was a little faster than my Suzuki. We made several rides up the the North Georgia mountains after modifying a pair of headsets to fit in our helmets, and always had a blast.
Lot of good memories (from this distance, anyway).
The Harley vs. rice rocket competition is still a bit of a thing – on the part of the Japanese bike riders. Most Harley riders have pretty much integrated themselves in the motorcycle community (Virginia), or have gotten even more aloof and ‘above the masses’ (Pennsylvania). Nothing drives this home more than to ride a Gold Wing in both areas and see who waves in passing.
As it’s been twenty years since I lived in Western PA, I’d forgotten that Harley riders only wave to other Harley riders up there.
Or, as for the attitude I grew up with in Johnstown, “If you live here you ride a Harley, a Triumph, or you keep you piece of Jap shit in the garage where it belongs.” And that attitude didn’t start to disappear until after I moved out. Having Thunder in the Valley helped.
Bikes! The only way to fly, at least in nice weather. Having been riding since 1964-“you meet the nicest people on a Honda”- I still manage to ride one of my 3 licensed (out of 14) bikes once in a while! A botched left hip replacement has made use (shifting) of my bikes somewhat limited. Despite the limited riding now. I still love bikes even more than cars.
Over the decades I’ve owned 67.5 bikes of numerous brands. Hondas were my favorite, but currently they build nothing on 2 wheels that is of interest. My latest is a 75 hp ’17 Suzuki 650 V-Strom. She is a very competent “little” bike. The fastest I ever owned was a Kawasaki ZX-12R; very good HI performance crotch rocket. Of all my bikes tho, my ’91 Honda VFR750F is THE favorite. I’m her second owner and she still looks and runs like she came off the showroom yesterday. The VFR, for me, is the best all around bike I’ve ever ridden.
OTOH, way back when-as a young Marine-my ’65 305cc Honda Super Hawk was quite a machine. Rode her home, 714 miles thru 3 snowstorms, from Huntsville, Alabama to Janesville, WI. Talk about COLD!!! Max temp was 47F down in Murfreesboro, Tenn. Definitely a memorable ride. Shipped her out to CA for my next duty base at 29 Palms, CA. Then rode the tires n wheels off her out there. Oh to be young n DUMB!!! DFO
Yeah, motorcycles are great, IF YOU WANT TO DIE!!!!! How? How do we need all of these safety regs for cars, and motorcycles are road legal? HOW? They should be outlawed tomorrow!
I’ve ridden, off and on, for over 40 years, and still alive. Better to outlaw bad drivers.
I hope you’re safe and sound in your Corolla, holding up traffic running 10mph under the speed limit – because that’s the person you sound like in your comment.
I really believe that everyone who wants a driver’s license should be forced to get a motorcycle license first, and spend a minimum of two years on two wheels before they’re allowed to touch four.
You’d be amazed what a different attitude you get from riding a motorcycle regularly over a long period of time. I absolutely know I’m a more observant automobile driver than you are. I have to be, as I had to develop skills that you don’t, safe inside that four wheeled cage you’re putting around in.
+1 what a revelation the first time I rode my bike in Atlanta traffic…
Nothing happened to me that doesn’t happen every day to bicycle riders around the globe and nobody is looking to outlaw bicycles even though I see FAR MORE bicycle riders openly flouting the rules of the road than I do motorcycle riders (red light running, riding opposite of traffic flow, riding IN the middle of traffic to try to prove a point even when below the normal road speed of other, more protected vehicles. I have a bicycle too and understand bicycle riders frustrations but don’t understand some of the things that some riders do, not all of them show good common sense.
As others have stated, riding a motorcycle does in general make you a far more observant vehicle driver (way more than being a bicycle rider does). While there are a certain number of asshats out there on bikes, they will generally weed themselves out of the gene pool sooner rather than later, however there are WAY more (even on a percentage basis) bad, ignorant, and unsafe car drivers than motorcycle riders out there. Likely this is at least in part due to having to be able to use and coordinate more of your appendages to actually be able to ride a motorcycle in the first place, and second due to an obvious regard for greater injury during a mishap.
The motorcycle itself is not what’s unsafe. It’s either the rider him/herself (just like a car driver), the outside conditions (just like with a car), or an obstacle presenting itself unexpectedly (usually a 4-wheeled vehicle). The consequences of said interactions are what is the dangerous part.
What “safety regs” specifically for cars are you alluding to? The ones that keep you alive should you or someone else do something stupid or help you to avoid an accident? Feel free to disable your airbags, cut your seatbelts, pull the fuses for ABS, Stability Control, Daytime Running Lights, etc. These are all practical things that I think many motorcycle riders would welcome should there be a way to integrate them (Lights on has been done for decades, ABS is quite common now, and airbags etc are being developed/tested in some cases. I do believe helmet use should be compulsory, but those that don’t I lump with the ones I mentioned about that will weed themselves out)
You’d probably save more lives by outlawing all cars over ten years old. Or making all cars the same size. Or, here’s an idea, outlawing driving altogether. At least when a motorcyclist causes an accident involving anything else, usually said motorcyclist is the one that ends up with the worst result.
Twas a terrible bike in it’s day, most died from a variety of faults that were never fixed by the factory at the time.
Warranty Claims were many and where i worked we more or less refused to sell them, steered people to the Honda CB400.
Constant velocity carb diaphragms were very expensive by 1987 , worth more than the bike.
People forget how bad some of the japanese bikes were at the time, Honda CX500 by 1984 had no less than 13 revisions to the cam chain area!
Many bikes of this era just wore out and were not practical to fix, however a fair few survived.
None of which are great riders in standard form.
There’s one recall on the 79-80 CX500 that is still in force. Can’t remember the details, but it involves splitting the cases (as does almost everything beyond carburetor work on that engine), and the parts are available only in a Japanese warehouse.
We did one at the shop about two years ago. Smart customer, he had to have something else done to the engine which would have involved splitting the cases, researched that his bike hadn’t ever had the recall done (I did the research for him – one of my side jobs at the shop), so he brought it in for the recall and had the worn part replaced as part of the reassembly.
Got the whole job done for the price of the worn part. Of course it took about two months to do, the first month alone spent in getting the part ordered, found, and shipped from Japan.
Timing chain & tensioner. The tech then puts a punch mark next the the engine serial number to indicate the repair has been done.
Can’t imagine it happens too often these days…
Yep. Just looked it up in my three-ring binder at the office. It’s the oldest recall I have instructions for. And as it’s considered a safety recall, it’ll never end. As long as there’s one CX500 on the road, it’ll still be available.
I haven’t seen a CX500 or 650 on the road for decades, even here in California. There sure are plenty of them pseudo-cafe’d or scramblered on the Internet, though.
A good post indeed ! .
Not everyone rides nor will get back on .
I’m just now out of the wheelchair and looking forward to riding perhaps by New Years .
My big crash was MY OW FAULT ~ I fell asleep @ 40MPH and rode right into the mountain, *very* lucky to still be alive, I’ll be walking funny the rest of my life though .
Photo is in my wheel chair getting the first cast off after a month .
-Nate
Oh, you also discovered it’s possible to fall asleep on a motorcycle.
Until the day it happened, I figured that would be impossible. For me, it was the summer of 1992, I’m riding an ’83 Yamaha VX750 Virago, and I’m on I-84 heading up to the Boston area to see my girlfriend (1000 mile round trip, done every three weeks, until I finally talked he in to moving in with me).
Fortunately, hitting the rumble strips as I was going off the road woke me up.
Scary, isn’t it ? .
I realized what was about to happen and just though “here we go” before I hit .
I didn’t even realize I was tired .
-Nate
Not much left of my Ural =8-( .
They took _one_ of the metal plates out of my arm last week, leaving in the bridge , another metal plate and some funny looking joining bits and 11 screws .
-Nate
Sad sight, looks like it was in great condition 🙁 Hope you recover quickly and thoroughly.
Odd to see a Ural without a sidecar.
I bought my Solo sT new in 2010 as I was recuperating from neck fusion surgery caused by being run over by a taxi in 2008 .
It was essentially new, less than 10,000 miles I think .
The forks, frame and transmission all broke when I hit the granite .
Stupid me .
I remember making two somersaults where my helmet brushed the gravel along side the road .
I have two more Ural Solos, both earlier models plus lots of old Honda 90CC Tiddlers .
You can see the raised handlebars I need because of my previous broken back and neck injuries .
-Nate
Best of SAFE riding to you, Nate, when you get back on!! Plus…STAY AWAKE!!! 🙂 The time I did fall-briefly-asleep(?) I was on I-10 eastbound headed back out to MCB 29 Palms………NOT GOOD!!! Fortunately I snapped my eyes open very quickly….adrenalin kept my eyes open for the rest of that trip. DFO
PS: forgot to mention earlier my VFR is my MOAL :):) I had a very nice ’92 that I traded for the Suzook 1000 V-twin I had; finally realized how much I missed the 92 VFR. Took @ 2.5 years to find my ’91. A good friend, now deceased, out in Portland, OR found her for me, and sent the listing. I called the fellow and talked @ 20 minutes. Then my friend rode over and checked her out, assured me the VFR was as good as the pics, etc made her seem. Bought her for the a$king price…worth every penny plu$ the $705 to ship her here.
Thanx Dennis ! .
Most of the primary calls I got went along “?! _YOU_ crashed ?! WTF Nate !” as I like to let it out on four wheels but having seen far too many deaths and crippling injuries I ride a bit slower .
Agreed ~ the cage drivers these dayze are nuts .
-Nate
(sitting here with mangled and pain filled knees waiting for the home PT guy to show up)
Here’s another I must have missed on the first go around.
I was a 450 Nighthawk guy, the GS450 and 454LTD were initally on my short list, but they always seemed a bit crude next to the Honda. Thay may be a built in bias since I had Honda motorcycle promotional material on my bedroom wall through my teen years.
And cartridge filters, bleah! Got one on my Concours 1000, what a mess every time…
I must have missed it too since I didn’t comment the first time. I’m surprised by how much time has passed since the earliest CCs, DougD. CC was become part of my morning with the usual coffee and breakfast.
I didn’t really shop for the bike specifically, I just saw it, tried it, and then that was it, I paid my money and went off… I’ve had a few bikes now, but actually never a Honda, kind of weird. My brother on the other hand started with a Honda VFR and never looked back, he’s had several over the last couple of decades (both in the States and abroad) and still rides to work through Geneva for large parts of the year on his current one.
I do like your Concours, I always ogled those. The Yamaha FJ series was always a big favorite of mine too as was the whole Suzuki GS range from Ed’s 550 (loved the fairing) to the bigger ones as others mentioned above.
I had a Suzuki GS250 for a while, it was a good bike and could hit 90 with me tucked in. I didn’t do anything to it other than tires and oil. It was fun to ride and did all things well in the typically Japanese way.
I had a close brush or two myself and gave it up after three close calls in city traffic within 2 minutes – with the last one being a car passing me on the right as I exited down a single lane interstate offramp. The hair rose on my neck with that one so I took it as a hint. I am too cautious to enjoy the experience anymore, since I don’t trust any car near me to not be a uncontrolled projectile with someone texting at the wheel while high. Drivers are NOT as attentive now as they were when I started riding at 14 – and they usually get away with killing or severely injuring the rider. A 1st gen Miata would be 90% of the experience to me so I have my eyes open for one.
I’ve done a lot of miles on motorcycles. Not as many as a lot of the posters here; not even close. Have owned a bike or been a rider since 96. Have taught MSF classes for 16 years. Have a LOT of instructor friends that have been injured OFF their bikes. Have fewer that have been injured ON their bikes. I had my experience on May 31, 2006. Honda Accord making a U turn in a 55mph zone between two blind curves. Broken wrist and slightly separated pelvis- could have been worse. Things I learned and teach as an instructore minimized the injuries. Would have happened in a car had I been driving. I may have killed the driver had I been in a car. People asked if I would get back on. I asked them if they ever wrecked a car and did they give up driving.
Motorcycles are a VALID means of transportation. Thrid world countries have people using them for the whole family – safe? not necessarily, but these countries are AWARE of cycles and give them respect. America is a terrible place to ride because so many drivers are POOR drivers. Many motorcyclists do not do their part either to keep themselves safe while riding. Like anything, it’s as safe as you want it to be. Yes you get to experience things on a bike that you don’t in a car, but you must be extra-vigilant to other road users.
My current bike is the MOST fun bike. An old 1995 CB250 Nighthawk bought from the NC motorcycle training program after it was retired. To date, I have less than $500 in it including gas for 1200 miles. If it breaks, I can take my tag and leave it. I use it to commute a day or two a week. 53mpg and makes commuting a fun little 11 mile ride. I take a curvy road home, which is great. I can/have to thrash the hell out of it and have fun on it without worrying about it so much. Small bikes are tons of fun. Would love to have a 450 or 500 in a bike like the feature here. I hate all the new niche bikes – give me a UJM anyday.
I don’t do the touring anymore – easier to ride in the car with the wife and talk and not have to deal with the shortcomings of a bike. But I have lived with a bike as DD and fun vehicle.
Good for you for being an instructor, I learned a lot taking my class and remember those little 250 Nighhawks, we had those as well as the Yamaha TW200 if I remember correctly (the little trailbike with the huge back tire)
Even if you are just a car driver but at all interested in mechanical things, taking a Motorcycle Safety Foundation class is a great way to learn how to ride a motorcycle correctly in a safe, controlled environment and very cheap. A great way to spend a weekend and they provide everything you need.
My daily 1969 Triumph GT6
My buddies daily 1979 Suzuki GS425
Not pictured, my project 1983 GS450L
Parked at the Cal Poly Aero Hangar
Small world it seems 🙂
Nice, I approve of the B.R.G. .
-Nate
– had a 1981 GS450s. A cheap buy due rotted exhausts, solved by muffler shop pipe bending, and some aftermarket ‘can’ mufflers got a noisy ride registered. Adding some VW beetle / kombi tailpipes reduced noise to a reasonable level and add a chuff-chuff note.
A slightly larger main jet helped the free flowing exhaust to provide moar power at full throttle, while retaining excellent lean fuel economy midrange to lift top speed to 100mph. Opening the enrichen cold start jet to its first notch ‘just open’ knotch adds enough fuel to get higher power. While closed for normal use fuel mix remains in economy mode.
Slow steering weave above 90mph discouraged ‘haste’ until a steering damper was added.
Fitting a front drive sprocket with One (2?) more teeth made for economical touring at legal speeds in 6th.
The bike later changed hands, until someone didn’t read the FULL PAGE WARNING in the service manual – They used a magnet to change shims – thus destroying the cam , spreading metal in the oil to make grinding paste etc. .
I remember well as a plain but very serviceable bike on muddy roads, some rough tracks and outback highways.
Ian ;
I have never done a shim under bucket valve adjustment, could you perhaps detail the whys of this danger ? .
In general the Suzuki GS line were specifically designed to be solid, sturdy and reliable U.J.M.’s ~ for the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles Suzuki N.A. donated several hundred different Motocycles from basic tiddlers to these 450 twins .
Some years later most were still sitting in a warehouse never used and very dusty, they city sold them on and serious bargains were to be had .
My memory like the rest of me is old and decrepit but the really good Suzuki I remember from then was the GS850G ~ this being the shaft drive version .
Until you’ve had a shaft drive Moto one cannot imagine how sweet a thing it is .
-Nate