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Sold a bike, need another one


swooshdave

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1 hour ago, vtwins4life said:

I'll second the EV11 recommendation as that's what I have in the garage (Greenie + EV). For those days when you want to just chill and cover miles without pain, it's hard to beat. And you still have that wonderful motor down there (not to mention the same brakes and a decent chassis) when you want to have fun. 

 

VT4L

Noted although I'm still way too young for a cruiser. Sport Touring for me at the least. But what I'm more concerned about is the lack of time I have to actually get out of the house for long rides.

I'm having lunch with a friend today. I may try to talk him out of one of his bikes. Stay tuned. If I get the one I want from him y'all will be pleasantly surprised.

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8 hours ago, swooshdave said:

Noted although I'm still way too young for a cruiser. Sport Touring for me at the least. But what I'm more concerned about is the lack of time I have to actually get out of the house for long rides.

I'm having lunch with a friend today. I may try to talk him out of one of his bikes. Stay tuned. If I get the one I want from him y'all will be pleasantly surprised.

I used to say that... Till I rode one. And I'm 43 .. Maybe not as a primary if you're "that young" but having a sport naked and a cruiser honestly does make sense. I love chillin, on my lazyboy... 

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9 hours ago, swooshdave said:

Noted although I'm still way too young for a cruiser. Sport Touring for me at the least. But what I'm more concerned about is the lack of time I have to actually get out of the house for long rides.

I'm having lunch with a friend today. I may try to talk him out of one of his bikes. Stay tuned. If I get the one I want from him y'all will be pleasantly surprised.

age gots nothing to do with it.... I started out with standards and moved to cruisers early on. lotta years, but no more interest, not since the LM.  I got the itch once but passed. Good luck with friend!

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There was a young fellow in sheffield a few years back who rode about on one of those big, long, lazy kwaka drifters with the funky valanced mudguards- his grin couldn’t have been any wider!

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I'd also add that the EV is way more "standard" than cruiser. Just move your feet to the (perfectly placed) passenger pegs right below you and voila, a great stance for tackling twisty roads. I never use the floor boards except during shifting and braking. 

 

I'm also a big fan of the Hinckley Triumph triples...what a great motor. Lots of different ways to enjoy it in their product line....

 

VT4L

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3 hours ago, vtwins4life said:

I'd also add that the EV is way more "standard" than cruiser. Just move your feet to the (perfectly placed) passenger pegs right below you and voila, a great stance for tackling twisty roads. I never use the floor boards except during shifting and braking. 

 

I'm also a big fan of the Hinckley Triumph triples...what a great motor. Lots of different ways to enjoy it in their product line....

 

VT4L

Just not interested in a cruiser, at least not now. If I did it would be a Harley, not because I like them but because I'd want the most authentic (and probably uncomfortable) cruiser ever made.

I have been eyeing some Hinckley Triples.

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/1218133585033809/

60302999_2266612120322577_3908342448912334848_n.jpg

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OK now you're in my neighborhood. I started with a 95 Speed Triple and then traded it in on the bike in the pic - a fly yellow 1998 Daytona T595 (955cc) with the factory high pipe and tune. It was the fastest bike I ever owned, and I'd say it probably had the best brakes and suspension too. Even the transmission was perfection...snick, snick, snick. It got too uncomfortable for me though even with Heli bars so I sold it, took a few years off (young kids) and got back into riding with a Yamaha GTS1000. 

The only real downside of the T595 besides the riding position is engine heat. It was like riding an oven in the summer. All of the heat would go into your thighs and the frame to the point you didn't want to squeeze the bike between your legs like you really should when riding it hard. In cooler weather, it was perfect. It also never needed anything and was mechanically perfect just like the Speed Triple I had before it. 

 

Do it :-)

 

Vt4L

 

 

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5 minutes ago, milar said:

Thanks for the links.

BMW? No thank you.

The Trophy looks the most interesting.

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Well, I can’t help but put in a plug for your original plan.... gran canyon and ST2 options can’t be beat. Obviously 100% subjective, but in the spirit of this thread I’ll chip that in.

My favorite motor of all time is that 2v duc. Well, ok, it’s tied with the 4v 916.... slightly prefer the 4v in some ways, but ultimately when hair splitting I gotta take the simpler and reliable 2v over all others. Sounds like u think similarly. Sounds great with right exhaust, torquey with the smaller valves on the gran canyon (more powerful feeling than it’s specs would imply), and for the most part simple to work on.
But don’t pigeon hole the GC into the adv category.... most owners I know use them as long distance touring machines, including LT in Florida (one of the duc gurus), and they don’t bother with the adv tires and all that. At 6’3” it’s just a smidge small for me to be an ideal fit for long haul, but not bad. As a fellow Northwest’r, it’s great to hit the super slab (26, 84, I-5) in decent comfort, then hit the twisties in the cascades or coast range, then peel off the tarmac onto some of the great forest service roads, and enjoy all those riding types without wishing for a different bike. It’s truly a street bike in my opinion, but handles the non technical off-tarmac with great ease and comfort. Just add the engine guards and bark busters as insurance to protect the un-obtanium body parts. I’ve had my GC down once on its side (in the Yukon) and it was unscathed.

Like any bike, it has a few gotchas, but they are easily addressed proactively without great cost or effort.
And it does give up a bit on pure Adrenalin throttle use as compared to a properly tuned Lemans, but it’s more flick-able and handles beautifully to where I’d say it ultimately holds its own against most machines in the twisties. Part of that is the contrarian part of the brain.... I came off an ST4 assuming the GC would be a big step down in handling, so that was my mindset, but I very much changed my mind after riding the GC for a bit and getting comfortable with it.

But of course no one has suggested the best option: buy both!

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If another yellow ST2 comes up I may get it.

i talked to a friend of mine who’s had both said the maintenance on the Grand Canyon was a nightmare. He had over 100k on it so he’d know. You have to almost disassemble the bike to get at anything.

I’m still working on another friend to pry a bike from him he’ll never ride.

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