rktman1

I have a 10 ft by 12 ft motorcycle shed with full elec. It is built on a concrete pad and has enough room to work on one bike (and be able to get all around it). All my tools are there (such as they are) as well as all supplies (oil, etc.) I usually park two bikes there. I spend many an hour there. Most of the time because I want to; sometimes because the wife sends me out there...

Bill, When you were looking, which (similar) American maufacturers did you find? Tim

$5900, 3.4K miles, red/black/white, excellent cond, senior owned, garaged, extended warranty to 4/1/06. Factory Erion pkg includes: black powder-coated frame, Erion racing graphics, dark screen, Erion leather tank bra, Erion pipe, PCII. Pyramid wheel hugger, Tucson Tim 520-647-7073 Here are some pics (scroll to bottom): http://hometown.aol.com/tcs1118/myhomepage/

Mark, What you're feeling there is the "mass centalization" of the Buell, which makes the bike 'feel' unbalanced when being pushed around. I sense that too when pushing the bikes around - my XB9S feels unbalanced compared to my Lemans, even though it weighs 100 lbs less. Similar to a tight-rope walker carrying a pole - by distributing the mass it makes 'balance' easier. But I assure you, the Buell handles great in the twisties. Of course, the LeMans handles great also. Tim

No - but I did see discussions of: - the Alvarez Theory (Cretaceous-Tertiary impact crater) - Plate Tectonics and their effect/non-effect on the ancient Appalachian range - recent theory about the two geologic 'hot spots' (Yellowstone and Raton) and their possible effect on the continental divide - Specific and General Relativity - Finite Math - Human Genome nomenclature

Wow. That's a pretty rude thing to say....

I have a completely stock 03 XB9S Lightning and I love it. Bought it used about 6 months ago with 6.5K miles. Go for it... Here is a good forum for more info (the forum name comes from the Buell model names: Cyclone, Lightning, Firebolt, etc. - select the XB Board)... http://www.badweatherbikers.com/cgibin/discus/discus.cgi Tim

Happy Birthday! I'm home now - will drink a beer too.

You're over-analyzing... Relax, drink a beer for me - I'm still at work. Tim

Yes. I agree about the offensive driving too. A little offensive driving can keep you clear of trouble... Tim

The Isle of Man.

Does that include you?

I NEVER trust the neutral light - always hold the clutch in! Tim

Loud pipes/mufflers are annoying. Modulated headlights are annoying. Bright lights are annoying. ================ Just think what the roads would be like if EVERYONE (cars, trucks, m/c) did these things. Best defense is good defensive riding. Tim

I've never owned one but they DO have a large following. The "Connie", as it is affectionately called by its owners, has the old ZX10 motor, detuned, but still has a pretty good punch. You can buy a used one, several years old, with almost no miles on it for $5000 and they're supposed to be rock-solid reliable, but buzzy. But I have to agree: They are butt-ugly and look real 80s. Tim

I'm beginning to think this was a bad idea - for several reasons: 1) While I really like this forum, due to its exclusivity, I don't think there is enough activity for a decent vote. 2) Everyone here is GUZZI-CENTRIC! Including me. Other bikes aren't going to get a fair shake. (Maybe they don't deserve it! ) 3) Even if there WERE enough votes, I don't really think I want to spend the hours tabulating the results. I'd rather ride, clean my bikes, work on the house, watch NASCAR (No! Forget that. NASCAR sucks! ), watch M/C roadracing, watch some English Premier League Football (soccer), read about Helicopter Jim's MGS-01 , go for a hike in Saguaro National Monument (just down the road a mile or two), read a book,... So. Sorry to start this and end it so soon. Back to GUZZI topics... Tim

OK. I was hoping to settle on some rules first but some have already started to vote. So be it. There seems to be some interest here so let's vote! If the interest stays up and enough folks vote, I think I may tabulate two lists at the end: (1) MotoGuzzi only (2) All other bikes. Tim

BTW, You'll be arriving about one and a half months before Hell starts. Here in Tucson, starting in June, we can see 100+ temps every day for several weeks, but in Phoenix, it's even hotter. One consolation - it isn't Yuma! Tim

I vote for Renaissance M/C here in Tucson. The owner is Steve Spreter and he's been in business 25 years. It's a low-volume shop, not many 'discounts' on new bikes, but I trust him and his mechanic Don. Here's the link (the site isn't updated very often). http://www.ducati-az.com/ Tim

See rrbasso's response.

"Old crippled men still whisper in delighted horror about the Kawi triple..." I'm getting old, not crippled (YET), and I do remember my 1970 Kawasaki H1 Mach III. Known as the "flexi-flyer" it was damn fast for 1970. The "Blue-Streak" premiered in 1969. It was preceded by a pretty fast Kawi, the 350 Avenger, a two-cylinder two-stroke, that could keep pace with a Triumph Bonneville. The Kawi triple, the Honda 750 four, the Norton Commando, Triumph Trident, BSA Rocket-3 - all were able to go low 13s in the quarter mile - stock, reaching about 105-110 MPH at the tape. 115-120 MPH top-end was common. The M/C mags at the time claimed 12.8 or 12.9 but, like today, those were professional riders. The Triumph and Norton were MUCH better handling, the Honda was somewhere in-between. The H1 was terrifying in the curves. Tim

No need to vote on it... Guzzis rule and riders of other bikes drool...

Is there any interest in having our own vote? If so, I might volunteer to tabulate the results... Tim

Maybe we could start a new thread and create our own list of the top 50 bikes. There would have to be some firm rules. Everyone could list their choice for top-10, maybe only allow 1 Guzzi in each person's list. Other rules? Then, after a couple of weeks, someone could analyze and post the results. Of course, this would be heavily Guzzi biased, but I'm sure the UK had a heavy bias towards Brit bikes. Oh. And no Solex votes allowed!!! Tim

Velofish, The poll was actually a top 100. When I get time I'll update with numbers 21-100. Tim