The Motorcycle Discussion Thread

[Dayze]

I figure there are some motorcycle guys/gals on CP, so I thought we could have a place to talk all things Motorcycles.

Tire Mount and Balance Prices (as of 10/29/16)

Prices based on if you remove the wheels yourself and bring the wheels and new tires with you:

Cycle Gear - $35 per wheel if you buy tires from them. $58 per wheel if you buy tires elsewhere
Rawhide - $65 per wheel (assuming it would be the same at other HD dealers. they book it at 1/2 hr per wheel)
C R Cycle Tires (DeSoto) - $30 per wheel

Cheapest I've found my Michelin Commander II's. Seem like they have good prices on other brands too.
http://www.jakewilson.com - Free 3 day shipping on orders over $75

[Dayze]

Originally Posted by BIG_DADDY

Comfort was one. It didn't handle as well as they thought it would was another. Maintenance was the 3rd and the expense that came with it. I was looking like 10 years ago approximately. As Dayze said it may be a completely different bike now.

Speaking of Ducati that new X Diavel S sure is a sharp looking bike. Sure like to take one on a test ride.

they're sick; I love them.
never ridden one, however.

150+ hp
tons of torque.
traction control.
....launch control.

[Graystoke]

Originally Posted by Dayze

they're sick; I love them.
never ridden one, however.

150+ hp
tons of torque.
traction control.
....launch control.

Yep, the Ducati Diavel is a hell of a machine. My neighbor bought a 2015 and let me take it down the street because he wanted to ride my Triumph.
Way different ball game than my Triumph. Pretty darn comfy as well. But I have a feeling I would be going through tires pretty rapidly on that Diavel.

Dayze,
Sorry to hear your contemplating giving up the riding. A gave it up for a long stretch when my kids were little. Completely understandable though. Good luck with your decision.

[BIG_DADDY]

Originally Posted by Dayze

they're sick; I love them.
never ridden one, however.

150+ hp
tons of torque.
traction control.
....launch control.

My problem is in justifying the purchase. I don't test drive one because I am afraid I will have to have it. I love my current bike. ZX14 has 180 hp. It's bigger so it fits me. It handles as well as I need it to at this point in my life and looks awesome. Maintenance is low and you can count on it like the sun rising. The Brocks exhaust is a must have for that bike as well.

[Dayze]

Originally Posted by Graystoke

Yep, the Ducati Diavel is a hell of a machine. My neighbor bought a 2015 and let me take it down the street because he wanted to ride my Triumph.
Way different ball game than my Triumph. Pretty darn comfy as well. But I have a feeling I would be going through tires pretty rapidly on that Diavel.

Dayze,
Sorry to hear your contemplating giving up the riding. A gave it up for a long stretch when my kids were little. Completely understandable though. Good luck with your decision.

thanks bud.
Yeah, not quite 'there' yet in terms of giving it up; but, for the first time I can ever remember, the thought is creeping in there.

we'll see.

[Dayze]

Originally Posted by BIG_DADDY

My problem is in justifying the purchase. I don't test drive one because I am afraid I will have to have it. I love my current bike. ZX14 has 180 hp. It's bigger so it fits me. It handles as well as I need it to at this point in my life and looks awesome. Maintenance is low and you can count on it like the sun rising. The Brocks exhaust is a must have for that bike as well.

yeah, that's my dilema too.


There are a ton of bikes I would love to own, but I'm not sure i can justify to my brain in owning as the only bike in the garage. Though, I realllllly like the Ninja 1000; I could see it as a 'do it all' bike. Commute, tour, rail, etc. dead reliable, more than enough power; and can be had basically brand new for probably $10k.



I guess that's always an issue for a motorcyclist lol. Plus, everyone's lives always change, so what might have been a good bike for someone 3 years ago, might not meed the current needs of the rider. When i got my Street Glide, I was putting probably 15k/yr miles on my bikes at that point. The last year and a half or so, just been so busy with work and other stuff, I'm not riding anywhere near that. So in my brain, it's hard to justify a touring bike when I barely ride it lol.

Maybe my life now is where I only have the time to do quick weekend rides / day rides to get some lunch and head back etc. In which case, there are lots of bikes that would fit the bill and be a blast doing it.

I need to win the lottery, is the main problem.

[Chief_For_Life58]

Originally Posted by Dayze

blood thinners.


luckily, when I went down in '16 and rashed my arms and shoulder, I wasn't on them at the time. Even though I should've been but was waiting to get the medicine 'approved' by my new insurance etc, so there was a lag of a few months where I wasn't on them.

oh right. Yeah dangerous

[Chief_For_Life58]

Yeah I dont ride enough to really worry about the maintenance $ I did hear when I bought mine that the maintenance was bad on ducati's but I like how they look and ride and my buddy let me ride his so I bought one. It was my first road bike - I drive my car to work normally. I know I have that big 7500 mile maintenance coming up though. I'll probably hit it this time next year. I think if I was a more regular rider I would buy the 1200 or 821. the 696 isnt really that powerful if youre looking to rip. I enjoy it for what it is though. Work commuter once twice a week and weekend ride to misc places/short trips/etc.

[Dayze]

Originally Posted by Chief_For_Life58

Yeah I dont ride enough to really worry about the maintenance $ I did hear when I bought mine that the maintenance was bad on ducati's but I like how they look and ride and my buddy let me ride his so I bought one. It was my first road bike - I drive my car to work normally. I know I have that big 7500 mile maintenance coming up though. I'll probably hit it this time next year. I think if I was a more regular rider I would buy the 1200 or 821. the 696 isnt really that powerful if youre looking to rip. I enjoy it for what it is though. Work commuter once twice a week and weekend ride to misc places/short trips/etc.

Yep. The thing with that model I would watch is the timing belt interval if they’ve never been replaced. If you don’t out enough miles to meet thE mileage interval, be sure you’re watching the time. I think it’s 7500 miles or 24 months. Whichever comes first. Belts are pretty cheap and good insurance for peace of mind.

And given the fact it’s a simple 2v, you could probably check valve clearances yourself and adjust if necessary with the assistance of valve /maintenance DVDs. I’ve read on quite a few Ducati sites that Pro Italia makes a good dvd instructiOnal dvd for belts and clearance checks/adjustments.

Just some food for thought / my $.02

[BIG_DADDY]

Originally Posted by Dayze

yeah, that's my dilema too.


There are a ton of bikes I would love to own, but I'm not sure i can justify to my brain in owning as the only bike in the garage. Though, I realllllly like the Ninja 1000; I could see it as a 'do it all' bike. Commute, tour, rail, etc. dead reliable, more than enough power; and can be had basically brand new for probably $10k.



I guess that's always an issue for a motorcyclist lol. Plus, everyone's lives always change, so what might have been a good bike for someone 3 years ago, might not meed the current needs of the rider. When i got my Street Glide, I was putting probably 15k/yr miles on my bikes at that point. The last year and a half or so, just been so busy with work and other stuff, I'm not riding anywhere near that. So in my brain, it's hard to justify a touring bike when I barely ride it lol.

Maybe my life now is where I only have the time to do quick weekend rides / day rides to get some lunch and head back etc. In which case, there are lots of bikes that would fit the bill and be a blast doing it.

I need to win the lottery, is the main problem.

So I finally picked up the bike last night. The mechanic works on high performance bikes exclusively and has owned 2 hyabusas. Said he loved my bike for a big guy. Said it was definately faster than the hyabusa ans wasn't sure why mine was so fast getting the front tire off the ground in 3rd easily. He said to stay away from Ducatis in general and theat he enjoyed my current bike over the Diavel. That's about all I need to hear until they do a major modification on the 14r which I am sure they will do now that Suzuki is coming out with a turbo charged Hyabusa in 19. I am not sure why anyone would want anymore power to be honest. I can't use all I have now.

[Dayze]

Yeah. Really, IMO/for me, the Ducati ownership possibilty is one of lust more than anything. In actuality, I'll likely go the way of a Ninja 1000, Versys 1000, or FJ09. and to a lesser extent a Speed Triple or Street Triple.

plenty o' power, and all day comfort and plenty of handling performance for the street.

[BIG_DADDY]

Originally Posted by Dayze

Yeah. Really, IMO/for me, the Ducati ownership possibilty is one of lust more than anything. In actuality, I'll likely go the way of a Ninja 1000, Versys 1000, or FJ09. and to a lesser extent a Speed Triple or Street Triple.

plenty o' power, and all day comfort and plenty of handling performance for the street.

I rode an FJ09 a couple years back at a bike show. I would never have ridden one but because they were giving free test rides at a bike show in San Mateo I rode it and the R1 which I thought I would love. I also rode a V-Max which I thought I would love as well. I hated the V-Max. I felt like I was sitting way too high so I would never have been comfortable doing anything other than cruising on it. The R1 was just a torque monster constantly throwing you backwards and forwards. I loved the way it handled though it was just a pain in the ass. LOVED the feel of the FJ09. I didn't see that one coming. What a comfortable easy to handle bike.

[Dayze]

that's what I've heard as well. I missed a demo day at the local place here a few weeks back for Yamaha; kicking myself for not going, but had a lot of stuff going on that day. I REALLY like the FZ10, but....I think that's more lust lol. But, I've heard plenty of people ride them distances, but the thing absolutely gulps fuel.

I've heard nothing but good things about the FJ09 and Versys 1000. Best of both worlds; usable power for the street; good handling, comfort etc. I think that segment has REALLY taken off the last 4 years or so. When I first saw the Multistada, I thought 'WTF is that thing". Now, 10 years later, FJ09, Versys 1000, BMW XR1000.....becoming very popular. and the FJ and Versys are bullet-proof.

[BIG_DADDY]

Originally Posted by Dayze

that's what I've heard as well. I missed a demo day at the local place here a few weeks back for Yamaha; kicking myself for not going, but had a lot of stuff going on that day. I REALLY like the FZ10, but....I think that's more lust lol. But, I've heard plenty of people ride them distances, but the thing absolutely gulps fuel.

I've heard nothing but good things about the FJ09 and Versys 1000. Best of both worlds; usable power for the street; good handling, comfort etc. I think that segment has REALLY taken off the last 4 years or so. When I first saw the Multistada, I thought 'WTF is that thing". Now, 10 years later, FJ09, Versys 1000, BMW XR1000.....becoming very popular. and the FJ and Versys are bullet-proof.

We have a motorcycle show that comes here locally once a year and you can ride the bikes you want. I was shocked how much I liked the FJ09. Still can't justify buying anything I absolutely love the ZX14

[DeepPurple]

I only had a bike one time, I rode it for an entire year, I didn't own a car. It was in St. Petersburg, Florida, once called "the town of the walking dead". Between seniors trying to run you off the road, love bugs getting caught in your teeth, or pop-up thunderstorms every afternoon during the summer, I gave it up after a year and bought a Honda Civic.

Here's a exact copy of my bike, can anyone guess the year and the price I paid without looking it up?

[Dayze]

KZ 400


not sure about year. I'll guess '78
and I'll guess like maybe $800?