Show us your Motorcycles

.....find people to ride with....'ya can't beat it.....

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Hey Muelster.. Here's the picture page of the club we rode with back in Illinois.. We left STL in 2005, so you may find a picture of me some where in the 2004 pictures.. Still a lot of good friends still with them today..

http://r3c.org/Photos.aspx

Here's some of the wrecking crew.. .

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.....Great Pictures, James....I knew you had a rich history of riding motorcycles....I share that love for motorcycles, and haven't been without one since I was 12 years old.....
 
.....now that we have explored the Kawasaki two-strokers, I'm going to brag a little on Yamaha for the genius behind the Yamaha V-Max....they came out in 1985....the original engine was 1248 cc's, which dropped to 1199 for '86 through 2007....then came the RoboCop looking 2009 model which doesn't interest me at all especially considering they cost 17-18 thousand....the old style V-Max, a V-4 with 140 hp rated at the back tire, was initially designed by Yamaha to break 10 seconds in a quarter-mile from a standing start....the best they could do with a pro aboard was 10.1, 128 mph....stock....maybe they were disappointed, I don't know, but Yamaha decided to market the V-Max anyway :D.....

.....I'll say never change the original factory-tuned exhaust system, you'll lose the quickness that helped make the decision to buy the machine....I put Cobra slash-cuts on the '92 in about '97, and regretted the decision....the slash-cuts sounded much better, but they nutted the performance as to the quickness.....

.....if you love acceleration, test ride a used one....then again, they're all used now....2007 was the last year for new on the old style, and I prefer the old style....am honestly not interested in the newer RoboCop versions....I found my 2002 at a Yamaha dealership only a couple of miles from me....I may start checking around for a used 2006-2007.....

.....the V-Max is an upright-sitter with acceleration you best lean into....I was hooked immediately when I got my first one in '92.....
 
I would have loved to run my Suzuki Madura (GV-1200) against a V-max from the same year.. (85)

Not mine, but a picture to show what it was.. Man what that one hell of a FAST bike...

If I could stumble on one for sale, I'd probably buy it..

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Here is a shot of the group I ride with. In front of the Luckenbach TX Post Office. This group has been doing group rides all over the US & Canada for 22 years.

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It was made to compete with the V-max the same year... Just no idea which was faster... I had a time insuring it though when I had it. It was on most companies prohibited list.

And wouldn't ya know it... I've found one for sale in Michigan for $2500.... I think I sold mine for $1800 in around 91 or 92... I'd love to have another. They didn't make very many, and I'd be surprised if there were only 2000 still on the road.. I think they made somewhere around 5000 I think it was.
 
I had a time insuring it though when I had it. It was on most companies prohibited list.
.....I hear 'ya, James....I've sat with more than one motorcycle insurance agent and said, "well, the VMX-1200 is only a cruiser that is smooth and quiet" :D....I currently pay 80 bucks a year for liability only through Progressive....they're the cheapest motorcycle insurance I've found.....
 
Progressive kept getting more and more expensive on me for the bikes every year, so I switched to Geico and cut my rates in half...

I called Progressive and said I'll take all 4 of my vehicles from them if they didn't give me a better rate, and they wouldn't even discuss it... My rates had almost doubled over 4 years for the bike.. It was stupid. Geico has actually gone down now after a couple years.
 
Progressive kept getting more and more expensive on me for the bikes every year, so I switched to Geico and cut my rates in half...

I called Progressive and said I'll take all 4 of my vehicles from them if they didn't give me a better rate, and they wouldn't even discuss it... My rates had almost doubled over 4 years for the bike.. It was stupid. Geico has actually gone down now after a couple years.
.....did you have any tickets while with Progressive?....any insurance company will walk you up on the full-coverage price for three years until a ticket clears, and you can't go anywhere else and get a preferred rate.....
 
I don't think so at all Stephen... so much more different than even closely similar. The Madura was a huge bike back then,.. made an 883 look like a large minibike. I'd smoke the Hurricanes that were out back then.. the 650's I think it was? 750? I'd laugh when one wanted to run to the next light..... and have a litte fun :D

Here's an 85 Sportie.. I rhink the que's you are picking up on is where the Madura badge is where the oil tank on the HD, and the log air-cleaner... Lower though on the sportie..

One other big difference, You sit in the Madura. It feels like the bike is all around you, and your weight feels like it's slung real low until you jump on the throttle, then the back end would raise up real high and launch you. The sporty feels more like you are on the bike, and not as low centered feeling around the corners.

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I think I need to upgrade... I read the reviews on the 2008 Yamaha R1, and my 2000 is feeling a bit sad. I have to do a bunch of rationalizing first though... It's a $6000 upgrade at least, for a couple hours/week of adrenaline.

Charles
 
My favorite
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I don't think so at all Stephen... so much more different than even closely similar. The Madura was a huge bike back then,.. made an 883 look like a large minibike. I'd smoke the Hurricanes that were out back then.. the 650's I think it was? 750? I'd laugh when one wanted to run to the next light..... and have a litte fun :D

Here's an 85 Sportie.. I rhink the que's you are picking up on is where the Madura badge is where the oil tank on the HD, and the log air-cleaner... Lower though on the sportie..

One other big difference, You sit in the Madura. It feels like the bike is all around you, and your weight feels like it's slung real low until you jump on the throttle, then the back end would raise up real high and launch you. The sporty feels more like you are on the bike, and not as low centered feeling around the corners.

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That is the feel you get with a Virago too, my 700 won't hold a candle in the race department though. The shaft drive is different that it raises the rear up when you get on them instead of squating like a chain or belt.

Jim
 
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