Metric Thunder News
Thunder Bob's Bikes
Got into a conversation with a friend of mine the other day and we were rambling on about the number and type of motorcycles we have owned or ridden over the years.
His experience was almost a mirror image of mine. He's owned Harley's most of his life and ridden metrics from time to time. I've owned metrics all my life and have been known to saddle up a Hog now and then.
My first bike was a used 1968 Yamaha 80 that I rode to and from High School in '73-'74. Yeah, yeah, I hear you saying, "old fart." If you're lucky and keep the bike vertical, you too may be called an "OF" some day yourself!
After my red and chrome 80cc monster stopped running, I bought my very first brand new bike, a 1974 Yamaha RD250 in blue. Nice quick off the line 2-stroke. Didn't have much on the high end, but still fun to ride. Sold it after a couple of years to buy my first automobile, a used 1967 VW Squareback...cool!!
Several years went by and I'd been bike less for too long so I picked up a used 1980 Suzuki GS850G. Wow, power to burn! Back in those days this was considered a fairly big bike. The 850 was the only bike I ever laid down in more than 30 years of riding, (knock on wood!). Wasn't too bad, made a slow right turn through some shallow water that musta had some oil in it because I spun the rear tire after coming through the corner and lost it. Road rash in a few spots and that was as bad as it got. The bike suffered only minor scratches and stayed on the road for several years after the spill.
Sold the 850 when we moved to Hawaii in 1992. Picked up my first legitimate cruiser in Hawaii, a used 1990 bright red Suzuki Intruder 800. I rode every day for the 5 years we lived on Oahu. Ah yes Hawaii, no helmet law and winter is just like summer!
Back to Southern California again in 1997 and really needed a better way to get through that horrible commuter traffic. Another Suzuki did the trick just fine. This time opted for a 1994 blue Intruder VS1400. Cut my Friday afternoon commute down from 3 1/2 hours down to 1 hour and 15 minutes. That's right, lane splitting is legal in California!
When I left the long commuter job I decided it was time to pick up a new bike for a change of pace. Traded my VS1400 for a brand new 2003 Black Intruder 1500LC for a pretty good price. It eventually became brandywine red T Bike 1 you may have seen on the front page of our Web store. Since I started Metric Thunder back in 2003, my missus has never had a problem with spending money on the bike because it's a "business expense."
T Bike 1 is now a shaft driven street rod bagger and best in class winner in Sturgis 2004. Seemed like a good idea to add a second bike to our collection that was different enough to stand out and show our skills in customizing. A 2004 Vulcan 2000 was the obvious choice. Belt driven, big, fast and not too common. The California Gangster look in various shades of blue hit the scene just in time to take a best in class trophy in Sturgis 2005. BTW, keep a look out for the April addition of RoadBike magazine as the V2K will be featured in an editorial, (should hit the stands in early March of '06).
As for American V-Twins...
I've spent some time riding a H-D Deuce on a 300+ mile trip through the desert that I thought was a great bike too. I also like the Road Kings and Glides quite a bit. Back in '95 I took an 883 Sportster around Oahu and remember thinking it was underpowered at the high end and going up hills. Didn't matter much though, after all I was in Hawaii!
There you have it, seven bikes in 30 years of riding! I've enjoyed each for very different reasons and eras. At the end of the day it's all about the experience of biking! Although the bike itself plays a very large role in the experience, it is not the only part of the experience. Frankly I'm not metric or Harley biased, like 'em both because I prioritize the riding experience first.
MTB
If you have any thoughts or opinions on this subject, send 'em to me at bob@metricthunder.com and I'll post 'em.
February 3, 2006 11:39 AM
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