the bike you miss the most

ofdave

Member
Many of us have had bikes before we got our CTX.
What bike do you miss that you wish you still had?
Tough choice for me, there have been a few.
Probably my first bike, and it wasn't a bike-it was a Cushman scooter.
It wasn't fast, it had crappy brakes, it rode like a truck and maybe 5 horsepower.
But it gave me Freedom!
I could go anywhere (almost) anytime (almost) that I wanted.
King of the road? Oh yeah!
How about you?
 

randy1149

New member
1971 Honda CB750! I loved all my motorcycles but that one shared some good memories with me.

Thumper if I could get a new CB750 or 1100 with a 26" seat that's the bike I would be riding. My first bike was a CB175 and I went up the CB ladder from there. But if my inseam didn't shrunk and my equilibrium didn't go to $hit on a 900lb. bike I'd still be riding the Goldwing.
 

Steven

Member
For me it would be a 1980 Suzuki GS1000G. It had great handling and was a very smooth ride for touring.
 

Merlin III

New member
I haven't ever owned this bike, but I am coming close to adding it to my collection. BMW R1200C Montauk. It is the most beautiful cruiser ever.
 

Woodswoman

Member
The two at the opposite ends of the spectrum.

(1) Where all the trouble started:



I called it "The Bug." MAN, was it fun!


(2) My 'apex' motorcycle:



Riding this big boy made me feel COOL.

.
 

Steven

Member
Which do you like better, the CTX or the Victory? I'm sure they both have their good points, but I'm curious why you changed.
 

Woodswoman

Member
Which do you like better, the CTX or the Victory? I'm sure they both have their good points, but I'm curious why you changed.

I loved -- and I mean loved -- that Cross Roads. It was wonderfully engineered; once under the slightest power, it suddenly took wing. Superb handling, and of course 106 cubic inches of displacement meant it moved out with authority. And those ginormous saddlebags were great. It was everything a heavy cruiser touring bike should be.

What didn't I like about it? Mostly how heavy it was and how difficult it was for me to push it around parking lots, my garage, etc. I lowered the seat, but that didn't help enough. I mean, the bike was 800 pounds. And I'm a 5' 7" middle-aged woman.

When I decided to buy the Cross Roads, my husband was only a few months away from retirement. We'd talked about doing long road trips together, maybe cross country. His retirement came ... and went ... and four years later, we hadn't taken that big trip together. Yet I still had a huge motorcycle I had to grunt to move, and dreaded dropping.

I bought the CTX as a commuter. (That was my excuse; I was actually very curious about the DCT.) I never imagined it would be so all-around competent, especially at highway speeds!

Six months later, I was riding the CTX almost all the time, while my beautiful Victory sat patiently in the garage. So I found a new home for him. I am still sad not to own that gorgeous bike, but the fact is, the CTX is a much better match for the kind of riding I actually *DO*, as opposed to the kind of riding I merely hoped for.

The Victory was the bike of my dreams. The CTX700 is the bike of my reality.

.
 

MJC

Super Moderator
I have had a few bikes in the past that when I think about them it makes my happy that I had owned them. With that said I always was looking for my next bike from the start, I would get a bike, make changes to it, ride it and them move on. Til I got a 1600 Vulcan Nomad, it was the bike I always wanted but did not know about. My 1st Nomad was all stock, 200 miles in the clock and I changed it so many times into what I needed at the time, with 88K on her I sold her because a friend of mine was giving up riding and his Nomad had 10K on it and I had to have it. That bike was going to be my Last, if the time came, I would trike it, so I set it up with everything I wanted even if I did not need it. With full fairing, bags, trunk, etc, etc, the weight grow to almost 1000 pounds, pure power, go anywhere, for has long has you want...I loved that bike, I was part of that bike, or it was part of me. When I got hurt people had to say to me "Let it go", I kept her for 18 months, trying to ride her, unable to use my left her, I could no longer ride. Even if I triked her out there was no getting her into/out of the gears. Then I found the ctx700 dct, the only bike I could ride, sold my Nomad and got the (used) new red-head, first bike in over 30 that was not black. With some changes/mods I am getting some riding time in (over 3K in 3 months) but I am not part of her, or she is not part of me, yet, it is like a friend with benefits, but hopefully the love will grow in time and some more riding. I do find that we are getting closer. lol....I must have a sickness....O, I am, a motorcyclist...I sick person that must be on two wheels to be happy...BTW, every bike I had made me happy, just did not love them all. Some of the better ones, Road King, Bandit 1200, Vulcan 1500 BUBF, 1500 Vulcan Classic, HD FLH, Triumph chopper, and the one I loved the most, 1600 Nomad, full custom dressed for wherever, whenever riding....Total miles ridden on over 30 bikes in over 38 years is 950,000, if I can ride just 50K more that will be 1,000,000 miles. I will have to have 55K on my ctx700 to do that. My plan is to take a photo riding the ctx700 at 55 MPH with the clock reading, 55,000. This is going to take me a few years and maybe in that time I will be in love......lol, I am a sick person lol...who has goals in life like this, and if you understand, You are sick too..........
 

Merlin III

New member
I loved -- and I mean loved -- that Cross Roads. It was wonderfully engineered; once under the slightest power, it suddenly took wing. Superb handling, and of course 106 cubic inches of displacement meant it moved out with authority. And those ginormous saddlebags were great. It was everything a heavy cruiser touring bike should be.

What didn't I like about it? Mostly how heavy it was and how difficult it was for me to push it around parking lots, my garage, etc. I lowered the seat, but that didn't help enough. I mean, the bike was 800 pounds. And I'm a 5' 7" middle-aged woman.

When I decided to buy the Cross Roads, my husband was only a few months away from retirement. We'd talked about doing long road trips together, maybe cross country. His retirement came ... and went ... and four years later, we hadn't taken that big trip together. Yet I still had a huge motorcycle I had to grunt to move, and dreaded dropping.

I bought the CTX as a commuter. (That was my excuse; I was actually very curious about the DCT.) I never imagined it would be so all-around competent, especially at highway speeds!

Six months later, I was riding the CTX almost all the time, while my beautiful Victory sat patiently in the garage. So I found a new home for him. I am still sad not to own that gorgeous bike, but the fact is, the CTX is a much better match for the kind of riding I actually *DO*, as opposed to the kind of riding I merely hoped for.

The Victory was the bike of my dreams. The CTX700 is the bike of my reality.

.
A lot of us have a very similar story. The problem I have is that about every three months I get the urge to go bigger and faster and I spend inordinate amounts of time on Ebay and Cycle Trader. I have even seriously bid on several bikes. At this stage I look at my condition as a mental illness-an Obsessive-Compulsive disorder. :)
 

Steven

Member
I guess my first favorite bike was my Kawasaki 750 2-stroke. I was young and it was very fast and could wheely at the drop of a hat at most any speed. Back then the 900 Kawasaki was supposed to be the king of the road, but I could easily beat them in a race by a good amount. One day I lost to a guy on one of them who had had a 1013 high compression piston kit installed on his bike. I only lost by a half a wheel length at 100 mile per hour, but that is still a loss, so I souped the 750 and I could beat him, but only by a little.

Then one day I had my bike in the shop and I saw that they were taking a 900, resleeving the cylinders to 1200cc. They told me that it should hit high 8's in the quarter. That completely blew the wind out of my sails. I then realized that I had just got knocked off my throne and that even if I were to get a faster bike, someone would still build a faster one yet. Most importantly it made me realize how silly I had been. Over night I completely lost my interest in being a street racer.

The 750 2-stroke had one glaring fault that I didn't know about until later and that was that every time I was decelerating, the engine wasn't getting any oil. This is the fault with all two strokes. I then bought the 900 Kaw because it was more reliable and started touring with it. That opened up another aspect of motorcycling I hadn't thought of. It was fantastic.

I then bought a GS1000G and that was a great deal like the 900 except it had better suspension and was a better tourer. For a brief stint I had a Honda Goldwing (the original ones) and that bike was one of the best bikes I had ridden in terms of smoothness. I didn't appreciate it then as much as I would have today.

For many years afterwards I stayed away from bikes because they didn't make anything that I liked. They were all crotch rockets or Harley look alikes. The larger touring models were just too big for my tastes.

Jumping forwards to today, the CTX/DCT is now my favorite bike because of what it does well. In town, it's very easy to ride and I often find myself out in the country meandering around for 7 or 8 hours at a time. I feel no need to go fast and spend my time just enjoying the ride and the scenery.

Someone had said... We ride our bikes for the enjoyment of it and when we go fast, it makes our ride shorter. Why would we want to do that?

Sorry about this being so long...
 

Woodswoman

Member
@mjc, I also owned a Vulcan 1500 Classic. Lord, that was a beautiful motorcycle ... but I never 'bonded' with it. I found it uncomfortably top heavy, but worst of all, it had such an unpredictably touchy clutch that I began to grow afraid of it. I mean, I rode it for 5,000 miles, and still I would stall it ... EVERY ride, at least once!! I became convinced it was gonna kill me someday. When I finally admitted to my husband that I was not happy with the Vulcan, he said, "Oh, I already know that. I've been waiting for you to admit it. Start shopping for something else." (How I love that guy!!!!!)

From friends, I knew about Victory's awesome balance and engineering. Finally went to a dealership to arrange a test ride of one of their touring cruisers. When I picked that Cross Roads up off the side stand and fired it up, I said to myself, "If the clutch on this thing isn't a b*tch like my Vulcan, this is gonna be expensive."

Half an hour later I rode back into the dealership, and the sales guy asked me what I thought of the Cross Roads.

My answer was, "What'll you give me in trade for my Vulcan?" LOL!
 

Woodswoman

Member
A lot of us have a very similar story. The problem I have is that about every three months I get the urge to go bigger and faster and I spend inordinate amounts of time on Ebay and Cycle Trader. I have even seriously bid on several bikes. At this stage I look at my condition as a mental illness-an Obsessive-Compulsive disorder. :)

Oh, I hear you, Merlin. If the CTX had 100 or so more CCs, I'd think much better of it. (Plus better brakes and suspension, please and thank you, Honda.) But thanks to Sport Mode, the little Tonka toy does probably 90% of what I want, and does it well.

I tell everybody who asks that I still can't believe how stupidly happy I am with this (to me) small, inexpensive motorcycle.

I have a wise friend, whom I have dubbed Motorcycle Buddha. He's ridden for decades, AAAALL kinds of bikes. When I told Motorcycle Buddha I was gonna sell the Victory and keep the Honda he nodded and said, "There's something to be said for taking a smaller bike and riding it to 95% of its ability that can be more fun and rewarding than taking a large bike and riding it to only half of its ability."
 

MJC

Super Moderator
@mjc, I also owned a Vulcan 1500 Classic. Lord, that was a beautiful motorcycle ... but I never 'bonded' with it. I found it uncomfortably top heavy, but worst of all, it had such an unpredictably touchy clutch that I began to grow afraid of it. I mean, I rode it for 5,000 miles, and still I would stall it ... EVERY ride, at least once!! I became convinced it was gonna kill me someday. When I finally admitted to my husband that I was not happy with the Vulcan, he said, "Oh, I already know that. I've been waiting for you to admit it. Start shopping for something else." (How I love that guy!!!!!)

From friends, I knew about Victory's awesome balance and engineering. Finally went to a dealership to arrange a test ride of one of their touring cruisers. When I picked that Cross Roads up off the side stand and fired it up, I said to myself, "If the clutch on this thing isn't a b*tch like my Vulcan, this is gonna be expensive."

Half an hour later I rode back into the dealership, and the sales guy asked me what I thought of the Cross Roads.

My answer was, "What'll you give me in trade for my Vulcan?" LOL!

This is why, when I owned the Nomad I had to stay away from Zacks (Victory Dealer), when the Cross Roads came out. I did end up riding a few of them (because I was training motorcycle cops on them) and they are so nice....I just did not have the money to send, but I know what you mean. Just for the record a Vulcan 1500 (which I had) is not the same has a 1600 Vulcan, A 1600 is everything the 1500 is not. My 1600 Nomad I was in love with, that is what made it a great bike but there are so many other bikes that are just better motorcycles. When I win the lotto I will show them too ya, lol.
 
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Woodswoman

Member
This is why, when I owned the Nomad I had to stay away from Zacks (Victory Dealer), when the Cross Roads came out. I did end up riding a few of them (because I was training motorcycle cops on them) and they are so nice....I just did not have the money to send, but I know what you mean. Just for the record a Vulcan 1500 (which I had) is not the same has a 1600 Vulcan, A 1600 is everything the 1500 is not. My 1600 Nomad I was in love with, that is what made it a great bike but there are so many other bikes that are just better motorcycles. When I win the lotto I will show them too ya, lol.

I know, brother.

My husband had a 1600 Nomad. I adored it! It was everything I wanted in a touring cruiser. Trouble is, it didn't fit me at all. I couldn't comfortably reach the controls. That thing was built for someone much taller than I am. The layout of the 1500 was much more my size, which is why I tried it.

The Cross Roads was like a Nomad that I *could* ride!! :)

Hubby is now on a 1700 Vaquero. He came within a whisker of getting a Cross Country at Zach's, but Hudson Valley Cycle Center made him a deal on the Vaquero that he couldn't refuse.

P.S. I can ride the Vaquero. Kawasaki brought the controls closer in again. Sweet machine! Mike (my Mike) loves it.
 
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randy1149

New member
My last bike I just came off of was a Vulcan Voyager 1700, all 900lbs of it. Replaced stock shocks to lower the seat 2", raised the front shocks up an inch to lower the front end a little. It worked well for a while but then had the problems you "guys" did. High center of gravity destroys parking lot mobility!

Although I don't miss the low speed mobility, I do miss some of the amenities. Honda, my wish list on the CTX I'd like 1200CC, belt drive, cruise control, and self cancelling turn signals. Call me when its' ready? ;)
 
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