Any audiophiles into motorcycles


As its just getting into motorcycle season here in the great lakes region, motorcycling is beginning to supplant audio as my primary preoccupation. I recall there being threads as to car ownership, don't recall a motorcycle thread. And so, lets hear from the audiophile motorcycle enthusiasts out there; tell everyone about bikes you own, or have owned, and lets hear some motorcycle tales.

As for myself, I started riding around 12 years of age, little Suzuki 50cc trail bike, purchased Sears Allstate (Puch) 250cc street bike at 15 so I'd be ready for street legal riding at 16. Over the next 25 years too many bikes to list, mostly 650cc bikes and larger, migrated to super sports over those years, I was doing a lot of sports touring in those years, strap a tent and sleeping bag on bike and go for up to three or four weeks, mostly around great lakes region. I did great lakes circle tour: southern Ohio and West Virginia was a yearly tour, up into Adirondacks, northern New York, Vermont was always nice. Ontario, Canada was also a pretty common destination as was upper peninsula of Michigan. These days I  find myself pretty much sticking to weekend rides with my nephew, a budding audiophile with his Aprilia RSV4. I've been riding my little pocket rocket KTM RC390 the past few years, fun bike but lacking the thrill of bigger bore bikes such that I've now purchased 2021 Ducati Supersport S in silk white, expecting delivery next Wednesday. So, at this point my ownership of bikes includes the KTM, Ducati, Suzuki DRZ400S and 1973 Yamaha TX500 I'm in process of making into cafe racer.

My passion for motorcycles (and cars, but that's a different story) has certainly impacted my audiophile life. I don't have as much disposable income for audio, and bikes replace audio as my primary preoccupation in summer, but having passion for both sure makes for a richer life!
sns
@hshifi

i have such fond memories of my kawa gpz550 in the early 80’s... really learned to ride on that thing, then went to gpz750 then to suzuki katana 1100 but came back to lower powered handling bikes like the interceptor, and stopped at the vfr800f i still have after all these years

don’t where you are located, if you are near the usa west coast and are serious about getting a vfr800 lets pm and discuss... time for me to put two wheel canyon carving days behind me... sadly...
I learned to ride on my brothers Yamaha Enduro.  1970?  Been riding every since.  When I move to Kona in 1996 I bought a Harley 883.  It had been my only transportation other then walking for 20 years. 18 years were 60 miles round trip to work, 4-5 days a week.  Shoulders and Knees began giving me pains.  And getting old made me buy a car.  When my body is feeling okay, over 200,000 mile Piglet still takes me where ever I wanna go.

Oooo almost forgot.  2000ish,   I loaned a friend money to help him move back to the mainland. Collateral he left me his tricked Hayabusa.  He told me to ride it.  He did not want it just sitting all that time.  I've ridden friends' 1000 1200cc "crotch rockets".  That bike was very different.  The most beautiful and most terrifying moments of all my riding.  She sang the most beautiful sound over 3000 rpm.  Terrifying.  In the right gear or I should say the Wrong gear, goosing the throttle up too much would make the front tire see air.  Owner, over 6 foot 200 pound guy.  Little s**t 5'3" me.  At that time 127 pound.  Controlling that beast was an issue for me.
Our Aussie Jack Miller just won the LeMans MotoGP round on a DUCATI !!!!👍👍
First bike was a 1975 Honda CB550. Back in 2005. Got it off eBay, had 3800 miles on it. Realized why the mileage was so low, some strange electrical problem that left me stranded more times than I care to remember. After a year, found someone who got it set right, ran perfect after that.

Next was a 2007 R1200S. Wanted something “dependable”.

After that was an 2010 S1000RR. Great fun, stupid fast ride.  Someone stole it sadly.

Brief hiatus until 2016 when I picked up another 2007 R1200S after the divorce. Unfortunately, after burning both arms and hands in a kitchen oil fire, lost the end of that riding season. They frown upon morphine being in your system when riding apparently :) The bandages made using my hands a bit challenging.  After finally being able to ride again the next season, had a bit of a spill and bike has been sitting in storage since. Miss riding a lot. Especially this time of year when you can hear the sound in the distance...
None currently, but in the past:

Triumph Speed Triple 2005
Ducati 996
Triumph Daytona 675... Fav of the bunch.
Triumph Thruxton