Motorcycle Thread - Post Your Bike!

[Panici]

Do we have a bike thread? Now we do. 😄
Post up your motorcycle if you occasionally enjoy two wheels instead of four.


I've had an '05 Yamaha R6 since 2009, which I've tried to use for both street and track over the years.
The result of that was not enough seat time, and too many crashes from not being comfortable and smooth while riding.
Also much frustration swapping things back and forth between street & track modes.

Picked up a race-prepped '03 R6 yesterday as a track-only beast so the '05 can be converted back to a dedicated street bike.

My build thread/track log over on R6-Forum is @ http://R6.panici.ca

[Northern]

When I was going to school, I found there was dedicated motorcycle parking and more or less twisted that to justify taking the MSF and buy a bike.

Thinking I was sensible I bought a 2009 Ninja 250R that needed a rear tire and front brakes.
Honestly it was fine. Controls/suspension/shifter/brakes sucked and there was a lack of power, but it was fun to scoot around light-to-light.



I got bored, decided I wanted something nicer. I really wanted something that had better suspension/adjustability, brakes/levers.
Enter the clapped out Honda CBR600F4.

Cheapest 600 on kijiji. Pictures looked good, engine ran well, brakes worked, and that was basically the end of the positives.

None of the front/rear lights or cluster worked, triple tree bearings were shot (or just loose?), second gear would pop out into neutral, clutch worked but was on/off like a light switch. rear tire was bald, rear brake rotor was toast, clutch didn't work, and it had an F4i tail conversion.

Once I had it home, I pulled apart the tail and found this monstrosity:



Wiring was a complete shitshow and the "tail tidy" was straight hideous.

Over the winter, I pulled the engine and replaced one gear, had the dogs faced on another. I replaced a shift fork and probably some other stuff. New clutch since a bunch of plates were shattered, and did a PAIR valve delete and new plugs.

Old gear (replaced with one off an ebay gearset)


Mating dogs (had the dog faces machined flat after this picture)



Fixed up the tail tidy as well with a bent aluminum sheet and an ebay 954RR integrated taillight, the cluster needed a new diode and resistor soldered in.




Looked half decent after that.
2020, when I had both bikes:



Added a clear windscreen while we tried to resurrect an old 929rr

I always liked the lope and gear driven cam noise that it made.
Video:

VID_20210422_163119

The controls were super crisp, brake/clutch feedback was spectacular, and the throttle response was great, but I eventually got sick of having carbs and a touchy clutch/throttle and started looking at newer CBRs.

Found a 2012 CBR600RR ABS listed by someone I used to work with. One owner, full Yoshimura system, power commander, some other bits.
Bought it, threw some hotbodies flush turn signals, a TST integrated taillight, and basically ran it for two summers before I crashed it.
Fuel Injection made a huge difference for starting & going, and the clutch/throttle are objectively better, but the throttle/brake/clutch feel just aren't the same

Should be fixed and sold this spring/summer.

[Panici]

Video of the lope not showing up for me for me?

Enter the clapped out Honda CBR600F4.
...
Found a 2012 CBR600RR ABS listed by someone I used to work with. One owner, full Yoshimura system, power commander, some other bits.
Bought it, threw some hotbodies flush turn signals, a TST integrated taillight, and basically ran it for two summers before I crashed it.

Good job cleaning up that CBR600F4, I really like the look of it with the carbon Hindle can!

What happened with the CBR600RR crash? Were you okay?

[Northern]

Video of the lope not showing up for me for me?


Good job cleaning up that CBR600F4, I really like the look of it with the carbon Hindle can!

What happened with the CBR600RR crash? Were you okay?

I messed up the vid URL, should be under the pic now.
The looks really grew on me. I just wish the carbs weren't so finicky and the plastics/tank weren't so thrashed.
The full hindle system was cool, big 4-1 collector under the bike was cool, and it sounded good (albeit very loud on throttle). Oil changes sucked - needed a smaller RR filter, otherwise you need to pull the headers to change the filter lol.

The RR crash was this past Nov. First week was all 20degC except for one day where it dropped to freezing.
On that day, I roll the bike down my driveway to start out in the street, drive up to the corner 50' up the road and see the light at the intersection around the corner is green so I roll the stop sign.
Going through the corner, I realize I'm leaned over a lot, and before I know it I'm on the ground. I was going maybe 10kph and the rear end just came around on me and I came down on my knee.

I fractured my Tibia where the ACL attaches, Not sure if I smoked my knee or twisted it or what - it basically all happened within a second. All I remember is feeling my knee crunch and hearing the bike scrape along the ground lol.

3 weeks in a splint, Started physio and did another 3 in a brace+crutches, started to walk on it after that.
I'm at the 4 month mark and I can drive, walk short distances, stairs are ok but I cheat with my good leg. Kneeling is a no-go, range of motion is like 80% and strength is very low.

Bike isn't bad. Needs a mirror, bar end, rearset, lower side fairing, tail fairing, paddock stand bobbin.
Super low speed crash, just the squishy bits didn't appreciate it.

[slippery]

Currently have these three, have had many through the years:

[Panici]

The RR crash was this past Nov. First week was all 20degC except for one day where it dropped to freezing.
On that day, I roll the bike down my driveway to start out in the street, drive up to the corner 50' up the road and see the light at the intersection around the corner is green so I roll the stop sign.
Going through the corner, I realize I'm leaned over a lot, and before I know it I'm on the ground. I was going maybe 10kph and the rear end just came around on me and I came down on my knee.

Oof those cold days are unforgiving. Glad you are on the mend though. Were you wearing any kind of protective pants?

Had a guy lowside right in front of me while I was walking one day. Cold fall morning and wet road with an off camber turn.

My ex-wife checked on him (she's a nurse) while I got the bike up and off the road. He picked a perfect couple to crash in front of. 😆 Thankfully he was okay and was able to ride off afterwards.

Currently have these three, have had many through the years:

Oh Baby those are some spicy units!

Soft spot in my heart for those first-gen R1s. Something about them just looks right.
Kind of rare to see them with original signals, but IMO those big amber signals have aged quite well and don't look half bad.

[slippery]

Oh Baby those are some spicy units!

Soft spot in my heart for those first-gen R1s. Something about them just looks right.
Kind of rare to see them with original signals, but IMO those big amber signals have aged quite well and don't look half bad.

Thanks!

The Yamaha is a 2000 R1 that I bought brand new as a left over in 2001. I agree on the turn signals, I had changed them for a while but went back to stock as I think they look great. I just wish I did not cut the rear fender, oh well.

[Northern]

I love the S1K. Probably my favorite bike.

Oof those cold days are unforgiving. Glad you are on the mend though. Were you wearing any kind of protective pants?

Unfortunately pants are the one piece of gear I don't wear while commuting, just because it's so damn inconvenient to wear a second pair of pants overtop, or to change pants at work. I watched that Fortnine video on gear priority and decided it was ok/worth the risk given the injury stats presented, and that my commute is ~8 minutes at <50kph, save one section that I'll open up to 70-80 if it's free and clear.

I have some fieldsheer jeans with kevlar lining from mid-thigh up, with D3O knee pads, but I only wear them if I'm actually going for a ride.
Whether those would've helped, or if it was just my leg under the bike bending the wrong way as the rest of me went overtop, I'll never know. The jeans I had on at the time had some scratches on them, but they're completely fine otherwise.
The rest of the gear made it through fine, except for some scratches on the side of the visor from me digging my head into the ground in frustration while trying to get up.