Looks like PING has seen the Light!

G-man
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G-man 3/18/2019 9:42pm
3/18/2019 9:42pm Edited Date/Time 3/19/2019 10:19am
dpingree101 wrote:
Freeways are still scaring the shit out of me but I’ve been having so much damn fun on my Svartepilen... don’t know why I waited so...
Freeways are still scaring the shit out of me but I’ve been having so much damn fun on my Svartepilen... don’t know why I waited so long to get my license.
Yes the LA freeways can be and eye-opener for sure. Woohoo

I grew up in SoCal, (Eagle Rock) which is next to Pasadena and used to commute on a KZ750 to Culver City. Riding the 5 Freeway to the Harbor through downtown LA to the Santa Monica 10 to the 405.
It was in the mid-80s and I was in my mid-20s. How I survived those days I'll never know (Actually MX exp helped). Now that I am 60 I would definitely use a different approach if I had to commute on a bike.

I used to split traffic (I am not opposed to this if you use common sense) and one time I was running late and got squeezed by a Cadillac and clipped his mirror and went down in the fast lane in rush hour.

Helmet scraped, leather jacket was scuffed but did not get a scratch on me. The rush hour people are ruthless they didn't even stop to help!
My bike laid on the side spewing gas, traffic desperately trying to get around as they were going to get to work.

Finally a guy jumped out of his car and said to me "hey man I know how it is I ride a bike these people are a-holes!"
He picked up my bike as I was trying to gather myself leaning on the center divider. The old man who squeezed me out, first words out of his mouth (not if I'm ok) were "Do you have insurance?" Should have punched him but I was still in a state of shock.

Lesson learned and from then on I was more cautious.

Now-a-days when I ride freeways in LA I am much more aware as the texters are definitely worrisome.
On my visits I try to limit LA Fwy's as much as possible as I'm just trying to get through to the awesome California Canyons to Highway 1 to start my annual vacation.

Good to hear you're enjoying your ride PING. ?
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G-man
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G-man 3/18/2019 9:48pm
3/18/2019 9:48pm Edited Date/Time 3/19/2019 5:51am
Hammer wrote:
2008 KTM 530 excr. Mainly ride the forest & off road. Periodically ride the road with some friends. Gman, Old Blue is still in the garage...
2008 KTM 530 excr. Mainly ride the forest & off road. Periodically ride the road with some friends.

Gman, Old Blue is still in the garage, it needs a oil and filter change... you want to ride?
Awesome! Cool to hear Hammer.

I'll have to come out for bike week again one day and take ol blue for some laps again! Smile
G-man
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G-man 3/18/2019 10:15pm
3/18/2019 10:15pm Edited Date/Time 3/18/2019 10:16pm
Here is the payoff, can't get to these places on a dirt bike Woohoo




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Patrick461
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Dania, FL, USA
Patrick461 3/18/2019 10:36pm
3/18/2019 10:36pm Edited Date/Time 3/18/2019 10:41pm
2015 XR650 e start. Big loud DG exhaust big XRs only pegs s few mods. I spent a year in west palm beach Florida riding a mile to the beach and all up and down A1A. Epic just epic had a lot of dates that were thrilled to hop on and ride along trying not to crash because the blue ocean is just beyond beautiful lots of bikes on that stretch of road very low speed limits strictly enforced which was fine by me. Always went there alone met riders to ride with every single time. Lots of babes. I will always have a bike for when God willing I get to go back
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The Shop

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Patrick461
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Patrick461 3/18/2019 10:38pm
3/18/2019 10:38pm

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Jerkolantern
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New Richland, MN, USA
Jerkolantern 3/18/2019 10:41pm
3/18/2019 10:41pm
SmokinJoe439 wrote:
My garage gets smokey with the likes of an rgv nsr tzr 250's and this cool 150 tzr from Thailand. I stay off the highways and...
My garage gets smokey with the likes of an rgv nsr tzr 250's and this cool 150 tzr from Thailand. I stay off the highways and such an seek out the twisty roads.


Hell yes. Nice scoot
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backinthesaddleagain 3/19/2019 9:32am
3/19/2019 9:32am Edited Date/Time 3/19/2019 9:33am
Ninja 636 that's in my avatar. I mainly ride back roads, have some good ones on my commute, occasionally cresting a hill and carrying a small bit of air between the front wheel and the pavement. Bike is great at track days of course.
mikec265
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Edinboro, PA, USA
mikec265 3/19/2019 9:52am
3/19/2019 9:52am
If we were still in the days before cell phones I'd have a street bike. For me ignorance is bliss, and I'll stick to the dirt.
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Track and Trail 3/19/2019 10:01am
3/19/2019 10:01am
I ride a 2000 Honda Nighthawk and a 1987 BMW K75. Living in northern MN, I’m more concerned with animals running into the road than I am heavy traffic. Like the other guy said, it’s like a paved trail ride for me. Normal speeds and good views are enough, and wayyy more enjoyable than driving the box around.
2
MOTO732
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300
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Elkhorn, WI, USA
MOTO732 3/19/2019 10:08am
3/19/2019 10:08am
I have had rockets for many years. Love street bikes. I have had 600rr's, 1000rr's, R1's etc..My latest was a 2015 kawi Zx10r. How I never got any speeding tickets on those bikes is a testament to luck. Bought a Goldwing a few years back and guess what? In less than a week, speeding ticket going 12 over. Really??? 12 over? The judge tossed it out. Better than the 80 over I normally did on the rockets..lol.
2
P-Nut
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Longmont, CO, USA
P-Nut 3/19/2019 10:26am
3/19/2019 10:26am


My ride....
Unfortunately, it's now just a commuter, but I'm not complaining
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Mr. G
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Riverside, CA, USA
Mr. G 3/19/2019 12:02pm
3/19/2019 12:02pm
Miss this thing but the advent of smartphones take most of the fun out of it.
2
TeamGreen
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Thru-out, CA, USA
TeamGreen 3/19/2019 12:04pm
3/19/2019 12:04pm
Ping? Seeing the light?
Pfffft...

Laughing
TeamGreen
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TeamGreen 3/19/2019 12:05pm
3/19/2019 12:05pm
Knobbyjake wrote:
I've got a Ural that I ride year round and a Gold Wing which I barely ride since I got the Ural a few years back...
I've got a Ural that I ride year round and a Gold Wing which I barely ride since I got the Ural a few years back. Ural is 2 wheel drive, goes great off road and in the snow and can haul loads of stuff. Big fun.


That there is a picture of a guy that REALLY enjoys riding and he's certainly a "Bad Ass"!
1
JBecker 72
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Eastern Panhandle, WV, USA
JBecker 72 3/19/2019 12:14pm
3/19/2019 12:14pm
SmokinJoe439 wrote:
My garage gets smokey with the likes of an rgv nsr tzr 250's and this cool 150 tzr from Thailand. I stay off the highways and...
My garage gets smokey with the likes of an rgv nsr tzr 250's and this cool 150 tzr from Thailand. I stay off the highways and such an seek out the twisty roads.


What a beaut! I’m really jonesing for a grey market 250 two stroke street bike. My friend had an NSR250 imported about 2 years ago. Still kick myself for not buying a new Aprilia RS250 when they were practically giving them away about 12 years ago. Now a clean street titled one brings new 600cc super sport prices.

One day.
7eleven
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Aliso Viejo, CA, USA
7eleven 3/19/2019 1:14pm
3/19/2019 1:14pm
Getting some hotlaps on the 160hp Ducati Monster 1200s. Laguna Seca 7/18



SmokinJoe439
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Renton, WA, USA
SmokinJoe439 3/19/2019 1:30pm
3/19/2019 1:30pm
SmokinJoe439 wrote:
My garage gets smokey with the likes of an rgv nsr tzr 250's and this cool 150 tzr from Thailand. I stay off the highways and...
My garage gets smokey with the likes of an rgv nsr tzr 250's and this cool 150 tzr from Thailand. I stay off the highways and such an seek out the twisty roads.


JBecker 72 wrote:
What a beaut! I’m really jonesing for a grey market 250 two stroke street bike. My friend had an NSR250 imported about 2 years ago. Still...
What a beaut! I’m really jonesing for a grey market 250 two stroke street bike. My friend had an NSR250 imported about 2 years ago. Still kick myself for not buying a new Aprilia RS250 when they were practically giving them away about 12 years ago. Now a clean street titled one brings new 600cc super sport prices.

One day.
I have 4 smokers my friend i ride with has 4 of them and a nsr150sp from Thailand and I'm slowly piecing together a 2001 aprilia rs250. I'm a triple clamps n front wheel away from having a rolling chassis.
1
VET176
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Brisbane, AU
VET176 3/19/2019 1:38pm
3/19/2019 1:38pm
Loopy wrote:
[img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2019/03/18/332786/s1200_20180810_183252.jpg[/img] Having the FZ09 is the perfect compliment to riding moto.

Having the FZ09 is the perfect compliment to riding moto.
And it's brother the XSR900. Like riding a 115hp dirt bike on the street.


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brakecheck
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Long Beach, MS, USA
brakecheck 3/19/2019 1:41pm
3/19/2019 1:41pm
KTM 690 Duke
brakecheck
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brakecheck 3/19/2019 1:45pm
3/19/2019 1:45pm

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CozMan
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Deep In The Heart of, TX, USA
CozMan 3/19/2019 1:51pm
3/19/2019 1:51pm
I'm lucky. I have a big fat heavy cruiser type bike and about 500 yards from my house I can turn left and I have an endless number of hill country roads laid out ahead of me. No traffic, curves, and crazy views.

I hate driving in traffic for all the reasons posted. But cruising on a scenic road listening to some tunes with a good looking lady on the back is pretty damn high on the list of "Kick ass ways to spend a Saturday".
1stSSPZ
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Lubbock, TX, USA
1stSSPZ 3/19/2019 4:30pm
3/19/2019 4:30pm
Nothing like disappearing for a couple of days with just a gun and a sleeping bag
3
731chopper
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DFW, TX, USA
731chopper 3/19/2019 4:45pm
3/19/2019 4:45pm
I decided I was going to get my license a few years ago and did. The class was comically/painfully boring. The instructor had a bunch of Suzuki’s for everyone and 1 knockoff Chinese bike with a horrible transmission that was not fun to ride. After the first few drills I became full time Chinese bike guy since I could actually ride and the others were genuinely trying to learn or improve on their very basic foundation.

After I got my license I went and rode a friend’s cruiser for a few miles before realizing that riding with cars and trucks is not something I want to do. Riding in constant fear of being rear ended doesn’t seem very liberating or fun. Especially not while I have two young kids depending on me.
Racer111
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Concord, NC, USA
Racer111 3/19/2019 7:11pm
3/19/2019 7:11pm
I have a CB1000! LOVE my street ride.
3
captmoto
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Rancho Cucamonga, CA, USA
captmoto 3/19/2019 7:24pm
3/19/2019 7:24pm
I gave it up in 1979. I was in Newport Beach with a girl I was dating, visiting her parents. It hit like a ton of bricks all at once. How the fuck am I going to get us home without riding that pig. (1977 CB750). I don't even remember the ride home. Or even getting rid of the bike. Absolutely no desire to ride on the street again. I don't like the fact that you could be dead right on a street bike. Like Ping, I've seen a lot of guys killed by stupid shits in cars.
TJRace
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West Linn, OR, USA
TJRace 3/19/2019 9:27pm
3/19/2019 9:27pm
Ducati Multistrada for me. Great for a big, old, broken, dirt-biker (shattered my hips at Washougal 9 years ago). I do some commuting on it and a bunch of quick 100-mile local snorts, plus a couple week-long boys' trips plotting the curviest route to some destination of interest. The Multi is a pretty willing carver, but still comfortable for long days.

2
G-man
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Mesa, AZ, USA
G-man 3/19/2019 9:55pm
3/19/2019 9:55pm
Nice looking bike TJ Woohoo
G-man
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G-man 3/19/2019 11:30pm
3/19/2019 11:30pm Edited Date/Time 3/20/2019 7:01am
Good to see some nice bikes and stories in this thread. Smile


I had a sweet running Hurricane that was a Life-keeper until a garage fire tragically ended that goal along with a 81 Suzy Full Floater 125.... Sad



Was streetbike-less for about 10 years and while searching on Craigslist for a CR 125 I stumbled upon this 2002 FZ1 at a pawnshop of all places for 2700 bones! Woohoo It only had 17,000 miles and ran great even being bone stock.

Once I had it I realized how much I missed having a street bike and got into taking long road trips on it with the G/F.
90% of my riding is 2-up and she likes riding as much as I do which is a bonus.



I'm on a FZ forum and one of the local guys listed his 01 FZ1 for sale. She had about $2500 worth of some good solid upgrades so I went to check her out and rode her home for 2900 with 17,500 on the odo. I luv these bikes as they are versatile and dependable.



Now I had two and my long-time moto buddy Jeff who lives on the Balboa Peninsula bought it.
He never owned a street bike and didn't really know anybody who did.
He had it for about 8 months and sold it much to my disappointment as I probably would have bought it back. I think the LA fwys freaked him out too.

So yes this kind of goes along with my theory, the enjoyment of owning a street bike is dependent on where you live and how quickly you can get to the good riding areas. Just like owning a dirt bike if you don't have good areas or tracks to ride it's not much fun.

This picture is taken just after the Rock Store in Malibu Canyon where the photographers hang out and all the squids crash in the corner. ?

The stuff we cram in that tail bag is pretty amazing but what boggles my mind is the amount of bike you can get for under $3,000.



I can see a Goldwing or something similar as my next bike in about 10 yrs or so.
VET176
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Brisbane, AU
VET176 3/20/2019 2:42am
3/20/2019 2:42am Edited Date/Time 3/20/2019 2:44am
Shawn142 wrote:
An RC51 and a 1000RR, but I pretty much stick to the track days. I don't get much enjoyment out of street riding or cruising. I've...
An RC51 and a 1000RR, but I pretty much stick to the track days. I don't get much enjoyment out of street riding or cruising. I've personally seen my friends get run into from behind at red lights, taken out by a dog, and cause each other to crash like morons. Not to mention I've had a few near misses with cars changing their minds at the last second.
drt410 wrote:
If you get rear ended at a red light it means u dont know how to ride. Street riding takes knowing how to ride + an...
If you get rear ended at a red light it means u dont know how to ride. Street riding takes knowing how to ride + an entirely different set of defensive techniques.

Your supposed to stop off to either the right or left of the lane, its almost always going to be right but depends, keep the bike in gear hand on clutch and throttle, then look in your mirror at EVERY stop until the car behind you comes to a stop. Even then depending on if Im in front Ill keep it in gear the entire time so I can take off if someone gets squirly in the intersection.

If theres a car in front of me Ill pull all the way to the right to where if someone doesnt stop they rear end the car in front of me. Im looking in the rearview so the second I see them approaching Im gone. Even if I dont have time theyll go past my left into the car and not me...

Notice Im off to the right? 1. That means I can easily accelerate forward up next to the car in front of me to safety. 2. The car behind me will rear end the car in front. If you ride like this theres a 99.9999% chance you wont get hit, its ALMOST impossible.

Only when the car stops will I ever take it out of gear to stretch. At that point Im boxed in and safe. This is just intersections theres probably 500 different defensive techniques Im going through at all times. People dont understand this type of riding and those are the people that get hurt... Obviously anything can happen but you can knock out a couple hundred of the most common scenarios and make it so only if SHTF will you go down.
I always lane split at the traffic lights. Get to the front of the cue. Blast (legally) to the next set of lights and repeat. This saves me from being rear ended and free's me from riding in traffic.

Ping, has a point. MX racing definitely sharpens your senses on the road. I've been cut off numerous times but saw everyone way before it was an issue. It's almost like time has slowed down when I ride.....and the cars are so slow.....Wink
mx317
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mx317 3/20/2019 3:26am
3/20/2019 3:26am
It's great for me to get off work and grab my XR650L and hit the back roads here in Tennessee. The stress level goes way down with a ride through the countryside. Then back to the shop to prep my Husky FC450 for the weekend and I'm a new man.
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