Best Ride You Have Owned.

Well, mine is easy.

It's my first Harley after 10+ years of ridin'. Nuff said?

I'd be hard pressed to name a best, have so many favorites. I can name a worst, though, but I don't wanna PO Kevin again.

Jeez Marc, where to start? Should've narrowed it down some first.....

Favorite MX bike? '83 Honda CR480 Favorite MX bike in gnarly slop? '78 Maico 450. Favorite desert bike? Kawasaki 450 with KX450 (MX) top end and custom pipe.
Favorite fun bike? Same Kwakker with a license plate. Whoeeee! fun to ride and manuever.
Favorite H-D? Every FXR I've owned...even over my RK. The FXR is easily the best handling Big Twin H-D ever produced.
Thank you Eric Buell.

Well, that's my problem, too many categories for one bike to fill. But, even for street bike, touring bike, or what not, I can only think of ONE bike I didn't like, was a total POS, the definition of JUNK, sorry, no good........ The rest of 'em were GREAT!

This is not a joke!

The best bike I ever had was the one I got as a wee lad. We weren't exactly rich growing up (friggin broke livin in a slum) in south San Francisco, with my Dad working graveyard at the airport and my Mom struggling with 4 monster rugrats. One day I come home from school and there, in the living room/dining room/den/bedroom is a brand new banana seat Stingray bike for us all. Still get chills thinking of it.

If it has to be a motorcycle, then it has to be my current ride, Ol' Red. A 1999 Road King - from the last century, hence the Ol'. Yeah, she's carbed when EFI is better, and she nearly killed me on the Haunted Highway (if you don't know it, it's too long a story for now), but I love her and she loves me - at least better than my first wife, but probably not as good as my now 20-year bride. Got her new seats, a shiny new horn, lots of chrome doodads (I think she likes jewelry more than my wife does) and tweaked her engine a tad to get us there and back again. Ever seen the movie "Serenity"? At the end the hero talks about what it takes to fly a spaceship, same goes for riding a bike. Love will keep you going when all else says you should be road rash. Love to ride, love your ride.

Believe it or don't. But I do.

Keep shiney!

P.S. - Yes, I am Irish, and Jameson's is darn fine tonight!

Hey..mine's never caught fire. And I can still use it to mix paint with. The XS650 will let you know you have kidneys.

Hard to choose. I had a '76 Montessa 250 (trials) in Panama in '82. I was one of the few my Army barracks who had a cage and a bike. Riding in the jungle was a blast. I had a favorite place near a waterfall where I'd watch the bats feed at sunset..dancing in the sky..partaking in what Panama grows best (not bananas). Loved that low 1st gear that would crawl over logs and whatever.

I put almost 100,000 miles on my Royal Star that allowed me to see the West like I've never seen before.

My FJR tours, handles and accellerates like no bike I've ever owned..gonna circle the US on it next Summer (w/my dachshund) after I graduate.

Thinking about it, one bike stands out above all the rest I've owned as doing more jobs well than any other. It hauled the sidecare better than any liter bike I've ever owned. It got 50 mpg. It would run 125 mph, not THAT impressive, but plenty adequate in a 70 mph world and it'd cruise nearly that fast, on rare occasion you understand. It was very long distance comfortable. It handled fairly well until the last 9/10s when it had a bad under-steer, but for most anything I'd do on a public road, it was adequate handling. I didn't like the odd front wheel size, 18", but hey, can't have everything. It had MASSIVE low end torque. Downshifting was optional and really didn't gain that much. It was shaft driven, no drive belts or chains. It was a Suzuki VX800, 91 model. It never had a problem, didn't vibrate (counter-rotating balance shaft), though it was a 45 degree V twin engine. It had a sweet Triumph Bonneville type exhaust note that I loved.

That bike was an awesome ride and I miss it now and then. Maybe I should just look for a good used one. The one thing I didn't like was the lack of aftermarket for the bike. It wasn't a popular seller and the model only lasted in America for 3 model years, though it sold well in Europe. At the time, '88-91, nothing sold, but cruisers or full on faired sport bikes. This bike was a plain standard with the heart of a Suzuki 800 Intruder. Odd combination, but it sure worked. I loved riding that thing even with the front end push.

If you're not in Iraq..I certainly will. I've got relatives outside Houston I'll probably visit, along with hopefully stopping by to see Goose on the coast. If I could do it all over again, I'd have become a nurse in the military over 20 years ago, but hindsight is.........

I've met many riders off the internet and the majority have been great experiences.

Goose, wasn't that the bike you rode to Sturgis back in '98?

Yeah, I rode it to Sturgis and out to Laughlin. It weren't nothin' special to look at, but it did everything well. Took my daughter out to Daytona with the sidecar attached, too. Lots of good memories on that bike.

I paid $50.00 for a Z 50 that had carb problems (rusty tank) when I was 10. Man I loved that little bike. Had to carry a piece of screen door wire with me everywhere to clean the jets when they clogged. Got to where I could get her running again in less than 5 minutes. Rode it till I was 12 and got an XR75. It sat in the corner of the garage till I went in the Nav. Sure wish I knew what happened to that little dude. It disappeared while I was in the service.

My favorite ride is my current ride. Been loyal to me for many a year. My '96 Heritage Softail Classic... Luv it...

I thought it was my 86 wide glide until I got my current Nite Rod. I am amazed at how nice this bike really is. I get some funny looks from some of my ole school Harley boys.......but at 57 years old...........who cares???

Ben

Like CD I'm partial to FXR's. I liked mine a lot but I think the present Electra Glide I have is a good bike..touch wood but it hauls a trailer two up and no fuss no muss. My FXR was faster and more fun but Chuggy just goes and goes