Motorcycle love

Nighthawk S? One of the best all-around motorcycles ever made. Plenty quick and fast, handled well; air-cooling with hydraulic valve actuation and shaft drive made it super-low maintenance. Even had a good seat. I sometimes regretted getting an Interceptor instead of a Nighthawk, but the V-four had more poke at low revs.

I always wished Honda would have made a 1000cc Nighthawk S.
Yep had an 84 700S. Only bad thing about that bike is the alternator and starter shared a chain with a weak tensioner setup. When it breaks, its easier to scrap the bike unless you feel like splitting the case on a DOHC 4 cylinder with timing chains. Bought mine cheap, rode the hell out of it and sent it on down the road
 
This JUST came up and it's over near a lot of you. I would snatch this up if I didn't just buy a bike.
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Interesting that it says “running condition”, and not “good running condition”... The “you could ride it home” part strikes me as “you *could* ride it home (but I wouldn’t)”. But then, I’m cynical.

It does look like a nice bike, though!
 
Interesting that it says “running condition”, and not “good running condition”... The “you could ride it home” part strikes me as “you *could* ride it home (but I wouldn’t)”. But then, I’m cynical.

It does look like a nice bike, though!

It’s a Honda, you can’t kill them.
 
Dang, this is one of those times that I wish I had a beater pickup, I'd drive the 75 miles to Cary...
Seriously, Im very tempted by this. These are too popular to sit idle for long.
 
I followed up on that bike. Definitely a scam. First, a dude responds and says he needs my email address so he can give it to his mom, to get back with details. I made another gmail account and gave him that. Hours later, a woman responds with a sob story about her husband, using an email address that shows up on a couple of sites that suggest that she uses the address with different names and home locations.

Was definitely too good to be true.


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I followed up on that bike. Definitely a scam. First, a dude responds and says he needs my email address so he can give it to his mom, to get back with details. I made another gmail account and gave him that. Hours later, a woman responds with a sob story about her husband, using an email address that shows up on a couple of sites that suggest that she uses the address with different names and home locations.

Was definitely too good to be true.


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Yep this is some reasons why I avoid using CL for vehicles anymore. Plenty of other places to get scammed where people actually have to create more of a profile than just an email address.
 
My new to me bike. This is my first. Still have to get it inspected before I can get hard tags. Can anyone recommend a good shop in the Burlington area? Hopefully the learning curve isn't too steep.

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How much riding experience do you have? Dirt bikes as a kid? If yer just starting out, definitely keep your head on a swivel. Cars do not see you. They are trying to kill you. Remember those 2 things & you'll be ahead of the game.

I'd really recommend taking at least the MSF Beginner Rider course & their Experienced Rider course once you get a few miles under you.

If you want to mosey down my way (a few miles south of Graham, off 54) some evening during the week, I can show you some lovely, low stress, low traffic backroads wandering through Orange Co. & UCLA if yer wanting to log some miles & gain some confidence.
 
How much riding experience do you have? Dirt bikes as a kid? If yer just starting out, definitely keep your head on a swivel. Cars do not see you. They are trying to kill you. Remember those 2 things & you'll be ahead of the game.

I'd really recommend taking at least the MSF Beginner Rider course & their Experienced Rider course once you get a few miles under you.

If you want to mosey down my way (a few miles south of Graham, off 54) some evening during the week, I can show you some lovely, low stress, low traffic backroads wandering through Orange Co. & UCLA if yer wanting to log some miles & gain some confidence.
Thanks for the offer. I might take you up on that. I have ridden some dirt bikes, but mainly rode four wheelers when I was younger. That's why I wanted to get a motorcycle. I can ride again, but don't need to find trails.
 
Thanks for the offer. I might take you up on that. I have ridden some dirt bikes, but mainly rode four wheelers when I was younger. That's why I wanted to get a motorcycle. I can ride again, but don't need to find trails.

Definitely come on down. Sounds like you've got at least the basics down. I'm no kind of instructor, but I have taken some advanced training & can give you a few pointers to make the learning curve a little less steep & a lot more enjoyable (until you take a class- I can't stress enough how valuable actual training is). I'll get ya out on these beautiful backroads & get you addicted to the wind.
 
I looked at cars for a while, I'd put the contact phone number in a search, 9/10 it's a dealer.
One time the phone number turned up at a message website with pictures of the girl.
 
B666043A-027E-4F8B-BE39-87DBAA9466B1.jpeg 74692487-C82C-42E5-8BA0-04E9FFFC475E.jpeg I just recently picked this one up. It’s an ‘02 Suzuki Intruder vl1500LC. This thing sits like an easy chair. I wasn’t sure that I’d like the fairing but after a few longer runs and an evening trip up to Hyco and back, I have decided that I am in fact, digging the fairing.
 
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Just posted the DIY kydex 12v adapter mount in the DIY section.
But came here to say something that made me smile.

Maybe it's silly of me, but sometimes Im naive about other countries, even our close neighbor to the north, Canada.

Saw lots of motorcycles in Toronto, took a few pics I can post later, but what brought a smile to my face was walking down Queen St (very busy/popular st through Toronto where many shops and stuff is) and seeing two motorcyclists pass each other and seeing "THE WAVE"

Yall know 'the wave,' the upside down/sideways peace sign.
Ive done it and seen it almost literally my whole life (grew up on motorcycles), but I just didnt think that it was an international thing.
Naive.
But brought a smile to my dang face
 
My new girl...

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I'm not sure I want to actually get a bike, though. I just want to know I can drive one. But reading all the posts, it seems like once you do it, you might have to keep on doing it...right? LoL.
Also, I'm pretty sure I'd be too much of a wuss to actually get out on the road on a bike with all the nut cases in their cars not paying attention...
Put your zip code in and find classes.
https://www.msf-usa.org/
 
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@phideux Have you ever seen the nickel trick with a Valkyrie?

Was in Lake Lure a few years back and was at Margaritagrille. There was a rider up from the Miami area. After a couple of drinks we started talking about the Valkyrie and he asked if we ever heard of the nickel trick on a Valkyrie. Nope, so we put the Valkyrie on level ground, stood a nickel up on the cylinder head, cranked the bike and then gave it some gas. All the nickel did was turn. It never fell. IMPRESSED!!!!



 
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@phideux Have you ever seen the nickel trick with a Valkyrie?

Was in Lake Lure a few years back and was at Margaritagrille. There was a rider up from the Miami area. After a couple of drinks we started talking about the Valkyrie and he asked if we ever heard of the nickel trick on a Valkyrie. Nope, so we put the Valkyrie on level ground, stood a nickel up on the cylinder head, cranked the bike and then gave it some gas. All the nickel did was turn. It never fell. IMPRESSED!!!!




Yeah they run smooth,
 
Does anyone here have experience with after market bars on a Harley. I’m looking for something more comfortable than the factory ones. Trying to decide between 12-14 inch ones to get my hands higher and alleviate shoulder and neck pain. I’m 6’3” on an Electra Glide and with the factory bars my hands are almost on my knees and have a horrible wrist angle. 12’s would keep my hands about 2 inches lower than my shoulders, 14” bars should put my arms roughly parallel with the ground. What would you guys do.
 
@dman24
Sounds like a set of 14” apes would fit you about right. I took off some 14” pullback drags that were on my bike when I got it and put on some HD 10”mini apes coupled with 2” risers on it. It really seemed to help my shoulder pain by going wider while staying high.
 

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Does anyone here have experience with after market bars on a Harley. I’m looking for something more comfortable than the factory ones. Trying to decide between 12-14 inch ones to get my hands higher and alleviate shoulder and neck pain. I’m 6’3” on an Electra Glide and with the factory bars my hands are almost on my knees and have a horrible wrist angle. 12’s would keep my hands about 2 inches lower than my shoulders, 14” bars should put my arms roughly parallel with the ground. What would you guys do.

Dusty, yer welcome to come by & see how the 12" apes on my Super Glide feel. I ran narrow 14"s before I FL'd 'er & went to wider 12"ers & am actually thinking about going back to the 14"s. 14"s put my hands right at shoulder height & were just a wee bit more comfortable for me, as in I get a slight twinge in my upper back that I did not get before. Shoulder, wrist & neck pain are a thing of the past, since switching to ape hangers.

Running the wiring inside the bars really cleans up the looks, but is kind of a PITA.

ETA- as busted up as I am, what works best for me is a good seat, sitting with back straight, hands at shoulder height & slightly wider than shoulder width & as "neutral" a wrist angle as possible. For me, that means I want a bar with less drop & minimal pullback.

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I just don't understand ape hangers. How do you keep your hands from going to sleep and how do you keep from getting blown right off the back? You are just a big windbrake sitting straight up and catching all the wind. I've never ridden with them but catching all that wind would have to be tiring on a long distance (400 miles+) ride.
 
I just don't understand ape hangers. How do you keep your hands from going to sleep and how do you keep from getting blown right off the back? You are just a big windbrake sitting straight up and catching all the wind. I've never ridden with them but catching all that wind would have to be tiring on a long distance (400 miles+) ride.

Never a problem with shoulder height. Taller might be an issue, but I've never tried it. Sitting with back straight & arms straight out in front of me, there's no sail effect. 'Course I typically only ride my Super Glide at 1/3 to 1/2 the speed I used to whip my ZRX, so there's that.

Lower bars put flexion on my lower back, which is a huge NOGO for me & cause hand cramps & wrist & shoulder pain. Vagaries of age & orthopedic injuries, maybe?

FWIW, like bobtail 1911s & Bisley single action revolvers, I thought apes looked silly until I tried 'em.
 
I’ve ordered a set of 14” bars. The stock bars are only 7.5 and terrible for a guy my size. The wrist angle sucks and with the height and width it causes pain in between my shoulders and lower neck because I slouch a bit to reach. I also have a fairing to block a lot of wind so there will be no sail effect.
 
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