Name: Joe
Age: 40
First Street Bike: 1986
Bikes:
#1 1975 Ducati 250 Enduro rode both on and off road with this one. Street legal, but fun on the dirt roads too. (1986 to 89)
#2 1978 Suzuki GS550E First true street bike, considered a "standard" style bike, flat seated top-heavy, and actually quite fast for its bulk (89 to 90)
#3 1984 Kawasaki KZ550 LTD More laid back cruiser style (90 to 92)
#4 1987 Suzuki Katana GSX600 First sportbike crazy fast for the the time (91-94)
#5 1988 Kawasaki Vulcan 750 Back to my cruiser side for a while, heavy but fast bike (95-2000)
#6 2001 Honda Shadow ACE 1100 Big heavy fun cruiser fun and comfortable on long rides, lacking in excitement (2000-2005)
#7 2005 Yamaha YZF-R6 You all know what this one is. Pure enjoyment, twitchy, scary fast, truly the toughest bike to utilize out of the list. Throttle is touchy but way responsive. (2006 - Present)
#8 2001 FXDC Harley Davidson Dyna Custom. Sometimes you just want to cruise and enjoy the scenery. (2008 - Present)
Many other bikes that were mine for limited amounts of time less than a year mostly, but I have owned at one time 8 bikes. I spent time buying repairing and re-selling bikes.
Certs: M/C endorsement for the State of ME since '85, State of FL from '87 - '89, State of ID from 89 to 91, State of VA 91 to 94, State of ME 94 to 2000, State of TX 2000 to 2005, State of AL 2005 to Present.
MSF graduate (FL).
MSF graduate (VA)
Advanced Rider (VA)
USN Motorcycle Safety Course NAS Norfolk VA
General: I grew up in Northern Maine, started riding a clutchless Hondamatic that my Grandfather owned. From then on, I knew I would ride. I inherited the Ducati from my oldest brother. He used to make me work on it before he let me ride it. When he left for the Army, he gave it to me. I rode this bike until I joined the Navy.
That is when I bought my Dad's GS550. Very top heavy bike, hard to learn how to ride, but one that when you could ride it, every other bike seemed easy. I then went through a selection of cruisers until I got the Katana.
The Katana was the bike I had while I was stationed in VA and I rode that bike quite hard. It was as close to my squid years as I get. I rode as part of a group of young sailors with crazy fast bikes and no fear. Fortunately for me, I had a good bit of experience and did not have the CBR900RR that was out at the time and a big favorite among my friends. A few of them are reduced to scrap as a direct result of errors made by my friends.
Fortunately, none of us lost our lives. A large selection of cruisers again with a few sportbikes mixed in until felt it was time for another sportbike. hence the R6. I have been on motorized vehicles since I could pee standing. Snowmobiles, ATV's, mopeds, minibikes, dirtbikes, jeeps and cars.
I will try to give caution and advice when I have something applicable to speak to, and hope for the sound of reason to win out, but I am also easily discouraged with the regularity of the fight.
Current hits from the trackpipe: 5
Runs on the Dragon: 4
Number of Asphalt sandwiches: 2
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