I am so slow to catch on

[faffi]

My Touring bike ramblings in another post was instigated by what I now probably could describe as a want for something I failed to describe. Now I think I have the answer.

Last year, I only rode 2000 miles over the full season, mostly a result of us buying a cabin that needed a lot of work. But there was something else, something undefined, but that something had removed much of the pleasure of riding, and the obsession with motorcycles I have had since a young child. Basically, the urge to ride have left me, as has the enjoyment of riding in itself.

Then it struck me: I am no longer obsessed enough to ignore things like being cold or suffering from butt-burn or sore muscles. The Roamer have no barrier against the elements, a riding position that is highly demanding at speed, and a seat that makes me long for a 2x4. Well, the latter is an overstatement, but I find the seat VERY uncomfortable, even with the air cushion I have on top of it.

Basically, I think the primary thing I need now that I have become old an fragile is a bike that comfort me. And to find out which bike(s) that can do that, I need to test ride several. Then there is the joy of ownership to consider, which include stuff like looks, simplicity and reliability. I want a motorcycle that does not need a lot of attention and that is reliable, on top of being comfortable.

[Dave Swanson]

A well sorted Loopframe Guzzi would be a great choice.

[Tkelly]

Just rode my Roamer 2000 miles to Georgia stock,seat wasn’t bad,Guzzi windshield worked except during a major thunderstorm in the dark.Traveling by motorcycle is inherently uncomfortable no matter what you ride but the rewards more than make up for it.Smal tank gives an excuse to stop for gas every couple of hours.It s like the guy who said he hits his head with a hammer because it feels so good when he stops.

[Shorty]

Yes. Getting older has caused me to not need several types of bike I used to enjoy. No more dirt bikes or dual sports needed. I am no longer going to put up with summer 100 degrees to ride, or freeze my butt off in cold. No racer croutch for me, I need to stretch out. I have done enough bike repair and maintenance. No more touring bike needed. I have settled on a 2021 bike I bought new. Small displacement, barely hit 75 mph. But, it's fun for the occasional jaunt, and all it has needed was a new battery. It has a ergonomic triangle that fits the current me. When I can no longer manage the shifter, I'll get a scooter. It's not supposed to be work, just fun.

[DenverSteve]

After riding for 50 years, I can't imagine anyone riding (or driving) anything that doesn't fit them or is uncomfortable.  Comfort is not only important for enjoyment but also for safety.  If one is distracted by fanny-fatigue or backache they will be distracted from full attention to the road ahead. When I shop for a motorcycle the ergonomics of the seat/pegs/handlebars, ride position and size/weight of the bike are just as important as the aesthetics and looks of the bike.

[Vagrant]

For me the v85 is as good as it gets. Gold wing foot pegs. Raised forks and a shorter rear shock and 5’ 6” can be flat footed. Very comfortable great wind protection on the 25+.

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

A well sorted Loopframe Guzzi would be a great choice.

 

My Ambassador "Barney" was easily the most comfortable motorcycle I've ever ridden.

[Kev m]

Unless you're looking for a fully integrated fairing with total dead air, EVERYTHING you mentioned can be achieved on most bikes by using the proper accessories.

Custom seat and possible modifications to controls for comfort and ergos.

Windshield or fairing for wind management.

Better suspension bits for additional control and comfort.

Ironically the bikes I've owned that came with most of this (sport touring) like the R1100RS, Breva 1100, Buell ST3 ALL were better than others as delivered but worse after the others were modified because these bikes didn't allow as much or as easy modification.

My many more basic Harleys and Guzzis adapted more easily to what I wanted needed.

So I prioritize a bike that:

* Feels the way I want/operates the way I want

And

* Is easy to maintain

Then I change the other things as needed to fit my desires.

[guzzisteve]

A Loopframe is the easyist to maintain for service. One point & 2 carbs. Nice bike if you are slowing down in life. Sorry, no 5 modes.

[Perazzimx14]

There was a time in my motorcycle driving career when it was form over function but as I have gotten older and wiser its function well before form. After years of driving/owning many different makes and models I found what I was looking and have not looked back.

[Huzo]

You have lived long enough to be brutally aware that what you think is important, has shifted. Some grow out of bikes at 25.
Some grow out at 75.
Some never do.
Bikes are only as important as you think they are.

[Turin]

I'd look for a Cal II or III. Harpers has a nice SPIII for sale.

[SemperVee]

 All the above reasons why I bought myself an easy to keep 03 California EV Hydro for my Mature MILESTONE birthday. I have nothing to prove anymore and did all the cross country and camping + daily commuting I 'll ever do riding behind me.  Just needed something "mechanical" to admire and day ride with. Then medical issues popped up making it even more difficult but adapting.

[YellowDuck]

I feel this.

I was getting back on the V85 outside a coffee shop a few days ago.  A guy walked up to me to ask about the bike, said he liked it.  I told him thanks, and informed him that I had recently entered my "old man riding era".

At a certain point you have been tough long enough and just want to ride without being distracted by discomfort.

[Perazzimx14]

I’m f you are looking to drive a motorcycle in a near perfect bubble of air with little to no buffeting and as quiets as possible the BMW RT is hard to beat.

[Huzo]

I feel comfortable enough these days, to happily admit what my personality traits are, both endearing and not so.
The main bike I ride these days serves to feed the needs I have.
#1 Need to be noticed.
Bright red Italian bike with curves and intrinsic beauty that is recognised by bikers and non bikers alike.

#2 Chance to talk about myself.
Multiple modifications that I believe have improved what was already pretty good to begin with, associated with recognition by my peers.

#3 A tangible link to extraordinarily memorable times overseas, that sits in a garage 10 metres from where I type this text.

#4 A bike that is forevermore associated with “me”, it wouldn’t matter if I sold it, the bike would always be “Huzo’s Norge”. That is not necessarily a good thing, but it just happens that it is…
Tell me why one “looks” better than the other









It actually doesn’t, but one draws the eye, not because of what you “see”, it’s because of what you “know”.

#5 Comfortable as hell, such that when you’re tired and really wish you could stop, the bike does the last bit for you to get you there. I always felt that I did the first 700 km and my Norge did the last 300.

#6 Memories that only time and distance can forge. A graze on the front fender from an incident on a Denmark ferry. A mark on the fairing from Germany and one in France. A thousand stone chips from Australian outback highways.

The foregoing is a gratuitous display of self aggrandisement, but it’s honest and not entirely complimentary. You have to “know” who you are, because there are so many memories inside your helmet.


My Arai remembers everything.
Our bikes are what we have to express and remind us of who we are. Trading, back trading, trimming fairings, altering handlebars, exchanging cast wheels for spoke ones…
The list goes on.
Change yourself to suit your bike, not your bike to suit yourself.
You won’t change your body significantly, but you have total control over your level of acceptance, so accept the bike for what it is and just go for a damn ride.

[SIR REAL ED]

My Touring bike ramblings in another post was instigated by what I now probably could describe as a want for something I failed to describe. Now I think I have the answer.

Last year, I only rode 2000 miles over the full season, mostly a result of us buying a cabin that needed a lot of work. But there was something else, something undefined, but that something had removed much of the pleasure of riding, and the obsession with motorcycles I have had since a young child. Basically, the urge to ride have left me, as has the enjoyment of riding in itself.

Then it struck me: I am no longer obsessed enough to ignore things like being cold or suffering from butt-burn or sore muscles. The Roamer have no barrier against the elements, a riding position that is highly demanding at speed, and a seat that makes me long for a 2x4. Well, the latter is an overstatement, but I find the seat VERY uncomfortable, even with the air cushion I have on top of it.

Basically, I think the primary thing I need now that I have become old an fragile is a bike that comfort me. And to find out which bike(s) that can do that, I need to test ride several. Then there is the joy of ownership to consider, which include stuff like looks, simplicity and reliability. I want a motorcycle that does not need a lot of attention and that is reliable, on top of being comfortable.

Erik, yes you are!  I've been saying that for years.

[PeteS]

I have had to change the seat on very bike I have owned except my ‘71 Norton. Both the V85 and V100 seats are just fine the way they are. They have finally figured it out.

Pete

[MikeP996]

My '21 V7 Special might be the most comfortable bike I have owned.  Like many, my preference nowadays is no longer the sportbikes I owned/loved when I was a younger or any bike over 500 lbs!  Now I find that my biggest "obstruction" to riding is the riding gear.  I used to get on a bike and my riding gear (other than on the track) was a helmet and a pair of gloves.  The rest of the outfit was "whatever I was wearing."  I could get on the bike/head out quicker than getting in the car.  Now it takes 20 minutes to put all this gear on and it's almost impossible to comfortably walk around in it.  I'm not suggesting that the gear isn't good but for me it reduces the "fun" in riding to the point where I often say "Nah, too much trouble!"  Yeah, I know, sounds like the old guy complaining, "When I was younger gas was 28 cents a gallon!!!" 

I'm working on adjusting my attitude, telling myself, "Shut up and deal with it!" realizing that being injured at 25 and being injured at my age are two vastly different experiences.  ;) 

[faffi]

Unless you're looking for a fully integrated fairing with total dead air, EVERYTHING you mentioned can be achieved on most bikes by using the proper accessories.

Custom seat and possible modifications to controls for comfort and ergos.

Windshield or fairing for wind management.

Better suspension bits for additional control and comfort.

Ironically the bikes I've owned that came with most of this (sport touring) like the R1100RS, Breva 1100, Buell ST3 ALL were better than others as delivered but worse after the others were modified because these bikes didn't allow as much or as easy modification.

My many more basic Harleys and Guzzis adapted more easily to what I wanted needed.

So I prioritize a bike that:

* Feels the way I want/operates the way I want

And

* Is easy to maintain

Then I change the other things as needed to fit my desires.

I have wasted(?) a lot of money over the years trying to change bikes to suit me, but I have never been able to reach my goal because there are so many variables, some of which are nearly impossible - or crazy expensive - to get right. Things like frame geometry, engine vibrations and/or performance, cornering clearance, seating position, fuel tank capacity, wheels and fairings tend to be both difficult and costly to put right if they are off. I have tried many times, but I always end up short somewhere. Probably because I am not diligent enough, or unwilling to spend the money required. I may still opt to go that route for a second bike, just because it can be fun to make something unique. But first I want a bike that just works more or less as it is.

That is why I have learned to go for fit first and foremost. By fit I mean how a bike fits me, out of the box. Most bikes do not, unfortunately. I have also previously put a lot of emphasis on practicality, as in how reliable and easy to maintain a bike is. Plus how it looks. Those things are still important, but at this stage in life less so than the enjoyment the bike can deliver on the road.

One such example was my Triumph 900 Sprint. It was very boring to look at, but the seating position and suspension was excellent. A taller windscreen and some hand deflectors was all it really needed. The Yamaha 600S Diversion also fitted me like a glove, although the fairing did not offer much protection. The same can be said for the original FZS600 Fazer. Finding one of these, though, as with the Triumph triples, that do not vibrate annoyingly is difficult.

Since I am no fan of digital instrument displays, ABS, TC and such, plus I like to do my own maintenance, I am looking at a somewhat older motorcycle. What I am a fan of, is shaft final drive. But if everything else fits, I can live with ABS and chain final drive. Still, bikes like the first gen Guzzi Norge, the non-ABS version of the ST1100, the XJ900S Diversion, R850/1100RT (I would prefer the 850 out of those) would be the first for me to test out if I can find some for sale.

[Kev m]

Things like frame geometry, engine vibrations and/or performance, cornering clearance, seating position, fuel tank capacity, wheels and fairings tend to be both difficult and costly to put right if they are off. I have tried many times, but I always end up short somewhere. .

<snip>

But first I want a bike that just works more or less as it is.

That is why I have learned to go for fit first and foremost. By fit I mean how a bike fits me, out of the box. Most bikes do not, unfortunately.

Ah, that's why I said my first priority was "feels and operates the way I want" - that covers almost everything you listed (frame geometry, engine vibrations and/or performance, cornering clearance, fuel capacity, even wheels).

Fuel capacity and actual fairings are expensive changes, but I've had a lot of success with windshields if various sizes.

Maybe the biggest difference between you and I is that I'm somehow so average in some dimensions that bikes generally just plain fit me. I still change seats for comfort and I poo poo certain riding positions if they lock me in and don't allow some change. Even when I was in my 30's and 40's I had limits on a single riding position. On my B11 my knees would start to cramp by the second 100 miles or so. It just seems that limit became smaller (like second 50 miles). So a riding position that allows highway pegs or that uses floorboards can be a real benefit.

But maybe part of that difference is the first part again... That is the bikes that feel and perform right FOR ME happen to also FIT ME.

Whereas the ones that feel and perform right for you, DON'T FIT YOU. Maybe you're attracted to the ones that lock you in and aren't easily changed to correct the things they don't do well.

Maybe it's just dumb luck on my part.

[faffi]

Probably more than just dumb luck, you seem like a very reflected person, Kev.

Many of the bikes I have bought have been for specific reason, usually to keep my speed down. Or they represented something I wanted, for various reasons, and were willing to suffer the consequences.

I used to be 5'11'', but I think an inch was lost through age. Inseam 32'', but very short tighs and fairly long shins. Arms are relatively short as well, mostly due to the upper arms. My butt is still well developed, but quite tender, and my torso height when seated is typical for someone 4 inches taller than me. So not all bikes fit me. But those that do - I notice right away. Just like when you put on a shoe that fits perfect.

"Just right" bikes have been the XJ600 Diversion, known as Seca II in USA, and the NT650V Deauville.  The CBF1000F and the F800ST were also good, but the Beemer came with an aftermarket touring seat that offered more support and legroom - with the stock seat, my knees would feel very tight. Oh, the old CB1100F was also pretty good - the Euro-version with lower bars and much more rearset pegs than the US-version. The majority of bikes I have owned have had pegs placed too far forward, often combined with handlebars too tall.

[Kev m]

It's funny how even height and inseam don't necessarily tell the whole story.... (5'10"/32" here).

[bad Chad]

No kidding.  6'6"/34" inseam closer to 33".

[DenverSteve]

I have had to change the seat on very bike I have owned except my ‘71 Norton. Both the V85 and V100 seats are just fine the way they are. They have finally figured it out.  Petevv

I have to agree - my V85 seat is as good as I've owned. But then, I've never changed out a seat on any bike I've owned.  For me, the "secret" is to buy a bike that fits your needs, size and use you have. At least for me.