Dantes,
Amazing we survived, isn't it?

I used to lay my bike so far over the left (on a left turn thankfully) the kickstand mount would dig into the pavement and spark. I'd wear a helmet, if it was cold out. Jacket, if it was cold out. Otherwise, just me in my tshirt and jeans and tennis shoes.

Brilliant, not.

I remember one time I'd gone on a little off roading with a friend. I had a Honda CL 350, side mount pipes and fairly good clearance. Anyway, we came upon an area, I think it was a road in progress at a home construction site up in the foothills. We came out on top of a pretty serious drop and the damn surface was all loose, deep rocks. We started down, and about half way I realize I can't control the speed very well. Too steep, loose surface. Plus, the front wheel is starting to wobble side to side. I know that feeling, on the edge of losing control. I thought oh god if I dump in this stuff, it is going to be bad. I really don't want to go to the ER today.

It was close, but it scared the hell out of me. For the rest of the day.

Immortality is only a feeling, and only for the young.

I had a Honda 500 4 when I was a kid. I put the long forks on it, 8" over stock. I thought it looked cool. Of course the frame was stock, so without the neck raked, it raised the front up, a lot. The first time I took it out, I pull up to a stop light and go to put my feet down. When I did, my left pantleg gets caught on the footpeg. With the bike raised up so much, there is no way I can stretch it down to the ground. So while I'm kicking at my leg trying to get it loose from the peg the bike is doing that slow motion thing like in a movie, leaning over to the left. I guess you can figure out the rest. It was so embarassing right there in all that traffic at a stoplight. LOL

I had a buddy once, he was a head trip.

I had been studying buying a bike for a long time. I had the brochures, I went to the Honda shops, I did some other evals. I ended up on the CL 350. At the time it was about $900, new. About all I could afford. He poo poo'ed me, gotta have a 750, etc. Which I would have loved, I just couldn't swing it. Plus, the CL had some ability for off road and I liked that.

So I bought it. They came in a wide ranges of tank and air cover colors: Red and blue. I liked the blue.

The freaking next day he shows up at my house with a brand new CL 350, red. I coulda strangled him.

We went to the bank one morning, pulled up side by side, he lost his balance throwing the kick stand down, falls, and falls into me so I fall. Oh yeah, hysterical there in the parking lot.

And then there was the time he decided to lube his chain while the bike was running. Just spray a little lube, goose it just a might, spray some more, UHOH, there goes his thumb into the sprocket. He cut the end of his thumb off for that mighty mite of bike wisdom.

I love the old 350 twins, I think they have a really nice sound. Here is a cool site to relive your old 350 memories.

http://hondatwins.com/phpBB1/

This is my bike, right here:

http://www.bikepics.com/pictures/1107772/

lol, well, not literally, but that is what it looked like, without the high mirrors.

You are so right about the sound. I used to say it "burbled". What a sweet noise! Open the throttle and that thing would sing.

And then, my bad ass biker neighbors stole the carbs out of it. I knew it was them, had to be. SOB's. The bike was never the same. To buy a set of new factory carbs would have cost more than the bike was worth. So I bought some re mfg carbs, and from then on the burble was gone.

god I loved that bike. But you know, it was never meant, nor was it a creature for the highway. I remember taking off one time, I was going to go to Oracle AZ, about 50 miles or so. Man, I got about half way there and the vibration on my hands just wore me out. Great for in town though, got probably 50 mpg, and could do the off road thing to some extent.

Wow, she was a beauty. When I was a kid in high school, I had a Suzuki 125 Stinger. I would see these guys riding around on their 350 twins and one guy had a 750 4 and it was the most beautiful sounding bike I had ever heard. To me, it's important for a bike to sound good. Nortons sound great to me. And one of the reasons I owned three CBXs is because they sound so cool.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qeRpnpqyT30&feature=related

You are a wimp 20mm.

Would do 50-100 mile excursions on my Twin Jet all the time. Not stock either > clip on bars, mild engine work and a fat rear tire. Embarrassed some muscle cars for 50 or so feet many times.

Rode my cousins 175 Honda once and never again. Go into a corner and the frame would twist so bad that looking from the rear it was an X.

Well those 175s had pretty flexible frames. A nice 175 can bring at least 3k now.

heh, re the wimp, yeah. I even thought so at the time. "Gut it out man, what are ye a wimp?"

But I just realized I was not having fun. I had no where to go, there was no reason to go, other than for a ride. When it stopped being fun, I turned around and came home.

Here's my bike. Been riding this to work trying to save gas money. I run 30 miles a day getting to and from work. I'm getting 45mpg with the bike. My truck gets 15mpg.

1999 Suzuki Intruder V-Twin 1400.