wally_games
Mini Bike
Well, I've been on here for a few months, but just now getting around to introducing myself.
I'm in N. Central Texas, half way between Ft. Worth and Abilene, and work in the DFW area. I'd been out of riding for quite a few years and really missed it. Had to come back and finally got the chance.
Although I had been on mini-bikes and such as a kid, I didn't get my first street bike until I was in college. I picked up a '76 Kawi KZ400 used with 400 miles on it from the local Kawi dealer. My dad helped me by co-signing for a $600 loan to get it. Eventually sold it to a friend. Several years later I bought a new '85 Honda Magna (700). Loved that bike and made several trips on it around Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas (Talimena Scenic Drive!!), and Lousiana. Took that bike with me when I changed from wife 1 to wife 2. Wife 2 loved to ride and we ended up buying an '87 Honda Gold Wing Aspencade. Loved the heck out of that bike and toured a fair amount around the southwest. But, I always wanted something "sporty" and looked more than once at the original Concours.
Well, bought a new house, had another kid, ended up selling both bikes in about 1989 and doing without for quite a few years. Last fall I went riding with a friend who was gracious enough to let me borrow one of his many bikes a few times. Last Labor Day, on a twisty back road (Hwy 4 between Santo and Palo Pinto), I decided to go off the paved surfaces on his son's 2005 Yamaha FZ6. Results weren't pretty, and I ended up writing a check for a crashed bike. (Wife 2 almost became ex-wife over that!) I took the bike, which had been officially totaled, and replaced all of the bent and broken pieces myself for about $750. That became my regular ride for several trips. The downside was that I was riding a 600 when everyone else was on liter-plus bikes and the comfort level just wasn't there when we would go down to the Hill Country to ride the Three Twisted Sisters.
I started looking around at a new bike and knew that I wanted a sport-tourer and the C14 was back on the list. I looked into lots of other options, but knew I really wanted a blue '10 C14. Didn't like the looks of the /08-'09 with that little "wing" on the side of the fairing to keep the heat off my legs. The '11 was so much "prettier". Unfortunately, I drug my feet too long and wasn't able to find one anywhere close by. In April, I ended up with a new black '11 ABS instead and have loved every minute. I do have a bit of an issue with the seat and will probably change that at some point and I REALLY hate that ugly exhaust and have already taken some grief from some of my friends for not getting rid of that giant thing. I think my first change is going to be to replace that monster with a V&H CS One with the dB insert. I don't really need the extra power or volume, but would like a little bit better sound and the way better looks of an after-market exhaust. If anyone has run that pipe/insert configuration, please give me your feedback.
Love the group and hope to catch up with some of you that live in the area.
I'm in N. Central Texas, half way between Ft. Worth and Abilene, and work in the DFW area. I'd been out of riding for quite a few years and really missed it. Had to come back and finally got the chance.
Although I had been on mini-bikes and such as a kid, I didn't get my first street bike until I was in college. I picked up a '76 Kawi KZ400 used with 400 miles on it from the local Kawi dealer. My dad helped me by co-signing for a $600 loan to get it. Eventually sold it to a friend. Several years later I bought a new '85 Honda Magna (700). Loved that bike and made several trips on it around Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas (Talimena Scenic Drive!!), and Lousiana. Took that bike with me when I changed from wife 1 to wife 2. Wife 2 loved to ride and we ended up buying an '87 Honda Gold Wing Aspencade. Loved the heck out of that bike and toured a fair amount around the southwest. But, I always wanted something "sporty" and looked more than once at the original Concours.
Well, bought a new house, had another kid, ended up selling both bikes in about 1989 and doing without for quite a few years. Last fall I went riding with a friend who was gracious enough to let me borrow one of his many bikes a few times. Last Labor Day, on a twisty back road (Hwy 4 between Santo and Palo Pinto), I decided to go off the paved surfaces on his son's 2005 Yamaha FZ6. Results weren't pretty, and I ended up writing a check for a crashed bike. (Wife 2 almost became ex-wife over that!) I took the bike, which had been officially totaled, and replaced all of the bent and broken pieces myself for about $750. That became my regular ride for several trips. The downside was that I was riding a 600 when everyone else was on liter-plus bikes and the comfort level just wasn't there when we would go down to the Hill Country to ride the Three Twisted Sisters.
I started looking around at a new bike and knew that I wanted a sport-tourer and the C14 was back on the list. I looked into lots of other options, but knew I really wanted a blue '10 C14. Didn't like the looks of the /08-'09 with that little "wing" on the side of the fairing to keep the heat off my legs. The '11 was so much "prettier". Unfortunately, I drug my feet too long and wasn't able to find one anywhere close by. In April, I ended up with a new black '11 ABS instead and have loved every minute. I do have a bit of an issue with the seat and will probably change that at some point and I REALLY hate that ugly exhaust and have already taken some grief from some of my friends for not getting rid of that giant thing. I think my first change is going to be to replace that monster with a V&H CS One with the dB insert. I don't really need the extra power or volume, but would like a little bit better sound and the way better looks of an after-market exhaust. If anyone has run that pipe/insert configuration, please give me your feedback.
Love the group and hope to catch up with some of you that live in the area.
