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Show us your motorcycles!

GWD

One Too Many
Messages
1,642
Location
Evergreen, Co
2002 Harley Road King Classic

This was taken 5 years ago.
web.jpg
 

jeep44

One of the Regulars
Messages
252
Location
Detroit,Mi
here's a couple of my bikes. This first one is a '97 Russian Ural:

ural1.jpg


This second one,which I posted in another thread here,is my new Royal Enfield Bullet-you really can't call it retro,because it has never changed in 50 years. This will be the last year for this type of engine,though-worldwide emissions regulations forced them to update the engine.

RedDeluxe.jpg


Finally,here is one of my wartime BSA M20 motorcycles-I have this one,and an identical one in desert tan. I also have a '67 Triumph 500 that is currently all in pieces being restored,and a 1980 HD XLS Roadster that I have owned since new.
bsa2.jpg
 

Luddite

One of the Regulars
Messages
118
Location
Central England
jeep44 said:
here's a couple of my bikes. This first one is a '97 Russian Ural:

This second one,which I posted in another thread here,is my new Royal Enfield Bullet-you really can't call it retro,because it has never changed in 50 years. This will be the last year for this type of engine,though-worldwide emissions regulations forced them to update the engine.

Finally,here is one of my wartime BSA M20 motorcycles-I have this one,and an identical one in desert tan. I also have a '67 Triumph 500 that is currently all in pieces being restored,and a 1980 HD XLS Roadster that I have owned since new.

That's a fine selection, sir!

I'm a big Ural fan - there are three (well, one modified Ural and two Dneprs) in my garage at the moment. Two are stripped down to incorporate the best of both into a rebuild I am doing, the result of which will be a two-wheel-drive outfit.

M20s used to be real cheap over here - I wish I had bought one then!
 

jeep44

One of the Regulars
Messages
252
Location
Detroit,Mi
Luddite: I've become a fan of these Russian bikes,but they are still not very common here-especially older ones like mine. I really like the looks of the K750 or M72-The flathead engine looks good-hard to get one here,though.
Are you able to make a 2WD rig with the sidecar on the right,like in the US-or do you have to do some engineering to put it on the left?
BSA M20s are suprisingly common here in the Detroit area-I really don't know why. I've seen at least 20 others around this area,from basket cases to complete runners. I used to be able to pick up a fairly complete 650 Triumph or BSA around here for a few hundred dollars,but no more,for sure. At one time I had 10 of them in my garage.
 

Luddite

One of the Regulars
Messages
118
Location
Central England
I wonder what the BSA / Detroit link is? Maybe some army surplus outfit snapped a few consignments up after the war. I'd be interested to find out; there aren't that many round here (although there is one lurking in a barn not five miles from where I'm typing this).

On the Russians, the 2WD option is only available with the sidecar on the right, USA-style. Although right-hand chairs were made illegal in the UK in 1982, my 2WD outfit will emerge on a '65 plate so I should be OK. The Ural 2WD is locked, no diff, so it's only usable offroad and must be deselected for street use. The Dnepr uses a different system, incorporating a torque-split differential to give the chair wheel around 40% of the output. The military outfits had a locking differential too, which I will be retrofitting onto mine eventually (when cash permits!).

These guys: Oldimer garage have all the bits you'll want!
 

pgoat

One Too Many
Messages
1,872
Location
New York City
I'm drooling over this thread.....every spring I miss my bike. If we move outta NYC I may just get me one again (If we stay here, I might pop for a Vespa:D )
 

MissS

A-List Customer
Messages
455
Location
Sydney, Australia
Martinis at 8 said:
Yes, but the Shadow does have very classic lines. It's an excellent bike.

I'm currently riding a CB250. This is it pictured below in my front yard. I have a windshield on it now, engine bars, and also ride with a tank bag. I'll be getting a rear rack for it in a couple of days. I am what's called a "re-entry" rider.
M8
QUOTE]

Oooh, this is the bike I first learnt to ride on! Was nice and easy to maneouvre, especially for a gal!

Have just sold my very un-vintage ZZR-250 and lusting after a Ducati Monster.
 

KilroyCD

One Too Many
Messages
1,966
Location
Lancaster County, PA
I've already posted this on the Balloon Tire Bicycles thread, but it also belongs here (or so I think). Here's my 2005 Whizzer NE5. I'm still in the midst of making more retro touches to it, so it's not quite finished yet. I'll be getting it titled and tagged this week.
100_0946.jpg
 

Tony in Tarzana

My Mail is Forwarded Here
Messages
3,276
Location
Baldwin Park California USA
Dixon, my landlord just acquired a '74 Honda CL360, and he's getting it running. I may borrow it to get back into motorcycling. I haven't been on a sickle in nearly 18 years, but I used to ride a lot.

Today's gas prices may see me up on two wheels again before long.
 

cbrunt

One of the Regulars
Messages
221
Location
Maryland
1937 W

Hi Gang,

Discovered the search function and found this thread !

Here's an image of my H-D 1937 W flathead, bought for myself as a birthday present in 2006 !

You'll notice that the previous owner was obviously a fan of the 1940 style of badge and rear fender; these here are incorrect for 1937.



Also, the cast-iron low compression heads have been swapped for modern repro aluminum heads (WL). After purchasing the bike and really reading, I also learned that in 1937 all black was an optional color, not factory as years previous.

My first vintage motorcyle so not the most educated buyer then. These '45s are great intro bikes as they're affordable and easy to find parts for. But they're also too slow. Almost so slow as to be dangerous on busy Maryland roads !

Selling this one soon, and shopping for a Panhead and doing the restoration myself. I might "destroy" the period look and install a modern S&S motor and disk brakes for a fairly safe and dependable daily driver...

Clint
 

Luddite

One of the Regulars
Messages
118
Location
Central England
Hi Clint.

Love your WL, it may not be 'correct' but it's one gorgeous bike. Having ridden a couple of WLAs I know what you mean about the speed / braking!

Thought you may be interested in this H-D I saw on the motorway the other day - excuse the dodgy through-the-window shot!

DSC01513-1.jpg
 

David Conwill

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,854
Location
Bennington, VT 05201
Don't you guys tease me with all these flathead Harleys. I know they're slow, so I've always wanted to build a WL with an Ironhead Sportster engine (some would say a rigid Ironhead with WL tin, I guess). However that's another project for another day.

Right now I'm looking for something I can make payments on, maybe. We're going through Frankenmuth, Michigan on Friday where there's a Royal Enfield/Ural dealer. Can someone who is familiar with the Russian bikes explain the difference between a Ural and a Dnepr to me? Until I started looking into them today, I had always assumed it was two names for the same thing. Also, are the Russian bikes available without the side car? I come from a biker family and don't think I could handle the abuse I'd take for using a sidecar.

-Dave
 

Luddite

One of the Regulars
Messages
118
Location
Central England
David Conwill said:
Can someone who is familiar with the Russian bikes explain the difference between a Ural and a Dnepr to me? Until I started looking into them today, I had always assumed it was two names for the same thing. Also, are the Russian bikes available without the side car? I come from a biker family and don't think I could handle the abuse I'd take for using a sidecar.

-Dave

I'm pretty familiar with the Russian bikes, I've had around twenty-five of them over the years, and currently own around four!

In around 1939, the Russians obtained (whether they were licensed or copied is still a matter of debate) the designs for the BMW R71, which was brought into production as the Molotov M72. In 1941, a factory was set up in Irbit in the Ural mountains. Russian motorcycle research and development was centred here, and this resulted in the OHV Ural motorcycles that have continued in production largely unchanged.

The M72 was also produced in the Ukraine, in Kiev from the early 1950s. The Kiev factory made improvements to the design and launched the K750 in '59 which was given a newly-designed overhead valve engine and launched as the MT9 Dnepr in 1971. Dnepr production continued, finally petering out earlier this year.

Both bikes are available without sidecar, but to be honest (and I'm a big Russian bike fan) you'd be better off with an Enfield if you want a solo. They do very nice 500cc electric-start models now, too.

You'd get abuse for using a chair? You should get respect and kudos! It's nothing like riding a motorcycle solo - it's harder to get the hang of, requires totally different skills and is a completely different experience which will leave you with a huge grin every time you take the outfit out, and overdeveloped shoulder muscles from steering the plot! Every girl wants a ride in the sidecar, too ;)
 

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