Hi, I'm bob.
Thought I'd start out by posting a list of bikes I've owned:
1973 Harley Davidson 125 dual sport (2 yrs for about 4,800 miles)-sold
1997 Kawasaki Vulcan 750 (bought June 2001 and rode 1 yr for 3,656 miles)-sold
1990 Honda Gold Wing GL1500 (4 yrs for 29,560 miles)-sold at major profit
2005 Suzuki Burgman 650 (3 yrs for 22,418 miles)-traded
1998 Honda ST1100 (9/24/09 started at 15360)- current primary transportation
The HD was my first bike that I rode to work while in the Navy way back in 1979-1981. Then I took a mandated break for many years (until the kids were grown per my lovely wife) and bought the Vulcan in 2001. Been riding since. I really do consider my mc to be my primary transportation. I only drive a cage when there is packed snow/ice on the road or if I must carry something that won't fit on the mc. These days I've been averaging around 8K miles/yr. With the GW I pulled a Time Out camper to a few camping/rally events each year. With my ST1100 I also have a hitch and pull a Mini-Mate camper. I am also a year 'round rider and can claim being a member of both the Red Hot Rounder as well as KHOF (Kook Hall of Fame) levels for riding many years in temps either over 100*F and/or below zero. See http://www.yearroundriders.com/. My personal range so far is as high as 105*F or as low as -15.7*F. Just last week I rode to work and the temp was -14.1*F. Rain doesn't bother me as long as it doesn't freeze on the pavement. Temps, high or low, don't bother my either as long as the pavement is clear in lower temps. Though I will say I personally prefer to stay warm and toasty so I usually wear a lot of insulated gear when it's cold out. I do belong to the http://www.st-owners.com/ forum (rjs987 over there). Most riders there ride the ST1300. I've given that bike a test ride and it is nice... but I felt the wheel base too short for comfort for my kind of riding. I like a longer wheel base and prefer long haul road trips to canyon carving. The GW was my favorite bike for travelling but most of my actual riding is the commute to work and errands around town so I felt the GW was a bit cumbersome for that. I tried a Burgman 650. It was perfect for around town and could keep up with almost anything on the highway but it was just a little small in the engine for me. I upsized to something between the GW and B650 and think my sweet spot is the 1100-1300 size. Big enough for the long road trip and small enough to be nimble in town. I pull a camper to mc camping trips instead of pitching a tent since my knees are complaining too much with getting up off the ground. I use a sleeping pad so have no problem sleeping on the ground but it's that transition from horizontal to vertical that is getting harder to do. I do still have the tent just in case though.
My wife would only ride with me when I had the GW, then that trailed off. She doesn't like camping so lets me go on my own. She does ride a Honda Metropolitan all over during warmer weather (warmer than 50*F). She's a El Ed teacher and the kids, especially the young boys think she's really cool when they see her scooter.
I'm excited to see the CTX1300 come out but don't know when it will be in my budget to get one. What I am reading about it and hearing in the videos the CTX1300 is perfect to me. I would go for a Deluxe just for the ABS and TC. Don't need center stand, but may add the top case (Honda version if not too much $$$, or aftermarket if it is). Anyway, that was a longer blurb than I intended. Hello!
Thought I'd start out by posting a list of bikes I've owned:
1973 Harley Davidson 125 dual sport (2 yrs for about 4,800 miles)-sold
1997 Kawasaki Vulcan 750 (bought June 2001 and rode 1 yr for 3,656 miles)-sold
1990 Honda Gold Wing GL1500 (4 yrs for 29,560 miles)-sold at major profit
2005 Suzuki Burgman 650 (3 yrs for 22,418 miles)-traded
1998 Honda ST1100 (9/24/09 started at 15360)- current primary transportation
The HD was my first bike that I rode to work while in the Navy way back in 1979-1981. Then I took a mandated break for many years (until the kids were grown per my lovely wife) and bought the Vulcan in 2001. Been riding since. I really do consider my mc to be my primary transportation. I only drive a cage when there is packed snow/ice on the road or if I must carry something that won't fit on the mc. These days I've been averaging around 8K miles/yr. With the GW I pulled a Time Out camper to a few camping/rally events each year. With my ST1100 I also have a hitch and pull a Mini-Mate camper. I am also a year 'round rider and can claim being a member of both the Red Hot Rounder as well as KHOF (Kook Hall of Fame) levels for riding many years in temps either over 100*F and/or below zero. See http://www.yearroundriders.com/. My personal range so far is as high as 105*F or as low as -15.7*F. Just last week I rode to work and the temp was -14.1*F. Rain doesn't bother me as long as it doesn't freeze on the pavement. Temps, high or low, don't bother my either as long as the pavement is clear in lower temps. Though I will say I personally prefer to stay warm and toasty so I usually wear a lot of insulated gear when it's cold out. I do belong to the http://www.st-owners.com/ forum (rjs987 over there). Most riders there ride the ST1300. I've given that bike a test ride and it is nice... but I felt the wheel base too short for comfort for my kind of riding. I like a longer wheel base and prefer long haul road trips to canyon carving. The GW was my favorite bike for travelling but most of my actual riding is the commute to work and errands around town so I felt the GW was a bit cumbersome for that. I tried a Burgman 650. It was perfect for around town and could keep up with almost anything on the highway but it was just a little small in the engine for me. I upsized to something between the GW and B650 and think my sweet spot is the 1100-1300 size. Big enough for the long road trip and small enough to be nimble in town. I pull a camper to mc camping trips instead of pitching a tent since my knees are complaining too much with getting up off the ground. I use a sleeping pad so have no problem sleeping on the ground but it's that transition from horizontal to vertical that is getting harder to do. I do still have the tent just in case though.
My wife would only ride with me when I had the GW, then that trailed off. She doesn't like camping so lets me go on my own. She does ride a Honda Metropolitan all over during warmer weather (warmer than 50*F). She's a El Ed teacher and the kids, especially the young boys think she's really cool when they see her scooter.
I'm excited to see the CTX1300 come out but don't know when it will be in my budget to get one. What I am reading about it and hearing in the videos the CTX1300 is perfect to me. I would go for a Deluxe just for the ABS and TC. Don't need center stand, but may add the top case (Honda version if not too much $$$, or aftermarket if it is). Anyway, that was a longer blurb than I intended. Hello!
