Motorcycling and Coal Burning: Correlation?

I've noticed a number of motorcycling references here. So I'm curious:

How many riders do we have?

What do you ride? How far?

And where are you?

I've got 3 bikes, a Yamaha FJR (1300cc sport touring bike), a Kaw ZX-6E (600cc "old man's" sport bike) and a Kaw KE-100 (last of the 2-stroke flyweight dual-sports). I'm just north of West Point along the Hudson River in Orange County, NY. The lady and I have taken a number of multi-day rides, the longest 2100 miles from S. FL to here by way of Deal's Gap in western NC.

OK, all you riders, post up!

Next: coal-fired bikes! :silly:

stockingfull wrote:I've noticed a number of motorcycling references here. So I'm curious: How many riders do we have? What do you ride? How far? And where are you?

Bikes are: 2 05 ZX6R Track bikes, 1 05 ZX6R Street bike, 05 Buell XB9R Firebolt, KTM 450 Super Moto, 01 Sherpa 290 Trials, 94 CR 250, and my daughter's 03 PW 50 (she is 5).

Not much for riding long distances (this old body has issues with the sport bike crouch for more than 3 hours! ) although I go as far as California for track riding (wish I still lived there just for the roads!). I have tangled wit the Dragon at Deal's Gap and the other hot spots in Tennesee and Western NC (that's what the trailer is for *hehe*). Some of the most beautiful roads and scenery you can find!

And luckily I got rid of the snowmobiles last year so the coal season and the bike season mesh perfectly (that was a nice observatiuon you made in your other post). I think maybe I have too many hobbies, and finding this whole community of wonderful coal burning "I can do it myself" types fits right in with my tendency to go bonkers over something new.

I live in NE PA, a little coal mining town named Carbondale (go figure... ). It is a perfect launching place for some beautiful rides through the countryside.

We should get a "coalburners" ride together for sometime this summer. Anyone game?

I still have a '77 Harley cafe racer and a '40 80" flathead that I haven't ridden since the kids showed up. Thought about pulling the sheet and riding to work again when it warms. Used to put 20k miles/yr on ricers until I slowed down.

Learned to ride on a KE100 in the 70s and I'd sure like to play with that Sherpa.

As you say, too many hobbies...

I have 45 bikes. (I own a vintage japanese cycle salvage yard) Before I had kids I rode ~30k miles a year, did a lot of camping and riding to work the looong way (like a 300 mile loop to and from work which was 15 miles away), I had a 2000 zx12R and a '98 VFR 800, I learned on a 175 dirt bike, my first street bike was a '87 VFR 700 then I restored a '90 CBR1000F and put about 50k miles on it. Now that I'm a father of 4 I'm scared of sliding down the road at 120 mph and of losing my license so I putter on the old bikes, I should have my '75 Gold wing up and running pretty soon for this season otherwise it'll be my CB360T again (pretty but it's slow). I live in Bolivar, NY, just outside of Wellsville. I used to live in Connecticut and I must say that riding out here in western NY is much better than riding in the urban sprawl that encompasses most of CT, I can ride from my house almost to Pittsburgh via the back roads and count the cars I pass on 1 hand, usually I stick around Potter/McKean county PA and Allegany/Cattaraugus county NY. Usually everyone rides to the grand canyon in Wellsboro on the weekends, I agree we'll have to have a coal burners club picnic. If you are interested in my junk yard check it out http://www.mooduscycle.com (just an ebay store) I hope it's ok with the admin.

Well, Obviously I ride a KTM. ( 250 EXC ) I race GNCC and local District 5 harescrambles. I also have a Honda 300 4wd. quad and a Yamaha Rhino and a small pitbike.
I don't do the road riding thing. I used to have a crotch rocket. Wish I still had it but I know I would either lose my license or kill myself ( or both ) I ride my buddies 750 Jixxer once in a while just to remind myself why I don't need one. Besides, the warden err,,, wife would not allow it now since I have kids...
There is no possible way I could ever restrain myself for any period of time and only go the speed limit if I owned a Jixxer.

ktm rider wrote:.......... since I have kids...
There is no possible way I could ever restrain myself for any period of time and only go the speed limit if I owned a Jixxer.

Understand completely, had a GPZ 1100 before the kids were born, it went soon after I thought more carefully about the risks Vs. repsonsibilities (wives always help with that kind of thought process). Had dirt bikes through out that period, much more predictable than doing business with the 4,000 lbs of inattention currently occupying our road ways.

After the kids were in their late teens I bought a cruiser, then got back into the crotch rockets, but the track is my outlet now. Much safer and more fun!

Am thinking about doing some scrambles and flat tracking since my time for training is not quite up to the motoX scene any more (given my age...blah blah, blah *LOL*).

Charlie Z wrote: I'd sure like to play with that Sherpa.

Come up any time! The Sherpa is usually warmed up and ready to go from riding some where in the neighborhood or just plonking around the yard.

Would love to see those Harleys, post or send a pic when you get a chance.

e.alleg wrote: usually I stick around Potter/McKean county PA and Allegany/Cattaraugus county NY. Usually everyone rides to the grand canyon in Wellsboro on the weekends, I agree we'll have to have a coal burners club picnic.

Wellsboro would be a great place to hold an event, I could even make there on the Buell with a stop for stretching the old bones.

Let me know when you have rides there this summer and I will make an effort to meet you there.

Here's both a board I frequent and a ride opportunity in PA:

http://www.sport-touring.net/forums/index.php/top ... 609.0.html

Nice snack in that link Stockingful... Damn that's a big burger, I saw the new record holder on the news. Appered to be a 3 times as big as that.

I have a 2002 Honda Shadow Aero 1100cc V-twin. It's my first bike- my 45th birthday present to myself. Retro looking bike;resembles the old Indian bikes.

I'm in central NJ. I ride whenever I can, year round. But I no longer ride in the snow: once was enough, the second time was downright foolish. I've even carried lumber on it from Home Depot. I won't try that again either.

My longest trip was down to Richmond, VA to visit my daughter in college. Aside from 4 hours of steady rain, it was a great trip.

I have a 1983 Suzuki GS1100GK. Its an older touring bike with side hard bags and a trunk.

I went to Vermont and Rhode Island last year for rides and plan on some longer trips soon.

Nice rig!

OK, since many of us seem to have the capability to pack for an overnighter, and now that (most of) the coal shuttling is behind us, let's think about organizing a ride/meet.

Looks like we've got a few more folks in the east than in the west, but nearly all within an easy day's ride from "mother coal country."

So my inspiration is to get together some sort of "pilgrimage ride" where we can ride in, maybe on a Friday evening, hopefully learn a little more about the area and current mining and transportation regimes on half of Saturday, maybe get a ride or two in on some of the magnificent Pocono roads Saturday morning or afternoon and maybe again Sunday morning, then head back Sunday afternoon.

Anybody game? If so, let's toss out some dates and get this going.

For me, the name of this group is pretty obvious: "Rice Burners." :jester:

Bump!

Better get the ride threads going before we lose everybody for the summer.... 8-[

I have a '06 Kawi KLR 650 Dual Sport and a '01 Suzuki DR-Z 250 off road which I installed the necessary component's to make it street legal.