Skip to main content
Topic: The ongoing motorcycle project (Read 4226 times) previous topic - next topic

The ongoing motorcycle project

Reply #15
Quote from: Tbird232ci;151447
With the jugs (cylinders you perv), id paint them black, and then polish the tops of the fins, it gives a very nice contrast, while still keeping it rather blacked out.

Black with a good amount of chrome and polish is great.


Definitely a good idea.  I'm not quite sure how to go about it though..  Maybe get it all blacked out and then grind back down to bare metal on the fins?  It's aluminum so it shouldn't rust.
1987 Thunderbird 3.8. Sold :(

1982 Thunderbird - Goodbye 255, Hello 302!

The ongoing motorcycle project

Reply #16
Quote from: amooset;151360
What model shadow is it?  I know that the single pin crank design has a LOT to do with the sound.  Any of the bigger and newer models have the offset design, which makes for a smoother running engine, but takes away from the rumble.  Maybe this is the case?

After looking at some pictures on Google, I'm pretty sure he has a Honda Shadow Spirit. 2003, I think...

Garrett H.
'94 F250 XLT- 4x4, 5 speed, 7.3 IDI Turbo Diesel, 4" intake, 4" exhaust, 5" turnout stacks, manual hubs, etc.
'87 Thunderbird Turbo Coupe
Engine, wheels, tires, etc!
Exhaust sound clip
Another clip

The ongoing motorcycle project

Reply #17
Quote from: amooset;151747
Definitely a good idea.  I'm not quite sure how to go about it though..  Maybe get it all blacked out and then grind back down to bare metal on the fins?  It's aluminum so it shouldn't rust.

Thats exactly how you do it. Paint them black, then use a sander of sorts, start with 220 untill the paints gone, then work your way up to 1500, itll shine like a mirror.
It's Gumby's fault.

The ongoing motorcycle project

Reply #18
Quote from: Red_LX;151751
After looking at some pictures on Google, I'm pretty sure he has a Honda Shadow Spirit. 2003, I think...

The spirit is an 1100 cc, which was made with the offset crank, not the single pin.  With that design, he'll never get the harley tone but it will run smooth as can be.
1987 Thunderbird 3.8. Sold :(

1982 Thunderbird - Goodbye 255, Hello 302!

The ongoing motorcycle project

Reply #19
Ahhh...


All this talk about motorcycles makes me want one...if nothing else, for the fuel economy. amooset, yours looks pretty cool, I like it. What year is that, BTW?

I'd love to have something small like an 883 sportster to scoot around town, course for what a used one of those costs I could probably get another brand in a nicer model.

But hell, I've never even ridden a motorcycle before, and they're so impractical...I don't have that kind of money to spend on something that I could ride maybe half the year at most.

Garrett H.
'94 F250 XLT- 4x4, 5 speed, 7.3 IDI Turbo Diesel, 4" intake, 4" exhaust, 5" turnout stacks, manual hubs, etc.
'87 Thunderbird Turbo Coupe
Engine, wheels, tires, etc!
Exhaust sound clip
Another clip

The ongoing motorcycle project

Reply #20
Quote from: Red_LX;152004

All this talk about motorcycles makes me want one...if nothing else, for the fuel economy. amooset, yours looks pretty cool, I like it. What year is that, BTW?

Mine is an '04 Shadow VLX Deluxe.  Ironically, the deluxe packages came with extra chrome, which I promptly removed or plan to, lol. 

Fuel economy?  I get about 60mpg on a good day around town.  My highway mileage is lower because I usually drive close to full throttle the whole time (which is about 90 mph).  Driving like that will warrant me a hair over 50 mpg. 

Cost?  Like I said, I got it out the door for 5K brand new.  The payments on it are basically free when I do the math on how much gas my car would have guzzled for the same amount of mileage.  It may sound impractical, but in the long run it's worth it if you're willing to bundle up when the roads are clear of snow or throw on a rain suit when the stormshiznit.

For a first time rider, I would highly recommend the model I have.  It's my second bike and still is beefy enough for zipping around town and short (100-200 mile) road trips.  The long wheel base, forward controls, and v-twin engine make it very harleyesque which was probably their intention.  The only reason I would consider an upgrade is for the longer road trips I would like to take.

If you are looking for a good starter bike, you can't go wrong with this one.  Easy to handle, light weight, and CHEAP!  Upkeep is simple, reliability is great.  In 12,000 miles, I've only done basic maintenance (tires, plugs, oil) and it runs like a champ even after I beat the tar out of it.  If you have any questions about picking up a bike, drop me a line.  Though I'm kind of partial to honda, I know a fair amount about bikes in general.
1987 Thunderbird 3.8. Sold :(

1982 Thunderbird - Goodbye 255, Hello 302!

The ongoing motorcycle project

Reply #21
So how do you learn to ride a motorcycle...:dunno:


A guy I work with just got a Honda Rebel, I noticed you can get 2003 models of them for $2000 and wow that's cheap. I feel like I'd want something cooler though.

Garrett H.
'94 F250 XLT- 4x4, 5 speed, 7.3 IDI Turbo Diesel, 4" intake, 4" exhaust, 5" turnout stacks, manual hubs, etc.
'87 Thunderbird Turbo Coupe
Engine, wheels, tires, etc!
Exhaust sound clip
Another clip

The ongoing motorcycle project

Reply #22
that is a 583 cc liquid cooled,single carb, he has. I wondered how he got that kind of gas mileage.Mine is a 750cc liquid cooled, dual carb and I get about 47 mpg on the highway.

I would stay away from a rebel (250 cc) those things sound like they are going to self distruct at highway speeds.
Never drive faster than your guardian angel can fly.
:birdsmily: :birdsmily: :birdsmily::birdsmily: 
  [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
:birdsmily: :birdsmily: :birdsmily::birdsmily:
1983 base model,1969 302 (originally a v6),upraded c5,currently 30,441 original miles.

The ongoing motorcycle project

Reply #23
Quote from: amooset;152555
Mine is an '04 Shadow VLX Deluxe.  Ironically, the deluxe packages came with extra chrome, which I promptly removed or plan to, lol. 

Fuel economy?  I get about 60mpg on a good day around town.  My highway mileage is lower because I usually drive close to full throttle the whole time (which is about 90 mph).  Driving like that will warrant me a hair over 50 mpg. 

Cost?  Like I said, I got it out the door for 5K brand new.  The payments on it are basically free when I do the math on how much gas my car would have guzzled for the same amount of mileage.  It may sound impractical, but in the long run it's worth it if you're willing to bundle up when the roads are clear of snow or throw on a rain suit when the stormshiznit.

For a first time rider, I would highly recommend the model I have.  It's my second bike and still is beefy enough for zipping around town and short (100-200 mile) road trips.  The long wheel base, forward controls, and v-twin engine make it very harleyesque which was probably their intention.  The only reason I would consider an upgrade is for the longer road trips I would like to take.

If you are looking for a good starter bike, you can't go wrong with this one.  Easy to handle, light weight, and CHEAP!  Upkeep is simple, reliability is great.  In 12,000 miles, I've only done basic maintenance (tires, plugs, oil) and it runs like a champ even after I beat the tar out of it.  If you have any questions about picking up a bike, drop me a line.  Though I'm kind of partial to honda, I know a fair amount about bikes in general.

A close friend of mine has a vlx. Its a nice bike and sounds almost as good as my domestic v-twin. He has vance and hines pipes on it.
It is an excellent starter bike! And for those who want to learn some community colleges have rider safety coarses.

The ongoing motorcycle project

Reply #24
Heh, actually after doing some reading, I'd say the Rebel is a no go for me....since I'm 6'4" and about 260 lbs....way too small I think.

I found that they have motorcycle training courses locally but they're $100. Bleh, well maybe I'll see if I can do that someday but I can't afford it at the moment.

Something that I thought was rather odd was that I went on Geico to see how much insurance would be...even with more coverage than I have on my auto insurance, and a $500 deductible on the bike (assuming I had a vlx), it was HALF the price of my auto insurance ($283 a year vs. $284/6 months for liability only on my car). I even put the usage down as commuting. Why is that?

Garrett H.
'94 F250 XLT- 4x4, 5 speed, 7.3 IDI Turbo Diesel, 4" intake, 4" exhaust, 5" turnout stacks, manual hubs, etc.
'87 Thunderbird Turbo Coupe
Engine, wheels, tires, etc!
Exhaust sound clip
Another clip

The ongoing motorcycle project

Reply #25
Check this vlx out!

The ongoing motorcycle project

Reply #26
i agree with shawn... paint the jugs and sand the fins down. it'll look badass. paint the crankcase black too. and from there youre set

The ongoing motorcycle project

Reply #27
I've never been a fan of choppers...they just look weird.

Garrett H.
'94 F250 XLT- 4x4, 5 speed, 7.3 IDI Turbo Diesel, 4" intake, 4" exhaust, 5" turnout stacks, manual hubs, etc.
'87 Thunderbird Turbo Coupe
Engine, wheels, tires, etc!
Exhaust sound clip
Another clip

The ongoing motorcycle project

Reply #28
Quote from: Red_LX;152805
Heh, actually after doing some reading, I'd say the Rebel is a no go for me....since I'm 6'4" and about 260 lbs....way too small I think.

I found that they have motorcycle training courses locally but they're $100. Bleh, well maybe I'll see if I can do that someday but I can't afford it at the moment.

Something that I thought was rather odd was that I went on Geico to see how much insurance would be...even with more coverage than I have on my auto insurance, and a $500 deductible on the bike (assuming I had a vlx), it was HALF the price of my auto insurance ($283 a year vs. $284/6 months for liability only on my car). I even put the usage down as commuting. Why is that?


Even at your size, the vlx would  be fine to start on.  I'm 6'1" and 300 and it has no problem carrying my lard-ass.  I'm not sure how things work in your area, but you may just be able to take a written and skills test to get your license.  The course, although helpful, is not required here. 

The insurance thing is actually pretty logical if you think about it.  When motorcycle accidents do happen, usually it's the rider that ends up damaged, not the other vehicle.  Also, since a majority of collisions are NOT the fault of the biker, the responsible party is usually the car/truck involved.  To some extent, people with auto insurance are paying more to cover the fact that there are motorcycles on the road.  I think it's something like 8%?  Correct me if i'm wrong, it's been awhile since I've read up on this.
1987 Thunderbird 3.8. Sold :(

1982 Thunderbird - Goodbye 255, Hello 302!

The ongoing motorcycle project

Reply #29
I bought an 06 750 Shadow Aero for $5500.  60mpg, $270 a year for insurance.

I sold my 04 F150.

The bike is saving me over $300 a month in payment, insurance, maintenence, and gas.

Im going to put saddlebags on her so I can carry more, as it stands Im going to sell my 05 Mustang because Ive only put about 1000 miles on her since December.  I cant see paying for a car I dont drive.  That will leave me with 2 bikes and the TC.  I also have a basket case 82 Goldwing that Im slowing rebuilding.  Liability insurance on the GW is $11.50 a month.

Best move Ive made in years.

I also live in Tucson, at least 10 months of riding a year.