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Hey Gang. Thought I'd pass this little story on 'cause for many of us, this is why we play with these old bikes.

It was the perfect night to drive. Cool temps and not too many cagers on the city streets so I slapped on my helmet and leather jacket and hit the gas station to ten bucks worth of high-test into my tank.

As we all know, these old free-air bikes love the cooler nights and this is the best time to ride in my opinion. I was doing my regular loop throughout our city including the downtown core when I saw a nice older Kawasaki on one of the deserted streets.

Pulling up beside the rider and passenger I noticed it was a late 80's 750 and it was in really nice condition. At the lights, he looked over and asked me what year my 650 was. I told him a '77 and he just smiled and then let 'er go.

It was a pretty quick bike and it sounded really nice with the pipe on it.

At the next light I pulled up beside him again and the guy told me that he had a Kz550 years ago and loved it but needed something with a bit more power so he found this 1989 ZXR-750. He said that the old 650's were pretty quick...for their time and then he was gone.

I followed him along for a while, staying just behind him until we hit another red light on a deserted 4 lane street. We were side by side when the light changed and I just lit it up runnin' my 810 to redline for the first four gears before I backed off and he went by me. I don't mind ringing out the bike every once in a while when there is nobody around and the road is smooth, but I try to keep it under 75 mph (or so) most of the time as I like having my licence.

Over the next mile or so I stayed a few bike lengths behind him doing around 30 mph. This time we stayed the same distance from each other as we accelerated. I dropped it down a couple of gears to get motor up into the sweet spot and I noticed his girlfriend looking over her shoulder and then saying something to the driver just as we both rolled on the gas.

We both slowed down a little ways down the road, pulled into a coffee shop and got off our bikes. He walked over and said - "Holy..sh#t, what did you do to that bike? My girlfriend said you were staying with me on the roll but off the light I couldn't catch you as you were pulling away from me."

I told him what I had done to the bike and he just grinned and shook his head. He said he had heard there was a potent old Kz650 sleeper in town and now he had seen it run and was impressed by the power of the old 650 middleweight."

I am pretty sure that without the passenger he might have outrun me, but not by a whole heck of a lot as my bike pulls hard off the line if launched around 3 grand and when it hits the higher rpm you had better hang on tight.

The guy's girlfriend then told me that she had an '83 RD-350 Yamaha that she was building into a sleeper just like my old 650. She wanted to have a bike that would surprise some of the newer sportbikes and being a girl, some guys might not expect her to have a quick little 2 stroker that could catch them napping.

She probably didn't weigh more than 100 pounds and seemed to know her old bikes, so I'll have to keep an eye out for her on her RD as this is a little bike that I might want to avoid in a little stop light grand prix, at least up to 30 mph.

Gotta keep an eye out for those little old sleepers. This is why I love playing with my 30 year old 2 wheel hot rod

Cheers-Colin Firth-Ontario Canada

Post edited by: reborn650, at: 2007/08/31 01:25

Great story reborn650, I think you have summed it up nicely, and thats why we ride and love these old air cooled rockets with sprockets.
I guess with our bikes what you see is not what they (the others)get in a good roll on or traffic light sprint.
Cheers
Tony

I second Dr. Zed...great story.

Thanks for sharing! It always brings a smile to my face when I hear a story like yours Ride safe & keep the rubber down;)

Helluva good read,Colin!
Thanks for sharing,Bud.

cooooooooooooooooool!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have many memories like that, thanks for sharing yours!

My previous kz was a 1980 KZ1000 LTD. Though a little worn and with poor paint, it would still haul a$$ and sounded great with a Kerker by Kawasaki. I rode with a guy with a HD Night Train with Kurayakian Hyper Charger and straight pipes. He cranked it good in the first gears but the Big K just kicked his you-know-what.

After that he tells people that I ride too fast!!!!

That's quite an avatar - are you from Tennessee or Kentucky?

floridamba wrote:

That's quite an avatar - are you from Tennessee or Kentucky?

North Kentucky....waaaaaaay north:)

Just a silly pic I found. Something about riding a naked hog...ah...a hog naked or sumthin' like dat. Soooooooeeeeeehhhh!

Definitely not a self-portrait as I am usually wearing Addidas Gazelles.

Cheers-Colin Firth -Ontario Canada

That is a great story and well told! I hope once I get my bike back up and running that I'll get a few times like that myself.

Seems like you've done a fair bit to yours, mine is stock so far, but we'll see what the years bring.

I love the story. Keep them coming. I think you are building an urban legend ...a bit of motorcycle mythology ...up there !

Great story, Colin. Thanks for sharing it.
Late evening rides....just took one on Thursday evening with my buddy on his RE5 Suzi. Quite unique sounds coming from both bikes....