RC51 Forums banner

Hello from Nashville

5K views 22 replies 11 participants last post by  Dcity 
#1 ·
Im new to the Nashville area. Recently moved here from Detroit area. Just purchased an RC51 a few months ago. Looking forward to lurking the forums and learning as much as I can.
 
#5 ·
Nice...i was stationed in fort campbell for 5 years, but spent every weekend on 1st ave and the riverwalk in nashville, used to go up the cement plant road to umm...oh nevermind :D
 
#7 · (Edited)
Thanks for the warm welcome.

A little about me, I'm 47 I grew up on motorcycles from the time i was about 14 when i met my step father. He had a Kawasaki 1300 6 cylinder with a Hannigan fairing and saddle bags. Wish i had some side view pictures of it. It was a BEAST.



I rode an RM 80 out in the woods and had a moped soon after.

Turned 16 and bought myself a 1984 RZ350 2 stroke. Learned to drive on the street with it. Took it to Detroit Dragway a few times. Low 12's when i could keep the front wheel on the ground.

Being 17 years old 6' and 180 pounds I had to get a bigger bike. So I bought a Honda VFR700 that i had until my late 20's. For a year or 2 it was my only transportation. Great bike, felt like a high center of gravity though. Still a lot of fun.

Through the years my step father had plenty of motorcycles at one point he had 5 in the garage. So i got to ride all different styles except Harleys. I never cared for the v-twin heh. Look at me now.

8 years ago my step father was diagnosed with cancer, 3 years later he passed., a year later my mother was diagnosed with cancer she passed in September. I have been the caregiver for the past 8 years and the whole time I just dreamed about getting out on the road again with a nice bike.

I was in the market for an older Goldwing Interstate or something like that. But then i came across this 2003 SP2 RC51 and i couldn't help myself. I remember drooling all over them at the dealership. The price was right in the range i was looking for, only 9k on the odometer. It needs some tender loving care and over time i may add a few things if cashflow permits.

I havnt ridden it 2 miles yet. This next week im getting it titled and insured here in Nashville. I moved here to help out my aunt who is 70 and her son 54 who has spinabifida. I trailered it here and didnt bother with the paperwork until i got settled.

I gotta be honest with you. I had some buyers remorse right after i got it. Its been some years since i have ridden. I dont want to go out and drag my knees, go outrageously fast or wheelie past the local law enforcement. I just want to get out and do some riding on a nice motorcycle.

I do love this bike! So im trying to catch up on everything i can about it.
I hope to get over to the Tail Of The Dragon this summer and make a few road trips.



Oh and the Two Brothers pipes make this thing sound amazing.
 
#9 ·
Thanks Brian. I am in love with everything about it so far. Ive been reading DuckHunters build thread. Beautiful stuff there.

Im still gathering riding equipment at the moment. I would like a 1 or 2 piece but at the moment I just have a textile Rocket jacket, HJC helmet and a pair of gloves.
 
#17 ·
Hello again, I haven't been active because I'm still getting my feet back on the ground here. I dont think i have put more than 100 miles on the RC yet. Just a few little trips when the weather permitted.

The thing is, I had let my Michigan DL with the motorcycle endorsement expire and got a new DL when I moved to Tennessee. Tomorrow I'm going to take my motorcycle test and road test.

I'm a little worried about the road test on the RC. Just from riding around town getting some seat time it seems like a little work to maneuverer in slow tight turns. I thought about trying to borrow someone else's bike for the road test but so far I don't know anyone here.

I did join a meetup.com group for sport riders here. They meet usually on Saturdays and Sundays for group rides. Id love to go on one but im thinking i might need a few hundred miles under my belt just to get the feel of the road again. Im 47 and its been about 20 years since i have ridden on a regular basis.

Hope your all well. Wish me luck.
 
#19 ·
Hello again, I haven't been active because I'm still getting my feet back on the ground here. I dont think i have put more than 100 miles on the RC yet. Just a few little trips when the weather permitted.

The thing is, I had let my Michigan DL with the motorcycle endorsement expire and got a new DL when I moved to Tennessee. Tomorrow I'm going to take my motorcycle test and road test.

I'm a little worried about the road test on the RC. Just from riding around town getting some seat time it seems like a little work to maneuverer in slow tight turns. I thought about trying to borrow someone else's bike for the road test but so far I don't know anyone here.

I did join a meetup.com group for sport riders here. They meet usually on Saturdays and Sundays for group rides. Id love to go on one but im thinking i might need a few hundred miles under my belt just to get the feel of the road again. Im 47 and its been about 20 years since i have ridden on a regular basis.

Hope your all well. Wish me luck.
Keep practicing, the RC51 is well balanced and I find it to be fairly nimble in slow traffic, like u-turns, drifting up to a stop at super low speeds and such. I'll admit, I've had 4 years of practice on mine, but it never ceases to surprise me how easy it is to keep good balance.
In CA, part of the riding test involves going around a small circle of cones inside a 2 foot path without dobbing a foot to the ground. Four times in opposite directions. That's what took practice. I had to slip the clutch right in the friction zone to keep a balance of slow speed but with enough push from the rear tire to stay upright and balanced.

Good luck!
 
#20 ·
Thanks guys. Im here at the dmv waiting for someone to give me a road test. I asked the guy at the counter if the test was rough. He said "aall you gotta do is not fall off." Heh ill see what i can do.

I ran it for a while to gt it up to temperature. Mine seems to want to stall if its under 150 degrees or so. The pther night i didnt let it warm up enough and i stalled it twice in front of coworkers. I was a little embarrassed.

Again thanks for the well wishes.
 
#22 ·
A belated "welcome aboard." :D

Tip for tight turns/manuevers at slow speeds: one can "drag" the rear brake and repeatedly work the clutch (engage/disengage) while balancing the bike to complete such turns in parking lots, etc.

Sounds like the TN road test is lacking quite a bit; you may benefit from a MSF class even if you find yourself newly licensed (again) - no offense. :)

Check out something like the "returning rider" course or even the "advanced rider course."
Bring an open mind and you'll probably learn some useful stuff for street riding - g'luck !

http://www.msf-usa.org/
 
#23 · (Edited)
A belated "welcome aboard." :D

Tip for tight turns/manuevers at slow speeds: one can "drag" the rear brake and repeatedly work the clutch (engage/disengage) while balancing the bike to complete such turns in parking lots, etc.

Sounds like the TN road test is lacking quite a bit; you may benefit from a MSF class even if you find yourself newly licensed (again) - no offense. :)

Check out something like the "returning rider" course or even the "advanced rider course."
Bring an open mind and you'll probably learn some useful stuff for street riding - g'luck !
Thanks for the advice. And yes i could use a course. Im not an ego hound. I took the MSF course when i was 16 but that was 1985. heh
I have watched this video 2wice so far.
youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=DWgb0MtgNlo

Today i got out into the country south east of Nashville almost into Georgia. Found some beautiful farm roads to ride. Nothing but livestock, crops and blacktop. I still cant wipe the grin off my face. I got her up to 130 on some straights. Again i still cant wipe the grin off my face.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top