Bike Nicknames

[Pickman]

To me a bike is always female. It may not always be a dame, maybe a womYn, maybe a chic, or even a girl. My bike is a Lady...

I'd had two other bikes in times past, my first ever was an old 77' KZ650.. I was 18, and so was she. Deffinately a chic. She puttered around, always seemed to spend my spare cash, and never really satisfied me. She had a name, but like so many girls I dated, it wasn't worth remembering.

Next came Suzi, which was a Suzuki... damn I'm original (hehe). She was a dame, never did much except nag and demand money.

Then last year, I got bit by the bike bug again. The wife and I "discussed" the finances, and I managed to get her to relent on the condition that "it had to run and couldn't cost more than $850". My wife thought this was a sure-fire way to kill my hopes of finding a bike, seeing as how I wanted at least 1000cc. She figured I'd never find a running bike for under $1200. Then it happened.

I got up one Saturday morning in June, a day like any other. I had to mow the lawn at some point, but other than that the day was open. Of all people my wife was actually browsing the local motorcycle classifieds, when we came accross an ad for an 81' XS1100 Midnight edition. I called up the guy, who informed me that this was the first day the ad had ran and that I was already the third caller (it being only 9:30am). So we got directions, and headed off to a semi-rural part of Kentucky. It took us a half an hour to get there, and we almost got lost twice trying to find the place.

We pulled up and the guy had her sitting out on his driveway. From a distance the lines and curves looked good, real good. When I finally got close enough for a good look though, she was fugly. The seat was torn, the exhaust had been repainted black WITH A BRUSH. The engine had been painted an aluminum color that was starting to flake. The side covers didn't match- one black without the insignia, the other medium blue with XS1100 Special on it. The tank was a dark blue, and had the worst homemade black flame-job I had ever seen. Its bars were small and had been tapped in 7 or so different and unreleated spots for what I would assume was a fairing (that was gone). The guy was honest enough- 45k miles, it was a daily driver, looked the same paint-wise (tank, sides, and exhaust) as when he bought it. He had it two years while he was saving up for the horizontaly opposed BMW bike he had recently bought which he showed off to me.

I didn't care though, I saw something in that bike... and it knew that I saw it.

I gave it a run up and down his street just for kicks, but my mind was already made. Once on that seat, engine purring under me, something just clicked. I knew this was my lady.

I parked it part in his driveway, and we talked some more. I gave him the $800 and shook his hand. About that time, his cell phone rang. Turns out that he had given directions to another guy as well this morning, in fact he had called a full half hour before I had. They guy was going to buy the bike, but he had gotten lost trying to find this the owner's house. The owner helped get him bearings over the phone and told him the bike was already sold.

That other guy who had gotten lost was only three blocks away when he called.

It gave me a weird feeling. Waking up to see the ad on its first day, the price being in line with what my wife thought was unlikely to ever happen, and that the guy who was supposed to have got there first got lost on his way. I may have named my 81' XS1100LH "Lady Luck", but I don't think I found her.

I think she found me.


-Pickman

[maicorider]

I like my buddy's name for his 79. "Pinky". He got the thing, and though it seems a bit ridiculous this day and age, it's got "The Dark Side of the moon" rainbow / prism thing running from the tank down across the side covers. Must have been one cool stoner bike back in the day. I think it's funny, and he gets called names referring to his sexual preference a lot (I guess a lot of people see rainbow and think gay, and not notice the famous album cover part of the deal). But he doesn't mind, and we ride all over the northwest on ours. I have yet to name mine, not quite had it a year, and just now having to make a couple of minor repairs. So far all I can say about her (as I found myself saying to myself out loud as I got off her the other night) is "Damn that thing is fast!". I think the on-looking neighbors think I'm a little off my rocker. But c'mon, practically 60MPH just in 2nd gear? Who can help but prove it now and again?

[webbcraft2150]

I call my 80g "Godzilla", extinct, but still feared!!!! Have not come up with a name for 80s yet, right now its called the "boat anchor", not running and I keep having to move it in and out of the garage. By the way, I find bikes much easier to get along with than women!!!!!!!

[POOLBOY]

"BIG JOHNSON"

I got my scoot from a rather large friend of mine's son.
His name is John.
"Big John's son"
Get it?

[randy]

The "Swamp Thing" was previously owned by my brother-in-law who lived in New Orleans. He bought it from a local with 30k on the odometer. The first thing he did with it was drop it, totalling the left side from stem to stern. I don't think he ever really learned how to ride it. The parts that he didn't bang up the salt air of the Gulf ate for lunch.

He only put 1k or so miles on it, then moved up here to NYC. I noticed it sitting in the driveway just rusting away and made him an offer. Having owned an 81 special before, I knew what the bike's potential was and I also knew that he had neither the skills or ambition to get it roadworthy. Did I take advantage? Yeah. But he would have let it rot. Would have been a crime. It was practically my duty to save it from the junker.

I call it "Swamp Thing" because when I got it it looked like something dredged from a swamp. It's great to be back on an Eleven again, like coming home.

Randy

[JohnSg]

Kinda plain but I call my '79 SF "Big Red". Being originally from Indiana, I think Hoosier basketball might have had an influence.

[Czekus21]

MIYAMI

I called miy 79sf MIYAMI from the first day I bought her Get it, MY YAMI, It's alot better then the alternative which was the $500.00 ugly bike, come to think about it, It still is an ugly bike but that's what's so great about this thing. It rides well and blows the doors off of just about everything out there. If it can't whip em It'll shurlly give em a run for there money. MIYAMI fits and next year I hope to have my personel plates for it.

[Underdog]

I bought the Heritage new in late 99 so it was my first love. Prior to that, a friend of mine who is since deceased (cancer got him) had a Midnight Special he bought new in 1980. I always thought it was the neatest thing. He lost his nerve for rideing and it sat in his basement for years. I doubt it had over 5k on it but the carbs gummed up, tires dry rotted ect. I heard he sold it to an unknown party for 1100 dollars. I always wished I had bought it although he vowed not to sell it to anyone he knew for fear they get killed on it. He considered it a machine that demanded mucho respect and after rideing mine, I agree. I tried in vain to track his down but thanks to this website I found a very nice one in VA that now has a good home. Not to get mushy here but the wife & I stopped by Pete's gravesite over the weekend and I pulled the Midnight up to the foot of his grave. I think he would be amazed that I went to this much effort to get a bike exactly like his. Originally, I was mostly attracted to the collector value of a MNS but it sure is fun to ride!!
Anyway back to the nickname. My Heritage is pearl white and the Midnight is......well.....pretty much blacked out. So when I saw everyone had these nicknames, I figured Snow White for the Heritage and from the Star Wars movies, The Dark Side for the ole Midnight. Has nothing to do with good & evil.....But...on second thought though, there is definetly a wicked side to the Yamaha

[Tracker]

Bike name

I call my girl the Black Widow. Not only because she is black, beautiful and dangerous........but once we had entered into this "long term" relationship, she started sucking the life out of me. ( kinda like a Black Widow spider). It's strange how much I keep going back for more Sweet ride, I'd have it no other way!

[Cbass182]

My 79f has been beating me up and cutting me for the last few months as my friends just sit there with a beer in their hand being entertained by my struggles...

Hence it was christened, Gladiator.

[egleaves]

My bike has no name, yet. I've only had it for a year and I believe that when the time is right the bike will name itself. Until then I think I'll just call it Kevin.

[tiredoffixing]

I call minr "The Black Widow" Cause sooner or later it wil make my wife a widow

[DenyP]

My XS is the TimeMachine. When I am on her, I feel 20 again and if I am running late to work, she provides the time!



Deny

[chrisso]

used to call my XS 'Fonzie'--before I repainted it a bloke on an R1 said that looks like Fonzies bike....WTF??

[Toolmaker Tim]

Yellowjacket

I hadn't named my bike until a couple of days ago. I was at a friends house standing in the driveway. He looked at the bike and said"If it had some black stripes with the yellow you could call it the Yellowjacket" I plan to repaint the tank with the same yellow, but with the old yamaha interruped stripe on it. So I guess the Yellowjacket it is!