I want to introduce myself

[VinceDee]

Hi Riders of Vision,

I'm the guy who bought reddawg's 82 Vision and thought I'd slide in here to say hi to everyone. I've owned 3 other Visions before this (two 82s, one 83), so the bike isn't much of a mystery to me. I keep finding myself coming back to the Vision because it's one of only a couple middleweight V-twin UJMs, and I love V-twins. I just sold my 91 Honda Nighthawk 750 (a very nice bike in it's own right) because I wanted to come back to a Vision (or a V4, whichever came first). Reddawg, nice guy that he is, worked with me to make sure that I got his bike, so here I am.

I've been riding since '85, right after I got out of the Army. I bought a brand new 1982 Yamaha Maxim 400 (a glut of motorcycles manufactured in '82 meant you could still find some new in '85) for something like $1199 (my how times have changed!). I loved that bike. I had NO clue how to ride a motorcycle when I bought it. The salesman just started it up for me, gave me the key, and basically said "buh....bye". I already knew how to drive a manual transmission car, but only a general idea how to drive a motorcycle (let's see, one down, four up? Or was that one up, four down?). I managed to get the bike going down the road okay, however, and the feeling of that first motorcycle ride stays with me today...this solid, agile machine that could take me anywhere, and means I don't have to take taxis to work anymore!

I became a HUGE enthusiast (some would say maybe a bit too enthusiastic). I used to go to the used book store just to read (and sometimes buy) motorcycle magazines and read about all the various motorcycles, old and new. I taught my brother Rock Torres to ride (and he went on to become a very successful racer. Unfortunately, I can't take credit for the racing part, just getting him into motorcycles). I've owned many motorcycles (see the list below). At my peak, it wasn't unusual for me to buy and sell 2 or 3 bikes a year (all used, I could hardly afford to do that with new bikes!), just because I loved the experience of riding different motorcycles. I have found myself coming back to the Honda Nighthawk and Yamaha Vision for different reasons: The Nighthawk is a very competent, solid, dependable motorcycle. It's just not very exciting. The Vision is a competent, fussy, semi-dependable motorcycle with a very sweet V-twin engine. It may lag a bit on takeoffs, but that smooth, pulsing powerplant just makes me smile. Nowadays, I'm more of a "functional" motorcyclist (I have the bike around because it's a great form of transportation, not as much for the fun factor, though I do still enjoy going on an occasional ride to Alice's Restaurant).

Anyway, sorry to bore you all with my intro here, but I'll probably be hanging around a bit and joining in this great community (been here before several years ago, but I don't recall you guys even having a forum then). Thanks for having and maintaining the Riders of Vision website for all these years!  ;D

Bikes I've owned:
82 Yamaha Maxim 400
81 Honda CM400T
83 Honda Interceptor 750
73 BMW R75/5
79 Suzuki GS1000S (Wes Cooley)
85 Yamaha FJ1100
82 Yamaha Seca 750
83 Honda Nighthawk 650
85 Honda Nighthawk 650
82 Yamaha Vision 550
83 Yamaha Vision 550
82 Yamaha Vision 550
81 Honda CM400A
92 Honda Nighthawk 750
85 Suzuki GS550ES
85 Honda 250 Rebel
87 Yamaha FZ700
86 Kawasaki ZX10
88 Honda CBR1000 Hurricane
66 Honda 305 Dream
85 Yamaha XT600
99 BMW F650 Funduro
82 Yamaha Vision 550
82 Honda MB5
78 Yamaha SR500
80 Yamaha SR500
80 Yamaha SR500
83 Yamaha 550 Maxim
(and probably a couple I can't remember right now)

Bikes I'd like to own someday:
83 Honda CX650 Turbo
83 BMW R80RT
85 Honda V45 Magna
83 Honda V45 Sabre
85 Honda Nighthawk 700S
83 Honda CX650 Silverwing
86 Yamaha 700 Fazer
Yamaha VMax

My new squeeze (just loaded up on my truck at reddawg's house):

[dj]

Welcome back!  That is a great looking bike.

[smknjoe1964]

Welcome back to the forum ! Ive been through a similar list of bikes myself ! started out as a cheap way of getting around with affordable insurance being a teenager with a bad driving record . Then it became in obsession as old jap bikes that need fixed up from setting were easily found, fixed ,rode, and resold later to move on to something else ! The wife and I were both given a vision at different times . I bought a parts bike and now were pretty close to getting to ride together ! These wonderful crazy people at this furom have really helped !!!!

[QBS]

Welcome!  Look forward to interacting with you here on the forum.  Love your list of bikes.  Many are on my "would really love to ride some day" list.  Thanks for saying hello.  BTW, in case you didn't know it, the luggage rack on your new '82 is the very desirable and rare factory unit that, with the correct extendable backrest, can be configured to provide almost 3' of packing space.  It is one of the critical componets that can make the V a fabulous sport touring bike.  Cheers.

[Tiger]

:) Welcome (back'ish) to your adopted family....... 8) Thats one nice looking "V" you have acquired.... ;)
For the record....... ::) Where abouts are you situated..... ???

[zore]

You are like the pimp daddy of motorcycles.  I have this issue where when I get a bike, I can't sell it so I end up keeping them until they can't be ridden anymore.

[VinceDee]

Thanks for the welcome, guys  ;D

QBS, I had no idea about that luggage rack. I was wondering about it because it has an odd mounting system where the top part of the rack actually detaches from the lower supports. Glad to know it's factory and I appreciate the info. Reddawg also gave me a few boxes of parts, including a Shark fairing. It's going to need a bit of work though because it got some damage when the bike went down at slow speed two owners ago (so I've been told).

Tiger, I'm in Berkeley, California. I've lived here since getting out of the Service (1985). That's why I mentioned Alice's near Woodside, Ca (huge motorcycle hangout, especially on Sundays):

http://www.calhsta.org/library/alices.html

[Serendipity]

Welcome Vince! And thanks for that pic! It just proved to Tailwheel that our Visions WILL fit in our Tacoma! LOL

[tailwheel]

I missed that, good eye Patti  :-*

[haunter]

looks like a tight fit!  welcome, nice long list of bikes!

[Tiger]

Tiger, I'm in Berkeley, California. I've lived here since getting out of the Service (1985). That's why I mentioned Alice's near Woodside, Ca (huge motorcycle hangout, especially on Sundays):

http://www.calhsta.org/library/alices.html

Hmmmmmmmmmmm.....A wee bit to far for breakfast for me....... ;D :D ;)...However, there are a few Visionary's in Cali'.......Six (or maybe seven) that I know of.. ::)... 8)

[Brian Moffet]

...However, there are a few Visionary's in Cali'.......Six (or maybe seven) that I know of.. ::)... 8)

Hey, there are at least 7, jusst because mine decided it wanted to ride in the back of a truck in the rain...   :'(

I went to Alices for lunch once, it was me on the vision, a friend on a 600F2 (I think) and his girlfriend on a Hawk.  He was very upset when someone stopped to look at his bike, looked at the hawk, and then circled 4 times around the Vision :-)

Brian

[glennw]

Welcome Vince...  So we will see you in September?


http://ridersofvision.net/forum/index.php?topic=4385.0


The CROV is a always looking for new members!
GlennW

[Night Vision]

...However, there are a few Visionary's in Cali'.......Six (or maybe seven) that I know of..

Welcome Vince...  So we will see you in September?

The CROV is a always looking for new members!

oh my..... is this the prelude to the "Elite Eight" "Sweet Sixteen" even?
I hope to see the day when there's more than six or seven Visions, with their proud owners, in a picture    ;D

[Tiger]

...However, there are a few Visionary's in Cali'.......Six (or maybe seven) that I know of..

Welcome Vince...  So we will see you in September?

The CROV is a always looking for new members!

oh my..... is this the prelude to the "Elite Eight" "Sweet Sixteen" even?
I hope to see the day when there's more than six or seven Visions, with their proud owners, in a picture    ;D

hehehehehehehehe......... ;D ;D ;D :D :D ;) 8)

[h2olawyer]

Welcome, Vince.  Glad you've found the greatest motorcycle forum on the 'net!  My F250 hauls the V with lots of room to spare but I bet you get better than 13 MPG in your Tacoma!  My old '84 Toy P\U needed to have the tailgate down to haul it.

H₂O

[Lucky]

He just got here & you guys already have got him in a "Gang", lol
Welcome Vince!

[dchakrab]

Tacoma? Man, you guys are rich. I hauled my second one back in a Dodge Caravan borrowed from my landlord, with a dying transmission (1 qt every 100 miles, keep it under 60), 16 hours round trip...left after work, got back and went to work, and one of these days I'll get paid and buy the battery / title / insurance so I can ride the thing.

:D

[VinceDee]

That sounds like fun, Glennw, I think you can count me in on that trip. I ain't much of a canyon carver, though, so you guys will have to occasionally slow down and wait for me  ::)

h2olawyer, I think I'm getting somewhere in the neighborhood of 20mpg. It's an '01 with only 29k miles on it  :o (we only drive it on road trips and Home Depot runs. In fact, we're thinking about selling it and getting something alot cheaper since we're just not using it that much)

Hardly rich, dchakrab, more like "in debt up to my eyeballs".  Hey, at least you had a van to carry it in, right? Good luck on getting everything else done so you can get on the road.

[haunter]

don't worry I am in that club too, the 'i spent too much money the last few years' club!