Motorcycle-Fi - Page 10

Lol well perhaps that's fine in that case, but for when the highway is actually functioning it's good to have extra pull.

That's not a highway, that's a Home Depot parking lot.

That looks like every highway in NYC, from 5 am until 1 am. Looks like you have some room to lane split if you want to, though.

Spring is nearly upon us and riding season is about to begin!!..though i have been riding on and off through the winter, nicer weather can only do more good here in the PNW.

 

I'm very much against the recommendations for 600CC starter bikes, especially sports bikes!  Sure, there have been quite a few people that started on something like a CBR600RR or GSX6R, but I've personally known 2 that crashed them very quickly because they never learned how to handle that kind of power.  I started on a 250 Ninja, and would recommend it as a fantastic starter bike.  It's forgiving (won't throw you off if you pop the clutch too fast or mess up on gearing down) and fast enough to handle any normal driving condition (I've taken it on highways for during daily commutes for months).  You're pretty likely to get bored of this bike during the first season if you ride often and want something faster, but the experience of learning on a bike like this is most definitely worth it, their resale value is amazing, great on gas and insurance for the first year of riding, and cheap to maintain.

Oh yeah, I'm getting rid of that Ninja 250R this season and grabbing a CBR600RR, once the snow finally melts and the temperatures climb above freezing. :)

eerr..the Kawa is purely going to be my dirt bike. It is not street legal.

 

I ride a circa 92, 600cc Yamaha seca 2 on the streets.

 

Its nothing great, does 60 BHP, tops out at around 115MPH...i've hit up to 105 (and got pulled over :P ..fortunately no ticket, was let go)

 

I am looking into the following bikes:

Suzuki SV650 heavily modded (GSXR suspension, yoshimura exhaust, steering dampers, frame sliders, shorty levers, etc etc)

Ducati Monster 

KTM Duke 

Triumph Street Triple

 

Gonna buy one of these and sell off the Seca 2.

Quote:

The SV650 is a great bike, was really considering it, but my after more consideration, decided on the inline 4 CBR600 over the V-twin SV650.

 

The 250 did decent enough on the highway, but definitely scary in higher winds.  I've pushed it to just over 150km/h (93 m/ph) on the highway, got a taste for feeling, can't wait for something faster. :P

 

The Ninja 250 isn't all that small at 304 lbs dry, 355 wet.  Though you definitely lean when a crosswind gusts.

 

My Wee-Strom was a great bike, but highly subject to crosswinds, especially with a tank bag and a duffle.

As for bike recommendations, I've grown to really appreciate the Japanese bikes, "modern" fuel-injected, liquid-cooled bikes; especially in weather like Toronto (as high as +40C in the summer, and I like to ride until it drops pretty low, so I've went out in -4C before).  That Ducati Monster is air-cooled, which means if you're using it in high temperatures, you will overheat it and you might have fun starting it on cold days (they're known for that kind of thing, even in "moderate" weather like +5C).

I'm severely tempted by a '95 Buell Thunderbolt listed locally for $2,200. Yes, I know of their reputation for reliability, but I've always loved Buells and I've got a couple of bulletproof cars... maybe it would be fun to have a high-maintenance sweetheart on the side.

Though I've also been tempted by the Ninja 250 for puttering around town. Great mileage and a serious upgrade from a scooter.
Edited by Uncle Erik - 3/26/11 at 12:11am

I owned the first Buell and what a disaster it was, The hardware cracked on the windscreen and it took them 3 months to get it for me, and I lost a riding season. They are on my Sh-t list.

i've got a bud who loves his buell but boy has that bike given him hell.

I don't quite know if he invoked the lemon law or not

I know, guys.

Thing is, I sort of want something temperamental but rewarding. Call me crazy.

The regular driver is a Toyota. Regular maintenance, and add gas. My other car is an old Comet I've had for about 22 years. It doesn't get driven much, but I can count on one hand the problems I've had. The bike is an older Nighthawk. It needed tires and that's about it so far. My stereo rig doesn't cause trouble, either. My apartment is one I helped rebuild; zero issues. Hell, even my cat is even-tempered and easy to deal with.

Maybe this is a forewarning of a midlife crisis. I sort of want a temperamental mistress. Maybe a Buell or an older Ducati. Have given thought to a Lotus Esprit, even. I have not gotten to the point of wanting a boat or an airplane, though.

On the other hand, maybe I should be thankful for not having much repair drama. The Nighthawk is fun and the Comet still makes smoky burnouts.

Finally got my CX500c going again after some one tried to sabatage it by loosening the screws that hold the front cover on & pushing in the gasket causing it to rip & leak oil which was getting on the rear tire making it unsafe to ride. It was quite a heavy leak. Tuned it up by adjusting the valves & did some more tweaking on the jetting to get more even response at low speed low load throttle setting so I can ride around town using lower throttle setting without it hickuping occasionally. Definately smoother running around town now that I opened up the primary main jet a little (this feeds the idle, off idle & transition fuel circuit).

 

It was down for about 7 months.