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I'm still working my way through the thread, but wanted to check in and potentially warn against dumb questions I might have in the next month or two. I've got my MSF course coming up in a couple of weeks, and if everything goes well will hopefully be purchasing my first bike shortly after. I'm really excited, wanted a bike my whole life, got some friends to safely/conservatively ride with, etc etc. Anyway, was just stoked to stumble across this thread.
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Aug 2, 2018 02:39
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| # ¿ May 18, 2024 16:54 |
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Yeah a friend of mine has a Ninja ZX12R he's going to sell me for cheap, probably going to ride it around for a couple of weeks before the MSF course just to get used to it. Just kidding! I've been looking at something in the Cruiser lot that falls between a Rebel 500 and a Vulcan 800.
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Aug 2, 2018 11:54
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Jonny 290 posted:Careful with this. I'm still scared shitless of riding around other bikes. Of course, if they're buddies and everybody knows whats up, and they're good riders, they'll let you set the pace. If they don't, do. not. try. to. keep. up. Catch up with them at the next red light or stop and yell, but don't push yourself. I understand what you're saying for sure. My main pal I'll be ripping around with isn't a speed-demon or anything like that, and is mostly looking for a buddy to muckle around the city with. I'm not a super young peckerhead anymore so I don't have a lot to prove, I just want a more exciting means of transportation as an alternative to my car. I know I'll get a lot of flak and you'll all probably call me an idiot for even getting on this bike initially, but the bike I did my first 10-20 hours on was my father's Boulevard C109. Big dumb touring bike with lots of torque, but hey it at least helped quash any idea of me wanting a huge bike to start with.
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Aug 2, 2018 23:01
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I'm going to check out a couple of bikes for sale privately today, I'm pretty excited. Checking out a 2003 Suzuki Volusia Boulevard, a 2000 Honda Shadow Ace 750, and a 2004 Suzuki Marauder 800. I think all three are in the category of bike I'm looking for, while still being a comfortable/manageable size.
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Aug 6, 2018 13:08
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I finally bit the bullet, signed up for a MSF course in April and got all the gear I need as well. As far as a bike goes, I've put my butt on a lot in the last two years and (illegally I know) rode a few around a block for a bit to see what I liked. I ended up liking the more cruiser-style position, and have narrowed things down to what I want while resisting the idiot urge to buy something that will overwhelm me. Anyone willing to give me some input on a 2020 Kawasaki Vulcan S Cafe and a 2019 HD Iron 883?
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Jan 21, 2020 16:08
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Slavvy posted:Feel free to post any reasons you think it's a good idea and we'll explain why you're wrong. I think it's a good idea because it's what I'm interested in, I don't know what else to say really. I'm not committed to buying new, but as someone who isn't mechanically inclined yet getting something that is at most a couple of years old is appealing as my time available to ride might be limited. I'm not against a more standard motorcycle, just haven't fallen in love with what I've gone and sat on really. Really not trying to be bull-headed at all about it! I figure there is a comfortable middle-ground that is a good "starter" bike that I'm also excited about spending  dollars on.Edit: I love the Yamaha Bolt, but was going to steer clear of it as a starter bike since its performance is a bit more powerful than the bikes I mentioned above.
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Jan 21, 2020 20:00
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I really appreciate the write-up, and I tell you honestly I'm not dead set on a cruiser. The main reason I haven't given much else a chance is because the crazy sporty fairings and designs turn me off. However, stuff like the Yamaha MT-03 and the Kawasaki Ninja Z400 look awesome. I fully intend on waiting until my course is done to get something, I just like bouncing things off of SA since there is a lot of experience/knowledge here. I posted specifically for help like this Slavvy, thanks a lot. HenryJLittlefinger posted:I recommend you get mechanically inclined 100% that's the plan. Just need to watch enough tutorials, do some reading, and pick up a few tools I'm missing. I more so meant I'd like to do it out of interest and not necessity.
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Jan 21, 2020 21:29
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Anyone have any recommendations for boots to fit a 2E or 4E width foot? I was looking at a couple of pairs that claim to fit "wide" but when I emailed the distributor they said they weren't intended for a 2E width or wider.
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Apr 17, 2020 19:48
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Well, I mean I had been doing that, but there's something happening currently that prevents me from going into non-essential businesses for casual browsing.
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Apr 17, 2020 22:58
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I've been riding my friend's Indian Scout Bobber for the last couple of weeks for a few hours a day, been having a lot of fun learning fundamentals and getting used to the roads. Just need a good pair of boots and pants and I'll be honoring the ATGATT general rule.
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Apr 18, 2020 19:15
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Anyone have some recommendations for parking lot drills/anywhere drills I could practice while socially distancing myself from everyone? I'm close to hitting the first 1000km on a bike and am worried that without constructive feedback I'm developing a whole giant mess of bad habits.
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Apr 27, 2020 01:16
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I'm in Canada, I had my MSF-equivalent course scheduled for April 20th but the rider training school is closed for the foreseeable future. I've tentatively rescheduled for July 30th but I don't think they'll be operational again by then. I'll try to track down their curriculum and go from there!
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Apr 27, 2020 03:22
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I'm still stubbornly holding out on storing the bike for the year. Had to clean two or three inches of snow off of the Scrambler this morning, but I'm convinced I'll get one final send-off day of good weather before I lock it up.
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Nov 3, 2020 14:10
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 Just rolled over 4000km on my first motorcycle. Been a weird year. I would have liked to get more riding in but there's always next year. With a string of good weather the next few days I'll see if I can up that number to 4500km.
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Nov 5, 2020 22:43
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This will be my first full season riding, I did my MSF course in June last year and got my bike early July. I rode until just about December but I'm itching to really have a lot of fun this year. I'm taking the bike out of storage on March 31st, just in time for a few days of rain to have helped clear some muck off the roads. I've got a big stack of coloured cones ready to go do a few hours of practice and drills the first day or two back on the road, gotta shake off the cobwebs and settle my nerves again. Any other new (or experienced) riders here in/around Ottawa, Ontario? I don't know if socially-distanced bike meet-ups are a SA thing but I figured I'd ask.
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Mar 25, 2021 14:06
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In my MSF course last summer, there was an older guy, probably mid-50's or close to 60, that skidded his Jaguar F-Type's tires into the parking lot the first day. He got out of his car in full Ducati Corsa gear from head to toe. He went on to drop the bike(s) multiple times, and just before we did the final test on day two (which he had to do multiple times just to get the bare minimum) he told us he was only doing the course because he had bought a Diavel 1260S two days before the course and just couldn't seem to get the darn thing insured. Had never even sat on a motorcycle until he put his rear end on the Diavel.
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Mar 25, 2021 17:22
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I scraped my exhaust in a turn today! Pretty proud of myself for getting better with really committing to leaning the bike over. Unless you guys say I hosed up, if so then I'll feel like an idiot and won't do it again.
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Apr 3, 2021 23:50
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My neighbour got his first bike today and I got to take him out on his first ride around the neighbourhood. I’m still a new rider but it was nice to help a baby duckling hatch into the world. But seeing his bike makes me start to rapidly obsess over the N+1 bike ownership formula.
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May 22, 2021 01:00
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Slavvy posted:You don't need a windscreen, everyone thinks that the first time. You don't need a windscreen. Seconding this, and I’m a very new rider. I’ve done about 8,000 - 10,000km across two bikes now with no windscreen, you don’t need it. You’ll get better at not white-knuckling the grips even when being whipped with wind. I mean, I definitely wish my helmet was a little bit better at sound dampening but it’s never going to be perfect.
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May 30, 2021 19:52
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Thanks for reminding me, I kept meaning to ask; how do I know if I should be adjusting my preload on my bike’s rear suspension? I’m a heavy guy but I haven’t really noticed any issues while riding. However, the only other bike I can compare my Scrambler to for any appreciable amount of riding is an Indian Scout which had what felt like a lovely suspension setup. When I ride two-up we start to notice bumps a lot more but I don’t really know what to look for. Edit: Slavvy I just looked a few posts up, I’ll go make some changes and report back because I think my bike suspension is currently set up for a little tiny person
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Jun 21, 2021 23:54
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I don’t have any shame saying I don’t notice any performance issues in corners holding me back other than my own skill, it’s mostly about trying to make the bike a little less bouncy for my 120kg body on top and for when my partner jumps on the back and adds another 50kg onto the poor bike. Coming from offroad hobbies I have no issue using my legs to absorb bumps or just standing up entirely for a bit but that’s just a solo thing. I know this just isn’t really the bike for comfy two-up riding but until we get a 2nd bike I wouldn’t mind making it a little nicer for us to scoot around on while sacrificing some *~*performance*~* since I’m not really a street Rossi or whatever.  Looks like there’s a lot of play to stiffen up the coil (three or four notches up) but with my lizard brain I probably wouldn’t notice the difference or would just get a placebo effect. Jcam fucked around with this message at 00:33 on Jun 22, 2021 |
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Jun 22, 2021 00:28
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I'm thinking of planning a bit of a longer haul on my bike for the beginning of September, but I'm a little hesitant. It'd be about 1300km (Ottawa to PEI) and am trying to decide if that's feasible for one long rip or if I'd be needing to plan for a room somewhere for a night, or even two nights, along the way. The longest I've been on a bike in a day has been about seven or eight hours and I was pretty beat up by the end. That wasn't a leisurely ride though so I hadn't taken enough breaks, not enough water, etc. Should I be putting this on the back-burner until I've got more time on a bike? If it's something you all wouldn't immediately dissuade me from, what kind of tips would you give? I'm looking at picking up either a tank bag or tail bag, I'd be packing lots of water, snacks, multiple USB external batteries, I'd give my route to my friends/family, do multiple check-ins, map out gas stations on the way, and probably more stuff I've forgotten but have written down. I usually carry a back-pack but because of the length I was going to shift to either that tail bag or tank bag as my primary source of carrying anything. Unrelated, I've ridden in the rain more in the last two weeks than I have the last two years on a motorcycle. I don't even have rain gear but I still love it, especially the sympathetic looks car drivers give when you make eye contact with them during a downpour.
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Jul 27, 2021 18:29
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I couldn’t imagine riding a motorcycle in the winter here, with regular dumps of 30-50cm of snow and frequently -25 C temperature. Maybe I’m just a giant baby though. Still rode my bike up until the first week of December last year though.
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Aug 23, 2021 15:35
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Yeah he rote it very carefully; think it threw.
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Aug 26, 2021 22:33
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I’m doing my first real long ride with a few family members and friends, should be five or six of us doing the Gaspé Peninsula and a bunch of Quebec the weekend of September 17th. I haven’t done any overnight motorcycle trips yet so I’m really excited to really lay down some miles and see some family that I haven’t seen since 2018.
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Sep 1, 2021 19:27
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As a new rider, I just want to say I appreciate the experienced, educated riders who take the time to post in here to help out dumb-dumbs like me and make an effort to correct some of the silly incorrect, anecdotal, or unhelpful advice that gets tossed around to “help” new riders.
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Sep 3, 2021 02:17
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HenryJLittlefinger posted:So I want to encourage newer riders to give feedback and talk about their experience with the learning process, not just ask questions and politely receive answers. Just don’t speak with a bunch of authority about something that needs a few years and lot of miles worth of experience. You’re definitely right, I didn’t do a good job of explaining what I meant I think.
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Sep 3, 2021 11:25
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Martytoof posted:This is still a thing I find myself struggling with. I always feel so comfortable when I tell myself to relax and loosen up but somehow my default state is "clenched and stiff". The number of times I've leaned into a turn and realized that my arms are basically metal poles and I'm strangling the bars like they owe me money is staggering and always an unwelcome discovery. I struggle with this exact thing, and also constantly have to remind myself to not sit on my tailbone, or rather to use my core to not collapse my abdomen if that makes sense.
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Sep 8, 2021 15:46
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Leaving in the morning for about ~2400km of riding this weekend. I’m pretty nervous as it’s my first longer rip on my bike but I’m really excited and I’m hoping to snap a few good photos along the way.
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Sep 17, 2021 03:39
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Getting my bike out of storage tomorrow afternoon, it feels I haven’t ridden in a lifetime. Really jealous of a bunch of posters on here who manage to ride all year or close to it.
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Apr 3, 2022 01:28
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What ambient temperature would you all say is your cut-off for riding in? I understand tires will warm up even if it’s pretty frigid on the road, but do I even need to be concerned about riding in the 5-10 Celsius range? Grip still feels alright and there’s no lingering ice but I still don’t feel great about it.
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Apr 11, 2022 17:53
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ImplicitAssembler posted:Depends on how you define 'riding'. I'd commute as long as there was no ice/snow. I'll go for rides over 10C or so. (If the sun is shining, will need it closer to 15C on an overcast day). Yeah I know what you’re saying. Mostly commuting and putting around, couple hours tops, no spirited riding. Just trying to push the season a little bit further every year.
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Apr 11, 2022 18:18
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I'm going to buy a new set of tires this spring for my bike and am pretty happy with what I've been running. I was going to try and save a few bucks by ordering them on FortNine, but I'm a little confused about what I see and can't find an answer online. I've got Pirelli MT 60 RS front and rear, and FortNine has a SKU for both the MT 60 RS and the MT 60 RS Sport Corsa. The normal tire doesn't have my sizes in stock but the Sport Corsa does; what's the difference? Is that just the same thing but the newer name for the tire or something? They look identical.
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Apr 18, 2022 15:25
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Ahh that makes perfect sense, thank you so much.
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Apr 18, 2022 16:24
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Am I shooting myself in the foot by getting a new battery for my Scrambler from Canadian Tire, rather than paying more for another Yuasa battery like it came with? Or am I overthinking this?
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May 2, 2024 18:12
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Slavvy posted:If the battery you're getting is rated the same and has a warranty I wouldn't worry The only difference in the specifications is the cold-cranking amps (150 vs 215, Motomaster vs Yuasa).
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May 2, 2024 19:47
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| # ¿ May 18, 2024 16:54 |
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Yeah that’s where my mind went too - I’ve got the new Yuasa charging in the basement now, I appreciate your help pals.
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May 3, 2024 00:12
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