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Hello cycle asylum, please be gentle with me, I'm sure I'm going to ask some dumb questions. The basics: I've decided to get a motorcycle when I go back to school next year. I'm, 26, been driving safely since I was 17, 1 minor fender bender when I was first learning that was my fault, only a couple of tickets since then. I'd consider myself a good driver, fairly safe, and I'm at the point in my life where I'd like to buy a motorcycle. I'm not in the market for some ultra fast crotch rocket, instead I'm more in the market for an older model used bike for about 3 grand. Here's where the questions start. 1: I'm going to take the basic ride safety course. On the MVA's homepage, it says you should be able to ride a bicycle before starting the class. I last rode a bicycle when I was 8, and only rode that fucker for a few months. Am I retarded for even thinking of trying to learn here? If it's a matter of balance I've got a good sense/feel, but if bicycle mastery is a key part of the process, am I hosed? 2: None of my friends are motorcycle riders, so I've got no one to go to for advice. I know a little about what makes a good car/bad car to buy, what are the basics I should look for in a bike? Is there a good used 'beginner' bike that I should look for? 3: Any other thoughts or advice for a newbie?
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Dec 4, 2008 05:10
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rxcowboy posted:1: I'm going to take the basic ride safety course. On the MVA's homepage, it says you should be able to ride a bicycle before starting the class. I last rode a bicycle when I was 8, and only rode that fucker for a few months. Am I retarded for even thinking of trying to learn here? If it's a matter of balance I've got a good sense/feel, but if bicycle mastery is a key part of the process, am I hosed? I would definitely get a bicycle and ride it around. Balancing on two wheels is different than balancing on one foot. You don't do it much once you're moving, but going slow takes some balance and the MSF course is a lot of slow riding. Once you take the MSF course, you'll have a better feel for what makes a good bike. There are plenty of good suggestions out there, from the Ninja 250, to the Ninja 500 or GS500, to the SV650 or Ninja650, to the smaller cruisers, to old 70's and 80's Japanese bikes. This board is a good place to ask specifics or to throw up ads and ask for opinions. Basically, you'll want to get something that is relatively reliable, that runs when you buy it, and isn't too powerful. You get those things and the only thing you would be worried about is old tires and an oil change (at least at first).
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Dec 4, 2008 06:25
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rxcowboy posted:noob 1. There is no hard fast rule for required experience for MSF. You take baby steps to get used to the bike like walking it around, starting out very slowly, etc. I was pretty adept on a mountain bike at one point, but honestly I don't think it helped. In fact it might have hurt a bit because when I first started I would try to swerve the bike by shifting my weight (not very effective). Just get your head cleared and plenty of sleep. 2. Make sure and get satisfactory answers for these questions: quote:Is the title clean, in hand, and in your name? When you get there make sure the engine starts up fine and will run without choke once it's warm (a minute or 2). Hold the clutch in and shift through all the gears. Make sure all the blinkers, lights, gauges work. Make sure both brakes work. Make sure there is tread on the tire. Fluids all full and oil not looking too nasty (red flag). Chain nice and lubed up. Once it's plenty warmed up rev the engine and just listen to it. The throttle response should be nice and even, it shouldn't backfire. The revs should return to idle almost immediately. I had a friend test drive for me because I was too chicken to ride on the street for the first time after MSF, but I really you can do most of what you need with the checklist. Ask about the test drive anyway. If they make up an excuse, I wouldn't mess with them. Just follow your instinct about the seller. For $3k you should be able to get a low end bike like a ninja500 or an sv650 in almost perfect running condition and maybe a few blemishes. Also keep in mind you will spend another $1k or gear and other poo poo. 3. If you do find out that they don't have the title or some other bullshit, make sure you understand all the paperwork steps before you commit. Stuff like back registration can cost hundreds. Edit: one more thing, pay with cash. I don't know why, but people who sell bikes really like to deal in cash. Also, don't be afraid to offer a couple hundred less than they are offering. darknrgy fucked around with this message at 06:45 on Dec 4, 2008 |
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Dec 4, 2008 06:36
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rxcowboy posted:Also, don't forget to set aside part of your bike budget for gear - it's not that expensive, but you'll regret not spending money on (decent) gear. So, yeah, pretty much what darknrgy just said. No time like the winter to pick a bike up, though. From now until about the end of February will be about the cheapest possible time to find a used bike.
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Dec 4, 2008 06:39
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Ride the bicycle. A lot. You think that riding a mountain bike doesn't help, but that's because you've already made automatic the correct reactions to a 2 wheeled vehicle not automatically righting itself at low speed. I have a friend who hadn't ridden a bicycle before and despite some time in the parking lot, some work on a bicycle, he still failed it due to not being comfortable on 2 wheels yet, something that would have been really helped by more time on a bicycle. http://www.clarity.net/~adam/buying-bike.html That covers absolutely everything. From inane to very important. Read it a few times and you should get a general idea for what you're looking out for. But a really experienced mechanic is the ideal person to take along. Most mechanics will do a PPI if you ask them to. It's not perfect, but it's something, and the 50$ you pay them is cheap insurance against buying a lovely bike.
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Dec 4, 2008 08:00
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I rode the crap out of bicycles when I was younger and I do think it helped a lot when I got my motorcycle. I haven't had it long and honestly I have had no problems at all learning to ride. Well at least not leaning and counter steering and all that. The stuff that relates to riding a bicycle. I still have the occasional rough shift. But I've never really driven a manual before, so that part is new. I learned on one for a while, but then moved to automatics and never looked back. So I would say that riding bicycles is a good way to pick up the basics. I preferred bmx over mountain bikes, but learning to change gears could help on a motorcycle as well I guess. Different way of doing it, but it does give you an idea about finding the correct gear for the job. If you already drive manual cars then you're probably good to go on that, you just have to reverse the way of changing gears. It's not hard, just takes practice to do it smoothly all the time. I do think it's easier than driving a manual car. For one you manage the clutch with your hand instead of your feet, so you have more dexterity to work with. Also motorcycles have sequential gearboxes, so instead of hunting for the right gear, you just pull up or push down with your foot. Simple. I would totally switch out my car to a sequential gearbox instead of an automatic...if they weren't so expensive. If you do get a mountain bike to practice with, try riding around in the highest gear so that you have to pedal a lot to get moving. Just ride around like that really slowly to get used to keeping your balance at slow speeds. You could find some hills and climb them really slowly while holding your balance as well. Don't stand up, that's cheating. You could also setup a course with cones or just crap you have lying around and practice that way too. This is stuff I used to do when I was bored or had no one to ride with me. Actually my neighbors and I would setup obstacle courses on the baseball field next to my house and race around them too. Hell, I rode through the woods dodging trees sometimes... There wasn't a lot to do around my house other than riding bikes. Okay, I'm rambling now. Anyways, I think learning to ride a bicycle first would be a good idea. So yes, do that if you can. Borrow a friend's mountain bike if you don't want to buy one.
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Dec 4, 2008 08:50
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Z3n posted:Ride the bicycle. A lot. You think that riding a mountain bike doesn't help, but that's because you've already made automatic the correct reactions to a 2 wheeled vehicle not automatically righting itself at low speed. I rode my bike a lot when I was younger and felt pretty comfortable when I started Motorcycling. I remember I was completely baffled when our MSF instructor was explaining counter steering but once I tried it I immediately recognized it as something I would do (on a much smaller level) when I was riding my bike at higher speeds and got used to it almost immediately.
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Dec 4, 2008 13:03
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I am trying to buy tubes and tires for my CL350 and have become confused by the tube page of the motorcycle tire site. http://www.tiresunlimited.com/motorcycle_tubes.htm My front tire is 3.00-19 and my rear tire is 3.50-18. I think that means I should buy the 275/300-19 tube and the 350/400-18 tube... right? I'm not sure I understand why everything is listed in hundreds on this page, and there's also a 325/350/410-18 tube. 
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Dec 4, 2008 16:42
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They're just being dumb and omitting the decimal. I'm sure they really mean 2.75/3.00-19 and 3.50/4.00-18
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Dec 4, 2008 17:34
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Don't stress over tubes. The important measurement is that it's the right diameter. If it's diameter undersized it'll be hard to get the tire on without pinching the tube. The width matters too. Make sure that it's SMALLER than the tire you're installing. You want the tube to stretch to fill the tire, if the tube folds that causes hot spots and rubbing, and will eventually cause a flat. Tubes typically fit a wide range of tire sizes. The tubes I got for my moped were made to fit 2.25" through 3" tires. As an extreme example, right now I'm running a 20x2" bicycle tube in the front tire of my moped. And I have run 16x1.75's in the moped tires as well. Bicycle tubes are sized by OD, not ID like motorcycle tubes.
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Dec 4, 2008 17:50
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 Oh god what the gently caress did I do?Since I finally have my entire collection of gear I headed out to the school parking lot across the street from my neighborhood. I probably rode for a total of 10 minutes, first time the bike has been on in like a week. Riding around at close to idle speed doing low speed turns the bike kept on making a click/tick sound that was kinda like the sound the front brake master cylinder makes every time you squeeze it. Well after multiple times getting off the bike, looking for loose parts and hitting panels to see if something was off I gave up and thought I was imagining things. A minute later I am circling around the area of the lot at like 2mph and I hear a crunch sound from the front fork. Think soda can caught in the spokes. Stopped the bike, turned it off and inspected the front and still cant find out what it is. Going over small bumps the bike makes soft clunk sounds, but I am pretty sure it is the front fairing section. Front fork moves smoothly up and down, although one side as a small leak. There really isnt anything on the front wheel that could make that sound without showing something for it. Inspected the parking lot and nothing was on the ground. I carefully drove the bike back home and pakred it up on the center stand and figure I am not doing anything with it until I can get someone to check it over. Any ideas what the gently caress is going on?
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Dec 5, 2008 00:09
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Sounds like lose head bearings, or a dead/dieing speedo cable.
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Dec 5, 2008 00:12
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Nerobro posted:Sounds like lose head bearings, or a dead/dieing speedo cable. I was thinking about the speedo cable at first, but it isnt acting like a dying cable. The needle climbs smoothly even at low speeds. Can it unscrew from the front for easy inspection or will poo poo fly out?
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Dec 5, 2008 00:14
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Oh yea and the front brakes seem to drag now. Harder to roll the bike around by hand and they squeal at low speed.
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Dec 5, 2008 00:16
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So inspect them. There should be no more than 2 bolts on either caliper required to do this job. Just pop the off, pull the pads, and see if anything looks amiss. Just don't, whatever you do, squeeze the brake lever while you have the calipers off. That will unleash hell's fury, and we can't save you from that fate. Sorry.
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Dec 5, 2008 11:11
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I just got a Ninja 500 home today, and I am at a loss as to how to lock the steering. Or rather, how to remove the key after turning it to the lock position. The manual says to turn it to the off position, push down, and rotate to lock. I can do that, but I am unable to remove the key and the forks don't lock, either. What am I missing? Also, side stand or center stand for overnight parking?
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Dec 6, 2008 04:41
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Ghost of Razgriz posted:
No difference. I put my bike on the center stand if I'm parked where I can bother people walking past (it sticks out more to one side on the side stand), otherwise side stand. About the fork lock it seems a bit like your thing is busted. I assume you have tried jiggling both fork and key but one thing you don't make clear is that you have to turn the fork all the way to one side before you engage the lock. If you haven't, try that.
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Dec 6, 2008 04:46
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Ola posted:but one thing you don't make clear is that you have to turn the fork all the way to one side before you engage the lock. If you haven't, try that. Yup. Usually they only work on one side, too. I think it's cranked all the way to the left, usually.
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Dec 6, 2008 05:06
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No dice. I messed around with it for a minute (it is cold) with various amounts of turn applied. I even turned full right. Weird thing is it almost feels like there needs to be some additional step prior to removing the key, like how for obvious reasons you can't remove the key when it's in the on position. Clutch in, out, in gear, in neutral, nothing doing. Maybe tomorrow morning I'll pay a visit to the dealership then.
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Dec 6, 2008 05:29
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Just give it a good shot with some penetrating oil or lube, and let it sit for a minute or two. The usual order of operations for shutting your bike off should be: 1)Come to a stop, preferrably with clutch in. 2)Kill engine. Using the kill switch or ignition seems to be personal preference - I like using the kill switch. 3)Sidestand down, bike onto sidestand. 4)Turn steering to (nearly) full left lock, and pop out key. Sometimes bikes are a little picky, in as much as they won't let you take the key out if you're at full steering lock. I've also had my key stick, but that was easily solved with a bit of lube. As long as your key still comes out of the ignition, it just sounds like you've not quite got the procedure down pat.
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Dec 6, 2008 10:09
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Ghost of Razgriz posted:No dice. I messed around with it for a minute (it is cold) with various amounts of turn applied. I even turned full right. Weird thing is it almost feels like there needs to be some additional step prior to removing the key, like how for obvious reasons you can't remove the key when it's in the on position. Clutch in, out, in gear, in neutral, nothing doing. I haven't used my steering lock much on my ex-500 (generation before ninja 500), but I went down to test. I didn't have to do anything special - turn the key all the way to the left and pull out. It locks it in two different positions depending on where it is when you lock it. I had my side kickstand down. I didn't try turning off the kill switch though.
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Dec 6, 2008 10:27
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Anyone ever used HiFloFiltro air filters? I got one for free for the Bandit, and I'm wondering if they're any good at all, or if I should just stick with the OEM/K&N route? Anyone know anything about them?
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Dec 7, 2008 01:33
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Let's say, hypothetically, that I wanted to stop being such a lazy rear end, and rejet my bike for the pipe and filter that it has on it. It runs fine right now, but I have the feeling that the stock jets are just a little lean for an aftermarket filter and exhaust (lol K&N). What exactly would I need to buy/order through a local shop, or should I just order a dynojet (or whatever particular brand happens to make one for my bike) kit and have done with it? My bike's a 2002 Kawasaki ZR-7S, and it's stock, other than the drop in K&N filter and a Leo Vince pipe. Also, would I need to order a whole new set of carb gaskets to go along with any such operation?
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Dec 7, 2008 02:51
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Ghost of Razgriz posted:I just got a Ninja 500 home today, and I am at a loss as to how to lock the steering. Or rather, how to remove the key after turning it to the lock position. The manual says to turn it to the off position, push down, and rotate to lock. I can do that, but I am unable to remove the key and the forks don't lock, either. What am I missing?
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Dec 7, 2008 03:05
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an actual frog fucked around with this message at 16:49 on Jun 27, 2020 |
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Dec 7, 2008 03:48
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Mechanism Eight posted:After sitting for a week my bike's battery was too weak to power the starter. I live on a hill so no big deal but I've got a question about charging. Most bikes make good charging voltage at around 3k or so and above. It will probably take a while to get a good charge into it by riding through town, but a nice highway run should get it ok. I would suggest keeping it on a tender if you aren't going to keep the bike in constant use. Running the battery down isn't the best thing for it.
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Dec 7, 2008 06:20
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LOLLERZ posted:On my ex500, the procedure is: This makes good sense, but does not appear to work on my Ninja 500. After I get a tag on the bike so I can, you know, technically be legal to ride it on public streets I'll swing by the dealership and find out either my bike needs a repair after a whole weekend of riding or that I am incompetent.
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Dec 7, 2008 08:57
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Is it bad to run a bike in the top fourth of it's rev range for an extended period of time? I know my 250 didn't have a problem with it on highways, but will sportbikes and the like want to explode or anything?
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Dec 7, 2008 16:30
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buildmyrigdotcom posted:Is it bad to run a bike in the top fourth of it's rev range for an extended period of time? I know my 250 didn't have a problem with it on highways, but will sportbikes and the like want to explode or anything? Sportbikes are certainly designed to do it. I would argue that basically any motor (car, bike, truck) built since, say, the mid 90s can comfortably run anywhere from idle to redline for extended period with no ill effects, if it's well maintained. My DR650 is easily in the upper third/fourth of the rev range at highway speeds, I spent two hours up there yesterday, no prob.
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Dec 7, 2008 17:35
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Agreed. I've never come across a bike that couldnt be reliably ran at high RPM for an extended period. Assuming your bike is in good working order, it should be fine running at redline all day.
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Dec 7, 2008 22:15
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Ghost of Razgriz posted:This makes good sense, but does not appear to work on my Ninja 500. After I get a tag on the bike so I can, you know, technically be legal to ride it on public streets I'll swing by the dealership and find out either my bike needs a repair after a whole weekend of riding or that I am incompetent. Somehow I knew it would be the latter. After I finished riding today I was able to find the magic amount of turn needed to actually engage the lock. Thanks to the several gents who offered suggestions! Next question: I live in an apartment in a decent-enough neighborhood, so I park my bike out in the parking lot. It's rather well-illuminated at night, but since this is my first vehicle purchase I'm unnecessarily paranoid about the possibility of theft, moreso until the insurance kicks in. I'm going to be buying a motorcycle cover today. I understand that in addition to its protective benefits, it is also a theft deterrent somehow. What else can/should I do to protect it? I'm currently banking on a security policy I like to call "don't worry about it until the V-Rod across the street gets stolen" but, again, paranoia.
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Dec 7, 2008 23:52
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If you're really paranoid, most bike shops will sell huge fuckoff chains that you can padlock your bike to something solid with. Or you can just leave it parked, under cover, somewhere mostly visible, and hope that theives are only looking for the stunta bieks. Also, glad to hear you got the ignition thing worked out. The first time with those is always a bit 
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Dec 8, 2008 00:13
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I just ran down to the homedepot and bought 7ft of the thickest chain they had, and a solid lock. The Honda Shadow a few buildings down is polished to a high shine and isn't locked to anything so I think I'm set. 
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Dec 8, 2008 01:42
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I have a Kryptonite lock that fits in the front disc. I'm pretty sure my bike isn't going anywhere without me hearing it.
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Dec 8, 2008 14:51
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MrKatharsis posted:I have a Kryptonite lock that fits in the front disc. I'm pretty sure my bike isn't going anywhere without me hearing it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swfDcNujb_U fast forward to 3:00 hayden. fucked around with this message at 17:25 on Dec 8, 2008 |
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Dec 8, 2008 17:23
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My anti-theft is turning off the ignition and having insurance. I don't even use the steering lock because it's not integrated into the ignition like on a sportbike. If the bike gets stolen, it's just an excuse to buy a Versys!
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Dec 8, 2008 18:16
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Simkin posted:If you're really paranoid, most bike shops will sell huge fuckoff chains that you can padlock your bike to something solid with. Or you can just leave it parked, under cover, somewhere mostly visible, and hope that theives are only looking for the stunta bieks. Also, glad to hear you got the ignition thing worked out. The first time with those is always a bit I read on BARF yesterday about a guy who had his bike chained in place and the thieves just stripped it of everything they could in place. If you are worried about your bike getting stolen, get theft insurance.
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Dec 8, 2008 19:06
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pr0zac posted:I read on BARF yesterday about a guy who had his bike chained in place and the thieves just stripped it of everything they could in place. If you are worried about your bike getting stolen, get theft insurance. Someone once asked me during a discussion on insurance what my cheapest quote for third party insurance was. I was taken aback for a moment, I'd seriously not considered it, particularly since my bike was once nicked. TBH, I treat 3rd party, fire and theft as the minimum, generally because I don't think I could afford to have my bike nicked. Fortunately my bike is likely to be nicked for joyriding rather than parts, and chaining it to something solves that problem. When it was nicked I'd chained it to itself, chain through the wheel, round the swingarm and through the frame.
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Dec 8, 2008 19:31
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My anti-theft is have an old man motorcycle that no one would steal.
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Dec 8, 2008 23:45
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| # ? May 15, 2024 03:06 |
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Question: I'm gonna be building a simple racing harness for my trackbike...just the basics. Already have the appropriate wiring diagram, a wiring harness to get connectors off of, etc...I just need some information on what wires to use. Is there a particular type? Should I just grab whatever? Should I strip the stock wiring out of another wiring harness? I'd really just like to build it from the ground up.
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Dec 9, 2008 00:14
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