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Tsaven Nava posted:If you don't like buzzy at 60mph, KLR650 might not be for you. (Disclaimer, I've never ridden one, just going off what people have said) And I don't think it's well suited do twisting it up, even if you did get sumo wheels for it. Yea, that's what I heard from the dealers too, actually, so I've somewhat ruled that out... I'd like to add the er6n to the list, but I dont' know much about it.
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Jul 5, 2010 01:54
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My KLR doesn't get buzzy until right around 6k RPMS, which in 5th gear is well over the posted speed limits (70 is a hair below 5k). There's also a slightly buzzy spot between 3500 and 4k, but it doesn't bother me much. I've got no trouble doing distance on it at highway speeds. I'm not one to really carve up twisty roads, so I can't speak to how it handles doing it.
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Jul 5, 2010 05:45
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Final drive isn't complicated, but if it shits itself it costs money. Very "IIRC", but I think the two issues are a seal going at the front, and the bevel gear final drive making GBS threads itself. There will be a bit of lash by the nature of the thing, but it should be minimal, and should definitely not make nasty noises! I honestly think the naked R (with a flyscreen on it for highways) is the better bike. Less weight, less crap to break if you drop it, much less of a "I'm driving a bus" feel than the RS and RT. The R also has a more "relaxed" (semi-cruiser almost) riding position, but still goes round corners on the right surface. I believe the RS had no ground clearance advantage over the R - it's basically all in the plastics. Also, if she wants capable, reliable and easy to ride plus cheap, try a used 599... clutchpuck posted:Well we went out to some dealers today. She really likes the BMW R model but fears it may be "too much motorcycle", but I reminded her that's what she said when she first got on her V30 which now feels like a bicycle. We found a couple with 20-some thousand miles for under $7,000. Saga fucked around with this message at 15:15 on Jul 5, 2010 |
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Jul 5, 2010 15:11
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Saga posted:Final drive isn't complicated, but if it shits itself it costs money. Very "IIRC", but I think the two issues are a seal going at the front, and the bevel gear final drive making GBS threads itself. I've read that part of the problem is that people hear "Maintenance-free shaft drive!" and think it never needs anything done, when it still needs some regular servicing and attention.
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Jul 5, 2010 15:16
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orthod0ks posted:I've gone from toying with the idea of a new bike to committing to it pretty seriously. My biggest hold up is figuring out what the hell I want. I currently ride a '79 GS750L. It's my second season riding. I've read and watched a bunch of reviews, and I think I've settled on a Versys. A local dealer is having a sale on a new 09 for $5800. The only possible holdup I have is reports that they can become a bit vibey, and I want to stay comfortable on highway commutes. Can anyone confirm/deny these claims? Is there any other reason I shouldn't bite on this?
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Jul 5, 2010 17:30
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clutchpuck posted:Well we went out to some dealers today. She really likes the BMW R model but fears it may be "too much motorcycle", but I reminded her that's what she said when she first got on her V30 which now feels like a bicycle. We found a couple with 20-some thousand miles for under $7,000. On the R, RS and S the final drives are pretty solid and reliable, however they made 1 final drive and then stuck it on all their bikes so bikes the the GS, RT and LT all ended up with the same final drive and tend to have more failures from the bikes being overloaded. Some R bikes can have something called clutch spline failure, this is more common on the R1100S than any other model that I've found. It's hard to predict and is somewhat rare but if you have trouble downshifting that's a potential sign of trouble. The repair is very costly if it goes but again it's somewhat rare occurrence. The http://forums.pelicanparts.com/ is a solid place to go for R1100S info. The engines themselves are crazy reliable but do require somewhat frequent valve jobs (6K interval). However you can do one by the side of the road if you're inclined. Parts are naturally expensive and shop rates from BMW dealers are also high (expect about 100/hr) however there are a fair number of private shops that do BMW work for less. The S is a wonderful bike and with the Wunderluch seat and bar risers is a fantastic tourer. The S was a really pricey bike when new, ($16-18K) so the parts for it tend to be a bit more expensive than other bikes made the same year. The R1150R puts out about 20 less horsepower if she's worried about the S being too much bike. Both are very easy bikes to ride but the S is so smooth at 100 that's it's tempting to stay there for a long time. The R's sweet spot seems to be right around 80 but it'll happily get up to 110-120 without much work. The S gets worse milage than the R which can average around 50ish mpg. My boss has an S that I've ridden a fair bit and I've owned an R for the better part of 50K miles. I love the S for pavement and if I knew that every road I would ride was paved I'd choose it in a second, but the wide bars of the R make graded dirt roads easier to handle, that said I'd still like to get an S for my next boxer bike.
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Jul 6, 2010 17:06
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PlasticSun posted:The R1150R puts out about 20 less horsepower if she's worried about the S being too much bike. The "too much" is more in terms of how much physical bike there is. Right now she is riding around on a 100+ horsepower Buell. I imagine any stock R is tame in comparison; she seems more concerned about the width of the motor. You haven't found that to be an issue, have you?
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Jul 6, 2010 20:03
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Not at all, even with bags on the R I feel comfortable splitting lanes and dragging foot pegs. The only time I remember that it's a boxer is when I decide to use the cylinder heads as highway pegs.
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Jul 6, 2010 20:53
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PlasticSun posted:Parts are naturally expensive and shop rates from BMW dealers are also high (expect about 100/hr) 
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Jul 7, 2010 00:02
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Yeah, the Yamaha dealer that has been taking care of my XVS13 charges $90/hr. The indie guy up the street who is notorious for doing a thorough job "only" charges $80/hr. $100/hr doesn't really seem all that bad for shop labor these days (am I part of the problem???).
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Jul 7, 2010 00:12
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clutchpuck posted:The "too much" is more in terms of how much physical bike there is. Right now she is riding around on a 100+ horsepower Buell. I imagine any stock R is tame in comparison; she seems more concerned about the width of the motor. You haven't found that to be an issue, have you? the nice thing about the boxers are they feel like way lighter bikes because the COG is so low
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Jul 7, 2010 02:20
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What do you guys think of the Triumph Street Triple? I'm going over my options for my second bike, I've been riding for about 2 years now and I am in the mood for something a bit more evil/exotic than my little 250. I'm pretty responsible so I think I can handle the jump to a 100hp bike fairly well. I've been looking around, and every few days I see one pop up within a few hundred miles,usually around 6-8k. Anyone sat on one? I haven't found one to even sit on so I may not even like the thing, I'm tall 6'3, with a 34" inseam. Any other recommendations of bikes of that sort (naked, sporty)? Not looking for an SV or a Monster. I'm in Upstate NY so we don't get too many options. Other side of the spectrum I'm looking at is Supermotos, but I think I'd like one as a second, toy bike. The triumph will be my main bike for day trips and the sort.
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Jul 7, 2010 02:39
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I'm 6'1" with a 32" inseam and I find them very comfortable to sit on. I almost got one, myself.
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Jul 7, 2010 03:08
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The Street Triple looks pretty hot. I know nothing about them, but my first bike was a Yamaha 750 triple, and I can definitely say the sound and feel of a triple motor is fantastic. Along the same lines, Kawasaki has the ER-6n, a 650 twin, naked street fighter style thing. Looks pretty cool IMO. I poked at and sat on a couple recently and they seem like something pretty drat fun to scoot around on. Only like 70hp though... I really like the Buell XB12 line, what completely awesome bikes. I have never felt that sort of torque before I rode a XB12X. What's the conversion ratio between metric assload and imperial fuckton, again? Cause it has that much. 100+ horsepower all within like 6k rpm, plus the 1200 they have in it sounds completely wicked. Self-tensioning drive belt, EFI, bulletproof Harley-Davidson-derived Evo motor. clutchpuck fucked around with this message at 03:16 on Jul 7, 2010 |
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Jul 7, 2010 03:11
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My Fiancée just bought an ER-6n, it is a a pretty hot little bike and fits me pretty well. I would get one but I'd rather have a different bike than her this time (we did have matching 250s..awww I know) Buells, I hadn't even thought of that. Not exotic but still real nice bikes and close to the style I'm looking at.
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Jul 7, 2010 03:52
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You can also consider the Speed Triple, which is the literbike brother of the Street. It boasts better suspension and brakes, along with obviously more torque and power, at the cost of a higher MSRP and slightly less flickability. As has been said before, there's also the Buell line for naked sportbikes. And you also have the Z1000, which compared very well with the Speed Triple in road tests. If you have lots of cash to burn there's also the Ducati Streetfighter.
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Jul 7, 2010 04:15
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A couple other naked superbikes to consider... closer to 130hp though. The Tuono  and the SuperDuke 
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Jul 7, 2010 05:30
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shaitan posted:What do you guys think of the Triumph Street Triple? I'm going over my options for my second bike, I've been riding for about 2 years now and I am in the mood for something a bit more evil/exotic than my little 250. I'm pretty responsible so I think I can handle the jump to a 100hp bike fairly well. I (6'2") found the "R" version had a chassis that was too track focused - it carries all the weight on the front wheel, the seating position throwing your weight further forward, the braking setup has excessive bite and the back end has a lot of travel but not a lot of weight over the tail. Basically, it's designed to trail brake very hard into corners on a racetrack and get on the gas hard to get the back gripping. Not so good in Upstate in spring or autumn, and definitely not on a crisp winter morning. I imagine in those conditions you risk losing the front as soon as you touch the brakes and then spinning up the rear as soon as you touch the throttle - doable I'm sure, but like riding on the proverbial eggshells. I test rode one and ended up getting the current version of the Honda 599, which is much more suited to winter commuting (I basically only ride to work or on the track these days) - more balanced, lower c of g, more comfy, ABS, all that jazz. That said, the regular non-R version has a better balanced chassis, and Super Duke (and possibly Tuono Factory) aside, the Street Triple is probably the best bike that's been brought up so far, especially if it's going to be a track and sunny weekends sort of bike. The motor's amazing - ~100hp with huge torque (by middleweight standards) whenever you open the throttle. The bike's very light for what it is, a claimed 168kg IIRC. The only issue with them is the tendency of the 675 motor to drink oil. You have to check the level religiously before every ride, or you're pretty much rolling the dice. To me it's a surer bet than a Buell (exploding gearboxes, exploding drive belt, electrics etc.). e: supermotos - you have to ride confidently and hard to make them work, so they may not be for you if you are relatively inexperienced and used to a fairly sedate Ninja 250. Long travel suspension, high c of g and light weight with fat 17" tyres (normally anyway!) means you have to weight the appropriate end aggressively, like a dirt bike, to create grip and make the chassis function. This is a very broad statement obviously, but IME it covers most SMs. Try to cruise into a corner (e.g. you've had a look and the surface is terrible and probably covered in diesel) and the front will wander and try to wash out. Too gently on the way out and the back tyre won't get weight on it and will spin up. On the road, they tend to either feel like the best or the worst bike you've ever ridden (depending on your commitment level that day), and either way the Triumph will be past them at the first hint of a straight. Saga fucked around with this message at 07:04 on Jul 7, 2010 |
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Jul 7, 2010 06:57
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I'm looking at a Harley XLH 1200 Sportster. Anyone know of particular problems with the engine on this bike (never had a Harley before). The mileage is 37K, so I want to know if it has much potential life left in it before a rebuild. . . Edit: Year is 1991. Darth Llama fucked around with this message at 18:12 on Jul 7, 2010 |
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Jul 7, 2010 16:41
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Thanks Saga, I'll keep that in mind when I'm looking. I don't ride very hard so I'm not going to be testing the limits of the bike. 100hp is the limit of what I'm comfortable with, so the Z1000, Speed Triple and the like is just a little bit out of my comfort zone with power. Figures that the big bikes are easier to get, I can find plenty of those on craigslist.
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Jul 7, 2010 17:55
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Darth Llama posted:I'm looking at a Harley XLH 1200 Sportster. Anyone know of particular problems with the engine on this bike (never had a Harley before). The mileage is 37K, so I want to know if it has much potential life left in it before a rebuild. . . Kind of depends on the year, as the XLH designation has been around for decades and the motors have been revamped a few times. Xlforum.net is a great source of info, and for discussion purposes they classify the eras as: Ironhead (57-85), Frame mount EVO (86-03), Rubbermount (04-06), and EFI (07-present). I suggest reading posts and stickies for the appropriate era, as well as the various tech topics. I have personal experience with an '06, so if the one you're considering is in that ballpark, I may be able to weigh in. Doh, posted prior to your edit...
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Jul 7, 2010 18:14
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Darth Llama posted:I'm looking at a Harley XLH 1200 Sportster. Anyone know of particular problems with the engine on this bike (never had a Harley before). The mileage is 37K, so I want to know if it has much potential life left in it before a rebuild. . . The unit construction Evo 1200 is a solid, low maintenance engine. They have a reputation for dependability. In 1991, they would have been bolted to the frame and (I believe) have a chain final drive. A little lighter and sportier than a newer rubbermount, but less comfortable. Mileage-wise, it's hard to tell. Kind of depends on the riding style, riding conditions, maintenance, etc. People say a Sporty 1200 will last 100k mi without major trouble. I also know it's pretty popular to have top-end rebuilds done around 50k. If it doesn't burn oil, it should be all set for a while.
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Jul 7, 2010 22:10
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clutchpuck posted:Well we went out to some dealers today. She really likes the BMW R model but fears it may be "too much motorcycle", but I reminded her that's what she said when she first got on her V30 which now feels like a bicycle. We found a couple with 20-some thousand miles for under $7,000.  That's the '94 R1100RS I owned over the winter (after I put 6.45 miles on it, apparently). If you like, I have the maintenance logs (from new) I can email you, and you can figure out cost per mile, or whatever...
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Jul 12, 2010 15:56
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I'm looking at getting my first bike anytime now, I'm halfway through my MSF course (1 more classroom and 1 more riding portion) and I'm wondering what sort of bike I should get. I'm 5'11" 140lbs, and since I'm smaller, I'm beginning to reconsider my first choice of an SV650. I've been looking at Ninja 500s, GS500s and SV650s, and I found this GS500E which looks to be pretty clean. http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/mcy/1832635036.html Should I jump on this if it's still available?
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Jul 12, 2010 19:48
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Darth Llama posted:I'm looking at a Harley XLH 1200 Sportster. Anyone know of particular problems with the engine on this bike (never had a Harley before). The mileage is 37K, so I want to know if it has much potential life left in it before a rebuild. . . As has been said, it would depend on how it's been ridden and maintained but they are very dependable engines. That's why they've been around for so long. Can I ask how much they are asking for the bike? With that mileage and year, I'd say not to pay much more than $2500 of course depending on accessories and customization. I've seen a lot of solid mount bikes between 2000-2003 where they are asking $3500 with around 8-10k miles. In 2000, the Sportster went to 4 piston calipers so the brakes are much better. They also switched to sealed wheel bearings. That 1991 should have a belt drive. I believe that's the first year they switched from the chain drive.
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Jul 12, 2010 20:06
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Scrapez posted:That 1991 should have a belt drive. I believe that's the first year they switched from the chain drive. Also bear in mind that the H stands for "Hugger," which has a 26" seat height and a commensurate drop in travel and ground clearance. All of this can be rectified with different shock/wheel/spring/kickstand combos if necessary, so factor that into your purchase plans. Haven't ridden a frame-mount EVO, but a rubbermount isn't the vibration panacea some would have you believe. Ironically, they DROPPED the rubber bushings in the risers the year they added them to the frame. EEJITS.
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Jul 12, 2010 20:49
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I'm looking for a more comfortable touring/enduro type bike for a trip across Canada, and I found this recently: http://classifieds.castanet.net/showproduct.php/product/754098/cat/309 It's a 1986 DR600 Dakar. New tires, brake pads, battery. "Runs good doesn't blow smoke". $1800 CDN. Apparently the stator's are poo poo in these bikes, and it's kick start only, but is there anything else I should know about it before I go take a look? Anyone have any experience with it? I mean come on, it has Dakar in the name, it's gotta be good right?
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Jul 13, 2010 01:39
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MrZig posted:
Stator replacement: $200 on debit card. Finding the only dual-sport manufactured in the 80s that wasn't done up in Miami Vice pastels: priceless.
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Jul 13, 2010 14:57
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Marv Hushman posted:Stator replacement: $200 on debit card. Finding the only dual-sport manufactured in the 80s that wasn't done up in Miami Vice pastels: priceless. http://cedarrapids.craigslist.org/mcy/1840000052.html  No pastels here. Just Red, White and Blue 80's American pride!...and I want it! I've been talking myself out of it since I saw it yesterday.
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Jul 13, 2010 18:35
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Scrapez posted:http://cedarrapids.craigslist.org/mcy/1840000052.html Do it man! Seems every time I run across a bargain vintage DS, it's got a purple seat and Barbie graphics.
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Jul 13, 2010 18:57
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lordofokra posted:I'm looking at getting my first bike anytime now, I'm halfway through my MSF course (1 more classroom and 1 more riding portion) and I'm wondering what sort of bike I should get. I'm 5'11" 140lbs, and since I'm smaller, I'm beginning to reconsider my first choice of an SV650. Too expensive, IMO. I'd try offering closer to 1200$ and ask if the valve adjustments have been done on time (every 4k for those bikes) and if he has the maintenance records for it.
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Jul 13, 2010 19:58
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Jabs posted:Back from vacation, and catching up... Well she appears to have found the one she likes: http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/mcy/1839699615.html Very clean, bags, new tires, maintenance records, etc. She also test rode this one out on Vashon last weekend: http://seattle.craigslist.org/skc/mcy/1832574203.html but it was extremely dirty and looked neglected. Has 12k mi but looked like 3x that. Steering bearing made a clearly-audible GROAN when she picked it up and straightened the bars, rear end seals held on with zip-tie, front wheel bearing puked, heads had cooked-on oil. Poor bike.
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Jul 13, 2010 22:21
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clutchpuck posted:Well she appears to have found the one she likes: http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/mcy/1839699615.html Very clean, bags, new tires, maintenance records, etc. The BMW hardbags are trick. That's a cool bonus.
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Jul 13, 2010 23:08
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clutchpuck posted:Well she appears to have found the one she likes: http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/mcy/1839699615.html Very clean, bags, new tires, maintenance records, etc. Nice sounds like the first one's been well taken care of.
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Jul 13, 2010 23:34
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Z3n posted:The BMW hardbags are trick. That's a cool bonus. Just needs the flyscreen bolting on and it's perfect! e: BMW owners LOL...37 different upgrades to: um, the lighting system and a loving loud horn.
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Jul 14, 2010 06:59
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Saga posted:Just needs the flyscreen bolting on and it's perfect! I know, right? I told her if she's going to ride behind me, she's going to have to disable the headlight modulator.
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Jul 14, 2010 18:38
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Saga posted:e: BMW owners LOL...37 different upgrades to: um, the lighting system and a loving loud horn. Loud lights save lives, bro
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Jul 14, 2010 18:49
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Raven457 posted:Loud lights save lives, bro  Click here for the full 1351x891 image.
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Jul 14, 2010 19:02
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Whatcha guys think for a newbie... Is something like this too old (problem prone)? I've heard nighthawks are amazing starter bikes and the fact he says he just got it tuned up/cleaned seems good for someone new... http://chicago.craigslist.org/chc/mcy/1841929179.html
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Jul 14, 2010 19:05
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Z3n posted:Too expensive, IMO. I'd try offering closer to 1200$ and ask if the valve adjustments have been done on time (every 4k for those bikes) and if he has the maintenance records for it. Yeah, I did some reading on the GS500 and a lot of people said for the money you might as well get an SV650. Yesterday, a 2003 SV650 popped up on my local Craigslist. 12000 miles with minor cosmetic damage for $2600. I went and checked it out, aside from a couple scratches (dropped once), a loose gear shift footrest, and something about a rear bolt needing tightened once in awhile (something with the wheel, do you know what I'm talking about? I'm new to bikes) it looked great. He's holding it for me and I should be picking it up next weekend!
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Jul 14, 2010 19:13
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