Z3n posted:

I'd love to ride a Can-Am. Apparently they're loads of fun to drift and do awesome burnouts but suck elsewhere, making for the perfect vehicles to test ride and not own.

nsaP posted:

Z3n posted:

I'd love to ride a Can-Am. Apparently they're loads of fun to drift and do awesome burnouts but suck elsewhere, making for the perfect vehicles to test ride and not own.

2ndclasscitizen posted:

They're pure shite though. Pointless machines.

Endless Mike posted:

The Can-Am dealer here has demo days pretty regularly.

quote:

Dyed-in-the-wool motorcyclists who have never expanded their knowledge beyond two wheels often approach the idea of a three-wheeler as if it would take all the fun out of riding. That may be because so many equate fun with aggressive cornering--with the bike leaned over to adrenaline-pumping traction limits. A big part of the reality is that most of the time, even on a bike, we're riding more-or-less straight roads.

More to the point, there are things in life that are "fun" other than leaning around corners. IMHO, drifting a rig or trike around a corner is just as much fun, expecially if the vehicle gives me more confidence to poke at the envelope without unreasonable risks. Hacking or triking may be more "fun" than if I were riding aggressively but constantly concerned about punching through the narrower limits and having to deal with the huge aftermath of a little error. I took up sidecars years ago, well before my body began to announce that it wasn't going to put up with the same old stuff anymore. So, I've enjoyed the fun of hacking not because I was forced to give up bikes, but because hacks are tremendously enjoyable. I still own and ride a two wheeler in addition to the sidecar rig and Spyder.

It's not quite that simple, of course. Those of us who are pushing up into our old age are finding our leg strength, sense of balance, vision, etc. are less reliable. We know the odds all too well, and we've seen too many hazards to have continuing confidence that we can beat the odds again today on a bike. Maybe we've had a nasty crash or two, and were shocked at the pain and expense. Those who just continue riding the same bike, say a K12LT or R1200RS, may find it easier and easier to find excuses to NOT take the ride today.

A sidecar outfit or trike adds a huge measure of confidence that we can beat the odds, not just of having a collision, but of not dropping the bike in the parking lot in front of our friends, or being passed because we're seen as being too cautious. One of the great advantages of belonging to the BMW fraternaty is that BMW riders tend to have the maturity to understand that trikes and rigs are a legitimate part of motorcycling, even if anyone chooses to not get into a three-wheeler. I don't look down my nose at riders who simply give up motorcycling when the odds seem too high, or the fun seems too low. I do look down my nose at people who run down any type of vehicle without knowing anything about them.

Yes, a three-wheeler takes more skill to drive than a bike, and a sidecar rig takes even more skill because it's not symmetrical. Imagine all the knowledge and skill you absorbed to learn how to ride a two-wheeler proficiently, and double that for a three-wheeler.

I don't see that as a negative. I see it as a positive that I have skills and knowledge in addition to that required for two wheelers.

quote:

A sidecar outfit or trike adds a huge measure of confidence that we can beat the odds, not just of having a collision, but of not dropping the bike in the parking lot in front of our friends, or being passed because we're seen as being too cautious. One of the great advantages of belonging to the BMW fraternaty is that BMW riders tend to have the maturity to understand that trikes and rigs are a legitimate part of motorcycling, even if anyone chooses to not get into a three-wheeler. I don't look down my nose at riders who simply give up motorcycling when the odds seem too high, or the fun seems too low. I do look down my nose at people who run down any type of vehicle without knowing anything about them.

nsaP posted:

Personally I don't think people should ride 'em unless they're disabled or something. My mom wants one because she doesn't want to learn to ride a bike, but that is the exact person you wouldn't want on a 3 wheeler. There's the same amount of danger, and arguably more room for mistake with it's hosed up steering dynamics, all with none of the respect that should come with it.

Someone who can't be bothered to learn to ride a bike hopping on a 3 wheeler just sounds like an accident to me. I heard they're pretty slow, at least.

nsaP posted:

He makes good points yes, but then goes on to back up what I said.


What's even worse is that as a bike rider he should know better. In a collision I don't know how you're any safer on a trike than a motorcycle. If you drop it in the lot, well, sorry your balance is going with your age. If you're being passed by cars and you're on a motorcycle you're doing it wrong.

The last half is just /BMW BMW BMW We're true riders, we don't look down our nose at people, except when we do./

For reference what I first said was:


Of course that wouldn't really apply to someone making a 2->3 wheel transition, but then the guy went on to say he feels like the three wheeler is less risky and that seems wrong to me.

nsaP posted:

Huh, color me surprised, I've never been able to get on a motorcycle in a dealer(riding my own in, what the hell? It was a used bike they were selling...) and heard they were the same way here. I might look into it to give one a go.

Z3n posted:

I test rode a Multistrada 1200 about 2 or 3 months after they came out. Just walked into Seattle Ducati with Spiff and they handed over the keys.remote key fob

Endless Mike posted:

As far as I can tell, it's just the Japanese dealers that don't do test rides. Even Ducati seems to have demo days pretty regularly - even if it's the same dealer as the Japanese bikes. I know BMW is pretty willing to let people test out their bikes, as well.

Endless Mike posted:

As far as I can tell, it's just the Japanese dealers that don't do test rides. Even Ducati seems to have demo days pretty regularly - even if it's the same dealer as the Japanese bikes. I know BMW is pretty willing to let people test out their bikes, as well.

Pretty Cool Name posted:

Guy's dad dies, leaves him an old bmw. He restores it and posts a video on reddit. Thought it was pretty nice.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdBptlmu7kA
http://www.reddit.com/r/reddit.com/comments/f39mj/dad_died_left_me_58_bmw_watch_what_i_did/

nsaP posted:

I heard they're pretty slow, at least.

Slim Pickens posted:

Cruiser boots, and I don't know which is older, the leathers or the helmet? Good job putting the guy that doesn't know what the gently caress he's doing on Ducati's most expensive bike

MrZig posted:

I'm a huge fan of Red/White/Blue on a motorcycle. I'm also a huge fan of old GSX-R's. So when they come together, you think it'd be magical, right?

Right.





I saw this in the picture thread at the gixxer forums. Definitely one of my all time favorite paint designs on a motorcycle.

Spiffness posted:

I can't find anything about it online... and I JUST threw out the magazine this was from.

I forget who it was... but the man wearing those leathers is awesome. The leathers are old because that's back when he was winning titles son. Bite your tongue.

EDIT: Aha! Found it. Cook Neilson

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cook_Neilson

Gnaghi posted:

I remember reading that and the caption was like "this is the only man who can get away with this."

Spiffness posted:

I can't find anything about it online... and I JUST threw out the magazine this was from.

I forget who it was... but the man wearing those leathers is awesome. The leathers are old because that's back when he was winning titles son. Bite your tongue.

EDIT: Aha! Found it. Cook Neilson

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cook_Neilson

Silver posted:

http://hosting.okiegoon.com/silver/gixxergirlcrash2.jpg

Z3n posted:

The spice must flow?

FuzzyWuzzyBear posted:

Motorcycling is the kind of thing where the precautions really do matter. There are some activities where if you don't wear the safety gear, it might not ever bite you in the rear end, but if you ride long enough, you will go down at some point, and you will wish you were wearing everything and the kitchen sink at that time.