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Thanks for the tips! I also see what you are talking about keeping it in gear and ready at a stoplight. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qz7vuUx3mzo&feature=youtu.be
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May 3, 2012 14:18
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I've also adopted the act of staying in gear and being ready to move until the person behind me is stationary.
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May 3, 2012 17:40
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I think if I had a camera I would do a lot of analysis. Looking for things I missed, you know those times that you have to do a little maneuver or a harder than wanted brake. Do you guys do that? A few pages back there was discussion on group rides, I am a novice rider, but I am uncomfortable riding with people I couldn't be spades partners with. They do unexpected things.
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May 4, 2012 03:41
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Ziploc posted:I've also adopted the act of staying in gear and being ready to move until the person behind me is stationary. One last thing, I leave more than a car length between me and the car in front while waiting. When the car behind me is almost about to stop, I'll edge forward.
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May 4, 2012 13:13
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And another simple thing, don't sit at a light in the middle of the lane. Sit off to the side if possible. Most of the time a car will favor one side of their lane giving you a straight shot if you need to move. This little thing resulted in a minivan getting rear ended instead of me.
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May 4, 2012 13:18
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Got my practical test in an hour, and nerves have set in  I know I should be fine, but I keep dwelling on the U-turn. They're still done 'on the road' in the Isle of Man, not in an off-road skills portion (Mod1 in the UK). From what I've heard and seen when practicing the roads they pick are hilariously narrow. I should be fine if the examiner picks a decent road for me to do it on though! fingers crossed! Leaving work in 30mins to have a little pre-test 'calm down' ride and practice, hopefully that will settle my nerves a little!
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May 4, 2012 13:36
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Good luck! Just relax and ride and you'll be fine.
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May 4, 2012 13:41
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Steady throttle, slip the clutch, a bit of rear brake, sit on the outside of the bike, and most importantly look where you want to go. All of the other stuff is no big deal if you remember to look where you want to go, and exaggerate it for low speeds. Whoops it's been a few hours looking at the time stamps. A post test "I hope you did well" then lol...
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May 4, 2012 16:37
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nsaP posted:sit on the outside of the bike What?
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May 4, 2012 16:47
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epswing posted:What? Side saddle?  Why the gently caress does it stop raining AS SOON as I get the bike out of the rain into a nice dry spot?
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May 4, 2012 16:52
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Failed for rolling through stop signs instead of coming to a complete foot-down stop. Hadn't even realised I'd done it until the examiner told me at the end so completely my fault so completely missing the signs. They we're all pretty early in the test so I'm chalking it up to nerves, and my head going "do this, do that, remember do this or you'll fail!!!" and not paying attention to everything around me. Other than that everything else was fine. I picked up 1 minor fault for the not stopping quite quick enough during emergency stop exercise. I had to do one for real a little while after he'd marked down the fault. He mentioned it at the end and said "Why didn't you stop that quick during the exercise!". Also picked up 2 minor faults for slightly late signals when changing lanes. nsaP posted:Steady throttle, slip the clutch, a bit of rear brake, sit on the outside of the bike, and most importantly look where you want to go. All of the other stuff is no big deal if you remember to look where you want to go, and exaggerate it for low speeds. Yea, I nailed the U-turn with about 3-4ft too spare. I've been practicing them for the past 2 weeks or so, so I'm pretty comfortable with actually doing them. I was more nervous about the examiner choosing a stupidly tight road for it. Oh well, I have to wait a month before I'll get another test date, so better luck next time I suppose
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May 4, 2012 17:02
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http://blog.motorcycle.com/2012/05/04/videos/triumph-street-triple-used-to-test-rocket-components-video/ Apparently Triumphs are more closely related to spaceships than we thought. "Triumph Street Triple Used to Test Rocket Components"
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May 4, 2012 17:19
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epswing posted:What? As opposed to the inside? Put your weight to the opposite direction that you're turning is what I mean, instead of leaning into the turn. It lets you get the bike leaned over farther for tighter turning, while keeping your weight fairly centered which helps stability (for me at least) at slow speeds.
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May 4, 2012 17:20
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Pinny, I failed my first as well. You'll nail it next time!
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May 4, 2012 17:45
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Indeed, shopping for a DRZ will have to wait! 
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May 4, 2012 17:53
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Pinny posted:Indeed, shopping for a DRZ will have to wait! Don't wait, you'll pass eventually. Might as well get one before summer really hits and you get nailed on price.
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May 4, 2012 19:24
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I'll get nailed on price no matter what, they rarely come up for sale on the island. The last decent SM I saw was £3k, the rest are all E's so extra cost converting. It's looking more and more like I'll have to buy from the UK and bring it over on the ferry and register it here. Or just say gently caress it and get a new 690.
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May 4, 2012 20:51
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Pinny posted:Or just say gently caress it and get a new 690.
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May 4, 2012 21:24
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Pinny posted:I'll get nailed on price no matter what, they rarely come up for sale on the island. The last decent SM I saw was £3k, the rest are all E's so extra cost converting. I wouldn't really recommend a 690 as a first bike. Is it more hassle to import from ireland than uk mainland? there are a few for sale here and up north aswell Don't forget about CCMs they're basically DRZ400s or DR650s with better suspension and a bit of engine tuning http://www.donedeal.ie/find/motorbikes/for-sale/Leinster/supermoto http://www.donedeal.ie/find/motorbikes/for-sale/Ulster/supermoto echomadman fucked around with this message at 21:30 on May 4, 2012 |
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May 4, 2012 21:26
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echomadman posted:I wouldn't really recommend a 690 as a first bike. It's probably less hassle for me to go via the UK. I can get my brother-in-law to do most of the legwork for me that way. But by the looks of some of them prices, I might save a bit of money in Ireland. I'm not really in a huge rush to instantly dump my little 125 and go bigger as soon as I pass anyway. I've had it for nearly 3 years now, a few extra months isn't going to hurt. I'd still be restricted to 50mph for a year once I pass anyway.
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May 4, 2012 21:43
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Zool posted:Probably the worst starter bike under 1098cc. I managed it. It's reasonably forgiving if you put it on the soft throttle map.
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May 4, 2012 21:48
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Pinny posted:Oh well, I have to wait a month before I'll get another test date, so better luck next time I suppose Now you know exactly where the test route is and what the exercises are. After a month's practice you should be able to do it blindfolded. 
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May 4, 2012 22:28
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Just remember, don't do it blindfolded!
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May 4, 2012 22:30
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So I'm not sure what the level of acceptability copy/pasting an article is, but HFL posted a compilation of responses to a Reddit Ask Me Anything thread on motorcycle theft with responses from a UK cop and an American thief. Since it's not original content I'm pasting it here before it goes behind HFL's paywall, because they're classy and will probably put freely-generated content behind their paywall: HFL via reddit posted:So earlier this week, the guys over at RideIt had an idea: solicit a motorcycle thief to do one of their Ask Me Anythings. First answered by a cop in London and later an actual bike thief from the US, the results are positively illuminating. Here, we’ve edited the material into something linear and easily digestible. It’s a must-read if you don’t want your bike to get stolen. I thought it was interesting that he debunks the "they just load it into a van" thing, even after the cop reaffirms it. Maybe a UK/US style difference, or even a regional thing? Because that seems to be a very common refrain whenever this discussion comes up. The final gist and thing they both agree on, though, is "make your bike harder to steal than the next one" (and don't own sportsbikes). Gay Nudist Dad fucked around with this message at 23:08 on May 4, 2012 |
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May 4, 2012 23:06
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I like this bit:quote:What makes you pass over a bike? “Personally, if it’s rashed up, looks cosmetically rough, but mechanically sound. Say grips are worn, been dropped on both sides, but the chain is clean and well-adjusted, tires worn hard on the edges, has any signs of safety-wiring for the track etc. It’s lack of value isn’t what I’m looking it. It would remind me of myself once upon a time. I think that’s probably all he’s got, his whole world, it’s not pretty, but he rides the piss out of it. He gets a pass.”
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May 4, 2012 23:35
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Gay Nudist Dad posted:So I'm not sure what the level of acceptability copy/pasting an article is, but HFL posted a compilation of responses to a Reddit Ask Me Anything thread on motorcycle theft with responses from a UK cop and an American thief. In the uk and here in ireland its probably van driving tinkers doing the robbing, so back of a van theft is pretty common. Often you see pro guys working in pairs, riding around on a bike, they duck in and out of apartment complex and factory carparks, pillion hops off and goes to work on the target bike, if they're interrupted they both take off on the first bike, if not they ride away with a bike each. My mate had his bike stolen from his company carpark by a bunch of bored teenagers, they cut a lock on a pedestrian gate and 4 or them carried the bike away to somewhere they could work on the locks in peace. luckily we found them joyriding it and got it back after some mild drama. Same little fuckers robbed another guys bike from outside a chipshop on the same street in the space of time it took him to buy a bag of chips. If i remember right it was found wadded with a big crotch dent in the tank, so there was some small karmic justice brought to bear on the robbing cunts.
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May 4, 2012 23:37
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Hahaha I like that too. Rash your bike for its own protection, folks. Makes sense there's more dedicated bike thieves (more vans)in the UK, more bikes over there, right? Honestly, when I see a nondescript van in Seattle I raise an eyebrow, but all those vids from Europe and the UK are full of them. I couldn't see a team of thieves around here that focused exclusively on bikes, maybe places where its actually sunny.
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May 4, 2012 23:40
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I'm a firm believer that you need to have comprehensive with a low deductible as your best bike lock. Short of adding an extra hour to your morning commute to remove locks and chains it's still hard to deter a thief who has nothing better to do with his life. The clutch lever removal is a really good idea for parking somewhere shady temporarily. I'd never heard that before.
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May 4, 2012 23:43
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Anyone in the Portland area have a shop they prefer? I have nowhere at all to work on my bike, and need tires put on and a chain. There's two shops near me, one won't touch a bike older than 1995, and the other wants close to 250 for tires and chain. I'm in Vancouver, but am willing to ride into Portland.
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May 5, 2012 02:17
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iwentdoodie posted:one won't touch a bike older than 1995  What is the logic behind that?
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May 5, 2012 02:36
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slidebite posted:
No idea. Makes no loving sense to me, and the dude couldn't answer me when I asked him why, with anything other than "well, most shops won't touch old bikes..."
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May 5, 2012 02:40
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Anybody in the Seattle area know someone who owns a CB350 and would be willing to do a bike exchange for a couple days? I'm doing a short film and need the actor to ride around on it on Washington Blvd and park at a sunset, nothing crazy. They'd get to borrow my '99 Ducati Monster for the day or two I'm shooting, just don't crash it.
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May 5, 2012 02:58
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The methods that thieves use actually do vary. In NZ the most common theft method is just riding the bike away, there's only a couple of cases that I've heard of when vans are used. Bike market here is tiny, and the majority of thieves seem to just be joyriders.
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May 5, 2012 03:23
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iwentdoodie posted:No idea. Makes no loving sense to me, and the dude couldn't answer me when I asked him why, with anything other than "well, most shops won't touch old bikes..." Jesus, the shops around here are scared of newer bikes if anything.
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May 5, 2012 03:41
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iwentdoodie posted:Anyone in the Portland area have a shop they prefer?
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May 5, 2012 03:44
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Rev. Dr. Moses P. Lester posted:I can't believe in a city that big there isn't some kinda indie bike shop you can go to. What's wrong with the 250 though? If that's parts included, that doesn't sound crazy to me. That's labor. As in, I bring the tires and chain. I'm sure there is an indie, I just don't know of any and if they're any good or not. Also, the one who won't touch old bikes was an indie that supposedly supports all forms of motorcycling and racing and enthusiast owned.Unless you ride something that isn't a dirtbike or super sport, apparently. EDIT: Holy poo poo, posted up at 2strokeworld and had three names and numbers in less than 10 minutes. I loving love the vintage community. iwentdoodie fucked around with this message at 03:50 on May 5, 2012 |
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May 5, 2012 03:46
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slidebite posted:
Probably the same logic as older cars--because labor hours can rapidly exceed the street value of the vehicle, and small business owners can only handle being stiffed once or twice by people abandoning 1987 Yamaha Maxims. Some people still operate with a handshake and don't necessarily have contracts with the right legalese or the time/wherewithal to pursue deadbeats.
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May 5, 2012 03:52
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A 1995 Suzuki isn't worth appreciably more than a 1985. If it's a money thing, you do what everyone else does and ask for a deposit up front before doing anything major.
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May 5, 2012 03:54
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Marv Hushman posted:Probably the same logic as older cars--because labor hours can rapidly exceed the street value of the vehicle, and small business owners can only handle being stiffed once or twice by people abandoning 1987 Yamaha Maxims. Some people still operate with a handshake and don't necessarily have contracts with the right legalese or the time/wherewithal to pursue deadbeats. I really can't see tires and a chain turning into a 1000+ repair. That argument makes no sense. There's nothing more to doing it on an old bike versus a new one.
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May 5, 2012 03:57
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iwentdoodie posted:I really can't see tires and a chain turning into a 1000+ repair. That argument makes no sense. There's nothing more to doing it on an old bike versus a new one. What happens is this: They get some guy who needs tires and a chain. They get the bike, half the bearings on the bike are seized, the rotors, pads, and brake fluid is shot. This isn't even considering other things that the owner hasn't noticed, like a JBWelded block or god knows what else. Bearings will run you 60 bucks plus an hour of shop time, the tire and chain are probably being billed at an hour of shop time each, brake pads and fluid are 100 bucks, plus another hour of shop time, and oh poo poo, you just discovered they've never been maintained so brakes need a rebuild and the rotors are hosed and... And that's how you end up with a thousand dollar repair bill on a chain and sprocket set. And that's not even getting into "Hey, it's not running right, clean the carbs out!", only to discover that you have low compression on one cylinder or a coil is dead or there's some electrical problem that's causing it to cut out...basically, there's no money in old bikes because for the cost of the repair they could just go buy a new one. Diagnosing an electrical issue can take forever, especially if your techs don't really know how bikes work and A->B their way using a repair manual and the parts inventory of the shop. Of course, there's a group of guys out there who know the ins and outs of these bikes and can pull a profit on them as a result of it, but your typically dealership doesn't touch them with a ten foot pole because the couple of bucks they lose in shop fees are made up by the next squid who wants a gixxah. poo poo, I remember a guy who had a $20,000 GSX-R600. Crashed it, wanted it stretched and lowered, and they just kept rolling it into his loan on the bike...eventually, he had a slammed, crashed, stretched GSX-R600 that was 3 years old that he still owed 19k on, because he'd been making minimum payments for 3 years. Z3n fucked around with this message at 04:11 on May 5, 2012 |
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May 5, 2012 04:07
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