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The different brands are wildly different on test ride policies. Almost all the Japanese brand dealers will never let you ride a bike, and almost all the European dealers will throw keys at you. I'd like to know why this is, but I assume it's because all the worthless punks who would ruin new bikes want Gixxers and Ninjas.
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Jul 14, 2012 01:42
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Yeah, its basically because every 16 year old wants a sportbike, not some sidecar rig.
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Jul 14, 2012 03:54
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That's why you go in person and introduce your mature, not-a-useless-teen self to the staff and present a legit enthusiasm for riding.
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Jul 14, 2012 04:31
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Z3n posted:Yeah, when I went on a test ride of the zero motorcycle with a friend, they made some poor dealership peon follow us, despite me us arriving on a KTM 690 SMC and a BMW R1200ST. Poor dealership guy was on a cruiser with bald tires, so we waited for him at the top of the local twisty road. I can second this, the Kawasaki dealer around here as well as the Yamaha dealer come out for a ride with you. I was talking to the Kawa dealer guy asking what happened to the Super Duke they had and he mentioned that policy and they he just runs home and grabs his Busa and takes it out for a strap.
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Jul 14, 2012 04:57
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It's simpler than you think, the dealer guys just want excuses to go out and ride. "Sorry boss, gotta go supervise a customer" Internal monologue: gently caress YEAH.
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Jul 14, 2012 04:59
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Bloody Queef posted:Do you have a relationship with the dealership? Because I once called up a Kawi Dealer and was interested in riding a Versys and the guy on the phone told me they didn't do test rides on new bikes....ever. To go to a demo day. Needless to say I laughed him off the phone before he had a chance to laugh me off the phone. Actually yeah I do with the parts and repair guys; I see them weekly, bring lunch, etc... Not so much with the sales guys though.
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Jul 14, 2012 20:32
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UK: Phoned up a dealer, rode down and test rode three bikes in two-threeish hours, was offered coffee between each bike and a nice chat about the differences between each model. No pressure to buy the more expensive of the three either, just a sensible chat about what would make sense for me, they even advised me not to trade-in due to how little they'd be able to offer me for the bike I had at the time.. That was a Triumph dealer. Took a little Honda CBF125 out for a testride too and essentially the same experience, just asked to bring it back with roughly the same amount of petrol and before they close.
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Jul 14, 2012 23:04
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http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/mcd/3113147372.html What the hell
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Jul 14, 2012 23:15
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Amazing. *Uses footpeg as sidestand*
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Jul 14, 2012 23:38
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I kind of want to ride that just to feel how it handles.
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Jul 14, 2012 23:42
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That thing owns for just cruising around a campsite or something.
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Jul 14, 2012 23:57
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Went for a little pleasure ride today, my first "real" ride where I got significantly outside of the city/metro area. Still loving the crap out of this bike. The thing even managed ~55mpg for the trip, which included a bunch of 80mph interstate cruising and also climbing 5500 ft in elevation up winding mountain roads.
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Jul 15, 2012 04:30
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Seeing literally everyone and their mother ride scooters / bikes here in Europe is making me miss mine. Luckily ill be back home tomorrow and can finally sit on my baby  .
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Jul 15, 2012 12:16
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Sagebrush posted:I kind of want to ride that just to feel how it handles.
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Jul 15, 2012 13:18
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Tenchrono posted:Luckily ill be back home tomorrow and can finally sit on my baby I am calling Social Services on you as we speak, you monster  Collateral Damage posted:Probably like poo poo since the entire frame is unsprung and the springs are only connected to the seat. Somehow I think the lack of springs won't affect that thing's handling as much as the gigantic rake, tiny little squared-off tires and weight distribution.
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Jul 15, 2012 15:13
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Guinness posted:Went for a little pleasure ride today, my first "real" ride where I got significantly outside of the city/metro area. Where is this? I'm in Los Alamos, NM right now, and holy poo poo, I never want to leave the mountains.
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Jul 15, 2012 16:52
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Fangs404 posted:Where is this? I'm in Los Alamos, NM right now, and holy poo poo, I never want to leave the mountains. Mt. Rainier National Park in Washington. Just one of our dozens upon dozens of mountain roads.  Plus, our weather has been about 70F and mostly sunny the past couple weeks while the rest of the country is either melting in 100+ heat and/or literally on fire.
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Jul 15, 2012 19:04
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Today was my best day of riding to date. I have around 3,100 miles under my belt on my '10 Ninja 250 that I picked up in late March of this year. I went on my usual Sunday ride off of Angeles Forest Road and CA HWY 2 with my riding buddy from work on his DL1000. I've been slow at obtaining confidence (and speed / lean) in corners and today was the first day I really felt like I was going good. If I wasn't winding it out in 4th gear in a curve, I was hunting for 7th gear. What a loving blast. Oh and I spotted this interesting piece of artwork at the bar / restaurant off of CA Hwy 2.  
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Jul 16, 2012 03:39
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My lawnmower has bigger exhaust than that. Looks good though.
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Jul 16, 2012 06:45
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Rainy day, finally got my scanner working with OS X. Here's a scan of one of the cheat sheets my driving school gave me for for the 125-399cc license test here in Japan. 
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Jul 16, 2012 10:12
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Woke up this morning to find my girlfriends bike has been stolen, loving yay! It was awful nice of the thieves to leave my bike, which was just as accessible and worth 5x as much, untouched. Good thing she never got comprehensive, even though I suggested it. I wish they would have taken mine instead, I mean sure, my insurance company probably would've lowballed like they only know how to do, but at least I would have something to show for this. Needless to say, I'm not buying her another one until we have a garage. I have zero hope of it being recovered, pretty sure police don't investigate these things unless it falls into their lap. gently caress this.
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Jul 16, 2012 15:42
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marauderthirty posted:Woke up this morning to find my girlfriends bike has been stolen, loving yay! It was awful nice of the thieves to leave my bike, which was just as accessible and worth 5x as much, untouched. Good thing she never got comprehensive, even though I suggested it. I wish they would have taken mine instead, I mean sure, my insurance company probably would've lowballed like they only know how to do, but at least I would have something to show for this. Needless to say, I'm not buying her another one until we have a garage. I have zero hope of it being recovered, pretty sure police don't investigate these things unless it falls into their lap. I know the feeling. I had a Ninja disappear on me with no comp. I ate the loss and moved on; I recommend your girlfriend do the same. Maybe look into something like this next time, for both you and her: http://www.amazon.com/Kryptonite-LK4075-Stronghold-Above-Ground-Anchor/dp/B000LF903M You don't have to make it impossible to steal, just harder than the next bike.
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Jul 16, 2012 15:47
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Really? I got paid a lot more that I bought my bike for when my '01 F4i was hit. It truthfully wasn't even "totaled" but just scuffed and had the plastics cracked in a few places. I ended up making money on the drunk lady who knocked into me. Never dealt with theft however. Is it that much more strict on prices since it's your own company and not another company paying out? When I dealt with the other company the agent was super nice and thorough and she even paid me for my helmet and gloves that got involved in the wreck.
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Jul 16, 2012 16:52
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JP Money posted:Really? I got paid a lot more that I bought my bike for when my '01 F4i was hit. It truthfully wasn't even "totaled" but just scuffed and had the plastics cracked in a few places. I ended up making money on the drunk lady who knocked into me. Difference here is you had something to show for it (broken bike) and your insurance company had someone to go after (drunk lady).
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Jul 16, 2012 17:06
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marauderthirty posted:Woke up this morning to find my girlfriends bike has been stolen, loving yay! It was awful nice of the thieves to leave my bike, which was just as accessible and worth 5x as much, untouched. Good thing she never got comprehensive, even though I suggested it. I wish they would have taken mine instead, I mean sure, my insurance company probably would've lowballed like they only know how to do, but at least I would have something to show for this. Needless to say, I'm not buying her another one until we have a garage. I have zero hope of it being recovered, pretty sure police don't investigate these things unless it falls into their lap. Have you reported it to the cops already? The only reason I can see thieves taking the cheaper bike is because they wanted something that was easier to steal for joyriding. A friend of mine's car was jacked a few months ago and it was recovered when someone reported it for being parked illegally. Might be worth a shot.
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Jul 16, 2012 21:09
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I'd be worrying about them coming back for your bike as well...
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Jul 16, 2012 21:33
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Bike was reported this morning, fortunately my girlfriend was off today because I never have time to actually do anything during the week. I know that someone jacking it just to gently caress around on is a possibility, but like I said, I'm not getting my hopes up. I'm not leaving mine out front anymore, I thought the sheer slope of the road was enough theft deterrence, but see how wrong I am!! The only reason I have gotten so lazy and keep leaving them out front is because I was tired of having to park hers for her every night. I have a ramp hiding out back to get it into the backyard, and she's still too chickenshit to attempt to go up that ramp.. It's really not that high, just 2 railroad ties and the ramp is like 9 feet long so it's not a sharp incline or anything. Anyway I don't have any problem getting up the ramp, so mine will be in the back from now on. Maybe an alarm would be a good idea as well. Lesson learned, and goddamn did we learn the hard way.
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Jul 16, 2012 23:28
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Your ramp is two railroad ties side by side? I'd be a little nervous about riding on a ramp like that, especially at low speeds. Put a couple more down and nail a couple of crosspieces underneath and maybe she'll be more confident about riding up it (in the future)
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Jul 16, 2012 23:32
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I got two railroad ties high from that, by 9 feet long. If the ramp is too narrow though it will spook some folks.
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Jul 16, 2012 23:42
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Sorry, there are two RR ties that act as sort of a retaining wall into the back yard, and I have a 9 foot ramp. It's actually half of an ATV ramp, that used to fold together. She stalled her bike on it once and knocked out one of the rungs, but that was when she first started riding and she didn't even fall. It's pretty drat wide too, compared to most motorcycle ramps I've seen.. Probably 2-2.5 feet. Wide enough to put your feet down.
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Jul 17, 2012 00:39
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Jul 17, 2012 03:12
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Planning on taking a 4 hour ride from NOVA to Raleigh, NC this weekend to see a friend. Is there anything I should know about longish rides like this? I planned on getting off and stretching about every hour. I don't have cool luggage stuff so I just planned on Bungee Cording a duffel bag to the back seat of my SV650.
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Jul 17, 2012 04:09
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Regularly vary how you sit on the bike to prevent hot spots from developing, and 2 ibuprofen or whatever before you start if you think you'll be sore.
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Jul 17, 2012 04:19
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Chuck a water bottle down the front of your jacket or in a tank bag or something so you can grab something to drink when you have your breaks, make sure you eat something a bit before you go out.
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Jul 17, 2012 06:04
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Alternatively, buy a CamelBak. I take one with me on my long, hot weather rides.
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Jul 17, 2012 13:29
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Tenchrono posted:Planning on taking a 4 hour ride from NOVA to Raleigh, NC this weekend to see a friend. Is there anything I should know about longish rides like this? I planned on getting off and stretching about every hour. I don't have cool luggage stuff so I just planned on Bungee Cording a duffel bag to the back seat of my SV650. Yeah... always be prepared to bail onto RT1 through VA. Also, once you cross the border on I-85, you're going to encounter a lot of people speeding like crazy. Don't get tempted to speed too much, cops down there don't take kindly to out-of-towners. I'd recommend getting a camelbak or some sort of bladder. You're going to need it, it's going to be hot. Edit: I have some spare leather saddlebags for a harley and for a goldwing. You're welcome to borrow either if you need to. I'm in Woodbridge and should be free all week if you want to swing by. GnarlyCharlie4u fucked around with this message at 16:56 on Jul 17, 2012 |
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Jul 17, 2012 16:54
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Just rode my bike on the highway for the first time. Not far, just about 10 miles or so, just because that's as far away as I was going. Holy poo poo was that windy. I felt like if I didn't lean forward and lift my chin, I'd be blown off the bike. It was otherwise, like all things motorcycle-related, fun as hell.
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Jul 17, 2012 17:46
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Account for the weather. I rode around VA/NC in mesh pants/jacket over UnderArmour stuff. Looked dorky as poo poo but didn't die of heat stroke or dehydration. Stay hydrated. About every hour/1.5 hours, stop for gas and grab a small soda or Gatorade and a snack. Don't try to run from full to empty without stopping, stress and soreness seems to build up exponentially the longer you ride. Include that extra time to stop and stroll around in your ride planning. Make sure you have hearing protection. Riding around town without earplugs is one thing but on extended highway rides the wind noise will add a tremendous amount of stress. Seriously, it is a night and day difference in how you'll feel at the end of the ride. If you're doing a ~500 mile round trip make sure your bike is clean and doesn't have overdue maintenance before you start. (Clean/lube the chain, etc.)
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Jul 17, 2012 17:48
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They found the bike and caught the guy!! I'm at work and posting from my phone so I'll have pictures and details tonight. Got him 2 blocks from my house, what a loving idiot..
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Jul 17, 2012 19:27
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marauderthirty posted:They found the bike and caught the guy!! I'm at work and posting from my phone so I'll have pictures and details tonight. Got him 2 blocks from my house, what a loving idiot.. Yayy! Hope the fucker learns his lesson.
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Jul 17, 2012 19:45
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