|
spixxor posted:Can I show up for the class having never ridden a bike in my life, or should I get him to let me toodle around a parking lot on his bike first? I don't even know how to drive a standard (which I know is idiotic). Yes, the MSF classes cater to people who've never even touched a motorcycle. You'll start out just coasting along in neutral with the engine off, someone pushing you from behind, to learn to balance and stop. I think it's quite a bit easier to use the manual transmission on a motorcycle than that in a manual transmission car, and I've been driving a standard all my life. You probably wouldn't have too much trouble puttering his bike around the parking lot, but you certainly don't need to do that to be successful in the class (and don't get a 650 when you do start to ride).
|
#
?
Sep 7, 2012 06:20
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 16, 2024 13:15 |
|
|
Could get a Virago 250 or something.
|
|
#
?
Sep 7, 2012 06:21
|
|
|
Maybe look at a Kawasaki Vulcan 500... should be a pretty good beginners bike in the cruiser catagory. They had like a 25 year production run so they should be easy to find and not too expensive.
|
|
#
?
Sep 7, 2012 06:27
|
|
|
I started on a Suzuki Boulevard S40 (previously known as Savage LS650) which is a little cruiser with a 650 cc single. Despite the displacement it only makes about 30 hp and it was great for me as a beginner. Light, low center of gravity, easy to maneuver at low speed, and mechanically very primitive if you have to work on it. It didn't much like highways, but then as a beginner neither did I.
|
|
#
?
Sep 7, 2012 13:42
|
|
|
I don't much care for freeways in a car, so I think I'd be fine with steering clear of them for a while on a bike. I really like the looks of all those bikes, thanks for the suggestions guys! Looking into gear at the moment, I live in south Texas so it's going to be miserably hot but I gather leather is the best option? Also this is a really dumb question but...what do you do with your gear when you go somewhere on your bike? Take a change of clothes? Look like a power ranger all day? Is there gear you can wear over regular clothing?
|
|
#
?
Sep 7, 2012 13:53
|
|
|
I just take spare pants, a shirt and a deoderant stick along and change clothes if possible. The boots are comfortable enough to wear off the bike as well.
|
|
#
?
Sep 7, 2012 14:08
|
|
|
I live in Dallas so it's almost as bad up here, but I find it tolerable as long as I don't have to sit too long at lights. I find myself adjusting my routes in the summer to favor right turns instead of lefts to save a little time at intersections. Otherwise I deal with it by always wearing undershirts, which keep most of the sweat from reaching the visible layer. Leather is the best thing year round but you can sacrifice some protection for cooling with textile and mesh gear. I wear a leather jacket and textile overpants with vent panels and normal pants underneath. When I get where I'm going, I either have to carry around my stuff with me (like at a grocery store, I put it in the cart) or if I'm meeting someone, which is often the case, I put it in their car. If I have nowhere convenient to put my helmet, I use the helmet lock on the bike and hide my gloves in it. Sometimes I can wear shorts under my mesh pants and strap some flip flops to the back seat of my bike. I finally got a tank bag, so carrying casual clothes with me is easier now. At work, I just carry my stuff in with me and keep it in my cube. I also keep a few pairs of shoes there to change into.
|
|
#
?
Sep 7, 2012 14:12
|
|
|
The best gear is the gear you wear, I won't wear leather when it's insanely hot. I wear mesh gear even though it's not as durable in a crash. Decent mesh gear will still help significantly in a crash compared to jeans/tshirts/etc.
|
|
#
?
Sep 7, 2012 15:18
|
|
|
n8r posted:The best gear is the gear you wear, I won't wear leather when it's insanely hot. I wear mesh gear even though it's not as durable in a crash. Decent mesh gear will still help significantly in a crash compared to jeans/tshirts/etc. n8r speaks truth here. I don't know if I could handle Texas heat on a bike because I am a pussy. That said, mesh gear is awesome in warm temps and provides comfortable protection even in the 90's. For gear, I won't go around the block without helmet, gloves, boots and my armored mesh or armored leather jacket. If I am riding to a destination (work, something social) instead of just to ride, I may not wear riding pants. Otherwise, I wear some mesh overpants with pads in the hips and armored knees that are comfortable. For learning to ride the MSF is awesome. Depending on where you are, you might find a private course that supplies the bike for the class AND for the DMV road test. THe course I took in Chicago supplied a variety of 250cc bikes for the students for class. Once you completed the course, you could set up the DMV road test through the school and take it on their lot with their bikes. The dude from the Secretary of State came out to the school each week to administer the road test for them.
|
|
#
?
Sep 7, 2012 17:29
|
|
|
n8r posted:I won't wear leather when it's insanely hot. There's something to be said about increased fatigue, distraction, and dehydration even if you do man up and wear full leathers in 90 degree weather. Safer in a crash yes, but anecdotally less safe before you do. I'm a big fan of the all mesh summer gear.
|
|
#
?
Sep 7, 2012 17:37
|
|
|
Tamir Lenk posted:For learning to ride the MSF is awesome. Depending on where you are, you might find a private course that supplies the bike for the class AND for the DMV road test. THe course I took in Chicago supplied a variety of 250cc bikes for the students for class. Once you completed the course, you could set up the DMV road test through the school and take it on their lot with their bikes. The dude from the Secretary of State came out to the school each week to administer the road test for them. In WA, the MSF courses all supply bikes & helmets, and passing the MSF waives all DMV testing requirements. And many of the courses are subsidized for WA residents and cost $125 or less. It's an incredible deal.
|
|
#
?
Sep 7, 2012 17:42
|
|
|
Guinness posted:In WA, the MSF courses all supply bikes & helmets, and passing the MSF waives all DMV testing requirements. And many of the courses are subsidized for WA residents and cost $125 or less. It's an incredible deal. In Florida the MSF course is mandatory and passing waives the DMV test. The class supplies the bike, helmet, jackets, and boots. Many schools offer summer deals since no one wants to train in the heat. My class was normally $399, but I took it in the middle of summer so it cost $199.
|
|
#
?
Sep 7, 2012 18:00
|
|
|
shimmy posted:The muffler end is wider than the pipe, the clamp wouldn't touch the pipe unless I take it off the muffler completely, defeating the purpose. You can see it in the lower picture. Didn't check the link but I just saw this problem this week in my local bike shop with a two-year old ER-6F. From what I recall, it's pretty much what JP Money says - What happens with the ER is that the downpipe and outlet from the muffler as pictured are at the bottom of everything and collect poo poo from the road. They corrode and then thanks to weight of the box and vibration (I'm guessing it's on flexy mounts like a car muffler?), the end of the pipe shears off clean inside its housing. You can see the remains inside the cut outs on the "female" pipework in your picture (unless that's just a real old-skool mesh gasket of awfulness, like my TRX850 had). So they don't mate up because part of the pipework is probably still in the muffler inlet and the clamp has fallen off. The solution is to buy an Arrow titanium full system!  If you don't like my solution, yeah, you find a used version of the bit that didn't break and cut/blowtorch out the remains of the old pipework as necessary. spixxor, despite the marketing, the Ninja 250 is not a fire-breathing sports bike - it's a simple, low-powered, but lightweight and good handling motorcycle with a fairly relaxed riding position and a bit of wind protection. Much easier to ride IMO than any cruiser.
|
|
#
?
Sep 7, 2012 20:26
|
|
|
Shimrod posted:Could get a Virago 250 or something.
|
|
#
?
Sep 7, 2012 20:59
|
|
|
Oh I know Ninja 250s are fairly tame as far as sportbikes go, I just really prefer the looks of a cruiser. I know that's a dumb reason to get a starter bike though. Alot of it is probably being raised on "HARLEYS ARE THE ONLY REAL BIKE" (dad was a biker). If I did end up getting something sporty as a first bike, how bad is the learning curve from that to a cruiser?
|
|
#
?
Sep 7, 2012 21:04
|
|
|
Halo_4am posted:There's something to be said about increased fatigue, distraction, and dehydration even if you do man up and wear full leathers in 90 degree weather. Safer in a crash yes, but anecdotally less safe before you do. I used to ride with a perf 1pc in 105-115 before. It's not terrible if you've got a camelback, avoid traffic, and unzip it partially in slower traffic... but if you do find traffic, well, I've had heat exhaustion a few times.
|
|
#
?
Sep 7, 2012 22:21
|
|
|
spixxor posted:Oh I know Ninja 250s are fairly tame as far as sportbikes go, I just really prefer the looks of a cruiser. I know that's a dumb reason to get a starter bike though. Alot of it is probably being raised on "HARLEYS ARE THE ONLY REAL BIKE" (dad was a biker). If I did end up getting something sporty as a first bike, how bad is the learning curve from that to a cruiser? Nah, it's absolutely not dumb to pick your first bike based on what you like the looks of. Just don't make that more important than the other factors that would make it a good learner's bike, right? If you like the look of a GIXXAH, don't go for a literbike; look at a modern Ninja 250 or CBR250R instead. If you like the look of a cruiser, go for a smallish cruiser-styled bike with ~500-600cc displacement (try a Boulevard S40 or one of the smaller Honda Shadows, maybe) rather than an 800-pound 1200cc Harley. A Ninja 250 isn't "sporty" in the sense that it behaves like a supersport; it's really a standard motorcycle with a pretty upright seating position, that happens to have sportbike-like body work. If you did start on a Ninjette and move to a cruiser you shouldn't have any real problems, but if you like cruisers better you might as well look for something you like in the first place.
|
|
#
?
Sep 7, 2012 23:27
|
|
|
My headlight has dimmed to the point where I can't see anything at night-time, but it flashes occasionally to normal brightness. Is it most likely simply a low battery, or could it be an issue with the wiring or even just a bulb that needs replacing? It just hit 10k miles today. (I missed the turnover on the dial  )
|
|
#
?
Sep 8, 2012 07:15
|
|
|
Frankston posted:My headlight has dimmed to the point where I can't see anything at night-time, but it flashes occasionally to normal brightness. Is it most likely simply a low battery, or could it be an issue with the wiring or even just a bulb that needs replacing? It just hit 10k miles today. (I missed the turnover on the dial Something wrong with your charging circuit, so your battery is running all your electrics which is draining it. A new battery won't fix it but you might need one if you find the fault. What bike do you ride again? Check the the wiring and connectors from your stator to your regulator/rectifier and from that to the battery for corrosion or arcing. If they look fine it'll probably be the regulator/rectifier that needs replacing. If you've got a multimeter and know how to use it, it'll make troubleshooting a whole lot easier.
|
|
#
?
Sep 8, 2012 09:04
|
|
|
Linedance posted:Something wrong with your charging circuit, so your battery is running all your electrics which is draining it. A new battery won't fix it but you might need one if you find the fault. What bike do you ride again? Check the the wiring and connectors from your stator to your regulator/rectifier and from that to the battery for corrosion or arcing. If they look fine it'll probably be the regulator/rectifier that needs replacing. If you've got a multimeter and know how to use it, it'll make troubleshooting a whole lot easier. This only applies if all your other lights are also dimming at the same time - otherwise it could just be a dodgy connection to the bulb. Always eliminate the silly (and cheap to fix) options first. (Also does the full brightness come back at full revs or just randomly? If the lights come up with the revs it probably is the battery on the way out, but it could be a regulator problem that has caused that)
|
|
#
?
Sep 8, 2012 10:04
|
|
|
Frankston posted:My headlight has dimmed to the point where I can't see anything at night-time, but it flashes occasionally to normal brightness. Is it most likely simply a low battery, or could it be an issue with the wiring or even just a bulb that needs replacing? I had a bike to that and it was just the bulb. Apparently there was also a small running light(?) in the headlight housing so it still looked like the headlight was turning on, just dimly. And every now and then you would hit a bump just right and the headlight would come on and it would be bright for a while.
|
|
#
?
Sep 8, 2012 14:13
|
|
|
goddamnedtwisto posted:This only applies if all your other lights are also dimming at the same time - otherwise it could just be a dodgy connection to the bulb. Always eliminate the silly (and cheap to fix) options first. This. About three weeks ago my front, left turn signal started acting funny. It wouldn't burn but, sometimes, when I'd hit a speedbump or something, it would pop back on for a bit. After a while it just died altogether. I'm no mechanic, but I know my way around a car. I suspected the bulb was bad; but the considered it prudent to double-check with others who were more knowledgable about motorcycles. I had a couple of people convince me that just because you know something about cars doesn't mean you know squat about bikes and that it was a short and that I was wrong to consider trying to replace the bulb first since the bulb was fine. Sadly, I listened to them and tore apart that stalk assembly twice looking for a short in it. I searched from the switch all the way to the cradle/socket for even the tiniest tear in the plastic coating on the wires - or anything, really - and only grew increasingly frustrated each time I found nothing. This lasted a little more than a week. One day I just took the problem bulb out and swapped it for one of the bulbs I knew to work off the rear. Suddenly the front left blinker works just like brand new. I popped the problem bulb in the rear blinker that was now missing a bulb and suddenly that socket wasn't burning. Now, is it that the socket is truly bad and it's moving around to follow the bad bulb or is it that the bulb is burned out? Naturally I went to the store, got new bulbs, and then swapped them out. They all burn bright and strong now. No offense to Linedance, but just like goddamnedtwisto said: always eliminate the simplest issue first. A bulb cost $3.00 for a pack of two and took me less than 5 minutes to put on my bike which would have eliminated the problem and the week of frustration attempting to fix an non-existent issue. Besides, what's the worst that'll happen? You'll replace the bulb, find it doesn't work either, then you'll have another new bulb ready to go once you do fix the issue?
|
|
#
?
Sep 8, 2012 17:52
|
|
|
obso posted:I had a bike to that and it was just the bulb. Apparently there was also a small running light(?) in the headlight housing so it still looked like the headlight was turning on, just dimly. And every now and then you would hit a bump just right and the headlight would come on and it would be bright for a while. I thought this too but realized my bulb was wired incorrectly and pulling a weak ground which caused the light to look really dim.
|
|
#
?
Sep 8, 2012 20:55
|
|
|
Stalled and dropped ma muthafukkin 03 SV650s  .I don't know if it's because I'm lovely (I am) but my bike loving stalls a lot on starts. If I rev it up to 4000, once I ease the clutch out it drops to below 1000 RPM and stalls if I'm on even a remote incline. Also, when I blip the throttle up it drops down very slowly. Should the RPMs drop this gradually? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QG_PTpLdLQ Grimes fucked around with this message at 21:53 on Sep 8, 2012 |
|
#
?
Sep 8, 2012 20:58
|
|
|
Remember, on a bike you can basically slip the clutch as long as you like. If you are dipping down to 1000rpm you are letting the clutch out way too fast. Throttle to control engine speed, clutch to control ground speed until like 10mph or so.
|
|
#
?
Sep 9, 2012 00:12
|
|
|
Grimes posted:Stalled and dropped ma muthafukkin 03 SV650s Sounds fine to me. Here's how to never stall again in 1st. Go to an empty lot. Put the bike in 1st. Now, without ever touching the throttle, ease out the clutch until you're moving. Pull clutch in, shift to 2nd. Repeat. Go from stop -> 1st -> 2nd without EVER touching the throttle about thirty times. More, if you stall the bike out. Your hand will learn that the clutch is not some kind of on/off switch, and you'll not stall anymore.
|
|
#
?
Sep 9, 2012 00:33
|
|
|
babyeatingpsychopath posted:Sounds fine to me. This is also fantastic practice for dealing with ice or indeed a broken throttle cable.
|
|
#
?
Sep 9, 2012 01:04
|
|
|
babyeatingpsychopath posted:Sounds fine to me. drat good advice! To those who haven't taken the MSF course; this is basically most of what they teach you: how to control your bike using only the "friction zone". I am thankful every time I get on my bike that I took that course.
|
|
#
?
Sep 9, 2012 02:56
|
|
|
Wulframn posted:drat good advice!  I literally couldn't get my bike to actually start on a hill.
|
|
#
?
Sep 9, 2012 04:58
|
|
|
Up hill and with passenger I can't move with just the clutch and have to give it gas. When requiring gas I'm not looking for a magic rpm that's just perfect to get up and go with though. I give a bit of gas and gradually let out the clutch. If the bike starts to cough and sputter I pull the clutch back and give a bit more gas on the next attempt. Repeat until correct amount of gas/clutch is met for the condition. Do this extremely slowly until you get that the engine coming to life in idle is not a terrifying thing. With practice this will all be done so fast nobody around you notices you did anything but give gas and go. If you dumped the bike you let the clutch out too fast as you didn't have enough time to react to the bike jumping on you. Do not focus on the tach, focus on the momentum the bike has and the sound of it's crying or over-revving engine as you slowly let the clutch out. If it lurches on you just pull the clutch back in and try again to find the most controlled start for the conditions you're currently in.
|
|
#
?
Sep 9, 2012 05:07
|
|
|
Grimes posted:I took lessons. I don't stall on flat ground I only stall when there's an incline at all. I stalled five times at one stop sign today and I really did ease the clutch out while giving it gas. In that case, rev the hell out of it. Stick it at 9k. Now leave the throttle there and do that friction zone stuff. You'll either wheelie off like a boss, or start normally. Your perfect clutch control means you can't stall, lurch, or loop the bike. If you start to get scared, squeeze that left hand like you mean it, but don't do a drat THING with your right hand. If you're not still sitting at 9k with the clutch in, you've screwed up step 1. Going from a stop is 0% throttle control, 100% clutch control.
|
|
#
?
Sep 9, 2012 05:45
|
|
|
He's got an SV650 dude. Assuming he is clutching decently he might have some kind of motor trouble. It's been a while since I rode one but 4k should be enough to get going on a hill. Grimes do you have any friends who ride and can check out your bike? What do you do when you let out the clutch? It should be a smooth release until it starts to bite a bit, then you keep it there while easing the throttle on more. Holding the clutch in the zone where it's half biting is fine. nsaP fucked around with this message at 07:54 on Sep 9, 2012 |
|
#
?
Sep 9, 2012 07:49
|
|
|
If not that ^^, if you're not too self conscious, maybe put the camera on the ground taking a video as you start off from a a stop and post it. We could probably tell you pretty quick 
|
|
#
?
Sep 9, 2012 17:24
|
|
|
Will an aluminum rear sprocket play fine with a steel front sprocket? I might get a 14/49 combo. Holy hell!
|
|
#
?
Sep 9, 2012 23:33
|
|
|
If my GS500 sits for more than a week, it won't start. The engine turns over and over but doesn't actually fire up. Eventually the starter just clicks. At that point, push-starting it always works. If I'm using the bike every day, there's no issue, it starts every time. Is this a battery issue? Carb issue?
|
|
#
?
Sep 10, 2012 03:10
|
|
|
epalm posted:If my GS500 sits for more than a week, it won't start. The engine turns over and over but doesn't actually fire up. Eventually the starter just clicks. At that point, push-starting it always works. If I'm using the bike every day, there's no issue, it starts every time. Get a trickle charger and see if it still happens.
|
|
#
?
Sep 10, 2012 03:46
|
|
|
Or get a multimeter and measure the battery voltage when the bike is dead. But yes, that sounds to me like a battery that's on its last legs, holding enough of a charge to start but only for a couple of days before it self-discharges.
|
|
#
?
Sep 10, 2012 05:21
|
|
|
Ok, will do, thanks. I was suspicious because I heard the engine turning over a number of times. I guess it didn't have enough force.
|
|
#
?
Sep 10, 2012 14:26
|
|
|
If I always fill up very very soon after hitting the fuel reserve, is there some separate quantity of gas somewhere in there that has been stewing for a long time? Or does the new gas mix with the old each time I fill? My guess is the latter but I'm not sure. edit:  Maybe I should google before I ask, found it here.
alnilam fucked around with this message at 21:46 on Sep 10, 2012 |
|
#
?
Sep 10, 2012 21:44
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 16, 2024 13:15 |
|
|
alnilam posted:If I always fill up very very soon after hitting the fuel reserve, is there some separate quantity of gas somewhere in there that has been stewing for a long time? Or does the new gas mix with the old each time I fill? My guess is the latter but I'm not sure. The latter. You have two fuel pickups in your tank. One is slightly higher than the other. When you hit reserve, you're switching to the lower one. When you fill your tank with gas, all the new fuel mixes with and dilutes what remains of the fuel you put in the last time you gassed up. Edit: there are no stupid questions, unless n8r decides otherwise. Safety Dance fucked around with this message at 21:49 on Sep 10, 2012 |
|
#
?
Sep 10, 2012 21:47
|
|
