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For comfort on the bike, tooling around early is good. Just know that you're likely picking up a few bad habits that an instructor is going to have to break you from. The MSF literally starts by duck walking the bike with it off, so learning the basics isn't really necessary for the class so long as you can competently ride a bicycle.
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Feb 15, 2013 19:44
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nsaP posted:For comfort on the bike, tooling around early is good. Just know that you're likely picking up a few bad habits that an instructor is going to have to break you from.
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Feb 15, 2013 20:00
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Some people say being able to drive a standard car will help with the MSF (or learning to ride a motorcycle in general), but I don't think it's all that useful. While a motorcycle transmission and a manual automotive transmission are nearly the same concept, the motor skills required are very different for each. When learning how to drive a stick, just using your other leg is confusing and getting the shifter into the correct slot of the 'H' as well. While on a bike, it's all about the friction zone and throttle control. My gf has used the excuse "but I'm not good at driving a manual car, how could I possibly take the MSF?!" In my opinion the advice should emphasize knowing HOW to drive a manual car, not being able to do it well. In other important news: I need a enduro / supermoto / dual sport. Something along the lines of a WRX250. If only I was moving to a place with a garage in Houston  .
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Feb 15, 2013 20:25
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XYLOPAGUS posted:Some people say being able to drive a standard car will help with the MSF (or learning to ride a motorcycle in general), but I don't think it's all that useful. While a motorcycle transmission and a manual automotive transmission are nearly the same concept, the motor skills required are very different for each. Which is frankly the same for a manual gearbox car and a bike. I think the general concept of being able to find the friction point on a standard manual gearbox car transfers over perfectly to a bike. Knowing that it is an analog device versus a digital one is the biggest failing point I've seen on any manual vehicle.
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Feb 15, 2013 20:58
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It certainly helped me a lot when I was learning to ride, it was just a matter of transferring the knowledge from my foot to my hand.
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Feb 15, 2013 21:02
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XYLOPAGUS posted:In other important news: I need a enduro / supermoto / dual sport. Something along the lines of a WRX250. If only I was moving to a place with a garage in Houston KLR650? I know a dude who knows a dude (me) who's thinking of selling one.
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Feb 15, 2013 21:20
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jujube posted:Is a faulty r/r checkable on a bike without taking it apart? It pretty much handles the charging of the battery right? R/Rs are cheap and when they go they generally kill the battery and sometimes the stator (in general, unsure of the 929). If the R/R hasn't been replaced with a modern one, just do it, but don't let an OEM R/R turn you from what is otherwise a fine bike deal.
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Feb 15, 2013 21:44
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ThatCguy posted:Which is frankly the same for a manual gearbox car and a bike. I agree, but I can see where confusion comes from because in every newer (late 90s I guess?) manual car I've driven, the clutch is basically an on/off switch. The last cars I drove that you actually had to work the clutch and the gas were an '88 Golf and a '90 Civic. Being able to slip the clutch indefinitely is the main difference. Of course I'm American so you barely even see manuals anymore. My dad was getting my sister a '12 Ford Focus last fall when they had big deals going on, cause the cost of a new '12 was barely more than a 3 year old one with 30,000 miles thanks to some deals the manufacturer was running. She wasn't interested in a manual, but when I was looking thru the lot I didn't see a single one. I asked the salesman if they had any manuals on the lot and he said "Well we have one, in Middletown."  We were at A, that Middletown dealer is B. In the whole Greater Cincinnati area of whatever dealer network they were on, they had one manual and it was 20 miles outside of the 275 loop around Downtown.
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Feb 15, 2013 21:45
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Shimrod posted:False neutrals are more of a user thing than a machine, most new bikes (80s forward) you shouldn't really get them unless you stuff up (e.g. forget to go up that little bit higher from 1st to 2nd and get it in Neutral D: ). They do, but it means the gearbox is toast/needs a rebuild. Getting to it usually means splitting the engine in half. jujube posted:Is a faulty r/r checkable on a bike without taking it apart? It pretty much handles the charging of the battery right? If you want to brush up on your english go read this tome: {url=http://www.clarity.net/adam/buying-bike.html]Used Motorcycle Evaluation Guide[/url]. jujube posted:There's another thing to check for play in steering bearings but I have no idea to check that without putting the bike on some sort of stand. Also read a lot of stuff about false neutrals which was supposed to be specific for the 929. Are there any other used bike buying tricks you guys know of? I know of two ways a failing head bearing would present itself while riding. On braking it feels if the front wheel wants to tuck in, or the front wheel really wants to fall into corners. Obviously the latter one has a million other reasons big and small, so causality != causation on that one.
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Feb 15, 2013 21:45
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ThatCguy posted:Which is frankly the same for a manual gearbox car and a bike. I think my point was lost. I was owning and driving a standard car when I took the MSF and it helped, but I don't think it was absolutely necessary. Basically I just want my gf to stop making excuses on why she doesn't want to take the msf. Hah
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Feb 15, 2013 21:48
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So how do I test for a bad stator? I replaced my regulator and everything worked well for a while but now I have the same problems (bike won't charge battery as it runs, so after riding for a couple hours it's dead when i go to start it again, I get about 3 starts a day) I guess the regulator could have gone out again, but if it did wouldn't that be a sign of another issue? I'm looking for a mechanic around Torrance CA but I'm not not liking what I see, so I'm ready to get my hands dirty and change it myself if I have to. 1996 VFR750 FYI.
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Feb 15, 2013 21:50
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nsaP posted:
Hey, Cinci-goon. You need to go to Fuel Coffee when the weather warms up for High Side Sundays (and cars & coffee on Saturdays). The owner is good people. https://www.facebook.com/FUELcoffeecincinnati Just sayin'.
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Feb 15, 2013 21:54
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Nitramster posted:So how do I test for a bad stator? I replaced my regulator and everything worked well for a while but now I have the same problems (bike won't charge battery as it runs, so after riding for a couple hours it's dead when i go to start it again, I get about 3 starts a day) I guess the regulator could have gone out again, but if it did wouldn't that be a sign of another issue? this is a good step by step for troubleshooting http://www.electrosport.com/media/pdf/fault-finding-diagram.pdf
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Feb 15, 2013 22:11
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XYLOPAGUS posted:Some people say being able to drive a standard car will help with the MSF (or learning to ride a motorcycle in general), but I don't think it's all that useful. While a motorcycle transmission and a manual automotive transmission are nearly the same concept, the motor skills required are very different for each. Eh, I think it helps with the core concept at least. I remember when I learned to drive a manual transmission being completely clueless, when I learned to ride it was easy to grasp slipping the clutch while easing on the gas. Before I had driven stick I tried riding a dirtbike at 16 and I remember treating the clutch and gas like an on/off switch, it did not end well for me.
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Feb 15, 2013 22:55
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XYLOPAGUS posted:Basically I just want my gf to stop making excuses on why she doesn't want to take the msf. Hah I feel that. The problem is you gotta actually want to ride a bike to actually learn, some people are just ambivalent to the idea of motorbikes, don't want to take the risk and/or don't have the confidence in themselves to think they can be trusted to operate a motorcycle. There's more of those people out there than riders.
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Feb 15, 2013 22:59
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Shimrod posted:False neutrals are more of a user thing than a machine, most new bikes (80s forward) you shouldn't really get them unless you stuff up (e.g. forget to go up that little bit higher from 1st to 2nd and get it in Neutral D: ). Don't forget false neutral is one of those briliant phrases that describe two completely different problems - one of the neutral light coming on when you've actually gone into second (I'm looking at you, cold Aprilia gearboxes) and another where the bike gets stuck between gears and revs freely when you change gears. False neutrals of the second kind are an indicator of a couple of possible gearbox problems, with fixes ranging from a simple adjustment right up to a complete rebuild of the 'box. Even relatively new bikes can get them them (certainly the old Thunderace and Thundercat do them all the time in higher gears once they had some miles on them, for example, but it's just a wear issue on the selectors and you just need to tighten up a bolt somewhere IIRC).
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Feb 15, 2013 23:14
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My Daytonas next service will be expensive then I'm guessing, going into 2nd gear feels really mushy unless I wait like 2 seconds after pulling in the clutch. I'm guessing it could be worn dogs?
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Feb 16, 2013 01:40
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Triumph gearboxes like a lot of force. Make sure you're not floppy-ankle-ing it. Also don't put pressure on the shift lever when you're not shifting. That may not help your specific case at all but it's good advice.
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Feb 16, 2013 01:43
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It's time for me to move on to a new bike. Hopefully one that I fit on and doesn't make my shoulders and back ache if I ride it for more than 20-30 minutes at a time. My question is this: What would the best plan of attack be for getting a new/new-to-me motorcycle? My current ride is a 2004 Kawasaki Ninja EX500 with 17,393 miles on it (going to keep going up until I sell, I commute on it 12 miles daily). The fairings are a little beat up and cracked when you look close since the previous owner was a dumbass, but it's mechanically in perfect shape and I have Battleax BT45's with 2100 miles on the bike and the rear brake pads have about the same mileage on them (not sure about front brake, but I was planning on swapping that out this month regardless of what I do).  You can see one of the cracks in the fairing right behind the turn signal, and there's more on the other side of the bike. It looks great, rides amazingly well, and is NOT meant for someone who is 6'6" and 210lbs. I'm hoping to pick up a used Suzuki DR650 or Kawaski Versys 650, something nice and upright that won't make my back ache and have my knees up even with/over the tank like the Ninja does. How much would it sell for this time of year in Seattle? Should I sell on CL? Trade it in to a dealer towards a bike? Suck it up and keep riding it until prices go up?
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Feb 16, 2013 05:45
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DJ_Ferret posted:It's time for me to move on to a new bike. Hopefully one that I fit on and doesn't make my shoulders and back ache if I ride it for more than 20-30 minutes at a time. Selling it on CL is your best option. Prices really don't fluctuate thaaaaat much between seasons, so don't worry about it. You'll get a much better price from someone on CL than a dealer, that's for sure.
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Feb 16, 2013 06:22
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theperminator posted:My Daytonas next service will be expensive then I'm guessing, going into 2nd gear feels really mushy unless I wait like 2 seconds after pulling in the clutch. I'm guessing it could be worn dogs? Adjust your shift lever all the way down and make sure you've got enough oil. I know I need to add oil (or change it) when my bike kicks me from 2nd to neutral a lot.
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Feb 16, 2013 06:42
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Covert Ops Wizard posted:Selling it on CL is your best option. Prices really don't fluctuate thaaaaat much between seasons, so don't worry about it. You'll get a much better price from someone on CL than a dealer, that's for sure. Would asking $1800-1950 be pushing it you think? I don't know how accurate KBB or NADA prices are for motorcycles, but I paid $1750 for it from a friend July last year.
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Feb 16, 2013 08:32
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DJ_Ferret posted:My current ride is a 2004 Kawasaki Ninja EX500 ... is NOT meant for someone who is 6'6" and 210lbs. Dang, we have the same bike and yet you're a foot taller than me. Mine is the older generation with the 16" wheels and I still can't flat foot on that. If I were your size I'd own a KLR 650 so fast...
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Feb 16, 2013 15:45
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 This seems to be a common theme on this board, but jesus, how do you Jolly Greens end up on such tiny bikes? I'm all of 5'6, and the older Kawasakis like the 500 and 250's ergos suck even for someone as tiny as me, I can't stand doing more than 45 minutes to an hour on either of them. I can't even begin to imagine how someone with an extra foot would contort themselves onto one and hold that position. Just for shits & giggles, I jumped on to Cycle Ergo to see if I could find a way to make someone that tall not get their head ripped off by the wind on an ex500. Nope. That doesn't look fun.
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Feb 16, 2013 16:01
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DJ_Ferret posted:Would asking $1800-1950 be pushing it you think? I don't know how accurate KBB or NADA prices are for motorcycles, but I paid $1750 for it from a friend July last year. It'd be reasonable to ask. Plan for getting like 1500 though.
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Feb 16, 2013 17:25
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ThatCguy posted:
I'm moderately tall, I haven't measure it in forever. I'm pretty sure I'm just shy of 6 feet, I'm taller than most people around me. Anyway, I find I'm not able to fully tuck in on a small sportsbike because my elbows hit my legs and it's physically impossible for me to contort my helmet down onto the tank behind the screen. edit: also skinny, not fat.
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Feb 16, 2013 19:00
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ThatCguy posted:
The previous owner recommended putting my feet up on the rear pegs and laying out that way.
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Feb 16, 2013 22:03
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ThatCguy posted:
I think bike ergos are very individual. My garage has 3 bikes, my FZ6, dad's FZ1, and sister's Ninja 250, and I'm about 6'2-3" with a 36" inseam in case you forgot. It might be because I ride it the most, but I find the 6 to be the most comfortable. I rode my dad's FZ1 the other day, and while it's a bit bigger with a nicer corbin seat, I find the way my legs fit on it to be more uncomfortable. The 250 is just completely too small, but the way I ride it I don't really notice. How do you mean the ergo's sucked for you on the 500s and the 250s? I'd have thought they'd be made right about for someone your size. Maybe a bit taller I guess.
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Feb 16, 2013 22:31
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Sometime in May I think I am heading on a week long trip with a friend starting in London. We're basically doing this rough outline: http://goo.gl/maps/EAKcM I am have basically zero long touring experience. The longest rides I've done have been around 300 miles a pop. I am trying to decide what bike to rent for the trip. It would include being the luggage bearer (my friend doesn't have any luggage for his Hornet and will be moving back to the US shortly after so no sense in buying some) but also hitting the Nurburgring for some very beginner speed laps. So I don't really need anything too crazy, I don't expect to be going knee down on the ring or anything. I was checking around and it looks like the best candidates are the lighter tourers. Currently in mind are the VFR800, Sprint ST, and the Multistrada. I am sure there are a ton of bikes I am discounting or forgetting that could do the trick, so does anyone have any suggestions or favorites? Obviously I am at the mercy of what I can rent in London, but I want to at least see what is the best option.
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Feb 16, 2013 22:50
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nsaP posted:I think bike ergos are very individual. Yeah I'm 5'11 and I fit pretty comfortably on a 90s aprilia RS125. Zool is a few inches shorter than me and it's hilariously uncomfortable for him.
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Feb 16, 2013 22:53
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nsaP posted:I think bike ergos are very individual. This is very true. Also god what have I done to myself, I sat on a handful of BMW enduros (the 650, 650 Sertao, 800, and 1200) and test rode a Suzuki DR650. When I sat back down on my EX500 after spending 20 minutes dinking around on the DR650 I felt like I was riding a kiddy bike and my shoulder immediately started cramping up 
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Feb 17, 2013 00:08
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Rear brakes on my XLR250 are starting to squeal a little bit when I stop, about 2 months after the PO did them. Haven't been hammering the brakes too hard, to be honest. What should I look at?
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Feb 17, 2013 14:26
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nsaP posted:
Way too cramped, it's like a compromise between a sport riding position up top and a halfass mid 80's standard for the pegs. It's almost as if the bike was built for a 5'2 Japanese guy in 1984. Oh. It's obviously not unrideable, but long stints would get to be a PITA with it. As I said, if it feels small to someone like myself who's 5'6 and a buck 50, I have no idea what it would be like for a 6'5-6'6 guy pushing 240+
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Feb 17, 2013 15:31
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Pompous Rhombus posted:Rear brakes on my XLR250 are starting to squeal a little bit when I stop, about 2 months after the PO did them. Haven't been hammering the brakes too hard, to be honest. What should I look at? If its disk put a dab of copper grease on the back of the pads and they should quieten down. If its drums i don't know.
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Feb 17, 2013 15:42
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echomadman posted:
Or ignore it because it isn't hurting anything (right?).
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Feb 17, 2013 15:46
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you can get specific silicone based brake pad squeal stopping products but any high temperature grease works, you don't need much, it just dampens the vibrations and subsequent noise from the metal on metal contact between the piston and the back of the pads. Its not hurting anything but its annoying, especially in low speed manoeuvring.
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Feb 17, 2013 16:00
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Just making sure I get the order right for tweaking this '91 Ninja 500: 1) If I'm going to change the exhaust back to stock, should I do that before the valve job and tuning/synching the carbs? Mine has a Vance & Hines aftermarket on it, and looking at the EX500 forum I can't find anyone recommending it who doesn't sound subliterate or isn't buying it solely because it's loud. So is exhaust (and the popular EX500 airbox mod of drilling it open slightly) the first step before getting all the rest of the system into place? 2) Valves come next? You do the valves before adjusting the carbs, right? But I should clean the carbs and put in new sparkplugs prior to the valve job? 3) Putting the carbs at the right setting by messing with the two screws on each of them. 4) Synching the carbs, last thing to do before it's done? Speaking of which, what is the term for the whole exhaust/valves/carbs system and setting it proper? It's not just a "tune up" is it?
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Feb 17, 2013 17:52
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TapTheForwardAssist posted:Just making sure I get the order right for tweaking this '91 Ninja 500: quote:2) Valves come next? You do the valves before adjusting the carbs, right? But I should clean the carbs and put in new sparkplugs prior to the valve job? quote:3) Putting the carbs at the right setting by messing with the two screws on each of them. quote:4) Synching the carbs, last thing to do before it's done? Speaking of which, what is the term for the whole exhaust/valves/carbs system and setting it proper? It's not just a "tune up" is it? Edit: It's also more important that you're up to date on all your fluid changes (oil, brake fluid, fork oil) than any of the above. High Protein fucked around with this message at 18:33 on Feb 17, 2013 |
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Feb 17, 2013 18:31
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ThatCguy posted:Way too cramped, it's like a compromise between a sport riding position up top and a halfass mid 80's standard for the pegs. It's almost as if the bike was built for a 5'2 Japanese guy in 1984. Funny anecdote, but out of the three Japanese guys I'm friends with, two of them are above 6'6", and the other is my height (~5'10"). The only Japanese people that are actually commonly that short are ones born before the 1960's, when western-style foods became more common there - most younger Japanese are about the same height as Americans.
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Feb 17, 2013 20:05
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HotCanadianChick posted:Funny anecdote, but out of the three Japanese guys I'm friends with, two of them are above 6'6", and the other is my height (~5'10"). The only Japanese people that are actually commonly that short are ones born before the 1960's, when western-style foods became more common there - most younger Japanese are about the same height as Americans. Not really, no. Old people are definitely shorter (very little calcium in the traditional Japanese diet) but people are still significantly shorter on average. I wear a 10.5 shoe and that's effectively where the normal sizes end at stores, and I still bonk my head on stuff at 6'1". echomadman posted:Drum or disk brakes? Disc, thanks!
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Feb 17, 2013 23:47
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