|
americanzero4128 posted:Jesus, I wish it was that cheap for me. I was quoted something like $180 for the front and $230 for the rear on my Shadow 1100, not including $65 per tire to have them mounted. Honestly I just looked up the price of some random pr2's on revzilla. Seemed about right, I'd expect to pay roughly the same number in £ for the same tires.
|
#
?
Jul 11, 2013 17:04
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 21, 2024 23:57 |
|
|
slidebite posted:You can put luggage on virtually anything and make it a suitable camping rig and commuting device. 25-30mpg getting, rock hard seat having, high rpm buzzing, drag bike reporting for duty.  americanzero4128 posted:Jesus, I wish it was that cheap for me. I was quoted something like $180 for the front and $230 for the rear on my Shadow 1100, not including $65 per tire to have them mounted. Honda House is probably the only not-poo poo Honda dealer in the area as far as the service dept. goes, but they're still a dealership and so labor rates are astronomical. For tires I typically shop for deals online when I know they're coming due. Seems like once a quarter or so somebody (revzilla, motorcyclesuperstore, etc) ends up having a huge tire sale. When they pop up then I'll buy. As far as installing I just found Rubber Soul Motorsports in Schaumburg for my last set. They were $105 to install the pair. They really bent over backwards to fit me into their schedule too, I can't recommend them enough. I gave a shout out in the ChiCAgoons thread too. :edit: They should sell tires too, may want to give them a call and see what they have. Halo_4am fucked around with this message at 19:19 on Jul 11, 2013 |
|
#
?
Jul 11, 2013 17:32
|
|
|
americanzero4128 posted:Jesus, I wish it was that cheap for me. I was quoted something like $180 for the front and $230 for the rear on my Shadow 1100, not including $65 per tire to have them mounted. In my experience, a lot of places have pretty negotiable prices on tires. I think it's kind of garbage to have to negotiate that sort of thing, but for me "so and so has these for $x less than what you're asking. if you can beat that price, you'll save me the cross town trip" or something to that effect seems to work. I've also bought from motorcycle-superstore on sale and had them mounted at one of their preferred installers. My vstar's Metzeler ME880s were about $360, mounting included.
|
|
#
?
Jul 11, 2013 18:54
|
|
|
dogpower posted:Yeah I think you're right. I've been looking at sport touring bikes and they look more like high powered street racing bikes. The insurance I would have to pay to ride those here in BC would probably be insane. I'm a relative bike newbie (except for some off road screwing around years ago), but got myself a BMW F800 GT (BMW's newest Sport Tourer) after test driving a handful of Hondas and Kawasakis. Seating position is really comfortable (doesn't feel like you are doing push ups), and the bike handles really easily. If you are tall you might want to get an after market windscreen if the wind bothers you, but other than that there really isn't much to sniff at. I think it looks pretty drat good as well.
|
|
#
?
Jul 11, 2013 19:27
|
|
|
Halo_4am posted:As far as installing I just found Rubber Soul Motorsports in Schaumburg for my last set. They were $105 to install the pair. They really bent over backwards to fit me into their schedule too, I can't recommend them enough. Do they mount and install on your bike? As in, remove the wheels from the bike and take off the tires and then re-mount the wheels and dick with the chain tensioners and all that malarkey? Because I have a feeling that I would ride to Schaumburg and pay 100 bucks so I don't have to smell tire mounting lube ever again.
|
|
#
?
Jul 11, 2013 22:21
|
|
|
Safety Dance posted:The look like high powered street racing bikes because of all the plastic, which just makes them more aerodynamic and comfortable. If you compare the seating position and power numbers, you'll find that the sport touring segment is a lot more upright and conservative than the sport or supersport segment. Thanks for the knowledge bomb. I probably eventually want to drive down from Canada to South America. In that case, the Suzuki V-strom is something that entices me. I'll mostly be on the road, but I would like the opportunity to also go off road if I need to. The Suzuki V-strom looks a bit sporty and comfy for long distance, but can also go off road I think. I looked at other dual purpose bikes and they look uncomfortable as hell.
|
|
#
?
Jul 11, 2013 22:44
|
|
|
Bigger dualsport bikes (like KLR650, DR650) are actually pretty dang comfortable. You get a nice roomy space to be on top of it, upright natural riding position, soft suspension, and the street manners are generally pretty relaxed. Also, if you see a Ulysses in your budget, sit on it. They're 1000% better than stroms.
|
|
#
?
Jul 11, 2013 22:51
|
|
|
dogpower posted:Thanks for the knowledge bomb. Well it can go off road when you push it over a cliff before getting a better bike  Seriously if you're talking about that sort of distance (and presumably meaning to go off-road through the Darien Gap rather than getting a ferry) you'll be much better served getting a cheap, easily-maintained bike than a modern dual-sport. I'd genuinely rather take a 30-year-old MZ and a good toolkit on that sort of trip than a fuel-injected, electronic-everything, 250kg bike designed for suburban dentists who want to look like Ewan McGregor.
|
|
#
?
Jul 11, 2013 22:56
|
|
|
captainOrbital posted:Do they mount and install on your bike? As in, remove the wheels from the bike and take off the tires and then re-mount the wheels and dick with the chain tensioners and all that malarkey? Because I have a feeling that I would ride to Schaumburg and pay 100 bucks so I don't have to smell tire mounting lube ever again. Ride in. Chat about bikes. Ride out. Everything balanced and disposed of etc. Racers Cafe in St. Charles does that too and for a similar price point, but they're usually booked out a few weeks.
|
|
#
?
Jul 11, 2013 23:47
|
|
|
goddamnedtwisto posted:Well it can go off road when you push it over a cliff before getting a better bike Ho-ho-hoooly poo poo, Darien Gap is nigh-impassible to serious dirt riders and support teams in 4x4s. It'll eat a
|
|
#
?
Jul 12, 2013 03:19
|
|
|
Safety Dance posted:Ho-ho-hoooly poo poo, Darien Gap is nigh-impassible to serious dirt riders and support teams in 4x4s. It'll eat a I was hoping to put my bike on a ferry and bypass that route. I heard it was dangerous anyways with the FARC or narcotic gangs and what not. So I can't go wrong between a KLR or DR 650? The majority of my time will be on the roads and highways so I'm leaning to the KLR. I'm also 5'8 so I'm worried about height issues. I also got bored pretty fast with my GS suzuki 500 in terms of speed and power, so I'm hoping that either bike can keep me interested. I will probably rent and try them the both of them out. BMWs and KTMs seem out of my price range, and seem expensive to also maintain. http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/164/1442/Motorcycle-Article/2008-Kawasaki-KLR650-Comparison.aspx This article seems to rate KLR a teensy bit preferred over the DR 650 for long treks. dogpower fucked around with this message at 03:44 on Jul 12, 2013 |
|
#
?
Jul 12, 2013 03:41
|
|
|
dogpower posted:I was hoping to put my bike on a ferry and bypass that route. KLRs are bulletproof. They're not super powerful (coming in around 35hp stock?), but mine still lifted the front wheel occasionally. There are people shorter than you who ride KLRs; you just have to get used to only putting one foot down when you stop.
|
|
#
?
Jul 12, 2013 03:46
|
|
|
Yeah you'll get used to a tall seat. Outside of new riders, I don't really understand the obsession with saddle height.
|
|
#
?
Jul 12, 2013 16:20
|
|
|
Should I go look at this? http://kansascity.craigslist.org/mcy/3930841887.html gpz 900, not sure what year, for $1000. Says he has the fender.
|
|
#
?
Jul 12, 2013 16:49
|
|
|
Schools in KC aren't great, are they? It looks like a $500 fixer-upper at best if it comes with a title. $1000 is too much.
|
|
#
?
Jul 12, 2013 17:48
|
|
|
clutchpuck posted:Schools in KC aren't great, are they? It comes with a title, and he says it runs. I'm going to go see what sort of shape it's in, KBB says it $1220 trade-in or $2000 retail for the earliest year.
|
|
#
?
Jul 12, 2013 18:27
|
|
|
Dutymode posted:Should I go look at this? Those old Kwakis (at least the 750 & the 900) have problems with the valve seats (1985 and older bikes, IIRC), they tend to leak at the exhaust valves and the symptoms are hard starting and lovely idling. The stock cam chain tensioner is junk and it's probably shot by now as well, you'll hear the death rattle as soon as you start it up, but it's usually more pronounced at deceleration.
|
|
#
?
Jul 14, 2013 19:30
|
|
|
Well it was complete poo poo anyway. It didn't start, the air filter was gone, the tank was beat up and rusted inside. And he didn't have the title.
|
|
#
?
Jul 15, 2013 18:36
|
|
|
Dutymode posted:Well it was complete poo poo anyway. It didn't start, the air filter was gone, the tank was beat up and rusted inside. And he didn't have the title. In other words, a bike being sold on Craigslist.
|
|
#
?
Jul 15, 2013 19:23
|
|
|
"Very Good Condition, Clean Title"
|
|
#
?
Jul 15, 2013 19:25
|
|
|
nsaP posted:I got a set of PR3s on with about 7500 miles on them that I think will make it to 10. Welp.   At ~8000 now the water sipes in the center are gone on half the tire, and the center tread is getting close to gone. I just noticed this on my ride yesterday and I'm kinda bummed cause I really thought they'd get to 10k, they barely have a flat spot to them and it seemed like there was decent tread left in the center. They might still make it to 10k depending how cheap I am and how long I let them go....
|
|
#
?
Jul 15, 2013 19:33
|
|
|
You'll be showing belts soon. That's the thing that suck about bikes with no aggressive center tread, it's hard to tell how long they have left.
|
|
#
?
Jul 15, 2013 20:00
|
|
|
nsaP posted:Welp. 
|
|
#
?
Jul 15, 2013 20:23
|
|
|
Yeah, 8k was high miles at one point but other people have done more on them so instead of being happy with 8k I'm wondering why I didn't get more. Sure you'll get less on a Connie, but it weighs at least 200 lbs more than my bike without the rider, and makes more torque than I make horsepower. I have a fairly weak 600 and I try to be smooth on the throttle so I was hoping to squeeze a bit more. I guess there's also the possibility that people claiming 12-15k are full of poo poo or didn't measure accurately. edit: Some of those claims might have been PR2s actually, maybe there's a significant difference in the rubber? I thought it was mainly the tread pattern from what I remember. Just saw a guy on the fz6 forum claim 10250 on a FZ1 rear so I dunno wtf. nsaP fucked around with this message at 20:44 on Jul 15, 2013 |
|
#
?
Jul 15, 2013 20:35
|
|
|
I got 10k miles out of my PR2s before they picked up an irreparable puncture and needed to be replaced at the end of May. Pretty sure I wasn't counting wrong, too. I've been on PR3s for the last... 6,000 miles and I definitely have a lot more miles left on them. What size is that? I feel like the 180 width tires I use on the Ulysses are intended for a lot more bike (both weight and power) so the tires tend to last a while for me. If you have really abrasive road surface in your area, that might be a factor.
|
|
#
?
Jul 15, 2013 21:14
|
|
|
clutchpuck posted:I got 10k miles out of my PR2s before they picked up an irreparable puncture and needed to be replaced at the end of May. Pretty sure I wasn't counting wrong, too. I've been on PR3s for the last... 6,000 miles and I definitely have a lot more miles left on them. Yeah. Most non-motorway roads in NZ are coarse volcanic chip which is really, really abrasive compared to nice smooth tarmac. I can't really speak for bike tyres but I know when I hosed around with cars, I would always get less life out of my tyres than people with comparable vehicles in countries with tarmac roads.
|
|
#
?
Jul 15, 2013 21:51
|
|
|
clutchpuck posted:If you have really abrasive road surface in your area, that might be a factor. There are a lot of factors that make anecdotal tire wear data nearly useless. Varying bike weight, rider weight, road surface, riding style, weather conditions, etc. I got 3k miles out of my Metzler Racetecs, mostly spring/autumn city riding, and they looked fine. A 1k-mile trip in 100+F weather at highway supercruise (hot enough for my boot soles to stick to the tarmac if I kept a foot down too long) and it looked like I'd attacked the centerlines with a belt sander.
|
|
#
?
Jul 15, 2013 21:54
|
|
|
My PR3s have about 6000 miles, with pretty a good wear pattern, on 100+ degree ambient temp slab similar to: (photo taken near Area 51) I only got the rear tire's fuzzy bits worn off the side of the profile after I got home and spent a couple weeks commuting. I understand some folks tend to air down their tires for "handling" too, which will eat the tread a lot faster than if they're close to max pressure.
|
|
#
?
Jul 15, 2013 23:17
|
|
|
The single biggest difference I noticed on tire life was PSI. Bumo the rear to 38-40 and you'll get significantly more life out of it. My takeoffs would go from 3k or less to 5k with a 6-8 psi increase.
|
|
#
?
Jul 15, 2013 23:28
|
|
|
I run the recommended 33/36 and check them pretty religiously (i.e. before any spirited ride and even every other commute/riding to a friend's house). What's the feeling difference you get from running 38-40 rear? Clutchpuck: They're 180/55-17. Also I thought the same about my PR3s at 6000 miles so I'm curious to see how yours work out. edit:  Found a few of those upon close inspection in the light, and most of the treads are at the wear mark so meh, guess I'm dropping some coin soon. I ride at a 'spirited pace' I guess they say but other than that I don't see myself doing what y'all are saying can wear them quicker. nsaP fucked around with this message at 00:02 on Jul 16, 2013 |
|
#
?
Jul 15, 2013 23:36
|
|
|
clutchpuck posted:My PR3s have about 6000 miles, with pretty a good wear pattern, on 100+ degree ambient temp slab similar to: That's actually why the last set I bought were PR3s. They're proving more than sticky enough for my spirited riding. Getting 4k out of a set of Racetecs is apparently some sort of old country miracle.
|
|
#
?
Jul 16, 2013 00:00
|
|
|
nsaP posted:I run the recommended 33/36 and check them pretty religiously. What's the feeling difference you get from running 38-40 rear? I did some experimenting with pressure in my PR3s before taking them on the big trip - they run louder, hotter, and rougher with less pressure. I can't really find the edge of traction on them (without risking my license) regardless of pressure and I like a smoother bike so I run 40psi. Higher pressure tires seem to get affected by ruts and grooves a little less, too.
|
|
#
?
Jul 16, 2013 00:10
|
|
|
Don't forget PSI rises 5-10 when hot.
|
|
#
?
Jul 16, 2013 00:28
|
|
|
Yeah, those pressure are on the sticker for my weight and measured before it moves out of my ~70 degree max garage. I've compared multiple types of tire gauge as well to try to get the most accurate, I'm not going off the lovely gauges on the air pumps.
|
|
#
?
Jul 16, 2013 00:38
|
|
|
I'm Australian, about to buy his first bike. Over here, for at least a year after you get your bike license, you can only ride bikes from an approved list, which tend to be quite sensible little numbers (though you can still legally jump on a Ninja 650 with about six hours of riding experience and off you go, so it does defeat the purpose a little for the determinedly stupid). The vast majority of widely available bikes 600cc or under are on the list. Anyway, I have no desire for a powerful first bike, and every bike I've even come close to looking at has been learner-approved, so no biggie there. I have a nice car, and a pretty reasonable budget (I won't put a hard cap on what I'm willing to spend on a bike, but nothing I've looked at has been out of my price range new, and I'll probably buy slightly used, so I can't see that being a huge problem), and I want a bike for the joy of riding and not for any specific practical purpose. It'll get ridden to and from uni a lot, so whatever I get will be fitted with some kind of storage space for books. I live in a large-ish city. What I want out of my first bike is very, very simple: 1) I want to learn to ride well That's pretty much it. Looking cool comes a distant second, but isn't a total non-factor I suppose. I'm looking at the Honda CBR250R, Ninja 250R and 300ABS, Suzuki Inazuma 250, and I really like the idea of a Virago 250, but I doubt a cruiser, while perfectly fine I suppose, isn't the way to go if my goal is mastery of motorcycling as a skillset. I know I'm looking at the right kinds of bikes as a newbie. If anything, while a fully fared sports bike has serious appeal, I'm leaning towards something quite universal like the Inazuma. What I want to know is, given my limited knowledge of bikes, are there models out there which are widely recognised as being perfect for beginners who just want to get good at riding bikes for pleasure that I might be overlooking?
|
|
#
?
Jul 16, 2013 02:20
|
|
|
Smudgie Buggler posted:I'm Australian, about to buy his first bike. Over here, for at least a year after you get your bike license, you can only ride bikes from an approved list, which tend to be quite sensible little numbers (though you can still legally jump on a Ninja 650 with about six hours of riding experience and off you go, so it does defeat the purpose a little for the determinedly stupid). The vast majority of widely available bikes 600cc or under are on the list. Ninja 250/300, pack your bags. The ninja looks like a full-faired sports, and I guess the CBR250 does too, but the riding position and experience are basically identical to the Inazuma, just with less wind. Seeing as you're in oz it might be worthwhile to check out a LAMS-limited Hyosung GT650R. Still a semi-standard riding position and forgiving handling, engine and so on, but with suspension, brakes and equipment levels a definite cut above the 250 crop. Plus you can later get the ECU redone to the full power version, which will let you squeeze a bit more life out of the bike than you would a 250 (usually they're flicked as soon as your learner period is over). That being said, they're fairly (not unmanageably) heavy and perceived as somehow being inferior to a Japanese bike. Also, the LAMS ninja 650 is not remotely a sports bike and won't kill you, they're really quite slow. Honorable mentions to the LAMS Sv650 (I don't know if they still sell them over there, in NZ they do).
|
|
#
?
Jul 16, 2013 02:26
|
|
|
The Ninja 250 is the go-to over here in the states because there's a bazillion of them available on the used market. I have no idea if that's true of Aus. I'd go with whatever (of those you listed) that's easy to find and comfortable.
|
|
#
?
Jul 16, 2013 04:05
|
|
|
clutchpuck posted:I did some experimenting with pressure in my PR3s before taking them on the big trip - they run louder, hotter, and rougher with less pressure. I can't really find the edge of traction on them (without risking my license) regardless of pressure and I like a smoother bike so I run 40psi. Higher pressure tires seem to get affected by ruts and grooves a little less, too. Have a care with this, though. Car analogy, yes, but here's my input: took my car's tires from the recommended 33 psi to 45 on a whim. Improved handling, etc, pretty much like you say. And then it rained, and I was doing involuntary powerslides around corners.
|
|
#
?
Jul 16, 2013 04:56
|
|
|
TheNothingNew posted:Have a care with this, though. Car analogy, yes, but here's my input: took my car's tires from the recommended 33 psi to 45 on a whim. Improved handling, etc, pretty much like you say. And then it rained, and I was doing involuntary powerslides around corners. Eh, bike tires don't really react the same way to rain that car tires do - sure, there's less grip, but more contact patch isn't always an advantage, having a smaller contact patch can help you drop through the standing water rather than floating on top of it. Sort of the same concept behind rally cars running really skinny tires in the snow. I know some people who boost tire pressures in the wet to get better grip and feel. nsaP, +2 to +4 PSI might help you in the long run to get another thousand or 2k miles out of the tires. I find that different tires respond differently, my pirelli street tires loved high pressures, with the PR2s I've got I tend to run them around 38 and like the feel and feedback. Experiment and figure out what makes you happy.
|
|
#
?
Jul 16, 2013 06:44
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 21, 2024 23:57 |
|
|
Somebody talk me out of buying a 10 year old superbike. I'm in the market for a new ride, budget 7-8000 (in Australia), and based on the bikes I've ridden, I want something with lots of torque through the rev range, not too much weight and decent suspension as I intend to get to the track this coming spring. I've spent some time on the late model Hornet 600, a 100hp I4 'tuned for midrange', and honestly the engine felt a bit lacking until the revs get up a bit. Not lacking in absolute power, but compared to whats available at high revs, the midrange feels a bit weak. I like the power delivery of a twin, but there really isn't that much that appeals available in my price range, certainly not as appealing as the 2002-3 R1 or CBR. Somebody tell me why I shouldn't get a CBR954, R1 or maybe a 929?
|
|
#
?
Jul 16, 2013 13:07
|
|