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Shelvocke posted:That sounds like an insanely cool job. Best/worst moments? Was a volunteer for a few months (got not-so-busy with my Thai course the last few months, was looking for ways to level up my speaking), at a precinct in Bangkok that gets a lot of tourists/foreigners. There's actually special Tourist Police that can speak English/other languages, but for whatever reason some people went to the normal police, and rather than referring them to the tourist police, I guess they wanted the ability to handle things in-house. The vast majority of it was just helping people who had lost/had things stolen file a police report for an insurance claim. Best: probably just the feeling of being able to help someone out. Had some interesting cases, like a whodunnit involving a pilot from Seychelles ordering room service, passing out, and having a few hundred euros disappear from his room. Also a guy who was on his hotel balcony and had a woman on the street holla at him, he invited her up for a drink and she spiked his beer with a horse tranquilizer (this isn't exactly unheard of). He woke up 12 hours later barely coherent, if she'd used two he probably wouldn't have woken up at all. They wanted to use me for a sting on some ladyboy pickpockets, but my time there came to an end before they put it together. Most fun was probably ganging up with one of the cops and trolling some Euro-trash dude trying to file an obviously false report for the insurance money. Theoretically, the cops could have thrown him in jail for up to 30 days (and fined him a whopping $25), but they didn't want the hassle, just for the dude to gently caress off. Worst-but-became-better: Japanese lady in her early 70's came in, had been living with her (American) husband in Hawaii for decades, who was now overdue to return. She found out he was shacked up with a Thai lady in our precinct, so she was coming to get an official sorta police "we witnessed this" thing for the divorce papers. Our bilingual incident report form only covered lost/stolen belongings because that was like 98% of what we did, so when I was helping her fill it out, she gets to that blank and goes "hmm, husband?". I rode out to the apartment with her and the cop, we couldn't get in but were able to give her something that should have been fine for her purposes. It was really sad to see a marriage ending after so many years like that, but the lady's gentle sense of humor about the whole thing kept me from feeling too lovely. Some of the other volunteers caught some doozies; my German buddy had to translate for an African guy who had been bottled by his Thai girlfriend, and this Aussie missionary guy got kinda freaked out and backed out of interpreting for an Iranian who had just been caught with 500g of heroin at the airport.
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Jan 30, 2014 08:27
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Slavvy posted:There is a guy in my neighbourhood with a CBR250 that has all the fairings missing and a hollow can, he sounds like he's doing a million miles an hour just accelerating up to 50km/h. Sounds like my neighbors ninja 250. Bought a last gen in great shape and low miles then added neon lights, drilled out the exhaust and has recently removed the fairings. Every time he rides by and I'm outside he downshifts and revs the poo poo out of it. The bike is running like garbage and just sounds like poo poo. It was such a nice example before he got his hands on it.
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Jan 30, 2014 15:35
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NitroSpazzz posted:Sounds like my neighbors ninja 250. Bought a last gen in great shape and low miles then added neon lights, drilled out the exhaust and has recently removed the fairings. Every time he rides by and I'm outside he downshifts and revs the poo poo out of it. The bike is running like garbage and just sounds like poo poo. It was such a nice example before he got his hands on it. Look brah, can't make a beater out of a beater right? Stands to reason. 
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Jan 30, 2014 18:12
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I was lucky enough to grow up with neighbor who had one of those Ford encoline work vans, it ran like dog poo poo and was loud as hell. My neighbor was a working man so at 0500 every morning he started that thing up and half the time it woke me up. When I got my first bike I had the mufflers off to fix something and I thought the bike sounded awesome with no pipes, but then I remembered that neighbor and threw them right the gently caress back on. Because who wants to be that rear end in a top hat?
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Feb 2, 2014 02:17
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Richard Bong posted:Because who wants to be that rear end in a top hat? If my experience is anything to go on, "99.9% of people with modified vehicles"
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Feb 2, 2014 08:15
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I wanna ditch my yosh exhaust for an MRD on my DRZ, but I don't think I will because my neighbors would not appreciate race exhaust volume
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Feb 3, 2014 18:28
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Yerok posted:I wanna ditch my yosh exhaust for an MRD on my DRZ, but I don't think I will because my neighbors would not appreciate race exhaust volume 2008 Buell 1125r with a D&D exhaust (148 dbs). Just don't be riding wheelies near your own house (big mistake) and keep the revs down while in the hood and it's all good. I also have a Husqvarna sm610 with a custom Up-Tite exhaust with the arrestor removed. I have not had any trouble in my apartment complex as long as I'm not ripping full throttle until I'm down the road a ways. Incursus fucked around with this message at 21:25 on Feb 3, 2014 |
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Feb 3, 2014 21:23
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Incursus posted:2008 Buell 1125r with a D&D exhaust (148 dbs). Just don't be riding wheelies near your own house (big mistake) and keep the revs down while in the hood and it's all good. I also have a Husqvarna sm610 with a custom Up-Tite exhaust with the arrestor removed. I have not had any trouble in my apartment complex as long as I'm not ripping full throttle until I'm down the road a ways. I always thought my SM610's stock exhaust was loud. Either I'm a wuss, or I feel bad for your neighbors (I'm a wuss is the answer).
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Feb 3, 2014 21:36
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Incursus posted:2008 Buell 1125r with a D&D exhaust (148 dbs). Just don't be riding wheelies near your own house (big mistake) and keep the revs down while in the hood and it's all good. I also have a Husqvarna sm610 with a custom Up-Tite exhaust with the arrestor removed. I have not had any trouble in my apartment complex as long as I'm not ripping full throttle until I'm down the road a ways. I don't know how you ride that poo poo. My Yoshimura passes a 94dB test and I wouldn't want anything louder.
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Feb 4, 2014 02:35
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BlackMK4 posted:I don't know how you ride that poo poo. My Yoshimura passes a 94dB test and I wouldn't want anything louder. You ride with these specifically
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Feb 4, 2014 02:46
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Still damaging hearing after 1hr, best case. 
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Feb 4, 2014 03:01
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Sometimes I do, but usually a full face helmet is enough. I think decibel ratings are very subjective (pitch is different than volume). BlackMK4 posted:I don't know how you ride that poo poo. My Yoshimura passes a 94dB test and I wouldn't want anything louder. Both my bikes are loud, but it really isn't that bad as long as you are not hauling rear end around town. Most of my neighbors either ride Harleys, race supersport trackdays, or ride dirtbikes, so it normally isn't that big of a deal. One old lady actually approached me when I was loading my supermoto onto my trailer for a trackday and asked if I raced. I said no because I suck to bad. She laughed and said her nephew was Chase Guthrie (local supermoto champion). I just forget not all neighbors are all cool as mine.
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Feb 4, 2014 03:03
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The LA Road That Tricks Bad Motorcyclists Into Crashing: Stupid motorcycle related poo poo read in a magazine?
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Feb 4, 2014 03:30
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SimplyCosmic posted:The LA Road That Tricks Bad Motorcyclists Into Crashing: Stupid motorcycle related poo poo read in a magazine? Just a bunch of people making mistakes any rider is capable of doing.
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Feb 4, 2014 03:41
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That second video, the motorcyclist on bicyclist is some nasty target fixation. Looks painful.
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Feb 4, 2014 04:33
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Incursus posted:2008 Buell 1125r with a D&D exhaust (148 dbs). Just don't be riding wheelies near your own house (big mistake) and keep the revs down while in the hood and it's all good. I also have a Husqvarna sm610 with a custom Up-Tite exhaust with the arrestor removed. I have not had any trouble in my apartment complex as long as I'm not ripping full throttle until I'm down the road a ways. A JATO engine is 135 DB, and you blow your eardrums instantly at 160db. Methinks your bike isn't putting out 148db. Sorry.
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Feb 4, 2014 05:20
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Incursus posted:2008 Buell 1125r with a D&D exhaust (148 dbs). No, this is the same sound pressure as a turbojet engine in afterburner 100 feet away, or a Formula 1 car at full throttle right beside your head. Your motorcycle doesn't do that. e: ugh, teach me to jump on things without reading all the posts
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Feb 4, 2014 05:58
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Incursus posted:Just a bunch of people making mistakes any rider is capable of doing. Its the fact that EVERYONE hangs out there, takes your photo, takes video; you're being watched. You can go online and buy photos of yourself looking badass or whatever you're trying to do, so everyone tries to hotshot or lean extra and they eat poo poo. I ride pretty mellow and even I catch myself trying to lean a little extra tiptoeing outside of my comfort zone. Its just a bad mix of ego and social pressure. v  v
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Feb 4, 2014 18:32
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Great now I feel stupid. I remember reading the package for 12 gauge flashbang shells my buddy bought (unsure of legality). I actually can't find any info on what a D and D exhaust decibel rating is. Sorry for poisoning anyone's mind stupid enough to read what I post.
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Feb 4, 2014 19:27
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Minty Swagger posted:Its the fact that EVERYONE hangs out there, takes your photo, takes video; you're being watched. You can go online and buy photos of yourself looking badass or whatever you're trying to do, so everyone tries to hotshot or lean extra and they eat poo poo. I ride pretty mellow and even I catch myself trying to lean a little extra tiptoeing outside of my comfort zone. Its just a bad mix of ego and social pressure. v
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Feb 4, 2014 19:52
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Rev. Dr. Moses P. Lester posted:I'm sure that's most of the problem but I disagree with that guy's opinion that it's a totally normal easy turn. Having seen it once myself, it's a weird hairpin that goes off-camber on the exit. That's not normal and if you're having a "spirited" ride on it you'll probably be surprised by that. Are you saying that the guy who's dumb enough to shoot for "fastest rider up a open public road" is a lovely rider? WELL I NEVER
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Feb 4, 2014 19:54
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My favorite crash vid is the guy on the scooter: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GgKoXzbw13E - You can see his croc go bouncing off into oblivion down the side of the mountain 
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Feb 4, 2014 20:53
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Looks like his backpack catching on the rail is the only thing that stops him from following it.
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Feb 4, 2014 21:02
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That's only a difficult corner if you've never been to NZ. The quality of the paving alone puts it a cut above most of what I see on a daily basis; American roads look like bike paradise to me. All that delicious hot smooth tarmac and massively wide lanes.
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Feb 4, 2014 22:25
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Minty Swagger posted:My favorite crash vid is the guy on the scooter: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GgKoXzbw13E - You can see his croc go bouncing off into oblivion down the side of the mountain Gah... you see his knee scrape the pavement as he goes down, bad times. Also not putting your feet down in a corner like that is like rule #1 of riding a scooter. Although admittedly I did that often on rainy days when I was still in Taiwan.
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Feb 4, 2014 23:05
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Slavvy posted:That's only a difficult corner if you've never been to NZ. The quality of the paving alone puts it a cut above most of what I see on a daily basis; American roads look like bike paradise to me. All that delicious hot smooth tarmac and massively wide lanes. It depends heavily in where in the US you are. Up here in the Northeast the roads mostly used to be horse paths, the winters blast holes in the pavement a Honda could vanish into and there's neither time nor money between winters to fix them all. Sure, they're better roads than you'd find in the Ukraine, but they're hardly motorcycle prime. It's generally better the further west you go, since the roads were made for, you know, cars. Even then, though, it varies; Mulholland Drive is in a fairly swanky part of California, you get into the Central Valley and supposedly quite a lot of the roads are in disrepair.
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Feb 4, 2014 23:16
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Slavvy posted:The quality of the paving alone puts it a cut above most of what I see on a daily basis; American roads look like bike paradise to me. All that delicious hot smooth tarmac and massively wide lanes. If you want to keep that dream, then never go outside SoCal when you visit.
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Feb 4, 2014 23:20
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Slavvy posted:American roads look like bike paradise to me. All that delicious hot smooth tarmac and massively wide lanes. It depends where in the US you are riding. A lot of roads around here have potholes that you could disappear into.
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Feb 4, 2014 23:47
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Never go outside NorCal, actually. I was considering a dual sport simply so I wouldn't lose a wheel in La Jolla.
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Feb 4, 2014 23:48
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Snowdens Secret posted:Even then, though, it varies; Mulholland Drive is in a fairly swanky part of California, Hell that varies too - last time I drove Mulholland between 405 and 101 I was shocked at how bad it was... I was swerving a lot to avoid blowing a tire in potholes. The Snake area of Mulholland further North seems to be in good condition judging by rnickeymouse videos. A lot of the roads and highways in LA are pretty bad - they're old roads getting far more traffic than ever imagined when they were put down. That's why as much as the eternal construction/detours suck I really can't be mad at it like some people I hear... We need it badly. They've redone a ton of Angeles Crest/2 and it's super nice to ride - can't recommend it enough.
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Feb 4, 2014 23:59
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What are American roads made out of? Here, you get tarmac for the major motorways, ramps and a small percentage of other roads, as well as industrial areas because of trucks. Everywhere else (in the north island, anyway) is this very coarse volcanic chip, roughly the same sized stones as gravel, laid down over bare tar and then sprayed down with tar over the top. It's a really rough and non-resilient surface but it doesn't develop sheer-sided potholes. It's sort of like butter or cheese; when you press down hard enough it creates a smooth dent that doesn't spring back. So in the country the roads are constantly undulating, have all sorts of bizarre corrugations, multiple camber changes on the same corner, stones that have come loose and left a glass-like bald patch and it's compounded by every road being built on old logging/farming bush tracks. So there are literally roads that have hairpins to avoid one rock, or one big tree, or the side of a small hill or whatever. It's extremely fun in a car, but pretty miserable on most bikes.
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Feb 5, 2014 01:09
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American roads vary greatly from state to state. It all depends on what compound and level of maintenance the city (or county) decides to put towards roads. While certain major cities will have immaculate beautiful roads, others in another state with the same funding will choose to put that money towards something else. Also, America has many different climates, so that depends on alot as well. For instance, if your roads get plowed every snow storm, your roads are gonna be poo poo. If you live in the south or west coast, your roads will generally be much nicer and well maintained. This isn't the case in all areas, but it's generally true.
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Feb 5, 2014 01:35
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Slavvy posted:What are American roads made out of? Here, you get tarmac for the major motorways, ramps and a small percentage of other roads, as well as industrial areas because of trucks. Everywhere else (in the north island, anyway) is this very coarse volcanic chip, roughly the same sized stones as gravel, laid down over bare tar and then sprayed down with tar over the top. It's a really rough and non-resilient surface but it doesn't develop sheer-sided potholes. It's sort of like butter or cheese; when you press down hard enough it creates a smooth dent that doesn't spring back. So in the country the roads are constantly undulating, have all sorts of bizarre corrugations, multiple camber changes on the same corner, stones that have come loose and left a glass-like bald patch and it's compounded by every road being built on old logging/farming bush tracks. So there are literally roads that have hairpins to avoid one rock, or one big tree, or the side of a small hill or whatever. Kentucky roads are pretty badass so we got that going for us, which is nice. We have mostly asphalt and it gets redone every few years. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLH5pJnMSfo Unfortunately I just found out Saturday that they patched a lot of this road really poorly. Overall the roads are pretty good but there are always bits that are patched or cracked, but numbered roads are redone often enough that it's no big deal. Quality drops off once you leave numbered roads but as compared to what you describe they're still pretty great. Here are some roads that were fairly rural but still badass that I rode this fall. Smooth, good road surface, good camber, open and easy to see. Not a bit of gravel to be see. All are around here: http://goo.gl/maps/pRMsW   
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Feb 5, 2014 01:36
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Slavvy posted:Everywhere else (in the north island, anyway) is this very coarse volcanic chip, roughly the same sized stones as gravel, laid down over bare tar and then sprayed down with tar over the top. It's a really rough and non-resilient surface but it doesn't develop sheer-sided potholes. It's sort of like butter or cheese; when you press down hard enough it creates a smooth dent that doesn't spring back. So in the country the roads are constantly undulating, have all sorts of bizarre corrugations, multiple camber changes on the same corner, stones that have come loose and left a glass-like bald patch and it's compounded by every road being built on old logging/farming bush tracks. So there are literally roads that have hairpins to avoid one rock, or one big tree, or the side of a small hill or whatever. That's called chipsealing, it's not nearly as common in the US as it in in Aus/NZ, but we do have it, at least according to Wikipedia. There are plenty of places where traffic, uncooperative weather and neglect have worn grooves in the pavement, though. The worst cases are usually where you have high traffic coming to a stoplight, as it's worn perpendicular ridges in the road and on a bike when you're on the brakes and putting weight forward it wants to hop your rear wheel up and down real bad. I stalled my bike on Constitution Ave in DC in traffic doing that (one of the worst cases I've seen) because the wheel lost contact with the road and I inadvertently locked it with the rear brake.
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Feb 5, 2014 01:40
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After setting up the preload etc on my ZX10 I've never seen that little cable tie move past where it does under insane braking. Except once, when I was fooling around near the airport and there was a country road that was perfectly straight down a slight hill, then did a very positively cambered 90 degree bend up a hill. I discovered to my dismay that right in the stretch of road where I wanted to really clamp down on the brakes, there was some absolutely brutal corrugation that you couldn't see until you were on top of it. After that the cable tie was a couple of mm from touching the lower. It felt like the bike was trying to break my arms and take my anal virginity at the same time.
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Feb 5, 2014 03:20
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Incursus posted:American roads vary greatly from state to state. It all depends on what compound and level of maintenance the city (or county) decides to put towards roads. While certain major cities will have immaculate beautiful roads, others in another state with the same funding will choose to put that money towards something else. Also, America has many different climates, so that depends on alot as well. For instance, if your roads get plowed every snow storm, your roads are gonna be poo poo. If you live in the south or west coast, your roads will generally be much nicer and well maintained. This isn't the case in all areas, but it's generally true. poo poo, it's county to county. Enjoy jumping from Pierce to King County on I-5!
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Feb 5, 2014 04:37
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Pope Mobile posted:poo poo, it's county to county. Enjoy jumping from Pierce to King County on I-5! Take 405 instead and enjoy about a mile of delectable rubberized asphalt! Here in the US, at least where I happen to live, chipsealing is mostly a cheap way of 'repairing' regular asphalt roads. So once the flexible chipsealed layer gives out, it's just another layer of jagged edges around the underlying pothole, which may or may not have had some extra gravel tossed into it first. Also the added fun of loose rocks and globs of tar-mess when it's freshly applied. hailthefish fucked around with this message at 10:22 on Feb 5, 2014 |
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Feb 5, 2014 10:12
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Slavvy posted:What are American roads made out of? Here, you get tarmac for the major motorways, ramps and a small percentage of other roads, as well as industrial areas because of trucks. Everywhere else (in the north island, anyway) is this very coarse volcanic chip, roughly the same sized stones as gravel, laid down over bare tar and then sprayed down with tar over the top. It's a really rough and non-resilient surface but it doesn't develop sheer-sided potholes. It's sort of like butter or cheese; when you press down hard enough it creates a smooth dent that doesn't spring back. So in the country the roads are constantly undulating, have all sorts of bizarre corrugations, multiple camber changes on the same corner, stones that have come loose and left a glass-like bald patch and it's compounded by every road being built on old logging/farming bush tracks. So there are literally roads that have hairpins to avoid one rock, or one big tree, or the side of a small hill or whatever. I know you're describing your motorcycle hell, but it sounds like supermoto heaven to me. Have you thought about putting 17 inch wheels on that red dirt bike of yours?
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Feb 5, 2014 10:33
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It isn't hell, the surface varies road by road, or even stretch to stretch on the same road. Problem is, the poo poo ones are the ones near my house  I've wanted a supermoto for ages for this exact reason.
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Feb 5, 2014 10:45
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Bad roads? Y'all need more socialism in that there parts. 
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Feb 5, 2014 13:47
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