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I could graduate to a real old mans bike, a VFR800! I am a bit of a Honda fanboy too.
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Mar 11, 2016 00:00
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Atomic Hotdog posted:http://dallas.craigslist.org/ftw/mcy/5480563538.html
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Mar 11, 2016 00:10
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Rev. Dr. Moses P. Lester posted:Since no one said it, I'll say it. CX500/GL500s are some of the worst bikes ever made. Even before twits like that get near them with a grinding wheel and matte paint. Don't get one of those bikes. But but but but sweet cafes brah Literally the first hit for search term "plastic maggot."
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Mar 11, 2016 00:24
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HenryJLittlefinger posted:What's the standard donor for suspension swaps on an EX500? Some guys like the SV650 rear shock/spring assembly, others have used the Ninja250R shock from the latest 250 generation. I'm probably going to end up just re-springing both ends of the bike instead of mucking about with swapping forks and whatnot. I know there's a couple front-end swaps you can do but I'm not sure what they are.
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Mar 11, 2016 01:24
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PaintVagrant posted:gs500f, is it a decent beginner bike? Low seat is appealing as I am 5'6". I assume ninja 500r is a similar bike?~40 hp sounds good. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRFyw57o_Ic PaintVagrant posted:I am seriously old at 36. Been wanting to ride for 20 years, I used to buy those awesome 10 dollar UK squid mags in high school and daydream a lot about sport bikes. Don't worry, going 25 will feel like going Lorenzo (  ) speeds to you at first. Eventually you'll become so jaded that you start thinking about adding a turbo to your superduke but that won't be for at least a few weeks.
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Mar 11, 2016 02:00
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builds character posted:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRFyw57o_Ic Haha, that rules! Thats a real (short) man
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Mar 11, 2016 03:17
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PaintVagrant posted:gs500f, is it a decent beginner bike? Low seat is appealing as I am 5'6". I assume ninja 500r is a similar bike?~40 hp sounds good. This should tell you all you need to know: http://youtu.be/jaOBzTJB7yc
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Mar 11, 2016 03:17
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builds character posted:Don't worry, going 25 will feel like going Lorenzo ( Sometimes I wish I could be taking the MSF all over again, remembering that first time I really opened the throttle on my little TW200 and it felt like a loving hyperdrive. I've noticed the feeling comes back if you've been away without riding for like a month, but it fades pretty rapidly. Pushing closer and closer to the ground in tight turns is a pretty good substitute that hasn't worn off yet.
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Mar 11, 2016 03:42
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Hello friends, I just passed California MSF-equivalent course and want to upgrade from my Kawasaki Eliminator (125 cc, 12 hp). I rode around on it for a 30-40 hours, which is the extent of my experience aside from the course. My issue with it is that it starts really slow, even compared to commuter sedans, and its top speed is 55mph. My neighbor is selling his Yamaha V-Star 650 (40 hp). He modded it with a large touring seat (passenger back rest and all), flat foot rests instead of pegs, and a windshield. I am not sure how many miles it has yet, but I recall he wanted around 4k for it. I would like your words of wisdom on this bike for a beginner.
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Mar 11, 2016 06:02
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Yeah, it'll be fine.
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Mar 11, 2016 06:21
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I don't know what a fair price is (year?) but a 650cc cruiser won't be any problem for your level of experience. It'll be a lot heavier than your 125, though, so be ready for that.
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Mar 11, 2016 07:16
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Just putting some thoughts down and maybe some goons can give me a sanity check. I started out with a 250 Ninja as my first bike about 6 years ago. I loved the economy, I loved just being able to rev the nuts off it and go. It was good enough that I could take my wife on the back no problem. The only problem I had with it was that it sounded like rear end in its default cruising speed/rev position. That, and though it was a nice bike, it definitely felt cheaply made. I got rid of it about 3 years ago and got a Honda VTR1000F (depending on which part of the world you're in, you might know it as a Firestorm or Superhawk). Probably not the wisest thing to go to a bike with 4x the displacement of my first bike but IDGAF. I could listen to that thing rumble all day and if it weren't for the fact that the riding position and weight make it physically fatiguing to do so, I would. That, and it has a hilariously short range. The power is something to behold, and I love just being able to leap away from the line and get away from all the cars effortlessly. It turns heads. It also runs hot. Like, really loving hot. As in, cook your nuts in hot weather hot. Its taken me 3 years to realise that what I've done is take a weekend warrior fun bike and press ganged it into commuter duty. I've got nobody but myself to blame, but the love affair is coming to an end and now I'm looking to buy something that actually makes sense for what I actually use a motorcycle for, rather than what I'd like to use a motorcycle for. Since I'm too poor/cheap to have 2 bikes so I can have a dedicated commuter and a specialized weekend warrior, I'm looking for something that'll do double duty. Something that'll commute effortlessly but can be thrown around the corners on the weekend on the odd occasion I can get out and about to do it. I've also decided I want a naked bike. I've done the faired bike thing, and now I want something without. Only problem being that I hate a lot of the modern styled naked bikes and don't much care for cruiser style bikes. All the edge styling makes them look like wasps and it just does nothing for me. I started looking around and my eye kept getting drawn to the 70s era bikes like the CB750. The style appealed to me, but a walk through a dealership that sells bikes of that era was enough to convince me to stay away. While I love the style, I'm not a black thumb and don't really have the inclination to do what it takes to keep a 40+ year old motorcycle running. So after all that I came away with some criteria for the bike I'm after: Naked, with retro-ish 70s styling. Round headlights a must. No streetfighters, wasps or half sucked lozenge lights. Moderate displacement for lightness and better fuel economy. No more lugging a big bike around the petrol bowser every 150km. comfortable riding position Japanese Relatively modern (no older than 15 years old) Good for commuting but good enough for fanging on the weekends occasionally. After all that there was only a couple of options that I could think of. In fact, I could only think of two. The Suzuki GS500 and the Honda CB400. If anyone else has good suggestions that meet the above criteria I'd love to hear it (Not the CB 900 though. Too big). Both these bikes are Learner legal in my country and carry a bit of a stigma as a baby bike because of it. However, I've got my litrebike merit badge and I'm secure about the diameter of my testicles so I don't give a gently caress about that. After a while I dismissed the Suzuki. There's just something about the styling that doesn't sit right with me. I think its the frame making the engine look small and spindly in its cradle. That and it looks kinda cheap. I can't put my finger on any specific part, but there's just something about it. Possibly the exhaust profile and the swing arms being squared off or something. The back end is a bit bland compared to the CB400 in general. So that brought me to the CB400. This bike is a bit of an odd duck in my country and my skim reading of the internet suggests that its somewhat out of place globally in that I don't think its ordinarily available except in Australia, some parts of asia and in Japan. As I understand it, its very popular in Japan, largely due to the draconian licencing regulations for larger displacement bikes. Its learner legal here, and a larger displacement than the swath of 250 and 300cc learner legal bikes, but smaller than the increasing number of 500-600cc learner legal bikes that are turning up. Its also one of the most expensive learner bikes with the exception of the restricted street triple triumph, and a handful of others. So there's not that many of them around. I know I considered one when I was buying my first bike, but I dismissed it as too expensive. I couldn't justify several thousand dollars on top of what my Ninja cost. Plus, being a learner, I couldn't test ride any of the bikes I was interested in! I couldn't take a punt on a $10K bike only to find it was an unsuitable option. Anyway, the more I looked around the more I came back to the CB400 and I managed to find a dealer which had one and was happy to let me have a test ride. I rode my VTR down to the dealership today and checked it out. It was a hot and horribly humid day today and I was already tired and uncomfortable by the time I got there. The dealer lead me out to see a red and white, high mile example. The highest mileage I'd seen locally in fact. The first thing that surprised me was just how quiet it was. Seriously. I didn't even realize the thing was running when I came out until I was standing next to the thing... with my ear against the engine. I mean it, it was surreal. There wasn't any vibration in the engine or frame to give the game away. Anyway I threw my leg over and took off. I can only compare it to the VTR I'd just been riding but it was the most unusual sensation I'd had on a motorcycle. It's like it wasn't there at all. It was just so smooth, quiet and comfortable. Vibrationless even when I revved it up towards 10K rpm. It was just such a friggin weird experience compared not only to my current bike, but every other bike I've ridden. The fuelling was flawless, no jerkiness or sudden pops or dropoffs in power (the EFI probably helped), the seating position was brilliantly comfortable and while I must have ridden the thing for around an hour in the heat and humidity, when I came off I didn't feel any fatigue at all. It almost felt like it had 2 different engines in it. The first engine goes up to 6000 rpm and is good for slumming it, but if I'm in the mood for some speed, I just put it above 7000 and motored away. The pulling power was deceptive because aside from the indicator movement, wind noise and minor increase in engine note, you'd never know you were accelerating. The finish of the bike was as new, and while the previous owner obviously took care of it, its still an 8 year old bike but you'd never know it to look at it. It became apparent after a ride why the things are so expensive when new. Its an amazingly well put together bike and the engine is sewing machine smooth (and I mean that in a good way). I didn't realize it until very recently, but its a Vtec engine which is rather uncommon. I think only Honda does it, and the only bikes aside from the 400 are the VFR and now the NC700 series bikes. Honestly the only criticism I'd give it is that if there was ever a bike in desperate need of an aftermarket pipe, its this one. Has anyone else ridden one of these things? Am I just viewing it through rose tinted glasses? Or is it really as good as I think it is? Christ, I'm going to buy one aren't I?
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Mar 11, 2016 10:02
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PaintVagrant posted:I am seriously old at 36. Been wanting to ride for 20 years, I used to buy those awesome 10 dollar UK squid mags in high school and daydream a lot about sport bikes. As a fellow 36 year old with a dodgy back who owns an EX500, I say look into aftermarket bars or riser blocks. It made a world of difference for me. I'm 6'0", and at 5'6", you'd be leaned over more than I am.
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Mar 11, 2016 10:47
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So I was idly wondering what would be a good second bike to complement the V-Strom 1000 (which I haven't even received yet as Suzuki GB is out of stock apparently) I was thinking something cheap, fun and that I won't mind working on a lot to develop my wrenching skills when I saw this thing: That is a beautiful as gently caress black and pink bike that I would ride the poo poo out of. I'm not seriously considering anything except as a 'maybe, sometime in the future' thing but drat. So...how are Honda 1993 CBR600F F-1s for parts and reliability? Here's the ad for anyone in Eastern England that wants a cocaine-powered streak of pink lightning: http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201512019121772
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Mar 11, 2016 10:59
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darth cookie posted:
Hell, you've got me wanting one with all that. Go fill out the paperwork, you've been adopted 
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Mar 11, 2016 12:28
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Beach Bum posted:Hell, you've got me wanting one with all that. Noooo I can't. I have to get rid of my old bike first. Wife's orders. and also do my taxes first but meh
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Mar 11, 2016 12:34
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What about a 599?
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Mar 11, 2016 14:31
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darth cookie posted:Holy poo poo Sv650 is very needs suiting. V-twin, can be had in naked form, light, great power spread, Japanese, reliable, huuuuge aftermarket, etc etc etc It's the official goon bike for a reason Beve Stuscemi fucked around with this message at 14:35 on Mar 11, 2016 |
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Mar 11, 2016 14:32
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HenryJLittlefinger posted:What about a 599? A what? 1 google search later: Wikipedia indicates this is known as the cb600f in my part of the world, and unfortunately, except for the late 90s examples, they've all gone the way of the wasp in styling and have an incurable case of the uglies. That is a terrible shame because the mid 00 examples that were still being sold in the US with the old styling look amazing and would be a strong contender (or at least I can't find any examples after 2000 with the nice styling in my listings).  Jim Silly-Balls posted:Sv650 is very needs suiting. V-twin, light, great power spread, Japanese, reliable, huuuuge aftermarket, etc etc etc Sorry about the stream of consciousness wall of words. It was half post, half internet journal and all 'tism. Somehow this never made it to my list, which is weird because I know it exists. I've read rave reviews about it in multiple motrocycle magazines and yet somehow it completely slipped my mind. Unfortunately none are for sale in my local listings in the unfared configuration. I know I find the sv650s weird looking on the front end and perhaps I thought of the unfared version in the same terms as the gs500 for styling. Perhaps its because they have similar style frames and I don't much care for that. I might still check it out though if I can find one in the wild. The wiki paper stats suggest its very comparable in that its got almost identical power and weight, but significantly more torque. The later examples don't come with ABS as standard. The average price is lower too. Interesting. Carth Dookie fucked around with this message at 15:24 on Mar 11, 2016 |
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Mar 11, 2016 15:05
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darth cookie posted:<life story> My housemate has a CB400, he loves it, prefers it over his CBR600RR. That being said; I've ridden it. It's flickable, but you're going to HATE how gutless it is coming from a Firestorm. Like, seriously going to hate it. It's absolutely gutless down low, feeling less powerful than my old ZZR250 and takes until quite high in the rev range to get any decent form of power. Gutlessness aside they're pretty solid bikes. You probably wouldn't notice the power issue on a little around town ride, but once you're out on the highway and doing kinda longer trips on it it's a really glaring issue. Shimrod fucked around with this message at 15:09 on Mar 11, 2016 |
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Mar 11, 2016 15:06
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Shimrod posted:I've ridden it. It's flickable, but you're going to HATE how gutless it is coming from a Firestorm. Like, seriously going to hate it. It's absolutely gutless down low, feeling less powerful than my old ZZR250 and takes until quite high in the rev range to get any decent form of power. You'd think so, but no. Sure it doesn't push my eyeballs into the back of my head effortlessly the way the firestorm does, but I don't hate it by any means. Sure, you have to thrash it into the 5 digit rev range to get the maximum of its (still) modest power, but I kind of like it that way, and the fact that all 6 gears actually get used. Plus its a vtec, you're supposed to rev the nuts off it for peak power. One of the problems I have with the VTR is that aside from one stretch of empty straight road that I go down maybe once every couple of months, there's no where to really put all of the power of the VTR to use. Even there I run out of road before I run out of go (and I've put it over 150mph on the speedo before that happened) I feel as if I'm wasting 90% of its potential. Its a valid concern that I might miss that power after too long, so I'm definitely keeping that in mind. I definitely want power, and I definitely want to be able to motor along at pace when I want to. But I'm definitely at the point where a middleweight is more appropriate for me than a 900cc and above bike. The 400 is on the low end of the displacement scale though, I'll grant you that.
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Mar 11, 2016 15:17
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It's more when you're trying to cruise at 90 - 100km/h through some back roads and come to an incline and you need to drop it back to 4th to maintain speed.
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Mar 11, 2016 15:24
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Have you checked out street triples? Great power, comfortable, really fast, flickable. It's a great bike for commuting and canyon carving although they are a bit expensive.
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Mar 11, 2016 15:26
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Partial Octopus posted:Have you checked out street triples? Yes and I either love or hate the styling depending on what day of the week it is (if we're talking about the older examples with the two round headlights, rather than the more recent ones with the diamond headlights which I just don't like) and I've sat on one and I just couldn't get comfortable. And I hate the instrument cluster with a passion (I hate digital displays on bikes in general). Plus I'd prefer to stick with Japanese.
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Mar 11, 2016 15:31
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Trauma Tank posted:So I was idly wondering what would be a good second bike to complement the V-Strom 1000 (which I haven't even received yet as Suzuki GB is out of stock apparently) I was thinking something cheap, fun and that I won't mind working on a lot to develop my wrenching skills when I saw this thing: They're pretty reliable, just the usual Honda r/r issues. Parts are still widely available thanks to Honda. You can get some nice upgrades off newer models as well, like the cartridge forks.
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Mar 11, 2016 17:34
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Trauma Tank posted:So I was idly wondering what would be a good second bike to complement the V-Strom 1000 (which I haven't even received yet as Suzuki GB is out of stock apparently) I was thinking something cheap, fun and that I won't mind working on a lot to develop my wrenching skills when I saw this thing: That is hilariously overpriced for a >20-year-old bike that was average when new. I mean if it really floats your boat looks-wise then that's fine and it'll probably still work as a daily rider but for that sort of money you can get some way better stuff.
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Mar 11, 2016 17:57
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pokie posted:Hello friends, That's a good newbie bike but $4k sounds like a lot. If it were newish like '13-14 that would seem pretty reasonable. In my area you can get a 1100 all day long or a 1300 with miles in that price range. 650s look like $2000-3000ish and they haven't changed them in forever so you wouldn't be losing out on anything by going with a 10 year old vs. a 2 year old model. Example: http://seattle.craigslist.org/kit/mcy/5476872170.html (not sure your location)
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Mar 11, 2016 19:12
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Went to a local bike shop and ogled some sweet things. I didnt sit on anything because my back is flared up and if I somehow started to tip a bike I probably couldnt hold it upright. They also were lined up so loving close to each other that I could barely wiggle between them. Cool shop, they had a shitload of expensive gear, big wall of Shoei helmets and stuff. They had 3 Yamaha R3's and I think 5 Ninja 300s. Both look like they are appropriately sized for me. If I was in the new bike market, I would lean towards the R3 in red/white/black. I can't get over how nicely made all these newer bikes seem. Another bike caught my eye that I didn't expect, the Yamaha FZ-07. That scene in Kill Bill where she sees her new hanzo sword, that was me walking up to a FZ-07, black with blue frame rails and wheels. Might need to change my jorts. It looked like it had a super narrow and low seat too. I assume its a bit too powerful for a newbies bike?
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Mar 11, 2016 19:58
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An FZ-07 would make a nice second bike after you have a year or so on something lower-powered. It's very similar in layout and concept to an SV650, a Hawk GT, or a Monster. Also, don't buy new for your first bike if you can help it. You will drop it or knock it over at least once, and you'll feel like crap when that happens and you gouge the pristine new paint. Get something that's already a little dinged up and then it doesn't matter. e: I noticed the line about being unable to hold up a bike if it starts to tip because of your back. Definitely do not start with something new or something heavy. Get a Ninja 250. Sagebrush fucked around with this message at 20:04 on Mar 11, 2016 |
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Mar 11, 2016 20:01
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Sagebrush posted:An FZ-07 would make a nice second bike after you have a year or so on something lower-powered. It's very similar in layout and concept to an SV650, a Hawk GT, or a Monster. Yeah I wasnt really planning on a new bike for my first, but its the easiest way to go look at bikes! Thanks for the info The back hurting thing is just today, I am on vacation and sleeping in hotel beds and poo poo has made my lower back injury flare up. Typically I would not have that trouble. But I do want a lighter bike for sure.
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Mar 11, 2016 20:05
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I love my FZ-07. Had it 2 weeks and I'm already at the 600 mile first service interval. It's supposedly powerful enough to lift the front wheel under full throttle (I haven't tested this yet) It's all torque though, it's great for riding in traffic. lots of passing power in any gear. the crossplane twin sounds pretty cool too, although I still prefer my CB-1 at 13,000rpm It only weighs 400 lbs with gas and everything so I would think it's pretty manageable for a newbie. I'm still a newbie and I haven't crashed it yet fwiw. it's light enough to just stick your foot out if you're about to drop it and prevent that. I have decent balance from commuting on a fixed gear bicycle for several years that it doesn't come up that often. hopefully also got crashing out of my system on the bicycles I'm happy to answer any questions you may have.
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Mar 11, 2016 20:07
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A MIRACLE posted:I love my FZ-07. Had it 2 weeks and I'm already at the 600 mile first service interval. How bad is the wind on the freeway?
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Mar 11, 2016 20:15
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Not good. I'm looking at getting that givi windscreen off revzilla Riding full tuck above 70 for the most part I've also only done the 101/ pch which is notoriously windy
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Mar 11, 2016 20:19
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darth cookie posted:Just putting some thoughts down and maybe some goons can give me a sanity check. SuperDuke. Just paint it pastel. Oh... wait.. japanese...... Ninja250.
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Mar 11, 2016 20:20
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A MIRACLE posted:Not good. I'm looking at getting that givi windscreen off revzilla You'll grow neck muscles if you don't stunt them with a windshield.
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Mar 11, 2016 20:23
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clutchpuck posted:You'll grow neck muscles if you don't stunt them with a windshield. Haha, it's more that the wind is deafening. I haven't done interstate since I got earplugs though, that may be good enough
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Mar 11, 2016 20:26
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It'll be effective. I can hear my valves through my spine with earplugs in.
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Mar 11, 2016 20:29
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When I see people riding in a full tuck on the freeway, I make it a point to pass them while sitting as bolt upright as possible. Seriously, unless your freeway ride is 150mph there is no reason to be in a full tuck on any bike. Man up
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Mar 11, 2016 22:44
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PaintVagrant posted:Another bike caught my eye that I didn't expect, the Yamaha FZ-07. That scene in Kill Bill where she sees her new hanzo sword, that was me walking up to a FZ-07, black with blue frame rails and wheels. Might need to change my jorts. It looked like it had a super narrow and low seat too. I assume its a bit too powerful for a newbies bike? I also have a '15 FZ-07 and can't say enough good about it. Its tons of fun and is perfect for doing double duty as a daily commuter and weekend warrior. When the warm weather arrives my car sits and rots in the driveway. A MIRACLE posted:I love my FZ-07. Had it 2 weeks and I'm already at the 600 mile first service interval. Oh yeah it'll do that without issue. I've considered a windscreen as well but they just make the bike look like a loving queen alien:  
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Mar 11, 2016 23:02
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Jim Silly-Balls posted:Seriously, unless your freeway ride is 150mph there is no reason to be in a full tuck on any bike. Man up It's fun.
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Mar 11, 2016 23:07
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