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As we're talking sports tourers I've just seen the new GSX1000SF in the flesh and man it's a lot prettier than the pictures suggest, assuming the engine is the same as the GSX-S and the fairing isn't completely useless that should be a genuine contender. The GSX-S was legit the best Japanese bike I've ever ridden and a decent fairing on it and some hard bags I'd happily ride it across a continent. Also I'm happy to see the resurgence in sports tourers because hopefully it means the end of the horrifying nerdventure hegemony. Maybe Aprilia will finally release the 1200 Futura they were teasing a few years ago...
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Jun 15, 2016 23:27
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I was going to hold until after my BRC in a little under a month, but then someone linked this to me. http://portland.craigslist.org/mlt/mcy/5627743391.html I'm hilariously short (25" inseam) but have gotten pretty comfortable riding around a 50cc and don't feel like I need to flatfoot, which is good, because it's not going to happen on most bikes. Worth snagging at this price, or should I pretend I didn't see it and keep on waiting? I'm willing to spend more on a bike and I'm not in a giant rush to get one because I can't ride the thing until I have an endorsement anyway, but that price for a clean titled low old 250 is tempting as gently caress. I'm less worried about price (though cheaper is preferred, since it's my first biek) than I am about safety/fit/reliability etc. I can handle some basic repairs but I'm entirely inexperienced mechanically and don't have much space to work on things where I am.
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Jun 16, 2016 03:39
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A MIRACLE posted:How narrow are they? Sport tourers don't seem awesome at lanesplitting. But the super wide handlebars on my FZ 07 aren't too great either I suppose. Also, I keep knocking mirrors with cars. The stock mirrors on an FZ are the most worthless mirrors ever, they just point directly at my shoulders. The previous generation feels much wider to me, probably due to the side mount radiators. The '14+ models have a traditional front mounted radiator and the bike feels a lot slimmer for it. Also, Bandit 1250s - an '07 just popped up near me with 40k kms and just had a valve check, tempted to have a peek. The bang for the buck with those bikes seems off the charts and have a pretty huge following. Definitely not the best to look at, but they're supposedly the cockroaches of the bike world. Anyone own one? VERTiG0 fucked around with this message at 03:43 on Jun 16, 2016 |
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Jun 16, 2016 03:40
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Daemoxx posted:I was going to hold until after my BRC in a little under a month, but then someone linked this to me. That is a great beginner bike, and you'll feel really comfortable on it. I'd suggest having someone knowledgeable have a look at it before you commit.
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Jun 16, 2016 03:42
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VERTiG0 posted:The previous generation feels much wider to me, probably due to the side mount radiators. The '14+ models have a traditional front mounted radiator and the bike feels a lot slimmer for it. Suspension: horrible. Seat: comfortable af. Torque: for days. Starter: might blow up.
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Jun 16, 2016 10:03
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VERTiG0 posted:The previous generation feels much wider to me, probably due to the side mount radiators. The '14+ models have a traditional front mounted radiator and the bike feels a lot slimmer for it. *raises hand* I have the N model. The Achilles heel on the thing seems to be the starter motor. I know there's another goon in here somewhere that was talking about his going, and they are not cheap to replace if they do. It seems to be the most common complaint. Other than that, its an established engine with a long running history. The noise straight out boring to listen to with the stock exhaust. Its quiet, well mannered, and light to ride around on even at low speed. Its much more agile than you'd think. Its heavy to paddle around a driveway, but you get used to it. I used to think my 1000cc Firestorm was big and unwieldy. Ergonomics vary from person to person naturally, but I find the seat and riding position very comfortable. Easy to suck up the miles on it. I haven't had the chance to take the wife out to test the pillion ability, but I suspect its going to be good at it. It also has torque for days at pretty much any rev point and is plenty capable of pushing your eyeballs into the back of your skull. Its sneaky about it too because the throttle response is quick and the exhaust note is relatively quiet so there's no real warning before your guts start crashing and the scenery blurs. Edit because Karma sniped me  : re suspension - its not outright awful or anything, but the seat definitely does more of the shock absorption than it should. In short, I'd call it a very good, very capable motorcycle. But I'd hesitate to call it interesting or exciting.
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Jun 16, 2016 11:45
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Fishvilla posted:Honestly, I can say that I have no interest in taking my Bonneville off road. It's awkward and top-heavy at low speeds. Yes, it has a low seat, but any sort of drop and your $400 aluminum engine covers are toast. It has no clearance. Even if that isn't an issue, then the stock suspension is a joke. Brake dive for days, and the rear suspension is basically two Twizzlers slightly reinforced with pot metal. I appreciate this post a lot. As much as I love the bonnie, maybe I'll shy away for now and just suck it up and end up with a klr
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Jun 16, 2016 16:40
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Daemoxx posted:I was going to hold until after my BRC in a little under a month, but then someone linked this to me. My only comment is that the old Honda 250 twins like that are slow, with like 18 horsepower or something. However with a 25" inseam, you're probably quite a small and light person...and if you're comfortable with a 50cc bike, it will still feel like warp drive either way. The bike is fast enough to build skills while being very light and manageable. Check the fit on the bike at https://www.cycle-ergo.com. (e: just checked and it's under CB250) It's a good price. Shouldn't have any safety or reliability problems -- it's a Honda. Check all the usual things (brakes, tires, chain, suspension, oil, battery), or have an experienced friend come along to check them for you, and you'll be fine. Sagebrush fucked around with this message at 17:26 on Jun 16, 2016 |
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Jun 16, 2016 17:19
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A MIRACLE posted:The stock mirrors on an FZ are the most worthless mirrors ever, they just point directly at my shoulders. I have the same problem with the 09. Well, with the left mirror, anyway. It's like shoulderview on the left. I'm going to install some cheap bar-end mirrors for actual functional reasons.
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Jun 16, 2016 17:41
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Do bar ends gently caress up lanesplitting though? I guess I'm already knocking mirrors with cars so it can't get any worse
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Jun 16, 2016 17:48
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KARMA! posted:Suspension: horrible. Seat: comfortable af. Torque: for days. Starter: might blow up. Carth Dookie posted:*raises hand* Thank you guys. It seems to nail all the points I'm looking for, with the added super bonus of being really cheap. I've found an '08 with ABS and 16,000km on it that has new tires, a full Sargeant seat, bar risers, Yoshimura RS3 pipe, Holeshot Stage 2 setup and a Givi topcase that I'm going to go have a look at hopefully Saturday. All I need after that is to find a set of hard panniers for it. Apparently this all equates to about 120hp/91lb-ft which sounds ~*~wonderful~*~
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Jun 17, 2016 02:39
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A MIRACLE posted:Do bar ends gently caress up lanesplitting though? I guess I'm already knocking mirrors with cars so it can't get any worse Bar ends? No. Bar end mirrors? Yes.
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Jun 17, 2016 03:11
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I'm just going to get one of those helmets with a rear view camera built in
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Jun 17, 2016 04:10
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I've found that bar-end mirrors are better for lanesplitting than standard mirrors. Maybe just because my bike is pretty low, but regular mirrors line up really well with car side mirrors, and the bar-ends slide right underneath most of them.
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Jun 17, 2016 04:17
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I'm p happy with my doubletakes + lanesplitting. if they do make contact they just fold in harmlessly. in SF I'll just fold em in and go froggering through the maze. bark busters though. heheheheh.
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Jun 17, 2016 04:25
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Sagebrush posted:I've found that bar-end mirrors are better for lanesplitting than standard mirrors. Maybe just because my bike is pretty low, but regular mirrors line up really well with car side mirrors, and the bar-ends slide right underneath most of them. The bandit's mirrors are fine for normal cars, but consistently get in the way when trying to split between 2 SUVs.
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Jun 17, 2016 05:15
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For me it's the F250's. And somehow landscaping trucks. Those drivers don't give a gently caress though
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Jun 17, 2016 05:49
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There's an interesting thing going on here. I can't imagine hitting cars' mirrors when lane splitting. I believe that would get you at the very least someone opening their door and trying to fight you as you drove off. At the same time, my experience is that folks are generally pretty nice and move over when they can. Particularly if it's something that's really backed up like the Brooklyn bridge.
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Jun 17, 2016 13:02
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In four years of lane splitting in San Francisco, I've only ticked a mirror twice. Both times the driver didn't even seem to notice.
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Jun 17, 2016 15:16
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It always happens to me on the 1 right out of LA going towards Malibu. They cram three lanes where two should be so it's super narrow. I should clarify that this is more like filtering than lanesplitting, because traffic is stopped and I'm doing like 10mph max. I just need to fold the mirrors in
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Jun 17, 2016 17:09
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builds character posted:There's an interesting thing going on here. I can't imagine hitting cars' mirrors when lane splitting. I believe that would get you at the very least someone opening their door and trying to fight you as you drove off. At the same time, my experience is that folks are generally pretty nice and move over when they can. Particularly if it's something that's really backed up like the Brooklyn bridge. The bike mirror just clicks against the car mirror. There's no real damage there. The one time my handlebar hit a mirror and actually bent it back, the driver just waved me on. Otherwise, I've never had any trouble.
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Jun 17, 2016 18:05
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Does anyone have or know someone with a SYM Wolf 150? My girlfriend is looking for her first bike, but has two constraints: She wants something very light, and she's fairly short and wants something she can get both feet down on (so short that even a ninja 250 is a stretch) So that rules out most standards. We've looked at a few cruisers, but anything in the 600cc range is gonna be a bit heavier than she's comfortable with (except for maybe the Suzuki S40... I'd like to get her to check out one of those) We were at a store that had some SYM Wolfs and they fit our criteria, but I'm concerned about reliability. I know the standard narrative "you shouldn't by your first bike new", but the MSRP of 3000 dollars is attractive and getting something with a warranty and no previous owner fuckery is an attractive prospect even if she does end up dropping it and lowering the resale value. Edit: I didn't realize the Honda Grom was just over 3000 new... thats another thing to consider...
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Jun 20, 2016 05:17
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Can she get both feet down by shaving a 250 seat down a bit more?
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Jun 20, 2016 05:51
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ADINSX posted:Does anyone have or know someone with a SYM Wolf 150? My girlfriend is looking for her first bike, but has two constraints: She wants something very light, and she's fairly short and wants something she can get both feet down on (so short that even a ninja 250 is a stretch) Tw200!
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Jun 20, 2016 12:44
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builds character posted:Tw200! Going shopping for mine this week! 5'6, 29" inseam. EDIT: seconding looking at the Suzuki S40 for a small cruiser for a short person; already tried a Honda Rebel? S40 is the better bike (and awesome aftermarket and conversion options) but Rebel should be fine for mostly cities and quiet roads. Let me take a moment to say that I'm so, so pleased the US market is shifting to more utilitarian options vice just huge hogs and crotch-rocket liter-bikes. More trim little bikes that make sense in big cities, good for small riders, affordable and tweakable. It's like we're getting back to the 1970s after decades of bikes being pricey and overpowered toys. TapTheForwardAssist fucked around with this message at 13:23 on Jun 20, 2016 |
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Jun 20, 2016 13:17
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Can I get an opinion on this bike: https://austin.craigslist.org/mcy/5616454947.html
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Jun 20, 2016 15:39
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Quick important question about bonded titles in Texas This is the '89 TW200 with 2k miles for $1650 that's been sitting on CL a couple months, I was looking at this one back when I was in Africa. It's about an hour out of Austin which might also be a factor in it not selling, plus Austin has (I think) a little bit of the reverse seasonal buying since the weather is great for motorbikes year-round, but the college kids all leave for the summer so I'd guesstimate there might be a higher demand for cheap bikes in autumn when school starts. http://austin.craigslist.org/mcy/5623809717.html  Though an older bike, it has a bunch of good accessories, and I spoke with the guy who owns it today and he's an aircraft mechanic who owns a bunch of bikes, claims it's in tip-top shape and I'll see for myself tomorrow. The issue is he bought it 20 years ago, has title in hand, his name on the back, but it was never transferred over to his name. He had some kind of issue where they were arguing modifications/variant or something at the DMV (this is me summarizing second-hand) and since he just wanted it for dicking around on his property he just didn't bother to pursue it. He said the few times he's ridden it on the road he just borrows plates off his XT225 to fake the funk. He said it might go through fine for me, or I might have to bond the title. Is that worth messing around with at all or some huge hassle? If I like the bike, would it be smart before exchanging cash that we go to the DMV and I don't pay him until it's assured I can get the title in my name, even with a bond? Or is a bond a multi-step/day process that I can't just knock out in a TX DMV for $100 or whatever (EDIT: TX DMV website says for bikes over 25yrs old "Appraisals less than $4,000 will not be accepted" so does that mean I have to treat a $1600 bike as a $4000 bike for the bond)? TapTheForwardAssist fucked around with this message at 15:58 on Jun 20, 2016 |
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Jun 20, 2016 15:53
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TWs are cool but that's way too much hassle
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Jun 20, 2016 16:26
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Z3n posted:Can she get both feet down by shaving a 250 seat down a bit more? Hm, according to the Wolf specs, the Ninja is actually a little shorter at 29.3 inches for its seat height... Funny, it looks bigger. We'll try to find one to sit on. As for the TW200, I doubt she wants a dirt bike but I can suggest it... Looks are a factor here
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Jun 20, 2016 16:41
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I wouldn't take a SYM bike on a cross-country road trip, probably, but I see a bunch of them around town so I assume they're fine for city use. They use little air cooled four stroke engines like tens of millions of bikes in Southeast Asia, so they're probably quite simple and cheap to fix assuming you have a source for parts.
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Jun 20, 2016 17:14
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Razzled posted:TWs are cool but that's way too much hassle From googling it doesn't seem like bonded titles are a terrible ordeal in Texas; he's an hour away so if I like the bike I may see if he can ride it up behind me and drop it off as I pay for it so I can work on the title at my leisure. Looks to be probably a $100-150 bond and $45 for paperwork, and I work odd hours so I can just walk in and do it. But if I do that despite his "firm" price I want him to come down from $1650; I can get a 1998 TW200 with clean title for $1800 in College Station (2 hours away) so can use that as leverage to get the price down. I just like his bike more and most of the accessories are things I wanted anyway so that's cool. Also we can try just going to the DMV with what he has and seeing if it flies, no harm trying. I just want to use this as bargaining power to get the price down since it's been sitting on CL for two months and I'll have cash to wave at him.
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Jun 20, 2016 17:52
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pokie posted:Is there a nice sarcasm-filled summary of what Italian nature is? Ehhhh, it's-a good enough-a!
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Jun 20, 2016 18:31
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By the way, I have done a bonded title in Texas and can give you specifics. I was in a city center and would equate the hassle to about $500. I'd only go for it if it was$500 cheaper than it would be otherwise. Shoot me a PM or respond here with questions. My situation was a car with a stolen title. XYLOPAGUS fucked around with this message at 21:09 on Jun 20, 2016 |
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Jun 20, 2016 19:01
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XYLOPAGUS posted:By the way, I have done a bonded title in Texas and can give you specifics. I was in a city center and would equate the hassle to about $500. I'd only go for it if it was$500 cheaper than it would be otherwise. Crap, that's a lot more hassle than I expected. So maybe best to drive an hour further and pay $200 more for a '98 with a totally clean title?
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Jun 20, 2016 21:13
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TapTheForwardAssist posted:Crap, that's a lot more hassle than I expected. So maybe best to drive an hour further and pay $200 more for a '98 with a totally clean title? Probably so. Either that or ask the original guy to come down on his price to account for the title issues. No bike with title problems should be "firm" on pricing, the headaches are worth negotiating on.
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Jun 20, 2016 21:22
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TapTheForwardAssist posted:Crap, that's a lot more hassle than I expected. So maybe best to drive an hour further and pay $200 more for a '98 with a totally clean title? Yes. Absolutely. No question. The Bananana posted:Can I get an opinion on this bike: Expect some PO bullshit but that's a pretty solid deal if you want a Harley and are mechanically inclined.
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Jun 20, 2016 21:24
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Thanks for the reply. I'm not mechanically inclined, though. Think I'm just gonna get a Harley street 750.
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Jun 20, 2016 21:53
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TapTheForwardAssist posted:Crap, that's a lot more hassle than I expected. So maybe best to drive an hour further and pay $200 more for a '98 with a totally clean title? Totally worth it! I've bought exactly one bike in my hometown the others have been a minimum of 1.5 hours each way. More hassle up front of course but it's the best way to get what you want. That 98 was the best of the 3 anyway, it has the look of a bike that has been babied. Offer him $1600, settle on $1650-$1700. Even at $1800 it's a good price. It's pretty common for TW's to not have current titles because people buy them as cabin or farm bikes or whatever, but you don't want to mess with titles. The only way I would do that is if he goes to the DMV and titles it before he sells it to you. Never put your trust in someone when it comes to titles, it's like "ran when parked". The Bananana posted:Can I get an opinion on this bike: Not a Harley guy, but I'll take a shot. It's not a bad price, though I don't like auction bikes (unknown history) and those stickers on the tank are either hiding rust or dents. I don't know what your market looks like but around here you can't swing a dead cat without hitting a 883. They are considered "starter bikes" as you work your way up to a garage-queen Electraglide. You want to take full advantage of this by lowballing the poo poo out of them. "Sportster" in Austin turns up 167 results. Not bad. https://austin.craigslist.org/mcy/5628789380.html https://austin.craigslist.org/mcy/5640601622.html Asking $5200 which is high but he's just begging to be lowballed. And that's a 2012 with 9k miles. https://austin.craigslist.org/mcy/5596559454.html https://austin.craigslist.org/mcy/5567803184.html https://austin.craigslist.org/mcy/5608036476.html https://austin.craigslist.org/mcy/5579019178.html Again the prices on these might be higher than you're looking for but they've all been listed for nearly a month which makes them ripe for the picking. Buyers market, if they don't like your offer move onto the next one. IMO it's always worth spending a bit more for something that is better as long as you don't overpay.
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Jun 20, 2016 21:58
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The Bananana posted:Thanks for the reply. The 883 (in general, not any specific one) is a way better bike.
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Jun 20, 2016 22:02
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clutchpuck posted:The 883 is a way better bike. Didn't they also have brake failure issues with the 750? Did that ever get sorted out?
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Jun 20, 2016 22:03
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