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TheNothingNew posted:And if you feel like you really need to spend money, start looking at better gear. Can always spend more on gear. If I had to start from scratch again, I'd buy the best, heaviest gear around, then get less protection as I felt the need for something more comfortable. I have A* smx plus boots, but now I'm wishing I bought the A* supertech-r boots instead. Same thing for the A* sp-2 gloves vs their higher end race ones. The only purchase I haven't made great use of is my A* leather pants, but I still like knowing I have them when I'm going out on the canyons. I'm now looking for some riding jeans, but I would have felt better when I was learning with the most protection possible.
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Jun 23, 2017 05:09
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I tallied up the money I've spent on protective gear since I started riding 7 years ago and what I plan to buy by the end of the year and came up with a figure roughly the same as the market value of my 1250 Bandit.
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Jun 23, 2017 05:15
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Slavvy posted:Pilot streets are, as far as I can tell, a sporty looking tread pattern/profile from an older generation tyre with the finest chinese rubber on the outside. S20's would be a quantum leap from there but you would only really get the benefit when your skill is up to scratch and your suspension isn't laughably undersprung. How old are the michelins? Also as mentioned before, do all your engine maintenance stuff but also worth having a check of your head bearings and swingarm bearings as they can have a huge effect on how the bike corners. I know it seems overkill for a lovely learner machine but in reality it'll set you up for knowing what to do on basically any bike you buy, plus give you a baseline idea of what a working-condition bike feels like so you can form an accurate impression when buying in the future. The tires are brand new. Put them on when I realized the ones on when I bought it were 7 years old. I'll look at all of it. It may not be some race bike, but there's definitely pleasure in having a perfectly set up machine that I made happen.
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Jun 23, 2017 11:09
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+1 sport/hypersport tyres are a genuine and major upgrade to any bike. As long as you have at least a 160 width rear you have a choice of pretty much anything.
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Jun 23, 2017 11:38
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While on the subject of new tires, I'll be dropping off my 95' EX500 Ninja tonight to get them replaced over the next few days. What are some good tires that don't break the bank? I've looked at the ones below. Metzeler Sportec M7 RR Front & Rear Dunlop Sportmax GPR300 Front & Rear Any advise on the chain and sprockets? Or, is a chain a chain and sprockets are just that? Should I ask him to look over the fluids and lines as well? Again, I wanna be on this thing more than tinkering with it. I've had so much fun over the past few days I can't wait to get more hours on it. Quick confession. I nearly purchased a new/er bike because I told myself I'd never drop it. I mean, I didn't drop it in class and never forgot the kickstand. But, that was in a controlled setting. My driveway is about 30' with a 25% grade to get up and out. Well, I dropped it because I didn't correctly feather the throttle and clutch. I cracked the lower half of my right blinker lens cap off. It still works, but I need to replace the orange/yellow lens. All in all, I'm actually very happy I went the route I did. I didn't drop 10K on a bike because of my ego. Now, I'm looking at either replacing all the blinkers (LEDs?), or just getting the OEM lens cap.
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Jun 23, 2017 18:25
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It's refreshing seeing a new rider make all the right choices 
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Jun 23, 2017 18:48
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Either of those tires would be fine, but I don't think you can get them in the proper size for your bike? Look this up yourself to be sure, but the data I'm finding says that a 1995 Ninja 500 has 110/70-17 front, 130/70-17 rear. Those are skinny high-profile bias-ply tires -- particularly in the rear -- while the radials you're looking at are made for more powerful modern sportbikes with fatter wheels. You're unlikely to be able to find the top-performing race rubber for your wheels, but that doesn't really matter much because you aren't going to be dragging a knee any time soon (probably). Some people online will tell you oh, you can totally run this tire instead of that, and the wheel is only this wide but you can stretch that one, and so on, but IMO that's junk. I would rather run a slightly less fancy tire of the correct size than try to fit on an improperly sized "better" tire, especially when you're just starting out. Try something like the Pirelli Sport Demon or the Continental Conti Go.
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Jun 23, 2017 19:06
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Carth Dookie posted:I tallied up the money I've spent on protective gear since I started riding 7 years ago and what I plan to buy by the end of the year and came up with a figure roughly the same as the market value of my 1250 Bandit. This is a fun exercise. Let's see what I bought since I started riding in April 2016. Helmets: Shoei Neotec $650 Jackets: Icon Contra $250 Klim Badlands $950 Klim Induction $350 Dainese Yang leather $700 Gyde by Gerbing 12V Heated Jacket Liner $250 Pants: Icon some kind of armored jeans I crashed in and ripped apart ~$80. Don't buy cheap jeans for riding. Dainese Rainsun $290 Klim Badlands $670 Dainese Bonnneville Slim jeans $230 Gloves: Some kind of $20 Bilt dirt gloves I rode on the street... Don't do this either! Dainese Evo D-Dry $120 Dainese Ellis $90 They look awesome but I am not sure where I would actually ride in them... Dainese Druid Long D1 $230 Gyde by Gerbing 12V Vanguard Gloves $120 heated gloves... Magic in cold weather. Boots: Dainese TRQ-Tour Goretex $330 Dainese Course Out D1 Boots $330 Assorted junk: Balaclava $10 Two pairs of glove liners $30 Fly Rain Gloves Covers $23 Buff neck thing - $30 REV'IT! Velox WSP Windcollar $55 Gyde temp controller $80 Westone custom-fit earplugs ~$200 All of this adds up to $6088. In conclusion, I feel like an absurd human being. But at least I have all the poo poo I needed for a long time, and it got me through my first 18k miles in 15 months.
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Jun 23, 2017 19:36
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Sagebrush posted:Either of those tires would be fine, but I don't think you can get them in the proper size for your bike? Look this up yourself to be sure, but the data I'm finding says that a 1995 Ninja 500 has 110/70-17 front, 130/70-17 rear. Those are skinny high-profile bias-ply tires -- particularly in the rear -- while the radials you're looking at are made for more powerful modern sportbikes with fatter wheels. Do not ever buy contigo's, they are rock hard and utterly gripless at the slightest hint of moisture.
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Jun 23, 2017 20:00
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I'll second Pirelli. I run their sport tire offerings and love them. Mileage is rear end tho. As for sprocket and chain, I would recommend steel sprockets and a tjones fucked around with this message at 03:09 on Jun 24, 2017 |
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Jun 23, 2017 20:20
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Michelin Pilot Power 3s is another option. I run them on my CB500X
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Jun 24, 2017 00:45
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Fanelien posted:Michelin Pilot Power 3s is another option. I run them on my CB500X I run those on my bandit. They're really good.
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Jun 24, 2017 02:09
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Carth Dookie posted:I run those on my bandit. They're really good. What do you get out of a rear? I manage about 8000km and the sides are worn down to the wear bars
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Jun 24, 2017 04:05
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Fanelien posted:What do you get out of a rear? I manage about 8000km and the sides are worn down to the wear bars Haven't gone through a set yet on the bandit, but I'd be surprised if I got less than 10,000km out of them based on my vtr1000f.
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Jun 24, 2017 04:56
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spouse posted:The tires are brand new. Put them on when I realized the ones on when I bought it were 7 years old. This is in response to all of your recent posts, not just this one. You can actually squeeze a lot more power, efficiency, handling, throttle response, etc than you think out of your bike just by doing some really scrupulous maintenance and small upgrades in the right places. Pull your carbs, give them a thorough working over. Clean them, see what ex500.com recommends for jetting changes, set your float heights, clean your slides, get those fuckers brand new again. Then do your valve clearances, as has been discussed. After that, go back and sync your carbs and set your pilot air screws. That whole exercise alone can be done in a couple patient days and will find you a couple HP that have disappeared over the years. I believe there's a common airbox mod for EX500s, but doing anything there will necessitate playing with the jetting again. Following that, as has been discussed, setting up your suspension for your weight and a slightly more aggressive riding style will make it feel faster. Without actually going faster, you'll feel the acceleration more immediately, and the better responsiveness in turns feels faster. For most stock mass-produced, non-supersport bikes, it means drat near doubling the fork spring rate and about the same on the rear shock. There's probably a direct bolt-in rear shock from another model that will solve that problem for $75 or less and 30 minutes of wrenching. Forks will take longer because you should also do seals and oil if you drop in stiffer springs. The classifieds section on ex500.com may turn up some stiffer springs that someone is getting rid of. Likewise for a better rear shock. There may be a timing advance mod that will wake up your throttle response somewhere. Research it. You usually have to move to higher octane fuel. Probably not worth it (wasn't for me), but for some people it scratches that itch. The real productive thing is learning about performance riding techniques and practicing them. Practicing getting really clean lines through familiar turns, getting a little faster every time, riding in a higher rpm range, experimenting with body positioning (within reason), and the sorts of things you can pick up from A Twist of the Wrist, Proficient Motorcycling, and Sport Bike Riding Techniques will make you a better rider while revealing just how capable the bike is. The EX500 is not by any means a dog of a bike. At 3000 miles, you haven't experienced much of what it's capable of. Getting another bike eventually is a cool and fun process, but you stand to hinder your learning process if you mix in learning a new bike too often while you're learning fundamental technique.
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Jun 28, 2017 04:09
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pokie posted:This is a fun exercise. Let's see what I bought since I started riding in April 2016. You've spent more on jackets alone than all three motorcycles I've owned combined.
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Jun 28, 2017 04:11
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I had to spend a ton of my gear because used womens poo poo basically doesn't exist, especially in my size. I lucked out on my race suit because 48 taichi fits me with some alterations, but am SOL on pretty much everything else. Rip in piss
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Jun 28, 2017 04:23
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M42 posted:I had to spend a ton of my gear because used womens poo poo basically doesn't exist, especially in my size. I lucked out on my race suit because 48 taichi fits me with some alterations, but am SOL on pretty much everything else. Rip in piss As if being white, male, middle class, and American wasn't enough, there's nothing quite like the privilege of being 5'10", 32x32, and 165 lbs with a perfectly average torso.
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Jun 28, 2017 04:36
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Dropped $900 on a new set of Dainese pants and jacket online today. Still $400 cheaper than local retail "sale" prices. Crossing fingers that the items all come in good order. I've never spent that much online in one hit before. 
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Jun 28, 2017 04:48
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Carth Dookie posted:Dropped $900 on a new set of Dainese pants and jacket online today. Still $400 cheaper than local retail "sale" prices. Crossing fingers that the items all come in good order. I've never spent that much online in one hit before. Yep, AU/NZ prices on gear are horrendous. Dainese suits start at $1200 on SALE, I haven't been able to find Torque D1 in boots for less than $650 locally. But I could buy a whole extra suit, and boots from fcmoto.de for less than a suit costs me locally. poo poo's hosed, it's just like computer parts in the 90s.
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Jun 28, 2017 10:26
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Fanelien posted:Yep, AU/NZ prices on gear are horrendous. Dainese suits start at $1200 on SALE, I haven't been able to find Torque D1 in boots for less than $650 locally. But I could buy a whole extra suit, and boots from fcmoto.de for less than a suit costs me locally. poo poo's hosed, it's just like computer parts in the 90s. I bought through motardinn.com. Never been with them before but a couple of goons have gotten stuff from them before without any major hassles so I thought I'd give them a whirl. Link to your boots: https://www.motardinn.com/motorcycle-equipment/shoes-racing---sport/dainese/8058-346/sm $320-340 depending on what colour/size you want. My $900 leathers INCLUDED the $150 shipping fee. So actual price $750. Which Peter Stevens wants $1300. That's AFTER a $170 end of financial year discount and they didn't have the perforated leather I wanted either! So if it wasn't on sale, it would have been nearly 2x the price. Its crazy. Even if I get slapped with a GST charge on the way in, I'll still be $300 better off. The entire retail business model is completely hosed. Queue me getting shafted by the seller whom I can't retailiate against because they're in Spain. 
Carth Dookie fucked around with this message at 10:51 on Jun 28, 2017 |
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Jun 28, 2017 10:44
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Carth Dookie posted:I bought through motardinn.com. Never been with them before but a couple of goons have gotten stuff from them before without any major hassles so I thought I'd give them a whirl. At those prices I might just spring for the Axial Pros. Really like the idea of in boots so they don't fill with water in a light shower.
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Jun 28, 2017 11:16
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Fanelien posted:At those prices I might just spring for the Axial Pros. Really like the idea of in boots so they don't fill with water in a light shower. If they're anything like the earlier generation of D1 Torque boots I've got, they'll be decent at keeping the water out, but not perfect. If you want true wet weather boots, get the Dainese Fulcrum C2s. Absolutely amazing in terms of weather protection and warmth.
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Jun 28, 2017 11:20
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theKGEntleman posted:While on the subject of new tires, I'll be dropping off my 95' EX500 Ninja tonight to get them replaced over the next few days. What are some good tires that don't break the bank? I've looked at the ones below. The Metzler M7 tires are what comes on the KTM Duke 390 (or are the replacement.) I've been riding on a rear for a while doing commuting and in-town riding. They've held up fine in the wet weather but as I am in Dallas I cannot tell you hown they'll react in the wet. Someone suggested the Pirelli sport demons. Those are great soft tires and I ran them for years on some older '80s era bikes I had. They are very sticky and give a ton of confidence. The only issue I had with the sport demons is that they didn't last very long. At 7K miles they were completely shagged out. I used to run Bridgestone BT-45s, as touring tires they were fine, did well in the rain and I generally got about 9K miles out of them. Though if you are in a place that gets cold and you ride in the cold, when the temps drop below about 35F, they turn into comb rubber and will start sliding around on you. For chain and sprockets, I've always gone with the cheapest D.I.D. o-ring chain and either JT or Sunstar sprockets. I got 15K - 20K miles out of them and didn't nearly adjust, clean or oil it as much as I should have.
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Jun 28, 2017 12:00
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Yowza, thanks for the detailed response  Just to be clear, definitely wasn't planning a move to a bigger bike after 2 months and 3000 miles. This was an upgrade I was considering next january. I still think something roomier for long distance would be a good choice because I'd like to feel my legs after 8 hours of riding, but I'll be keeping the 500 regardless, and the FZ1 is definitely off the table. After getting the "lolno don't upgrade" from everyone, I've been looking into all of these suggestions over the past few days. I ordered better brakes, sent emails to local shops for the front fork spring swap, looked into a replacement rear shock for my weight (it's a late model ninja 250 or 300 oddly enough), and once I get an answer back about the front fork, I'll order the parts. I know of the FOG airbox mod, I'm gonna get to it eventually, but am swapping brakes, and cleaning and gapping sparkplugs and doing my clutch and brake lines and brake fluid. When I do the airbox mod, I'll be checking valve clearances, and I know the carbs are clean because they did it when I bought the bike, but I'll work on setting everything up to par when I do that. I've got no interest in moving to anything that would require more expensive fuel. My favorite thing about this bike is that it costs half as much to commute on it as in my car  Really though, I have no delusions that I've somehow mastered my 500 and am outgrowing it after 2 months. I was still going to keep the bike and turn it into one for trackdays even if I did upgrade, and that's probably what I'll do when I move on to the next daily, which is probably further away after listening to your guys recommendations and watching videos on the difference suspension and tuning can make.
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Jun 28, 2017 13:48
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spouse posted:... Swapping fork springs in standard forks is very easy, it's something you can handle yourself as long as you have a way to lift the front end of the bike without compressing the forks. This could be a paddock stand that uses a pin slotting into the bottom of the steering head, or throwing some ratchet straps over a rafter in your garage or a 2x4 frame you build and lifting from the triple clamp. Might save you a couple to a few hundred in labor depending on what the shops want to charge.
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Jun 28, 2017 17:21
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HenryJLittlefinger posted:You've spent more on jackets alone than all three motorcycles I've owned combined. I am impressed by how little you spent on your bikes then :].
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Jun 28, 2017 17:32
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Jazzzzz posted:Swapping fork springs in standard forks is very easy, it's something you can handle yourself as long as you have a way to lift the front end of the bike without compressing the forks. This could be a paddock stand that uses a pin slotting into the bottom of the steering head, or throwing some ratchet straps over a rafter in your garage or a 2x4 frame you build and lifting from the triple clamp. Might save you a couple to a few hundred in labor depending on what the shops want to charge. I'll take a look, I just found a friend that said I could use his garage (I park in outside covered parking) so that could work. I'll look into the paddock stand.
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Jun 28, 2017 17:45
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HenryJLittlefinger posted:As if being white, male, middle class, and American wasn't enough, there's nothing quite like the privilege of being 5'10", 32x32, and 165 lbs with a perfectly average torso. I'm pretty close to your size (except where it really counts) and I can't find any used race suits that aren't for...well, average midwesterners, I guess. Never mind. Maybe I should eat more cheese.
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Jun 28, 2017 18:56
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captainOrbital posted:I'm pretty close to your size (except where it really counts) and I can't find any used race suits that aren't for...well, average midwesterners, I guess. Never mind. I've never looked for a one-piece, but I can get jackets and pants without issue. Fieldsheer stuff fits like it was tailored for me.
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Jun 28, 2017 20:20
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So the Socal thread is closed, otherwise I'd post this there. Just got my bike, got my gear. What I need is some tips or advice! I'm near the VA, so I figure I'll go there at night and practice in a lot.
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Jun 29, 2017 02:48
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MSF!
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Jun 29, 2017 03:20
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Yep, if you haven't taken the MSF course sign up for one right away. If you have, ride around your neighborhood for the next few days, gradually going further as you get more comfortable in traffic. Then start looking for two-lane country roads, and start following them to find out where they go.
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Jun 29, 2017 03:50
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I took it a year ago when I got my scooter, and just took it a few days ago before getting my bike! So I've taken it(and passed) twice now. The VA has a big lot that I just went to and worked on shifting, breaking and going from a stop to moving. Lots of clutchwork.
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Jun 29, 2017 04:17
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Sagebrush posted:Yep, if you haven't taken the MSF course sign up for one right away. My first order of business (after completing the MSF) was to fill up my tank and get lost on the country roads around my town. 3 hours later I got home, completely washed over with endorphins and blissful as the goddamn Buddha. Had the best drat sleep of my life that night.
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Jun 29, 2017 04:27
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Deep Thoreau posted:So the Socal thread is closed, otherwise I'd post this there. Just got my bike, got my gear. What I need is some tips or advice! I'm near the VA, so I figure I'll go there at night and practice in a lot. The parking lot is good but once you're ready for the streets, I'd probably avoid Wilshire and the other insanely crowded streets and head up to Bel Air (by way of Veteran, not the 405). The turns are tight enough that you won't be going too fast, but you'll get a good feeling for not running wide on turns, handling hills, etc. It's also not very crowded most of the time, which is a huge plus. After that you could start doing longer loops like Sunset to Beverly Glenn to Mulholland to Benedict Canyon back to Sunset. When you're comfortable with that PCH is great, but traffic will be going fast and you'll run into a lot of dongs in cars driving too fast / above their ability. I probably would avoid PCH at night at the beginning for that reason. You'll run into a lot of other bikers on PCH which can be helpful, but don't feel obligated to keep up.
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Jun 29, 2017 18:20
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how do i get a bike from the current owner to my house? i can't get insurance until i have the bike, right? plus i don't know that i'd trust myself on the street to ride it home. do i have to rent a truck?
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Jul 2, 2017 22:32
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ijzer posted:how do i get a bike from the current owner to my house? i can't get insurance until i have the bike, right? plus i don't know that i'd trust myself on the street to ride it home. do i have to rent a truck? Just jumped right off without checking the depth, didn't you? All you need to insure a bike is a VIN, they don't care if it's in your garage or in a junkyard. Buy insurance before you transport it. Doesn't have to be titled to you, because you need insurance to register it anyway, and that's usually when you swap the title over to you. Go rent a UHaul trailer, it'll be easier than a truck. Or a UHaul van and ramp if you don't have a hitch on your car. If you've never even rolled a bike around, you'll want a lower deck height than a pickup will give you the first time you load it and especially the first time you unload it. Or offer the seller a bit extra to deliver it.
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Jul 2, 2017 22:55
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HenryJLittlefinger posted:Just jumped right off without checking the depth, didn't you? i have not bought a bike yet and i finished the msf course today so i have at least some experience rolling a bike around. i've just never owned a vehicle so i am not familiar with the way buying insurance works. thanks for the advice, though.
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Jul 2, 2017 23:03
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ijzer posted:i've just never owned a vehicle so i am not familiar with the way buying insurance works. Get insurance quotes before you go buying a motorcycle. Like, look on craigslist, find something you like, find out how much it'll cost you to insure it, then go from there. Motorcycle insurance varies wildly from bike to bike, rider to rider, carrier to carrier. You don't want to get your heart set on a motorcycle only to buy it and then discover you can't afford to insure it. Also, not that I recommend it, but I rode my first one home on the freeway during rush hour after taking the MSF. Had my ride behind me in a car to break traffic.
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Jul 2, 2017 23:41
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