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It's an example of an old modular helmet failing; like all anecdotes it isn't data. Trust independent testing, not anecdotes.
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Nov 24, 2020 00:26
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| # ? May 18, 2024 09:01 |
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Full-face helmets won't fail like that no matter how old they are, just sayin'
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Nov 24, 2020 00:30
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Modulars have only recently become not-garbage so it means less than nothing. But they also make you look like an absolute goober, modular for me is shorthand for 'I ride slowly and fearfully, avoid me in case my fluoro vest gets tangled in my chain and I layerdan hopelessly in your path'. They are like velcro instead of shoe laces, just get a full face.
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Nov 24, 2020 04:23
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I got a modular because it was the only thing that fit my huge noggin at the local stores. Also I definitely ride "slow" so maybe I should wear a warning jacket so people will know to overtake me in corners. Oh wait.
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Nov 24, 2020 04:56
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Sagebrush posted:A luxurious helmet would be something like the Shoei RF-1200, which costs about $500, but is really nice. If you're on a budget, something like the HJC CL-17 is perfectly good and costs $140 or so. I ended up getting an HJC i10 helmet that was around that price range. It came yesterday and I wore it around the house for 30 min as Revzilla suggested. My CMSP course is next weekend and I can't wait. I know this is premature for where I am, however does the Yamaha MT-03 make for a good starter bike? It aligns with the 150-250cc, < 400lbs general consensus for starter bikes. The size, weight, seat height and riding position seem like they would be a good match. Thoughts?
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Dec 3, 2020 20:27
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Yes the MT-03 is pretty much a perfect starter bike (for the US anyway), except that they're brand new here so finding one used would be tougher than usual. Starting on a used bike is more of a psychological recommendation than a financial one, for most folks. You'll probably learn better on a bike that's pre-blemished.
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Dec 3, 2020 20:40
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The MT-03 and R3 are both great starter bikes. Like FBS said, the MT-03 will be hard to find used.
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Dec 3, 2020 20:41
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MT-03 is fine to start on yeahmincedgarlic posted:It aligns with the 150-250cc, < 400lbs general consensus for starter bikes 150cc is pretty small. I generally say up to 400cc is fine for your first bike as long as it's not something wacky like a vintage two-stroke or a CB-1. Less than 400lbs is good because lighter bikes are easier to handle and more responsive. Upright riding position and regular handlebars instead of clipons are also best for handling and visibility. Kawasaki Ninja 250, 300, 400, Z400 Yamaha R3, MT-03 Honda CBR250, CB300, Rebel 300 Suzuki GSX250, TU250, S40 BMW G310 KTM Duke 390 plus a bunch of dirt bikes and dual sports in that displacement range. lots of options these days. It's way better than it was 10-15 years ago when the only appropriately-sized beginner bikes were the Ninja 250, the microscopic Rebel 250, and a handful of dirt bikes.
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Dec 3, 2020 22:10
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I had an RG500 as a first bike and I turned out fine. ooOOOooooooo
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Dec 3, 2020 22:25
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Sagebrush posted:MT-03 is fine to start on yeah I know you didn't post this for me but thank you for this, it's giving me a good range of things to keep an eye out for. Still pretty torn on if I want something more on the sport side or just a standard bike but I guess I'll know it when I see it!
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Dec 3, 2020 22:46
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But Not Tonight posted:I know you didn't post this for me but thank you for this, it's giving me a good range of things to keep an eye out for. Still pretty torn on if I want something more on the sport side or just a standard bike but I guess I'll know it when I see it! At the learner level they are indistinguishable outside of styling and the shape of the handlebar. A ninja 300 is not in any meaningful way more sporty than a z300 and so on.
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Dec 3, 2020 23:21
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Yeah they're all standard bikes (and are mostly functionally identical) in that segment. All those bikes have similar power, engine configuration, and geometry, fairly upright riding positions, mid controls or slight rearsets, and normal handlebars. The Ninjas and Rs are just branding. Even the "cruiser" ones like the Rebel 300 and S40 are just cruiser-styled -- you don't sit leaned way back or have ape hangers or anything. The seat on those bikes is lower than the "sport" styled ones, which is good if you're short, but that's about it. Literally get anything from that list that fits your budget and your eye (and if you have the option for ABS, take it) and you'll be fine.
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Dec 4, 2020 00:09
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Sagebrush posted:MT-03 is fine to start on yeah This is great, thank you! Is hyper naked a relatively new style of bike? I have no real baseline other than casual knowledge, and it's not a term I had heard before. Limited google-fu didn't return any obvious results.
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Dec 4, 2020 00:12
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"Hyper naked" is purely a marketing term. They're just regular naked bikes.
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Dec 4, 2020 00:14
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The only time "hyper naked" has any particular meaning is when it's describing a guy on the subway.
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Dec 4, 2020 00:21
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I've only ever seen that term used in Yamaha marketing materials, and when referring to the latest crop of ultra fast nakeds like the zh2 and street fighter v4. There are really only four kinds of bike that are fundamentally different to one another: standards, sportbikes, cruisers and dirt. Everything else is a derivative or modified version of the above. Everything in the learner category is a standard regardless of what it looks like.
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Dec 4, 2020 00:25
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The ideal used starter bike is one that is cosmetically wrecked (to make it cheap and it hurts your soul less if you drop it) but mechanically sound (so it runs well). Generally you're stuck finding some combination of those traits
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Dec 4, 2020 04:49
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I feel way to anal about maintaining my bike properly, had my battery charger set to non-AGM mode for probably just a few minutes and I'm already trying to look up if it caused damage to the battery. Then again, the battery doesn't make it that clear that it's not just any olld 12V battery.
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Dec 4, 2020 08:24
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Unless you accidentally connected a 24v charger to a 12v battery or put it in some sort of mega quick-charge 100A mode, there is absolutely no possibility of damage. Lead-acid is lead-acid and most chargers do not differentiate between AGM and flooded cells. The distinction between those modes probably is just +/- a few amps of charge rate here and there, which makes no real difference.
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Dec 4, 2020 08:30
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Sagebrush posted:Unless you accidentally connected a 24v charger to a 12v battery or put it in some sort of mega quick-charge 100A mode, there is absolutely no possibility of damage. Lead-acid is lead-acid and most chargers do not differentiate between AGM and flooded cells. The distinction between those modes probably is just +/- a few amps of charge rate here and there, which makes no real difference. Well apparently the biggest difference is in leaving it hooked long term and what Voltage level it is supposed to be kept at. I know that my worrying is blown way out of proportion, but I know too little about batteries to let articles that say 'never charge AGM in regular mode' not worry me that I shortened the lifespan by 2 days  Sorry, I know I am a ridiculous person.
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Dec 4, 2020 14:44
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Sagebrush posted:Yeah they're all standard bikes (and are mostly functionally identical) in that segment. All those bikes have similar power, engine configuration, and geometry, fairly upright riding positions, mid controls or slight rearsets, and normal handlebars. The Ninjas and Rs are just branding. Yea, I gathered as much. I knew about ninjas and cbrs but as far as other brands of starter bikes, I was totally in the dark. Just saying it was nice to come in here and go "oh! more names to punch in while I watch the used market!".
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Dec 4, 2020 17:14
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SEKCobra posted:Well apparently the biggest difference is in leaving it hooked long term and what Voltage level it is supposed to be kept at. Let's say you rode the bike literally every day for 24 hours a day. Would you expect the battery to blow up? Because the charging system on the bike hasn't got an AGM mode. Just more old wives tales masquerading as things THEY doing want you to know.
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Dec 4, 2020 19:04
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Any lead-acid battery can be charged by plugging it into a charger at float voltage limited to 0.1C or less and walking away. Like literally just a wall wart that does 14v and 500mA is good enough.
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Dec 4, 2020 19:17
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Any California goons familiar with licensing / DMV rules? I'm wondering if I can legally ride a bike (with the usual learner's restrictions) after completing the MSF course BUT before going to the DMV to complete the written test. Everything I've read seems to suggest you go to the DMV to take the written test w/in 12 months but it's not clear if I can ride before that point. I should probably just wait to ask this tomorrow when my MSF class starts but I'm impatient.
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Dec 11, 2020 06:05
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To ride a motorcycle on the street you need an instruction permit or a license. Assuming you're over 21, you're not going to have a permit when you take the MSF class, so you can't legally ride until you go to the DMV and take the written test. Think of the written test as the minimum to begin riding, whereas the riding test at the DMV or taking the MSF class gets you fully licensed.
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Dec 11, 2020 18:55
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Here in Canada you can’t even take the MSF-equivalent unless you have passed the written exam to get your M1. I guess I should say in Ontario, I don’t remember whether all of Canada shares the graduated licensing scheme or if that’s just individual provinces.
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Dec 11, 2020 19:03
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Trip update: 1st day of riding complete and it was a loving blast. The machine I wound up on:: Can't wait to get back tomorrow!
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Dec 11, 2020 22:50
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mincedgarlic posted:Trip update: 1st day of riding complete and it was a loving blast. The machine I wound up on:: Man it's been a while since I saw a GZ in the flesh, great machine.
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Dec 11, 2020 23:19
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Slavvy posted:Man it's been a while since I saw a GZ in the flesh, great machine. I found a cache in southern California! They seem pretty durable. Turning radius seemed a bit wide, but my sample size is limited. They have several BMW GS310s nicely branded from the local dealer, so I'm going to see how that feels tomorrow.
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Dec 12, 2020 03:28
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mincedgarlic posted:I found a cache in southern California! They seem pretty durable. Turning radius seemed a bit wide, push harder no, harder and look further over your shoulder no, further
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Dec 12, 2020 03:31
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mincedgarlic posted:I found a cache in southern California! They seem pretty durable. Turning radius seemed a bit wide, but my sample size is limited. They have several BMW GS310s nicely branded from the local dealer, so I'm going to see how that feels tomorrow. Sagebrush posted:push harder What he said. Also don't get a g310 unless you like the idea of an appalling Indian built shitter with german dealer rates.
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Dec 12, 2020 04:19
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Definitely ride the G310s tomorrow during the course. Just don't buy one
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Dec 12, 2020 05:02
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Slavvy posted:What he said. Just to be clear, what I'm saying is that even a cruiser-styled bike (that one has perfectly normal standard geometry, but we'll call it a cruiser for the sake of argument) can turn way tighter than you think: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9MVY8swO5M Notice how the cop is constantly looking completely over his shoulder at where he wants the bike to go.
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Dec 12, 2020 05:11
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Another way of thinking about it is that if you're learning and your brain is telling you that you're unable to do something because of the bike, you are wrong; it is, in fact, your brain preventing you from doing the thing. Even the smallest, worst, slowest bike can still massively outperform the learner brain. The key thing to take away from this is that once you have a license and can avoid falling over, it's still your brain holding you back and that will continue to be the case for years. Think you can't make the corner? You can do it easily, your brain is wrong. Think you can't stop in time? If the back wheel is on the ground you definitely can, your brain is wrong. Think you can't lean that far without dying? If the bike isn't scraping your brain is wrong.
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Dec 12, 2020 06:02
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The only caveat being set your speed correctly before going into your turn. Don't accelerate rapidly as you begin your turn.
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Dec 12, 2020 19:03
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Sagebrush posted:push harder Yes, very much. This is ringing in my head. I finished the course today and passed. The skills test was pretty tense. Two people dropped their bikes ahead of me, which is never inspiring. I drove a standard for years and it's going to take a little mental rewiring to ride the clutch as a speed control technique at low speeds. Managed to get through the slow speed drills but I was in pucker mode not to gently caress up. Slavvy posted:Another way of thinking about it is that if you're learning and your brain is telling you that you're unable to do something because of the bike, you are wrong; it is, in fact, your brain preventing you from doing the thing. I got a healthy dose of this today. At one point we were parked waiting for the other group to do their thing. The instructor had us sit on our bikes, side-stands down with both feet on the foot pegs. Then he had us lean left to practice positioning our body for left hand road-speed turns. THEN he came to us one at a time and dragged us even further to the left while he confidently assured us we would not tip the bike on the stand. My brain was screaming to tell him to stop because I thought for sure I was going over. Same thing with counter steering. Brain says 'no' but then the bike starts feeling great. I didn't end up getting a chance to ride the G310. I read a few things last night about the maintenance costs for BMWs and KTMs that raised an eyebrow. The 390 Duke looks pretty bad rear end but they're hard to find used. I'm thinking I will have better luck finding a decent Ninja/z400 or an R3.
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Dec 12, 2020 23:58
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I did my course on such a hot day that I’m pretty sure I would have driven the kickstand right through the parking lot asphalt 
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Dec 13, 2020 00:10
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mincedgarlic posted:Yes, very much. This is ringing in my head. There is no reason on this gay earth to start on anything other than a japanese bike. Get a japanese 300, drop it a bunch of times while you learn how to not crash and maybe even figure out what kind of bike you actually want. You're currently operating in an information vacuum, well below the dunning-kruger line, and almost all the information out there is just trying to sell you stuff not help you. The differences between the learner bikes that journalists/internet people play up in an effort to have something to say (power, chassis parts, miscellaneous bling) are utterly miniscule compared to the difference between any learner bike and even a mild middleweight, while the differences that actually matter (bad build quality/qc, hilarious maintenance costs, unfriendly mechanical design) are played down. Again, there is no reason whatsoever to get a euro learner bike, let alone a used one that's already half hosed.
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Dec 13, 2020 00:49
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Slavvy posted:Again, there is no reason whatsoever to get a euro learner bike, let alone a used one that's already half hosed. That was all really good advice and this part ^^^ could probably be a thread title somewhere.
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Dec 13, 2020 01:01
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| # ? May 18, 2024 09:01 |
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Martytoof posted:I did my course on such a hot day that I’m pretty sure I would have driven the kickstand right through the parking lot asphalt A significant part of my full license training on the Bandit 600 had been on days so cold that, on days that I neglected to/decided not to bring my heated gloves and just wore 3-season regular gloves, once back inside the training centre, my hands actually hurt from how cold they were and I had them basically on top of the radiator to properly thaw them out before getting on my Honda 125 to ride back home.  Thankfully the Honda, at the time, had heated grips (I've since taken them off and returned them, the right one was beginning to gently caress up). I demanded my instructor install a lead for my heated jacket and gloves for the actual full license test day, which he did, and I passed (5th attempt)*. * Attempt 1: Cancelled by the DVSA, due to COVID. Attempt 2: Edinburgh, unfamiliar territory, was too slow around some roundabouts, which held up drivers behind me, hence fail. Attempt 3: Stirling, instructor's Bandit 600 on which I was doing my test died due to a cylinder dying during the test. It had caused the bike to die at a roundabout once but I had managed to start it back up after giving it loads of throttle. It also had the throttle feel super off. The test therefore was terminated (not a pass, not a fail) at the side of an A road where the bike died. Instructor came and picked me up, thumped the sodding bike and it started right up. Attempt 4: Stirling, examiner literally demanded I ride my bike into a pile of wet leaves on the side of the road. I did as I was told because I didn't want to fail the test. Bike went on its side, obviously. Bellend. He failed me, for his own moronic instruction. He didn't provide a written/emailed summary at the end of the test. I wonder why. My instructor was livid and told me if I get an instruction like that in the future from the examiner, to ignore it and pull up somewhere not-loving-wall-to-wall wet leaves. Attempt 5: Stirling, pass.
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Dec 13, 2020 02:01
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