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Either my head got smaller or the helmet got slightly looser. Since my head is unlikely to change size and most bike gear does, i'm gonna assume it's the helmet 
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Feb 13, 2021 23:10
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| # ? May 22, 2024 13:11 |
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Don't buy a helmet that is too small expecting it to loosen up. It won't to any significant extent. Buy a helmet that fits correctly. A correct fit is tighter than a new rider probably expects, but the helmet should not be difficult to wear or painful. IMO the best way to check for a proper fit is a) Put it on, leave the strap undone, then get a friend to grab the chin bar and purposefully move it up and down, back and forth. Your head should move with the helmet without sliding around inside. b) Wear the helmet around for a while and verify that the pressure is equal everywhere. No spots where it's obviously pressing in or clamping you like a vise. Just locked in place and even pressure all around. If the helmet slides around in (a), it's too big; try the next size down. If it's painful or clampy in (b), it may be too small; try the next size up. If you can't get a tight fit without pain, that brand probably doesn't fit your head shape; try a different brand. Sagebrush fucked around with this message at 23:39 on Feb 13, 2021 |
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Feb 13, 2021 23:34
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Sagebrush posted:Buy a helmet that fits correctly. A correct fit is tighter than a new rider probably expects, but the helmet should not be difficult to wear or painful.
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Feb 13, 2021 23:36
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Yeah as someone that has a shoei neotech that digs into her temples its not got any better in the 4 to 6 months since I got the thing.
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Feb 14, 2021 00:01
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Sagebrush posted:Buy a helmet
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Feb 14, 2021 00:26
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jiffypop45 posted:Yeah as someone that has a shoei neotech that digs into her temples its not got any better in the 4 to 6 months since I got the thing. that sounds like crown pinching and is typically sign #1 the helmet shape is wrong for you
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Feb 14, 2021 00:35
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I don't disagree but given my winter rides are 1.5 to 2 hours at most which is about how long it takes to start hurting and I can always pull off for breaks its not worth the 600$ to get another helmet to me right now. Its definitely a "this summer" purchase.
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Feb 14, 2021 18:42
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Not off to an auspicious start. Picked up my bike today, drop it while refreshing low speed turns and starts when I try to start on an incline, result, bent gear lever, no riding till I can get it replaced (or see if I can take it off and hammer it out)
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Feb 16, 2021 13:25
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A Banana posted:Not off to an auspicious start. should just be fixed to the spline by a pinch bolt. not gonna do any more harm by pulling it and whacking it with a hammer!
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Feb 16, 2021 15:30
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A Banana posted:Not off to an auspicious start. I dropped my first bike twice trying to get it home from the sale. It's alright, and lever stuff is made to bend or break away. Just lightly bend it back in shape, after you remove it from the bike. Buy (OEM not bling aftermarket) spares of all your levers and shifter now and put them in a closet. You'll be happier to have them the next time this happens, and they are cheap.
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Feb 16, 2021 15:53
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Counterpoint: do buy the aftermarket folding shift lever because if you drop it 30 miles from home it’s gonna be a pain to fix
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Feb 16, 2021 15:57
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People talk so much trash about the folding levers but I had em on my grom and loved em. I think they need some nylon washers to tighten slop, but for a new rider (or someone bad at wheelies), they are great. To that end, keep a spare clutch lever in your toolkit under the seat or whatever. You can limp a bike home in a lot of ways after dumping it, but not having a clutch is Dark Souls mode. ( I also run a backup clutch cable on my bikes for this reason)
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Feb 16, 2021 16:51
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My favourite part of running clutchless is approaching a red light and having to slow down 400m before you get there (If you have a bike that doesn't like finding neutral)
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Feb 16, 2021 17:11
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I can't find the videos now, but I've previously seen at least two videos of people crashing because they had $30 amazon levers on the bike. I can confirm the below video is accurate, my project bike came with MZS levers and they are complete poo poo with hosed up bushings. Which doesn't mean don't get aftermarket folding levers, but a new rider especially should probably not have the cheapest ebay ones they can find. OEM ones aren't even expensive. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrmISjVFwtE
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Feb 16, 2021 18:59
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Ha, my CB300R came with MZS levers. Just I'll put in an order for some OE ones now. (I didn't notice they were aftermarket until after I had brought it home)
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Feb 16, 2021 20:13
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I wish I could buy a crash cage for my bike. I know it's easiest to just say "idgaf" and live with scratches on your bike, but I love the way my clean plastic looks and right now my only options are to just buy $2000 in replacement fairings if I consistently drop the bike while practicing. So yeah, I mean the replies may be "shoulda stayed with a beater bike" but here I am.
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Feb 16, 2021 20:19
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Phone posted:Ha, my CB300R came with MZS levers. Just I'll put in an order for some OE ones now. (I didn't notice they were aftermarket until after I had brought it home) I found one of the videos, it was of course the top comment to the video I had linked to earlier. You can check your levers for play, mine had A TON https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmOVptDWSPE
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Feb 16, 2021 20:31
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MomJeans420 posted:I can't find the videos now, but I've previously seen at least two videos of people crashing because they had $30 amazon levers on the bike. I can confirm the below video is accurate, my project bike came with MZS levers and they are complete poo poo with hosed up bushings. Which doesn't mean don't get aftermarket folding levers, but a new rider especially should probably not have the cheapest ebay ones they can find. OEM ones aren't even expensive. This is great, I've been telling people IRL at the government-run safety expos that those levers are death for that exact reason. No I definitely don't have them on my bandit cause they were cheap and convenient. Shelvocke posted:My favourite part of running clutchless is approaching a red light and having to slow down 400m before you get there Once had to do this on an rg150 gamma. The best part by far is trying to pick which part of the powerband to drop into first to get moving again without stalling or flipping.
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Feb 16, 2021 20:36
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Just lube the bushing FFS. I have a set of those cheap MZS levers and the bushings in them are fine - but I also lubed them before I installed them. Frankly, the machining quality given the price point is really loving good, AND the anodizing hasn't faded on them like it has on every pair of CRG levers I've ever purchased. MomJeans, no offense man but your buddy's bike that you have now is and was a total basket case - a ton of poo poo on it, including OEM, is busted.
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Feb 16, 2021 20:36
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Aaaa, just put in an order for just the levers, hopefully I don't need anything else to swap back.
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Feb 16, 2021 20:40
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Jazzzzz posted:Just lube the bushing FFS. I have a set of those cheap MZS levers and the bushings in them are fine - but I also lubed them before I installed them. Frankly, the machining quality given the price point is really loving good, AND the anodizing hasn't faded on them like it has on every pair of CRG levers I've ever purchased. No doubt on my project bike, but judging from the reviews and comments I've seen on the MZS levers I wouldn't feel comfortable running new ones, even if I lubed the bushings. The OEM levers are ~$40/each and that's worth it for the peace of mind. I certainly wouldn't encourage new riders who buy a used bike with MZS levers to keep them on.
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Feb 16, 2021 20:49
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Jazzzzz posted:Just lube the bushing FFS. I have a set of those cheap MZS levers and the bushings in them are fine - but I also lubed them before I installed them. Frankly, the machining quality given the price point is really loving good, AND the anodizing hasn't faded on them like it has on every pair of CRG levers I've ever purchased. I didn't actually watch the video but the usual problems are: -the clutch cable eye is in the wrong place in relation to the pivot so you get a rubbish feel/incomplete disengagement/super narrow friction zone - the lever is too thick/thin, ends up binding or flopping about - the MC cam is in the wrong place in relation to the pivot so you get dragging brakes and an eventual superman flight, or you end up with the brake light always on from too much play, same things apply on the clutch side - horrendous play in the hinge/sliding part if they're folding or length adjustable It's very common for them to suck poo poo and need modification, the company in china doesn't have every model of bike available to test them on, they're working off a copy of a copy of a copy built to theoretical specs they assume will fit your bike because it's kind of similar to another one they 90% fit properly.
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Feb 16, 2021 20:53
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The video is the dude from SportbikeTrackGear.com going "look at this piece of poo poo, it wobbles, the adjuster mechanism doesn't have a bearing in it, now look at this CRG lever I sell here, no wobble, wow the tolerances are so much tighter" No poo poo dude, the CRG product is 3x-10x the cost. FWIW, the set I have is on my FZ-9; they have less up-down end play and feel/engagement is as good or better than the OEM levers (that is a very low bar). I expected cheap poo poo and was pleasantly surprised. I'm not defending mass-produced Chinesium schlock as universally A-OK - for example, the bar end mirrors made by that same MZS company are total crap. I am saying that for $35 and free returns, it doesn't hurt to order something and try it out. If you're not mechanically inclined and/or have an IQ approaching room temperature and can't immediately tell that your new levers are binding and should be returned, then sure, stay away. They are priced at sub-$50 a set for a reason, and they aren't going to work well on everything.
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Feb 16, 2021 21:10
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Slop is good. Like an AK47, some slop makes it more reliable long term. This is especially important for something like a bike that is exposed to the elements. I had a buddy who died because a bit of sand got into his CRG levers and locked the throttle wide open. They never found the body because they couldn't catch the bike.
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Feb 16, 2021 21:18
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Coydog posted:They never found the body because they couldn't catch the bike. 
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Feb 16, 2021 21:28
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Jazzzzz posted:The video is the dude from SportbikeTrackGear.com going "look at this piece of poo poo, it wobbles, the adjuster mechanism doesn't have a bearing in it, now look at this CRG lever I sell here, no wobble, wow the tolerances are so much tighter" No poo poo dude, the CRG product is 3x-10x the cost. FWIW, the set I have is on my FZ-9; they have less up-down end play and feel/engagement is as good or better than the OEM levers (that is a very low bar). I expected cheap poo poo and was pleasantly surprised. I broadly agree with you but you'll find the bolded part is about 90% of bike owners; from a public safety point of view don't buy them you'll crash and die. From a people reading this thread point of view take a punt and check carefully and ask if you aren't sure and you'll probably end up with working levers. But also from a public safety point of view: do not diy anything on your bike, you WILL crash and die. From a people reading this forum point of view: get a goldwing and put motard wheels on it.
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Feb 16, 2021 22:53
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Slavvy posted:get a goldwing and put motard wheels on it new thread title
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Feb 17, 2021 01:05
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Slavvy posted:But also from a public safety point of view: do not diy anything on your bike, you WILL crash and die. From a people reading this forum point of view: get a goldwing and put motard wheels on it. Before I took my safety course, wrenching on a bike was a big part of what interested me in learning to ride. That changed the second I considered the ramifications of loving something up on a motorcycle. I still very much want to learn how to take apart and reassemble a bike, but I'll save that for a lab rat in my garage. Why buy aftermarket levers in the first place besides replacing broken parts?
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Feb 17, 2021 01:41
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look cool / feel better
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Feb 17, 2021 01:47
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right arm posted:look cool / feel better It's almost always the first one + cost, most of the time they're all angular and poo poo but unfortunately the dorky smooth round surfaces of the factory stuff feels much nicer.
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Feb 17, 2021 02:00
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mincedgarlic posted:the ramifications of loving something up on a motorcycle I see this as motivation to be careful and ask questions if I'm not sure about something.
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Feb 17, 2021 02:13
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Yeah if you're scared of loving up, you will paradoxically probably be fine. It's the people that are certain they've got this poo poo, hold my beer that end up with wheels falling off.
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Feb 17, 2021 02:46
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When I did a frame up rebuild the first time, the process where I did most of my moto wrenching learning, I was terrified about messing up something on my wheels or brakes. I took that part of the process really seriously and made 100% sure they were done right, and I still had occasional moments of light freakout when I’d be going 70 mph on the highway and suddenly remember “I took this whole thing apart and put it back together.” Keeping your mortality in mind when you’re wrenching is a good thing to do, but once you get past brakes, wheels, and suspension, including proper torque, most of the possible fuckups aren’t fatal. Inconvenient and expensive, definitely. Bikes are pretty drat simple though and a great way to learn wrenching.
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Feb 17, 2021 03:53
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Is Twist of the Wrist any good? The book or the DVD?
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Feb 17, 2021 03:59
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If you’re looking into books about technique, add Proficient Motorcycling and Sport Riding Techniques to the list. The MSF’s beginning riding boom is also good if you’re very much at the beginning.
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Feb 17, 2021 04:05
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TOTW is good and I own all the books mentioned above. I should probably re-read them again just out of curiosity, but I liked Sport Riding Techniques the best, followed by TOTW and Proficient Motorcycling but I don't remember a preference for one of the last two over the other.
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Feb 17, 2021 05:15
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Sadly this is only available in norwegian in video form, but you can get the book in english https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9WbyNfpjE3Skiibnn4xjiMfOCo87W2i7 https://issuu.com/nmcufullkontroll/docs/full_control_2013 http://www.fim-live.com/en/article/fim-road-safety-award-2017-candidate-profile-1/
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Feb 17, 2021 13:24
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Thanks for the reading list. It's still winter here, so books are the main way I'm going to get any semblance of skill improvement. I'm kinda bored of all the moto-vloggers and skill videos on YouTube, which I find do an ok job of showing, but not explaining what's actually going on.
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Feb 17, 2021 16:21
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T Zero posted:Thanks for the reading list. It's still winter here, so books are the main way I'm going to get any semblance of skill improvement. take no prisoners is a crash compilation in which people actually die. As a result, it's somewhat horrifying. However, I think it's also useful if you can read something like proficient motorcycling and then watch twenty minutes of it and just look at the things that folks are doing wrong compared to what the book says to do. e: forgot to post this - I want one and if you get a lot of snow... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1c6W8xbF_s
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Feb 17, 2021 16:36
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| # ? May 22, 2024 13:11 |
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Thinking of clutch levers bending, I highly suggest bringing a pair of these things: https://www.amazon.com/KNIPEX-86-03-150-Pliers/dp/B005EXOJZK They're small enough that they can be stored in your seat storage or whatever and they kick rear end
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Feb 17, 2021 17:42
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