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Sagebrush posted:Ducati and BMW and Moto Guzzi waiting around the corner to gently caress up your day It's proof they don't know what they're doing yeah. Though to be fair bmw have seen the light in the latest boxer.
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Mar 20, 2021 22:20
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I put butt in seats today - I can see what people mentioned on the NC700X - sitting on it I fit, but the whole thing felt oddly top-heavy and I wasn't a fan. CB300R fit pretty well and was comfier than I expected considering the size - only thing I'd probably want is a slightly bigger rear brake pedal. I do like the matte blue of the ABS version compared to the red of the regular. Also sat on a Monkey for a few minutes and also fit better than I thought, was fun to just pop a squat on. Gotta say, didn't really like the Honda dealer that much in terms of service - half-hour plus to just talk to a sales guy, had the sales guy not be able to tell me the difference between the CB300 models, and the same guy also tried to put me on a Rebel 1100 for some weird reason but at least I got to sit on stuff. Decided to also visit Triumph since it was only a half hour away, was night and day in terms of service. Immediately steered me away from the T120 and larger scramblers ("You can sit on one, but I'm not selling you one"), got me to sit on a few of the Bonnevilles and Street Twins. Also had a walk-in straight up drop a new T120 he was sitting on, so that was exciting. There was an older beaten traded-in 2013 Bonneville that had been loved and had a few battlescars, and I did enjoy sitting on it and the overall feel - was told it was a trade-in from an older guy that added engine guards, luggage rack, fly screen, etc etc. Mentioned that I was worried since it was a bigger bike and my first, and they 100% understood and were willing to always chat after I get some riding time under my belt. Was good to just get some time, show off my helmet, and talk things over with real human beans at Triumph.
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Mar 21, 2021 02:03
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It's strange that Triumph haven't yet jumped on the 300 bandwagon when even bmw have managed to poo poo one out in time to cash in. Anywho just get a 300 Honda, none of that dealer poo poo matters worth a drat.
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Mar 21, 2021 02:12
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Slavvy posted:It's proof they don't know what they're doing yeah. Any of the waterboxers (2013+ unless it's the RNineT) should have a wet clutch in them
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Mar 21, 2021 02:42
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Proof that I still think things from the early 10's are modern, am old.
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Mar 21, 2021 04:09
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Gorson posted:I'd say the XT225 or Super Sherpa is the perfect starter dual sport since they're lighter and have a six speed. The height of the DRZ could be too much for some new riders. Any of them can be dumped repeatedly without fear. Come on dude, don’t send a new guy after a super Sherpa, that’s like sending a tenderfoot for a light bulb repair kit. TW200
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Mar 21, 2021 04:12
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Xr150
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Mar 21, 2021 05:37
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Slavvy posted:Anywho just get a 300 Honda
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Mar 21, 2021 09:35
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2017 I took the Motorcycle Safety course at the local Community College, and got so excited when I got my 'M' license, I bought that afternoon a 1984 Xj650 which immediately started having carb problems, and has spent the last 3 years in bits across my garage. I rode it *3* times. Brakes need work. Instrument panel is from eBay. JB weld holding the panel to yoke. I am not a competent mechanic. Yesterday I purchased a 2017 Honda Rebel 500, and am super excited to actually get to ride! So, we have rain forecast every day this week. I am nervous as poo poo to get back in the saddle, but I have a near mint Bell Bullitt spaceman's helmet, riding jacket, and a pandemic empty social calendar. Back roads planned at first, while I remember how to turn the blinkers off and such. So excited! (Anyone want to buy a Build Your Own Cafe Racer Bike - old enough to be US President?) Arkhamina fucked around with this message at 16:50 on Mar 23, 2021 |
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Mar 23, 2021 16:40
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You will remember HOW to turn off blinkers fairly quickly. Actually remembering TO turn off the blinkers will take years 
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Mar 23, 2021 16:52
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Rebel 500 is a good bike, you'll be fine.Martytoof posted:Actually remembering TO turn off the blinkers will take years I wish this was a problem I had, loving Harley's self-cancelling ones self-cancel far too early.
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Mar 23, 2021 17:02
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Arkhamina posted:2017 I took the Motorcycle Safety course at the local Community College, and got so excited when I got my 'M' license, I bought that afternoon a 1984 Xj650 which immediately started having carb problems, and has spent the last 3 years in bits across my garage. I rode it *3* times. Brakes need work. Instrument panel is from eBay. JB weld holding the panel to yoke. I am not a competent mechanic. Reacquaint yourself with braking drills from the MSF. Get a new helmet eventually. You're about to have so much fun!
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Mar 23, 2021 17:04
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During the class I was always being reminded about blinkers! I had a lot of fun with the dualcross bike I used one of the practice days, and I was seriously looking at the Royal Enfield Himalayan bike, but decided to go 'classic newbie' with the Rebel. My plan is to ride it a couple years, and sell it on to the next newbie... My work has a few motorcycle riders, and one (former Marine, ofc) proceeded to tell me yesterday about the two major, helmet less accidents he got into last year. I jokingly said, 'so, what have we learned about wearing helmets?' his answer was 'that I can get broadsided by a car, and survive without one? Sigh. He did skip Sturgis last year, at least.
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Mar 23, 2021 17:06
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Every motorcyclist eventually becomes a habitual turn-signal-canceller or top-gear-checker or both.
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Mar 23, 2021 17:15
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Sagebrush posted:Every motorcyclist eventually becomes a habitual turn-signal-canceller or top-gear-checker or both. Worse when you go from having a six-speed for years to a five-speed.
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Mar 23, 2021 17:23
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Sagebrush posted:Every motorcyclist eventually becomes a habitual turn-signal-canceller or top-gear-checker or both. Not everyone. There are also those extremely sad people that make me fit gear position indicators.
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Mar 23, 2021 18:41
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I'd never get one fitted if the bike didn't come with one, but when it's there, it prevents needless "oh I've run out of gears" attempted shifts. Although, after a while, you can tell by the engine noise alone whether you're in top gear or not.
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Mar 23, 2021 18:52
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Steakandchips posted:I'd never get one fitted if the bike didn't come with one, but when it's there, it prevents needless "oh I've run out of gears" attempted shifts. Hasn't stopped me from trying to find seventh gear on my N650 
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Mar 23, 2021 19:10
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I have one but it's not always accurate and I don't look at it that often anyway, so I still try to shift past sixth sometimes
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Mar 23, 2021 20:39
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I am hoping the skillset ports over well, but I drive a stick vehicle. I am a little worried about my normal work boots being a bit bulky in pegs... I have chunky Carhartt composite toes (I walk around garbage trucks regularly). I have been showing people at work photos like a proud parent today!
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Mar 23, 2021 21:58
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Phy posted:Worse when you go from having a six-speed for years to a five-speed. I've only ever had 5 gears and I still constantly try for 6th. The DR just feels like it should have another gear there, especially on straight highways.
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Mar 23, 2021 22:14
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Sagebrush posted:Every motorcyclist eventually becomes a habitual turn-signal-canceller or top-gear-checker or both. I didn't know those were an everyone gets those things
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Mar 23, 2021 22:18
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Arkhamina posted:I am hoping the skillset ports over well, but I drive a stick vehicle. I am a little worried about my normal work boots being a bit bulky in pegs... I have chunky Carhartt composite toes (I walk around garbage trucks regularly). It doesn't port over at all beyond the basic understanding of what the gears and clutch do. What you would call heel-toe is mandatory on bikes, you slip the clutch drastically more and actively use it when riding, you can shift clutchlessly and engine braking is drastically more important than it is in a car. Basically: nothing you learned in a car will help you in any way whatsoever, forget that idea. 'I had a 400hp car so I think I can manage a 600' is a timeless, running trope on this forum because there is a neverending supply of geniuses who think they've found the one weird trick.
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Mar 23, 2021 22:39
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Slavvy is correct, but I would add that learning to use a motorcycle clutch and gearbox is much easier than using the one in a car. As noted a page ago you can slip the clutch as long as you want without causing damage, so it's much easier to learn to start moving smoothly, and the gearbox only has up and down instead of distinct gear positions. It might take you a few days to a week to learn smooth starts with a manual transmission car, but I bet most people can pick it up on a motorcycle within an hour.
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Mar 23, 2021 23:14
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Anecdotally, I respectfully disagree. I agree that it doesn't directly translate over, but having experience and knowing how the basic mechanism works should help you understand how to do it right on the bike. I don't mean "knowing how the mechanism works" in a technical sense -- I can learn that from a book, but having some past muscle memory knowing what a certain input feels like does have some small parallels in predicting what your bike should do. The second I sat on a bike for the first time I felt I knew what the clutch action felt like, even if it was an input with a different appendage. I can count on one hand the number of times I've stalled in two years -- I don't mean that to sound  or anything, but either I'm really gifted or having that prior experience really helped me on day one. And I'm not really gifted because I'm poo poo at the ... rest of riding.So yeah, I mean it won't translate 1:1 but I think it was valuable knowledge to have.
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Mar 23, 2021 23:25
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Ok, my anecdotal experience: I got my driving skill to a fairly high level, was in the street racing scene 10+ years ago (gently caress I feel old now), owned a bunch of different cars. Then I got my first bike, a gsxr250, and proceeded to stall for about a week before I could leave the driveway reliably. So it really depends on the bike, big thumpers and cruisers are almost car-like but good luck with an inline four or small single.
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Mar 23, 2021 23:34
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I mean you could also just say I'm gifted
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Mar 23, 2021 23:39
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doesn't the N650 have one of those insanely light magic clutches
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Mar 24, 2021 01:14
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Speaking of stalls, the second day at the MSF was so much better than the first. I only stalled out five or six times compared the (what felt like) 1,000 times the day before. Now I'm in a weird limbo where I'm in a new state and need to get a completely new license, and I may or not be able to get it and the endorsement at the same time. The used small displacement market still looks pretty bad around here but hopefully something pops up around May.
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Mar 24, 2021 01:54
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FBS posted:doesn't the N650 have one of those insanely light magic clutches Oh that’s also entirely possible. I feel like I can lug this engine all day.
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Mar 24, 2021 02:26
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Sagebrush posted:Every motorcyclist eventually becomes a habitual turn-signal-canceller or top-gear-checker or both. I'm just hoping to eventually stop being a "honk the horn every fifth time I cancel the turn signal" kind of rider.
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Mar 24, 2021 03:53
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Martytoof posted:Oh that’s also entirely possible. I feel like I can lug this engine all day. Oh right so your gift was actually the gift of learning on way too big a bike with heaps of torque off idle.
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Mar 24, 2021 04:36
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I really want a cheap, small displacement bike, what's the best time to go shopping for them? There seems to be no more bikes between 125 and 500 whatsoever being sold new this season, so I have to be smart with the used market.
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Mar 24, 2021 04:59
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I've only ridden one Harley (my brother's FXR) but you didn't even need to give it gas, you could just let the clutch out and it would take off. That aspect would be very nice for beginners, but the weight of the bike would make everything else not as nice. I'm assuming most other Harleys are pretty similar?
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Mar 24, 2021 05:34
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Very much so, they all have big heavy flywheels with lots of momentum and steam engine torque off the bottom. Except the street models which are pretty japanese.
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Mar 24, 2021 05:53
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I learnt to ride a motorcycle before manual cars, and the one thing that did carry over was the MSF instructor's teaching us the bite point of a clutch. Up till then I foolishly figured clutches were somehow linear for the entire travel of the pedal and couldn't back a car out of a flat parking spot without stalling it.SEKCobra posted:I really want a cheap, small displacement bike, what's the best time to go shopping for them? There seems to be no more bikes between 125 and 500 whatsoever being sold new this season, so I have to be smart with the used market. Just before/into whatever is considered the end of the season where you are. People are more willing to let a bike go cheap if it means they don't have to garage it over the winter. Who knows what the 'end' of COVID will bring, but one of the possibilities is all the people who bought smaller motorcycles with their suddenly available vacation cash will realize they weren't really interested in the first place and dump them. Could make the fall of this year an especially good opportunity.
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Mar 24, 2021 07:09
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I thought covid would drop prices on luxury vehicles sure to people being out of work and it did the exact opposite. They became hot commodities. Used bike prices have easily doubled here in the northwest, especially dirt bikes. I'm very happy I got my bike when I did. Friends across the country have said the same with quads, side by sides, campers, boats etc. My local Facebook group is funny because someone will post a clapped out 20 year old dirt bike for what they paid for it new and they'll get hammered with comments criticizing their pricing. I'll be surprised when things open back up if there's a surplus of bikes on the market.
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Mar 24, 2021 07:24
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Verman posted:I thought covid would drop prices on luxury vehicles sure to people being out of work and it did the exact opposite. They became hot commodities. Used bike prices have easily doubled here in the northwest, especially dirt bikes. I'm very happy I got my bike when I did. I also expected a glut of used bikes, but it turns out the people making enough money to have the spending cash to drop thousands on recreational/luxury vehicles saw a lesser impact to their finances from COVID-19. What they did lose was the opportunity to spend their leisure money on other things. Nobody knows for sure yet, but it's a lot easier to social distance on a dirt road somewhere than on a cruise liner or at a Parisian restaurant. We really don't know what will happen when things truly open back up again. It may lead to a boom of people finally being able to really use the stuff they bought last year. Or it may end up that a good number of those toys have been parked since shortly after they were bought, and once you can spend your fun money on a vacation to the Bahamas again, a motorcycle might not seem worth holding onto. Either way, the best time to look for a bike is when it starts getting grey and wet, and people start second guessing how much they really want to ride.
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Mar 24, 2021 08:27
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FWIW, I found mine on Facebook Marketplace, and there was a good variety of other bikes for sale. I'm expecting if last spring, people decided to pick up new hobbies, maybe this year they will be selling off their either unused/failed start bikes, or upsizing to bigger ones. My seller just went from this Rebel 500 to a Triumph. It was kind of sweet, he was obviously attached to it, but he'd gotten into doing longer rides, and the Rebel 500 is not the bike to take cross country (I am told).
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Mar 24, 2021 12:31
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Slavvy posted:Oh right so your gift was actually the gift of learning on way too big a bike with heaps of torque off idle. Sorry about that, I won’t let it happen again.
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Mar 24, 2021 12:45
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