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epswing posted:Something like these? https://fortnine.ca/en/progressive-suspension-monotube-fork-cartridge-kit
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May 11, 2021 19:48
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i know this isn't the new rider thread but i want a cruiser and the new rider thread seems centered around non-cruisers so if i want to get a motorcycle, with the goal eventually being a harley or an indian, what should i start with? a metric cruiser? do i dare for something larger?
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May 21, 2021 04:15
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You didn't read the new rider op did you. Aim for an intruder 250, virago 250.
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May 21, 2021 05:06
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i have read it multiple times it talks a lot about standards, less about cruisers in the section about standards, it also talks about bikes for larger dudes possibly moving up to an sv650. it doesn’t mention bikes for larger dudes in the cruiser section so i’m curious if that changes anything.
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May 21, 2021 05:51
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I still want another cruiser eventually because every couple of weeks I miss the hell out of my intruder.  sudo rm -rf posted:it doesn’t mention bikes for larger dudes in the cruiser section I'm like 6'3" 280lbs. My first bike was an intruder 250. It did everything I needed it to do. I put about 10,000km on it in 9 months. It strained a bit at highway speeds with a big headwind, but otherwise moved my fat arse around just fine. I rode it over mountains a few times, and while I'm sure it wouldn't have done high speeds up them, I never felt like the bike was what was making me slow. Elector_Nerdlingen fucked around with this message at 05:58 on May 21, 2021 |
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May 21, 2021 05:53
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are you from the states? the smallest intruder I’m seeing is 800cc and used prices for these are 3.5k and up for what seems to be a really old bike.
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May 21, 2021 05:57
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Nah, australia. Used bike market's hosed everywhere though. I bought mine for 3,500 dollarydoos, sold it just at the start of covid for 3100, and now it'd be worth like 4500-5000.
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May 21, 2021 06:01
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the virago looks really small too. i’m trying to avoid the bear on a bicycle thing. is something like the vulcan s that unreasonable?
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May 21, 2021 06:02
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like I’m half a mind to just get the scout bobber and be done with it, but I’ve been going back and forth. I’m sure if I step into a Harley dealership they’re going to tell me starting on a softail is no problem, haha.
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May 21, 2021 06:06
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You almost certainly won’t keep your first bike for more than a season or two, while you learn how to actually ride a motorcycle. Don’t worry so much about the type of bike, I know in your head you want a specific style, namely an American Cruiser (tm), but as long as it’s beginner friendly it’ll do. Any of the bikes, cruiser or otherwise, mentioned in that beginner thread will very likely be fine. You’ll probably drop it in some minor way, and that’s fine. The point is to set yourself up to have a little bit of knowledge and experience so that in a season or two, you’ll be able to get the bike you really want and not immediately gently caress it up.
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May 21, 2021 06:19
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Also I know you're really super sure you want a cruiser but you're in an information vacuum because you can't ride. Picking the kind of bike you want and working backwards from there isn't a good or right order to do things in. You're also drastically overestimating how much difference your size makes, and also far too concerned with what other people think you look like (spoiler: nobody gives a gently caress, you are invisible 95% of the time). All of these are normal stupid newbie things to think. Vulcan 650, shadow 600, vstar 650, rebel 500 are all solid learner cruisers. A scout or sportster are way, way too much bike. Slavvy fucked around with this message at 07:51 on May 21, 2021 |
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May 21, 2021 07:41
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What country are you in too, as if you're in one of the ones that actually has decent testing before you jump on a bike a 883 or something would be fine, plenty of my friends started on them, anything around 60hp will be fine. I'd say go get your licence first, see how you feel after that and what your instructors say.
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May 21, 2021 09:29
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sudo rm -rf posted:like I’m half a mind to just get the scout bobber and be done with it An Indian Scout is a terrible first bike. I'm a fat lad myself, 6', 250lb, and a 125cc Honda was still absolutely fine to learn on. Get yourself a 250cc or 300cc bike to learn on (it's hard to find 125s in  ).Do not buy an Indian or a Harley for a first bike. And get a GoPro.
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May 21, 2021 11:04
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My first bike was a Sportster 1200 and I had it for five years. I got it immediately after passing the MSF course. And that was stupid. I didn’t fully grasp the fundamentals and tried wrestling with a 600lb motorcycle right out of the gate. For 1000mi I basically stalled at every intersection. It wasn’t as fun as it should have been. It was also way too expensive for something I wasn’t sure I wanted to do. Fortunately it worked out and I love riding, but I could have easily blown $10k on a mistake. As long as you’re not 6’8 you should be able to fit comfortably on most bikes. Just go to dealerships and ask to sit on things. And take the MSF course if you haven’t - they put you on pretty small bikes (by comparison), so you can see what that feels like.
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May 21, 2021 13:00
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Don’t worry about what you look like on a bike. First off, you can’t see yourself when you’re riding and secondly, and unfortunately, 99.9% of people on the road won’t even see you.
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May 21, 2021 13:32
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get the cheapest, best running anything you can with a title and ride that until you stop target fixating and accelerating into fire hydrants and dumpsters
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May 21, 2021 14:46
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i really appreciate the advice guys, thanks. i'm gonna focus on looking for a used rebel 500 or vulcan s. thoughts on abs?
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May 21, 2021 20:01
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It is excellent and there are no drawbacks, get it if you can, not the end of the world if you can't.
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May 21, 2021 21:11
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Rare on an Internet forum to have regulars advise caution and temperance, rarer still to see the advice acknowledged and followed. Especially in the cruiser space  C.A. is truly a wonderful place. Edit P.S. the stock sportster seat is designed for pain 
epswing fucked around with this message at 23:04 on May 21, 2021 |
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May 21, 2021 22:07
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epswing posted:Rare on an Internet forum to have regulars advise caution and temperance, rarer still to see the advice acknowledged and followed. Especially in the cruiser space It's funny how there's about four stock sportster seats and this description fits all of them.
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May 21, 2021 23:07
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epswing posted:Rare on an Internet forum to have regulars advise caution and temperance, rarer still to see the advice acknowledged and followed. Especially in the cruiser space It really is and I take it for granted sometimes and then I venture into other forums and it’s a nightmare
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May 22, 2021 00:31
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sudo rm -rf posted:i really appreciate the advice guys, thanks. i'm gonna focus on looking for a used rebel 500 or vulcan s. thoughts on abs? get the rebel. it's a good bike. abs is great, but you'll be fine if you can't find one with it at your price point
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May 22, 2021 03:14
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Gotta say, I’m getting the hang of and used to the newly fitted Harley cruise control on Bob and it is working great. Made many miles of the A9 bearable, which is currently having roadworks and lower speed limits while retaining average speed cameras, and introducing no overtaking instructions. Would have been utterly miserable without cruise. A+, would throw £400 at cruise control again.
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May 22, 2021 16:26
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sudo rm -rf posted:i really appreciate the advice guys, thanks. i'm gonna focus on looking for a used rebel 500 or vulcan s. thoughts on abs? I saw the shadow 600 mentioned but not the shadow 750 for some reason. There are a million of them out there used (I see more 750s than 600s) and they only make 40 horsepower or so, seems like a good candidate
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May 22, 2021 19:10
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I’ve bought a couple aftermarket seats in the past and gotten lucky. It’s a big expense for a product you won’t really know you’ll like until you actually get it, and use it. There’s not much consolation in knowing that any seat will be better than the stock Sportster seat. That said, any brands/models that stick out? Possibly relevant information: I’m 5’10”, 165 lbs, 31” inseam, riding a 1200 Custom that will very shortly have mid pegs, indifferent about solo vs 2up.
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May 23, 2021 02:36
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Aftermarket seats on cruisers aren't a 'thing' here unless you count catalogue bs, most of the serious iron butt type people either get a corbin or just go custom. So they're almost certainly out there but I'm not familiar.
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May 23, 2021 02:45
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epswing posted:That said, any brands/models that stick out? The answer is Mustang and Saddlemen. I’ve had a Mustang seat on every Harley I’ve owned, and while I don’t really like the Saddlemen seats, they’re basically the “other” aftermarket brand. For reference I’m 5’9 195ish. My buddy who’s 6’2 loves his Saddlemen, so maybe it’s a height thing.
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May 23, 2021 12:30
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Cruise control is so good. I know I know, I said it before, but still. It’s made me completely forget about getting a Goldwing, for now. I should be fine using the Harley for the possible Stirling to London commutes.
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May 23, 2021 14:20
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Trip report, acquired mids to replace my forward controls, started getting them on tonight. As usual a seemingly simple procedure upon further inspection snowballed into more work than anticipated. To get to the mid mount holes in the frame, I thought I might be able to loosen a few things, however there's not much choice but to remove the front exhaust, which is connected to the rear exhaust, which means removing both mufflers, and the heat shields. Removal went fine, except getting the rear muffler off took a lot of effort, I'm not looking forward to getting that sucker back on. Also one of the rear exhaust bolts was loose   I'm halfway done, got the pegs mounted on the right side because I wanted to do the hard side first (the left side should be a cakewalk). Next step is to install everything in reverse order, after replacing the exhaust gaskets, which I've been warned should be replaced anytime the exhaust comes off. I know this is all probably really simple stuff for experienced folks, and knowing what I know now I could probably do it in half the time. First time I've seen a valve in the flesh though   
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Jun 18, 2021 05:19
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Protip: those exhaust studs are the only place on the bike where copper anti seize is a good idea, the sportster especially likes to break the left one on the front cylinder, it points right at the frame and is impossible to drill out. Also you really don't 'need' to replace the gaskets every time, if you're careful and put things back exactly as they were, the pipes will just sink back into their existing imprint. It is the super proper thing to do though.
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Jun 18, 2021 07:00
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I went to Edinburgh H-D today to get photos taken by their staff so that they can ask H-D for warranty replacement for the fork bottoms that have the paint flaking away by itself as well as the alternator that's getting sandblasted and therefore getting paint flaking too. Hopefully they are both under warranty and get replaced soon. While I was there I took an ogle at the first demonstrator Pan America that had just come in, along with their first demonstrator LiveWire. DirtGlide looks good in the flesh, the LiveWire made me lust for it yet again... Soon... My wife came with me, so she sat on some bikes. The one that fit her best was a 2014 Sportster XL 883 SuperLow, this one:  She liked it, but said the exhausts looked ridiculous.
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Jun 19, 2021 20:30
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Ahh yes the super low aka the driveway dragger. Only Boulevard m109 has less ground clearance as far as factory bikes go. I hope you get a new rectifier under warranty but honestly, I'd refuse the claim. The design of the bike is such that it's inevitable, it happens on all of them and the only way to stop it is to relocate the RR or put on one of those dorky rubber curtains on your mudguard. If you do get a new one it'll likely be with a warning that it's the last because it isn't actually faulty. Forks are a different story though. Japanese bikes solve this problem is putting it somewhere hidden, putting it under the bike, or putting it in plain view but making it a gently caress ugly hunk of unpainted alloy so nobody cares if it gets dirty. Harley are the only people who try to decorate the rectifier afaik.
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Jun 19, 2021 21:14
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Wow, as hoped, mid pegs made the Sporty an actually ridable motorcycle.
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Jun 19, 2021 23:27
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epswing posted:Wow, as hoped, mid pegs made the Sporty an actually ridable motorcycle. Interestingly I just put forwards on the softail with the same effect.
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Jun 22, 2021 09:59
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I was about to ride off. Bike was in neutral. Forgot to pull in the clutch, smashed it into first. Bike jolted, angry gear noises, stall. Works fine now for the 300 miles I put on it since, but have I done any damage to the gears/engine/transmission etc? 3rd service coming up in a thousand miles so let me know if I need to ask the dealer to do anything etc.
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Jul 1, 2021 19:17
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It's fine.
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Jul 1, 2021 19:35
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Thanks Slavvy!
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Jul 1, 2021 21:13
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Are highway pegs just a big bagger harley thing? Honestly I haven't even thought about them in years but my dad would use them a lot on long trips to move from mid to forward and stretch his legs.
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Jul 1, 2021 23:49
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the paradigm shift posted:Are highway pegs just a big bagger harley thing? Honestly I haven't even thought about them in years but my dad would use them a lot on long trips to move from mid to forward and stretch his legs. Highway pegs give you somewhere else to put your feet when you're going long distances. Since baggers basically have mid controls, you don't have a lot of options to stretch your legs, so they're more popular on baggers. But you can find highway pegs on any bike with mid controls, though you generally have fewer options for places to mount them.
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Jul 1, 2021 23:53
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Baggers are the only place they don't look really stupid, also. Fun fact: heel toe shifters and floor boards as found on many Harleys are both cutting edge enduro/adv technology circa 1940. You stand up on the boards over bumps which makes upshifting difficult, hence heel shifter.
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Jul 2, 2021 00:04
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