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Toe Rag posted:I always take the inside lane unless I have a reason to be in the outside, eg immediately making a turn in the opposite direction. It’s much more likely for the inside car to run wide than the outside car to turn in. This. But if it's 2 turning lanes then I've filtered to the front anyway so I'll be ahead of trouble.
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Jul 29, 2021 12:28
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Elector_Nerdlingen posted:This. I was going to say, the safest bet by far is to be in front and not have any cars anywhere near you. I don't think outside/inside turning lane matters very much compared to looking vs on their phone, normal car vs compensatory SUV/truck. I find turning alongside cars nightmarish in general because most of them are unable to run a steady line through the corner and make jagged jerky little corrections all the way through, or just ignore the lane markings in general. Not being near the cars is the safest way, you can run whatever line you like. Slavvy fucked around with this message at 21:54 on Jul 29, 2021 |
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Jul 29, 2021 21:50
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I never consciously thought about it, I usually go for what intuitively makes the most sense, basically yeah it comes down to wherever the least amount of car interaction will be. Maybe, someday, lane splitting will catch on outside of California, not holding my breath though. Inside lane usually ends up fastest route to get away from the other turn lane, but also watch out for this, people in cars can't corner for poo poo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcnaahqeCig
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Jul 29, 2021 23:27
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Unsurprisingly the little learner bike market is trash in my area at the moment though someone has a 2020 CB300R ABS with a few thousand miles on cycletrader in my zip code that I'm going to see if I can snag. I sat on a CBR300R at a dealer and it felt more comfortable to be on than anything else I've tried so far, though buying something there sounds like it comes with about $600 of bullshit above the sales price so lol. Lot of Super Cubs, which wouldn't be awful but I'd prefer to get something with a clutch to learn on.
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Jul 31, 2021 23:24
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Midjack posted:Unsurprisingly the little learner bike market is trash in my area at the moment though someone has a 2020 CB300R ABS with a few thousand miles on cycletrader in my zip code that I'm going to see if I can snag. I sat on a CBR300R at a dealer and it felt more comfortable to be on than anything else I've tried so far, though buying something there sounds like it comes with about $600 of bullshit above the sales price so lol. Lot of Super Cubs, which wouldn't be awful but I'd prefer to get something with a clutch to learn on. Score. I'm now the proud owner of a blue CB300R ABS with 4900 on the clock. PO added frame sliders and a battery tender USB port that he has an iPhone connector plugged into, looks like it's in great shape and mercifully unmolested. Now to the DMV for reg and plate, and then I can start looping in the school parking lot down the street.
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Aug 1, 2021 22:12
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 I have that bike and in my nonexpert opinion it is good.
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Aug 1, 2021 22:28
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I can't think of a better single cylinder learner bike that isn't an enduro, that you can buy today (2t 125 is the all-time gold standard obv). All the others are either twins, or air cooled and ancient, or orange.
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Aug 1, 2021 23:27
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Midjack posted:Score. I'm now the proud owner of a blue CB300R ABS with 4900 on the clock. PO added frame sliders and a battery tender USB port that he has an iPhone connector plugged into, looks like it's in great shape and mercifully unmolested. Now to the DMV for reg and plate, and then I can start looping in the school parking lot down the street. I love the styling, especially in blue with the gold forks.
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Aug 1, 2021 23:42
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managed to quiet my bike down a lot by packing the baffle with fiberglass exhaust stuff. my earballs are thanking me. seems like its staying put. im getting good at taking off and putting on my exhaust if anything lol. gonna set aside some time tomorrow to do an oil and filter change and other misc maintenance. already put almost 3000 km on the bike!
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Aug 1, 2021 23:51
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Midjack posted:Score. I'm now the proud owner of a blue CB300R ABS with 4900 on the clock. PO added frame sliders and a battery tender USB port that he has an iPhone connector plugged into, looks like it's in great shape and mercifully unmolested. Now to the DMV for reg and plate, and then I can start looping in the school parking lot down the street. And it's so nice to see a bike that hasn't been fiddled with, the guy I bought my bike from hadn't touched anything mechancial himself.
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Aug 2, 2021 02:18
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I got to spend the weekend with a guzzi V7, marking the third bike I've ever ridden. Coming from a 250 Honda, I definitely felt the the extra 100 lbs. It was way harder to maneuver at slow speeds. I dropped it once when I was pulling out of a driveway and was cut off by someone who ran a red. I stopped while leaned over and my leg wasn't ready to catch the weight. Fortunately it had crash bars on it, but it did leave a scratch in the crash bar. The V7 has a low seat height but was harder to flatfoot than my 250 because it was so wide. I feel so embarrassed I let it happen. Riding a different bike was definitely humbling. Driving, though, it felt amazing. A heavy bike like that feels so planted and secure, and while it shakes at idle, it's amazingly smooth underway. I didn't feel any anxiety on the highway the way I do on my own bike. The power felt reassuring and it didn't seem like it would push me to do dangerous things. It was neat feel the bike pull to the right when revving at idle, and I could feel the heat coming off the cylinders. The only other mishap was that I put a rain cover on it and when I came back in the morning, some of the plastic melted onto the pipe. The owner told me something similar happened to him and it can come off with oven cleaner. My own bike afterward felt tiny, buzzy, and cramped afterward in comparison. The next bikes I'd want to try are a bonneville and maybe a larger displacement sportbike. Not sure I want to buy a new bike just yet though, especially since the insurance rates for first year drivers on anything larger than 400cc is astronomical here. I'm also not committed to a riding style just yet and am still trying to schedule a dirt bike class.
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Aug 2, 2021 02:39
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E:^^^^some notes: What you felt was torque, not power. 90% of what people interpret as power is actually just easily accessible torque. An big air cooled twin like that starts to enter it's happy zone at like 2500 so for all practical purposes you have peak torque available at all times in all gears. A water cooled i4 sportbike doesn't wake up until about 6k and relatively suddenly changes from super gutless to plaid speed. You'd find if you really started ragging on the v7, it wouldn't be much quicker than your small bike and this is reflected in the relatively humble HP rating. Also: the sense of stability and security is basically because the bike's weight and geometry and weight-appropriate damping muffle all the little movements (including your own) and the gives the sense of smoothness. It isn't actually any more stable than your bike, it just takes more provocation before you feel the instability. RightClickSaveAs posted:Nice find! Don't know about other places but the used market for 300s in my area is abysmal still. Nothing but massive Harleys and ridiculously expensive dirt bikes. If the choice is benign neglect vs active fuckery, I'll the first one every time. Slavvy fucked around with this message at 02:51 on Aug 2, 2021 |
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Aug 2, 2021 02:39
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Professor, I promise to learn the difference between power and torque before the the exam.  And yes, I did notice that when I first started riding, I kept stalling the 250 because I didn't rev it high enough to get moving. Whereas the v7 would get rolling at just a hair above idle.
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Aug 2, 2021 03:02
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Slavvy posted:I can't think of a better single cylinder learner bike that isn't an enduro, that you can buy today (2t 125 is the all-time gold standard obv). All the others are either twins, or air cooled and ancient, or orange. Newbie questions: Why are the orange bikes bad? Also what about small BMWs? My selection criteria besides not too heavy or powerful are not being too off-roady, standard riding position, fuel injection, ABS and under €4000. Should I consider Japanese bikes exclusively? (The local market has very few used bikes around 250-400cc other than the orange ones. It's either 125's that qualify for the A1 licence or something that falls under the A2 class, meaning sub 35kW of power and no more than 0.2kW/kg of bike mass. The A2 bikes are usually 500-800cc, often more powerful bikes nerfed with power restriction devices. The licence I hope to possess in exactly a week is A=unrestricted but riding an A2 for a while seems prudent anyway)
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Aug 2, 2021 08:28
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Fellow A license holder on an A2 bike here, can totally recommend this strategy. KTMs have a bit of a relibility issue, but afaik should be fine otherwise. They certainly manage to make their bikes very flickable even at high weights.
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Aug 2, 2021 09:46
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I've hopped on a few bikes and there's something I've noticed. There's like a huge variation in feel and handling between bikes. My coworker 883s Harley has a ton of torque. It feels like being pulled by a tractor engine with a crazy gear ratio. The steering feels kinda drunkenly playful. It's super heavy. My Kawasaki Versys x 300 delivers most of its torque seemingly above 4000-6000 rpm. Complete opposite of the Harley. The clutch is super light. You have to rev it but it is also forgiving because power is delivered smoothly through a huge rpm band. The bike is not easily upset. Maybe it's a little bland but it's a super efficient bike to travel with and it's plenty fast. It seems to make up for having like no low rpm torque by having low gear ratios in the low gears to smooth things out? My 125cc china bike surprisingly has very smooth power delivery, oddly a fair amount of low end torque. It will happily putt around without bogging in 4th at street speeds if you replace sprockets. A lot of people run 17 or 18:34 sprockets. It...is easily upset but it's so light it doesn't really matter. It handles kind of extremely. I would never gently caress around on my kawasaki, but if I'm wearing gear I feel ok trying to pop wheelies in a parking lot, which the bike will easily do. It ended up turning into my daily driver if I'm not going far because it has a lot of character.  My friend's Honda CBR500R feels a lot like my Versys, but a completely different riding position, maybe more torque at lower rpms. I kinda appreciate the differences in handling. It feels whacky switching between bikes sometimes. I end up wanting to do a lap around the neighborhood to regain a feeling for the bike before setting out. Someday I see a third bike in my garage. Probably a sport bike but it could be an old Harley project bike. SSH IT ZOMBIE fucked around with this message at 17:37 on Aug 2, 2021 |
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Aug 2, 2021 17:32
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 So, back in mid July I did my CBT on a yard that was on a slope and had a camber, which was fun. I learned how the clutch on a well used YBR works, or doesn't. Then, the next day, I went and picked up the motorcycle I had bought two weeks earlier and rode it 50 miles back to my home along the A1 and the Edinburgh bypass, that was exciting as I wanted to keep it below 6000rpm, because it was new. In the UK, you only get a 125cc at this point. So that was 50 - 55 mph all the way on 70mph roads. Now, I have ridden every weekday thanks to the nice weather. Getting used to it. Can ride down steep hills reasonably well now (low gear, over rev, slip the clutch, trail a little brake) which, for some reason, is the thing I find hardest to do well. I also ride like your grandma, completely inside the speed limit and slowing at corners (I take anything on an A road that's halfway sharp at 40). I also forget to cancel my indicator lights at least once every ride. GuestBob fucked around with this message at 18:22 on Aug 2, 2021 |
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Aug 2, 2021 18:17
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SSH IT ZOMBIE posted:It feels whacky switching between bikes sometimes. I end up wanting to do a lap around the neighborhood to regain a feeling for the bike before setting out. Someday I see a third bike in my garage. Probably a sport bike but it could be an old Harley project bike. That's why everyone should ride all bikes. The differences between my Harley bagger, Ducati Scrambler, and Kawasaki dual sport are so vast that initially it took me a few minutes to get comfortable going from one to another. I think there's a tendency for people to assume they'll like a certain bike, or feel like they need to be on a certain bike, but ultimately they might be happier on something that's the complete opposite of what they're riding. I'd love to take a ride on a CBR300 or a Ninja 400 but I don't know anyone who owns one and Twisted Road/EagleRider kinda suck around here for anything other than Harleys.
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Aug 2, 2021 18:26
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The real trip is going back to a car. I drove my truck for the second time after solely riding everywhere for a month, and it felt so huge and slow and awkward. Cars suck
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Aug 2, 2021 18:44
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Invalido posted:Newbie questions: Why are the orange bikes bad? Orange bikes are bad because they are built like a smart phone and have wonderful design decisions like disposable engine cases that cost thousands of dollars. The small bmw's are basically the same but worse. They are all made in India, badly. If you have lots of money and patience these things won't be a problem; imo nobody learning should go anywhere near a europan or american bike, it's hard enough learning not to fall over and die let alone deal with random bullshit issues that cost thousands to fix. Get a cbr300, r3 or ninja 300/400 if you're able to. The riding position is totally normal despite their appearance. A cb400 or similar would also be excellent. If you go down the nerfed big bike path, the sv650 and er6 are good solid choices.
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Aug 2, 2021 20:18
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GuestBob, the A1 and the Edinburgh bypass are some of the most scary roads on a bike for a newbie. I’m impressed you got the bike home and weren’t shaking with fear! That too on a 125!
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Aug 2, 2021 20:39
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Steakandchips posted:GuestBob, the A1 and the Edinburgh bypass are some of the most scary roads on a bike for a newbie. I’m impressed you got the bike home and weren’t shaking with fear! That too on a 125! I only stalled it once as well, that was at the end of the high street where I picked it up  I have bicycled halfway across China and all through SE Asia though, so the Edinburgh bypass on a motorbike is a bit like that, only faster and with fewer Bangladeshi truck drivers on amphetamines. GuestBob fucked around with this message at 20:59 on Aug 2, 2021 |
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Aug 2, 2021 20:43
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Invalido posted:Newbie questions: Why are the orange bikes bad? the only good orange bikes are the dirt bikes and the LC8 powered bikes (9x0s, 1x90s). (reserving judgment on the LC8c until it’s been out for >5yr but parallel twins will never be as fun as I4s or v twins)
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Aug 3, 2021 01:51
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My friend let me on his mid 90s Suzuki Katana 750. Holy poo poo! That was fun. I have like maybe 1300 miles of riding experience at this point. Could kinda barely manage it lol. It felt pretty good though.
SSH IT ZOMBIE fucked around with this message at 02:23 on Aug 3, 2021 |
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Aug 3, 2021 02:18
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right arm posted:the only good orange bikes are the dirt bikes and the LC8 powered bikes (9x0s, 1x90s). (reserving judgment on the LC8c until it’s been out for >5yr but parallel twins will never be as fun as I4s or v twins) Yeah this. None of the good ones are learner friendly. If you could swing a 250f with a plate and long sprockets, that would probably rule as a learner but I've never attempted it. My old 400exc was a peppy little tank on the street.
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Aug 3, 2021 02:23
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I have a bit of a dumb question, maybe. Having test driven or ridden some friends bikes at this point, among them a klr 650, an xt250, z400, and an mt03 I'm not sure what would be best in the long run in Central PA. The roads can suck around here and I'd be afraid of something happening on a more street oriented bike because of rougher roads and massive potholes. I haven't yet had a chance to try a dr650 but am still leaning towards something like a dual sport. Is this silly reasoning?
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Aug 3, 2021 23:53
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That is 100% pure crystallized correctness, get a DR immediately.
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Aug 4, 2021 00:11
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Yes it is . You do not need a dual sport to ride on even the shittiest of winter-scarred midwestern roads. That does not mean a dual sport wouldn't make an excellent beginner bike because they absolutely do. Just don't get a KLR.
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Aug 4, 2021 00:12
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Slavvy posted:That is 100% pure crystallized correctness, get a DR immediately. I rode a WR250X about 100 miles a few months ago. Is it an accurate statement that dualsport/supermoto bikes tend to "exaggerate" everything? It felt like brake dive, even with fairly light input, was huge (it did have an aftermarket rotor/caliper), it tipped in super eagerly, and just felt all around a lot more pronounced cause->effect without being in any way intimidating.
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Aug 4, 2021 00:25
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Toe Rag posted:I rode a WR250X about 100 miles a few months ago. Is it an accurate statement that dualsport/supermoto bikes tend to "exaggerate" everything? It felt like brake dive, even with fairly light input, was huge (it did have an aftermarket rotor/caliper), it tipped in super eagerly, and just felt all around a lot more pronounced cause->effect without being in any way intimidating. Congrats, you've worked out half the reason everyone should start on a dual sport. Those exaggerated movements are perfect for teaching you about weight transfer and the associated geometry changes. The bigger and heavier (and by association, faster) a bike is, the more low-speed damping is needed to prevent instability, seesawing etc. Heavier damping means the bike needs greater amounts of braking/gassing to pitch noticeably, so the pitching information you're getting back is very minimal and 'low resolution' if you're going too slow for the bike (by slow I mean how heavily you're loading the tyres, not necessarily wheel speed). If you're still learning and you don't know what to look for/at, you basically can't tell what's going on and ride around making GBS threads your pants wondering what the tyres are up to. Otoh on a pitchy soggy enduro, even the most timid inputs give a clear and obvious signal and let you start a positive feedback loop of learning. The faster and sportier the bike is, the bigger the forces need to be to get it pitching, and because pitching is what makes the tyres work, riding a fast bike slowly can be dangerous because you'll just never load the tyres properly and are basically tiptoing around with no grip. It's impossible to 'work up to it' like some people think, because if you don't know what you're doing you can't get the bike into it's operating window which makes it impossible to even begin learning what the gently caress.
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Aug 4, 2021 00:51
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All right, rode down the street to the elementary school parking lot and did ovals and figure eights for a half hour until the sun went down. Zero dead, zero wounded, zero dollars property damage on my first ride on public streets.
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Aug 4, 2021 01:41
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Midjack posted:All right, rode down the street to the elementary school parking lot and did ovals and figure eights for a half hour until the sun went down. Zero dead, zero wounded, zero dollars property damage on my first ride on public streets. Congrats. Next thing you know you'll be scraping peg feelers through roundabouts and waving at kids on bikes.
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Aug 4, 2021 01:52
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That's a nice looking blue, hope you got the matching helmet:
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Aug 4, 2021 01:54
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MomJeans420 posted:That's a nice looking blue, hope you got the matching helmet: Sadly they didn't have anything in stock in my size except gloss black, though I did get that model. Had I but known!
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Aug 4, 2021 02:15
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Pine Cone Jones posted:I have a bit of a dumb question, maybe. Having test driven or ridden some friends bikes at this point, among them a klr 650, an xt250, z400, and an mt03 I'm not sure what would be best in the long run in Central PA. The roads can suck around here and I'd be afraid of something happening on a more street oriented bike because of rougher roads and massive potholes. I haven't yet had a chance to try a dr650 but am still leaning towards something like a dual sport. Is this silly reasoning? I don't know about whether or not it's silly reasoning but you should get a DR because DRs are loving great.
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Aug 4, 2021 03:08
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did an oil change and looked at a different year for the oil capacity of my bike so my 2 liters of motul wernt enough and had to go to the shop and bought some royal purple. between the red motul and the royal purple it looked like i was feeding my bike cought syrup. shifting wasnt bad on my bike to begin with but i can feel and improvement with the oil change. and my bike seems to vibrate less, dunno. the exhaust blasted some packing out the back but its still a lot quieter than it used to be with the hollow baffle. jury is out on how long it lasts.
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Aug 4, 2021 03:24
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Pine Cone Jones posted:I have a bit of a dumb question, maybe. Having test driven or ridden some friends bikes at this point, among them a klr 650, an xt250, z400, and an mt03 I'm not sure what would be best in the long run in Central PA. The roads can suck around here and I'd be afraid of something happening on a more street oriented bike because of rougher roads and massive potholes. I haven't yet had a chance to try a dr650 but am still leaning towards something like a dual sport. Is this silly reasoning? How about the klx300sm? Or the dual sport version?
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Aug 4, 2021 05:57
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I most definitely still want a dr650, but unfortunately that purchase is waiting for my husband to settle into his new job before I buy anything new, just in case. I haven't ridden a supermoto, but the klx 300 sm looks like it'd be fun as hell.
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Aug 4, 2021 13:13
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Pine Cone Jones posted:I most definitely still want a dr650, but unfortunately that purchase is waiting for my husband to settle into his new job before I buy anything new, just in case. I haven't ridden a supermoto, but the klx 300 sm looks like it'd be fun as hell. I've got a klx25sm and honestly, a dr with SM wheels and fork emulators is a lot better.
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Aug 4, 2021 20:01
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There’s hardly any good reason to NOT get a DR.
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Aug 4, 2021 21:31
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