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knox_harrington posted:Looks like your rear tyre is a 130 btw. You are indeed correct, and thank you.
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Oct 8, 2021 12:13
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I'm a good 6-12 months or more from getting my second bike (currently riding a Royal Alloy 150 scooter that I plan on keeping for city riding). I thought I'd get an idea of what insurance would cost me so I can carefully plan out what my budget will be while I pay some stuff down and build a nice down payment. The insurance company I'm already using quoted me as much as my payment will likely be for a Vstrom 650. Should I be looking for another insurance company or is this a "suck it up for a couple years and it'll get better" situation? I'm in my 40's with a relatively clean driving record and no accidents or even speeding tickets in at least 8 years. No major accidents or tickets at all, ever. When I didn't own a car for a couple years (moved across the country to a city where I didn't need one), I basically had to reset some stuff and was paying a lot more than I'd have liked for a while, but that was 7 or more years ago. At those rates, I might do a much cheaper bike and just know it's to build up another down payment so I can trade it in and up. Which I hate the idea of. I know there's no such thing as your perfect bike and there's some likelihood I'd be trading in the theoretical Vstrom at some point too, but I don't want to buy a bike knowing that's the plan. I want a warranty, so I'm sticking to new and I don't want that purchase to be a big compromise. I'm really only looking at new bikes known for their reliability for various reasons. No, I don't want a DR650. I could actually swing the insurance and payment with some adjustments, especially with some time to plan ahead. It's just more than I was expecting.
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Oct 13, 2021 22:30
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Nobody can help you about bike insurance if we don't know what country you live in.
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Oct 13, 2021 22:54
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pun pundit posted:Nobody can help you about bike insurance if we don't know what country you live in. What a dumb thing for me to forget to include. Sorry about that. I'm in the US (which may explain why it didn't occur to me to include it). Currently have Allstate, who is saying $1,856 a year of both bikes versus an online quote I just got from Progressive for ... about $300. I haven't looked at all the bells and whistles to be sure I'm making a 1:1 comparison yet, but it seems pretty clear I have much better options. edit: Even bumping to more premium coverage, I'm somewhere north of 1/3 what Allstate was quoting me. Still happy to take any advice but it sounds like I'm changing insurers whenever I get the new bike. Geekboy fucked around with this message at 23:11 on Oct 13, 2021 |
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Oct 13, 2021 23:02
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Hey everybody, I got my first bike a few months ago, a brand new Yamaha R3. But due to reasons I haven't been able to ride as much as I wanted to, and I've only put about 200 miles into it. Weather is getting colder and I'll probably have to winterize it in a ~month or so, and I don't think I'll be able to hit the break in period (I'll try though!). My question is when I winterize it, should I change the oil anyway? Or wait until I hit the break in point in the spring or whenever. Or change the oil for winterization and again when I hit the break in?
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Oct 13, 2021 23:41
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Get heated hand grips and keep riding!
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Oct 14, 2021 00:13
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Neo_Crimson posted:Hey everybody, I got my first bike a few months ago, a brand new Yamaha R3. But due to reasons I haven't been able to ride as much as I wanted to, and I've only put about 200 miles into it. Weather is getting colder and I'll probably have to winterize it in a ~month or so, and I don't think I'll be able to hit the break in period (I'll try though!). I would leave it, change it in the spring and not worry about breaking it in beyond what you've already done. It'll be fine I promise.
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Oct 14, 2021 01:35
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Geekboy posted:What a dumb thing for me to forget to include. Sorry about that. I'm in the US (which may explain why it didn't occur to me to include it). I have Allstate and while I've been happy with them in terms of getting a decent and quick payout when my LS400 got totaled and my D675 got totaled, their bike insurance is ridiculous. They contract out to someone else, and my premiums went from a steady $1k/year with comprehensive to $1500/year all of a sudden. I haven't had time to deal with them (I've been ignoring calls from their claims adjuster for months because I was too busy to deal with it), but they just auto-renewed my totaled bike a month ago when they took possession of it back in May so they should be aware I don't need coverage.
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Oct 14, 2021 01:48
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I'm surprised. I plugged the same insurance coverage between Allstate and Progressive and Progressive was almost three times as much. Allstate also was super quick when it came to paying out my stolen bike claim, but it's pretty scummy if they didn't cancel the renewal after I mailed them my title and keys.
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Oct 14, 2021 03:35
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Man, my buddy just found a mint condition 84 Honda trail 110. No joke it looks like it was never ridden. The paint is pristine, wheels are spotless, chrome is perfect and free of rust. It's so beautiful. He paid more for it than I did my WR though. It's so nice that I would almost not want to take it to the woods. It will be an excellent camping bike though.
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Oct 14, 2021 03:51
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Perhaps a dumb question, but how do I learn how to ride with a passenger? A coworker asked for a ride home the other day and I refused saying that I need to practice first. But then she (correctly) asked how do I practice without riding with someone. Yes, I understand that the passenger should be as geared up and protected as the driver.
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Oct 14, 2021 17:02
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Assuming you've got a decent amount of experience under your belt and are reasonably confident solo, the same way you learn as a rider. Understand the theory, take it slow, make sure you're both clear as to what you should be doing and any hand signals, do some parking lot drills to familiarize you both with the physicality of the process. My first two-up ride was on a rented fully loaded Harley road couch, in an unfamiliar city in another province, which in retrospect was crazy pants. But I had been riding for years at that point. Worst thing that happened was she fell asleep (slightly less awful than it could have been because she was locked in by the seatback and armrests) and got jolted awake when I went over some train tracks. Best thing that happened was we got married a few years later and I still have a picture of her from that day on my bedside table.
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Oct 14, 2021 17:30
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T Zero posted:Perhaps a dumb question, but how do I learn how to ride with a passenger? If I had to do it again: Choose a passenger smaller than you Be extremely loving clear about their job, which is to sit still to a degree they have never done in their lives before Do some stopping drills before going anywhere Ignore any protests and claims about prior experience Not all bikes are good for it, it's possible to have a pillion seat and pegs on a bike that is totally unrideable with a pillion. If you have easily adjustable rear preload, bump that up a couple of steps.
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Oct 14, 2021 19:23
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Starting to feel like fall in the morning! Check those pressures, allot some extra warm up time for the engine and tires and enjoy that breeeeeze. I adore fall riding so much I just had to post about it somewhere.
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Oct 14, 2021 19:38
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Yeah, you just have to start somewhere. Find someone who is willing to be your passenger on short rides while you learn and just do it. I took my sister around town a bunch of times. If you have a friend who rides and isn't too heavy, that's probably the ideal person since they understand what it's like to be the rider. Obviously the first few times you'll want to stick to low-speed roads with little traffic. General rules: - You get on the bike first, get it running and pointed into the street, plant both your feet, then have them climb on. Don't try backing the bike up with a passenger at first. - Tell them to hold onto you. Sometimes if they're awkward they will try to hold onto the handle on the seat instead, but that sucks and isn't very secure and makes their fingers numb. - Tell them to not put their feet down at any point, you'll hold the bike up at stoplights etc. - Tell them to not lean excessively in either direction; just keep their body in line with yours. As the Beach Boys song goes: "when we go into the turns / lean with me and hang on tight." You, in turn, can lean as you would naturally, but keep it reasonable. You don't need to be Rossi in this situation. - Suggest that they keep their head on your left, and you'll put your head a little bit to the right, so that your helmets aren't constantly bouncing against each other. It will happen anyway but if you agree on a side it's a little better. - Give them a simple hand signal like tapping you on the shoulder if they need to get your attention. Your goal is to ride the bike as fluidly as possible, no jerky motions in any axis. Be smooth with your acceleration and shifting. Be aware that your brakes will feel less effective and your stopping distance will be significantly longer. If you want to thrill them with acceleration, make sure that they're okay with it, and make drat sure that you have a wide open road ahead because you won't be able to stop as quickly as you're used to. Be ready for the passenger to shift their weight in the middle of a corner, especially at first, and prepare to handle that. Know that inexperienced passengers will probably slide forward every time you stop, so brace for it and also leave some room between the tank and your nuts. All that said, riding a comfortable bike on a beautiful road with a person of your preferred gender on the back, especially if they're new and excited about it, is a lovely experience. e: oh, and don't split lanes until the passenger has some experience and is up for it. For some reason splitting really freaks people out. Slavvy posted:Not all bikes are good for it, it's possible to have a pillion seat and pegs on a bike that is totally unrideable with a pillion. If you have easily adjustable rear preload, bump that up a couple of steps. Yeah this is just an unfortunate fact too. I do not like taking passengers on my Hawk. It ruins the light and balanced handling and makes it feel like a pig, and the pillion seat is narrow and the passenger pegs are small and close, and the exhaust is just loud enough to make talking annoying, and the angle of the seat and tank makes every stoplight a nutbuster. My CL350 has a flat bench seat and both of you sit perfectly upright and it's quiet and has squishy pogo stick suspension and it's always slow no matter what so who cares. It's a perfect bike to ride two-up around town and on country roads. 
Sagebrush fucked around with this message at 20:02 on Oct 14, 2021 |
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Oct 14, 2021 19:45
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two other things: 1) tell your passenger to try and avoid wiggling around/adjusting their seating position unless you're moving in a straight line at speed, or are at a complete stop with your foot/feet on the ground 2) they can keep themselves from sliding forward when you slow down/come to a stop either by squeezing their legs (ooh la la) or bracing themselves with the grab rail/placing their hands on the tank in front of you
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Oct 14, 2021 21:49
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I would like to re-emphasize that the first few times you brake it may be alarming when it feels like nothing is happening. Seriously prepare for much greater braking distances and make extra effort to be as smooth as possible. Both for handling and the comfort of your passenger. Stop frequently and see how everything is working out for them.
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Oct 14, 2021 23:15
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After a few half-hour each times around in that big lot across the street from me, I was low on fuel and went to the nearest station. I did the wave to a Harley and he waved back! Also my backwards rear end front tire and the rear were low by about ~10psi each, but the chain looks to be in good shape and has a desired amount of tension and there's life left in both the rotors and pads. Had my first somewhat close call, turning into the alley to get back to the garage one time there was a car approaching the stop from in the alleyway. I was already committed into the turn when I saw them, but I was doing adequate speed and snapped right into looking to the right of them and did a little swerve right around. Also getting used to low speed u-turns in the lot with smoother clutch modulation and counter-lean. Riding jeans came in too so now I'm fully geared up as well.
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Oct 15, 2021 01:25
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Jazzzzz posted:tell your passenger to try and avoid wiggling around/adjusting their seating position unless you're moving in a straight line at speed, or are at a complete stop with your foot/feet on the ground This is something that my wife always got backwards until she started riding herself. As a passenger, her instinct was to wait until I was going slow to move or shift around. There were a few oh poo poo moments pulling up to stop lights when she suddenly shifted before we stopped.
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Oct 15, 2021 01:38
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It feels like I’ve taken a step forward as I enter the long list of people sales reps call when things go on sale or there’s a shipment in.
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Oct 18, 2021 22:10
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So if I fill my tank up with ethanol free gas there is no real point in using any kinda of fuel stabilizer right? I didn’t get to ride as much as I wanted this summer due to a pretty bad depressive episode and I really don’t want to have to stop riding for the winter though. The winter around here (upstate South Carolina) is generally pretty mild. Most days don’t get much lower then in the 30s. Is it a bad idea as a newbie to get some good winter gear and keep riding? Also what is the best gear/way to stay warm riding in the cold? Also when I was at the dealer today to pick up a new engine mount bolt I spent some time messing with the different bikes they had. One of them was a KLX 300SM. I now realize what I want is a small light supermoto or dual sport.
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Oct 22, 2021 16:50
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katka posted:Is it a bad idea as a newbie to get some good winter gear and keep riding? Also what is the best gear/way to stay warm riding in the cold? Other things to be cognizant of in freezing or near-freezing weather: painted zones and lines, metal, and tar snakes can form ice before everything else and hold it for longer after the rest of the road is dry. For warmth, 1.) Layer up with thin synthetic layers that comfortably fit under your jacket and pants and 2.) break wind. Rain jackets work well, but non-perforated leather is good as well. Insulated gloves plus a pair of very thin synthetic liners are usually my go-to, but a pair of rain covers for your gloves can make a huge difference. Carry a pair of nitrile gloves on the bike just in case you get caught in the rain or it gets really cold. They're not ideal but they'll usually get you home without frostbite or dangerous loss of sensation in your hands if you get caught out. quote:Also when I was at the dealer today to pick up a new engine mount bolt I spent some time messing with the different bikes they had. One of them was a KLX 300SM. I now realize what I want is a small light supermoto or dual sport. HenryJLittlefinger fucked around with this message at 19:08 on Oct 22, 2021 |
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Oct 22, 2021 19:02
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HenryJLittlefinger posted:
Ride fast enough and you'll never have to smell it.
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Oct 22, 2021 19:18
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Newbie mistake story time/PSA. going out for the first proper ride (apart from a couple of trips around the block to clear the cobwebs) after 4 months of lockdown, inspect my bike, safety check brakes are all good, brakelights work, clutch and shifting seems smooth etc. about 20 minutes in, shifting down to first approaching a traffic jam 'hmm, that felt loose, why am I in neutral, wait, why can't I shift down anymore?'. pull over to the side of the road and find the bolt attaching the shift lever has just completely fallen out and the lever is just dangling. So yeah, worth making sure your pre-ride check is actually a proper exhaustive check, and not just 'the stuff you remember off the top of your head'. On the upside having a bike that can do all of 0-60kph smoothly and forgivingly while stuck in second is paying dividends. Edit: the saddest part is I can't find the measurements to just grab one from a hardware store, and ordering a replacement bolt is like 3 weeks turnaround time 
A Banana fucked around with this message at 08:36 on Oct 23, 2021 |
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Oct 23, 2021 02:19
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Lol I think that's a pretty rare event and I haven't ever checked my gear selector bolt before riding. "Oh no I didn't check my swingarm bolt torque before riding, and now my wheel has fallen off"
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Oct 23, 2021 08:47
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It's certainly worth going over your accessible fasteners once or twice a season, though. There's been a few times I've found loose bolts, and once my loving front sprocket nut fell right the gently caress off leaving me thinking I had some kind of transmission problem.
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Oct 23, 2021 21:47
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A Banana posted:about 20 minutes in, shifting down to first approaching a traffic jam 'hmm, that felt loose, why am I in neutral, wait, why can't I shift down anymore?' https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92KoPng0JI8&t=578s  quote:Edit: the saddest part is I can't find the measurements to just grab one from a hardware store, and ordering a replacement bolt is like 3 weeks turnaround time Can you take the part down to the hardware store with you to find a fastener that threads in properly?
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Oct 24, 2021 01:16
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Phy posted:It's certainly worth going over your accessible fasteners once or twice a season, though. There's been a few times I've found loose bolts, and once my loving front sprocket nut fell right the gently caress off leaving me thinking I had some kind of transmission problem. This is a good idea. The exhaust header on my old DRZ fell off a few months after selling it to a friend. Sorry friend.
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Oct 25, 2021 19:41
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katka posted:So if I fill my tank up with ethanol free gas there is no real point in using any kinda of fuel stabilizer right? Sandblast is right around you (in/around cheraw). You should check it out next March.
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Oct 28, 2021 04:04
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builds character posted:Sandblast is right around you (in/around cheraw). You should check it out next March. maybe YOU should check it out (and then i go too :3 )
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Oct 28, 2021 04:05
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Razzled posted:maybe YOU should check it out (and then i go too :3 ) No more 4t. National enduro life. (Just kidding, mostly just think about riding and do work instead life)
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Oct 28, 2021 04:13
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I just had a bad moment that almost led to an accident. Posting this in the newbie thread to remind everyone about the dangerous period I'm in where I've been riding fat and happy for a few years and accidentally let my guard down. I'm on a long 5 lane road including a center turn lane. There are lots of gas stations and parking lots directly off the road on the right so I typically stay left, out of everyone's way coming in and out. There are 3 trucks involved. Truck 1 is ahead in the right lane next to me and starts to slow down to make a right into a lot. Truck 2 is in that same lot looking to turn left out of it. I watch these situations because he's probably seeing a lot more of truck 1 than me and that left turn would mean coming across me. I'm totally clear forward and behind so I let off a little, guard the brake and watch 2's front wheel to see if he starts to move. He doesn't come out because he sees me. Mission accomplished. I look one last time and let my hand off the brake as I look forward at truck 3 coming across both lanes out of the next driveway, doing exactly what I was watching 2 for. Oh gently caress where did he come from I'm about to T-bone a truck in a 55. I fumble my right hand back out and emergency brake as fast as I can process it. He skids to a stop and I'm able to escape into the empty center lane when it became apparent that I wasn't going to stop in time. If he didn't stop I would have hit him. I don't know how hard but I would have. The whole thing was probably 2 seconds? It was sloppy as poo poo and I could have handled it better. I could have seen him earlier instead of fixating on one single risk. I should have guarded the brake longer until I was actually processing what was in front of me. I could have slowed faster in the moment but it's been so long since I practiced an OHFUCK stop. I'm alive with a learning experience that didn't hurt anyone, but drat I need to take a step back to how I scanned when I was a new rider.
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Nov 9, 2021 20:11
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Rolo posted:I'm alive with a learning experience that didn't hurt anyone, but drat I need to take a step back to how I scanned when I was a new rider. Glad you made it out safely. I've had many such learning experiences -- while it would be great if no dangerous situations ever occurred, I think it's healthy to have a few (in a safe context! Don't outride your skills or the road) so that you really experience how quickly things can change and how important it is to stay alert. Another recent learning experience: My students know that I ride motorcycles, so periodically when they are interested in getting one, or are having trouble with theirs, they will ask me questions. The other day one student asked me about a lurching, stuttering behavior he was having at low speeds. He proposed something wrong with the brakes or wheels, but I thought it might be bad carb tuning off idle. We talked through it a bit as I asked him does it happen at a certain RPM, are you on or off the clutch, is it connected to road speed, throttle opening, etc. At one point I offhandedly said "well and of course your chain is tensioned properly, right?" "Well it fell off once."  "It fell off...entirely?""Yeah like two months ago. But I thought it's just cause I don't have a chain guard." "...no...chains aren't supposed to fall off the sprockets ever. The chain guard is just for oil and to keep your pants out of it. Did you tension it back up after that?" "...how would I do that?" "So after the chain fell off, you didn't do anything other than put it back on the sprockets? You haven't changed anything since then?" "..." "Okaaayyy that's gonna be the problem." Then I explained how to set chain tension properly and the extreme importance of doing so. Not even trying to make fun of the guy, here. It was just a good reminder that sometimes things that seem incredibly obvious to someone experienced can be totally foreign to a newbie. And it reinforces the importance of having good mentors (like you get in this forum!) and bringing an experienced friend along when you go to buy a new bike. Sagebrush fucked around with this message at 21:42 on Nov 10, 2021 |
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Nov 10, 2021 21:38
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I've had a cyclist exhibit surprise when I told them their motorbike chain doesn't self tension and you aren't meant to be able to derail it by hand.
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Nov 10, 2021 22:03
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Slavvy posted:I've had a cyclist exhibit surprise when I told them their motorbike chain doesn't self tension and you aren't meant to be able to derail it by hand. ?? Single chainring/sprocket bicycles are very common. (either single speed/fixed or hubgeared).
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Nov 10, 2021 22:48
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ImplicitAssembler posted:?? Single chainring/sprocket bicycles are very common. (either single speed/fixed or hubgeared). Yeah no poo poo, I bloody own one. Pneumatic tires are also very common yet most riders don't seem to be aware of the need to put air in them. I had one guy who's tyres went flat from the bike sitting for a year and he was flabbergasted that putting air in them is a thing the owner is expected to do, I had to explain how to use a tyre gauge and everything.
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Nov 10, 2021 23:08
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Man I have to pump up my bicycle tires like every other day otherwise it’s miserable.
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Nov 10, 2021 23:19
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I use my bike pump on the Toyota Matrix to top up the tires. Good for burning a few calories.
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Nov 10, 2021 23:23
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I use my bicycle pump for all my tire pumping needs, our Honda Fit, my MT03 and all our bicycles. It's really not that difficult. I think for a lot of people anything more than 10 pumps is unbearable or something. And if I'm just topping up a few PSI, it's seldom more than 10 pumps.
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Nov 10, 2021 23:38
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| # ? May 16, 2024 03:33 |
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Russian Bear posted:I use my bicycle pump for all my tire pumping needs, our Honda Fit, my MT03 and all our bicycles. It's really not that difficult. I think for a lot of people anything more than 10 pumps is unbearable or something. And if I'm just topping up a few PSI, it's seldom more than 10 pumps. If it's the foot pedal type: good work, they were popular at track days before battery powered stuff became common If it's the TNT plunger type: there is no way to not look and feel ridiculous after a few pumps If it's the hand held type: world record wanking arm
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Nov 10, 2021 23:42
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