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Mr. Wiggles posted:I had a cb500x once. Was a good bike, got rid of it after 20k miles because yes, it was boring. The CBR600RR isn't skinny or modest and IMO sportbikes handle heavy at slow speeds and dip in easy at higher speeds. My buddy lets me on his CBR1000RR all the time. It's not horrible at commute speeds but it's not fun or light. But it is a fun bike to open up. Having one is fun. It's not a fun commute bike. But get it anyway and use it in scenarios where it is fun, like track days. It will IMO require more cognition literally putting around than a modest and light commuting twin. Less than a liter sports bike but still. But who cares. It'll be fun as hell in twisties. If you have the opportunity to have a fun bike why not? It's not like you CAN'T commute on a sport bike. It's not fun. But it will be fun elsewhere. If I could have one bike...would I turn down a CBR600RR, disregarding cost, knowing I had to commute with it? Hell no. It is a reliable bike, fast, fun, and CAN commute. Having one opens up track day opportunities and other shenanigans. Don't get it just to have and only commute, that's a waste. Skinny tires feel lighter\more nimble which is a plus for commuting but fun bikes are fun. SSH IT ZOMBIE fucked around with this message at 01:58 on May 3, 2023 |
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May 3, 2023 00:23
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spouse posted:I'm headed to two dealerships next week (a big 4 Japanese store, and a triumph/bmw/ducati store), we'll see if some wily salesman can wrangle cash out of me.  They did indeed wrangle some cash out of me.   This bike rules. Put a nice hundred miles on it tonight after a very long day at the dealership, and loved every minute. It's comfy, big enough, more so than the z900rs and xsr900 I looked at, surprisingly. They had a VFR-800 there, an '07, but the Aprilia seemed like the better choice given that they were asking $8k for it, and this was $10.5k before TTL. Now to ride the poo poo out of it so I get the most out of the manufacturer's warranty, because   Free pic of the cat if you hate my choice: 
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May 3, 2023 04:25
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spouse posted:
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May 3, 2023 04:33
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Really dumb newbie here: I have a used continental 650 and haven't had any issues over 2000 miles, but I have a car and want to learn how to work on my bike so I'm not really stressing about issues popping up. I've lurked enough facebook groups and message boards to say I haven't seen any big reliability issues with the 650s, and replacement parts from India are dirt cheap. I also have a friend with an early 2000s bullet 350 and can attest that they are a world apart in build quality. There are parts on that thing that you'd think were whittled.
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May 3, 2023 05:25
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SSH IT ZOMBIE posted:The CBR600RR isn't skinny or modest and IMO sportbikes handle heavy at slow speeds and dip in easy at higher speeds. My buddy lets me on his CBR1000RR all the time. It's not horrible at commute speeds but it's not fun or light. But it is a fun bike to open up. Having one is fun. It's not a fun commute bike. It's a moot point now - When they said they had the title, they neglected to mention that it was a salvage title from another State and that it had never been registered here. There were enough other warning signs that I had to say no. Back to the search.
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May 3, 2023 06:40
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spouse posted:
You know what you're doing and went into it with open eyes, nice bike and goon speed Llewellyn posted:Really dumb newbie here: I have a used continental 650 and haven't had any issues over 2000 miles, but I have a car and want to learn how to work on my bike so I'm not really stressing about issues popping up. I've lurked enough facebook groups and message boards to say I haven't seen any big reliability issues with the 650s, and replacement parts from India are dirt cheap. I also have a friend with an early 2000s bullet 350 and can attest that they are a world apart in build quality. There are parts on that thing that you'd think were whittled. Put it this way, if reliability is a score out of ten, Honda is 10, 'old' Enfield is 1, new Enfield is 4-5. You will probably be fine on your bike as you would probably be fine on a Honda, but one of the probablies is a lot bigger than the other. Unfortunately harder to quantify than that without manufacturer warranty claim data.
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May 3, 2023 06:51
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Aprilia has maybe the best swingarm game in the entire bike market. They always look cool as hell. It’s a weird thing to point out, I know, but they always stand out to me
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May 3, 2023 12:25
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spouse posted:
Please  about your ownership experience, I need to know how much it might suck when I eventually do the same thing.
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May 3, 2023 15:29
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Slavvy posted:Put it this way, if reliability is a score out of ten, Honda is 10, 'old' Enfield is 1, new Enfield is 4-5. You will probably be fine on your bike as you would probably be fine on a Honda, but one of the probablies is a lot bigger than the other. Unfortunately harder to quantify than that without manufacturer warranty claim data. Hrrm I actually checked in with my actuary and he says new Enfield is 12 out of 10, score to be adjusted as data comes in.
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May 3, 2023 17:22
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Beve Stuscemi posted:Aprilia has maybe the best swingarm game in the entire bike market. They always look cool as hell. It’s a weird thing to point out, I know, but they always stand out to me My hot take is that Aprilias have an ugly side profile made worse by swing arm.
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May 4, 2023 23:00
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Aprilias are too busy and disjointed and generally Not Good Looking, there I said it That makes them totally ordinary by the standards of most modern bikes though
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May 5, 2023 00:02
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MV Agusta are the true italian beauties imo. I love an F4 holy hell
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May 5, 2023 00:19
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TheBacon posted:MV Agusta are the true italian beauties imo. I love an F4 holy hell It's just a 4 cylinder 996. Like literally when you take one apart it feels like they were made on the same line
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May 5, 2023 02:20
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I always thought how the frame narrows to a point was a little weird, but I guess since it's not a 200hp super bike it doesn't need the extra strength/rigidity?  I think both 660s look great. The RSV4 is so wide at the front now. I know it needs room for a massive radiator, but add on the wings, and all starts to look a little silly. 
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May 5, 2023 03:57
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Oh yikes, once you see that pointy frame you really can't unsee it. Even if it's structurally fine its so visually flimsy.
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May 5, 2023 04:02
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On a whim I put my name down at a Kawasaki dealer to call me about the zx4rr if they ever got one in. Got a call today that they're getting one in a month or two and no one's put a deposit on it yet. Do I sell the old FZ6 and older SV to make space for a baby ninja?
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May 5, 2023 04:26
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Toe Rag posted:I always thought how the frame narrows to a point was a little weird, but I guess since it's not a 200hp super bike it doesn't need the extra strength/rigidity? The RSv4 looks like a Hayabusa at this point prukinski posted:Oh yikes, once you see that pointy frame you really can't unsee it. Even if it's structurally fine its so visually flimsy. It's funny because when I see that frame I immediately think that bike is supple and poised and really feelsome in the middle of the corner because it has such carefully crafted lateral flexibility, it doesn't need crude slabs of exposed alloy because it doesn't go fast with mere vulgar power. Ditto wings. moxieman posted:On a whim I put my name down at a Kawasaki dealer to call me about the zx4rr if they ever got one in. Got a call today that they're getting one in a month or two and no one's put a deposit on it yet. If you have an sv what is the point of having an fz6 idgi.
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May 5, 2023 04:34
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Slavvy posted:It's just a 4 cylinder 996. Like literally when you take one apart it feels like they were made on the same line I mean I like a 996 too but I think the F4’s are even more attractive. Also the superveloce whatever is sexy as hell, especially the alpine one
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May 5, 2023 05:54
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Done deal.
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May 5, 2023 07:02
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Slavvy posted:If you have an sv what is the point of having an fz6 idgi. Bought the FZ first several years ago because a friend wanted rid of it for practically no money. Bought the SV a couple years ago because it was likewise very cheap and just needed some basic maintenance. Baby ninja seems like most of the things I like about each bike (SV has clip ons, sportier ergos, smaller rear tire, power that’s more useful in normal riding, FZ… makes cool i4 sounds and has a fuel gauge)
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May 5, 2023 14:00
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Lol when I bought my veestrom 650 it came down to that and an FZ6 I did this whole overthinking choice matrix about it but primarily it came down to the Wee was more utilitarian and the FZ6 sent vibrations up through the seat into my nards The Wee served me well for a lot of years but in retrospect I could have done just as well on the nard vibrations motorcycle
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May 5, 2023 14:25
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Dr. Kayak Paddle posted:Done deal. Good bike. I like the brown seat. Hard to jump but you'll make it work.
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May 5, 2023 15:42
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Went to the triumph dealer today. Super tempted to pick up a scrambler
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May 6, 2023 21:55
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Scramblers look both rad and comfortable, but in practice I suspect I would have a very hard time beating up a $10k+ bike on anything but the safest of trails. I don't even like putting the vanvan away wet when I can help it.
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May 6, 2023 22:16
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Toe Rag posted:How hard is replacing a chain? I don't have any tools to do it, but I can buy them. The chain in this picture looks pretty ragged, but maybe it's just the angle? There is a distinct Z shape to the links. This is the only picture you can see it. I'm under the impression you want to replace the sprockets with the chain as well, and seems like the counter sprocket can be a bit of a bear? Maybe I'll just pay someone to do it I went and looked at this just now. They chain definitely needs replaced. Bike has surely been sitting for the last few years. At first glance the tires look new but when you look at the tread groove you can see cracking. He said they are 6 years old "but very low miles"  The clutch pull is very heavy. Is this normal for an SV650, or signs of a problem? I don't mean heavy compared to my CB300R. It's heavy compared to anything I've ridden, including an RC51 and 1098. The rear brake seemingly does not work. The pedal is pretty soft. I pushed on it about as far as it would go, and the only slowing that happened was probably from the engine braking. There was material on the pads, but it seems like the pads and piston don't make contact, and the piston itself sinks back into the caliper when you release the lever. The front brake lever felt pretty firm but stopping power pretty underwhelming. They are sliding 2-piston Tokico. Not sure how much of that is the inherent to the brakes (supposedly off a 90s GSX-R), or from neglect (or maybe the tires). Pulled down on it pretty hard, and the rear wheel didn't even loft. The is a rubber gasket (?) around the steering stem is rotted. Is this just to keep water out? No notchiness noted. One of the dust covers on the fork is as well. No signs of any oil leaking, and the damping feels normal. The tail is scratched and cracked, but I don't care too much. No signs of any stress or damage to the frame. It has huge frame sliders which I imagine as only a giant lever to ruin your bike. The engine felt very solid. I revved it out slowly at ~1/4 throttle and then at full throttle, no stuttering or anything. It's pretty punchy. I am bad at wheelies. He lives 2 blocks from the ocean, and the is quite a bit of rust. Some of the fork stanchion, a lot on the fork bottom, on the rotors and calipers. Nothing on the frame. Anyway the seller is motivated. He texted me while I was driving home that he is flexible on price to offset some of the above issues. Tires are $350 for S22, plus another $50-80 to get them mounted. Rear sprocket actually looked OK, but I think I'd want to replace given the rest, so that's another ~$150. Then there's the matter of dealing with whatever is wrong with the rear brake. Hopefully the front brake can be resolved with fluid and new pads, and the fork stanchions can be cleaned up with some TLC. I would definitely not take this bike on the track in its current condition. Asking price is $3200. I think I'd need to knock off at least $700 just for the tires and chain/sprocket, but maybe another $200-300 for the rear brake and also having to gently caress around with the front. Here's some bad pictures I took. https://ibb.co/album/FLvBJP Internet please advise
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May 6, 2023 22:28
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There are enough SVs out there I don't see any reason to buy a lovely one unless you're actually looking for a project
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May 6, 2023 22:43
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That's a project and it's not priced like one. I don't know what the local market looks like in your area but that seems very high to me and I wouldn't touch it personally.
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May 6, 2023 22:48
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Yeah I am not particularly interested in working on bikes, and this one probably needs work beyond my ability, which is mostly limited to consumables (fluids, pads, tires). For pricing 3k is about the floor, and newer or nicer ones seem to push 5-6k at which point may as well buy new. I liked that this one already had upgraded suspension, brakes, and rear sets, but if the brakes are poo poo and the suspension is covered in rust then probably not worth it. 
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May 6, 2023 23:03
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I would not buy a bike that lives by the sea for any amount of money unless my goal was to strip it right to the frame for restoration purposes.
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May 7, 2023 00:21
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Agreed, SVs are not rare, don't buy a rust bucket with that many issues. And in the future ignore anything the seller says about the age of the tires and just check the date codes.
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May 7, 2023 00:30
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opengl posted:And in the future ignore anything the seller says about anything
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May 7, 2023 00:33
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Point
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May 7, 2023 00:44
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My bikes live half a mile from the sea. To keep the rust away I keep them under covers and spray down every metal part on them with WD-40 every couple of months. Parts still rust here and there but it's manageable.
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May 7, 2023 00:49
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The difference between bikes that live along the coast and bikes in the deserts on the other side of coastal foothills is stark. I'm 3/3 on buying unridden bikes from desert garages and watching them decay before my eyes. The T120's VIN stamp rusted over in a matter of like 6 months. I kinda hit things with ACF-50 sometimes but I'm too sparing because i don't want them to just start soaking up grit, and we don't hose off engines in these parts.
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May 7, 2023 03:18
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$3200 for a project bike is no good. SV brakes should be plenty powerful to lift the rear wheel. Mine never had much feel in them, but that's probably because they were full of gunk. Currently in the process of hurrying up and waiting for my brake lines to be delivered. If you wanna see if things are gunked up, take a bottle of brake fluid, a catch can and some 6mm transparent hose with you, and pump some fluid out of the air bleeding nipple. If particles come out, you kinda have to open up the calipers to remove any gellified brake fluid or other detritus. Fill up the reservoir again for the next victim. LimaBiker fucked around with this message at 08:58 on May 7, 2023 |
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May 7, 2023 08:54
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Two new challengers have appeared for my new commuter. Tell me about the KTM 390 Duke and the Moto Guzzi v7. As I understand it, the KTM will overheat, explode, and be fun. The Guzzi is Italian.
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May 9, 2023 21:33
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Do you like getting to work at all
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May 9, 2023 21:46
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Just get something Japanese if you actually need it to be reliable transport. What’s your commute like? City, highway, rural road?
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May 9, 2023 22:06
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Slavvy posted:Do you like getting to work at all Maybe that's all part of the plan
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May 9, 2023 22:13
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Mr. Wiggles posted:Two new challengers have appeared for my new commuter. Tell me about the KTM 390 Duke and the Moto Guzzi v7. As I understand it, the KTM will overheat, explode, and be fun. The Guzzi is Italian. V7 isn't just Italian, but air-cooled Italian. Wear synthetic fabrics at your own peril. As Russian Bear said, it really depends on your commute. Having rented both, if I'm in stop-and-go traffic and averaging <25mph, I'd want the KTM. If I'm hitting stretches of highway and country roads, the V7 is more comfortable. It isn't a vast difference though, so buying the one that makes you happy is decent heuristic here.
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May 9, 2023 22:25
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