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I had my first drop today. I was leaving a parking lot, cut the corner sharp enough for the back tire to hit the curb, and didn't get my right foot down quickly enough. Bike didn't fall on me and didn't take any serious damage; the fall guards got scuffed a bit and the backside of the right mirror has some scratches. I didn't get hurt either besides pride.
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May 7, 2023 03:47
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SEKCobra posted:Yeah that too. I'd love a used CRF300L. my first adult motorcycle is an 08 CRF230L and it fuckin rules for literally everything except going above 65mph if you aren't a fatty fatty two by four like me you might get even better performance. i weigh almost as much as the bike does lmao Cactus Ghost fucked around with this message at 10:24 on May 7, 2023 |
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May 7, 2023 10:21
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Midjack posted:I had my first drop today. I was leaving a parking lot, cut the corner sharp enough for the back tire to hit the curb, and didn't get my right foot down quickly enough. Bike didn't fall on me and didn't take any serious damage; the fall guards got scuffed a bit and the backside of the right mirror has some scratches. I didn't get hurt either besides pride. Did the curb itself lever the rear tire off the ground or something, or was it more a case of the jarring event causing you to panic brake mid-turn which you could've maybe rode out?
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May 7, 2023 16:35
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Remy Marathe posted:Did the curb itself lever the rear tire off the ground or something, or was it more a case of the jarring event causing you to panic brake mid-turn which you could've maybe rode out? I was going slowly enough at the pullout that it completely stopped the bike and I didn't realize what was happening quickly enough to do anything effective. Going wider or more power would both have probably kept me up.
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May 7, 2023 16:46
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Coming out of a parking lot is surprisingly dicey. I also dropped a bike once doing that, although I didn't hit the curb, but braked mid-turn when I saw a car approaching in the lane I was turning into.
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May 7, 2023 19:28
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First time i ever almost fell was exiting a parking lot with a passenger on the back. I held it, but only barely. I should've used moar power.
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May 7, 2023 19:32
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T Zero posted:Coming out of a parking lot is surprisingly dicey. I also dropped a bike once doing that, although I didn't hit the curb, but braked mid-turn when I saw a car approaching in the lane I was turning into. I still do this on the reg, and every morning on the way to work have to force myself to finish creeping-and-peeking past the parked cars while upright, double checking both ways before I actually turn in and take off. I've also been bitten by too much juice and too little control when startled. I was making a left-hand turn onto a hill when an oncoming bus appeared at the crest suddenly, I panicked and went hog wild on the throttle, leaned in so hard the center stand levered my rear off the pavement and I lowsided spectacularly while the bus riders watched. It's a never-ending struggle to pause at every T-intersection until I get what's going on, because for some hosed up reason I think it's my duty to go as fast and efficiently as possible.
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May 7, 2023 20:05
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I bought a Honda Rebel 500 ABS, great bike except for one thing. The clutch only grabs waaay out there and I have small hands, which is leading to very jerky starts. Is this something I just have to get used to or can do something with the clutch slack to adjust this? Or do I have to get aftermarket adjustable levers?
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May 10, 2023 02:56
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You might be able to play with the adjustment at both the lever and the clutch cover to bring it in some, but simpler would just be an adjustable lever yeah.
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May 10, 2023 03:22
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I don’t think playing with the barrel will move the lever, at least not in the way desired. It would only make the cable slack, which might help with the initial pulling force, but doesn’t necessarily solve the problem. It may cause its own problem with not being able to pull the pressure plate enough and cause excess wear on the discs. Adjustable levers are expensive, but may be the best solution.
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May 10, 2023 03:46
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Changing the cable slack will absolutely change where the bite point is wtf OP do this: pull the lever until the cable slack is gone and you start to actually feel resistance. Then take a picture from above of the gap between the lever and the perch and post it here.
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May 10, 2023 03:54
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Slavvy posted:Changing the cable slack will absolutely change where the bite point is wtf Is this in response to me? I get that, but the lever will still just return to the contour of the perch, no? Edit: oh I reread the OP, and I misunderstood the question. I thought they meant the actual clutch lever not the engagement 
Toe Rag fucked around with this message at 04:10 on May 10, 2023 |
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May 10, 2023 03:59
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The grab point matters a lot more than how far out the lever is unless your hands are too small to comfortably reach the lever at all
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May 10, 2023 04:10
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Toe Rag posted:Is this in response to me? I get that, but the lever will still just return to the contour of the perch, no? I read it the way you read it. Small hands, clutch lever too big. You can move the grab point but I feel it should be in like the first half of the lever pull somewhere. You want to be able to do it quickly, but the clutch should fully engage and not slip when released. My initial reaction for a brand new rider would be to practice before changing things. When I got my bike I bought a large windshield because the noise was unsettling. But it's like an adapting thing. Windshield sat uninstalled. How small are your hands? I am a size M in mens. My bike has a pretty big lever. You can use 1-3 fingers on the clutch as well, and pull closer to the inside of the lever vs out. Your palm can rest on the grips while using the clutch. Rocky starts...roll on the throttle while smoothly releasing the clutch. No jerky movement...it sounds like a brand new rider thing and something I had to learn a few years back. Definitely stay in your neighborhood on side streets until it is perfect. Being bad at it can lead to a panic stall, or like whisky throttle. Do what Slavvy says too so it can be confirmed it is set appropriate. SSH IT ZOMBIE fucked around with this message at 04:39 on May 10, 2023 |
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May 10, 2023 04:31
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The clutch lever should be adjusted at the barrel so that there is a little bit of slack in it at all times, particularly when moving the steering lock-to-lock. You want the clutch to be fully engaged with zero tension on the cable at all times until you start to pull on it. Moving the bite point closer to the bar with the barrel adjuster will help the OP and his tiny hands somewhat, because he'll be working the friction zone with his fingers flexed instead of with them fully or nearly-fully extended. However, he will still have to reach them just as far out to grab the lever in the first place. If that's the fundamental annoyance, loosening up the lever won't totally solve it, and an adjustable lever may be required. Slavvy posted:OP do this: pull the lever until the cable slack is gone and you start to actually feel resistance. Then take a picture from above of the gap between the lever and the perch and post it here. Yes, please do this. We can tell you whether it's adjusted properly or not. Then once we've addressed that area we can make an educated recommendation about alternate levers.
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May 10, 2023 05:26
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Slavvy posted:Changing the cable slack will absolutely change where the bite point is wtf There's barely any at all, maybe a centimeter. I took a picture but it's rather hard to see the gap.  SSH IT ZOMBIE posted:How small are your hands? I am a size M in mens. My bike has a pretty big lever. You can use 1-3 fingers on the clutch as well, and pull closer to the inside of the lever vs out. Your palm can rest on the grips while using the clutch. I'm wearing a size S mens glove, and the problem isn't that I can't reach the lever, it's that I have to basically let go of the clutch entirely to get past the last bit of the friction zone which leads to a mini-clutch dump that jerks me forward or a stall. Note this isn't my first bike, so I'm not a total beginner. I had an R3 briefly and I didn't have problems with the clutch like this after the first day or so. Sagebrush posted:Moving the bite point closer to the bar with the barrel adjuster will help the OP and his tiny hands somewhat, because he'll be working the friction zone with his fingers flexed instead of with them fully or nearly-fully extended. However, he will still have to reach them just as far out to grab the lever in the first place. If that's the fundamental annoyance, loosening up the lever won't totally solve it, and an adjustable lever may be required. Yes this is exactly the issue.
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May 12, 2023 00:31
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Neo_Crimson posted:There's barely any at all, maybe a centimeter. I took a picture but it's rather hard to see the gap. Ok so if you're actually taking up the cable slack there then you don't have anywhere near enough slack, you should be able to make at least a 5mm gap between the lever and the perch, in the picture that gap is currently zero. So undo the large knurled ring (you may need pliers to initially break it loose) and wind the barrel adjuster inwards until you have the slack you need, then tighten the ring again. If you go too far you will not be able to select neutral with the bike running and it will probably creep forward/stall when in gear.
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May 12, 2023 01:33
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Adjustable levers are a great thing to have tbh.
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May 12, 2023 04:57
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SEKCobra posted:Adjustable levers are a great thing to have tbh. Formulating a dumb reply to this reminded me of something actually constructive: Neo_Crimson you can also loosen the pinch bolts holding the clutch and brake perches to the bar and rotate them so that your fingers fall easily and naturally onto the levers in line with your forearms when you're riding the bike, if they're rotated too far down they'll feel further away than they really are.
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May 12, 2023 05:05
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also if they're rotated too far up you'll give yourself carpal tunnel syndrome. rotate them so that your wrists are straight in line with your arms.
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May 12, 2023 06:43
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Sagebrush posted:also if they're rotated too far up you'll give yourself carpal tunnel syndrome. This is huge and should be the first thing you do on any new to you bike. They always seem to be way too high out of the box and a lot of people just leave them like that.
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May 12, 2023 15:13
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Totally agreed, rotating the controls was one of the first things I did on my bike and it made a huge difference. Sucks when I have to ride on unadjusted bikes sometimes.
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May 12, 2023 17:14
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my poor shift lever looks like an unwound paperclip
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May 13, 2023 03:23
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~*MY GIRLFRIEND*~ got a helmet a week or so ago and today was the first time riding two up. She kept herself quite neutral and I got used to the extra weight rather quickly. Covered 60 miles around town, grabbed some ice cream, and rode along the river. Then stopped in the large lot near the house as she wanted to give it a go. Had her do some of the same initial first lessons in the BRC that I took two years ago; she made some wide turns and kept in first gear and was really excited to get her feet up and give it a bit of throttle. Cranked the preload up on the rear shock, but given how fat I remain, even after our combined weight loss of 120+ pounds at this point, we still add up together to nearly 5 big ones and that's a lot for a 20 year old FZ6, lmao But, she wants to get her own permit and go through the BRC herself and assuming all that happens, likely to want to get her own this year.
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May 15, 2023 00:27
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Riding with other people you trust who know more than you but aren’t huge dicks about it can be such a fast way to level things up. Big difference between knowing in my head that the whole rev range is mine to use and having someone show you how much more of the range you can safely use. I’m not talking about banging off the rev limiter, just knowing I can be in 2nd or 3rd when I’ve been shifting all the way up to 5th.
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May 15, 2023 02:33
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I'd really recommend getting some kinda communication system asap. It's a totally different experience when riding together to be able to talk about things you see and situations that occur when you ride rather than being alone in your helmet and not know. Ofc its real nice to be alone in your helmet and ride around at times too. or putting some music on.
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May 15, 2023 08:14
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So as suggested in this (or another?) thread I took the motorcycle safety course to help me decide whether to buy a bike and the result was that I learned that I love biking but also it’s a much deeper area of expertise than I initially thought. There’s a lot to learn and it will be a while before I’ll be comfortable commuting to work on the highway. So I’m the plus and the minus weigh equally and I’m basically back where I started. Can people recommend safety gear that I can get to make myself less fearful of imminent death if I or some rando on a cell phone screws up? This is my current list - [ ] Jacket with armor - [ ] Pants with armor - [ ] Retro reflective vest - [ ] Air bag vest - [ ] Steel toe boots - [ ] Initial tune up - the bike I’m thinking of getting is supposed to rev high in high gear and YouTube suggests I get it re geared so that I don’t run at 10k rpm’s on the highway - [ ] Ear protection - [ ] Louder horn - [ ] Engine guards - could help protect me from low speed impacts - [ ] Phone mount - for navigation without stopping, and its up to me to put the phone in airplane mode when I go to avoid distractions All that done I will probably be finding an empty parking lot to just practice going and stopping for the first few weeks.
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May 15, 2023 09:10
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Vino posted:
Here you go. I assume you left good motorcycle gloves and a full face helmet off your list because they're obvious. If your bike is used, the best safety upgrade you can do to it is a matched set of high quality fresh tires. Sagebrush fucked around with this message at 09:24 on May 15, 2023 |
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May 15, 2023 09:21
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Get used to the bike before you mess with gearing. You have no context on what is high rpm on a bike and most on YouTube don’t either. The red line is not insta explode, bike engines are not car engines or diesels.
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May 15, 2023 09:27
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Left off helmet and gloves because I already have them. Are motorcycle boots not steel reinforced or whatever? I guess I should have said “motorcycle boots” not “steel reinforced”? So you consider it safer if I need to navigate to stop? 10-4 on the rest, I’ll leave the gearing and horn. Anything not on the list I should think about?
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May 15, 2023 09:34
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The main point about navigation and gizmos on a bike is distractions as a new rider. There will be a lot of situations that are new to you and you will gently caress up. There is so many small things you need to pick up on while riding to make you ride safer and smoother. The less distractions you have while you build your riding skill tool box the better. if wondering where to go is a bigger distraction than a phone mount, or you are in a confusing area road wise get a phone mount. Though, I've found some really good roads just riding randomly in a direction with a vague ide where I want to get to. This really depends on where you live etc. Mc boots are not steel toed, the most important aspect is usually ankle protection/protection vs over extension and general physical protection. What is an appropriate boot depends on bike and situation. I will for example never have a low/mid adventure boot again after I had the pleasure of jamming a foot rest into my shin just above the low boot while brapping around in some mud.
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May 15, 2023 09:56
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Imma open up this can of worms here and mention ABS. Yeah yeah no skill nanny computer yadda yadda, but statistics exist and show that riders of ABS equipped bikes are significantly less likely to get hurt. It might be a huge 30%+ safety buff or just large enough to show through depending on how you parse the data, but the buff is clearly there. Agreeing with supradog about the navigation BTW - it's distracting and as a new rider you're better off riding with your head up from your dash and get lost than having a computer screen to look at (the same goes for trying to ignore your other instruments as much as possible too!). A helmet equipped with bluetooth speakers and turn-by-turn navigation by computer voice is what I used for the first two years when I needed navigation and it's way safer than a screen IMO.
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May 15, 2023 10:28
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My wife bought be a Beeline Moto 2 nav device for Christmas, it's very cool and minimalist. I thought I might not use it much but it is actually very hassle free and doesn't distract. Vino posted:Left off helmet and gloves because I already have them. When I did my CBT about 20 years ago the instructor said that steel toe caps were all fine and good until your foot got run over by something. A crush injury becomes a loss-of-foot injury because the steel deforms unremovably and you need cutting equipment to get it off, by which time it's all just so much hamburger meat Not sure how valid this is but it always stayed with me
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May 15, 2023 13:37
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Yeah if there's one item I wish my bike had it would be ABS. Supradog posted:I'd really recommend getting some kinda communication system asap. It's a totally different experience when riding together to be able to talk about things you see and situations that occur when you ride rather than being alone in your helmet and not know. Ofc its real nice to be alone in your helmet and ride around at times too. or putting some music on. I just got a close out Cardo for myself; I'll have to get a second set sometime
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May 15, 2023 13:37
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You don't need navigation for riding around at first anyway, stick to areas you are familiar with and explore a bit, but don't go on some weird safari where you are scared to get home. Also, engine guards protect the bike from damage when falling, not you as the user against harm. May be worth getting to protect your investment (has definitely paid off for me), but won't make you any safer.
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May 15, 2023 13:39
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Shelvocke posted:My wife bought be a Beeline Moto 2 nav device for Christmas, it's very cool and minimalist. I thought I might not use it much but it is actually very hassle free and doesn't distract. That's stupid and doesn't apply to motorcycle accidents in any way. Steel toes (or rather any reinforced toe boot) protect against rollover accidents just fine, this weird "The metal becomes a cleaver" fantasy isn't very realistic, as there is still a spreading of forces happening and a good boot is rated to protect you against heavy loads dropping straigt onto your forefoot. A car with pneumatic tyres driving over your foot is NOTHING in this context. Also, a clean cut/cleave is far more easily repaired than a mushed foot. Again, none of that applies to damage sustained in motorcycle crashes, get motorcycle boots with ample ankle support (full boots heavily preferred!).
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May 15, 2023 13:46
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I pretty much agree with Sagebrush. Though my reflective vest is under my seat for if i break down on the highway, or when it's seriously foggy. I don't usually wear it while riding - my gear's already flashy enough. Reflective vests make drivers see you faster *if they're already actively looking for you*. Those who are on autopilot won't see you any earlier if you wear it. Wearing it all the time doesn't harm of course. But it's one of those little compromises i make - a bit less safety in trade for a lot more style. ABS is lovely. If you can get a bike with it, do it. But it's not that hard to not kill yourself on a bike without. I learned on a bike with ABS, but now i have two bikes without. I definitely prefer having ABS. One important thing to check is the CE protection rating of your gear. My Dainese one piece suit has an A-rating afaik, my mesh summer jacket for 40 degree weather does not offer the same protection at all. But you have to wear what's appropriate. If i wear race leathers in 40 degree weather i'm much more likely to get heat exhaustion and get into an accident, so bottom line is that it's better to wear mesh in such cases. I have a rain suit for when i go ride and it may or may not rain. Rain riding is not bad at all, if you have some proper rain protection and aren't running aggressive sports tires. I don't intentionally venture out into the rain, but it's a big plus to just be able to go out and not care too much about whether it may or may not start raining while you're an hour away from home. Being soaking wet and riding home sucks really badly because of the windchill factor. The clatter of the rain droplets on your helmet is sort of soothing when you're nice and dry. What's bad about rain riding is that car drivers often get into a complete panic when it starts raining, while you're zooming around unbothered by it all. I have a Team Respro skintight rain suit which is absolutely lovely because it doesn't flap around in the wind on the highway. The fact that it'll make you look like a gimp is either an upside or a downside depending on your personal feelings about such things. The difference in air resistance VS conventional flappy rain coveralls (i have those too) is very significant. I really notice i have to add throttle if i'm wearing the conventional suit in high winds. Respro's suits run slightly small. LimaBiker fucked around with this message at 14:31 on May 15, 2023 |
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May 15, 2023 14:25
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Invalido posted:Agreeing with supradog about the navigation BTW - it's distracting and as a new rider you're better off riding with your head up from your dash and get lost than having a computer screen to look at (the same goes for trying to ignore your other instruments as much as possible too!). A helmet equipped with bluetooth speakers and turn-by-turn navigation by computer voice is what I used for the first two years when I needed navigation and it's way safer than a screen IMO. Nthing this. Keep the phone in your pocket, if you need nav, do it over bluetooth as needed. I used my phone on my handlebars a few times until I realized how freaking distracting it is. Eyes up.
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May 15, 2023 14:25
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Also I wasn't kidding about it ruining the phone camera. If you have a phone with optical image stabilization, which is most phones and all iphones these days, there are floating lenses that are moved around with magnets and coils, and the vibration of being firmly mounted to motorcycle handlebars will shake those elements to pieces.
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May 15, 2023 15:44
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You can buy vibration damping phone mounts though. I look at my phone for traffic info, that's about it. I usually know the route but the up-to-date traffic info is nice. I don't find it distracting myself and the ride is identical whether I have a phone on the bars or not.
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May 15, 2023 15:47
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