Show your Bike: Years of discipline honed my rectum into a perfect expansion chamber

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Automotive Insanity > Cycle Asylum > Show your Bike: Years of discipline honed my rectum into a perfect expansion chamber

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Rev. Dr. Moses P. Lester: Oct 3, 2000

clutchpuck posted:

Why is the solution "build cheap small bikes" though? Maybe Harley has plans we don't know about? We don't laugh at MV Agusta for selling expensive botique bikes of which they sell literally dozens every year. Does every manufacturer need an "acceptable CA-approved entry level" model to be successful?

Harley is something like 40% of the U.S. market now, so to downsize to an Agusta level niche brand would be about like going bankrupt and getting liquidated i would think.

# ¿ Jan 29, 2018 23:09

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# ¿ May 17, 2024 01:23

Rev. Dr. Moses P. Lester: Oct 3, 2000

Slavvy posted:

The cable operated disc brake on those things is one of the worst ideas anybody's ever had

# ¿ May 15, 2018 01:33

Rev. Dr. Moses P. Lester: Oct 3, 2000

Sagebrush posted:

Make the wheels 10mm wider

Can't you put VFR wheels on it or something? Or does that require fancy custom parts

# ¿ Jun 4, 2018 17:22

Rev. Dr. Moses P. Lester: Oct 3, 2000

What exactly is "Mondial" these days? Some Lincoln style sub-brand of Piaggio?

# ¿ Jul 16, 2018 01:41

Rev. Dr. Moses P. Lester: Oct 3, 2000

Yeah it's a 100. Good candidate for custom modding because they're no fun at all to ride.

# ¿ Jul 31, 2018 01:34

Rev. Dr. Moses P. Lester: Oct 3, 2000

mulligan posted:

Basically a

Nah, singles are bad. 90 degree v-twins are best and NT650 is close behind with a 45 degree v-twin.

# ¿ Aug 18, 2018 23:57

Rev. Dr. Moses P. Lester: Oct 3, 2000

Sagebrush posted:

52 degrees

Is it really? Not sure how I feel about it now. 52 doesn�t divide evenly into 90.

# ¿ Aug 27, 2018 19:33

Rev. Dr. Moses P. Lester: Oct 3, 2000

pokie posted:

perg

I was gonna complain about the first one but with the second one it's ok, thanks

# ¿ Oct 31, 2018 19:10

Rev. Dr. Moses P. Lester: Oct 3, 2000

I'd have to say that pedal step would punch a good hole in the case cover if it took a hit from the side. It's a solid block of metal. Doesn't look like it would be protective at all. But if the engine is taking hits like that from the side it might get decent hosed up either way.

# ¿ Nov 1, 2018 03:31

Rev. Dr. Moses P. Lester: Oct 3, 2000

I test rode an R1150RT the other day in about 15 degree weather. Electric windshield, heated grips. I wasn't even cold. Amazing experience. Only problem is the bike would be totaled after doing that 3 times in the salt.

# ¿ Dec 10, 2018 16:50

Rev. Dr. Moses P. Lester: Oct 3, 2000

I guess if it's your first bike you don't really need the R. But take good care of it, you'll want to maximize the resale value when you outgrow it and need to upgrade.

# ¿ Jan 4, 2019 21:10

Rev. Dr. Moses P. Lester: Oct 3, 2000

Razzled posted:

naming bikes is cringe

What about naming the bike female names and then posting pics of the bike with part of the fairing removed with the comment "my girl is shy but likes to get dirty, here she is half naked"

"What about being a redditor" is what I'm asking

# ¿ Feb 21, 2019 21:52

Rev. Dr. Moses P. Lester: Oct 3, 2000

Seems like most Italian stands and even some German ones are like that. As if they never thought you'd really use them? Are Aprilia and Guzzi still using the auto-retract stands these days?

# ¿ Feb 27, 2019 19:30

Rev. Dr. Moses P. Lester: Oct 3, 2000

HenryJLittlefinger posted:

Yeah, most of the current crop of sport bikes look like rear end and will not age well. Just so many lines and angles, it�s like they�re all squinting as hard as they can.

This has been a serious problem with most non-cruisers for 15-20 years. Is this a school of design philosophy or something? Just angle angle angle incoherent shape angle contrasting color angle. Like all design is copying motocross bikes with racing stickers on them. BMW GS, FZ, most sport bikes, most touring bikes... I feel like KTM is the only brand that kind of makes it work, because they take it to such a silly extreme that it kinda looks cool like something from star wars. And the shapes and colors on KTMs are less incoherent even if they are silly and angular for no reason. Like a Countach.

# ¿ Mar 21, 2019 15:34

Rev. Dr. Moses P. Lester: Oct 3, 2000

It's lighter than every single Harley isn't it?

# ¿ Mar 25, 2019 15:06

Rev. Dr. Moses P. Lester: Oct 3, 2000

The big twins have for a long time had an amazing ability to vibrate like all stupid poo poo when idling at a traffic light -- when everyone needs to look at you and admire you as a raw undiluted rebellious individual masculine free spirit -- yet be almost electric motor smooth at cruising RPMs on the interstate one stop to the nearest Hooters.

# ¿ Mar 26, 2019 04:11

Rev. Dr. Moses P. Lester: Oct 3, 2000

drat, Soybrush, you need to man up with your displacements

# ¿ Jan 27, 2020 19:52

Rev. Dr. Moses P. Lester: Oct 3, 2000

The KTM of cars?

# ¿ Feb 3, 2020 21:17

Rev. Dr. Moses P. Lester: Oct 3, 2000

The early hexhead boxer BMWs had a final drive with effectively no fill/drain bolts because the gear oil in there was intended to last the "life" of the bike. A few years in they sent a bulletin around describing a procedure to change the oil using the ABS sensor hole at the top. This requires you to use a tube so small to fit in that hole that in my experience you have to microwave the oil to heat it up enough to squirt in in there without taking 45 minutes of squeezing a bottle.

# ¿ Feb 10, 2020 21:10

Rev. Dr. Moses P. Lester: Oct 3, 2000

Slavvy posted:

How do you drain it? Flip the bike over?

I think there might have actually been a drain bolt, nonsensically, because I don't remember having any issues getting the oil out of it, just getting it back in.

# ¿ Feb 11, 2020 03:11

Rev. Dr. Moses P. Lester: Oct 3, 2000

right arm posted:

That is totally awesome except for the pipe. What is it with custom people that they will spend years on the appearance of a bike and not even think once about the sound? Cause I know how boxers sound with loud pipes, and it's bad. And I know how pipes like THAT sound, and it's bad. Is it that people just have no taste in music? Or that they never intended the bike to be started in the first place?

# ¿ Mar 29, 2020 14:13

Rev. Dr. Moses P. Lester: Oct 3, 2000

As a yellow Moby (and blue Moby) owner my self I can confirm that that bike is: Nice

# ¿ Aug 2, 2020 16:49

Rev. Dr. Moses P. Lester: Oct 3, 2000

Rolo posted:

Do those spark plug leads just go into the engine?

Almost all of the electrics on the bike are hidden under the front cover so yes. It also has no fuses, just a single self- resetting breaker on the [mechanical] voltage regulator. That's an R69 or R69S, those are pretty desirable bikes even among old BMWs. No they are not nazi bikes, although they were probably made by former nazis, as they were produced from 1955-69. The other bike is decent too, although those rotating caliper brakes suck.

# ¿ Dec 3, 2020 19:24

Rev. Dr. Moses P. Lester: Oct 3, 2000

Slavvy posted:

Is this better or worse than a board of completely exposed ceramic fuses inside the headlight bucket?

It's not as bad as the cable operated hydraulic disc brake?

# ¿ Dec 4, 2020 04:24

Rev. Dr. Moses P. Lester: Oct 3, 2000

Slavvy posted:

Kevin Cameron's 'classic motorcycle racing engines' is a good primer if you want to understand bike ICE's + read a bunch of incredible anecdotes.

Seconding this, I think it's my most favorite book that I own. Highly recommend getting a copy if you can afford it, last I checked they were going for $300+ in good condition

# ¿ Dec 5, 2020 20:47

Rev. Dr. Moses P. Lester: Oct 3, 2000

I knew Sagebrush needed to be cancelled when he painted those CB350 wheels white

# ¿ Dec 7, 2020 04:14

Rev. Dr. Moses P. Lester: Oct 3, 2000

Slavvy posted:

I don't hate them, they just aren't a bike. They're a chinese scooter with a manual box, shaped like a bike, so they are hideously unrefined and terrible in all the small ways like switches, gas cap, brakes etc. The riding position is also really weird and hosed feeling, like a racing bicycle with the seat really high and nowhere to put your legs.

They just aren't anything like the appearance would suggest is all.

Agreeing, having ridden and worked on a couple. I'd get a CT110 too.

# ¿ Mar 21, 2021 14:43

Rev. Dr. Moses P. Lester: Oct 3, 2000

Slavvy posted:

This isn't the improvement you think it is, I'd rather the guzzi tbh.

I'm gonna have to just post "ditto" to every Slavvy post. I thought I'd add some here because I've worked on many CX650s and many Guzzis. The CX is one of Honda's rare fuckups. They have more problems than comparable Guzzis have in my experience. The charging system is poor, the ignition system is poor, the carbs are poor. They are heavy, top heavy, and not powerful. Guzzis of the pre-1980s era are reasonably well built, designed for sturdy reliability, simple like old BMWs, so they are generally better. Guzzis around the time of the CX650 (80s) were transitioning from being effectively German into being properly Italian, so they are also not great. They have continued to be not great since. But it confuses me how popular the CX Hondas are these days, especially for custom jobs. They are not a nice platform to start with, and generally not a lot of fun to ride in my opinion.

# ¿ Mar 22, 2021 02:05

Rev. Dr. Moses P. Lester: Oct 3, 2000

Hell yeah, I beat Slavvy, 10/10

# ¿ Mar 23, 2021 02:42

Rev. Dr. Moses P. Lester: Oct 3, 2000

TorakFade posted:

Never seen a Super with that "Super" sticker on it, I like it. Good choice with the lower acceleration CVT mods. I remember throwing some dr. pulley rollers in a 300 once and being blown away how butter smooth and gentle the acceleration was from a stop. That's the big selling point of the GT Vespas for me, how comfortable and smooth they are. And also that they're not maxi. They're big and fast but still a real scooter. Maxi scooters are an aesthetic crime.

# ¿ Jul 3, 2021 17:30

Rev. Dr. Moses P. Lester: Oct 3, 2000

All parallel twins are not made equal, crank configuration changes everything. 180 degree P2 is the worst, 360 is ok, and 270 is godlike.

# ¿ Oct 7, 2021 04:09

Rev. Dr. Moses P. Lester: Oct 3, 2000

Reminds me I met a couple women riders recently on a TW and a Grom respectively who were taller than I am. Seemed weird to me. I mean they're fun bikes but the riders had the inseam to handle most bikes, why get the shortest short things? You got it, flaunt it. Get a BMW GS or something. I suppose it's disingenuous of me to criticize, I'm always telling people to get the smallest bike.

# ¿ Nov 12, 2021 03:56

Rev. Dr. Moses P. Lester: Oct 3, 2000

Gorson posted:

Not saying this is a good idea, but this looks like a more reliable Panigale V4, so with that for reference, what's the problem?

Edit: I meant Multistrada V4

Rev. Dr. Moses P. Lester fucked around with this message at 22:39 on May 30, 2022

# ¿ May 29, 2022 22:47

Rev. Dr. Moses P. Lester: Oct 3, 2000

Oops, poor typing there. I mean Multistrada V4. So I reassert my question: why bad?

# ¿ May 30, 2022 22:39

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# ¿ May 17, 2024 01:23

Rev. Dr. Moses P. Lester: Oct 3, 2000

Once again I'd like to ask everyone to pay attention to what Slavvy says, he knows what he's talking about!

Slavvy posted:

They also want to sell bikes to younger and poorer people and those bikes need to be small and light,

Not quite sure I agree here though because I've seen no evidence that Harley recognizes that younger customers want lighter bikes. I think the lightest thing they make still is the Street 500 (unless they discontinued the whole Street line?) and that's nearly as heavy as an 883 which is nearly 600lb last I looked.

Slavvy posted:

Horsepower is an abstract number with no meaning outside of racing.

This is a really important fact.
Having said that, though, more RPM = better than. I want an engine that sounds like a V10 F1 car. Which is why the proliferation of singles frustrates me today. Big pistons no fun.

# ¿ Jun 29, 2022 02:39

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Automotive Insanity > Cycle Asylum > Show your Bike: Years of discipline honed my rectum into a perfect expansion chamber

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