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I rode dirt bikes a few times as a kid and have been getting progressively faster scooters over the last few years. I’m broke at the moment, so it’s all theoretical, but I am kind of ashamed to say that I think I really want a Harley Pan American for longer rides out of the city and doing some motorcycle camping and such. I’d be yet another middle aged dude who barely took advantage of everything an ADV bike could do off road, but I’m 6’2” and that posture is comfortable for me. Thinking of trying to pay all my debt down and picking up a cheap, used ADV bike to be sure I like it as much as I think I will. Also thinking of getting the same scooter I have now in a 300 when they come out some time next year (currently have a 150). I definitely need something a little beefier to get out of the Willamette Valley since everywhere I want to go requires making pretty big climbs. What I have is perfect for in the city, though. My older brother has about 6 Harleys in his family (he and one of his daughters have at least 2 and his son has 1) and I’ve never been a biker type, so the fact I really like anything that company makes is a little weird to me.
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Sep 3, 2021 20:20
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So I guess what I’m hearing is I should nab a DR650. Looks like there’s even a few for sale in the extended area and that they hold their value all right without being one of those “buy used for $100 less than new” situations. None of this is happening until at least next summer, so I’ve got plenty of time to ponder. Unless we were to get a pay out that reflected the poo poo show we’ve all lived through since last March but lol at that happening. Hard to argue with less than 1/3 the price …
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Sep 3, 2021 22:21
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I watched that video series while I was working on some stuff yesterday and yeah, I think a VSTROM or something similar is way closer to what I want. I can fix things, but I’m not a mechanic. I’ve changed a good number of starters in my life, but always years apart and it took me all day. The DR650 looks like an amazing bike, but I’ve got no interest in a project. I want to buy something, maybe change the oil and add a few quality of life accessories, and ride it to Mount Hood (but not necessarily all the way up it). I also have no interest in dealing with a carburetor. I recognize that the motor on the DR650 is one I could theoretically fix anywhere in the world, but I’m not going to be riding through any uncharted deserts any time soon. I accept the carb on my scooter, but scooters are supposed to be a little lovely. That’s part of the appeal.
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Sep 4, 2021 18:31
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In doing a little looking around, it's hilarious how many of them are out there in impeccable shape with, like, 1000 miles or less on them. I thought it was pandemic pricing, but it's really just a lot of dudes who thought they wanted an ADV a lot more than they actually did. (Which is part of the reason I'm going to take some time and think about it while I pay some stuff off. I don't wanna be that guy.)
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Sep 4, 2021 21:44
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Nitrox posted:I have a friend who rides maybe a thousand miles a year. But he's in the garage every other evening, tinkering with four bikes he owns. He loves that part more than he likes being on the road. And that's just fine I totally understand this mindset but I also know it’s definitely not me.
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Sep 5, 2021 19:33
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I’m in saving money and paying down debt mode now that the VStrom 650 is looking like the right candidate for me, but I have this paranoia that prices for … well, everything are going to go through the roof with the continuing supply issue for basically everything right now. The family includes a bicycle shop owner and they saw some paperwork where one of their manufacturer’s shipping costs have more than doubled over the last year. Not like I can do much about it, but I don’t think it’s bad advice for folks to look for bikes they want now. Maybe I’m just being unnecessarily anxious.
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Sep 12, 2021 04:18
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Do I remember people saying they don't like the Africa Twin? A local shop really wants to sell some of their 2020's and while I'm leaning hard towards the Vstrom, I am keeping an open mind.
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Oct 19, 2021 00:44
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The biggest thing is that it's still more than I want to spend, but thank you for the info goons. It's probably more bike than I want too, but I don't want to rule out a 1000cc or so until I spend some time on them. Which I probably won't bother to do until I have at least another $500 in the bank.
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Oct 19, 2021 05:06
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knox_harrington posted:It's definitely cooler than a vstrom It’s me. The weirdo who think Vstroms are super pretty.
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Oct 19, 2021 17:38
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That rules. Please post a lot of pics so and ride reports so I can live vicariously.
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Oct 27, 2021 19:04
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Saving up my down payment for probably a KLR 650 and am debating when I should try to go pull the trigger. I know standard down payment (especially with so-so credit like mine) is 10-20%. I'm working extra hours at work that make it easy to predict what extra funds I can put towards this. Adding in estimated destination fees, registration, and title, I should have 10% down by early January. If I want to get closer to 15%, I'll have it by the end of January and I can have a full 20% down by April (not counting tax return money I should be able to kick in). I'm a little worried about dealer stock because of ... everything, so I'd like to do this sooner than later, but if I'm wasting my time trying to get qualified with a 10% down payment, then that just is what it is and I can wait. Anyone have any inside scoop on what stock should look like over the coming months for the KLR and the 2022 Vstroms (which I haven't actually seen make it to any local dealerships yet)? Or if we even have a way to monitor that at all? I don't want all the ABS versions to dry up before I can go nab one. Though by then, the new Vstroms may be out and I'll be doing some different math anyway. I've always drove poo poo heaps and paid for my scooters with cash/privately secured credit, so this whole financing thing is a bit of a mystery to me. I'm in my 40's, been at the same job for more than 5 years, and have plenty of credit history, but I am definitely still recovering from a divorce and foreclosure back when everyone was getting divorced and foreclosed on. No longer on my credit, but it's still building back up. I want a new bike for a variety of reasons and have accepted that this means dealing with credit scores and percentages and poo poo.
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Oct 31, 2021 10:11
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Regardless of the bike I choose months from now, the numbers are what I’m interested in. I can change my mind five times, but still need to plan the financial portion. A new vehicle of any sort is always a terrible investment. I don’t view it in those terms. It’s a matter of whether burning that money is worth it to me or not.
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Oct 31, 2021 17:28
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It's going to be my primary transportation and I'm actively trying to spare you the boring details of my life. I can write paragraphs if you really want me to. Credit: rebuilding after a foreclosure on a house that lost half its value in an economic collapse. Really just a few credit cards at this point (finally). Mid to high 600's, depending on the reporting tool. Job: stable with a raise in December, more raises (plural) next year, a big project I'll be working extra hours on, more extra hours if I want them, and at least one bonus of some kind. Assets: Mostly just household items and the scooter I'll still be using for trips around the neighborhood and inside the city. I am done buying poo poo heaps and fixer uppers. If I get a car again, it'll be a new one. I really appreciate everyone's advice, but I'm an adult and know what I want, why I want it, and what my limitations are. I'm listening and I'm weighing my options, but I'm not leaning the way I'm leaning for no reason. Gorson posted:The KLR is disliked around here for valid reasons but I just find it tough to justify financing a new bike with a design that hasn't changed in decades. The DR650 or Vstrom are better choices, have you looked into financing a used one (or KLR, if you must) through your bank? The KLR is new this year. So far, every Vstrom I've found that's 2017 or newer is so close in price to a new bike that it makes no sense to me not to get a new bike. Even if supply issues magically resolve themselves, I don't think the used market is going to be unfucked for years, but I could be totally wrong about that. Toe Rag posted:That said! I'm not sure how much 150cc scooter experience is going to translate into a full-sized 650cc motorcycle, and dumping a new, expensive motorcycle will make you sad (ask me how I know). Do whatever you want, but maybe also consider saving up a little extra and buying a smaller, cheaper used bike first. This is my primary source of anxiety about the whole thing, honestly. Where I've landed on it is that I know I'm not going to put time into making something run. If it doesn't work, it will just sit. Something without a warranty is useless to me right now. I've accepted that I want crash bars and am writing it off as an "investment" because I will probably do a lot of dumb poo poo to it. I do also have another bike I can practice on here at the house. It's not running at the moment though (and it's not mine to tinker with anyway), which just illustrates my point. Geekboy fucked around with this message at 19:38 on Oct 31, 2021 |
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Oct 31, 2021 19:31
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I am apparently coming off far more defensive than I intend to. I’m not trying to prove I’m clever or whatever, I’m trying to learn about the things I don’t know. I’m not invested in anyone thinking I made the right choice so long as I’m happy over the coming months and years with whatever I decide to do. If that means buying what goons think I should buy, that’s fine by me. But it also wouldn’t be the first time I did something goons told me I’d regret (I never have). I’m listening to the advice here, but I’m also not a child making an impulsive decision. I’ve been building to this for years and I just don’t feel the need to tell you everything I’ve done, everything I’m doing, everything my partner’s doing, etc. It’s not an e/n thread and I assume you care as little as I feel like typing it all out.
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Oct 31, 2021 21:03
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I’m 6’2” with a hip I’m working on. I need to sit comfortably. That’s roughly half of why I’m looking at ADV bikes to begin with. Along with living in Oregon and missing going camping so drat much.
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Oct 31, 2021 23:18
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Dunk on me for liking the KLR all you like, but at least I only kind of want a Ural. (I know I don’t actually want a Ural.)
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Nov 6, 2021 04:05
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Partner’s husband wanted to go look at some motorcycles yesterday, so I tagged along. Didn’t ride anything, but they were less busy than when I’ve been there before with a whole lot of used stuff in stock. He’s having some feelings about who he is as a person because he thinks he’s going to end up with a Harley and didn’t realize that about himself. He’s currently riding an old Honda Magna that he bought off someone in the neighborhood for next to nothing and has been alternately riding and tinkering on since spring. He rented a Harley on vacation this summer and hasn’t stopped thinking about how nice it was. It’s also a hip geometry thing for him (apparently everyone in this weird family of ours has something wrong with one of their hips, but all in different ways) and despite being 6’2”, he really can’t get comfortable for long periods without sitting pretty low. He’s looking at other, larger cruisers (he’s always had a thing for Goldwings), but he keeps sitting on Harleys and feeling pretty much perfect. The KLR wasn’t as comfortable as I remembered and the older KLRs I sat on were even less so. My hip thing is a nerve issue that can be a pain to predict unless I just try something and see if my leg goes numb, so there’s no substitute for throwing my leg over it. They had a 2019 V-Strom 650 and it’s both the bike I’m most interested in and the one that seems least likely to be a problem so far. I’m still not sure it’s perfect, but I can’t know without hours of use, I don’t know that perfect exists, and I know there’s things I can do to tweak something that’s close. The V-Strom is closer than anything else I’ve sat on, including my scooter I am currently using as my main form of transportation. Seeing so many used bikes in stock has me feeling a little less crazy. Supply issues are going to continue to make things volatile for a long time, but I should have a good down payment together by late winter/early spring, before things get too nutty. I enjoy giving trip reports on my quest for my first proper motorcycle, but if this is annoying I’m happy to back off. I do value goon advice, even if sometimes I learn that I want things based on how goons tell me I don’t want them. And god knows everywhere else motorcycle-focused that I’ve found is abysmal.
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Nov 8, 2021 19:04
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I think I saw a Versys or two, but I’m not 100%. They look pretty cramped to me, just based on pictures I’m seeing of people on them. The lower my knee can be, the better. Jesus Christ do I hate the Versys 650 front end. Those bug eye headlights are my least favorite design. I want a 2017 or later V-Strom half for traction control and half so it doesn’t have bug eyes.
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Nov 8, 2021 19:44
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pun pundit posted:https://cycle-ergo.com/ I’ve been using this to eliminate some things and get some idea of things here and there. Thanks for the reminder, though. I hadn’t used it for the Versys. Also, this is true: Elector_Nerdlingen posted:While useful, this doesn't seem to take the fatness of the bike into account. As far as I can tell it's just measuring on a 2 dimensional image and not taking into account the sideways angle of your hip/leg. I sat on a V-Storm 1000 and the vertical was fine, but it was a bit too wide. Even the difference between a 1000 and a 650 was a big deal for me. Bodies are dumb sometimes.
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Nov 8, 2021 22:48
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Thankfully, that’s not where my hip problem lies. I mostly just have to worry if I wore the wrong jeans.
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Nov 9, 2021 07:33
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Heading to a shop that has some new Versys 650's in stock (which I'm not excited about in any way, but trying to keep an open mind about everything), a used Tenere, and a bunch of cruisers. With more used stuff coming into stock, it's getting a lot easier to throw my leg over a variety of things and see if my bum hip screams at me or not. Put a couple hours on my scooter last night and I definitely sit too low on it to get comfortable for long periods while in full fall/winter gear. It wasn't bad when I was in riding jeans, but with my pull-overs, it pinches the nerve in my hip that's bothering me more easily so I was definitely doing a lot of stretches at every stop light. I'm hopeful my physical therapy will continue to make the whole situation better, but if my leg is numb I'm not going to feel like riding as often. They've got a 2016 Vulcan I'm going to at least glance at because even though it's not at all what I think I want, I like how it looks and I really want to at least consider all the possibilities. Previous advice given here was leaning towards a V-Strom (I'm 6'2", 32" inseam, looking for something with an upright riding position for comfort, plan on going moto-camping and do mild off-roading) and that's what I've sat on that most closely felt like what I'd want once I have enough cash in hand. There's probably a 50/50 chance my partner's husband goes home on a Goldwing today.
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Nov 13, 2021 23:23
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The dealership didn’t have, like, any of the bikes we went to see actually in stock. So we went to the Harley dealership. I … really liked a 2017 Roadster I sat on and it was super comfy with lots of options to make it more comfy.
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Nov 14, 2021 02:40
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I am sincerely looking for something that doesn’t weigh 500 pounds, but everything remotely comfortable I’ve sat on was heavy or a dirt bike.
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Nov 14, 2021 07:32
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I’m not buying anything with a carb. Well, anything else. Russian Bear posted:Sit on: Most of these are in stock locally. Thank you for the list. Geekboy fucked around with this message at 18:26 on Nov 14, 2021 |
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Nov 14, 2021 09:35
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The problem with keeping an open mind is that a lot of motorcycles are very good.
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Nov 14, 2021 18:33
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I ruled out the Harley (and basically all Harleys unless I have the money and desire for a huge ____ Glide cruiser) when we went back today to have my partner try on helmets. There’s nothing that fits me, even trying things with forward controls Rode the ‘94 Honda Magna we have at home around a bit this morning and managed to get the hang of its finicky clutch. The power on it is weird at the low end and it makes it easy to stall. I kept trying to give it gradual gas and let off the clutch gradually, but it took longer than I’d have liked to find the balance, especially since I couldn’t feel anything happening through the clutch at all. I’ll have a much easier time with something that has more even power. Other than the wide turning radius, is there anything else y’all hate about the Vulcan S? It’s the most affordable and reasonable thing I’ve sat on that didn’t hurt my hip and will go 75 or 80 if I need to on the freeway. I’m kind of giving up on the idea that I’m going to own one motorcycle that does everything. My first priority is to be able to ride to the coast on day trips and maybe to camp sites here and there. I’ll never be doing super moto or crazy off-road stuff, but I’d eventually like something that will take me up simple trails and service roads safely. I’m not intentionally leaning towards bikes y’all dislike and am trying to give everything suggested a fair shake. I swear. I’d love to be a goon success story. Slavvy posted:E^^^^ ok I can't read that as anything but a subtle, finely calibrated troll anymore, well done sir I sincerely don’t know what you mean. You don’t need to take time to explain it, but I don’t want you to think I’m trying to yank your chain. Geekboy fucked around with this message at 00:49 on Nov 15, 2021 |
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Nov 15, 2021 00:06
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Scooters rule. I’m loving the Roadster, but there is no way it will replace the scooter for bopping across the neighborhood on an errand or to get to a meeting. The strength of Star Wars’ aesthetic has always been its lived in look and hover-scooters covered in dumb poo poo is the most realistic, believable thing I think they’ve done since the 80’s.
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Jan 19, 2022 21:03
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There are more and more places where bikes with carbs can’t be sold new and I think it’s reasonable to future proof against any possible future ban or “classic bike” tax. I think I caused the last EFI vs. carb argument and I will at least say I learned a lot from what was said here that time and this time. I am officially a Carb Respecter, even if I’m happy I don’t have to worry about them on my motorcycle and have a mechanic I trust with my carbs for my scooter.
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Mar 7, 2022 19:49
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I finally found a Pan America at a shop and got to sit on one. It was not as comfortable as I hoped. I think I need to accept that Harleys are made for people who are 5’10” or shorter.
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May 29, 2022 22:52
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Yeah. The problem is from my butt to the foot pegs. I’d probably be fine even if it didn’t lower overall height-wise. Occurred to us after we got home that the seat has 3 different settings and the sales guy was too loving stupid to hear us talk about needing a different seat to adjust it for us. Some of the worst salesmen (because of course they were all men) that I’ve ever seen.
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May 30, 2022 03:02
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I’m not that abnormally proportioned, especially within the country where these bikes are made. Their shirts come in 5X. You’d think the bikes would. edit: so far, the Africa Twin and V-Strom had the best geometry I’ve found for my apparently disastrous body.
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May 30, 2022 03:27
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Ignore me. The dealership we normally go to also had one and knew enough about the bike to set it up properly. Actually very comfortable without the seat in its low setting and the bars at a weird angle.
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May 30, 2022 19:53
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Your first bike is to teach you what your second bike should be, right? Well, as much as I like the idea of going across the country and into the hinterlands and all that, my income and my available vacation time means I'm never going to be more than maybe 3 days from home. That won't change for years unless I have a serious career change and I'm too old to want to change careers (again). So I think that whenever it's time to trade in my Roadster, it's going to be for a Bonneville. I keep debating between the T100 and the T120, but one of those. I keep looking down when I'm out and expecting that to be what I'm riding, so that seems like a sign it's what I should be on. Keeping in mind that I'm months or even a year out from paying things down enough for it to make sense, what am I not seeing? What am I going to be sad about on that bike? Lack of locking storage is the main thing I'm seeing (though it's easier on a Bonne than on a Roadster). Maybe something like an NC750X or a V-Strom is in my future too, but the Bonne has been loving calling to me.
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Aug 29, 2022 20:01
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Slavvy posted:In your case your first bike is teaching you what your first bike should have been this is a solid burn and I accept it
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Aug 29, 2022 22:47
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I ride a Harley and I don’t think it’s possible to be approached by worse people than I already am. This is not a challenge to the universe.
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Aug 30, 2022 06:30
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I thought it was bar end mirrors away from being a cafe racer. (I do not want bar end mirrors)
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Aug 31, 2022 18:25
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Steakandchips posted:Don’t buy without a test ride. Pretty sure this means only buying bikes that cost at least $10K right now. And probably from a specialty dealership. Triumph and Harley will give you test rides. The places that sell metric bikes? "Buy it or don't. Someone else will in five minutes if you don't" pretty much sums up their attitude. I also hated that dealership in Hillsboro. Bob Lanphere's is only a tiny bit better. Maybe try the dealership down in Sublimity? I've heard some decent things about them and they're enormous. More dirt bike/farm bike focused, but could be worth the trip.
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Oct 15, 2022 09:24
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TotalLossBrain posted:Heh, I put 500 miles on the Vstrom in one week of having it. I think Portland weather is about to put a damper on that though. I saw that bike on their website and wished I could get over my feelings about buy-eyed headlights enough to consider it. I’m perhaps weirdly happy that someone I sort-of internet know got it. With my heated grips and the investment I made in decent rain gear, I plan on keeping on the roads as often as I can until we have those 2 weeks or so in January where there’s snow. Totally understand that fall rain isn’t the ideal weather to learn a new bike in, but hopefully you can still get plenty of time with it before it turns gray for nine months. And don’t worry: With climate change there will still be lots of dry days in the PNW between now and next June. Sure, that means we’re that much closer to extinction, but that’s at least a few years away. Probably.
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Oct 24, 2022 18:31
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I got to do a test ride on a Bonneville T120 today and I'm absolutely in love. If things go as planned, within the next few months I should have a bike Slavvy will approve of. I ended up at two dealerships today while I was running errands. At the Harley dealership, they were playing AC/DC. At the Triumph dealership, they were playing The Shins. That about sums up the whole thing, doesn't it?
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Oct 28, 2022 10:11
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| # ¿ May 3, 2024 00:11 |
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Phy posted:Bon Scott AC/DC or Brian Johnson AC/DC Bon Scott.
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Oct 28, 2022 15:49
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