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From the previous thread:Humper posted:One final stupid question -- if you get a cruiser bike (not the touring kind), is it possible to carry *anything* that won't fit in a pocket, or do you basically have to have a car if you ever want to go get a few groceries or pick up some office supplies or take your laptop somewhere? How safe is it to ride wearing a backpack or a shoulder laptop bag (diagonally across the back)? I had a pair of soft saddlebags that I split 20kgs between for long rides. As long as the weight was at least semi-balanced it didn't affect the handling too much, although the bike did accelerate notably faster without the weight. One of those racks on the back + a bungee cord would be ideal for a laptop bag. I'm not sure I'd try riding with a messenger-type bag though, it might shift around, which could potentially distract you.
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Oct 5, 2008 15:11
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Couple of questions: 1) I'm planning to take the mid-sized (125cc-400cc) motorcycle test here in Japan. I've ridden a lot of 125cc bikes (none more recently than 3 years ago), and can practice on my friend's XR250 in a nearby parking lot. The test bikes are CB400's, which are bigger than anything I've ridden/have access to, without paying for a Japanese driving school (expensive and of dubious comprehensibility). One part of the test I'm really not looking forward to is the balance beam (15m long by 20cm wide), which you've got to spend more than 7 seconds on. Any tips? 2) A lot of what they're looking for are little habits I don't have down yet (always putting your left foot and only left foot down at a stop, for example). I'm also embarrassed to not be in the habit of using the turn signals, since all of my prior riding was done in Southeast Asia, and generally pretty rural areas at that. I was able to pick up a moped (50cc) endorsement at the DMV* yesterday no problem (converted it from my American license), so I'm planning to buy one of those as close to a proper motorcycle as I can (manual transmission, clutch) and work on that. I want to get a 2-stroke over a 4-stroke, right? 3) Anyone have side pannier/saddlebag suggestions for an XR250? Planning to buy my friend's off him when I get my license (basically exactly the bike I'm looking for: dual sport, and at 250cc it skirts under shakken). When I was touring on my Minsk I really liked the saddlebag situation: I took some bigger ones intended for a Honda scooter, and put them on my bike's flip-down panniers. The bags stuck out from the metal bottom, but most of the weight was still supported. Used bungie cords or old inner tubes to keep them from shifting around and never had any problems. I'm guessing I'll have to get something custom fabbed, unless there's an easier way to build/attach them? I'd like a decent amount of carrying capacity: I'd be using it for runs to Costco, and am also into medium/large format photography.  With saddlebags (can anyone identify these, by any chance?)  Minskin' Ain't Easy by ethics_gradient, on Flickr * The Japanese DMV is staffed with the most kind, helpful, and patient civil servants ever. It was pretty 
Pompous Rhombus fucked around with this message at 02:50 on Dec 27, 2011 |
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Dec 27, 2011 02:44
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Ola posted:Take advantage of your friend's offer and practice in the parking lot. Riding the plank is about sitting up straight and relaxed, eyes high and a smooth hand on the throttle. Practice going slowly in a straight line without following anything on the ground first, just get a feel for the bike's stability. The trick is to line the bike up with the plank before you get on it and then just ride towards the spot on the horizon it's pointing at. If you have a big empty parking lot, aim towards something on the horizon and just hold whatever throttle is needed to make the engine idle in 1st. Look towards the spot, hold grips loosely and it'll go straight as an arrow. Thanks for all that! For the 2-stroke/4-stroke thing, I was talking about just the 50cc I'm going to buy in the interim. The XR250 is a 4-stroke and I'd be happy with that. (Unless I saw a screaming deal on a 400cc Transalp...) A 50cc doesn't have a lot of power to begin with, so I was wondering if a 2-stroke would be the way to go. The bike came with some milsurp night vision goggle cases mounted on the side with metal rods (  ), but for me they would have been too small to be useful, plus were ugly as hell. I might try asking a shop what it'd cost to have something like I had on my Minsk fabricated, but I have a feeling I won't like the answer.Ringo R posted:What do CA think about older Ducati Monsters? It might be my next big bike after a few years of only scooters. Unfortunately I can only afford the cheaper models (600cc etc) which I've heard are sluggish, but I'm not after a lot of performance. Last bike was a TRX850 which I thought was fast enough for me. I've been trying to google some articles about older Monsters but failed :/ I hope you're not planning on buying that in Thailand... did the last bike you bought there teach you nosing? 
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Dec 28, 2011 02:40
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Olde Weird Tip posted:Seriously, touring is the most fun when done on things not really meant to tour. It's a weird concept, like if pounding in a nail with a pair of pliers was vastly more entertaining than pounding it in with a hammer. Yeah, I did a 7-week tour through two foreign countries on that 125cc two-stroke pictured above and had a blast.
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Dec 28, 2011 03:44
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thylacine posted:Before I took my MSF I watched all these videos: Awesome, thanks for those suggestions! I checked out some of the Ride Like a Pro videos online and it looks like it'd be immensely helpful for the motorcycle exam (low-speed, precision stuff), not to mention out in the real world. I'm planning to get a package of personal belongings/internet purchases sent over next month, so I think I'm going to order both of those. I've already got a copy of "Proficient Motorcycling" with me that I'll be reading through as well. Ola posted:Oh yeah, they'll be fine. There aren't that many 4-stroke 50ccs, but their numbers are growing due to emissions etc. Thanks! I've seen both 2-stroke and 4-stroke variants of the YB-1, I think I remember reading somewhere that the 2-strokes were phased out somewhat recently. Off work today, so going to go try poking my head in a few local bike shops and see what they've got 
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Dec 29, 2011 02:26
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Wanted to know if CA is in agreement with me and every other rider I've talked to about this: I teach in Japan, and made the extremely unfortunate mistake of telling my employer I was getting a license. According to both my contract and the orientation packet I got from them before I came, there should be no problem with this, but they made up an on-the-spot rule that I couldn't get a license* because it's too dangerous. Apparently another foreign teacher (in a car) got in an accident and was seriously hurt a few years ago, and they don't want to deal with liability issues or something. There's another foreign teacher at my Board of Education who got a 50cc scooter his second year (without telling them, and never had a problem) and they initially suggested that, but when I decided to take them up on their offer they moved the goalposts and told me I had to wait until my second year too, in order to "get used to Japanese roads" (from my lovely undersized bicycle, I guess), which are apparently "so dangerous". While I have a healthy fear and respect for the roads here like I would anywhere, I learned how to ride in Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand, and Japanese roads are not that dangerous. At that point I gave up reasoning with them, got my scooter license on the sly, and picked up a 50cc on Yahoo Auctions. My actual schools are fine with me riding and it's unlikely they'd mention it to the Board of Education, but for now I only ride on the weekends just to be safe. The thing is, the scooter feels a lot more dangerous than any other bike I've ridden. By law, I'm limited to the far lefthand side of the road, and a (theoretical) max speed of 30kph. I'm getting constantly passed by cars, having to dodge or go through sand, gravel, etc that accumulates on side of the road, and getting over to make right turns is basically praying that a car sees my turn signal, takes pity on me, and slows down so I can get over. I can no longer speed up to avoid danger, which kinda freaks me out. My Board of Education have proven themselves impervious to facts or sources of information that contradict their opinions, but I'm going to have our representative bring up their policy and how nonsensical it is at the big sit-down meeting they have in May, and wanted to give her the biggest factbomb I could to drop in their laps. Am I totally off base on this, or does a regular bike that can ride with traffic offer comparable if not greater safety than an underpowered moped limited to the far side of the road? *I've been riding small (125cc) bikes on and off in Southeast Asia since I was 19, and would have gotten my US license before I came if I'd had enough time (Japan requires possession of any foreign license for 3 months prior to your date of entry for an International Driver's Permit to be valid, I wasn't given 3 months notice). I'd never gotten a license back home due to a combination of having a car already, getting nagged by my parents (lived in my hometown, saw them regularly), and a general sense of ennui at Florida roads. Riding does carry risk, and at the time I judged it not worth it. Being in Japan I've got a whole new country to explore, the roads are infinitely more interesting than back home, and riding would be my primary transportation. CombatMedic posted:Being a new bike owner/rider... I haven't quite figured something out. Grab one of those metal net things that backpackers use to secure their packs in dodgy hostels, fill it with your stuff, and lock that to the bike. fake edit: like this Pompous Rhombus fucked around with this message at 12:55 on Feb 13, 2012 |
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Feb 13, 2012 12:52
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My 50cc scooter has a helmet lock, pretty sure it's stock.Shimrod posted:@Pompous Rhombus KARMA! posted:This smells of classic Japanese xenophobia, but I digress. Yeah, it's total bullshit. There actually is some additional liability for the employer in Japan if you get whacked on your way to work (they have to pay worker's comp), so right off the bat I offered not to when they asked if I wanted to ride to work, but they rejected that too. It's basically "well, something could happen, and that could create some inconvenience for us, so better to make a blanket ban  ". I'd heard of similar situations elsewhere in Japan before I came, but when I looked at my contract before I signed it, it said I only had to ask them for permission if I'm riding to a work-related function that's not a regular school visit, so I assumed I was in the clear. I (politely) called them on that when I ran out of more indirect options, and my supervisor told me point blank that it was in the "unwritten contract". It's been really frustrating because I turned down a higher-paying job back home in large part because the pay cut was worth having a chance to explore Japan on my own, and getting screwed over on that has really rubbed me the wrong way. Other than my Board of Education basically everything else here is peachy, they're essentially the source of 100% of my First World Problems. The problem with going against their wishes is that we're on year-to-year contracts, and I'm currently up for renewal (more or less automatic, unless you really piss them off or there are budget cuts). I should find out if I've been reappointed in a few weeks, after which point I can pretty much do whatever, since it's really difficult and expensive to fire/replace us. Although I'm not planning on it, I'd like the option to do another year after that, but it doesn't matter enough to me to give up on riding. Pompous Rhombus fucked around with this message at 23:57 on Feb 13, 2012 |
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Feb 13, 2012 23:11
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BlackLaser posted:Tampa'ish. Is yours a 2 day or 3 day (a lot of the ones I saw also had a Wednesday night in the classroom beforehand)? I was thinking of doing mine when I'm back (also Tampa-ish) in a few weeks; won't do me a lick of good paperwork-wise in terms of getting my Japanese license, but is waaay cheaper than lessons here and I could use a lot more time on a proper-sized bike. Time is pretty limited though, I'd only be able to do a weekend course. My bike got knocked over by some strong winds (the only decent, protected place to park in my complex is taken up by two old lovely bikes that are being stored by someone), and now the front turn signal on that side doesn't blink (just goes solid), and the rear one is inoperative. I fiddled around with the indicators just using my hands to no effect, where should I look first? Likely I'll need to buy a soldering iron? Pompous Rhombus fucked around with this message at 09:27 on Feb 19, 2012 |
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Feb 19, 2012 09:23
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Anyone ride to work and have to wear a suit? You just wear it under your jacket, or have a preferred way of stowing it so it doesn't get wrinkled?
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Feb 24, 2012 07:41
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Anyone have a link to a good article on starting out on a 250? I've got a friend back in the States who wants to get into riding, she's already got a helmet and jacket. All the bros she talks to have told her to skip getting a 250 and start on a 600, because she'll "outgrow it in a few months". She's about 5'7" and pretty slender, I imagine it'd be at least a 60-75 pound weight reduction from your average dude off the bat. She just enjoys being on a bike and isn't into riding like a maniac. Olde Weird Tip posted:I get paid mileage to commute on my bike I just started, looking to pocket about $100/mo in savings over the bus fare. I've had the bike for a while, but my contracting organization didn't want me riding to work (despite having no legal right to make that kind of restriction, and they also told me I couldn't get one to ride on the weekends either, again without legal basis). I tried being a nice guy and working something out with them for months, but despite being 0% in the right they wouldn't budge and continued to dick me over at every opportunity for no good reason, so now they get nothing out of me, compromise-wise. Since I've re-upped my contract they can't really do anything to me for another 18 months if/when they find out, and the law is on my side anyways. I doubt they'll find out unless I let them know, I work an hour away from them and my schools have no reason to mention it. I guess this would sound egregious to most people (I work in Japan), but aside from my actual bosses in the prefectural government, everything else at my job i Pompous Rhombus fucked around with this message at 04:32 on Mar 19, 2012 |
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Mar 19, 2012 04:23
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Thanks for the helpful responses guys! Also, on bad roads: I rode to Fukuoka yesterday for the first time on my moped. Since it's not allowed on the expressway I had to take the local road, which is actually pretty scenic, winding along the coast. What sucks is that basically every corner is completely covered in blue or red HEY THERE'S A TURN HERE paint... great for dumb car drivers who can't be bothered to pay attention, not so great for anyone on two wheels. Made a mental note to watch my speed on them, and be extra careful in the rain. Got the 400cc license test coming up next week, have a feeling it's going to be a lot of wasted vacation days and money... 
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Mar 21, 2012 05:00
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One of my schools has a big fuckoff hill that I like to coast down in neutral. No good reason to, I just do it because I can. My first bike had a really stiff clutch when I got it and I used to pop it in neutral at longer stops because my fingers would get sore otherwise. Then I adjusted the clutch Glad to know I won't be expected to find N at every stop on my upcoming bike exam, was actually wondering about that.
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Mar 23, 2012 06:21
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Sagebrush posted:It really does all depend on how good the alternator is, though. You might have the aforementioned problem where honking the horn makes your spark cut out, or you might find that with the headlights on your bike can't idle because the alternator only produces enough power to run the lamps and the ignition at 3000RPM+ and it was relying on the battery to keep the ignition running for those situations. Etc. My first bike didn't have a battery (stock) and the coils were starting to go when I got it. I could choose between the lights and the horn (you kinda want both on foggy mountains in northern Laos/Vietnam), but not both at the same time. It wouldn't cut the engine if I tried both, at least. Later had a Lao mechanic fix the coils; since they weren't readily available in Laos he unwound all the wire, measured it, then bought an equivalent length of copper wire at the market and rewound them overnight. Electrics worked fine after that 
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Mar 29, 2012 23:07
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Had a motorcycle lesson yesterday, two things I wanted to get cleared up: 1) For the slalom, at what point of the weave/lean is it best to give the bike a little bit of juice? I practiced it a bit and did alright, but there's definitely room for improvement. It's timed on the test, so gotta take it at speed; the instructor said to take it in third, which is what I've been doing. 2) Didn't get to the starting on an incline practice, it's a 10% incline on the test. I'm guessing: right foot on the rear brake, give it some extra throttle, slip the clutch as I let out the brake, when I start to feel the bike move forward, start letting off the rear brake?
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Apr 5, 2012 01:44
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Safety Dance posted:This might vary depending on what you're comfortable with, but I would be rolling on the throttle as I decrease my lean angle, and rolling off as I increase the lean angle. (If this is unclear, I can illustrate it) Okay, I'll try that! Hopefully I'll get practice before I take the test again; don't want to go all the way to the driving school (almost 2-hour ride on my scooter away), but my friend with a 250cc Honda will be back in town tomorrow so hopefully I can practice on his. Shimrod posted:For 1 I just kept it steady the whole time as I was instructed (I also keep it steady when I practice my saloon on the road). The guy was definitely giving it a little bump of acceleration with each weave and told me to do the same, different philosophies, I guess. fake edit: when he dove right into the slalom without warning (with me on the back) I about poo poo a brick.
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Apr 5, 2012 11:47
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2ndclasscitizen posted:Although the Honda is available with ABS which is a bonus for a newbie ride. Do you guys think ABS on a first bike is a good idea? Might build some bad habits... not that I think locking the front wheel and going down is a great way to get an education in braking, mind you.
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Apr 18, 2012 02:55
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I've got a friend here in Japan with a bike who is always helping me out with poo poo. Any suggestions on something not too much of a bitch to ship I could get him as a thank-you gift? Let's say no more than $100, can be more than one smaller thing. He rides an XL250R now but I'm buying it off him next month, not entirely certain what he's getting to replace it (he thinks a CB400 but is looking at other stuff).
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Jun 19, 2012 06:41
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Z3n posted:If he works on bikes a fair amount, buy him a high quality (Snap-On or other high end brand) 18 inch JIS screwdriver. I have one, it's the only snap on tool I own and it's worth it's weight in gold. Buddy who taught me how to work on bikes bought it for me as a birthday present and not only am I reminded of him every time I use the thing, but it's also drat handy, especially for stuff like carb boots clamps, intake clamps, etc. He does (cars too), although he may already have one already. He values good tools and I know he brought a pretty nice set of wrenches back from the States last time he was back (can get nice stuff here too, but like basically everything in Japan you pay a lot more for it than you would back home), so he might already have a good screwdriver already.
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Jun 19, 2012 07:20
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Saga posted:I THINK the 400 was something Ducati produced very specifically for Japan and its graduated licensing (and tax?) system, which made larger-engined bikes undesirable or unattainable for many riders. Yeah, the >400cc license is a bitch by all accounts, my friend has been riding for years (including a year and a half in Japan on international permits) and he failed it on his first go, and that's the watered-down conversion for foreigners. The one Japanese people take when doing a license from scratch is even harder, and schools (which basically everyone does) often costs over $2000. I'm doing the 125-399cc license from scratch now and the practical exam is not fun. There are definitely a lot of 400cc bikes here that you don't see elsewhere because of the tiered licensing. I was thinking about a Transalp 400, but the motivation to get a 250cc is pretty strong (don't have to do the expensive safety inspection every two years, but can still get on the expressways), and the aforementioned friend happens to have an XL250R he's selling I'd be perfectly happy with. You can also wait the 25 years for it to be able to come in as a classic (or whatever the exemption is called). I think we're getting pretty close to when the earliest Skyline GT-R's are eligible, I am 99% that the same thing applies to bikes. Related to that, are there any Aussie posters in here who have experience getting an imported bike complianced? I know it's not the nightmare it is in America, as there are supposedly 15-20 Africa Twins running around that have been privately imported, and I found some posts about people doing it with Harley's too. I've been considering either bringing the XL250R (maybe not worth it in absolute terms, but it'd be one less thing to worry about buying/selling, and was thinking of going in on a partial shipping container with another guy anyways) or picking up an Africa Twin that's out of shaken and bringing that.
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Jun 24, 2012 06:51
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I'm taking another stab at the Japanese 400cc test again on Friday. Hopefully I can work in a practice lesson at the bike school next door to the testing center beforehand to get warmed-up (really helped with the car exam, which I passed on my first attempt), but the bike exam is only offered first thing in the morning, so it may not be possible. Aside from some overly wide lines on the corners because of the rain, and missing a part I was supposed to accelerate on (didn't know I was supposed to), I think the main thing that sunk me last time was the emergency braking at the end. It's only done from 25-28mph and is within a pretty reasonable distance, but I flinched and braked a little too early. Any good mental technique for making sure I'm past the cones before I start to apply the brakes? I was a bit distracted by the speedo last time making sure I kept the bike's speed up. Just to be sure, from what I think the examiner was telling me last time about the braking itself: go into it adding more and more pressure to the rear brake, then start to add a bit of front. Does that sound right? I'm pretty confident in my ability to stop within the given distance, it's mostly just not doing it too soon. Was originally going to do it tomorrow but there's a 100% chance of heavy rain, so gently caress that. If there's any interest in seeing how Japan does things, I could try scanning some of the course maps the driving school gave me that show everywhere to indicate/cancel your indicators, get over to the other side of the lane, etc. I don't think there's any way I'd pass without them, a lot of it is kinda counter-intuitive.
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Jun 26, 2012 00:43
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Is adjusting a clutch cable relatively straightforward? The clutch on my scooter/moped thing doesn't start to engage until the last 1/4 of travel or so (was like that when I bought it), friend says I oughta adjust it.
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Jun 28, 2012 07:32
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LooksLikeABabyRat posted:Has anyone taken the MSF with absolutely no experience whatsoever? My girlfriend wants to learn to ride, but she's never driven a manual car or motorcycle, though she has at least ridden a bicycle. How long to they spend teaching you clutch? I learned how to ride a motorcycle without having learned to ride a motorcycle previously. Your girlfriend probably can too!
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Jul 17, 2012 00:50
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alnilam posted:3. Medical stuff. I verified with my health insurance company that they would treat a motorcycle accident as a normal medical emergency (I've heard rumors that some health insurers reject care for a motorcycle crash). So I'd have a $100 copay and an 80/20 split (I get the 20) on any stuff like rehab, surgery, etc. Most medical insurance won't pay out if you get into a motorcycle crash without a valid license, that may be what you're thinking of.
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Jul 20, 2012 00:12
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I'm selling my scooter to a friend, and I'm going to rent a 1 ton flatbed to take it over to his place. It's got no insurance on it so I can't ride it (restriction from my job), and even if we transferred ownership to him ahead of time and insured it in his name, it'd be like a 2-3 hour ride back, and he's both a new rider and not used to driving on the opposite side of the road yet. Anyhow, I've got like 50m of rope right now, what else should I need to secure it properly? Bike only has a side stand, is set up like a regular motorcycle (gas tank up top, not a step-through). I figure me and another strapping dude can lift it into the bed, thing only weighs like 200lbs IIRC. Pompous Rhombus fucked around with this message at 00:30 on Sep 28, 2012 |
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Sep 28, 2012 00:17
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It's winter, I live in Japan, and I'm supposedly taking ownership of a motorcycle next week. I've been thinking about getting an ETC (electronic debit) for the expressway tolls, but it's a bit of a PITA and requires a $500 deposit. The bike in question also lacks a cigarette lighter to plug the reader into; the current owner said my options were either to fit the bike with a rectifier or rig a battery with a toggle switch onto the reader and flip it on before I get to the toll gate. I'm not against either of those (how involved is installing a rectifier?), but in the meantime I'll be paying cash. Anyone have any tips/tricks for doing that while wearing gloves?
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Dec 10, 2012 13:52
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goddamnedtwisto posted:Why would you need a rectifier? Get something like this: That's what the guy said, and he generally knows his poo poo pretty well. Bike is a '96 Honda XLR250R Baja, if that makes any difference (not a lot of English-language material on it).
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Dec 10, 2012 14:10
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The turn signals on my bike are pretty janky, last time I saw them working (this morning) I clocked it at about a 10-12 second delay between signaling and the signal actually coming on. Front indicators don't seem to be working now, rear seem OK. Bike has been dropped a number of times by the PO and signals have been repaired by him (rear signals are from a different bike IIRC, they stick out more and are an improvement over the stock ones). It's a '96 Honda XLR250... how bad is it going to be to try and fix this on my own? Have only basic knowledge of electric-stuff, although I do teach at a technical high school and they've almost certainly got a multimeter I can borrow.
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Dec 26, 2012 10:27
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Snowdens Secret posted:A moped by definition has pedals and can be used as a (heavy) regular bicycle. Yeah, it depends on the DMV/state. IIRC, California requires it to have pedals to be considered a moped (and not require a separate license), whereas Florida says anything under 50cc you're good to go. Japan is likewise the same way, I had a 50cc "moped" that didn't really fit into what I understood "moped" or "scooter" to mean in English: it was essentially a scaled-down motorcycle (footpegs and not a step-through, gas tank up top, manual transmission with a clutch, no pedals as an alternate power source or anything). Both within the USA and abroad it seems like most of the time, a regular driver's license includes a moped/50cc endorsement. I've been helping a few foreigners do their license conversions here in Japan... for Americans (the only major country who has to take it), you can dodge the practical test if you only want to convert the moped endorsement of your foreign license. It's pretty much a crapshoot if that's an option, depends on what your official translation comes back saying. One guy from Virginia wasn't able to do it because Virginia doesn't even require a driver's license for 50cc, just be 16 years old and have a photo ID. The whole reason we have to do the practical test and nobody else does is related to having 50 different states with 50 different DMVs, woo federalism. I'm sure this is like Traffic Law 101, but I was thinking: if a 16 year old from Virginia with a state photo ID rode into say, DC (assuming DC required a license, too lazy to look it up), would they be breaking the law? I know states are supposed to recognize each other's licenses, but in this case there's no license involved. Pompous Rhombus fucked around with this message at 23:58 on Dec 26, 2012 |
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Dec 26, 2012 23:54
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Ponies ate my Bagel posted:I use my bike as my sole transport. I do have a truck, but it's pretty much my wifes. I ride rain or shine, depending on your lifestyle it can definitely work. I'd invest in a really good backpack, a molly system or something works well. There's 2 packs I ride with, one is a mid size bag like an overnight-2 day camping pack the other is my big bag that's for a week or more. I use them for everything from hardware store runs to groceries and carrying my laptop/work shoes. The PO of my owner installed a hard topcase on it (think it's originally for a Silverwing) which I really like. It's roomy enough to fit two full-face helmets, and even though I live in a really low-crime area (Japan) the peace of mind of being able to lock stuff up on the bike is nice. It's also got a locking quickrelease so you can pull it off the bike and bring it inside with you. I haven't used them yet on the bike myself (lent them to the PO of my bike so he could do Costco runs), but I also picked up a pair of Ortlieb saddlebags, which can hold quite a bit and are pretty well-made. I'll also wear a backpack, although mostly it's just to hold extra cold-weather gear that I don't have to get off the bike to access (like with the topcase). I was gonna go down to just bike once I got my XLR (between insurance and parking my car costs me about $120/mo just to have), but having made the mistake of buying the car first I've gotten soft and used to it. Among my group of friends there aren't many people with vehicles, so going down to just the bike would restrict my social/dating life quite a bit. Plan is to sell the car in January and move down to a light van, which will be a bit cheaper on insurance and get significantly better gas mileage (plus can camp out of it)... can also fit the bike in the back in a pinch, so I think it'll be a nice compliment to the motorcycle. Pompous Rhombus fucked around with this message at 01:28 on Dec 31, 2012 |
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Dec 31, 2012 01:22
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I've caught mine going from first to N when I'm stopped, is that a potentially more serious issue?
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Dec 31, 2012 02:13
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republic posted:Hey folks, I have a question that's been weighing on my mind recently. I'm a few weeks out from moving cross country, and I'm faced with the unfortunate fact that I need to sell my bike. Things have been pretty tough financially this year, and between that and other complications the bike has been sitting covered in my parking structure since this past April. As a result it'll no longer start. I'm at a point where I don't have the time or the know-how to get it running as I prepare for this move, and as much as I'd love to, I can't take it with me. I'm trying to get rid of it on Craigslist, but I'm not sure what the bike is worth in it's current state. Perhaps a silly question, but have you tried push-starting the bike? I've owned a few less-than-reliable bikes and that's usually worth a shot. I'm with the hivemind that you should definitely invest a little money to try and get the bike running; assuming the worst about a non-running vehicle on CL is par for the course, so you'll really get nothing but lowballs on it as-is.
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Jan 23, 2013 14:27
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A really obvious question, but my first bike was a 2-stroke where you had to mix the oil in the with the has as you fueled: when I'm checking the oil on my XLR250 (4 stroke), it's normal for there to be a lot more oil on the bottom as it flows down the dipstick, and just a little that comes off on the rag near the top? Or am I reading a false positive and need to add more oil? It burns a fair amount of oil and the PO advised me to check it after every ride.
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Feb 12, 2013 06:49
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Slavvy posted:Also remember to check the oil with the bike upright, not on the stand. That's how a hornet 900 swallows 4 liters of oil without being even half full... Yeah, he mentioned that, so I leaned it up against a post. nsaP posted:Normal. Pesky gravity. It'll be bubbled up at the bottom and thins as it goes up the dipstick, but it should still be a the right height to read it right after you take it out. Cool, thanks!
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Feb 12, 2013 11:26
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clutchpuck posted:Not true for all models. Best to check the manual. It'd be all in moonspeak, if I had it Took the bike out for a quick hoon before work this morning (today's my work-from-home day, woo) and checked it when I got back, lookin' good. Thanks thread!
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Feb 13, 2013 00:59
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Rear brakes on my XLR250 are starting to squeal a little bit when I stop, about 2 months after the PO did them. Haven't been hammering the brakes too hard, to be honest. What should I look at?
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Feb 17, 2013 14:26
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HotCanadianChick posted:Funny anecdote, but out of the three Japanese guys I'm friends with, two of them are above 6'6", and the other is my height (~5'10"). The only Japanese people that are actually commonly that short are ones born before the 1960's, when western-style foods became more common there - most younger Japanese are about the same height as Americans. Not really, no. Old people are definitely shorter (very little calcium in the traditional Japanese diet) but people are still significantly shorter on average. I wear a 10.5 shoe and that's effectively where the normal sizes end at stores, and I still bonk my head on stuff at 6'1". echomadman posted:Drum or disk brakes? Disc, thanks!
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Feb 17, 2013 23:47
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M42 posted:Looks like go time for the first bike is coming up within the next few weeks, possibly even by the end of this one I'm not sure how it works in CA, but the way I handle it is: 1) buy the bike (or car), get the registration (and other necessary documents) from the owner. Leave it where it is 2) take registration and stuff to the DMV, change it over to my name 3) take registration to insurance agent and take out a policy 4) once the policy's effective (over here, pretty much immediately), go pick up the vehicle and drive/ride it home I *could* legally ride without insurance, but my employer gives me an extra load of poo poo about all things driving-related, so I always play it as conservatively as possible. To be honest, I'd probably do the same thing even if I didn't have them hassling me. I bought a new car this week from out of the prefecture and it needs to be physically at the DMV to have the VIN checked (not an issue for in-prefecture ownership transfers), but luckily I've got a friend who's OK to drive with no insurance, so he's nice enough to handle that for me.
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Feb 21, 2013 07:41
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. So, I have a question for CA people: am I ok to do the first ride back home without insurance? Do I have to have insurance before transferring all the poo poo at the dmv? Incidentally, what's everyone got for theirs?
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Zool posted:I think the thought is, "How much damage could I cause without killing myself?" I was asking my buddy what he paid for insurance on his bike and what his policy was (since I was buying it from him). He said he went with a cheap policy that had a ~$14,000 deductible. I was a bit but his rationale was that if he caused more than $14k in damage on a 250cc bike he was probably dead anyways, so gently caress it.
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Feb 22, 2013 05:09
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Snowdens Secret posted:I think the point was that insurance usually covers the other vehicles/property you hit and any other person's medical bills you cause, not just you and your own bike. Yeah, that. We have 100% medical coverage for ourselves.
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Feb 22, 2013 15:32
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Xovaan posted:California it's more like "feather clutch splitting up to lights and beat traffic always It owns so hard in Japan. Most roads where I live (bumblefuck-ken) are two lane, double-yellow affairs, and normal speed limit is like 25-35mph. Not uncommon to have one joker doing the actual speed limit and a huge queue of cars behind them. I find myself crossing my fingers for a red light so I can filter past and continue on my way. I've actually been having good luck lately with kei cars (small, limited to a 660cc engine), if they notice me behind them a lot will move to the left side of the lane so I can squeeze past them without crossing over into oncoming traffic. Thanks, small engine buddies
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Mar 9, 2013 01:12
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