Discussion - always find my self ridding in motorcycle

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Automotive Insanity > Cycle Asylum > Discussion - always find my self ridding in motorcycle

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Gay Nudist Dad: Dec 12, 2006; asshole on a scooter

Trintintin posted:

I think sometimes I just want to talk motorcycles with someone, or even just read about it, but not anything in specific. I don't have many riding buddies so I can't really geek out about motorcycles with anyone who really understands. For instance, I hated the D&D exhaust on my ex500 up until moving to Savannah GA. Something about how the bike echo's off the buildings downtown here though really makes me love the exhaust note in a way I hadn't before.

Also are there any good websites with cross nation or state specific motorcycle roads. I haven't been able to find a single interesting twisty road around here yet and I need to lean the bike over a bit to keep myself sane. It's too the point where I look forwards to the squares here, cause I can actually lean the bike a bit.

Honestly, I just use Google Maps. I know the terrain, roughly, of the area where I live, and I'll just start scrolling in interesting directions looking for roads. And then, with a rough image of the map in my head and a couple road names, I'll ride out there.

Though there are quite a few webpages devoted to this subject, if you know where to look.

# ¿ Oct 16, 2008 07:19

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# ¿ Apr 30, 2024 14:24

Gay Nudist Dad: Dec 12, 2006; asshole on a scooter

TheCosmicMuffet posted:

I don't get the 'pass' switch on alot of bikes that flashes the highbeam.

Is this supposed to be a standard practice to flash if you want to by someone or what? The MSF never said poo poo about it.

I think these are to turn on when you're passing someone on a 2-lane road, and thus driving the wrong way for the lane. So you're more visible to oncoming traffic.

# ¿ May 2, 2011 20:59

Gay Nudist Dad: Dec 12, 2006; asshole on a scooter

Slim Pickens posted:

Another backfire in Ballard this Wednesday the 18th, anyone interested?

Yeah I'm planning on going. Looks like the weather will be good for this one, unlike the torrent (for here) that kept me from last month's.

# ¿ May 17, 2011 08:16

Gay Nudist Dad: Dec 12, 2006; asshole on a scooter

Slim Pickens posted:

Awesome. I actually ended up going to the last one because I was feeling better after a miserable bike commute home. Still rained a little, but there was a decent showing. I'll be there again on a red monster with big plastic frame sliders.

I'll be on the scooter in my avatar. Hopefully I don't get laughed out; though I know some other scooterists are attending (via seattlescootersociety.com)

# ¿ May 17, 2011 20:34

Gay Nudist Dad: Dec 12, 2006; asshole on a scooter

Phy posted:

How's the phrase go? I'd rather be wronged and alive than right and dead?

E: Ugh, that's it, I need a stinkin' refresher course. Had a parking lot drop last week, and one this evening, just from having too much angle on the bars and grabbing the brake at walking speed. Bags and crashbars ate the drops, but it's still fuckin' embarrasing.

Where I used to live the MSF school used a distant back lot at the local mall for their training course, with all the exercise courses painted. Frequently when I was out that way I'd stop and spend 20 minutes going through the exercises. It was nice. I miss that.

# ¿ May 24, 2011 06:07

Gay Nudist Dad: Dec 12, 2006; asshole on a scooter

Z3n posted:

We did that on the KTMs when I was up in seattle! Bonus for it being wet:

Very important to keep one wheel in reserve at all times.
Full set:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/zach_stone/sets/72157626552956099/

Dude that was my turf. When were you in Bellingham??

# ¿ May 24, 2011 08:15

Gay Nudist Dad: Dec 12, 2006; asshole on a scooter

Z3n posted:

Why does everyone always chime in with the "oh hey you were right by me" after I visit? At least I managed to meet Slim Pickins this time around. I'll post up a thread before the next WA trip.

Psh

I had moved to Seattle by April.

Not that my scooter would've kept up with your tards

# ¿ May 24, 2011 18:41

Gay Nudist Dad: Dec 12, 2006; asshole on a scooter

Slim Pickens posted:

Update on the boomcam. I fixed issues like the elbow drooping down by drilling and making a set screw, marked angles, and bought a smaller backpack for $30 which works great. All in, I only spent around $60 on the whole setup. There's still an issue with the mic pole swiveling away from center, but otherwise it works beautifully. I even took it for a test ride in a nearby stadium parking lot and I'm in love with the results. Unfortunately, I haven't formatted the card for a while and it filled up halfway into my run.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0ZDLyUbdFM

My favorite part is at around 1 minute in.

Once I figure a way to keep it centered, I'll test some more then finally take it for a ride down some nice roads.

This is really cool, great results. I'd love to see some extreme riding with this, like stunting or a trackday.

# ¿ May 31, 2011 06:04

Gay Nudist Dad: Dec 12, 2006; asshole on a scooter

clutchpuck posted:

Bikes make idiosyncratic noises... I've noticed my vstar kind of sounds like a Jetson's car. The gear-driven balancers make kind of a "weeweeweeweewee" noise as I go down the road.

My friend's Buell with the Drummer muffler sounds like a P-47 Thunderbolt, executing evasive maneuvers.

The wife's BMW R bike... sounds like a sewing machine.

What does your bike sound like? [catch: for the purposes of this discussion, it can't sound like a bike!]

At idle: like a heavy-duty popcorn machine

At speed: like a very large, very angry bumblebee in a tin coffee can

# ¿ Jun 23, 2011 06:33

Gay Nudist Dad: Dec 12, 2006; asshole on a scooter

Duke 350?? Are there any details/pics/other rumors about that? I could be very interested in such a thing.

# ¿ Aug 1, 2011 19:20

Gay Nudist Dad: Dec 12, 2006; asshole on a scooter

Z3n posted:

Some promo shots here:
http://allnewbikes.blogspot.com/2011/07/ktm-duke-350cc-to-follow-by-ktm-duke.html
and here:
http://indostiker.com/2011/07/ktm-duke-200-was-allegedly-released-along-with-ktm-duke-350.html/

I'm definitely interested. Looks like the 125 makes around 15hp, expectations on the 200 are 20hp, so would ~35 be unreasonable for a 350 single?

If these start hitting market in fall '12 (and aren't double the price of a Ninja/CBR250) I'll be lined up for a demo ride.

# ¿ Aug 1, 2011 19:44

Gay Nudist Dad: Dec 12, 2006; asshole on a scooter

So HFL just posted this, and I read it, and thought it was awesome. Since TE Lawrence's writings are no longer in copyright, and it's HFL, I'm posting it here before it goes behind their paywall.

T. E. loving Lawrence posted:

The extravagance in which my surplus emotion expressed itself lay on the road. So long as roads were tarred blue and straight; not hedged; and empty and dry, so long I was rich.

Nightly I�d run up from the hangar, upon the last stroke of work, spurring my tired feet to be nimble. The very movement refreshed them, after the day-long restraint of service. In five minutes my bed would be down, ready for the night: in four more I was in breeches and puttees, pulling on my gauntlets as I walked over to my bike, which lived in a garage-hut, opposite. Its tyres never wanted air, its engine had a habit of starting at second kick: a good habit, for only by frantic plunges upon the starting pedal could my puny weight force the engine over the seven atmospheres of its compression.

Boanerges� first glad roar at being alive again nightly jarred the huts of Cadet College into life. �There he goes, the noisy bugger,� someone would say enviously in every flight. It is part of an airman�s profession to be knowing with engines: and a thoroughbred engine is our undying satisfaction. The camp wore the virtue of my Brough like a flower in its cap. Tonight Tug and Dusty came to the step of our hut to see me off. �Running down to Smoke, perhaps?� jeered Dusty; hitting at my regular game of London and back for tea on fine Wednesday afternoons.

Boa is a top-gear machine, as sweet in that as most single-cylinders in middle. I chug lordlily past the guard-room and through the speed limit at no more than sixteen. Round the bend, past the farm, and the way straightens. Now for it. The engine�s final development is fifty-two horse-power. A miracle that all this docile strength waits behind one tiny lever for the pleasure of my hand.

Another bend: and I have the honour of one of England� straightest and fastest roads. The burble of my exhaust unwound like a long cord behind me. Soon my speed snapped it, and I heard only the cry of the wind which my battering head split and fended aside. The cry rose with my speed to a shriek: while the air�s coldness streamed like two jets of iced water into my dissolving eyes. I screwed them to slits, and focused my sight two hundred yards ahead of me on the empty mosaic of the tar�s gravelled undulations.

Like arrows the tiny flies pricked my cheeks: and sometimes a heavier body, some house-fly or beetle, would crash into face or lips like a spent bullet. A glance at the speedometer: seventy-eight. Boanerges is warming up. I pull the throttle right open, on the top of the slope, and we swoop flying across the dip, and up-down up-down the switchback beyond: the weighty machine launching itself like a projectile with a whirr of wheels into the air at the take-off of each rise, to land lurchingly with such a snatch of the driving chain as jerks my spine like a rictus.

Once we so fled across the evening light, with the yellow sun on my left, when a huge shadow roared just overhead. A Bristol Fighter, from Whitewash Villas, our neighbour aerodrome, was banking sharply round. I checked speed an instant to wave: and the slip-stream of my impetus snapped my arm and elbow astern, like a raised flail. The pilot pointed down the road towards Lincoln. I sat hard in the saddle, folded back my ears and went away after him, like a dog after a hare. Quickly we drew abreast, as the impulse of his dive to my level exhausted itself.

The next mile of road was rough. I braced my feet into the rests, thrust with my arms, and clenched my knees on the tank till its rubber grips goggled under my thighs. Over the first pot-hole Boanerges screamed in surprise, its mud-guard bottoming with a yawp upon the tyre. Through the plunges of the next ten seconds I clung on, wedging my gloved hand in the throttle lever so that no bump should close it and spoil our speed. Then the bicycle wrenched sideways into three long ruts: it swayed dizzily, wagging its tail for thirty awful yards. Out came the clutch, the engine raced freely: Boa checked and straightened his head with a shake, as a Brough should.

The bad ground was passed and on the new road our flight became birdlike. My head was blown out with air so that my ears had failed and we seemed to whirl soundlessly between the sun-gilt stubble fields. I dared, on a rise, to slow imperceptibly and glance sideways into the sky. There the Bif was, two hundred yards and more back. Play with the fellow? Why not? I slowed to ninety: signalled with my hand for him to overtake. Slowed ten more: sat up. Over he rattled. His passenger, a helmeted and goggled grin, hung out of the cock-pit to pass me the �Up yer� Raf randy greeting.

They were hoping I was a flash in the pan, giving them best. Open went my throttle again. Boa crept level, fifty feet below: held them: sailed ahead into the clean and lonely country. An approaching car pulled nearly into its ditch at the sight of our race. The Bif was zooming among the trees and telegraph poles, with my scurrying spot only eighty yards ahead. I gained though, gained steadily: was perhaps five miles an hour the faster. Down went my left hand to give the engine two extra dollops of oil, for fear that something was running hot: but an overhead Jap twin, super-tuned like this one, would carry on to the moon and back, unfaltering.

We drew near the settlement. A long mile before the first houses I closed down and coasted to the cross-roads by the hospital. Bif caught up, banked, climbed and turned for home, waving to me as long as he was in sight. Fourteen miles from camp, we are, here: and fifteen minutes since I left Tug and Dusty at the hut door.

I let in the clutch again, and eased Boanerges down the hill along the tram-lines through the dirty streets and up-hill to the aloof cathedral, where it stood in frigid perfection above the cowering close. No message of mercy in Lincoln. Our God is a jealous God: and man�s very best offering will fall disdainfully short of worthiness, in the sight of Saint Hugh and his angels.

Remigius, earthy old Remigius, looks with more charity on and Boanerges. I stabled the steel magnificence of strength and speed at his west door and went in: to find the organist practising something slow and rhythmical, like a multiplication table in notes on the organ. The fretted, unsatisfying and unsatisfied lace-work of choir screen and spandrels drank in the main sound. Its surplus spilled thoughtfully into my ears.

By then my belly had forgotten its lunch, my eyes smarted and streamed. Out again, to sluice my head under the White Hart�s yard-pump. A cup of real chocolate and a muffin at the teashop: and Boa and I took the Newark road for the last hour of daylight. He ambles at forty-five and when roaring his utmost, surpasses the hundred. A skittish motor-bike with a touch of blood in it is better than all the riding animals on earth, because of its logical extension of our faculties, and the hint, the provocation, to excess conferred by its honeyed untiring smoothness. Because Boa loves me, he gives me five more miles of speed than a stranger would get from him.

At Nottingham I added sausages from my wholesaler to the bacon which I�d bought at Lincoln: bacon so nicely sliced that each rasher meant a penny. The solid pannier-bags behind the saddle took all this and at my next stop a (farm) took also a felt-hammocked box of fifteen eggs. Home by Sleaford, our squalid, purse-proud, local village. Its butcher had six penn�orth of dripping ready for me. For months have I been making my evening round a marketing, twice a week, riding a hundred miles for the joy of it and picking up the best food cheapest, over half the country side.

� T. E. Lawrence

# ¿ Aug 19, 2011 22:53

Gay Nudist Dad: Dec 12, 2006; asshole on a scooter

I rode a Zero S today :science:

It ran out of batteries :eng99:

# ¿ Sep 11, 2011 04:19

Gay Nudist Dad: Dec 12, 2006; asshole on a scooter

epswing posted:

Don't get it. Left hand is busy holding the clutch, right hand is busy holding the throttle. So you hit the kill switch with your nose, then?

Where the hell is your killswitch? You should be able to reach all of your buttons and switches without removing your hands from the grips.

# ¿ Oct 7, 2011 16:43

Gay Nudist Dad: Dec 12, 2006; asshole on a scooter

SlightlyMadman posted:

The only girl I've ever had pillion was like 90 lbs so there was a less noticeable difference than a full bag of gear or something. Too bad that didn't last. My current girlfriend won't get near the thing because she's convinced a semi is going to just run her over the second she touches it. I did get her to agree though, that if I got a sidecar and she could hop in it with her dog, she'd do it. I'm seriously considering looking into that.

My girlfriend has agreed to the sidecar idea as well, despite definitely hearing me talk about how dangerous they are.

My passenger experiences have probably been even more dramatic than most of yours. When you're on a 250lb scooter with primitive suspension and 10hp, things get lovely fast. My Stella handles it a lot better than my Vino 125 did, but having occupants that (combined) weigh more than the vehicle is never a good idea.

I see scooters in the same family as my Stella and though they look awesome and I really want one, I can barely imagine how slow they are.

Gay Nudist Dad fucked around with this message at 18:20 on Nov 1, 2011

# ¿ Nov 1, 2011 18:17

Gay Nudist Dad: Dec 12, 2006; asshole on a scooter

nsaP posted:

How is that even legal? It has 4 wheels.

It has five. And probably because nobody would loving know what it was.

# ¿ Nov 10, 2011 23:48

Gay Nudist Dad: Dec 12, 2006; asshole on a scooter

I think loud pipes work at low speed. At highway or freeway speeds, though, I only hear "loud" bikes when they're already a bit ahead of me. We're both moving away from their sound, which is being projected backwards.

Hi-vis works at all speeds. I keep a hi-vis vest in my glovebox and put it on in lovely weather, and I definitely feel I'm noticed more and given more space when wearing it.

# ¿ Nov 17, 2011 17:43

Gay Nudist Dad: Dec 12, 2006; asshole on a scooter

Odette posted:

When everyone starts wearing hi-vis clothes, then they become 'normal' and cagers start to get used to them and forget them.

I run over construction and road workers all the time. They come out of nowhere!

# ¿ Nov 18, 2011 01:15

Gay Nudist Dad: Dec 12, 2006; asshole on a scooter

Z3n posted:

I love that starting your bike from a roll with the clutch can cause it to flip over.

Dump the clutch, lock up the rear, go into a tank slapper, highside? I guess?

Also I'm really glad the Austin circuit got their poo poo together and is proceeding. Excited to have F1 in the States, and also excited that F1 going forward means MotoGP is more likely to end up there too.

# ¿ Dec 7, 2011 19:34

Gay Nudist Dad: Dec 12, 2006; asshole on a scooter

Z3n posted:

Is there more news on the Austin thing? Last I heard it was stalled because TX didn't come through with the promised 25 mil and everyone's sitting around with their thumbs up their asses.

Yeah, Bernie got his check: http://www.autoblog.com/2011/12/07/last-minute-deal-saves-2012-united-states-grand-prix-in-austin/

Raven457 posted:

They already have a contract with Dorna/MotoGP (provided they don't gently caress it up like they nearly did with Ecclestone, that is) for races to start in 2013.

I do remember that, but when the F1 deal was in limbo construction actually stopped for 2-3 weeks. I thought that if F1 fell through, the track would basically sputter and die.

# ¿ Dec 8, 2011 00:31

Gay Nudist Dad: Dec 12, 2006; asshole on a scooter

Ziploc posted:

Every once and a while visiting in Toronto, Ontario, I'll catch a glimpse of / hear some guy ripping on some old two stroke manual-trans scooter. And every time I see/hear that, I get the twitch to persue getting something like it.

It just looks so... fun.

Oh, it is. Depending on what you get, they can be inexpensive to run and upgrade and easy to find parts for and work on. And if you get into it, scooter communities tend to be pretty rad.

Full throttle, everywhere, always, superbly tossable through traffic, and you get to smell like 2t when you get where you're going.

# ¿ Jan 3, 2012 22:01

Gay Nudist Dad: Dec 12, 2006; asshole on a scooter

Olde Weird Tip posted:

Isnt part of that process that you be the owner of the land that it was abandoned on?

I think it is possible to claim an abandoned vehicle that's been left on the road. A friend of mine is trying to do this with an old Honda that was parked on the street for months. It finally got notices from the city that they were going to impound the vehicle (and likely destroy it) if the owner didn't contact them/move it, so my buddy moved it and is finding his way through the paperwork. I don't know what the process is like, though.

# ¿ Jan 13, 2012 05:18

Gay Nudist Dad: Dec 12, 2006; asshole on a scooter

JP Money posted:

Is it legal to move someone else's car that is on public property? I feel like that's a good way to waste a bunch of money / time on paperwork just to have the owner find out and drive it off one day.

Nope, probably not! He'll probably never be able to get in touch with the actual owner/claim it in any way and it'll just get taken away by the city! Just like what was supposed to happen originally.

It's a CM400 Hondamatic, I'm not sure what he was thinking, honestly. He does have a buddy at the DMV (DOL here) that's apparently helping him where possible, though.

# ¿ Jan 13, 2012 06:14

Gay Nudist Dad: Dec 12, 2006; asshole on a scooter

Spiffness posted:

KTM 350 Duke confirmed coming to America.

gently caress yes!

gently caress yes is right, I'd buy the hell out of one of those.

According to KTM's euro site the Duke 200 makes 25hp and weighs 126kg/277lbs. Similar weigh, more power? 40hp seem reasonable?

Hopefully being built in India will keep the price down but shouldn't sacrifice quality much. Bajaj built scooters for half a century, starting in the mid-60s with contracted Vespas. Their Vespa-inspired-but-in-house-designed 4-stroke Chetaks are renowned for being bulletproof.

# ¿ Jan 25, 2012 22:24

Gay Nudist Dad: Dec 12, 2006; asshole on a scooter

MotoMind posted:

Motorcycling just doesn't follow the model of the age of exploration very well; it breaks some boundaries of what we traditionally call adventure. Motorcycles are a vehicle to explore the civilized world, or the boundaries of civilization and nature, but not nature itself. A person can haul weeks of food into the unknown and go one-on-one with the wild, but on a motorcycle either you're sucking gas from the tit every other day or you hosed up. It's a very artificial and bounded experience. If we get powerful solar panels and electric storage systems that would start to open doors for "sustainable" journeys. 75% travel time and 25% regeneration would be fine by me. Right now it would cost about 20K to get enough lightweight folding panels to go 50/50 on an electric bicycle.

You could do all of this on a bicycle.

Of course modern machinery designed for use in developed environments is of course not going to lend itself well to extended use in undeveloped environments.

# ¿ Feb 1, 2012 07:25

Gay Nudist Dad: Dec 12, 2006; asshole on a scooter

The biggest benefits that have carried over to my car driving are a hyper-awareness of blind spots (and staying out of them) and almost never being surprised by the behavior of other cars. Riding got me in the habit of thinking, "What is the dumbest thing that car could do right now?" and fully expecting them to do it.

It also got me in the habit of constantly moving faster than traffic, as my fear of being rear-ended has carried over, too. This is not good (for my driving record).

# ¿ Feb 29, 2012 20:33

Gay Nudist Dad: Dec 12, 2006; asshole on a scooter

Sagebrush posted:

I've heard third-hand that sometimes you will come out of a store to find someone putting their kid or, worse, themselves, on your bike. Does this actually happen or was that just a "dumb cagers " apocryphal story? Cause that just seems really , like climbing into someone's parked convertible or something.

I've never seen this happen, either, but I certainly believe it does

My scooter's been moved for parking more than a few times. Moving scooters and motorcycles is rampant enough that Seattle passed a law specifically prohibiting it a few years ago, but you have to be caught in the act by a cop and it's only a small fine (~$30?).

# ¿ Mar 27, 2012 21:49

Gay Nudist Dad: Dec 12, 2006; asshole on a scooter

Ponies ate my Bagel posted:

I'd already unbuckled the boom and furled the jib so his rear end wasn't really going anywhere.

This is a hell of a sentence (I don't know anything about sailing)

I wish motorcycling had cooler terms

# ¿ Mar 27, 2012 23:23

Gay Nudist Dad: Dec 12, 2006; asshole on a scooter

Fiendish Dr. Wu posted:

lovely poo poo

Terrifying! I'm glad you're okay. It sucks that you were initiated into "the wrecked club" so soon after starting to ride.

# ¿ Mar 31, 2012 07:55

Gay Nudist Dad: Dec 12, 2006; asshole on a scooter

Errant Gin Monks posted:

bikes + heights

We have some similarly tall overpasses/interchanges here in Seattle, and IIRC a few months ago a young guy crashed on one (one of the one-lane entrance/exit deals) and tossed himself over the edge. He died. I believe alcohol was suspected.

This bridge gets me sometimes, but I'm never on it on the scooter. If I get caught in slow/stopped traffic - which, this is Seattle, so that's pretty likely - on this thing I get progressively more nervous.

It's nearly a mile long and 50 years old and this area is "due" for a big earthquake :stonk:

e: oh god it's a similar design to the Minnesota bridge that collapsed a few years ago :negative:

# ¿ Apr 9, 2012 17:17

Gay Nudist Dad: Dec 12, 2006; asshole on a scooter

Z3n posted:

My favorite bridges are the ones that don't actually have a solid surface, instead they're a metal meshwork. So when you look down at 50mph you see straight down to the water. Awesome.

We have several fully steel-grate bridges in Seattle and I hate them. I hate how they grab my tires, I hate looking down and seeing water (especially when I get stopped on one and have plenty of time to do so), I hate the thought of wiping out on one and being completely shredded to bits, and I hate that they're all drawbridges and frequently make me sit around for 10 minutes while some rich bastard's sailboat passes by.

# ¿ Apr 9, 2012 18:45

Gay Nudist Dad: Dec 12, 2006; asshole on a scooter

Anyone know what makes have upcoming demo tours/demo days?

I'm going to the Harley-Davidson demo stop in Kennewick, WA with my dad this weekend. (e: and they're back in September, and according to the guy at this shop last time I visited the September visit will have '13 models. Ooo!)

And I just found out that Kawasaki has a similar tour coming by Seattle in June which I'll try to go to.

# ¿ Apr 18, 2012 19:29

Gay Nudist Dad: Dec 12, 2006; asshole on a scooter

Spiffness posted:

There is nothing worse than an organized factory demo truck ride day.

Hey everyone, grab a chaperone and ride down the 35MPH road!

I wonder if the Harley ride will have us stopping in a mall parking lot or somewhere else people can look at how cool we all are on our Harley-Davidsons(tm).

# ¿ Apr 18, 2012 21:50

Gay Nudist Dad: Dec 12, 2006; asshole on a scooter

So one of the scooter shops in my area - Seattle Cycle/Scooter Center - just starting carrying Cleveland Cyclewerks.

At Backfire Moto last night one of the guys brought out a "tha Misfit" to show off:

Initial impressions are good. It feels pretty well put-together for the price point ($3,200). The motor is by Lifan, though I'm not sure if they put the rest of the bike together or not (it is Chinese-made, though). It looks really nice up close, no real obvious signs of being cheap. Some nice finishing details, like steel braided brake lines. It's a 230cc 4t single, good for about 12hp. It weighs around 300lbs. 77mpg, he says.

It certainly looks the part. It was getting a LOT of attention at Backfire, surrounded by countless cool and interesting bikes of all types and age.

The guy from Cycle Center said CCW is working on building an aftermarket for their bikes. For "tha Misfit" he mentioned a cafe fairing, rearsets, and aftermarket exhaust (part of a package to get it to 16hp).

I'm gonna try and pop in next week to see if they'll let me take it for a test ride ~

# ¿ Apr 19, 2012 19:21

Gay Nudist Dad: Dec 12, 2006; asshole on a scooter

americanzero4128 posted:

I think a lot of the problems would be cut down if bicycles had to be registered to drive on the road, just like a car or motorcycle or 18 wheeler or whatever else. There is one bicycle rider I see on my drive home that always sits in the middle of the right lane going maybe 10 mph with a shitload of cars behind him. Every day. You would think he might move to the sidewalk which is never used by people walking or even move off to the side of the lane to ride, but nope, this guy stays in the middle of the right lane, day after day.

In WA a slow-moving vehicle is required to pull off the road (when safe) to allow passing when a line of 5 or more vehicles has formed behind them. :eng101:

Under 5 and they can just loving wait :colbert:

# ¿ Apr 30, 2012 20:54

Gay Nudist Dad: Dec 12, 2006; asshole on a scooter

Thelonious posted:

If we're gonna pile on cyclists, my favorite is when somebody is living strong down the middle of the lane, backing up traffic - when there is a clearly marked bicycle path on the side of the road .

I see this all the time. I'm usually too impressed at the gall of the cyclist to even be angry.

In fairness, some bike lanes are pretty poo poo. A big portion of my commute to work (when I bicycle) involves a bike lane that is between traffic and a row of parked cars, and traffic has to cross the bike lane to turn. It's awful. I'd rather take a full lane. Plus, unlike being in a regular lane where most drivers will try to give space when they pass, they don't give any if you're in a bike lane and cut well within 3 feet.

As far as I know bike lanes are there to give an additional option. Bikes don't have to be in them.

# ¿ Apr 30, 2012 22:50

Gay Nudist Dad: Dec 12, 2006; asshole on a scooter

So I'm not sure what the level of acceptability copy/pasting an article is, but HFL posted a compilation of responses to a Reddit Ask Me Anything thread on motorcycle theft with responses from a UK cop and an American thief.

Since it's not original content I'm pasting it here before it goes behind HFL's paywall, because they're classy and will probably put freely-generated content behind their paywall:

HFL via reddit posted:

So earlier this week, the guys over at RideIt had an idea: solicit a motorcycle thief to do one of their Ask Me Anythings. First answered by a cop in London and later an actual bike thief from the US, the results are positively illuminating. Here, we�ve edited the material into something linear and easily digestible. It�s a must-read if you don�t want your bike to get stolen.

The original Ask Me Anything request reads:

- what type of motorcycles did you target and why?
- what�s the best type of security system we can get for our motorcycles?
- how and where should we position chain locks on our bikes so you don�t take bolt cutters to them? how easy is it to cut high quality locks?
- what deters you the most? as in when you see a motorcycle and analyze it for a steal,
- what makes you go �no, not that one.�
- what does a gallon of bleach taste like after you swallow it?

Let�s look at the responses from the cop first:

�The thing is security costs money. Its not a 100% guarantee but it gives your bike a fighting chance.�

Types of motorcycles: �The most popular bikes for thievery are sports bikes and those bikes which you see around more commonly. Reason being in an age of trackers, HPI checks and people knowing much more about how to be smart when they buy a new vehicle (so as not to buy a stolen one) its much simpler for the thief to break the bike up into parts and sell it for parts. In fact only a few weeks ago we raided a house and found 5 motorcycles in various stages of being stripped down.�

Best security: �The most common way of stealing a motorcycle is by lifting it off of the ground and loading into a van. Quick, easy, quiet, once the bike is in the van its invisible, riding it comes with a greater risk of being caught. Plus you don�t even need to know how to ride it. No need to override the ignition. It couldn�t be simpler. We have seen them in the past put a scaffold tube under the front forks and under the back of the bike near the shock and lift it between 4 of them. Even a big sports bike at 200kg is only 50 kg each.�

�For this reason your first priority must be to stop it getting off the ground. Only a good chain, lock and ground anchor will stop this. Ideally you need something which is hardened and 16mm diameter plus. Otherwise they may well be able to cut it with bolt cutters. Which for them is ideal because its quick and very quiet. A good lock is one which is hard to pick and very hard wearing. We don�t see many picking attacks at all, in fact I don�t think I ever have but for peace of mind I use an abloy on my bike.�

�Another good tip, always lock it off tight, don�t leave a lot of loose chain on the floor. If you do the the chain is vulnerable to freeze and sledge hammer attacks.�

�A decent ground anchor should be very solid indeed. The ones which you sink into concrete are best but not realistic for most people unless you�re putting concrete down anyway. A strong bolt down is mostly very efficient. Some are better than others. I�ve got a hardie ground anchor because you can lift a lorry cab up with it and it won�t break. Another great thing, disc lock alarms. I�ve got two, one on each wheel. If the bike starts moving they go off and make a right ruckus, just what the thieves hate. Also things like alphadot, smartwater, with visible stickers are deterrents too.�

�Ideally garage your bike. If its on a driveway then get one of those PIR security lights. The thieves do not want a �and by the light let your good work shine� type scenario. A dummy CCTV camera is good to, because a lot of thieves will be put off even if they think its a fake.�

�In terms of decent locks the very best padlock that I know of is the Abloy Protec 362. Its what I use. Its got a 15mm boron steel shackle, very heavy duty. Its military grade, used in bank vaults. The Squire 65CS is another good one, although not as hard to pick as the abloy. In fact the abloy is yet to be picked I believe. The abloy is very pricey. Look out for them on ebay. It will be a significant saving for you. Those locks are both very hard to bolt cut. The squire hides the shackle (shrouded). Makes it hard to get any sort of grip on it with bolt cutters. Often you can�t even see enough of it to put cutters on it. The weak point is normally the chain. A lot of manufacturers make lightweight chains you can use around town but are bolt cutter resistant, not proof.�

How to lock up: �Ideally not through a wheel. A wheel is easy to remove. Its great having a really secure wheel but like I say a lot of the time they get sold as spares so through the frame is great. You can�t do that with my bike so I�ve put it through the gap between the engine block and the down pipes then through the front forks which is either going to be quite time consuming (likely set the disc lock alarms off) or very noisy. Lock the chain off tight. What I mean by that is it shouldn�t have much slack between the bike and floor at all. You may have to make a cut in the chain sleeve in order to be able to do this. But its really worth it. If the chain is loose on the floor its much more vulnerable to sledge hammer attacks, freeze attacks, wedge attacks and bolt cutters.�

How to deter a thief: �The biggest deterrent is a secure motorcycle. Reason being there are lot of insecure ones out there and they will go for the low hanging fruit every time.�

�Remember what a thief doesn�t want is to be caught. Being caught is the biggest hazard in their line of business. Business is how most of them see it. Make your bike more risky than other bikes and they�ll go for easier pickings. Reminds me a while a go I was on foot patrol and saw a lovely Ducati 916 with a chain through the back wheel, not attached to anything. I did give the owner some advice and it was heartening to see that he did take it on board. Ultimately your goal should be making getting caught in the act as likely as possible and the maximise the time it would take to steal the bike.�

�The point is, the more trouble the thief has to go to the longer its going to take. The vast majority of thieves got for the low hanging fruit. This is about not making your bike the low hanging fruit.�

And here�s what the thief has to say:

�I�m not exactly sure how I ended up with this life. I was basically a normal American kid who was very shy and did well in school. My best friend was basically a dirtbag and he made it seem cool to be a dirtbag. I started off dropping him off at bikes to steal, then scouting out bikes for him to steal, then helping him steal bikes, then stealing them together.�

�I figured out quickly that the guys we sold the bikes to made more money and assumed far less risk so I saved my money so I could get on that end of things.�

�I considered myself small time but I was involved in the scene for over 10 years. While my name was brought up in investigations I was never charged with a crime related to this business and I never �informed� on anyone. I quit when I felt the risk exceeded the reward. Maybe it was the guilt, the shame, maybe I was just finally growing up. I lived a lie for a long time and even if no one knew it I was painfully embarrassed inside because of the life I had been leading. I love motorcycles and I was the man responsible for that sickening feeling you have when you wake up to realize your baby has been stolen and I was responsible for it A LOT. Towards the end I would sleep in sweat pants and a hoodie because I knew any day my door was going to be kicked in and I wanted to be comfortable as possible in jail.�

�I�ve been out of it all for 4-5 years and I still am trying to figure out how I became that guy.�

Types of motorcycles: �Mostly supersports. They are the most commonly crashed and generally the easiest to find (left outside in nice apartment complexes) Next would be Harleys and for a brief moment in time the high dollar choppers.�

Best security: �Never, ever, never never never, NEVER leave your bike outside at an apartment complex. Especially one with a gated parking garage. The gated parking garage in a mid to high rise apartment building in the nice part of a large city is the number one place for bike thieves to go �shopping.��

�As far as passive devices go I like the NYC fughetaboutit chain/lock from Kryptonite, the thicker of the two. It needs to go through something like a braced swingarm whenever possible. If you absolutely have to put it through a wheel put it through the rear wheel. It takes much longer to swap than the front wheel. Any $100 disc lock will work well, again, rear wheel, locks on the front are more easily defeated, take my word for it. Cheaper disc locks can be quietly, well, we�ll leave it at that, cheap ones can be defeated in silence.�

�Lo-jack and Lo-Jack w/early warning are pretty good at recovering the bikes from amateurs and semi-pros, but someone who knows what they are doing will remove the lojack system quickly after clearing the area. Still someone even more professional (surprisingly rare) will have somewhere to check/store/breakdown the bike that is rf shielded. The problem with lo-jack is that it doesn�t keep someone from stealing the bike. Even if you get it back in one piece without the police crashing into your bike to catch the thief you�ll still likely have a broken upper triple, damage to the neck of your frame (Steering lock), damage to your ignition, damage to the tank lock, possible damage to the tank itself (rareish) possible damage to the trunk lock , and then your insurance company might gently caress you too. It�s much better to not get the bike stolen in the first place. So in addition to lo-jack you want some sort of VISIBLE passive devices to make the thief move on. The paging alarms are somewhat effective, but they aren�t linked to the police. Removing electronic devices is obviously more of a mental challenge than a physical one. The quality of the install is a huge factor here. Hide the lo-jack or alarm in or under the airbox and all the wiring within the factory looms and you�ll have a good set up. However, almost NO dealer tech is this thorough. It�s not his bike, why would he go the extra mile?�

Best locks: �Of the dozens of [thieves] I knew over the years I only came across one like this, but I knew someone that had a pair of bolt-cutters that weighed a lot, more than a 45lb plate at the gym, and had replaceable cryogenically hardened teeth. They cost several hundred dollars. The high dollar chain lock sets $150+ are worth it. Even the high dollar braided cable locks are good. They can be cut, but it�s a pretty time consuming process.�

What makes you pass over a bike? �Personally, if it�s rashed up, looks cosmetically rough, but mechanically sound. Say grips are worn, been dropped on both sides, but the chain is clean and well-adjusted, tires worn hard on the edges, has any signs of safety-wiring for the track etc. It�s lack of value isn�t what I�m looking it. It would remind me of myself once upon a time. I think that�s probably all he�s got, his whole world, it�s not pretty, but he rides the piss out of it. He gets a pass.�

�More for most people, just what takes time. I�ve known very very few stone cold guys that can sit there for an hour working on a bike. Most people will give it a few seconds, maybe a couple minutes, and if they can�t get it they are gone. What is only seconds feels like an eternity when your freedom and life are on the line. Quality disc lock on the rear wheel, quality chain and lock, lockable bike cover and theft coverage on your insurance. For me, lo-jack isn�t worth the cost. It�s more expensive than theft coverage and after a thief has had his way with the bike I don�t want it back. All can fit in a back pack and aren�t much of a hassle to carry. Never leave it outside very long day or night.�

Security tips: �If you�re temporarily parked outside somewhere a good little FREE anti-theft trick, bring a stubby flathead with you and remove your clutch lever. No clutch lever and they aren�t riding anywhere. Of course if you do this every night outside your apartment they�ll just come back with their own clutch lever.�

�LOCK YOUR loving STEERING � DON�T LEAVE YOUR SPARE KEY IN YOUR TRUNK. I can open your trunk with a butter knife, don�t leave me your loving key in there, jesus. Happens more often than you think. Also, don�t leave your TITLE in the trunk, i�ve seen this too often too. Steering locks aren�t that hard to bypass, but they aren�t THAT easy either. Sometimes you get the freak one that doesn�t want to break and you�ll need to come back with a second person. In that time maybe the owner sees the bike and the thief doesn�t get it. Had it been unlocked the bike would be gone.�

�Again, if you park outside of an apartment and your bike gets stolen, rent a loving garage or self-storage unit near by to use as a garage. The thief is just going to wait a couple weeks for insurance to replace your bike and come back to check. If someone tries and fails to get your bike the same thing applies. Move it, they WILL be back.�

How much do you earn per bike? �It varies depending on yr/make/model/condition. About 10-12 years ago there was an out of state buyer we used to crate bikes to that had the ability to create titles for them who paid $3500 for near new 1000cc supersports. 1,000-1,500 is more typical for super sports. Harleys vary quite a bit depending on model and options, from 1,000 for a basic late model sportster to several thousand for a highly optioned fat boy, road king etc.�

Ride �em or van �em? �There is this common misconception that a few guys load bikes into trucks and vans. The people who get CAUGHT load bikes into trucks and vans. Your career will be very short if you�re loading a 185mph rocket (that likely has a tracking system) that will outrun the police into the back of an 85mph van that will take you to the scene of your arrest. If you can�t start the bike and ride off then you drat sure can�t find and remove lojack.�

�In 10-15 years I�ve known a couple dozen thieves and only one that was foolish enough to load bikes into a truck or van for any length of time. He learned to wire them after he was caught, twice, lol.�

�I was taught to never ride a hot bike anywhere you didn�t absolutely have to and to ride strictly by the letter of the law. You don�t get it if you don�t have somewhere to take it, you don�t ride like a jackass and risk your money/freedom, it�s not a bike, it�s a job, and it�s payday. Generally you got the bike, rode it straight to your destination, and broke it down.�

A final word: �The majority of thieves aren�t that smart and half of those are on drugs, please don�t be dumber than they are.�

I thought it was interesting that he debunks the "they just load it into a van" thing, even after the cop reaffirms it. Maybe a UK/US style difference, or even a regional thing? Because that seems to be a very common refrain whenever this discussion comes up.

The final gist and thing they both agree on, though, is "make your bike harder to steal than the next one" (and don't own sportsbikes).

Gay Nudist Dad fucked around with this message at 23:08 on May 4, 2012

# ¿ May 4, 2012 23:06

Gay Nudist Dad: Dec 12, 2006; asshole on a scooter

Deeters posted:

I got these, which have dropped to lower prices before: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0038W0K2K

These came with a whole bag of different rubber ear bits for you to find the right fit and do a good job at keeping out the wind. I'd say anything that goes over the ear will work, though.

Man no matter what tips I used I could not get these things to seal in my ears, helmet or not. I have used the tips on other cheap IEMs, though! Namely some Philips SHE3580s which can be found for ~$15 even at big box stores. They aren't great but they sound good enough for riding listening, are cheap enough to be disposable, and are tiny enough to not protrude from the ear much and thus stay in okay when putting on a helmet.

Mostly it's trial-and-error for me though

# ¿ May 31, 2012 05:57

Gay Nudist Dad: Dec 12, 2006; asshole on a scooter

Man, poo poo is not nearly so bad around here (Seattle), at least in my experience. Hell, not long ago I was at a bike night (Capitol Hillclimb, a smaller hipstery-er Backfire Moto Night wannabe, I guess) chatting with an SPD officer that was out on foot patrol.

Modified bikes rolling by and starting up and revving and making some incredibly loud noises and he didn't bat an eyelash, didn't give a single poo poo about all the violations going on (so many bikes without appropriate lights, mirrors, fenders, with cartoonishly loud exhausts, etc). Maybe because he was a city cop and not State Patrol, but it was like he didn't even know it was illegal. Or he was a cool dude!

And earlier in the night some dumbass was rolling up and down the block doing bunnyhops on his moped and crashed - without a helmet - and slammed his noggin pretty good while his sliding 'ped scratched a parked car. Ambulance/fire/cops showed up, he declined treatment, and even though the responding cop (different from the guy above) could've found 40 witnesses he didn't even bother talking to the guy. Just asked some onlookers what happened and went back to his cruiser.

Maybe the trend here is actually that Seattle cops don't give a poo poo about anything.

# ¿ Jun 20, 2012 17:59

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# ¿ Apr 30, 2024 14:24

Gay Nudist Dad: Dec 12, 2006; asshole on a scooter

Mcqueen posted:

If you live in Washington and your record is pretty good you can defer the ticket, only gotta pay IIRC 120 bucks for admin costs and your insurance doesn't go up. However, if you get another ticket within a year you pay the full ticket amount plus what your new ticket is. My year passed 4 months ago and it was like a giant weight was lifted off my shoulders, but I sure as hell didn't want to pay almost $800 plus a huge hike in insurance when I was under 25.

I don't remember paying an admin costs for my deferral, but you do have to pay full face value of the ticket. So worth it. My year also recently passed... :allears:

# ¿ Jun 28, 2012 18:14

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Automotive Insanity > Cycle Asylum > Discussion - always find my self ridding in motorcycle

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