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Thanks for the thread! Finally convinced me to get off the SA lurk fence. I'm moving back to the states from the UK in a few months and have been riding a Yamaha YBR 125 since last June. I passed the road test here on the 125 in September, have been riding pretty much daily, taking the GF as a pillion, and taken a couple side lessons on a Gladius. I have many years of NYC driving under the belt and I'm planning on doing the BRC in New York for the test waiver when I get back, and looking into a second bike. I'm pretty happy with my current seating position and want a reliable all-rounder that's good for some moderate weekend touring for sub-$3000. I like doing my own maintenance, but I haven't fallen in love with dealing with chains, so I've been looking at BMW R1100R's. It looks like a great bike, but it is heavy as gently caress compared to what I've been dealing with. Am I crazy to think I can handle that? I've read conflicting things about handling on heavier bikes - some saying balance gets easier because inertia etc. Thoughts? Should mention that I do not currently have a beard, but can probably rock a Rudess wizard point if that would help.
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Apr 25, 2017 13:27
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builds character posted:Why not learn to love chains again and get something like a GS500? Hmmm... I haven't seen that one come up for sale too much. If I wanted to go that route, I'd probably pick up an SV650 since the ergos are pretty much the same, there are scads of them around, and it's more-or-less the same as the gladius (I think?). I may very well do so eventually, since that is what the GF has her heart set on! Thanks for the tip! Is that something you've had to deal with? I've read about the insane amount of stuff that needs to be done to get to the clutch assy, and the various spline issues. Anything else? I think one of the techs in our building has an F-series something or other, I may ask if he knows anyone with a model that's close to the R. e: also looked at the Nighthawk 750, there seems to be quite a few around. Anybody have a go on one of those? a cute sea otter fucked around with this message at 19:45 on Apr 25, 2017 |
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Apr 25, 2017 19:35
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HenryJLittlefinger posted:Buying an R1100R to avoid messing with chains is like wearing ski boots to avoid the hassle of shoelaces. I didn't particularly like the Gladius. I thought it was fine but I had to crouch over too much (6'1, 34 inseam). Bar risers might do it, but it felt more racey that I would like. I'm not exactly young. Good cornering is fine and all, but I'm not trying to get a knee down. I'm looking for a reliable commuter with good luggage and pillion features that can hit freeway speeds without struggling (with luggage and pillion). I'd like to be able to take it out to a park or something on weekends. So, comfortable for a few hours at a stretch, but I don't want to have to deal with a full-on tourer (or cruiser) every day. I'm not that concerned with keeping maintenance costs down, but would like to keep it simple. I'll eventually get a car as well. I like the idea of a GS or other ADV bike eventually and taking on some simple trails, but most that fit those criteria are more than I want to spend right now, and that seat height seems a little intimidating without a few more miles under my belt. In your experience, what were the problems you found with the R1100R, what did you think it was specifically suited to? I've seen a handful of boxers on the roads here in the UK and they seem to be exactly that - middle age guys going off to work or pottering around the lake district with the missus for the weekend 
a cute sea otter fucked around with this message at 21:39 on Apr 25, 2017 |
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Apr 25, 2017 21:36
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builds character posted:... I thought splitting was illegal in NY, do the cops just not care? I'm trying to get as much practise in here in the UK while I can.
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Apr 25, 2017 21:47
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builds character posted:... I loved that bike, but BMW engineers are unkind. Thanks for the heads up. I certainly plan on a deep dive into the maintenance schedule on these things before deciding. If I could find a well-cared for versys or weestrom with some luggage for around the same, it would be hard to say no. I've just been looking around the NY CL for now, they seem to come in mostly above 3k. If I find a job elsewhere so things are cheaper it may push me more in that direction. builds character posted:I'm sure cops would say they cared if you asked them but my experience with cops in NYC is that they don't care at all unless it's a motorcycle checkpoint and then you had better hope you have all your ducks in a row or you're getting a ticket. Just had to do some reading on that. I love fighting spurious tickets! What will those spunky rapscallions in blue think up next?
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Apr 25, 2017 23:52
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I mean... theft insurance, no matter what. If this is on the street, is there a convenient lamp-post to chain it to? Is it close enough to alarm and be able to hear? What else is in your area? Thieves mostly go for sportbikes, so if there are some of those around you'll probably be ok by law of the bear.
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May 21, 2017 17:05
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I did another training day, this time on an ER6N, this week and the instructor kept trying to get me to not cover the front brake, or to cover it with my index and middle finger. I've basically, sans any previous knowledge, gotten in the habit of doing this, but usually with just my ring and little finger. Am I doing something stupid? I get that they don't want someone to accidentally pin the throttle when braking suddenly, so they teach releasing the throttle and pulling with the whole hand, but it seems to me that it's still very possible to get some inadvertent acceleration this way, and covering with index makes it even more likely, since you're pulling closer to the fulcrum of the lever and have to work harder. I've tried to put myself in the habit of rolling my hand forward and raising my elbow when I brake so that the lever rests further from the fingertip - moving from the first joint to the second - as I brake harder. Am I missing something here, or just go with what works?
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May 26, 2017 14:06
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I mean covering with the outer fingers rather than the inner.
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May 26, 2017 15:34
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I've never seen (in my admittedly limited experience) a lever that had to be depressed far enough for that to be an issue, unless there was air in the brake line. Are there kinds that go that soft without needing work?
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May 26, 2017 17:10
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spouse posted:I've been watching a lot of videos of people on tail of the dragon because it's about 4 hours from my house and I plan to spend a week riding that area in august. I have no idea how or why they're going that fast when right next to them is a few hundred feet of brambly death, but then, I get excited when I almost scrape my pegs doing roundabouts at like 30mph at night out in rural NC. The only downside of this whole thing has been the fact that my econobox car is now the most boring and unresponsive thing on earth and I'm considering selling it for an NA miata or 1st gen MR2. Careful, I don't know about NC but they design roundabouts here so that they catch the maximal amount of road debris. I treat them like the death traps they are on approach and only power out when I have a clear line.
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May 29, 2017 11:56
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so... I need to change up my chain and sprockets at some point in the not-too-distant future. I don't have a master link that I can see. What's the easiest thing to do? Take it to a shop and have them break it and put a link with a clip in?
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May 31, 2017 23:09
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Slavvy posted:To add to the above: you do have a master link, it's just a rivet type instead of a clip type. Look for the one with slightly different looking pins. If not then you have the extremely rare factory endless chain but I've only seen those like twice. Yeah, I was looking for a rivet, too, but didn't see one. I'll look more closlier, but it is probably factory. I'm moving out of the UK in a few months and selling off everything, so I'd rather not go out and buy another £50 tool. Reckon a shop can do it quickly for £10 if I give them the right link?
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Jun 1, 2017 06:57
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King of the Beach posted:I've just been using generic disposable foam plugs that I grabbed a handful of to try but am now looking for a permanent to set wear at all times that would even more effective, any recommendations would be welcome. I rather like these 2-part silicone ones that you mix and then jam in your ear and let cure. I guess these? but there are a bunch of brands. I used to work in a recording studio and went through a whole trying-out-earplugs phase. The 'gummy' type (above) are fantastic at blocking sound but I found it hard to get a tight seal (heh) and they pick up dirt and earwax quickly and aren't easy to wash. I apparently have bizzaro ear canals that nothing will stay in though. The mold-yer-own type don't have the most attenuation and wear out after a few months of regular use but they're washable, easy to pop in, and cheap enough to stick a pair in every jacket in case I end up at a stupid loud bar or whatever.
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Jun 6, 2017 18:20
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