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These were stock until a couple years ago, so since I got the OEM kit, it’s likely I won’t even butt up against anything quite that difficult. It’s already wired and cut for these, they just didn’t put them on for me. Or at least, that’s the expectation. We’ll see once I’m in the middle of it, of course.
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Apr 3, 2023 16:23
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Riding with other people you trust who know more than you but aren’t huge dicks about it can be such a fast way to level things up. Big difference between knowing in my head that the whole rev range is mine to use and having someone show you how much more of the range you can safely use. I’m not talking about banging off the rev limiter, just knowing I can be in 2nd or 3rd when I’ve been shifting all the way up to 5th.
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May 15, 2023 02:33
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You can always split the difference (using a vibration dampener and accepting the risk or burner phone) and turn off the screen when you’re not trying to navigate something labyrinthine. It isn’t just either/or. I’ve got my phone mounted low enough that I have to look at it so that it’s an intentional thing and not a constant distraction. For me, this keeps me from taking my eyes off the road unless I really need to. Turns out that’s a rare occurrence. I also have the screen turned off most of the time (and not just because we’re getting to warmer weather) so that the directions are only in my ears. Everything is risk mitigation. Not having anything on your handlebars is safest, yes. And as a total newbie, safest is the way to go. If you feel like you need that visual aid to get around, then be intentional and thoughtful about it. I’ll also recommend crash bars, but only to protect the bike. Don’t think of them as something to save yourself because they won’t. You’re almost certainly going to drop it at some point, though. Probably in some very dumb, zero mph way. It’s nice to do minimal damage because that gravel in the Taco Bell parking lot was looser than it looked.
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May 15, 2023 18:51
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My gloves work pretty well, but that setting is maddening, especially since it always wants to redirect me while I’ve got my screen locked in some twisties. Agreed on learning your city’s address layout. Portland’s system makes it pretty easy with (mostly) alphabetic street names and clear delimitations between NE/SE/SW/NW.
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May 15, 2023 19:30
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I’m upgrading my Cardo to one of the models with voice prompts because the main thing I ever want to do is skip a track I’m sick of. Now I’ll be able to just yell at my helmet to do it. I goofed up a setting that made it stop reading me text messages as they came in some time last summer and have never fixed it. One of the best things that’s ever happened to me. I’ve also come to realize more and more that I’d usually rather miss a turn than look down. I don’t feel bad I have the option available to me but I can also see that I’m safer as I use it less and less. Doing a dumb thing and not dying long enough to realize it was dumb.
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May 15, 2023 20:16
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I hope they’re tracking how quickly people click away from the page for the “rent the features you want” version.
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May 17, 2023 03:09
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The helmet I bought in 2021 when I got a scooter that was fast enough that I was worried about the safety of my chin was the cheapest one that had the features I wanted (LS2 Valiant II - modular with an ECE rating - it’s fine), but it never fit fantastically and the lining has taken a beating. So I recently bought an Arai Defiant-X on clearance. Took my first ride with it on yesterday and holy poo poo I can not overstate the difference. I wear earplugs all the time, but the helmet itself is not just a ton quieter, the sound that gets through is of higher quality. It also weighs probably half as much. A Bonneville’s stock exhaust sounds very polite when you ride conservatively and then satisfyingly grumbly when you give it the beans. I could hear all of that in a way I just couldn’t in the last helmet. I’m posting about this in the newbie thread because I still think of myself as one and want to spread the gospel of “No, really. You don’t know how good helmets can feel if you don’t try a properly expensive one on.” It sounded kinda bullshit to me at first because apart from the obviously garbage no-name stuff, a helmet is a helmet. But I’m a complete convert now. It isn’t the worst sin to buy a safe, but budget helmet to get you started but I promise you that every extra penny you spend for something that truly fits you is going to be very well-spent. If you have a problem finding the one you want to try on at Cycle Gear or whatever, remember that dealerships have a lot of stuff too. No shame in trying on something at the Ducati dealer and then ordering it from Revzilla for less money.
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May 21, 2023 18:27
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Slavvy’s advice about loading the front tire is something that really stuck with me and has made me a better rider. Listen to Slavvy. (more than I do)
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May 23, 2023 07:43
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Beve Stuscemi posted:Thats how I think about it. Exactly this. I refuse to accept that I will definitely be in a crash someday and do my best to sharpen my skills both so they’re ready if I need them and so that I know my limits. That “everyone crashes” thing is apologia for folks who won’t accept that they bore any responsibility for their crash and as an excuse not to get good. “I’ll crash someday anyway so meh” Bullshit. I may well crash someday, even if I work my rear end off to be sure it’s less likely to happen. But I don’t accept it as inevitable. If it happens, I’ll try to learn from it and be better because there’s almost certainly something I will have done wrong. Drops, though? Those come for us all. I’m planning on taking a dirt bike training class when I get the chance/funds and the inevitable dirt crashes don’t/won’t count. I got serious about this too late in life to have impressive skills, but I want to dip my toe into every kind of riding I can.
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May 24, 2023 18:47
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God, you make a Monkey so tempting but we already have two scooters that scratch a similar itch.
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May 24, 2023 20:24
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OMGVBFLOL posted:ehhhh, i think the idea that crashing will happen eventually sooner or later is more of a "buy proper gear dumbass, idc how good you think you are" statement than a "GON HAVTA LAYER DERRRRRRN" statement. at least thats how it sounded to me I always hear it from HADALAYERDOWN dudes or people who fret because they only know what they’ve heard on the nightly news, so I read it differently. I wear gear and just upgraded my boots and helmet, so I definitely err in that direction.
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May 25, 2023 01:58
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I have fewer close calls in the car than I used to since I started riding because you’re so vulnerable that you really have to be certain you’re safe and have an escape plan if things go awry. Think back to the intersection and try to remember what you saw and how you could have reacted differently. Be sure you’re not just planning what to do, but what to do if something goes wrong. At this stage, that mostly means doing things slower but eventually you’ll be able to maximize your bike’s size and ability to accelerate really quickly relative to most cars to create those escape paths. But don’t rush that. It sounds like you’re doing a great job at taking things slow and learning from your mistakes and challenges. Ignore any pressure to speed up that process and keep going slow and steady. Don’t get cocky, but you’re making a lot smarter decisions than most beginner riders (myself included). An old friend in his mid-40’s from back east inherited his Dad’s Street Glide and posted on April 29th that he had taken his first ride and loved it. This week he posted that he’d dropped the bike and twisted and broken his leg. Motorcycles are dangerous, but a lot of that is exacerbated by people making bad, bad choices. On a more personal note, I’m planning my first multi-day trip on my Bonneville. I’m aiming for around 300 miles most days but will probably do about 550 the first day. What advice do you wish you’d gotten before your first roughly 2,000 mile type ride?
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May 28, 2023 02:17
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My own bicycle riding didn't adapt a lot, but my partner (who admittedly has ridden a lot more than I have) found a lot of things way easier than a lot of people at her level of experience.
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May 28, 2023 05:01
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Riding with a goon who doesn’t post here anymore really expanded my idea of what was possible in the rev range. Following the “shift every 10 mph” on the Bonneville would have me shifting around 2.5-3K RPM but the red line isn’t until I think 7K and the limiter is 2K or 3K above that. He’s bad for my gas mileage, but I’m a better rider after figuring out how much less shifting I need to do. Being at 5K in a curve gives me options to accelerate or decelerate without having to engage the clutch or brakes at all. If it’s a new bike then be reasonable about your break-in period and do what helps you feel safe and comfortable but you did buy the whole rev range. The occasional freeway ride shouldn’t be the only time a bike ever gets above halfway to the red line. It’s also really fun to flip back and forth between a polite, quiet gentleman to a loud(ish) torque machine just by changing up how aggressively I shift and accelerate.
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May 31, 2023 19:22
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I am too old to ask someone their username for these forums in real life without shriveling into nothingness. I asked if he was protected, but that’s as far as I can go. I’m not strong enough. Forgive me.
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Jun 1, 2023 17:12
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I dragged my foot a few times and couldn’t shift in some new boots before I realized the shifter was too low on the Bonneville. Don’t be afraid of little adjustments.
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Jun 3, 2023 03:57
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I remember the question I had no idea how to answer on my written test was what to do when a dog tries to chase you. Apparently you slow down a little and then rip it to get away. I guess? You’re not the first person to fail it and be a fine rider. You won’t be the last. Don’t stress it too much.
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Jun 7, 2023 00:10
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Preparing for my first multi-day, 2000 mile-ish road trip on the Bonneville by covering it in ugly, utilitarian luggage and trying to plan out how to make sure I have my coffee poop before I leave on the first day.
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Jun 10, 2023 19:47
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Just don’t throw a Harley with auto-cancelling blinkers into your mix. It’s downright satanic.
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Jun 19, 2023 04:25
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And don’t be afraid to experiment if the first earplugs you try are uncomfortable. I’m a big ‘ol guy who needs the tiniest ear plugs I can find. The cheap foam ones are just about the best option … as long as they fit.
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Jul 3, 2023 01:51
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I’m at a point where concerts sound better with earplugs in. I wear them in any loud noise situation. If I go in raw, all I hear is “wobbawobbawobba” at loud shows. The joys of not wearing ear plugs at concerts as a kid.
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Jul 3, 2023 21:12
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I agree 100% Not counting the time I’ve spent on scooters bopping around the city, I’ve ridden over 10K miles in the last year and a half on at least four different motorcycles and still feel like a newbie. Keep practicing technique when the stakes are low. Brake drills and parking lot figure 8’s and such are never going to stop being useful. You’re going to have close calls and if you’ve been practicing, you’ll get through them. By all means, take some self confidence from them, but start cataloguing what you could have done better. For instance, I know that when poo poo hits the fan, I tend to rely too much on the front brake. You should be using it mostly, but I’m not taking advantage of the back brake the way I could and should be when I have actual panic stops. Nothing bad has happened as a result, but it’s what I’m trying to practice more so that I do better next time there’s something crawling on the inside of my visor or the cars in front of me have decided to rubber neck.
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Jul 6, 2023 17:23
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It’s finally raining here in Portland and I’m actually kind of looking forward to putting on my rain gear and turning on my heater grips. But I probably won’t ride anywhere today because the first time it rains after a long period of … not, all of the road grime and oil gets washed off and can cause some weird slick spots that are bad enough in a car but could really gently caress you up on your bike. I remember being out the first time it rained in a while last year and being stuck in some traffic, watching the oil and gasoline make patterns in the water that was standing on the road. It’s something I’m glad I didn’t have to learn about the hard way and want to be sure no one else does, either.
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Aug 31, 2023 17:49
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My riding has improved dramatically since I thought I was pretty okay (now I think I might actually be pretty okay, but will probably look back with terror in another year), but my biggest newbie problem is figuring out what’s wrong if there’s anything off. Which makes sense. I learned how to diagnose the lovely police auction cars I used to buy for $600 by experiencing all the ways the previous poo poo heaps had fallen apart. I haven’t ridden a similar number of lovely bikes to learn the hard way. So I keep thinking it’s something complicated I found after scouring the internet for similar experiences instead of checking the most goddamn obvious thing. I work in the medical field, so I know I’m doing the mechanical equivalent of going to Doctor Google (who always thinks you have cancer). Earlier this year, that meant thinking I was going to have to go hunting for electrical gremlins when it turns out a battery terminal was just a little loose. Today I fixed a problem I was sure was the ECU needing to be reset when all I had to do was adjust my clutch cable a bit. I’ll never be a master mechanic, but hopefully I can at least catch on that I should look for the easiest explanation and start there. Try the thing that takes 30 seconds before I pull out a multimeter.
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Oct 9, 2023 05:59
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sure but also my Bonneville is very pretty and has a warranty I truly love my ‘23 T120 and see any expansion as excuses to buy smaller, specialized, less responsible bikes. I don’t feel bad about going EFI and modern for my “main” bike but I definitely have a growing awareness of what I want out of second and third and fifth bikes. The likelihood I’m asking about a carb I’m rebuilding on some beat up dirt bike in 2 years is probably very high. But my Bonneville will be parked in the background and it’ll be what I ride to go buy new tools I didn’t know I needed at Harbor Freight. I don’t think it’s bad for newbies to make those kinds of “EFI only” or “ABS only” decisions until they know what’s up and what weirdness they like. Me of 6 months ago wanted very different things from me with even that much more experience under my belt.
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Oct 13, 2023 01:36
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I dropped my 50cc scooter, my Italia 150cc cheap scooter, my Harley Roadster, and the Bonneville. Each drop makes me slightly less of a dumbass. (this is not me saying I’m no longer a dumbass)
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Oct 19, 2023 16:33
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My first drop was trying to get the 50cc scooter over a little hump at the gate into our back yard at the last place we lived. I was off the bike, revving it, when it suddenly popped over the hump and the front end shot into the air because it was light enough that the bike couldn’t get away from me and I was still on the other side of the gate. My other drops were pretty equally stupid, but each in their own unique ways that haven’t repeated.
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Oct 22, 2023 20:38
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I never ever ever ever ever ever want to assume that my skill level is higher than it actually is or that I’m somehow “better” than other riders. I am happier to assume I’m a dumbass newbie than to assume I’ve upgraded to the next level. But sometimes other riders make it really hard not to. In the last week I’ve seen
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Oct 27, 2023 19:44
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Toe Rag posted:I think this is good and self-aware. It was mostly the way it was phrased, I guess. I don’t feel like I ride an unusually large amount but I’ve done 7,000 on one of my bikes since March. How is the self-awareness slipping away after you’ve barely broken in a new engine’s worth of miles?
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Oct 27, 2023 20:29
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Upon further reflection, I think that’s fair. The overall point that the main thing that I struggle with the most when it comes to overconfidence is seeing how poo poo other riders are still stands. Actually riding boosts my confidence and puts me in my place all the time. Watching other dipshits duck waddle through intersections or fling themselves through traffic on a backfiring POS is probably the thing that’s most likely to get me in trouble.
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Oct 27, 2023 21:12
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I can barely get my wallet out of my pants pocket without standing up, so it’s never come up for me. Even if I was tempted to, gas station card readers have gotten so much worse over the last few years that it would never occur to me not to get off first. It’s rare I can get it to go through on the first attempt and always for different reasons. Can’t process as credit at this pump. Can’t process as debit at that pump. Did I just try to authorize $20 or $2000? Decimal points are for chumps! Bike wobbling between my legs as I try to read why the card reader failed this time, cap open, gas sloshing out.
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Oct 31, 2023 17:22
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It’s always an excuse to make them bigger and more dangerous. Sure, I can’t see pedestrians in front of my truck, but there’s a front facing camera! At least this one reminds you that other people exist, I guess? I’m pretty pessimistic about cars ever being safer.
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Nov 1, 2023 18:30
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Considering how I used to exclusively drive police auction cars I spent $600 or less on, it's kind of amazing none of them caught fire. I did blow 2 head gaskets in 2 days on 2 different cars within about a mile of each other, though.
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Nov 2, 2023 05:08
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Fairly early on in riding anything above 50cc, I was at a stop light on a busy 4 plus lane road when one of those big trucks we’re complaining about popped over the gently sloping hill they could definitely see over and had to slam on their brakes to keep from smashing into the back of me. The lights are super high up and visible since a lot of semis come through there so they had plenty of warning they’d need to stop and if they’d been in the other lane, they would have plowed into a line of cars. With the hill and how hot they were coming in, I couldn’t see them in my rear view mirrors ahead of time at all. In my case, I admit I froze because I was all relaxed waiting for the light to turn and wasn’t ready to move yet. I was the only vehicle in my lane so all I could do was run the red light, which felt like it was impossible at the time. I’m a good driver/rider. I don’t run red lights! It was the first time it really sunk in that I could do everything right and just get flattened by an inattentive rear end in a top hat. In a car, you’re usually safe enough to think, “well I won’t be at fault if they hit me.” It was the moment that broke that thinking for me on a bike. My lane positioning is worlds better and I don’t let myself get all loosey goosey at stoplights anymore. I haven’t had to execute my emergency plans at a stop yet, but I’m much better about always making them. Hopefully I won’t freeze next time. Good instinct to get yourself out of that lane. Nerobro is right on the money with their advice. Always think about what you could have done better. -edit: Cactus Ghost posted:i really need to get mirrors good for more than satisfying a legal technicality The story above is why I bought better mirrors for my scooter. Seeing my elbows isn’t sufficient.
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Nov 8, 2023 17:49
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Got out on some nice roads and was kinda feeling myself after navigating some twisties and thought, “dang. I’m getting pretty good. I might even be low intermediate at this point.” Had a moment of mild panic that I’d be struck by lightning or grass clippings for my hubris. But I wasn’t. My mental health is much better when I can get out like I did today. Took an autumn leaves route I found a few weeks ago and drove with the family and rode it solo today. I’d show pictures if I’d taken any, but I just rode the ~90 miles without stopping (except as required by law).
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Nov 15, 2023 10:49
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I never feel like I didn’t properly experience beautiful places I’ve ridden through but yeah, my eyes are mostly on the road. I suppose you see more from a car because of that illusion of safety that makes you think you can zone out, but it’s still better to be in it.
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Nov 15, 2023 20:24
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Having learned on a bigger bike than I should have (though I wasn’t starting from complete scratch with thousands of miles on 50 and then 150cc scooters - very different but also kind of not), it’s like playing on a higher difficulty mode than I needed to. I picked the skills up, but through more difficult practice with less room for error. And now I’m really looking forward to getting as small a dual sport as I can manage (probably in 2025 unless some $$ falls from the sky) to really expand my skill set on. I have zero doubt that once I’ve got a 300 or 400 or so to fling around gravel roads my skills are going to hit the next plateau an order of magnitude faster than they will if I just keep doing what I’m doing.
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Dec 28, 2023 11:42
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TotalLossBrain posted:Same here near Portland Same. I have individual days where I decide I don’t feel like being cold, but I think the longest I’ve gone between rides is maybe 2 weeks. Meanwhile, my partner’s Himalayan hasn’t been touched since November because she fully admits she is and always will be a fair weather rider. She hardcore bicycle commuted for years, no matter what the weather was like and feels like she’s done her time. We’re getting a new cargo bike to minimize the use of our car and van as much as possible and I wonder as she uses that more and gains more confidence on her motorcycle if she’ll change her mind but I kind of doubt it. I’m obsessed with motorbikes and she just thinks they’re fun for a few hours when the weather is perfect.
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Mar 11, 2024 17:50
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| # ¿ May 17, 2024 23:25 |
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Almost dumped the Bonneville today, but in a way that both would have gone far worse even a year ago and that left me feeling really good about how I reacted. How I hosed up: Going into a roundabout, I almost shifted down into 1st but thought I’d be fine in 2nd. Realized I missed my exit and decided to just keep goin aground so I wouldn’t have to backtrack. I was going just a hair wide because of when my plan changed and saw that I wasn’t going to be able to avoid going through some remnants of the gravel they threw down over the winter that had collected in a corner. Did not target fixate. Looked where I wanted to go. The back tire slid right when I expected it to. Stood the bike up now that I had turned enough not to hit a berm, down shifted, feathered the front brake to shed a little speed, and went on my way. Kept waiting for a rush of adrenaline to hit, but I felt totally calm afterwards. I knew what I did wrong. The back tire tried to squirrel away from me, but I never lost control. Just one of those learning moments. Would have been better to just not gently caress up, but loving up and keeping my cool was the next best outcome. My next bike once I get the Harley sold is gonna be a lovely little dual sport I am gonna be so stupid on.
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Mar 31, 2024 22:45
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