• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

2 wheel GAF UNITE!

BubbaMc

Member
Hey fellas,
Didn't know this thread existed but it looks like I've found my new home :)

Have a 2013 Ducati Multistrada Pikes Peak edition, bike is currently at the dealer with a fairly serious suspension problem. Trying to get them to fix it under warranty (no luck so far).

Currently saving for an R6 as I plan to get into track riding this year. Can not wait!
 

BubbaMc

Member
roadend_zps15a37b53.png~original


Only until your break-in is complete my new friend, patience :D


The more I ride it, the more I love this bike, it feels like it was made for me :)

Very nice. Does it have electric start?
 
Was pretty good. A little chilly by the end but I got my filling of 2-wheel goodness just in time to throw the bike back in the shed and head to school.

Yeh, my ride last weekend was pretty cold as well, they started salting the roads right after I put my bike back in the garage. Figure it'll be a month or two before we're good to go again.


Hey fellas,
Didn't know this thread existed but it looks like I've found my new home :)

Have a 2013 Ducati Multistrada Pikes Peak edition, bike is currently at the dealer with a fairly serious suspension problem. Trying to get them to fix it under warranty (no luck so far).

Currently saving for an R6 as I plan to get into track riding this year. Can not wait!


Ah man, what the hell? Why are they giving you a hard time? Congrats on the purchase though, it's a beautiful bike.
 

BubbaMc

Member
Ah man, what the hell? Why are they giving you a hard time? Congrats on the purchase though, it's a beautiful bike.

Basically, Ducati Australia is refusing to acknowledge the problem, or even check with Ducati Italy on the matter. Their response was "there's no suspension defect, they're all like that" which is BS as I know for a fact that many other owners around the world have received a fix.

I'm not backing down though, I'll make them fix it. The part that sucks is the bike will be in the shop for the foreseeable future, and the weather is great for riding at the moment.
 
Basically, Ducati Australia is refusing to acknowledge the problem, or even check with Ducati Italy on the matter. Their response was "there's no suspension defect, they're all like that" which is BS as I know for a fact that many other owners around the world have received a fix.

I'm not backing down though, I'll make them fix it. The part that sucks is the bike will be in the shop for the foreseeable future, and the weather is great for riding at the moment.

I hope for your sake it gets fixed. I hate to think of the cost of that bike in Australia...

What's actually wrong with it? Something with the electronic adjustment?
 

BubbaMc

Member
I hope for your sake it gets fixed. I hate to think of the cost of that bike in Australia...

What's actually wrong with it? Something with the electronic adjustment?

Manufacturing defect with the left hand fork, not sure exactly where the problem lies or I'd pull it apart and fix it myself.
 

Piggus

Member
My home-built motorized bike is slowly but surely evolving.

hrKYUM8.jpg



I had to ditch my beautiful cream colored tires because I found out they're too expensive and hard to find when I needed to replace the rear tire.

List if things I've done since it was first ride-able...

Replaced front fork with high end springer fork that also accepts a disk brake caliper
Replaced front wheel rim with one that accepts a disk rotor
Added front disk brake
New exhaust with expansion chamber
Added aluminum head displacement spacer to exhaust
New high performance carburetor
Replaced both tires
Replaced both fenders with sturdier ones
Added mirrors
Replaced bearings in rear hub
Replaced intake manifold with high quality US-made aluminum manifold
Replaced the chain ring with a smaller one making it much easier to get going
Added rear brake light and turn signals

To do:

New seat
Basket on the back for beer runs (both are on order)
 

Dougald

Member
I'd almost forgotten you'd built that. It's a shame about those cream tyres as they looked fantastic

The whole bike looks awesome though, it almost makes me want to build one of my own (but I think UK law is a bit iffy on the subject, I think technically I'd have to get it MOT'd, insured and licensed? I doubt the police care that much though)
 

BubbaMc

Member
Latest addition to the family, pick her up on Sunday.

Have been looking for a project track bike for a long time, this will do nicely. Got it for $1200

8a7yvude.jpg
 
I unfortunately had to sell my GSXR600 in the fall to push me through the last few months of school.

I have graduated school and already landed a great paying job, so I'll be picking up a GSXR750 for the summer.
 

senahorse

Member
We went for an early morning ride out to a local lake this morning. Shame the weather was shit (about to rain) so we had to call it short. We are going to go back tomorrow and cook up some bacon and egg burgers and take a thermos of coffee :)

samsonvale_zpsce845c0d.jpg~original
 

Piggus

Member
I'd almost forgotten you'd built that. It's a shame about those cream tyres as they looked fantastic

The whole bike looks awesome though, it almost makes me want to build one of my own (but I think UK law is a bit iffy on the subject, I think technically I'd have to get it MOT'd, insured and licensed? I doubt the police care that much though)

I think I might be able to get those tires in a cream color so once these wear out I might do that. I'm actually a little uncertain of the laws in this particular town but police definitely don't care. I just stick to non-busy streets anyway.

Better forks and disc brakes seem like a good idea :), how fast does it go?

Around 30 mph with that particular rear sprocket. It's designed more for climbing hills though but if I move somewhere flat I'll get a smaller sprocket for a higher top speed.
 
I unfortunately had to sell my GSXR600 in the fall to push me through the last few months of school.

I have graduated school and already landed a great paying job, so I'll be picking up a GSXR750 for the summer.

Good choice, especially the current generation. Much better handling compared to the models from years past, and I'd say they finally look good again now since the generation I had (K6/K7).
 
Oh man my wallet is itching for a honda Grom to just have a bit of fun on. Save the big bike for when the weather is a bit better. Anyone else here has one and if how are they to ride?
 

senahorse

Member
Finally saw a bit of dirt on the new bikes today.

carpark1_zps806f43bc.jpg~original


My WR and my gf on her XT250. I have changed the stock 7/8 steel bars for some 1 1/8 Pro Taper Evos, as well as put on some highway dirtbike guards with flip out mirrors, looks and feels much better. We also fitted some new pillow top grips and acerbis guards to the XT :)

Forestryentrance_zps90ecce65.jpg~original


The entrace to the forestry tracks, this hill looks really tame here, but goddam it got steep. Also the stock tyres on the WR and XT are junk in the dirt, no traction whatsoever. So proud of my gf, first time in the dirt and she made it to the top upright, I nearly came off a couple of times lol. First service in a few weeks, going to get some real knobbies put on at the same time.
 
Does anyone have any opinions on the BMW G(F)650 gs as a first bike? Here is what I have so far, and just want to be sure I'm not missing anything.

Pros:
-Great gas mpg
-not overly powerful
-dual sport capabilities ( I live in Arizona)
-Reliable?
-Lots of accessories and parts can be found easily

Cons:
-Expensive maintenance?
- Must be serviced by BMW to retain value
-Single cylinder engine may be unwieldy for new riders ( don't know how true this one is.)
 

Dougald

Member
I'd think it would be fine from a European perspective, as you're in the US get yourself an MSF or whatever you have over there, rather than just jumping straight on it.


It's a pretty tall bike (I'm only 5'7" though, I have to lean it or go on tip-toes, and everything is tall for me). Reasonably light though so that's not too much of a problem. When I rode it I found it pretty easy to ride, though in my opinion I didn't like it as I don't feel the engine has much character compared to something like the Triumph Tiger 800.

Parts and servicing costs will be higher than something Japanese, that's the price you pay. There's always the Honda Transalp (XL650V I think over there), but you could do much worse than the BMW I reckon
 
I had one of them way back and really enjoyed it. Used it for single up riding and some touring with panniers. If you are not too worried about top end speed and massive offroad performance then this is a really nice bike.

Pros:
-Great gas mpg
a - its good but mpg all depends on how much you turn the donkeys ear

-not overly powerful
a - its got enough power to be good all round... it can hold its own in mountain passes, offroading and touring

-dual sport capabilities ( I live in Arizona)
a - I had mine in South Africa and did allot of offroad riding (gravel roads not trail riding) and its light enough to handel.

-Reliable?
a - did not have any problems with mine for the 2 years I had it. But then again its a simple bike and not allot can go wrong with it

-Lots of accessories and parts can be found easily
a - loads of after market kit (touratech and wunderlich)

Cons:
-Expensive maintenance?
a - not really as its a rock solid engine an can be worked on yourself if you are out of warranty

- Must be serviced by BMW to retain value
a - again all depends on if you are buying new or not. New i will get it serviced at BMW for incase you want to upgrade in a year or 2 years time. If it second hand and out of warranty you can take it to anyone that can work on them. Make sure they know what they are doing.

-Single cylinder engine may be unwieldy for new riders
a - nope, turn the key and press the button and off you go. If it was something like my KLR650 with a kickstarter then yes. This bike is really easy to ride and very smooth power. You can also get a lower seat if you feel the bike it too high.

Good luck and shout if you have any more questions
 

Dougald

Member
Even better said than me!

I really did find it an easy bike to ride. There's not so much grunt to the engine that it's exciting/going to kill a newbie, but its still plenty powerful enough for normal use.
 
cool guys thanks for the awesome replies. I have my motorcycle safety class this weekend, and think Im pretty set on this machine. Appreciate the help!!
 
So after doing all my research and getting all amped up about getting the Honda MSX 125 GROM the wife suggested to me to rather and get a sports car. Cannot complain about that.

She is my dont waste your money on BS monitor.... as I dont really need another bike
 
Interesting, my girlfriend tried to get me to explain yesterday why I wanted another Buell. Turns out I want to collect motorcycles. Yeah... we figured it wasn't a half bad reason, or maybe not a reason, but at least painting irresponsible behavior in a somewhat more favorable light.

Sportscar is cool though. Still a little too rich for my blood. That is, I figure that the 9000 euro Honda S2000 / Nissan 350Z I might be able to afford is bound to fall apart rather quickly.
 
Here in the UK you can get really nice second hand cars for a damn good price. So that is what I am going to do.... start my research up and find a nice two door sports car at a good price. I will have to save a bit for the deposit.

Still not able to get on the bike as its been raining here like mad. My dad just sent me a video of him doing a nice pass ride back in South Africa. Bastard I say
 

senahorse

Member
I really feel for you guys that can't ride for part of the year. Where I live in Australia I can ride 365 days of the year, unless it's raining really bad. It's easy to take it for granted sometimes.


Very nice. I recently put my WR250R in Supermoto trim ... I've been loving every minute of it ... easy switch back to the dirt wheels, too ...


TF5DHwhl.jpg

Awesome, in a few years when I upgrade I might go down that route for the WR.

Looks like good fun... hope you had a blast on the new bikes.

Cheers, having a great time, hurry up weekend :D.
 
All this talk of supermotos makes me want to try and get one again. I ended up getting my Guzzi instead of a DrZ but hopefully I can get enough cash together soon to pick one up.

I used to watch these dudes videos over and over before I even thought of getting a bike.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VyVSUQbGzxM

Funny enough supermoto / dirt bikes made me want to get a bike and I ended up going with a more cafe racer style of bike. Then again I live in a city with not much dirt / nature around me so I guess I made an alright choice.
 
retired the honda for a "new to me" 2012 bmw f800st with less than a thousand miles on it (was traded in right after its first service). got a CRAZY good deal on it with very little cash outlay, and the bike is fudruckin' LOADED with just about every option: oem bags, side stand, extra computer modules, givi windscreen, heated grips. OH THIS WILL BE A GOOD SUMMER.

crap picture here (that's the gladius in background, lookin' mildly irritated):

u1MSHra.jpg


edit: that's st, not gt. i went in to look at '14 gt's, walked out with the older model.
 
Is this an ok deal. Too many miles? What type of questions should I ask when buying used/what type of maintenance should have been done on the bike by 30,000. I like the upgrades so it seems like a decent value since luggage stuff seems expensive. Going to meet the seller tomorrow, she said the bike was primarily used as a daily commuter, but has done light trail riding many years ago.

http://tucson.craigslist.org/mcy/4309245473.html
 
Those BMW ST are great bikes. The belt drive is smooth as butter. Enjoy the bike and it really looks like its in good condition

it has less than a thousand miles on it. was purchased originally by a retired schoolteacher who was sure he was gonna tour, and then decided he needed a harley to do that with his friends. hey, win for me!
 
retired the honda for a "new to me" 2012 bmw f800st with less than a thousand miles on it (was traded in right after its first service). got a CRAZY good deal on it with very little cash outlay, and the bike is fudruckin' LOADED with just about every option: oem bags, side stand, extra computer modules, givi windscreen, heated grips. OH THIS WILL BE A GOOD SUMMER.

crap picture here (that's the gladius in background, lookin' mildly irritated):

u1MSHra.jpg


edit: that's st, not gt. i went in to look at '14 gt's, walked out with the older model.


Congrats, always liked the look of those 800's. And yeah it seems the original owner had it fitted with just about everything :D.
 
Got a flat on the way to work this morning. Giant nail stuck in my tire and it's completely flat right now. Anyone know if I can use some fix a flat or anything similar to patch the tire just so I can at least ride home? People seem to say to stay away from it from everything I'm reading online but I really have no other way to get home as I work in an area with no tire shops that can fix it.
 

Dougald

Member
You could use one of those plug kits for tubeless tyres, I read that they can actually last a long time if done right - though obviously they are supposed to be just for riding to the shop

I know a guy who carries a can of motorcycle tyre weld (one of those spray cans) in his pannier too, though I couldn't attest to how well that works on a bike. I've used it on a car tyre and it just about lasted to the tyre place
 
You could use one of those plug kits for tubeless tyres, I read that they can actually last a long time if done right - though obviously they are supposed to be just for riding to the shop

I know a guy who carries a can of motorcycle tyre weld (one of those spray cans) in his pannier too, though I couldn't attest to how well that works on a bike. I've used it on a car tyre and it just about lasted to the tyre place

Would I need to unmount the tire to do that? I have no tools with me.
 
Top Bottom