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[Flo_Evans]

Just bought a Poloni variator for the Ruckus. I'm gonna be close to 50mph this time Tuesday. Trust me, 50 on a Ruckus is a big deal. More importantly I'm installing it myself like a proper man.

Are you going up in roller weights or just a new pulley profile?

My 125 already hits 65 but takes its sweet time getting there. I was thinking of going lower weight because if I understand it correctly that will make the RPMs higher sooner and give more accelleration.

 

[maxheadwound]

Progress on the bike is kinda in the final stages at this point. Exhaust is getting welded by a friend of a friend and the wheels are being made at another shop. Overall I'm super happy with it. I really hope do be riding it by the end of the month. All in all I've sank around 4500 into it so far. I really want to do a custom seat pan since I don't like how the tank and seat lines look but that's gonna have to wait for a bit. Also planning on doing racing cams / replacing all the chrome bits.

Very nice indeed. The bike and the sunshine haha

 

[Stinkles]

Are you going up in roller weights or just a new pulley profile?

My 125 already hits 65 but takes its sweet time getting there. I was thinking of going lower weight because if I understand it correctly that will make the RPMs higher sooner and give more accelleration.

Just a straight swap. The Ruckus is interesting in that in some ways it's deliberately de-tuned to keep it slow. The tiny 49cc pot is naturally capable of a little bit more - so adding a better exhaust, swapping out that variator, even a new air filter and kevlar belt will give you extra mph without really putting the engine under increased strain.

Awesome! Those things can just about hit 40 (going downhill with a tailwind) stock, can't they?

If you're less than 180lbs, it should always hit 40 on an even stretch of road. I got it between 42 and 43 with a new Yoshimura exhaust. the variator may add as much as 5mph.

 

[Flo_Evans]

Just a straight swap. The Ruckus is interesting in that in some ways it's deliberately de-tuned to keep it slow. The tiny 49cc pot is naturally capable of a little bit more - so adding a better exhaust, swapping out that variator, even a new air filter and kevlar belt will give you extra mph without really putting the engine under increased strain.



If you're less than 180lbs, it should always hit 40 on an even stretch of road. I got it between 42 and 43 with a new Yoshimura exhaust. the variator may add as much as 5mph.

I have also heard on various scooter forums that michelin bopper tires are good for a few MPH over the stock. Lower rolling resistance I guess.

 

[Fallout-NL]

I've had better days no doubt.

I was following a friend on a ride. I was looking down the road and he seemed to suddenly brake hard out of nowhere (it was for a turn I didn't realize he was going to take). I was unprepared and swerved a bit and braked but was so close I still clipped him.

I spent a few hours at University of Maryland Shock Trauma. I have a fractured left clavicle (luckily the least severe type) but am otherwise OK. The bike is not overly horrible but I do think there are a couple pricey items to fix. The radiator is dented pretty good, and there are also some scuffs/dents on the headers. The plastics were already shit and were due to be replaced.

Damn, glad you're alright though Soapster. Sad to see the mighty R1 brought low like that .

I'll never give up street riding, but going fast/twisties/etc isn't really why I ride

After dismissing Buell as too unreliable/hard to source parts for, I spent all week looking at Guzzis, almost certainly more unreliable and they probably sell about 50 a year in the UK so I can't imagine parts are readily in stock. That sideways mounted V-Twin looks so much fun though.

Shit, I go away for ten days and then this happens?!

Their English is fucking garbage, but they've got the parts and they ship all their stuff globally: http://www.twinmotorcycles.nl/

Don't dismiss the most fun bike in the world, Doug. Try one at least . Hell, drop by and try one of mine.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

As for where I've been for ten days, I took my Ulysses to Corsica (a French Island in the Mediterranean). It was glorious and it's terrible to be back in the Netherlands.

I'll post some more pics later.

 

[Dougald]

Corsica?? I've considered doing that before, how was the ferry journey? It looks like a lovely island for riding

Also, the Buell I'd most like is an Ulysses, but unfortunately I am not a very tall man... I actually really like the Guzzi Norge, but the price used is so high I could just go buy a brand new Scrambler or something. Plus I imagine they're very hard to sell.

 

[Dougald]

VisorDowns first impressions of the Street 750

 

[Fallout-NL]

Corsica?? I've considered doing that before, how was the ferry journey? It looks like a lovely island for riding

Also, the Buell I'd most like is an Ulysses, but unfortunately I am not a very tall man... I actually really like the Guzzi Norge, but the price used is so high I could just go buy a brand new Scrambler or something. Plus I imagine they're very hard to sell.

Yeah, I can definitely recommend it. One of the rides I did was literally three hours long (and three hours back, so 6 total) with nothing but corners, beautiful vistas, NOT ONE traffic light and just a couple of towns where you had to slow down a bit. Truly motorcycling nirvana.

The journey there was arduous though. 1300km by car where I couldn't go any faster than 100kph due to the little trailer and then waiting in line to board the boat, that was stressful, at least I found it a bit stressful, so many people and you're always a little worried that someone's going to crash into either your car or the bike you're towing. But nothing bad happened luckily and once you roll off the boat the next morning, all is well. You're just a bit tired. I would advise paying a little extra for a cabin so you can grab a couple hours of sleep before the last leg of the journey.

It's worth it though, for sure, it's one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen. And, perhaps because it's a hassle getting there, not that crowded or 'touristy'. It feels very wild and honest.

As for the Ulysses, there are low seats and alternative spring solutions to make it a little less tall. However, knowing your policy on louder pipes, mine is stock right now and the power is definitely lacking compared to what I know it's capable of. Not a huge problem, but it's going to feel down on horsepower compared to your triple. I think I'm going to open the Uly up a little bit too next season. Very comfortable bike though. That trip I talked about (three hours there, three hours back) the last three hours I did in one single stretch, no stopping. That is a new record for me I think, before that I always needed to stop after 1.5 or 2 hours. Add to that the fact that three hours of cornering in the mountains is some very intense riding. Incredible bike imho.

 

[Dougald]

Honestly, power is less of a concern for me as long as it's not *too* slow. I don't think I really want/need any more outright power than the Street Triple in my next bike.. Really I think variety is the spice of life and I'm waiting for something completely different to hit me.

Driving down to Corsica was probably smart, I have been to Nice where you can catch the ferry, but I rode all the way from the UK (via the Pyrenees). I did pray for death on some of those long stretches of autoroute.... the only excitement being the competition of who could get through the toll booths first at every town. The roads there look great, I remember spending about an hour on Street view scoping it out before we went to France, before deciding the detour was just too long.

 

[Fallout-NL]

Honestly, power is less of a concern for me as long as it's not *too* slow. I don't think I really want/need any more outright power than the Street Triple in my next bike.. Really I think variety is the spice of life and I'm waiting for something completely different to hit me.

True, I've been very satisfied with the just-about-100hp most of my Buells make. Though my god, now that my X1 has been properly remapped... that thing is wicked fast. I'm half convinced it'll kill itself in a couple thousand miles it makes so much power (must be a bunch of hp over the 100 mark right now), but we shall see. It is a downright evil machine.

The Ulysess definitely isn't too slow. It's just perfect for most of the time really, the only situations where I felt I could use a little more, was on overtaking. I'll report back once I've kitted it out a bit more.

Driving down to Corsica was probably smart, I have been to Nice where you can catch the ferry, but I rode all the way from the UK (via the Pyrenees). I did pray for death on some of those long stretches of autoroute.... the only excitement being the competition of who could get through the toll booths first at every town. The roads there look great, I remember spending about an hour on Street view scoping it out before we went to France, before deciding the detour was just too long.

Hahaha, that had me busting out laughing. After spending 19 hours in a car on the 1400km ride back (from Nice on the way back) I can only imagine what it must be like to do a trip like that on a bike. You have my respect though. One of these days, I will attempt to traverse similar distances on the bike (not in one day obviously, hehe).

Progress on the bike is kinda in the final stages at this point. Exhaust is getting welded by a friend of a friend and the wheels are being made at another shop. Overall I'm super happy with it. I really hope do be riding it by the end of the month. All in all I've sank around 4500 into it so far. I really want to do a custom seat pan since I don't like how the tank and seat lines look but that's gonna have to wait for a bit. Also planning on doing racing cams / replacing all the chrome bits.

Excellent work, bike is starting to look real good.

 

[Dougald]

One of these days, I will attempt to traverse similar distances on the bike (not in one day obviously, hehe).

Yeah, I did it in a week and a half... I did ride back in 3 days though, wouldn't have wanted to go for less (unless I'd had my old Pan European, I could have ridden that for a thousand miles).

 

[thesoapster]

Damn, glad you're alright though Soapster. Sad to see the mighty R1 brought low like that .

Thanks. Yeah I'm still somewhat shocked. The guy I ride with has been riding about as long as I've been alive. He's ridden all over Europe and of course all over the region we live. He's the reason I even know about 7/8 of the roads I do know. That said I've known him to be careless but I hadn't envisioned this chain of events, even though it follows the type of driving/riding pattern I've observed in countless others.

It also brings to mind Keith Code's metaphor for focus - if you have X amount of focus, you only have so much you can "spend" at a time. Over time the simpler tasks of shifting etc. require less of your available "change" to carry out, freeing up mental capacity for more complex tasks. No doubt this model could explain my inability to avoid this fuckup.

I have conditioned myself to watch the road and how it changes. In this instance we were just coming over a hill - a prime environment to watch the dangerous areas that emerge for oncoming traffic etc. In hindsight I know now my friend also didn't know the road and was just looking for a road sign. When it appeared to the right as we came over the hill, his first reaction was to brake to make that turn.

The situation now is such that I don't think I will have the funds to get back on the road until next season. I'm looking at a move/job change as well around that time. I'm pretty sure the plate is coming off the R1, and my next move depends largely on where I end up. I'm aiming for Seattle or Northern California.

 

[Flo_Evans]

Glad you are ok soapster, always have to be careful following too close.

 

[richardhawk]

We're almost good to go. 2 into 1 muffler is on the way and the mounting hardware.

 

[Dougald]

She finally did it

Pulling into a car park strewn with gravel I hear a "FUCK" over the intercom and turn around to see the wife lying sadly underneath her bike. Whoops. Honda built those old CBR600Fs like tanks though, only damage was a couple of scuffs and a torn sticker. The front fairing popped out a little but nothing half an hour of wrenching didn't fix.

Ironically the bike decided to break down on the motorway 20 minutes earlier, turns out someone had knocked the idle screw too low and it died shortly after she turned the choke off.

 

[Poindexter]

We're almost good to go. 2 into 1 muffler is on the way and the mounting hardware.

Nice! Which exhaust did you go with? I like 2 in 1s for power but I can't pass up the sound and look of duals.

 

[maxheadwound]

She finally did it



Pulling into a car park strewn with gravel I hear a "FUCK" over the intercom and turn around to see the wife lying sadly underneath her bike. Whoops. Honda built those old CBR600Fs like tanks though, only damage was a couple of scuffs and a torn sticker. The front fairing popped out a little but nothing half an hour of wrenching didn't fix.

Ironically the bike decided to break down on the motorway 20 minutes earlier, turns out someone had knocked the idle screw too low and it died shortly after she turned the choke off.

hope she is ok and to get up and going as soon as possible. It happens to all of us some time.

 

[Dougald]

hope she is ok and to get up and going as soon as possible. It happens to all of us some time.

Yes, and when it happened to me I had to ride 1000 miles with a busted brake lever - a scuffed sticker is getting off lightly

Now she understands my fear of gravel car parks anyway!

 

[sgjackson]

A friend got a Honda Nighthawk and offered to let me use it to get the hang of writing on, and now I find myself looking at Craigslist for used starter bikes. I have a few questions:

1. Would it be a bad idea to jump on the Nighthawk and ride up and down the street a little to get used to the controls before taking an MSF course?

2. I've been focusing my search efforts on Ninja 250s and Honda CBR250Rs, which I can find pretty easily for 2000-2500 USD. Anything else I should be looking at in about that price range? What's your preference between the Ninja and the CBR?

3. I like the idea of not needing skin grafts or losing an appendage were I to crash, so I'm budgeting for gear. Does anyone have any suggestions for starter gear? I live in Florida, so I was leaning towards mesh/perforated stuff, and I don't mind paying for good stuff when it's supposed to keep my body intact. Would a grand cover what I need here?

 

[Dougald]

- I'd wait until the MSF, don't want to start on the wrong foot as it were.

- By all accounts both the CBR and the Kawasaki are fine bikes, I reckon you'd do fine with either of them. The Kawasaki seems to be more popular in the US though which might help your resale.

- If you want mesh gear, Dainese make a very nice mesh jacket. Of course you are trading safety for comfort with mesh, but the impact points on it feel very sturdy. The other option is to go for some adventure-type textile gear with removable mesh panels, which is what I have (RST Adventure II Jacket/Pants).

- As for a helmet, fit is more important than price. If they're safety approved, what you're really getting for your extra money is comfort (I say this as a Shoei owner).

 

[sgjackson]

- I'd wait until the MSF, don't want to start on the wrong foot as it were.

- By all accounts both the CBR and the Kawasaki are fine bikes, I reckon you'd do fine with either of them. The Kawasaki seems to be more popular in the US though which might help your resale.

- If you want mesh gear, Dainese make a very nice mesh jacket. Of course you are trading safety for comfort with mesh, but the impact points on it feel very sturdy. The other option is to go for some adventure-type textile gear with removable mesh panels, which is what I have (RST Adventure II Jacket/Pants).

- As for a helmet, fit is more important than price. If they're safety approved, what you're really getting for your extra money is comfort (I say this as a Shoei owner).

I was eyeballing an Alpinestars jacket that had a removable windproof liner so it was a bit more versatile then grabbing the back/chest protectors for it, thoughts on that? Definitely trying on helmets - it seems like people like HJC/Scorpion/Icon for budget helmets that have good safety ratings, so I want to try to find a well-stocked shop that has those and see what fits best, hopefully trying on other gear at the same time. I definitely don't feel comfortable buying a helmet blind because my head is gigantic. Last fitted hat I had to wear was 7-5/8 (I think? I had to wear a black cowboy hat for my brother's wedding and it was the biggest one they had) and it doesn't really fit, I'm probably a 7-3/4 or more.

 

[Dougald]

I was eyeballing an Alpinestars jacket that had a removable windproof liner so it was a bit more versatile then grabbing the back/chest protectors for it, thoughts on that? Definitely trying on helmets - it seems like people like HJC/Scorpion/Icon for budget helmets that have good safety ratings, so I want to try to find a well-stocked shop that has those and see what fits best, hopefully trying on other gear at the same time. I definitely don't feel comfortable buying a helmet blind because my head is gigantic. Last fitted hat I had to wear was 7-5/8 (I think? I had to wear a black cowboy hat for my brother's wedding and it was the biggest one they had) and it doesn't really fit, I'm probably a 7-3/4 or more.

That jacket looks good as far as mesh goes, reasonably decent outer fabric too. Obviously it's not going to be as good in a big crash, but when you consider you're going road speeds, it's perhaps better to be less likely to crash due to heatstroke! There are lots of nice meshed gloves out there too.

Going to a shop is a great idea, especially as a newcomer you'll likely feel that the right size is too small at first. HJC are very good for the money in my experience. You're actually somewhat lucky having a large head as in my experience those sizes are the ones that get the discounts...

 

[sgjackson]

That jacket looks good as far as mesh goes, reasonably decent outer fabric too. Obviously it's not going to be as good in a big crash, but when you consider you're going road speeds, it's perhaps better to be less likely to crash due to heatstroke! There are lots of nice meshed gloves out there too.

Going to a shop is a great idea, especially as a newcomer you'll likely feel that the right size is too small at first. HJC are very good for the money in my experience. You're actually somewhat lucky having a large head as in my experience those sizes are the ones that get the discounts...

Do you have suggestions for gloves/boots?

 

[Dougald]

Try them on really! Alpinestars are good for you budget range I'd say

If you want cool then I'd go with a short glove. Less protection than gauntlet style but personally I find gauntlets too much in the heat.

 

[richardhawk]

Nice! Which exhaust did you go with? I like 2 in 1s for power but I can't pass up the sound and look of duals.

Muffler is from cone engineering.The rest of the exhaust is parts from bitwell / cone. We finally finished everything up last night!

 

[Poindexter]

That's bad ass! You going to put heat shields on it or leave it as is? As is would fit the shade tree mechanic style you've got going on.

I had to redo my exhaust this morning. Something happened and my support bracket for the crossover pipe snapped in half. So I took the exhaust off this morning and reinstalled. Took me about 40 minutes to do it. The first time I did it took me about 8 hours haha

 

[Watevaman]

You have to post a video of the sound now, you know that, right?

 

[Fallout-NL]

You have to post a video of the sound now, you know that, right?

This

 

[richardhawk]

So here's an instagram video of what the exhaust sounds like.

https://instagram.com/p/7BwYEsPD1z

Not the greatest way to record it but it will work for now.

Sounds bitchin if I say so myself.

 

[blackprophesy]

So here's an instagram video of what the exhaust sounds like.

https://instagram.com/p/7BwYEsPD1z

Not the greatest way to record it but it will work for now.

Sounds bitchin if I say so myself.

Badass!

 

[Fallout-NL]

Yeah excellent, even on video it has a deep throaty rumble. Good looking exhaust too.

 

[thesoapster]

I thought this was kind of funny. I was watching the Rogue Cut of X-Men: Days of Future Past and noticed something that I'd either forgotten about or just completely missed before. Motorcycle gloves! Specifically, the Spidi Race Vent (which I have a pair of in some bin along with my fucked up Spidi jacket).

 

[Wolfe]

Yeah it's always amusing seeing moto gear used as costume bits for films.

 

[maxheadwound]

I had to put the liner in this morning. Its getting cooler in the mornings...

 

[Fallout-NL]

Yeah, not long now and we're going to have to wave this season goodbye. It's been a good one though.

 

[maxheadwound]

Yeah, not long now and we're going to have to wave this season goodbye. It's been a good one though.

yes its been a good one.

 

[Watevaman]

Yeah, not long now and we're going to have to wave this season goodbye. It's been a good one though.

Haha...ha...ha

If the bike starts, it's still riding season.

 

[Fallout-NL]

I usually live by:

when there is salt on the roads, it is no longer riding season.

 

[richardhawk]

Anyone got any opinions on what kind of mirrors I should run on the harley? In keeping with the scrambler-ish style I'm going for I was thinking of a small round mirror but I really have no idea.

Reposting the older image just to show what the bars are like currently.

In other news we should be mounting the new signals / license plate this weekend and if all goes well my wheel guy should be done by sunday. Fingers crossed the bike will be back in my hands sunday night!

 

[Wolfe]

Looks rad dude, I agree on the small round style just as long as they're not ball end mirrors (never cared for the look but obviously it's up to you).

You should get a pic of you on the road on it, curious to see how it looks in action.

 

[Mengy]

Anyone got any opinions on what kind of mirrors I should run on the harley?

Yeah, small and round would look the best and most appropriate IMHO. My old '76 Sportster had round mirrors, they all did then, and your bike certainly has a retro feel to it.

 

[Fallout-NL]

Yup, another vote for a classic round not too smallish mirror.

 

[Duderz]

http://revivalcycles.com/collections/for-your-ride-controls-mirrors

There's some seriously high quality round mirrors to be found there.

Is anyone doing the Distinguished Gentleman's Ride this month? For those not familiar with the event, it's a ride where you can sponsor riders toward the research of prostate cancer - a great cause. I just signed up for the San Diego ride, and would love if anyone wants to donate a few bucks here:

http://www.gentlemansride.com/rider/rowsdower

If anyone else is participating, post your link!

 

[Drinky Crow]

Honestly, power is less of a concern for me as long as it's not *too* slow. I don't think I really want/need any more outright power than the Street Triple in my next bike.. Really I think variety is the spice of life and I'm waiting for something completely different to hit me.

800s are perfect for me. my viffer, fully tuned and aftermarket kitted, makes 108 hp at the rear wheel. it's a torquey rocket, and i still get to shift above 8k without getting into full-on news-at-11 trouble speeds. it's also comfy as hell. i miss the front-hefting throttle juice of the tuono when the hooligan mood strikes me, but in my dotage, i really, REALLY can't complain with honda's v4.

 

[Dougald]

I have to admit a VFR800 does hold a lot of appeal. Unfortunately I just don't like the sportbike riding position.. I have thought about trying out the VFR800X as that would be great for me. I have already owned a Honda V4 with the ST1100, that was a great engine.


The Ace Cafe reunion run is next Sunday, any of UK gaf going? If the weather holds I am thinking of going with the Mrs and getting some footage.

 

[maxheadwound]

I have to admit a VFR800 does hold a lot of appeal. Unfortunately I just don't like the sportbike riding position.. I have thought about trying out the VFR800X as that would be great for me. I have already owned a Honda V4 with the ST1100, that was a great engine.


The Ace Cafe reunion run is next Sunday, any of UK gaf going? If the weather holds I am thinking of going with the Mrs and getting some footage.

that would be nice but I have the Fam here. But will have to see I might get my mum to do some baby sitting. hehe

 

[MutFox]

Bought a Yamaha FZ-07 today.
Just came back from a ride, pretty happy with it so far!

 

[Makki]

Bought a Yamaha FZ-07 today.
Just came back from a ride, pretty happy with it so far!

An exhaust is the only must have for that beautiful bike to shine through. Good buy, it's way better looking than the FZ-09, congrats! Show us some pics when you got it all sorted!

 

[maxheadwound]

Bought a Yamaha FZ-07 today.
Just came back from a ride, pretty happy with it so far!

Grats on the bike... photos photos photos

 

[Evo X]

nvm