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[thesoapster]

Man thats a sad picture on the plus side it doesnt look too much more than cosmetic damage? Are the engine casings and rear sets okay?

Edit: just noticed the dent in the tank

Honestly, minus my missing rearset, it's all cosmetic. I was cleared to ride again, but I couldn't because the bolt to my right peg snapped.

 

[Damaged]

Honestly, minus my missing rearset, it's all cosmetic. I was cleared to ride again, but I couldn't because the bolt to my right peg snapped.

That's not too bad then, at least it shouldn't be too expensive to fix and the protection kits you fitted did the job

 

[Flo_Evans]

Glad you are OK soapster!

One of my friends dad was not so lucky... he rented a harley up in michigan on vacation and ended up lowsiding into a car. Broke his pelvis and a few ribs. Be careful out there! and wear your freakin gear!

 

[Darth Pinche]

Glad to hear you are ok Soapster.

I did my first track experience. I did a "Taste Of Racing" day at Pacific Raceways outside Seattle, for $20, you get 20 minutes on the track to go at you own pace. I was lapped once but had a fantastic time and can't wait to get back out there!

 

[daw840]

Damn Soap, that looked painful. Glad to hear your still alright, mostly. Got an estimate on the bike yet? Don't tell the insurance company it was on the track....lol.

 

[thesoapster]

Damn Soap, that looked painful. Glad to hear your still alright, mostly. Got an estimate on the bike yet? Don't tell the insurance company it was on the track....lol.

I don't carry collision coverage. Funny enough, a lot of insurance companies will still cover collision claims at the track so long as it was not closed course competition (which track days do not generally fall under because they are not timed competition). So, the most essential thing to get it ridable is a replacement peg. Shipped that is a little over $30. To get the plastics back in order, it's many hundreds of dollars (which sans tank I have spent now). This does not include the bit of rash/dent on the gas tank, pickup rotor cover, or the little bit on on my right exhaust carbon can. The can and tank I don't think I'll end up doing anything about other than touching up the paint on the tank. It looks like the cover on the case is pretty cheap, so that's no biggie thank god.

 

[RapidCancel]

Glad to hear you're okay Soap! Any day you wreck and the only thing that's hurt is the bike is a damn good day.

 

[CFMOORE!]

need more advice. i still have yet to take the safety course but i plan on getting it done soon. i've been checking cragislist to see what used Thruxtons go for. I found one that is a 49 state bike but is already here in CA. In my small research it seems like these are issues for properly registering? It is a 2004 with 2500 miles, any ideas of what would be totally necessary to make it compliant, I read about the 7500 mile thing but it doesn't seem like it is that cut and dry.

Also, for used bikes anything to be watchful for? There is also a 2006 with 11k miles, is this a lot for a 5 year old bike or pretty normal?

Thanks for info/advice!

 

[thesoapster]

11K for a 5 year old bike is relatively light use. Not sure what has to be done for out of state bikes to register in CA. If anything, they're going to care about emissions during inspection. Of course all the regular inspection points (tires, lights, signal operation, lever function, etc) are still there. I'd say any bike you buy used should be inspected and pass before you fork over the money.

 

[kylej]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_u47bPVeVc&t=0m15s

dear sweet jebus

 

[RapidCancel]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_u47bPVeVc&t=0m15s

dear sweet jebus

Damn. Looks like he locked up the front wheel and just looped.

 

[thesoapster]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_u47bPVeVc&t=0m15s

dear sweet jebus

Holy shit! Imagine if the tumbling bike hit that rider that was at the back of the pack. That would be a really shitty surprise.

 

[MoGamesXNA]

Hey guys, I'm looking to buy a V-Star 650 for my first bike in the next month or so. I don't really want to skimp on the body armour / helmet etc. I was wondering what the more experienced riders in this thread would recommend (assuming that price isn't a consideration)?

Are there brands that are renowned for their quality & safety above others? If there's a next generation kevlar + carbon fiber composite suit in the shape of the Master Chief's armour I'll wear it (hahah). I don't really care what I look like, as long as it's safe.

 

[thesoapster]

I really cannot recommend any other style of helmet besides full face, or perhaps modular flip up if you think you'd utilize that (though the modular helmets are heavier). I recommend getting a list of helmets from here http://sharp.direct.gov.uk/ and trying them on at a shop if possible. Get help from the staff. There are also videos on YouTube about determining proper helmet fit. Helmet fit will largely depend on the shape of your head. Do not try and tell yourself you're going to get X helmet without even trying it on first. No size may fit you as well as another type. Some good helmets -

AGV GP-Tech
AGV T2
AGV Stealth
AGV S-4
Shoei RF1100
Shoei X-Twelve
Shark RSR2/RSR 2 Carbon

The Shark is nicer for more rounded shape heads, the others are better for neutral/oval. Although not listed, OGK helmets have a good reputation, but they are pretty hard to come by. I don't think I've seen them in shops, so you had better have a good idea of your head shape/size so you could minimize returns. Also decently rated are X Lite helmets (made by Nolan I believe).

I generally would not go for HJC or Scorpion.

For other gear, it depends on the type of riding and the climate you live in. Things you should have - CE rated armor for elbow, shoulder, spine. I'd use chest protection, too. For leather jackets, I really have come to like Alpinestars a lot. If you are going to ride in warm weather I highly recommend getting perforated leather. There are some textile setups that are good, but others here will have better knowledge of those. Wear riding boots. Armored leather gloves with gauntlet wrist coverage is ideal. I would not recommend regular jeans for pants. I wear simple armored textile pants made by Joe Rocket, but other people here will likely have a better recommendation for you.

 

[CFMOORE!]

just out of curiosity, when you guys are recommending gear you're talking about stuff to simply wear for a normal ride out, right, not specific to racing? I get the sense a lot of you are into the tracks and so forth and was wondering if all that crazy gear is necessary for someone who'd be riding a more low key bike and just puttering around the city.

Don't get me wrong, I love to be safe and safety is of utmost concern for me. But how would one go to work in all that stuff without needing an insane amount of storage for normal work clothes to then change into?

 

[thesoapster]

My only serious accident was around town 30-35mph. I try not to separate protection requirement for casual vs spirited riding. When I'm going faster out in the sticks I'm less likely to actually encounter a car and would be more likely to go down due to my own error (safer than getting hit for sure). There are many types of motorcycle clothing that can be worn over regular clothes. What setup you use if you're commuting is situation-specific. I don't commute to work for the most part (and now since I have to replace my windscreen it would mean new stupid looking stickers to get onto the base where I work). And now because of the stupid stickers, and that they want everyone to wear a fucking neon orange vest to get in has made me say "fuck it". If they cannot see a bright white/red bike with HID lights, rider with stripe pattern helmet and bright white/black jacket, they're fucking blind and I'm dead regardless. Fucking military...anyway, I wear 2 piece gear most of the time when street riding. If I stop for food I'll just keep the pants/boots on, remove gloves, helmet, and jacket. Simple enough. Also, if you find yourself having to change at work, consider some bike luggage.

 

[RapidCancel]

I can recommend an HJC helmet, they are pretty good helmets for their value. I've gone down in one head first going around 35 and it did it's job quite well. I'm currently sporting the Ben Spies replica. I can also say very good things about Shoei, Arai and AGV as well (though I've never gone down in those). But fit is definitely the number one factor, the helmet won't help as much if it doesn't fit you correctly.

Normal rides out to work and etc, I still wear leather. They don't rip as easily from just one spill and there's perforated ones out there that help a lot in the summer. I still wear leather in the 100 degree weather that we have out here in Houston. If you need to change then I would agree with soapster and get yourself some bike luggage and just haul around what you need, then just change once you get to work and right before you leave.

If you decide to wear boots (which is highly recommended, seeing someone's ankle stick out of their skin isn't a good sight) just do what I do and leave your work shoes at work and just change them there since most boots will be uncomfortable to walk in for long amounts of time.

 

[CFMOORE!]

Thanks for the advice guys!

PS, Rapid, I still owe you a pic of that vest!

 

[thesoapster]

Keep in mind in that rating system, even 4/5 is quite good. I got hit in an X-Eleven (which is a 4/5 due to not quite as good side impact absorption) and the primary point of impact was around my right temple area. It did perform its duties. My X-Twelve is 5/5, but now it's not useful anymore since it got dinged up bad enough in my track crash. I have a spare X-Eleven that is now going to be getting used...not spending $700 just yet for a replacement. And yes, emphasis on proper fit for your lid. If it doesn't fit right, no safety test/rating matters.

 

[MoGamesXNA]

Thanks for the advice guys & taking the time to reply. It's a bit daunting starting out with zero knowledge of bikes in general.

I've seen some spine / elbow and knee armour pieces for sale on some online stores. When I was at the Yamaha dealership they never mentioned them. Should I be factoring these in as well when buying a jacket + helmet + boot + kevlar jeans? Is it normal to wear this stuff underneath the other gear?

So far I'm looking at starting with these (cheers for the helmet advice):

Helmet
Jacket
Jeans
Boots

Do these seem semi-reasonable? To be honest, I'm a little in shock over the cost but I'd rather spend my cash on decent equipment than on facial reconstruction surgery.

Should I be buying the spine and other armour pieces at all?

 

[MoGamesXNA]

Soapster, your YT videos are brilliant mate. Are you going to do anymore?

Speaking of which, does anyone else on here have any footage of their bikes / runs? I won't be getting my bike for another 7 weeks so these YouTube videos are helping me hold out. I haven't been this excited about a new purchase for years

 

[Damaged]

Soapster, your YT videos are brilliant mate. Are you going to do anymore?

Speaking of which, does anyone else on here have any footage of their bikes / runs? I won't be getting my bike for another 7 weeks so these YouTube videos are helping me hold out. I haven't been this excited about a new purchase for years

Ive done a couple of videos but nothing great, always forget to hook up the camera lol, plus the camera picks up allot of vibes from the engine

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFg3HKBxH_c

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2OZTIkJ_e0

 

[RapidCancel]

Thanks for the advice guys & taking the time to reply. It's a bit daunting starting out with zero knowledge of bikes in general.

I've seen some spine / elbow and knee armour pieces for sale on some online stores. When I was at the Yamaha dealership they never mentioned them. Should I be factoring these in as well when buying a jacket + helmet + boot + kevlar jeans? Is it normal to wear this stuff underneath the other gear?

So far I'm looking at starting with these (cheers for the helmet advice):

Helmet
Jacket
Jeans
Boots

Do these seem semi-reasonable? To be honest, I'm a little in shock over the cost but I'd rather spend my cash on decent equipment than on facial reconstruction surgery.

Should I be buying the spine and other armour pieces at all?

They seem fine. Just a comment on the boots though, my friend has the same ones and he doesn't like them cause he has big calves and there's no adjustability for it on them. So watch out if you have big calves.

 

[MoGamesXNA]

Ive done a couple of videos but nothing great, always forget to hook up the camera lol, plus the camera picks up allot of vibes from the engine

Nice one, it looks like you have a lot of decent places to ride... certainly more varied than here in SA. Keep them coming! I checked out your Dirt 3 vid as well Love that game

Edit: Are you riding one of these: Aprilia?. That bike looks mint

Rapid: I have fat calves (hahah) so I'll make sure I try them on first, thanks for the heads-up

 

[Damaged]

Nice one, it looks like you have a lot of decent places to ride... certainly more varied than here in SA. Keep them coming! I checked out your Dirt 3 vid as well Love that game

Edit: Are you riding one of these: Aprilia?. That bike looks mint

Rapid: I have fat calves (hahah) so I'll make sure I try them on first, thanks for the heads-up

Yeah i'm pretty lucky, got North Wales only 30 mins away with some of the best roads in the uk

Yep, its a Factory Aprilia Dorsoduro, only picked it up a few months ago as a second bike to my KTM so still getting used to it but very pleased so far. Any excuse to post a pic of it lol

 

[MoGamesXNA]

I'm glad you did... far out. What a beast of a bike. I love it, particularly all of that carbon fiber.

How much did it set you back? I just looked up the specs and I'm guessing that it wasn't cheap

 

[Damaged]

Think it was about £6995, not bad for the specification of the bike really. I was only after the standard edition at first but Aprilia didn't have any ready so they sold me the factory for the same price

Aprilia seem to be good at putting decent spec kit on there bikes regardless of price

 

[ChiTownBuffalo]

Yamaha FZR

Fizzer 600 was my first bike. An 89 with the black/grey trim.

Man, now I want to buy an old Fizzer. Should be cheap.

Damn you GAF. Now I'm gonna go look at one this weekend.

Well, I suppose I should, I've been without a biuke for about a year or so.

 

[Flo_Evans]

Thanks for the advice guys & taking the time to reply. It's a bit daunting starting out with zero knowledge of bikes in general.

I've seen some spine / elbow and knee armour pieces for sale on some online stores. When I was at the Yamaha dealership they never mentioned them. Should I be factoring these in as well when buying a jacket + helmet + boot + kevlar jeans? Is it normal to wear this stuff underneath the other gear?

So far I'm looking at starting with these (cheers for the helmet advice):

Helmet
Jacket
Jeans
Boots

Do these seem semi-reasonable? To be honest, I'm a little in shock over the cost but I'd rather spend my cash on decent equipment than on facial reconstruction surgery.

Should I be buying the spine and other armour pieces at all?

Good gear is expensive... but it should last you many years, increase your riding comfort, and save your skin!

I am not sure about those specific jacket/pants but most quality stuff will have the armor built in. Some people like separate stuff as it can be strapped on and assured to not move out of place.

 

[Flo_Evans]

Gateway Rockers meetup: Still to hot for most!

 

[thesoapster]

<3 that Dakar paint scheme.


MoGames, I will be doing more YT videos and will be sure to post them here

 

[MoGamesXNA]

Cheers for the pics. They're bril. What model is that Honda in the last shot? That's beast. I can't believe I've only just discovered bikes. I've always been a 'car man' so I've been completely ignoring them.

I have a new found love affair with the Aprilia RS125 after I did a bit of research inspired by Damaged from his posts above.

Hnnng etc.

If the seating position on a street bike didn't scare the crap out of me, I'd consider getting one instead of a V-Star (cruiser). Damn my lack of riding experience. I even like the sound of the two-stroke after checking out a couple of YT videos.

 

[thesoapster]

That's a VFR 1200F (as the big sticker on the side fairing says )


If you are not a fan of a sport (forward) seating position, but like the look of sport bikes, you may look at sport standards, including the Kawasaki Ninja 250R. It sounds like you're in Australia, so I think you can get the fuel-injected version there.

 

[Flo_Evans]

That is the 1st VFR I have seen in person. It looks rather, well, fugly in pics, but in person it is pretty nice. Seems like a good blend between sport/touring. Capable of being ridden hard but comfortable enough to put in a high mileage day on.

The guy rode up 2up and was new to the group. I wish I would have known him so I could ask for a spin. I am still not tottaly convinced of the styling, but it looks like a fun bike to ride.

 

[thesoapster]

I think it looks fugly in person and in pictures

But hey, to each his own. A riding friend of mine likes its styling but doesn't like the look of the new V4 Tuono. Madness I say.

 

[Flo_Evans]

Well that is just crazy talk.


The VFR doesn't really look good, more like inviting? It has that certain honda friendlyness to it.

 

[MoGamesXNA]

Soapster: I checked out the Ninja and now I want one of those as well. The next seven weeks are going to go by extremely slowly. I guess I can look at some sport bikes available for new/learner riders in the interim. Definitely keep the videos coming. Speaking of which, do you use the GoPro Motorsports Hero or Helmet Hero (mounted to the bike) for your YouTube videos? The quality is really impressive.

 

[thesoapster]

HD Hero with tripod mount w/ sportbikecam.com mount (tank bracket mount). If I bought one today I'd just get the barebones one and then the mount(s) I need, but that wasn't available when I bought, so I got the Motorsports Hero package. Same camera in each of them, just different accessories. I don't even use the suction cup or adhesive mounts :lol

 

[East Lake]

Soapster: I checked out the Ninja and now I want one of those as well. The next seven weeks are going to go by extremely slowly. I guess I can look at some sport bikes available for new/learner riders in the interim. Definitely keep the videos coming. Speaking of which, do you use the GoPro Motorsports Hero or Helmet Hero (mounted to the bike) for your YouTube videos? The quality is really impressive.

I bought Honda's new cbr250r a few weeks ago for my first bike and I love it, do wish they offered the red, white and blue version here though. :/

Would take this over the black or red in a heartbeat.

The seating position isn't very aggressive either.

 

[ChiTownBuffalo]

nt to check out this 91 Fuzzer yesterday.

Well, it had been good and raped by some dude who took the fairings off, front cowl off and threw on an extended swing arm and a relatively shitty light kit.

I will have my first bike again.

 

[Fallout-NL]

nt to check out this 91 Fuzzer yesterday.

Well, it had been good and raped by some dude who took the fairings off, front cowl off and threw on an extended swing arm and a relatively shitty light kit.

I will have my first bike again.

But not the raped one?

 

[ChiTownBuffalo]

But not the raped one?

Nah, the frame near the motor mounts were cracked ands there was a puttied crack on the transfer case that they covered up with duct tape.

I wanted to take photos but he freaked out because he thought I'd post them online and talk shit about his ad.

 

[RustyO]

Soapster: I checked out the Ninja and now I want one of those as well. The next seven weeks are going to go by extremely slowly. I guess I can look at some sport bikes available for new/learner riders in the interim. Definitely keep the videos coming. Speaking of which, do you use the GoPro Motorsports Hero or Helmet Hero (mounted to the bike) for your YouTube videos? The quality is really impressive.

Australian?

 

[Fallout-NL]

Nah, the frame near the motor mounts were cracked ands there was a puttied crack on the transfer case that they covered up with duct tape.

I wanted to take photos but he freaked out because he thought I'd post them online and talk shit about his ad.

Yikes.



Well, good luck finding a decent one. I got one of its successors, an YZF750R (to complement my Ducati) and I love it dearly.

 

[thesoapster]

Nah, the frame near the motor mounts were cracked ands there was a puttied crack on the transfer case that they covered up with duct tape.

I wanted to take photos but he freaked out because he thought I'd post them online and talk shit about his ad.

...shit!

Best of luck. Are you committed to getting the same bike you used to have?

 

[MoGamesXNA]

Antimatter: Congrats on the new bike. I looked up some pictures and the seating position looks a lot less intimidating than the Aprilia's. Top looking bike. I'll be adding the Honda CBR250 to my list, cheers I'm going to head out to a couple of dealers tomorrow, hopefully they'll have one that I can check out. You should post some pictures of your bike, I'm keen to see it. What colour/livery did you go for?

RustyO: Spot on, what gave me away?

 

[Damaged]

Well that's just great, got ran off the road about 400 meters from my house this morning I was pulling into the road I live on and some dickhead drives straight at me in the junction, had to sit the bike up and veer left then ended up dropping the bike after clipping the edge of the footpath.

The bike seems okay as I was going pretty slow when I let go but I've pulled something in left my leg and arm when I was trying to keep the bike off the ground

 

[MoGamesXNA]

That sucks Damaged, hope your bike and leg are all ok.

Did the driver stop to see if you were alright?

 

[Damaged]

Yeah the driver did at least stop, told them to piss off as I was in a bit of a bad mood at the time lol

Bike wasn't too bad in the end

Managed to reattach it with a big washer behind the bolt, just glad it didn't land on the carbon fibre

 

[East Lake]

Antimatter: Congrats on the new bike. I looked up some pictures and the seating position looks a lot less intimidating than the Aprilia's. Top looking bike. I'll be adding the Honda CBR250 to my list, cheers I'm going to head out to a couple of dealers tomorrow, hopefully they'll have one that I can check out. You should post some pictures of your bike, I'm keen to see it. What colour/livery did you go for?

RustyO: Spot on, what gave me away?

I went with the red version, figured it's more visible on the road than black. I can probably post some pics Friday night or some other time this weekend.

Best part about having the motorcycle is having designated parking spots at my university, never have to worry about spaces.