Drinky Crow
Banned
it is a mystery!
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2 wheel GAF UNITE!
- Thread starter Flo_Evans
- Start date
it is a mystery!
where do you guys turn to for parts? aftermarket or oem?
my right mirror is loose; just running on normal roads will make it drop down. i'd either need to tighten it up or look for a replacement. it's an aftermarket one that goes up from the handlebars.
also, took my first long and freeway ride. it was friggin' awesome. the no windshield thing means i was fighting the wind to hold on. would've went on for longer but sky turned from sunny to overcast and temps started dropping. booo.
my right mirror is loose; just running on normal roads will make it drop down. i'd either need to tighten it up or look for a replacement. it's an aftermarket one that goes up from the handlebars.
also, took my first long and freeway ride. it was friggin' awesome. the no windshield thing means i was fighting the wind to hold on. would've went on for longer but sky turned from sunny to overcast and temps started dropping. booo.
For cosmetic parts (mirrors, switches, levers, etc), I normally just order from my local dealer/get it from a breaker
For everything else I typically just go for decent quality aftermarket parts that I know will fit, generally because one of the downsides of owning a Triumph is that the dealers tend to charge an arm and a leg for parts. When I changed my chain and sprocket, the money I saved on the OEM chain (which was a rebadged version of the one I bought) paid for my chain breaker.
For everything else I typically just go for decent quality aftermarket parts that I know will fit, generally because one of the downsides of owning a Triumph is that the dealers tend to charge an arm and a leg for parts. When I changed my chain and sprocket, the money I saved on the OEM chain (which was a rebadged version of the one I bought) paid for my chain breaker.
QualityPixel
Banned
I've had good luck with parts from www.cheapcycleparts.com (they can be slow to ship sometimes), and www.denniskirk.com
Gaf has recommended www.ronayers.com , but I haven't needed oem parts for a while.
QualityPixel
Banned
I felt like I was in the same boat with my 'new to me' 2009 Versys, but if you look hard enough you'll find what you're looking for. I found a forum just for the Kawasaki Versys and found all kinds of discussions on what you can get for it or do with it.
QualityPixel
Banned
I went on a 2 hour ride around Utah Lake a couple days ago. If was the first long ride on my Versys, and a friend of mine road with me on his 750cc Shadow. There was a really strong headwind for a long bit of the ride where it felt like were were riding at 110mph when were riding only 70! It was crazy.
I'm working my self up to see if I could go on a extended weekend ride that would cover 1800 miles over a 4 or 5 days. I learned that I'll need a big windshield and a throttle lock so I don't aggravate my carpal tunnel.
I'm working my self up to see if I could go on a extended weekend ride that would cover 1800 miles over a 4 or 5 days. I learned that I'll need a big windshield and a throttle lock so I don't aggravate my carpal tunnel.
Drinky Crow
Banned
tore up hwy 2 today to avoid responsibility (weekend work) and it was AWESOME. that said, i must be getting old, because i kinda want a cruiser -- i'm too old to hump a tank, i think, and i hate being perched on a tall bike like a bmw :-(
thesoapster
Member
Cruiser over a BMW for comfort? What BMW????? You're old and a bastard!
You guys seen the new Yamaha Bolt? Sweet bike:
http://www.visordown.com/motorcycle-news-new-bikes/yamaha-bolt-revealed/22467.html
http://www.visordown.com/motorcycle-news-new-bikes/yamaha-bolt-revealed/22467.html
hit up forums specific to your bike model. like I have a cbr600rr and I go to the 600rr forums for bike parts/etc.
where are you from? I ride angeles crest quite often. Although not as much right now because of the season. How's the road?
I drained it, replaced bolt. Pour distilled water into it. turn on the bike, let the water run through. drain again. rinse and repeat until liquid coming out is clear.
protip...when you go to drain it after the very first time (ie 2nd/3rd/however much til clear), let the bike cool down first. I failed to do this and each time the fluid coming would come out in a spray, rather than a stream. Made it so damn messy lol
protip...when you go to drain it after the very first time (ie 2nd/3rd/however much til clear), let the bike cool down first. I failed to do this and each time the fluid coming would come out in a spray, rather than a stream. Made it so damn messy lol
David Incorporated Esq.
Member
A Ninja 250/300, just not a brand new one.
Depending on how comfortable you are on a bike, a good first bike will be anywhere from a 250 up to a 650 (skipping inline 4 engines of most displacements, though). As I said before, I have one friend who could've done fine on an SV650 where another friend would've clobbered it. I'm a newbie on a GS500 and it's got plenty of pep for me. I wouldn't want to track it in it's current state, but it's more than fine for the road. I've ridden 600 I4s and I definitely wouldn't want to start on one without throttle control that I've gathered from my GS.
Agreed. Waste of money and source of tears.
thesoapster
Member
Agreed. I started on a used beaten i4 600 and I realize now after having ridden many different bikes how hard I made things for myself. Sportbike ergos are really rough for beginners, plus the HP on tap can get you into trouble if you're not watchful.
Fallout-NL
Member
Or a two valved 5 / 600cc twin.
I'm gonna keep saying it. Those 250ies are glorified mopeds in terms of tires and brakes. That shit isn't safe.
I'm gonna keep saying it. Those 250ies are glorified mopeds in terms of tires and brakes. That shit isn't safe.
spermatic cord
Member
Bike noob here.
Tried to take my newly acquired 95 ninja 250 for a ride today... Stalled as soon as I rolled down the driveway. Lol. I will be wait for the riding course of the MSF class this weekend
Tried to take my newly acquired 95 ninja 250 for a ride today... Stalled as soon as I rolled down the driveway. Lol. I will be wait for the riding course of the MSF class this weekend
thesoapster
Member
MSF will help, but with much more than just taking off. Definitely wait.
Darth Pinche
Member
Those 250s also are tricky while they are warming up with the choke on. I used to have a couple of those. if you do some suspension work on those, they can be amazingly fun.
Have fun in the class. The figure 8's are a bitch.
David Incorporated Esq.
Member
Fuuuuuuuck that tiny figure 8. It takes a long time to get good at doing that, but tight-cornering at slow speed is a handy skill to have.
Fallout-NL
Member
Alright.
So I finally bought a Buell today after flirting with the idea for about a year.
It's a 1999 X1 Lightning and it is in a beautiful condition. I traded in my old Yamaha YZF750R, which I will sorely miss. But three bikes is a bit too crazy, even for me.
I'll post some pics once I've picked up the bike.
So I finally bought a Buell today after flirting with the idea for about a year.
It's a 1999 X1 Lightning and it is in a beautiful condition. I traded in my old Yamaha YZF750R, which I will sorely miss. But three bikes is a bit too crazy, even for me.
I'll post some pics once I've picked up the bike.
Fallout-NL
Member
Yeah, it was a lost cause once I saw it standing there in the showroom. Maybe it was the setting... the place was spotless and otherwise filled with nothing but Ducati's, which made it stand out quite a bit. Couldn't resist.
Looks like I'll be picking it up tomorrow. Gonna get up early and remove the aftermarket exhaust from the Yamaha. I'll be selling that separately.
Hope the weather's going to hold a little. It's a two hour drive (so four both ways).
Looks like I'll be picking it up tomorrow. Gonna get up early and remove the aftermarket exhaust from the Yamaha. I'll be selling that separately.
Hope the weather's going to hold a little. It's a two hour drive (so four both ways).
ClassyPenguin
Banned
Yes. I did 13,000 miles in less than ten months on my 250. I rode everything in all conditions.
RapidCancel
Member
Hurrah, rain riding! Most annoying thing about riding in the rain was trying to wipe my damn visor.
ClassyPenguin
Banned
And fogging. But I liked riding in the rain. I got all kinds of crazy looks and a few thumbs up on the freeway. Everyone is so scared of rain in Los Angeles.
Fallout-NL
Member
Drove back the Buell yesterday. Holy shit, what a bike. So much fun to ride.
thesoapster
Member
American Motorcycles. *tear*
I like that color. Show us more...
I like that color. Show us more...
it's actually extra greasy in LA after rain. You're braver than I.
Drinky Crow
Banned
i was so good at stallin' they called me the people's rider
actually, i was fine with the clutch -- my problem has always been low-speed braking, and i had to practice the SHIT out of it. stupid instructor wouldn't let me use the rear brake back when i took the msf training because he was a dogmatic bastard, and while that's fine on a tired old virago with no brake bite to speak of, it made me into a real lurchin' sumbitch at parade speeds on a bigger/heavier bike for a LONG time, and i still find myself gettin' grabby for the lever in parking lots or stop-and-go when i should be feathering the rear brake pedal. bad habits! i feel like a newb when i hafta drop a foot down quicklike when the ape's front dual calipers CHOMP. :-(
edit: before this turns into a BRAKING HOLY WAR, let me emphasize that the vast majority of your braking SHOULD be with the front. just not when you're diddling in a giant packed parking lot, or playing stop-go with priuses and suvs in packed seattle traffic.
There has to be a better way than foot brake and lever clutch. But motorbike people are going to cling on to old shit forever. Just look at how auto bikes are basically dismissed as heresy.
Drinky Crow
Banned
oh man, our corner here in bothell pools oil like nothing a couple minutes after the rain hits, and i always forget about it. i whipped through it like i was max fucking biaggi if max fucking biaggi was mentally retarded, and had the rear slide out at like 20 mph. somehow i kicked myself up with my foot -- which was STUPID -- and kept on rollin' like a boss. the neighborhood gal who lives on the corner gave me a wide-eyed look and a thumbs up, and i kept on goin' because i had urine to drain from my cordura...
Drinky Crow
Banned
actually, cvt is trickier, because you don't get ANY engine braking effect from 15 mph down, and it makes hills a little more exciting. i wonder how honda's dct auto bikes handle it.
(i am actually "downgrading" to a honda ctx700n dct because a) carpal is killing my commute fun; b) i am old and like forward controls; and c) a shiver with chicken strips is kinda, y'know. y'know. buy one, frankie, and we can be poser cruiser weeaboos together!)
look at it. LOOK AT IT. hated before it even comes out by EVERY major biker forum! WHAT IS IT. is it a cruiser? no, too slap-happy jappy! is it a touring bike? lol, forward controls! is it made for geriatrics with the 28.5" seat, the low center of gravity, the sedate ~670 cc engine from the beaky-ass nc700x everyone faux-loves? probably! still want it! (still want a street triple, too, but that'll come after i put a few more years behind the handlebars.)
BONUS however because i just came in from riding! FOR THE SCOOTER AFICIONADOES HERE, and if you hate scooters i hate you and god hates you and everyone hates you except your mom who just kinda rolls her eyes at you, i have now put 4K miles on a 2009 aprilia sportcity 250 i bought on a whim and OH MY GOD IT IS SO FUCKING FUN. you can get some nice dramatic lean on it with its 15" wheels, the piaggio zephyr engine (253cc, 24-ish hp) is LITTLE MAC PUNCHY, and YOU CANNOT DEFEAT IT. i burn sportsters at lights on it. i quasi-touge'd some genteel kirkland fuck in an audi a6 through woodinville's backroads this morning (is there any greater shame than having a scoot glued to your rear bumper in the curves?). seriously, if i wasn't such a poser (actually, i like touring), i'd say TWIST-AND-GO is where it's at. BATTLE SCOOTERS AHOY. (downsides: suspension is a little stiff, cops will laugh at you when they bust you for going ~60 in a 25.)
Fallout-NL
Member
Right, some more pics. Including a couple YZF (the bike I traded in) bonus shots:
The Buell now sits in the garage with the 1100 Monster. They make a great duo, I think
.
The Buell now sits in the garage with the 1100 Monster. They make a great duo, I think
.Drinky Crow
Banned
aren't buells notoriously finicky and unreliable? my neighbor has a recent-ish ulysses and he's always wrenching on it and cursing it. AMAZING fucking pipes on it, though. i shit my pants every time he rockets out of the cul-de-sac -- when he actually has it running.
preach son, preach!! scooters are brilliant. My ideal set up is a big bike with a 125-250cc scooter. Bike for fun and touring, scooter for city and short rides.
But that Honda... LOOOOOOL no. just no. look at it! it's an abomination! if you want forward control and something low get a Harley or somefink.
Drinky Crow
Banned
but i don't want a harley because i am neither leatherdaddy nor pirate, and the "abomination" weighs under 530 lbs curb weight. i spend a LOT of time moving at parade speeds when i commute, and THEORETICALLY this ride should minimize carpal and keep my feet up more often when i'm playing the lights. i'll keep the shiver for weekending (with the wife's permission), but i need something more sedate and more comfortable for the commute.
plus, i am SOO tired of aprilia parts and service charges*. there's like four honda dealerships in the area where i DON'T hafta pay $100000000 markup for heated grips and other old guy amenities, or watch the blue shirts stand in a circle around it, scratch their heads, twiddle their socket wrenches, and go "you per-nounce that APRIL-eea or AY-pril-EE-uh?"
*i have no real mechanical skills. i can lube my chain, change my oil and filter, and top off my brake fluid. beyond that, i PAY people.
plus, i am SOO tired of aprilia parts and service charges*. there's like four honda dealerships in the area where i DON'T hafta pay $100000000 markup for heated grips and other old guy amenities, or watch the blue shirts stand in a circle around it, scratch their heads, twiddle their socket wrenches, and go "you per-nounce that APRIL-eea or AY-pril-EE-uh?"
*i have no real mechanical skills. i can lube my chain, change my oil and filter, and top off my brake fluid. beyond that, i PAY people.
Fallout-NL
Member
@Drinky: yep, they are supposed to be really fucking awful. I pray to god it's going to run for a while though. I love it so much.
This one seems to have been running pretty well for the last 37.000km however. And I know which shop is responsible for that. Going to hit them up and see what they recommend in terms of service.
This one seems to have been running pretty well for the last 37.000km however. And I know which shop is responsible for that. Going to hit them up and see what they recommend in terms of service.
Drinky Crow
Banned
wow, 37K? from those pics, it looks like it rolled straight off the factory line. that's a classy ride.
Fallout-NL
Member
Exactly. This thing was totally babied by the previous owner (who had it for 13 years).