http://www.indysuperbike.com/TruGel_Battery_Suzuki_SV1000S-1204909.html
Lookin to pick this up. Anyone heard anything about this brand?
Lookin to pick this up. Anyone heard anything about this brand?
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2 wheel GAF UNITE!
- Thread starter Flo_Evans
- Start date
RapidCancel
Member
I've heard some mixed things about them, about the same negative as positive, but I don't have any experience with them myself.
QualityPixel
Banned
Thanks for the laugh!
I do have a small soft spot for the Honda Ruckus tho, but my 250 Yamaha dirt bike fills that gap
That is quite the Gamut. Maybe you could consider a Kawasaki Versys or a Suzuki DR650. I just got an 09 Versys a month ago and I LOOOOVE it! When I got the versys I was also considering the DR650, then I could sell the 250 Yamaha and just have 1 bike. But then I decided I wanted something a little more road going, but I've read plenty of people opinions that the DR650 is plenty highway friendly (much more so than the KLR!). I may still consider getting a DR650 next year tho because the 250cc Yamaha is a little small for hauling my fast ass, lol.
Speaking of which, I have a 93 Shadow VLX 600 I need to sell soon in the Salt Lake area (if anybody is interested). I hope that isn't out of line.
ClassyPenguin
Banned
hahaha. I did ride in some hard downpours but it's typically really greasy only the first few hours or when it rains lightly. Getting rid of the stock tires did wonders for grip.
RapidCancel
Member
When it first starts raining is always the worst, I'd prefer it to have been raining for awhile. Houston drivers get pretty retarded with even the least bit of rain and I'm usually more afraid of them than anything else.
Being British I get more than my fair share of rain riding... I still hate it but it's a necessary evil. Never had too many problems as drivers here are used to it (they don't even slow down), my main issue has always been visibility at motorway speeds, especially with the ST1100 - the screen is so large I have to keep it at 70mph just to prevent the rain from building up - anything less than 60 and I might as well be in heavy fog.
..that being said last year I went to brake at a red light in VERY heavy rain, and there was a large puddle of water/diesel right at the stop line... I just sailed straight through. Luckily the light had only just changed. To make matters worse, it was on a corner and I went straight over a metal drain cover, which might as well have been ice. Felt the back end kick out a little but through sheer blind luck I managed to scream around the corner and come out the other end okay.
Edit: I have very pricey Avon tyres on the ST1100, but they are fantastic in the wet. I don't even seem to feel any loss of traction at all, unlike the Bridgestone tyres I have on the Bonneville, which are a little worse. Nothing really helps if you hit diesel, though..
..that being said last year I went to brake at a red light in VERY heavy rain, and there was a large puddle of water/diesel right at the stop line... I just sailed straight through. Luckily the light had only just changed. To make matters worse, it was on a corner and I went straight over a metal drain cover, which might as well have been ice. Felt the back end kick out a little but through sheer blind luck I managed to scream around the corner and come out the other end okay.
Edit: I have very pricey Avon tyres on the ST1100, but they are fantastic in the wet. I don't even seem to feel any loss of traction at all, unlike the Bridgestone tyres I have on the Bonneville, which are a little worse. Nothing really helps if you hit diesel, though..
maxheadwound
Member
Also here from the UK and rain riding is very normal here. Lucky my trip into the office is not that long so no high way riding. I hoping for a bit warmer weather so I can start using the side walls of the tyres.
Another UK rider here so rain is a near daily event at the moment. Have started using the Dunlop road smart tyres on my Dorsoduro though which seem to have plenty of grip in the wet, don't know if its the dual compound that lets them get up to temperature but the feedback even in a downpour is fantastic.
Well, I think I'm mod complete for a while.
2013 Triumph T100 Bonneville with:
Dart fly-screen
BC Predators
BC Air Injection removal
Corbin Smuggler seat
Thruxton Bars & Triumph bar-end mirror kit
Triumph locking gas tank (which I've yet to put on)
Got the seat and bars on yesterday, huge difference from stock. I'm still not really sold on the bars though. Maybe you guys can help me with some suggestions. I'm 6'1 with a medium build and those bars are narrow as fuck. Sure the handling is like 2x better but I'm really missing the comfort of the stock bars on my freeway trips. Is there a happy medium I don't know about?
2013 Triumph T100 Bonneville with:
Dart fly-screen
BC Predators
BC Air Injection removal
Corbin Smuggler seat
Thruxton Bars & Triumph bar-end mirror kit
Triumph locking gas tank (which I've yet to put on)
Got the seat and bars on yesterday, huge difference from stock. I'm still not really sold on the bars though. Maybe you guys can help me with some suggestions. I'm 6'1 with a medium build and those bars are narrow as fuck. Sure the handling is like 2x better but I'm really missing the comfort of the stock bars on my freeway trips. Is there a happy medium I don't know about?
Yeah in Britain the cold weather just won't shift... you can all blame me as I'm sure it's because I sold my car to go full-time two wheel last year.
I remember this time two years ago when I was learning to ride, it was so hot I was sat around in a t-shirt when off the bike, what I wouldn't give for that weather to return, I've been trying to organise my first ride-out up to Wales but it looks like we'll be doing that in August at this rate
I remember this time two years ago when I was learning to ride, it was so hot I was sat around in a t-shirt when off the bike, what I wouldn't give for that weather to return, I've been trying to organise my first ride-out up to Wales but it looks like we'll be doing that in August at this rate
RapidCancel
Member
Come to Texas...we ride year long lol. Winter doesn't exist down here =]
I hate you.
That actually reminds me, Ride magazine in the UK had a great article this month on how to get your bike shipped from Europe to the US, then ride it across the country and have it shipped back, including the paperwork, etc needed. If you're there for a reasonable amount of time then it's actually cheaper than renting something. If I had a month off work and a few grand spare I'd love to ride the Bonneville around the US (wouldn't be the same on anything else, as I'm keeping that bike till one of us dies)
That actually reminds me, Ride magazine in the UK had a great article this month on how to get your bike shipped from Europe to the US, then ride it across the country and have it shipped back, including the paperwork, etc needed. If you're there for a reasonable amount of time then it's actually cheaper than renting something. If I had a month off work and a few grand spare I'd love to ride the Bonneville around the US (wouldn't be the same on anything else, as I'm keeping that bike till one of us dies)
I wish I could man. Ohio at least has some really nice backroads to enjoy. I'm also right around the border of Indiana/Kentucky, which also have some really nice backroads. Just wish it were warm all year round. Would love to ride to work everyday.
RapidCancel
Member
I wonder how much it would be to do it the other way around, I would loveee to ride around Europe, especially at the Isle of Man. Do you have a link to the article or anything?
I wish we had more hilly roads in Houston, but it's mainly flat lands. There's a good amount of back and country roads that a lot of us go to though. I haven't been anywhere near Ohio, so I don't know how the roads look like, but Arkansas had some amazing mountain roads to ride around. Very scenic.
Once summer comes though, you'd wish you weren't down here. I'll wear an undershirt under my leathers and by the time I make it home from work, my whole shirt is soaked with sweat. I actually ride less in the summer than I do in the winters lol.
Fallout-NL
Member
Yeah, I'm totally doing that one day.
Not sure on what bike though. The Ducati's fuel tank will expand on the ethanol crap they serve over there and I'm not sure I trust the Buell to traverse thousands of miles with little to no issues.
As for the weather... damn, same shit here in the Netherlands. Still cold as hell, even quite a lot of snow where I work. The area where I live was spared though, so the roads are clean and dry. So I could, theoretically, take the Buell for another ride this evening.
Probably a similar price as it's just going the other way.
Unfortunately they don't post their articles online, but the guy shipped his bike via Air Freight for about £900. The company they mention is James Cargo. They are based at London Heathrow so if you were flying in and an out of the UK they might be able to help. Other than that from a cursory google it seems there are plenty of shipping companies in the US who will do it, though obviously that won't be as quick as by air. No idea what kind of paperwork you'd need, probably just something that states you're bringing the bike in temporarily.
If you ever get the opportunity I highly recommend it. I've been meaning to go up to the Isle of Man TT myself (it'll have to wait, it coincides with my honeymoon this year), but if you came into the UK you have easy access to the mainland via the bike-friendly channel tunnel, too.
captmorgan
Banned
Hey, Ive got a question Im looking at purchasing a 250R Ninja as a beginners bike. I was looking at used but the best Ive been able to find is a 09 with 200km for $3250 but since the 300 have come out the dealership seems to be getting rid of 12 for 3900 (only red) Would it be a better idea to wait and see what comes up for sale or grab a new one?
Or say screw it pay the extra 1500 and get a 300? lol
Or say screw it pay the extra 1500 and get a 300? lol
QualityPixel
Banned
You can get what ever you want, but keep in mind most people don't stay with their first bike for very long (especially if they get a 250). Sport bike GAF usually says to get a beater for your first bike, and that Ninjas usually hold their value very well.
I'm not one to talk about sport bikes, I just got my Kawasaki Versys on a whim (and it was a smoking good deal), and I was looking at bikes from the HD Sportster to the Suzuki V-Strom.
This is my quote from the last page:
Also, I wouldn't buy new if that's what you're planning. You may very well drop your bike and it'd be a lot less pain to bear if it was used.
Charlie McCarthy
Member
Buy a cheap trailbike, at least that way you can learn off road and by the time you get your road bike, you won't have to "learn" while dealing with the hazards of the road.
QualityPixel
Banned
I felt I should take a photo of all my bikes together before I sold the Shadow. My new-to-me 2009 Kawasaki Versys, 2002 Yamaha TTR250, 1993 Honda Shadow VLX600 (which I accidentally left the side cover off of when I charged the battery). The Versys needs a good wash from when I took it off road to see what it could do it with me riding it.
Another from the UK here. With this talk of riding in the rain, can anyone recommend some fairly cheap waterproof trousers?
Not been riding long and it's the one piece of kit I really need as at the moment I'm either taking spare clothes to change if I know I'm going to get soaked, or I just use the car instead.
Not been riding long and it's the one piece of kit I really need as at the moment I'm either taking spare clothes to change if I know I'm going to get soaked, or I just use the car instead.
captmorgan
Banned
Another thing I was wondering is where do you guys store your bikes?
2 Years ago I built a 10 by 8 by 11 feet high shed in the back yard (falls just under "needs permit")
Since it didn`t end up holding much more than a push mower, some tires and a 18speed bike, I`m looking at modifying it to be the new bikes home. I`m going to tear down the front wall and put in a barn type sliding door to make for easy entry.
2 Years ago I built a 10 by 8 by 11 feet high shed in the back yard (falls just under "needs permit")
Since it didn`t end up holding much more than a push mower, some tires and a 18speed bike, I`m looking at modifying it to be the new bikes home. I`m going to tear down the front wall and put in a barn type sliding door to make for easy entry.
captmorgan
Banned
I`ve been looking a for a good used bike, but everything I found wanted the same price as new. (new as in last year)
I found a 09 with 250k they wanted $3300 or I can get a 2012 with 1km on it for $3600
Thanks, the Hein Gerick shelltex ones look good and not overly pricey so I may go for those.
you know, I spoke to someone at Chuckwalla when I was there on Monday. We started talking about our first bikes (my current one actually, his was a 600cc) and the whole idea of "everyone drops their first bike"...I'm a year in and I haven't dropped mine (came close once though at a gas station lol) and he's been riding for 8 years and has never dropped his bike. Where does this whole thing about everyone dropping their first bike comes from? Fair to say, I know more riders who have never dropped their bike than ones that have.
I would go as far as to say 50% of first time riders drop their bike in some form or another.
For me, I've been down on a bike once and literally dropped my own bike once. First one was when I was practicing on my friend's Virago 250 in a parking lot and my niece ran in front of the bike so I grabbed front brake = down. Dropping my own bike was when I was in my garage, putting it on the center stand without it being perfectly centered. Bike fell over, minor ding on the bar end mirror.
RapidCancel
Member
One day, when I finally have more PTO, I'll get around to doing it. But as for Isle of Man TT, it's pretty high up my list. I won't be able to go this year either, but hopefully the next few years I'll finally be able to.
I think it mostly comes from the fact that when everyone starts riding, you're pretty new and might not react the way you should when something sudden happens on the street, causing you to lock up you tires and spill or even just lose your balance. Experience definitely helps.
thesoapster
Member
Just quite common I guess. As mentioned I never dropped my first bike. My second bike, which was much nicer, I dropped when I was leaving work. I always rode it down a small grassy hill when leaving. Well, I didn't remember that we had just had a bunch of snow melt from the warm weather. Pure mud. Down it went. Very humiliating. That was the bike I wound up getting hit on towards the end of the year. My R1 has been knocked over, high sided, and I put it up on a stand that required a super level surface on a not-so-level surface. In that last occurrence, it had no side fairings on it and fresh sliders all over, so nothing happened. Was still quite pissed. I was amazed at how easy it is to pick it up using the right technique...it felt like it weighs nothing.
Drinky Crow
Banned
*shrug* i dropped my second bike thrice (frame sliders stopped all damage in each case, also i lowered the bike down): once one-handing it off a pitbull stand like i was fuckin' vin diesel, once when i tried to park in a seriously sloping lot and grabbed some front brake, and once when my foot slipped on moss pulling out on our downhill driveway. never dropped the cbr250 or the scoot, but they weigh 330ish pounds -- i could catch all my stupid front brake grabs. (there were at LEAST five "i meant to do that lol" lurches that woulda dropped a bigger, top-heavier bike.) drops teach you, but i find it hard to believe that someone starts out with the perfect common sense good bike ownership and riding requires. more like: they haven't spent much time in situations that are the riskiest for drops.
if you have a lot of flat, good concrete/asphalt, well, yay for you. you may never drop it unless you get REAL stupid. on the other hand, do a lot of hill commute stop/go (i.e. downtown seattle), parade speeds and/or parking lot dances on a 500+ pound bike, and your chances of a drop increase exponentially, especially at the point in your career when you suck. nowadays i know to play the friction zone and rear brake almost exclusively in slow, tight maneuvering situations and i don't feel like a drop is possible for me unless i get stupid, but it took me three years to get there. the alternative explanation is that i suck -- which i shan't deny -- but i can cruise through any bike lot here and play SPOT THE DROP DAMAGE on the starter bikes.
if you have a lot of flat, good concrete/asphalt, well, yay for you. you may never drop it unless you get REAL stupid. on the other hand, do a lot of hill commute stop/go (i.e. downtown seattle), parade speeds and/or parking lot dances on a 500+ pound bike, and your chances of a drop increase exponentially, especially at the point in your career when you suck. nowadays i know to play the friction zone and rear brake almost exclusively in slow, tight maneuvering situations and i don't feel like a drop is possible for me unless i get stupid, but it took me three years to get there. the alternative explanation is that i suck -- which i shan't deny -- but i can cruise through any bike lot here and play SPOT THE DROP DAMAGE on the starter bikes.
Drinky Crow
Banned
and since we're confessin' previous and current n00bery, i tried to hit the bothell-everett highway twisties at nearly 80 on the scooter because i was pissed at a coworker and wanted to take it out, was getting a hilarious lean on and OH GOD TARGET FIXATION AHHHHHH. managed to feather the rear brake but a dude on a hog rollin' from the opposite direction say me cross the fogline and was TOTALLY smh. SO EMBARASSED, hadn't done that in ages. i do NOT appreciate n00b moments
I've dropped bikes a few times, the worse moment was on my old DRZ400 trail bike. It had a stupidly tall seat (about 90cm if I remember right) so if id parked it somewhere tricky I had to jump a bit to get on. Anyhoo on one particular occasion I cocked it up and basically roundhouse kicked my bike to the ground in front of a crowd of people, yeah... not my best moment.
It's a learning experience and I always stuck it next to a kerb after that so I could get my short arse on the thing
It's a learning experience and I always stuck it next to a kerb after that so I could get my short arse on the thing
jadedm17
Member
That is a beautiful bike.
Buffalo's currently snowing today for some reason. Thought I'd share.
Yea, great experience, and Ninja 250s are so popular youll get back what you paid, if not more.
Jim E. Rossler
Banned
Don't buy a Volar Motorsports Chain (Seen Here)
Had it only for a few thousand miles and it was just a piece of crap all around
Ruined my front and rear sprockets, all because I had only 1 job back then and was trying to cut costs
I've got a nice RK chain on with new sprockets, runs like a new bike again
Had it only for a few thousand miles and it was just a piece of crap all around
Ruined my front and rear sprockets, all because I had only 1 job back then and was trying to cut costs
I've got a nice RK chain on with new sprockets, runs like a new bike again
Good choice. I've always gone with RK chains. Never had any issues so far with them.
I'm using a DID chain/sprocket set on the Triumph, put it on just before I did my France tour and still looks new.
However, check back in a few years before I can tell you it lasts! Still going strong after 4500 miles though, no adjustment needed, though I'm pretty anal about keeping it clean.
Thank god for the shaft drive on the Honda, so much easier...
However, check back in a few years before I can tell you it lasts! Still going strong after 4500 miles though, no adjustment needed, though I'm pretty anal about keeping it clean.
Thank god for the shaft drive on the Honda, so much easier...
I replaced the chain on my GS500 with an EK chain, but a big part of that was their master link that doesn't need any special tools (I don't know if other brands have something similar). It's going pretty good after 500 miles as expected, but anything is better than the old chain. That stupid thing was so filthy.
Have always used DID chains, I got 13000 miles out of the last one
RapidCancel
Member
^ I've run them on all my bikes since I dropped my first one without them. They def do the job in protecting your plastics and can mean a difference between scratches and cracks. I think they're all about the same no matter the manufacturer, just look out for the cut and no cut ones if you don't want to cut your fairings just to use them.
Anyone have experience with a 520 chain conversion? Looking to run one on my zx10.
Anyone have experience with a 520 chain conversion? Looking to run one on my zx10.
thesoapster
Member
Got Driven sprockets and EK chain going on my R1 this weekend. OEM chain and sprockets have ~22,000 miles on them. Not bad, but must change. When adjusted at the tightest point to 1", the loosest point is over 2". Probably should have changed it a little sooner...haha. I did keep it clean and lubed, though. Adjusted by feel - shifting starts feeling sloppier as it loosens up. New parts are 520 instead of 530, but the one I got is supposed to be damn strong compared to other 520s and even a few 530s.
Not sure I remember your bike, but you've probably heard a bit of debate over having cut sliders and bracket ones. I've had both, only tested the cut. Cut meaning you have to have part of your side fairings cut to use the main mount points for the engine, which are the strongest on the frame. If you have a naked bike or one with fairing that doesn't cover the bolt, this is a no-brainer...just get this style. Brackets can be fine. I have them now since I got my second set of side fairings. You just have to get good ones. R&G, Motovation, and Woodcraft are brands that come to mind when looking for a set of sliders. Look for the delrin plastic type sliders - these will grind down in a lowside and encourage your bike to stop. Do NOT get metal or carbon fiber type sliders as these are not going to grind down nicely, and have the high chance of catching and causing the bike to tumble, greatly increasing the potential for damage.
Not sure I remember your bike, but you've probably heard a bit of debate over having cut sliders and bracket ones. I've had both, only tested the cut. Cut meaning you have to have part of your side fairings cut to use the main mount points for the engine, which are the strongest on the frame. If you have a naked bike or one with fairing that doesn't cover the bolt, this is a no-brainer...just get this style. Brackets can be fine. I have them now since I got my second set of side fairings. You just have to get good ones. R&G, Motovation, and Woodcraft are brands that come to mind when looking for a set of sliders. Look for the delrin plastic type sliders - these will grind down in a lowside and encourage your bike to stop. Do NOT get metal or carbon fiber type sliders as these are not going to grind down nicely, and have the high chance of catching and causing the bike to tumble, greatly increasing the potential for damage.
Foxtastical
Member
Fuck, that X1 Lightning is beautiful. Nice.