• 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!

Dougald

Member
It sounds a bit too good to be true but it really works. Just spray it on and apply with a rag. Reapply if you wash the bike. I've ridden through many a wet British winter with salt-covered roads and its never let me down
 

OraleeWey

Member
It sounds a bit too good to be true but it really works. Just spray it on and apply with a rag. Reapply if you wash the bike. I've ridden through many a wet British winter with salt-covered roads and its never let me down
Do you also use it on the swingarm and stuff? I might have to use it on the pannier racks as well because the paint scratched off from removing the panniers repeatedly. They're not rusty now, but good for preventing rust. I guess it doesn't hurt to use it anyway.
 
Might be worth to test that bottle full of water to see if it stays there. I know cableties are good but somtimes they can just slip and the bottle does not have anything from sliding down. When I did my long trip I carried the fuel behind me on the seat but only fill up then I think I am going to need it for a leg. I never rode it filled when I dont need it.
 

SatansReverence

Hipster Princess
Update from my incident a few weeks back.

Finally out of the cast. Walking is, difficult, at the moment but that is to be expected. Finally scratched that itch!

The bike is still waiting for overnight parts from Japan 3 weeks later but I don't think I'm quite ready to hop on yet anyway.

I asked the shop if they still had the Yamaha injection diagnostics tool so they could adjust the idle mixture on the notoriously lean WR but they just kept saying put lower quality fuel in it SMH!
 

MutFox

Banned
Been taking the bike to work everyday since getting back from Japan. :p
It gets quite hot in all the leather, even with the vents though... :|
Especially if there's some bad traffic...
(Was stuck in traffic for over an hour the other day, and it was like 30c outside)

A lot of steep hills too, so it's good clutch practice.
Really loving the FZ-07 so far... :p
 

Dougald

Member
Update from my incident a few weeks back.

Finally out of the cast. Walking is, difficult, at the moment but that is to be expected. Finally scratched that itch!

The bike is still waiting for overnight parts from Japan 3 weeks later but I don't think I'm quite ready to hop on yet anyway.

I asked the shop if they still had the Yamaha injection diagnostics tool so they could adjust the idle mixture on the notoriously lean WR but they just kept saying put lower quality fuel in it SMH!

Glad to hear you are on the mend, I hope the bike is fixed before you are!
 

OraleeWey

Member
Might be worth to test that bottle full of water to see if it stays there. I know cableties are good but somtimes they can just slip and the bottle does not have anything from sliding down. When I did my long trip I carried the fuel behind me on the seat but only fill up then I think I am going to need it for a leg. I never rode it filled when I dont need it.

I woke up early yesterday and went for a nice little ride. It was my only day off for the week so I took advantage. I manged to see your post before my ride though. Fuel [water] bottle held up nicely. Not surprising really, it's being held on by four zipties. I'm probably going to get some black ones though. Just so they're less obvious. I would have gone out a lot further out but I had to get back to civilization because I had a meeting.

Anyway, I believe it was you a while back who posted a video of you leaving the camera and coming back with your bike? Sorry if I'm not remembering who it was... So anyway, ever since I've seen that video, I've wanted to try it out too. So here's my version. It's nothing interesting really. Just me going away from the camera and coming back to it.

https://streamable.com/mjgyc
 

Dougald

Member
Buy a thumper you mean?

Do a drive-by video!

Actually my thoughts on next bike have been consumed by the Africa Twin of late... I need to get on a test ride. I still absolutely love the Monster to bits, but it would be nice to have a bike that's more capable of doing a long tour. I'll see how my wife feels after our day run to Belgium.
 

OraleeWey

Member
Such a peaceful scene :D



Buy a thumper you mean?
Yeah, I like the ambient noise!

Do a drive-by video!

Actually my thoughts on next bike have been consumed by the Africa Twin of late... I need to get on a test ride. I still absolutely love the Monster to bits, but it would be nice to have a bike that's more capable of doing a long tour. I'll see how my wife feels after our day run to Belgium.

Are you asking him or me to do that drive by?

An Africa Twin would be AWESOME!
 

OraleeWey

Member
I mean I should do one with the Monster!

I am in love with that white/tricolour Africa Twin with the gold wheels. Gorgeous.

Ooh I see. I thought you meant you want a single cylinder as well.

Do the drive-by if you can!

If you're going to get an AT, look into the dealer installing a 12v power socket for you, I have heard it can be a little difficult.



Edit: Hmmm... A Honda Goldwing with a roof.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BV_Yfa7jwRK/
 

Dougald

Member
Great minds think alike, I just watched that RCR video over breakfast. His description of Harley was hilarious. I don't think any bike video he did will ever top the Hayabusa one for me though. My Missus still refers to them as Haya-BRO-sas

I dug out my motorcycle tankbag for the map pocket yesterday. All I need to do is trim down a GB sticker to fit on the back of the Ducati and I'll be ready for my little jaunt to Belgium next week.
 

OraleeWey

Member
LOL! At 7:02

"And they get away with anything. Punch your wife, disown your gay son and ride off into the sunset. Flanked by soldiers and politicians saluting you with stars in their eyes and bulges in their pants."

Same guy also did a review for the Ulysses actually:

https://youtu.be/gU1NJWbzJpA

It's pretty fucking great.

Damn, he starts that review off harshly.

I like his R6 video, that's the video I seen of his that put into perspective how fast fast bikes can be.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BglzNAML78M
 

Dougald

Member
I enjoyed his thoughts on the UK from an American car enthusiasts perspective, too

Just a pity our Insurance system is so fucking awful that he wasn't able to drive anywhere but an airfield or private road
 
I grew up where he's located so it's a little weird watching some of the locales in these videos, and the references. But yes, very good stuff.
 

OraleeWey

Member
Yeah, though he explains what he means by that shortly after.

Yeah, he does, I saw the video shortly after I posted


Edit: So I looked into what he said just a little further. Seems like Erik Buell wanted to make something great but HD screwed him over by restricting him to using a different motor than Erik Buell wanted and Buell were losing money. Is that about right?
 
Edit: So I looked into what he said just a little further. Seems like Erik Buell wanted to make something great but HD screwed him over by restricting him to using a different motor than Erik Buell wanted and Buell were losing money. Is that about right?


I'll see if I can find the full story somewhere.
 

Dougald

Member
The killing of Buell by Harley Davidson just to look like they were doing something during the credit crunch was just awful
 
Yeah, he does, I saw the video shortly after I posted


Edit: So I looked into what he said just a little further. Seems like Erik Buell wanted to make something great but HD screwed him over by restricting him to using a different motor than Erik Buell wanted and Buell were losing money. Is that about right?

The killing of Buell by Harley Davidson just to look like they were doing something during the credit crunch was just awful


Yeah, the injustice of that was awful.

Here's a small overview of the story on Jalopnik:

http://lanesplitter.jalopnik.com/one-man-s-imperfect-quest-to-build-sportbikes-in-americ-1704285665

And I'm not sure whether this link works, but here's Cycle World's take on the matter:

https://books.google.nl/books?id=az...fzAN#v=onepage&q=harley porsche buell&f=false

What's also interesting is the VROD engine started as a joint project by Porsche and Buell for use in their first liquid cooled sportsbike, as that project started coming along nicely, Harley decided it was their engine and messed it up so much that it was no longer useable in a sportsbike.

Damn :-/
 

OraleeWey

Member
Yeah, the injustice of that was awful.

Here's a small overview of the story on Jalopnik:

http://lanesplitter.jalopnik.com/one-man-s-imperfect-quest-to-build-sportbikes-in-americ-1704285665

And I'm not sure whether this link works, but here's Cycle World's take on the matter:

https://books.google.nl/books?id=az...fzAN#v=onepage&q=harley porsche buell&f=false

What's also interesting is the VROD engine started as a joint project by Porsche and Buell for use in their first liquid cooled sportsbike, as that project started coming along nicely, Harley decided it was their engine and messed it up so much that it was no longer useable in a sportsbike.

Damn :-/

I read the first link. It leaves me with some questions but I kinda get it now.
Looks like the new HD CEO singlehandedly fucked him over.

Anyway, I don't know about "boring" but the Buell Blast doesn't look all that "ugly" to me.
OvnVret.jpg

When I saw it, it reminded me of the Kawasaki Vulcan


The article mentions he might be back. That article was written in 2015. Hopefully he can make a comeback. It has only been 2 years.
 
I read the first link. It leaves me with some questions but I kinda get it now.
Looks like the new HD CEO singlehandedly fucked him over.

Anyway, I don't know about "boring" but the Buell Blast doesn't look all that "ugly" to me.

Yup, Blast is cool. Nothing wrong with that as a starter bike. It seemed odd to me that Buell needed to make a big show about (literally) crushing a Blast. I never thought that bike could have done as much damage to their image as they thought it did.

Buells being sold by Harley sales people who didn't give two shits about Buell or his ideas probably was infinitely more damaging.

The article mentions he might be back. That article was written in 2015. Hopefully he can make a comeback. It has only been 2 years.

Yeah, like Doug said, EBR has already started up - and gone under again a further two times. I'm still hoping he gets another shot at something, but it's unlikely he'll find an investor that has both the capital required for such a venture and the level of understanding/passion needed to make such a long term commitment work.
 

OraleeWey

Member
Yup, Blast is cool. Nothing wrong with that as a starter bike. It seemed odd to me that Buell needed to make a big show about (literally) crushing a Blast. I never thought that bike could have done as much damage to their image as they thought it did.

Buells being sold by Harley sales people who didn't give two shits about Buell or his ideas probably was infinitely more damaging.



Yeah, like Doug said, EBR has already started up - and gone under again a further two times. I'm still hoping he gets another shot at something, but it's unlikely he'll find an investor that has both the capital required for such a venture and the level of understanding/passion needed to make such a long term commitment work.

You're talking about this video?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDsu93esQMc

I kinda feel sorry for the guy now. It seems like he had no control over what he wanted to do. I feel like he should have gone to the Japanese market instead. Probably would have been better off today.
 

Dougald

Member
It's testament to the practicality of Ducatis that I just spent an hour trying to tetris the factory 'tool kit', a multi tool and a dyna plug kit under my seat. Ended up with just the toolkit and half the plug kit
 

Ocho

Member
Hey guys, I know probably this has been asked A LOT of times, but I'm starting to consider getting a bike for my commute travel. It's cheaper than buying a car, I don't need to travel much, I can use it to travel to relatively close places, and I love the look of bikes, but I have never ride one before.

Do you guys recommend I look for classes before I start looking for one seriously? I live in CA. Do dealerships offer some advice for this? I also need the driver's permit.

I'm also kinda lost on what bike I would get. My budget would be around 5-6k, I'd prefer something that could eventually ride in freeways. I prefer the upright, city bikes. I've been looking at some options, but perhaps you guys have better recommendation for a first bike?
 

Dougald

Member
I'm going to say the same thing I say to every American that asks: get proper classes, the MSF seems to be the thing to do over there

If you want something upright and highway capable while still being beginner-friendly, I don't think you can really go wrong with the FZ-07, if its in your budget. I think new its about $7k so you could probably find something lightly-used in your range

cwbhuZ3.jpg


There's also the new Suzuki SV650 which looks pretty sweet too, if a bit more traditional in style.
 

OraleeWey

Member
Hey guys, I know probably this has been asked A LOT of times, but I'm starting to consider getting a bike for my commute travel. It's cheaper than buying a car, I don't need to travel much, I can use it to travel to relatively close places, and I love the look of bikes, but I have never ride one before.

Do you guys recommend I look for classes before I start looking for one seriously? I live in CA. Do dealerships offer some advice for this? I also need the driver's permit.

I'm also kinda lost on what bike I would get. My budget would be around 5-6k, I'd prefer something that could eventually ride in freeways. I prefer the upright, city bikes. I've been looking at some options, but perhaps you guys have better recommendation for a first bike?

Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) Basic Riders Course (BRC). Definitely a must. They'll teach you how to properly ride.

What motorcycles were you looking at?
 

Ocho

Member
Thanks for the advice, I'll definitely look for lessons now.

I literally googled 'best bikes 2017' and I initially was captivated by this one:

VanVan 200

I like the style and the price, felt it was a good $ for a first purchase. However I then found out it won't do in freeways, so it would still work for what I really want it (commute, I don't take freeways), but what if I want to eventually travel more?

Another option on the list was this:

BMW g310r

Seems like a better option, but I'm still not sure if it's freeway capable. I still like the style and the prices is still decent. I like BMW, the brand.

Dougald's two options are really good, and even though they're more expensive, I'm willing to explore those two options. I'd say I like Suzuki's SV650 design more than Yamaha's, but I'm liking both choices. I feel I need to see both live to figure out which one I like the most. Maybe look into some financing for one of these.
 

Dougald

Member
That G310R is a great looking bike. Yamaha actually make an FZ-03 which is in the same class which is a lot cheaper than the 07. I'm not sure if its available in the US, though....

If you like the VanVan (and it's awesome), you might be able to bag a used Ducati scrambler which is the most similar looking bike I can think of... but be prepared to pay the Ducati premium.

Or there's always the old American learner bike standby, the good old Ninja 300.
 

OraleeWey

Member
That G310R is a great looking bike. Yamaha actually make an FZ-03 which is in the same class which is a lot cheaper than the 07. I'm not sure if its available in the US, though....

If you like the VanVan (and it's awesome), you might be able to bag a used Ducati scrambler which is the most similar looking bike I can think of... but be prepared to pay the Ducati premium.

Or there's always the old American learner bike standby, the good old Ninja 300.

Honestly, I think he will be fine with a KLR650 :)

It meets ALL his requirements.
Upright - check
Highway capable - check
Learner bike - check
Cheap - check
Reliable - check
Taking it off road in California - check
Lane splitting - check
 

OraleeWey

Member
The Ducati Scrambler is beautiful.

Not into the 'racer' Ninja 300 style. KLR650 seems like another good choice!

You've got no idea the things I would do in California with a KLR. California is basically made for the KLR650. I think you should start on a 650. It sits right in the middle where you won't want to upgrade after you get "bored" and you might keep it for a long time to come.

Can't go wrong with a DRZ400SM, KLR650, Kawasaki Versys 650 (basically a Ninja 650 but upright and long suspension travel), Suzuki SV650, Suzuki V Strom 650, FZ-07...
 
Used SV650, like 2.5k in good condition, built like tanks. Commuted on my 03 today. Think it's time to replace the tacky Two Brothers exhaust on it with a nice Yoshimura.
 

OraleeWey

Member

Ocho

Member
Good suggestion guys! I'm gonna be taking lessons soon.

Do you guys think the BMW G310R can do freeways? In case I decide not to spend over 5k.
 

Dougald

Member
It definitely can, it just won't have the poke of a bigger bike. It was designed with the European A2 class license in mind, which is essentially for less experienced riders who will be on a variety of roads. If someone gave me one I'd happily ride it across Europe

Don't get too bogged down by CC ratings, a Yamaha R6 would near enough kill an inexperienced rider, whereas a KLR is just a bit heavy - despite being 50cc 'more', the engines are totally different

You could always look at older bikes like a Suzuki GS500 or Honda CB600. Both fine choices. Or the newer Honda CB500F (if it's available in the US)

In the end pick whatever makes you happy when you look at it and sit on it. That's the point at the end of the day...

So, I went for another little ride. I just picked a direction and went for it. In total it was like 300 miles. The seat just isn't comfortable! Damn, I have to stop every now and then to stretch. I managed to get another drive by!
Here it is - https://streamable.com/7ohbb -- Like last time, nothing special. Anyway, for you non Americans, so you don't believe we are lying when we tell you, "people open carry guns on their hips while they ride motorcycles".

I see safety gear has a whole new meaning over there.. damn 300 miles seems a long way! Though my route next week will take me 500
 

OraleeWey

Member
It definitely can, it just won't have the poke of a bigger bike. It was designed with the European A2 class license in mind, which is essentially for less experienced riders who will be on a variety of roads. If someone gave me one I'd happily ride it across Europe

Don't get too bogged down by CC ratings, a Yamaha R6 would near enough kill an inexperienced rider, whereas a KLR is just a bit heavy - despite being 50cc 'more', the engines are totally different

You could always look at older bikes like a Suzuki GS500 or Honda CB600. Both fine choices. Or the newer Honda CB500F (if it's available in the US)

In the end pick whatever makes you happy when you look at it and sit on it. That's the point at the end of the day...



I see safety gear has a whole new meaning over there.. damn 300 miles seems a long way! Though my route next week will take me 500

I hope you can find a way to make that comfortable. That's going to be brutal!


I have been thinking about going to South Carolina to watch the Total Solar Eclipse. I'd be going from the DC area down to South Carolina.


It's about 500 miles or so one way. Depending on where I'd want to go.

But.. I'd have to take one day off from work and I don't know anyone else that wants to go...
 
Top Bottom