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[MoGamesXNA]

It's good to see that the damage wasn't anything too major. I'd be breaking out a box of tissues if my bike's carbon fiber got all scratched up

Antimatter: Definitely post some pics when you get the time, I'm keen to check it out



Edit... Just a thought, what's everyone's fave/dream bikes? I've been watching some YouTube high speed runs and have come to the conclusion that some people are nuts . They're brilliant to watch though.

If Father Christmas came early this year, I'd be putting in a request for a 2011 Triumph Thunderbird and a Kawasaki ZX-10R.

 

[thesoapster]

Edit... Just a thought, what's everyone's fave/dream bikes? I've been watching some YouTube high speed runs and have come to the conclusion that some people are nuts . They're brilliant to watch though.

If Father Christmas came early this year, I'd be putting in a request for a 2011 Triumph Thunderbird and a Kawasaki ZX-10R.

A Ducati Desmosedici would be nice if we're talking about bikes actually sold. I also really like the Erik Buell Racing 1190RS...it's what he wanted to build but Harley wouldn't let him.

If I could have just anything as in my total dream...probably right now the 1000cc spec 2012 Yamaha YZR-M1 (though I would need a train full of cash to buy one...nevermind they're not for sale and that it wouldn't last a season before blowing up on me or something haha).

 

[CFMOORE!]

question about buying a new bike. what kind of haggling can be done with a dealer on something like a bike as opposed to a car? i know cash is king, so say i could pay half or all in cash, can dealers sweeten deals?

 

[thesoapster]

question about buying a new bike. what kind of haggling can be done with a dealer on something like a bike as opposed to a car? i know cash is king, so say i could pay half or all in cash, can dealers sweeten deals?

Mine did for payment up front. I would shop around, too. That can tend to motivate a dealer into lowering their price for you. It helps to get interested in one, talk to sales, come back, talk more, then if they see hesitation they'll want to hold onto you. I wouldn't just walk into a place and try to get a lower price immediately.

 

[CFMOORE!]

Mine did for payment up front. I would shop around, too. That can tend to motivate a dealer into lowering their price for you. It helps to get interested in one, talk to sales, come back, talk more, then if they see hesitation they'll want to hold onto you. I wouldn't just walk into a place and try to get a lower price immediately.

cool, good food for thought. i went to one triumph dealer here in the south bay but there's at least another one within about 10 or so miles. i'll go strike up some interest there too and see how they feel. At the first one I went to the guy was pretty helpful and really nice about answering my noobish questions. I sort of got the impression that he might be willing to play ball if I work with him. Once I complete my MSF course next week I'll head back in to talk shop with him about my experience with the course.

thanks as always with your wise info.

 

[thesoapster]

I'm assuming this would be your first bike? Which model are you looking at from Triumph?

 

[MoGamesXNA]

Soapster: The Erik Buell Racing 1190RS looks beast.

Has anyone on here got experience on installing their own modified exhausts? I was looking at a Vance and Hines custom exhaust for the V-Star I'm planning on getting. It looks relatively simple to install

 

[CFMOORE!]

I'm assuming this would be your first bike? Which model are you looking at from Triumph?

yep, first and a thruxton.

 

[RapidCancel]

Finished up my 4th track day yesterday...and all I can say is yeAHHHhhhh!!!!

Knee dragged for the first time =]
Plus a bag of Doritos.

 

[thesoapster]

Soapster: The Erik Buell Racing 1190RS looks beast.

Has anyone on here got experience on installing their own modified exhausts? I was looking at a Vance and Hines custom exhaust for the V-Star I'm planning on getting. It looks relatively simple to install

I'm assuming the exhaust would be a full system? I have not done a full, but numerous slip on systems. Most sportbike (which is not your V-Star, I know) pipes are essentially just shoved together and then a hose clamp is tightened at the connecting point. If you browse forums that are specific to your motorcycle there is a decent chance someone has done it before and has pictures/instructions (that is if the manufacturer's instructions are not helpful).

yep, first and a thruxton.

Hm. Less power than the SV650, which is a class often picked as a first ride. If it's comfortable to you and you have taken MSF, just make sure to take it easy. It's still a lot more powerful than the bikes used on the course. I always found it helpful to practice in parking lots (take off, braking, etc). If you're practicing lower speed cornering (always a good idea) it's not a bad idea to keep your feet ready should you start tipping over. Generally speaking the more you ride it the more your sense for the bike's weight/balance will improve.

Finished up my 4th track day yesterday...and all I can say is yeAHHHhhhh!!!!

Knee dragged for the first time =]
Plus a bag of Doritos.

Isn't it a great feeling? You know you're doing something that most people will never do, ever!

Is that your right side? Most people turn better left

 

[CFMOORE!]

Hm. Less power than the SV650, which is a class often picked as a first ride. If it's comfortable to you and you have taken MSF, just make sure to take it easy. It's still a lot more powerful than the bikes used on the course. I always found it helpful to practice in parking lots (take off, braking, etc). If you're practicing lower speed cornering (always a good idea) it's not a bad idea to keep your feet ready should you start tipping over. Generally speaking the more you ride it the more your sense for the bike's weight/balance will improve.

yeah, I plan on taking it easy in parking lots and stuff to get a feel for the bike

another question, i've been reading the earlier parts of this thread again and someone posted a Bell made helmet and it reminded me they make helmets and people were discussing the safety ratings of DOT and SNELL and so forth.

I found this Bell helmet line with DOT and SNELL certs and they even have a carbon fibre version (with gross graphics) and was wondering if this particular line would be recommended for good safety?

http://www.bellsports.com/powersports/helmets/street/star

I ask since I just remembered I have a line into Bell for a pretty awesome discount.

 

[East Lake]

Here's some pics MoGames, no harm in posting them even if you're going for a v-star.

First two show the size/seating position, I'm about 6ft.

Rest are just snaps from different angles.

I'll take some more artsy shots later. I went to fill up my tank a few days ago and it cost me like 7.50. 77 mpg baby.

 

[thesoapster]

Very nice looking bike.

another question, i've been reading the earlier parts of this thread again and someone posted a Bell made helmet and it reminded me they make helmets and people were discussing the safety ratings of DOT and SNELL and so forth.

I found this Bell helmet line with DOT and SNELL certs and they even have a carbon fibre version (with gross graphics) and was wondering if this particular line would be recommended for good safety?

I ask since I just remembered I have a line into Bell for a pretty awesome discount.

Helmet fit is the first thing to consider. Try it on in a shop if possible and get help. There are some really nice helmets out there that I really can't wear because of the shape of the shell (I mean I could always size up to make it fit but then there would be noticeable gaps in spots around the head).

 

[CFMOORE!]

Very nice looking bike.



Helmet fit is the first thing to consider. Try it on in a shop if possible and get help. There are some really nice helmets out there that I really can't wear because of the shape of the shell (I mean I could always size up to make it fit but then there would be noticeable gaps in spots around the head).

Provided fit is good, is Bell and in particular, something like the one I linked a solid choice since most people speak of Shoei and Arai?

 

[thesoapster]

Provided fit is good, is Bell and in particular, something like the one I linked a solid choice since most people speak of Shoei and Arai?

I have heard good things about Bell. http://www.webbikeworld.com/r2/motorcycle-helmet/bell-star/helmet-review/

The Bell Star got an exceptional rating from WebBikeWorld. Worth a look assuming it fits your noggin.

 

[CFMOORE!]

I have heard good things about Bell. http://www.webbikeworld.com/r2/motorcycle-helmet/bell-star/helmet-review/

The Bell Star got an exceptional rating from WebBikeWorld. Worth a look assuming it fits your noggin.

excellent, just read the review and watched the video. thanks for linking me to that. one thing i noticed in the review is they mention wearing ear plugs while riding as recommendation, do a lot of people do this even on casual rides? I figure might as well do it too, but just curious.

Now I gotta hope the helmet fits and my contact can still land me a sizeable discount

 

[thesoapster]

I've been riding over four years and only in the past year I'd say have I started wearing ear plugs regularly. It makes a very positive difference. My bike noise is not so much of a concern as it is just the constant wind noise. Your hearing ability gets destroyed by simply listening to noises, so why wear out your ears from constant wind noise? Even quieter helmets have too much wind noise. I know you want the Bell to work out, and I hope it does, but don't hesitate to look at other ones. The Bell is supposed to have a more neutral shape (which is more what I have...not so much round), but if you have a more rounded head you might look into Shark. They have some fine lids (...that I wish I could wear XD ).

 

[East Lake]

I wear earplugs too, the wind gets really loud over 35 mph or so. The one ride I didn't wear them my ears were ringing afterward, wasn't pleasant. I need some protective pants to complete my gear, probably some overpants or something.

 

[RapidCancel]

Isn't it a great feeling? You know you're doing something that most people will never do, ever!

Is that your right side? Most people turn better left

Yes, it was amazing! When it first happened, I had an OH SHIT moment where I thought I was about to low side. Then I realized what happened and basically had a HUGE grin on my face for the rest of the session while I did it on the other turns.

Yep, right side. I couldn't seem to touch knee on the left side yet, but that track was a right sided track moreso. The one I'll be going to in Oct is a left sided one so we'll see how that goes.

I've only been to 4 track days and been getting really addicted lately, hoping to hit up 3 different track days in October alone and grab a CMRA license sometime within a year or so too.

 

[CFMOORE!]

just got home from the in-class instruction of the MSF course. Scored a 49/50 on the test. This weekend is the instructional riding! Excited and nervous. I hope I can get the hang of it. The thought of riding that Thruxton is just too sweet.

 

[MoGamesXNA]

Awesome looking bike Antimatter. Good colour choice as well. Cheers for the pics. Once I've bought/paid off my V-Star, I'll definitely be looking at getting a street bike. Thanks to this thread, I have a new found appreciation for non-cruisers.

CFMOORE: Good luck mate, hope it all goes well

 

[donkey show]

Sup 2-Wheel GAF!

Just moved from the states to the UK and recently got my wife a CBF125 since she got her CBT.

Been messing around with it in random parking lots and I've definitely caught the bug. I'll probably get my CBT next month, but I was wondering if an R125 would be a good starter bike. Saw one at the local bike shop and I fell in love (love the R1 to begin). Any help would be appreciated!

 

[Flo_Evans]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ItlJGr0EKMc

Scouting location for hooligan video... made a few test runs and a crowd (3-4 people) started to gather and we where asked to leave. Have to find another location

Video was kinda boring so I added some EXTREME transitions

 

[RapidCancel]

just got home from the in-class instruction of the MSF course. Scored a 49/50 on the test. This weekend is the instructional riding! Excited and nervous. I hope I can get the hang of it. The thought of riding that Thruxton is just too sweet.

Awesome! Good luck and have fun!

 

[godofcookery]

whats a good website for bike related news?

 

[Azzurri]

Just bought my first one a couple days ago; Ducati Monster 796, the bike is pretty bad ass. It's a lot of fun, but you have to be 10x more aware of your surroundings. I also figured I'd get a head start on the Zombie Apocalypse, ya know.

 

[thesoapster]

whats a good website for bike related news?

Eh. There are so many different publications. I usually end up seeing them linked on one of several forums I visit. MCN is probably the most popular.

Just bought my first one a couple days ago; Ducati Monster 796, the bike is pretty bad ass. It's a lot of fun, but you have to be 10x more aware of your surroundings. I also figured I'd get a head start on the Zombie Apocalypse, ya know.

Nice! Do you have photos?

 

[godofcookery]

Just bought my first one a couple days ago; Ducati Monster 796, the bike is pretty bad ass. It's a lot of fun, but you have to be 10x more aware of your surroundings. I also figured I'd get a head start on the Zombie Apocalypse, ya know.

pictures now please!!! I really want a Ducati Diavel myself. looks so wonderful.

are they overall reliable bikes?

 

[daw840]

pictures now please!!! I really want a Ducati Diavel myself. looks so wonderful.

are they overall reliable bikes?

 

[CFMOORE!]

day one down of on the bike training. it's not as hard as i thought it would be. i had fears that i'd be terrible at shifting and letting off the clutch and giving it the right amount of gas but I am definitely getting the hang of it.

i am still cautious about a lot of stuff and worry about the bike slipping from me during our slow speed turns and stuff like that. But so far I am having fun with it and enjoying learning.

 

[RapidCancel]

day one down of on the bike training. it's not as hard as i thought it would be. i had fears that i'd be terrible at shifting and letting off the clutch and giving it the right amount of gas but I am definitely getting the hang of it.

i am still cautious about a lot of stuff and worry about the bike slipping from me during our slow speed turns and stuff like that. But so far I am having fun with it and enjoying learning.

Good to hear! Just like with anything else, the more experience you have, the easier it'll be. I find trying not to think about what I'm doing lets me do it better, could work for you too. Good luck tomorrow!

 

[thesoapster]

That is fucking classic. Current Ducatis are not the maintenance nightmares they once were, but they still use the Desmodromic (or whatever the hell) valves which require check/adjustment every 7500 miles. That's a lot compared to other bikes (my valve check is every 26.6k miles for instance), but generally speaking if you keep up the maintenance, research the model you look at some to make sure there are no persistent issues (the Diavel is brand new so there are bound to be some things to work out...little things perhaps, but still things), you will probably be fine. My R1 (a Japanese bike...and a Yamaha at that...supposedly very well made and reliable) was a brand new design for Yamaha. New chassis, engine, all that shit. Although no recall-level stuff occurred, the stock cam chain tensioner on a lot of the first year production (that mine was a part of) would rattle a lot when you started the bike up, and would sometimes make other little noises. It was replaced free of charge and all that crap, but still. It's rare for a brand new machine to come out and not have at least some issues. I think Ducati's problems on new launch are getting less severe, so that is a sign of progress

 

[godofcookery]

Heh... Well that is encouraging.

As thesoapster was saying, waiting seems like a good idea, plus, it's way too much bike for me right now anyway. Engine and price. Gives me a few years to really get a bunch out of my SV650.


All that said, Diavel by Ducati looks so awesome.

 

[thesoapster]

Heh... Well that is encouraging.

As thesoapster was saying, waiting seems like a good idea, plus, it's way too much bike for me right now anyway. Engine and price. Gives me a few years to really get a bunch out of my SV650.


All that said, Diavel by Ducati looks so awesome.

A lot of the time there are entire forums for riders of a particular bike, or at least sub-forums on main forums dedicated to talk about it. It's a pretty good resource if you can check for info put out by owners or ask them questions yourself about reliability etc.

 

[Fallout-NL]

My 620 monster never gave me any trouble.


And my 1100 neither, though it's just over a year old now.


My 998 though... did all sorts of weird stuff, never left me stranded, but it felt like it was dying most of the time. Turns out it actually was too. The dealer that I traded it in at later told me that when they opened up the engine for maintenance some bearing was about to critically fail and ruin the engine. I was very lucky to get rid of it when I did.

So as a general rule of thumb. Try to avoid the 4valved Ducatis or if you do desperately want one, get one at a certified Ducati dealer with a known maintenance history. Also, be prepared to get the valve timings checked every 5 / 6000 miles (though the newer ones have longer intervals).

 

[Fallout-NL]

Here's some quick n dirty iPhone shots of the garage. Well, my parents' garage actually.

 

[thesoapster]

I bet those Termis sound lovely

 

[Fallout-NL]

Oh yes, they do .


Snarls and hisses when you open up quickly, big bangs and pops when you let off, a rapid fire succession of explosions when you open up for longer periods of time, it's pretty magnificent.

Well worth the extra money, since it's probably about 50% of the joy just listening to the bike.

 

[Azzurri]

I haven't taken any pics, I'll get some this week and put them up. I'm going to wait to put mods until next spring, since it's getting cold now.

I do have a picture of my brother new 848 Evo though.

 

[Agent Cooper]

God, I wish I had a motorcycle.

 

[RapidCancel]

I haven't taken any pics, I'll get some this week and put them up. I'm going to wait to put mods until next spring, since it's getting cold now.

I do have a picture of my brother new 848 Evo though.

http://i56.tinypic.com/3142sea.jpg

God...I was sitting on this one yesterday at the dealer. I was soooo tempted..

God, I wish I had a motorcycle.

Never too late to get one..

 

[Agent Cooper]

Never too late to get one..

I'm not 18 yet, and I can't afford one. My grandpa doesn't want to teach me to ride one, he wants me to get a scooter.

 

[RapidCancel]

I'm not 18 yet, and I can't afford one. My grandpa doesn't want to teach me to ride one, he wants me to get a scooter.

Age limit is 18? Here in Texas I believe you can start while you're 15, but you can only ride 250's legally on the street.

Well, once you're old enough, you can make your own choices on the matter lol

 

[CFMOORE!]

day two of the MSF training course went down as an utter failure! two hours before the final "exam" during one of our exercises, something happened and I ended up in a very gnrarly crash. It could have been significantly worse but on coming traffic was at a light that had barely turned green when the bike dragged me out of the training parking lot, over a curb and hurtling into the street.

I suffered same major road rash up the left side of my body but that's about it. I slammed my head ready hard on the pavement but instantly said to myself "jesus christ, i fucking love helmets". The instructors helped patch me up and asked if I wanted to continue, I definitely wanted to so I did, but once back on the replacement bike, I had a hard time getting used to its "friction zone" and my nerves were more rattled than I thought, so they, along with myself agreed I should finish up after a week or two of rest.

I still am trying to figure out what exactly went wrong as it happened when I came to a stop at the instructor for some feedback, I was in first gear, clutch all the way in, throttle at zero, right hand on front break as I was talking to him then he instructed me to make a u-turn for some weaving exercises, so I eased off the clutch to get rolling eased the throttle to give it some gas then it shot out from me and took me about 25ft with it as I had no control, shot over two curbs, jumped the bike into the air and it and i landed in the street.

I was disappointed since all day yesterday and half the day today I was doing really well and understand how to shift, downshift, come to stops, corner, etc.

 

[Agent Cooper]

Age limit is 18? Here in Texas I believe you can start while you're 15, but you can only ride 250's legally on the street.

Well, once you're old enough, you can make your own choices on the matter lol

It's not that it's illegal for me to, it's just my mom doesn't want me to, so I figure when I turn 18 I can just... do what I want about it.

 

[MoGamesXNA]

day two of the MSF training course went down as an utter failure! two hours before the final "exam" during one of our exercises, something happened and I ended up in a very gnrarly crash. It could have been significantly worse but on coming traffic was at a light that had barely turned green when the bike dragged me out of the training parking lot, over a curb and hurtling into the street.

I suffered same major road rash up the left side of my body but that's about it. I slammed my head ready hard on the pavement but instantly said to myself "jesus christ, i fucking love helmets". The instructors helped patch me up and asked if I wanted to continue, I definitely wanted to so I did, but once back on the replacement bike, I had a hard time getting used to its "friction zone" and my nerves were more rattled than I thought, so they, along with myself agreed I should finish up after a week or two of rest.

I still am trying to figure out what exactly went wrong as it happened when I came to a stop at the instructor for some feedback, I was in first gear, clutch all the way in, throttle at zero, right hand on front break as I was talking to him then he instructed me to make a u-turn for some weaving exercises, so I eased off the clutch to get rolling eased the throttle to give it some gas then it shot out from me and took me about 25ft with it as I had no control, shot over two curbs, jumped the bike into the air and it and i landed in the street.

I was disappointed since all day yesterday and half the day today I was doing really well and understand how to shift, downshift, come to stops, corner, etc.

Far out, that's a pretty dramatic way to end your second day. It's good that your ok mate. How close was the training area to the main road? Looking on the bright side of things, it's fortunate that you had your stack in a relatively safe area with assistance close by (and on someone else's bike). I'd probably have a man-cry if I dropped my Yamaha. Have you re-booked in your second day / exam?

 

[RapidCancel]

I still am trying to figure out what exactly went wrong as it happened when I came to a stop at the instructor for some feedback, I was in first gear, clutch all the way in, throttle at zero, right hand on front break as I was talking to him then he instructed me to make a u-turn for some weaving exercises, so I eased off the clutch to get rolling eased the throttle to give it some gas then it shot out from me and took me about 25ft with it as I had no control, shot over two curbs, jumped the bike into the air and it and i landed in the street.

I was disappointed since all day yesterday and half the day today I was doing really well and understand how to shift, downshift, come to stops, corner, etc.

Sorry to hear. It sounds like you might have given too much throttle too quickly if the bike shot out from under you. Glad to know you're okay though. It's good that they'll give you time off to retake the class. Just try not to worry too much about it when you're back on the bike or it might always freak you out.

It's not that it's illegal for me to, it's just my mom doesn't want me to, so I figure when I turn 18 I can just... do what I want about it.

Ohh...gotcha. It's basically what I did to my parents when I got my license lol.

 

[CFMOORE!]

Sorry to hear. It sounds like you might have given too much throttle too quickly if the bike shot out from under you. Glad to know you're okay though. It's good that they'll give you time off to retake the class. Just try not to worry too much about it when you're back on the bike or it might always freak you out.

Far out, that's a pretty dramatic way to end your second day. It's good that your ok mate. How close was the training area to the main road? Looking on the bright side of things, it's fortunate that you had your stack in a relatively safe area with assistance close by (and on someone else's bike). I'd probably have a man-cry if I dropped my Yamaha. Have you re-booked in your second day / exam?

Thanks for the words, guys. They're scheduling me to retake it next sunday so hopefully I am up for it by then. If not, I have three months to retake. Now after experiencing that accident, I do think the course is laid out too closely to the main street though. They have it setup at the LA Forum parking lot and I ended up shooting out into Prairie as the instructor stopped us perpendicular to the street about 20 or so feet from the street.

Considering there are probably only one or two ways the accident occurred, it had to have been giving it too much throttle though I honestly can't recall being that careless about it. The next few days will be interesting as I mull over this incident and how I feel about carrying forward. I do wish I was wearing proper gear though, my road rash and shit is irritating.

 

[kylej]

If the bike starts pulling from a bit of a heavy wrist, just grab the clutch. Clutch in = no more pull. If riding is something you want to do, don't give up now.

 

[CFMOORE!]

If the bike starts pulling from a bit of a heavy wrist, just grab the clutch. Clutch in = no more pull. If riding is something you want to do, don't give up now.

apparently the instructor says he saw me grabbing to pull the clutch in but missed it before my left hand left the bike entirely while my right stayed attached to the throttle. instinctively i couldn't process that letting go was probably my next best course of action.