The General Motorbikers Discussion Thread

[Spectre]

Did they remember to put the steering stabilizers on them this time?

[Karoug]

^A real biker don't need that shit.. But yea.. They had stabilizers on them..

[Spectre]

Found this on another forum, regarding why Harley owners don't wave:

[hansvonaxion]

Ouch. Any more info? Those bars aren't just there to protect the bike I'm guessing, I wouldn't want that much weight coming down on my leg.

[Spectre]

No additional info.

Those are actually what are referred to as crash bars. They're supposed to protect the bike in a crash, but many people fit footpegs to them (as this guy did) so they can ride with their legs sprawled out.

There are a few problems with "crash bars" or "crash hoops", chief among which is the fact that if you did fit external footpegs and are using them when the bike goes over, your foot comes off. Then there's the issue of what happens when the bar or hoop catches on a pavement irregularity while sliding - the bike will flip in the air and you'll have a cartwheeling bike instead of a sliding one. And then there's the whole "loss of manueverablility" (and the "compensating for a small penis") issue if you fit large hoops. {/clarkson}

[BlaRo]

Heh, I was thinking of finding some old crash bars from a boneyard to protect my paintwork. My footpegs are still in their stock positions.

[Spectre]

On an SOHC/4, the ends of the engine stick out so far that bars are almost pointless. I advise trying to find a set of case guards like this instead:

[hansvonaxion]

Just noticed the footpegs. I guess you need them when your testes are the size of grapefruit!

You could almost face them inward and sit your feet inside the crash bars, not that that would be any safer. When riding long distances you do tend to want to move your legs around. I sometimes hooked my feet over the rear footpegs or folded them in front of me on the tank Yoga style (nah, not really). It isn't that dangerous when the road is straight for as far as you can see and you'll go hours without seeing a car.

[Karoug]

And the Harley rider had very little protective gear.. That crash had to hurt..

[Bugatti's Aftershave]

Long story short, I'm moving to Australia. Any Ozzies care to disclose a little about the bikes available down under? There are different Yamahas available from the Australian site as compared to the Canadian one. But I'm mostly interested in getting a cheap/old beater. I also heard that the helmet standards might be different? I've got a motoX helmet; is that good enough in the land of Oz? Cheers.

[Redliner]

Those pictures are a fail poster waiting to happen...

[hansvonaxion]

Originally Posted by Bugatti's Aftershave

Long story short, I'm moving to Australia. Any Ozzies care to disclose a little about the bikes available down under? There are different Yamahas available from the Australian site as compared to the Canadian one. But I'm mostly interested in getting a cheap/old beater. I also heard that the helmet standards might be different? I've got a motoX helmet; is that good enough in the land of Oz? Cheers.

You'll probably get less for your money, bikes really tend to hold their value (especially 250's). It will depend a little on where you're going though.

Check these sites to see what's around...

Bikepoint

Trading Post

And helmets are supposed to have the ASA (Australian Standards Association??) sticker on them but it would take a pretty pedantic cop to check for it. Bikie gangs get away with whatever, I think a not from your doctor can get you out of wearing a helmet at all.

[Bugatti's Aftershave]

Many thanks. Wow, bikes are not cheap there...

[Bubs360]

New bike! Here's a teaser for now to make a few guesses. More pics to come later.

[Spectre]

Kawasaki H2 750 or H1 500/Mach III? More likely the H2 750 "Widowmaker", though.

[Bubs360]

Originally Posted by Spectre

Kawasaki H2 750 or H1 500/Mach III? More likely the H2 750 "Widowmaker", though.

It's an H1 500! This one is so quick that I would be just be scared to ride the 750.

[tigger]

Originally Posted by Bubs360

It's an H1 500! This one is so quick that I would be just be scared to ride the 750.

Is that a two-stroke? Do want .

[Bubs360]

You are right, my friend! Two stroke triple. The carbs aren't quite synced yet, so it isn't at it's full power, but it will still lift up after five thousand in second and third easily. My dad owned one in high school, a '76 KH400, and had so many stories to tell that him and I went halves on this beast. I have quite a bit of riding experience so the 500 is different, but nothing too challenging. That 750 "Widowmaker" "Muscle Car Killer" "Beast from the East", on the other hand, must really live up to it's name if the 500 is this quick. This particular 500 has different gearing for drag racing, and it's all-up shifting. Or, we can reverse the linkage and make it all-down for some speed-shifting like my dad used to. xD

[Spectre]

Be careful. There's a reason that most of the H-series two strokes aren't with us any more; they had horrible handling and worse brakes. Their handling envelopes have so many holes that it might as well be Swiss cheese. Be very, very, very careful with that thing.

[Bubs360]

Originally Posted by Spectre

Be careful. There's a reason that most of the H-series two strokes aren't with us any more; they had horrible handling and worse brakes. Their handling envelopes have so many holes that it might as well be Swiss cheese. Be very, very, very careful with that thing.

I appreciate the advice. My dad rides pretty fast, but he knows the limits. I am under 20 and, in my state, any violation leads to a loss of license. If a cop felt up to it, he could clock me doing one over and have it taken away. So, I can barely go fast enough to keep from fouling the plugs.