The General Motorbikers Discussion Thread

My guess is on the wheels.

As I looked at a CX, it was said that this style (pressed steel, right?) is a bit fragile, so they used alloys later.

Also putting my money on the wheels. Seeing as his GL had spoked rims when he got it. And then hearing about Specte's spoked wheels on his old CB750 causing a flat tire and the subsequent crash. Yeah upgrading to alloy's isn't a bad idea at all.

Also, speaking of CX's, heres a CX500 turbo I spotted at the auto-parts store the other day.

4984074534_aa67f0f12b_z.jpg
 
My guess is on the wheels.

As I looked at a CX, it was said that this style (pressed steel, right?) is a bit fragile, so they used alloys later.

Mostly right. It is actually the rear wheel, which is a very rare Lester mag. The front wheel is a Honda Comstar, which is one of the strongest wheels ever made. It was said you could mount comstars on a battleship they were so strong.
 
Picked up the GS500 today, to be honest it is really slow. But I've actually gotten sort of attached to it, still very tight. It's just a nice, simple bike. Easy riding position, decent mileage, it will be good for commuting, and my ass and insurance company are already happy I didn't get the R6. And according to the original owner I can chip it so it goes like a 750 :rofl:

https://pic.armedcats.net/t/tw/twerp129/2010/09/13/photo_1.jpg
https://pic.armedcats.net/t/tw/twerp129/2010/09/13/photo_2.JPG
https://pic.armedcats.net/t/tw/twerp129/2010/09/13/photo_3.JPG

Also note the temp plate, where the original date has been blanked-out and a new date written in. Needless to say I checked everything over well, and my brother who's friends with the seller guaranteed me he helped to do the oil change and that the bike was actually broken in properly.
 
I did try on an XR-1100, and I did like it, but I honestly don't need it for the amount of riding I do. That and they are way too expensive IMO- I'd be looking at about $900 for the one I want!
The TZ-R isn't a Snell M2010 helmet, as far as I can find. I realize this may not be important to you, but it is to me and I thought I'd mention it, so you know... The Snell M standard actually changed in 2010 as it relates to relatively small head sizes - around the small / extra small and smaller sizes. In previous standards, the mass used for the head was the same as on larger helmets. The newer standard uses a more realistic mass for the smaller heads. As a result, the padding in the older standard small helmets is likely to be a bit too stiff, resulting in a higher risk of brain trauma in a bad hit. I don't know how important than is to you, and if you're happy with the safety of the TZ-R, that's great. The difference was enough to drive me to a higher priced RF-1100 over the RF-1000s and other M2005 rated helmets on sale at Cycle Gear. Still, my RF-1100 was just $400 USD including all the taxes, etc. It sounds like they're a lot more expensive over there.

I like the pattern on your TZ-R, but I hate pink. I'd like it much better in a light violet, or something like that. Yes, I do have a bit of a girly side, too! :)
 
So, I was reminded once again why I hate most of the people that ride new full-dress Harleys.

I was in my Versa, on the way back from Old Orchard Beach, Maine. My girlfriend in the passenger seat, driving down a nice back road. I am speeding a bit, 55 in a 40 to be exact, pacing a car roughly a hundred feet ahead of me. All of a sudden I hear the unmistakably awful noise of a Harley V-Twin at full throttle. I look behind me to see a full dresser, full fairing Harley. I don't know what the new ones are called, something like FXCHXLCHL Ultra Deluxe Super Classic Wide Low Fat Glide or something of that nature. You know, the ones that cost upwards of $20,000 new. He is riding two-up with a young woman, both of which are wearing t-shirts, docker shorts and no helmets.

He is advancing on me at an estimated 90mph, and continues doing so until nearly locking up his brakes around two car lengths behind me. His bike gets into the beginnings of a death wobble as he nearly rear ends me with his hand wrenching the front brake lever. He then proceeds to do what Harley riders do best: Tailgate me, either all on or all off the throttle, in the lowest gear possible, while swerving from side to side. Then, as usual, he attempts to pass me uphill in a no passing zone, nearly clipping my front left side as he darts back into the lane to avoid an oncoming car.

All of this so he can repeat the same process to the car ahead of me. High-speed approach, borderline death wobble under braking, another dangerous pass and he is gone.

*sigh*

So...

http://www.unionleader.com/article....cally+injures+woman;+husband+charged+with+DWI

This just came up on the news. Couple matching in description of the idiots I ran across last weekend, in the vicinity of where I saw them. Hmm...

Either way, hope the woman pulls through and the idiotic, DUI guy gets the book thrown at him.
 
The TZ-R isn't a Snell M2010 helmet, as far as I can find. I realize this may not be important to you, but it is to me and I thought I'd mention it, so you know... The Snell M standard actually changed in 2010 as it relates to relatively small head sizes - around the small / extra small and smaller sizes. In previous standards, the mass used for the head was the same as on larger helmets. The newer standard uses a more realistic mass for the smaller heads. As a result, the padding in the older standard small helmets is likely to be a bit too stiff, resulting in a higher risk of brain trauma in a bad hit. I don't know how important than is to you, and if you're happy with the safety of the TZ-R, that's great. The difference was enough to drive me to a higher priced RF-1100 over the RF-1000s and other M2005 rated helmets on sale at Cycle Gear. Still, my RF-1100 was just $400 USD including all the taxes, etc. It sounds like they're a lot more expensive over there.

I like the pattern on your TZ-R, but I hate pink. I'd like it much better in a light violet, or something like that. Yes, I do have a bit of a girly side, too! :)

Oh awesome - thanks for that! I bought mine a few years ago, so I'll definitely keep that in mind when it comes time for my new lid (I think I have until at least 2012 or 2013). :)
 
Bubs360 said:
Fucking moron. Riding like an asshole, drunk, on a tank of a motorcycle, with no helmet and his wife on the back. Hopefully the doctors decide to sterilize him while he's out.
 
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Next time get a photo of the Light Cycle when it's running.
Haha, Nugget noticed the resemblance as soon as he took the shot. :D

Looookin goooood! :thumbsup:
Thanks!

LOL phoslite FTW :D
It's great. Unfortunately none of the light shots look good, as it was well after sunset. The inside shots aren't so great, either. The lighting in our house isn't good for photoshoots. So we'll have to get some shots in the sun at some point.
 
So...

http://www.unionleader.com/article....cally+injures+woman;+husband+charged+with+DWI

This just came up on the news. Couple matching in description of the idiots I ran across last weekend, in the vicinity of where I saw them. Hmm...

Either way, hope the woman pulls through and the idiotic, DUI guy gets the book thrown at him.

From one of the comments:

The only thing this husband and wife did wrong was drive after they have been drinking. Not sure when People are going to learn, DON"T DRINK if you're GOING TO DRIVE.

Helmut are optional in NH. The bonehead drivers that hate motorcycles are the ones you have to be careful around.

I've been a passenger and even with with loud pipes, stupid drivers are everywhere. They see a motorcycle and immediately they are afraid. A helmut isn't going to help you at 50 mph. you hit the pavement doing 50, all the helmut is going to do is help the mortician find your head.

Helmuts obstruct your hearing and cause blind spots. That being said...I have a full face helmut and a half helmut.

Again, only thing they did wrong was drink and drive, would have happened if they had a car. Just stupid choice to drink and drive.

This is why baby Jesus is crying.

crying-baby.jpg


Disclaimer: above photo is not actually of baby Jesus.
 
I would not wear a helmut if I had one.

A helmet on the other hand, especially a full face, is always a good idea.
 
Yes, it does not appear any Helmut would give you any reasonable amount of crash protection.
 
The TZ-R isn't a Snell M2010 helmet, as far as I can find. I realize this may not be important to you, but it is to me and I thought I'd mention it, so you know... The Snell M standard actually changed in 2010 as it relates to relatively small head sizes - around the small / extra small and smaller sizes. In previous standards, the mass used for the head was the same as on larger helmets. The newer standard uses a more realistic mass for the smaller heads. As a result, the padding in the older standard small helmets is likely to be a bit too stiff, resulting in a higher risk of brain trauma in a bad hit. I don't know how important than is to you, and if you're happy with the safety of the TZ-R, that's great. The difference was enough to drive me to a higher priced RF-1100 over the RF-1000s and other M2005 rated helmets on sale at Cycle Gear. Still, my RF-1100 was just $400 USD including all the taxes, etc. It sounds like they're a lot more expensive over there.

I like the pattern on your TZ-R, but I hate pink. I'd like it much better in a light violet, or something like that. Yes, I do have a bit of a girly side, too! :)

I'm very unlikely to be going at any major speed/doing any sort of majorly "risky" riding any time soon (know that that doesn't stop you having a bad crash, but still), so I think it should still be pretty ok. It's passed Aus Standards, and from what I have heard from the dealers they tend to be pretty strict. That and I think mum bought it already today!!!!! (oops!)

Honestly, it's going to be a million times better than the cheap-ass crap I have at the moment anyway, so I was going to be better off no matter what I got. But like Kiki said, I'll keep it in mind next time I upgrade so thankyou! :) (and yes, you are looking at about $1000 AUD for the XR-1100 at a dealer or about $900 online, so it is really expensive :()

Oh, and they make it in blue too, which looks pretty nice as well (but I preferred the pink! :D)

EDIT: should read the whole thread before I post- nice gear and bike!!! (love how all your stripes have lit up too :D)
 
Honestly, it's going to be a million times better than the cheap-ass crap I have at the moment anyway, so I was going to be better off no matter what I got. But like Kiki said, I'll keep it in mind next time I upgrade so thankyou! :) (and yes, you are looking at about $1000 AUD for the XR-1100 at a dealer or about $900 online, so it is really expensive :()

EDIT: should read the whole thread before I post- nice gear and bike!!! (love how all your stripes have lit up too :D)
*nod* I wasn't trying to be all, "OMG YOU MUST GET OTHER HELMET!" It's just bits of info a friend of mine shared with me as I was shopping helmets, and I figured it was worth passing on. ;)

Thanks! I hope the reflective stripes help with visibility at night. I'm eager for more seat time.
 
There has been talk in the thread before about making yourself visible, so I'll recap and then post my thoughts. There is one school of thought, that you must make yourself as visible as possible, wear as much dayglow and reflective piping as possible and ride only brightly colored bikes, because the thinking is that if they see you, they will not hit you. The opposite school of thought is that people will not react to something they don't see, thus their behavior is predictable and they are easy to navigate around.

I personally have mostly black gear and don't really worry about other motorists seeing me because they are much easier to predict when they don't see you than we they do. If you dress in super bright colors, you often end up with the moth to flame effect. The cager is looking at you, watching you get closer, then watching you go through their windscreen.

The point of this: No one is looking out for you, no matter how visible you may think you are, so look out for yourself.

IMO of course.
 
CJ beat me to it. It has been discussed before on the thread, and when CJ was learning the basics from me and asking my advice on gear, I presented the same two schools of thought to him. I am, of course, an advocate of the latter school.

Evidence to support the second school over the first is thus: People will plow into stationary fire engines painted day-glow or red, with shiny chrome and projecting gigantic explosions of light from their strobes. As a motorcyclist, you are not nearly as large, bright, or light-projecting - so what chance do you have at being visible? Better to be invisible, then stupid people don't pull the 'moth to a flame' effect or react in surprise (and thereby making the wrong move - like, say, turning left into you.)
 
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