The General Motorbikers Discussion Thread

[Spectre]

Not as an out of the box/stock bike it didn't. You'd also be looking at a not-insignificant outlay to bring one up to spec with modern ignition, tires, etc., etc.

 

[NoNeedForAChestWig]

The Yamaha RD and RZ350s were *two* strokes, not four, and had the effective displacement and power of a lightweight 700cc four. Acted like it, too; these were not learner or easy bikes.

I know, I had one. I learned to treat it with great respect. Fucking mental.

 

[bone]

my quad has the same engine

with 2 35mm carbs and some nice expansion exhausts, it's a hoot!
(well yeah, and high pressure domes, oversize pistons, boost bottle, and some mild flowing )

 

[Spectre]

I know, I had one. I learned to treat it with great respect. Fucking mental.

Then what's the problem? A modern 600 can eclipse the performance of the old 350 in all respects while actually handling well.

No reason to not have a larger displacement bike, in that case.

 

[YF19pilot]

Since I'm finally crossing over with my recent purchase, I've just got a few general 'n00b' questions.

I'm basically wanting to run my bike as a trail bike/enduro, so how are my protection requirements/options different from standard street-bikes? I know both are basically leathers/jacket, helmet, gloves, pants, boots; but is there anything additional/different I need to take into account when driving off road?
What's a good place (online or brick and mortar) to find decently priced replacement parts (like gaskets, seat covers, what have you)? Right now I'm sharing my brother's source for parts, but they're between locations at the moment and don't have anywhere near the stock they had or will have in the near future.
And how are Enduro's behaved on road? I mean, obviously I doubt I'd be keeping up with Spectre's 919 or something like that, but could one be used for a road trip with reasonable comfort/fun?

 

[Spectre]

Many riders find that a different type of helmet (with a sunvisor and no faceplate) with goggles is best for offroad riding. Also, your clothing needs to be of the rip-proof type, and since you are wandering around in tree limb territory, hard boots and chest protectors are indicated. You may also want handguards. Driving styles are also different.

Enduros with dual purpose or street tires are surprisingly good in the corners but lag on straights. Unfortunately, you bought a small one and it's not really going to have the power or gearing for a long trip or even highway work.

Observe this video to see how enduros and other dirt bikes can work in corners:

Note: There is a 919 like mine in it at about the 4:00 mark; this one is silver.

 

[Blind_Io]

Anyone know a retailer in the US that sells Red Route riding jeans? The only one I've found so far is Cycle Gear and the guy at my local shop says they are getting rid of Red Route. I'm trying to price out what the Ultimate Rider Jeans would cost me (38-tall).

 

[Rossco]

Anyone know a retailer in the US that sells Red Route riding jeans? The only one I've found so far is Cycle Gear and the guy at my local shop says they are getting rid of Red Route. I'm trying to price out what the Ultimate Rider Jeans would cost me (38-tall).

I'll be at my local bike gear shop for their Spring open house next weekend. They carry alot of obscure high-end brands so I'll be sure to ask the owner if he has any.

Also, I'm really lusting over the old Kawasaki Concours 1000's as a suitable replacement for the VT500. ZX-10 engine, upright touring ergos, hard bags, and a massive windshield.

Any thoughts on this?

 

[YF19pilot]

Many riders find that a different type of helmet (with a sunvisor and no faceplate) with goggles is best for offroad riding. Also, your clothing needs to be of the rip-proof type, and since you are wandering around in tree limb territory, hard boots and chest protectors are indicated. You may also want handguards. Driving styles are also different.

Thanks. I'm putting together a list of what to buy with my tax return.

Enduros with dual purpose or street tires are surprisingly good in the corners but lag on straights. Unfortunately, you bought a small one and it's not really going to have the power or gearing for a long trip or even highway work.

Well, I figured the small bike is good for me to learn on for now. Once I'm comfortable enough to make those kinds of trips or get a bigger bike, I will. Besides, I've still a long ways to go to even make my Yamaha street legal again.

 

[Spectre]

Also, I'm really lusting over the old Kawasaki Concours 1000's as a suitable replacement for the VT500. ZX-10 engine, upright touring ergos, hard bags, and a massive windshield.

Any thoughts on this?

It wasn't a bad bike (a number of people love them) but there's a number of reasons why the Honda ST1100 outsold it something like 50:1. One very large problem is that it has almost no aftermarket parts support, so personalization/customization can be more than a bit difficult. There are others.

Well, I figured the small bike is good for me to learn on for now. Once I'm comfortable enough to make those kinds of trips or get a bigger bike, I will. Besides, I've still a long ways to go to even make my Yamaha street legal again.

Yes, a small learner bike is an excellent idea - just so long as you realize that there are a few things it's going to have problems doing because of its size. The tradeoff should be forgiveness; you should be able to react to and correct your mistakes in (usually) sufficient time to avoid a crash with a smaller bike that a larger bike simply wouldn't be able to do - either through inertia (larger mass takes longer to turn/stop) or through the much greater speed complicating things. 'When in doubt, throttle out' works for cars but it can be fatal in bikes; specifically, you need to learn that opening the throttle is not the only answer - which is what the kids on sportbikes often learn and then discover to their dismay is wrong when they hit something.

 

[klutch]

Learn to ride that small bike fast, and you'll have the advantage over those that started on the supersports.


I've got a little DRZ400SM now - worlds apart from my previous sportbikes - and I'm re-learning how to ride. It can be a lot of fun flogging a smaller bike; you can reach its limits much easier, especially on (and off) public roads. The learning curve isn't as steep, and you'll progress faster. Having a smaller, lighter bike has benefits too; I can literally ride circles around sportbikes on twisty roads. And there's other benefits to the "dualsports":

 

[YF19pilot]

Yes, a small learner bike is an excellent idea - just so long as you realize that there are a few things it's going to have problems doing because of its size. The tradeoff should be forgiveness; you should be able to react to and correct your mistakes in (usually) sufficient time to avoid a crash with a smaller bike that a larger bike simply wouldn't be able to do - either through inertia (larger mass takes longer to turn/stop) or through the much greater speed complicating things. 'When in doubt, throttle out' works for cars but it can be fatal in bikes; specifically, you need to learn that opening the throttle is not the only answer - which is what the kids on sportbikes often learn and then discover to their dismay is wrong when they hit something.

I've been doing a lot of reading the past few days, while working on the bike, trying to pick up as much good wisdom as possible. Otherwise, I've had good friends tell me for years the importance of starting off small for a first bike (a few of them didn't and regret it), and I've a former (as in, he's an ass) friend who bought into a Honda VTX 1800 as his first bike and was too damn arrogant to admit it was too big and powerful for him, even after laying it down in a neighbor's front lawn the second or third time he rode it. He was originally going to buy a VTX 1300 (which I kept telling him was probably too big for a noob bike), but got a heck of a deal (which skirted legality, but that's not for here) with the 1800.

So, between actually listening to the wise and watching the fools, I may be acting a tad too careful in getting such a small bike, but if it means I can live long enough to buy these:

then so be it. (And yes, my wanting the BMW has absolutely everything to do with the fact that Neil Peart owns what happens to be a decent touring bike (from what I hear anyways)).

 

[Rossco]

BMW's are nice bikes, but they can get expensive, especially with repairs. There are alternatives. Suzuki makes a good ADV-style touring bike called the V-Strom. It's fuel-injected, V-Twin, available in either a 650 or 1000cc, and has a ton of aftermarket parts support.

There is also the cheaper, yet less refined Kawasaki KLR.

And many others.

But you will have plenty of time to research (and drool over) your potential next bike as you learn to ride your little 125.

 

[Spectre]

Not bragging here, but I started out on a CB125S and rode it in traffic on LA highways when I was a kid - lane splitting and all. Probably have a half a million miles on two wheels now with surprisingly few crashes; I put it down to learning on the little CB and then my next step up, the Nighthawk 450 I had, plus the later KZ400. Even my never sufficiently-damned-to-hell older CB450 DOHC taught me a lot about riding at little personal cost. Served me well when I moved up to machines like a KZ1100 (which quite bluntly told me I wasn't ready for it yet...), CB750 SOHC/4 and the GL1000. Today I'm perfectly comfortable on machines like my Nighthawk 700S and even beasts like the 919. (Ask CrazyJeeper, a fellow novice rider, about his impressions of my two.) Even able to pilot some seriously malfunctioning machinery without crashing. (Ask CJ about the seriously broken GL1200 I rode at a shop one time. He was there.)

Start off small, build your basic skills, move up as your skills and comfort level develop, don't let anyone pressure you into getting a larger bike until and unless you feel absolutely ready and able to handle it (and be honest with yourself when you check!) Best advice I can give.

 

[Rossco]

Not bragging here, but I started out on a CB125S and rode it in traffic on LA highways when I was a kid - lane splitting and all. Probably have a half a million miles on two wheels now with surprisingly few crashes; I put it down to learning on the little CB and then my next step up, the Nighthawk 450 I had, plus the later KZ400. Even my never sufficiently-damned-to-hell older CB450 DOHC taught me a lot about riding at little personal cost. Served me well when I moved up to machines like a KZ1100 (which quite bluntly told me I wasn't ready for it yet...), CB750 SOHC/4 and the GL1000.

I'd love to see a list of the bikes you've owned.

 

[Spectre]

I'd love to see a list of the bikes you've owned.

What, with a little capsule commentary after some of them? Something like that?

 

[Rossco]

What, with a little capsule commentary after some of them? Something like that?

Not necessarily, I mean how many bikes have you had?

 

[Spectre]

Not necessarily, I mean how many bikes have you had?

If I'm counting correctly, if you want just models (sometimes I've had multiple of a particular one), somewhere around 15-16.

I started riding when I was 15 and I've often had more than one running bike at a time. I tend to rotate between vehicles when I have the opportunity.

Edit: And before someone asks, no, almost none of them left my possession because I'd wrecked and was sending it to the scrapyard.

 

[Rossco]

If I'm counting correctly, if you want just models (sometimes I've had multiple of a particular one), somewhere around 15-16.

Yeah just the ones that were plated. If it's not too much to ask...

 

[Spectre]

Yeah just the ones that were plated. If it's not too much to ask...

Well, just off the top of my head, and remember sometimes there were more than one copy of each kicking around running or as a parts bike, in no particular order:
1975 Honda CB125S
1985 Honda Nighthawk 450
1985 Honda Hawk 450
1979-ish Kawasaki KZ400
Whole bunch of 1970-74 CB450 DOHC, probably the worst bike Honda ever made
1976 Honda CB500T, second worst bike Honda ever made
1982 Kawasaki KZ1100 Spectre (NOT where the nickname comes from), sold that one fast.
1954 Triumph Thunderbird (with the rear 'bathtub' bodywork)
1975 Honda CB750K (some asshole stole this one)
1975-1976 Honda GL1000s (a couple, even had an LTD)
1986 Honda Elite 80 (came as a package deal with a GL1000)
1972 Honda CB175 (came with a GL1000)
2001 Harley Sportster 883 (don't ask, HUGE mistake)
1984-1986 Honda CB700S (duh)
1998 Honda Pacific Coast
2002 Honda 919


May be some errors in years and such in there; I was up all night with a sick cat and am operating on little sleep. I'm sure I'm leaving a few out. Definitely not counting the ones I bought with intent to immediately resell, or, like the VF500F I gave CrazyJeeper in exchange for help with other projects, trade/give away without significant personal use.

Fun fact: Most of those were bought for 'buck-a-cc' or less.

Anyone want to guess which side of the two wheel/four wheel divide my loyalties generally lie on?