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pr0zac posted:I'd been telling myself if the company I work for hired me full time (I'm currently a contractor) I'd allow myself to upgrade to a nicer bike and not let my stupid girlfriend talk me into selling it this time (really miss that CBR). Seeing as there was talk today at work of that happening, its time to start shopping. So the question is, Suzuki DRZ400SM, KTM 690SM-R, or comedy Hypermotard option? Go with the Austrian option. The KTM 690 series is immense fun. SM, SMR and SMC are all pretty much the same bike with different tinsel as far as I can tell. If you're shopping for a 2008 model now, you may get some pretty good deals. Love my SMC, just wish the weather hadn't closed in and the clocks hadn't gone back. Now I get out of work onto slick roads, pissing rain and darkness. I want sun and dry asphalt again.
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Oct 29, 2008 12:11
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I think I'm going to go and just burn all my old plastic models I was proud of. That is just too much.
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Jan 23, 2009 20:00
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<-- *nix/Mac Web developer/Interface designer; Supermotard rider. Not forever though, I eventually want to own my own business and become a designer/inventor/engineer type. I am in love with CAD design. I'd love to design new products for the motorcycle world.
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Mar 19, 2010 21:17
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Z3n posted:The guy who taught me how to ride was a prison guard, got piledrivered into the ground in a riot, and it destroyed his inner ear. He can't close his eyes and stay standing, but he still rides like a bat out of hell. I get very annoyed at the assumption that riding on 2 wheels requires balance of any kind. The whole point of a bike is that the gyroscopic force of the wheels makes balance unnecessary, and yet our local motorbike testing procedure is entirely based around the the supposition that you might fall over while riding  I happen to have excellent balance, but I only ever need it on my bike when I want to balance while stopped at lights to impress imaginary babes.
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Apr 3, 2010 18:07
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The 22000 Miles thread prompted a discussion on how to quantify Awesomeness-of-Bike by mileage/age/displacement/cylinders, which in turn prompted me to throw together some javascript on my break today; Calculate how cool you are, according to CA Constructive criticism / suggestions / script & style improvements welcome.
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Oct 27, 2010 15:19
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The way I see it, and this goes for more than just motorcycles, is that starting off with simpler, easier equipment and loving -mastering- it before considering moving up (or if you need to) will not only save you bucks but set you up better for when you do upgrade as well as letting you appreciate higher end equipment so much more when you do. We see a lot of bikes on the market where I live where someone went out and bought the most balls-to-the-wall-all-singing-all-dancing ballistic missile of a bike and scared themselves shitless within 1000 miles, often with road rash from one minor drop which proved to be the trigger for the sale. While I feel sorry for them that they basically cheated themselves out of the joy of motorcycling, I can appreciate the depreciation, if you know what I mean. It's either that or the clown who, after being put off the roads for two years for speeding, celebrated the return of his license by buying a brand new Triumph Daytona and within 36 hours twelve o'clocked it at something like 65MPH on a country road, slamming into a parked car outside a local learning disabilities school and dying what I'm told wasn't a particularly pleasant or short death before the ambulance showed up.
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Feb 15, 2011 22:59
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SlightlyMadman posted:WTF, did that really happen to somebody or are you just being dramatic? Which bit? It really did happen. He crashed on the monday after getting his license back, as I understand it, on the saturday. It was June last year and I remembered it slightly wrong; He had actually bought a pristine 2006 bike (in the gorgeous graphite and gold) two months previous while he still couldn't ride on the roads and had been cleaning it and modding it in anticipation. I was out and about on the saturday and I'm pretty sure I saw him tearing around at least twice on my errands that day (it's a small island). I remember thinking "that bike sounds mental" (he was belting it everywhere) and "that's an accident waiting to happen" (riding it like a dick, gently caress all gear). On investigation it looks like he did make it to hospital but succumbed to his injuries a few hours later. I found the local rag with the article but it is light on details and blurry on facts as it usually is. Word from people who know people who were around (and honest to god here that's more reliable than our lovely paper) was that he pulled an accidental wheelie and by the time he touched the front back down he was heading for the parked car and locked up the front as he piled into it. At the end of the summer some friends and family tried to organise a ride-out around the island in his memory. I didn't go but I heard it was a dissapointing, squiddy disaster. Edit: and Mon Varouf really is a 'Special Education' school. ReelBigLizard fucked around with this message at 01:23 on Feb 16, 2011 |
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Feb 16, 2011 01:20
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Z3n posted:The dealership should be able to reprogram the ECU with the appropriate manufacturer diagnostic tools, but count on it being expensive...100-300$ at least. ..which is a total swindle, they just plug in the diagnostics box and press a few buttons before charging you out the rear end. Shop around and you might find a dealer that doesn't suck though. But I'm with BlackMK4, just disable the immobiliser entirely, if security is an issue, just fit a secret switch somewhere. At the end of the day most bikes (at least here in the British Isles) are stolen without starting them. Van pulls up, two big guys get out, lift into van, gone.
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Feb 17, 2011 22:09
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niethan posted:Pro tip: don't screw your levers on bomb rear end tight, that way when you drop your bike there's a chance the levers will just rotate on the bars instead of breaking. There's also less chance of the clamp fracturing, like when the local KTM dealer over-tightened mine  Ever here of a loving torque wrench, fucktards?
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Feb 23, 2011 14:47
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Linedance posted:that's just metal fatigue from all the vibration. Its a possibility, but it went the day after they had it in to take that lever off. Between that and all the other things they have hosed up on I'm more than willing to put it down to a ham-fisting on their part. EDIT: That was the day (before the end of my warranty) they claimed that an intermittent sticking brake switch was killing my battery and that's why it was starting hard. My brake light is LED, the brake light isn't on when the bike is off. I found out by myself (after the end of my warranty) that my bike wasn't starting properly because of a leaking injector emptying the fuel rail into the throttle body while the bike sat. ReelBigLizard fucked around with this message at 17:45 on Feb 23, 2011 |
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Feb 23, 2011 17:40
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Spiffness posted:I just found out my local shop: $15 per wheel off bike. Woo! Crikey, I couldn't get a tyre fitter to spit in my face for that much round here.
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Mar 31, 2011 17:03
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SlightlyMadman posted:I don't think we're going to see the end of two-wheelers as we know them. Indeed, innovation in the mainstream motorcycle market is far too stifled and the more exotic builders probably don't have the capital for the research needed to explore a possibly fruitless quirk of cycle physics. However, there are a lot of people into building weird new bicycles and hacking old ones so maybe we'll see some odd new designs in that hobby.
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Apr 20, 2011 15:03
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I've been trying to find a way to see TT3D for a week... It was to show in the neighbouring island of Jersey, but they only put on one showing, last Wednesday night.. I was over on Friday. I'm in Crawley (Gatwick) on Saturday night... but it's only showing on Tuesday and Wednesday.  CSi-NA-EJ7 posted:Its a sad day. My Nelson Rigg bags according to the Fedex tracker were delivered to my apartment on Friday and signed for by someone who is not me. I called Fedex and they are going to set up a fraud ticket. I love shady people, seriously though who would really want some saddlebags, beside me of course. Don't lose all hope in humanity.. It may just be that the delivery guy couldn't be bothered to finish up his rounds, 'signed' for your parcel and dumped it in the loving trash... ReelBigLizard fucked around with this message at 12:36 on Apr 28, 2011 |
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Apr 28, 2011 12:31
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Saga posted:Odeon Brighton: Hmm, I had forgotten how close Brighton is, thanks for the heads up. Still, it's probably too close. I don't get in 'til gone 1900, but we'll see how it goes. Should be a good week regardless: I'm off to Corfu and I have the address of a good MC rental place 
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Apr 28, 2011 15:18
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Top tip for getting rid of spilled fuel, residue and associated smells, even diesel out of fabrics and off surfaces: Use a strong-ish solution of Daz washing powder. I just cleaned out the bilges of my boat on recommendation from some of the sailing forums. ReelBigLizard fucked around with this message at 10:35 on May 20, 2011 |
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May 20, 2011 10:32
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It's almost always the riders fault. Sometimes there are freak accidents. I can recall at least one locally; A guy on a scooter was (safely) negotiating a filter in one of the upper parishes of the island when he got smashed into a barrier by a car doing 100+mph (the speed limit here is 35mph). The driver had suffered an epileptic fit, mashing the accelerator into the floor in an automatic car, the passenger reacted by trying to keep the car straight, which is understandable, but in the end everyone would have survived if they had just steered into a wall straight away. The guy was recently married and expecting a son IIRC Sometimes it really is 'wrong place, wrong time', but not very often.
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May 23, 2011 17:27
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How does everyone move their bikes out of parking spots? There's a guy I work with who usually rides a ZX-9 to work, and every time, without fail, he gets on the bike and slowly walks it backwards out of the bike spaces before taking off. I see this a lot locally and I honestly can't fathom it; If I need to move the bike I just do so before I get on it or if I'm already on then I just get off and maneuver it, there seems to be a general aversion to this for everyone else though.
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May 24, 2011 18:55
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Z3n posted:Turn on engine, release clutch, pull out of parking spot? I always back the bike in to any spot to avoid having to push it out. Pushing bikes around sucks. Ok, you have to back it into a space, maybe a very slight incline, do you get off and push 'er back or shuffle back with your feet?
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May 24, 2011 19:14
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SaNChEzZ posted:I do the same thing, just feels more stable. Hmm, I guess the fact that I can't flat-foot my bike (KTM 690 SMC / 5ft 9ins) probably has something to do with it. I feel far more unstable pushing with my toes than just having hold of the bike standing next to it. I've never felt like I was going to drop it.
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May 24, 2011 19:35
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Exhaust wrap hides all sins.
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May 25, 2011 13:37
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Slim Pickens posted:I'm a bit worried about anything with too much movement to keep the view centered, as it might end up with the camera hitting the ground or something during hard braking. If it's wobbling more than you'd like, you could always string a tensioner (like a bowstring) to keep the boom permanently curved and under tension. This would also allow you limited adjustment of the camera without taking the setup off by increasing or decreasing tension. Sweet video, I want to make one now.
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May 31, 2011 09:32
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Armyman25 posted:I'm going to run a bottle of sea foam through it tomorrow, see if that helps out at all. I pulled the spark plugs, they were black with soot. If the plugs are black, it's getting too much fuel, not too little. Sea foam isn't going to help. It sounds more like the bike is jetted too rich for the pipes. Also seconding Z3ns statement, you have a poo poo mechanic. When they keep giving it back to you saying it's a different thing each time; they're taking shots in the dark and they either don't have the gumption or knowledge to troubleshoot your bike properly.
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Jun 12, 2011 09:52
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KozmoNaut posted:I am in fact genuinely angry about it, believe it or not. You are one lucky fucker only dealing with pet-piss. I live in a rural area inhabited almost exclusively by the upper middle class. You know what that means? loving horses. I honestly wouldn't mind if they were used as actual transport. In fact, I'd love to ride a horse to work, that would be cowboy-as, but unfortunately that is not the world we live in. I don't care if you want to keep a two ton walking poo poo-machine as your pet but leaving giant heaps of slippery poo poo on the roads is a health hazard and a clear and real danger to people on two-wheel transport as well as being loving disgusting.
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Jun 21, 2011 22:18
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Saga posted:It's basically just grass. Not really very disgusting unless something's badly wrong with the horse. So if I ate nothing but legumes for a week, you'd be ok with me taking a dump in your drive? maybe mixing it with some rain water and flicking it all over your bike? It's poo poo, regardless of it's exact composition. quote:I haven't had any issues with crashing on horse poo, even in Surrey. People driving diesels would be a better target I would have thought? I haven't had any crashes on it before either but I've had some near misses. we have a lot of small lanes with tight, blind corners. It's bad enough just trying to avoid shitheads speeding the other way. quote:People driving diesels would be a better target I would have thought? People driving badly maintained vehicles of any type get my hackles up, diesel is definitely a bigger problem than horse poo poo, but we can solve the problem of horse poo poo by not walking horses on the road or making those that do responsible for the mess they create. If you walk any other pet you are responsible for cleaning up after it, but not horses, the SUV of domestic animals. quote:Also, I think if you asked a horse, they might point out their ancestors were using the highways and byways long before anyone invented the motorcar and decided to cover the roads in tarmac, thus forcing them to poo on a hard surface. I don't really give a poo poo what their ancestors did, it's 2011 and they're not being used as transportation now. quote:Remember that while we do have roads only for motor vehicles (called...motorways) You might, I have to commute on these roads. quote:If we're going to have strict rules about being perfectly respectful of other road users' preferences, presumably there could be no objection to, for example, reducing rural speed limits to 10 or 20mph, thus ensuring that cyclists, pedestrians and riders don't get strafed / run over by errant car drivers. quote:cyclists, unicyclists, cartwheelists Don't spook, don't poo poo in the road. quote:Swings and roundabouts I fear! No, pretty clear cut. Horse riders are the only road user who cannot be held accountable for the mess they leave on the roads, which we all have to use.
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Jun 22, 2011 11:09
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Saga posted:If one is going to deny that line of argument to horse riders or to cyclists and pedestrians, it's pretty tough to use it to excuse the sins of motorcycling and expect to convince anyone other than ourselves. The safety aspect isn't even half of it for me. I just think it's loving disgusting.
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Jun 22, 2011 16:45
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For the record I actually like horses and horse riding, but I understand that the road is no place for them, like SS trackbikes with GP exhausts, they want to be in their correct element; Which isn't getting stressed out trying to navigate hard tarmac roads with limited grip shared by vehicles with noisy ICE engines.Z3n posted:What about getting rear ended by a horse Be grateful? Some people have to travel to states and countries where it's legal to indulge in that kind of fetish. Wait, wh
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Jun 22, 2011 19:25
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My KTM, like all LC4s sounds like a chain driven paint shaker.
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Jun 23, 2011 08:01
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NitroSpazzz posted:Or the guy that told my brother and his friends that they needed a new alternator and battery for $500 after they left the lights on over night. Jump started it, ran it down the interstate for a bit and it was fine. Or the well respected KTM dealer who told me my bike was hard starting because the battery was poor and my brake light switch was jamming, which was draining the battery. The brake light is LED, and draws gently caress all. The brake light is not on when the bike is off. The replacement battery did not fix the problem. The hard starting was due to a leaking injector, which I diagnosed with help from the UK KTM forum and fixed myself. That was the last straw for me, previous mechanical follies include: Ruining the battery's positive guard by ramming it under the bracket with force after they forgot to put it on before (it's two machine screws to take the bracket off). Neglecting to tighten down the hose clamp from the air box to the throttle body, causing it to come loose and an air leak to develop. Changing my oil and filters without me asking when it was in for some warranty work and then getting shirty with me when I refused to pay. This one actually pissed me off the most, they didn't even try to contact me (they had my daytime mobile). I ended up paying just materials as a compromise because occasionally I buy parts from them when I'm in a bind, like valve shims and spark plugs and such. I have yet to find a mechanic I trust locally, and have had to learn to do everything myself. It's cheaper at least EDIT Ola posted:motorcycle jerks who are in Bergen can stay at my place. I just might take you up on that one day; If I ever get the Cojones to do my round-northern-europe trip, anyway. For some time I've been daydreaming about a trip starting with the ferry to St. Malo in France, riding up through europe, into scandinavia, get a ferry to Scotland and then ride down through the UK before home. ReelBigLizard fucked around with this message at 01:11 on Jul 9, 2011 |
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Jul 9, 2011 01:05
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Speaking of third party sites, many of you on google plus yet? I have invites if not. limeyrock at gmail
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Jul 11, 2011 11:25
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Crayvex posted:it was unable to fully track your social networking habits on Facebook. Eh, It's not like facebook isn't selling the info to all and sundry anyway. At least I have some granularity for my privacy controls now. Edit: In any case, I just used FB to share funny or interesting poo poo and keep up with friends who have moved away. Putting up a running commentary of your life is optional. ReelBigLizard fucked around with this message at 14:24 on Jul 11, 2011 |
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Jul 11, 2011 14:21
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Gay Nudist Dad posted:I'm definitely interested. Looks like the 125 makes around 15hp, expectations on the 200 are 20hp, so would ~35 be unreasonable for a 350 single? I had a fondle (unfortunately no test ride) of the 125 at the dealer a few months ago when I stopped by to buy some shims and filters. It is without doubt the coolest 125cc road bike I have seen; and I live in a place where we have every kind of 125cc bike you can imagine, because they are the first bike you can get when you are 16. I'm just bummed I can't buy a freeride for 2 years yet I want to get the dirt version, supermoto it and commute to work on one wheel with ACDC blasting from a stereo.
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Aug 2, 2011 09:11
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henne posted:Why not just get the supermoto version straight up? I just don't like the supermoto version, those weird forks and the cycle bars don't do it for me. The Enduro with SM wheels and a bigger sprocket however 
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Aug 2, 2011 19:31
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I stoppie, wheelie, slide, WOT and subsequently redline the 690 on a daily basis, thus, supermoto wins.
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Aug 5, 2011 09:50
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Saga posted:...but WP is better when engaging convertibles. They go up just like loving Ghost Rider. Gotta watch out you don't get spotted by any Hague-convention-quotin' hippies though, no way you're going to convince anyone that you were just 'marking' that convertible with ol' Wiley Pete. Me? I'm gonna see if there's an Instructables for one of these.
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Aug 8, 2011 14:23
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Armyman25 posted:Anyway, has anyone else run into any 1% "MC's"? Ever had any issues with them? The Sons of Silence have a chapter in my state, and I've known of a few others, but the thing that strikes me is how old the members tend to be. Not a lot of really young guys. I know a few bikers from several local MCs, most are pretty chill dudes and the outlaw aspect is a way overplayed stereotype from the 80s/90s. Many clubs can be described as a "drinking club with a bike problem", it's just about being in a group who like to party as hard as you do. That said, there can be a lot of posturing and politicking between clubs and I've met some scary motherfuckers from out of town chapters over the years. Basically if you don't want trouble from bikers, don't do anything to piss them off. Most of them are pretty nice, approachable guys who are cool with anyone who rides.
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Aug 9, 2011 19:34
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KozmoNaut posted:I don't understand, she's not leaking any fluids or anything. Invest in a cheap electric fence generator, hook it up to the frame when you park. Here, plans to build it for yourself from an old M/C coil. ReelBigLizard fucked around with this message at 13:20 on Aug 22, 2011 |
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Aug 22, 2011 13:18
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Retarded Pimp posted:Thought this was interesting, a 180 degree mirror. If I was motorway commuting I'd consider mounting something like that, good on the bloke.
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Sep 5, 2011 17:33
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Whiteboy posted:Used that coupon code last night to buy four spark plugs and an air filter, thanks! I've ridden the SMT, nice bike, what do you want to know?
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Sep 26, 2011 14:01
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2ndclasscitizen posted:Oh yeah, tons of fun. The suspension is brilliant. Really soaks up bumps and is incredibly comfortable, but you can still chuck it in to corners really hard and just power out. Feels like a big bastard when you pick it up off the sidestand but the weight just disappears on the move. I'd definitely recommend it over the SMR if you're doing more than short blasts around town/your favourite twisties. Pretty much this, definitely with regards to comfort and balance. When you're moving it doesn't feel too heavy, which the 990 superduke, in my opinion, did. I'd like to add; the torque curve is more a torque mountain, goes from power-on-tap to power-on-firehose if you really wring it out. Cracking bike if you want to go further afield, I prefer my 690 SMC for cutting it through our local lanes and morning traffic monging, but we have very small roads with really lovely surfaces and deep down I'm a bit of a hooligan. That is to say, if I lived in a place with nice, big, curvy roads I'd want the SMT.
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Sep 27, 2011 13:33
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I'm with z3n here, find yourself something widely produced, and preferrably a few years old (so there will be online communities who have already hacked and tuned it and found the right combinations and settings. Don't give yourself too much work, focus on making the chassis better. I wonder how the 690 series LC4 would fair...
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Oct 14, 2011 18:54
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