[Sangria7]

So its been almost a full year this month since I started riding.
Total Miles: Just shy of 16,000 miles
Bikes Owned this past year:
a. Honda Rebel 250cc – 700 miles – owned 1 month then sold. 1 wipeout.
b. Yamaha Vstar 650cc- 7300 miles – owned 8 months then traded in. No wipeouts.
c. Suzuki M50 805cc – 7900 miles – owned 4 months. No wipeouts.

It took me about a full year to fully click with riding, where I feel really comfortable on it. Everything from high speed cornering to quick stops are second nature now.  Rode everyday, rain or shine, to and from work, and on weekends.  I even sold the Honda Civic cage so I don’t get tempted to take the car on those stormy days.  At times it got pretty hairy during those southern thunderstorms and Houston rush hour traffic, dodging soccer moms while they are texting, or businessmen on cell phones.

Lessons Learned:
a. Definitely when in doubt, slow down.  Nothing cool about wiping out. Better to look laid back and relaxed than screeching through a corner just to end up on your back.
b. Saddlebags are a must. I carry rain gear, a can of fix-a-flat, extra light bulb, and extra fuses just in case. And yes I have used every single item at least once.
c. Change your own oil and go full synthetic. The cost of synthetic can be costly but I think its worth it and since I change my own oil I am actually saving a lot of money. I use Amsoil Synthetic 10w40.
d. MSF skills is a must have and always practice them when you have the opportunity. I don’t know how many times, the MSF skills probably saved my life.
e. An aftermarket EFI plug and play like the Dobeck TFI, Cobra Fi, or PowerCommander makes the bike 50% better It just runs smoother, accelerates faster, and sounds better!!
f. Lastly, this forum is a wealth of invaluable knowledge. I believe we are constantly learning so I frequent these forums from time to time and pick up new tips all the time.

Well Hope your riding is as fun and successful as my first year. 

[wbsprudels]

I always like reading your posts.I, too am coming up on a year of riding.  I have fewer miles (11,000) and fewer bikes (2), but certainly echo many of your sentiments (not the riding every day, though).  It’s simple, but I have become a firm believer of slowing down when in doubt.

I have really come to love my C50 and my current plans for the next bike are to get a newer C50 (2007 or 08).  Only thing I am debating is color schemes.

[Sangria7]

Thanks WB, and congrats as well for 11K on the upcoming year. Its good to know there are people out there riding their bikes

As for color scheme, I put white racing stripes on mine and did a custom playboy theme, since there were so many girls on her this year!!

[Sangria7]

[Sangria7]

On the tank one side is an angel woman and then other side is devil woman

[Sangria7]

[owlie]

Congrats on the year. 

[Munch]

Congrats man!  Yea def. slow down when your feeling a bit weary about things.
 Unfortunately some of us don’t have the luxury of fix a flat and never have I needed a Fuse. There again I haven’t delved into the electrical on my 9 just yet.
I am past a year into riding and forgot the accumulated miles and I don’t want to lie. Like you I ride rain, shine, cold or hot. Only 3 things that keep me from riding Frozen precip, lightning, and when I have my kids……even with the kids I take the youngest from time to time on a ride.
I have a lot of positive feedback on the fuel processors however at $300 give or take… that’s a touch pricey for me. Though I did just add the overdrive pulley on the 9 not more then 2 weeks ago. The processor might come before spring.
Keep adding em up and keep coming back…BTW….. whatcha do with your lights?

[Sangria7]

I got the Dobeck TFI – just plug and play model. $225! You mean the Led lamps in the front? I took them off and will be putting new ones on.

What do you mean by “luxury of fix-a-flat”? Its just the can of fixaflat from walmart.

[Munch]

No good for spoked/tubed wheels.

[Rab]

You can put “Slime” in tube-type tires as a get you home repair (only). I used it twice on my last bike (a Triumph Bonneville). One time it sealed the puncture and the other time it didn’t so I had to get a “tow”. It largely depends on whether you’ve got a clean puncture (good) or a tear (bad) in the tube as to whether it will seal it or not. You would of course also need to carry an air pump like the Slime Power Sport Tire Inflator or CO2 tubes to re-inflate the tire once “Slimed”. If you use it, keep your speed under 65 mph though and get the tube replaced a.s.a.p.

http://www.slime.com/product/82/Tube-Sealant.html

http://www.slime.com/product/111/Power-Sport-Tire-Inflator-(%2340001).html

Another, better, solution is “Ride-on TPS” which I use in the tubeless tires on my current bike (Suzuki GSX650F). It has similar limitations to Slime when used in tube-type tires in that it will only seal up to a 1/8″ (3mm) clean puncture, but it’s designed for high speed applications (Slime isn’t) so you put it in the tire and leave it in there; it’s there ready to do it’s job if/when needed. That doesn’t mean that you should neglect regular tire inspections though.

http://www.ride-on.com

FYI – Wire wheels look totally retro-cool, but as a rule, they can’t support tubeless tires (although sometimes, like my Bonneville, it says tubeless on the tire but they run it with a tube inside). So! If a bike’s got wire-spoked wheels, always assume that your tires have tubes in them (like a bicycle tire).

Tubeless tires are much less prone to puncture and are roadside repairable with tire plugs.

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