[briderdt]

I’ll answer the question about storage first. ANd ask another question along with it… Just how much do you need to carry (volume-wise)? A backpack with more than a few pounds in it will get pretty heavy pretty fast on a sport bike. Just this week I carried a halfrack of Mt Dew 4 miles in a backpack… Four. Miles. And I was ready to get off. I don’t recommend it. Tank bags can be pretty spacious, and add a tail bag (or even some smallish saddle bags) should do it. Traveling light is the thing to do.

Good looking bikes? I really like this one (in the “money is no object” category):

But seriously, I see a lot of things going on with the SV650 (both the faired “S” version and the naked) in sport touring, modding, race. Seems like an extremely versatile bike. Maybe I’m biased because I have one… And on another note, I just tracked my mileage and came up with 54.6 mpg on my last two tanks (I just started tracking it).

Aftermarket mods… start with frame sliders, then comfort items. For sport bikes it might be different rearsets or rearset risers (upside down), an aftermarket seat, or the like.

As for a cover, just make it generic. Nothing that will draw attention to the fact that you’ve got a nice bike under the cover.

Can’t help you on the highway manners, as I’ve yet to get on the slab (I’ve only been riding since October). I’ve done highway speed, just not on the highway.

Hope some of that helps.

[briderdt]

On the return trip I waved at a scooter. I just got the “WTF?” stare back…

[briderdt]

The Blast and the Ninja might be somewhat close in rider compartment, but the Rebel is gonna be a horse of a different color altogether. I’d say go sit on all three and see which one feels more natural and “speaks” to you saying “mine”.

Flat feet isn’t such a big concern. Being able to keep the bike upright at a stop is.

[briderdt]

Renton Motorcycles (south of Seattle) has two Ninja 250’s on the floor waiting for buyers… Didn’t check the price though.

[briderdt]

I have a 2005 SV650s, and I just clocked my mileage at 54.6 mpg for my last two tanks. I’ll get more accurate numbers as the miles rack up, though (I’ve only put 900 miles myself). But I was actually pretty shocked after reading all these guys getting high 30’s to low 40’s on theirs. I’m not really timid about riding, but I’m also not a speed demon, and I like to cruise at about 3500 rpm. I don’t do much at highway speeds at all, so I figured I’d get lower.

You had to go and put in that “available in the US” in there to mess up the options… A Honda 250 Hornet would be a great sporty naked, but alas, not a US bike. I really don’t understand why Honda just HANDS OVER the entire market niche to Kawasaki.

I sat on a Johnny Pag naked “sport” (closer to a standard though), and I remember it being comfy, but I’m only 5’9″ and small change… YMMV.

For height, there’s the DRZ400, Versys, and Gladius. You could find a Monster 620 that would be on the lower displacement end. No idea how they’d fit you though.

[briderdt]

One pair of Icon Recon jeans. They’re okay, fit-wise. Never been down in them (or anything else, for that matter), so I can’t attest to their abrasion resistance.

I also have a couple pair of Rigg’s Workwear Ranger pants. These are cool. Ripstop cordura, double layer at the thigh and knee, cargo pockets (which I really like), gusseted crotch… Check Denim Express for good prices on them ($33, if I remember right).

But whenever I wear these, I have a pair of strap-on CE knee/shin guards that I wear underneath.

[briderdt]

… is to take a cruiser and sport it. I saw a Yamaha last week that would have been sweet. But the raked out fork, then a drag bar, or even clips-ons, rear controls, most likely a higher seat… Would just be ridiculously cool.

[briderdt]

There were a couple episodes (season 3, I think — yeah, I was checking out the DVDs from the local library) where they all got on 50cc scooters and terrorized the town. And they said it was the most fun they’d had in a long time.

And Mikey isn’t a small guy by any stretch of the imagination.

If 50cc’s will haul him around to “the most fun in a long time”, the 250cc’s, or even 400, will be fine.

[briderdt]

…for the first time since January. Just some parking lot cruising. I was roller-blading around the same lot. So, yeah, she’s recovering pretty well. She’s going to re-take the class as soon as she can get in. With a school schedule to work around, it might be a while though. Thanks for the well-wishes.

[briderdt]

Man, they won’t even import those into the US… It could compete with the Ninja 250 quite well. I don’t know why Honda doesn’t see this. I’d spring for one in a heartbeat.

[briderdt]

“2) What are some things…that beginners tend to forget when taking the bike on the road…for the 1st time?”

I’m gonna have to defer to the MSF class on that one.

[briderdt]

I know there’s an article on here somewhere that talks about buying bikes that are 10 years old or more, but I’m not finding it right away.

THings to consider, though:
* How handy are you in working on that motorcycle? Things wear out with use, and the father along that road you are, the closer you are to replacing things. Maybe many things at once. If it’s a high-mileage bike, you have no idea HOW those miles were put on, even if the owner says it was babied (maybe the owner before that stunted the thing).
* An old bike with very few miles? You’re dealing with the problems of something that hasn’t been ridden or cared-for. Things like tires, seals, etc dry out and rot just sitting there. Gas in the tank (and in the carbs) can cause problems over time when they sit there. Tank wasn’t full? Most likely there’s rust in there as well.

I’m not saying that an older bike is automatically a white elephant, but the chances go up with age.

[briderdt]

I’d be leery of buying a bike that old regardless of the mileage.

[briderdt]

Yeah, I was really disappointed about that one…

[briderdt]

I’d ordered a set of Oxford Heaterz heated grips and a switch housing (for another set of grip heaters I already had for my wife’s bike) after hours. They called the next morning to confirm that I did indeed want those items, because they wouldn’t work together. I told them I knew that, and I appreciated the call. I had my order at my door the next day.

So I guess you’d say my experience was positive, and I’d definitely order from them again.

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