[briderdt]

…about a mathematical formula that determines the proper number of bikes to own. It goes like this:

X=N+1

Where X is the proper number of bikes to own, and N is the number of bikes you currently own.

Kind of explains why I have 9 bikes… Funny thing is, all the bikes (motorcycles) I’ve been looking at as my “next” bike are 250’s to make into a project rat bike/streetfighter.

[briderdt]

…there’s only one Harley (and only made one year) that remotely interests me. And that was because it was made with rear controls. No wonder it didn’t sell well… I guess that’s what Buell is for.

Sure, it’d be sad if the marquee went the way of the dodo bird, but the same can be said of a lot of iconic brands that have become extinct as well. Bail them out? Sorry.

[briderdt]

…that a company that didn’t have to import their bikes into the US (shipping overseas) would at least be competetive. If they can’t figure that out, then I say the market should determine whether it survives or dies.

[briderdt]

I agree, many cyclists out there are our own worst enemies. I don’t ride with those people.

[briderdt]

More like 18-25, and if you venture more than 6″ from the fog line, people in cars honk their horn or actively PUSH you off the road. And guess where all that sand collects? Right…

You think cagers are aggressive towards motorcycles? Try riding a bicycle.

[briderdt]

A Suzuki SV650s. Yes, there’s a lot of advice and articles that say it’s too much for a beginner, and I’m not one to tell anyone that they should get the same bike I did. However, the V-twin engine is very forgiving of short shifts with the low-end torque and very flat power curve. Not as beginner-friendly as a 250 cruiser, but not the hell that a super-sport can be.

[briderdt]

I’d almost forgotten that one. When I was looking around, I was doing the one-leg thing, trying to hold the bike up and get an idea of how it would feel on the road. And I kept coming back to the GS500 and the like, with the more upright position. Then I tried one that had a center stand. THAT was an eye-opener. Once I could get both feet on the pegs, I realized that I was still very comfortable with the bars lower because I could use my legs and core to supprt myself. With one foot on the floor, I couldn’t do that.

YMMV.

[briderdt]

I have no direct (or even indirect — I’ve never even heard of that site) experience, but what I see there looks decent. I imagine it compares well with the offerings from leatherup.com as well.

[briderdt]

While I like the look of the sport bikes, I wasn’t dead-set on getting one when I started looking. But I have an extensive background in road racing bicycles, and I’m very comfortable in that body position for long periods of time.

But the real deciding factor was when I sat on them. Every time I got on a cruiser, or anything with forward controls, I was searching for the pegs when I tried to put my feet on them. Every time. On the sports and standards, my feet found them every time without looking. It was just a natural fit, much like getting my feet on the pedals of my road bikes. You may have similar feelings when you sit on various bikes.

But one thing to consider — on cruisers, with your feet in front of you, all your body weight is on your backside. Every bump goes up your spine, and you can’t lift yourself with your feet to take some of the jarring. May or may not be an issue for you.

And the Ninjas are more “faired standards” than sport bikes. FJR’s would be in the same category.

[briderdt]

I must not fear.
Fear is the mind-killer.
Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration.
I will face my fear.
I will permit it to pass over me and through me.
And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path.
Where the fear has gone there will be nothing.
Only I will remain.

I’ve recited this litany often. And it’s not so much “I must not fear” as “I must not let fear control me”. There’s also the old Boy Scout laws. “A scout is…” trustworthy, loyal, helpful, couteous, kind, cheerful, thrifty, BRAVE, clean, reverent. And being brave isn’t not having fear, it’s doing the right thing IN SPITE of fear.

[briderdt]

Kapowsin (or however that’s spelled) and Orting, back to Puyallup. I waited ’til about 2:00 to leave, so there was no fog to speak of. Temps were on the chilly side of nice, but I didn’t care. I think I might have ticked off a few cages behind me — aren’t sport bikers all supposed to be speed demons? Not me. I was just fine cruising along at 35, or 40, or whatever I felt like at the time. I’m sure I could have taken every corner a little faster than I did, but that will come when I know I can trust the pavement (and my skill a little more).

[briderdt]

…weren’t the I-4 supersports like a GSX-R. I did my homework, and was actually quite glad I got what I did. The V-twin engine has a very good power band, and is very forgiving to short or long shifting. But what it does have is good low-end torque, and it’s known for having a rather “on/off” throttle. I’ve gotten used to it, and have made some adjustments as well that have tamed it down some.

But I’m not saying this as a recommendation that you should do the same.

[briderdt]

It’d help if we had a $$ figure to work with. And don’t forget your gear.

[briderdt]

Any of the ZX Ninja’s will have lower hand positions (maybe not to relevant on the BBM board though). My SVs has Heli Bars clip-ons, which is considerably higher than the stock clipons, and the naked SV is higher still.

[briderdt]

1. Though driving a manual transmission car doesn’t correlate to shifting a motorcycle, the fact that you already have the mindset you SHOULD shift is a plus — that already-programmed in brain pattern of having to DO something about that screaming engine.

2. Totally agree. There’s some magical point where that wind just changes. I’ve been up to 56 on my speedo (which, according to the folks on SVrider is about 10% higher than actual), and the difference in the wind is HUGE.

3. I bought my SV650s from a private party having never ridden a motorcycle at all, about a month before I took the MSF class. I rode it in some parking lots, and even to work once before the class. That throttle response really shocked me. Then I took the class using a Honda Nighthawk 250. SO easy. Then getting back on my bike… I was thinking that I should have waited longer and gone with a Ninja 250… I’m okay with the 650 now, and surprised myself this week riding after almost a month of being off the bike, that I was just comfortable on the road.

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