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Honda Grom: Beginner Bike Profile + Owner Reviews
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July 21, 2010 at 2:03 am in reply to: “Weighting the pegs” does NOT lower your center of gravity! #27645briderdtParticipant
Let’s take a free body diagram of the bike. Now let’s apply the riders weight as a point mass at the point of contact. Where is that point mass applied?
The seat vs the pegs.
Tell me that the location of that point mass doesn’t affect the center of gravity of the bike.
July 21, 2010 at 1:58 am in reply to: “Weighting the pegs” does NOT lower your center of gravity! #27643briderdtParticipant…that the simplification that physics always wants to do (treating the rider and bike as a single unit) falls apart to come close to describing the actual interaction of bike and rider.
July 20, 2010 at 9:04 pm in reply to: “Weighting the pegs” does NOT lower your center of gravity! #27631briderdtParticipant“But I was floored to learn the physics of how a bicycle steers, corners etc is extremely complex. So much so that physics struggles to explain it. Something a 5 year old can do by touch and feel a Professor of Physics cannot really explain.”
And yet the fact that the way physics says that the COG doesn’t change when weighting the pegs becomes gospel… Hmm…
July 20, 2010 at 2:17 pm in reply to: “Weighting the pegs” does NOT lower your center of gravity! #27621briderdtParticipantIf you look at the dynamics of system, and instead of treating the bike and rider as a single unit (which I agree, it doesn’t then matter how you weight, the combined CG is constant), you treat them as the rider acting on the bike…
If the rider’s weight is on the seat, then the CG of the bike with the rider’s weight is higher than when that weight is on the pegs. The effect of the rider’s weight on the bike’s CG depends on where it’s applied.
briderdtParticipant…but maybe the wrong shape. Sometimes it takes a while for hot spots to make themselves apparent.
briderdtParticipantWhen people at work ask me about my bike, often it’s people who ride off-road because “I’m absolutely scared to ride on the road.”
It’s funny, I’ve ridden bicycles on the road for over 3 decades, and not ONCE have I hit pavement because of a car. I HAVE because of other bikes (I raced for several years). I’ve had a couple close calls (usually people doing the same thing that kills motorcyclists — making a left turn into an on-coming bike), but never actually hit or gone down trying to avoid it. And I hear the same thing from people when talking about riding a bicycle on the road.
And on the motorcycle, even though it’s only been just less than 2 years, can’t even really say I’ve had a close call. Maybe it’s the bright yellow bike, but it just hasn’t happened.
So I’m a little amazed at the fear people exhibit when talking about riding on the road. Especially people who already ride a motorcycle, just off road. So when I hear it, I think: Why the fear? Is it because you’re afraid every one drives like YOU do?
briderdtParticipant… I bought some Rigg’s Wear Ranger pants from Denimexpress.com, for $33 a pair. Cordura (the same material used in a lot of the high-cost riding pants), double layer over the thigh/knee, and (my favorite feature) cargo pockets. I just wear a pair of knee/shin guards underneath the pants, and I’m good. When I get to work, I just doff the shin guards.
briderdtParticipantI look at this as a total failure. Sure, they’re dumbing down the power, which is a good thing for the newb rider. But at only 1kg less than the Ninja 650… fail!
I think Suzuki could do wonders with the TU250 engine in a sporty package and KILL in the small/beginner bike market.
briderdtParticipantI was “looking” to replace my SV650s a few months ago (actually, my girlfriend wanted my bike, so I’d be shopping for another bike for me). My short list started out as the Honda RC51 or the VFR800. I called my insurance company (Safeco) to get quotes… The Viffer was about 50% more than my SV, and the RC was just over twice what I’m paying now.
Then I saw a pristine Triumph Daytona 675… I’d been told by the insurance company that the premiums are based on engine displacement, so I figured the Daytona would be pretty close to the SV (675cc vs. 650), and was JUST about to call the seller. I called the insurance company first, just to be sure… That Daytona was over FOUR TIMES what I’m paying for my SV, for the same coverage.
So I still have my SV…
briderdtParticipant1) Yes, leather is more abrasion resistant than textile, but still, you want to look for 1.4mm thickness or so.
2) Cordura is the industry standard.
briderdtParticipantThere were a few CBR250’s a little over a year ago that a local dealer was selling, had special “exceptions” for licensing them in Washington. That little Honda? I’d love to rock one of those around town! Looks like a total blast to ride.
briderdtParticipantBest $2.50 I ever spent. And I hope who ever invented it is a millionaire.
briderdtParticipantOnly in the last 5 years or so, the Washington State Patrol, when they have the motorcycles out, use flip-up helmets. Local police, though, still go with the half helmets.
briderdtParticipantThat’s about as big as you can go. The B-King didn’t sell well at all, for whatever reason (maybe it’s the whole too-much-power-in-a-naked-bike thing). Monstrous bike.
Wishing you many happy miles.
briderdtParticipant“The mocs are strictly for comfort walking and normal street riding, where I have no intention of needing them for anything else.”
Yeah, I’m sure you’ll wear the race boots next time you “intend” to crash or get hit. ‘Cause we all know that those things only happen when railing it on the street or at the track.
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