Forum Replies Created
-
AuthorPosts
-
Clay DowlingParticipant
You’ll have a lot of fun on that smaller bike anyway. They aren’t designed for the high performance, but little bikes are fun for just tooling around on. You’ll enjoy the maneuverability and the quick response that the lighter machine gives you.
A friend of mine rides a VTX 1800, and he still keeps a 250 around. He used it to teach his wife and his daughter to ride on, and he has fun playing around on it himself. Our local high school has a pretty nice driver’s training course, and he’s been known to take it over there for some fun.
Come to think of it, maybe I should see if he wants to sell that bike. Could be a lot of fun.
Clay DowlingParticipantwonderfully. I get a good steady flow of air up through my full face helmet, and it cleans out the sinuses better than any drug I’ve found. Important to bundle up well though, especially since a cold can make you extremely temperature sensitive.
Clay DowlingParticipantThat you’re getting from your insurer there Candice. I live in Michigan, and I’ve known guys who could ride 12 months out of the year. They typically only got a day or two in the middle of winter, but they made a point of taking advantage of that. I’m hopeful I’ll be able to do the same. Riding to Christmas dinner would be especially nice.
Clay DowlingParticipantI have one, well worth what I paid for it. Especially because in the spring and fall here in Michigan we can have a 50 degree temperature range between sunrise and mid afternoon. Being able to swap out your jacket on your ride is very nice.
I got mine for a steal on ebay, but usually you’re going to need to pay close to retail price on these. Best bet, wait until mid winter and see if it goes on sale at one of the web stores like http://www.newenough.com
Clay DowlingParticipantThe part of me that dropped money on the bike would put it in the garage. I was in a hurry to get my shed done so I could park the bike in there for the winter, and keep it out of the weather in the summer. I have faith in a Michigan winter to strip nearly any cover.
But if your winters allow you to ride a couple times every month, not having the bike seems pretty harsh.
Clay DowlingParticipantI don’t do a huge amount of night riding, but when I do I use the high beams just like I do in my car. It’s pretty much essential on rural roads, since we have massive deer overpopulation where I live and you want the extra warning. But I dim them when other cars approach. I’m working more on the principal that as the smallest guy on the road, I need to be extra polite.
Clay DowlingParticipantIs there any particular reason you are running out your carbs each night? That hardly seems like it should be necessary.
Clay DowlingParticipantMy first bike is a Honda Magna. You have to track them down on ebay or craigslist, but they are available. They give the comfort of a cruiser but they have the speed if you want it. Definitely heavier, and some of the stuff that you could slide with in the MSF class won’t fly on the heavier bike.
Just want to point out too that you don’t ride it in that silly legs-forward position. Pegs are under the seat, like you’re sitting in a chair with your feet slightly under the chair. I’ve never felt unstable on it, but I don’t do any real performance riding either.
Clay DowlingParticipantI have a silver honda accord as my main vehicle. I have the body shop receipts to prove that the car is nearly invisible on anything but a bright sunny day. Two collisions with other vehicles last winter, and both times my vehicle wasn’t moving. People just didn’t see me there.
My advice? Drive and ride like they’re out to get you. They aren’t, they’re just not paying attention. But evil and stupid are nearly indistinguishable, and both have bad results.
Clay DowlingParticipantSo I totally get your thrill. My bike was wonderfully smooth on the highway, but I bought this bike from somebody who rode with an open faced helmet. The windshield is the size of a barn door, and the turbulence behind it can be fierce. A friend with the same model of cycle has a cafe fairing, and he said in the spring, when I’m more experienced and he’s back on the road, I can try it to see how I like it.
I’m with you on the not taking passengers thing, Candice. Way too easy for inexperienced riders like us to wreck with the extra load, and then it’s not just ourselves that we’ve hurt.
Clay DowlingParticipantMy wrists are better now. The doctor recommended flexibility exercises to keep the muscles in my wrist and elbow from tightening up (which was the source of the pain). Turns out that massaging my wife’s back was the ticket. It was an imposition upon her, but she finally caved….
I was actually doing a u-turn because the road was closed and I couldn’t go forward, so no risk of oncoming traffic.
As to the reason for the stall, it was the usual one: too much load on the clutch and not enough throttle. I had cut my idle speed down from 1500 RPM to 1000RPM before setting out on the ride, and I wasn’t used to the lower power. That’s a good lesson too: after making adjustments on your bike, test it out and get a feel for how it handles.
-
AuthorPosts