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Don’t get me wrong, based on intelligent statistical analysis, nobody in their right mind would insure my age/gender for less than an arm and a leg. I mean, one of Elwood’s favorite’d YouTube vids says it all:

All the same, it’d be nice if they worked on culling out the false negatives from the pile of should-be squiddlies. It really hurts in the wallet!

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The number of gears something has and its ability to accelerate, its top speed, and the engine speed at which it “cruises” are perhaps related, but not directly.

If this bike couldn’t hit necessary speeds in its 4th gear, maybe it needed a 5fth gear…but it’s also possible that they didn’t give it a 5th gear because that gear would have been to steep for the power of the engine. It’s also possible that, if they had used taller gearing, 4 gears would have worked just fine. I think that’s what Munch is getting at.

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Though I really hope Rossi picks up at least one more. I want him to pull even with Agostini, if not beat him. (It might not be clear so far, but I’m a bit of a Rossi fan.)

He’s going to have a helluva time beating Stoner, however. That guy’s been killing ever since he got back from his mysterious illness.

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As I’m sure you know, I’m jealous as hell!

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You’re right…after all I suppose the word used to define the entire class of creatures on this earth with penises just wreaks of femininity

Everything said is the truth. Weapon, your bike being older has a huge impact. When I tried the same quote with an ’05 DRZ, the quote went down to $500/yr, but still barer bones than I’d be willing to get. Eon, you’re right: there are bigger things than money, though deals like this make it almost too easy to argue that not having insurance is less expensive in the worst case.

If I do go this route, I’ll definitely shop around. The cheapest rate I got my first year riding was even worse, and that was for the 250R: $1700/yr, and that’s paid up front, not in monthly installments. What a joke.

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Live in parking lots for your first few days/weeks. Drill the crap out of everything that you are remotely uncomfortable with. A partial list includes:

– Threshold braking (i.e. stopping as quickly as possible)
– Rapid acceleration/deceleration using only the throttle, being as smooth as possible (this will prepare you not to tighten that sphincter if you accidentally grab too much gas)
– Smooth upshifting/downshifting (try to get as quick as possible on the way up, don’t worry about fast downshifting yet).
– “Slow races”: trying to go as slow as possible in a straight line. Try to go slower than gramps and his walker.
– Slow speed maneuvers: S-turns, U-turns, etc.
– Fast swerves, as taught MSF-style
– Harder, faster turns with higher lean angles. With these you really want to focus on:

1) Two-step vision: first look at the point where you’re going to turn in. Once you get close to it, look for the apex of your turn.
2) Head and eyes up, look where you want to go, blah blah blah.
3) Slow down once (that means either braking, engine braking, or both) coming into the turn, make only one big turning motion (minute corrections are fine after this), and get on the gas only once per turn. That means get on the gas a TINY bit early, and progressively roll on more and more as you get out of the turn.
4) Your body position. Make sure you are never more upright than the bike. Lean WITH your bike. Don’t get crossed-up.

That’s a pretty good list to get you started, and that’ll take plenty of time in the parking lots for you to nail down. Once you get those down I HIGHLY suggest long-term practice of the following not-so-commonly-known (but extremely useful) techniques:

– Trail braking: the ability to safely brake while leaned/turning. This can save your life.
– Brake + blip downshifting: allows you to brake and downshift very quickly at the same time, allowing you to always be in the engine’s powerband even after a sudden slow-down. This is also very helpful in situations where something unexpected happens in front of you.
– If you’re REALLY ballsy, I suggest learning to control a power wheelie on your bike. It’s scary as hell when you first start out, but this practice and experience will save you if it ever happens as a result of an error. Note, I’m not suggesting you learn how to wheelie. I’m suggesting you learn how to get your nose back on the ground if for whatever reason you accidentally give too much gas. It may not be an issue on your bike.

If you have any questions about any of this, by all means ask! A lot of people won’t necessarily go to these lengths to practice the rarer techniques, and that’s fine. I’m the type of person who wants every possible weapon in their arsenal when (not if) unexpected hazards arise, especially on the street. Call me crazy. I probably am

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Man that is a sweet little bike. Looks exactly like mine (shocking, cause it is). The ONLY thing I don’t like, aesthetically, is that dumb looking can. If only they had slicker-looking exhaust to match the sleekness of the rest of the bike. Then again, that’s a $350 fix

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Here’s a pretty comprehensive guide: http://www.superbikeplanet.com/winterize.htm

It’s nowhere near as cold down here as it is in Alaska I’m sure, but I know what you mean about cold riding not being fun. Right now we’re getting mid-40s days, and with windchill, my fingers go numb pretty fast. No fun at all. Waaaaah, waaah, mid-40s. Hah! Probably sound so weenie compared to what you face. What is it up there? 25 on the average day?

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…I actually have to say “no.” Shift has a couple of things going for them. They, in my opinion, offer very good style, good quality of build FOR THE PRICE, and when I got my gear, affordability. You’re right though: their prices have soared.

So we’re all clear, I own three Shift jackets, and two pairs of Shift gloves. I’m no hater. If you can grab their stuff on clearance (happens every so often), do it, but I don’t know if I’d pay $500 for anything but a Dainese jacket. Don’t get me wrong; I love my Vendetta jacket, and wear it almost every day, but I’d have to think a lot harder about it at $400.

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…WHEN you get that 250R, put up some pics! That’s how we get off…living vicariously through the first-bike joy of each new member.

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But I’d interpret that as “carb needs a rejet.” If that’s the case, I’d just get a jet kit for the damn thing for around $80-90. It’s a fairly straightforward DIY install, but if you decided to get it installed by a shop that’ll be another hour or two of labor costs.

Munch?

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In true eternal style, I wrote 80 pages of response and forgot a short and important part:

You aren’t a squid. You might be a newb, but that’s why this site exists. Don’t know what your experience has been at other forums, but here nobody will berate you for lack of experience or for the size of your engine. This is a “safe place” (rolls eyes). That is, until you make Megaspaz angry.

So yeah, you might be a newbie, but until you buy a supersport bike and do stand-up wheelies down the Interstate without pants on, you’re not a squid. Keep it that way

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Believe me, as a then-undergrad who loved (and loves) to watch MotoGP, I really wanted that supersport. Eventually I got it but, dude, I’m telling you: you’re a beginner, so get a beginner bike! The CBR600RR is NOT easier than the GSX-R600 or R6. In fact, in terms of “easiness to ride,” any magazine will put the GSX-R’s manners above the pack. It’s what I own now (in addition to my 250R). I’ve since ridden (not owned mind you; I’m not made of dough) a couple different years’ worth of R6s, a CBR600RR, a Kawi ZX-10R, and a Triumph Daytona 675. So let me tell you, direct from the horses mouth: all those things that magazine folk say about the GSX-R being smoother, easier to ride, more predictable, blah blah? Doesn’t make a bit of difference to the beginner. They’re talking about how easy it is to control at a fast pace, but it still presents the same massive problems to a beginner that all the other sportbikes do. Just trust me. Seriously. This is one of those just trust me moments. No supersport.

So for the sake of insurance, price, and most importantly, the overwhelming advice of my peers, I went with an ’08 Ninja 250R as my first bike. A year later, when I got an offer I couldn’t refuse on a brand new GSX-R, I found myself still scarred SH$^tless the first time I tried to pull a figure-8 in the box on the new bike. And that’s AFTER a year on the 250R!

The Ninja’s great, nimble, and despite what you think, it’s FAST compared to most cars. You will have no problem pulling away from traffic, but you’re not going to beat a Porsche down a straight. Moreover, I’m 6’4″ and it handles me just fine. The only thing I had to do was buy adjustable footpegs (not rearsets, just footpegs) to make a bit more room for my knees, but that’s a $140 add-on. Most of all, the Ninja is EXTREMELY forgiving to mistakes, and very light, a combination you’ll appreciate when you can catch your bike as its falling (something that you can’t do with a bigger, heavier bike), completely botch a shift, or jerk the throttle around.

Now the Ninja’s not for everybody, and I have to remember that sometimes. If it’s not the bike for you, that’s just your call. But honestly, for the price, the looks (I think it looks better than EVERYTHING else available to beginners), and the quality and riding experience that bike offers, I don’t see why anybody would get anything else when they’re starting out.

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Lorenzo would be lethal if he wasn’t so damn inconsistent. Then again, that’s precisely why Rossi wins all the time. It’s not that he’s that much faster…it’s that he’s always within a few percent of the fastest guy (or he is the fastest guy). One race it’ll be Stoner, one race it’ll be Pedrosa, one race it’ll be Lorenzo, but each of those guys is always up and down. To be honest, I’m most interested to see if Stoner’s amazing performances post-comeback will continue into next season. If so, Rossi has some trouble on his hands.

I really do feel bad for Haga though. The guy really deserves to win. At least from what I saw, this year really came down to last-minute nerves for him….and Spies just being a badass.

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American sensation Ben Spies also clinched the 2009 World Superbike title in his rookie season. He’ll be replacing James Toseland on the Yamaha Tech 3 MotoGP team next year (with fellow Texan Colin Edwards).

I bet poor Nitro Nori Haga is ready to kill somebody. He keeps getting second overall…

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