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I USED to have an ’02 VW Jetta. Then my dad borrowed it one day and got hit head-on at a closing speed approaching 85mph by a freight truck trying to pass in the oncoming traffic lane. Fun!

I’ve since got myself a new car, but I have no pictures, so the old one will do

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That motorcycle helmet makes anything funny.

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…I had to.

Centrifugal Force

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I think we both agree that, as Ben put it somewhere, “9 out of 10 people prefer a warm room to a belt sander across the forearm.” You’ll never see me out of leather and a full face helmet, regardless of the weather.

I’m just saying, it gets BLOODY hot in all that gear during the summer, especially when it’s hotter than 85 and when there’s no breeze and high humidity. There’s definitely reason to WANT to take it off, whether or not you do.

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No matter how slick you are, chances are there’s something involved in motorcycling that you aren’t going to get right off the bat. I think the combination of being an automotive racing enthusiast and a bicycle racer gave me enough practice with clutches and hand levers to be instantly at home with the brake, clutch, and steering.

For me the devastatingly hard BRC control was the throttle. I had tremendous difficulty turning the handlebars and maintaining a steady throttle input, as well as just being smooth and progressive in the face of turns or, say, a bumpy road. In the end I discovered that it was largely due to the fact that I had a death grip on the bars, and once I loosened up and started squeezing with the knees instead of the hands, the throttle issue eased right up.

I also nearly failed my BRC exam because my Nighthawk 250 died half-way through the test. I had to do the U-turn figure-8 box on a brand new bike: the Kawi Eliminator 125. Needless to say, the pressure of the test, the hardest exercise for me, and a new, less powerful, dramatically different bike was a lot to deal with. This is also, for the record, why I hate the Eliminator.

My point is, if you do have moments of joy punctuated by frustration, don’t sweat it. Almost all of us did at some point, and in most cases, it’s something that’s eventually overcome with practice, technique, relaxation, etc. Keep at it, stay optimistic, and better luck on day two!

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…after all, wouldn’t want that stereotype to disappear now, would we?

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In 85 degree weather I’d kill to be able to ride safely without a helmet. I can’t imagine how racers can tolerate the heat at say Qatar…

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When you’re on a motorcycle, you might as well be invisible. Cars will look straight at you and then change into your lane. They’ll make eye contact and then make a left turn right in front of you.

As discussed in many other places on this forum, riding a motorcycle requires a level of heightened alertness and preparedness for even the most random situation that may pop up. Start with an MSF course and you’ll learn all about it.

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I was in your shoes not too long ago. To get started you’re going to want a basic socket set, a matching ratchet (i.e. the drive size of the ratchet should match that of the sockets), some equivalent combo wrenches, some allen keys, and a torque wrench. Everything should be metric since you have a Kawi (i.e. meters not feet/inches). You’ll need more tools as you try to do more complex things, but I would recommend buying them on an as-needed basis. I haven’t used 90% of the tools in my tool kit.

You’re also going to want a front/rear stand for your motorcycle so that you can get the bike stable, remove wheels, etc. I recommend Pit Bull. If you don’t want stands you could probably go with a motorcycle lift instead, but that certainly won’t be cheaper.

Hmmm…I know I forgetting stuff…

Oh, and when you’re measuring oil in the sight, the bike needs to be vertical. If I remember correctly you have an older Ninja 250. Those have center stands, right? Just get it on the center stand, make sure it’s off and cooled down (five minutes post-ride should do), and then take a look.

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The safest thing to do is take the protected right and pull a U-turn.

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The problem is that it is the social norm to berate people for riding motorcycles. When some of my friends started riding back before my own riding days, I vividly remember saying something like “You got a death wish or something?” It’s just the reflex reaction for most people as a result of all the negative press, and to be fair, common sense (it IS more dangerous) that dictates that motorcycling is a good way to die.

What’s most irritating to me is not other’s concern, but rather their ignorant and all-too-flippant suggestions that you are not far from death the moment you throw your leg over a bike. Every single one of my best friends in succession have gone through the process of education. They start telling me to “try not to die,” “stay out of my ER,” etc. and over time, and with enough open-minded discussion, they come to respect my choice. You can’t help running into people who throw stereotypes your way, but you can change the opinions of the few you care about. Ok, maybe not all of them, and maybe not all the way, but all I really want from those I care about is respect for my decisions, and THAT you can usually get.

Here’s really what it comes down to: riding motorcycles IS more dangerous, but not that much more dangerous that you’re crazy to want to do it. Yes, there are all kinds of risks that don’t exist in a car, but when Bob announces that he’s going to bicycle his way to work everyday wearing a bike helmet and spandex does anybody throw a hissy fit? When your friends go up to the local mountain passes to go bombing down a frozen slope peppered with trees and rocks at highway speeds with nothing but a helmet, do you make snide comments about their life expectancy? NO! Ultimately, the people you care about need to understand that, like mountain biking, rock climbing, skiing, snowboarding, in-ocean swimming, and plenty of other things nobody ever gets upset about, there is a fantastic reward afforded motorcyclists that, for now, compensates you for whatever added risk you take on as a result of enjoying your hobby/sport/mode-of-transport/lifestyle/whatever-the-F#$%-you-want-to-call-it.

And if you try to rationally discuss this with them and they don’t want to hear it, time and time again, despite supposedly being close to you and caring about you, well then F$% ’em.

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1) The Sport Demons are great tires. They’re what I’ve got, and I noticed a significant improvement over the stock tires. Mine’s an ’08, however, which means both 17″ wheels and different stock tires.

2) There’s no reason to go to your Kawi dealer for this. Shop around for the best deal, and most importantly look for tire dealers that will give you substantial labor discounts for bringing in wheels alone. Most places charge an arm and a leg for labor, but there are a few in my area that will put tires on for free if you bought them at that same store and have already removed the wheels. For my Sport Demons I saved $120 in labor that way.

If you don’t already have a lift or front/rear stands, it won’t be cost effective this time, but in the long run it’s DEFINITELY a good idea to start doing bits and pieces of labor yourself. You’ll save a lot. This is especially true of the more trivial services. If you can change your oil, check bolt/screw torque, and do a few other really simple things, you can save hundreds.

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You’d be surprised. They’re all very anti-gixxer-as-first-bike and try very hard to talk sense into people that come through. Most of the people are just looking for support for a decision they’ve already made and nobody has any chance of talking them out of it.

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Those bikes are super small. My nighthawk failed on day two of my MSF course and I had to do the rest on an eliminator. It really sucked. I can see how they’d be good bikes for some people in some situations, but I think for normal riding in the city, they’re too small and underpowered.

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A metal wire sticking out of tire means you have a flat waiting to happen. Check your tire pressure, get it to a shop, have the wire taken out and see what they have to say. If it’s in far enough that it’s punctured the tire, you’re going to need a new one.

As far as tire wear goes, the easiest way to tell is to look for wear bars inside the tire tread itself (i.e. the grooves cut into the tire). A wear bar is a slightly-raised bump of rubber inside the tread that indicates the maximum amount of wear your tire allows. When the tire is worn down flush to the wear bar, it needs to be replaced. Usually it’s better to replace slightly before then to be safe, but if you’re nowhere near it, you’re fine. If your tires don’t have wear bars, get a fine ruler and try to measure 1/32″. If you have more than that much tread left, you’re good.

Also be sure that you aren’t using a worn tire in the back and a new tire in the front or vice versa. That can adversely affect your handling.

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