[JackTrade]

It’s pretty good stuff, especially for the price (though as WeaponZero points out, don’t believe their “waterproof but breathable” line when it comes to their liners). Quality can be hit or miss though, BUT they do stand behind their products if you let them know there’s a problem.

One of the snaps on the upper arm cinch straps fell out on my High-Flow Mesh jacket (in my avatar above). I got a Fieldsheer customer service rep’s name from Motorcyclecloseouts.com (where I got the jacket), and talked to her. Not only did the company fix the strap, but they also re-sewed some cosmetic stitching that was coming loose on the cuff. My jacket was under warranty, so no charge, and got it back, good as new about a week later.

I also wear the company’s Titanium Air mesh pants, but haven’t had any problems yet.

NewEnough should be able to give you the contact info for the latest Fieldsheer rep, but if not, let me know and I’ll give you what I have (might be out of date, as it was awhile ago).

[JackTrade]

…and got all exicited that Suzuki was bringing back the naked GS500. I was all set to post here on how naked bikes are the best, then noticed the Canada suffix on the link. Damn!

Still, I could see Suzuki bringing the naked 500 back to the states if they’re already selling in Canada. I like the blue and black version on the website, and (no offense to the Gladius), the streamlined look.

[JackTrade]

…a 600 would be the equivalent of a turbo-charged 4cyl engine as found in a Subaru WRX or Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution: small displacement, but with sudden, full-on power delivery when the rpms get high enough. Designed for racing, where rpms are always high, they require some finese and concentration to modulate around town where rpms vary much more. It’s easy to apply too much throttle and get overwhelmed with the quickness of the power delivery.

A 650 is more like a V6 engine…power comes on smoothly and builds in a linear fashion right from the start. Doesn’t have the high-rpm punch of the turbo 4, but the power it does provide is more usable and manageable in the everyday world, and more forgiving of mistakes. You have to almost consciously push it to lose control of the power.

So to move to motorcycles…imagine either engine, but in an inherently unstable platform that can fall over, slide out from under you, take off w/o you, etc.

One size doesn’t fit all of course, but the reason why 600s aren’t usually recommended for new riders is the same why it’s considered questionable to give a brand new driver the keys to an Evo.

[JackTrade]

I sometimes watch the various squid vids on you tube, just to keep a proper perspective on how dangerous motorcycling can be….that video is probably the best compilation I’ve ever seen; I’ll have to bookmark it.

I especially like how it shows that it’s a bad idea to even hang out with squids. Even if *you’re* not doing anything foolish, chances are you’re still gonna get it.

[JackTrade]

Agree with Elwood on waiting a little bit before going out to get a windshield. You may find you get used to it.

My Buell blast has a flyscreen that makes your BMW’s look huge. But after a recent 200 mile round trip, most of it at 70mph+ speeds, I find that speeds around 55 don’t bother me anymore as they used to.

[JackTrade]

Even with a chance of rain.

When I took my BRC, it was July and 95 degrees with near 100% humidity (typical mid-atlantic area summer). Standing outside in a parking lot all day or sitting on an engine, I felt like I was going to collapse at times…it was soo oppressive.

Funny thing was after the test on the final day (since the stress is over, everyone’s a lot more talkative at that point), when the topic of the weather came up, EVERYONE – including a couple of rough-looking cruiser guys who had been riding for years w/o licenses – couldn’t stop talking about how they thought they were the only ones feeling terrible out there.

Anyway, best of luck! I was in the same spot as you when I took the BRC, and I did fine (except for the box, but I eventually, in the ERC, got that down cold). Great thing about having no prior experience is it’s much easier to absorb what the rider coaches are telling you…you haven’t picked up any bad habits yet to straighten out.

[JackTrade]

Has some reasonable prices on Shift gear…not all sizes/models, but if they have what you want, it’s a great place to shop. I buy a lot from them…fast shipping and good customer service.

[JackTrade]

That sucks…but given what you’ve said, even an expert may have had trouble seeing the problem during the brief, pre-purchase inspection.

I’m no expert, but given the bike’s age, maybe the carb’s “low speed” circuit is partially gummed up?

To add to your tips…

3) Buy a bike with as few miles as possible. Most beginner bikes are plentiful, so shop around when you can.

4) Consider taking it to a garage or (gasp!) a dealer for an inspection after you buy but before you ride. Or if the seller will allow it, before you buy.

And for those like me who don’t have *any* motorcycle-saavy friends, the following is a goldmine. Read it before you go to look at the bike, and print out the checklist at the beginning as a cheat sheet for when you’re examining it. It really helped me when I bought my Buell.

http://www.clarity.net/adam/buying-bike.html.

[JackTrade]

The gear does seem pretty solid in person, and I like the logo (the stylized “S”, not the gigantic “SHIFT” that is)…but some value-priced brands seem just as solid. My Fieldsheer stuff is definitely good quality, but w/o the high pricetag.

Interesting to me that Shift seems to be another motocross-oriented company that’s expanding into streetwear, like AXO.

[JackTrade]

Eon, agree on the racing part. Buell either needed to get serious about racing (which you can’t do with antiquated aircooled engines), or they needed to forget it and concentrate on “real world” riding. They never seemed to be able to make up their mind, and they weren’t big enough to do both.

When I first got into Buells a few years back, their whole thing was “we build bikes for the real world, for riders who value the immediacy of the motorcycle riding experience above all.” That philosophy was the big reason I fell in love with ’em.

They weren’t repli-racers with capabilities that 95% of their riders will never tap, they weren’t chromed easy chairs for riding around the block making noise…they were visceral machines for people who liked the twisties, who wanted to be intimately connected to the experience of riding and who didn’t care about how fast they went, but rather how much they were involved in it.

Their (now) shortlived “book of Buell” outlaw sportbiker thing was a step away from that, in the wrong direction.

Re HD’s financials, it’s still unclear how much into the subprime mess they are…shares may be up now, but as more things come to light, that could change rapidly. Hopefully, their steps now are just in time to prevent some really bad outcomes.

[JackTrade]

Rumor has it that HD is in big trouble, bigger than it’s letting on…not least of which is exposure to the subprime mess. Like gigantic houses, a lot of those shiny new Harleys we saw on the streets in the 1990s/2000s were purchased by those who couldn’t really afford them.

Combine that bikes being for most people a discretionary purchase and the lack of availability of credit now and a picture emerges.

Harley ownership was always a double-edged sword for Buell. The big benefits of it were supposedly access to engines, and a dealership network in which it could sell. Ironically, these “benefits” became Buell’s biggest liabilities…for the racer sportbikes Erik wanted to make, HD engines simply weren’t cutting it vis a vis its competitors, and the HD dealershipship experience is terrible. Most Buell dealers were so in name only…my personal experiences trying to get parts back that up.

In my mind, 2 things could happen:

Buell rises again, in some way…I don’t see Erik letting his dream die w/o a major fight. It’s his name on the company, and it’s not really not about the money for him…it’s about spending his life doing what he loves.

OR

Harley actually gets serious about being more than a retro-cruiser company and Erik leads the way for them. The V-rod shows HD might actually understand that the baby boomers aren’t going to be buying many more bikes, and that the people who *are* buying come from a generation raised on imports, with no particular nostalgia for 1950s era American iron.

In the car world, Ford gets this…watch how the Mustang is morphing slowly from retro 60s to futuristic modern, b/c Ford knows its new buyers weren’t around in the 60s, and to them, Mustangs are European-styled hatchbacks like the ones *they* grew up with.

I could see the same thing with HD…some real sportbike-quality Harleys with “engineering by Buell”. Maybe the sportster becomes an actual sportbike. The new Sportster XR1200 is already a step in that direction. It actually has a digital speedo even!

I don’t think ANY of Erik’s innovations are used on Harleys right now, though they are appearing on competitor’s bikes.

[JackTrade]

Damnit. This really sucks. As someone who owns a Blast, and really digs the Buell mojo, it’s really upsetting. I had planned on getting a bigger Buell in a few years, probably an 1125 as well, but the cr (cafe racer) version.

Buells are so wonderfully unique…there’s nothing else out there like ’em. The handling is at near telepathic levels.

It’s doubly upsetting as Buell was finally breaking the last of the Harley technology bonds that were keeping it from competing heads-up with the imports. The new 1125 engine is a great example of that, and it’s always amazed me how much Erik and co were able to do with what they did have to source from HD.

Erik looks like he’s about to cry in the video. I don’t blame him.

RIP Buell.

(But I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s not back in a few years…)

[JackTrade]

Top Gun was the first movie I remember seeing a motorcycle and thinking coool. What did Maverick ride, anyway? (though I really love Kelly McGillis’ Porsche 356 Speedster).

Anytime I see a guy on a vintage or new vintage Triumph, I think The Who or Rolling Stones or maybe the Beatles.

[JackTrade]

Earplugs just dampen sound, but don’t add any, whereas earbuds can potentially pump high volume, distracting Ted Nugent into your head. Can’t drive 55, but also can’t hear that approaching semi slamming on its brakes.

Related to this, if they were legal, what sort of music would go with what sort of bikes? When I drive my Mustang, classic rock sounds just right, but Radiohead always seems a little out of place. So what music goes with what bikes/riders?

“Image” cruiser rider (you know, the guys wearing head-to-toe HD regalia) = endlessly looped George Thoroughgood.

What else?

[JackTrade]

Buy a used Vulcan or whathaveyou for your first bike, get your experience (and maybe drops) out of the way on a bike you don’t really care about, then upgrade to a shiny new Harley. I bought my bike (a used Buell Blast) with exactly that in mind.

Harley’s not going to stop making them any time soon, so you’ll be able to get one when you’re ready. I’m sure it won’t take long, and it never hurts to have had experience with other bikes…

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