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Yamaha SR400 Review
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JackTradeParticipant
Interesting….I had no idea…always thought they were 100% (more or less) USA, with the exception of the V-rod engine.
JackTradeParticipant…what’s foreign?
JackTradeParticipantThat’s what I’d heard too (you should see the all conjecture on the Blast websites since the “cube” ad)…basically, Erik is just removing the “Buell” decals from the tanks.
As wbsprudels points out, there are other Buell logos on the bike that are harder to remove, as it would require new parts. On mine, there’s a “Buell” and a pegasus (the Buell icon) on the speedo. Of course, the engine does say “Harley Davidson” on it.
Makes sense to me…othewise, what would Harley use for the Rider’s Edge course? Yeah, novices riding 883 Sportsters would be a *great* idea…
What I’d like to know is: is Buell still making the bike, or will Harley? I can see Buell making ’em in the short term, but given Erik’s disdain for the bike vis a vis the rest of his line, I wonder if he’ll want to produce them over the long term…
They have seperate factories, and (mostly) seperate supply lines…Harleys have nearly 100% American-made parts, whereas Buells are very globalized. When I bought mine, I replaced the aftermarket front turn signals with OEM ones…I was somewhat surprised to find they were made in Italy!
September 10, 2009 at 5:00 pm in reply to: Removing the melted plastic yuck from the exhaust can #22285JackTradeParticipant…flat black exhausts situated under the bike. Simple, elegant solution.
September 9, 2009 at 10:22 pm in reply to: My Gladius (largs pics inside for those who demand pics!) #22262JackTradeParticipantGive us an up-close shot of the gauges, so everyone can see that these are near-perfect for information conveyance!
JackTradeParticipantI always like when citizens are able to stand up for their rights against the system…makes me proud of my country. It may not be perfect, but the very fact that one can do something like this shows how good we have it here.
That said, your point about how it’s best to stay away from that system whenever possible is right on.
JackTradeParticipantSteve. McQueen.
If the King of Cool was into it, it’s probably a safe bet it’s worth doing…
I was always into cars and bikes as a kid, but it was only in my adult life that I had the resources (time and money) to finally realize my passions. Cars were first, so worked my way up through a number of them (currently have a Mustang GT that I’ve done some work on). Then to SCCA stuff, driver’s schools, etc.
On a track day about a year ago, I realized that as fun as they were, there were (at least) two big problems facing me…1) they’re expensive and 2) really expensive if I crash. Also, I wasn’t willing to make this my only hobby, which any sort of motorsport requires if you’re serious about it…I’m more in the “gentleman racer” mode; for me, the fun is in mastery of a complex set of skills, not in being super-competitive with a super-competitive vehicle. (Though that said, the new 24 hours of LeMons racing definitely has my attention…endurance racing with junker cars that must cost no more than $500 – safety equipment exclusive!)
So I looked for something that I could get into that would provide the same rush, but without all the expense. Remembered how cool motorcycles seemed when I was young, remembered how cool McQueen looked attempting to get over the Swiss border crossing, so investigated the MSF, and you know how it all goes.
While I plan to eventually work my up to motorcycle track days, that’s a long time off, and I’m plenty content just mastering the basics for now.
JackTradeParticipant…Be interested to know how you like it, over time.
I’m looking at the Gladius for my next bike (currently ride a Buell P3 Blast, which I got used as a first bike), along with the Kawasaki ER-6N…though I haven’t ruled out a Buell XB9SX.
I love the gauges on the Gladius…exactly what good gauges should look like!
JackTradeParticipantMight be the potential abrasion issue, for the areas where the armor doesn’t cover…do you have reinforced jeans?
I started with a pair of Cortec DSX jeans…denim with perforated leather panels in strategic locations and CE armor in the knees. However, they were too baggy (no confidence the armor would stay put), so switched to Fieldsheer Titanium Air mesh pants; got ’em a size bigger, so they fit over my jeans.
JackTradeParticipantThough I’m not in the market for one, they make me happy that the Japanese manufacturers are finally realizing the appeal of retro styled bikes with modern internals. The Euros caught onto this a few years back, and one could certainly argue Harley’s never done retro, as you have to have new designs at some point in order to look back…
Somewhat related to that, I wish Honda would bring back the Nighthawks with engines above 250ccs. I love the look of the current Nighthawk…futuristic body with oldschool spoked wheels…love to see one in bigger frame with a 650.
JackTradeParticipantFor the links.
Looks like after getting hammered by the Hurt report crowd, Snell’s feeling a little touchy. Gotta love twisting the knife by telling the Euros their standard is worse in some cases than DOT…I’m sure that went over well.
JackTradeParticipantof Bike do you want? Sportbike? Cruiser?
JackTradeParticipant…a standard 250 w/o the fairings, I’d have gotten one instead of my Buell! Resale would certainly be better…
JackTradeParticipantBought it at the end of the year in the dead of winter from someone looking to unload it fast for end-of-year money.
Trailered it home in a snowstorm!
JackTradeParticipantI took it this year, and found it just as useful as the BRC (well, maybe not as useful, as I’d never ridden before the BRC, but you get the point). Without constant upcoming test anxiety, no classroom parts, and familiarity with the material, you’re freed up to concentrate on your riding skills.
The box freaked me out in the BRC…I was afraid the bike would go down, going so slow and turning so tightly. It was the only portion of the test where I lost points; what made it worse was that I’d been doing it okay previously, before the test. I chalk it up to first exercise in the test jitters, but that’s probably just an excuse to make me feel better.
Anyway, after doing it in the ERC, I was amazed at how easy it became for me.
So if they offer the ERC where you are, consider giving it a try. There’s no pass or fail, just a chance to practice under the eye of an instructor…it really improved my confidence as well as my low-speed skills (which really are the foundation of everything else). Plus, there is some new material…riding the slalom with one hand was cool, as you learn it can be done, and it’s proof of how countersteer works.
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