[Jeff in Kentucky]

I belong to a Kawasaki forum with a section just for the 500R- here is part of one thread there:

When Kawi made the 650 in a twin platform and gave it FI, I knew the 500 was on borrowed time….sucks, but it wouldn’t make any sense for them to redo a bike so close to what they have already on the market. I would have to say though, 22yrs basically unchanged….not bad little 500, not bad.

In my mind a 500 makes a better 2nd bike or for some 1st bike than the 650, cheaper to insure too. I would have updated the 500 rather than introduced the 650. RIP 500!

I’ll keep my 500R until it bites the dust. It’s a fine bike for some city riding and highway cruising time to time.

Well, let’s be realistic. The 650R has 10 more horses than the 500, so it’s not a huge difference to the rider looking in that range. The 500 uses carbs, the 650 is fuel injected. That alone makes emissions better and starting easier. Plus, the engine is shared among three bikes, which makes their factory tooling that much simpler.

Do I love my 500R? Yeah, she’s great, and I plan on riding her for as long as I can. But do I think keeping around an orphan middleweight bike would be a good business decision for Kawasaki? Of course not.

[Jeff in Kentucky]

If you rode a bicycle, you learned to countersteer. It is best to practice fast steering with a motorcycle in a parking lot, pretending there is an object to get around by braking first then making two quick turns around the imaginary object. You can push with one hand while pulling with the other hand.

[Jeff in Kentucky]

Here is some older advice for beginners, back when the 650cc Triumph and 883cc Harley Sportster were considered sportbikes for experts:

http://www.chuckhawks.com/good_first_motorcycles.htm

[Jeff in Kentucky]

Going from a 125 to a 750cc sportbike is doable, especially for an older sportbike that is not as ridiculously fast as the newer ones. Be extra careful with the throttle and front brake at first.

I would have a mechanic check this 1982 bike, including a compression check and a test ride. A bike this old might need a lot of parts over the next few years to keep it running, and it might be difficult to find new parts for it. You might need to search for used parts.

[Jeff in Kentucky]

Here is a video about the Honda Cub:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1iCO3Ug9lo

[Jeff in Kentucky]

If your legs are long enough, add a gel pad on top of the seat to reduce the vibration from getting to you. Also, you will start to get used to the vibration after weeks of practice.

A small windshield makes a bike much more comfortable at 60 mph plus.

[Jeff in Kentucky]

The biggest seller worldwide is the 50cc scooter, because poor people can afford it first. The biggest seller in Italy is a 150cc Honda scooter. The biggest seller in the US is probably the various Harleys put together, followed by the foreign copies, especially the Honda 750cc Shadow and the Suzuki 800cc C50. The Honda Goldwing is a big seller for interstate travel by wealthier, older guys. A best of list usually has expensive bikes that few people buy, except in the budget bike category. I see a lot more 600cc sportbikes than 1,000cc sportbikes, and more 1,300cc VTXs instead of 1,800cc VTXs, because of the lower costs.

[Jeff in Kentucky]

This is from a best of 2010 list posted earlier- it depends on the top speed desired-

This year the scooter market is still a bit punch-drunk from the economic uppercut we received in 2009, but from the looks of it the manufacturers are coming back to their senses with some new and exciting models appearing late this year. The scooter that brought the most excitement and gave us the most hope in 2010 was the Kymco Downtown 300i.

We got an early impression of the Downtown in May, riding it from Austin to the 2010 Amerivespa rally in San Antonio. The Downtown 300i excels in so many categories with its engaging aesthetics and masterfully balanced handling, there is little room for improvement (outside of the less-than gratifying seat). The Downtown 300i is sporting an entirely new, true 300cc fuel-injected engine that takes to the highways with conviction.

Honorable Mention – Honda PCX

With its stylish new PCX, Honda has delivered a scooter that’s comfortable, compact, sporty and, at $3399, not terribly expensive. Sure, like you, we’d like to have seen this as a 250cc Honda Helix replacement, but this little machine is pretty damned sexy with enough get up and go to push you around at a respectable 67 mph while maintaining miserly 100-plus mpg fuel efficiency.

[Jeff in Kentucky]

The PB Blaster spray can states that it is safe for O-rings. It has an experiment written on the can- spray some on a leaking toilet valve. I tried it and it stopped the water leak for a few months, but my wife complained about the oil smell in our bathroom.

[Jeff in Kentucky]

From the 1981 Hurt Study in California, a scientific study of several hundred motorcycle street crashes:

Motorcycle riders with dirt bike experience are significantly underrepresented in the accident data. More than half of the accident-involved motorcycle riders had less than 5 months experience on the accident motorcycle, although the total street riding experience was almost 3 years.

The median pre-crash speed was 29.8 mph, and the median crash speed was 21.5 mph, and the one-in-a-thousand crash speed is approximately 86 mph.

Motorcycle riders between the ages of 16 and 24 are significantly overrepresented in accidents; motorcycle riders between the ages of 30 and 50 are significantly underrepresented. Although the majority of the accident-involved motorcycle riders are male (96%), the female motorcycle riders are significantly overrepresented in the accident data.

The motorcycle riders involved in accidents are essentially without training; 92% were self-taught or learned from family or friends. Motorcycle rider training experience reduces accident involvement and is related to reduced injuries in the event of accidents.

Almost half of the fatal accidents show alcohol involvement.

Motorcycle riders in these accidents showed significant collision avoidance problems. Most riders would over-brake and skid the rear wheel, and under-brake the front wheel greatly reducing collision avoidance deceleration. The ability to countersteer and swerve was essentially absent.

[Jeff in Kentucky]

Some famous people with Asberger’s syndrome:

http://www.disabled-world.com/artman/publish/article_2086.shtml

A lot of people online have it- they are better at interacting with people with words, instead of in person.

[Jeff in Kentucky]

Here is a 2005 best of list, but anyone may decide one of the other bikes they did not choose is a better deal for them. I am planning to buy their 2005 best budget bike winner in April, on the second page below:

http://www.motorcyclistonline.com/features/122_0509_2005_motorcycle_of_the_year_nominees/index.html

[Jeff in Kentucky]

A 1985 Honda 250cc Rebel for $1,500 is very high. They are $4,000 new, and the trade in value in my area for the Kelly Blue Book for a 1985 250 Rebel is $660.

[Jeff in Kentucky]

The Rebel is a good choice around town for someone your height. It is not the best for 60 mph but will do it fairly well for your weight, and this Honda is not the best for 75 mph.

Consider a scooter- they are great for city traffic with an automatic transmission, and many cost less than the Rebel for both price and insurance.

I started with a 3.5 horsepower minibike with an automatic transmission at 8 years old for a year, then a two-speed 60cc scooter with no clutch for two years, then a five speed 100cc dirt bike for three years, then a five-speed 650cc street bike from 20 to 25 years old.

[Jeff in Kentucky]

The Carhart jacket would be fine in the spring and fall when the temp is below 75 degrees F, with armor added under it. When it is warmer, it would make you sweat a lot from the lack of vents.

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