[Jeff in Kentucky]

Congrats on not getting hurt, and just a few scratches on dead stuff.

[Jeff in Kentucky]

My 2002 Honda Shadow VLX 600cc has a modified airbox, drilled out stock exhaust and rejetting for more power. It gets about 45 mpg if I go fast on curvy roads, 55 mpg for normal saner riding on 55 mph speed limit roads with a lot of curves and some stoplights, about 65 mpg at 63 mph for long highways, and drops to about 60 mpg at 75 mph on interstates. It is not really made for 75 mph, but will do it and more- some people have rode these across the country. Stock the top speed is about 95 mph. I have never had mine over 85 mph. The vibration takes a while to get used to.

[Jeff in Kentucky]

See if blue smoke comes out of the exhaust pipes when you start it and the engine is completely cold- this would be evidence of oil leaking past the rings or valves. A seller trick is to have the bike completely warmed up before a buyer comes to look at it, to hide starting problems and oil leaking problems.

Look carefully at where the gasket is leaking- is the oil dripping from an oil seal above it or from a oil seal inside this cover? For the looks of this bike, even if you need a major repair the low cost will cover the expense.

I would still get an experienced rider to test ride it, and also a mechanic to check it over, service the shaft drive, etc after you might buy it.

[Jeff in Kentucky]

This company has a sense of humor:

http://www.antimonkeybutt.com

I wear bicycle racing shorts with gel padding, and nylon motorcycle pants over them. I also have a gel seat pad on top of the stock seat.

[Jeff in Kentucky]

See if you can get a mechanic or someone who has rode many years to take a look at it and test ride it. A bike that old could have major problems, especially if it was parked for years, so all the oil seals and rubber carb parts dried out and cracked and the rings and cylinders rusted.

[Jeff in Kentucky]

The R version Triumph Street Triple has a much better suspension, and all of the Street Triples are said to go through batteries quickly- they made the battery as light as possible. The Triumph Street Triple is considered a great bike, if you can afford it, and it inspires hooligan type riding. All of the Street Triples come with the better stainless steel reinforced teflon front brake hoses.

Here is a review for some budget naked bikes- you might be surprised for which one got their first place:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKVEzLJroLA&feature=fvw

[Jeff in Kentucky]

If you buy a new helmet and it has a “hot spot” that bothers you, take a big metal or plastic soup spoon and press on this area to compress it slightly- a sixteenth or eighth inch deeper will probably not hurt, but pushing this area down a quarter inch or deeper might make the helmet less safe in a crash, when the foam is designed to compress up to about an inch to protect your brain and skull.

[Jeff in Kentucky]

These are great on 55 mph speed limit curvy pavement and on dirt roads. A problem is that the seats start feeling like 2×4 lumber on longer rides, the gas tanks they come with are very small so they are lighter on the dirt, and they do not have the best handling at 75 mph on the interstates. If you had a Gold Wing for long trips and one of these for short trips at 60 mph or less, they would be great.

[Jeff in Kentucky]

I adjust my back brake lever lower than normal, so in a panic stop it takes me more effort to get my right toes low enough to start sliding the back tire. It helps make up for starting with 8 years on dirt bikes, where you learn that hardly any front braking equals a sliding front tire and no steering, and a good chance of crashing.

[Jeff in Kentucky]

If you start on the dirt like I did, you tend to use way too much back brake and not enough front brake on pavement, and need to work on switching to more front brake and less back brake for the best stopping and settling the chassis in turns.

Some MotoGP info about back brakes:

“With the rear brake, riders have their own individual preferences, depending on how aggressively they use the rear brake. Dani Pedrosa, for example, runs a 200mm disc at the rear, while Nicky Hayden uses a 255mm disc.

This is, perhaps, a reflection of how the two riders have progressed through the ranks over the years. Pedrosa has come up from 125s and then 250s pavement racers, while Hayden is used to American dirt track racing, where bikes don’t have any brakes at the front wheel…!”

[Jeff in Kentucky]

I wear soccer shin and ankle guards that fit inside my 8 inch tall engineer boots with steel toes. I wear skateboarding knee pads, the kind that have fabric behind your knee, and I cut off the velcro straps. They go under my larger than normal pants, and they stay in place. I would also consider the knee braces for sale at pharmacies- if they are designed for bad knees, they will help protect good knees. The soccer and baseball leg protection is designed for hot summer days and have air vents.

[Jeff in Kentucky]

It is best to look at horsepower instead of cubic centimeters. A 600cc supersport has a 4 cylinder race type engine with high power, and the power comes on more all at once- something a beginner should probably stay away from.

A 650cc bike is usually one or two cylinders, and it will have maybe half the horsepower of a 600cc supersport, less than half if it has one cylinder like the 650cc Suzuki S40. Kawasaki makes three 650cc bikes with about 70 horsepower, compared to a 600cc supersport that might have 120 horsepower and will be a lot less comfortable on the street- they are made for renting race track time, or posing on the street.

I am considering buying this somewhat slower 600cc 4 cylinder below, but after 14 years of street riding experience:

http://www.motorcycledaily.com/14february05_zzr600.htm

[Jeff in Kentucky]

You could buy him a brand new 50cc dirt bike made in China at a Pep Boys for maybe $300, but it might fall apart after a year. It is easiest to get parts for a Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki or Yamaha (alphabetical order), and they are high quality. The trials bikes are very nice, for more money, and the low gearing will help prevent excessive speed. These dirt bike pros are giving advice for beginners, although usually someone a little older:

http://www.all-offroad.com/DirtBikes/Beginners/BGMay98.html

Something like this would be good, if the 9-year old is a normal weight:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/yamaha-pw-yamaha-pw50-dirt-bike_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQitemZ250613524823QQsspagenameZRSSQ3aBQ3aSRCHQ3aUSQ3a101

[Jeff in Kentucky]

Sometimes they have the best machinery, sometimes they are more healthy, sometimes it is good luck, sometimes they are the best rider.

The Faster DVD has one announcer saying that MotoGP is 80% the rider and 20% the bike; compared to car racing which is 80% the car and 20% the driver.

[Jeff in Kentucky]

It seemed like Lorenzo was helped by riding with a broken hand- it made him a little more conservative, but he was still passing to get second place. Davisioso was a big surprise at third place on the Honda, along with Stoner crashing. I was glad to see Hayden and Spies in 4th and 5th place, better than the qualifying.

The other riders will be glad when Rossi retires or gets too old, and the change from 800cc to 1,000cc bikes in a couple of years will likely help some riders and hurt others.

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