[kirk]

Dude, your video is cool. I personally get a lot more from seeing something as compared to reading about it.
I like WeaponZeros idea to have us review our gear. I have several products that I would love to rant about.

[kirk]

No prob. Working just fine

[kirk]

Thanks for the info Sean. I also saw that artticle and it was really informative. I am leaning towards the Xena so I think I’ll be getting it in the near future. I’m glad to hear that it is not as sensitive as I thought.
Keep the suggestions coming in. I’m all ears.

[kirk]

I was about to start a thread on this very subject. I know at least three people that have had their bikes stolen. Bunch of A******S drove up and loaded the bikes on trucks and drove off. I was on Craigs List and saw a guy offering a reward for his stolen bike. Suffice it to say that the area I live in has a problem with stolen bikes. You even have to be careful if you ride with a club. A police officer warned my friend that some local clubs will let you ride with them. Once they know where you live they steal your ride. They use the bike for parts or to practice tricks on.
Anyways, this got me to thinking about how vulnerable my bike is. I have a nice thick U lock that goes on the wheel but that won’t stop someone from taking my bike. I looked at some of the posts and I looked into the products described.
The Xenna lock seems like a nice choice. It’s affordable and it seems effective. I also like the fact that it has its own power source. The only downside I see is it’s sensitivity. It seems that most vibrations will set it off. I’m sure my neighbors would just love this. Has this been a problem for those that own this type of lock?
I also looked at the Lo Jack. It seems very effective but a bit expensive. I also don’t like the fact that it takes its power from the battery. I don’t ride everyday and it seems that it would drain my battery. I also don’t have access to a battery charger so that would be a problem.
Any other thoughts out there? What have you all done?

[kirk]

I’m 6’0″ and I like Joe Rocket for gloves and jackets. Not too expensive and they fit great. I usually get my gear at a local shop but I also go online through Kneegraggers.com
As for helmets I’m partial towards HJC. Again, affordable and they fit great.
While Icon makes some nice gear, their sizing sucks. It tends to run too small. Happy riding

[kirk]

I didn’t have any parking lots close to me after I took the MSF class but I do live in a quiet neighborhood. For about the first 6 weeks after the MSF course, all I did was ride up and down the street. Stop, go, shift, left turn, right turn, brake and so on. After about 6 week I felt comfortable taking the bike out into light traffic. I still remember the first time I hit 40mph!
The one thing I tell all my friends is to go soon and go often. I’ve had friends that wait a few weeks after they have taken the MSF class and they begin to forget basic concepts. Good luck out there.

[kirk]

Just recieved my breath deflector yesterday. Should have been here a week ago but we have had some snow, or at least what we call snow around these parts.
Anyways, JackTrade you were right in that the HJC deflector was very easy to install. It does make for a tighter fit but it seems to work well. I kind of like the fighter pilot look.
Thank you all for your suggestions and happy riding.

[kirk]

Thanks for everyones info. It’s pretty cold tonight so I’m sure I’m going to have some fogging issues. I’ll let everyone know how the breath deflector works once I get it.

[kirk]

Best protection is all leather but damn those are expensive. I have a textile and a mesh jacket. Both are comfortable but the textile jacket sucks in the summer. Air flows through but it is still way too hot.

[kirk]

Wow! Very nice!

[kirk]

It was about 104 a couple of days ago but I still had full gear on. Hotter then hell but it beats road rash

[kirk]

Bummer dude! Good thing is you still have your bike. I live in a border town and bikes get taken here daily.

[kirk]

Nice jacket!

[kirk]

That was a very detailed explanation Eternal. Thanks for the insight.

[kirk]

Hmmm…tough questions I must say. I can tell you from personal experience what I went through.
1. I started with a GS500F. Now I ride a CBR 1000RR. I only notice a smoother ride at higher speeds. Below 70mph the engine felt the same. On my CBR I’ve hit rather elevated speeds and it feels very smooth. The GS struggled a bit but nothing out of this world.
2. Maybe I’ve been lucky but I haven’t been blown around on either bike. I’ve had large semis pass me with no problems.
3. Now with this question you will get many differing opinions. The dealer also recommended the 500 as a starter bike for me. He said it was a nice starter bike to get experience on. He said one of two things would happen with the 500. I would hate riding (for whatever reason) and wind up selling the bike. Option two: You will love riding and you will be back in three months looking to upgrade. Suffice it to say I loved riding and wanted to upgrade in two months.
Good thing is I kept the bike for a good year. I practiced everyday and got comfortable. My fear slowly went away and I moved from quiet neighborhood streets to the interstate. I waited then went in for the CBR. So far I have no regrets or additional accidents!
Long story short, practice a lot, be safe, and you will know when you are ready to move up in the CC world.
Happy riding!

[Author]

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