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March 26, 2008 at 7:41 pm in reply to: Very Confused??? 250R or SV650S, that is the question???? #5328MattParticipant
Any full faced Helmet that passes DOT certification will be “safe enough”. Snell certified helmets are stronger (they must withstand higher impacts than just DOT have to) – but stronger is not always safer (less likely to have something penetrate your head, more likely to break your neck). There are very big discussions going on between people who know far more than I do regarding what is really the safest helmet. Thankfully, what all the geniouses agree on is that a DOT certified FULL FACED helmet is going to be a safe helmet.
There are some excellent reviews on helmets at webbikeworld.com
The gmax (a pretty cheap helmet) got their helmet of the year award this past year:
http://www.webbikeworld.com/r2/motorcycle-helmet/gmax/gm68s/Don’t look for “durable” in helmets. Helmets are like air-bags. One use. Once you crash, you replace your helmet. They save your head by breaking apart inside. Even if they look fine after a crash, the foam in them might be filled with micro fractures. Much like a tiny crack in a window, you may never see it, but with only a little bit of force the whole thing could split.
Because of this, never buy a used helmet. You are trusting your life to the person that claims it has “never been dropped”. It would really suck if they lied to you.
The big thing with helmets is comfort. Go to a good shop, try on a bunch. Wear each one for at least 5 minutes. When you have a few you really ike, wear them on for longer (as much as 20 minutes). If there are any pressure points, you want to know about them before you buy the helmet (what might be comfortable for 5 minutes can turn into torture after 20).
My local shop suggests: come when the store is quiet so you can get a salesperson all to yourself, and plan on spending over an hour looking at helmets. Thankfully my salesgirl was plenty of fun while I felt like an idiot wearing dozens of helmets. It also gave me a chance to sit on a bunch of bikes I’ll never be able to afford
Finding a good bike shop, and having a good relationship with them is truely priceless.So, get a helmet that is comfortable, meets DOT (and Snell if you want that extra bit of assurance), has a face shield (so if you go down on your face, you keep your pretty nose attached), and costs what you feel is fair.
I personally bought a Snell approved Arai. It cost me more than $500. If my head fit into a scorpion I’d have gotten one of those. My head is definitely worth $500 to me, but if I could be just as safe and comfortable in a $300 helmet, I’d rather spend the $300.
Also a small side story about helmets:
I ride mountain bikes, usually down mountains. This past summer I took a trip to whistler and vancouver BC. While in vancouver I crashed hard. I fell 5 feet on the to top of my head. I destroyed a $120 fibre-glass full faced mountain bike helmet. Every inch of my body hurt (I had a pretty severe concussion). But I tell ya, when I wiggled my toes it was the greatest feeling in my life. I spent the whole day in the ER. All the nurses kept saying it was such a shame that I’d destroyed such a nice (and expensive) helmet. I just kept telling them it did exactly what I bought it for, and it was worth every penny. That helmet now hangs behind me in my cubicle.
Looking at the damage to the fibreglass, I have no doubt that without a helmet I’d be dead right now.I used to tease a climbing buddy of mine because he always told his rope “I love you” when he put it away. He explained that no matter how much you love your wife, and no matter how much she says she loves you, when you fall, she won’t save you. But yor rope will always save you. The rope loves you more than anyone in the world.
I love my helmet, and it loves me.March 25, 2008 at 6:57 pm in reply to: Very Confused??? 250R or SV650S, that is the question???? #5295MattParticipantAbout the cold blooded – yes, you need to let it idle for a few minutes before riding (depending on the weather, that might be 20 seconds, or three minutes). I don’t find this warm up time to be an issue. Makes me get in the right mindset. But that is me, and we’ll see if that is still the case this summer.
Buzzy sound – Given the popularity of the new ninja, I expect “slip on” exhausts will be out for it very soon if they aren’t already. (A slip on exhaust is a muffler that replaces the original one without needing any other changes to the bike. Sometimes with “re-jetting” the carbs you’ll get marginally more power). i’m not sure on the cost, but aftermarket exhausts are a very popular way of makign a bike “yours”.
The Ninja250.org FAQ has a description of the break in process. I’ll admit I’m not familiar with it.
Enjoy
March 25, 2008 at 2:19 pm in reply to: Very Confused??? 250R or SV650S, that is the question???? #5293MattParticipant(I’m sorry this turned out to be long winded, and only the first part really answers your question, the rest is early morning ramblings)
The SV650 is considered forgiving because:
1- The engine is very smooth in its power devilery. Down low there is a lot of torque (so you don’t have to shift as much), and as the rpms rise, so does the power. This is different from a “peaky” inline four where there is almost no low down power (requiring a lot of clutch feathering in traffic) and very little power below a certain rpm, however once you pass that rpm the power rises very very quickly. This extra power delivery is an issue because if you hit a bump and your wrist twists you’ll unexpectedly be accelerated forward. Especially if you are cruising right near this transition zone – you could mean to accelerate a little bit and find yourself doing muich more.2- The bike is responsive, without being twitchy. A supersport does exactly what you tell it. Even if you just hit a bump and that “Telling” was your body recovering from the bump. New riders (just like new drivers) tend to over correct mistakes, which make matters worse. The SV650 is supposed to be pretty good about not reacting as hard to unintended actions. If you press too hard with your hand, it’ll still turn, but it won’t whip around like a supersport might.
3- The ergonimics are comfortable. This is a big one that you don’t hear as often. When you are on an uncomfortable bike, you get tired faster, which leads to mistakes.
In my area the SV650 is a favourite. A lot of the local guys have them. Most who do have been riding bikes for years, yet they recommend them to new riders who for whatever reason will have nothing to do with a 250.
That said, your comment about being in for the long haul might point you towards the 250. If your goal is not not resell your bike, the the 250 may or may not be for you (some people keep theirs for a very long time).
But if your goal is to be in motorcycling for a long time, the 250 is probably the better choice. Why? Because it teaches you things the bigger SV650 won’t (or rather, the SV won’t teach them as quickly). It is even more forgiving in the corners, and you can ride it near its limits in legal settings (after a few years of riding experience). The added skills and confidence of knowing how to ride corners hard will make you a much better rider (as opposed to the “shoot down the straights, slow down for every corner, then accelerate like a mad man again” approach).Both are excellent bikes, and you’d enjoy both. But, most everywhere else in the world uses a graduated licensing system capping learners on 125cc machines, and sometimes having another cap after that before a full license. In these countries, motorcycles are daily transportation for much larger percent of the population than in North America. There are good reasons for these caps, and many people (notably ex-pat brits around here) feel these systesm did them a world of good.
Look a the reasons you prefer the SV over the 250R. (“I like the look better”, “I like the thought of having more power”, “I think I’ll have more fun on the 650”). Some of these really won’t matter in the long run (the latter two for sure, the former maybe). Others, like (“I find the 250 uncomfortable”) are very valid reason.When it comes down to it, you are spending a great deal of money on something. I feel you have to really love that something to spend that much money on it. If the 250 just doesn’t invoke any feelings of lust, and it doesn’t put a smile on your face, then you have to look elsewhere. If the 250 does, but the 650 seems like a better deal because it has more power and more growth potention, take another look at the 250, it may be the bike for you for.
MattParticipantUnfortunately, small touring bikes like the silverwing (The name is now used for a maxi-scooter, but used to be the lightweight GoldWing for those who haven’t seen one) are pretty rare right now.
webBikeWorld ( http://www.webbikeworld.com/motorcycles/kawasaki-versys/ ) has been doing lots of reviews on parts to turn a Versys into a lght weight touring bike. And I think BMW makes a couple of 800s that work well for touring. None of those will be in your price range though.
Going used you are pretty limited. BMWs hold their value for a long time, and the Versys is too new to be that cheap.
Most likely any 600cc UJM (Bandit 600, Honda 599, etc) should work. I don’t know enough about cruisers to make any recommendations there.
Try looking at dual sports though, the KLR650 in particular. It has been aroudn 20 years basically unchanged until last year. It is very reliable, has no problems on the freeways, and has a following who use it as an adventure-touring bike (ala BMW). Several companies make comfortable long distance seats for it, though some people say the stock one is good enough for all day riding.
While the KLR650 produces more power and is more top heavy than your silverwing, it is supposed to be a very friendly bike.
I think a number of people on this forum own KLR650s, maybe one of them could chime in?
MattParticipantI don’t expect you’ll find the Rebel 250 to fit comfortably, but I could be wrong. Another 250cc cruiser to look into is the Kymco Venox. It is a 250 sized like a 500 or 750… Don’t worry if you’ve never heard the name Kymco before. Chances are one of the Hondas you’ve seen on the street was built in their plant.
http://www.motorcyclecruiser.com/roadtests/250cc_cruiser_comparison/index.html
There are people your size who do cram onto Ninja 250s, but you’ll have to sit on it for yourself.
As for dual sports, they are probably your best bet. There are a whole crop of 250s coming out this year (Yamaha, Kawisaki, and Honda I think). I’ve only seen a Super Sherpa (Kawasaki 250) in person at the rider’s course. It dwarfed the little 150cc bikes the rest of us were on. My sister (5’6″) was able to ride it comfortably, as was one of the instructors (over 6 foot, but not by a lot). I think it might handle your height. The power is certainly there you handle your weight around town. The bike has no problems pulling wheelies, as my sister found out! But I’m not sure how well it is geared for freeway speeds. If your goal is to spend time on the interstate, the DRZ400 is probably the best dual sport (short of moving up to a 650).
I’ve seen the Honda 230 dual sport at the dealership, It looked pretty tall. Without a rider on it, the seat was higher than a sport bike’s. Not sure how far away the foot pegs are, bu it is certainly worth looking at.
Any good dealership should be more than happy to let you sit on a display bike for as long as you want. Head out, spend 10 minutes on every bike that strikes your fancy. If you go when it is quiet you’ll probably have a bored salesman to chat with the whole time. And remember, just because you sit on their bikes doesn’t mean you have to buy from them.
I’d be really curious to hear your thoughts after you’ve “tried on” a couple of bikes.
Lastly, chances are you’ll fit a lot more bikes than you think. There are two guys in my office, each as large or larger than you. They’ve both been riding bikes for years. One guy is younger and drag races 80s sport bikes, the other is older and rides a Harley, but used to ride a 450cc UJM (Honda Nighthawk 450 I think) and loved it. The second guy loves small displacement bikes, go figure.
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