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Review of the CFMoto Glory
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MattParticipant
Elwood is right about slowing down earlier and slower. Start signalling just before you put on the breaks. It’ll give the other driver more time react (and he’ll know why you have to slow down). The mental process will change from “Why is this jerk stopping when I want to be going fast” to “Crap, I got stuck behind someone making a turn”.
… I keep thinking “there’s no way I can negotiate this tight, uphill turn on a bike with traffic pulling up behind me.” Any thoughts?
Don’t worry about the traffic pulling up behind you (check your mirrors for idiots, but don’t worry about upsetting the drivers behind you so long as your ride at a reasonable rate).
Also, don’t worry about making the tight turn. I found that taking tight turns in the BRC was harder than it was in the street. In the course you only have cones to work with, on the street you have more concrete thigns to use for judging distances (like a curb or shoulder, and yellow line). Also, I found most lanes are wider than what they had us practicing on in my BRC. The net effect was that right turns from a stop were extremely hard for me and most the people in my class, but the secord or third time I did it on the street I had no issue.
Ride safe
MattParticipantI agree 100% with what has been said above (especially the passenger bit! Riding with a passenger is significantly harder!)
“Classic street style” is a very personal thing. To me that means an 80s japanese upright bike with the feet uner you and your back straight. To some people that means a cruiser.
One of the problems with Sportster is that it has forward foot pegs, which is not what I consider a “standard” position. It is also harder to learn on (you have less control of the bike with your feet forward). At 5’7″, I really don’t think you’ll be so tight on any bike that you require forward foot pegs (like Elwood with his 38″ inseam does).Try sitting on a Rebel. Don’t ask someone “is this too small for me”, ask yourself “am I comfortable on this?” Sit on it for a good 20 minutes (go to the dealership in the middle of a weekday afternoon and the salesman will happily let you sit there for as long as you like shooting the bull with you). If it isn’t comfortable, if you knees feel uncomfortable, then look into a bigger bike. But I’ve known people an inch taller than you that loved the rebel’s comfort (my Mom being one of them, she owned one for a year).
All the 250cc cruisers are a similar size, but the variety in shapes and sized of the 500/600/650 cruisers is pretty big. Some like the S40 are small and narrow, others like the vulcan are wide, and the Shadow 600 is kinda long feeling (but it has forward pegs, so that might be part of that feeling). I’ve never sat on a V-Star 650, so I can’t comment on it. But my point is that there are lots of choices in bikes smaller and far less expensive than the Harley.
Also, consider holding off buying a bike until you’ve taken your MSF. It’ll give you an idea of how comfortable the 250s are, and what things you want to look for in your bike.
Cheers
MattParticipantAs a general rule stay away from new bikes with new paint.
If the bike was simply “laid down” (negligible speed or standing drop) then one wouldn’t expect it would need a new full paint job – just the small area that hit ground would need repainting (the gas tank on a Naked, the panel that hit the gorund on a S model).
While it is possible that this bike is just fine, the risk that there are bigger hidden issues (frame being the big one, but other possible issues including engine exist) are just too great for your first bike. Your first bike should be something that just works, so you can concentrate on riding and having fun, not dropping loads of cash on it and wondering what is going to break next.
For the money I’m sure you can get a smaller displacement bike in much better shape. And if the guy is asking less for it than a 250, then just walk away – that’s a sign he’s just trying to dump the bike on someone else.
Don’t worry about “out growing” a smaller bike. They are plenty fun, and you’ll learn on them faster than you would on a bigger bike. Plus if it is in good shape, a 250cc bike will sell so fast it won’t be a problem (I sold my 250 in two days in the middle of winter).
The 500s (Ninja and GS) are a lot more bike than people give them credit for. They are definitely worth your consideration.Remeber: If the deal seems to good to be true, then it is.
MattParticipantLots of people don’t bother with pants, yet if you go down you be certain that at the bare minimum your knees will hit the ground. Butt and Hips are pretty high probability as well.
I wear Joe Rocket Alterego pants everytime I ride. In the cold or rain they are wonderful, and even in the heat they aren’t too bad if you take out the rain liner and open the vents.
MattParticipantAnon here posted in another thread, and had a warez/cracks link (linked through the word “friendly”… friendly neighbourhood warez?)
The BBM link above points to “downlez.com” according to my computer…Congratulations, BBM is now big enough to be attracting the seedier sides of the inter-tubes.
MattParticipantEnjoy it
MattParticipantAlas no, I didn’t risk sitting on it – I try to sit on as few bikes that I can’t afford as possible. For the record, I tend to fail at that miserably at that
The seating position looked to me to be very similar to the SV650S and the Ninja 650, or even a VFR; very much what I think of as a sport touring position.
Feet are high up compared to cruiser, but they aren’t nearly as scrunched up as a modern super sport. The guy in the photos is really crunched in with his upper body, but her really doesn’t need to be (look at how much bend he has in his elbows).
Also, the guy in the photos is 6 foot 5. That makes most bikes look smallThere really aren’t many sporting bikes that’ll handle a 38″ inseam that aren’t based on dirt frame (KTMs come to mind, nothing else really).
MattParticipantI ride in textile.
I do so because I commute in everything from freezing, to rain, to brutally hot and humid. I find my textile overpants and jacket allow for that comfortably. I also never ride at my limit. If I ever did a track day I simply would not do it without a full thickness leathers.I’ve heard some people say that textile has caught up to leather and is as safe. I haven’t really seen anything that truely suggests that. When you look at the guys who depend on their gear for their life and lively hood (motorcycle racers), they all ride leather. Period.
If you look at the wikipedia table ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motorcycle_safety_clothing#Textile_clothing ) you’ll see that Cordura and a Kevlar blend are both capable of the same abrasion resistance as leather. However, you’ll notice that Cordura also comes in strenghts much much lower.
So the best made and thickest synthetic materials do appear to match leather. However, that is only the best of them. If out right protection was my goal, I’d spend my money on the one that has been proven to work time and again.
The other thing about leather is that is slides better than textiles. Textiles are like a crash helmet. They save your bacon by failing in a controlled manner that takes the energy instead of transfering it to you. That means all textile gear is one crash only. A low speed slide at 20mph? Your textile jacket and pants are gone – period. Quality leather is multi use. how much multi-use? I don’t have the foggiest. I’ve just been told that low speed slides on well put together thick leather won’t force you to go buy another set.
I’d like to hear Spaz or someone else with experience in leathers chime in on that though.
MattParticipantBlack textile overpants don’t look out of place on a bike (not around here anyways). I wear mine all the time, but I understand why some people don’t like them.
Armoured jeans with knee and hip protection (and made of ballistic material) are NOT as protective as a proper textile pant (which in turn is no where near as protective as leather pants). But they are infinitely better than street wear jeans, and don’t cost a ton.
I would seriously recommend investing in some lower body protection.
Protection is a personal choice, but you’ll feel like an idiot if you ever end up in an ER and the doctor tells you how much the skin grapht is going cost (not to mention hurt)…Take care.
MattParticipantEver seen a picture of a man with no ass?
I have.
He crashed in chaps and had to have all the skin regrafted from his thighs onto his butt. He lost a fair chunk of the muscle under the skin as well. It really was not what I’d call as “safe for work” photo.
Not a scratch on his legs, but nothing but burned and ripped flesh where the chaps ended.
(Remeber chaps come from the horse riding world, where they protect against cuts and scraps as the riders brushes past branches, really not a similar thing to sliding down the road)Interesting side note: “road rash” is not a scrap or rip in the traditional sense, it is actually a friction burn (think rug burn, only the speed and force is orders of magnitude higher than anything you can do at home, and the “rug” is rough asphalt specifically created to adhere to tires). That makes treating road rash all the more difficult since it requires of mixture of blunt-force trauma and burn ward expertise.
Okay, my useless trivia moment is over.
Obviously protection is a purely personal choice, but chaps don’t provide anywhere near as much protection as they appear to.
My textile overpants have a built in belt and fly, so recycling the soda isn’t really much of an issue, but I’ll admit they are more bulky and less comfortable than a nice pair of a normal pants.
Staying away from textile overpants, there is a lot to be said for armoured jeans or proper leather riding pants (CE protection doesn’t require racing leathers).
The jeans might not provide a ton of protection, but if they’re made of ballistic material and have the knee and hip inserts, they’ll do you much better than chaps.
Proper CE rated leather is well, CE rated leather. It doesn’t have to be racing leathers to save your bacon.
How much is a pound of (your) flesh worth? Just something to consider.
MattParticipantStolen from a coffee mug:
Lord Grant Me Patience, but I want it right nowTry to hold off until the course. It’s only a month away. It’ll give you a good idea whether or not the rebel is the right bike for you, or if a bigger bike is fine for you.
Take your mind off of it with a few good drives in the ‘stang now – she’s gonna feel neglected once you get a bike
MattParticipantI’ve ridden a later model Honda Shadow 600, and it is a good bike.
Power is fine, not going to be any issue for a new rider.
It is a 500 pound bike with a tank of gas in it. Low centre of gravity means balancing the bike at a stand still is easy. But, and the but is fairly large. If you have to push the bike around (up a ramp onto a truck or trailer, on a sloped parking lot etc) it is very heavy.
Most importantly though, is how that mass affects it in low speed maneuvers. Parking lots, confined areas, narrow residential streets (when making a turn on to one mostly), in these situations it is noticeably harder to ride than the smaller 250s.
I’m believe that if you are comfortable on a Rebel and can do a u-turn in two parking spaces without issue, the Shadow is a fine first bike. If that level of control on the rebel is hard (and for most first time riders it is) I’d go with a Rebel or other 250 for the first few thousand miles.Lastly, the Shadow 600 is not a fast bike, but it is faster and smoother than the 250s. Going 50mhp on a 250 feels fast, the bike is working and you know it. On the 600, it doesn’t feel nearly as fast – which means you ride faster than you would otherwise.
Things happen faster on the 600, it gives you less time to react, and because of its mass, your corrections have to be better.I’m not saying don’t get one, I’m saying take the course first, and be honest with yourself.
Remember: there will always be another one for sale.
MattParticipantIt is not recommended to ride two up for the first year on a bike.
Trust me when I say it adds a layer of difficulty more than you think it should. Even once you are a good rider, it is usually recommended that you have a good thousand miles on that particular bike before you ride two up. Obviously, communication skills, and your wife’s ability as a pillion (since riding as a passenger is a skill, it is not totally passive like in a car – they have to turn with you) will affect that time.For your first year, plan on a riding only by yourself, except maybe some toodling around in a parking lot. First time I had my gf on the back of a bike I took every single corner waaay too wide (or at a complete crawl). Had we been on a road with the potential for on coming traffic, things could have gone very badly.
You’ll actually find that if distance trips are your intention, cruisers are not the best way to do it. They sit more weight on your tailbone, not your sitsbones. There is a reason touring bikes sit more upright and “standard” than cruisers.
All that said, if a cruiser is what you want, and two up is something you want to aspire to (if not do right away), I’d consider a 600/650cc cruiser.
The bike I rode 2up with my gf on was a Shadow VLX 600. It was very smooth, and pulled cleanly even with a passenger. It was no rocket, but it had enough torque for the two of us (combined weight about 350lbs).
As a learning bike, it is fairly heavy during slow speed turns. If you can throw a rebel around without issue, go for it. If you find the really slow speed stuff reasonably difficult in the MSF (and most people do). I would go with a lighter bike for the first season. Any of the 250 cruisers, or maybe the Savage/S40.I mention the S40 because it has similar weight and dimensions to the 250s but it has a 650 single cylinder engine, so it should have enough torque for two up. However I have not ridden one, so take that with a grain of salt. Also it is a fairly small bike (being of similar size to the 250s), so it might be cramped if your a tall guy.
If you are looking at a Ninja250, don’t worry about its acceleration. Even two up it should out accelerate most small (<700cc) cruisers.
Anyways, those are my two cents, I hope they help.
Ride safe, and have fun.
MattParticipantThose are two mighty different paths.
The nice thing is you already know what riding a cruiser feels like, and Buell offers demo rides
MattParticipantOn the right hand menu is a link called “Why 600cc is too much for a beginner bike” – Read it.
Both the GSX-R and R6 are dedicated experienced-rider bikes. They are designed to respond instantly and aggressively to rider inputs. As a new rider your inputs will be exaggerated at best. Think of a new driver, they have a hard time driving straight in a car because they always over correct. On a 600cc race bred bike like both the ones you mention, those over corrections can get you into very serious trouble very quickly.
If your goal is to ride a sport bike, the Ninja 250 (even a pre 08) or a Buell Blast will teach you the skills you need fastest, allowing you to get onto the meaner bikes sooner. Both are good fun bikes.
If your goal is more to simply have fun on a sexy bike and 250 is too small, look at the GS500 and Ninja500 and see if they fit your bill. They are still learner friendly, but have the get-up-and-go more associated with sport bikes (the 250 and blast aren’t slow, they’ll still out accelerate most cars- the 500s will out accelerate anything but supercars).
If you have to go bigger, the next suggestions are SV650 and Ninja 650 (they have 50 cc on the track bikes, but are much easier to ride). I am personally against starting on a bike this big unless you have taken the MSF and are exceedingly comfortable riding one of their bikes.
There are other bikes that make power similar to the two 650s (Bandit 600, Katana 600 and FZ6R specifically), but they use steel frames and weight 100 pounds more than the SV and Ninja. That 100 pounds is very significant in low speed maneuvers for a learning rider.
Lastly, regarding comfort. I’m 6 foot with a 32″ inseam. I would bet you money that you will find the GSXR uncomfortable in short order. Don’t sit on it with your feet on the ground, sit on it with feet on the pegs and your hands on the bars, trying not to support your weight in your hands (ideally your hands provide no weight support, as that limits feedback from the front wheel). If you can sit like that for 20 minutes (or however long it would take you to ride out of the city into areas where you can run at 60mph continuously) then you have core muscles I am very jealous of.
Have fun and, Ride safe
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