[Munch]

If its chrome…. just get a razor blade and flake it off when the pipe is cold.
My pipes are sorta “out there” and in the way to get the kick stand. So atleast once a week I have to do that to mine to get the burnt rubber off the pipe.

Yesterday is a memory, tomorrow is a prediction, but today…… is a Bi**h

[Munch]

Now wait…this just hit me…. you go to a bike show and manage to get a picture of the progressive girl…..on this ride, you went by 2…not 1 but 2 Hooters…. and no ….non bike pictures…. Houston getting slim in their pickings?

Yesterday is a memory, tomorrow is a prediction, but today…… is a Bi**h

[Munch]

Sorry to hear about that. However…..welcome back to reality. Just a reminder that WE ARE INVISIBLE….not invincible. Good job on saddling back up. Even better job on staying on that back break til stopping. As long as you stay centered…that wiggle will be the most you get throw the weight a lil….. down ya go. Just like bicycles and dirt bikes.
I know the frustration part myself. Thanksgiving day on my lil road trip I was coming down a “highway” and had to turn off into a neighborhood to get to the scenic part of my travel… had plenty of room behind me to the next vehicle to make the turn safely … atleast SHOULD have been enough. The side we were on is 2 lanes…ofcourse I am in the right hand….. the turn is at the bottom of a hill. I turn on my signal at the top of the hill to let the Pick up a 1/4 mile back have plenty of time to see. Get to the bottom of the hill and I swear the bastid sped up to try and catch me…. I dive into the turn when I see the loose gravel in the middle of the turn…. in the split second Oh Shit moment I can remember three thoughts….. The bikes gonna lay down, IF the bike lays down I am walking that Ford Ranger down and making a widow outta some woman and final thought was….. don’t put foot down straighten up. Luckily the last part kicked in and won the coin toss.
Greatfully the rest of the ride was gorgeous and calming and most importantly…..nothing went down but my blood pressure.

Yesterday is a memory, tomorrow is a prediction, but today…… is a Bi**h

[Munch]

Sounds like it would of been fun. Probly be spring before I get to do something like a charity ride.

Yesterday is a memory, tomorrow is a prediction, but today…… is a Bi**h

[Munch]

Yes its harder to do on cruiser style bikes due to the fact that we are more stretched out. Sportbikes are more compact in length adding to their agility in corners. Think of it as us having a wheelie bar. I am sure you pop the clutch, wring the throttle and pull hard you can make it happen. The smaller the CC the harder… but you want it bad enough it can happen. I grew up around guys with full on HD Fat Boys ….their fun at the time was “walking” it down our dirt road and seeing who could drop the biggest pile of gravel out of their rear fenders. Needless to say THEY are the biggest reason it took me this long to start riding.
Back to your question though… yea think basic physics talking way back 4th or 3rd grade…. you know the whole see-saw demo…..our power distr. is relatively close to the weight center while the front is stretched out ahead of us… requiring more torgue needed to get the front end up. Sport bikes….. well unless your on a stretched “Busa” (retarded IMPO) everything is right on top of the weight center making it no problem to get that front end up.

Yesterday is a memory, tomorrow is a prediction, but today…… is a Bi**h

[Munch]

Congratulations!!!!!
I am refusing to give up my riding …for now…. going ot every chance I get… the weather is giving me a break tomorrow and getting to a toasty 58….. I plan on riding til I run out of sun.
One of the things i hated most about the 2 days riding in the course was the bike is very different from my V500 … I had to re-learn my cruiser position and no the standard foot positions… took me about 10 stops to get back into it. No worries now though.

Yesterday is a memory, tomorrow is a prediction, but today…… is a Bi**h

[Munch]

I would like to say after reading through all this your first post seemed overly analytical and almost like a computer needing justification…. then you somewhat seemed rocked back on your heals and turn almost defensive in response….. NOW… you are truly starting your steps towards a safer rider. You are starting to ask questions about motorcycles in general to understand the beast you are about to saddle up on. For that… congratulations. The few steps you took in one thread is a difference between a squid and a safer rider.
Advertisements are great, fun and sexy to look at. Take them for their word and your likely to become a statistic. Asking people of same experience, some more some less… all trying to contribute to the safety of friends and the “sport” (still not sure how it got that term) will help you better you future in riding . The more informed you become the safer you become and the more intelligent decision you can make.

I hope you stick with that train of thought and let the faster more powerful be a goal rather then a leap of faith.

Yesterday is a memory, tomorrow is a prediction, but today…… is a Bi**h

[Munch]

Guess I need to emphasize I am on a cruiser..no fairings or windshield in which respect I am correct. On a bike with fairings well I leave that to you. Assuming everyone can creep down to the level that itty bitty windshield can give you coverage.
As far as engine heat…again no fairings for me so the heat goes in the direction of the wind….. straight back.

rare edit: I re-read above and though I am not gonna change it, but want to make sure you realize that I am not slamming sport bikes…. that windshield just looks tiny. The tone is softer then it seems :^)

Yesterday is a memory, tomorrow is a prediction, but today…… is a Bi**h

[Munch]

Torque is torque no matter the vehicle. In a car your a tad safer in the fact that you have a back rest to keep your arse planted. Bike…..not so much…atleast ….not OE. Also you have 4 wheels to keep you relatively stable.
That extra umph to get you out of a situation…. almost any bike will do that anyway as the power to weight ratio is awesome for the get up and go for those moments you can’t control. For the most part however your best bet is to drive defensively.
Seeing how your in with th car idea… say you have a new driver in your family….. for a first car, learning to drive a manual. Would you put your child in the Mustang with just the 3.8 and simple sally package ….or would you go full on Saleen and wish them luck?. Using a 911 vs a Camaro honestly is a reflection of mentality. Both are powerful sportscars and can be built up one way or another to out perform each other. As a starting car I absolutely would not recommend either. A V6 or V8 and/or a hyped up VW motor with performance trannies are gona get alot of kids in a lot of bad places. Especially with trying to remember all the new found skills they have to make second nature.
Motorcycles are the same in that respect. If your looking for an umbrella coverage of “how much is to much” it will, as it always will, vary on rider; mentality, physicality and maturity.
Never been on a bike …. 250 great start…. some experience but none on the road…. first bike… .90% 500 or less…. more experienced you make your own judgement based on your skill and atmosphere.
Now this is mainly addressing it from a Sport bike side…as cruisers have a different power relation. Though a 500 is still high enough to get one into trouble.

Yesterday is a memory, tomorrow is a prediction, but today…… is a Bi**h

[Munch]

Very much the torque…..
In simple terms for a car….”Torque is what throws you back in the seat….horsepower is what keeps ya there”.
Almost all , myself included, when starting out get on the bikes with death grips. Turn that bike to the left and your either into an obstacle in a hurry or standing while the bike is off and running without ya. Then you slowly get away from that, you now have to milk the ego outta the newbie. Get him/her in traffic…..light changes…car honks…… not wanting to look noobish the average beginner will forget alot of what needs to be done and goose the throttle…. tire squeals front end comes up….. and alot of the afore mentioned scenario plays out.
Throttles are touchy and different from bike to bike. On the FZR with more horse power and torque out of that gate… you learning process very well could be a painful process…more so then the Ninja 500.
Two different perspectives to compare….. Horseback riding… which is safer to learn on… the 12 yr old mare thats been to several shows, physical therapy rides, and school show and tells…. or the 2 yr old mustang that hasn’t been snipped and full of Piss and vinegar. OR…if your not familiar with horses…. Would you train a first time shooter with a .22 bolt action…. or an M60?
I am not much on sport bikes but I am trying to learn … I also have found out that different models offer different performances like cars. that FZR is more towards the “Squidish” just shy of needing to be track only type sport bikes where as I am seeing the GSX600F as being more the Stylish but with abundant pep sport bike.

Yesterday is a memory, tomorrow is a prediction, but today…… is a Bi**h

[Munch]

A different way of saying the same thing….. “Do not fear the ride…..respect the ride”.

You lose respect for what you are doing on two wheels and your a statistic. Always respect that your on 2 wheels and you very likely not gonna become one. Ride your own ride and to your own comfort.
I think everyone here was nervous or skiddish. I was. More the anticipation of the unknown then anything. Your starting something new and something that has a reputation of being deadly….though that deadly part exists, it gets pulled to the fore front of your mind due to the “squids” that are out there making it on the 6 o’clock news.
ATGATT (All The Gear All The Time) is not just limited to armored clothing, leather clothing and helmet. Get your head in the ride, keep it there.
Once you get on the bike for the first month your gonna be anxious, excited and a whole run of emotions. Make sure you pay attention to that and use it to lock in the importance of what your doing. Eventually that calms a touch through out numerous rides. Doesn’t mean you lost the exhilaration…. just means you know what your about to do and its not a huge thing. For me it actually ( I know this is gonna sound weird) but helps my well being a tad. If I have a headache and or slightly upset stomach from too much fast food… I can get on my bike and oddly all those symptoms go away. More due to as soon as my butt touches the seat….my brain goes into Riding mode, which means nothing else matters but the ride. The scenery, the safety , the solitude.

Oh and I have found alot of the people in my area who grab onto the “Its not if you crash but when you crash”…. are usually non riders that come across this somewhere.

Yesterday is a memory, tomorrow is a prediction, but today…… is a Bi**h

[Munch]

Ok I noticed the same thing with speed and cold. If you think about it, it’s contradictory in itself…. the windchill is making it cold and you are throttling more creating more windforce and more feels like …cold. The urgency in your head and instinct needs to be slowed down. Yes your getting to a warmer area faster but your also creating a frostier feel by creating more wind on yourself. Also …yea….. gotta be careful near lakes, ponds,creeks and here swamps. Excess moisture that lingers near them add to the temperature drop.
I bought some Alpinestars (link somewhere in lost posts) and they do more then well enough to keep the cold and wind off. I ride 38-35 degrees air temp and add the 75+mph. they do fine.
Absolutely always layer…… like your mom used to tell ya….. if you got it you can take it off…..but if you don’t …you can’t put it back on.
I got to ride yesterday myself after a week off…… here in NC we have had a couple of frigid days. thankfully twice already we have had snow flurries….and dang it if I can’t ride atleast it can do is snow. It always amazes me how much better I get to feeling after a decent ride.

Yesterday is a memory, tomorrow is a prediction, but today…… is a Bi**h

[Munch]

Yesterday is a memory, tomorrow is a prediction, but today…… is a Bi**h

[Munch]

LOL….nice…. I take it your ride is near about 35- 45 mph? I ride full highway speeds here and my V500 is without windshield or fairings…… 35 degrees is about my limit…. with layers. Ofcourse 35 at 75+mph…… lets just say you can near bouts leave the ice cream on the exhaust and at worst have a good creamer for your coffee or atleast thats how you feel. When I ride then I have my leather chaps, and jeans, boots ofcourse and for upper T-shirt, sweater or sweater like shirt, then my leather Jacket, head… full faced helmet with Baclava underneath oh and my heavy gloves…. gets nippy but very manageable. Under 32 is where I stop more for fear of some Dumas either tossing drinks out the window or just plain missing weather report and finding that one ice patch no one else found before.

Yesterday is a memory, tomorrow is a prediction, but today…… is a Bi**h

[Munch]

I help where I can :^) . Elwood is right… if the intakes are that forward facing and very open make sure that it has a good dissipation system for wet weather riding. Moisture coming through the intake is just as bad as water in the gas. Another thing I thought about…. the lights in the “barrels” almost defeats the idea behind having the Hypercharger aka ram air. Takes up the space and also breaks up the turbulence the system was designed to create.

One piece of advice to, and I have to tell the fast and furious kids this ALOT…. if your vehicle wether cage or bike is computer controlled…. its wasted money. Cars in particular, atleast most, have a Mass Air Flow sensor that regulates how much air can get into the system. Sure you got bigger port and a cool chrome intake tube… but… if the computer is set for X amount of air… thats all its gonna get. Carbs are able to get past this. A Huge reason why NASCAR hasn’t stepped up to FI engines. Without a chip the only theory that you are working under is that “colder” air is more dense….there again…. computer compensates. Also a rule to remember… if your getting it in…you gotta be able to get it out. HP means nothing if your not getting it to the ground. If your producing 300 hp and your tranny and gearin in the transmission (for cars differential/transaxle also) can’t transfer that into usable power… again… wasted.

Yesterday is a memory, tomorrow is a prediction, but today…… is a Bi**h

[Author]

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