[Rab]

Yes, and your actions could also prevent a physically handicapped person from setting-up a wheelchair alongside their car in order to exit their vehicle.

Give Respect, Get Respect.

[Rab]

I commute all year by motorcycle and initially went through the same miserable (and dangerous) experiences you have.

Here’s what I’ve ended up with through trial and error and I no longer have any problems seeing in rainy weather (and I wear glasses).

For the Rain:

1. Regular Rain-X (nothing special) on the outside of the visor. You only need a few drops of Rain-X on a cloth, so a small bottle lasts for ages even with frequent use. I clean the outside of the visor with Plexus (or the anti-fog/cleaner I carry with me) and re-apply Rain-X after every ride in the wet (once the visor’s dried of course). Use a microfiber cloth to avoid scratching the visor.
2. Accessory finger wiper (squeegee) on my gloved left hand index finger to remove dirty water splashes or fine misty rain that won’t bead-up and run off; J.C. Whitney has some. Wiping occasionally doesn’t seem to stop the Rain-X working.
3. Keep the visor closed (provided you have what’s below).

For the Fogging:

1. A Pinlock visor and visor insert (a miraculous product which eliminates fogging 100%).
2. Anti-fog spray on my glasses; re-applied every couple of days as necessary.

That’s it. It works!

I use an inexpensive HJC CL-15 full-face helmet (Snell & DoT approved) for which there is a pinlock equipped visor available. HJC approve Rain-X for use on their helmet visors.

Avoid noseless balaclavas and helmet “breath boxes” as unless they are a perfect fit, they will funnel your breath up onto your glasses, misting them up.

[Rab]

Insurance quotes are completely all over the map, so it pays to shop around.

I got (by far) the best deal going through a motorcycle only insurance agent.

[Rab]

I’ve already set my DVR to record this

Like eon, having also grown up in Great Britain, I’m very familiar with the Isle of Man T.T. (Tourist Trophy). For many years, it was the foremost motorcycle race in the world. Nowadays it’s something akin to a motorcycle rock festival. The racing is still central to the whole thing of course.

They release a DVD “review” of it every year (available from http://www.whitehorsepress.com etc.) which is well worth getting a copy of. Even if you don’t consider yourself a motorcycle racing fan, I think you’ll enjoy it for the spectacle alone.

As you can see from the preview, it’s quite different from anything you’ll see on e.g. “Faster” (which is also a good DVD btw). You’ll see these guys racing through leafy country lanes and sleepy looking villages at 160+ mph, sometimes just a few feet away from walls and houses, etc. The price of the DVD is worth it for the scenery alone

I have the 2004 “TT Official Review” DVD where the amateur John McGuinnes won just about everything.

Brilliant!

http://www.iomtt.com

[Rab]

I commute all year round so of course, that means riding home in the dark in the Winter. Fortunately for me though, it’s mostly freeway and mostly lit freeway, so not a big deal.

I took the Wife down the coast for the day and got lost coming back one time. I ended up taking country roads in the dark to get home. Boy, that wasn’t much fun. You’re right of course, the headlight is just not up to it and I was finding myself in corners without even realizing it. Brake, downshift, lean, oops here we go again in the other direction, aaarrgh… a hairpin!! Brake some more, downshift, 10 mph, upshift, mind that big (thumpity thump) …ouch …pothole. Oops, here we go again… Definitely a scary experience on strange roads; especially two-up.

Best advice (and I’m not alone in this), don’t ride a motorcycle at night if you can avoid it.

[Rab]

I went from a 790 c.c. Triumph Bonneville twin to an I-4 Suzuki GSX650F and I ride the latter just like I did the twin i.e. I don’t often take it much above 7000 RPM. The way it’s tuned, it has plenty of power in the lower rev range and can be thrashed up to its 12,500 RPM red line if that’s your thing. The beauty of this bike however is that there is no desperate arm-pulling surge anywhere in the entire power band. It’s completely linear.

Very sure footed and comfortable motorcycle with a near upright riding position. You’ll also very much appreciate the fairing and windshield on the freeway; I know I did (coming from naked bikes).

130+ mph capability, 0-60 in 3.8 seconds (a touch slower than your SV650), 48-50 mpg on regular gas, smooth, comfortable, full featured. If it’s transport, with some limited sporting and touring ability you’re after, you couldn’t do much better than the GSX650F IMO. Check out the reviews, there aren’t any bad ones that I’ve found.

[Rab]

Chaps were developed for horseback riding to prevent the legs getting scraped by tree branches. They ended up being used on motorcycles as, way back when, there was no motorcycle specific protective gear, so they improvised.

It’s the same deal with Engineer Boots.

I would suggest the Olympia Motosports Airglide pants or similar. These are two-piece over-pants. They are mesh and cordura over-pants (nice and cool for the Summer) and also have wind/waterproof puffy liner pants that you easily can attach inside the mesh pants for protection from the elements when it’s colder. They come in black or silver and have full length zips on both outer and liner pants for easy on-off.

I’ve been using mine 4-5 days a week for the last 3 years and they’re still good.

http://www.olympiamotosports.com

[Rab]

With that shortlist, you should also check out the Suzuki GSX650F; an excellent all-rounder (I’m biased, I own one).

It has a very similar “mission statement” and similar specs. to the FZ6R and sits between the GS500F and the GSXR600 in Suzuki’s “sport bike” line-up, although it’s more of a sport tourer than a sport bike.

http://www.suzukicycles.com/Product%20Lines/Cycles/Products/GSX650F/2009/GSX650F.aspx

[Rab]

1. Tires generally have little arrows at intervals around the sidewalls which point to where the wear bars are. Wear bars are little raised areas (bumps) moulded into the bottom of the tread grooves. When the tire has reached the end of it’s useful life, these bumps will be level with the tire surface. You can also buy a tire tread gauge which you push into the tread groove (avoid the wear bars) and read-off the tread depth.

Here’s a nice concise article on the subject. Ask at your DMV re. your state’s requirements (if any). I’d think that 1 mm tread depth should be regarded as an absolute minimum for safety.

http://www.virginiawind.com/tips/tires.asp

I just changed a front tire (at 11K) although I think that was pretty good in terms of tire life (?).

2. Leaking fork oil is a sure sign that they need replacement.

3. Could be a blocked breather, dirt/rust in the carb or gas filter or just poor choke adjustment. It’s not entirely unheard of for people to come and sabotage your car/bike and then offer you a low-ball price cause you just want to get rid of the (now) rough/non-runner. It happened to me with a car where someone swapped the ignition leads, so it wouldn’t start. Bastards!

Whatever, don’t buy it until he fixes the problem(s).

I would recommend that any privately purchased used bike be immediately taken to the dealer for a service and safety check (preferably before the purchase).

[Rab]

Six months with no air added to the tires would see a significant drop in tire pressure I would think and that could definitely lead to a vagueness about the steering. That said, the tip over could be a contributary factor too. of course.

Yes, a chain that loose could introduce jerkiness when you twist the throttle (as it takes up the slack), but it’s easy to adjust. Usually about an inch (total) of chain movement is “within spec.” for most bikes.

If I were you, I’d ride a few other bikes in the meantime and if you’re still interested in that SV650, go back, inflate the tires to the correct pressures and try it again (comparing it to the ride of the other bikes).

If you still have any doubts whatsoever, then don’t buy it.

Although I haven’t ridden one, SV650s seem to be well loved by both the experienced and not so experienced riders, so you’re on the right track.

[Rab]

Actually, I think that the SV650/S twin cylinder is a little faster 0-60 than the GSX650F four cylinder, and I don’t agree that it’s “undoubtedly easier to ride”.

The SV650 has been discontinued, leaving the SV650S, on which you are forced to sit in a “sports crouch” stretched-out position, which is not an easy way for a beginner to pilot a motorcycle. The GSX650F has you in a much more upright seating position (like the old SV650 (non S version), although you can crouch forward if you later want to. Also, the power delivery of the GSX650F is completely flat, with absolutely no surges or “surprises” anywhere; similar to a twin cylinder. Gearing and clutch are very newbie friendly, brakes are good, not grabby and it literally sticks to the road going round bends.

Although it has a 12,500 RPM red-line, it has enough torque low in the rev range to be ridden between 3,000 and 6,000 RPM like it was a 250 c.c. twin, and the gearing supports that. In fact, if you ride it in that manner, it even sounds like you’re over-revving it if you go over 6,000 RPM. It has a tachometer (rev counter) and an adjustable “time to shift up a gear” light (can be disabled), as well as always showing which gear you’re in; all useful for the new rider.

If you want to ride it in a sportier fashion, just twist the throttle a bit more (past 6000 RPM) and it just starts going faster in the same controlled manner; like turning up a volume control, no drama or sudden power surges anywhere. It just starts going faster and starts sounding like a formula 1 race car (cooooool !!).

So, it’s really a Dr. Jeckyl and Mr. Hyde type of a bike and is happy being one or the other. The difference on this bike is, YOU get to choose if/when it’s going to change personalities from mild mannered to something a bit more scary. It’s such a safe feeling and well planted bike that 100 mph on the GSX650F feels like 60 mph on a more basic bike (cough, I’m told).

Sorry if I’m over-enthusing about my bike here, but I did a *lot* of research before getting this (my third) bike as I only have one bike and it has to do everything well (daily freeway commute and two-up at the week-ends), be inexpensive to buy (~$7K) and return good fuel mileage (48-50 mpg on regular 87 grade gas).

The GSX650F is actually a replacement for the Katana and is based on the European market 650 Bandit; it’s not an evolution of the Katana.

These are fantastically popular in Europe where, unlike the U.S.A., many motorcyclists use their bikes as daily transport.

Anyway, I’ve had more than my say here and I’m sure we could all enthuse about our own current bike, so please forgive my self indulgence

[Rab]

No experience of them but they look so retro cool (like a Honda Nighthawk 250 but with fuel injection and disk brakes).

http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/Downs/7594/roadtest-tu250x.htm

I think you’ve found a good dealer as his recommendations are spot-on and he didn’t try to steer you to a more expensive and unsuitable bike.

[Rab]

Slime Power Sport Tire inflator. A bit cheesy but fine for occasional and emergency use:

http://www.slime.com/product/111/Power-Sport-Tire-Inflator-(%2340001).html

Another alternative is CO2 tubes.

For the garage, I have one of these which works great for me:

http://www.slime.com/product/72/Rechargeable-Tire-Inflator-(COMP-07).html

You can find them cheaper if you shop around.

I also use Ride-On TPS in my tires which is the same principle as “Slime” tire sealant but for motorcycles (high-speed). I’ve never had a puncture since I started using it, but don’t know if that means anything or not. It was well rated by Larry Grodsky and is apparently used by police and transport companies etc. so seems legit.

[Rab]

I haven’t ridden a FZ6R, but have a bike that has a similar mission statement to the FZ6R, the Suzuki GSX650F.

The GSX650F also has a detuned (for more torque vs acceleration/top-end) “fast bike” engine, full fairing, a (heavy) steel frame and an I-4 engine of similar displacement to the FZ6R.

It’s fairly heavy but doesn’t feel as heavy as my last bike, a “new Bonneville”, although they’re about the same I think. Gearing and clutch are *very* newbie friendly and it can be ridden at low revs (3-6K rpm) in a very mild mannered fashion, or dial it up (red lines at ~12.5K rpm) if you’re that way inclined; power is completely linear with no power surges anywhere. It’s *very* sure-footed on it’s stock Bridgstone sport-touring tires and the brakes are pretty good too. Very easy bike to ride and very unlikely to wheelie unless you really try to (which suits me just fine).

That said, it’s capable of over 130 mph, is, as I said, quite heavy, and has an expensive, easily damaged full fairing.

On balance, yes, it could be used for learning on and could very well be all the bike you’ll ever need; want is something else

My advice is to start on a 250 cc bike as training bike and extension of your MSF course and get a bigger bike after cutting your teeth on that for a few thousand miles.

[Rab]

That’s a very good question and I don’t know the answer except to say that I commute year round in sometimes very bright sunlight (California) and also on rainy overcast days (including some tunnels) and sun/dark never bothers me at all. Because of the tunnels, I wouldn’t even consider a smoked/tinted/mirrored visor and I think that they’re mostly worn to “look cool” (or anonymous), but I might be wrong.

If I get some time later, I’ll experiment a little and post the results.

[Author]

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