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Kymco Vitality 50
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RabParticipant
When I did my BRC there was quite a long waiting list to get on one, so you’d better enquire about that a.s.a.p.
RabParticipantThe Idiot’s guide is not really an instructional book, although there is some riding instruction in it. It covers a wide range of motorcycle topics (street riding, dirt riding, protective gear, history, maintenance, touring, racing, clubs, etc.); none of them in great detail, but a really good overview of everything motorcycle.
That’s why I would strongly recommend it for someone who’s just getting interested in motorcycles.
If I’d read “Proficient Motorcycling” from cover to cover before I’d gotten on a motorcycle for the first time, I may never have gotten on a motorcycle. I found some of what’s in it quite disturbing when I realized just how many things *can* go wrong on a motorcycle. I was riding very gingerly and with trepidation for a week or two after reading it. An essential read though IMO.
RabParticipantAs a year round commuter myself, yes, Weaponzero hit the nail on the head.
I can only comfortably wear my leather jacket on certain days. Not too hot and not too cold and not in the rain (even one with vents and a removable quilted liner). They’re also not very forgiving for those of us who are at an age where we are fighting a constant battle with our waist measurement.
Textile is what I wear most of the time although I do have a lined textile touring jacket for the Winter and a 3 season mesh with wind/waterproof liner jacket for the Spring, Summer and Autumn.
RabParticipantYou said:
“I’m always nervous about whizzing past a line of slow-moving cars…you never know when someone, frustrated by his slow pace and seeing what he/she thinks is an opening, is going to decide to pull out right into your lane without looking. You @ 45mph + Him @ 5mph = you crashing into him @ 40 mph. Ugh.”
Yup! Almost happened to me on the freeway one evening.
I was doing an indicated 80 mph in the fast lane when I suddenly came upon a stretch of freeway where the lane next to me had really slowed to stop and go speeds. Next thing I know, some guy in a big panel van lumbers out of his slow lane and into my lane at about 5 mph… and doesn’t speed-up!!. WTF!!!???
I slammed on the brakes, could hear my tires squealing beneath me and could feel the back wheel threatening to step-out. I quickly realized there was just no way I could scrub off enough speed to avoid hitting him at speed. I had resigned myself to smashing into the back of him when I seemingly without thinking, let off the brakes and swerved past him into the space between the edge of his van and the concrete divider wall (a space of about 3 feet wide).
I was going to say “instinctively” let off the brakes and swerved past, as I don’t remember thinking about doing it, however, in hindsight, I think it was an unconscious, learned response, having been instilled in me during my MSF course and subsequent reading, that in such situations, you can either brake or swerve; there’s not enough traction for both at the same time.
That was probably about the closest I’ve come to death on a motorcycle yet.
We live and learn…
RabParticipantThe Complete Idiots Guide to Motorcycling is motorcycling 101 as far as I’m concerned.
It gives a good overview of all things motorcycle and should be every potential motorcyclists first book on the topic IMO.
A reasonably good video to watch prior to taking the MSF course is “Learn to Ride The Easy Way”, available from http://www.ridelikeapro.com
“Proficient Motorcycling” is a great book for the improving rider who has completed an MSF course.
RabParticipantI own a very similar bike to the FZ6R, the Suzuki GSX-650F.
Yes, they have user-friendly power bands, but as others have pointed out, these bikes are way too heavy for a newbie and the center of gravity is *not* way down low like on a cruiser.
I’m 6′ tall, ~180 lbs, have ~50,000 miles of daily motorcycling experience gained over about 4 years and I couldn’t hold up my GSX-650F when I stalled and was caught off-balance while trying to get over the curb and onto my driveway. Before that, I almost tipped my Triumph Bonneville on more than a few occasions when stopping on oddly sloped sections of road. When these motorcycles get beyond a certain tipping point, there’s nothing you can do to stop them from falling over. Trying to keep the bike upright would be even less possible for a woman.
As newbie’s are much more likely to get themselves into these potential tip-over situations than experienced riders, these heavy motorcycles are definitely *not* the bikes to learn on.
Someone who has just finished an MSF course is far from being a competent motorcyclist and still has an awful lot of learning to do and many mistakes to make.
Here’s a good, if slightly dated article about using a progressive approach to learn to ride a motorcycle.
http://www.chuckhawks.com/good_first_motorcycles.htm
You *can* learn to ride on a Hyabusa, but it’s not advisable; nor, to a lesser extent, is learning on a 600+ c.c. motorcycle. It’s far easier (and much safer) to learn on a light and nimble motorcycle and get something bigger when you have gained more experience.
Oh, and BTW Big Sky Girl, you shouldn’t be thinking of taking long trips anywhere on a motorcycle until you’ve first learned to ride one properly. That means post-MSF parking lot practice, local road practice, practice in town in heavy traffic, riding in the rain and wind practice, practice in the twisties and practice on the freeway.
Don’t try to run before you can walk or it could end in tears, pain, disability, or even death.
RabParticipantI got ~42 mpg on the recommended 89 octane on my mostly freeway commute.
I’ve read the newer fuel injected ones do a little better.
RabParticipantI get 49/50 mpg on my mostly freeway commute. This bike uses regular (87 octane).
RabParticipantI currently own a 650, but have owned a 250 Nighthawk in the past so I know what you mean about the skinny tires.
There’s a couple of places on my freeway commute where there are long, straight, splits in the (concrete) road surface which run at a slight angle, diagonally, across the lane for a few hundred feet.
The way I handle those to avoid getting caught in the “edge trap” is to stay on the side of the groove with the most pavement (within my lane), and ride there until the diagonally running groove has now “crossed” over the middle of my lane and is now well into “my half” of the lane.
Then I lean the bike over a little (by countersteering) to immediately cross the diagonal groove at the largest angle possible. This isn’t much of an angle at all, but it’s enough to let me cross over the groove without it presenting me with an edge trap.
Waiting until the groove is well into my side of the lane, also means that I’ll still be in my lane when I cross the groove at that slight angle.
RabParticipantThey have a web site but it’s not very good and you can’t read the newspaper; only selected columnists and such:
Other nuggets from that same “Why not start on a 600?” article:
#1 Would you rather learn the circus high-wire two feet off the ground or 20 feet off the ground?
#2 Imagine someone saying “I want to learn to juggle, but I am going to start by learning with chainsaws. But don’t worry, I intend to go slow, be careful, stay level-headed and respect the power of the chainsaws while I’m learning”.
…you’re still juggling chainsaws!!!!!
#3 Maturity has nothing to do with learning to ride a motorcycle. Maturity is what you should use when *deciding* what kind of bike to buy so that you may learn to ride a motorcycle safely.
RabParticipantYes, replacing parts on crashed motorcycles *is* extremely expensive, but Triumph parts are no more expensive than any other manufacturers’ parts in my experience.
The reason the insurance is higher on a Triumph Daytona (and Suzi GSX-R etc.) is that it’s essentially a racing motorcycle that is street legal. The SV-650 has 72 horsepower and the Daytona 675 has 125 horsepower. That, I think, may go a long way in explaining the difference in insurance premiums.
“People who ride those bikes tend to do stupid things” Hmm… No Comment.
RabParticipantYou’ll find older S40s called the Suzuki Savage. It’s the same motorcycle.
It’s an old style “thumper” (single cylinder engine), so has user friendly power delivery.
They look pretty cool IMO.
Might be a little snug for those over 6 foot tall though.
March 25, 2010 at 8:16 pm in reply to: Where does one go who isnt a fan of cruisers or sport bikes? #25180RabParticipantAgree totally.
RabParticipanthttp://www.amazon.com/Essential-Guide-Motorcycle-Maintenance/dp/1884313418
This book explains all the “systems” on motorcycles and how to maintain/troubleshoot/fix the generic motorcycle.
RabParticipantExceptions to the mid-sized twin recommendation IMO would be the Suzuki GSX-650F and Yamaha FZ-6R sport-tourers which are both Inline 4s but with twin-like torque, heavy steel frames and linear, no surprise, power bands. Probably on a par with the now discontinued SV-650 in terms of power and acceleration.
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