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Kymco Vitality 50
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SafetyFirstParticipant
OK, I tried your advice to go choke-less for the first few minutes while riding in the cold last night. One stall while braking before a turn. Another stall braking for a stop sign. Opened the choke a tinch to where I didn’t make much difference to the engine speed, closed it after about a block, and no problems the rest of the way.
SafetyFirstParticipantWiring up the hibeam switch so it activates both low and hi beams, and have the off (aka low beams on) be highbeams on.
And if I ever got pulled over for highbeams, I could show that the hibeam switch makes it brighter.
SafetyFirstParticipantI didn’t tuck a lot, mainly because I never was technically trained on how to do it, and I feel like a poser doing it. Well, that and my Scorpion EXO700 even with the vents shut whistles like mad when the helmet isn’t close to level.
I still am digging that CBR125R with rated 95 MPG. Something is weird with me right now – I would still like a Aprillia RS-50 or a CBR125R to play with, even though the other part of my head wants to get a SV650S or Ninja 650. Notice how all the options except the RS-50 are FI.
I wouldn’t mind a CBR125R for commuting to work and wasting time talking to squids seeing the look on their face when I tell them it’s a 125, when it looks just as hot as their 600 I4s, LOL.
But the other side of me wants to be able to make highway riding easier. Where the 650s come in. I have a bad feeling, the best solution is to buy both. But the finances at the moment really don’t dictate either unless a good deal was had.
SafetyFirstParticipantYou mean choke? Yes, until it hits the lower level of the temp gauge.
SafetyFirstParticipantFrame sliders are said to actually cause more damage to the frame. How ironic.
I might be moving up to one of those or a Ninja 650. Roll on from 60 to 80 MPH in about 3.5 seconds? Heck, yeah. It was much more than that on the Ninja 250. Squid alert! JK I wondered if it was too slow to get out of the way, since I was riding it already in the powerband. Riding it anywhere other than there just makes it feel awful to ride.
Though lately, I’ve had the hots for a Honda CBR125R. It’s sexier than my Ninja 250F, 125cc sport bike, FI with 95 MPG. Anyone want to help me through the hoops to import it from Canada, eh? I’m not sayin’ I’m taking it on the super-slab for more than an exit or two, but it would completely rock for riding around town wasting time and getting to work.
Hurts to think of ditching the baby Ninja after I just put new tires on it and am getting used to it, but I think it’s only a matter of time. You gotta figure the pre-08 Ninjas are running on 16″ wheels and are quite a lot different from the 08+ in design. Being able to not only put my feet down on the ground, but be able to do it with knees still bent made learning easy, but now might be the downfall.
And I’m glad there was a pic of you in gear. I was about to raz you on that, Mr. AFGATT.
SafetyFirstParticipantAs promised:
Distance Gallons MPG
Muncie, IN to Spiceland, IN 31.9 0.42 75.59
Spiceland, IN to Dayton, OH 65.1 1.44 45.37
Dayton, OH to Pataskala, OH 89.6 1.70 52.58
SafetyFirstParticipantI don’t think it’s the seat itself that’s the problem. I think it lies in footpegs being not where I think they should be in height. They are too high up, and it makes me have to sit crunched and makes my rear hurt.
The only reason a 600 comes to mind, is because the GSX-R600 I looked at, like everything was adjustable.
SafetyFirstParticipantDamn what a nice bike. Now you gotta tell us all about how it rides, because I’ve honestly thought about getting an SV650S or SV650FS (but don’t tell my Baby Ninja or else it’ll get upset with me.)
SafetyFirstParticipantOh, man. Clear the streets, Elias is on two wheels! Just pullin’ your chain!
Take that nice big parallel twin to an empty parking lot ASAP. Extra points if it’s the parking lot that they teach MSF classes in, so the markings are there. Get good with turning and braking. Especially emergency braking. Don’t be gung-ho and try to get mad short distances your first week, but focus more on getting used to it. It’s better to get the over-ambitious emergency stopping mess-ups out of the way in a parking lot than at an intersection at 45 MPH with a cage behind you waiting to crush you when you low-side. And remember, roads are slick as hell in the middle. What you can pull off in a clean parking lot ends up causing massive skidding and sliding near a stop light due to the oil and grease on the road. Be ready for it!
I’d avoid highways at this point. There’s not much to highways, but there are a few things that will make you anxious until you are used to your bike. Mainly, accelerating up to speed on the on-ramp if it’s a curve and merging. And getting used to the mad wind gusts of a semi-truck flying past, or you flying past it. Just don’t fight the gust too much. You’ll know what I mean when you get there. And because everything is happening so quickly, you truly do need to give yourself more room to the car in front of you, and look farther down the road. A busted up tire piece in the road comes up quick at 70 MPH. Until you’ve had to swerve around something in the road at 45-55, I wouldn’t recommend freeways. At some point on your first highway ride, it’ll probably hit your mind like it did me my first highway ride — the only thing between me and the pavement is my riding skills. Things are happening so quickly, you can’t let your mind wander off. Emergency stopping to a complete stop isn’t a good solution at 70 MPH — swerving and making your own (hopefully paved) path out of trouble is.
If any of you guys think I’m giving bad advice, speak up. I only have 2 months under the belt of the Ninja 250, but it seems like the difference between night and day at this point from when I started riding the 250, afraid to leave residential streets.
SafetyFirstParticipantFixed it tonight. Found out on the Ninja 250 FAQ site that it’s common enough to note the speedometer cable coming undone. I put it back in, tightened up the nut, and all is well.
SafetyFirstParticipantAs for where to get earplugs… it depends on how many you want.
If you’re just toying with ’em, you can pick up at a drug store, hardware store, big-box hardware store, and probably other places in small, overpriced quantities.
If you’ve found a style you like, you can get a box of 50 or 100 pairs or more from an industrial supplier, like Granger.
There are lots of earplugs out there. Just like gear, there’s no “best” earplug. They come in different materials and firmness. One example is are the very square, firm and yellow EAR earplugs. Another are the cushy green Moldex’s. Usually the advice is to use the earplug with the highest db reduction value. 31 is better than 24. It should be printed on the packaging.
There is a trade-off though. Too much reduction and it could cause a safety issue of it’s own. For example, you’re in a factory workplace, and someone is trying to shout to tell you something for your own safety and you can’t hear them.
For a bike, I’d think the low-end db earplugs would be fine. Most of the noise comes from the wind, and having them in your ears cuts that. Assuming your bike’s exhaust is stock, the max is, what, something like 82dB? Even an earplug with 20 db reduction would bring that down to an acceptable level. I’d focus more on comfort and how they fit under the helmet, than their performance. Or another factor in my case is if they are Kawi green.
SafetyFirstParticipantHere’s the question:
If the boys in blue pull you over, ask you to take off your helmet, and the earplugs are in plain sight in your ears, is a spanking headed your way?
SafetyFirstParticipantReminds me of a conversation I had with a guy on a Goldwing outside of Harbor Freight last evening. I was saying how I want to move up to a 600cc I-4 sporty sometime in the next few years. I gave the reasons against it, too much power, heavier. He said that it’s all a matter of how you twist the throttle for power. And I’m a strappin’ young lad, in better shape than him on his massive Goldwing, so control isn’t an issue.
I guess what it comes down to is, is it better to have massive power and never use it (without losing your license for wreckless operation or worse), or have decent power and really give the engine a good workout? I think the latter is more fun for now.
SafetyFirstParticipantDoes this do it for you?
Wikipedia sez: The ZX-7R is a 749 cc in-line 4-cylinder four-stroke, which in standard guise provided impressive power figures, enough to enable a top speed of 178 mph (285 km/h).
I’m guessing it’s easily 4 times the HP and torque of my Ninja 250. I had a ZX-9R follow behind me on the concrete slab today in the rain. No problem keeping up with my speed, and never passed me even given many opportunities. Seriously, even a Ninja 250 can haul you faster than you can get your license suspended. I was very impressed at how well the 250 does on the freeway. Yes, I took it 10-15 peaking at 20 over most of the way, but I had to do it at least once after having the bike. Call me a squid if you want to.
SafetyFirstParticipantWhere do I get crush washers?
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