[SantaCruzRider]

Hey Clay — kind of makes you wonder if red is the best bike color for riding in buffalo country!!!

You don’t see matadors waving silver or black capes. )

[SantaCruzRider]

Looks sharp.
Is that a 1 or 2 person pillion? Looks pretty spacious.

[SantaCruzRider]

Alot depends on the bike’s condition, price and your tolerance for repairs. Assuming it’s in decent condition and cheap (<$750), it might be a good intro.
Bike was the predecessor of the Rebel and was supposedly pretty reliable. But the Twinstar only had a 5-yr run, so parts may be tough to source. Still, Honda’s known for parts-bin models, so this bike may share parts with other models. You may want to see if there’s a user group online. Still, you should plan on riding it until it needs major repair, and then giving it away to someone needing parts.
From what I’ve read, 55-60 is probably tops w/o a tailwind. As for making a 300 mile ride, it’s probably capable, but going that far on surface streets reminds me of that scooter scene on “Dumb and Dumber”. What’s your tolerance for pain/adventure?
Lastly, I wouldn’t be overly afraid of weight. A 400 lb bike isn’t really heavy unless you’re jumping it or loading it into a truck.

[SantaCruzRider]

Not sure who’s smarter, the guy pulling wheelies on an asphalt boat path or the spectators watching as he passes within 5 feet of them.

Based on the horizon line from his helmet cam, my guess is that he was already unbalanced from mugging for his “fans”, came down hard from the wheelie and was thrown forward, putting too much weight on the front.

At that point, I wonder if there was anything he could do to avoid a highside. My reaction would be to go for the rear brake and hope it quiets the back end. Not sure if that would help.

Kellisanth: Don’t worry about stoppies, You have to work pretty hard to get enough stopping force on the front wheel of most bikes to overcome the fork rake — and you’re probably right on the razor’s edge of locking the front tire at that point.

[SantaCruzRider]

No matter what you ride, you don’t want to scare the baby when mama is around (and that goes for species other than buffalo). Guy is lucky she just gave him a warning butt.

Funny thing is that the car driver took that as his signal to stop filming and move on. Maybe he decided it was time to clear the road.

[SantaCruzRider]

I think you’ll find that an old Maxim and a modern sport bike handle fairly differently. Performance aside, the frame geometry is pretty different, with the Maxim having a fork rake that makes it ride and handle more like a cruiser. And a sport bike handles more like a, uh…..

[SantaCruzRider]

I don’t listen to music, even though my bike has speakers in the dash. If I ever do any touring, I’d consider either installing an amp or getting headphones.

As for parking, I park overnight in an enclosed garage. At work, I park in a company lot. It’s a high tech area and not one prone to crime (San Jose), so I just use the steering lock and that’s it. My bike isn’t the coolest in the lot, so I don’t think I have much risk. I park in either designated motorcycle parking up front or in a car space.

[SantaCruzRider]

It’s a 1994 Kawasaki Concours, basically in the sport tourer class. It has an inline 4-cyl. that was based on the Ninja 900 (detuned to make it’s power in a bit lower range), 6-speed tranny and shaft drive. One of my favorite features for commuting is the 7.5-gallon tank. It has 43k on the clock and still rocking.
It is definately not a beginner bike and I would never recommend it as such. It’s a big beast and top heavy (especially with that tank full). You really have to have your head in the game at low speeds and parking lots.
I commute on freeways with carpool lanes and over mountain roads — and it’s perfect for that kind of riding. If I commuted on city streets, this would not be a bike I’d choose.

[SantaCruzRider]

Some of this will depend on how you dress at work, but here’ my riding/changing setup:

1. Boots — wear them in and put them under my desk, changing into either dress shoes I bring in a backpack with my laptop or into spare loafers I keep in my desk.
2. Overpants — wear over my work clothes (jeans or slacks) and pull off at work. Again stored in desk.
3. Glove, helmet and leather jacket — wear for ride and then onto a hanger or under desk.

Pretty simple! Note that my bike has hard cases, but unless I’m planning for a passenger and using them for an extra helmet and jacket, I leave them off. Any extra stuff goes into a laptop bag/backpack and strapped to the passenger seat.

As for rain, how big a deal is that going to be — it rains like what, three days a year in The Valley!??! (Kidding — I grew up in Canoga Park, so I do recall a few downpours.) Basically, wet roads reduce traction and rain reduces visibility — as much for you as for those cars around you.

I personally opt not to commute on rain days, but I’m OK if the roads are wet from a nighttime cloudburst and the prediction is for clear skies. I’ve been caught in the rain plenty of times and there’s no reason to panic. And lots of other bikers ride in the rain all the time and have no problems.

[SantaCruzRider]

I’m sure there are exceptions, but I’ve been to plenty of shops with “No Sitting on Bikes” signs, and every one of them let me sit on the bikes I wanted to. This includes Harley dealers.
The signs are usually there to keep window shoppers from climbing all over the merchandise, scratching paint with their belt buckles, smudging chrome with their fingerprints and smacking taillights with their feet while they learn how to dismount. The trick is to talk to a sales guy, tell him you’re looking to buy a bike and that a friend said you should check out model X. Let him tell you all about it, then say that it looks awesome, but you’re a bit concerned about the ergos. Ask a couple different ways about comfort and before you know it, it’s “well, why don’t you sit on it and see how it feels.” Now you just need to try to do so without scratching paint with your belt buckle, smudging chrome with your fingerprints and smacking a taillight with your right foot.
Even the local Ferrari dealer gives test drives (unless you drive up in an old beater and wearing a Hooters t-shirt). )

[SantaCruzRider]

(Disclaimer-I have no experience with this helmet) – but, a helmet should not be leaving your temples sore after only 15 minutes. Most helmets will fit a bit snug when new, but it they are creating hot spots after this short a time, it’s likely either too small or the wrong shape for your head.

Personally, I’d take it back to at least see if they could switch out the padding (not sure about this model, but many have different thicknesses available).

[SantaCruzRider]

Actually, they’ve probably never needed a recall because most Harley buyers immediately strip half the parts and replace them with Screaming Eagle parts. LOL

[SantaCruzRider]

I got quotes from State Farm (which I use for home and 2 cars) and Progressive. Geico was by far the lowest for me.

[SantaCruzRider]

Dude tip #34: It’s cool to have a buddy willing to give you ride somewhere, but if that ride involves a motorcycle, proper form calls for the passenger to carry an empty bright red gas can in one hand. In the event of any dirty looks or raised eyebrows, the passenger should half raise the gas can and nod his head toward it with a half smile and a shrug.

[SantaCruzRider]

This is really some fun late-night reading — thanks Munch.

Personally, I think recalls are a good thing, and often show the good faith of a bike-maker in dealing with defects or flaws that become apparent after a new model is introduced. Parts bin technology certainly favors some bike makers and lines, while others will are more “progressive” and lend themselves to some post-launch sorting out. I would expect to see more recalls for sportier bikes, both because some push the limits of materials and also because makers are under more pressure to update their models.

Alot of these are little fixes to avoid wiring abrasion or cosmetic issues. But then some really give you pause: like the Boss Hoss recall of 1992 and 1993? to fix rear axles that may shatter and cause loss of control — whoa, that could be problem!

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