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Review of the CFMoto Glory
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March 5, 2010 at 12:20 am in reply to: totally new, working on getting license and looking for a bike #24782SantaCruzRiderParticipant
That’s a great bike and one that should end up enjoying a lot.
Too bad your kids are so misguided. You might have to tell them to chill out or you’ll spend their inheritance on biker tats and Ducatis.
SantaCruzRiderParticipantAdding to what Munch said: My advice is to separate yourself from thinking that riding a bike is more than about 20% similar to driving a car.
In a car, I can be reasonably sure that I can occupy a lane and if I avoid slamming my brakes or jamming on the gas, most drivers will be able to see me and keep track of me well enough so that when it come time for them to change lanes, they won’t collide with me. And if they do, it will typically be in a manner that will result in some swearing, an exchange in information and me being late for work.
NOTE: This bears NO resemblance to how it would work if you are on a bike. On a bike, you are navigating between kill zones. Even on a 2-lane road, you should consider your passes. If I’m in the fast lane, I never crawl past the car on the right. Instead, I sit back of his left quarter until I think he’s seen me and then when I think it’s clear, I accelerate up until I’m at least even with his driver mirror and am sure he’s seen me. Until them, “I’m invisible” to him.
Another tip: Use all the lane to make yourself visible. This may involve claiming territory by riding the middle when your lane is moving faster than others, riding the fender of someone who seems to want to cut in, or just weaving a bit as traffic slows and you want to be sure folks see you.
Also, accept that you are harder to see and ride with that in mind. I’ve ridden for years, and I still get caught when I’m in my car and suddenly a biker is up on my mirror slicing through the spot that I was just eyeing for my car lane change. Truly, it freaks me out because I’m very conscious of bikes and then I see how invisible they are even to me and I wonder if my life hangs in such a small balance.
Personally, I believe in riding very “activily” (I’d say aggressively, but I DON’T mean fast or reckless).
Lastly, if you want to be visible but don’t want to wear dayglow, try to emulate the local LEO. I ride an old school bike similar to one ridden by LEO, helmet is silver (like CHP), black jacket — net result is that when someone glances back and sees you, they keep track of you, rather than ignoring you.
Hope that helpsSantaCruzRiderParticipantI’ve owned and ridden both and personally find that a faired bike is much more comfortable when the ride is at highway speed and exceeds an hour or so. It’s amazing how much buffeting is removed by a good fairing and this can make longer rides much less tiring — which ultimately improves your ability to remain alert and can improve safety.
Balanced against this is the fact that fairings can be a big PIA with maintenance. Also, not all bikes are conducive to just leaving the lowers off as they may provide important support to the uppers.
As for drops: There are few parts on the side of the bike that do well on the ground. Fairings are expensive, but so is the tank, mirrors, turn signals, engine case, etc. This is where a used bike really makes sense — limiting the ding to your resale as well as being far less disheartening if you get that first scratch.
February 28, 2010 at 5:41 pm in reply to: Trying to convince the “BOSS” that bikes aren’t as scary and dangerous as she thinks!! #24682SantaCruzRiderParticipantProblem is that your arguments will never carry as much weight as her “I’d always be worried about you” and “I can’t stand to live without you” argument around safety.
You can try the saving money argument, but that may come back to kick you in the teeth. My experience riding 10k per year on bike that gets double the mileage of my car and is completely paid for is that my gas savings covers my insurance, registration, self-done maintenance, tires and gear. I end up saving a few hundred a year, but I’d be TOTALLY upside down if I added a bike payment and full coverage insurance. Your mileage may vary, but I’d be careful about BSing the Boss.
I had to laugh about the “forgivenss” route. I tried that with a boat purchase several years ago. Wife came home to a boat in the driveway and gave up a “what the hell is that” comment. I guess when I told her I was going to go look at a boat she didn’t understand that the logical conclusion would be that we would all be looking at it at our home. Anyway, every day on that boat was crap cause she resented it. I finally told her that if she didn’t chill, I was going to sell it and start over. Within a year I sold it and then bought a larger one — which she had full disclosure and warning that I was buying. I never asked permission, but at least she was involved in the process — and now everyone is happy.
Good luck.
SantaCruzRiderParticipantBased on your aspiration to get an 883r, I’d think that you would be happier with another bike that also has more of a standard riding position — so that that would be the Ninja or the TU.
The TU has a similar asthetic to the 883, barebones look with everything exposed, so that might be more appealing.
One thing to consider is whether your ride will involve much highway-speed driving or cold/rain riding. If so, the Ninja’s fairing and shield can be big bonuses.
Nothing against the S40, but it has a more foot forward position that you find on cruisers — very different from the 883r.
SantaCruzRiderParticipantThe bike is likely just paying you back for several months of being neglected and ignored. Few bikes benefit from sitting for several months, especially when they are left outside in the elements.
I know plenty of guys who have sold their bikes after finding out how expensive it is to keep a bike running when youuse it infrequently.
My guess is that you’ve got a low battery — so charge it up.
Next thing to worry about is the gas — I’m betting you didn’t add stabilizer, so it may be junk in there. Plus, if the tank wasn’t full, condensation may have added some water to the mix, and that won’t help. I’d drain the tank, drain the float bowls, add new gas with a dose of Sea Foam, pull and clean (or replace) the plugs and then give it a try.
If it works, count yourself lucky for avoiding the ubiquitous carb rebuild. Then commit to either running the bike every few weeks or sell it while it still has some value.
Best of luck.
SantaCruzRiderParticipantSince it sound like you’re in a hurry, you could probably jump on a bicycle and ride to work in the same that it takes you to put your gear on and take it off at work.
Personally, I’ve never had an FI bike, so maybe I just don’t know what I’m missing. But still, I never wait for it to warm up. Even on mornings in the mid-30s, I push the bike out of the garage, start her up with a touch of choke, put on my helmet, get my gloves on, hop on the bike, check the gauges, kickstand up and cruise down the road. In a block or two the choke goes off and you’re on your way. Seems like a non-issue to me.
SantaCruzRiderParticipantHaving sat on, but not ridden both, I was surprised how different they were. The wee-Strom feels like a big sport tourer, with a nice half fairing and windshield and big fat seats. It’s also long and wide and heavy, coming pretty close in all measures to it’s 1000cc sibling.
The Versys feels and is much lighter, with less girth and a shorter wheelbase. The windshield and fairing are both smaller, so you will be more exposed to the elements. I’ve ridden the Versys and it handles like a much smaller bike (in a good way), but still feels solid and confident. It’s a cool bike that feels very natural and intuitive in its handling.
I think both engines have been detuned slightly from their SV and Ninja platforms.
As mentioned, both have large gas cans and carry their weight up high. Both remain on my list for a future upgrade to a smaller cc commuter. In the end, the wee-Strom might fit MY needs better because of the larger fairing/shield and bigger tank — but I’m just as likely to get the V because it has a cooler looking rear suspension.
SantaCruzRiderParticipantYep, here in Cali, some things are cheaper for the younger set, including BRC, health and life insurance, and usually alimony.
SantaCruzRiderParticipantBeauty is in the eye of the beholder and the Ninja is certainly a great looking bike.
I think the fact that the road destroyed your Camry is a red flag against buying something meant for road. You may want to do a bit of research around some of the adventure-style bikes. I’m thinking along the lines of the Honda Transalp or the newer Wee-Strom or Versys (price may be prohibitive). They may give you enough of the look you want and still have the suspension you need.
Another thought would be to see if you could try riding a dual sport on road. Many of them really are fun to ride and very versatile. They may not look as sexy as the Ninja, but the fact that you’ll have a bike that you can ride any time you want will be very attractive.
SantaCruzRiderParticipantI carry my laptop everyday (commuting) and simply slip it into a textile briefcase and strap it onto the passenger seat. That position cuts down on vibration and moves it out of the way of any traffic light drop.
I have hard cases for my bike, but prefer the seat mount as it lets me leave the cases at home and facilitates legal lane sharing.
If I ever were in a crash bad enough to crush an object on the passenger seat, I will feel extremely lucky if my primary loss is a $2,000 computer. And if you’re worried about the loss of data — get one of those $100 external harddrives and back it all up.
SantaCruzRiderParticipantI believe you’ll find those are the correct answers to the most important questions you said you wanted to ask (at least to the best of my MC knowledge and psychic ability).
Kidding aside, congrats on joining the ranks of riders. What kind of bike did you get?
I’m a mid-40s rider as well and I think its a great pursuit for those of us who have the life experience, wisdom and perspective that allows us to avoid making a mess of ourselves out on the road. Plus, my wife thinks I look good in the leather jacket (she’s both kind and generous).
SantaCruzRiderParticipantI don’t disagree with the posters who say that it’s entirely possible to ride a Ninja on dirt and gravel. But if I was buying a commuter bike, I would want something that could handle that road after (or during) a little rain and there’s a big difference between riding smooth gravel and riding in sticky mud. I’d also be gritting my teeth everytime a chunk of gravel kicked up and scratched my fender, fairing, etc.
I’d be thinking the same things in choosing a car for that route. I might lust for a low-slung Lotus, but the road is probably more suitable for a small SUV or Outback.
If I were in your shoes, I’d check out a nice dual sport like the DRZ400 or a LKR 250-650. That way you’ll look forward to hitting that dirt road, rather than crawling your way through it.
SantaCruzRiderParticipantI bought my current bike with just a permit. In my case, I had the permit prior to taking the DMV test and getting my Cali license — but I had been licensed in other states and was not a new rider. My comfort on the bike was a non-issue and when I test rode bikes, it was fairly obvious that I had experience. I was asked if I had a license, but no one asked to see it.
In your situation, you may get some resistance from bike sellers who may not trust you to take their bike for a test ride (I would be hesitant).
In the end, it’s way more fun to be a bike “rider” than a bike “owner.” I’d take Jack’s advice and hold off on the purchase until you have a full license and several days experience under your belt.
SantaCruzRiderParticipantAllen is right, you can’t try on or touch gear you only see online. For anyone who thought otherwise — I’m impressed that you’ve stretched your intelligence enough to even get on the Net. But no, that cool looking leather jacket doesn’t actually feel like “computer screen”. )
Seriously, I’ve purchased nearly everything I own online and saved at least 50% over what I’d pay at local shops. In fact, the only piece of gear I own that turned out to be a turd was a helmet I purchased locally at the CycleGear shop. The mistake was my own, but suffice to say that red flags over gear purchase are not restricted to online shops.
One advantage that I may have when buying online (and which might be shared by others who use the web shops) is that I’m a fairly standard size and proportion. Some folks aren’t (long torso, beer gut, short arms, whatever). I also tend to stick to product lines I know and that I know fit me.
One area that gives me fits is gloves. It seems I have oddly long thumbs — so I buy local and cry about having to pay twice what I would if I ordered from MCsuperstore.
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