[ShamRock229]

Personally, I have no dual sport experience. But I absolutely love my ninja! It’s very user friendly, great on gas, and looks badass…to me, those are main ingredients in a good commuter bike

[ShamRock229]

That looks like a good helmet. It’s got a bunch of good qualities at a good price. I’m assuming youre going to get it online, are you sure about your sizing? It can vary slightly between brands. If possible, try different ones on at your local shops to get a feel for what brands and sizes fit you best (look for an icon in your case). Even if you don’t buy it there, you still know what you get online will fit properly. This goes with all gear as well.

[ShamRock229]

Yeah I bought it from the kawi dealer in my city. This link has all the models that qualify for the deal and how much you can save

http://www.kawasaki.com/RideGreenSaveGreen/Default.aspx?cm_mmc=KMC-_-Landing-_-HomePageTakeover-_-RideGreenSaveGreen

I got 500 off for it. Depending on your model, credit, and dealership, you could get more. If you’re really lucky, you could get a good deal for a 2009 since they should be getting their 2010 inventory in. Just remember that everything is negotiable…even if you throw out a lowball offer, they probably wont take it, but they should knock down the price a bit because at the end of the day they just want to make a sell.

But I love it so far and you’ll love yours too!

[ShamRock229]

The best way to keep your face pretty is to keep your head up and helmet strapped.

[ShamRock229]

Yeah its best to try to avoid the “oh shit” feeling… to be honest, it didnt hit me that I crashed the first time until I had to pay for the repairs haha but seriously,i think there are too many things happening at once during a crash (plus it happens so quickly) for you to be able to analyze every aspect of your situation before you and your bike are both on your ass.

The best way to protect yourself for a crash is to be protected before it even happens.

[ShamRock229]

I dont think that’s what they meant by break in period…

[ShamRock229]

Getting the wife to support you is half the battle haha

As far as the Vulcan goes, it is a great bike. Just know that like all cruisers, it will be on the heavy side and slow manuevers will be tough at first, but once you get comfortable and learn the limits of you and your bike, you will be fine. Just take it to a parking lot or something first and get a feel for it before you commit it to the open road.

And have fun of course!

[ShamRock229]

“The biggest downfall to textile jackets IMO is that they’re a pain to clean as they cannot be machine washed, dry cleaned, or anything. They must be hand washed and using very specific chemicals to avoid breaking down the protective qualities of the nylons that make up the jacket.”

Tell me about it! Trying to clean the white parts on my jacket are nearly impossible. What do you usually use when cleaning yours?

[ShamRock229]

I guess it’s because they think younger people are the ones who are going to get on their bike, act stupidly and hurt themselves. Plus 150 is a good price for someone that age (like me haha). If it was too high, it might discourage them from taking it all together. In my opinion, it would be really dumb to charge more for younger people. You shouldnt punish us for wanting to learn and protect ourselves haha…that being said, im kind of jealous that it’s not like that here in GA…

[ShamRock229]

That seems to be the average price…either way, you can’t beat what you take away from that class. Plus I’ve heard that the DMV test is actually more difficult than the MSF tests, so I’d say it’s a win-win.

[ShamRock229]

It basically comes down to a balance of protection (and state of mind) vs comfort (fit, temperature, price). I have a textile fieldsheer bullet jacket and it protected me very well in my crash. Most textiles have many vents for temperature and are “lighter” than leathers. That being said, leather itself is stronger than textiles, but does tend to get hot (and sticky on those commutes where every red light is out to get you and you have so sit on your bike more than actually riding it…ughh). But it does offer better overall protection, although it is more expensive.

Now I’m in college and I see a lot of guys that wear no jacket whatsoever and they blame it on the South Georgia heat. In my opinion, its better to buy a textile jacket that is slightly cooler and wear it, than to wear nothing at all. Of course I dont know where you live, but the same is true in any place that is so hot that leather can be unbearable. Also, if your a new rider and are on a budget, a decent textile jacket will be less expensive than a leather jacket and will still offer good protection. So, in my opinion, it really depends on what youre looking to get out of the jacket and what you are willing to put up with temperature wise and financially.

[ShamRock229]

That was a great article! Not only did I find out more info about the gears, but I learned some stuff I didn’t know about chain maintenence. Thanks alot!

[Author]

Posts