[WeaponZero]

Based on your history and skill level I see no reason why you shouldn’t be able to get a 600 supersport. Just remember that they suck in urban environments. Be real with yourself about the environment you live in and what type of riding it will permit and be sure to factor that in when buying a bike. Beyond that you can’t really go wrong.

[WeaponZero]

Sas-Tec is simply a brand of CE approved armor like Knox. They supply OEM armor to brands such as Scorpion EXO Wear and Draggin’ Jeans. As far as protection goes it’s about on part with everything else. Where Sas-Tec shines is that they specialize in making armor that doesn’t sacrifice comfort for protection. It’s not uncomfortably warm and it’s soft and flexible so it molds to your body and changes shape as it needs to while still keeping you protected. Really however there are other brands making similar products.

I recommend keeping the armor that came in the jacket as there’s no guarantee another brand/model of armor padding will fit into the pockets. What brand/model of jacket do you have?

[WeaponZero]

considering i have to travel well over a hundred miles to find any place that looks anything remotely like that i don’t see that as being a big deal, lol.

[WeaponZero]

This trials stuff looks interesting to watch but not at all like my idea of a good time. More my idea of a spectator sport than something I’d care to try myself.

[WeaponZero]

1. You got a great deal.

2. Technically helmets are supposed to be replaced once they become 5 years old because the EPS (the impact absorbing material that is in between the shell and the liner) breaks down over time. Most people I know pretty much ignore that rule, however…

3. Aside from that just give it the old TCLOCS check and you should be good to go.

[WeaponZero]

The purpose of earplugs is JUST to take out wind noise. You can still hear pretty much everything around you through them. Only wind noise is silenced.

[WeaponZero]

Wouldn’t that be an accident waiting to happen? I mean earplugs are one thing but speakers? music? bad idea.

[WeaponZero]

It sounds like your ideal type of bike (the urban commuters/standards) are supermoto bikes such as the Suzuki DR-Z400SM and Yamaha WR250X and Kawasaki KLX250SF, or standards such as the Kawasaki ER-6n, Suzuki SV650, and older Suzuki GS500s. If your riding involves a lot of going on the highway (where speeds exceed 65-70mph) then I would go for the standards more than the Supermotos. However if you do a lot more “around town” riding than going on the highway then I would recommend the supermotos. They all have very similar ergonomics with seating positions that are perfectly upright–not leaned back like on a cruiser but not leaned forward like on a sportbike either–but the supermotos sacrifice a bit of power for better handling at low speeds which is a VERY important element both to the beginning rider and to someone who spends most of their time chugging along on city streets.

[WeaponZero]

There are plenty of options. What TYPE of riding do you want to do? How important are looks? What kind of seating position would you feel most comfortable on?

[WeaponZero]

on my 2000 SV650 which is carbureted what i do is start it with the choke on full, let it idle until the revs pass 3k (usually about 20-30 seconds) then just get on and go. doesn’t seem to cause any problems.

[WeaponZero]

Given that your only prior riding experience was with a scooter and that was only 20 years ago, I would say that you pretty much fall under the same category as someone who is brand new to riding. That being said…

It sounds to me like your tastes are leaning you more toward the cruiser side of things. Cruisers are great at highway speeds but are cumbersome at “around town” speeds. I would recommend bikes like the F650GS and Suzuki DL650 V-Strom mentioned above, as well as the Kawasaki Versys (IMO probably the best of the bunch).

If, however, you are insistent on a cruiser, I strongly recommend the Yamaha V-Star 650. I would even say that the Honda Shadow 750 is worth looking into but it’s really straddling the line as far as what is and what isn’t suitable for a beginner.

[WeaponZero]

Thanks it did feel great. I’m down to 257 lbs now so 78 lbs down!

[WeaponZero]

Bike is still there and because it poured down rain over the weekend it is now dry. LOL, I should, shouldn’t I?

[WeaponZero]

Most of the helmets I’ve owned were pretty quiet. Sharks are especially good about being quiet.

[WeaponZero]

I could have sworn I put this in off-topic…. Can an admin please move it?

[Author]

Posts