[WeaponZero]

Damn, that sucks about your situation. I’m sorry.

I highly recommend putting an ad up for sale on cycletrader.com. its where i got my bike, from a guy who put an ad up there.

[WeaponZero]

the 450s you talk about are competition-spec bikes that sacrifice a lot of the practicality and reliability that the DR-Z has. theyre built using engines that were designed solely for race purposes and need regular teardowns/rebuilds to keep from blowing up. the DR-Z400SM is the ONLY bike in between the 250s kawasaki and yamaha make and the 600s that the european brands make that is reliably streetable. it is the only bike in its class.

[WeaponZero]

the bottom line here is that when youre new especially you need to take every safety measure you can. youre a lot more likely to crash when youre new and for someone whos just in the learning phase to have anything BUT a full face helmet is kinda . . stupid to me.

[WeaponZero]

The thing that complicates it is that none of my local dealerships actually have the bike I want in stock. They’re all saying they have to order one, and I’m guessing they all order from the same supplier/distributor. And that complicates things as far as getting a price goes. It’s not like they have one lying around they’re trying to unload.

Here’s my dilemma. I know I want a DR-Z 400 SM. I want that bike and that bike alone. Problem is NONE of my local dealers have any in stock and they likely won’t order one without money down. This poses 2 problems for me: 1. I can’t even see the bike before I buy it, which isn’t a big deal I guess since I’m dead set on that model anyway, and 2. Nobody will discuss price with me. I’m guessing it won’t matter though since they all have to order and likely from the same source, so they won’t be willing to haggle since it’s not something they had laying around and are trying to get rid of. It’s just a very very frustrating experience is all.

[WeaponZero]

Full face or nothing at all IMO. Safety safety safety.

[WeaponZero]

Every cycletrader.com entry within my range says “call for price”

[WeaponZero]

When I took the BRC and toyed around with their little 250cc bikes, within a few minutes I learned that the “I’m a bigger guy so I need a bigger engine” belief was basically just bullshit. I weighed around 330 lbs at the time and those 250cc bikes moved my fat ass quite well. The only area where I felt unsure of pertaining to my weight was in the suspension.

But we need to be real with ourselves here. When you’re that big like I was, your weight is negatively impacting the way the bike handles in way a that, well, to be honest, makes being on a sportbike counterproductive. You can’t ride them like they’re meant to be ridden and you end up treating them like a big cruiser. I’ve lost over 70 lbs since then and I’ve noticed a HUGE difference in how my bike handles as a result of my weight loss. I’m actually able to ride it like a sportbike now.

[WeaponZero]

Overall it looks good for the price. I like the fact that it’s ECE certified.

[WeaponZero]

I’ve been thinking of taking the ERC myself. I feel uncomfortable riding it in the fact that some low speed exercises still come difficult to me on it even though I can do them easily on other bikes. I can do the box on my dad’s Kawasaki KZ400, I can do it on my friend’s dual sport, and I was able to do it on the BRC bikes. But I can’t do it on my own SV650, despite the fact that it’s the bike I know the best and have been riding for 2 years now. Something about the weight, I don’t know, but I just can’t turn at the slow speeds I need to do to be able to do the Box without it falling in.

[WeaponZero]

I’ve had more fun on sub-300 lb dirtbike based bikes such as SMs and dual sports than on any streetbike. So I know exactly where you’re coming from!

[WeaponZero]

Cortech’s gear is awesome for the money. The GX Air Series 2 is definitely worth plunking the extra $100 or so down for over the S&S jacket if you’re willing to pay for it. I just tend to like S&S jackets because the adjustability of their fits is unparalleled and, unless youre the cookie cutter athletic body type with a V-taper to your torso that all riding companies seem to tailor their jackets for, will give you a more comfortable fit than any other jacket you can find. But that’s just me nitpicking.

[WeaponZero]

IMO you shouldn’t skimp on price like that on a helmet. And you should certainly opt for a full-face especially as a new rider. The chin bar on full face helmets goes a long way toward protecting you in a crash.

Wait until you can afford to spend about $200 on a helmet before buying one and riding. You don’t really start to find helmets that are worth a damn until you get into the $150-$200 price bracket anyway.

Bell recently came out with a $170 helmet called the Vortex that is essentially a more budget oriented version of their high-end Star that is supposedly expected to be the single best under $200 helmet on the market.

[WeaponZero]

the GS500 is an excellent first bike. But technology-wise its a bit behind the times and the fact that it is air cooled rather than liquid cooled to me is a turnoff but might not be a big deal to you. The kawasaki ninja 250 and 500 are more high tech and just better overall street bikes IMO.

[WeaponZero]

The Hang’em High mesh jacket is basically a Moment of Truth with graphics. The Shift Air Avenger is nothing special as far as mesh jackets go but it does include a very high quality breathable waterproof liner.

They’re both fine mesh jackets that do what mesh jackets do well, but the adjustable fit of the S&S jacket will make for a more comfortable fit regardless of your body type, guaranteed. The only thing the Shift has over the S&S is a higher-end removable waterproof liner. The one in the Shift isn’t uncomfortable to wear. Only you can say whether or not that justifies the $100 more you pay for the Shift.

I love the S&S Jacket. I’ve always been a big fan of their products because the adjustable fit of their jackets makes for the most comfortable riding jackets on the market. It vents like a mesh jacket should, unlike most mesh jackets the entire side of the sleeve is a heavy duty ballistic nylon so it doesn’t sacrifice much in the way of protection to achieve that ventilation you can only get with mesh. I love the fact that it had a stock back pad that actually works.

Here’s the pros and cons of both:

S&S Mesh jackets
PROS
-Affordable
-Highly protective for mesh jackets
-Great stock back pad
-Adjustable fit makes for comfortable perfect fit regardless of body type
CONS
-Removable waterproof liner is borderline useless as it’s so uncomfortable to wear you’d rather just get wet

SHIFT
PROS
-Great removable liner
CONS
-Price is roughly $100 more than the S&S jackets
-Stock back pad is a worthless flimsy piece of thin foam

In my opinion the S&S offers superior protection and comfort due to the nature of its better stock back pad and adjustable fit that allows you to snug the armor up tightly to your body. It does all this at a price that’s $100 less than the Shift Air Avenger. I’d only recommend the Shift Air Avenger over the S&S if you absolutely needed that removable waterproof liner.

If you don’t need the waterproof liner or extreme adjustability then another jacket I strongly urge you to consider is the Scorpion Cool Rod. Currently on closeout from all the major online retailers for $99. It gives you the protection and quality of the S&S jacket sans the waterproof liner and not as much adjustment. It does come with a removable windproof liner that is breathable so it is comfortable to wear but it is NOT waterproof.

So really all it comes down to is whether or not the liner and adjustability are important to you. If you NEED a good waterproof liner with your mesh jacket and are willing to lose some protection for it and pay more for it, go with the Shift. Otherwise look between the Scorpion and S&S. And between those two it really all comes down to whether or not you’re willing pay an extra $30 or so for more adjustability in the waist and sleeves.

[WeaponZero]

Suzuki TU250X bar none. As the only 250cc retro-styled bike on the market it pretty much has a corner on this segment.

[Author]

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