[WeaponZero]

What jacket would that be?  And all Teknic gear on newenough.com is on closeout

[WeaponZero]

If you like the streetfighter look then the Gladius/SV650 and Kawasaki ER-6n are THE bikes for you.

[WeaponZero]

VMAX is not a beginner bike.  NO WAY.  That thing is the 426 Hemi ‘Cuda of motorcycles.

At your height and weight you should be perfectly fine on any of the tamer middleweights currently out there.  If you’re into sportier bikes, the Suzuki Gladius/SV650, Kawasaki Ninja 650R&ER-6n, and Yamaha FZ6r will do you great.  If you want a more cruiser-oriented ride, look into any of the 500-750cc cruisers offered by Yamaha, Kawasaki, Honda, or Suzuki.

Then there’s the “retarded but fun” bikes like the Suzuki DR-Z400SM. It sucks on the highway (due to lack of a 6th gear) but it is FUN FUN FUN FUN FUN FUN FUN!

[WeaponZero]

I’m going to be blunt.  If you’re absolutely dead set on a 600cc sport-style bike for your first bike, get either a Suzuki SV650SF, Ninja 650R, or a Yamah FZ6R.  They’re the only ones that are “tame” enough for beginners and even they’re pushing it.

But if you insist on starting out on a pure-bred racebike then you’re probably going to do one of two things:  Scare yourself silly and not get on the bike again or horribly injure yourself in a crash.  These bikes are not for beginners and there’s a reason for that.  You cannot learn the fundamentals of riding on a bike with that kind of power delivery.

You NEED to start out on something tamer.  That’s just a fact.  And while there are people who have proven to be exceptions to this rule, they are few and far between.

That being said, there’s a few things you need to understand about racebikes:

1. They were designed for handling&corners at high speed.  Meaning that if you live in an urban environment you won’t be able to do what the bike was meant to do because your riding will consist mainly of going in a straight line for a short distance then stopping at a stoplight.  Getting out on the highway means being bent over into a racer’s tuck position which is NOT comfortable.  You will have a sore back after a short amount of time.

2. The ergonomics mentioned above mean being in the “racer’s tuck” which is better for aerodynamics but actually makes the bike HARDER to control at normal speeds you see on the street.  Furthemore, it is extremely uncomfortable and you will be in pain after a while.  There’s a reason bikes made for long distance touring have upright seating positions.

3. They’re just plain impractical for street driving.  Their suspension was designed to function on well maintained, perfect roads.  Wasn’t designed for soaking up potholes, riding over brick roads, riding in the wet, and things like that.

In short, buying a GSXR or CBR for your first bike is impractical, stupid, and suicidal.  If you want one because of the “image” then you’re buying one for the wrong reasons and because you have this fancy bike but don’t know how to ride it you won’t be welcome in a lot of riders’ circles.

[WeaponZero]

Honda could do wonders in the market right now to come out with a new, updated Hawk GT650 (the bike the SV650 was based on).  The truth is, JackTrade, they had one:  The Honda Hornet 599.  But it sold poorly because every single magazine review said it performed poorly in comparison to the SV650 and Yamaha FZ6 (its main competitors).  So Honda discontinued it after only a couple of years of selling it here in the states.  They still sell it over in Europe, however, where naked bikes outsell sportbikes tremendously.

Yes, the Ninja 500R is being discontinued because Kawasaki believes there’s no reason to continue producing both the 500R AND the 650R.  Think of the 650R as the 500R’s replacement, just… a few years early.

IMO Honda’s biggest hole in their lineup is a more street-oriented sportbike.  The VFR used to be it back when it was a carbureted 750, but as they added more features such as increased displacement, ABS, fuel injection, and V-TEC, the price just went up and up and up.  Honda NEEDS a street oriented (read: not a repliracer) sportbike that is affordable and appeals to those of us who want a bike with sportbike STYLE but is first and foremost a STREET bike, not a RACE bike.  Sort of the same crowd Yamaha is going after with their FZ6R.  How about bringing back the Honda CBR600F4i, just with redone ergos?

[WeaponZero]

The new Z1000 has now officially become my dream bike.  Holy shit.

[WeaponZero]

The Kawasaki is slightly more powerful and known for performing (in both handling and acceleration) more like a “sportbike” while the GS is essentially a standard wrapped in sportbike plastic.

[WeaponZero]

This is a common problem with Hyosung motorcycles and one of the reason my friend (who is a motorcycle technician)’s dealershop stopped sellign Hyosungs.  This was a VERY common warranty issue with them and the dealers were having a hard time obtaining the parts needed to fix it.  And no, it’s not a loose wire/fuse, stu.

[WeaponZero]

Its one of the best jackets you can get for the money.  High quality, very safe, very comfortable.  Only problem with it is that the venting on it isn’t sufficient for the summer heat.  If temps go into the 80s, best be looking for another jacket.

[WeaponZero]

The S40 is the far superior motorcycle.  The VLX is only an “around town” bike because the fact that it only has a 4 speed transmission combined with its anemic power prevents it from being able to get up to highway speeds a real struggle.  Most motorcycles have at least a 5 speed transmission which helps them safely and (relatively) easily get up to highway speeds regardless of how weak or powerful their engines are, but the VLX doesn’t have this, and as a result even 250s can pass it on the highway.

Also, there’s a reason that the VLX was discontinued two years ago while the S40 is still being made.  The VLX has always been a slow seller for Honda because price-wise it couldnt compete with the performance of the Kawasaki Vulcan 500 or (when it was being produced), the Yamaha Virago 535 (which was replaced by the V-Star 650).

In short:  If you want a sub-750cc cruiser, your ONLY options you should be considering are the S40, Kawsaki Vulcan 500, Yamaha V-Star 650, and the various 250s on the market.

[WeaponZero]

They’re not comparable to leather from what I’ve seen as far as the degree of protection offered, They offer abrasion protection on par with your typical textile jacket, but in order for them to really be able to protect you, you must combine them with an underpants leg armor such as the Icon Field Armor, or something comparable made by someone else.  I think if you combine those, however, you should be good to go.

I want a pair for myself.  I have the leg armor though.

[WeaponZero]

Thats an excellent price considering the accessories if its in good shape.  I wouldn’t bother haggling over it.

Its high mileage but its pretty safe to say that its all highway miles and the bike was used for long distance touring, which isn’t really bad at all. Just drill him about whether or not he used motorcycle specific oil when doing his oil changes. Ask for maintenance records if you can. And you may find yourself having to replace the voltage regulator/rectifier which is about a $100 part but its easy to replace, can do it yourself with a screwdriver.

[WeaponZero]

The right side got cut off.  Wish I could see what it says.

[WeaponZero]

You sure the GS500 had a petcock?  Many modern motorcycles don’t have reserve tanks anymore.  You’ll generally never find the combination of reserve tank + low fuel warning light, or reserve tank + gas gauge on a bike.

[WeaponZero]

check out their video reviews of the Shark RSR2 helmet they sell.  It shows the insides of a helmet.

[Author]

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