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WeaponZero
ParticipantCongratulations! If the Gladius rides anything like my SV650 you’re in for a blast of a time.
ParticipantI was born in a rapidly declining neighborhood of North Miami Beach, FL. It was within walking distance of the 163rd Street Mall, which, those who know the area will tell you is not exactly Paradise. When I was a child I was scared to death of motorcycles because people with Harleys with straight pipes would ride by my house and I remember the sound was defeaning and scared the ever living shit out of me as a child because of how loud it was.
Still though, there was an appeal there brought on by movies such as Lost Boys and The Wraith as I got older about high school-aged students who were able to live completely independently and have many misadventures all because of motorcycles, and that created a desire to have one of my own that overpowered the fear. The bikes I was most drawn to as a child were UJM/standards. I remember listening to songs such as Triumph’s Tears in the Rain as I got older into the 90s and how it made me think of images such as a black Honda Nighthawk 750.
But that didn’t last, and I eventually began becoming more and more attracted to sport-style bikes, eventually becoming fixated on the late ’90s Honda CBR900RR and ZX-9R. I was very close to getting a used CBR900RR myself as a first bike (good thing I didn’t), but then a family emergency came up and I had to use my savings to help out my mom who had lost everything when a hurricane destroyed her home. That incident of having to spend my entire savings to help my mother rebuild her life discouraged me from getting a bike again for some time, until I eventually moved to Pittsburgh.
After a few years of living up here (2008, to be exact) and having one used car after another all turn out to be money pits, I decided that now would be a good time to consider getting a bike again. I happened upon a cycletrader.com ad for a used 2000 SV650 that was for sale from a private owner only a few blocks from my work. I went and looked at the bike that day on my lunch break and fell in love with it. I had my dad test ride it around for a little bit and he insisted it was “too much power” for a beginner such as myself because it was faster and more powerful than any bike he had ever ridden back in the ’70s, when he rode. Despite his advice I bought it anyway, and I don’t regret it.
ParticipantI had a chance to buy a Streetfighter when they were cheaper. I ended up deciding against it because at the time I hadn’t yet lost any weight and they didn’t make it in a size that fit me. Too bad now as I could probably fit into one.
ParticipantMy father used to own a Honda 400-Four Cafe Racer and said that switching from a CB350 to that was one of the worst mistakes he ever made because the riding position made it too uncomfortable to ride for long distances on anymore, which he loved to do.
ParticipantUnited Motors doesn’t produce their own motorcycles. They import and sell Hyosung bikes to the US. Hyosung is a Korean brand right now that is considered a very risky buy as their dealership and parts network is practically nonexistent. Many people have complained of not being able to get their “under warranty” bikes fixed simply becuase the parts needed to fix the problem aren’t available even to dealerships. And their reliability is a bit more spotty than the more well known brands. Models with Digital/LED dashes are known for losing the entire dash.
This is all information I learned from a friend of mine who is a technician at a dealership that used to sell Hyosung motorcycles but stopped carrying the brand because they were unable to honor warranties on bikes they sold due to lack of parts availability.
ParticipantYup, Especially considering that the ECE standard is considered to be possibly the very best.
ParticipantParticipantThats a pretty fair statement. Those old Honda 750s were bullet proof and will run forever. You still shouldnt risk it though buying one that old unless you plan on making a restoration project out of it.
ParticipantThe Sy-Max is a very good helmet, a step up from the CL-Max and predecessor to the Sy-Max II. Here’s what you should know:
Before the current lineup layout, HJC had 3 different trim levels: The AC-series which were their top of the line models and used an aramid reinforced carbon shell. The models in the AC series were the AC-3 half helmet, AC-12 full face helmet, and Sy-Max modular helmet. When the FS line replaced the AC series (which was only a very minor update), the Sy-Max II (called FS-Max overseas) replaced the Sy-Max. Some people say the Sy-Max is better than the Sy-Max II because the II’s have the built in sun visor which while being a nice feature weakens the EPS of the helmet.
Of course back in 2001 HJC wasn’t as big as they are now. They used to be known as the “poor man’s Shoei” because all their designs back then were cheap knockoffs of Shoei helmets like the Syncrotec and X-SP II. Nobody took the brand seriously back then.
Participantthere were very few produced and they didnt share any parts with any other bikes. good luck finding parts on it. the rarity of them is why you dont see discussions about them.
ParticipantThe CL-15 is a huge downgrade from the FS-10. It uses a lower-grade shell, lower quality materials, and essentially lower-end everything. Right now HJC offers 4 different trim levels:
FS series (which includes the Sy-Max II, FS-10, and FS-15), which is made from the highest-end race grade materials HJC offers. It is the best in safety and features among the HJC line. Prior to the Introduction of the FS-10 the FS series was the AC series.
Next step down we have the IS-series, which offers many of the high-end features of the FS-series and all have retractable sun shields, but use lower-end build materials found on the CL series to cut costs. Because the design of the sun shield mechanism prevents the helmet from passing SNELL tests, these helmets are DOT approved only, but are still fine helmets.
Third on the list is the CL series, which includes the CL-Max, CL-SP, and CL-15. These are budget helmets that are still Snell approved but barely. They use respectable quality materials but that’s what you get at this spot in the budget.
Finally we have the lowest-end helmets they make, the CS-series, which use absolute bottom of the line materials and are only DOT approved, but not SNELL.
Also, in case you guys weren’t aware, the Joe Rocket RKT101 helmets are actually rebadged CL-SP helmets just with their own paint work and a different liner.
My first helmet was an HJC CL-15 and I can honestly say that after I upgraded from that to my Shark RSR2, i will never be able to go back down to a low-end helmet like that again. The FS-series, however, is worth considering…
By the way, you should look up stuff on the SHARP helmet safety board. They rate how helmets perform in safety tests. As of right now the only brands that can consistently make at least 4/5 star ratings in their tests are Shark, AGV (even their lowest end Stealth and S4 models rate a 5 star rating), and Bell.
Participant750s in the 70s were mild compared to ones now. My SV650 will blow the doors off an older Honda 750. Youve got two things going against you however: Weight and the fact that with a bike that old you’re never sure of what you’re getting. You could just be buying a maintenance headache. If you want vintage “style” bikes, you should look into a used Kawasaki W650 (although they were only made for like 4 years so parts may be hard to find) or Suzuki TU250X.
ParticipantI misread your original post. In 1994 there was no Honda CBR600RR. There was, however, a Honda CBR600F2. Though most of what I said still applies, its not as bad because bikes 15 years ago were nowhere near as powerful as they are now. However, it is still a championship winning racebike and as such doesn’t belong in the hands of a beginner.
ParticipantBack in its day that bike was known for being a musclebike, the motorcycle equivalent to a ’71 Dodge Challenger R/T 440. If it isn’t snapping your head back it’s experiencine engine performance problems. You should have it looked at.
ParticipantThe FZ6 has about 25 more horsepower and a much racier type of power delivery. Definitely not for beginners. Its pushing 100 hp.
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