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Review of the CFMoto Glory
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WeaponZeroParticipant
bikes can get just as much mileage as a car can. 20,000 is nothing. unless the bike in question is a pre-90s ducati, then i’d be surprised if that it even made it this far.
WeaponZeroParticipanti would advise against buying an older bike for your first bike. you want to be sure that the bike you use to learn on and get comfortable riding on is reliable, mechanically sound, and hasnt been affected too much by metal fatigue over the years. your best bet IMO would be to purchase a newer bike to learn on and an older bike to use as a project bike. learning while fixing it up. once the project is completed and 100% streetable you should have enough riding experience under your belt to be able to ride one of those awesome older literbike standards such as the Kawasaki Z1R or Yamaha XS1100.
WeaponZeroParticipantyou need to tell us more about yourself. what kind of bikes youre into, etc…
WeaponZeroParticipantThere are exhaust upgrades for any bike available that will make them loud. Including the Ninja 250.
WeaponZeroParticipant+1 to JackTrade on that one.
WeaponZeroParticipantIf you want a 250 that LOOKS like a sportbike and isn’t a Korean-made off band with no dealer network, the Ninja 250R is your ONLY option. However, if you’re willing to get past the looks, I think you’ll find that Supermoto-style bikes such as the Yamaha WR250X, Kawasaki KLX250SF, and Suzuki DR-Z400SM are even “sportier” in performance and handling than the Ninja 250R.
WeaponZeroParticipantBuy a Yamaha WR250X. Guarantee you won’t get bored with it. And it’ll fit taller people like a glove. Trust me on this…
As far as being discouraged by people crashing goes, you’ll find that most everyone on this forum has gone down more than once but never sustained any major injuries due to the fact that we practice the ATGATT philosophy around here. Means All The Gear, All The Time. Suit up head to toe in all your safety gear, from your helmet to your jacket and gloves and riding boots, even whatever leg protection you have, whenever you get on the bike. Even if it’s just to take a spin up to the convenience store to grab a bag of chips. I’ve gone down three times myself, even highsided once. But never sustained any injuries.
WeaponZeroParticipantYamaha V-Star 250, which has been in production for nearly 2 decades, is a great choice. It hasn’t always been called the V-Star 250, however. It used to be called the Virago 250. So just in case you’re browsing the used market, look under both names. Honda also has the Rebel 250 and Suzuki has the GZ250 and TU250X (which is more of a standard than a cruiser but still an excellent choice and as the only fuel injected 250 on the market I’d seriously look into it). Personally of the four I’d take the TU250X based on it having fuel injection alone, although I can understand that its vintage styling isn’t for everyone.
Back up until the mid 80s there were an abundance of 350-400ccs on the market being produced by the major Japanese manufacturers, which I think is the PERFECT size for a beginner. It’s sad that this class of bike is no longer being made.
WeaponZeroParticipantI started out on an SV650 and the power was not at all uncontrollable. The only issue I found difficult to manage at first was the weight. It’s definitely a massive step up from the bikes you use in the BRC or a bicycle as not only is it heavier overall, but it’s also more top-heavy. Low speed maneuvers are no joke. It’s a lot easier to drop it practicing low speed maneuvers than any of those bikes and this definitely makes for a steeper learning curve. I admit I dropped mine a couple times. Go into it knowing that and being prepared for it and I’d say you’re okay.
WeaponZeroParticipantThe chin bar in most (not all, but most) modular helmets is not EPS-lined, so all you have basically is the hard outer shell. That’s what I meant by “The chin bar is really just for show.”
WeaponZeroParticipantPros – convenience. That’s really it.
Cons – the chin bar is really just for show and doesn’t offer a significant amount of protection really over just having a half helmet with a full face shield. They’re DOT certified but only as half-helmets. They’re significantly louder than full face helmets as air has more pathways to pass through. They’re also noticeably heavier.
You’ll never find a modular helmet that’s SNELL approved because the way they’re designed it’s literally impossible to meet SNELL testing standards. As I said above they’re technically actually half helmets and are only certified as such. Only a true full-face helmet can be built to meet SNELL testing standards. It is also for this same reason they’re not allowed to be used on racetracks as they are not technically true full face helmets.
The Shark EVOline is currently the only modular helmet that meets ECE standards as a full-face helmet, so it’s the best safety-wise. But it’s $400. If you really want a modular helmet and don’t want to spend much just get an HJC IS-Max. I hate HJC but that thing isn’t bad for the money, just be certain to buy a lot of spare cheek pads/top pads. If it were me though I’d hold out for the Shark or simply get a full face.
Still, I’d rather be in a true full-face.
WeaponZeroParticipantThe tricky part was getting the gauge to reset at 0 after you put the needle back on. Even if you follow the directions it’s very difficult to line it up exactly where it was when it came off. Took about 5 minutes of taking it off and putting it back on over and over and over again until I finally got it back on to where it was accurate.
WeaponZeroParticipantActually, a guy on the SVrider.com forum made a post saying about how he traded in his SV naked on a Duke 690 and will never go back. It’s a completely different animal with the light weight and power delivery characteristics. I also asked on supermotojunkie.com if anyone had any experience comparing the Duke 690 with the SMC and basically they told me that, in the street, the only noticeable difference is that the SMC has an uncomfortable seat and that its shorter wheelbase makes it act more like a “proper hooligan” as the guy said. It’s more prone to wheelies and quicker to turn at slow speeds. The general consensus about Duke vs. SMC was whether or not you plan on going on long trips and seeing a good amount of highway time on your bike. If so, go with the Duke. If not, go with the SMC.
WeaponZeroParticipantI can take an “after” pic but all you’ll see is a nice clean white new-looking gauge face. I didn’t take a “before” pic but basically all you would have seen is the edges of the sticker that forms the gauge face flaking off and rolling up at the edges in a way that was interfering with the sweep of the tach needle. The gauge face of the SV650 is just a sticker on a clear plastic plate.
The entire quadrant of the face of my tach that went from 0-4k RPM was just gone, completely. You had to ballpark it if you wanted to guess what RPM you were at below 4k, because it had flaked off completely. The needle wouldn’t sweep past 7k because that was where the edges were beginning to roll up.
WeaponZeroParticipantYes, that Duke 690 is a sweet machine and it does look like it’ll give me the best of all worlds–on paper anyway.
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