Ahh nooo... had you upped the suspension preload to cater for the additional weight?
I had to do an emergency stop on sunday managed to brake hard enough that I ground the toe of my right boot on the floor as the suspension compressed and the rear brake lever reached the end of its travel. Fortunately I stopped before hitting the muppet who had rolled out into the middle of the road.
Suspension preload... whoops
To be fair the dip was so deep that regardless if I had adjusted the suspension preload or not, it would have still caught the exchaust pipe or similar. The bike is really quite low and close to the ground - I suppose I'd have fucked it anyway.
Time to bring out the good old hammer and hammer it back into place
I think you'd be surprised. Mine is pretty damn low too and the ground clearance virtually disappears altogether if you put a pillion on without racking up the preload. Fortunately, the footpegs on mine are designed to scrape (and will if you ride it hard) always make contact first to spare the exhausts, which is incredibly unpleasant but at least they have sacrificial wear pins.
Yeah it was pretty sketchy, refined it a bit for the trip to Dorset so it was more solid and didn't move and more comfy
I know I said I'd be editing my previous post but given we're on a new page I'll post the pictures of the bent exhaust cover here as well:
https://imgur.com/a/EyICqLK
I got some ACF-50 I could put on the cover but I'm not sure if I should put it on the exhaust, given that it'll heat up and just burn off. Should I even attempt repairs if I'm looking to get myself an aftermarket exhaust after a few months?
ACF-50 is the bomb. Put it on literally everything except paint, tyres and brakes. Even on the exhaust it makes some difference, it more cooks on than burns off. I'd cover up the bare metal if you've got any heat resistant paint kicking about but otherwise leave it? You might want to sell the bike "as stock" at some point.
An exhaust is too valuable to just get rid of if even if you're getting another one.
You can either sell it or put it back on the bike if you ever wanna go stock.
Oof, kicking myself that I didn't get a Bandit 650 instead of the Inazuma, found out insurance is cheaper on the 650, seat height is lower and of course more power while only costing £250 more than the Inazuma. Oh well, maybe once I get that 1 year NCB I'll grab myself one.
Insurance in the UK is the main thing that still makes me think "Fuck why'd I move here from Aus"
I decided to go practice some slow-speed riding and emergency stops on my new bike in a Costco car park close to closing time. While most cars were disappearing, I found little spot great for practicing U-turns, so I did a few until I got a good feel of how the bike leans and how I should use the clutch, acceleration and rear brake.
Afterwards, as most cars were gone, I went around the car park and did hairpin turns using the white lines as guides. Wish I could have done a slalom maneuver but there were no lines which I could have used to do that. I did ride around in a circle around some small shrubbery, closing the circle in tighter and tighter to yet again better understand the lean angle of the bike.
Then I started doing the emergency stops, accelerating in 1st gear up to 30 mph then applying the brakes in the appropriate fashion. I was just about to get the hang of it when some dude who looked fairly upset came up to me asking me to leave the place and stop "speeding around". I told him I'm practicing but he didn't give a shit, again insisting I should leave.
There should be some large, flat asphalt lands where young drivers and riders can go for free and practice more difficult maneuvers such as parallel parking, U-turns and the like. It would also be beneficial for more experienced drivers or riders who got a new vehicle and just want to know the limits of their vehicle in a safe space, without fear of damaging others property.
Honestly unless it was the owner of the carpark or the police I'd just ignore them, I got hassled a couple of times while I was practising my U-turns, lane positioning and emergency braking for my test but generally when they saw my bright yellow L plate they understood. Some people are cunts though
Good point, I should have asked who they were. Perhaps I could also obtain some L-plates to temporarily stick on my bike when doing these maneuvers in the car park.
However, it would probably make more sense to just have a group of motorcyclists and bring some drink cans to use as traffic cones. That way we could make it look more.. authentic?
I wonder if there are any fellow riders in this area who would be up for this.
You could look up your nearest advanced rider group, they may be able to help you practice safely.
Perhaps they could, albeit they will probably charge me for wanting to practice on safe grounds. It is the UK, after all, you gotta pay for almost everything.
So I got some new ear plugs to filter out wind noise. They are reusable and come with a little container. I went with Senner MotoPro. Took them out for a test ride today and they worked really well and didn't obscure any other important sounds. Out of curiosity what do you guys use for hearing protection if anything when riding.
https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81CGhjdnNNL._SX355_.jpg
Also on another note whilst out riding today I came across an old man driving his mobility scooter down a 40mph road where people are normally doing 50. Passed him on a slight bend and he was on the inside of the lane. I have seen someone on a mobility scooter on the road before but not in this dangerous of a situation. At the very least the first car I saw after him was a learner and wasn't going very fast. Hope he doesn't do this very often.
https://im.ezgif.com/tmp/ezgif-1-c0c2a88c98.gif
I just use the cheap foam things you get at work, if I do so at all (generally only if I'm doing a full days riding or a prolonged motorway stint) I know they claim not to filter out important noise or whatever, but theyre not that selective, else they wouldnt protect your hearing.
I have to say that I was genuinely really impressed with the reusable ear plugs today I think the filter in them works very well and doesn't just deafen you like foam earplugs do. I was originally quite skeptical reading about them online but after giving them a try i'm pleasantly surprised. The wind noise was significantly reduced but I could still hear everything else. It did make everything a tiny bit quieter sure but not as bad as foam earplugs and because it decimated the wind noise it kind of made everything else clearer. My bikes engine is really quite and ordinarily I can't hear it very well in comparison to the wind but with the plugs it was much more distinct. The ride today was much for pleasant for my ears than normal.
They aren't perfect but they are better than foam plugs and the filter does work to a reasonable extent. For just under £19 I would say they are worth a shot to see what you think. I don't know how well other brands stand in comparison. I guess it comes down to how well they make their filters at the end piece.
I like dropping my bike three times a day because my driveway is perpendicular to a 40 grade hill
Depending on your budget but you could look at a BMW 310GS or a Vstrom 250. Personally I'd want something bigger but if you're set on that sort of size of bikes they would be my two picks
300+ cc means a quadrupled insurance
if only yamaha got the 250cc tenere in NA markets that'd be great, but in the meanwhile I might check out the vstrom, thanks.
Woow that's so shit, somehow a bigger bike is cheaper here.
The best part of doing a bike build is that sweet moment in time when the project goes from "working on a shitload of random ass small metal parts" to "oh look this actually vaguely resembles a motorcycle"
so. fucking. close.
https://files.facepunch.com/forum/upload/58157/a431718f-e88b-479e-b7f7-29a820b50a3c/image.png
My 1986 Honda Magna, since I took a nice picture
2 days ago i went to a open class rally race, had recorded a moped crash, poor dude had 2 broken ribs and shoulder dislocation, he still had full protection.
https://files.facepunch.com/forum/upload/240112/6716ff75-7cc2-455e-8ee6-e63caaf88b8a/received_1840515612680432.mp4
It's a beautiful, clear sunny day with just enough of a breeze, 75 flat on the money..
aaaaaand I'm stuck in a cramped shed trying to figure out where the fuck this empty gap on the rear spindle of my bike came from, and what part is missing from it.
kill me
Just dropping in to give you guys an update on what I think of my Kawasaki Vulcan S 650.
In terms of riding, its power, torque and maneuverability have exceeded my initial expectations. I thought it would be difficult to maneuver around due to its weight and size, but to my pleasant surprise it's very easy to ride and maneuver it. Compared to my 12 year old Suzuki GS500F, it feels a lot more powerful. In some cases it feels too easy to maneuver; when I make tiny movements the bike is already starting to move to a different path. I feel like I got to grip the tank more with my knees to keep it straight more often. Perhaps it's just me and my riding style, might need to adjust that.
The only thing I will fault it riding-wise is vibrations. I went for a 2 hour ride with a break at the 1 hour mark, mainly travelling on the motorway. Kept the revs low most of the time and when I got off I had a tingling sensation in my fingers. Whenever I was tapping my fingers it also felt like my bones were made out of springs and that they were vibrating. My pillion passenger at the time also reported that their right foot went more or less numb from vibrations at the right foot peg.
To discuss on the vibrations further, I would avoid keeping additional keys on the same keyring as the motorcycle key. When the bike is running, the vibrations can unfortunately turn the additional keys into little sharp scrapers, producing small scratches on the plastic part surrounding the ignition hub.
Maintenance wise, the little oil sight on the right side of the bike is a godsend. You can easily see both the level and the condition of the oil at a glance. However, lack of a center stand and the panniers being in the way makes chain cleaning a bit more difficult
Washing the bike is not too difficult, albeit getting to the rear wheel is problematic due to the panniers. Other areas are a bit more difficult to reach as well, such as the area around the rear shock absorber. I wash my bikes by hand with soft materials + bucket, I don't have a tap outside nor a pressure washer available.
On a somewhat unrelated note, getting to the bike's toolkit is more akin to an Escape Room level than anything. You've got to unlock the left side battery cover using the bike's ignition key to obtain an allen key, use said allen key to remove the passenger seat, use the allen key again to remove the rider seat and then you get to the bike's toolkit which is held down with a rubber strap.
In terms of practicality, the panniers are large enough to hold a solid amount of groceries.. when they're both empty. I keep the motorcycle cover in one of the panniers which essentially fills it up to its more or less maximum capacity, which ergo leaves only one pannier left to be useful for storage. I feel like the panniers could do with being just a bit wider, albeit it might not fit the aesthetics of the bike.
In conclusion (or tl;dr): bike's fun any easy to ride, surprisingly powerful and torquey. Vibrations can be an issue. Chain maintenance can be problematic if you have panniers installed. Panniers are smaller than expected.
This is literally a given with motorbikes :/ It's why motorbike keyfobs tend to be rubber or fabric.
I stayed in a fancy house this weekend
https://files.facepunch.com/forum/upload/57957/2b826a9d-6bee-4273-8ca9-514469df0475/2018-06-23 20.46.19.jpg
So i've pretty much decided here in the next month I'm going to trade in my Harley ('15 Iron 883 with an S&S 1200 kit and other go fast goodies) towards a super naked bike of some form. I like the harley well enough but it's been sitting for the last 6 months just because I've been riding my '02 frankensteined honda superhawk (Naked R6 forks streetfighter'd tail section) and I would much rather have a bike I ride as opposed to one that just sits
I demo'd a '18 Triumph Speed triple RS today after work I've also been looking at an '18 MV agusta Brutale 800 RR, an 800 Dragster RR, '18 Yamaha MT-10 and a '18 KTM super duke 1290 R I'm leaning more towards the KTM the MT-10 or the Brutale 800RR The MT-10 and KTM because they're the fastest of the bikes I've tried and the 800RR because holy shit is that a purdy bike while still being balls to the wall. My GF is surprisingly cool with this idea despite knowing I drive everything like I stole it and there's a hooker in the trunk.......
Oh man what a choice, all of those bikes are amazing in one form or another. I love the street triple and is probably what I'd pick for the way it handles as it has more than enough raw power to make me shit myself, but the KTM is a beautiful piece of engineering.. all those clever little weight saving tricks and the 800RR is absolutely gorgeous...
Oh man that would be such a hard choice for me, I'd probably pick the KTM or MT10 though personally.
My money would be on the Brutale I have loved the look of that thing since the first time I ever saw one.
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