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[WickedAngel]

I can personally vouch for the new 250R as my girlfriend has one that I've ridden frequently. It's no slouch and it's quite fine for the highway.

One word though; it's cold-natured. Definitely needs jetting.

 

[LiveFromKyoto]

It's good to hear you don't think it makes a huge difference, but I'm also not a small rider - about 6'1, 200 lbs., so I might feel kind of silly on a small 250 bike. I was standing next to a 250 the other day and it felt kind of toylike.

 

[Ollie Pooch]

just 3 days til i get my new Derbi GP1 250. the wait has almost killed me

 

[Flo_Evans]

Wind and trucks will always be an issue on 2 wheels. Unless you are riding a goldwing. Then all you have to worry about is grinding your floorboards off!

:lol

 

[thesoapster]

Wind and trucks will always be an issue on 2 wheels. Unless you are riding a goldwing. Then all you have to worry about is grinding your floorboards off!

:lol :lol nice

I can personally vouch for the new 250R as my girlfriend has one that I've ridden frequently. It's no slouch and it's quite fine for the highway.

One word though; it's cold-natured. Definitely needs jetting.

I wish Kawasaki would bring the FI version to the states.

 

[Fallout-NL]

Not too bad out today...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPbZQlpmyqA&fmt=18

Is that in Maryland somewhere?


And push it a little more next time, you're killing me, you big tease :lol .

 

[thesoapster]

Is that in Maryland somewhere?


And push it a little more next time, you're killing me, you big tease :lol .

*wink*

And you'd have to see those particular roads to understand my action. Besides being pretty "cold" (as in I wasn't warmed up and in my own little Fast Mode™) there the roads had a lot of grass clippings, mud clods/dirt etc. My last big ride where I did about 170 miles my camera was acting up. I wish I had footage from later on in the day...oh man. I also had a person following me (you can hear them rev their engine in the beginning before I revved mine) who hadn't touched those roads before (and actually a lot of that road I haven't touched, either...other sections just ridden on some), so I didn't want him to push himself too much (I've done that before).

 

[awilliams213]

Does anyone use a motorcycle gps for me it's between the TomTom Rider and the Garmin Zumo 660..can't make up my mind.

 

[Flo_Evans]

Does anyone use a motorcycle gps for me it's between the TomTom Rider and the Garmin Zumo 660..can't make up my mind.

No I pretty much rely on my iphone when riding solo. Brother uses an older Garmin GPSMAP 60 which seems to work well enough. It is more of an offroad one though and comes loaded with terrain maps.

I have used some of the car TomToms and they are pretty good but I think the Garmins are more "pro" if you know what I mean.

I have heard some people say the old garmin Zumo is better because it has real buttons and is easier to operate with gloves on.

YMMV, the new software and street rendering looks pretty nice.

 

[xBerserker]

G-OIL - I got some for the scooter. But I haven't used it yet. I'm waiting until I use up my old one first. Has anyone used this stuff? But what's nice is that it is the same price or sometimes less than other 2 cycle oil.

 

[Flo_Evans]

G-OIL - I got some for the scooter. But I haven't used it yet. I'm waiting until I use up my old one first. Has anyone used this stuff? But what's nice is that it is the same price or sometimes less than other 2 cycle oil.

2 stroke! :lol

Although I have been eyeing some classic 2 stroke bikes...

This place is having an open house this saturday... I have to leave the checkbook at home!

http://www.michaelsmotorcycles.com/

Anyone (Daw?) near St. Louis want to meet up and check this place out? It's supposed to rain this weekend

 

[daw840]

If your going to use oil, use AMSoil. End of story.

http://www.michaelsmotorcycles.com/

Anyone (Daw?) near St. Louis want to meet up and check this place out? It's supposed to rain this weekend

That would be pretty cool, unfortunately I have to work this saturday.

 

[Flo_Evans]

If your going to use oil, use AMSoil. End of story.



That would be pretty cool, unfortunately I have to work this saturday.

Bummer, I will take lots of pics for you guys to drool over.

 

[daw840]

Bummer, I will take lots of pics for you guys to drool over.

Please do!!

 

[LiveFromKyoto]

So I'm going to check out a used bike tomorrow, for sale by private owner. What are the things I should be looking for?

My mental checklist so far:

No hydraulic leakage on the forks
Tire wear
Scrapes/physical damage
Oil
Check chain for rust
Wiring/make sure everything lights up like it's supposed to
Listen to how the engine revs

The bike's a '92 Ninja ZX6D. The ad listed a bunch of new equipment and said "Needs nothing to certify/safety" - naturally if that's the case I'm going to ask him to do so before I buy it.

 

[Flo_Evans]

So I'm going to check out a used bike tomorrow, for sale by private owner. What are the things I should be looking for?

My mental checklist so far:

No hydraulic leakage on the forks
Tire wear
Scrapes/physical damage
Oil
Check chain for rust
Wiring/make sure everything lights up like it's supposed to
Listen to how the engine revs

The bike's a '92 Ninja ZX6D. The ad listed a bunch of new equipment and said "Needs nothing to certify/safety" - naturally if that's the case I'm going to ask him to do so before I buy it.

Best advice, find a Kawasaki forum and read up on that bikes particular issues. Start here maybe even register and ask if there is anything to look for on that bike.

Ninjas are generally pretty bulletproof, and it should be easy to tell from a visual inspection and test ride if it has been abused.

 

[Fallout-NL]

I'm not sure if this is the correct term, but near the 'ball head' there should be a piece of metal that restricts the steering angle. See if that's still in good condition, if it's bent or otherwise not normal, the bike has probably been dropped or worse.

Other than that, take it for a spin, pick up some speed on a strait and take your hands of the clip-ons, see if it still goes dead ahead to determine if the frame is still 100%.

Can't think of anything else.

 

[LiveFromKyoto]

Best advice, find a Kawasaki forum and read up on that bikes particular issues. Start here maybe even register and ask if there is anything to look for on that bike.

Ninjas are generally pretty bulletproof, and it should be easy to tell from a visual inspection and test ride if it has been abused.

Cool, thanks for the link, I'll definitely sign up there.

 

[thesoapster]

I'm not sure if this is the correct term, but near the 'ball head' there should be a piece of metal that restricts the steering angle. See if that's still in good condition, if it's bent or otherwise not normal, the bike has probably been dropped or worse.

Other than that, take it for a spin, pick up some speed on a strait and take your hands of the clip-ons, see if it still goes dead ahead to determine if the frame is still 100%.

Can't think of anything else.

This. Visual inspection is good, but riding it will tell you a lot, also.

 

[Flo_Evans]

Saw this when I was at the dealer getting my safety inspection.

The Boss Hoss V8. yes that is a chevy small block powering this beast.

:lol

 

[daw840]

I actually rode on the back of one of those when I was in high school. Those things are scary fast in a straight line. Turning may be a bit of a chore though...:lol

 

[Cheeto]

Saw this when I was at the dealer getting my safety inspection.

[IMG.]http://i40.tinypic.com/j7vrxe.jpg[/IMG]

The Boss Hoss V8. yes that is a chevy small block powering this beast.

[IMG.]http://i43.tinypic.com/1604vo0.jpg[/IMG]

:lol

holy shit, that has to be deafening.

 

[thesoapster]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fI_GvCl8ei8&feature=related

...

...

haha. Better off getting a B-King or the new VMax.

 

[daw840]

Holy shit balls. While perusing that video, this one came up.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cV4HdsDZX6c&NR=1

A smart car with a Hayabusa engine!

 

[Flo_Evans]

Hayabusa smart car = awesome.

Gah I just want to quit my job go around the world and shag natives http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=beEX....php?t=402779&page=13&feature=player_embedded

 

[Dragona Akehi]

A Smart with a Hayabusa engine kinda defeats the purpose of the Smart... to be quiet and really fuel efficient. I'm still not sure why the American model is petrol only, it's meant to be a diesel machine.

Oh well.

 

[daw840]

A Smart with a Hayabusa engine kinda defeats the purpose of the Smart... to be quiet and really fuel efficient. I'm still not sure why the American model is petrol only, it's meant to be a diesel machine.

Oh well.

Well yeah, but it's still cool as hell! It definitely defeats the purpose though.

 

[thesoapster]

On the subject of Busas...not sure how many of you have heard of Ghost Rider. He did a crazy ride to Uppsala in a very short amount of time (video is on YouTube somewhere) and was pretty much just riding his GSX-R at max speed the whole time through traffic.

The video I had in mind is related to his heavily modded Hayabusa. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ud_gXPCMUDw

That bike is damned crazy. It needs a larger front sprocket! :lol

 

[Damaged]

Does anyone use a motorcycle gps for me it's between the TomTom Rider and the Garmin Zumo 660..can't make up my mind.

Ive got the first release tomtom rider and it is pretty good, only problem was the mounting rattling itself to bits (i do use a big ktm single so that wouldnt have helped), but i think they have fixed it on the second revision.

Cant comment on the Garmin as i have never had a play with one.

On a side note my friend finally collected my bike the other day to have a go at fixing it (hes a genius when it comes to bike electrics so fingers crossed). Hopfully will be back out on the roads soon !

 

[Flo_Evans]

Fuck yes! This place was awesome.

video of this bike http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWY26ryAce0&feature=channel_page rotary (wankel engine!)

this was a Ferrari made go-kart

This is what 50cc or so of vintage italian sounds like http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjseBChUjFc&feature=channel_page




edit: more here.

 

[LiveFromKyoto]

On the subject of Busas...not sure how many of you have heard of Ghost Rider. He did a crazy ride to Uppsala in a very short amount of time (video is on YouTube somewhere) and was pretty much just riding his GSX-R at max speed the whole time through traffic.

The video I had in mind is related to his heavily modded Hayabusa. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ud_gXPCMUDw

That bike is damned crazy. It needs a larger front sprocket! :lol

Holy crap, it's unreal how fast that guy's going. Doing wheelies at that speed, I can't decide whether he's got balls of steel or is completely lobotomized.

I've made a handshake agreement to get that 600cc Ninja I was talking about, if all goes well I should be picking it up on Thursday. I'm at work so I don't have access to host pics atm, but it looks just like this badboy but in blue & silver:

Can't wait, this is gonna be awesome
I was really surprised by how much bigger it was in person compared to the pics, it's twice the size of the 250. Feels beastly to sit on, in a good way.

 

[Deleted member 22576]

:O


How much does something like this cost?

 

[Flo_Evans]

:O


How much does something like this cost?

http://www.michaelsmotorcycles.com/1956Lioncino125409.htm

$5600. But I think some bastard bought it today

 

[Deleted member 22576]

I want something like that sooooooo bad.

I want to buy one, throw my computer and a jacket in my bag and like tour the country.

 

[thesoapster]

Holy crap, it's unreal how fast that guy's going. Doing wheelies at that speed, I can't decide whether he's got balls of steel or is completely lobotomized.

I've made a handshake agreement to get that 600cc Ninja I was talking about, if all goes well I should be picking it up on Thursday. I'm at work so I don't have access to host pics atm, but it looks just like this badboy but in blue & silver:

http://tinyurl.com/dhh3bg

Can't wait, this is gonna be awesome
I was really surprised by how much bigger it was in person compared to the pics, it's twice the size of the 250. Feels beastly to sit on, in a good way.

Cool

Just be sure when you first start out on it to not even play with the throttle...just play with the clutch to get a feel for its catch point. Play with the throttle and get used to adding only 500-750RPM to idle...and then start combining the two

It's OK to start out slow. I know when I first started I wasn't interested in going fast. I was helping a new rider along a few days ago and I was noticing how slow she was going on the road (had her ride in front). I thought to myself, "damn, today," but then I remembered what I was like when I first started...just as butt slow. It's a new feeling to get used to just being on a motorcycle on the roadway. It's not the time to find where in the power band is best to crack the throttle to pull the front end up :lol

Best of luck and let us know how you're doing.

 

[Flo_Evans]

Got some proper DOT approved knobbies this week.

They are a bit notchy going from the center lugs to the side ones. They howl a little at speed and the front end wanders a bit more then the stock tires but I am soo happy I have proper knobbies on this bike now! Going to give them a good thrashing this weekend.

close up:

 

[snacknuts]

Got some proper DOT approved knobbies this week.

http://i40.tinypic.com/sfh5qp.jpg

They are a bit notchy going from the center lugs to the side ones. They howl a little at speed and the front end wanders a bit more then the stock tires but I am soo happy I have proper knobbies on this bike now! Going to give them a good thrashing this weekend.

close up:

http://i42.tinypic.com/1112ps9.jpg

Flo, I see your posts in this thread and always imagine you in some hilarious 80's movie about how awesome you are on your motorcycle, like running from the cops on city streets and then ducking into the woods where you get chased by some gang of off-road riders.

 

[hellclerk]

with any luck, i'll have my license and my first bike in less than a month. i've been looking VERY hard at the Royal Enfield Bullet G5 deluxe...

i'll be changing some things, like switching out the chrome fenders for a set of standard blacks (i like the look better), as well as getting the luggage racks, soft saddlebags, a single sprung seat and the rear single sprung pillion. the end product should look properly classy. it's a long stroke 500 Brit style single. they got a whole new engine for the new emission standards and has ALOT of torque. it doesn't have the horsepower to make the ton as easily as the Ninja 250, but as far as i'm concerned, the Bullet has leagues more class, not to mention is considerably more customizable.

 

[Damaged]

Got some proper DOT approved knobbies this week.

They are a bit notchy going from the center lugs to the side ones. They howl a little at speed and the front end wanders a bit more then the stock tires but I am soo happy I have proper knobbies on this bike now! Going to give them a good thrashing this weekend.

close up:

Nice one! I remember the first time i got some proper offroad tyres for my old suzuki DRZ400, scared the life out of me on the road for the first few corners but was well worth it when it got on the rough stuff Have fun with em!

 

[blackaroni]

This thread makes me sad. I just sold my 2007 Kawasaki Ninja 250 last month. Too many motorcycle related deaths in my little town, so I gave it up. Man, do I miss it, though.

 

[Damaged]

This thread makes me sad. I just sold my 2007 Kawasaki Ninja 250 last month. Too many motorcycle related deaths in my little town, so I gave it up. Man, do I miss it, though.

Harsh though it is thats no reason to stop riding, ive lost a few friends over the years on bikes (and had a few close calls myself, got a cool metal knee now tho!), but i could never give up riding bikes. The way i see it is if you get killed on a bike at least you were doing something you love. You know the risks when you start riding and you take the chance that it may happen to you one day.

 

[daw840]

Harsh though it is thats no reason to stop riding, ive lost a few friends over the years on bikes (and had a few close calls myself, got a cool metal knee now tho!), but i could never give up riding bikes. The way i see it is if you get killed on a bike at least you were doing something you love. You know the risks when you start riding and you take the chance that it may happen to you one day.

 

[Damaged]

lol, thanks man, wasnt meaning to sound like a dick but i dont understand people who stop riding because its dangerous, surely they think about before they start?

 

[thesoapster]

This thread makes me sad. I just sold my 2007 Kawasaki Ninja 250 last month. Too many motorcycle related deaths in my little town, so I gave it up. Man, do I miss it, though.

We take risks every day. The best thing you can do is manage that risk. On a motorcycle that includes wearing proper gear (helmet, jacket, gloves, boots, pants), and riding in such a way as to not endanger yourself/others. My riding style has evolved significantly since I started riding, especially after being hit by a red light runner and getting put in the hospital. I realized especially after getting back on a bike after that that I loved it too much. I hear of lots of motorcycling deaths in my city, too. In fact this past Saturday a friend of one of my classmates was killed on his bike. He was street racing and ran into the back of a car. I was told he didn't have a good amount of gear on.

It often helps to know someone who has been riding a lot longer than you and is still going at it and doing well. They have hard-to-find wisdom.

 

[blackaroni]

lol, thanks man, wasnt meaning to sound like a dick but i dont understand people who stop riding because its dangerous, surely they think about before they start?

I guess I didn't realize just how bad it was before I started riding. People are BAD around here and don't give a crap about bikers. All the riders I work with have been plowed down on the same strip of road on the way to work. I knew my number was up soon. They say all bikers eat the pavement at some point, but I think I made it out just in time. :lol

 

[Damaged]

I guess I didn't realize just how bad it was before I started riding. People are BAD around here and don't give a crap about bikers. All the riders I work with have been plowed down on the same strip of road on the way to work. I knew my number was up soon. They say all bikers eat the pavement at some point, but I think I made it out just in time. :lol

Fair enough, maybe get a dirt bike so you can enjoy riding off road? dont let the arseholes out there take something good away from you

 

[Flo_Evans]

I don't know. ALLOT of people think its cool, whatever buy a bike then park it after actually experiencing it. There is allot they don't tell you in the showroom.

WIND. I was amazed at how much you get blown around on a bike. A good 30mph gust can literally change lanes for you if you are not expecting it.

HEADSHAKE. Certain bikes, like mine, get NASTY speed wobbles if the suspension is not set up properly. For a new rider this is terrifying. Hell it freaks me out a little still.

TRAFFIC. It's a bitch! People will tell you that cars will not see you and to ride accordingly. But until you get cut off and have to swerve/brake to avoid a collision and the adrenaline rush and shakes afterwards it's not the same as just hearing about it. Before I got my new tires I decided to disable my ABS to practice rear wheel lockups on the street (bad idea!) I had done one or 2 then all of the sudden a bitch cut me off. Even though I had just been practicing finding the lockup point, I fucking locked up the rear HARD. Back end was fishtailing all over, and I came real close to hitting the median or her. Turned the ABS back on after that. :lol

SPEED. Some of the new sportbikes are downright INSANE. The acceleration on my 650 single will blow the doors off most cars (from a stop, doesn't have quite the top end I need for 200mph highway speeds :lol ) Braking is probably the most difficult thing to do on a bike, esp. in a panic situation. It is much easier to get to 100mph on a bike then it is to slow down from there. I have seen allot of people ride WAY faster then their ability on bikes that are just way to much for them.

So yeah, you can look at all the stats, think you are cool with the risks but then when actually faced with their own mortality some will abandon the sport. Fine by me more bike with low miles on the used market.

 

[thesoapster]

Yeah, I'd say braking is probably my biggest thing that needs to be honed right now. My current bike does a good job (the best job of all the sport bikes I've owned so far) of making me feel like I'm going slower than I'm actually going. I'll look down every once in a while and think "...oh. I'm going 90...*squeeze*...mm. 65."

Entering corners too hot are some of the scariest mistakes I've ever made. The brakes on my bike have broken in quite well...they have a good bit of grab

I need to do some more stopping practice, though.

 

[Flo_Evans]

Just got back from a good 350 mile 2 day BMW dealer event! They flew in an off-road instructor had BBQ and beer (for after the ride ) down in Mark Twain National Forest. I estimate there where 50 people there. It was nuts! They set up little courses like weave through the trees, hill climbing/descent, and 180 quick turns on gravel roads (for when you come to a gate marked "tesspeseres will be shoot on site" and have to get the fuck out before some farmer releases the hounds).

Then they had a long course set up and you got scored based on cones missed, foot dabs and stalling/crashing. :lol My damn brother won 1st but he has a KTM so he is disqualified. I tied for 2nd place but lost the tie-breaker mud pit showdown. The other guy dumped it in the mud then went nuts spraying the crowd. I was so nervous about drowning my bike I went through at a snails pace. It was judged on crowd cheering and apparently those old BMW farts like crashing. :lol I think they where just pissed I never dropped my bike.

Anyway, some pics!

KTM looking poised, dude testing his engine guards in the background.

I love love love my new tires. Deflated to 20PSI I can pretty much roll over anything. I think I may have bent my front rim though

I think we may be lost.

The camp bike.

The 2nd day there where much less people and generally more experienced so we hit some really good shit.

Honz (the shop owner) is a bad man on 2 wheels. He also had a 650 like mine there but said it would be cheating and he wanted to show the dudes what a 1200GS could do with stock tires.

Shannon (shop mechanic) showing this dude how its done on a F800. This was a demo bike they brought down and the guy dropped it 5 times at least. Once even into some other dudes bike that he actually paid for. :lol

They purposely drown this GS to show us how to drain the water out of the engine.

Not something you really want to happen. Had to pull the plugs, pump out the water, drain the oil and change it in the middle of the woods.

Are you tired of looking at pics of my bike?? Then post some of your own!

 

[Damaged]

Great pics! looks like you had allot of fun Im still waiting for my bike to be fixed, threw a new cdi on this week and it still wouldnt start, turns out the part we bought was faulty as well just wating for the replacent bit to arrive from austria now.

Will have to post some pics and vid's from the first ride out when its finally running