there's a high likelihood im moving to LA where public transit and traffic is AWFUL, but lane splitting is legal. thinking about a new street bike. any opinions? was thinking about an rsv4-r, ktm duke 1190, or maybe something hooligan style, like a supermoto. i've only been to LA once, in venice beach and west hollywood so I don't have a great idea of the roads

9/21/2014 9:03:05 PM

Quote :

"I get heavy on the brakes (rears chirping because i haven't repaired my ABS module ), and I go around him in the far right of my lane as I can go. A pucker moment for sure... "

Should have kicked a giant dent in his door on your way by.

9/22/2014 11:45:06 AM

Do most 30yos these days hate the shit out of Harleys?

9/23/2014 9:42:02 AM

^lets hope so

9/23/2014 10:31:16 AM

the only acceptable hardly is a flat tracker with a hand shift on the right side

9/23/2014 11:26:11 AM

^^^yup

[Edited on September 23, 2014 at 11:26 AM. Reason : ]

9/23/2014 11:26:46 AM

Oh my God, HDs suck so much. I rode one once...it was a Heritage Softail, from Sedona (or was it Phoenix?) up to the Grand Canyon and back. Mine was the only late-model, dealer maintained HD in the group of 4 that didn't break in some way (overheated brakes, no-start, exhaust pipes falling off due to engine vibration, etc)...and even then, it was neither especially comfortable nor worth a shit to ride.

I cannot imagine paying BMW money for a piece of shit Harley. I really did want to like it, being such an American classic and all, but man, they are fucking garbage, and somehow still expensive.

9/23/2014 6:47:40 PM

If you really want made in USA get a Victory...

9/23/2014 7:31:42 PM

So their quality issues haven't improved in the last couple years?

I only ever rode one Sportster and it was OK except the brakes squeaked a lot. Looked good though!

What about Triumph? How is the hate level there?

9/23/2014 8:14:36 PM

Oh I've never wanted one. Not unless I had a whole slew of motorcycles, and then maybe I've have an old chopper...Easy Rider-style with a panhead or shovel. Not because it would be worth a damn at anything, except for looking cool and being a neat piece.

I'm pretty happy with West German made, or maybe German made going forward. Once I get another job [that pays well, at least], I plan on adding another bike to the stable. Probably British, or maaaybe Austrian...or if I find a good deal on a Japanese 600 race-replica of some sort, I might grab it and get back into sportbikes on the cheap while I look for what I really want.

[Edited on September 23, 2014 at 8:22 PM. Reason : Triumph is awesome, if you stay within the last, I don't know, 6-8 years.]

9/23/2014 8:22:13 PM

hahaha

http://www.ebay.com/itm/IF-THEY-MADE-AIRPLANES-Harley-Davidson-joke-tee-shirt-BMW-motorcycle-riders-/121428005995?pt=Apparel_Merchandise&hash=item1c45ac546b&vxp=mtr

(it's a t-shirt with a Harley-Davidson logo with the words "IF THEY MADE AN AIRPLANE, WOULD YOU FLY IN IT?" superimposed.)

9/23/2014 9:34:47 PM

the triumph triples (1050 and 675) are excellent motorcycles

9/24/2014 11:45:30 AM

I never had any problems with either of my Harley's that was not cause by either myself, or a jackleg mechanic before me. I have them cause I like to tinker and modify crap, and have a bad relationship with German made machines. But I have also had two Suzukis and loved them as well.

but then again both my harley were/are maintained by me and ridden had as shit. I coudl nto see myself on a sportbike....and if I had a BMW.....I would have broken some of my personal rules

i am not a bit polaris fan, too overly cartoony, I would ride the crap out of a triumph, and my wife is currently in love with a ridged pan she saw.

9/25/2014 11:04:04 PM

i think a triumph thruxton looks like a lot of fun

10/1/2014 10:45:34 AM

http://m.mcdowellnews.com/news/the-diamondback-resident-objects-to-marketing-of-steep-curvy-a/article_71cf966e-48e5-11e4-8db8-0017a43b2370.html?mode=jqm

NC226A also known as the diamondback was repaved this year, I am going to check it out this month. Bill Carrol thinks that's a bad idea

10/1/2014 6:27:08 PM

what say you about loud pipes?

A. Only for attention whores
B. Save lives
C. Both
D. Neither

i will go with C

10/7/2014 3:19:00 PM

totally depends on bike.

10/7/2014 3:30:33 PM

A.

The only time I can hear a bike that's behind me is at a stop light. Loud pipe won't save your life, staying out of blindspots will.

10/7/2014 3:35:59 PM

D, leaning towards A in most instances.

10/7/2014 3:43:20 PM

I go with D, i have always chosen exhaust via performance without regard for sound.

10/8/2014 6:44:48 PM

^haha, performance.. Don't you ride a Harley? Getting performance exhaust for a Sportster is like getting a performance exhaust for a Civic. Unless you are doing a major engine work, you are wasting your time.

10/9/2014 10:27:09 PM

^haha, performance.. Don't you ride a Harley? Getting performance exhaust for a Sportster is like getting a performance exhaust for a Civic. Unless you are doing a major engine work, you are wasting your time.

10/9/2014 10:27:09 PM

WHO would ride a stock-exhaust Harley? That's the question.

10/10/2014 7:31:35 AM

^ the same guy that wears full gear including full face helmet

10/10/2014 9:06:03 AM

^what's wrong with that?

If a man wants to be safer, that's his decision.

10/10/2014 9:13:47 AM

Mark isn't really a typical HD rider.

10/10/2014 9:52:41 AM

who's Mark?

10/10/2014 10:23:18 AM

didnt HD work out their quality issues?

now the main beef is overpriced slow heavy and made for bearded fat men

10/10/2014 12:45:25 PM

Beh, who knows. There are a few models I'd rock. Sometimes it's just about the sound and the ride

10/10/2014 2:06:28 PM

I am Mark

and performance is not that bad, on my sporty I was 76hp with 84 ft/lbs, with stock cams, with Mikuni and a 2-1 i built

As for performance on the road king, i like where the 2-1 puts the power and torque curve, coupled with the velocity stock i am fairly happy with the going on 20 year old beast.

As for quality, never had a problem with build quality on either the 2000 or the 96, but the quality of previous owners has been suspect



[Edited on October 10, 2014 at 6:42 PM. Reason : pics]

10/10/2014 6:37:06 PM

That Sporty is having a hell of an identity crysis Is it trying to keep up with the Subie?

I think Harley (other than maybe the V-Rod) is one of the few bikes where it makes sense to choose the exhaust purely based on how it sounds and looks. That's how the bikes are picked in the first place. Any performance gains from bolt-ons are kind of negligible in terms of what you need the bike to do. Even if you gain the extra 10hp with the k&n, exhaust, and jets, what the hell is the difference, for the type of riding that you'll be doing? Torque on a road king? It has a curve?

10/11/2014 5:11:31 PM

I've liked certain incarnations of that particular Sportster more than others, but it's always been one of my favorite HDs (though admittedly that bar is set low).


I rode about 165 miles on the BMW yesterday.

10/12/2014 1:14:46 PM

That sporty did everything Ok, it was great, I have trail ridden it though the woods, done twistys with sportbikes (not with those tires). it was time to move on. From there I went to A DR650

As for the road king, it does it's job, it was cheap, and it it dumb simple to work on. It was 3 differnt colors when i bout it, and it started life not as a road king but a electroglide that some dumbass ran into a car door.

10/13/2014 7:27:06 AM

http://www.blueridgemotorcycling.com/ride-maps/blue-ridge-parkway-lake-james-loop/

rode this route last thursday. do recommend

10/13/2014 7:34:20 PM

So i just bought some crash bars for the V-Strom

Didn't think I needed them, but so far I've been down on this bike 2x.... In all the years ive ridden (2006 ish) i've never had an accident that was rider error, and now 2... Not sure what the hell is going on with the bike.

First Accident.

Parking lot, going in straight line, car pulls through (couldn't see because of SUVs) infront of me. I hit brakes hard (I think I locked the front wheel up or it slid). Dropped the bike on the right side.

Light fairing damage, brake lever bent, front turn signal damaged


Second accident:

Left turn in downtown area, padestrian steps out in road in front of me, again have to brake hard but was on rail road tracks. Low speed slide out light fairign damage, turn signal and broke off foot peg.

I'm not sure if i'm not getting the feedback i need from the brakes and over doing it, or i'm out of practice, or these are just shitty situations, but I've panic braked 100s of times on my 600rr and always maintained good control and stayed upright.

Thoughts?

10/15/2014 3:44:25 PM

^
go into a parking lot and practice panic braking. I doubt there is any thing wrong with your bike other than it doesnt have ABS

10/15/2014 6:12:41 PM

There is a lot more of brake dive on a vstrom than a RR. That could have something to do with it. Does vStrom not have ABS? this is BS

The good thing in your case is, cash bars look a lot better on a VStrom than they do on a RR.

10/15/2014 6:19:28 PM

Yea i don't have ABS on the bike, and the brakes on my rr have hh pads and ss lines... The brakes on the storm are well...not really connected.

I've done some panic brake test (esp after first crash)... Noticed that under hard braking the front wheel had a tendency to catch or kick in one direction or another (think like chudder instead of a slide).

My rr also has a steering damper... in any case, I haven't been riding daily like i used to either.. but feel like a total n00b.

10/15/2014 10:05:35 PM

in regard to the Harley conversation above, not a big fan of them.... Kinda view them like fancy automatic watches or a expensive purse... It's no more functional, in fact it may be less functional than a cheaper option, but you buy it for the status and look not the function.


I.E. a triple sensor titanium atomic sensor casio for 200 dollars
http://www.amazon.com/Casio-PAG240T-7CR-Pathfinder-Triple-Sensor-Multi-Function/dp/B003MOIVI4

or a $6000 Breitlingnaviator watch
http://www.amazon.com/Breitling-AB012012-BB01-NAVITIMER-Chronograph-Watch/dp/B0068ZFNYE/ref=sr_1_1?s=apparel&ie=UTF8&qid=1413425449&sr=1-1&keywords=breitling+aviator

10/15/2014 10:11:34 PM

Saw a guy on a sport bike die on impact on Clark Ave at Cameron Village today. Riding like an idiot and probably doing at least 60 trying to make the light.

10/27/2014 5:32:18 PM

what did he hit? how did he wreck?

10/27/2014 10:28:44 PM

Gunned it trying to make the light. He swerved left to go around the car ahead of him turning right, but didn't see the oncoming car turning left. He had time to lock up the front wheel and left about an 8 foot skid mark before his head went through the car's headlight. RFD crew was on scene within 2 minutes and immediately cut his shirt off and started chest compressions.

Other car was an older Lexus.

10/27/2014 11:13:20 PM

Helmet?

10/27/2014 11:29:26 PM

Yes. Not sure if he died from a snapped neck or trauma from his torso hitting the car.

10/27/2014 11:55:56 PM

http://www.wral.com/woman-charged-in-fatal-raleigh-motorcycle-wreck/14122752/

You might want to contact the police and give them your point of view on the wreck

10/28/2014 11:00:08 AM

^ 1+. If you witnessed the accident, please take the time to give RPD the info.

10/28/2014 12:55:39 PM

I talked to them and they've got my number.

10/28/2014 7:22:23 PM

If the situation is as you describe then why did the lady get charged?

10/28/2014 7:47:27 PM

While the guy was going excessively fast and was clearly trying to make it through a red light before cross traffic entered the intersection, she did pull out in front of him. She was in the intersection when the light turned red and turned after yielding to the oncoming car turning right. Probably didn't even see him before he bobbed around the car in front of him. While not completely unwarranted, I was still pretty surprised to see her charged.

10/28/2014 8:09:25 PM

And its crazy things like this that convince me I should get an umbrella insurance policy.

10/28/2014 8:16:59 PM