Half a Car: The Motorbike Thread

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troyguitar
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Yo biker dudes, keep talking to me about bikes.

:melon: Does the Honda CB(R)500(R)(F)(X) really get 70 mpg on 87 and do 0-60 in sub-5-seconds?

How mind-numbing (or ass/wrist numbing) is it to ride a bike in general on the interstate if you aren't splitting lanes at 150 mph? I'm not about to trailer one to the track/dragon/whatever, so if I get one it's going to end up doing 70+% of its miles on interstates at 60-80 mph being passed by nearly everyone because I try to stay within 10% of speed limits. :notsure:
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I don't fucking know but I know that my SV650 Suzuki would average about 38-40mpg which is comparable to my TURDI.

those things "cruise" at 4000-6000rpms on the freeway.
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Max had a bike? :impressive:

SV650(S)/FZ-07 seem like cool options but they're really faster than I'd like at 11.9/12.1 1/4-mile. It seems like there are a lot of smaller bikes that either run 12.0 or faster quarter mile or take 14+ seconds. :notsure:

I'm still struggling to understand how piles of low end torque is a good thing when beginners are supposedly at most risk from hitting the throttle too hard on the way out of corners - wouldn't something with a narrower power band be more forgiving out of corners?
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troyguitar wrote:Max had a bike? :impressive:

SV650(S)/FZ-07 seem like cool options but they're really faster than I'd like at 11.9/12.1 1/4-mile. It seems like there are a lot of smaller bikes that either run 12.0 or faster quarter mile or take 14+ seconds. :notsure:

I'm still struggling to understand how piles of low end torque is a good thing when beginners are supposedly at most risk from hitting the throttle too hard on the way out of corners - wouldn't something with a narrower power band be more forgiving out of corners?
The SV650 was my first and only bike, I found the engine to be very forgiving and not overly fast. It is a great little motor, and it sounded amazing after my leo vince exhaust.

03+ models have fuel injection and they are poverty ducatis when not equipped with fairings, they are also cheap as shit to insure.

in fact the SV650s are the Poorvettes of the racing world... since they are easy to fix/cheap and super common.
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troyguitar wrote:Max had a bike? :impressive:

SV650(S)/FZ-07 seem like cool options but they're really faster than I'd like at 11.9/12.1 1/4-mile. It seems like there are a lot of smaller bikes that either run 12.0 or faster quarter mile or take 14+ seconds. :notsure:

I'm still struggling to understand how piles of low end torque is a good thing when beginners are supposedly at most risk from hitting the throttle too hard on the way out of corners - wouldn't something with a narrower power band be more forgiving out of corners?
Hair trigger throttles. They're harder to modulate on the supersport bikes at take off or low speeds. Also with a hair trigger throttle and a ton of power I'd imagine it would be way easier to pop an unwanted wheelie or something.

They'll also egg you on to go way beyond your personal capabilities and skill level.

That's all I really have, I'll let the guys with more experience chime in.
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maxtdi wrote:
troyguitar wrote:Max had a bike? :impressive:

SV650(S)/FZ-07 seem like cool options but they're really faster than I'd like at 11.9/12.1 1/4-mile. It seems like there are a lot of smaller bikes that either run 12.0 or faster quarter mile or take 14+ seconds. :notsure:

I'm still struggling to understand how piles of low end torque is a good thing when beginners are supposedly at most risk from hitting the throttle too hard on the way out of corners - wouldn't something with a narrower power band be more forgiving out of corners?
The SV650 was my first and only bike, I found the engine to be very forgiving and not overly fast. It is a great little motor, and it sounded amazing after my leo vince exhaust.

03+ models have fuel injection and they are poverty ducatis when not equipped with fairings, they are also cheap as shit to insure.

in fact the SV650s are the Poorvettes of the racing world... since they are easy to fix/cheap and super common.
SV650 are great bikes according to everyone I know that owns a motorcycle. They certainly seem like a decent first bike so long as you can restrain yourself in the beginning.
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I bought and drove a new (at the time 1999 CBR600F4. It had about 100 hp. It was quick but comfortable. I pushed it on numerous occasions with only a little experience and drivers ed course. It was never too much. The power is overrated because it only comes on over 8k. Until then it was very civilized. When I wanted a thrill it was there.
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Im currently in the Harley Davidson Motorcycle Safety Course. Its not too bad. I have certainly learned a lot. My only complaint is a few of the other riders who just arent getting it. If they pass this course I will be disappointed in the instructors for doing that. They unable to follow simple instructions and cannot get anything right over 50% of the time.

I cannot wait to pick my Bolt up next week and start riding. My gear is doing very well for me today. I do need some lighter gloves. My gloves are meant for a blizzard. They are so damn hot.
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[user not found] wrote:
Barnes93cb wrote:Im currently in the Harley Davidson Motorcycle Safety Course. Its not too bad. I have certainly learned a lot. My only complaint is a few of the other riders who just arent getting it. If they pass this course I will be disappointed in the instructors for doing that. They unable to follow simple instructions and cannot get anything right over 50% of the time.

I cannot wait to pick my Bolt up next week and start riding. My gear is doing very well for me today. I do need some lighter gloves. My gloves are meant for a blizzard. They are so damn hot.
Good work man

Sent from :[user not found]: and :alpo:
Thanks Paul. Ill be sure to post more pictures soon.
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Harley Davidson riders course. Image


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troyguitar wrote:Yo biker dudes, keep talking to me about bikes.

:melon: Does the Honda CB(R)500(R)(F)(X) really get 70 mpg on 87 and do 0-60 in sub-5-seconds?

How mind-numbing (or ass/wrist numbing) is it to ride a bike in general on the interstate if you aren't splitting lanes at 150 mph? I'm not about to trailer one to the track/dragon/whatever, so if I get one it's going to end up doing 70+% of its miles on interstates at 60-80 mph being passed by nearly everyone because I try to stay within 10% of speed limits. :notsure:
I never kept track of the MPG on the CB, If I never got on it, and did primarily highway cruising, I'm confident it would get over 50 mpg with me on it. All 300lbs of me.

Mind numbing? About the same as it is in a car, except you have to contend with the elements.
My advice is to take the long road, take curvy backroads, it will be a lot more entertaining. If you have to pound highway, go for it. The CB isn't really made for pounding highway, it's the only thing Hardleys are good for.

As far as the speed, It's on par with a Stg. 2 GTI, again, with my 300lb lard ass on it.
You're easily 140lbs lighter than me.
4zilch wrote: Mon Apr 12, 2021 8:46 am I'm a fucking failure.
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Barnes93cb wrote:Im currently in the Harley Davidson Motorcycle Safety Course. Its not too bad. I have certainly learned a lot. My only complaint is a few of the other riders who just arent getting it. If they pass this course I will be disappointed in the instructors for doing that. They unable to follow simple instructions and cannot get anything right over 50% of the time.

I cannot wait to pick my Bolt up next week and start riding. My gear is doing very well for me today. I do need some lighter gloves. My gloves are meant for a blizzard. They are so damn hot.
One breh dropped the trainer bike twice. He got a bit dicked up the second time. He was asked to leave, lol.

I had a dirt bike for the test. :megusta: It was like a 250cc or something, more than enough for me.
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Also Troy... to :plac: a motorcycle is way more common than :plac: a car. You can buy a used SV650 on :crang: slist for like $3k and sell it in 6 months for almost exactly what you paid for it. If you want, you can start on a used 250cc something or another which would be almost adequate for 65 MPH cruising on the highway, and in 3 months when you get sick of it and want a bigger bike, sell it for what you paid for it.

Motorcycles are cheap.
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Johnny_P wrote:
Barnes93cb wrote:Im currently in the Harley Davidson Motorcycle Safety Course. Its not too bad. I have certainly learned a lot. My only complaint is a few of the other riders who just arent getting it. If they pass this course I will be disappointed in the instructors for doing that. They unable to follow simple instructions and cannot get anything right over 50% of the time.

I cannot wait to pick my Bolt up next week and start riding. My gear is doing very well for me today. I do need some lighter gloves. My gloves are meant for a blizzard. They are so damn hot.
One breh dropped the trainer bike twice. He got a bit dicked up the second time. He was asked to leave, lol.

I had a dirt bike for the test. :megusta: It was like a 250cc or something, more than enough for me.
We are riding Harley Davidson Street 500s. Theyre not bad. No one has dropped them yet, But we have a woman who screams and pulls the throttle in panic. She almost ran me over twice. I had to move out of the way. And a guy who just rides the clutch nonstop and stalls the bike every other time.
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Melon wrote:
troyguitar wrote:Yo biker dudes, keep talking to me about bikes.

:melon: Does the Honda CB(R)500(R)(F)(X) really get 70 mpg on 87 and do 0-60 in sub-5-seconds?

How mind-numbing (or ass/wrist numbing) is it to ride a bike in general on the interstate if you aren't splitting lanes at 150 mph? I'm not about to trailer one to the track/dragon/whatever, so if I get one it's going to end up doing 70+% of its miles on interstates at 60-80 mph being passed by nearly everyone because I try to stay within 10% of speed limits. :notsure:
I never kept track of the MPG on the CB, If I never got on it, and did primarily highway cruising, I'm confident it would get over 50 mpg with me on it. All 300lbs of me.

Mind numbing? About the same as it is in a car, except you have to contend with the elements.
My advice is to take the long road, take curvy backroads, it will be a lot more entertaining. If you have to pound highway, go for it. The CB isn't really made for pounding highway, it's the only thing Hardleys are good for.

As far as the speed, It's on par with a Stg. 2 GTI, again, with my 300lb lard ass on it.
You're easily 140lbs lighter than me.
Yeah I weigh 140 so I figure a "tiny" 250 will be fine. The old one especially with the 16" :ramz: seems like it would be a blast. 13000 RPM in 5th gear at 89 mph for the rare cop-free highway stretches, 107 mph absolute top speed in 6th, 9000 RPM at 70 mph cruise :lolol:
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These are my current local favorites, though I'm sure the deals won't be nearly as good when I'm ready to actually buy something:

http://louisville.craigslist.org/mcy/5830429875.html

http://lexington.craigslist.org/mcy/5844818687.html

I will probably go take the MSF course at this place in the spring:

https://bdmtc.com/about-us/

They actually have one last course next weekend (and the weather should be nice, dry and 60s) but it's sold out. :disappoint:
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SV650s is about on par with my CB500 in terms of acceleration.
It's a solid first bike choice, and will be a lot more comfortable on a highway jaunt than a Ninja 250.
4zilch wrote: Mon Apr 12, 2021 8:46 am I'm a fucking failure.
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Melon wrote:SV650s is about on par with my CB500 in terms of acceleration.
It's a solid first bike choice, and will be a lot more comfortable on a highway jaunt than a Ninja 250.
:dat:
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:ohdang:

That's a solid deal right there.
4zilch wrote: Mon Apr 12, 2021 8:46 am I'm a fucking failure.
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Johnny_P wrote:
troyguitar wrote:Max had a bike? :impressive:

SV650(S)/FZ-07 seem like cool options but they're really faster than I'd like at 11.9/12.1 1/4-mile. It seems like there are a lot of smaller bikes that either run 12.0 or faster quarter mile or take 14+ seconds. :notsure:

I'm still struggling to understand how piles of low end torque is a good thing when beginners are supposedly at most risk from hitting the throttle too hard on the way out of corners - wouldn't something with a narrower power band be more forgiving out of corners?
Hair trigger throttles. They're harder to modulate on the supersport bikes at take off or low speeds. Also with a hair trigger throttle and a ton of power I'd imagine it would be way easier to pop an unwanted wheelie or something.

They'll also egg you on to go way beyond your personal capabilities and skill level.

That's all I really have, I'll let the guys with more experience chime in.
Keep in mind that the torque available is only at WOT. You're rarely at 100% throttle on the street, particularly while leaned over post corner apex. On a bike you're gradually increasing throttle while decreasing lean angle. For me, the understanding of the phenomena came very naturally. I'd argue that a nice flat torque curve is easier to ride. Less time and brain power spent shifting and more time focusing on your line, throttle and brake modulation, and scanning the road for hazards.

FWIW most accidents I've witnessed by inexperienced riders on powerful bikes are related to corner entry speed and panic braking. I.E. They get into a corner faster than their comfortable with and grab a handful of front brake. A close 2nd is target fixation and road hazards. Somewhere much further down the list is highsiding or spinning out due to ham fisted throttle modulation.

Avoiding target fixation is probably the single most important skill for a street rider. Don't look at the hazard; look where you want to go to avoid it.
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troyguitar wrote:
Melon wrote:
I never kept track of the MPG on the CB, If I never got on it, and did primarily highway cruising, I'm confident it would get over 50 mpg with me on it. All 300lbs of me.

Mind numbing? About the same as it is in a car, except you have to contend with the elements.
My advice is to take the long road, take curvy backroads, it will be a lot more entertaining. If you have to pound highway, go for it. The CB isn't really made for pounding highway, it's the only thing Hardleys are good for.

As far as the speed, It's on par with a Stg. 2 GTI, again, with my 300lb lard ass on it.
You're easily 140lbs lighter than me.
Yeah I weigh 140 so I figure a "tiny" 250 will be fine. The old one especially with the 16" :ramz: seems like it would be a blast. 13000 RPM in 5th gear at 89 mph for the rare cop-free highway stretches, 107 mph absolute top speed in 6th, 9000 RPM at 70 mph cruise :lolol:
70mpg seems pretty doable on that bike. My bike: 1300cc, 180hp, sub 3-sec 0-60, gets mid 40's if ridden reasonably.
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Melon wrote:SV650s is about on par with my CB500 in terms of acceleration.
It's a solid first bike choice, and will be a lot more comfortable on a highway jaunt than a Ninja 250.
Are we talking about the same bikes? SV650(S) tested 12 flat 1/4 at nearly 110 mph, CB500F more like 13.7 at low 90s. It's got ~50% more power and not a whole lot more weight.

The SV650 is faster than my car (at street legal speeds in a straight line). :notsure: :iono:
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troyguitar wrote:
Melon wrote:SV650s is about on par with my CB500 in terms of acceleration.
It's a solid first bike choice, and will be a lot more comfortable on a highway jaunt than a Ninja 250.
Are we talking about the same bikes? SV650(S) tested 12 flat 1/4 at nearly 110 mph, CB500F more like 13.7 at low 90s. It's got ~50% more power and not a whole lot more weight.

The SV650 is faster than my car (at street legal speeds in a straight line). :notsure: :iono:

SV makes ~15% more power, so it's not surprising it's faster in the quarter. I'd SV if for no other reason than the massive amount of aftermarket available for them.

Speaking of which: http://indianapolis.craigslist.org/mcy/5808268243.html
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4zilch wrote:
troyguitar wrote:
Are we talking about the same bikes? SV650(S) tested 12 flat 1/4 at nearly 110 mph, CB500F more like 13.7 at low 90s. It's got ~50% more power and not a whole lot more weight.

The SV650 is faster than my car (at street legal speeds in a straight line). :notsure: :iono:

SV makes ~15% more power, so it's not surprising it's faster in the quarter. I'd SV if for no other reason than the massive amount of aftermarket available for them.

Speaking of which: http://indianapolis.craigslist.org/mcy/5808268243.html
Nice one! I like the naked versions but that's a solid one for a good price.
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