MyBB Motorcycle Owners Thread

[Pox]

I am having some trouble deciding on a motorbike to commute with as a beginner. My options so far are the small Japanese bikes with ABS (Kawasaki Ninja / Yamaha R3 and so on), BMW G310r, and KTM 390 Duke.

What I can't decide is whether the ABS is absolutely a deal breaker? The Honda CBR 250s are really a great deal second hand at around R25k (not sure if bikes have ABS or not).

Any suggestions / advice would be great!

I am doing my learners later this year.

I hope that this is the right thread!

I say get whatever has the most safety features, especially if you are a beginner.
On a bike, if you lock the front wheel, things will not go well from that point forward. People will say you should learn how to break properly on a bike, but it's difficult, more so if you are used to driving a car. Your reaction is to stamp as hard on the breaks as possible in an emergency in a car.

If you do that on a bike without abs, you will go down. So for a learner's bike, stay safe and get abs.

 

[RustyNail]

the 650 is actually good for a commuter. The 12 is just too big to really get through traffic nicely, and the 650 has good power for its small size.

Stay away from the KTM , or my opinion anyway. the 390 is simply far too small and under powered. You'll be happy for a few months but after that you may regret your investment and the resale isnt great on them.

I got a girlfriend a ninja 250r a year ago and she was very happy, Annoyed the hell out of me though.

 

[SykomantiS]

19 days to the Distinguished Gentlemen's Ride. Any members here?

IIRC it's limited to Scooters / Cafe Racers / old bikes (no superbikes, adventure bikes etc)

Yah thats been the norm over the years but I have seen other bikes there before. My Harley loosely falls into the chopper catagory for a few customizations, my other halrey is a 1600 turbo with an 18 inch mickey thompson on the back so that one doesnt really qualify , from what I understand they do it so that it doesnt turn into a full blown mass ride complete with pandemonium and madness. It really is what its called and its for a very very good cause.

So let me get this straight- If I were to attend, I would not be welcome since I ride a GSX-R1000?

 

[RustyNail]

If you know someone with a dirtbike and a spare good kit ask them if you can go riding with them for a day or two. Much safer environment to learn in and you dont get hurt when you fall provided you not wearing a jean short and wife beater.

 

[RustyNail]

So let me get this straight- If I were to attend, I would not be welcome since I ride a GSX-R1000?

Best advice I think would be to mail the ride organiser. If you goto the website choose which country and which ride youde attend and theres a link to mail the organizer. I dont want to say they will allow as I dont know if anything has changed this year. Best to get it there. If I recall I think the organizer is from the vintage motorcycle club.

 

[RustyNail]

So let me get this straight- If I were to attend, I would not be welcome since I ride a GSX-R1000?

or put ape hangers and knobleys on

 

[SauRoNZA]

Would a ZX14 not have digital clocks? The ECU should have data logged in its memory. Most cars have data loggers built into the ECU these days.

My dads old C230k was in a random accident, the ECU data files were recalled by Mercedes and it was found to be brake failure that caused the issue, they deduced that by checking the Merc equivalent of VCDS

Diagnostics history loggers <> Speed logging.

ZX14 has analog speedo visually, but more than likely digitally controlled.

Only bikes I know with speed loggers built in are the built for track types like Yamaha R1m and Kawasaki H2R etc.

 

[mattrudlles]

If you know someone with a dirtbike and a spare good kit ask them if you can go riding with them for a day or two. Much safer environment to learn in and you dont get hurt when you fall provided you not wearing a jean short and wife beater.

Good advice indeed! I am a road bike beginner, but was fortunate enough to grow up riding off-ride bikes on a farm. I should have included that!

 

[mattrudlles]

I say get whatever has the most safety features, especially if you are a beginner.
On a bike, if you lock the front wheel, things will not go well from that point forward. People will say you should learn how to break properly on a bike, but it's difficult, more so if you are used to driving a car. Your reaction is to stamp as hard on the breaks as possible in an emergency in a car.

If you do that on a bike without abs, you will go down. So for a learner's bike, stay safe and get abs.

I will keep on course for ABS then!

 

[RustyNail]

Good advice indeed! I am a road bike beginner, but was fortunate enough to grow up riding off-ride bikes on a farm. I should have included that!

Funnily enough, since I was 10 years old "knowing how to fall" has gotten me through quite a couple of hairy situations. It is vital for the avid biker.

dunno about the newer bikes but from a friends past experience if the bike has ABS, dont wheelie....

 

[SykomantiS]

Oh well. Nevermind then- carry on, gentlemen.


I have another question- more technical in nature. Does anyone know the spec of oil filters? I'm toying with the idea of buying a reusable oil filter. The product description states it filters down to 35 micron particle sizes. What I can't seem to find is how this compares to oem-quality- I do know that Hiflo make an HF130-RC for my bike (only learned this today, so I have never used one, it's also apparently a racing filter that can be used on the road) that can filter to 5 microns. Essentially what I want to know is wherabouts oem-standard would be.

 

[SauRoNZA]

I am having some trouble deciding on a motorbike to commute with as a beginner. My options so far are the small Japanese bikes with ABS (Kawasaki Ninja / Yamaha R3 and so on), BMW G310r, and KTM 390 Duke.

What I can't decide is whether the ABS is absolutely a deal breaker? The Honda CBR 250s are really a great deal second hand at around R25k (not sure if bikes have ABS or not).

Any suggestions / advice would be great!

I am doing my learners later this year.

I hope that this is the right thread!

My advice...

1. Get some training first with the school's bike, make sure biking is for you.

2. Get learners.

3. Get gear.

4. Get bike.

As someone who has crashed multiple bikes without ABS and having NOT crashes multiple bikes with ABS....I will never buy a bike without ABS again.

Without traction control and that stuff sure, but ABS is a dealbreaker and a must.

It's the difference between many accidents being "maybes" and becoming reality.

And no it's not because you activate ABS every day that it needs to be there (I can't remember the last time I did) it's about that one time you fail yourself and your skills and the ABS is there to save your ass.

That moment is easily worth the extra money paid for it as the resulting insurance claim without ABS will almost certainly be more.

 

[SauRoNZA]

Oh well. Nevermind then- carry on, gentlemen.


I have another question- more technical in nature. Does anyone know the spec of oil filters? I'm toying with the idea of buying a reusable oil filter. The product description states it filters down to 35 micron particle sizes. What I can't seem to find is how this compares to oem-quality- I do know that Hiflo make an HF130-RC for my bike (only learned this today, so I have never used one, it's also apparently a racing filter that can be used on the road) that can filter to 5 microns. Essentially what I want to know is wherabouts oem-standard would be.

I don't know the spec, but I would like to know the why?

These things aren't expensive and I'm willing to bet a new fresh one at every service is always going to be better than even a properly cleaned re-usable one.

 

[SauRoNZA]

Good advice indeed! I am a road bike beginner, but was fortunate enough to grow up riding off-ride bikes on a farm. I should have included that!

A lot less unplanned **** happens on the farm.

ABS is there for all those surprises.

 

[Sinbad]

I am having some trouble deciding on a motorbike to commute with as a beginner. My options so far are the small Japanese bikes with ABS (Kawasaki Ninja / Yamaha R3 and so on), BMW G310r, and KTM 390 Duke.

What I can't decide is whether the ABS is absolutely a deal breaker? The Honda CBR 250s are really a great deal second hand at around R25k (not sure if bikes have ABS or not).

Any suggestions / advice would be great!

I am doing my learners later this year.

I hope that this is the right thread!

My suggestion would be to get a Honda NC700/750XD. It's not particularly fast but it's comfortable, agile, has storage space, is automatic and has ABS. Also pretty frugal in terms of consumption.
It's my first bike, and I don't see myself switching to anything else any time soon. The auto box is beautiful in traffic...

 

[SykomantiS]

I don't know the spec, but I would like to know the why?

These things aren't expensive and I'm willing to bet a new fresh one at every service is always going to be better than even a properly cleaned re-usable one.

It's not so much the why as it is determining if there is value/advantage to be had without expense to performance or reliability. Hence the question.

 

[RustyNail]

 

[Sinbad]

View attachment 554863

I object to your avatar.

Irresponsible twats may not like awesome bands

 

[RustyNail]

I object to your avatar.

Irresponsible twats may not like awesome bands

Irresponsible twats usually form the best bands....

...your move.

 

[Sinbad]

Irresponsible twats usually form the best bands....

...your move.

So what's your band called?