Moto-Brian

A lot are... What's the point? I said "like a lot of guys that do similar things" - track day guys typically shoot the laps and use for friends to see. A lot are showing off, but a good number use them to get better. I have guys give me ids to critique and help out. Ya think this guy is asking for help? Maybe how to shift smoother? Doubt it...

Or, an attention whore like a lot of guys that do similar things via YouTube...

Good thing it wasn't for time!

Oakley has a three layer foam system or a double layer depending on the style. The thing is that the Scotss and others have the same style of foam. In fact, the same company probably does them all as the Oakley goggle has a lot of components that are outsourced. That being said, my question is two fold: 1) What was the reaction that made you think you were allergic? Reason I ask is that a lot of times, you sweat a good deal and if the goggles were dirty and not cleaned regularly, the elements as a result could have created a reaction and it wasn't due to the foam. Or, a lot of people sweat and the sweating while riding in the dirt can clog pores and create a reaction that causes break out on the skin or a reddish rash style result. I am sensitive to such things. Same with my full face helmets... 2) They have different foam layers. Which ones did you use and how old are they? Watch the Shoei and Arais that have the face shields. Airflow is terrible and tough to get enough air flow for off road riding. Great for when on the street and psych, but as seen in the pic, the guy has goggles on the back. Those would not be suggested for off road riding at all....

Think that all you want, but there's nothing in writing - would never be able to be used in court. If the kids want to go early, they certainly could. Would be against the "gentlemen agreement" they entered in, but they need to consider if it makes sense or not. Also, consider that it was done by Tressle in an effort to show good will to the NCAA. I think it was all smoke and mirrors and playing to the hearts of fans and the NCAA... If they are ready and wanting to go early, they should. Would do them better than waiting until next year after 1/2 a season and the hopes they do not have a stand in player do better and they get lesser playing time when they come back.

I just am not a real big fan of Pryors. He isn't really that good at the position and when I look at some other guys, he is just not at their level. I think even if he went to the NFL draft, he'd go pretty low. However, if he'd broaden the idea of going another route (doubt his ego allows for it) and maybe tries Tight End or similar next year after he returns, maybe he'd go higher. Oh, and get better money...

Oh, and if you come by and make fun of me, I will throw a center stand at you. I can chuck one pretty far.

90% of the attendees are GP. That means all they want are freakin posters, stickers and catalogs. Start asking for business cards and we weed out a lot of people. It used to be that we scanned the cards in the clear holders. That was a waste of energy... The other part are the damn racers that get in. If I get another racer asking me for free shit and asking if I know how fast and good they are, I'm putting a bullet in my head... Overall, I am really dreading this show. Hate it. Breathing recycled air for three days straight and standing on concrete ain't fun. Adding in the typical idiot coming up asking for stickers and stupid shit causes me to want to start drinking at about 10am... But, you need to come by and we can walk around and check stuff out. Reuben coming Sunday?

Not so easy a fix. Management was ownership, etc. Plus, the racers idea is not a good idea. Just because they have money doesn't mean they make good management. They were always around and well known - the 5th Dragon as they were always called. However, there's been a LOT of things that have come to pass and really, this is trivial compared to a lot more things that racers can be a part of. If a racer was going to save the team, they'd do their own team and right now, budgets are so tight that doing your own team is tough to do. As for the comment of 2011 is going to be a tough year in the Powersports Business. Not so. In fact, it is flat, but also in some places, slightly up. We are seeing really solid results and for us, the year was up vs years past. Not great, but we are not near as bad as say the Hondas, Suzukis and others around... The only metric brand doing anything somewhat good is Kawasaki right now. Yamaha is somewhat flat and teaters on the up and down side, but the other two are in shitsville right now...

Who really cares? He's not going to be a quarterback in the NFL anyways as he's not really that good. His best bet would to be to leave early and get in on a team and become a tight end or something...

McGrath actually rode for them. The shop actually started about a block away from the current location where a laundry mat is currently. Both Scott and Phil were factory Husky riders and they ended up doing a shop together with Husky at the start. Went to Troy from there and the factory assisted race team got it's start. They have been Honda of Troy, Suzuki of Troy, and Yamaha of Troy. But, the most recent Honda of Troy was essentially a non factory assisted program and again, just a privateer based team. Before, it was literally factory direct. Saw many a times some really cool shit they were working on with Yamaha. Stuff like dimpled valves for better flow - like found on a golf ball... Think about putting dimples in Titanium valves for a minute... Anyways, always really cool stuff. The storage area of that place has so many cool parts and memories of the past that your head would spin if an MX/SX fan. Again, guys like McGrath, Reed, Fonseca, etc., etc., etc... were their riders at some point on either Hondas, Suzukis or Yamahas... As far as the race side of things - SUPER cool. Shop in CA was amazing and just what you'd expect from a factory based team. However, the shop in OH was really just a feeder system for the race team in my mind. One was always paying for the other and it just was a mess. I think had there been some changes in the last 3-4 years, it would have made a HUGE difference. Many of the employees were there that shouldn't have been and many that left should have stayed. It happens to every business, but the shop was really, just poorly managed. Unfortunate as I have a lot of friends from there. But again, you ask any of the employees that have been there more than 3-4 years and they'd tell you it isn't a shocker...

Hence the title "Powersports D-E-A-L-E-R Show"... The GP have things like the Cycle World shows, etc... Industry and dealers only. However, there are a TON of people that get in that are buddies or not even shop owners that are all over. Complete waste of time on a distributor or manufacturer point of view. But, alas... I have been able to avoid going to this thing for the last few years with such great joy. However, that joy has been crushed with the mention I have to attend this year. JOY!!!

Actually, they were one of the top Honda, Yamaha and Suzuki dealers in the state and did well when stacked nationally. The reasons for their downfall is based more upon management and not sales. Funny the FB page states what it does as every employee that is there has suspected and or expected the shop to be closing. There have been a lot of people come and go through there recently in the last few years, but the ones that have been there are not shocked and if smart, had things lined up elsewhere... Employees were also told earlier than just now. Sucks as these guys were a core off road and MX shop. They did numbers in MX that would blow you away. The race team fell with the Lawrence episode and dropped the status of the team within the racing community. Recently with the Honda of Troy team, it was simply a rich dad making a team for his son and they never were remotely as close as they have been a couple of years ago and earlier. It's the fall of a well known dealer and a well known team. It has been in motion for many years. It just no has come to fruit and isn't a surprise to the people within the industry...

I got a dealer that can sell you stuff maybe that cheap if you are willing to drive a tad... $50 over invoice isn't really a clear picture. If it was $50 over actual dealer cost and minus the holdback, that would be a stellar deal.

How this dealer ever stayed open for so long is beyond me... Looks like the end is FINALLY near for these guys.

Your rates are high due to the accident. I'm with Cheech... You are obviously entitled to keep it quiet, but I suspect that the accident was your fault, was probably involving DUI or similar. At your age with one speeding ticket (Of course, that could have been reckless op, fleeing, etc...) and one accident, it shouldn't be that high... However, the bike may be the same cc size as you own now, but if you think they are the same capacity and ability, you need to stay off a current genie 600... Anytime - especially if you have family or friends in insurance, they should be able to tell you why it is so high. Again, I don't think we are getting the whole nine yards here on details and that's fine. However, it's like going to get a loan. They tell you why you don't get one... The insurance company can tell you exactly why they are not able to get you anything lower in rates...

No question... Haynes and others are not what you should use unless doing average maintenance. Doing more in depth stuff that requires EXACT details and EXACT tolerances, etc? Buy a factory service manual. There's a reason they cost so much...

Unless it really stands out amongst other bikes? You lump the R6 and GSXR1000 and others in the area of "standing out"???? Dude, cookie cutter comes to mind. Again, pick a color and ride it. If you want something that stands out, look at used and buy something a little more unique. MV, Aprilia, Ducati, etc. Not a lot of older model birds floating around. You go off and buy a 2010 R6 and it is going to look like the last 5 years of Yamahas. Pretty stand outish if you ask me... But again, if you want something that stands out and you own a 94 Katana... Well, you really aren't needing to take a huge jump to make a huge change...

Spoken like a true cruiser rider that has no idea what they are talking about. Now, if you open the pea sized brain and discuss like a normal person, I am willing to listen. But, first post is this? Come on, dude.. Now, I agree that the folks posting ids of cars crossing lines and doing stupid shit is partially due to the fact we are a motorcycle website. However, you are right - there are a slew of idiots and low experienced riders extending themselves and doing stupid shit on bikes all the time. I am sure there are plenty of threads on car sites... That being said, I didn't watch every minute of VW's videos, but I didn't see any riding that would make me think they are or were acting like idiots when they ride. I saw some pretty smart riding, actually. Plus, VW is a decent rider that betters himself via track days and the like to garnish even more ability. I respect that and think a LOT more people need to take that route to better themselves out there on the street. I am willing to lay a large sum of money that VW has a larger reserve tank of ability than you do on your happy scooter you ride. You can deny and we can bicker back and forth about it, but I know what VW rides like and know what his mentality is towards riding and I can promise you that he isn't one of the guys you are lumping together as in what you described. As for your comment, I suspect that is from the accident that Seth was in. Listen... When things go bad, we react as humans. How much is in reserve is what will help or hurt you on the street and anywhere else. He was involved in an accident that had a guy cross the line. I think maybe Seth might have target fixed on the guy, but where his skid mark is, he wasn't on the outside edge - even though that would have been a fine enough spot to be. Looks like he was in the middle before turn in and that's perfectly fine. He was collected due to rider error on the other guy's part. But, I am willing to bet, you're one of those perfect riders that never makes mistakes, right? So, the guys that do are hoodlums and assholes and make you look bad as a biker... Try a little harder to look at things a little more clear and then respond. Again, I am with you on the fact that there are a ton of idiots on the wrong bike doing the wrong things. But, this story that is being told is full of those people. VW's good folks and the other guys in the pics, I have met and seen ride and can say that I don't think they are hoodlums either. Maybe bad looking in terms of looks, but they can't help that!

Again, with the third grade responses. I'm telling my mommie! Now you've back pedaled enough to where it is now for touring and not drag racing. Soon enough, if I battle you hard, you'll drop it to only ZX10s used for touring... I think the point has been clearly made. Low amount of effect and no real world gains for street guys. Well, unless you buy a ZX10 and use it for touring and are WOT all the time and your wrist is fatigued from all the CT to WOT you do while "touring"...

I'm not always right, but it's pretty tough to argue with. Your comments are a bit off. I supply retorts to your possible slammings (500 plus mile trips), I provide a retort to your 72 degrees vs 92 degrees not being that "huge" a deal, I provide REAL world results and common sense and all along, you not only come up with poor responses, you act like a third grade chick that is getting dumped by her 12 year old boyfriend. Why can't you seem to understand what was being said? I try to educate and use good info and examples and all through it, you never come up with anything other than childish "I know you are - what am I?" style responses. I know you used to be into cars and have very few years of motorcycling under your belt. No problem. But, understand that the reality is that many on here have more experience, possibly more ability and even more knowledge than you do. It all stemmed from the comment "It's a huge difference"... You allowed it to snowball. You could have easily agreed that it wasn't so huge a deal and simply not a huge effect for street use. But... I'll take the win if that was the end result being sought. But, trying to educate people what a 1/5 and 1/6 turn throttle upgrade can do or what it is useful for was the intent. Not what some BS Gixxer.com or ZX10r.net bunch of groupies think. Again, work on riding skills and they will result in WAY better things than any trivial bolt on will do. Like Flounder stated... It's like adding a fender eliminator kit to your bike... Or, look at it this way. You just got beat by a woman... Sucks, huh? A lot of guys know I used to run flowers on my helmets. Got made fun of. Right up until I passed them...

Now that you mentioned it... It could be a wink to you... However, it was all to Ben. The big difference in you two guys is that you can feel a lot more of a difference something provides vs what I bet Ben could. Reason being is that performance riding will teach you things about what your bike is doing and what changes can cause. Your throttles used on the track are going to make a difference - but, as I mentioned almost one hundred times now and you have so graciously supported in response - it will make minimal if any real effect on the street. Especially touring... 1/6 is a bit touchy - especially on a liter bike...

Plenty. Remember, Skippy... Been riding for about 22 years... I lost count at the number of street miles I have laid down. Numerous Goldwing, ST1100, VMax, XX, ZX12, 11, 10, FJ, etc rides at 500 plus miles. We used to ride to and from on trips to FL when going to the races if the weather held. That alone was a tad over 500 miles... As for the track days guys comment - you stated "Just never really heard of track day guys talking about it" making it sound as if you talk to many a track day guy... Oh, and Gixxie will probably know the difference and can probably tell you that he wants it for performance reasons - not for casual touring miles and long distances...

Winner! Point is exactly right. Track and race - makes a difference. Street? Nope. Drag racing? Possibly... I still don't see a huge difference at the level you were at...

Not to be a dick, but how often have you been to the track? To add to that, how many guys even know what the difference is? Again, long trips is going to be an issue based on where the wrist is. You're not at FT hardly at all. I can provide you an example of where Nick Ienatsch showed students where he went from CT to FT w/o hardly moving his wrist. Smoothness from finger and hand control had him accelerating the machine w/o really moving the wrist position. It's called throttle control... The point is that when riding on a long trip, you can rest your hand in a position that is comfortable and a throttle update isn't going to change your hand position. So, fatigue is minimal if at all based on 18 degrees difference. You are sitting here trying to argue a point that is so minimal and you don't want to agree it isn't huge. It isn't. If you can feel that 18 degrees is a huge difference, I am willing to bet you can tell by the seat of your pants 2 additional HP in your bike. Guess what? You can't... Just accept that it is a bolt on that you read about on one of the cheese ball forums like 10r.net and tried it out. The placebo effect occurred and while you thought it was a HUGE difference, it really wasn't. After all, you would have lessened fatigue more from Heli bars than a 1/5 throttle tube...