Moto-Brian

Ok, here's the drill. You can save up to 10% off retail on AStar current product. Otherwise, they violate Retail Standards that are set by the company. Meaning, they advertise or do a bait and switch by email or something and a competing dealer finds out, they can get their ability to sell pulled for a smal amount of time. So, if the OP can get a good deal elsewhere, why is he even bothering to find a place to try on first and buy elsewhere? If he's got a good deal, buy what size you "think" you are and buy it. If it doesn't fit, ship it back and try again. Afterall, you have a "hook up". I think using Pony as a fitting room is bullshit...

Cycle Trader's website is mostly dealers advertising. A poor choice for finding what is being sold by the common person. Buy a Cycle Trader magazine to find what real people are selling them for. Ebay is an OK place to find prices, but understand that a lot of those folks are asking a bit more due to fees and such. Another great place is Craigslist. It's where a LOT of people shop for bikes anymore...

If it is a current suit, why buy online vs. buying at the Pony? Dealers cannot advertise or sell online CURRENT AStar cheaper than retail. If so, not more than 10%. I think Pony has a few AStar suits on sale. Maybe Nick can chime in and say for sure...

just a quick question. What picture will be used for 4? Or is there approval for use of the pic?

Sorry. Doesn't make up for the gayness you've expressed the last few days...

Nice hair, huh?

Ok, I had a deal that fell through. This is back up for sale. $170 shipped or cheaper if local (CBus and Dayton/Cincy) I am willing to take offers, as well. Daddy needs new tires so...

Wow. Even after the balls comment, Flounder doesn't chime in. Is he still alive? Maybe doing some shaving or something?

Hey, I might be old, but I can't recognize DUDES by looking at their balls...

OTT covers the RC8 when we rode them at Mid-Ohio in July... Who's the good looking fellow in the SHIFT suit? http://ottsyndicate.mobilerider.com/flash/player/index.php?vendor_id=636&video_id=10784

That thing is the best thing you could EVER put on your bike... Well, if you wanted to show everyone just how wasteful you are with your money. I second the hookers and blow...

My bad on the spelling. Honest mistake. Was worried more about the font than the spelling...

Not sure where I am sticking it to them. Someone asked a question and I tried to explain an answer. You still think Hinds gives the best deals? Maybe you're referring to the quote from their site? You going to go over to Pony and try stuff on and see if they can get it for you and let us know how it turned out? People need to be informed and I think that if they understand what really is going on, it makes their purchases and their experience much better. A blanket comment like that is typical of how Hinds works. But, you like them and I understand that. But, don't you have some rather good friends at Pony? I would think that you would want to support a shop that is a straight shooter and doesn't revert to tricks to gain customers... That's just me, though...

It's everyone, man. Like I said, Marketing gets the first hit and racing is an expense that can wait until it gets better...

They do the buddy pack ads in Cycle Trader and the free motorcycle publication thing. I think it violates something to do it and advertise it online... I think...

Here's from Hind's site concerning the comment about 30% off accessories: ORDER ANY NON OEM APPAREL AT 30% OFF RETAIL PRICING. SO GO TRY ON ANY JACKET, BOOT, GLOVE AT ANY ACCESSORY STORE AND COME IN AND ORDER IT AT 30% OFF. I'd go in there and have them order a Joe Rocket jacket, a SHIFT jacket or a Fieldsheer jacket. They aren't set up as dealers for those (Might be for JR as they MIGHT be set-up with Sullivans, but doubt it) and Sidi boots. Tell them you want them to honor the deal listed above and see where it gets ya!

What they typically do is get a credit check done and get an amount that is approved for two bikes. If they do the Yamaha, Suzuki, or Honda card, it comes back that you are approved for a set amount. If you do it seperate, it is what amount that is approved for you. So, let's look at it this way - you are approved for $16k. They essentially get you to that number as close as they can. They make the layment look most important. It's kind of like what the car guys do. So, they tell you $69 a month for two bikes. That gets them in almost every time. If you have knowledge, you need to ask what the bottom dollar is out the door. Look at EACH and EVERY amount listed and question it. They'll usually have the bike discounted and say "We'll knock off $500 on the bike" or even more. That looks good. They then have a STOOOOOPID high shipping and prep amount typically. That's where they make the ground up. They can even get the bike down to dealer cost and below, but make it all back in the excess charges. You don't need GAP, you don't need any other financial add-ons. Tell them "NO" to everything. The dealers make more money on the finance side than anywhere else on the deal. They want you to buy the extended warranties - you can bargain that amount, too - I suggest those, but call around and get the best price on just the 3 year extended warranty FROM THE OEM. Just essentially look at everything and understand what the numbers are. Typically, do this AFTER you get approved. Otherwise, if you lead on that you know the drill, they can simply come back and get either a low credit limit or just say they can't do the deal for you as you don't meet certain criteria. They say that to end deals and there's really nothing you can do about it. They will catch another fish and not have lost anything by dropping your deal. Play stupid until the final numbers are shown. DON'T SIGN A THING and read the credit application well. If it is a Yamaha or other OEM credit application, you are good. Just realize that they will sometimes use outside financial services to get the number they need to finance. The OEM credit cards are just that - credit cards and I think you can apply online. That way, you know your limit and you can go in and do the deal seperately. If you want the deals on monthly payments, I think you need to do that at the shop, though... Good luck, but you're really better off going in and doing a deal rock bottom and for each of you. You don't need to do the buddy pack route.

Being competitive is definitely a thing to consider, but budgets and the economy are to the point that cutting budgets is needed to keep things running. Marketing is the first to take a hit and racing is covered under that. So, they can be the best bike out there and if it is a matter of losing money and winning races, they're going to choose staying in business. Trust me, if Honda takes a year or even two off, it isn't going to hurt them too much in terms of technology. The pneumatic motor isn't something they just came out with - it's been around for a while and was just now being tried out in MotoGP. That being said, technology will not wait, but the stuff they have on hold is enough to last them a good while. They also do not sell the bikes and technology. Teams "rent" them and have to return them at the end of the year. Now, some older bikes get bought and used, but typically, support teams pay rental fees and have REALLY strict guidelines as to how they can use them. F1 is a lot farther from reality in terms of cars than MotoGP is from motorcycles. HOWEVER, what you need to realize is that the motorcycle industry plays a DISTANT second to the automobile side of things. Suzuki makes more from other aspects of their company than with bikes. Same with Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki, etc. They can cut budgets all day long and still support teams and or support series to keep them in the hunt technologically speaking. Again, I doubt they pull out 100%. It's like everyone saying Honda pulls out of US racing. The factory solo team effort has been dropped, but Honda is still going to support the Corona and Erion teams. It allows them to still be racing and yet, cut their budget TREMENDOUSLY in an effort to save money. Remember, Japan has been in a recession for a while. Even though we really have, too, we only "admitted" it recently... They need to be smart and no matter how much we may hate it, racing is an expense that can be cut back a LOT and not hurt the company...

MotoGP makes Honda a profit? Guessing here or do you have actual proof? I suggest that Honda will cut support team stuff and keep their factory efforts. Besides, Resol has a TON of money in the venture and it wouldn't hurt Honda that much to stick with the series. As far as keeping a competitive machine - how so? MotoGP technology does trickle down into street based machines, but it is very slow to do so after much R&D beyond the racing. What they learn in certain areas is quick, but again, not until a lot of R&D. Point is that MotoGP isn't selling bikes. If that were the case, Yamaha would be the best selling machine and Ducati probably second. Since it has been a pretty long time since Honda won anything... Racing is something that is needed to a degree, but the R&D will continue and the technology will still be tested via some sort of racing. WSBK is going to continue and so will some sort of MotoGP effort. Now, if they cut it to only a Repsol effort, then it will actually be a good thing as they can test and be much more intimate with their riders and the notes gathered...

I'd remove the Duc and Benelli pic and replace with the cruiser pic in #3. Maybe the Supermoto... Whatever - it can easily be changed. If you pick #2, I will change it to suit...

I have a brand new never opened DynoJet Quick Shifter. It is the Shift Rod Pressure/Tension sensor. It is the PUSH type (#4-102). These are anywhere between $229 and $249 plus retail. Asking $170 OBO shipped. New in the bubble wrap and can provide pics upon request, but you know what it looks like. Other part number shown is #1601-0012. I think that's the PU number...

There's something to be said about that. What if they gave each one of us a $20k credit towards the purchase of a new car. One, what if they didn't limit you as to what you would buy? I think a lot of people would buy foreign. Two, they limit that credit to only US based companies like GM, Ford or Chrysler? I'd do it. I'd buy a new truck and trade the one I got in. Otherwise, I'd pass...

Uncle has a Chevy SS Impala V8 (2007). Was just over $30k. My mom has a BMW 330i (06)and my dad has a BMW 330is (07). Now, my mom's car is just over $30k and dad's was about $42k. They are actually very much in the same class, but let's compare mom's vs. the Impala. Interior on the Chevy is shit. Plastic everything and very cheap feeling. Leather is nice and subtle. The automatic is very out of place and has a bunch of cheap looking chrome rings around everything. Mom's BMW is VERY nice inside. Leather feels a little richer - not by much, but the seats feel more sporty and more supporting for spirited driving. The trim is a wood look in cherry and very high gloss. Very much a rich feeling interior. The Chevy is front wheel drive with a V8. Torque steer is very noticeable and prominent. Accelerates well, but doesn't hit as strong as you'd expect. Was told it has 300 hp. Mom's car is 225. Mom's inline 6 is beefy and has good low end torque. I really only drove dad's back to back with the Chevy and his Sport inline is supposed to be 325 or something. Whatever it really is doesn't matter - it wipes the Impala's ass... Not in this comparo so, mom's feels stronger down low. The chevy has VERY noticeable body roll. Feels somewhat heavy and sloppy. Mom's car was very solid. Did understeer a tad as the wheel combo on her car is the basic 17s and it pushes slightly. Dad's? I'd almost autocross it... Overall, if you are looking at a $30k Chevy vs/ a $30k German car, chances are unless you are blind or feel you should only buy Canadian, I mean Mexican, I mean an American car only since we are Americans, the German car wins out in quality, performance, and ergonomics. Now, the new Malibu is a good car. The interior is better and it is actually a very Euro looking machine. So is the new G8. However, again, if compared to the Euro cars, they fall short. Hell, even the Cadillac CTS isn't quite up to par and doesn't feel as rich nor as performance as the BMW does and it is right there in price. Point is that for the money, there are a LOT of other cars that perform better and are better in quality. Dad's lease is up on the 330 and is looking at another BMW (335is and the 5 series). He has seen the Cadillac for 2009 and isn't really excited as he tried it out in 07 and just wasn't as happy when he drove it. Again, for $40k plus and what GM has to offer, he's left feeling they really aren't able to compete. He thinks the Mercedes and Audi have more to offer...

WINNNAH!!! so far... That's a GOOD one there, yuppers!

Depends on the mood, but right now I am using an RCV212 accellerating. Others: -F1 hitting a chicane -F1 upshift to top gear and then multiple down shifts -another RCV -Kawasaki MotoGP fly by -Yamaha M1 throttle blips -Yamaha M1 accellerating