redkow97

the V-Rod sounds a lot better being slow though.

you can put a back-rest on almost anything these days. That alone seems to make passengers feel more secure. Maybe not comfortable, but less un-comfortable(?) I think you're going to have a hard time finding something that's small enough for a newer rider to handle solo, AND will haul two people well though... I know you said no cruisers, but a 650 savage might be a good cheap option. Is that motor in any other Suzuki chassis? It would basically be a Suzuki "Blast" at that point...

Yeah, I'm betting you can't wire rims very well That would be badass IMHO. Still, I would think lighting up portions of the frame would be cool. Like a non-lame version of neons.

this actually occurred to me. I was thinking the sand would dampen vibrations better, because it would pack more tightly.

I'll have to see if I can dig up pics of my XR100 when I first bought it. A corner of the engine case was "repaired" with foam insulation, and it had a ridiculous amount of mud on it, even for a dirt bike. The PO had "just cleaned it up" as well.

is there anything to try before stupid-heavy bar-ends? The bars on Tubby the Tuna were bent when I got her, so I bought $16 vortex clip-ons to replace them. I'm thrilled with the result, except the old (stock) bars are heavy steel. The Vortex set is light aluminum. My hand falls asleep within 20 minutes at highway speeds. Am I crazy to think that maybe popping off the end-cap and filling the bars with sand would help keep my hand from going numb? Or would a throttle-rocker solve this issue just as effectively without adding weight, and creating the potential for sand to dump all over the ground if I ever lay the bike down and pop off the end cap?

this class of bike is one of my weaknesses. Far more power than necessary, and far less bodywork than is probably useful with the speeds it can obtain. I love everything about it It's too bad CL isn't full of idiots, or you could probably work out a decent trade + cash for something more comfortable. Maybe spring for the fee and post on the WERA classifieds? I like to think the quality of buyer is better, and you have a nationwide network of racers who are willing (and competent) to help with transport. LBTS. GLWS.

learn? here? I hope you wanted to learn about why Obama is the antichrist and how much Harleys suck. welcome. This place really is pretty cool if you can see through the madness

Damn. And I spent $5500 on my shitbox corolla barely 3 months ago...

lacing up hoops that will fit street tires?

what is the top-speed on the WR250x? seems like it would be a lot of fun, but I'm not sure it could be my only bike.

If i'm playing defense attorney, "pepper spray isn't intended to cause physical harm, which is required for an assault conviction - it's merely meant to neutralize the thread of a trespasser who was in the process of committing a theft offense." that's why I like pepper spray - it doesn't cause permanent harm, only temporary discomfort. If I punch you in the face, that might hurt for days or weeks. If I spray the shit out of you with pepper spray, it shouldn't burn for more than an hour if properly rinsed.

I'm going to start a thread about "Bikes Hoblick hasn't owned (yet)." So far the only rides I can think of that I'm surprised Ryan hasn't owned at some point (and I may be wrong) are: - SV650 - Concourse - Goldwing I'm poking fun, and I don't share Ryan's enthusiasm for upgrading bikes, but I think his posts above are pretty awesome. He's owned everything, and ridden them all enough that his opinion can't be invalidated. Regardless of what he's on, he expects it to live up to the performance it promises. Clearly those standards are different for a full bagger and a sport bike, and that's okay.

It will hang with the 450's. Devon has set the fastest lap on a KTM 85...

It was complicated last year because the NJ club does not have a Novice class, so their members got to decide where they registered. I am pretty sure JB was our fastest novice last year, with a 1:20 in the F4 race. It was Gavin's first time riding the NSF, or he probably would have been quicker. But regardless, the NJ club's "novices" were going 3 seconds a lap quicker than ours. Our top novice ought to be awarded first place points this year, but if there were two riders between the top OMRL novice, and the next OMRL novice, that rider should get 4th place points. I believe that's how it's going to be scored, per Conrad's comment above. So the same as last year, just without the top OMRL rider being in 6th...

big TV's have come down in price so much that I would not spend more than $100 on a fix...

"what is real? how do you define real? If reality is what you can touch, taste, and smell, then reality is merely electrical impulses triggering reactions inside your brain." (or something like that. I typed it from memory.) Even on a less existential level, that's the truth. How do any of us know what the other sees or tastes? How do I know what I see as "blue" is the same color you see as blue, or that a well-cooked fillet causes the same taste sensation for me and you? Perhaps we enjoy the steak equally, despite that fact that it's not the same sensation for both of us. I like Cheetos and beer, but they don't taste the same to me...

I would advice against responding with greater force and becoming the aggressor.

More and more, I am thinking pepper spray is the answer. Non-lethal, seriously uncomfortable, and really inexpensive.

you can probably get a few bucks for it if you find a restaurant or other small business that washes uniforms on site. I sold my old dryer for $40 to a guy who was literally washing aprons in his garage. He owned a bakery, and they had a full load every day. Didn't have to be super high quality for that, and we were both happy with the deal.

I actually give you credit for posting it, knowing that you were out-of-line for at least a portion of the video. Hindsight is always 20/20. I once brake-checked an a-hole who was tailgating me while I was towing my bike. That was supremely dumb, aggressive, and impulsive to say the least. He was the instigator, but I didn't react appropriately either. The textbook answer to tailgating is as I described above: slow down to control the following driver's speed, because his following distance is beyond your control. So if he's leaving a foot off your rear wheel, you're supposed to slow to a speed where a foot is a safe following distance. That is ridiculous, and even the guy teaching the BMV driving class admitted as much. My practice is to increase my speed mildly, and create or take the first opportunity to get out of the tailgater's way. I won't be bullied into riding faster than I feel is safe, or following a vehicle too closely just because the guy behind me is on my ass. I have done the full-on turn around, and given a hand motion to "simmer down" to the following driver. That didn't work well for me. He seemed to take it as provocation. Last resort is sprint away.

Yeah, I have dealt with a few scrap theft cases. It's usually drug addicted parents (mostly moms) who don't have the stomach for violent crime or high-risk burglaries. The women also seem to think no one will question them if they have a baby or young child with them. They're just "picking" trash if you ask them.

You can't control the distance someone follows you at, only the speed at which they do it. I also tend to leave more room in front of me when merging, so I have room to accelerate if necessary. If you're on the ass of the car in front of you, you can only brake. If you leave room, you can brake or accelerate. I didn't notice the truck in the mirrors, but especially when you're taking video, don't provoke cagers! Absent the brake check stunt, this could have gotten the driver of the truck charged criminally.

That's seriously fucked up, but why did you slow down so much on the ramp? I assume he was behind you and didn't appreciate that.

I think the implication was that one of the "leading" global warming scientists is a complete kook.