redkow97

I am very high on small-bore lightweight bikes right now. Anything under 300 lbs. qualifies as "light" in my book, but under 200 lbs. is a different level of awesome. Anyway, i saw a GS500 for sale for like $600. My dad actually owned one for a while, and I rode it frequently. If it weighed 100 lbs. less, it would have been a supremely enjoyable (and less sluggish) machine. ...so why doesn't it? What is making GS500's and EX250's weigh over 300 lbs? I understand that the price-point demands a steel frame, but dirt bikes don't weigh 300 lbs. I actually scoured the internet for a few minutes trying to find the weight of an EX250 engine - I wanted to see if it would be a good fit for an older (and almost free) dirtbike frame with a blown engine. I don't remember the exact weight, but the EX250 engine ways A LOT more than you think. Again, why? The simple answer to all these questions is probably "Just build a 250cc supermoto, or grow a pair and buy a 450," but kid #2 is set to arrive this week... Plus I wouldn't mind a bit of a project. There has to be a cheaper option - a way to make an EX250 lose weight, or something else that is lighter in stock trim.

The Crown Vics are slow compared to everything else law enforcement uses these days. The Taurus and Explorer are no slouch. Explorer supposedly hits 155+ in highway pursuits. It won't accelerate like a bike, but a 600 isn't going to lose one on an open road. Fleeing is a felony. Speeding is a fine and a license suspension at worst. I'd take my chances with stopping and being polite before I risked a felony on my record.

I like it. It's not black and scary enough for my wife to notice it's not the 10/22 she already knows I own

Anyone else got any reports? My buddy Don texted me Thursday night asking if I was coming up, but I'm on high alert for baby arrival at the moment. Don has an immaculate RSV4 (I think) that's light blue with orange rims. this is his first season back on the track after a 3(+) year break. Probalby would have been out in intermediate.

Don't put a plate on a vehicle it's not registered to. That's illegal. Get a temp tag when you transfer the title, just like you would if it were a car. "A cop told me ___________" isn't a valid legal defense. I'm not saying that the cop is incorrect. You may not be likely to get cited, but if they feel like citing you, impounding the bike, etc., you don't have a leg to stand on. With all that said, renting a pickup or a trailer from uHaul is cheap by comparison. I'm also happy to help people move a bike a reasonable distance for the cost of my gas.

they're probably running rental karts from noon on, so the gate should be open for that.

I missed that. I was just copying and pasting links and prices quickly. I think my point came across anyway.

It's not about what your bike is worth. That is highly subjective. Go ahead and search craigslist for other bikes listed in the $1800-$2500 range. How your bike compares is very important. '99 F4 for $1800 http://cleveland.craigslist.org/mcy/5730285150.html '96 FZR 600 for $1850 http://cleveland.craigslist.org/mcy/5676242569.html '07 SV 650 for $2000 http://cleveland.craigslist.org/mcy/5697876304.html '06 EX650 for $2000 http://cleveland.craigslist.org/mcy/5698871486.html etc.

it sounds like I need ot find a trade school that has evening classes...

Not when it's 47 highway miles.

I should have been more clear - a friend of mine had the GAUGE on his argon tank explode in his face last weekend. He may lose his right eye. I also prefer not to store a tank in the garage. Perhaps I'm envisioning something larger than I would actually need. That incident has me a little spooked, and leery of any pressurized gasses. It appears to have been a catastrophic valve failure.

Small bikes are always more fun. There's just less to be so serious about. The problem is that they're less practical. I could never ride a Grom to work. then again, virtually any bike is impractical in a suit.

So is flux core garbage? The units are cheap, and there's no gas to mess with, store, purchase, have blow up in my face, etc... I'm not gonna lie, I was really leaning FCAW before everyone suggested everything but that.

I have read the basics on MIG, TIG, flux core, etc. Mig seems to be the easiest to teach myself, but the cost of equipment is also a factor. Where should a complete novice start? i don't need to be making art-quality welds, but I may swap steering heads on a bike frame some day. I also don't mind grinding to clean up spatter.

they adjusted the idle on mine before I went out - actually, after I turned around down the block. The bike did stall on me a couple of times as well. I wish i would have checked the gas tank now. Whatever the issue was, I can't imagine it wasn't a relatively simple tuning issue.

Jalopnik did a short article on the "zombie dodges" racing in NASCAR. 2 were at Mid-Ohio, and one was getting significant camera time, running up front. Probably due to the conditions. I agree with Tonik though. Don't knock NASCAR until you've tried it. It's a circus of a weekend, and a hell of a party. I actually enjoy it on television as well. I just pick a driver (usually Carl Edwards, because I pretend I'm rooting for Colin Edwards) and root for him until/unless he crashes out. Then I pick someone else, and repeat.

I forgot to mention, the FX is running inverted cartridge forks, and the rear shock is adjustable. That's a lot of good news on an inexpensive bike. I won't expect Ohlins quality, but it doesn't feel "cheap" in the least.

Okay - I'm at a real keyboard now. I hesitate to call these "ride reports," because I really just went around the block. But I got a chance to wring the 250's neck a little, and play in some gravel on the 110cc FX. Overall impressions are overwhelmingly positive. For $3,000, they sell great-looking bikes that are fun to ride. I took the "Ace" out. Mine was having some kind of fueling issue. It wanted to buck and stumble under neutral throttle. I really think it was nearly out of gas... But I wasn't going far, and it was running fine under throttle. There's not a whole lot I can say about it that would be surprising to you after looking at it and reading the spec sheet. It sounds like a 250. It pulls like a LIGHT 250. The whole bike is around 320 lbs (so says the mechanic, but that sounds believable for an air-cooled 250 cafe racer replica). For around town, it would be a hoot. From the guys who run the shop: "it's not a hundred mile an hour bike - but it's fun." Totally agree. If someone is considering a vintage CB350, they should buy this instead. It looks as good, and will perform better. I told my wife that it goes for $3300, and she said, "new? wow." Would be a fantastic 'extra' bike that you can have in the garage for friends, wife, girlfriends. You would definitely end up taking it out yourself more often than you lend it out, and you would love it. The FX is their mountain bike with an engine. It is so weird. and kind of awesome. I rode the 110cc model that is clutchless, but has mountain-bike style hand brakes (NOT a clutch). That was really hard for me to wrap my head around. I also found myself reaching for a rear brake pedal that wasn't that. But those are flaws with ME, not the bike. It can't weigh more than 130 lbs. I grabbed the subframe with one hand and put my other hand under the spine of the bike, behind the steering stem. I could pick it up rather easily. This is the exciting part. Per the owner(?) I was talking to, they're making race parts for it, AND there will be a 125cc version with a clutch. But wait, there's more. Other chinese made engines are direct bolt-in swaps. You can do a 160cc conversion with no modification, and a 190 conversion with minimal mods. The 190cc model has hit 90 mph in testing. Combine that with the upgraded brake option and the 17" wheel kit ($200 for an extra SET of wheels!), and this thing could be a total kart track racing beast. The base model sells for $2100. I didn't ask about any of the upgraded engine or brake costs, but if the wheels are only $200, and they will buy back your 125cc engine, I'm guessing the whole package would come in under $3k for a really fun bike. I would like to think it would be competitive against 150R's. The upper displacement limit for OMRL Formula 1 is 200cc air-cooled singles

I saw you while I was talking to the owner. You guys split before I finished that conversation. I did ride 2 bikes. I'll post more of a ride report when I'm at a keyboard.

Rain is spotty. Drive up and bring a helmet for between showers. I walked up, but wife (and riding gear) are set to arrive shortly.

They don't sell the supermotos in the US. Lame.

Just walked up from edge water. Where you at, tonik??

Shit. I wanted to go to this, but I have Zoso tickets for that night, and plans to be at the pool during the day...

so you bought a cruiser for nothin?

I've gotten back into a bad cycle of working out less and boozing more. I also had a coworker come back from his honeymoon and decide "I'm not dieting anymore - you wanna go out to lunch EVERY DAY?" ...not that it took much arm-twisting. So about a month into that cycle, I also got poison ivy, and was out of the gym for about a month. Bad combination. Coworker (who has gained about 30 lbs. back since his wedding) comments to me 2 weeks ago, "how have I gained all my weight back, and you're still skinny?" I finally got back to the gym last week. I'm up 16 lbs. Trying to get back into the workout routine, but also start pulling my kid in the bicycle trailer more often. Pokemon Go has actually facilitated that quite nicely. We went for a 'real' bike ride last night for over an hour. Living at the top of a hill is great for flooding, but it makes cycling a bit less enjoyable I'm also trying to cut down on the weekday drinking. We'll see how this goes.