A Motorcycle Thread About Absolutely Nothing!

[Jiro]

Originally Posted by green427

Congrats, Jiro. You can give me some pointers if we meet up one day.

absolutely! but I'd still prefer you to take a course from professionals in a controlled environment

instructors remarked that I was an excellent student and a very quick learner... like a natural. I chuckled and told them about a picture I made. they thought it was just way too awesome

[purplecatty]

Originally Posted by Jiro

last Saturday - I had a great great great time at Total Control Advanced Riding Clinic - Total Control Advanced Riding Clinic. now I can corner proficiently. perhaps now's a time to do Deal's Gap?

it was a very long class. I left at 6am since it was about 2 hours away and the class started at 8am till 7ish. pix will be posted soon here after my instructors post them up.

I wish I took this class to be able to corner proficiently. I could corner but not deep because I lowered my motorcycle rear monoshock 2 inches which cause front pegs to touch the pavement while cornering. I have to make foward control modification by moving pegs 3 1/2 inches foward which allow pegs to move 1 inches or more upward so that I can corner deeper. Here's one concern for me, my tires are hard rubber type, Metzeler ME880 Marathon which made my bike feel a little slippery while cornering which cause me to be leery over it. Most road in my area are old, grey and smooth which can cause skids while cornering that gives me a jitter.. I planned on swap to softer tires despite its short life for better "glue to pavement" cornering and less leery

Catty

[Jiro]

Originally Posted by purplecatty

I wish I took this class to be able to corner proficiently. I could corner but not deep because I lowered my motorcycle rear monoshock 2 inches which cause front pegs to touch the pavement while cornering. I have to make foward control modification by moving pegs 3 1/2 inches foward which allow pegs to move 1 inches or more upward so that I can corner deeper. Here's one concern for me, my tires are hard rubber type, Metzeler ME880 Marathon which made my bike feel a little slippery while cornering which cause me to be leery over it. Most road in my area are old, grey and smooth which can cause skids while cornering that gives me a jitter.. I planned on swap to softer tires despite its short life for better "glue to pavement" cornering and less leery

Catty

what's the reason for you to lower your bike by 2"?

[The Highlander]

Originally Posted by Jiro

what's the reason for you to lower your bike by 2"?

I was thinking same thing. Why lower?

[purplecatty]

Originally Posted by Jiro

what's the reason for you to lower your bike by 2"?

Better cornering and lower center of gravity. It was so much better than stock height. I can easily straddle my bike with boots flat on ground plus my knee a little bent up. My friend who was 5' 6" (I'm 5' 10") and he sat on my motorcycle and he was sooo shocked that it fits him perfectly. I told him I lowered it by 2 inches. Remember that lowering rear swingarm affects fork's pitch angle by few degrees. My friend told me that even though my bike is bigger and longer than his Harley, he thought he won't be able to go around cul-de sac until he actually corners and he was shocked that it had no problem going around tight corner. But my pegs touches the pavement if I lean normal deep turn. Now that I made a modification on Foward Control, read next post....

Catty

[purplecatty]

Just last night, I just worked on Foward Control extension. I've been working hard cutting, grinding, bending couple pieces of 8" L x 1/2" W x 1/4" thick metal bars into "S" shape then drilled 3 holes where it will fits frame and pegs. It extends Foward Control by 3 1/2". I bolted "S" bar then move pegs support hole to next hole then bolted it in. I did both sides and sat on motorcycle and tested my feet on pegs. It is SO MUCH BETTER!! I can stretch my legs while upper heels of my boot rests on pegs while riding on Highway.

I have to grind 1/4" off of 10mm 3" threaded rod (as an shift rod extender) in order to fit in and correctly adjust shifter rod for shifter comfort and have to pick up pre-made rear brake extension rod at my friend's home tomorrow or Tuesday. Also have to buy couple wide bolts for spacer on middle of peg support hole. Once I get it all done, I will have to wirebrush both "S" bars then paint it all black to match frame of motorcycle.

Then the last thing is to work with crash bar. Actually, after I finished installing Foward Control extension, I decided to see how Crash bar fits in. Sure enough!! It appeared that it'll fit just fine ONLY if I bend both bottom sides outward by 1" each so that it'll fit into same middle peg support bolt. I saw how it look if it were fitted in, It did not interfere foward control and I can put my boots inside the crashbar comfortably. It would means that I will have to ask my friend to put clothes wrapped around the upper crashbar side and secure it on big vise then I would have to bend it with all my strength just for 1 inches tweak. (EEEAARRRRGGGHHHH!!! ) It won't be needing any more modification other than stretching bottom of crashbar sides.

I will plan on take pictures and post it later so you can get an idea what I did.

Catty

[Reba]

We found out this morning that a girl who just graduated from our church's Christian school was in a motorcycle accident.

She was on a respirator in ICU but is expected to fully recover. (Whew!)

If the driver of the car that hit her is at fault, he will be in for a big surprise. Her family owns a well-known sucessful personal injury law firm.

[Jiro]

Originally Posted by Reba

We found out this morning that a girl who just graduated from our church's Christian school was in a motorcycle accident.

She was on a respirator in ICU but is expected to fully recover. (Whew!)

If the driver of the car that hit her is at fault, he will be in for a big surprise. Her family owns a well-known sucessful personal injury law firm.

ugh. I'm praying for all bikers to be safe since it's riding season now. Any idea what bike and what safety gear she had on?

[Reba]

Originally Posted by Jiro

ugh. I'm praying for all bikers to be safe since it's riding season now. Any idea what bike and what safety gear she had on?

Not yet. The accident happened out of state, so we're slow getting the details. A couple from our church will be driving up to see her tomorrow, so maybe we'll get more info then. The state she is visiting is a helmet required one, so I assume she at least had a helmet on.

Yes, this is the busy season now. Sadly, there are more accidents, too. We lost one of our SC PGR members this week. He hit a deer with his bike.

[Jiro]

Originally Posted by Reba

Not yet. The accident happened out of state, so we're slow getting the details. A couple from our church will be driving up to see her tomorrow, so maybe we'll get more info then. The state she is visiting is a helmet required one, so I assume she at least had a helmet on.

hmm I may hear about this in motorcycle forum. I'll have to check around later. btw - what state did it happen in?

Originally Posted by Reba

Yes, this is the busy season now. Sadly, there are more accidents, too. We lost one of our SC PGR members this week. He hit a deer with his bike.

yea.... it's also deer season too. I've already seen at least 5 videos of deer-bike accidents in short time. One of them really got to me. He survived but the whole thing was really heart-wrenching. I don't have a heart to share it here or anywhere.

[Reba]

Originally Posted by Jiro

hmm I may hear about this in motorcycle forum. I'll have to check around later. btw - what state did it happen in?


yea.... it's also deer season too. I've already seen at least 5 videos of deer-bike accidents in short time. One of them really got to me. He survived but the whole thing was really heart-wrenching. I don't have a heart to share it here or anywhere.

I found out that she has a badly broken leg, they had to remove her spleen, and she has MERSA.

p.s.
She is in constant pain, so they are keeping her sedated.

Because of the MERSA, she has been quarantined.

I saw pictures of her today. She's hooked up to everything and asleep but her face and head look undamaged.

On her family's Facebook, I can see that many, many people are praying for her recovery.

[Jiro]

Originally Posted by Reba

I found out that she has a badly broken leg, they had to remove her spleen, and she has MERSA.

p.s.
She is in constant pain, so they are keeping her sedated.

Because of the MERSA, she has been quarantined.

I saw pictures of her today. She's hooked up to everything and asleep but her face and head look undamaged.

On her family's Facebook, I can see that many, many people are praying for her recovery.

oh my god.....

[Reba]

This is what happened:

"...a 19 year old girl talking on her cell phone pulled onto the highway in front of us...."

[Reba]

[Jiro]

went to see mechanic yesterday since my bike's now about 21,400 miles and this is usually when there is a host of mechanical issues - typical for most bikes. and plus a routine maintenance....

for a month or so, I noticed that my rear shock didn't feel right. Turned out that it's busted this is typical and expected at around 20,000 - 30,000 miles - common for most shocks which is when you're supposed to rebuild your shock every 20k-30k miles. well it's not THAT bad at this moment but it is making a bit of clunky noise and clunky feeling whenever I hit a bump so I'll have to take it easy for now while I hunt for used shock otherwise it's gonna screw up my swingarms and some other parts. maybe I'll send mine in to have it rebuilt but that would means my bike would be out of commission for a couple of weeks. a brand new shock is very expensive. the most common upgrade is Ohlins Shock. It's the best shock that makes a world of difference in your riding quality and comfort. You won't even notice a pothole. But..... Ohlins Shock is about $900+ but lot of used Ohlins shock sells for around $300-400 so I'll have to hunt for it. or send mine in to have it rebuilt for about $200.

and a major major major issue - my front wheel spacer cracked open. this is the most vital piece since it's what holds front wheel in place otherwise it will wobble and it will not end quite pretty. fortunately this is not an expensive repair.

I want a Kisan Signal Minder because my bike does not have an emergency flasher. This is very important for me to have for safety reason and also for events when I'm a motorcycle escort.

and it's been 3 years so it's time to replace my tires. so let's see.....

Front Axle..............................$67.11
Front Spacer Bush...................$8.60
Front Spacer Bushing...............$16.29
Wheel Bearing & Seal Kit..........$9.86
Metzeler Tourance F/R Tires......$308.98
Front Tire Tube.......................$10
Clutch Cable...........................$35.83
Front Brake Pads Kit................$83.72
Rear Brake Pads Kit.................$49.67
Oil Change Kit.........................$37.24
Ohlins Rear Shock....................$300-400
Kisan Signal Minder SM-2..........$109.95

Total Cost: $1,037.25 excluding S/H fees and taxes and labor charge

I just happened to see an ad that somebody's selling same bike as mine just 20 min away. I'm considering buying it because it's in a much better condition than mine. and I'll fix up my poor old bike and then sell it (no I'm not a sentimental person so I have no problem letting go of my first bike )

[Jiro]

this is a motherlode for GPS map updates - GPS Underground :: Your Tracks Guide

all free!

[The Highlander]

More time, more fun! - YouTube

More time, more fun! - YouTube

[Jiro]

Originally Posted by The Highlander

More time, more fun! - YouTube

yup. today's 21st Annual Ride To Work Day.... which is what I'm gonna do in a few minutes

[Jiro]

I think I may end up with 2004 R1150RT. Found a guy selling it in NYC at fairly reasonable price. Will see him this Thursday night. I'll have to check and see if this bike matches me or not in terms of size because it's heavier and bigger.

I find it curious and skeptical since he bought this bike with 5,000 miles last year as a 2nd owner.... and now he's selling it. It's got 20,000 miles now. I'm wondering why is he selling it after just one year. I'm hoping it's not because of some pending mechanical issues.

I've already done heavy research in this bike and consulted with my mechanic so I will be inspecting it very closely and asking detailed questions. And also somebody is interested in buying my bike and I hope she does!

I'm one step closer to my dream goal.... I've always wanted to get an R-series bike.

[Reba]

Update on our friend's injuries from accident:

- The blow to her head (even with a full-faced helmet) resulted in bleeding to her brain in two locations. We are very thankful that this resolved without medical intervention. As a result of her injury, she currently has some memory loss.

- She underwent surgery due to internal damage in her abdomen. Pain from this surgery (removal of spleen) is improving, but she is still unable to manipulate her body in any manner that requires abdominal strength.

- There are three fractures to her leg. We do not believe she will require any additional surgeries other than what was done last week (steel rod inserted), however, her leg is swollen and very painful.

[Jiro]

Originally Posted by Reba

Update on our friend's injuries from accident:

- The blow to her head (even with a full-faced helmet) resulted in bleeding to her brain in two locations. We are very thankful that this resolved without medical intervention. As a result of her injury, she currently has some memory loss.

- She underwent surgery due to internal damage in her abdomen. Pain from this surgery (removal of spleen) is improving, but she is still unable to manipulate her body in any manner that requires abdominal strength.

- There are three fractures to her leg. We do not believe she will require any additional surgeries other than what was done last week (steel rod inserted), however, her leg is swollen and very painful.

thanks for update. indeed a very very long way to full recovery...

about memory loss - you mean... she didn't remember the accident? or she has an amnesia?

[Reba]

Originally Posted by Jiro

thanks for update. indeed a very very long way to full recovery...

about memory loss - you mean... she didn't remember the accident? or she has an amnesia?

Not sure.

I know that sometimes it's the trauma, and sometimes the painkillers that can cause memory loss. She might be experiencing both. In that case, the trauma might mean she doesn't remember the accident, and the painkillers can cause short term memory problems.

She doesn't have amnesia. She knows who everyone is, who she is, etc. It's probably mostly accident memories and short term memories. I think with the meds she is still kind of in a mental "fog."

[Jiro]

Originally Posted by Reba

Not sure.

I know that sometimes it's the trauma, and sometimes the painkillers that can cause memory loss. She might be experiencing both. In that case, the trauma might mean she doesn't remember the accident, and the painkillers can cause short term memory problems.

She doesn't have amnesia. She knows who everyone is, who she is, etc. It's probably mostly accident memories and short term memories. I think with the meds she is still kind of in a mental "fog."

ah... good. that's very good.

please everybody - be careful out there! couple days ago, we just lost a fellow biker who have touched many lives in here. He was a NYPD Highway Patrol motorcyclist and he did not look like one if you met him. He looked like some Joe the Plumber with deep passion in motorcycling and was the most nicest, caring man you've ever met. He was killed at Trans Labrador Highway.

VOCM.COM|American Biker Dies in Labrador Accident | Article

he's the one on left




and this is what Eddie's partner said about him -

Eddie and I became friends the day he transferred to the Highway Patrol, he wasn't a typical cop, which i liked ...he loved technology, scooters and tons of off-beat & weird stuff ... he was a proud eccentric ... hell, so am I, that's why we got along so well ... he was always there for someone in need, almost to a fault - much more than I could ever be ... we talked about family, friends, Apple technology, long distance rides, exploring the back roads of New York ... we both loved the Big Apple TOR ... he was always calling me up to check up on me ... and we really enjoyed breaking each others balls - but in a good way ... they say you can tell about a man by the friends he keeps ... that saying applies to him because he was friends with everyone ... I couldn't wait till he got back as I was hoping to plan another trip with him ... I am just shattered by his loss and I feel so sorry for Suzanne and his family ...

When we were working together and riding our Police Harley-Davidsons, sometimes we were stopped in traffic and we spotted another motorcycle, I used to tell Eddie: "look at that that guy .... he gets to ride and enjoy his day ... but always remember one thing my young friend ... we get to do the same thing and get paid for it!"

Eddie would just smile and nod in agreement ...

RIP Eddie.

[purplecatty]

Just today, I rode my motorcycle from Shawnee, KS to Junction City, KS. it's about 2 hours ride and my butt was sore and temp outside was 102 degree but I'm cool cuz I was riding between 70 to 80mph (HWY I-70 is 75mph.) I had to take KS HWY 24 to get around I-70 Toll Hwy. Though it's long and out in Rural. I was over to visit my customer to install VP. I enjoyed beauty of the country and riding through small towns. City of Crystal Lake is tiny town and it's about few blocks long then that's it. I stopped by to get some drink cuz heat sucked out moisture from me. Now I am heading back to Shawnee and I probably will have fequent stop cuz of my sore butt from long riding

My new Forward control modification that I mentioned from previous post did helps alot and I'm comfortable smile

It was pretty strong head wind and I had to lean back a bit so I won't be like a kite in the wind at 85mph while passing. I wore helmet cuz I don't want bugs, water from car A/C splatter my face. I had enough of bugs splatters on my Rx sunglasses last time. It was kinda hard to clean it out and had to scrape hardened bug splatter with my fingernail. Then clean it with Windex.

Catty

[airportcop]

Got a new rear tire today on my FJR 1300! Gonna see what a Bridgestone can do sine the Connie didn't fare too well!

[metalangel]

Took the Fazer to work today, for the first time in a long while. Trying not to think about selling it...

[Lau2046]

Originally Posted by Reba

This is what happened:

"...a 19 year old girl talking on her cell phone pulled onto the highway in front of us...."

Idiots like this that keep me from ever wanting to take up riding a motorcycle. I wonder if she's back on the road chatting with her friends.....

[Jiro]

Originally Posted by airportcop

Got a new rear tire today on my FJR 1300! Gonna see what a Bridgestone can do sine the Connie didn't fare too well!

Connie =

it's a bad news. Both Bridgestone and Metzeler are what I trust.

[Jiro]

Originally Posted by metalangel

Took the Fazer to work today, for the first time in a long while. Trying not to think about selling it...

wow.... you actually have a Fazer? My mechanic has Fazer as a loaner bike. I've gotta say that I don't really miss riding it

I don't really like riding a bike with carb and I'm glad to be riding a decent old-school style with all these modern technology inside especially ABS and suspension/shock.

[Jiro]

Originally Posted by Lau2046

Idiots like this that keep me from ever wanting to take up riding a motorcycle. I wonder if she's back on the road chatting with her friends.....

Well - let's put it this way. it doesn't really matter if you ride motorcycle or not. my mom was driving to grocery and suddenly got rear-ended by a girl who was txting. she had to get months of physical therapy for her back and neck - all paid for by girl's car insurance. my mom's lucky that it wasn't some uninsured driver.

As for you - it is probably best if you do not take up riding if you're constantly fearful of what could happen. that's not a good mindset to have while riding because it can be a matter of life and death. It's all about zen and grace under pressure. I commute to NYC everyday on motorcycle for past few years. I encounter at least 20 "oh shit!" close calls on daily basis because you know how New Yorkers are especially cabbies. It never ceases to amaze me how stupid and inconsiderate these New York drivers are but I'm not going to channel my energy to road rage and fear. It's going to get you killed. You just ride safe and free and you'll just live a little longer

We all will die from car accident, building collapse, zombie on bath salt, 2,000 calories lunch, etc. so the question is... how do you want to die? I'd certainly want to die while riding