till gas goes back up to 4.50 a gallon and you get 80 miles/ gallon

7/8/2009 10:43:43 AM

haha that's true.

I've never really considered a motorcycle, i've always liked them but have kept them at a distance. But my brother, as you^ can expect, has one now it's kinda sparked my interest a little more.

7/8/2009 11:07:06 AM

Quag, do you have any pics of your Rebel 250?

7/8/2009 3:15:14 PM

I might have an extra ninja 250 for sale, but I'm probably going to keep it.

7/9/2009 2:22:44 PM

Quote :

"I might have an extra ninja 250 for sale, but I'm probably going to keep it"

what are you saying

7/9/2009 3:26:17 PM

I finally have enough spare parts to put together a second bike. Boyfriend found me a straight frame, wiring harness and a bunch of other stuff.

7/9/2009 11:29:57 PM

Quote :

"Quag, do you have any pics of your Rebel 250?"

aye...here's what i've got, though i took these last year before i:

1.) imploded the tank (we think change in gas temperature overnight with no venting ),
2.) blew out the tank with an air compressor (worked like a dream and it was free!), and
3.) sanded it down and painted it black (the grey is just the primer from when it was chem-stripped)







regardless of what those who look down on 250cc bikes say, i really like it...it's light enough that i can pick it up without any effort (not that i've ever laid it down, but sometimes its necessary to manhandle it), it's quicker than my 60cc scoot and saturn 4-banger (not that that's saying much, but it's more than adequate for city riding and quick enough for the highway if you feel so inclined), and it sips gas at about 80mpg...right now it's got a blown gasket that i need to replace, but it's a cold-blooded engine that's easy to access and repair...not a whole lot that can go wrong on it

i love it...if you ever want to try it out, let me know...i'm all for making new riders

also, it was dirt cheap to buy (around $900 after i replaced some minor parts)

[Edited on July 10, 2009 at 8:45 PM. Reason : .]

7/10/2009 8:44:29 PM

Probably a fine bike for just around town. How much does it weigh? HP?



My 650 is about 50hp in a 450lbs package. Goes alright but it desperately needs an overdrive or some taller sprockets. I put some bags on it a couple weeks back, and finally got it to charge(well above 1600 rpm anyway). I mounted the bags too far forward because my fender had no room and I needed to hide some electrical mess anyway. Unfortunately I catch the bags every time I kick it over.

I debating losing the speedo and tach. I've never really liked the looks of those big cans, but apparently the 70's look is coming back. I think it would look better with a smaller headlight and clean, simple bars. Eh, I'm not doing anything until I get some cash. The restoration drained me for a while(though still pretty cheap).

7/11/2009 12:00:59 AM

^ my '86 rebel 250 is about 17.5hp at 310lbs for a ratio of about 1:17.7, IIRC...against your 1:9, yeah, the rebel's pretty awful

but i didn't get my bike for any intent other than going around town with excellent gas mileage and an ability to keep up with traffic...and, if absolutely necessary, brief highway travel (don't get me wrong, i would never choose to do it on a bike so light...but i COULD if i NEEDED to)...it's easy to handle, it was cheap, and i don't know that you'll find many bikes easier to work on (which, for me, is a huge deal since i'm a mechanical n00b)

i'll likely upgrade one day, but at the moment i don't need to go faster than 70mph...too scared

7/11/2009 8:15:55 PM

anybody been able to ride the suzuki gladius yet? looks to be the spiritual successor the the naked sv650

7/12/2009 1:16:29 PM

Motorcyclist Magazine hated it. They recommended the Kawasaki ER-6N.

This piece of junk backfired earlier today during a kickstart, blew a carb slam off. It started on the very next kick, but it took me a few minutes of riding on one cylinder to figure out what was going on.

[Edited on July 12, 2009 at 2:20 PM. Reason : .]

7/12/2009 2:17:48 PM

What the fuck is a carb slam?

7/12/2009 11:44:19 PM

It's emphasis. Instead of saying it blew the carb off, it blew it slam off...

[Edited on July 13, 2009 at 12:57 PM. Reason : I think ]

7/13/2009 12:56:35 PM

Just picked up a '86 Suzuki GS550 L this weekend, and got all my tags and insurance stuff this morning. Hopefully this weather will clear up this week and I can get some time on the road. Only had it for two days without being street legal, and I'm dying to take it out already.

7/13/2009 2:01:41 PM

First bike?

7/13/2009 2:06:38 PM

Yep.

7/13/2009 2:17:34 PM

you'll shoot your eye out

7/14/2009 7:05:57 PM

Thinking about buying this '81 Suzuki:

http://greensboro.craigslist.org/mcy/1305112846.html

Any thoughts on his asking price? Anyone know anything about this model?

Also, this will be almost my first bike. I've taken the MSF course and I've been tooling around on a GS500 about once a week for the past month. I rode it from Carrboro to Greensboro w/o problems, except I left my blinker on a LOT. Think I'd be over my head with a 850cc from '81?

[Edited on August 5, 2009 at 9:47 AM. Reason : dur]

8/5/2009 9:24:16 AM

I'm more than likely gonna drop $900 on a '80 CB750F in a few days.



Looking over the stats for the ^ GS 850L, the two bikes are really, really similar. Both DOHC inline fours, similar power, similar weight. The CB's tank is bigger, though. Did you end up getting it?

[Edited on August 5, 2009 at 9:58 PM. Reason : I'm guessing not, seeing as you just posted that today.]

8/5/2009 9:55:47 PM

Bought an '07 sv650 a few weeks back!

I've really enjoyed it- almost every day is a sunny day in the bay area :

8/6/2009 8:53:19 PM

^^^I got used to the GS550 really quickly. I don't think you'd have any problems adjusting to a few more HP on that GS850, especially having done the course and knowing how to handle it.

Price is pretty steep unless it's in absolute pristine condition, and I mean not a scratch on it anywhere.

[Edited on August 7, 2009 at 2:04 PM. Reason : .]

8/7/2009 2:03:07 PM

^^ That's the year I had. God I loved that bike and its fuel injected v-twin, it's a good motor. It is a smooth engine and a great powerband. The bike is good for a beginner and yet is fun for advanced riders as well.

Btw, take off the snorkel on your airbox if you want a pretty big sound increase on that bike (In a very good way) for free. You can put it right back on if you don't like the sound. Hell, I even have a pristine '07 SV-650 "airbox snorkel" that was on my bike for all of 2000 miles that I'd send you if you fuck yours up.

8/7/2009 2:16:40 PM

^^ How much did you pay for the 550 and what kind of condition was it in?

8/7/2009 3:32:33 PM

I (over)paid 1200 for it in cosmetically good condition, 12000 miles. If I knew the things about it I know now I wouldn't have given more than 1000 for it, as there were some hidden mechanical and electrical gremlins that didn't crop up until I'd ridden it a bit. You live and learn I guess, but I've learned quite a bit from all the little things I'm finding to fix.

8/7/2009 9:41:06 PM

someone buy my 94 cbr f2 b4 i swap a 900rr engine in it.

8/7/2009 10:34:42 PM

http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=56411.0

Lumex?

8/9/2009 1:36:11 PM

Quote :

"my '86 rebel 250 is about 17.5hp at 310lbs for a ratio of about 1:17.7, IIRC...against your 1:9, yeah, the rebel's pretty awful"

I think my skoot skoot has more hp than that

8/9/2009 2:08:24 PM

^^No, I haven't bought it (yet). The bike runs well; it just has some cosmetic nuances.

I'm torn between "do I really need a 2nd bike when I've only put about 5 hours on my first one" and "you could probably get him down to 1200; mere pocket change".

8/9/2009 10:28:12 PM

Hey

I bought this

8/10/2009 11:49:17 PM

I like that fairing. Lower it a bit and lose the big seat/rear fender, and it'd make a hot looking cafe racer.

8/11/2009 12:06:05 AM

Yeah, the seat looks junky but it's pretty comfortable.

[Edited on August 11, 2009 at 12:08 AM. Reason : The windscreen is actually kinda beatup]

8/11/2009 12:08:19 AM

Looks like a clean bike. I definitely wouldn't cut it up or anything. 78hp? Should pull strong.

8/11/2009 12:13:16 AM

Yeah, it's in pretty good cosmetic shape for a 30 year old bike. Some chipped paint on the engine, fade paint on the tank, some scratches here and there on the plastics. But from 20 feet it looks great!

Mechanically, it needs a solid tune up, definitely a carb synch. There something funky with the choke, too, I think. It idles super fast when cold.

Still, though. $900. I'm happy.

8/11/2009 12:16:46 AM

sold the SV650 last weekend

8/11/2009 8:44:25 AM

^^ Looks like a good bike and you got it for a good price too!


I can't ride right now because of this retarded screw up with my bike's insurance. Everything will be back to normal in a couple weeks, but it is shitty as hell for the time being.

8/11/2009 9:57:21 AM

So how do I begin to learn how to ride carrying someone? I've got about 18 months and 22k miles under my belt but I am still rockin' the permit. The gf said that she might be interested in riding so I figure it's license time but I don't really know what all will be expected in the road test. Thanks!

8/12/2009 3:26:17 AM

when i did the road test over 10 years ago they just made you weave through cones and drive slow without putting your feet down

8/12/2009 7:24:16 AM

^ it's pretty much the same thing...the guy at the avent ferry office also had me do some shifting (i had to ride as slowly as possible in first and second, and switch back and forth, all without putting my feet down)

i've heard multiple people say that the smaller the bike, the easier the test is...if you have a friend with a 250, borrow it for the test

8/12/2009 8:07:20 AM

I wouldn't sweat the test, as long as you don't have a beast its easy. Also let it be known that you want to take the motorcycle test. When I went I got to cut most of the line b/c the guy just wanted to get out of the office.

8/12/2009 8:14:24 AM

i also got to cut the line...i was the only one there for the test, so i was in and out in about 15 minutes

it really isn't a big deal...i took my test after having my permit for only a couple of months...i had less than 200 miles of riding experience, but it's not like it's hard

8/12/2009 8:21:16 AM

During the MSF course, the riding test went like this for me:

Make as small a figure 8 as possible w/o putting a foot down or looking down - about 10 feet wide.
Ride in 2nd gear through a 90-degree turn without looking down, accelerating or decelerating.
Bring the bike from 20mph to a stop in about 6 feet w/o chirping the tires or stalling.
Complete an emergency lane change in about 10 feet at 20mph.

They made it sound like it was easier than the DMV test, but now it sounds like the DMV test is a piece of cake in comparison. I was really sweating the figure 8.

8/12/2009 9:16:23 AM

^ yeah, that sounds more complex than the DMV test...there was no figure 8 for me, just maneuvering through about 10 cones...the guy at avent ferry was very nice and i suspect he'll let you try anything over again if you mess up, as long as you're not blatantly awful

8/12/2009 9:22:16 AM

I guess my only concern is that 95%ish of my riding has been on the highway so all of this swerving and stop-go isn't something I have an abundance of experience with. Down shifting and slow turning is fine. I am not too sure about the cones but the one that has me the most concerned is the emergency swerve and that's the one that can save your life.

8/12/2009 12:30:49 PM

meh, just give it a shot. worst case you fail and come back another day

it's how mexicans manage to pass.. sooner or later the odds are on your side

8/12/2009 2:06:49 PM

The cones and emergency swerve are actually easy unless your bike weighs a half-ton.

8/12/2009 3:08:31 PM

It's just a Gixxer 600. I wonder if they will look at me funny when I take the test in the lowest power setting. It's how I always ride anyways to conserve fuel since most of the time I am riding at a fairly constant speed anyways. On the speed up and then quickly slow down within 20ft part I don't want them to think I am being a chicken. Haha.

8/12/2009 8:16:41 PM

the test at the dmv is hard as fuck if you're on a sport bike. you have to come to several complete stops and then start going again without putting your foot down. generally this occurs in some whack, uneven parking lot.

8/13/2009 9:33:40 AM

I need to actually go get my endorsement. That DMV test exemption card I got from the MSF course expires in a month!

8/13/2009 10:35:19 AM

I have a permit and all, but I've always wondered, do they often issue parking tickets for motorcycles? I mean, if you park a car on campus for the day and don't have one, there's a small chance, if any, that you'll go unticketed. That is, unless you park in a clever location. With that said, I've never seen the parking nazis anywhere near the bike lots. Also, if they do decide to give one, where the hell do they leave the ticket?

P.S. Riding a motorcycle is fun as shit.

8/20/2009 9:24:42 PM

mmm yessss
im selling my rebel, well trying to and getting a gs500

8/20/2009 9:34:35 PM