Motorcycles BS Thread 2.0

Yeah, that's definitely meant to melt brains.

 

So close, you were only 328 Gnar's off. lmao

I'm definitely interested in doing more track things this year! I'll be signing up for Aprilia Racer Days at Laguna Seca again. If you're interested, it's $500. I know that sounds like a lot, but after doing it last year, I'm signing up again with no hesitation. You don't have to be an Aprilia owner and you can sign up to do sessions on their loaner bikes. They're also going to be making a stop at Buttonwillow for only $180 later in the year.

I may be interested in doing Willow, if it's Big Willow.

https://www.aprilia.com/us_EN/aprilia-racers-days/

 

Ah I just hit enter on the first tag to pop up whoops lol. Fixed now.

Hm I'll definitely look into that, I would love to do Laguna seca.

So far I'm doing streets of willow at willow springs, since I just have the R3, but tbh I may sign up for a big willow one later this year and take the BMW back. I just didn't wanna do it on my R3 since i would effectively be a moped on the straights lol

 

you know how does the old r3 do compaired to the like ninja 400? i see yamaha hasnt changed anything about it in years lol

 

Hmmmmm can one wait till later for something like willow springs? (And only do that track). March would be too soon for me as I'm pretty booked up and late June at Chuckwalla sounds like riding in a furnace! Hahah.

But I would be interested in a track day on the super tenere!

 

180 bucks for multiple 20min track sessions with lunch provided and a demo bike for one of those sessions at button willow sounds like a fun time!

See this is my problem. I'm like a kid in a candy store, I need to focus one one thing, right now that's dirtbiking... Tho my poor super tenere hasn't been ridden since the first. Wtf

 

was talking with her and showed her the xt225 xt250 tw200 and the xr150l and she likes the xr the best so when she moves in up here well start looking for one of them and then she also wants a grom lol

 

Well, she's got good taste.

 

haha she does sometimes!

 

I might be biased (just got home from errands on my xt225), but the XT225 is a docile creature to learn on that she wont outgrow quickly from a power perspective (it also weighs 20lbs LESS than the xr150l wet AND has a lower seat height...) has an amazing track record of reliability over its multi decade existence, is simple, has aftermarket support etc etc etc.

Have a good look at XR150L oil consumption issues etc before buying. For the same or less than a new one of those you can absolutely find lightly used dual sports in that realm.


That all stated, if shes NEVER ridden anything, a small pit bike is where id start.


EDIT - Learn from me, Dont buy a GF a motorcycle: if she wants to ride in whatever capacity, help her with the process/search/communication, but make her front the funds to buy as well as the whole process of acquiring/maintenance/use etc.

(now if you secretly want said motorcycle to keep for your own that changes things)

 

so atm i showed her all 3 and the specs and she liked the look of the xr the best then the xt250 then the xt225 which is fair the 225 isnt as nice looking as the others lol.

so the oil consumption issue i watched a video on and it appears to be the crankshaft breather hose is poorly designed to just suck oil out so people change it to a different setup and it doesnt consume a load of oil anymore. also dont plan on new.

she wouldnt let me buy it for her if i wanted to lmao she is very much someone that likes to earn what she has and not have it given to her. she doesnt mind help but if i went out and outright bought it she would actually be upset at me. the maintenance part id be helping her with since i know a lot more then she does but she does want to learn how to do it so if im working on my own stuff she then wouldnt have to wait on me to do it.

on the topic of pitbikes ill be in the minority here i find them pointless... for how much people want for these things and for how fast you outgrow them i find them a massive waste of money unllllesss you have a kid that soon will be able to ride as well then its justified but for a grown adult id say to me personally its kinda pointless.

 

Sounds like you've got a good approach to it. The only thing I would also suggest would be having a discussion about her long term riding goals. The little XR would be a great long term bike if all she wants is slower commuting and dirt trails. It could possibly be a forever bike for that scenario.

If she wants to eventually be able to run highway speeds (not interstate) more easily and she's not afraid of a little taller seat, then spending a little more on something like the CRF300L Rally might get her further. It's about 50 lbs more, but still light enough for a lady who isn't completely weak. Itchy Boots took one through South and North America, and I think is going across Africa with it right now.

Either way, just to get the bug going for her, I'd have her check out some youtubers that do the kind of riding she is interested in. I don't mean like super badass pros, because that's intimidating AF, but Dork in the Road, Itchy Boots, and Critter_Moto might be good ones. DitR is a guy who didn't get into bikes until midlife and openly shows the mistakes. Great inspiration for the "anyone can do this" stuff. Itchy Boots shows the world on a bike and definitely ignites the desire to explore for lots of people. Critter is a smaller channel with more positive messages, but runs smaller dual sports IIRC.

If your Lady is worried about bigger bikes and not being able to handle them, introduce her to Jocelin Snow. She is tiny but runs BMW GSAs like a boss.

Final note, I'm with you on the pit bikes. No point unless you have kids that can do the hand-me-down thing for a few years with them.

 

ya her riding goals tbh are just to follow me on trails and to run around with me she doesnt care for highways, and for any road riding as stated she kinda wants a grom haha i did show her the cfmoto papio offroad variant and she really liked it. so my guess is road riding will be minimal to when im out and riding with some friends. but again this is in the future atm we are uhhh idk lol and not even in the same state so in a year ill be able to find out more. the crf300 is a good bike for once she gets more comfortable with a bike but again she might just like what ever smaller cc bike she gets and stay with it.

she already has a bit of the bug since she will watch videos of itchy boots with me or when i had my iphone and a case for my quad lock she would be on video call with me when i had signal and watch what i was doing sometimes. she seems to have always wanted a small bike to have fun with offroad and on road and with me being in the picture it seems she wants it even more since i encourage it.

she just doesnt care about big bikes it seems tbh i show her a larger bike and i get its pretty but eh i dont want that. which is fine since i wouldnt have to worry about her speeding on something larger haha.

agreed on pitbikes they are fun but i have no reason to buy one.

 

I found a low mileage 1985 Nighthawk S in a friends garage. Never knew he had a motorcycle. Bike had 8K miles on it, this was about 10 years ago. Black with the blue, original black chrome mufflers, not a mark on the bike. He never rode it, and it took me two years to pry it away from him. I had it a couple years, and sold it to a local guy who had a small Honda motorcycle museum he was building up. He had around 20 bikes. I still keep in touch and he still has the bike.

 

Sounds like a good plan, then. Also sounds like a little bike is the perfect starting point. Bonus is that most of the Japanese bikes hold enough value that you don't lose a lot if you ride for a year or two and then upgrade.

 

yup should be haha. yup a little bike would be the best for her plus a bit of a confidence booster offroad if she can touch a bit. that is a double edge sword tbh haha that just means that when we go looking for one the price will stay haha

 

Yeah, the price is the one downside on the little XR. It doesn't drop much because demand is huge for it. People were apparently asking for it for a long time.

 

were they really? thats an interesting one

 

That's what I read when they launched it last year. I don't remember if it was because it was available outside North America before that, but that seems right to my fuzzy brain.

 

i could see that tbh