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Post by jwalz1 on May 24, 2013 17:54:06 GMT -5
Ever had a close call when you were diving?? I have had a really bad accident while driving, got t-boned by a red light runner who blew through the intersection at 50. Walked away just needing a couple stitches. I am glad everyone loves riding and will never give it up, but we each make a personal choice. I have a ton of hobbies and a couple of souped up very fun cars so if I lose the scooter it is not a big deal. I still have the ski boat, the scuba, the track days in the car, etc......... But I know a guy who went to Sturgis on his Harley and got in a bad accident. Was in the hospital for quite a while. A couple years later he went back to Sturgis and got killed on the way back. I will have my fun, ride safely in full gear, stay alert, and feel very comfortable and in control. It does not scare me and I enjoy it quite a bit. But if the day comes when I end up in the emergency room with any malady from an accident, then it was a nice run. Promise I made to the wife, I will get one of these things and be very careful, but if I get harmed by it, I am done and it was fun while it lasted.  |
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Post by jwalz1 on May 24, 2013 17:46:46 GMT -5
Is it a done deal the Forza is coming to the US? I thought it was asia-europe only. At any rate, the Forza-BV decision comes down to whether you want a maxi style or not. The Forza is starting to show up on the websites of some of the dealers near me. Here is Honda of Crystal River. I'm not sure what you mean about BV vs Forza and maxi style. They both appear to be about the same size, but that's just judging from pictures I've seen. I personally like the BV better, but I'm trying to think long term with reliability and serviceability. By maxi style I was referring to the front fairing, touring look (although the Honda has a small windshield) versus the Vespa style look if you know what I mean. Not sure if there is reall accepted terminology to distinguish between the styles but that is what I call them. I think the BV is an elegant looking scooter with some neat color combinations. |
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Post by jwalz1 on May 24, 2013 10:51:19 GMT -5
An accident and I am done. Hopefully not a fatal one. I took this up for fun, take safety very seriously and as far as I can milk it scratch free, then I am fine with it. If, God forbid, an accident happens, then I will put aside a hobby I enjoy, but do not value it over my health so one strike and I am out.
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Post by jwalz1 on May 24, 2013 9:09:30 GMT -5
I just bought a kymco downtown 300i. A 2012 leftover. The dealer knocked off $1000.oo list. You might want to take a look at one. I like it so far, just under 300 mi so far. Has plenty of pwr and handels nice. 68 mpg on 1st tank. Good luck with whatever you get. I got the same deal last year. Great scooter. Is it a done deal the Forza is coming to the US? I thought it was asia-europe only. At any rate, the Forza-BV decision comes down to whether you want a maxi style or not. I love Honda products and even though I am happy with my Kymco, Honda is probably better for quality. I do have to say I like the looks of my Downtown better though, the Forza is kind of boring looking to me. I also like the BV over the Forza for looks. And if the Forza will be only $100 over the Downtown list, then Kymco is going to have to drop the price to compete even though Kymco dealers move quite a bit off of list. The Downtown is 50 pounds lighter though with the same power. I also think the BV will be quicker, too. If I could have any ride in the segment Peugeot would have to bring their new 300 over. That is a nice looking machine. |
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Post by jwalz1 on May 24, 2013 9:02:06 GMT -5
Rare Earth Magnet.
If you go online and buy a rare earth magnet of decent size it will trip loop detectors for stoplights and if your gate is on the same kind of system it will work for that too. You can get a good sized one for $10.
BTW....In Minnesota the law allows us to run a red if a motorcycle does not trip the light. I forget all the conditions but you must come to a complete stop, wait a reasonable amount of time, make sure it is safe to proceed, etc, then you can run the light, even turning left. I don't have the magnet yet so there is one particular light near me I just can not trip and use this law regularly but it is a low traffic area so no big deal.
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Re: Natzi
by: jwalz1 - May 22, 2013 14:10:32 GMT -5
Post by jwalz1 on May 22, 2013 14:10:32 GMT -5
I think I missed something. |
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Post by jwalz1 on May 22, 2013 9:57:50 GMT -5
Just thought it was really cool that he was still riding and had a prosthetic leg. Wanted to get a pic but I was at a light on a incline. My wife's brother lost a leg to diabetes and he rides all the time. Or should I say rode all the time. He wiped out in a Honolulu downpour, and shattered his arm from the wrist to the shoulder. His bones are a little more brittle from his diet and disease. Cost him a month in the hospital to fight infection. He has not ridden since. I can't help but wonder if some protective gear would have prevented injury. He does not even wear a helmet. |
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Post by jwalz1 on May 21, 2013 11:02:54 GMT -5
BTW....The PCX is pretty much the only FI bike in the 150 segment after the demise of the CFMOTO Echarm and Glory is it not?
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Post by jwalz1 on May 21, 2013 10:48:21 GMT -5
You have to decide whether you want new or used and what level of quality you want. You can get a new Chinese one of decent quality for a grand. But it sounds like at your price range you kind of want top notch, and the PCX 150 was a great place to start. I LOOOOOOOVE that neat little machine. My main concern with it is that if used for more than just around town, it has a small physical size/less visable than other choices and if you go on the highway might be intimidating. Just a bigger size can make a difference in how other vehicles treat you and the PCX is small. But something you may want to look at, somebody suggested SYM is the RV 200 EVO. It is the same price as the PCX 150, a new looking design, very well built and a little more highway capable than the PCX. The asking price is $3699 but I gaurantee you the dealer will move at least $500 off of that. It is similar to what Scootnwin suggested, but I like having the windbreaking fairing and windshield if doing some highway. Of the 2 SYMs the HD will be a little quicker because it is lighter and has larger wheels for bad pavement, the RV will be more nimble. I prefer more headlight area and dual lights just for safety sake. On some scooters the left one is the regular and the right is the brights and i don't know on this model but if that is the case you can modify so both sides are on at all times. My scooter has headlights and led strips on each side that are on at all times and it looks UFO bright coming down the street in daylight. I notice people pick me up in there vision quickly. I like that, it is nice to have. Kymcos are nice and I own one. And frankly, I would not worry about gas mileage too much id you try a 200 instead of a 150. I still get 75 or more mpg on my 300. Here is the Evo:  |
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Post by jwalz1 on May 18, 2013 18:55:08 GMT -5
My car requires premium, I just paid $4.89 for it in Minneapolis. Regular was $4.40. Midwest is supposed to be highest in the nation right now due to two refineries shut down.
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Post by jwalz1 on May 18, 2013 9:21:33 GMT -5
Yeah you can bargain with a dealer, my sticker for the Downtown was $5400, my dealer charged me $4400 plus TTL. Spendy? Yes. Love my machine though. Downtown 300i is a bad@ss ride, and that was a great price! It is fun, but I'd love to have your CBR. Wife won't let me. |
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Post by jwalz1 on May 17, 2013 17:07:37 GMT -5
Yeah you can bargain with a dealer, my sticker for the Downtown was $5400, my dealer charged me $4400 plus TTL. Spendy? Yes. Love my machine though.
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Post by jwalz1 on May 17, 2013 13:35:27 GMT -5
Of course a chinese bike will handle just the same as a jap bike, but there are some subtle differences, noticeable on the tracks, eg: frame torquing while cornering, lower acceleration, lower grip on tires, lower braking power, less capable of maintaining high speeds, etc... The difference I have experienced is far more than subtle... They are not the same. Good, bad, or whatever doesn't matter they are vastly different. I love my Kymco. I think it is a great quality bike. It still is not Honda, Yamaha or Suzuki. |
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Post by jwalz1 on May 17, 2013 11:16:42 GMT -5
A Chinese guy rode a Honda Ruckus across America. That guy was Korean. Read his story on ADVRider, and that was a fun one to follow. But I pretty much agree with what you said. I don't think all Chinese products are crap, some are pretty good as a lot of owner experiences have shown, but what is being left out is that the Chinese product is not just cheaper because of labor, they try to make everything as inexpensively as possible to have the lowest possible cost. The primary market for their product is Asia where people make much less and use scooters as primary transportation. The goal is to be simple and cheap. Nothing wrong with that, but the other makers are putting tons of money into engineering, and quality because they go into markets where people have more money and demand better. The Chinese put less priority on because their concern is cost. To make technically advanced and over engineered product prices them out of their primary markets of China and several poorer countries in Asia. The costs are different because the aims and market are different. You do get what you pay for with a Honda, but for many they don't require what the Honda delivers so they choose not to spend the cash and still get what they are looking for. I run 400 horsepower in a Honda car, nearly twice what it came with from the factory and it has been problem free for many miles because it is so over engineered. My Toyota car modified in a similar manner with the same result. In that car people were putting down over 600 horsepower through a transaxle that was in a car that came with 200 from the factory and they did not fail. The bulletproof reputations are well deserved IMHO. When you have legions of people who swear by a products reliability and can find nary a horror story, believe the hype. When the zombie apocalypse hits, grab the keys to a Honda.  |
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Post by jwalz1 on May 15, 2013 19:34:54 GMT -5
Not my style but it looks neat. I'd look into availability of spare parts, and if that is good, go for it.
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