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Post by rockynv on Jul 10, 2016 21:48:27 GMT -5
You know, rocky, those BVs are a sweet ride with good big tires.... Or else you can always look for a Honda DN-01, if you really want style with power with handling--  (aw look, he's GRINNIN' at you!) Or you can just stick with your beloved SC. I mean, sure, I could've traded or sold off my Taury years earlier. But I LOVE that car! He was everything I needed in a car. I'll warn you, sure you can go for something newer and avoid big repairs for a while and even get new better tech. But it'll never be the same as what you got. >'Kat, STILL missing her old Taury-wagon  I tried one and they are top heavy. The CTX700 DCT is better balanced.  NM4 didn't sit good for me either:  The NC700X puts the riding pegs into the back of my calves at a stop light but was nice when underway:  |
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Post by rockynv on Jul 10, 2016 21:43:06 GMT -5
The B400 uses a 140/80-14 front and a 150/70-13 rear tire...I recall the Silverwing uses the same sizes. OE tires are Bridgestone Hoops, I recall H-rated. One reason is a larger rear tire would eat into the underseat storage. The odd floorboards are for a couple reasons. One is a spot for the pillon rider's feet. Another is tough to see in photos: there are cufouts on both sides, making it much easier for a short rider to get both feet down. Stock, a B400 tops out about  ...still pulling, but on the redline. With Dr. Pulley sliders, mine will comfortably exceed that speed, though I've not topped it out since the swap. A 650 will top out around 115...I think also redline limited. Also...according to each and every review I have seen, a Sportcity 250 will not exceed 80MPH (actual) on level ground. You can't believe everything that you read. Aprilia goes conservative on their bikes. Some of their 50cc scooters and motorcycles are capable of 65/70 mph and their 125 cc motorcycles capable of over 100. At 100 the Sport City is not near redline and does not hit the rev limiter. You will not hit 100 without a fairing though. The stock wind diverter is not really for interstate riding. Mind you that I only did 100 once according to my GPS and that was because I was initially confident that since the spec said 80 that I could not go much faster than that keeping up with interstate traffic. When I nodded down to see the gps since the chin bar blocks it from view I was shocked to see triple digits. I do not make it a habit of pursuing the ton but now know that it is there. |
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Post by rockynv on Jul 10, 2016 21:33:34 GMT -5
When I have my hands free setup in my helmet I just tap and call it in to 911 and tell them about some crazy guy on a motorcycle or tricked out truck driving to endanger. The police are better equipped to deal with an armed nut riding a bike or radical pickup truck.
When you catch up and see them in hand cuffs or sitting in the back of a cruiser you know that you potentially saved someones life and prevented them from victimizing anyone else that day.
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Post by rockynv on Jul 9, 2016 1:16:24 GMT -5
My Burg has a 14" front tire. Only a 650 uses a 15. Well then that makes it even worse with the back then being only a 13" tire. Nice that Aprilia used the same tires on the 250 that support 650cc and larger bikes at Interstate speeds with both front and rear being on 15" rims. The rear tire sizes are even used on some fairly large displacement Metric Cruisers. The Sport City is rated to carry 465 lbs which is one reason they went with the more robust tires and the larger wheel sizes. The floorboards on the Sport City are designed to stick the toes of your boots into the front pockets so you can lock your heels against the inner panel and ride it like a sport bike which is really great when on snake like back roads and such. I am not forced to wear my smaller triple E boots either which I got mostly for when I ride a shift bike or a car with a clutch so when I am going on a long ride will wear my more comfortable quad E width boots. The quad E makes it even harder to shift many bikes out there, especially the small cruisers and I tend to skip from first to third when I wear them since its a tight squeeze to get my foot between the peg and the shifter. I started looking at the Burgman's online again after your comments about the riding position and you really zeroed me in on why I have not felt right every time I sat on one. With the new 400's having the floor boards so high and angled up where they get closer to the seat it puts your knees up higher than your hips with your feet too far forward so it will be more difficult to ride out an event, that requires getting your weight off the seat, like a pot hole or obstacle on the roadway. Thanks again for helping me realize what it was that was making me feel put offish when sitting on the 400. Sad thing is they could have done so much better on that and improved it greatly by eliminating the stylization of the floorboards and designing them for a more sure footed and much safer riding stance. |
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Post by rockynv on Jul 9, 2016 0:34:53 GMT -5
Hey rocky, if your Ap is running fine, why are you giving it a set end at 50k? Why not keep on driving her 'til issues start developing? And if you're set on trading off, why not get another Sport City since I know how much you love yours? >'Kat People keep telling me how bad off I am riding the Sport City so I occasionally test the waters and truth be told have yet to find something that is truly superior. Big, bulky, heavy, poor seating position at much higher cost with sluggish off the line performance is what I mostly see. Going on test rides makes my Sport City even nicer to ride afterwards when I get on the nimble Interstate bike which the Sport City is that is also comfortable to ride day long on the Expressway. It is really disappointing how little extra performance you get from some of the 400 to 650cc bikes out there. It really adds up to being able to hit 105 instead of ninety five true mph. Do I really want to give up great handling, excellent accident avoidance capabilities and a superior riding position for an extra 10 mph that is well beyond the legal speed limit so basically unusable and make a jump to almost double to almost triple the displacement along with a near to a 600 lb actual curb weight compared to 326 lbs in order to get there. I know that nothing is forever so I am figuring 50,000 miles to have a respectable resale value and give the next custodian of the bike some reasonable expectation of getting some usage out of the bike before any really major repairs are required. As for another Sport City, they stopped bringing them into the country 7 years ago so anything you find for sale will be as old as mine with many suffering from sitting unused with little to no maintenance. I just missed out on a Red Tag Special at the dealer I bought my Sport City from. They had the Honda 700 CTX DCT automatics for $4,999 (almost $3,000 off). Those bikes are similar in riding position to the MSF training bikes and handle nimbly while getting better fuel economy than many 250cc bikes. They sit a little lower than what we are used to but are not too low. Brake pedal way up front takes a little getting used to but is doable. |
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Post by rockynv on Jul 8, 2016 12:17:41 GMT -5
Not really relevant that you have yet to find yourself in a situation that can become a life altering event if you can't lean forward and get your spine unloaded from the seat. It only takes a moment to compress the spine and alter the rest of your life. BV500, BV350, Scarabeo 500, Sport City 250, T-Max and Silverwing along with a number of others all seem to allow following best practice and are all Interstate Capable. I tour on my Sport City regularly and have no problems with keeping up with Interstate traffic. Its a personal choice if you want to trade off safety for style, etc however that's your decision. For me not being able to follow best practice because of a poor design as I said would eliminate the Burgman as a choice. What a pile. The Silverwing is ancient (and one with ABS might as well by mythical), the Tmax really isnt a step-through, as well as being close to unobtanium used. None of the smaller Sportcitys are suitable for long highway runs. The BV is a city scooter with a small fairing and minimal weather protection. That's not even mentioning the fact I simply have no interest in a Euro bike of any kind. You can't really do it on a Sportcity, either...at least, I can't, not with 11EEE boots. And no, no 250 can match the 4-valve, high-compression (12.5:1) 400 in the Burgman! A Sportcity tops out at about my usual highway pace! No. Same rim size, not the same tire size. Size 12 EEE Boots here however the Sport City acommodates them better than either the Honda or Suzuki bikes used by MSF. I had to buy a lighter pair than I use on the Sport City in order to ride the MSF bikes. The tire size up front on the Sport City 250 is the exact same 120/70-15 as the Burgman uses while the Sport City has a larger rear tire than the Burgman. I hope your usual highway pace is not  to 100 mph which is what my Sport City tops out at. The Sport City 250, BV350, BV500 and Scarabeo 500 are all considered Maxi/Touring bikes however if you have some aversion to European style thats your choice. Silverwings are plentiful and there are at least 4 T-Max on Craigs List locally most of the time. I'll opt for superior safety, better handling along with a better/more defensive riding position over style. You ride what you like while I'll go with safe. |
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Post by rockynv on Jul 8, 2016 3:44:19 GMT -5
If you drained out and replaced the lubricant in the gear box when you did your PDI then you should be good for a while. The fluid in there from the factory is more of a shipping fluid and not to be ridden on. The engine oil, gear lube, brake fluid and if water cooled the coolant all need to be flushed out and replaced before you even dare to start up a drop shipped Chinese bike. Surprised you did not find the steering head to be a bit loose when you did your PDI. Checking it and packing it with grease the day you uncrate it before installing the handlebars or front wheel should be SOP.
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Post by rockynv on Jul 7, 2016 23:21:48 GMT -5
The floorboards of a Burgman are angled...the only place really suitable for standing is at a fairly steep angle forward. There is a "kickup" that makes a spot for the pillon rider's feet, but the same thing results in a fairly-steeply raked floorboard under the rider. There is absolutely nothing else on the market (aside from a 650 Burg) that I would be willing to replace it with. (I would have no use for a Sportcity.) I have taken many grade crossings and expansion joints without a problem. Not really relevant that you have yet to find yourself in a situation that can become a life altering event if you can't lean forward and get your spine unloaded from the seat. It only takes a moment to compress the spine and alter the rest of your life. BV500, BV350, Scarabeo 500, Sport City 250, T-Max and Silverwing along with a number of others all seem to allow following best practice and are all Interstate Capable. I tour on my Sport City regularly and have no problems with keeping up with Interstate traffic. Its a personal choice if you want to trade off safety for style, etc however that's your decision. For me not being able to follow best practice because of a poor design as I said would eliminate the Burgman as a choice. Thank you very much for bringing that potentially dangerous design flaw regarding the Burgman to my attention. I will look into this more closely the next time I sit on one as I had been considering one as a potential replacement for my Sport City as I close in on the 50,000 mile mark. Currently I am at 30,000 miles and the bike is tight and smooth still running the original clutch and variator and the bike runs and handles so well that I come back unimpressed with most of the larger bikes that I have ridden. Not enough of a jump going from the 4 valve high compression 250cc to the 400cc + bikes to really make them worth considering especially if you have to trade off safety. BTW: The Sport City takes the same size front tire as the Burgman and Majesty however has a larger 15" rear tire compared to the 13" or 14" rear tires on the others. |
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Post by rockynv on Jul 7, 2016 11:48:06 GMT -5
Interesting article. They remove the fatty acids that smell so it will probably be pretty tough for those who live down wind from the processing plant but the roadways should be odor free..
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Post by rockynv on Jul 7, 2016 11:40:08 GMT -5
Accident avoidance was covered, classroom and on the range, as was crossing obstacles...but there was no obstacle-jumping on the range. I have no interest in retaking the BRC. Compared to your Sport City, I have equal or smaller tires and more weight...and, again, I cannot really stand on the floorboards. A bit of a dangerous scooter if you can't lean forward while pulling on the handle bars to transfer your weight to the floorboards in an emergency. Would have been a deal breaker for me regardless of any other compelling features the bike has. You basically can't properly deal with potholes, speed bumps or any other road hazards on that bike. Sorry to hear you got stuck with a bike with such a serious design flaw. I would trade it in on something that you can ride more safely. |
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Post by rockynv on Jul 7, 2016 0:39:20 GMT -5
It really does not matter what you ride, if you hit sand or leaves, coming around a corner have a deer jump out in front of you or find a flock of buzzards in the road - because if you go down without gear you are going to sustain much more substantial injuries. We have lost too may dear friends on this and others riders forums to deny this is the case. New riders should not be encouraged by the vocal few to believe that gear does not make a difference in survivabilty or severity of injury in a crash.
When I looked at the carnage this past week locally it was a cruser rider loosing control and killed running into a tree on the median while wearing minimal gear and a scooter rider killed by a red light runner while no sport bikes were involved.
A sport biker a while ago was hit by a motorhome while he was doing the posted on the interstate however his gear saved him from the inattentive motorhome driver who went from the entrance ramp straight to the center lane and knocked him off his new bike at 70 mph. Thankfully no one ran over him and he walked away and was able to continue on with his day and start shopping for a replacement bike.
A scooter rider on another board went down at below 20 mph but was not wearing anything more than a half helmet and street clothes. He woke up in the ER a few weeks later and has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on his years of rehab and will never walk right again even though he also was just knocked off the bike without getting run over. Having his jaw wired and the other facial injuries that a full helmet would have 100% prevented were the hardest injuries for him to deal with.
Most hard core sport bike riders I know are talking about not riding their sport bikes on the streets any more and saving them from track days because of militant road rage against sport bike riders. They ride cruisers or scooters on the streets and would not dream of getting on even a scooter and riding off without their gear on.
New riders please do not listen to the very vocal anti-gear crowd and you will increase your chances of walking away from most slides and simple accidents that others without gear will need hospitalization and lengthy recovery times for along with painful facial reconstruction. Studies are interesting trivia however real world experience shows that time and again more of our member who wear their safety gear walk away from accidents than those that do not wear their gear.
I do statistical analysis for a living and too many tell us the story that they want to tell using the data and are not really interested in doing the detective work to see what the data really shows. Many of the anti-gear articles are just spin doctoring of data that also shows or weights more heavily to the opposite of what they are presenting making the anti-gear conclusions invalid.
All bikes can be great fun and if they keep you able to ride that's wonderful and nobody is stupid or less intelligent if they like one style or make of bike over another. Lets just keep it safe so we are all more likely to be able to ride another day.
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Post by rockynv on Jul 2, 2016 8:47:43 GMT -5
Read the fine print on the addendum on your PIP or general health insurance policies as many while the agent won't ask will have a section titled something like Extreme or High Risk activities that will not be covered. Under those types of addendum's many policies are putting waivers excluding riding without a helmet or even riding a motorcycle from being covered.... eh. I fell down, buggered my shoulder and broke four ribs. Went the emergency thingie, later went to various doctors, no one cared that I fell on my scoot. Motorcycle riding is not an extreme high risk activity -- unless you are playing racer on the streets. I am seeing these types of articles coming up in the news and in company health plan bulletins. Note that has been ongoing since the 1980'/1990's. The past 3 companies I have worked for all had riding a motorcycle without a helmet and gear listed as "Risky Activity" or "Extreme Risk Activity" and exempted from coverage. The AMA (American Motorcycle Association) thought that HIPAA would stop this however it has not. Regardless of what you personally think, we need to be aware that the insurance industry and a growing number of employers list Motorcycle Riding as Risky, High Risk or Extreme Risk Activity especially if you are not wearing a helmet and gear. Those are the well published facts and not just my own personal opinion. The more people who are encouraged to flaunt safety and such the more employers and insurance companies are going to be restricting coverage. Just because they said nothing the last time does not mean that they are going to continue to do so especially if other businesses and insurance vendors are setting a precedence in this. Riders who keep pushing this anti-gear thing are just going to make it tougher and more expensive for all of us. Here is the undeniable reality of things that we all need to consider if we ride: www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1562516/postswww.examiner.com/article/insurance-companies-can-deny-coverage-for-motorcycle-accidentsBottom line we all need to wear safety gear and stop fueling this reaction from Businesses and the Insurance Industry as we are all suffering to a degree now due to the rebels and if they continue then its only going to get worse. Note that even Geico now has restrictions on how many miles you can ride per day and still be covered and excludes riding that “might result in bodily injury" as a very vague and broad get out of jail clause that could be applied to an extremely broad range of situations. Yes you are technically free to do your own thing however you can't claim it does not impact others, has no consequences nor should one encourage the unknowing to engage in similar unsafe practices. We all need to be aware that riding without gear brings the additional risk of being denied health coverage and potentially loss of employment. If the few keep pushing things we may see riding a Motorcycle or Scooter at all set as grounds for being denied insurance coverage or set as grounds for termination of employment. As for hate the thing I would hate would be to see a note about loosing a member of this board because they rode without a helmet after reading a naysayers anti-gear posting only to die in a relatively minor accident that even a cheap $39 helmet could have saved them from. I love everyone here like a brother, sister, son or daughter and don't want to loose any of them. |
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Post by rockynv on Jul 2, 2016 8:18:41 GMT -5
Too bad he was wearing shorts if I remember correctly. Here MSF training includes riding over obstacles. The instructors in the class I took used 2X4, 4X4 lumber and fence posts to train us how to ride over obstacles we could not avoid. Despite the illusion the foam compacted down to a relatively small obstacle that should have been fairly easy to ride over if the rider had sufficient training through the MSF. Makes me glad its mandatory in Florida and that the trainers were so adamant about accident avoidance and riding over obstacles in the roadway. After I took my class I had a truck drop a load of 6X6 cut offs in front of me which I had to ride out standing on the floorboards of my scooter. Fortunate I did not damage a rim or blow a tire. I took the class...barely anything was said about riding over obstacles, and there was zero practical instruction about it. I don't think I could actually do that...I really can't stand on my floorboards, and I suspect that hitting a 4x4 would blow my front tire and probably bend the forks. Here since its a licensing requirement the curriculum is per the State DMV and accident avoidance is a major part of the course however I was under the impression that the accident avoidance training was required Nationally along with staying out of the Dead Zone which the rider in the video found out the hard way why they call it the Dead Zone. On the street while riding home from work I rode over a number of 4X4 and 6X6 random lengths on 120/70-15 in the front and 190/80-15 in the rear at about 40 mph with no tire or rim damage however I was on the floorboards and rolling the throttle up to lighten the load on the front as we were drilled for hours on end. The Sport City 250 handled the event similar to the Honda Rebel and Suzuki 250's provided by MSF. If you stay seated and don't give it throttle then yes the load on the front tire and forks can do a lot of damage when hitting debris in the roadway. Let the National MSF know that accident avoidance and obstacle training was omitted by the vendor who provided your course. They may take action to correct that and give you a free retake of the Basic Riders course. |
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Post by rockynv on Jul 1, 2016 11:50:18 GMT -5
I didn't get a chance to see the video. And I can't find where you've moved it to. I checked the safety section but it doesn't seem to be there? Please bring it back for us laggards who didn't get to it yest. Thanks! >'Kat It appears that the YouTube user removed it. |
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Post by rockynv on Jul 1, 2016 5:13:43 GMT -5
Because until paramedics are instructed to let non-helmeted riders bleed out in the gutter (something I would be entirely in favor of), they cost an enormous amount of money. Statistically, helmeted riders have the same risk of deaths/accident as unhelmeted riders. Motorcycle insurance companies don't even ask if the rider uses ATGATT or nothing. The money is the same, helmeted or not. As again, why do you hate people that ride differently than you? Read the fine print on the addendum on your PIP or general health insurance policies as many while the agent won't ask will have a section titled something like Extreme or High Risk activities that will not be covered. Under those types of addendum's many policies are putting waivers excluding riding without a helmet or even riding a motorcycle from being covered. The US Military covers this a grounds for disciplinary action and some employers have it listed as an act of employee misconduct which can get you terminated with loss of benefits. One has to understand that there is more here than just ones personal opinion on the matter. You can loose your job and health/medical/personal injury benefits along with life insurance coverage for riding without the required safety gear. The money most definitely is not the same and that is just nonsense spouted by helmet haters as time and time again we see riders with bashed up helmets and gear walking away completely unharmed from slides and offs at even 70 mph where the sides of the helmets are almost ground through and so beat up that the riders would have had died and then we see scooter riders who tumbled off at below 20 mph ending up near death and going through years of rehab because they hit their head, broke jaws, damaged shoulders, mangled hands and had other such injuries that would have been 99% prevented by wearing the appropriate gear. These are the facts that many of us are personally aware of not just over hyped studies that were slanted to promote the anti-helmet mentality. The only hate here is toward having to pay $1000 more for PIP because so many people who ride flaunt safety. |
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...still pulling, but on the redline. With Dr. Pulley sliders, mine will comfortably exceed that speed, though I've not topped it out since the swap. A 650 will top out around 115...I think also redline limited.
to 100 mph which is what my Sport City tops out at.