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Nzoner's Game Room>The Motorcycle Discussion Thread
Dayze 11:41 AM 06-07-2013
I figure there are some motorcycle guys/gals on CP, so I thought we could have a place to talk all things Motorcycles.

Tire Mount and Balance Prices (as of 10/29/16)

Prices based on if you remove the wheels yourself and bring the wheels and new tires with you:

Cycle Gear - $35 per wheel if you buy tires from them. $58 per wheel if you buy tires elsewhere
Rawhide - $65 per wheel (assuming it would be the same at other HD dealers. they book it at 1/2 hr per wheel)
C R Cycle Tires (DeSoto) - $30 per wheel

Cheapest I've found my Michelin Commander II's. Seem like they have good prices on other brands too.
http://www.jakewilson.com - Free 3 day shipping on orders over $75
[Reply]
Lzen 09:42 AM 04-28-2021
Originally Posted by SuperChief:
Thanks for the info. I've sat on a Shadow (don't remember much about it other than it was a Honda Shadow) and it felt small. I'm about 6'3", 325. I will definitely take a class - have seen the ones you're talking about in Top City, but I may go with a cheaper version over in the KC area.
Oh, yeah, you're a lot bigger than I. You will need a bigger bike.
[Reply]
SuperChief 10:06 AM 04-28-2021
Originally Posted by Lzen:
Oh, yeah, you're a lot bigger than I. You will need a bigger bike.
Any general tips for new riders? I'm in hardcore learning mode, and gaining some insight from experienced riders is most definitely appreciated!
[Reply]
Dayze 12:17 PM 04-28-2021
Originally Posted by SuperChief:
Any general tips for new riders? I'm in hardcore learning mode, and gaining some insight from experienced riders is most definitely appreciated!
My $.02


riding class/course (as others have suggested); not sure where you're located, but there are 2 Harley dealers local here in KC that I know of that have their own designated area/practice/course where they offer classes. My brother signed up for a class at a local Community College when he started out.

Find a small, cheap bike to learn on/ride/improve. Vstar 650 would be fine (I rode one for probably 3 years). If you re interested in that Cruise segment, any middlweight 650/750 UJM will be fine. Something cheap enough you won't be upset when you dump it at a gas station, parking lot, driveway; or some other slow speed oopsie. you will do it....everyone I know has :-) myself included.


Then start logging miles; and keep practicing. hell, I still go out fairly often and just practice a particular thing; slow speed manuever; emergency stop; trail braking; etc.

Don't ride above your head; becoming very proficient with motorcycles takes time. Take things slow.

Buy gear / set aside a good chunk of cash on good gear. This is a divisive sugject as you'll hear from both sides. I'm a gear guy. i've been down twice; once in full gear on my Ninja 600; only suffered a broken bone in my hand. Went down in t=shirt , jeans, boots and helmet on my Street Glide about 5 years ago; beanie helmet was caved in (would've killed me if I didn't have it), and I slid on my back, shoulders, and rolled to my foreamrs and slid on the pavement around 45mph. Road rash sucks . Just wear gear. I think there are even some rash pics in this thread somewhere.

If you're debating on whether to get gear....next time you're driving 6o MPH down the road in your car, ask yourself if you'd open the door and jump out of the car. If the answer is no....buy gear. :-)

quite a few good youtube vids out there as well.
one comes to mind is Motojitsu series. would be a great resource for beginners and experienced alike.

Twist of the Wrist is another. it's older, but it's great info.
[Reply]
GloryDayz 01:48 PM 04-28-2021
Originally Posted by Dayze:
My $.02


riding class/course (as others have suggested); not sure where you're located, but there are 2 Harley dealers local here in KC that I know of that have their own designated area/practice/course where they offer classes. My brother signed up for a class at a local Community College when he started out.

Find a small, cheap bike to learn on/ride/improve. Vstar 650 would be fine (I rode one for probably 3 years). If you re interested in that Cruise segment, any middlweight 650/750 UJM will be fine. Something cheap enough you won't be upset when you dump it at a gas station, parking lot, driveway; or some other slow speed oopsie. you will do it....everyone I know has :-) myself included.


Then start logging miles; and keep practicing. hell, I still go out fairly often and just practice a particular thing; slow speed manuever; emergency stop; trail braking; etc.

Don't ride above your head; becoming very proficient with motorcycles takes time. Take things slow.

Buy gear / set aside a good chunk of cash on good gear. This is a divisive sugject as you'll hear from both sides. I'm a gear guy. i've been down twice; once in full gear on my Ninja 600; only suffered a broken bone in my hand. Went down in t=shirt , jeans, boots and helmet on my Street Glide about 5 years ago; beanie helmet was caved in (would've killed me if I didn't have it), and I slid on my back, shoulders, and rolled to my foreamrs and slid on the pavement around 45mph. Road rash sucks . Just wear gear. I think there are even some rash pics in this thread somewhere.

If you're debating on whether to get gear....next time you're driving 6o MPH down the road in your car, ask yourself if you'd open the door and jump out of the car. If the answer is no....buy gear. :-)

quite a few good youtube vids out there as well.
one comes to mind is Motojitsu series. would be a great resource for beginners and experienced alike.

Twist of the Wrist is another. it's older, but it's great info.
ALL OF THIS!!!!
[Reply]
Perineum Ripper 02:04 PM 04-28-2021
Kawi has the Vulcan 900 that would probably not be too bad for a bigger guy. I used to ride my ex father in law’s Harley Wide Glide, I’m 6’3 but around 250-260 and it worked well with forward controls on it. Indian has the Scout Bobber that’s not terrible for bigger guys.


Dayze also gave tons of good advice in his post
[Reply]
ModSocks 02:12 PM 04-28-2021
So, as some of you may know i work at a shop where we build classic Mustangs. We build them, build custom parts for them, sell parts online etc.

Anyway, we've been messing around with motorcycles lately. Particularly the KTM's and Indian Scouts.

If anyone here rides an Indian Scout, we've developed a sick storage rack for the back of them. We found that the options available are pretty shitty so we made our own.

We've negotiated a deal with the local Indian dealer in San Diego and they're going to start carrying them and equipping them as an option on their new bike sales.

We're also in the middle of developing one for the Bobber. The local dealership has offered to supply us with any bike we want so we can adapt our storage rack to bikes in the Indian line up.

As of right now this is a new product not offered anywhere aside from our local dealership and not even they have them yet. So if anyone is interested P.M me for more info.
[Reply]
Perineum Ripper 03:01 PM 04-28-2021
Originally Posted by Detoxing:
So, as some of you may know i work at a shop where we build classic Mustangs. We build them, build custom parts for them, sell parts online etc.

Anyway, we've been messing around with motorcycles lately. Particularly the KTM's and Indian Scouts.

If anyone here rides an Indian Scout, we've developed a sick storage rack for the back of them. We found that the options available are pretty shitty so we made our own.

We've negotiated a deal with the local Indian dealer in San Diego and they're going to start carrying them and equipping them as an option on their new bike sales.

We're also in the middle of developing one for the Bobber. The local dealership has offered to supply us with any bike we want so we can adapt our storage rack to bikes in the Indian line up.

As of right now this is a new product not offered anywhere aside from our local dealership and not even they have them yet. So if anyone is interested P.M me for more info.


I have a buddy who rides one, so I would definitely like some info to pass along to him. I also know a few guys who work at the local Indian dealership, I could put a word in there ear about the rack if you like.


Columbia, MO is where I’m at
[Reply]
SuperChief 03:02 PM 04-28-2021
Originally Posted by Dayze:
My $.02


riding class/course (as others have suggested); not sure where you're located, but there are 2 Harley dealers local here in KC that I know of that have their own designated area/practice/course where they offer classes. My brother signed up for a class at a local Community College when he started out.

Find a small, cheap bike to learn on/ride/improve. Vstar 650 would be fine (I rode one for probably 3 years). If you re interested in that Cruise segment, any middlweight 650/750 UJM will be fine. Something cheap enough you won't be upset when you dump it at a gas station, parking lot, driveway; or some other slow speed oopsie. you will do it....everyone I know has :-) myself included.


Then start logging miles; and keep practicing. hell, I still go out fairly often and just practice a particular thing; slow speed manuever; emergency stop; trail braking; etc.

Don't ride above your head; becoming very proficient with motorcycles takes time. Take things slow.

Buy gear / set aside a good chunk of cash on good gear. This is a divisive sugject as you'll hear from both sides. I'm a gear guy. i've been down twice; once in full gear on my Ninja 600; only suffered a broken bone in my hand. Went down in t=shirt , jeans, boots and helmet on my Street Glide about 5 years ago; beanie helmet was caved in (would've killed me if I didn't have it), and I slid on my back, shoulders, and rolled to my foreamrs and slid on the pavement around 45mph. Road rash sucks . Just wear gear. I think there are even some rash pics in this thread somewhere.

If you're debating on whether to get gear....next time you're driving 6o MPH down the road in your car, ask yourself if you'd open the door and jump out of the car. If the answer is no....buy gear. :-)

quite a few good youtube vids out there as well.
one comes to mind is Motojitsu series. would be a great resource for beginners and experienced alike.

Twist of the Wrist is another. it's older, but it's great info.
Really, really good stuff - thank you mucho!

I started looking into a couple things you mentioned already. The Motojitsu series is great. I wasn't at all familiar with the Kawasaki Vulcan 900 until Mac brought it up, but after checking it out, I am definitely liking it. I'm thinking between that and the Yamaha Vstar 900 I will probably come away okay with a good starter bike.

I am already stashing some money away for gear. I have a healthy fear of motorcycles and high speed, so safety is definitely a priority for me. I'm going to take a class (probably in the KC area), and go slow with everything. I have no desire to take shortcuts with this process, as I want to learn and put in the work to become a proficient rider.

Again, thanks for the input!
[Reply]
stevieray 05:38 PM 04-28-2021
Originally Posted by SuperChief:
Really, really good stuff - thank you mucho!

I started looking into a couple things you mentioned already. The Motojitsu series is great. I wasn't at all familiar with the Kawasaki Vulcan 900 until Mac brought it up, but after checking it out, I am definitely liking it. I'm thinking between that and the Yamaha Vstar 900 I will probably come away okay with a good starter bike.

I am already stashing some money away for gear. I have a healthy fear of motorcycles and high speed, so safety is definitely a priority for me. I'm going to take a class (probably in the KC area), and go slow with everything. I have no desire to take shortcuts with this process, as I want to learn and put in the work to become a proficient rider.

Again, thanks for the input!
You might consider a CB900 custom, also...not going to brake the bank, really solid bike with plenty of power, more of an upright riding position which is probably better for a first time rider. Just the mechanics of riding and learning to counter steer in the curves, etc.

You're bigger so a heavier bike won't effect you as much as lighter rider. The earlier Gold Wings up to 81 are great highway cruisers.

And to reiterate what Dayze said, dress for the slide, not the ride.
That includes a solid pair of boots.

I'm excited for you!

Keep us posted!
[Reply]
GloryDayz 05:45 PM 04-28-2021
Originally Posted by SuperChief:
Really, really good stuff - thank you mucho!

I started looking into a couple things you mentioned already. The Motojitsu series is great. I wasn't at all familiar with the Kawasaki Vulcan 900 until Mac brought it up, but after checking it out, I am definitely liking it. I'm thinking between that and the Yamaha Vstar 900 I will probably come away okay with a good starter bike.

I am already stashing some money away for gear. I have a healthy fear of motorcycles and high speed, so safety is definitely a priority for me. I'm going to take a class (probably in the KC area), and go slow with everything. I have no desire to take shortcuts with this process, as I want to learn and put in the work to become a proficient rider.

Again, thanks for the input!
Here's one option:

https://www.kcsafetycenter.com/
[Reply]
Dayze 06:22 PM 04-28-2021
Originally Posted by SuperChief:
Really, really good stuff - thank you mucho!

I started looking into a couple things you mentioned already. The Motojitsu series is great. I wasn't at all familiar with the Kawasaki Vulcan 900 until Mac brought it up, but after checking it out, I am definitely liking it. I'm thinking between that and the Yamaha Vstar 900 I will probably come away okay with a good starter bike.

I am already stashing some money away for gear. I have a healthy fear of motorcycles and high speed, so safety is definitely a priority for me. I'm going to take a class (probably in the KC area), and go slow with everything. I have no desire to take shortcuts with this process, as I want to learn and put in the work to become a proficient rider.

Again, thanks for the input!
sounds like you have a great mindset to learn.
I'd budget probably $300-500 for.a good helmet (depending on what kind/style; ensure DOT and/or Snell rated);
probably $150 for a good boot with heel and toe re-enforcement;
probably $50-100 for gloves;
$150 for some riding jeans, or something with some great abrasion resistance / reenforced.
and probably $200-500 for a good jacket, depending on why kind / if you're looking for a warm season only jacket, or a 3 season type.

And if you happen upon anything that says their product has 'armor' (back, knees, hips, elbows etc).....make sure it's rated at least as CE1 or higher. Some companies tout they have 'armor' in their gear, and it's nothing more than hard foam that 'might' protect against some rash, but will likely disintegrate in a slide, but also won't do anything in terms of impact dispersion protection like CE1, CE2 etc. I'm not suggesting you have to go full-on sport bike gear, but just something to keep an eye on. These days there is a lot of really nice gear out there that appears 'casual', that actually offer decent-to-good protection. My main go to in my gear stash is some cargo looking pants that have kevlar in the knees, hips and ass; and inserts for armor in the knees, and hips which I have inserted CE2 level armor .



The good thing about the UJMs, is they such a great value; dead reliable. Yamaha & Kawasaki's would be a great choice; and although I haven' been in the used market for a while, they have always had a great used segement / market out there. Mainly of guys who either bought them new and never rode them and now it's time to sell it; or, someone who bought it used, and never rode it / got spooked, wife said get rid of it etc.....now it's time to sell it. Hell, I think I bought my V Star from a 1 owner, husband of a friend of my wife's co worker. It was 3 years old at the time, and only had 1700 miles on it. Dude was superstitious because every time e rode it, he got deployed again (Army) lol. I bought it for $3500; rode it for 3 years, and sold it for $3k. Started every time. never a single issue.
[Reply]
Lzen 08:34 PM 04-28-2021
I like everything Dayze said. I remember my buddy telling me I would dump the bike within the first year. Well, that never happened. However, I did set it down a couple of times but those were both at a standstill. One was backing out of my driveway and the other was trying to put the kickstand in an unstable gravel driveway. But those were learning experiences for sure.

As for riding gear, I definitely feel much safer having leathers but there's no way I would wear that in warm weather. There is something to be said for being comfortable and not overheated. That being said, I would never ride while wearing shorts.
But I do wear a helmet every time I ride. Gotta protect the brain pan
[Reply]
Lzen 08:39 PM 04-28-2021
SuperChief, one last thing. You said you have a healthy fear of motorcycles and high speed. Once you start riding and then eventually start riding on highways, you will get over that. I would suggest that you try to get over your healthy fear of motorcycles and high speed but never lose your respect for them. 😉
[Reply]
cooper barrett 08:57 PM 04-28-2021
Just buy well taken care of Kawasaki Concours from the Early 2000’s. They are a great bike for big tall guys. Oh and did I mention low mileage, well maintained they sell for about $2K?


https://advrider.com/kawasaki-concou...-on-the-cheap/
[Reply]
Dayze 07:29 AM 04-29-2021
yeah, these days they make some great gear for all climates.

I have a great 3 season jacket from Rev'It; liner allows me to ride up until probably sub 40's (honestly probably colder but my gloves aren't up to it); remove it, and the mesh I can ride in the dead heat of summer; mesh on the chest and top of the arms,but kevlar on the bottom arms, shoulders and back; I think the abbrasion rating is something like a 7 second slide. and CE in the shoulders, elbows & forearms, and back plate. I had to buy the back plate separate but it came with an insert. I think the jacket was like 350 (i think); great do it all jacket
https://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/...SABEgIB3PD_BwE

I'd love to get a pair of the same style/line pants, but I haven't had luck finding any in my size; likely pandemic related. and most of the Euro gear, they don't seem to make sizes for American fat guys lol


I ride with these once the temps start to climb; not ultimate protection, but as Lzen said...always a balance of safety / comfort (heat). They provide good heel, toe, and ankle deflection protection
https://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/...sh-2-air-boots

Mostly ride with these; well, not 'these' specifically; but similar style; I've had them for years; cant' recall the exact brand, but similar style and price point,. They do well until temps climb to the mid-90s then things get a little wam.
https://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/...ccia-dry-boots



last year I switched it up and started wearing base layers under my gear, and I LOVE the difference. I bought some Klim baselayers; got 2 pairs of pants and shirts. Work damn good. Granted, if you're just gonna go for a quick 20 minute jaunt, and maybe hit a bike night or something, it's a bit overkill. But I REALLY like wearing them on any sort of day ride/ or trip cold or hot.
https://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/...ol-10-ss-shirt



I do need a new helmet this year; I've been riding with a pretty basic/ entry KJC for many years and it's finally showing it's age. Plus, I'd like to upgrade to something that does better wind noise reduction and has an internal sun visor; haven't decided on modular or full face.
[Reply]
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