Car Enthusiast Club [Now Motorcycle friendly!] - First thread to 150k! ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[Bitter]

15 hours ago, vetali said:

Pics are really blown out due to screenshotting... but damn they nailed the Type R this time. Still not a fan of the side skirt design though. Feels reminiscent of the FK8. Drives great. Butt dyno says its kinda a dog in the lower RPMs like a typical older Honda. Didn't rev it out though.

Maybe it's the angle but that fromt shot looks highly unappealing. Giving me Fiat Multipla vibes lol...

[Guest]

3 hours ago, PandaCopyRight said:

Grom is not exactly a bike to use for commuting as it has both the downsides of small bikes and downsides of small scooters.
Nor does it benefit fuel economy with the 125cc engine as the early models (until recently) have only a 4 speed gearbox
its only popular because its cheap and easy to do stupid shit on without getting in trouble for speeding. Its kinda like the BMX bike of the motorcycle world.
it is not a bad bike for what it is, but you'd never want to commute on it as its a lot smaller than a regular bike or even scooters.

No amount of aftermarket parts will fix the ergonomic issue of it being a very tiny bike and you might not physically fit on it.
Sure if you are small enough you might be comfortable on it, but thats not often the case.

Also just remembered that for rough estimate of the seating position and ergonomics you can use this website, doesnt have all the bikes in the world .. but for a rough estimate picking a similar bike usually works.
https://cycle-ergo.com/

I'll have to think about it more ...

 

The only reason I really think about the Grom is that I don't intend to go super far with it and it's known to be reliable. 

 

Moped are too commonly made to lower standards from what I understand (and I don't really understand much about that market)

 

Maybe I'll look back at the dual sports. 

[Bitter]

Nothing wrong with a good Scooter for a commuter. There's some which have larger engines and motorcycle handling if you're after a fun commute. FortNine has some good videos about different motorcycles and some scooters.

[vetali]

6 hours ago, Bitter said:

Maybe it's the angle but that fromt shot looks highly unappealing. Giving me Fiat Multipla vibes lol...

I can't get the pics right by screenshotting, but I thought the 11th gens looked dumb until I saw them in person. I think they look pretty good in hatch form, and the Type R looks great.

 

Personally I like the new Integra a bit more.

[PandaCopyRight]

5 hours ago, fpo said:

I'll have to think about it more ...

 

The only reason I really think about the Grom is that I don't intend to go super far with it and it's known to be reliable. 

 

Moped are too commonly made to lower standards from what I understand (and I don't really understand much about that market)

 

Maybe I'll look back at the dual sports. 

Genuinely if you are considering a grom for a commuter, get a 125cc scooter ... it would be much better for that

[Bitter]

53 minutes ago, vetali said:

 

I can't get the pics right by screenshotting, but I thought the 11th gens looked dumb until I saw them in person. I think they look pretty good in hatch form, and the Type R looks great.

 

Personally I like the new Integra a bit more.

The rear shot looks great. Up front, how much does that under-bite stick out??

[vetali]

6 minutes ago, Bitter said:

The rear shot looks great. Up front, how much does that under-bite stick out??

Taken from the savagegeese vid.

[Guest]

6 hours ago, Bitter said:

Nothing wrong with a good Scooter for a commuter. There's some which have larger engines and motorcycle handling if you're after a fun commute. FortNine has some good videos about different motorcycles and some scooters.

 

48 minutes ago, PandaCopyRight said:

Genuinely if you are considering a grom for a commuter, get a 125cc scooter ... it would be much better for that

 

 

One reason I didn't go scooter was that the 125cc scooters from Japan (reliable brands) are all like $5,000 USD or more. 

So I figured I'd check out some of the motor cycles. 

 

Someone tried talking me into checking out KTM but I still don't know about their reliability compared to Honda. 

 

I'm probably going to save up for a while and go back to the dealership with the ground rule of Honda and go from there. 

[Bitter]

11 hours ago, vetali said:

Taken from the savagegeese vid.

Oh that front shot you posted made it look like it stuck out a foot. That's not bad at all.

[bcredeur97]

@Bitter turns out that pressure sensor on the Touareg was actually broken 

 

They dropped the rear section of the exhaust, and the SCR tank, and replaced the pump assembly (which has the sensor under warranty. It’s a $350 part 

 

they didn’t even touch the fuse box. I left the wipers slightly misaligned and they are the same. They would if had to remove them to get to it lol 

 

they actually didn’t do anything else whatsoever. Car was even still dirty when I picked it up, half expected them to wash it lol 

 

Have the car back now. I bought that eBay fuse box just to save for a rainy day lol

[PandaCopyRight]

11 hours ago, fpo said:

 

 

 

One reason I didn't go scooter was that the 125cc scooters from Japan (reliable brands) are all like $5,000 USD or more. 

So I figured I'd check out some of the motor cycles. 

 

Someone tried talking me into checking out KTM but I still don't know about their reliability compared to Honda. 

 

I'm probably going to save up for a while and go back to the dealership with the ground rule of Honda and go from there. 

Exactly why i advised to get like a 400cc bike or a larger scooter originally, as they are not much more than a 125 and are easier to live with on a daily basis.

Would seriously look into the larger scooters, id say Suzuki Burgman 400 but that can get quite expensive especially since you can get a Kawasaki Ninja 400 or Kawasaki Z400 for about $5500. Yamaha also has an R3 or MT03 that are roughly the same class of bikes for the same price, same with Honda with the CB300R and CBR300R (would go for kawaski cause best performance for $ and reliability is more or less the same for all of them)

KTM you need to go for like the 640, 690, 790, 890 or 990 for the decently reliable ones ... or a 1290/1301 if you can live with some reliability issues and the initial purchase cost of all of them tend to be more than Japanese alternatives.

 

Genuinely Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki and Yamaha all have options to look for

[Guest]

2 hours ago, PandaCopyRight said:

Exactly why i advised to get like a 400cc bike or a larger scooter originally, as they are not much more than a 125 and are easier to live with on a daily basis.

Would seriously look into the larger scooters, id say Suzuki Burgman 400 but that can get quite expensive especially since you can get a Kawasaki Ninja 400 or Kawasaki Z400 for about $5500. Yamaha also has an R3 or MT03 that are roughly the same class of bikes for the same price, same with Honda with the CB300R and CBR300R (would go for kawaski cause best performance for $ and reliability is more or less the same for all of them)

KTM you need to go for like the 640, 690, 790, 890 or 990 for the decently reliable ones ... or a 1290/1301 if you can live with some reliability issues and the initial purchase cost of all of them tend to be more than Japanese alternatives.

 

Genuinely Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki and Yamaha all have options to look for

Yeah I was doing some research yesterday and leaning towards a Honda dual sport again and just replacing the seat with something more comfortable. 

 

Some of the reviews for Honda CRF 250 were saying it's a bit "weak" in power. 

Some were saying it's better to be a bit weaker when you're learning. 

I ride my bicycle all the time, & so I'm guessing I'll be okay in a slightly larger bike. My cousin said his bike was a Suzuki drz 400 and it was no problem for him to get into that. 

 

One of the reasons I didn't just buy something was cuz motorcycles are expensive lol. Not just like buying a $300 graphics card after some YouTube videos. 

Thousands of dollars entry price, then parts and maintenance. 

 

I see you mentioned KTM...

Some interesting things I've read said KTM are often tortured and that's why they're considered unreliable. 

Is it because they're pushed too hard over the edge or are they actually demanding in maintenance? 

[TVwazhere]

I rarely take photos of my car anymore, but there's just something about fresh snow

 

In other news I just bought NFS unbound for $35 on steam. It's my first NFS game since hot pursuit in 2013 maybe? One thing I wish it had was its one user radio, because the current song list isn't really my taste. 

[JoaoPRSousa]

17 minutes ago, TVwazhere said:

I rarely take photos of my car anymore, but there's just something about fresh snow

 

 

In other news I just bought NFS unbound for $35 on steam. It's my first NFS game since hot pursuit in 2013 maybe? One thing I wish it had was its one user radio, because the current song list isn't really my taste. 

 

Gearbox still holding up? Damn. 

 

I wish games still allowed user radios... Really felt the same with Payback and Heat. Yet to play Unbound but I think I'd feel the same exact way.

[TVwazhere]

5 minutes ago, JoaoPRSousa said:

Gearbox still holding up? Damn. 

I fucking hope so, I spent enough damn money on it I just hit over 60k miles on it, so it's got at least 30k on the rebuild since I shipped it out to Colorado, and 2nd gear hasn't ever given me any issues. I havent done anything super interesting to the car in almost three years, but I do need to install the LED ST badge my gf got me the Christmas before last (Long story short it was designed for the OEM grill so I'm designing and 3D printing my own bracket, and I'm being lazy)

6 minutes ago, JoaoPRSousa said:

I wish games still allowed user radios... Really felt the same with Payback and Heat. Yet to play Unbound but I think I'd feel the same exact way.

I really loved the option in GTA5 since they mixed in "normal radio" alongside the users music. That would be my ideal since I kinda enjoy the political campaigning interviews as a sorta world-building, but I'm only about 3 hours into the game. 

[PandaCopyRight]

23 hours ago, fpo said:

Yeah I was doing some research yesterday and leaning towards a Honda dual sport again and just replacing the seat with something more comfortable. 

 

Some of the reviews for Honda CRF 250 were saying it's a bit "weak" in power. 

Some were saying it's better to be a bit weaker when you're learning. 

I ride my bicycle all the time, & so I'm guessing I'll be okay in a slightly larger bike. My cousin said his bike was a Suzuki drz 400 and it was no problem for him to get into that. 

 

One of the reasons I didn't just buy something was cuz motorcycles are expensive lol. Not just like buying a $300 graphics card after some YouTube videos. 

Thousands of dollars entry price, then parts and maintenance. 

 

I see you mentioned KTM...

Some interesting things I've read said KTM are often tortured and that's why they're considered unreliable. 

Is it because they're pushed too hard over the edge or are they actually demanding in maintenance? 

I mean replacing the seat is doable, not the cheapest idea, but would work as long as the rest of the ergonomics you like.

 

Id recommend the CRF300 over the CRF250, if you can afford to ... Most people will say they are weak in power but its a 300cc .. its not exactly meant for power 
and its 100% better to learn on a 300 than like a 1000 or even a 600 ... 

 

Yeah vehicles in general are not cheap so thats fully understandable. im just trying to help with advice in general either way.

 

Yes KTM can get tortured quite a bit and usually come better speced from the factory.. but the Japanese made bikes tend to take more punishment .. .though if maintened properly ... any decent bike should last... just avoid most of the Italian bikes they tend to be more problematic over the rest

[Guest]

41 minutes ago, PandaCopyRight said:

I mean replacing the seat is doable, not the cheapest idea, but would work as long as the rest of the ergonomics you like.

 

Id recommend the CRF300 over the CRF250, if you can afford to ... Most people will say they are weak in power but its a 300cc .. its not exactly meant for power 
and its 100% better to learn on a 300 than like a 1000 or even a 600 ... 

That's what I was thinking. Honda doesn't seem to make the street legal 250L anymore anyway. 

Seats are only a couple hundred bucks which can wait a bit after purchase if need be. 

41 minutes ago, PandaCopyRight said:

Yeah vehicles in general are not cheap so thats fully understandable. im just trying to help with advice in general either way.

 

Yes KTM can get tortured quite a bit and usually come better speced from the factory.. but the Japanese made bikes tend to take more punishment .. .though if maintened properly ... any decent bike should last... just avoid most of the Italian bikes they tend to be more problematic over the rest

I might skip KTM just cuz their stuff starts at like 11 grand USD for my starter bike. 

 

Thanks for the insight. 

I'll save up for a Honda CRF 300L and see what's available new and used when I'm ready. 

Hopefully they're attainable if I need one order and it's not the graphics card situation all over again lol. 

[PandaCopyRight]

11 minutes ago, fpo said:

That's what I was thinking. Honda doesn't seem to make the street legal 250L anymore anyway. 

Seats are only a couple hundred bucks which can wait a bit after purchase if need be. 

I might skip KTM just cuz their stuff starts at like 11 grand USD for my starter bike. 

 

Thanks for the insight. 

I'll save up for a Honda CRF 300L and see what's available new and used when I'm ready. 

Hopefully they're attainable if I need one order and it's not the graphics card situation all over again lol. 

Yeah i agree with skipping the KTM for a 1st bike, they are good bikes, but for a 1st bike you want something that doesnt kill your wallet

Yeah the CRF300 availability has been a bit shitty as its quite a recent bike, but if you are in no rush to get one, then it should be fine.

[Bitter]

https://m.youtube.com/c/FortNine

This is an excellent YouTube channel that's got generally solid information and presents it in an easy and entertaining format. For sure check them for reviews about whatever bike you're looking at.

[Guest]

3 hours ago, PandaCopyRight said:

Yeah i agree with skipping the KTM for a 1st bike, they are good bikes, but for a 1st bike you want something that doesnt kill your wallet

Yeah the CRF300 availability has been a bit shitty as its quite a recent bike, but if you are in no rush to get one, then it should be fine.

Yeah I think as I get closer to having the money I'll have a bike shop order one and then when I have the money it should hopefully arrive. 

[Guest]

3 hours ago, PandaCopyRight said:

Yeah i agree with skipping the KTM for a 1st bike, they are good bikes, but for a 1st bike you want something that doesnt kill your wallet

Yeah the CRF300 availability has been a bit shitty as its quite a recent bike, but if you are in no rush to get one, then it should be fine.

Second post...

Change of plan. A 5,300~ bike will end up costing about 7 grand. 

 

I'm shopping used only or I'm getting something pathetic like a Navi hahaha

[Bitter]

 

@fpo

[PandaCopyRight]

18 hours ago, fpo said:

Second post...

Change of plan. A 5,300~ bike will end up costing about 7 grand. 

 

I'm shopping used only or I'm getting something pathetic like a Navi hahaha

I would go used, no point in getting something that might not be the right thing for you just because its the only new bike you could afford

[Guest]

1 hour ago, PandaCopyRight said:

I would go used, no point in getting something that might not be the right thing for you just because its the only new bike you could afford

For the time being I bought one of those moped conversation kits on eBay for like $100~ to learn about engines and have something decent. 

 

It's possible it will fulfill my needs but either way I think I might still want a motorcycle. 

[Bitter]

49 minutes ago, fpo said:

For the time being I bought one of those moped conversation kits on eBay for like $100~ to learn about engines and have something decent. 

 

It's possible it will fulfill my needs but either way I think I might still want a motorcycle. 

Some of those aren't terrible but I 1000% suggest you flush the engine out thoroughly with fresh oil or even kerosene then a few flushes of oil. The $1 a dozen Chinese engines on those things are not made in clean conditions and are often chock full of debris from manufacturing. That often leads to their premature 'death by 1000 paper cuts' due to damage to bearings, cylinder bores, and pistons which cause long term problems. It may even be worth it to take it apart, clean it manually, then reassemble it. It'll give you a chance to see how it comes apart, works, and goes together which is good to know. If it's a 2 stroke you'll want to run it a little richer on the oil mix for the first 100 or so miles so there's extra lube while the rings seat. If it's a 4 stroke you'll want to change the oil prematurely twice to remove break in debris, they often leave a very rough finish on the cylinders and there's a lot of metal filings made from the rings and cylinder wearing in together. Either way you'll want to let the engine run for a minimum of about 20 minutes with some idle, some gentle increase and decrease in speed, and a few throttle blips BEFORE you go out for a ride. This is for a couple reasons, it'll let the engine start break-in before you load it up and hammer on it and 2ndly if something breaks out of the box it's at home and not 20 minutes away. Most of those engines have readily available parts and some not terrible performance parts, larger cylinder/piston kits which not only increase displacement but also compression, better CDI boxes which have more aggressive ignition timing or stronger spark, bigger carbs with better jet selection, better exhaust, etc.