Random thoughts on bikes and riding

[ScottRNelson]

Some bikes come geared for something other than whatever your normal riding is. All four of the Ducatis that I've owned needed lower gearing. Typically two more teeth at the rear, or four in the case of the superbike. At least it was something fairly easy to do, unlike with your BMW.

The word was that gearing was optimized for 100 mph. But pulling away from a stop made it clear that the gearing was too high for that particular case. When I got the ST2, I figured a sport touring bike needed higher gearing. But after riding it for a few months it was obvious that 6th gear was too high as well, so I changed a sprocket.

All three KTMs that I've owned seemed to be geared just right. :cool

 

[CDONA]

After reflecting on this thread, and rewriting this response, 4th time, , ,
yada yada yada

I would like my TW 200 to have the current gearing with a 6th speed.

She screams her heart out @ 55, even after I geared her up two teeth on the back.
But with the resistance from the fat tires adding to the wind issue, I wonder if she has the suds to pull it on the top end?

 

[bobl]

I suspect much of the too tall gearing is related to passing smog for the US. Apparently they have to run a "course" on the dyno, and the emissions are measured. Tall gearing equals less RPM, and less pollution being measured.

 

[bikeama]

My random thought. Turned 70 and hope to have 10 more good years of riding. AND Covid sucks, not doing much riding.

 

[Pushrod]

My random thought. Turned 70 and hope to have 10 more good years of riding. AND Covid sucks, not doing much riding.

I'm 70 in a couple of months myself. Just discovered that bicycle use promotes motorcycle use. All the skills I picked up in almost six decades of Moto riding directly transfer to bicycling and the physical effort of bicycling enhances reflexes and situational awareness when on a motorcycle.

I KNOW I've got ten years left in the tank.

 

[CDONA]

Right in there @ 69, my time back in the desert, riding dirt, I missed it.
Last year I wintered in Morro Bay, didn't have my TW with me.
I'm still amazed on how out of shape I can get in the washes, without the biff.
Going to rain most of the day today, but there ain't no mud!

 

[Whammy]

There are alot of those Why?? questions here.

Sometimes one cant explain why, but yet the question gets asked alot.
Why?
Reminds me of sociology... Lots of questions no real concrete answers.
One size doesn't fit all.:rolleyes
Whammy doens't like to ponder on something that there isn't a real answer to.:wtf

How many licks does it take to get the center of a tootsie pop?
youtu.be/KQQ19VfU2TA

 

[BURNROPE]

Why aren't quads street legal? They're a four wheel motorcycle basically. I've seen plated ones in Germany being ridden on the street.

 

[ScottRNelson]

Why aren't quads street legal? They're a four wheel motorcycle basically. I've seen plated ones in Germany being ridden on the street.

I'm pretty sure that you can get one registered for the street in Idaho. I know I've seen them around here with some kind of restricted plate, but you can register a pure motocross bike for the street here, if you you add the right lights and stuff.

 

[Gary856]

How has your riding changed from your mid-50s to mid-60s? Did you get tired quicker so rides get shorter and less frequent? Did you change the type of riding you enjoy? Just tryin to get a preview of what the next 10 years' gonna be for me. I'm 56 in ok health, but it's hard to see myself still riding at 70 (but who knows).

Bicycling complements motorcycling nicely. Other than the exercise aspect, I enjoy exploring - a motorcycle is better than a car, and a bicycle is even better at see and experience things up close in inner cities, on trails, etc. Down the road, an electric bicycle would do nicely.

Why aren't quads street legal? They're a four wheel motorcycle basically. I've seen plated ones in Germany being ridden on the street.

That's an interesting question. They're not emission compliant but that's not hard to fix. I suspect it's more bureaucratic inertia - not in the DMV and regulatory rule books for street use and no one wants to push it, where as motorcycles have always been in the books.

 

[Gary856]

Just received a set of Angel ST via Amazon from a company called Mass Depot. $199 + tax for a set of 120/70R17 + 180/55R17; made in China, date code week 32 and 39 in 2020. I thought the STs were old stock but looks like they're still in production. To me the Angel STs are as good as any other newer sport touring tires, and the best value in name brand.

I also like Bridgestone T31 for price/performance but they cost a bit more than Angel ST and I'm not sure if they last as long. Currently I have T31s on my Multistrada. At merely 2,631 miles @ 34 psi, mostly twisty roads, the T31 front has worn into a sharp V-shape (straight-edged sides), so tip-in feel is poor now. The Multi seems hard on the front tire, but obviously tire life is greatly affected by where and how one rides, bike weight, suspension and geometry and all that, it's almost impossible to compare tire life against another rider, or against myself, even. Nevertheless, I started to wonder how many more miles I would get out of a front tire if I did less trail braking.

 

[ST Guy]

How has your riding changed from your mid-50s to mid-60s? Did you get tired quicker so rides get shorter and less frequent? Did you change the type of riding you enjoy? Just tryin to get a preview of what the next 10 years' gonna be for me. I'm 56 in ok health, but it's hard to see myself still riding at 70 (but who knows).

Bicycling complements motorcycling nicely. Other than the exercise aspect, I enjoy exploring - a motorcycle is better than a car, and a bicycle is even better at see and experience things up close in inner cities, on trails, etc. Down the road, an electric bicycle would do nicely.




That's an interesting question. They're not emission compliant but that's not hard to fix. I suspect it's more bureaucratic inertia - not in the DMV and regulatory rule books for street use and no one wants to push it, where as motorcycles have always been in the books.

Frankly, they're damn dangerous on the street, for a number of reasons.

 

[CDONA]

Why aren't quads street legal? They're a four wheel motorcycle basically. I've seen plated ones in Germany being ridden on the street.

:laughing When I first moved to Az from Ca, in Flagstaff, I got a laugh when I saw your basic co-ed on a buffed, clean, billet farkled, quad trying to pull a left across traffic with her purse hanging off the bars

 

[OldMadBrit]

Some random thoughts and agreements.

Yes bicycling definitely makes biking better
I'll turn 64 this summer and I just got my first sensible bike with handlebars
Riding has kept me sane during Covid-19/20/21
My old '99 R1 could reach 98MPH in 1st, my 2017 R1M reached just over 100 in 1st - why did Yamaha bother with a gearbox?
WTF did we standardize on the wrong shift pattern? 1 down 5 up makes zero sense
Cut grass and spring flowers smell so much more intense at 11,000 RPM
Bugs make quite an impact at 160 MPH
Old classic Triumphs are best remembered than ridden
You are never as good/fast as you think you are, there is always somebody better/faster

 

[bikewanker]

How has your riding changed from your mid-50s to mid-60s? Did you get tired quicker so rides get shorter and less frequent? Did you change the type of riding you enjoy? Just tryin to get a preview of what the next 10 years' gonna be for me. I'm 56 in ok health, but it's hard to see myself still riding at 70 (but who knows).

Bicycling complements motorcycling nicely. Other than the exercise aspect, I enjoy exploring - a motorcycle is better than a car, and a bicycle is even better at see and experience things up close in inner cities, on trails, etc. Down the road, an electric bicycle would do nicely.

I started regular, 2 or 3 per year, week long trips in my early 50s after the turn of the century. I had the time and was possibly influenced by a 2001 GS with a 6th gear that was an overdrive and the engine didn’t seem to enjoy unless you were running at least 76 mph. The bikes have changed but I think the riding was similar until last year, which resulted in only 1 week long ride and a few less all day rides. I do have less interest in long mile days and I have less desire to run 85 for most of the day. This years week long adventure to Colorado I asked my 80 year old buddy to lead because he can’t drive 75! I still enjoy a brisk pace on curvaceous asphalt but I’m no longer in a hurry to get there. It’s entirely possible that retirement has been an influence. I look forward to more miles this year but it depends as I’ve also started drinking more water so that I’m forced to take breaks.:ride

 

[davidji]

Just received a set of Angel ST via Amazon from a company called Mass Depot. $199 + tax for a set of 120/70R17 + 180/55R17; made in China, date code week 32 and 39 in 2020. I thought the STs were old stock but looks like they're still in production. To me the Angel STs are as good as any other newer sport touring tires, and the best value in name brand.

Have you installed & used these tires yet? Do they meet expectations?

I liked the Angel ST fine when it was a latest & greatest model, 10 years ago, I supposed I'd like it now too. At that price I'd consider it.

I remember liking the ST profile, but I remember getting better longevity from some newer tires. Mattered a lot when I was commuting. Doesn't matter much now.

 

[Gary856]

Have you installed & used these tires yet? Do they meet expectations?

I liked the Angel ST fine when it was a latest & greatest model, 10 years ago, I supposed I'd like it now too. At that price I'd consider it.

Haven't installed the set that I just received, but I have an Angel ST (front) on my Ulysses, and had them on my 950SM (F/R) recently, so my experience with the Angel ST is current.

There may be some small differences in feel between Angel ST, Angel GT and T31 (I've had several sets of each on different bikes), but without doing side-by-side comparisons, to me they all work equally well. I've tried Angel GTs, couldn't say they were that much better, so I'm now back to the ST due to their lower prices.

 

[Gary856]

I started regular, 2 or 3 per year, week long trips in my early 50s after the turn of the century. I had the time and was possibly influenced by a 2001 GS with a 6th gear that was an overdrive and the engine didn’t seem to enjoy unless you were running at least 76 mph. The bikes have changed but I think the riding was similar until last year, which resulted in only 1 week long ride and a few less all day rides. I do have less interest in long mile days and I have less desire to run 85 for most of the day. This years week long adventure to Colorado I asked my 80 year old buddy to lead because he can’t drive 75! I still enjoy a brisk pace on curvaceous asphalt but I’m no longer in a hurry to get there. It’s entirely possible that retirement has been an influence. I look forward to more miles this year but it depends as I’ve also started drinking more water so that I’m forced to take breaks.:ride

That’s what I was talking about!

It’s been over 3 year since I last rode my ‘02 R1150GS (got salvaged by insurance), but I just remembered what the big deal was with its 6th overdrive. The 1150 was fairly heavy and ancient, groaning like a diesel school bus as it accelerated thru the gears, but when shifted into the 6th overdrive, all of a sudden the noise and vibration receded into the background, like the bike went into a stealth mode. It felt like the bike was coasting smoothly in neutral, like a rocket bunred off all the fuels as it reached orbital speed, or a plane powered down and smoothly gliding toward the runway. It made me wonder if the bike was even in gear on a few occassions.

My ‘08 R1200GS is lighter, sportier and more modern (than the 1150), but it lost that tall, magic 6th overdrive, and got a taller first gear.


About taking breaks - I'd make many (too many some times) stops for photos without a second thought, but I'd often endure thirst/hunger/heat/cold for hours rather than stopping for a sip of water or change of layering. I don't know why that is.

 

[Gary856]

Elbows up on pavement?

After removing the 2” riser on the Ulysses the clutch level felt high, so I lowered it a little before the ride yesterday, but it felt low right after the ride started. The lever pull is stiff and the reach is far, so I had to rotate my clutch hand forward a little to have enough leverage to have good control of the clutch lever. Basically, if I ride with a high elbow posture I could grip the lowered clutch lever with better hand leverage. Now, you’re supposed to keep elbows up when riding off road for better leverage on the bars, but on pavement I felt keeping elbows up uses more energy than necessary, and looks like a poser since you don’t need that much leverage on bars on pavement.

Does anyone ride with elbows up on pavement out of habit from dirt riding? Obviously, you wouldn't do that with low clip-ons (so don't bother with the sport bike answer), but I could see this with ADV riders with higher bars.

 

[tuxumino]

how come as soon as I have all my gear on I have to go to the bathroom?