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Weight and mass centralization would be two reasons reasons besides the heat to not use an under tail exhaust. I agree that they can look nicer if done properly, but when manufacturers are spending thousands to save grams, the stylists don't get to keep the under tail exhausts.
Me at NCBike in 2013
Here is likely the only Italian vehicle I will ever own. My street bike. Aprilia Tuono.
Sorry if a repost, but have you seen this! I have an FZ-07 (same color in fact). You're better off on a faster, better handling bike in a situation like this. Although I don't agree with the person who posted this video, skill was also a huge factor in this accident.
^ It was actually one of the first things I learned. A buddy taught me the most simple way possible. Sat on a bicycle... he held the front tire between his knees and said, turn right. I did, and the bike leaned left. Turned left, and the bike leaned right. Then he said... that's the proper way to "steer" a motorcycle.
Made so much sense and when I went to the MSF course, it was easy-peasy from that point on...
May have something in the works....
Wife's dad is thinking about selling his Indian Scout, but it's not really my style, but got her into the mood of green-lighting a purchase. I've been offered a particular bike off & on for about 5 years from a guy I know from another forum. Would involve a road trip to the Orlando area & might be able to score a 2 for 1 (1 would be a locked up non-running project). Would also put my truck pretty much permanently in the driveway.
Also considering looking newer, local dealer has a 2012 with 1,800 miles on it, for only about $2k over what the above idea would cost to get on the road.
Or, there's something like this one, 310cc single, claimed 70mpg, sub-350lbs. Would make for a good little commuter & the reviews are pretty positive.
Last Wednesday evening in Tennessee, American Honda gave the news many had hoped for when it announced that the 2019 Honda Monkey Bike would be available for U.S. buyers in October. Honda also will re-introduce the best selling motorcycle in history to American buyers when the 2019 Honda Super Cub C125 goes on sale in January 2019.
Both small bikes carry forward two-wheel history that transcends the brand. The original Monkey Bike was built for a Japanese amusement park ride in the early 1960s. The model evolved for decades until 2017, when Honda retired the 49cc-engine-based Monkey. In 2018, Honda reintroduced the Monkey Bike with a 125cc engine for sale in Europe and Japan. Now it’s coming to the U.S.
The 1958 Super Cub made its debut in the United States before Honda started selling cars in this country. The 49cc scooter-like motorcycle introduced the Honda brand to America and also attempted to change people’s opinion at the time about motorcycles and the people who rode them. The Super Cub’s advertising campaign slogan, “You meet the nicest people on a Honda,” had notable success, as did the bike itself. In 2017, Honda announced the company had sold more than 100 million Super Cubs. Like the new-generation Monkey Bike, the 2019 Super Cub will also have a 125cc engine.
The 2019 Monkey isn’t just Honda’s nod to the past. The company hopes the small, accessible motorcycle will introduce a new generation to motorcycling. Two versions will be available: the standard Monkey, in either Banana Yellow or Pearl Nebula Red, will start at $4,000. The Monkey ABS in Pearl Nebula Red will cost just $200 more at $4,200.
The new Monkey will have a 1.5-gallon gas tank, chrome steel high-mounted front and rear fenders, a stamped exhaust shield, round mirrors, and high-rise handlebars.
A single round LCD instrument will include a speedometer, odometer with two trip meters, and a fuel gauge. The Monkey will have LED lights exclusively.
The air-cooled 125cc single-cylinder, 9.25-hp engine with a 4-speed manual transmission will be fine for use around town — just don’t count on taking it on the highway or very far off-road. Top speed is 50 miles per hour. The bike weighs just 234 pounds ready to ride.
The Monkey’s wheelbase is 45.3-inches and the seat height measures 30.6-inches. For reference, a 2018 Harley-Davidson Sportster Iron 883 weighs 564 pounds, has a 59.6-inch wheelbase, and 29.9-inch unladen seat height. So you’ll sit higher on a Monkey than on the Sportster.
The Monkey will have dual shocks, front and rear disc brakes, and 12-inch fat block-pattern tires.
Everything about the Monkey’s design and specifications is intended to put smiles on people’s faces and make the bike easy to ride and handle.
The step-through design 2019 Super Cub 125cc ABS, available in Pearl Niltava Blue only, is expected to start at $3,600. All U.S. market Super Cubs will have an anti-lock braking system.
Powered by the same engine, the Super Cub also has the same 4-speed transmission as the Monkey, but it has a centrifugal clutch so you can change gears without using a hand clutch. The Super Cub will be another around-town motorcycle. An inverted front fork and twin shocks in the rear will help soften the ride.
Even though the Super Cub and the Monkey has different designs and user appeal, they are roughly the same size. The step-through weighs 240 pounds ready to ride, has a 48.9-inch wheelbase, and a 30.7-inch seat height. The Super Cub will ride on 17-inch wheels.
Year Make Model: Indian FTR 1200, arriving in 2019, model year unknown
What’s New: The FTR 1200 is an all-new model for Indian. It will be based on the FTR1200 Custom (pictured above), which was a concept bike unveiled at EICMA in November of 2017. The concept itself is inspired by the FTR750 race bike which has been dominating American Flat Track for the past two seasons. The difference is the FTR1200 Custom is a street bike powered by the 69 cubic-inch V-twin engine used in the current production Scout.
Quotable: “When we unveiled the FTR1200 Custom at EICMA, we said we’d listen to feedback from riders around the world,” said Indian Motorcycle President Steve Menneto. “Riders definitely have spoken and the response has been overwhelming. We’re proud and excited to announce that we will be putting the FTR 1200 into production.”
“We wanted to make sure that the FTR 1200 wasn’t merely a regurgitation of the FTR1200 Custom, but something uniquely ‘street,’ albeit flat track inspired,” said Indian Motorcycle Senior Designer Rich Christoph. “We’re thrilled about the character this bike possesses and its ability to take American V-twin motorcycles into new territory.”
What You Need to Know: Assuming the FTR 1200 will be similar to the FTR1200 Custom, this new Indian will truly break new ground for American motorcycles. Right now, American bikes are almost exclusively cruisers and for Indian to bring this flat-track-inspired bike into production changes the game. It’s entering the market with arguably no direct competitors at all. We’ve seen the scrambler segment of motorcycles blow up in the last few years with entries like the Ducati Scrambler, BMW R nineT, and Triumph Bonneville Scrambler, but this Indian is slated to be quite a different bike from any of those with a distinctly American attitude that was born on the flat track.
Upon confirming this bike’s production, Indian Motorcycle is giving you a chance to win the FTR 1200 before it’s even unveiled. The only information we have right now about availability is that it’s coming out in 2019, likely as a 2020 model.
Having sold my Mustang and bought a CX-5, I was looking for something fun again. I’m moving to Colorado next summer and my brother who rides a HD Iron 883 will be my regular riding partner.
I want a Triumph. I’m just not sure if it’s going to be a Street Twin or a Bobber. It will be my first motorcycle but I have had experience riding a 150cc Honda Elite in DC.
I know I need to go ride them but I’m curious how people decided to go sport bike, classic/standard, or cruiser.
Was it simply coolness factor or how the bike ride or both?
Sorry if a repost, but have you seen this! I have an FZ-07 (same color in fact). You're better off on a faster, better handling bike in a situation like this. Although I don't agree with the person who posted this video, skill was also a huge factor in this accident.
As a fellow rider I feel legitimately sick having watched that. I've been riding for over 20 years now and am confident that suffering a similar situation personally would be nearly impossible (I dispute that counter-steering was the root cause of that incident as it appears quite obvious to me that that was an inexperienced rider that panicked when he saw that truck coming the other way leading to overly aggressive braking resulting in a mild tank-slapper that took him right in). There might also have been an element of target fixation involved, though the tank-slapper was easily enough to prevent him from regaining a line that might have prevented the collision IMO. It breaks my heart that these kinds of preventable incidents occur with such regularity in the cycling community and I can only give my most stringent of thanks to God that I never suffered any such occurrences way back when I myself was still young and wholly unskilled.
On a much lighter note, I thought I'd go ahead and post some pics of my 2013 Kawasaki ZX-6R which has had just a few cosmetic mods:
The mods are a TST Industries integrated-signal LED taillight, Hotbodies fender eliminator with LED, RAM phone mount, and a set of MSM levers.
Last edited by majin ssj eric; 07-28-2018 at 09:36 PM.
Having sold my Mustang and bought a CX-5, I was looking for something fun again. I’m moving to Colorado next summer and my brother who rides a HD Iron 883 will be my regular riding partner.
I want a Triumph. I’m just not sure if it’s going to be a Street Twin or a Bobber. It will be my first motorcycle but I have had experience riding a 150cc Honda Elite in DC.
I know I need to go ride them but I’m curious how people decided to go sport bike, classic/standard, or cruiser.
Was it simply coolness factor or how the bike ride or both?
For me it is simply the case that I have always loved the look of sport bikes going all the way back to childhood. I love the lines of fully-faired bikes and after having owned both 600's and 1000's I've found that I much prefer and desire the 600 to the liter bike because they are simply more practical for street use. My ZX-10R, while not too much heavier than a 600, was simply way too much power for me (it would do 105 mph in first gear). My current ZX-6R allows me to ride much more aggressively without having to worry as much about throttle control, spinning the rear wheel, having the front wheel come up all the time, etc. This bike far surpasses my talent level and that disparity increases exponentially with a modern liter bike. I actually learned how to ride on a 600 (1993 Honda CBR600F2) so I don't necessarily believe you HAVE to learn on a "starter" bike but it just depends on your personality and maturity level.
That is a really good point about maturity. One of the reasons I’m looking at a bike like the Triumph Modern Classic is I want to commute to work on it on back roads and do things like meet my brother and ride to get breakfast or something like that.
I appreciate your reply; thanks! I wonder if anyone here started on a sport bike and moved to something else as they got older?
As a fellow rider I feel legitimately sick having watched that. I've been riding for over 20 years now and am confident that suffering a similar situation personally would be nearly impossible (I dispute that counter-steering was the root cause of that incident as it appears quite obvious to me that that was an inexperienced rider that panicked when he saw that truck coming the other way leading to overly aggressive braking resulting in a mild tank-slapper that took him right in). There might also have been an element of target fixation involved, though the tank-slapper was easily enough to prevent him from regaining a line that might have prevented the collision IMO. It breaks my heart that these kinds of preventable incidents occur with such regularity in the cycling community and I can only give my most stringent of thanks to God that I never suffered any such occurrences way back when I myself was still young and wholly unskilled.
On a much lighter note, I thought I'd go ahead and post some pics of my 2013 Kawasaki ZX-6R which has had just a few cosmetic mods:
The mods are a TST Industries integrated-signal LED taillight, Hotbodies fender eliminator with LED, RAM phone mount, and a set of MSM levers.
Gorgeous bike, majin ssj eric! I like that Kawi brought back the 636. Makes me miss my 07 ZX-6R. Here is a picture of it.
I sold it thinking I was done with riding. Boy was I wrong. Now I have this.
Not quite the bike my Ninja was, but it's loads of fun.
Having sold my Mustang and bought a CX-5, I was looking for something fun again. I’m moving to Colorado next summer and my brother who rides a HD Iron 883 will be my regular riding partner.
I want a Triumph. I’m just not sure if it’s going to be a Street Twin or a Bobber. It will be my first motorcycle but I have had experience riding a 150cc Honda Elite in DC.
I know I need to go ride them but I’m curious how people decided to go sport bike, classic/standard, or cruiser.
Was it simply coolness factor or how the bike ride or both?
If I remember correctly a Honda Elite was a scooter. I remember those well, as they were all the rage back in the day. I wouldn't count that as "motorcycle experience" per-se. Nevertheless, to answer your question, sport bikes appealed to me because they are fast and sexy. Also, when I started riding I equated cruisers with being old. When I sold my last super sport bike (see above) and decided to get back into the game I still wanted a sport bike but something that was "more adult" and "less dangerous", if there is such a thing. So I went with a naked bike. Ultimately, if you ask 10 people which type of bike to get you'll get 11 opinions. Here's mine just based off of your post.
If you're going to be riding most of the time with your brother don't get a sport bike. You'll be wringing the neck of that thing after a while wishing he could keep up. Also, get a bike that fits your height and weight. It'll be a much more pleasurable "first" experience if you choose a bike that fits. Good luck on finding a suitable bike, and be safe!
Gorgeous bike, majin ssj eric! I like that Kawi brought back the 636. Makes me miss my 07 ZX-6R. Here is a picture of it.
I sold it thinking I was done with riding. Boy was I wrong. Now I have this.
Not quite the bike my Ninja was, but it's loads of fun.
I always loved the look of the 07-08 ZX-6R even though I had an 07 ZX-10R at the time. I was sad that they went back to a 599cc engine on the 6R but when they brought back the 636 in 2013 it was the clear choice for me in the super sport category (I considered the Daytona and the R6 at the time but the Triumph was too much $$$ and the Yammie was just too old a design).
Love the MT-07 btw; its such a great all-around motorcycle!!!
You make a good point about the scooter in that it is much less demanding than a motorcycle. What I meant was I was used to riding something that required some of the same balance and awareness skills that a motorcycle will but that’s really a gross simplification.
The Elite 150 I had weighed 225lbs. The Triumph Street Twin is about 500lbs. There’s the complexity of a clutch and shifting that a scooter doesn’t and combining those things together is something where I will need a lot of practice.
I am taking the basic rider course to get my license and then after I get a motorcycle I will be taking a road riding class too.
I’m considering buying the bike here in DC first to get some experience riding before I move to Colorado. The city will let me ride at slower speeds and practice starts and stops but I do wonder if it would be better for a new rider to have less traveled roads like in CO to ride as a novice than to try to learn in the city.
Street Twin:
Last edited by charliemike; 08-06-2018 at 12:38 PM.
I really wanted a modern classic type bike and as soon as I saw a Bonneville T120 here in DC I knew that was the brand I wanted. For what I’m looking to do as a rider, the Triumph Street Twin is perfect.
Before I bought the Mercedes, I was giving serious thought to buying a bike. Top of the list was the BMW G310R, for a new bike, lots of good reviews on it, great for a beginner, but (according to reviews) still a lot of fun for an experienced rider.
On the used market, I still have a line on a very clean BMW K75S (1993, I think), that needs a bit of TLC, as it's been sitting for a couple years, that & getting it to Houston from the Orlando area. Same guy has an early 80s R65 as well, that hasn't been ridden in about 30 years, was working on a package deal when I decided to get rid of the F150.
Maybe one day, if he decides he just wants them gone, I'll cover the shipping to get them here & take them off his hands
Otherwise, I'd be on the looking for a BMW F800R or F800GT, but the insurance rates on those were pretty high, compared to the 2 above.
You'll do fine Charlie. I taught myself how to ride back in 1997 when I bought my first bike with no previous riding experience of any kind. It was not a "starter" bike either since I got a 93 CBR600F2, but I had a plan at the time and crucially I could drive a stick. You may ask what exactly does knowing how to drive a stick have to do with learning to ride a sport bike, but the fact is that understanding the principle of using a clutch,knowing when to upshift and downshift, and already having developed the coordination to do both (albeit in a totally different way) really makes learning to ride much easier. I personally would hate to have to learn both the intricacies of using a manual transmission on top of learning to ride and control a motorcycle, so already knowing how to do one is half the battle.
I had my bike shipped to me from Florida at the time and got a storage unit at a small airport local to me that had several large (and empty) parking lots adjacent to it, as well as access roads with literally no traffic on them. I then spent about a month or so just practicing all the basics until I finally felt comfortable to take my license test and start riding on regular roads, but even after that I still learned a ton of things every day (including some really stupid mistakes that I was extremely fortunate to get away with, like locking up my rear brake and skidding a bit sideways). Even now, with over 21 years of experience and 100k+ miles of riding under my belt I find that I still learn things every time I take my bike out. The absolute best advice I can ever give to new (and even experienced) riders is to never ride a bike like you drive your car. What I mean by that is that you absolutely HAVE to develop an entirely different mindset on a bike than when you drive a car.
Its all the little things that you take for granted while driving like NEVER approaching an intersection and just assuming that because you have a green light that you don't still have to quickly scan the cross traffic for somebody running their red light, or assuming that just because you have the right of way that that makes you safe, or assuming that a car pulling up to a stop sign on a side street in front of you will not just pull out right in front of you, etc. My personal rule of thumb when approaching any car that could pull in front of you (be it turning left from the opposite direction across your lane or pulling up to a stop sign in front of you) is to ALWAYS make eye contact with the driver and ALWAYS already be slowing down with the front brake covered just in case they do still pull out in front of you. I ALWAYS assume that EVERY car that could pull out in front of me WILL pull out in front of me, and I already have a plan of action in mind for if they DO pull out in front of me (even though it really doesn't happen quite as often as I expect it to). I also ALWAYS ride with my brights on in the daytime, because if my brights are annoying you as a driver at least I know that you see me and know I'm there (call me an asshole all you want, I want to be a living asshole). I also constantly scan behind me while stopped just so I can take evasive action if the car pulling up behind me at a light doesn't look like its stopping.
There are just so many little things that you constantly learn with experience and that will help you keep the shiny side up when you ride. But I also have it ingrained into me that I can still do everything absolutely perfectly and still end up going down. That is just the reality of riding that every rider needs to remember and keep in the back of their mind because sometimes there is just nothing you could have done to avoid a stupid or inattentive driver and you need to be upfront with yourself about accepting that risk each and every time you hop on the bike for your ride. If your answer is "yes" to accepting that risk then go out and enjoy the hell out of your ride, because being on a motorcycle is one of the most enjoyable and freeing feelings you can ever experience. You just have to ALWAYS respect the machine and remember just how much it can really, REALLY suck if you make a stupid mistake or act like a dumbass on a motorcycle.
Thank you so much for writing all that out. I really appreciate it. This is where my experience on a scooter might be helpful. I’ve already made the mistake of going on green and very nearly being broadsided by a pickup truck. And I can drive stick so that sounds like it really helps.
I realize that intersections are where a lot of accidents happen so I’m definitely keeping that in mind. I also drive right now like everyone else is not paying attention.
My plan is to avoid highways for quite a while. I can get everywhere in DC on a smaller street but that increases the number of intersections of course.
Fortunately when we get to Colorado there will be wider roads with less traffic which I’m hoping helps.
Also as a bicyclist, I read stories every day about other bike riders who are killed doing everything correctly because some dipshit didn’t act responsibly.
I wonder if I should just wait until Spring to buy a motorcycle so I don’t ride for a few months and then probably stop for a few while the weather sucks here.
Really appreciate all the advice. I’m really looking forward to it.
No problem buddy, I'm always happy to help a fellow biker stay safe out there in the jungle. Personally, I find freeways to be one of the safest places to be on a bike simply because there is usually plenty of escape room, everybody is going the same way you are and at similar speeds (which makes it easier to predict what they will do), and there are no intersections or side streets etc that always introduce a lot of unpredictability. I've ridden countless miles in heavy traffic along I95 and I295 in and around Jacksonville, FL and while it certainly isn't near as much traffic as there is in DC, its still quite a bit. The most dangerous situation you generally face on a high-traffic freeway (IMO anyway) is usually coming up on slower traffic and making sure the guy behind you is on top of his game, lol. But bikes are small and can fit almost anywhere on a highway so you have a good chance to avoid contact even in hairy situations...
Passed the class. Wifey wants to wait until we move to Colorado to get one. I don’t agree but it isn’t worth an argument. We will see if things change.
I appreciate your reply; thanks! I wonder if anyone here started on a sport bike and moved to something else as they got older?
I started on a sport bike, then moved to a naked style bike to have a more upright seating position. That said I then moved back to a sport bike when I had the Ducati. I will say that while I love the more upright riding position, that Ducati just fit like a glove. Yes it was a sport bike and yes it was leaned over... but the ergos on it was amazing. So much so that I'll likely pick up another one in the future. I like the classic cruising style but it's just not for me. I'm not doing long road-trips on a bike so I prefer the sporty option
Originally Posted by charliemike
Passed the class. Wifey wants to wait until we move to Colorado to get one. I don’t agree but it isn’t worth an argument. We will see if things change.
Sometimes it's easier to ask forgiveness than permission
I went for my first ride last night on the street. Man, there’s a lot to process simultaneously isn’t there? Horn, clutch, shift, brake with hands and feet, don’t leave the turn signal on ... Check mirrors, turn head, pay attention to the road surface ... LOL
It's really engaging though, more than in any car I’ve driven and really fits with why I got one instead of waiting on another car. But, riding in Colorado is going to be so much more enjoyable than DC.
10-11-2016, 02:20 PM
Sorry if a repost, but have you seen this! I have an FZ-07 (same color in fact). You're better off on a faster, better handling bike in a situation like this. Although I don't agree with the person who posted this video, skill was also a huge factor in this accident.
Hard to watch.
I started on a sport bike, then moved to a naked style bike to have a more upright seating position. That said I then moved back to a sport bike when I had the Ducati. I will say that while I love the more upright riding position, that Ducati just fit like a glove. Yes it was a sport bike and yes it was leaned over... but the ergos on it was amazing. So much so that I'll likely pick up another one in the future. I like the classic cruising style but it's just not for me. I'm not doing long road-trips on a bike so I prefer the sporty option 
