@WashedOutGundamPilot im kinda a fan, antiquated yet reliable engine thats been in production for years, dunno what would be better suited, ive had a ton of singles and nothing stayed together longer than my beater klr
@chudwave They’re cool if you never have to contend in traffic with them. They’re just too slow, defensive driving on our lovely diverse roads require as much mobility as you can get, slow bikes keep you at the mercy of everyone around you.
for the military they’re about as good a pick as you can get though
KLR650 is a heavy, obsolete, slow machine, but quite reliable... I think some of the navy and or marine units had KLRs that were converted to run on JP8, diesel, or kerosene... I'd still rather have either my KTM 500 EXC or 890R for more open road/high speed environments, with only minor sections offroad...
@Zionist_Harrassment_Panda Once you try those KTM 500’s…..every other thumper feels slow. If they weren’t more than my car I’d have one. The EXC is probably the scariest bike I’ve ever tried, in terms of nothing standing in the way between you and a very rough wipeout when you start really cutting loose. No safeguards, light weight, all skill in how you use that power.
Dude at work used to have one, I think it weighed less than 260 lbs, had almost 50 hp/ 30 lb ft. Wild little machine with semi-street tires on it, was always surprised at how quick it was against bigger bikes. Funnier still was that you couldn’t leave him behind easy, either, you’d be doing 110+ and he’d be right there with you in 6th gear
@GabeLakmann The gun is a type 89 from howa, not made anywhere but japan. You’ll never see them, even when they phase out they’ll never cut them up to sell as parts kits. Give up hope. It’s over. (I hope not but I too want one)
The KLRs can be had on Govdeals, from what I hear. They take a lot of funky diesel fuels, but like I said before, they’re SLOW. If you’re off road 90% of the time, if you have nothing but whites around, then maybe you can scoot around safely but I wouldn’t recommend it. Roads are too dangerous. I got rid of most any bike that’s incapable of fleeing an enraged driver, I don’t like being at the mercy of traffic flow.
But, if you’re like, in Idaho, and you’ll have lots of trail riding then grab a Milsurp KLR, enjoy the 80 mph on diesel, and have a ball
Now I have to research what model Kawasaki that is and if you can get the military parts for it along with the rifle he is using.
It looks like a cross between a FAL and an Armalite 180 or something.
I'd like to see Japan have a military again. It isn't right that they've been held back from it for so long. The fact that they've been such reliable trade partners and allies for so long now should be enough to get rid of any restrictions they might still have.
@WashedOutGundamPilot@Royper for a big fat dual sport, they feel narrow and nimble as fug scooting through town, plenty of power for its intended use, posing in a city pretending you tour
I'd figure the Japanese would use Honda XR650s or Suzuki DR400/DR650 though.
I've been thinking about getting a Honda XR650 or a DR650 for a couple years now. I'd really like to get a KTM but they're expensive and I hear that they're awesome but probably not worth the extra money.
I'd also like to get a Honda CBR1000rr or a Yamaha R1 too.
cant go wrong with a drz400, xr's and the dr650 are oil cooled, heavier and not as zippy but they chug and fit along with the klr, made forever, easy to find parts, but not watercooled, which is why the klr kinda wins that use case well, drz's are just a great no frills modern low power basic "cheap" street dirtbike, again tons of availability to keep running well
ktms are rad, but expensive to maintain, not really reliable, shorter interchange between model years, i have a 04 smr450, was a nightmare to fix the cylinder head, pricey and not as intuitive to repair like a japoneeze bike but nothing rips like a ktm, it just redlines so fast
sportbikes are fun till your balls go numb and cant feel your palms after 30 miles, you kinda grow out of the liter bike allure if you actually find a track to do a day and understand their intended use... brap lifeeeeee
Really it depends on what your mission is. Where you drive, how far, how fast, the demographics, all that plays into the bike you need. Over time I pared down my stable, I like 1L+ ADV bikes because they’re do-all bikes that suit my lifestyle. I can commute with them, I can sprint along at triple digits, they’re comfy, and they have passable off road performance. 2-up riding is much more tenable w/ wind protection and roomier seating, too. Easier to convice your lady to go for a ride out when she’s gonna be nice and comfy on the back
I’m not big on adrenaline-soaked dirt biking & jumping though, I’m content to putter along at 40 mph on a dirt road with all my camping gear on the back.
Sportbikes are rad, but I never opted to take them on my vacations. They’re cool fro the first couple hours, but they’re very uncomfortable after about 3 hrs. I think the more upright, the more touring-oriented, the more you’ll end up using it. Bags, boxes, etc. are also key, as much as people hate the look of them.
My usage for a liter bike would be to rip around earlier in the morning when very few people are around and I doubt I'd spend more than a half hour or an hour riding it before I put it back. I'd also consider a 2005 or so GSXR 1000 even though "gixxers" have a reputation for being the choice of "bros" who ride in flip flops and no gear.
I think the "dual-sport" bikes or whatever the street/trail bikes are called would be a better choice if I could only have one. It seems like you prefer the DRZ 400 over the DR650/XR650. If that is correct, what makes you like it better?
I hear that air cooled models don't make as much power but are simpler and more reliable and the weight difference between the DRZ 400 and the DR650 was around 30lbs difference I think.
This replaced, or will replace, the Type 89 which it turns out was inspired by the Armalite AR 180 like I was thinking. The Type 20 looks like a FN SCAR to me. I wish they'd sell a civilian version in the USA.
@GabeLakmann@Royper Rumor had it that the sig guys found out about glock’s bid through some underhanded gossip, that’s how they were able to undercut the price so much on the P320 contract.
I would totally expect the sales guys to be partiers too.
Ron Cohen is the current boss at Sig Sauer and he is obviously a JEW.
He bribed the US military to buy Sig Sauer stuff when we should have bought Smith & Wesson M&P 9mm pistols or something owned and made in the USA and if that wasn't possible then they should've gone with Glock or HK.
He wasted untold amounts of taxpayer money with the NSGW garbage that Sig Sauer pushed and won.
He sold arms to cartels in central america and south america.
He doesn't care about quality control and relies on the end user for research and development which is why they have recalls on damn near anything they made in the last 10+ years.
He is the reason why Kimber has such a deserved bad reputation.
I'm going to repeat this about the current Sig Sauer company as often as needed haha
Please do not buy Sig Sauer stuff unless it is the old "made in Germany" stuff. They DO NOT have our best interests at hear and your money would be better spent with good companies who actually care about our rights and freedoms instead of being an active component of ZOG.
@GabeLakmann@Royper@chudwave You gotta love them, though. Problem with the big advs is that they’re often….boring as shit. The tenere is a great autists bike but probably the least fun I’ve ever had. The africa twin is cool, but it was just a little slow for me, and kinda overpriced for what you got. My bar is too high, in terms of power, but I came to my position w/ experience: I want a lot of power on tap.
Power is freedom. If you’re making a merge and some cholo wants to run you off the road, you’ll appreciate the ability to say “fuck this” and disappear 3 miles in front of him in less than 2 minutes.
You DON’T wanna be stuck between 3 semis, getting buffeted by winds that almost tip you off the bike, slowing down just to get some breathing room. I’ve had that before when I too though 35 hp was enough….it was not. But that’s my area, where there’s lots of wide open interstate to traverse, so being able to hang out at 82 mph with speed to spare is vital. Back east? Maybe not so essential.
Just starting out, the V strom is a strong prospect. 66 hp out of a bulletproof Vtwin, pretty capable for a do-it-all ride. Expansive aftermarket. Pretty good resale. Been a long time since I tried one, but I was quite sweet on it when I did.
The "adventure" bikes were something I was considering until I saw that many of them were ~$20,000 new and not a whole lot less used.
BMW, KTM, and I think maybe Honda make the best adventure bikes from what I understand.
The Honda CRF450L and CRF300L Rally were also bikes I was considering.
You're right about the adventure bikes probably being most practical for using daily and for off road fun occasionally.
I think what I'd want would be a dual sport type that I can ride in the dirt fairly hard and then put bags/boxes on if I want to go camping.
As far as riding two passengers goes, I doubt that I'd do it that often. The way people drive these days would have me nervous to put my wife on the back, much less my girlfriends.
@GabeLakmann@Royper@WashedOutGundamPilot I remember e9s making up positions so they could retire and get an easy no show job to pad their retirement. Its all rotten.
almost all sportbikes on the street are mostly bro dude goofs, or euro boomers who want to hold onto the last shred of youth, neither can ride, you can be just as fast on a 600 too but without the insurance premium, i dunno if youve ridden long or at all, but early morning rips around town are just as fun on a small bike, but to live with day in and day out, a sportbike sucks bad, check out yamaha fz's, sportbike motor with upright seating if you need that powaaaaah, i think kawasakis are the Z models, i dont need that much engine as a washed up doomer homotorist, im fast on a unicycle
i like the drz400 just because its watercooled and more "modern" (its like 22 years going on the same frame and engine) still heavy compared to a legit 450 race bike, summer time riding is tough on an oil cooled big single, my xr650 needed a fresh piston and connecting rod at 20k miles, ive never seen a stock drz400 burn up pistons with average use
dr650 vs the 400, too completely different bikes, even tho the weight break is slim, its hard to explain, like, the drz is a faux dirtbike, the dr is just a big lump desert bike, they handle different, the suspension geo is different, there really not in the same range of use case... hopes dis was worf ze read...
That's exactly the type of response I was looking for. Thanks.
Depending on insurance premiums I'd definitely consider a 600cc sport bike.
I've rode dirt bikes mostly so that is my riding experience. If I got a sport bike, or even a dual sport, I'll go take the rider safety course and then see if there are any classes I can take from there to learn more.
It's crazy how so many of those dual sports haven't changed since the 90s, maybe even the 80s for some of them. You'd think they'd at least give them a 6 speed transmission instead of a 5 speed like most of them have.
@GabeLakmann@Royper@WashedOutGundamPilot expensive to retool to make completely new models, engineering for assembly line new production runs need to fit projected sale quota, its big business shit, its cheaper to repackage cute plastics and trim on already existing stuff with minor updates, yoooou dont need 6 speeds if you just short shift anyway.. just wait till the motor go bap bap bap bap bap bap bap... than shift
youtube.com/watch?v=wFM3H4OEN1c i love this dude, hes clownish but a genuine moto chad, he turned this bike into a big adventure offroad touring "thing", i think theres a playlist... hes much more bike nerd and funner version of how ive ridden motos, from groms to big singles
just get something cheap and near clapped, ride it into the ground, than get something nice according to taste and comfort needs
@chudwave@GabeLakmann@Royper I do love a wildly modded machine. WIth how good some of the adv tires are, there’s a lot more to use for light off road than people imagine.
That's true. I haven't looked at prices lately but I figure I'll end up spending around $200 for a decent jacket and between $300-$500 for a good helmet.
I don't want to cheap out on riding gear but I also don't know what is a bargain and what isn't so I'll probably just buy the best I can afford.
@GabeLakmann@Royper@WashedOutGundamPilot i bought a used vanson 2 piece years ago for a third of new, its not ideal for all aspects but it was my first real gear and its still usable to this day, you can find used stuff cheap in fantastic condition, people get scared and want to sell everything off, riding motos goes in and out of fashion a lot
That is a good point. I was watching F9 on youtube and he broke down the different ratings systems for helmets and it made me realize that they're not all equal and some are kind of a sham.
I don't know why, but to me I'd rather buy a new helmet than used just in case.
I also wouldn't ever buy a used wedding ring but that is a little different scenario.
You're absolutely right about re-tooling and R&D costs but they've made their money back on that stuff and then some after 20-30 years. I've heard it is because they're worried about emissions and the electric crap being forced on everyone. Who knows for sure.
That's excellent advice on getting something used and cheap and then figuring out what you actually need. I've given that same advice in regards to 4x4 vehicles and also firearms and firearm accessories.
@GabeLakmann@Royper@WashedOutGundamPilot any bike to reacquaint you with riding is gonna be the best bike ever, 250, 600, 47000's... they all rule until you dump it, spend on a jacket and gloves at the minimum, and just cruse whatever is under you, people fixate on type and discipline too much, marketing hyperbole, adopting a "persona".. all bikes are just toys that can kill you...keep your head on a swivel and wring out 2nd gear till limiter hits... you wont stop smiling every single time you do it
@GabeLakmann@Royper@WashedOutGundamPilot two piece leathers, the jacket has a circumference zipper that connects to the pants, its so you dont get exposed sliding across that lovely smooth tarmac, i got it for the jacket, pants came in handy when i needed a full suit for a track day
@GabeLakmann@Royper@WashedOutGundamPilot i ment leathers or armor, id never buy a used helmet, forget if it was crashed in or not... i dont wanna smell someone elses funk on my face
@GabeLakmann@chudwave@Royper I’m a proponent of being overgeared, so I usually do overpant zip ups with knee/shin guards and tall boots, with jacket, armor, high-vis just to round out the bases. Gear’s highly dependent on climate, though. We love leather the most (just make sure it’s good and durable in the seams, many designs probably wouldn’t fare too hot, with some of the stitching I’ve seen) but, much like guns, it’s better to have something you’ll actually wear than something that sits at home in the closet because of the climate.
You’ll keep collecting over time, in any case. At one point I wanted to keep my gear pared down, I can now fill up about 14 feet of closet space with the tops and bottoms. But for the first bit, I’d lean towards something that you KNOW you’ll wear religiously, top and bottom, no matter what.
I have been increasingly tempted by the one-piece space suits, just for quick on/off, but that’s a commuter thing where you can’t just walk around in your leathers at work.
@chudwave@GabeLakmann@Royper Jeans don’t hold up long, IIRC even the thickest selvedge denim only covers the first 1.5 seconds of slide on rough asphalt. Add in the fact that your legs (depending on bike) could well be pinned underneath it, and it makes sense why so many riders have ACL replacements.
Also don’t trust dickies or any of that shit, the seams don’t have the required burst strength. IDK if they have the vids open source but there used to be some tests where you see the weighted get-off things and the jeans burst like a balloon. It’s wild.
Overall 3do can be okay, IMO it’s a little scant in some jackets, and it really doesn’t hold up w/ a lot of winter riding, I’ve had too many of the pads crack after 5 seasons, but overall it does alright.
@WashedOutGundamPilot@GabeLakmann@Royper crashing is inevitable, but crashing in a tshirt is the most avoidable suuuuuck... thats all ill say, and no, i didnt learn my lesson after the first one
i have a onesie too, i couldnt imagine trying to commute in it, its sooo not an on off deal, or maybe im just old and fatter now
good jacket and heavy jeans saves you in most sub 60mph lowsides, always wear gloves, even some thin bs work gloves will save your hands from rash, im so out of touch with the industry now, but im sure gear is so much nicer than stuff from 10 years ago, they just started using 3do armor in consumer jackets when i was in my peak homoto heyday
@WashedOutGundamPilot@GabeLakmann@Royper you only need to have it hold up once... im speaking in a ultra subjective sense of a lowside low speed most ideal off, nothing holds up past 100mph other than heavy thick leather and padding
@chudwave@GabeLakmann@Royper Eh, I haven’t seen a lot of those but it doesn’t hold up very well from the ones I did. My goal with gear is to come out the other end riding, uninjured. I don’t get the idea of rolling the dice and hoping for the best when you can gear up so simply these days. I’ve gotten in a few get offs, came out the other end just fine because I had “too much” gear.
Meanwhile, my friends who dressed for style all quit after one injury or another. If jeans pass your risk assessment, then cool, just don’t be the guy at the bbq walking me through 7 years of knee surgeries and telling my girl to “sell that damn bike before he kills himself”
@WashedOutGundamPilot@GabeLakmann@Royper nothing to do with any of that, i mean well, just trying to simplify, you still get sore when you crash, you cant prevent every conceivable outcome.. you can only prepare so far ... i said, good jacket, thick jeans, gloves, good lid... how much more geared up can you be riding around town?
@chudwave@GabeLakmann@Royper More than that, but all my riding skews in non-town, I haven’t done that 35 mph max since HS. Even so I wouldn’t think of “just around town” as being all that much safer. You tend to get pinned, crunched, and thrown more than you do on wider roads.
Jeans won’t cut it like you think they will though, unless you’re buying pretty pricy ones….at which point you’d be just as well off buying something moto-specific. If you slide on your ass you get about 2.3-3 seconds before it hits flesh, anywhere else and you’re counting on the seams holding up under a 5-grit belt sander until you come to a stop. (Been a long time since I went over this though, exact spect likely differ)
And you could do an armor layer underneath, if your pockets don’t have it, something w/ hip/knee guards since city get-offs often pinball you into the curb. Rigid sides to the boots, too, if they’re too flexible the foot can get pinned under the bike and really do a number on it.
I’ve just gotten tired of the cycle, where guys get really gung-ho on riding, ignore safety gear because they wanna be comfy or look cool, get injured, and then lecture me about how dangerous it is. The old “Sweat, or bleed“ has always remained true, and gear has gotten better than ever. No reason to leave that tech on the table when you can ensure you keep a good 5 decades of riding ahead of you