Intro - Hello From MA

[JerryHawk250]

Good points to bring out Thumper.
Christina is 6' 2" tall. I'm 5'10" and on my Hawk, which very similar to the TT250, I feel like I'm pushed forward on the tank because of the seat. The KPX is much more comfortable , especially for a tall person.

Because of the rake angle on the KPX, the bike bike handles so much better than the Hawk which is identical to the TT250.

[Sport Rider]

CSC TT250 is "old" technology. The KPX is "new". given that you have a local shop, I'd lean that direction based on what you've said. Who's going to work on the CSC if something goes wrong?

You will pay more for the KPX, but I think you will like the quality of them better. Nothing against CSC. it's better quality than a lot of the buy-the-box Chinese bikes. it's just dated.

[JerryHawk250]

Originally Posted by Sport Rider

CSC TT250 is "old" technology. The KPX is "new". given that you have a local shop, I'd lean that direction based on what you've said. Who's going to work on the CSC if something goes wrong?

You will pay more for the KPX, but I think you will like the quality of them better. Nothing against CSC. it's better quality than a lot of the buy-the-box Chinese bikes. it's just dated.

She's actually going to be paying less after you add in all the fees from CSC including having the KPX Assembled with PDI.

[Christina Rae]

See, I knew I asked the right question!

You guys have me thinking KPX even more now. The fact that I can go and see it before committing to it is the number one reason. Yes, and I am tall at 6 ft 2! Its a curse! So, if the KPX would be better, then I think that's the way to go. The more I look at both, I like the looks of the KPX better.

PLUS - There's a website dedicated to it!

[JerryHawk250]

Originally Posted by Christina Rae

See, I knew I asked the right question!

You guys have me thinking KPX even more now. The fact that I can go and see it before committing to it is the number one reason. Yes, and I am tall at 6 ft 2! Its a curse! So, if the KPX would be better, then I think that's the way to go. The more I look at both, I like the looks of the KPX better.

PLUS - There's a website dedicated to it!

There a couple of websites. Mine and KPX250.com which is Kyle from the forum. I still have a lot to add to my website as Its only a couple of weeks old. He also has a facebook group for the KPX which most of the KPX owner here are members of.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/kpx250

[Christina Rae]

Good Greif. Just got the "talk" from the wife. HA! She does not want me "commuting" to work by motorcycle. She told me she is not worried about ME, as she knows I am safe and will be safe...she's worried about all the other morons out there. She said if it was 20 years ago, no problem. Or if I had been already riding all these years. To her credit, she's right. People today are clueless. Playing with their phones, or sparking up their pot while driving.

But all is not lost! She did say she had no problem if I wanted to go Off-Road! She was even OK with the short street run to the nearest woods/trails. Or, even the "occasional" trip to the grocery store or just a cruise around our quiet neighborhood.

I guess I can deal with that compromise! At 50 years old with a young child at home and household responsibilities. I can see where she is coming from. So the dream is still ( sort of ) alive! And wouldn't you know it - a local guy on FB has a Bashon for sale!

[Thumper]

This is why I try to stay off the roads. I gave up a few incredible road bikes in the past after scary situations. We are no match for cars and trucks. And around here they drive 4 door F250s and 2500s, and Escalades and Suburbans way over the speed limit changing multiple lanes without turn signals all the time. And intersections are nuts. No place for anything under 2000 lbs.

[JerryHawk250]

I use my bikes for commuting. But I also don't drive in the city. Most of my riding is on country roads or off road away from the phone zombies.

[Christina Rae]

Originally Posted by Thumper

This is why I try to stay off the roads. I gave up a few incredible road bikes in the past after scary situations. We are no match for cars and trucks. And around here they drive 4 door F250s and 2500s, and Escalades and Suburbans way over the speed limit changing multiple lanes without turn signals all the time. And intersections are nuts. No place for anything under 2000 lbs.

Yeah, I totally agree! And I am nervous when I take my 2000 Mustang out on the road! I mean really, a freekin' CIVIC sits higher than I do! I also do allot of mountain biking. Talk about being exposed! One time, I was trying to take a right at an intersection. There was this massive 18 wheeler that pulled up next to me. As the light changed, he decided to cut the turn short. Pretty much left me NO choice but to ditch it into the brush next to me!

One thing she joked about was that I could do what her and her brother used to do. Ride the bike down the road until you see a cop in the distance. Jump off, push it. 'I'm not riding it officer...I'm PUSHING it!"

[Thumper]

It took real fear to get me off of these. The old 1982 GS1100E was about the 20th bike in a long list of Suzuki early GS series bike, Suzuki shafties, Honda multis, twins. I was insatiable. The bike was a babe magnet. This photo was taken when I took a sweet older woman out to the glider port for a tow:


A MUCH more recent project- my first generation Bandit 1200S. I put a rack of Mikuni flatslide RS smoothbore carbs (with throttle pump), Dyno2000 ignition advance, D&D header with Supertrapp tunable slip on. This bike also got a Nation cycle Cheetah dark smoke windscreen, EuroTail rack, Hayabusa chain and sprockets, braided SS front brake lines feeding Tokico 6 piston claipers from a GXer. It was hard to keep the front tire on the road:

[Thumper]

Sorry about the thread hijack for a trip down memory lane. But I had a really hard time leaving the road, and these specimens demonstrate the reason why, in spades. Hre is another intersting find I picked up one Winter in Fargo ND. I replaced the adjustable windshield with a taller aftermarket version, added a rack and tank bag. I also added custom lower/forward pegs for cruising. The OEM pegs placed you in an aggressive tight crouch. This is the first bike that I experienced a sustained and controlled two wheel drift. It was stable, and thrilling! This bike had a stock mikuni flatslide rack, and it made close to 150hp off the show room floor. Holy cow!




Before that, I built this '82 GS1100G. I found a perfect colormatched Windjammer from a gold wing with a hooded headlamp, added the Kerker header and Amco luggage rack (sliding passenger backrest). Also added a lockhart oil cooler. It was hard to find all of this vintage stuff. FUN project! It was bike of the month (with this picture) on a GS vintage forum I used to be active on:


I found a vintage Alphabet true tuned 4 into 2 that sounded wicked on the bike. I toyed with that before settling on the Kerker. Alphabet. No kidding!

[McQueen216]

As someone who has somehow maintained a relationship for a few decades and then started riding again, this rings true to my ears.

I started my return to riding with a basic, level one course with the MSF folks - that also got me my endorsement. It convinced me I could return to riding with getting killed, but I think it assured my partner that I wasn’t rushing blindly into things (and was taking advice on things like protective gear.)

MSF does have additional levels of training, covering all kinds of things. That might help - both of you - when the time is right. FWIW.

[Thumper]

It's true. She won't even get on a motorcycle. And not only do I listen more to her, but I also have two kids just getting going in their adult lives. Both of them ride off road. They need me to be present, and healthy! I do miss those fine road bikes, but I just no longer feel that I can drive safely enough to beat the odds.

Unfortunately, training doesn't stop absent minded drivers from lane changing into you, not seeing you at an intersection, or paying more attention to their phone than the road, etc.

I consider myself to be pretty well trained after 5 decades of riding. Defensive driving helps, but I had so many close calls that I gave up.

The four lane arteries around Kansas City have evolved into very dangerous place for cars and especially for motorcycles, and the city streets have endless intersections where 95% of accidents happen. It was those intersections that convinced me to stick to country roads and two lane city streets. Every intersection is suspect. Every one of them. My average speed on the Templar is probably 15mph if you take into account my off road time. Maybe 25mph on the road only.

[Thumper]

I thought I would just dust off this old horse and beat it a few more times



OK. I admit it, I am an old fart. But even though I constantly outperform my buff 18-19 year olds boys lifting stuff, I am well aware that experience and leverage are a learned skill. Think bags of cement and my son watching me hoist one over my left shoulder to dump it into the mixer. He couldn't get it past his chest, but he bench presses 4x I can! He ended up having the mixer arms rip the bag and a third of it landed on the ground, and on my shoes

He didn't see my stepwise hoist using my legs and arms, stomach, upper stomach, lower chest, upper chest, and up and over. 80 pounds.

Yes. It is skill, not brawn that allows us to punch WAY above our weight. But this still looks rough to me.

https://www.advpulse.com/adv-preppin...re-motorcycle/

[Sport Rider]

Just catching up on this thread. To the OP, riding on the street is really not more dangerous than on trails. I've been down 4 times now on my KLR and that's more than my 40 years of street riding combined. I use one of my bikes for commuting every day the weather permits. You certainly have to adjust your approach and watch/learn/understand signs of what people are going to do in cages, but it's a learned skill. I'd suggest you start out slow and build your skills up. if you pay close attention you will learn some of the techniques of lane positioning for better visibility and watching for clues as to others intentions. might be a slight movement of a wheel, might be eye contact with another driver, or at least seeing where their eyes are. avoidance movements on your part. when to slow down or speed up to avoid situations. these things all come with time, experience and training.