Motorcycle discussion

[hpiguy]

Most adults would be probably be shocked at what you can learn on a "kids bike" if you just get over yourself and quit worrying about being seen on a tiny motorcycle.

[JatoTheRipper]

I posted the Ducati Scrambler a few pages back. I keep wondering if it'll be enough power for me since it will be a downgrade of what I have now. And they are making it ABS only for 2019 which is lame. I guess it's Euro mandated bullshit. Scramblers should not have ABS that can't be toggled off.

Now Triumph releases the Speed Twin and it's gorgeous! It reminds me of the old UJMs like the Honda CBs. It has plenty of power for this style of bike - 96 hp and 83 ft-lbs - so I could live with that. I'm anxious to see it in person! I have a Triumph dealer about 5 minutes from me.

[JatoTheRipper]

I am looking to get a phone mount for my motorcycle and I'm looking for recommendations. Do any of you have experience with them?

The Ram-X seems popular, but I saw one in person and I'm not impressed. The sides don't have any support. And I've seen multiple YouTube videos showing vloggers losing their phones out of Ram-X mounts. The other popular options seem to require special cases and I'm not the biggest fan of that either. What options have you guys tried and liked?

I'm also looking at the Beeline Moto GPS display that works in conjunction with your phone if I can't find a reliable phone mount. But Beeline seems overpriced for what it is.

https://beeline.co/pages/beeline-moto

[hpiguy]

I was never a fan of mounting anything on the bars for just that reason. Hell, I've had GoPro mounts fall off before. My ride time was my time and my phone stayed in the tail bag and I'd check it during fuel/rest stops. But I didn't tune into my phone, work alerts, use it for music, etc during rides. There are much cheaper and more expendable options for that IMHO. A moto centric GPS would be fine if needed. I had one mounted to my bars only when needed, and had it tethered to the top triple clamp just in case.

[JatoTheRipper]

Originally Posted by hpiguy

I was never a fan of mounting anything on the bars for just that reason. Hell, I've had GoPro mounts fall off before. My ride time was my time and my phone stayed in the tail bag and I'd check it during fuel/rest stops. But I didn't tune into my phone, work alerts, use it for music, etc during rides. There are much cheaper and more expendable options for that IMHO. A moto centric GPS would be fine if needed. I had one mounted to my bars only when needed, and had it tethered to the top triple clamp just in case.

I haven't seen an inexpensive moto GPS. I could and I've thought about using an old phone strictly for GPS. In that case I wouldn't care as much if it went crashing to the road.

[hpiguy]

Originally Posted by JatoTheRipper

I haven't seen an inexpensive moto GPS. I could and I've thought about using an old phone strictly for GPS. In that case I wouldn't care as much if it went crashing to the road.

Inexpensive is all relative when it comes to hobbies. How about $299 on sale right now?

https://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/...motorcycle-gps

[JatoTheRipper]

Originally Posted by hpiguy

Inexpensive is all relative when it comes to hobbies. How about $299 on sale right now?

https://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/...motorcycle-gps

Not too bad, but reviews are very spotty.

[DukeMinnix]

I'd like to give you some recommendation Jato but when I was riding I rode hard, too hard to ever worry about a phone, so it always went into the under seat or a zipped pocket. Man I miss riding, but with an infant being born any day, my son 16 months old, and my general lack of trust for everyone else out on the road, I can't get myself back onto a bike for quite a few years going forward.

[JatoTheRipper]

Originally Posted by DukeMinnix

I'd like to give you some recommendation Jato but when I was riding I rode hard, too hard to ever worry about a phone, so it always went into the under seat or a zipped pocket. Man I miss riding, but with an infant being born any day, my son 16 months old, and my general lack of trust for everyone else out on the road, I can't get myself back onto a bike for quite a few years going forward.

It'll be for GPS guidance so it won't take much more attention than glancing down at the speedometer.

Did you stop driving your car? Lots of people die in cars daily.

[Gula]

Owned/held on for dear life to a KTM 990 SMR for about 3 years. Sold it because I did not want to die. Video I made to help sell it: https://youtu.be/gIh5X9mu9YA

[JatoTheRipper]

Originally Posted by Gula

Owned/held on for dear life to a KTM 990 SMR for about 3 years. Sold it because I did not want to die. Video I made to help sell it: https://youtu.be/gIh5X9mu9YA

Sorry to break the news to you, but you are going to die.

[hpiguy]

Tim, are you really saying that being totally exposed on a bike is just a safe as being in a modern car? Surely you aren't making that argument?

I agree, we'll all die at some point, but the things we choose to do can greatly accelerate that process.

[Browneye]

Been riding for fifty years...

[JatoTheRipper]

Originally Posted by hpiguy

Tim, are you really saying that being totally exposed on a bike is just a safe as being in a modern car? Surely you aren't making that argument?

I agree, we'll all die at some point, but the things we choose to do can greatly accelerate that process.

No, I never said that.

People seem to think not riding a motorcycle is going to ensure their safety or that riding a motorcycle will ensure their death. It's simply not true.

I wonder how many of the above people think nothing of driving while texting, talking on the phone or having "just one" drink? All are serious distractions and often have deadly results, but it's so commonplace today.

Last year over 4.5 Million people were seriously hurt or killed while driving cars. Car accidents are among the top 10 leading causes of death in a few age groups. Yet the same people that bash the "safety" of motorcycles will get into a car without thinking about it.

Sure, motorcyclists are statistically much likelier to get killed in an accident than somebody in a car, but something like a quarter of all motorcycle crashes involve alcohol. You can't ensure your safety on a motorcycle, but you also can't ensure your safety in a car. You can do things when operating both vehicles to minimize your chances of getting into an accident though.

Originally Posted by Browneye

Been riding for fifty years...

Hell yeah!

[hpiguy]

Originally Posted by JatoTheRipper

No, I never said that.

People seem to think not riding a motorcycle is going to ensure their safety or that riding a motorcycle will ensure their death. It's simply not true.

I wonder how many of the above people think nothing of driving while texting, talking on the phone or having "just one" drink? All are serious distractions and often have deadly results, but it's so commonplace today.

Last year over 4.5 Million people were seriously hurt or killed while driving cars. Car accidents are among the top 10 leading causes of death in a few age groups. Yet the same people that bash the "safety" of motorcycles will get into a car without thinking about it.

Sure, motorcyclists are statistically much likelier to get killed in an accident than somebody in a car, but something like a quarter of all motorcycle crashes involve alcohol. You can't ensure your safety on a motorcycle, but you also can't ensure your safety in a car. You can do things when operating both vehicles to minimize your chances of getting into an accident though.




Hell yeah!

OK, I didn't think so, just making sure. LIKE, and agree 100%!

[JatoTheRipper]

Originally Posted by hpiguy

OK, I didn't think so, just making sure. LIKE, and agree 100%!

The biggest threat to your health is living life because you are guaranteed to die at some point. You might as well have fun getting there.

[Browneye]

Originally Posted by JatoTheRipper

The biggest threat to your health is living life because you are guaranteed to die at some point. You might as well have fun getting there.

^^This. Till ya get old and tired like me. LOL
Dirt bikes are all gone, vintage stuff sold, no more crotch rockets, no more trials bikes.
50k adventure bike miles over the past 10 years - never dropped any bike on the road, not even a tip over. The dirt bikes almost killed me many times.
At some point you have to figure you've just been lucky.

[EZCompany]

Took the giant ugly rear fender off of my Suzuki DR-Z400 and installed my new cargo rack. Looks much better and now I have somewhere to strap my crawlers.
Before:


After:

[Peaker]

I like the concept of riding a motorcycle, but today i don't dare to do that just thinking of all the idiot car drivers.
So motorcycle are one of the few things i am not licensed for.

In regard to a handle bar mount, i never gotten those, and i barely get the docking station in my own car.
And in my car driving are pretty much the only place where i charge the phone, and really i don't need to see it as it ring very rare ( like 1-2 times a week ) and its been 10 months since it have been ringing while driving.
I tell myself it is nice cuz i some times use a waze like APP, but really its rare i use that APP.
Motorcycle riders i have "confronted" retort with well i use it for navigation, which i assume are also a valid reason, but the many videos i have seen online with a phone on the handlebar i have never seen a navigation screen going, pretty much anything else.

But it is all so easy for me as i am on no social media platforms, so no bleeps i am obligated to reply to.

And i do use navigation myself, mostly the first time i go to a new place and then only for the last miles as i can pretty much easy find any little town in little old Denmark just using my build in GPS and roadside signs.
So finding XX town are no problem without GPS, but finding bla-bla street in that town can be a issue and thats where i use GPS.
But i am a very special SOB, i feel like i am dying a little every time i touch my phone, and thats clearly not a issue for most other people on earth.

[Browneye]

Originally Posted by Peaker

I like the concept of riding a motorcycle, but today i don't dare to do that just thinking of all the idiot car drivers.
So motorcycle are one of the few things i am not licensed for.

In regard to a handle bar mount, i never gotten those, and i barely get the docking station in my own car.
And in my car driving are pretty much the only place where i charge the phone, and really i don't need to see it as it ring very rare ( like 1-2 times a week ) and its been 10 months since it have been ringing while driving.
I tell myself it is nice cuz i some times use a waze like APP, but really its rare i use that APP.
Motorcycle riders i have "confronted" retort with well i use it for navigation, which i assume are also a valid reason, but the many videos i have seen online with a phone on the handlebar i have never seen a navigation screen going, pretty much anything else.

But it is all so easy for me as i am on no social media platforms, so no bleeps i am obligated to reply to.

And i do use navigation myself, mostly the first time i go to a new place and then only for the last miles as i can pretty much easy find any little town in little old Denmark just using my build in GPS and roadside signs.
So finding XX town are no problem without GPS, but finding bla-bla street in that town can be a issue and thats where i use GPS.
But i am a very special SOB, i feel like i am dying a little every time i touch my phone, and thats clearly not a issue for most other people on earth.

BMW integrated a nice BT nav system from Garmin that links to your phone and intercom headset, and the bike's performance data. It's not cheap, and even a smartphone works better for nav. The problem is a phone is much more difficult to navigate within the device, especially with a gloved finger, sometimes impossible. And it doesn't have all the bike-integration data the Garmin nav offers, even with control wheel on the left grip. A phone can't load tracks either, so for cross-country travel a good GPS is nearly indispensable.

So I have both, and use both, and the bar-mount is a very nice integration of the device with everything. Also notice there's a TPX radar detector as well - that thing has saved my ass over and over and over - no more speeding tickets for Browneye.

It does bother me a bit that someone would make a comment about the propriety of something with zero hands-on experience. Frankly I just don't get it. If you don't use one you don't need one. I've put some hundred thousand miles on road bikes, including 55,000 adventure miles between three different bikes over the past 8 years. For me fear is not an option, I live my life the way I want with complete outcome independence - I know I'll be good no matter how it goes down - ultimate freedom. I have no fear of injury or death - it comes with the adventure. You prepare as best as possible, ride smart, and stay in practice.