My new summer fuel saver (56k beware)

[TJinPgh]

I picked his up a couple of days ago.1994 Honda Nighthawk 250.Got it for $900. Runs great. Excellent shape for the year. 70 mpg!Not much riding time left this year, but I'll have it for next spring.

[djb383]

Nice ride, and remember ATGATT.

[WaveAction]

very nice..so shiny you got a huge blinding spot in the 3rd pic from the sun

[TJinPgh]

Quote, originally posted by djb383 »Nice ride, and remember ATGATT.Yup. I haven't even had it on the road yet, and won't until I get some proper gear.Quote, originally posted by WaveAction »very nice..so shiny you got a huge blinding spot in the 3rd pic from the sunYeah, I noticed that after I uploaded it.

[jwalcik]

Congrats. Looks like it'll be a lot of fun and rather economical when the weather's nice.Quote, originally posted by djb383 »Nice ride, and remember ATGATT.Quote, originally posted by TJinPgh »Yup. I haven't even had it on the road yet, and won't until I get some proper gear.Good to hear. Keep the shiny side up.

[Merzbow]

Congrats!All you need is a helmet lol. I didn't even have my license or permit for the first few months I've had my bike. In fact I still don't have my license and my permit is expired (removed)...I better get on that soon.Nice looking motor scooter

[MRCN RCE]

hey nice bike tj Quote, originally posted by djb383 »Nice ride, and remember ATGATT.hey i haven't heard that one before, what game is that code for?? seriously, what does it mean??

[djb383]

Quote, originally posted by MRCN RCE »hey nice bike tj hey i haven't heard that one before, what game is that code for?? seriously, what does it mean??All The Gear, All The Time. (helmet, jacket, gloves, pants and boots) Merzbow is a SQUID. (Stupidly Quick Underdressed Ignorant and Dangerous or Imminently Dead) Just what we need........another unlicensed driver/rider without insurance.

[Merzbow]

(removed)! Who you callin a squid? I have insurance my friend, and I know how to ride a motorcycle, even better than I do a peddle bicycle.I've dumped a bike going 60-mph and all I had on were jeans, helmet, gloves, and t-shirt and all I got was a scratch on the knee and a hole in my jeans. I wear my leather when it's cold but never when it's hot because, personally if I'm over heated I feel extremely sick and cannot see straight. No leather for me unless it's below 70.Leather pants and a jacket aren't going to do ANYTHING at all except maybe protect your skin but if you get hit by a car or are sent sailing into the sky and land on a limb wrong, that jacket or leather pants aren't going to play any part in protecting you.

[jwalcik]

Quote, originally posted by Merzbow »(removed)! Who you callin a squid?Personally, I think this is an argument for a different forum (the folks here will be happy to discuss it ad naseum), but here goes anyway...The goal of riding jackets and riding pants is twofold. The first, obvious point is to protect your skin from abrasion (both from the road and from that june bug you encounter at 65mph). The second goal, if you're wearing high-quality gear with properly-placed armor, it's to protect you from impact, whether that impact is with another vehicle or some inanimate object. The factors involved in any motorcycle accident vary so wildly that it would be hard to argue that any one piece of gear is "perfect", but why someone wouldn't want to take advantage of something that would increase the survivability of an accident is beyond me.I feel that you should ride in the gear that your comfortable in. While it is pricey, there is a lot of really great gear out there for just about any climate. I personally don't get on my bike (I've ridden in weather as hot as 108 F and as cold as 38 F) without boots, jeans, an armored jacket, gloves, and a full face helmet. Yes, I should probably get some riding pants. No, I haven't done it yet. There's a guy who lives in my apartment complex here that rides an SV650 in shorts, flip-flops, and a t-shirt. Do I agree with that choice? No. Am I going to confront him about it? No. I look at it the same way I look at seat belts. If you choose not to wear one in your car, that's your decision to make on your own. If you get in my car, you'd best be putting it on. If it were up to me to make the rules, I'd make helmets and the MSF Basic Rider course mandatory for owning a motorcycle. However, it's not up to me, so the only person I have to decide for is myself.

[TJinPgh]

Quote, originally posted by jwalcik »The factors involved in any motorcycle accident vary so wildly that it would be hard to argue that any one piece of gear is "perfect", but why someone wouldn't want to take advantage of something that would increase the survivability of an accident is beyond me.Well, price and the "coolness factor" are the only things that come to mind. I'm sure there are more than a couple of "hardcore" bikers that would maintain that a "real man" don't need no stinkin' armor or helmet.Quote »There's a guy who lives in my apartment complex here that rides an SV650 in shorts, flip-flops, and a t-shirt. Do I agree with that choice? No. Am I going to confront him about it? No. I look at it the same way I look at seat belts. If you choose not to wear one in your car, that's your decision to make on your own. If you get in my car, you'd best be putting it on. Agreed. It's not my place to lecture people. Nor do I think it's government's place to protect people from their own stupidity. Some would go so far as to say let them ride without it, it's simply thinning the herd.I'm not quite that heartless, but riding a motorcycle w/o at least SOME protective equipment is a lot like smoking a cigarette. Common sense should have been enough to tell you that it wasn't a good idea. And, it shouldn't take a trip to the ICU to convince you that you were wrong if you thought it was.Quote »If it were up to me to make the rules, I'd make helmets and the MSF Basic Rider course mandatory for owning a motorcycle. I last rode a motorcycle about 20 years ago, a little Honda SL70 trail bike. I thought I had a pretty good grasp on riding, but the MSF BRC convinced me pretty quickly I didn't.It's a great course and I'd highly recommend it to anybody, whether they already have their license or not.I think the MSF needs to go one step further, however. I found myself thinking that the course may be insufficient for somebody who's never been on a bike before. I think they need to expand the offerings beyond the Basic and Experienced Rider Courses and also include a Beginners Rider Course that has smaller classes and more riding days.

[Merzbow]

I totally agree with both of you and respect your opinions but...I am not a stupid kid that doesn't know any better. If I was destined to die on a bike, that's what's going to happen and wearing gear is not going to alter that. It has nothing to do with coolness in anyway shape or form. I loooove wearing my gear. I wear my jacket whenever I can. I just cannot enjoy riding a bike when it's 90 degrees and I have a jacket on...forget it. I bought the Ducati because it was a life long dream of mine and the ONLY goal that I've set for myself that I've actually attained. I don't care what people think or how cool I look. I ride the bike and I love every second of it. I ride when it's freezing cold just to ride. I don't do stunts or speed or show off and I stay as far away from cars as I can safely get.Yes I know a lot of kids my age do buy bikes to screw around and be cool but trust me, I am not one of them and if I was, I wouldn't have bought a bike with such a prestigious reputation. Being "macho" plays NO ROLE in my life at all...don't care if I look like a 12 year old school girl, if that's what I like than I'm going to do it...are you picking up what I'm putting down?Anyways, enough of this, sorry for the hijack TJ.

[TJinPgh]

No problem.For the record, my comment was neither about you, nor aimed at you. It was just a general thought.I won't ride w/o boots, a helmet, long pants and gloves. I'll wear a jacket of some sort but I can't afford several hundred dollars for an armored riding jacket and pants right now.If I happen upon one on craigslist or on ebay that's a good deal, I'll probably pick it up. Until then, I'll wear what I have.I don't intend to ride once the temperature gets much below the 50s, so I don't have much longer I can ride this season anyway.

[Kamikaze]

I've got 2 different riding jackets. I have my Armor Leather one I wear when I know I'm going to ride fast, and usually on the highway.I also have my mesh armor jacket. This thing is great, I have the breathability for the wind to go right thru it, some protection from road rash, and the armor protection from impact.Personally I would never ride w/o my gear. The only thing I do intend to get some day are some riding pants.

[tangerine]

meh only time I ever wore a jacket when I rode was if it was cold out, or if I was on a crotch rocket. I prefer my tan. Helmet and boots is all the gear you need. To the person above that mentioned a guy in his complex that rides with sandals...he should talk to my dads buddy from the air force that downed his harley outside houston wearing sandals and ground his foot off.

[djb383]

Quote, originally posted by Merzbow »..................I have insurance my friend, and I know how to ride a motorcycle, even better than I do a peddle bicycle...........................then why don't you get your license, and be legal. You're a liability lawsuit waiting to happen. (removed).

[Merzbow]

I can't drive right now do to medical reasons (until February) so it's impossible to get it right now.

[Sublimewind]

This is interesting,I'm starting to think about a "starter" bike to play with... Kawasaki just re-vamped and updated the Ninja 250R and i'm REALLY thinking about that bike.. http://www.kawasaki.com/Produc...d=263Dow Corning is or had developed a new sort of motorcycle armor... It's flexable normaly, bot goes completely RIGID upon impact... Food for thought...

[djb383]

Mid-life crisis. But hey, it's fun.http://img509.imageshack.us/my...l.jpgh ... im...7.jpg

[Merzbow]

Nice! I just sold my Ninja 250. That was my starter bike and it was a lot of fun and very reliable...until one of the cylinders blew...could have been prevented though. Mechanical mistake at the shop but I only paid $600 for it so I wasn't that devastated.

[millster]

Quote, originally posted by Merzbow »Nice! I just sold my Ninja 250. That was my starter bike and it was a lot of fun and very reliable...until one of the cylinders blew...could have been prevented though. Mechanical mistake at the shop but I only paid $600 for it so I wasn't that devastated.Definitely fun and reliable. Although I'm in the process of trying to sell mine, too. Mine's still running, though. Anyway TJ, nice bike. I looked at the Rebel 250 but it was just too small for me to ride comfortably.

[jwalcik]

Quote, originally posted by TJinPgh »I won't ride w/o boots, a helmet, long pants and gloves. I'll wear a jacket of some sort but I can't afford several hundred dollars for an armored riding jacket and pants right now.If I happen upon one on craigslist or on ebay that's a good deal, I'll probably pick it up. Until then, I'll wear what I have.I know a couple of folks who have purchased jackets from leatherup.com. They've got both leather and mesh jackets with armor for under $100. The leather pieces are of surprisingly high quality for the money, but I haven't seen one of the mesh jackets in person.

[TJinPgh]

Quote, originally posted by millster »Anyway TJ, nice bike. I looked at the Rebel 250 but it was just too small for me to ride comfortably.Unfortunately, some of us are vertically challenged, lol.I did a seat test on the Ninja 250 and the Ninja 500. They were ok. Definitely nice bikes. But, I just didn't find them that comfortable.The stock seats are way too hard on those for my taste.All I really wanted was something small to use as a daily commuter. 70 mpg is definitely a nice selling point. I have no real desire to go faster on 2 wheels than I'd normally drive on 4.Maybe a couple of years down the road I'll consider a Nighthawk 450. They're pretty sharp.Quote, originally posted by jwalcik »I know a couple of folks who have purchased jackets from leatherup.com. They've got both leather and mesh jackets with armor for under $100. The leather pieces are of surprisingly high quality for the money, but I haven't seen one of the mesh jackets in person. Thanks. I'll definitely check that out.

[Sublimewind]

Check this link out... http://www.activeprotectionsystem.com/index2.htmlIt digs deeper into the "active" protection system I spoke of developed by Dow, VERY interesting read..

[TJinPgh]

Very Cool!That stuff's right out of Sci Fi! hehe

[Sublimewind]

Yeah, could you imagine Jeans that turn into armor on impact...!!!