Even worse than your bike cutting out at the stop light, then the light turns green and you can't get it started and everyone is honking at you to move and still honking at you while you push it across the intersection hoping not to get hit. And after you do your investigative troubleshooting steps you realize your stator gave out.
And you’ve only driven one type of bike by one make. Which is what he was getting at by trying new bikes and learning the pros and cons of different styles. Might not work for everyone who’s happy with their one Harley or whatever
I am on my first bike that I bought new when I got my licence (2019 Honda rebel 500). I ride about 10,000 a year (off the road in winter)I love my bike. ❤️❤️I can’t imagine not loving it and wanting a different one! Maybee I’ll feel different in a couple years🙂🤷🏻♀️
I'm buying my first bike soon aiming for the 2024 Honda rebel 500 haven't heard anything bad about it yet but I'm more curious about.the opinions of people who kept the bike long term and.didnt.upgrade to a big more powerful bike
My dad was riding as a teen (uk guy here BTW) he was riding with a friend (separate bikes) back in the day about 30yrs ago and his friend wasn't wearing safety gear and he lost control of his bike and fell off, he scraped his arse all along the tarmac at 70mph......it was like cheese and the grater Shauns just the right amount of cool to get young and new riders to ride safely Great safety message without the pretentious arrogance talking down to us all awesome video
I second the idea of shades plus a clear, drop down, shield. Lots of helmets come with only the dark shield. But, you can easily replace that dark shield with a clear one. In addition to night riding, the clear shield is great on gray rainy days. Sun glasses, and clear shield. That's the way to go!
I have literally felt my bike sputter, reached down and flipped the petcok to reserve, pulled in the clutch gave it a sec to fill the carb bowl, let the clutch out and headed to the gas station. Have to love the reserve setting
I ride with my daughter quite often, she knows she's not allowed on the back without her pants, jacket, gloves, boots, helmet and airbag vest. The worst accident I ever had was at 15mph, I was wearing shorts and flip flops and no helmet. Last time I made that mistake which was me being dumb in my 20's. I love taking my daughter with me and do everything I can to ensure her safety. I made my mistake, no reason for her to learn the hard way. Now we have matching intercom helmets with the flip down tinted screen (ala top gun) and it's really improved the riding experience.
When I was a teenager, I was riding about 65-70 mph on a "short trip" when a black bug hit me on the right eye. Lucky I was wearing sunglasses that cracked instead of an eye injury.😎🤯🤔🥸
I'm a motorcycle driving instructor in Germany and here everyone who wants to get a motorcycle driving license has to have full gear (helmet, jacket with elbow/shoulder and back protectors , gloves, pants and boots that cover the ankles) or they are not allowed to take lessons and the practical driving exam. I actually tell my students all the points you're talking about.
On my 2010 HD crossbones, I timed the highway riding hours instead of using the fuel gage on the tank. 2 hrs of riding time to the next closest fuelling station. I don’t know why, but I started doing that and it’s just another way of doing it. Bless Caleb for all his hard work. You as well. Haha. Love y’all. Cheers🇨🇦🛵
Bought a motorcycle class, bought a jacket, then went back a couple months later and bought a helmet after trying two sizes, used mechanic gloves, saved up, buying my first bike very soon.
Here in the SF Bay Area we ride HD and everything else. We got our own look and we don’t look like we’re going to a leather bar. Old school . Always behind the 8 and we like it that way!
Agreed 100%. I ride an 03 Electra Glide and a Benelli 302s (adventure bike). I own 3 motorcycles (one's wrecked) You should always be comfortable on the bike you ride. If you want to look good you have to be on the right bike for you! and know how to ride safe and correct. Got hit by a truck once at an intersection (her fault) (that would be the wrecked bike) The only thing that makes you cool on a bike is how smart you are about being a "biker" in all! ways.
one thing no ever told me about when I stared riding was the wind and how to ride in it on the freeway when staring out as a new rider very scary and I never hear anyone talk about it..... thank bro love the videos learned tons about bikes from you videos
Good stuff. I ride daily and have taken 2 to 3 thousand mile trips. I would suggest a visor that changes to tint in the sun AND i also wear shades underneath. Gives you a couple shades of dark when you need it and you can take them off at dusk. Having it change clear at night saves on having to carry extra stuff on a trip. I own two Harleys and have a background of dirtbikes as well. I dont own a bullet bike because i know i would test the limits of it haha. Great advice on getting gear with the bike i absolutely agree.
Hi Sean, another good video (as always). I know it wasn’t a road test video but I kinda missed the words of wisdom. Keep em coming buddy and ride safe. (UK Rider - Fazer FZS 600)
In 2019,I was following a rider that was on a sport bike in the carpool lane. A woman cuts over the solid whites and he panics,swerves,drops and slides. She took oof and I chased her,got in front of her and a guy in a Tacoma helped me stop her. The cops came and busted her. While I know it was her fault,the dude could have saved himself and the bike. When she cut in,there was about a 10-foot gap between them. He was a rookie because he could have smashed the front brake and saved himself. He just looked afraid or didn't know how much stopping power the front has.
My best tip is DON'T CHEAP OUT ON YOUR HELMET! New riders tend to get the 'cool' looking helmet, or the one that just passes as a 'helmet' in order to have more money for the bike. Get a full face helmet and preferably one that is SNELL approved. Anyone can get a DOT approval, it really means nothing about safety. Usually you'll need around $300 or more for a safe helmet. Shoei and Aria are solid and safe brands. I got a Shoei RF-1200 mainly because it was the only helmet that also had the option to add a photochromatic shield and a pin lock to stop any fogging. So I have one shield that adjusts the tint based on the sun, no need to ever change shields. Also HELMET FIT, a properly sized helmet will slightly push your cheeks in. So if you bit down you'd feel like you would bite the inside of your cheeks. If you can move your head at all inside the helmet, then it is too big and will offer no impact protection in a crash. Remember most head injuries on a motorcycle don't happen on the road, it's from a slow speed turn, or standing still, and falling over. The simple force of falling from a standing position onto concrete (with a 500lb bike weighing you down) is enough to cause brain damage if not properly protected. In my MSF course I kept my visor up because we only went 25mph and it was hot. They told me to close the visor and I didn't listen. 10 min later a bug smacked me in eye at 25 mph, felt like someone pegged my eye with a quarter. Learned my lesson about eye protection after that. Still have nicks on my helmet from tiny (harmless looking) pebbles that hit my helmet going 70mph. Can only imagine what that would of felt like if it hit skin.
This is the absolute BEST, video on this channel. Don’t get me wrong, i love both your channels. But the part with “your girl on the back is more important than you are” i could not agree any more!
Eye protection is also tooth protection, I always rode with an open faced helmet and Wylie X glasses. I rode across Australia and all around that way and then I got hit in the face with some wood off a truck I was passing, those glasses saved my eyes and my face was a bit bruised but I shrugged it off. A few weeks later a passing car threw a rock up at me, darn well hurt too but again my eyes were saved. Had the rock hit a little lower, I'd have lost some teeth, so I relented and got me an open helmet but with a full face covering flip up visor, best move ever, no more bees in my helmet and I reckon it has saved me a few times. I'd like to go full faced and fancy but I get claustrophobic.
Dude I had one big accident back in May of 94. It was really bad but I recovered 99,9% although the first two years were rough. It was on a Honda and til this day I cannot ride much less buy a Honda. I have a café racer and I just cruise, I'm 55 I have no patience for all the 25 year olds that pull up next to me on a light and look at me and start revving and take off like crazy and I just cruise and watch them looking back at me possibly wondering "Hey how come this guy's not trying to overtake me?" take care. Mike.
I never paid $5000 for a bike. There wasn't much gear available when I got my first bike. Did get a helmet. Took my wife on a long ride after I bought an old $800 gold Wing. We bought helmets and took off. I bought a leather jacket at a garage sale along the way. My wife tried it and I never got it off her. Very good wife
My opinion on people saying harleys are dumb and slow is that it's like cars, you cant compare a Ferrari FXX with a Chevy Nova, there different vehicles, ones for speed, one more for sound and looks
Hi, thanks for all the cool info. I'm gonna be starting out riding soon and liked the idea of the helmet at the end of your video. Who made it? My eyes get sensitive to light at times but, I like the idea of a eye share other then glasses. Thanks in advance.
Ear protection..critical. wind noise at 60 mph past full face helmet = 110 DBA enough to cause tinitus... prolonged exposure can result In permanent loss.
If you have a newer sport bike there a few things you may want to consider before you change your drive sprockets. As most of you know the transmission works by changing the ratio of the input shaft speed (connected to the crank via the clutch) to the output shaft speed (the one with the rear drive sprocket). When shifting, the gears won't engage until the input:output shaft speed ratio changes from the one your shifting out of to the new one your shifting into. This process can be made smoother and quicker by changing the engine(crankshaft) speed which changes the input shaft speed. In newer bikes the Engine Control Unit (ECU) software may change the engine speed momentarily to help shift the bike. The ECU does this by measuring the input and output shaft speeds, calculating the ratio, and comparing it to an optimal target ratio for that gear in a lookup table or "map". To measure the input shaft speed the ECU uses the crank position sensor (RPM). To measure the output shaft speed it is either measured, depending on the model, directly by using a sensor mounted next to the teeth of one of the internal output shaft gears, OR by measuring the rear wheel speed (RWS) and dividing it by the FACTORY final drive ratio. If your bike uses RWS to measure output shaft speed and you change the final drive ratio when you change your drive sprockets it may possibly result in your ECU momentarily messing with your engine power at the wrong time in your shift. If you drag race ZX-14s you are probably already aware of this issue. The fix is to re-program or 'flash' your ecu with the correct ratio table values for your new setup. BTW while you don't need to worry about this if your sensor is in the transmission you should know that most older bikes set up this way also use that sensor value times the final drive ratio to calc your vehicle speed which will no longer be correct if you change your drive sprocket sizes.
I saw a bike vs cops compilation and the cop was informative and not intending on being mean but also being blunt. He said he had a buddy who was very really good at his job at the police academy and one day, I forget why but he had no eye protection on and but a big bug hit him in the eye and caused him to need someone to drive him everywhere and stuff because he couldn't see properly anymore. There was more to it and the guy might have lost his sight in both eyes from that but anyway yeah
Number 7 is what I 1st thought when I started looking at bikes but then I decided I Wanted to get a Honda CB 300 R For my 1st bike still don't have it but I'm going to
I agree with #8 except for Harleys. You need 5k for gear so you can fit in with the cosplay group. Also you have to be fully committed for life, all others are trash. And if someone proves you wrong just stick your fingers in your ears and scream. The others will come save you
I'm coming to the US to visit my son in St Petes FL. planning to buy a V Star for riding when I'm over and next year do a 7000 mile road trip. Just me no pillion. Is the 650 good for this? I'm not interested in speed just reliability and comfort. Did they ever do a 650 with fuel injection. Cheers Mark
@@averyvantuyl2728 I thought about pointing out your lack of ability to recognize a joke. I thought about pointing out that in places like europe and japan where you have to start out on lower cc bikes by law. I thought about pointing out how cheaply you can get a street legal standard motorcycle and how cheap the maintenance is on it. But i think the best response is just "lol". It sort of covers of all that.
I've run into idiots who think I ride a Motorcycle because I can't afford a car, they will ask Me do...You...have...a...car..? while doing sign language at the same time.
That's a great point. I work for a municipality and A LOT of people don't realize most of those markings - arrows, stop bars are actually stickers and extremely slippery when wet.
No one told me about the smells. In a car I never noticed the scent of the orchards by my house or the sunflower fields. It's great. The little things you notice that you miss in a cage.
Temperature changes too. Especially at night if you go down a steep hill you can feel it drop a couple degrees and you can feel the changes going from sun to shade. You're senses are definitely heightened on a bike.
Dirtymartini 74 really? I wear a Klim jacket in the summer lol. I’ve never had anyone react weirdly about it. However H-D makes some of the best leather jackets so I use that in the winter
@@ccb7122 Agreed but it's not the Harley jackets, it's all that other crap they wear. Last time I went on a HOG ride we were in stitches looking at some of the outfits. Most of it had no practical safety purpose other than to project a pseudo hard core biker image. But they became a parody of the look they were trying to achieve
"your bikes dumb" Having been involved in the politics of aviation and Regulations based on public MISPERCEPTION and watching freedoms restricted when an uninformed public DEMANDS more "You need to be protected" laws I ask we ALL Consider EVERY RIDER , MoPed to ????? As a potential Allies in the fight to preserve our Freedom to ride. On the other hand those "Punks" who feel the need to publicly flaunt the rules that protect us ALL And put others at risk are the enemy of our Freedom to ride. With Rights comes RESPONSIBILITY
I cracked my visor open so it would Defog. It’s was crazy humid that night and the wind made the visor open all The way up I got hit with a Beetle bug And made both my eyes shut.
Yep,same thing here. Riding along at about 30 mph, around noon, sunglasses on over eye glasses and visor down to about second notch before fully closed. Was thinking, " Get more air thru the helmet....". Ha ! I got tagged by a wasp on right side of right eye brow.....Not fun. Lesson learned.. Eye protection goes beyond just the visor... and keep the thing.... Shut
As a woman rider I have learned so much from you. Thank you. I have got a nice little Honda Rebel 300 with abs. I love it. It's a joy to just ride around town. On one full tank of gas last me a month going to work and back home. My favorite color is blue so yeah I got my rebel blue. A lot of men give bazaar looks toward me. But that's ok. I'm truly happy with my bike. Keep the great content coming. Thanks again.
Honestly, I have a one seater and never installed the optional second seat for a reason. I don't have faith that any prospective passenger will be responsible enough to dress properly for a ride on a vehicle where they're not protected by a cocoon of steel.
Laying a BMX bike down doing 30 on a road in shorts no helmet or shirt was bad enough... I couldn't imagine waking up with a motorcycle ontop of me that had just rode me down the street till I skid to a stop. I wear full gear riding now. I have 2 front tooth implants and had roadrash over nearly the entire front of my body skinned my knee. I'm lucky to have stood up from that crash.. WEAR YOUR GEAR!
Always ride your own ride, meaning ride to your own abilities and safety. When riding with others don't be intimidated by riding to their abilities if they are more skilled (or reckless).
Yes. Never let others riders push you into driving faster than you are comfortable with. If your riding companions leave you in the dust and won't wait, find other people to ride with. I've been on a couple of group rides, and most have been good. Once or twice, I've been left in the dust and I never saw them again. But all the other times I've ridden with faster riders they have been very understanding and were waiting at every crossroad. The best group rides are those with a buddy you know who is not a speed junkie.
Great comment. It might save a life, and/or a damaged, or totaled bike. I don't ride any more, arthritic back, but I had always loved the feeling of riding on the back wheel. A couple of my riding buddies were really good at it. That said, it takes a lot of practice to get really good at wheelies. Practicing means that you ARE going to crash your bike and/or getting hurt is a good possibility. I loved my bikes, and besides, I couldn't afford the repairs and didn't like pain, so I never got really good at it. My comment is meant to be an example of what you stated so well, in yours, and thank you.
1: I find it worth mentioning that even if you have the reserve setting, it's a bad idea to just ride until you run out of gas and then switch to reserve. It's better to learn how far your bike will go on one tank and keep an eye on the trip-odometer. When you ride a curve and enjoy the fine balance of gravity vs. centrifugal force, the last thing you need is a dent ion the latter because your engine starts to sputter. my mechanic told of a customer who laid himself down because he ran out of gas at the wrong moment. 3: most bikes are fast enough for noobs as they are.
thats true, Im a new rider, (2 months in) and i still struggle with watching my trip odometer, i rely on my gas light coming on and then top it off, its never been empty before but im also at the pump every other day
I just bought a bike, and a bunch of my friends already want me to take them for a ride. I've told them all a hard no, because I only have one set of gear. If they aren't just as protected as I am, nobody is getting on my bike, period. It drives me INSANE to see someone in full gear with a half-naked passenger.
Amen! Nobody should ever ride with a person on back (pillion rider) during their first year of riding - without exception. You are courageous for turning down those people. I had a good friend who was a new rider and took a passenger and the passenger broke their arm when they crashed. PS - you are stunning. Glad you are protecting that face! 🏍
Riding with passengers every now and then can be great fun. But they're not going to buy a full set of gear for one or two rides (nor should they) so you've gotta invest. Over the years, I've amassed a range of sizes of female suit/pants/boots/helmets for girls I wanted to ride with, and it's just cool to have that on offer. And once you buy it, if it doesn't get used all that often it doesn't wear out either. Trust me: you'll stand out to the *proper* sort of girls (assuming hetero male... :) ) if YOU are that one biker that opens up a wardrobe and says "hey, try them on, I've probably got something your size". Even better: if you don't have something their size - go with them to the bike shop, help fit the clothes and helmet, and then buy it. You'll be the greatest guy ever, AND she'll get comfortable changing clothes with you, AND she'll ACTUALLY be safer. Everyone wins. And you get to keep the suit. Yes, it's an investment, but trust this 48yo man - it pays off :)
This video showed me a few things that I already kind of knew about but didn't know that it was common. I've stopped riding with certain people because they were over zealous and thought they were better riders than they were. Also, I currently have a 99 Katana 600 and was having my eyes on getting a Sportster 1200 custom, so I'm glad to see that it's not odd to go from sport bike to cruiser and vice versa.
If your buddies like to stop at the bars for a "quick shot", ride without them.... Not only are they going to eventually crash, but they will take you down with them in that crash!
False. I don't endorse drinking and driving. However I have had A drink with dinner before when riding. That one drink kills the butterflies, and I found myself leaning into turns better, less nervous, and overall enjoying the ride better.
@@shagggadoo Yeah, but usually people DON'T stop at just A drink or 2. Often some people assume they can hold their drink enough, to still function or they stupidly think they drive/ride better drunk. When in actuality, the only real way to ride/drive safely, is to do it sober. There are police commercials that say how, driving/riding tipsy is the same as being drunk. After all, it does lower your inhibitions and your reaction times...the "edge" isn't the thing you want off. At least, not riding a motorcycle that is.
Seeing kids riding in shorts, T-shirt and flip flop or sneakers without socks is just so sad. I’ve ridden for over 30 years and gear has saved my feet, back, knees, shoulders and head, a few times. Always gear up all the time!
Yea me too I live in town where the maximum speed you'll drive is 35mph and even that is probably only for a few short seconds, I don't really need expensive (more than my bike) gear that I really barely need
Try running full speed in shorts and a t-shirt, and then deliberately trip and fall on the asphalt, or run into a wall. That's going about 12mph. I always wear gear even if I'm just riding to the store.
And not only to protect you in a crash. Imagine riding on the highway in t-shirt and shorts, and a bug hits you on the bare skin on your arm or your leg. It will hurt, and you might even lose control of your bike and crash.
Groundhogz Garage the first thing my friend told me when I bought a bike 20 years ago, was not even one near. Ironic how many bike events take place at bars
I'm pro 0 promille... Even if there is 0.5 allowed here i have NEVER driven even a bicycle after one beer - it just isn't done! Call a cab or walk home buddy ;-)
I recommend having two pairs of sunglasses with you, every time you get on your bike. One pair for daytime, another for nighttime. I prefer yellow lens at night, because it seems to brighten up the road in front of me? Also takes away some headlight glare, you're gonna get from oncoming traffic?
Awesome! My grandpa had a Triumph trophy 650 in his basement taken apart for 35 years until he died. It's never too late to get outta bed and walk out the front door. Got his bike now and it would be nice if he taught me to ride
Brother Rider, I'm 65 this year and I've been riding for 55 years, continuously. If I don't ride it hurts my soul, but I live in a rural farm community with very little traffic. That makes it so much safer for me, ya know? Blessings to you Udo, that means Brother in my Cherokee language. Stay safe and be well!
#6 A lot of riders don't seem to understand this. I see a lot of this on the streets. They actually don't care at all about the girl they take for a ride. And in most cases she doesn't know the risk, because that is her first or second time on a bike. Very selfish
Don’t forget to mention that if you have 5 grand to spend on a bike you also have to insure it and get plates and regiistration as well as your equiptment
@M Bacon, you are so right As luck would have it, I paid cash for my house, cars, motorcycle, and a 34' motorhome... But, I would not hesitate to take out a loan on something I really wanted and didn't have the cash readily available. Just saying... And FYI: I have worked all my life to acquire what I have. Wasn't given to me.
I spent my time watching this video, nodding my head saying "yep, you're spot on." I couldn't agree with you more. Two big "thumbs up" from this Kentucky boy! 🏍
I had my bikes and cars of my wife and i al on my name. Since it was cheaper. When i wanted to buy my harley i was not able to put another vehicle on my name. Had to "sell" a car to my wife. Not a big deal but adds another owner to its history lowering its value. Really annoying.
@@thomas316 husqvarna smr 510, husaberg 550, bmw c650 sport, bmw g310r, honda shi 300, piaggio mp3, yamaha xs650, and a yamaha 125cc scooter ... the XS650 from '76 is my favorite!
I completely agree. Getting a helmet with a built-in retractable sun visor a couple of years ago is something that I never regretted. I'm never going to buy a helmet without one again. Previously I used sunglasses under a clear visor, but that caused problems every time I had to enter a tunnel. Sometimes, you could stop and remove the glasses, but sometimes you couldn't, and then you had to drive with impaired vision. Now, I just flip a switch.
@Samuel Gonzalez little late, I have an airflite icon, picked up a matte black one for $200. Came with a clear visor and a retractable shade. Definitely worth it.
Just lost a buddy to a bike crash. His parents just took him off life support due to no brain activity. Crashed doing 100 mph. Had a helmet on but at those speeds it wasn't enough.
#9 was so spot on. I lead a lot of group rides and have had to kick off some dangerous riders who come charging up at the worst time. Great video and channel.
Wear at least one glove so you can pick the gravel out of your other hand... A guy needs at least 5 bikes: (super)sports / enduro / tourer / cruiser / old-timer / any more?! :-) All the best, Rob (Rider for the last 42 years....)
One of the best pieces of gear I bought was a Transitions(tm) lens visor for my helmet. It is clear at night and smoke tinted in the day. Adjusts everywhere in between. They aren't cheap, but worth it.
Rod Rebman I’ve never encountered conditions where it wasn’t dark enough for me. I do not wear sunglasses while I ride. The shield is good enough for me. I ride visor down almost all the time. I wear eyeglasses while riding. Visor goes up when I stop usually then back down once I am over 30-40mph. I ride an ADV bike with excellent windscreen.
