The friendly "dumb" bike questions thread

[Biker 1]

Krikkit said:

For those with bikes already - how much would you value ABS as a newbie?

I quite fancy a Monster 696/796 for a first bike, but finding one with ABS is a bit tricky as it was optional.

DEFINITELY have ABS. My previous bike didn't: I went to overtake an old dear who decided to turn right just as I was giving it the beans. I panic-braked, locked the front, resulting in an accidental stoppie & me nearly going over the bars. I'm not sure how I recovered & didn't hit her. ABS would have prevented this, although a change of underwear would probably still have been required.

[Pothole]

Heyrick said:

So tell me about biker parking... what can you get away with that those with four wheels can't?

e.g. parking between parked cars, paying or not paying in a pay and display etc etc.

Any tales of ticket woes?

No idea if this is the case anywhere near you, but Nottingham City Council have nailed bike parking in the city centre. It's free in any designated on street pay and display parking area as long as you park reasonably perpendicular to the kerb. Makes the city a pleasure to visit on the bike. As their website says "Motorcyclists may also use any other pay and display parking bays free of charge for an unlimited period of time."

[Krikkit]

Prof Prolapse said:

I feel I talk too much on this thread, someone feel to tell me to “shut up”, if I’m boring everyone...

I don't think you do at all - experienced voices are exactly what's needed

Prof Prolapse said:

This isn’t meant to be condescending, but I think if you have to ask you probably need it.

If you don’t know when it helps and when it doesn’t, best have it and let the bike make some of that decision for you.

I like it on my big touring thingy, despite it’s limitations. But if I was on track or a very experienced and fast road rider, I probably wouldn’t.

Not condescending at all - I have an idea about how useful it will be, much like in a car, but have almost 0 experience to correlate what I think onto a bike in the real world.

[SteelerSE]

pessimal said:

How much difference do large front wheels make?

I like the look of adventure bikes, but there always seems to be comment that the larger front wheels make them more lazy (maybe not the word to use, but you get the idea)

Is it an issue when commuting, and having a general ride out? I don't think I will ever be a knee out person, so just a general weekend type ride out.

Thanks!

If you're commuting and not pressing on then I'd say it's mostly a non-issue. The only thing to mention is that the dual-purpose tyres tend to be pretty poor at both off-road and on-road. So unless you're planning a long trip where the compromise makes sense then I'd suggest that you aim for road-biased tyres.

My own experience with this was with normal 17in tyres but they'd fitted Pirelli Scorpions as standard. While OK in the dry they were horrific in the wet. Any of the modern sports/touring rubber will be light years ahead of them on the road - I use Metzeler Roadtecs but the Michelin PR5's are also supposed to be excellent.

So my advice would be buy the style of bike that you like best and then fit the most appropriate tyres you can.

[RizzoTheRat]

Krikkit said:

I have an idea about how useful it will be, much like in a car, but have almost 0 experience to correlate what I think onto a bike in the real world.

Possibly depends a bit how you ride. In 20 odd years I've had one low speed spill where I locked the front on a greasy road at walking pace, and since getting a bike with ABS have had it kick in at the front once when I misjudged how quick the car in front was slowing down. ABS might have prevented the first, and I might have hit the car without it in the second.

On the other hand it's not obtrusive and doesn't change the way I ride, so IMO it's one of those things that I'd have if it was an option, but wouldn't be that bothered about not having.

I'd guess some of the more flat out riders might have occasion to make use of it more often though.

[tvrolet]

Re the ABS query - as above it's primarily down to how you ride, or plan to ride. My current bike is the first bike I've had with ABS after 40-odd non-ABSd years before. I've never had it kick-in (except for 'testing' it) and if I think back over the years, all of my previous offs and accidents would still have happened even if I'd had ABS. My recollections of sliding down the road (or extracting my SS50 from the back of a bus) were all purely down to lack of skill and experience, and/or riding like a tt...which is also really down to lack of experience.

Given a no-cost choice then I certainly wouldn't refuse it, and in truth I guess I feel a little safer riding monsoons knowing there's ABS - but it's not going to keep things sunny side up if don't spot that drain cover, or patch of diesel, or shut off the throttle if I don't notice the bend tightening and 101 other things that can have you off..

Thinking back, If someone had offered me choice between anti-lock brakes or proper on-road (not track) training many years ago, having ABS would have made no difference to where I am right now - I'd still have fallen off/crashed just as much - but being better trained would have saved me from a number of spills and general cock-ups. I look back now and I can't understand quite how I managed to fall off/bang into things in the roads/circumstances I was faced with...but I was simply inexperienced...and still ready to learn more, it never ends.

In terms of personal safety I think you'd be safer all round doing an IAM/ROSPA/whatever advanced riding course than having ABS. Of course it's not an either/or choice and if you have ABS too then great....but it's the icing on the safety cake.

But the other thing about ABS (and this is true of cars too) folks rarely put the brakes on as hard as the bike/car can actually stop. Witness things like 'brake assist' - all it's doing is putting the brakes on more than the driver is pressing when the system thinks the driver wants full-on braking but isn't pressing hard enough. I'm not aware of any bikes with brake assist (but no doubt there are, or will be some), but the same applies. Ask a 'typical' rider to brake at some cones in a car park and stop as quickly as they can. Rinse and repeat and their distances typically reduce - not because they've found some new technique or the ABS is kicking-in; mostly they're realising the bike can stop a whole lot quicker than they think it can before locking/triggering the ABS.

[Bumblebee7]

I have changed bike, and one of the main factors was wanting ABS. In just over a year of riding on my old bike (without ABS) I locked it up twice, thankfully my cycling experience kicked in and I was able to correct it. Both times it was dark and raining, a car pulled out without seeing me and I had to drop anchor. It's one of these things, you hope you won't need the ABS but there may come a day where you wish it was there.

In addition to the ABS though I'm planning on doing a BikeSafe early next year and would like to look into doing IAM or Rospa as well.

[pessimal]

Prof Prolapse said:

I feel I talk too much on this thread, someone feel to tell me to “shut up”, if I’m boring everyone...

no, not at all, appreciate the answer

Prof Prolapse said:

I bought an Africa twin last year and, coming from a GSXR-750 I have struggled a bit when pressing on with a 21” front on the front. It’s not just the overall size, the front tyre is narrow, the tyres usually “dual purpose”, and the suspension a bit soft (obviously). There’s fundamentally less grip, less feel, it’s slowler to turn and it will go squirrelly if you push too hard. But much of that is just the nature of adventure bikes, which is difficult to isolate from the wheel size (for my level of experience anyway).

The 19” front offered by some adventure bikes makes more sense to me on road, but if you do take the bike light off road and trails to me the 21” makes a great deal of sense, for me I feel it’s more stable through ruts (and potholes) and increases confidence. Also if you want to get some proper off road boots on it the 21” wheel size, I think, it offers more variety. Certainly cheap enough for the tyres.

I ultimately think it’s horses for courses, it is a slight compromise on road for a tangible advantage off. In all honesty, though, the bikes they fit 21” too are typically limited dynamically in so many other ways, a fractionally larger wheel is unlikely to make a big difference... After all, if your bike bike weighs in at 400kg, with jelly stilt suspension, on part-knobblies you’re really not going to get that sublime superbike experience regardless.

Just my two pence of course.

if i understand this and simplify a little

yes, there is a difference, it feels less nimble, but for daily riding i'm not gonna notice that much difference.

[Krikkit]

tvrolet said:

Lots of useful stuff about ABS

Bumblebee7 said:

More useful stuff about ABS

Thanks both, I'm not a hooligan on the road any more, but I can see it could be useful as a novice if you panic and grab a big handful of brake in a panic.

Like you guys, more training will be the objective, BikeSafe etc.

[A500leroy]

ive just had some new pilot 2s put on the bike and treated my self to an application of acf50, Anyway whilst applying ive noticed a lot of surface rust on the inner side of the chain and a bit on the outer, this is on a two yr old bike with less than 5k on it, do i need to think about replacing an otherwise usable chain and is it sensible to also replace the sprockets?

cheers.

[Dakkon]

A500leroy said:

ive just had some new pilot 2s put on the bike and treated my self to an application of acf50, Anyway whilst applying ive noticed a lot of surface rust on the inner side of the chain and a bit on the outer, this is on a two yr old bike with less than 5k on it, do i need to think about replacing an otherwise usable chain and is it sensible to also replace the sprockets?

cheers.

Modern chains should easily do 10,000 miles and more if looked after and maintained, I would get at it with a wire brush

[joema]

I seem to get flashed by oncoming cars a lot at night, presume because of my headlight. Is this common for bikes because of the height of the headlight? Or just badly adjusted. I can see nicely though.

Thoughts are that at least they see me but being blinded by them when it's already hard enough to see is no fun.

[dibblecorse]

joema said:

I seem to get flashed by oncoming cars a lot at night, presume because of my headlight. Is this common for bikes because of the height of the headlight? Or just badly adjusted. I can see nicely though.

Thoughts are that at least they see me but being blinded by them when it's already hard enough to see is no fun.

Go find a wall or garage door, stop 15ft or so back so the light pattern is on the wall / door and then hit the high beam, if its lifting a minimal amount I'd say your main beam is too high and needs bringing down a little ....

Alternatively pop to your local MOT centre and they will check / adjust for you ....

[TommyBuoy]

joema said:

I seem to get flashed by oncoming cars a lot at night, presume because of my headlight. Is this common for bikes because of the height of the headlight? Or just badly adjusted. I can see nicely though.

Thoughts are that at least they see me but being blinded by them when it's already hard enough to see is no fun.

As above, check your pattern spread.

Is it an aftermarket hid set up? That could cause problems, otherwise it may just be the bike moving while going over the road surface bumps and lumps and also when you put some lean in the beam spread angle will change and be higher on the out side of the turn direction.

[FK]

Krikkit said:

For those with bikes already - how much would you value ABS as a newbie?

I quite fancy a Monster 696/796 for a first bike, but finding one with ABS is a bit tricky as it was optional.

Evening all,

When I was doing my Mod 1, I was given a bike with ABS on a lovely (mostly) dry August weekend.

When I did my Mod 2 two weeks later, on a drizzly September day, I was given a bike with no abs...

Initially I was a bit perplexed by this, until it was explained to me the abs bikes are for those who are less experienced and not used to a bike of a given power output, weight, general capability etc.

Only one of my bikes has ever had abs. Once did a full emergency stop on my 2003 Aprilia (without abs). Gave it a full (but progressive) handful, and barely got a chirp from the front tyre. In the 7000 miles I had the GSXS 1000 afterwards, with ABS this time, must have engaged the ABS twice maximum. Both bike were used in all weathers.

If you can (or indeed already have) got a bike with ABS, excellent, and it does provide an extra layer of safety. But as with anything, over reliance is best avoided.

[Krikkit]

Thanks, it sounds like a good feature to have, all else being equal, but not essential.

[Bumblebee7]

So only a few weeks into the ownership of my new bike (with ABS) I have already needed it. I was coming home the other day, in the cold rain on a dual carriageway (50mph speed limit). I'm in L1 and there's a sliproad coming up so I move over into L2. A Jag pulls from the sliproad into L1 and it looks like he plans to keep going into L2 where I am, given the darkness and rain I toot the horn to let him know I'm there. Not knowing what has happened he slams (and I really mean slams) the brakes. Given he's put himself in my path I do not have much of a gap and the ABS triggers and helps me brake safely. At this point the Jag realises what he's done and puts the hazards on to apologise. Brown pants moment and in hindsight I should have accelerated into the closing gap, but I certainly wouldn't have anticipated a driver going straight from the sliproad to L2 and then stopping.

[horsemeatscandal]

Which is less likely to dissolve when being used everyday in a coastal location, stored outside (although covered and out of the worst of it); Triumph or Yamaha?

Might not make any odds but when I bought a Suzuki I was told with absolute certainty that it would be an orange puddle within a matter of weeks. Had it for nearly a year as per conditions above and it’s fine.

[joema]

TommyBuoy said:

joema said:

I seem to get flashed by oncoming cars a lot at night, presume because of my headlight. Is this common for bikes because of the height of the headlight? Or just badly adjusted. I can see nicely though.

Thoughts are that at least they see me but being blinded by them when it's already hard enough to see is no fun.

As above, check your pattern spread.

Is it an aftermarket hid set up? That could cause problems, otherwise it may just be the bike moving while going over the road surface bumps and lumps and also when you put some lean in the beam spread angle will change and be higher on the out side of the turn direction.

thanks both.
When pointing at a wall the main beam came on well below the dip.
The previous owner had put the plugs to the main and and dipped beams the wrong way round so basically I was riding around with my main beam on.

Not tested it yet but hoping I can see where I am going.

[RizzoTheRat]

horsemeatscandal said:

Which is less likely to dissolve when being used everyday in a coastal location, stored outside (although covered and out of the worst of it); Triumph or Yamaha?

Might not make any odds but when I bought a Suzuki I was told with absolute certainty that it would be an orange puddle within a matter of weeks. Had it for nearly a year as per conditions above and it’s fine.

While it is garaged rather than outside, my Yamaha rarely gets cleaned and only has a few slightly furry bolts so I'd say they last pretty well. However in your situation I'd be giving it a good coating of ACF50 several times a year.