Class 2B Riding Lessons & All Abt Motorcycles

[Kangadrool]

It sucks to ride especially round bends and corners. Can't imagine doing it. The fun of motorcycling is leaning like an aeroplane unlike car which you get thrown in the opposite direction feel. That's why I think the Italian's Piaggio made it 2 wheels in front with the ability to lean.

 

 

In the past, mostly so. But now I see able bodied rider + pillion with such brand new scooters. Guess have potential to carry more stuff & don't need to put feet down.

 

Arh....maybe that's why lta spotted the trend & decided to increase CAT D $$ due to the 3rd wheel.

 

- pay for 3rd wheel

- pay for not having to place feet down

- pay for more ease in carrying cargo

- pay for more stability

- pay for inconveniencing drivers since its broader & cant lane split as well.

 

[Baal]

It sucks to ride especially round bends and corners. Can't imagine doing it. The fun of motorcycling is leaning like an aeroplane unlike car which you get thrown in the opposite direction feel. That's why I think the Italian's Piaggio made it 2 wheels in front with the ability to lean.

 

 

 

But theres a down side to it though, when wear & tear sets in (not accident), the replacement of necessary parts goes goes >1k. Pair that with the rebuild of the CVT, = .

 

Hence my ws discouraged me from this bike. Told me only to go in with eyes open...

[Kangadrool]

yup, highly not advisable. Maintenance is higher than car.

 

 

But theres a down side to it though, when wear & tear sets in (not accident), the replacement of necessary parts goes goes >1k. Pair that with the rebuild of the CVT, = .

 

Hence my ws discouraged me from this bike. Told me only to go in with eyes open...

 

[BabyBlade]

At the current age of SP(s) in general, how is the pro-arm doing assuming there has been no maj accident? Heard that some are getting not as resilient liao.

 

On the contrary, there are in fact still many good condition and well taken care SPs out there. So far out of my group of SP friends I have not heard of anyone having issues with their pro-arm, not for mine either.

[Baal]

 

On the contrary, there are in fact still many good condition and well taken care SPs out there. So far out of my group of SP friends I have not heard of anyone having issues with their pro-arm, not for mine either.

 

Good to hear that. btw, SP can take semi syn 2T? or strictly full syn like those RS125 / Mito of the past

[BabyBlade]

 

Good to hear that. btw, SP can take semi syn 2T? or strictly full syn like those RS125 / Mito of the past

 

Semi Syn? Can la. Just don't mix Viscosity-based 2T with Ester-based ones. That's what I've been taught. SP is highly durable. Pa Si Buay Toh. I feed my SP 2T from ESSO - Mobil 1 Racing 2T (Gold). Some swear by Motul 710 (and condemns petrol kiosk 2T) but I don't think it really makes a difference. Such an old bike already. I've tried fuel from ESSO, Caltex, Shell and honestly they are all the same. It's too old to actually benefit from whatever Techron, V-Power etc. The only thing is I avoid SPC at all cost. Whoops sidetracked to fuel already.

[BabyBlade]

Come to think about it I can't remember what 2T oils can't be mixed. Castor based (Maxima) and Ester based (Motul)? Can't remember what it was. @Myxilplix any idea?

[Baal]

 

Semi Syn? Can la. Just don't mix Viscosity-based 2T with Ester-based ones. That's what I've been taught. SP is highly durable. Pa Si Buay Toh. I feed my SP 2T from ESSO - Mobil 1 Racing 2T (Gold). Some swear by Motul 710 (and condemns petrol kiosk 2T) but I don't think it really makes a difference. Such an old bike already. I've tried fuel from ESSO, Caltex, Shell and honestly they are all the same. It's too old to actually benefit from whatever Techron, V-Power etc. The only thing is I avoid SPC at all cost. Whoops sidetracked to fuel already.

 

How much is Mobil 1 Racing 2T (Gold) going for now at the kiosk.?

 

Saw that carlube also have bike series . 4T & 2T. Full Syn at half the cost I think.

[Myxilplix]

Come to think about it I can't remember what 2T oils can't be mixed. Castor based (Maxima) and Ester based (Motul)? Can't remember what it was. @Myxilplix any idea?

 

Yeah something like that, different viscosities for castor vs synthetic oils. I think the castor oils got warning not to mix and make sure to drain everything if switching to synthetic.

 

I only used Rock Oil fully-syn so no problem.

[BabyBlade]

 

How much is Mobil 1 Racing 2T (Gold) going for now at the kiosk.?

 

Saw that carlube also have bike series . 4T & 2T. Full Syn at half the cost I think.

 

$24+. There are cheaper sources about $18 per bottle.

[Baal]

http://www.visordown.com/road-tests-first-rides/first-ride-2014-honda-vfr800-review/24774.html

 

 

First ride: 2014 Honda VFR800 review

VFR purists - this is the upgrade you’ve been waiting for

 

 

Posted: 2 April 2014
by Steve Farrell

 

A 1988 VFR750

ANYONE with memories of motorcycling in the late Eighties will also remember the early Honda VFR750, cutting an elegant single-colour figure against a background of graphics-plastered bikes.

Its uncluttered styling and simple lines promised exhilaration without being boastful. It looked potent and mature.

It wasn’t only notable for its looks. In the launch year, 1986, Ron Haslam rode a stock VFR750 to third place in the Transatlantic Challenge at Donington Park.

In 28 years, the VFR has never strayed far from its furrow as the original sports tourer, although it went a bit cocky and NR750-esque in the Nineties, and some purist fans never embraced the 800 it evolved into.

But the latest version, the heavily revised 2014 VFR800, seems more than ever to echo the under-stated self-assurance of early models.

It's so sleek there are few lines for the eye to follow. It's like looking at a pool of red. Or black or white if you're mad enough to choose another colour. A pool you want to dive into.

The changes go well beyond looks. According to Honda, almost everything except the main frame and engine has been replaced for 2014.

It’s got new suspension at both ends. The fork is adjustable for preload and compression damping, the shock for rebound and preload, with a remote preload adjuster.

It’s got new wheels with thinner spokes, and a new brace on top of the single-sided swing-arm to add stiffness.

The steel sub-frame is now die-cast aluminium, saving 2kg. The twin under-seat pipes have been replaced by a single can on the right, saving another 5kg.

It’s got heated grips, traction control, clever new self-cancelling indicators, a new dash and height-adjustable pillion and rider seats.

It’s practically an all-new model, and not before time. The last major updates came 12 years ago. Since the launch of the bigger VFR1200 in 2009, Honda has been pushing that as the flagship of the range. With sales of its middleweight sibling slipping, it was time to revive a legend.

So can it fill the giant shoes of its predecessors? Or will the weight of expectation prove too much?

What’s clear from about 100 yards of the new bike is the class it seems to exude. It could be permanently bathed in soft lighting and it would barely add to the effect.

Every piece of bodywork fits together with every other piece with other-worldly precision. The gaps between them (“shut lines”, a Honda man informed me at the launch in Alicante), are hair-thin and perfectly uniform.

In the instrument panel, the usual digital arrangement of black-on-grey is inverted to make grey digits on black, a simple change that nevertheless lends to the impression this is special.

Even factory-fitted heated grips usually look like an afterthought. Not on the VFR800, where the instrument panel tells you what heating level they are set to. It also tells you your fuel consumption, average speed and what gear you’re in.

With the 782cc engine idling in neutral, the temptation to blip the throttle and make the needle rise on the big central rev counter, unleashing a bit of V-four howl, is irresistible.

On twisty mountain roads, there's enough torque to drive out of corners from 4,000rpm. At 7,000, the howl gets louder as Honda’s VTEC system switches from two valves per cylinder to four.

Early versions of VTEC-equipped VFRs met with criticism of the sudden step-up in power. It might be fine if you’re nailing it through the gears, but hovering around that area in the rev range, some found it jerky and annoying.

Now the step-up is perceptible but not dramatic.

There’s no surge exactly. The engine roars more loudly, power picks up smoothly and the needle climbs with renewed enthusiasm to the red line, just below 12,000rpm.

It’s addictive. As the change in engine note arrives, you’re reminded that VFR stands for ‘V-Four Racing’.

All the bikes given to journalists were fitted with a quick-shifter, an option with price to be confirmed. The sensation of clutch-less up-shifts with the throttle held wide open is fun, but it’s the noise that really makes it. A succession of VTEC howls punctuated by almost instant gear changes makes you feel like you are Ron Haslam in the 1986 Transatlantic.

Then a looming corner tightens up and you remember that you are not Ron Haslam.

Not that the VFR800 doesn’t cope well. The new brakes, which include ABS as standard and are not front-and-rear linked like many Honda’s of the past, are powerful and precise, delivering all the stopping force your fingers ask and no more. Braking into a corner, the forks retain enough travel in reserve for the bike to remain composed as you let off and tip in.

For long distance touring, the riding position may be a tad sporty for some, the reach to the bars a little far, putting too much weight on the arms. Personally I don’t mind it. It’s part of what gives the VFR a sense of purpose, part of its spirit. I would happily ride it to Timbuktu in a day, park it in the sand and spend the evening standing and looking at it.

Purist fans of the original VFR750 have tended to reject the later 800s, with their hoity-toity variable valve timing. To me, this new 800 seems everything the middleweight VFR should be: a true sports-tourer that’s going to be as handy on a track day as a week-long ride to the Algarve.

As always, I can find things to complain about. Earlier I called the self-cancelling indicators ‘clever’, and they are, in that they use difference in front and rear wheel speed to detect when you’ve finished taking a corner. I’m just not sure they work that well in practice. Sometimes the indicator cancelled earlier than I wanted, sometimes later. If you have to override it, what’s the point?

The traction control button is on a box on the left bar which, unlike the heated grips, does look like an afterthought. It has two settings, on and off, and to its credit it’s very easy to switch between them. No annoying need to close the throttle, as with many systems. You just hold the button for a couple of seconds and a warning on the instrument panel tells you it’s off.

The traction control system works by retarding the ignition and gives smoother intervention without using throttle-by-wire, according to Honda. I’ll be honest: on the launch ride I was not aware of it intervening at any point.

Just beneath the tail unit are slightly obtrusive mounting points for panniers, in black. No doubt they look better than a conventional pannier frame. My criticism is that if you don’t want luggage, you don’t have to have a pannier frame. The latest mounting system is permanent and, without panniers fitted, it looks a bit like something is missing.

Adjusting the rider’s seat height requires a spanner and at the higher setting the gap between seat and bodywork looks a little too big.

These are minor points.

Overall the impression remains one of class, beauty and potency. An optional pillion seat cowl fits with the same precision found everywhere. There’s already a good-sized compartment under the pillion seat, with enough space for waterproofs. With the seat swapped for the cowl, there's even more room.

The new VFR feels grown up but still exciting. Sophisticated, accomplished, exhilarating, sporty, elegant.

All the things early VFR750s represented.

If you’re an early VFR purist, this could be the upgrade you’ve been waiting for.

Model tested: Honda VFR800

Price: £10,499

Power: 105hp

Torque: 55.3lbft

Kerb weight: 242kg

Seat height: 789mm/809mm

Colours: red, white, metallic black

Availability: May

 

All Images

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Read more: http://www.visordown.com/road-tests-first-rides/first-ride-2014-honda-vfr800-review/24774.html#ixzz37mGTO6E4

[Myxilplix]

Oh hey new VFR800, well done. Doesn't look as nice as the older ones (no twin underseat exhaust no talk) but seems pretty decent.

 

Some people I know might be interested, the VFR1200 was a big disappointment to them.

[Raymondism]

Any comments on Honda Varadero 125?

[nazerath]

big tank, dual disc, unfortunately to high for me.

[Baal]

Oh hey new VFR800, well done. Doesn't look as nice as the older ones (no twin underseat exhaust no talk) but seems pretty decent.

 

Some people I know might be interested, the VFR1200 was a big disappointment to them.

Thats what I thought initially too, the design actually looks a step backward. W/o underseat corst, cannot hao lian the single-sided swingarm (pro-arm).

 

Incidentally, I believe the owner of a 94 CBR900 ( in my mscp), just replaced his ride with a 2002 FV plate VFR800 2002 model. Chio...

Any comments on Honda Varadero 125?

 

Stable I suppose but may feel underpowered as it could be a tad heavy for a 125cc V-twin. Size & composure would be its plus points.

Edited July 20, 2014 by Baal

[Baal]

big tank, dual disc, unfortunately to high for me.

 

maybe can consider : http://www.topspeed.com/motorcycles/motorcycle-reviews/yamaha/2014-yamaha-tw200-ar159939.html#main

 

Change to road tyres and u have some sort of motard. 200cc, air-cooled. max out the Class 2B.

 

 

2014 Yamaha TW200

• review
• photos (1)
• Videos ()

Specifications: year: 2014 make: Yamaha price: $ 4590 Engine: Air-cooled SOHC 4-stroke; 2 valves Transmission: Constant-mesh 5-speed; multiplate wet clutch Energy: Carburetor Displacement: 196 cc

 

 

 

The 2014 Yamaha TW200 is a rugged dual purpose motorcycle that was especially developed for those who want to mix fun with practicality.

 

At its heart lies a 196cc, aircooled, four stroke, single cylinder engine that delivers more than enough low- and mid-range power to help you deal without problems with any type of track. The engine is mated on a smooth-shifting five speed transmission with manual clutch.

 

As far as ergonomics are concerned, the Yamaha TW200 comes with a low seat height, a perfectly angled handlebar and frame-mounted passenger footpegs.

 

You also get a modern instrument panel that includes a speedometer with odometer and resettable tripmeter as well as indicator lights for neutral, high beam and turn signals.

 

http://www.topspeed.com/motorcycles/motorcycle-reviews/yamaha/2014-yamaha-tw200-ar159939.html#mainhttp://www.topspeed.com/motorcycles/motorcycle-reviews/yamaha/2014-yamaha-tw200-ar159939.html#main

 

PS : Considering that FZ16 already about 10K OTR, the above could be 11-12k OTR.

 

Edited July 20, 2014 by Baal

[Baal]

Oh hey new VFR800, well done. Doesn't look as nice as the older ones (no twin underseat exhaust no talk) but seems pretty decent.

 

Some people I know might be interested, the VFR1200 was a big disappointment to them.

 

what was their main complain on the 1200?

 

For the 800, ur friends could change to a full system with the muffler on the left side...

 

the pro-arm is too sexy to be left concealed

[Myxilplix]

 

what was their main complain on the 1200?

 

For the 800, ur friends could change to a full system with the muffler on the left side...

 

the pro-arm is too sexy to be left concealed

Too heavy too slow and tank capacity too small, range is compromised.

 

Change muffler side might be illegal, but aiyah single-sided swingarm only. Even SP also have, hor @BabyBlade?